Gayle Unplugged
A message from Gayle Yarnall, Director of Adaptive Technology, a Division of Perkins Products:
Welcome to the lighter side of Adaptive Technology, A Division of Perkins Products. This part of our website is also known as "hints for real life". We will cover real life and how blind people cope with the situations that occur about fifty times a day. I do not claim that all the ideas you find here will be mine. I will take them from any place I find them. Be careful what you say to me because it may show up here. Some of these were submitted by other blind people. If you read this you will know who you are. Thanks for your help.
(Gayle Yarnall is herself blind and uses in her daily life many of the very same products sold by Adaptive Technology, a Division of Perkins Products. Click on the entries below to read Gayle's latest thoughts.)
Remembering an Old Friend and Saying hello to a New One
Sometimes my trusty old Perkins Brailler sits proudly on my kitchen counter and sometimes it sits on my desk next to my lovely flat screen monitor.
Human-sized Lizards in Boston
I have always imagined that I would like to write book reviews and theater reviews. I wonder how different they would be if written by a blind person. Well, here goes my first try.
Things Blind People Hate
I think it is time to talk about some of the things that really can annoy blind people. If you can add to this list please let me know.
Braille in Real Life
There are some statistics regarding braille and successful employment in the United States. I don't have the exact numbers but these statistics go something like this: 70 to 80 percent of the working age population who is blind is either unemployed or vastly under employed; 2 out of every 10 people who are blind read braille; 80 percent of the gainfully employed blind population uses braille.
Helpful Hint
This helpful hint has nothing whatsoever to do with blindness or being blind but has more to do with being a person who travels and leaves a little one behind wondering when I am coming home.
Encounters of the Blind Kind
I have received several requests from sighted people about how to handle encounters with blind people. In this section of our website, I will try to answer some of the most commonly asked questions, as well as some less common ones. I will try to keep this on the lighter side and still manage not to offend anyone.
Playing the Blind Card
I have always believed in playing the cards you are dealt. We don't really have any control over the dealer so we have to learn to play the hand.
Embarrassing Moments
If you ever get more than three blind people in one place it won't take long before the embarrassing stories start spilling forth.
Losing the Technology Battle
I have been working with adaptive technology since almost before there was adaptive technology. I used to be able to stay one step ahead of things but, alas, things have changed. I am willing to admit that I can't keep up with computer technology; But who can? I am fortunate to have a great staff who helps me stay above water.
A Month of Language Immersion
I have been trying to teach myself Spanish for two years. I have made a few trips to Ecuador and each time I promise myself that I will learn Spanish before the next trip.