Category: Daily Living
I apologize if this has been posted recently, but I don't get on here much anymore and if I do, it's just to play a quick game.
I'm getting ready to start my new job with the IRS on Monday, and I was wondering what apps or programs do you guys use to do things like read your mail, bills Etc? I've seen the prizmo 2 app for the mac which looks interesting, but I don't know exactly how it would work. I know you take a picture with your phone, but I don't know much else. Any help would be appreciated.
Kurzweil, but I've no idea if it is mac compatible?
There's also Open Book, but I've never used it.
I'm not up on new technology.
Hi Faithful Angel. Does the software you want to use have to be compatible with a Mac? If so, I can't help you there. I personally use OpenBook. If you're looking for something compatible with a Mac, I can do some asking around, and post if I get any ideas. I have some friends that use Macs exclusively, so maybe they would know.
yes I have just a mac.:) Thanks for the help guys.:)
This won’t help as to the programs, but is an opinion.
Everything now can be done via email. If you get credit accounts, services, etc. these all are paperless.
The only thing that mainly comes in the mail if you decide will be junk, and if you contact your local post office, you can even get rid of that.
Doing this will insure that anything you really need to know about that comes to you by mail, you’ll know is coming, so can arrange for someone to read it.
Expensive software seems a waste to read the blue moon letter.
I have myself set this way, so a friend visiting me just normally tosses my junk I receive in the trash unless they find a coupon or something they want.
Even my coupons are emailed or on my iPhone. Lol
Just an idea.
I do what Wayne does. all my bill notifications and such are done through emails that alert me when they're ready, and if someone I know is gonna send me something, I have them tell me about it beforehand so I can have a sighted person read it to me, when it comes.
I didn't know that you could notify the post office about not wanting to receive junk mail, though. Wayne, do you know how I could look into that?
I also get other people's mail, but I doubt there's a way to stop that from happening.
Yup going paperless here finally. The Chick is on board with that now.
It's a part of the green revolution, but yeah it's great for us. The only people who struggle with that are people who like to do everything on paper and spread things out on the table like a teacher's desk. Hmm again speaking of a certain Chick ... lol
Yes, and some places out here even provide braille bills which is awesome. So it's either braille or email for me.
I recently took over ownership of the property I rented off my parents and it took a couple of calls for my local counsil to agree to email me my rates notices, so sometimes it can be tricky when they're not use to dealing with blindies, but you just have to keep at them.
Now I just have to call and get them to stop putting junk mail and the local paper in my box, because, I can now read that online. :)
I use to use open book but when I got my new computer I went to go put it on but unfortunately I didn't have the installation disk and plus it is real old version 6.0 but I usually get some one else to read it but of course want to do things independently as some one is not always available and yeah I was thinking about getting the phone bill send to me online and for my bank mail online but there are things like government that you can't do online but good suggestion, smiles.
Well now I'm gonna be politically incorrect and say this:
We all know people don't like to do the accomodations. It's like paying your taxes as an adult or being made to dress up and go to the Sunday School / church as a kid: you do it because it's required, and maybe even put on the right attitude just to fit in and satisfy the powers that wish they were.
So, instad of saying you're blind, call them and tell them you read how eco-friendly they are. Say you think that's awesome and are embracing a more eco-friendly low-carbon-footprint lifestyle. And ask about their eco-friendly paperless options.
That will work in a lot of places, I know plenty of sighted people who do this anyway. The only time I had some kind of a problem about that was once in Florida some person asked if I was some kind of a communist when I asked them about the recycling. This was late 90s though.
Anyway, you're not lying if you say this, you know: since you don't drive, you're supposedly lowering the footprint, you are car pooling. Right? And if you live where you can walk places, you walk. If you don't walk, you have fewer cars per household since even though you're payin' for it, you only have one car. That's one less driver on the road.
There are other ways you actually do live eco-friendly just by living blind, so. It's the games people play I guess. Your carma just ran over their dogma. Same actual activity of going paperless, but you're not making them fell the way they felt when they had to go to church, or come April 15, if you take my meaning.
If you can't quid pro quo the situation, the way to get what you want is put it in a way it matches their beliefs systems. I don't mean deceit, after all you are in fact doing the eco friendly thing whether you buy into the thinking behind it or not.
See, then they're not saying "Oh boy, we have to accommodate this person blah blah blah disabled people and lawsuits ..." they're saying, "Got us another paperless green person."
Even traditionally conservative companies like the SqualidMart with its music sensorship and all have jumped on the green revolution and natural products and all, because thta's the new dogma everyone does, and that's where the money is.
I'd say if you're going to do this, do it in a way that is totally realistic though, don't bullshit it. Meaning if you are one of those climate change deniers, or like me you're kind of on the fence on some of this stuff, don't BS it as though you were hardcore.
At any rate, the same company will tell you they have no accessibility option, but if you had asked for their green eco-friendly option, they do have that. So pencil pushers will be happy because you're asking for an existing category, and the dogmatics will love it because you're either a would-be convert or one of them. Don't matter which, really, in the end.
Many companies are pushing paperless with contest. You sign up you could win this or that.
Yes I'm "eco friendly" Not blind at all.
I love that!
I will find out about the postal service. It has been a while I learned about this, so will have to research it again.
I think ABBYY Finereader is available for the Mac. You could use that and an inexpensive flatbed scanner such as those made by Cannon.
Hi interesting question! Prismo works pretty good on the i-phone but the camera has to be focused or positioned correctly also good lighting is a factor. Because of these factors you should buy stan scan in adition to prismo. Check out applevis.com for info on this topic. Now I have a question! Does any one have experience with eye-pal a stand alone reader? I am considering buying one.
I guess I'll have to talk with my local post office. Because aside from my cable bills and the occasional letters from either Health and Wellfare or the Housing Authority the only mail I get is pretty much junk. The only stuff I look forward to are the coupons for Pizza Hut. Everything else is either other people's mail or ads for car insurance which are never going to be relevant to me.
I looked into the post office thing Wayne mentioned, and it's a no-go, at least for me. they want you to know the names of addresses on the unsolicited mail/incorrect mail you receive, and I don't know about you guys, but that's just too much of a hastle, to me.
just wanted to let everyone know what I found out.
I don't think it works exactly that way, and I'm waiting on an answer. If I'm right I'll update it.
I didn't see what she saw, so we have a different experience.
As far as pizza cupons, they are right on the website, so you don't have to get them in the mail.
I use ReadIris Pro for scanning print papers and mail. I also like ABBYY Fine Reader. I think both of them have a Mac version, although I am not sure. As far as scanners, I just use an all-in-one scanner so I do not have to use multiple devices for scanning, copying, and printing. I am currently using a Samsung SCX3400 all-in-one that works well and scans pretty fast compared to some of the other ones I have used. I use it with my ReadIris Pro, and I scan the print items into Microsoft Word, and you can do it to PDF or pretty much any other format you would like with ReadIris Pro. I believe you can also do the same with ABBYY Fine Reader.
I also get all my bills through email, and I also call my cable company, electric company, and any other company I get bills from, because they all usually have an automated system that will allow you to check how much your current bill is and will also allow you to make payments over the phone. If that doesn't work, I go online and pay it. This has always worked for me so far.
Here is what the post office sent me in response to my question about getting rid of junk mail in your mail box.
I understand you would like to know how to stop recieving junk mail to your address. I am providing you with an email address to do so at, www.dmachoice.org or https://www.dmachoice.org/EDDM. You can also have someone write a letter for you if you are not able to. The address to write to is, DMA Choice Direct Marketing Association, PO BOX 643, Carmel, NY 10512.
Thank you for emailing your United States Postal Service. We appreciate your business.
@LeoGuardian: I've had to do a similar bit of social engineering—actually, it was with Dell. I needed a way to edit the BIOS on a by today's standards ancient Dell laptop I had. Explaining to them that I was blind and that the BIOS configuration ran separate from the operating system put them in an infinite loop wherein they kept insisting I needed to find a helper (I've seen people with autism and its associated stereotypes latch on to a stimmy with less fervor than people latching on to the idea that we always have an all-purpose sighted helper on hot stand-by). Restate the question and claim that I work for an enterprise that has a lot of Dell systems (not a lie)? Suddenly they point me at a tool specifically designed to create one configuration and push to several machines. Were I to wager a guess, I'd say that, generally speaking, stating your case as a preference for online or electronic communication, and leaving blindness out of it, won't invoke the stereotypes associated with disability which ... um ... blind people to actual solutions to the problem (for instance, I've mentioned that I worked for a large Redmond-based software company and that I'm blind in the same conversation, and the drone on the other end of the phone line still did a double take before offering to email me something).
I suspect we should asked to be emailed. I do, and that helps much.
There are online fax services as well, so if you have one, like smart fax, the fax comes to your email.
These cost some though, so email is best.
"are you some sort of communist?" hahahaha! nice one leo. I couldn't stop laughing. that was pretty funny.
I just lend my mail to friends I can trust and are good enough friends, get them to read it thank them. if they want payment pay them or offer lunch, dinner breakfast, a beverage, a snack teatime treats, or whatever they want and ta-da there you go.
I am sorta lazy I have Kurzweil. I think that would probably work but rach is kinda lazy. and this is easier.