program 1 VIP - assist

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 VISION IMPAIRED FOUNDATION is a trust organized and operated exclusively for charitable and educational purposes. Specifically, this organization will (a) educate the public on subjects useful to individuals and beneficial to the community, (b) provide relief to the poor, distressed, and underprivileged, (c) provide an easier and more effective method of getting information and books to vision impaired people in an environment that supports self-reliance and builds self-esteem, creates an awareness (among those more fortunate) of people with disadvantages, while offering empowering solutions so that everyone reaps the benefits. We have developed three (3) programs in furtherance of our purposes.

Our 1st program is entitled: VIP-Assist. The purposes of this program are to educate the public on subjects useful to individuals and beneficial to the community, provide relief to the poor, distressed, and underprivileged, and empower the vision impaired to be able to use the internet as sighted people do. 

For many years, VIPs (Vision Impaired People) have had to rely on the National Library of Congress for reading materials such as books and newspapers and other publications. State agencies have provided books on tape for free to those who qualify. VIPS have had to provide their own readers in many instances. With funding cuts, this is one program that has suffered greatly, such that currently it is about three to four years before a New York Times best seller is available for VIPs,  

Through this website, the Vision Impaired Foundation  seeks to provide an alternative that still enables the VIP to have access to books and information for free, with several major benefits and enhancements over the present system. Information and books are instantly available online via any PC computer with a USB port. No more waiting three or more years for current bestselling books to become available to a VIP. They deserve to have access now. They want to do everything a sighted person can do. They want to get on the internet, do email, Facebook, read a book and shop. The software contained on the Foundation's USB, VIP- Assist device enables them to do all this and more. 

Our software enables visible text on a digital screen device, be a computer monitor or cell phone, to be synthesized into an audio format. The USB device is a screen reading software application that allows navigation through a series of simple keyboard commands - not the hundreds required to fully utilize  the software from the "big three" software manufacturers. VIP-Assist is robust in its own right, enabling the user to do what sighted people do. They can check out and read books from the library, stay in touch with gmail and Facebook, surf the web, shop, read documents and pdf files an so on. Thus the VIP can listen to the material which without the USB device would be very difficult or impossible to read and understand. Our main focus is with the totally blind individual but we serve low vision people  through the screen reader and screen magnification features as well as those with learning disabilities.

Currently there are three other basic systems available. JAWS, (Job Access With Speech),  manufactured by Freedom Scientific and is a full featured screen reading application and magnifier system, with over 900 keyboard shortcuts that can be used on many applications from Microsoft Office Applications, OpenOffice.org, and MathType to name a few.

ZoomText is manufactured by ABasic and also is screen reader and a magnifier. 

WindowEyes is a non-visual desktop access system similar to both JAWS and  WindowEyes with many keyboard shortcu ts.  

Many functions of those 'big three' software applications  far exceed the needs of most VIPs.  They require physical installations at each location and are very expensive, often costing thousands of dollars. Libraries are dependent on state assistance, which has been difficult to obtain. And only the rich VIPs are able to afford any of these systems for their home use. 

However, none of these allow the checking out of a book.   With our software, not only can the individual VIP check out books they accomplish more. The cost of owning our USB drive is only $99 for those who wish to purchase it and who can afford it. Such purchases expand our ability to provide more drives to those in need. 

Another company in England has a web browser named "Webbie" which works with any screen  reading device. It is open source and free. Ms. Adams, our Trustee, was given the rights to develop that software, which rights are now owned by our Foundation, and she is the one person who figured out how to make this entire system work. 

Ms. Adams' mission with this effort is to make access to the internet easy and to improve the quality of life of the VIP. Her criteria for what she required is fourfold: 1) create a screen reading system application that was affordable for the average VIP and can be provided to those in need for free by our Foundation, 2) make it 100% accessible, 3) provide 24/7 software support, and 4) have it completely portable.   

 She has accomplished all four goals here. In libraries, if any screen reading system is available, it is normally on one of their computers only as the cost to install on multiple computers is prohibitive. With our system, the process is simply accessing the overdrive application on each computer which the Libraries have. The librarian or assistant logs the VIP patron into the computer. The VIP places the USB device containing VIP Assist in the  USB port, plugs in the headphones,  hits a key on the keyboard and the software automatically starts.  The VIP then listens via headphones and can operate independently without further assistance. 

Staying connected with family and friends and with current events from information obtained over the internet increases their self-esteem and builds self-reliance in a way that has not been possible previously. This is a huge advantage and confidence-builder for any VIP.

Most VIPS cannot afford computers. Libraries have many of computers. Libraries need patrons; that is how funding is determined for each library. If the number of patrons to US libraries can be increased by 20% by just serving the vision impaired, that is a win-win situation. More details are available on the video  “Tear Down the Fence”    shown on this site. 

Software development in a portable format as well as operating from the Cloud along with 24/7 online training is essential in maintaining this type of program. Cloud computing is a future feature of this project and we are actively working on developing this.
 
This program actually began informally in September 2013 with individual VIPS receiving the USBs and training for beta-testing, and a pilot program among 10 libraries nationwide. The Lions' Clubs have embraced this project featured this software in their December 2013 national magazine. A copy of this article can be found here. Lions Club Article .

A comprehensive contextual User's Guide is on each VIP- Assist USB drive to instruct the user on everything from setting up the screen reading software to doing email, Facebook, gmail and checking out books, and also downloading to a USB device. It can also be used as a printed manual for the sighted for use by librarians and other support groups. Minimum time need be spent supporting the VIP, as they can become independent quite quickly.
 

We plan eventually to expand our operations to groups in the UK which have expressed an interest. If appropriate and in line with our purposes, and as funds permit, we may make grants, loans or distributions to organizations there. No corporate donations will be used other than domestically. These groups include Lions' Clubs, public and private libraries and schools. Lions' Clubs have historically focused their charitable efforts on the vision impaired, so they are a logical place for our organization's outreach. All potential groups will be carefully vetted as to their capacities to use the funds properly and in line with our Foundation's clear vision. Additional organizations we may consider: Rotary, American Federation of the Blind, Veterans Administration, Veterans of Foreign Wars, The Weston A. Price Foundation, National Federation of the Blind, American Library Association, Friends of the Library, Royal National Institute of Blind People, Royal Blind Society, European Blind Union, German Federation of the Blind, World Blind Union, Action for Blind People, Deafblind Scotland, Fife Society for the Blind, CACDP Development of Deafblind Courses, RAD, Sense Scotland, Fairfield Schools, International Association for the Education of Deafblind People and Rebecca Goodman Centre. There are too many public and private schools, and too many public and private libraries, to list, here with easily over 250,000 by our estimation.  

The program will be implemented nationwide, in vision impaired groups which often include the blind, schools, veterans and hospital rehabilitation groups, prisons, and other locations where VIPS are present. It will be administered by the trustees and officers of our organization and will be conducted from our principal place of business.  Our organization spends 30% percent of its time and efforts on this program. 

This program, as well as our organization, are marketed through existing connections, our website, brochures and word of mouth. By offering our programs, we further and expand our purposes of educating the public on subjects useful to individuals and beneficial to the community, providing relief to the poor, distressed, and underprivileged, and providing an effective method of getting information and books to vision impaired people in an environment that supports self-reliance and builds self-esteem.

Examples of Program 1: 

•  We get a call from a state agency to work with a VIP, regardless of age, although typically over 18 They might be a college student, newly vision impaired due to an accident, and struggling to find their way in this new environment. They miss the sighted life they had formerly. This software enables them to re-connect with friends and family.  

•  A vision impaired person is trying to learn new skills so they can re-enter the work force.   State assisted training has helped them with those skills but they have no way of connecting through social media, email, to shop or check out a book. This software enables them to do all that.  

•  A veteran lost his sight or was disabled. Even though he has had extensive rehabilitation, his world has changed forever. This once independent human being is now dependent on everyone for his food and welfare.  This software helps him regain his self-esteem and build self-reliance so he can once again be confident in what he does.    

•  A college student who is well versed in the mainstream screen reading software applications can't go to the library, easily do email, download and check out a book. This software enables her to all that.    

•  A single parent has a 10 year old daughter whom she has never seen clearly due to her own impaired vision. She was given state assisted training but was not able to do any social media, email, shop or download and check out a book. Now, she can take her USB driven software into any public library check out a book for the first time and share with her daughter.