A Big Assist from Windows 7
I'd like to share a quick story with you, about Kirk Foutts and his son, Michael, and how IT has been the boon and bane of their existences. It's an interesting story,
out on the Redmondmag.com site right now, and it involves some of the more esoteric features (touch screen, Ease of Access and virtualization) of the Windows OS.
Long story, short: Kirk has been helping Michael, who suffered a brain injury, to communicate using a proprietary Windows-based computer. Being an IT guy means being a problem solver, so when Kirk took on the challenge of upgrading Michael's PC with the latest and greatest, including Windows 7, he knew to expect some hurdles because, as you all know, it's never as simple as installing a new OS and some software.
So, why am I particularly intrigued with this story? Well, any chance I can tell someone about my sister's own experiencesin suffering a brain injury more than 10 years ago, I'm on it. My sister's communication comes in the form of a tablet, where she's able to point to letters and she spells out everything.
I don't get to see her as much as I'd like, so I've always wanted to take her to the next step, with her being able to tele-communicate with any family member via IM or Skype or what have you. Knowing that someone like Kirk has taken on the challenge has inspired me to give the effort a bit more focus in the months to come.
If you're interested in my efforts, I'll start the process and post updates on my sister's Facebook group page, Friends of Imelda Domingo.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 05/20/2010 at 11:59 AM