COMPUTERS FOR SENIORS
by Shirley Camper Soman, ACSW

COMPUTER PHOBIA

There are a number of people beyond the Medicare age who are computer-phobic One of my friends is Judy Freed. I have written about her as a Luddite before. But now after more years, I take up the cause of helping Judy get a computer once more. In her working life, she put together the PBS News Hour, and she is herself a "news-hound." She follows every significant political happening, she is an avid clipper of newspapers, she either has National Public Radio playing or C-SPAN or she is immersed in one television news or talk show after another. Her news obsession has been further aided by the marriage of one of her daughters, to the ABC newscaster, Peter Jennings and by her other daughter, Lisa, who is a producer on CBS. Further, she has a host of friends and goes to a large number of events. There is no one I know who would benefit more from the use of a computer than Judy. And for years, she has had one excuse after another for not getting one.

During the past year, I called one of her daughters, Kayce Freed Jennings, to strongly urge that they give her mother a computer for a birthday present. "But she can't even program her VCR," was the answer. I replied that I can't program my VCR either! This made no dent. No computer for Judy. The space situation, the fixing up of the apartment, the need for a special desk, and all other irrelevant excuses have been forthcoming from my friend. It has become an important cause for me to see that Judy gets a computer so that I can email her some jokes, some writing of mine and other memorabilia! She is definitely computer-phobic and I am computer-obsessed!

Other older people who have this disease may have a computer that a son or daughter or grandchild has supplied, and after the first tentative attempts, never use it. Some take a course or two in the practical aspects of computer use. Some buy books and frequently call tech support. But the two things that solve such problems to a large extent are not resorted to. One is to simply decide that you don't need to know more than a very tiny bit of the computer to make use of it. All the rest of the technical aspects can be avoided. The other most important matter is the hiring of a computer tutor. Generally, at least half a dozen sessions are spaced in a way that lets you digest the latest instructions before moving on. Such a person must be available for some no-charge phone calls. The tutoring should give you the ability to send and receive email, the ability to write a letter, and the ability to start to use the Internet beyond email. Some college computer teachers are available on a private basis as well. I personally rely on NYPC member Ed Greene who is simply super in solving problems! He took the digital picture of Judy here.

Some people are concerned about the expense of a) getting a computer, b) a tutor, c) a connection to the Internet, d) a printer and its toner, etc., etc These are real costs. There may be some real return on income, however, if you are able to develop a money-making use of the computer - something thousands, maybe millions, of other people have done. Alas, although I have the right products and salability, so far I am not one of them.

Meanwhile, this article and the picture has stimulated Judy to ask me questions about the process. So let's see if this piece works as I hope it will!

THE DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONIC ITEMS
FROM COMPANIES THAT GIVE ME A HARD TIME!

Try calling 1-800-Toshiba or 1-800-8Fujitsu. You want to find out more about the laptop you are thinking of buying. Ha! You are caught in a round of menus, one after the other. If you click on one of their choices, you are again caught in another menu. It is rare that you will actually find a human voice, and if you do, it is that of a sales person who is only interested in you as a customer.

Recently, I spent almost an hour trying to get through to the top officials of one of these companies. I was told that they had a rule never to give out the telephone number to the headquarters of this company. Why not? Do I have an electronic device that would destroy their building over the telephone? An innocent telephone call for information is even denied to a member of the press! It makes you wonder if this is your America..

Finally, I turned to IBM and its 914 number. A human voice on the other end - WOW! I didn't really care about their computer by this time, it was so thrilling to be able to talk to a live person who was not a salesperson.

ANOTHER ITEM OF MUCH IMPORTANCE

The following information comes from the editor of this online magazine, Laura Balsam. Two factors: her eyesight is not great, and I have been enamored of the new flat-screen monitors because they save space on your desk. Before I give Laura's information, I checked with my eye doctor, Dr. Julius Shulman. But he knew nothing about the problem! If Dr. Shulman, an excellent doctor, who works with many seniors, is unfamiliar with the situation, it's not likely to be easy to find someone who is. Also, it would take a lot of time to find such a doctor.

So here is Laura's information which could be important for older people who rarely still have 20/20 vision.

LCD monitors (i.e. the flat screen type) have a "native" resolution, usually a very high resolution. On most LCD monitors when they are not run at their native resolution everything looks blurry. LCD monitors are gradually getting better. The more expensive ones are substantially better then the more modestly priced models.

The native resolution makes everything on screen crisp, but tiny. Most people will not know how to change all the settings to enlarge things while still staying at the native resolution. There are a lot of things that have to be tweaked; it is time consuming and confusing. There are some things that are too hard to change for anyone who is not technical.

Usually they are told to use Microsoft's Accessibility settings, which makes everything huge, very little fits the screen.

With CRT monitors you can use any resolution you want without making things blurry.

If you are going to buy a laptop or and MCD screen, look a some to make sure you are comfortable with them. If you have friends with laptops or LCD monitors, ask to look at theirs.

Go into a store and find a laptop with the screen size you intend to buy and ask them to bring up Word. Type in a sentence and see how it looks. Is the text on the menus at the top of windows too small? If they tell you that you can change the resolution or use Microsoft's Accessibility tools, ask the salesperson to show you.

The hardware people are barely aware that this is a problem, since most of the designers have not hit 40 yet. When I bring it to their attention at trade shows, they are shocked that anyone has a problem.

The hardware people say the problem is in the operating system. Microsoft tells me it is a hardware problem.

All the sales reps and designers seem to think that either you see well or you can hardly see at all. There is no concept of a gradual degradation in vision.

A lot of low vision people were using hardware e-book readers, but the Palm and Pocket PC have put them out of business. The Palm is too small for Laura to read on, If she enlarges the print up to the size she is comfortable with, she can only get about one sentence on screen at a time.

Initially the computer revolution empowered people with low vision, right the now it is disenfranchising some of them.