Category: Donna’s Low Tech Tips

CCB Tech Articles: Donna’s Low Tech Tips, Loc Dots, April 23, 2018

April 23, 2018

 

Meet loc dots

 

Hi there!  It’s Donna and thank you for allowing me to come into your inbox once more.  Today I’d like you to meet loc dots.

 

Talk about the lower levels of technology and you can easily say that loc dots is not even classified as technology.  I would say that it is  more like someone’s creative thinking, ingenuity, and a way to bridge the gap.

 

The good thing about loc dots is that it can be used by so many people.  From the one who has no vision to the one who has high partial vision and those in between.

 

So what exactly is loc dots?  They come in packages and they come in various shapes, sizes, and colors.

 

You can use loc dots to mark almost anything.  From screens and panels to file folders, CD cases, and so on.  I would recommend however that you use them to mark spots on your screens.  You can use something more appropriate to mark your CD cases and I’ll talk about this in another blog.

 

Loc dots really do make great indicators.  You peal off the back of the dot and then place it on the spot that you wish to mark.

 

For those with enough vision to see colors, you can definitely use the colored dots to further help you distinguish spots.  However, if you are unable to use various colors then there are the various shapes or even the sizes.

 

I bought my packages of loc dots a few years ago and I have been having a great time using them.

 

So why not go out there and purchase a package of loc dots just to try them out?  They are economically priced.

 

Here are a few places for you to contact if you are interested to learn more.

CNIB – toll free = 1800 563 2642

Frontier Computing – toll free = 1-888-480-0000

Or visit http://www.futureaids.ca

You can also call them at 1-800-987-1231

 

If you would like to become a member of  my CCB Mysteries chapter you can do so for the price of $10 annually and in return you

will receive unlimited access to either of the following libraries.

Recipes –

http://www.donnajodhan.com/library-recipes.html

Audio mysteries for all ages –

http://www.donnajodhan.com/library-audio-mysteries.html

Or you can subscribe to both for the price of $20 annually.

If you would like to become a member of  my CCB Mysteries chapter you can do so for the price of $10 annually and in return you

will receive unlimited access to either of the following libraries.

Recipes –

http://www.donnajodhan.com/library-recipes.html

Audio mysteries for all ages –

http://www.donnajodhan.com/library-audio-mysteries.html

Or you can subscribe to both for the price of $20 annually.

 

Have a super day and see you next week.

 

 

CCB Tech Articles: Donna’s Low Tech Tips, Clothing, April 16, 2018

April 16 2018

Clothing

 

Hi there!  It’s Donna and thank you for allowing me to come into your inbox.

Today, I’d like to touch on the subject of clothing.

 

Clothing in a closet is easier to find when it is organized. For example, garments may be separated by color, or casual                          clothes may be placed at one end of your closet and formal clothing placed at the opposite end.

Place matching outfits (for example a suit jacket, shirt, tie and slacks) on one hanger or several hangers tied together.

A variety of closet organizers and shelf units are available in hardware or department stores.

To identify clothing color, cut a geometric shape (from cardboard or plastic) to place over the hanger.

Put a large print and/or braille label on the geometric shape.

 

In order to distinguish one clothing item from another, look for differences in texture, style, type of buttons, collars, hems, etc.

 

If you have two pieces of clothing which are identical except for color, attach a small safety pin to the tag or label of one garment; sew one button or several buttons on the inside of a hem or a seam to identify colors.  (Small, flat buttons work best.)  Similarly, small braille clothing tags or an embroidery stitch can be placed on the underside of a garment to indicate color on similar designs of clothing.

 

That’s it from me for today and I hope that my tips are helpful.

 

If you would like to become a member of  my CCB Mysteries chapter you can do so for the price of $10 annually and in return you will receive unlimited access to either of the following libraries.

Recipes –

http://www.donnajodhan.com/library-recipes.html

Audio mysteries for all ages –

http://www.donnajodhan.com/library-audio-mysteries.html

Or you can subscribe to both for the price of $20 annually.

 

Have a super day and see you next week.

 

CCB Tech Articles, Donna’s Low Tech Tips, Talking Timer, April 9, 2018

April 09 2018

Meet the talking timer

 

Hi there!  It’s Donna and thank you for allowing me to come into your inbox.  As mentioned previously, I would like to concentrate on the lower levels of technology and today I’d like you to meet the talking timer.

 

Ah yes!  The talking timer and over the years this precious commodity has both shrunk in size and cost.  There was a time when the talking timer was not very portable and it was also extremely clumsy and clunky in shape.  Today however, the talking timer has shrunk in both size and cost and it is even now possible for you to stuff one in your pocket or purse.

 

The cost of a talking timer has also dropped dramatically and you can now buy one for less than $20.  The nice thing about the talking timer is that there is a variety of styles and sizes for you to choose from.  Some talking timers come with a talking clock add on while others do not.  I have both.

 

You can get a talking timer for your kitchen or have one that clips on to your belt.  I have a talking timer/clock that gives me the option of choosing different sounds for when the timer goes off and I also have one that does not give me the option.  They are both very portable and I can clip them onto my belt.

 

You’ll have to find the one that best suits you.  Just make sure that the one you want is the one you end up with.  The talking timer is a very nifty little gadget to have.  Use it to time your cooking and baking.  Use it when you wish to time yourself while you are pedaling away  on your exercising equipment or use it for anything else.  The ones that I have work with triple A batteries.

 

Of course, the talking timer is now competing with other types of talking timers that can be found on your i device and on your appliances.

 

Here are a few places for you to contact if you are interested to learn more.

CNIB – toll free = 1800 563 2642

Frontier Computing – toll free = 1-888-480-0000

Or visit http://www.futureaids.ca

You can also call them at 1-800-987-1231

 

So have fun now with your talking timer and see you next week.

If you would like to become a member of  my CCB Mysteries chapter you can do so for the price of $10 annually and in return you will receive unlimited access to either of the following libraries.

Recipes –

http://www.donnajodhan.com/library-recipes.html

Audio mysteries for all ages –

http://www.donnajodhan.com/library-audio-mysteries.html

Or you can subscribe to both for the price of $20 annually.

 

CCB Tech Articles, Donna’s Low Tech Tips, Writing Your Signature, April 2, 2018

April 02 2018

Writing your signature

 

Hi there!  It’s Donna and thank you for allowing me to come into your inbox.

Today, I’d like to touch on the subject of writing your signature.

 

When signing your name, place a signature guide over the line requiring your signature. Then write your name in the space provided.

 

Another way to locate the proper                   place to sign is to ask someone                       to make a fold which you can feel along the line requiring your                    signature.  (Make sure the ridge                      of the fold is upward.)

Or have someone place your index finger at the beginning of the signature line and sign your                    name to the right of your finger.

 

People with low vision may find lines easier to locate if traced with a dark pen or marker.

many people who are visually impaired find it helpful to use dark-lined paper when writing.

If the edges of the paper seem to disappear, place the paper on a                 contrasting surface.  For example, if you are writing on white paper, place the paper on a dark place mat, or dark table top, or another dark surface.  The contrasting surface will make it                         easier to see the edges of the              paper.

 

Many people find it difficult to read materials written in pen.  Writing with a wide-tipped black marker on white paper is generally easier to see.

 

I hope that these tips are helpful to you.

 

If you would like to become a member of  my CCB Mysteries chapter you can do so for the price of $10 annually and in return you will receive unlimited access to either of the following libraries.

Recipes –

http://www.donnajodhan.com/library-recipes.html

Audio mysteries for all ages –

http://www.donnajodhan.com/library-audio-mysteries.html

Or you can subscribe to both for the price of $20 annually.

 

To contact me, send me an email at info@sterlingcreations.ca and I’d be happy to respond.

Have a super day and see you next week.

Donna

 

CCB Tech Articles, Donna’s Low Tech Tips, Meet the Talking Bathroom Scale, March 26, 2018

March 26 2018

Meet the talking bathroom scale

 

Hi there!  It’s Donna and thank you for allowing me to come into your inbox.  As mentioned in my previous blog, I would like to concentrate on the lower levels of technology and today I’d like you to meet the talking bathroom scale.

 

Now, I’ll state up front that I bought this nifty piece of technology many years ago and I am not sure who sells it today but I can give you some contact info to check out.

 

When I bought my first talking bathroom scale, I was lucky enough to have my friend Maria bring it to me from the United States as she had purchased it for me at a convention.  However, I am hopeful that someone in Canada would be selling it today and I’ll share my contact info with you at the end of my blog.

 

The talking bathroom scale is really a very simple device.  It is larger than the regular scale and when I bought it the cost was quite a bit more than the regular scale.  It works through the use of a square battery and you can insert the battery into a small compartment at the bottom of the scale.  So you’ll have to flip it over in order to locate it.

 

My present talking bathroom scale can announce my weight in either pounds or kilos and I can choose my preference of announcement by tapping the bottom right hand corner of the surface of the scale with my foot.  Each time I tap with my foot the scale announces what I have chosen.  The voice is in a clear male tone with a somewhat British like accent.

 

To use the talking bathroom scale; I first place it on a level floor surface.

Next I stand on the scale and I  place each foot on either side of a large round button which is located towards the top left hand corner of the scale.

Within seconds you’ll hear a voice that says “please step off.”

When you step off the voice will then tell you your weight in whichever format you have chosen.

At this point you could tap the bottom right hand corner to change the format of your weight and the scale will announce it to you.

 

So for example:  I stand on the scale placing my feet in the position indicated above.

The scale asks me to please step off.

It announces my weight to me in pounds.

I tap the bottom right hand corner of the scale with my foot and it then announces my weight in kilos.

 

The next time I stand on my scale it will announce my weight in the format that I previously chose.

Note:  When you first stand on the scale, it beeps before it asks you to please step off.

 

Simple and easy and here is the contact info that I can share with you.

Frontier Computing – Toronto – 416 489 6690

The CNIB store – I would phone the main number and ask for the store – 416 486 2500.

I am not sure who else in Canada sells it.

 

So have fun now with the Talking Bathroom Scale and see you next week.

 

If you would like to become a member of  my CCB Mysteries chapter you can do so for the price of $10 annually and in return you will receive unlimited access to either of the following libraries.

Recipes –

http://www.donnajodhan.com/library-recipes.html

Audio mysteries for all ages –

http://www.donnajodhan.com/library-audio-mysteries.html

Or you can subscribe to both for the price of $20 annually.

 

Have a super day and see you next week.

Donna

CCB Tech Articles, Donna’s Low Tech Tips, Using the Touch Tone Telephone, March 19, 2018

March 19 2018

 

Hello there and I’m Donna Jodhan thanking you for allowing me to come into your inbox.

 

Today, I’d like to talk about how you go about using the telephone.

So here we go.

 

USING THE TELEPHONE

Touch Tone Telephones

 

 

* All touch tone telephones are identical in the display of the numbered buttons, making it                                    easy to memorize the location of each number.

 

Numbers are arranged in this way:

 

top row from left to right –  1 2 3

second row from left to right-  4 5 6

third row from left to right –  7 8 9

zero is in the centre of the fourth row.

Use your index finger to skim the buttons and locate the desired                 numbers.

 

* Try the three-finger method in which the second row of buttons (4,5, and 6) act as the home row:

Put your index finger on 4, your middle finger on 5 and your ring finger on 6.

With your index finger on 4, reach up to 1 or down to 7.  Likewise with your

middle finger on 5 it can reach up to 2, down to 8 and 0, and with your ring finger on 6 you can move it up to 3 and down to 9.

 

With practice, it won’t be long before you will be able to dial as fast as someone looking at the numbers.

(“Lefties” will have to reverse this process, just as with everything else in this right-                                   handed world.)

 

If you would like to become a member of  my CCB Mysteries chapter you can do so for the price of $10 annually and in return you will receive unlimitted access to either of the following libraries.

Recipes –

http://www.donnajodhan.com/library-recipes.html

Audio mysteries for all ages –

http://www.donnajodhan.com/library-audio-mysteries.html

Or you can subscribe to both for the price of $20 annually.

 

Have a super day and see you next week.

Donna

 

CCB Tech Articles, Donna’s Low Tech Tips, The Talking Microwave, March 12, 2018

Sorry folks, it seems my first attempt at posting this tip required a password.  That was not the intention.

March 12 2018

Meet the talking microwave

 

Hi there!  It’s Donna and thank you for allowing me to come into your inbox.  As mentioned in my previous blog, I would like to concentrate on the lower levels of technology and today I’d like you to meet the talking microwave.

 

I am happy to tell you that just a few years ago, I got introduced to the talking microwave and since then I have used this gem every day in my kitchen.  The model that I bought at that time was by Hamilton Beech and I am sure that since then there have been additional improvements and other companies manufacturing and selling talking microwaves.

 

Sadly enough though, this product has been discontinued but I am very sure that there are other similar microwaves out there that offers similar functionality.

 

So what can I do with this talking microwave model?  Well, I can do such things as:

Cook or warm food at specified times.

Cook or warm specific foods.

Defrost frozen foods.

Cook and warm food by weight.

Set my timer.

Set my clock.

 

I can warm and or cook anything from frozen to fresh vegetables, potatoes, soups, popcorn, a dinner plate, pizza, and beverages.

 

That’s my talking microwave and I hope you will go out there and make friends with the one that is being sold at Independent Living Aids.

Visit www.independentlivingaids.com

 

If you would like to become a member of  my CCB Mysteries chapter you can do so for the price of $10 annually and in return you will receive unlimitted access to either of the following libraries.

Recipes –

http://www.donnajodhan.com/library-recipes.html

Audio mysteries for all ages –

http://www.donnajodhan.com/library-audio-mysteries.html

Or you can subscribe to both for the price of $20 annually.

 

Have a super day and see you next week.

Donna

 

 

GTT Articles, Donna’s Low Tech Tips, Identifying Money, March 5, 2018

March 05 2018

 

Hello there and I’m Donna Jodhan thanking you for allowing me to come into your inbox.

 

Today, I’d like to talk about IDENTIFYING MONEY

and I have some great tips for you re how you can go about dealing with your money.  Dollar bills, coins, and cheques.

 

PAPER CURRENCY

There are many different ways to identify bills and it really doesn’t matter how you do it as long as your method works for you.

Here are some tips.

 

* Some individuals prefer to separate bills by denomination,                        placing them in different                                            sections of their purse or wallet.

 

* You can purchase a special                          billfold which has different                            sections for different bills.

 

* You can fold your bills in a                         special way for easy                                                    identification. For example:

  • Leave five dollar bills completely unfolded.
  • Fold ten dollar bills in half lengthwise.
  • Fold twenty dollar bills in half, end to end.
  • Fold fifty dollar bills end to end, then lengthwise.
  • Fold hundred dollar bills in half and in half again.

 

* When you receive money from others, ask what each bill is and fold it right away or put it in a               special section of your wallet so you will be able to recognize it later.  Take your time, don’t be                 hurried.

 

*                      An electronic bank note reader is available (through the CNIB) to identify paper currency. The                                     device is easy to use.

Insert a                                    Canadian bank note, push the button at the front of the device, and the reader will announce by voice (in either English or French) the denomination of the bill.

 

COINS

* Coins can be identified by touch.

Select one coin at a time and use a fingernail or your fingertips to feel the different sizes and edges of                 each coin:

 

  • A dime has a serrated edge.

 

  • A nickel has a smooth edge.

 

  • A quarter has a rough grooved edge and is larger and thicker than a nickel.

 

  • A dollar coin (loonie) has an eleven-sided smooth edge and is larger and thicker than a quarter.

 

  • A two dollar coin (toonie) is larger than a loonie. The edge of the coin alternates from rough to smooth.  The centre of the toonie is gold in color and the outer edge is silver.

 

*A special purse or coin organizer with separate slots for nickels, dimes, and quarters may be a useful item.

 

CHEQUES

 

* Large print/tactile cheques are available from your bank. You may find it helpful to make your own cheque template with sections cut out for date, cheque amount, and so on.

 

So have fun now with your money and see you next week.

 

If you would like to become a member of  my CCB Mysteries chapter you can do so for the price of $10 annually and in return you will receive unlimitted access to either of the following libraries.

Recipes –

http://www.donnajodhan.com/library-recipes.html

Audio mysteries for all ages –

http://www.donnajodhan.com/library-audio-mysteries.html

Or you can subscribe to both for the price of $20 annually.

 

Have a super day and see you next week.

Donna