We would like to acknowledge the following contributors to this month’s STAE issue.
The Sterling Creations accessibility team, the Sterling Creations research team, Jeff N Marquis and Kerry J Harrison who are our resident business consultants, Scott Savoy our managing editor, Christian Robicheau our assistant editor, and Donna J Jodhan our president.
We are especially delighted to have both Jeff N Marquis and Kerry J Harrison as part of our magazine staff and as our resident business experts because of their in depth knowledge and expertise as special needs business consultants. Both Jeff and Kerry have written many articles and they released their last hot selling book called “Untapped Wealth Discovered.” This book was released in mid August 2005 and it has already begun to fulfill promises of being dynamite, explosive, and seismic and we are very sure that many of you will find it extremely valuable, useful and informative. Both the U.S and British governments have already given their blessing to this book and several business experts have also jumped on the band wagon. Marquis and Harrison are off to a flying start.
We believe in this book because it is unique in that it can help you to get back on your feet if you suddenly find yourself without a job, if you are looking for ways to put money away for your kids’ education, or if you need extra income to help you live more comfortably. The beauty about this book is that it is based solely on realities and logic and not on those fool hardy get rich quick schemes and false and empty promises.
Here are just a few quotes from some U.S government officials and experts to peak your interest.
“Block buster material. This book has the potential to change the way we reduce our costs, increase our revenues, expand our customer base, and stay ahead of our competition.”
“If you are looking for safe ways to protect the future of you and your kids then you should pick up a copy of Untapped Wealth Discovered.”
“Marquis and Harrison have affectively provided their readers with logical and common sense ways to generate and create business ideas that will work because they are based on markets that exist. Moreover these markets are going to be around for a very long time to come.”
“This book is meant to help the little guy. It’s a book for almost everyone. The woman, the entrepreneur, the small business owner, and even the retiree and the college student.”
“If you want to avoid those get rich quick schemes and keep your money safe then Untapped Wealth Discovered is an absolute must read for you.”
Here is what some readers have to say about "Untapped Wealth Discovered."
From Kelly Strasberg vice president of a mid sized computer company in San Francisco:
"As a woman I am really impressed to see that these authors truly understand our plight in the business world. They acknowledge that there is indeed a glass ceiling for women and they show us how to deal with it in a positive way."
From Mark Gregory a foreman who unexpectedly lost his job at a GM plant in Michigan in 2005:
"It's so hard to know what to do when you suddenly find yourself without a job but this book has helped me to deal with things and turn my life around in a very quick time. I'm back on my feet and making very good money. Enough to be the bread winner once more."
From Rick Stone a small business owner in Washington DC:
"This is the first book that I've come across where the authors don't even mention a single thing about getting rich quickly. Instead, they talk about ways to take advantage of niche markets, lucrative opportunities, and rising demand."
From Melissa Goldatt a stay at home mom in Baltimore Maryland:
"I like this book because it presents fresh new approaches to creating your own employment. It also helps you to evaluate yourself and that's important to me because I am seriously thinking of getting into some kind of business to earn some extra income to help out around the house and I don't want to do something new without first examining all of my options."
From Chris Farrell a retired banker in New York:
"I wasn't sure what I would be reading when I bought a copy of this book but I'm sure glad that I did. If anyone is seriously looking to develop a business then this is the book for you. Marquis and Harrison have truly captured the essence of some very important trends and they talk about using these trends to build safe and sound businesses. Something that most of my colleagues should be thinking of before they retire."
From Laura Peterson a professor in business studies in London England:
"I'm glad to see that someone is finally paying attention to women in the business world. After reading this book I am convinced that women can have more than a better chance of being successful in their own businesses."
From Pierre LaPage a recent graduate in Montreal Canada:
"I was just browsing Amazon when I came across "Untapped Wealth Discovered" and the cover looked interesting enough so I bought it because it did not cost too much. It's cool! It has some very interesting techniques. It does not BS you into false hope and the authors don't try to fool you with big terms and cute phrases. No smoke screens here."
The second edition of “Untapped Wealth Discovered” was released on April 28 and the excitement is already building at break neck speed as these two authors have already been booked solid for the next year in promotional appearances across North America, Britain, and Europe.
The second edition comes as a result of tremendous demand from both readers and clients as well as from the American, British, and Canadian governments. The first edition sold over 50,000 copies in just six months and the experts are openly predicting that the second edition will probably sell well over a quarter million copies within the first year.
Mr. Marquis is a motivational speaker and a highly paid consultant to both the U.S and British governments. He has over 20 years of special needs business consulting and is absolutely delighted to be co-authoring “Untapped Wealth Discovered” with Ms Harrison. His time is filled with speaking engagements, consulting, and traveling around the world to help set up new ventures.
Ms Harrison also has over 20 years in the special needs business-consulting field and her expertise is constantly in demand and among other things she works as a consultant to the U.S government, she is a motivational speaker, and she finds time to work on other projects for large corporate clients, small businesses, and even entrepreneurs.
These two are indeed an unbeatable combination and if you’d like them to help you keep up to date with up to the minute news then you should visit www.untappedwealth.com and check out the business desk. There you will find daily postings by Jeff, Kerry, and their fellow consultants and you can view all of this at no charge.
If you are looking for easy ways to keep abreast with news flashes, news from off the wires, and important developments and trends in the business world then the business desk is definitely for you.
A Christmas message from the staff at Sterling Creations
We at Sterling Creations would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our readers and contributors for their continuing support. This year has been a very good one for us but we could not have done it without your help and support. We wish you a very joyous and healthy Christmas holiday season and the very best for 2007 and we look forward to continuing to serve you in the years to come.
Once again, thank you for everything.
Ask the expert
Nintendo develops accessible games
December 2006
By the Sterling Creations Accessibility team
Hello there! As we get ready to fill our sleighs with gifts and goodies, we would like to bring some cheer to those of you who are constantly looking for accessible games for the visually impaired.
We recognize the fact that accessible games for the visually impaired are much of a rarity. There are some accessible computer games around but we’d like to direct you to what Nintendo is doing and hopefully it will help you to make life a bit more enjoyable for those of your friends and family who are visually impaired and who are game buffs.
We hope that the following clip helps you to discover some very enjoyable fun and we wish you a very merry Christmas and a very happy and prosperous new year.
See you in January.
Nintendo Develops Games For The Blind!
AudioGames.net, August 05, 2006
Nintendo has developed 7 mini audio games that can be played on every GBA
compatible platform, including the GameBoy Advanced, Gameboy Micro and
Nintendo DS.
The games are to be sold under the name of Sound Voyager, which in turn is
part of the Nintendo Bit Generations line of alternative games. Click the
following link to read everything about Sound Voyager:
Hello there! Once again the holiday season is here and with it comes the need to be on the lookout for those seedy scammers and identity thieves. You can bet your bottom dollar that they are going to be out in full force and in greater numbers this year.
It seems that each year at holiday time they appear to increase in number and their methods are becoming more and more sophisticated. There used to be a time when they would use the phone and mail to attack innocent and unsuspecting victims but they have managed to use the Internet, ATM machines, plus much more to increase their activities. They have graduated from using the pick pocket and purse snatching methods to using high powered cameras, false emails, plus so much more in order to take advantage of you.
On the Internet they are known as cyber pirates, at the ATM machines they are known as identity thieves, and on the phone and through the mail they are known as everything.
When we visit the malls to do our shopping we need to not only guard our wallets and purses, but also our cells, our PDAs, our laptops, and ourselves. Let us give you some very sobering examples.
Scammers and identity thieves now have the ability to extract your personal info from your laptop and they can do this by looking over your shoulder while you’r busy working at your laptop and not paying enough attention to who’s walking by. They can do this as you sit working on your laptop on a train, plane, in a restaurant or café, almost anywhere. It’s so easy that it’s not funny. All they do is to look over your shoulder while you work and they know what info to look for and they can do it with lightning speed and with the blink of an eye. They can also do the same with your cells, PDAs, blackberries, and any other type of handheld device.
When it comes to the Internet it appears that this is open season for scammers and identity thieves. They can use the following types of methods:
Send you authentick looking emails that ask for such information as your banking details, your social security number, and even innocent sounding info such as your first and last names, your address, and other relevant information.
They can send you emails offering fantastic bargains and vacation trips but in turn you have to either send them info via email or you can phone them.
Do not respond to these emails for if you do then they start by using your email address and work from there to extract your very personal info from right under your nose. Do not make the mistake to respond to these emails if they ask you to log into a website and provide your username and password. Do this and you will find yourself in deepest trouble.
On the phone they can trap you with bogus surveys, phony give aways and prizes, plus more. Do not respond to any of these bogus surveys or do not provide any personal info if you’re asked to do so. Simply hang up or as them for their phone number so that you can verify their authenticity. 9 out of 10 times they’ll hang up on you.
If you receive one of those too good to be true announcements in the mail telling you that you’ve won something fantastic just rip it up. If you make the mistake to respond to their request for information so that it can be used to keep your profile in their database, then you’ve just gone and given away info that they can use to start working on scamming you out of your house, savings, and even the shirt on your back.
At the ATM when you’re busy doing your banking and not paying adequate attention to your surroundings, they can use special high-powered cameras to extract your pin number.
To help yourself, when next you go to do your banking at your nearest ATM, play close attention to who is standing close to you. Make sure that they are far enough away so as not to be able to see what you’re doing. If you’re not sure of your safety then go to a bank and let the teller help you.
There are lots of other hints and tips that we can give you but space does not permit us to do so. Just remember:
Keep your laptop and other handheld devices away from the prying eyes of others; delete all erroneous emails that ask for your username, password, banking details, plus more; do not respond to surveys on the phone; shred any mail that tells you that you’ve won the big sweepstake or grand prize; shred all personal correspondence and banking statements before throwing it in the garbage; keep close watch on your credit cards and do not give out your credit card number to anyone other than a reputable company or person. When you make a credit card purchase make sure that the third copy is ripped up in front of you and keep your own credit card receipts in a safe place.
We hope that these tips help you during this very hectic holiday season. We wish you a very enjoyable Christmas and we look forward to seeing you in January.
Merry Christmas and happy New Year.
From the soap box
The Toys R Us initiative
December 2006
By Scott Savoy
Ho! Ho! Ho! It’s December and my favorite month. I just love it when the shopping gets into high gear and everyone is running around like chickens with their heads cut off. It’s the time to be merry and jolly! The time when we forget all of our troubles for a few weeks and just enjoy the holiday season.
This month I’d like to give a big bouquet to the folks at Toys R us because of their initiative and I sincerely hope that other toy manufacturers and sellers would follow the lead of this company. The following is an article that was sent to me by Tim Creski and I am publishing it because I feel that it would be of help to those many parents who are constantly looking for toys for their special needs kids.
Thank you Tim!
Merry Christmas to one and all and see you in January!
Toys R us publishes "Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids"
By JEFFREY GOLD
The Ledger, Florida, September 24, 2006
NEWARK, N.J.-
Like most 5-year-olds, Nicholas loves to play. But not every
toy is fun for Nicholas, who is autistic.
"It's hard to find something just for him. It's pretty aggravating shopping
for toys for him, at times," said his mother, Jennifer Navarro. "Some toys
that are meant for his age group are too complicated, but some are too
simple."
Two years ago, Navarro got some help in finding good choices for Nicholas by
consulting a guide compiled by experts at the nonprofit National Lekotek
Center and distributed by the New Jersey-based retailer, Toys R Us Inc.
"I thought it was wonderful. I've never seen anything like that before,"
said Navarro, 32.
The latest version of the free guide will be available Monday at Toys R Us
stores and online.
The family, which lives in Naplate, Ill., did not have good luck with items
from catalogs aimed at special needs children.
"He's advanced over a lot of those and they don't hold his interest,"
Navarro said. And Nicholas also wanted to play with toys like those used by
his brother, Peyton, 3.
Navarro said the right toys help with the development of Nicholas, an active
boy who loves to play outside as well as with laptop computer learning toys
such as LeapPad.
"If I gave him a set of blocks, instead of making a building or making a
castle, he will line them up from one end of the room to the other," Navarro
said, adding that this is typical of many autistic children. Nicholas will
also line up other toys, such as miniature cars.
"He doesn't play with them (toys) like other kids," Navarro said, so she has
found toys that help him learn to read and speak, including those that play
rhyming Dr. Seuss stories.
The 85 toys in the guide are sold nationally, with just six available only
at Toys R Us stores, said company spokesman Kelly Cullen.
The company is printing 600,000 copies of the "Toy Guide for
Differently-Abled Kids," about 100,000 more than last year, and absorbing
all costs, which will not be disclosed, Cullen said. Wayne-based Toys R Us
started the guide in 1994.
The guide arrives as the struggling toy industry prepares for the holiday
shopping season, when most sales are recorded. Children are increasingly
turning to video games and other gadgets. Sales of traditional toys fell 4
percent to $21.3 billion in 2005, from $22.1 billion in 2004, according to
NPD Group, Inc., a market research firm in Port Washington, N.Y.
Each toy in the 52-page guide includes a detailed description of how it can
be used, along with icons indicating whether the toy can stimulate
development in such areas as creativity, self esteem, vision or hearing.
The guide can be useful to people buying toys for many of the more than 6
million children in the United States who have disabilities, said Diana
Nielander, executive director of the Chicago-based National Lekotek Center.
The group, which operates 38 therapeutic play centers in eight states,
evaluated some 200 toys over the past nine months to select those included
in the guide, Nielander said.
Certified play specialists observe families and children with the toys, and
determine which would work, for example, for a child who is blind, or for a
child who can't close their hand, she said.
"A lot of times, people look at play as being very simplistic. And it is
simplistic, unless it's your child that has trouble with play," Nielander
said.
Lekotek chose a variety of toys, including some new toys "because those are
the ones that their friends and neighbors are playing with ... and everyone
wants to fit in," Nielander said. "We try to get all the fun ones that are
going to be on TV and will be hot for the holidays."
The criteria include toys that are easy to handle or manipulate, and don't
have a "right way" of being used.
"These are things that are good for all children, but especially good for
children with challenges," Nielander said.
"We want to see toys that are great for the most amount of children. And
sometimes the smallest thing can make the biggest difference," she said,
such as knobs that allow puzzle pieces to be lifted easily from their board.
Nielander noted that the guide features photographs of disabled children
playing with the toys, adding, "One mother told me that her daughter sleeps
with this guide because it's the first time she saw children who look like
Greetings everyone! It’s December and time for me to get my shopping done before it’s too late. Each ear I keep promising myself to start early but for some reason I never seem able to keep this promise.
This month I’ve chosen a story that hits very close to my heart. As someone who is visually impaired, I am always interested to read about the successes of other visually impaired persons and especially when that person is a woman.
I applaud Kayte Mendez for her tenacity and determination and I hope that the following article inspires others.
I wish you a very merry Christmas, a very enjoyable holiday season, and the very best for 2007.
See you next year.
Blind Teacher Gives Students Insight Into Life
ABC News Online, September 04, 2006
She Was Rejected From a Dozen Schools Before She Began Teaching Kindergarten
in the Bronx
CAPTION: Cayte Mendez, who is blind, teaches kindergartners in a Bronx
public school. (ABC News)
Sept. 4, 2006 - Some say it's magical. Others say that it is life-changing.
For the students in Cayte Mendez's classroom at Public School 69 in the
Bronx, N.Y., it's just kindergarten.
There is something very different going on there, though.
Mendez has been legally blind since childhood from a congenital condition,
and she was raised by blind parents.
She can barely see - she can make out just a faint sliver of light out of
one eye.
"I see shapes, sizes," Mendez said. "Generally I can't see facial
expressions, so voice tone helps."
Donna Salerno, a school administrator, says Mendez's attitude sets her apart
as well.
"She never complains. She really doesn't ever ask for help," Salerno said.
"She doesn't need it, and that's what amazes me."
Relies on Other Senses
Mendez has a Seeing Eye dog, Yogi, who usually prefers to nap in the
classroom, and a teacher's aide she doesn't seem to really need much.
Mendez has memorized the classroom and knows her way around.
Those around her say she relies on her hearing and other senses to keep an
eye on her students, who can't believe what they see.
"She pretty much knows [them] by their body movements, some of the sounds
they make," said her classroom aide, Jessica Joseph.
Mendez also gets to know each student's unique personalities by the way he
or she walks.
"I have kids who hop and instead of walking - once in a while they get real
excited and hop," she said. "And I know who those kids are."
Mendez's communication with her students seems to transcend seeing and
talking, her colleagues say.
"As the child steps to her, I don't know what it is, but she knows exactly
who it is and almost what they want," Salerno said.
Mendez admits she sometimes makes little mistakes.
"I heard a kid and he was doing something, and I reprimanded the kid and it
turned out it was the kid sitting next to them," she said. "Every once in a
while it happens."
Giving Kids Confidence and Kindness
Mendez has special equipment that helps her read certain books. She scans
the books allowing her to read along as she hears the audio book on a
headset.
Ninety-two percent of the kids in her classroom are reading above grade
level.
"They all love her. They adore her," Joseph said. "She loves them as if
they're her own children."
The journey to Public School 69 in the Bronx, however, was sometimes painful
for Mendez.
She was rejected by a dozen other school principals. She says it was
devastating and hurtful.
"It was just the complete skepticism and downright discrimination - let's
call a spade a spade," Mendez said.
"I had one vice principal ask me, 'Why don't you work for the school for the
blind? It'll be easier for you,'" she said. "I mean, give me a break. I hope
she watches this. I certainly hope she does."
Her students' parents say that even in just a few months they've seen
changes in their children.
"Now he speaks more about what goes in class," said one parent, Jessica
Martinez. "He also cares about others' feelings. He also is not aggressive
and mean like they used to say he was."
Mendez hopes her kids' experience in her classroom gives them confidence to
dream big.
"I'm hoping that they will look back at this and say, 'Hey, I had a
kindergarten teacher who I bet people didn't think couldn't teach
kindergarten and she taught me to read,'" she said. "It's going to be just
so exciting to see what kind of people they grow into."
Others say being in Mendez's classroom gives kids another, deeper
perspective on life.
"Watching Cayte and watching the children every day is a moving experience,"
Salerno said. "I can see a difference in the children. They're kinder, and
that's great for the kids. It's great for the world."
Noisy toys can bring harm to kids in their own toy room
December 2006
By Christian Robicheau
Happy holidays everyone! It’s December and time for me to pass on some news to you on those favorite noisy toys and how they could cause harm to your youngsters. Before you go out there looking for those favorite noisy toys I’d like you to think of the following and I’d like you to keep in mind that these noisy toys can potentially cause grave and sometimes irreversible harm to your child’s hearing, language skills, and can also lead to problems with communications skills and learning skills. I’ve taken some of the more important points from a report that was published late in October by the association of speech pathologists and audio specialists in Canada.
According to this report, your child should keep the noisy toy no closer than arm’s length away from them as at this distance the sound level is at about 80 decibels.
If the noisy toy is placed too close to your child’s ear the noise level could easily rise to over 100 decibels and this could either cause irreversible or serious harm to your child’s hearing.
If you have to raise your voice over the noise of the toy in order to be heard then the toy is definitely too noisy.
Noisy toys can affect not just your child’s hearing but also their learning and communications skills as well as cause language and learning problems. According to this report parents should pay a bit more attention to those whistles and cap guns this holiday season. Hearing is such an important factor in all of our lives but it is even more important for our kids.
Have a great Christmas and see you in January.
Helpful tips
December 2006
By the Sterling Creations research team
Top of December to you out there! We hope that our tips for this month will help to make your shopping a bit more safe and secure.
We wish you a very merry Christmas and see you in January.
Helpful tips for December:
Thinking of buying an extended warrantee for your recent purchase?
Don't! A recent report in a leading consumer magazine suggests that it's a waste of time.
Extended warrantees are hardly ever used and salesmen love to try and convince you to buy them because they know that 9 out of 10 times they are not used and it only means money in the pocket of the company.
If a purchased item does not break within the first 6 to 9 months of being purchased then chances are that if it does break then it would do so after the extended warrantee has expired.
Some hidden info on laptops:
Their speed is usually slower than a desktop but they are catching up to desktops.
Better to not leave them on all the time because they heat up much more than a desktop.
Of course, their hard drive capacity is smaller than that of a desktop.
Gift ideas for this Christmas/holiday season?
More and more folks are giving gift cards instead of clothes and toys.
It's easier for the gift giver,
the receiver has the opportunity to choose something that they want rather than receiving something that they don't like.
Most of the gift card buyers this year are over the age of 45 and most of the gift card receivers are under the age of 35.
Looking for a part-time job for you or your kid for the Christmas/holiday season?
Most stores are looking for persons to play Santa, gift wrappers, greeters, equipment demonstrators, and personal shoppers.
Wondering if you can afford to travel to a warm spot for the Christmas season?
If you travel before the start of the high season then the answer is most probably. The high season starts at the beginning of the second week in December.
Looking for a remedy for those bothersome hemorrhoids?
Try sitting in a tub of warm water mixed with table salt. Put about 3 table spoons of table salt into the tub of warm water and presto! It works.
What are the two leading causes of cholesterol?
According to the medical experts, food and family history.
What can you do to keep cholesterol down?
Exercise and diet.
Accessibility news
The talking iPod
December 2006
By the Sterling Creations research team
Hello again! We meet one more time for this year and our accessibility news for this month centers around a talking iPod that has been developed by Apple. It makes for very interesting reading and we hope you find this article informative.
Enjoy your holidays.
Apple pips its rivals with the iPod that talks
RICHARD GRAY
rgray@scotlandonsunday.com)
http://news.scotsman.com/scitech.cfm?id=999772006
FROM Walkman to Talkman. Not content with changing the world's
music-listening habits, Apple has come up with another innovation:
the talking iPod.
A new generation of machines will use sophisticated software to
convert the names of bands, albums and individual tracks into
recognisable speech.
The new iPod will tell you what it is about to play, removing the
need For users to look at the screen while selecting music, and making the
Device safer and easier to use while driving, cycling or in badly-lit
locations.
Crucially, the talking machines could give the iPod a badly-needed
new competitive edge in the hotly-contested digital music player market.
The iconic machines were last week reported to have lost some of
their sheen, with consumers following a series of technical problems
and controversy surrounding the working conditions of those who make them.
To make matters worse, software giant Microsoft is said to be working on
its own iPod-bashing digital music player.
Apple has flatly refused to comment on the design, but a patent
lodged By the company in the United States makes clear the sixth
generation of iPods will be able to convert those famous text menus into
speech.
The ingenious system will rely on home PC processing power and
clever software. The computer being used to download tracks will
analyze each Album title, song name and artist and convert them into sound
files. These will be loaded into the iPod, along with the song files.
Users of the music players will still operate the Clickwheel as
normal, but hear the names of songs and bands through their
headphones.
The patent reveals the idea is driven largely by safety
considerations.
It states: "A user will have difficulty navigating the interface
in 'eyes-busy' situations.
"Such activities include, for example, driving an automobile,
exercising and crossing the street."
The patent also makes clear that text-to-speech technology is
likely to spread to other hand-held electronic devices such as mobile
phones and palm-top computers.
The move is expected to spark a new digital player war as
competing manufacturers attempt to cram more and more features into
their Digital music playersIn a bid to keep up.
iPods have recently begun losing favour with consumers, amid
claims of Poor working conditions at a Chinese factory where the
devices are made.
Microsoft is reported to be planning a digital music player with wireless
internet capabilities, removing the need for a PC to download music.
The firm is believed to be keen to break Apple's stranglehold on
the download market with its iTunes software.
The iPod and iTunes enjoy market share of about 80% in the US and
the UK, as well as more than half the online music market in Europe as
a whole.
Sony is also believed to be working on a wireless product that can
download music and video broadcasts in venues such as concert halls
and even shops. The firm filed a patent in 2004 which states that
compressed files could be sent to concert-goers with footage from the
concert they had just seen.
Converting text into speech has been a major goal of the computer
industry for decades, but early versions of the technology struggled
with difficult words and names.
It also requires formidable computer processing power to carry out
the difficult conversion.
But Apple says its system will break down words in a new way that
makes it possible to pronounce perfectly even the most obscure song
titles and artist names.
It also proposes using "voice talent" - such as famous actors - to make the
speech more human and add in the celebrity factor.
The patent also proposes using different voice "characteristics",
such as gender, for different sections of the iPod menus.
Professor Steve Renals, a speech technology expert at Edinburgh
University, said: "It is possible to create very high quality
text-to-voices these days.
"We have seen some already used in mobile phones, but it has
struggled in the past with difficult words and names. The technology is much
better now and can cope with most things."
Safety experts have raised concerns over cyclists, pedestrians and motorists
being involved in accidents when they are distracted by their digital music
devices.
Last month, a teenager from Preston was killed while listening to
his iPod on his bike when he collided with a tractor. Another teenager,
Kathryn Thomas, caused a fatal road accident last year when she took her
eyes off the road to show a friend how to use her iPod. Roger Vincent,
spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said: "If people don't
need To Take their eyes off the road and hands off the wheel then
there are clear benefits to that.
"Provided there is a sensible approach and the technology is used
in a way that it is intended, it could make using such devices far
safer.
"There are concerns, though, about the isolation from surroundings that
wearing earphones creates, and this can cause serious accidents,
particularly among cyclists."
Letters to the editor
December 2006
From the desk of the editor
Hello there! This month we have a few comments from our readers to pass on to you.
We wish you a very merry Christmas and all glad tidings for next year.
From Christian Haig of Denmark:
I really like reading this magazine and I especially like the human interest stories that the president presents every month. We should have more of these types of magazines around. In Europe many of the governments are pushing us to become more aware of things about the disabled. Is this so in America?
From Ronaldo Pestana in Brazil:
Here in Brazil we don’t pay attention to handicapped people. We put them away or hide them in our houses and that’s not very good. I would wish for this magazine to be published in Brazil and South America.
From Lina Gaciel in Miami:
Women should take pattern from Donna Jodhan and be motivated to open their own businesses. Women have to band together and show men that they can become as successful as them.
From Paul Gresco in Toronto Canada:
I recently bought untapped Wealth Discovered and though I agree with many of the points raised, the authors have failed to convince me that there are really safe ways to open a business. The authors should write another book and clarify themselves more.
From Mary Bush in New York:
Do you really believe that visually impaired persons have a chance to become contributing members of our society? My son Mark is now finishing up at university. He is visually impaired but both my husband and I are really afraid that he is going to have a hard time finding employment. Most employers look at his lack of sight rather than his qualifications an what he can do.
From Lorraine McNeil of Wisconsin:
I just got laid off as a medical assistant and I want to do something new. Should I go back to school or should I try and find something in my own field. Could Jeff and Kerry give me some suggestions?
Thanks.
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Notes
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