Category: Garage Sale
It really amazes me that out of all the expensive equipment that we have out there. Someone doesn't offer financing, I would think Freedom scientific would. With the way there out to make money. I don't blaime them for that. Still word to the wise the next time someone wants to open up an adaptive equipment online store. Financing. that's the way to go!
Any thoughts on this, is there someone out there who does offer this that I just don't know about?
Shawn, I forget what state you are in, but every state has a techact project of some kind. Wait, I think you're in Texas. Check with the Commission for the Blind. Also you can go to our state's site at www.mdtap.org. I think they still have a list of projects around the country. G.W. Micro has a lease program for Window-eyes. I forget the details on how it works, but I think its one of the nices offers I've seen. by the end of the lease, you own the program. I think NFB offers low-interest loans as well. Good topic. I'll be interested in what folks find. I've other resources at work, and I'll probably try and cehck them out when I get there on Tuesday.
Lou
I know of no such thing in the UK...
Hi Lou,
Yes there is the commision or what is now known as the department of rehab services and provide you meet there income requirements you can get equipment from them. That's where I got my first computer from.
After that, when your making money, Then what, I mean it just seems like someone would offer financing for equipment that can range from 1000 to 10000 dollars. I just think there should be a few alternatives out there.
I remember at one time beyond sight offered financing. I've been to there page and they don't seem to anymore.
www.beyondsight.com
One thing I did find is
Association of Blind Citizens
www.blindcitizens.org
It looks like they offer grants to pay for 50% of adaptive equipment.
who knows, right?
I live in fl. I never have of anything like it. Do though it would help a lot of people get what they need.
Here in PA, there is a loan that one can get for equipment. You have the life of the equipment to pay off te loan. And the life of the equipment is determined by the office giving the loans. The office of Blind/Visual Services will people going to college or work, but since the state has combined a few offices they have made it harder to get help. I was working and attending college and they paid for a laptop which cost them $3500.
And yes GW Micro has a lease to buy program, not totally sure how it works, but there are people which love it.
But anymore here in PA, I am better off becoming a drug dealer or pimp to pay for equipment. It would be a lot easier and less of a hassel than going through this lovely state red tape.
Most computer companies do offer loans. At time Dell and other offer 18 months with no interest, but that's only for computers, then rest I'm not sure. The lions club give things away in all states, so check with them as well.
Yeh, and I am not so much talking about the state rehabs and there red tape as I am a private company offering a payment plann.
I looked at GWMicros deal. the bad thing is it's only for window eyes. 100 bucks a month. that is a start, I wish they did it for there talk sense or what ever there hand held things called.
I can get on dell.com right now and buy a desktop and pay it off over 12 to 18 months. even being able to finance jaws and or window eyes etc with one of the computer companies like dell would be cool.
They don't just sell there own brand products as it is.
anyone want to start a company? grin
Could you take out a loan with a bank, buy the assistive tech, and then pay back the bank as you would any other loan?
sure, just take out a personal loan at our local credit union or bank. I would think hey would be happy to loan you the money.
When we bought this computer, I went to our credit union. We took out a loan for this computer. If you own a home, you might consider a home equity loan, and the interest may be tax deductible. Check with your accountant or tax professional to be sure, but that would be another option.
I heard many banks don't do the personal loan thing. I have never seen it advertised on their sites. I'd like to be able to get a Trekker and the 2 upgrades I need for JFW.
what jaws are you looking for maybe i can help you
Yes, GW Micro and Serotek offer payment plans. Go with them. Our company does anyway. We are resellers of Window Eyes.
i'm not surprised american banks don't do personal loans now. sorry to say, your financial system is in serious trouble.
Screw Jaws for now. That's my attitude. I love the product but hate the company. Yes, Jaws is great, and I've used it all my life: but, due to recent events, I've had to purchase a lease from GW Micro. I've migrated to Window Eyes, and I can't wait for 7.0 to come out. And, would you believe that greedy old Freedom Scientific wants to sue GW Micro because the new release is better than their product. And wouldn't you know that their case will have no weight. It will fly just as well as it did when they tried to go after Michael Kurn for NVDA.
It just hurts them so bad that anyone could be better than them or, what is more, offer a free screen reader so the blind won't either have to go without or spend a fortune that they don't have for computer access. They don't want any competition, which is what it is all about in the business world. Believe me, I know since I own my own business.
It would be quite silly if I sued my competitors just because they were ahead of me or made slightly more than I did in a fiscal year. Well, advice to Freedom Scientific is the following;
If you are intimidated by competition, get up and find creative ways to better yourself because you can't sue everyone that does better. People will use your ideas whether you like it or not. That is what business is all about. Each business watches the other to see what they are doing, and they see that what they does works. Hence, the opponent takes the strategy for themselves. Wouldn't you know they do the same in sports, too?
The next piece of advice I should offer is to cater more to your clients. Alot of blind people don't have the money you ask right up front. Most, and myself included, gave up on rehab long ago due to the fact of being sick and tired of fighting the system and would rather take matters into our hands. Because of this, you should offer a payment plan. Oh, wait! GW Micro could sue you because you took their idea and offered a payment plan. Ya know? They did it first because they did it right. They knew the clients they had to serve--the blind community--and they made their product readily available so the blind could both afford and have easy access to it. Wow!
I'll conclude by saying keep being greedy and keep trying to dictate and control the market with threats and lawsuits, and there will be bad days ahead for you. Jaws is a great product. I've always loved it: but, because of finances, and because I'm upset as to how you guys handle things,I've been forced to switch to Window Eyes. Not to mention, my poor small business doesn't have the amount of money you ask up front for an enterprize license. As it stands right now, we'll have more success with GW Micro, as we're in the process of becoming one of their resellers.
So, to the poster I'm replying to about the Jaws upgrades, Go with GW Micro for now. You can lease Window Eyes for as low as forty bucks a months. At the end of the lease, you'll completely own the software. I hope I've helped. Happy accessibility
We offer loans also. Not ot mention, we are not going to sell our computer at such a high price, not unless someone is interested in gaming or something of that nature. And to the one living in Pensylvania, I know all about how hard it is to get help in that state. i hear so much about it.
while your at it, you might as well advertise your company. gw, nees to make all of it's products up for a payment plan, then I might be interested.
Hi, Yes they should offer payment plans on their products, but at least they started with a screen reader. I had to purchase all of my own stuff and man it was not cheap. Personal loans are good, but then you have the interest to worry about. I am also a window-eyes user, and use jaws as well, but freedom scientific seems to me to want to own the entire market, isn't illegal to have a monopoly?? compitition is good, it makes some one work to produce a better product. Hope S F. Looses!!
Well the way I see it I would like to own an icon from olevelstar. I just can not afford it and my bsvi will not pay for it. I wonder what kind of action I could take to fight for it. Just my though. GW micro and serotek are the only service I know that do a payment plan.
Matthew
i agree these company's should make their product more accesible. the cost s out of this world. from tlking scales to phones. it seems we blind folk pay more for our tech. it seems like the national organizations are dong very little to eas the financial burden we face. the red tape sucks! i had to do some not very honorable things to get what i needed. i do not regred it. as for starting a company, it sounds great! maybe some of us can confrenceand brainstorm. i would like an alternative to jaws and the other screen readers. maybe we can some up with another alternative and sell it ourselves? any programmers? hehe.
To post 6. I am also in pennsylvania, and I am in the same situation. However for me, I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. I am still in high school this will be my last year. I am also in tech school, and I'll be needing some equipment. However, my school may buy things for me but I probably won't get to keep what they buy for me, but they may. Things including jaws9 w/ dongle which they are in the process of buying, double talk, which my dad is buying for me because he just has the cash and other things. The issue is that if anything else it bought by the school, I don't know if they'll say keep it or they'll want us to Pay. BBVS is extremely hard to deal with in the sense that they won't buy me a damned thing unless I give them dates of when I'm going to school or when I'm going to get a job. By that time it might be too late to buy anything. I don't know if I end up keeping what I get from the school if BBVS will fund the equipment by just paying the school. Since I'll be moving it would just make sense that they let me keep what I get instead of re-buying everything all over again. As it is now, I don't know of any way to get funding for equipment I could give a list of things I'd like that are access devices but finding money anymore is just a pain. I dont' know much about the lines club, but I have been told that they fund primarily medical expenses. As a student, this type of thing is extremely hard, especially when the job you need requires special things, devices.
For all of us, or at least me (yes I'm being greedy here), let me know if there is anything i am overseeing in terms of services or institutions I may not be aware of. Just send me a pm.
BTW, I have yeard of the BSA or SBA whatever it is called I think it is called the association for blind something or other
Ah here it is Associated Services for the Blind - www.ASB.org
I have been meaning to check this out for some time.
If anyone has used them, let me know how they are in terms of services and how strict they are. I believe this is a national organization, because my friends mom in Kentucky used them and she got a computer form them, and they let her keep it.
Thanks.