On behalf of the EmpowerTech Board of Directors, staff and our students, we wish you a Happy Holiday Season.
2009 has proven to be a trying year for most, including us here at EmpowerTech. We were faced with cutbacks across the all areas of giving and most importantly a decline in our fees for service. The good news is we were and are filled to capacity in all of our classrooms and receiving multiple program inquiries each day. Despite these obstacles, EmpowerTech once again triumphed. The start of our new fiscal year has brought positive energy and exciting gains in both our programs and our community foundation partnerships.
We would like to ask for your support to make it even more exciting and secure for our students. Just ask:
Mitch, a student who began in our Pre-school program and eventually moved into our TRADE program who is now working as a data entry clerk for the Los Angeles Mayor or
Devon, who has limited speech and motor skills and is able to communicate with his sister 2000 miles away via email by visiting our offices each week for FREE Open Access, his only opportunity to use the computer each week or
Sara, a blind and low vision student who has furthered her independence by learning Online Banking and is no longer reliant on others to access her personal financial information.
EmpowerTech programs are thriving and providing services to more people than ever. This year alone, over 2,400 people benefited from EmpowerTech services. We have an exciting children’s program that is designed to help children improve their overall school performance, a growing TRADE program teaching job and life skills to adult students, a free community Open Access Program has served over 300 individuals in 2009 and our Blind and Low Vision program currently has a waiting list of interested students. We have the staff, the tools, and the students, NOW WE NEED YOU!
Your support of EmpowerTech is critical to help us maintain our current programs and offer new programs. We couldn’t make a difference in LA without your support.
DONATE NOW
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
How we have impacted the future of our students
This is from one of our TRADE student's mothers...
“You guys really deserve so much credit in regard to his maturing and growth, social skills and articulation. Before attending the TRADE program he was reclusive and didn’t want to communicate with others. I’m so thankful. He has so much respect for you. When someone shows Vernon how to do something on the computer, he says, ‘Eric said to do it this way.’ That’s all he’s been able to talk about. I’m thankful.”
“You guys really deserve so much credit in regard to his maturing and growth, social skills and articulation. Before attending the TRADE program he was reclusive and didn’t want to communicate with others. I’m so thankful. He has so much respect for you. When someone shows Vernon how to do something on the computer, he says, ‘Eric said to do it this way.’ That’s all he’s been able to talk about. I’m thankful.”
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Sarah's Story
I think for most of us that are reading this message there are things that we take for granted: every day things; opening mail and reading it and paying bills with checks or through our on-line banking accounts. For most of the students here at EmpowerTech these things are done with assistance usually by another person. The following story will anger and appall you but I promise it has a very good ending.
The main character of this story is Sarah (not her real name for privacy purposes). Sarah is one of our recent Blind/Low-Vision program graduates, she is extremely independent and even more so after completing the program.
There were still a few things that she did need help with, primarily opening of her bills and then writing the checks. She did have a hired assistant who would come in a few hours a week to help her with this. Sarah and her got along very well and a trust began to form. For several months, a few hours a week, the assistant helped Sarah with her finances. Then one day by sheer luck, Sarah called her bank to check her balance. She was overdrawn and the check that the assistant wrote for her rent was going to bounce.
Very upset and beside herself she called Tom Lange, EmpowerTech's Blind/Low-Vision Director. Tom immediately calmed her down and helped her navigate along with her bank's assistance, the source of the overdraft, a check was forged by the assistant. The bank acknowledged the problem and replaced the funds.
A few days later and through a series of phone calls, Tom taught her how to use on-line banking.
You see there are things you and I take for granted; opening our mail, paying bills and on-line banking. But now because of EmpowerTech and Tom's help our Blind/Low-Vision students are all being taught and taking advantage of on-line banking even furthering their independence.
The main character of this story is Sarah (not her real name for privacy purposes). Sarah is one of our recent Blind/Low-Vision program graduates, she is extremely independent and even more so after completing the program.
There were still a few things that she did need help with, primarily opening of her bills and then writing the checks. She did have a hired assistant who would come in a few hours a week to help her with this. Sarah and her got along very well and a trust began to form. For several months, a few hours a week, the assistant helped Sarah with her finances. Then one day by sheer luck, Sarah called her bank to check her balance. She was overdrawn and the check that the assistant wrote for her rent was going to bounce.
Very upset and beside herself she called Tom Lange, EmpowerTech's Blind/Low-Vision Director. Tom immediately calmed her down and helped her navigate along with her bank's assistance, the source of the overdraft, a check was forged by the assistant. The bank acknowledged the problem and replaced the funds.
A few days later and through a series of phone calls, Tom taught her how to use on-line banking.
You see there are things you and I take for granted; opening our mail, paying bills and on-line banking. But now because of EmpowerTech and Tom's help our Blind/Low-Vision students are all being taught and taking advantage of on-line banking even furthering their independence.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Student Comment about our TRADE Program
In each quarterly TRADE progress report is a section for students to provide input. Some of the student comments are quite moving - such as the one in the report I am currently writing. The student is Christine - the tiny woman we often undoubtedly hear squealing with excitement when she experiences a success.
I think the class is fantastic. I'd love to continue as long as it takes me. As long as I will have my computer I will still come to class on Tuesdays. It will make me very smart!
I think the class is fantastic. I'd love to continue as long as it takes me. As long as I will have my computer I will still come to class on Tuesdays. It will make me very smart!
Monday, July 27, 2009
1000 Empowering Moments
EmpowerTech launches emergency fundraising campaign
We are calling this campaign 1000 Empowering Moments. Our goal is for 1000 people to give $100. We are looking to raise $100,000. These "Empowering" Moments are in addition to our daily Empowering Moments we get to witness in person. Devon, who has MS, and has been coming to EmpowerTech since he was a teenager, was diagnosed with MS a degenerative disease, that has slowly taken away all of his motor skills. For Devon having access to a computer and Head Mouse each Wednesday during our Open Access Lab is the only opportunity he has to send emails to his sister 3000 miles away. Please help us keep our doors open donate now
We are calling this campaign 1000 Empowering Moments. Our goal is for 1000 people to give $100. We are looking to raise $100,000. These "Empowering" Moments are in addition to our daily Empowering Moments we get to witness in person. Devon, who has MS, and has been coming to EmpowerTech since he was a teenager, was diagnosed with MS a degenerative disease, that has slowly taken away all of his motor skills. For Devon having access to a computer and Head Mouse each Wednesday during our Open Access Lab is the only opportunity he has to send emails to his sister 3000 miles away. Please help us keep our doors open donate now
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Orator for BlackBerry Smart Phones Coming Soon
HumanWare is pleased to introduce Orator, its newest software solution Orator for BlackBerry SmartPhones is your BlackBerry® smartphone accessibility solution.A joint collaboration with Code Factory, the leading provider of screen reader technology and maker of Mobile Speak, and Research In Motion (RIM), the maker of the award winning portfolio of BlackBerry products and solutions, Orator for BlackBerry Smartphones is design to convert the information visually displayed on the device screen into voice output enabling people who are visually impaired to use BlackBerry smartphones to increase independence and productivity in today's competitive world. In today's world access to information on the go is key and highly related to the ability to communicate via portable mobile solution. The constant evolution of mass-market electronics has been providing more portability than ever before and smartphones are quickly becoming the predominant way that business professionals, individual consumers and students stay in touch with their friends, family and information while on the go. Unfortunately this mobile technology is more design for a sighted world and still creates accessibility challenges for people who are blind and visually impaired.Orator is unique screen reader software that brings your BlackBerry® smartphone to life using state of the art text to speech (TTS) technology with adjustable volume and speech rate to let you access and interact with the Smartphone applications. Orator converts the information presented visually on the device screen into intuitive and familiar speech output. Whether you are at work, home or on the go, Orator will let you manage your emails and contacts, make and receive calls, compose and read text messages and other features while on the go. Powered by Code Factory and design for the new generation of BlackBerry® smartphones with full QWERTY key board, Orator will provide you with a unique mobile communication experience. Orator provides you: •State of the art TTS engine voice output •Auto start mode when the device turns on •Full control over the speed and pitch of the voice •Different verbosity levels to allow users to define the amount of information provided •Keyboard echo settings for text entry •Easy to use command structure •Training mode to help familiarize yourself with the structure•Fully operational during a call •Multi language support •Support documentation on the device
HumanWare is pleased to introduce Orator, its newest software solution Orator for BlackBerry SmartPhones is your BlackBerry® smartphone accessibility solution.A joint collaboration with Code Factory, the leading provider of screen reader technology and maker of Mobile Speak, and Research In Motion (RIM), the maker of the award winning portfolio of BlackBerry products and solutions, Orator for BlackBerry Smartphones is design to convert the information visually displayed on the device screen into voice output enabling people who are visually impaired to use BlackBerry smartphones to increase independence and productivity in today's competitive world.In today's world access to information on the go is key and highly related to the ability to communicate via portable mobile solution. The constant evolution of mass-market electronics has been providing more portability than ever before and smartphones are quickly becoming the predominant way that business professionals, individual consumers and students stay in touch with their friends, family and information while on the go. Unfortunately this mobile technology is more design for a sighted world and still creates accessibility challenges for people who are blind and visually impaired.Orator is unique screen reader software that brings your BlackBerry® smartphone to life using state of the art text to speech (TTS) technology with adjustable volume and speech rate to let you access and interact with the Smartphone applications. Orator converts the information presented visually on the device screen into intuitive and familiar speech output. Whether you are at work, home or on the go, Orator will let you manage your emails and contacts, make and receive calls, compose and read text messages and other features while on the go. Powered by Code Factory and design for the new generation of BlackBerry® smartphones with full QWERTY key board, Orator will provide you with a unique mobile communication experience. Orator provides State of the art TTS engine voice output, Auto start mode when the device turns on, Full control over the speed and pitch of the voice, Different verbosity levels to allow users to define the amount of information provided, Keyboard echo settings for text entry, Easy to use command structure, Training mode to help familiarize yourself with the structure, Full operation during a call, Multi-language support, and Support documentation on the device
HumanWare is pleased to introduce Orator, its newest software solution Orator for BlackBerry SmartPhones is your BlackBerry® smartphone accessibility solution.A joint collaboration with Code Factory, the leading provider of screen reader technology and maker of Mobile Speak, and Research In Motion (RIM), the maker of the award winning portfolio of BlackBerry products and solutions, Orator for BlackBerry Smartphones is design to convert the information visually displayed on the device screen into voice output enabling people who are visually impaired to use BlackBerry smartphones to increase independence and productivity in today's competitive world.In today's world access to information on the go is key and highly related to the ability to communicate via portable mobile solution. The constant evolution of mass-market electronics has been providing more portability than ever before and smartphones are quickly becoming the predominant way that business professionals, individual consumers and students stay in touch with their friends, family and information while on the go. Unfortunately this mobile technology is more design for a sighted world and still creates accessibility challenges for people who are blind and visually impaired.Orator is unique screen reader software that brings your BlackBerry® smartphone to life using state of the art text to speech (TTS) technology with adjustable volume and speech rate to let you access and interact with the Smartphone applications. Orator converts the information presented visually on the device screen into intuitive and familiar speech output. Whether you are at work, home or on the go, Orator will let you manage your emails and contacts, make and receive calls, compose and read text messages and other features while on the go. Powered by Code Factory and design for the new generation of BlackBerry® smartphones with full QWERTY key board, Orator will provide you with a unique mobile communication experience. Orator provides State of the art TTS engine voice output, Auto start mode when the device turns on, Full control over the speed and pitch of the voice, Different verbosity levels to allow users to define the amount of information provided, Keyboard echo settings for text entry, Easy to use command structure, Training mode to help familiarize yourself with the structure, Full operation during a call, Multi-language support, and Support documentation on the device
Serotek's Accessible Event and A New Release of Window-Eyes
Serotek has released Accessible Event, an online platform that makes group meetings ,webinars, lectures and other events accessible to the blind, deaf, and deaf-blind. It works with presentations designed in the Microsoft® Word, Excel®, and PowerPoint® or Adobe® Acrobat®, with those featuring displays in Microsoft Outlook®, or web pages in Serotek SAMNetâ„¢, Microsoft Internet Explorer® 7 or higher, or Mozilla® Firefox®, and with online meeting services such as Cisco WebEx, Citrix® GoToMeeting® and GoToWebinar®, Adobe Acrobat Connect®, Microsoft Live Meeting and more.
GW Micro is proud to announce the release of Window-Eyes 7.1 and would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who participated in the public beta cycle. Your feedback helps make Window-Eyes the best it can be. Window-Eyes 7.1 is packed with features, including support for Windows 7, support for 64-bit versions of Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, and Windows 7, enhanced Braille functionality, new scripting features for end users and script authors, and more. Window-Eyes 7.1 also continues to build on the foundation of stability, performance, and reliability. The unrivaled Window-Eyes Error Reporting feature has again proved itself invaluable, allowing resolution of a wide range of issues. GW Micro is committed to ensuring a stable computing environment so that you can get your job done, without worrying about crashes and unexpected reboots. You can rely on Window-Eyes. Read more about the features that Window-Eyes 7.1 offers at http://www.gwmicro.com/Window-Eyes/Latest_Features.
GW Micro is proud to announce the release of Window-Eyes 7.1 and would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who participated in the public beta cycle. Your feedback helps make Window-Eyes the best it can be. Window-Eyes 7.1 is packed with features, including support for Windows 7, support for 64-bit versions of Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, and Windows 7, enhanced Braille functionality, new scripting features for end users and script authors, and more. Window-Eyes 7.1 also continues to build on the foundation of stability, performance, and reliability. The unrivaled Window-Eyes Error Reporting feature has again proved itself invaluable, allowing resolution of a wide range of issues. GW Micro is committed to ensuring a stable computing environment so that you can get your job done, without worrying about crashes and unexpected reboots. You can rely on Window-Eyes. Read more about the features that Window-Eyes 7.1 offers at http://www.gwmicro.com/Window-Eyes/Latest_Features.
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