Locked Out

We’ve all been there; the moment you realize that you are locked out of your home or car. There is the instant of alarm, and then the fleeting thoughts of the chaos this disruption is creating. Your mind quickly shifts into high gear, and you try to focus on how to solve the problem of getting in and managing the disruption in your day. We all know this is not a pleasant experience to be kept from a destination, yet if we are lucky we manage this situation with a bit of humor and strategy. I often find myself in this situation, though not locked out of physical spaces. Ten years ago, I left my first profession in part because the electronic record keeping systems that were being put in place by organizations were not accessible to me as a person with a visual disability. No one within my organization had any idea about how the system could be made accessible, the company peddling their product had no clue, and no one in the adaptive technology field had ever heard of the system. Just like the person locked out of their home, I panicked at first, but then I decided that my best bet would be to further my education. It was a big financial risk, but one I thought would be worth it. Here I am on the cusp of completing my 4th degree, and I am finding myself locked out again. About three years ago, one of the techno giants acquired a commonly used software package, and while it was pretty accessible at the time, the company has now made changes that make it completely useless to me. Sadly, people in the adaptive technology field know little about this software, so I’m at the mercy of this company or another like it. I’ve seen this company pronounce its commitment to accessibility, now if they would actually do something beyond their public relations division. Maybe one of the other companies with a similar product will step up, and I’ll be able to afford an alternative solution. Books that I need to further my knowledge in my field are not available in alternative formats. Publishers, even though they market their books to educators and libraries, don’t have to make their books accessible. From what I understand, publishers are afraid that people will copy their books illegally if accessible electronic versions are available. Clearly they haven’t heard of scanners and copiers; somehow I don’t think their biggest threat is from those with a visual impairment. Information and technology are moving very quickly, and I’d like to keep up. Sadly people are continuing to insure that I remain locked out, and I am not the only one.