Living Blind without Tech? - Q and A

I answer your questions about assistive technology, when I went blind, and my relationship. I had been self-isolating while sick and wanted to do a Q&A so thanks for submitting questions!
Tommy Edison's Braille Writing Video
• How Blind People Write...
BLIND ABROAD
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[@thefuckisgoingon]

I found you on the jubilee channel and you are so easy to listen to and your journey is so interesting! You seem like a great person.

[@lukeluthor6290]

I had a friend who’s blind.....she had a white cane and she was in marching band too and she played the baritone. She is kickass. AND she is a DJ. She didn’t really believe in all the stereotypical blind topics....she looked at her disability as ...she just couldn’t see haha. Two things I remember about her (I haven’t seen her in years) but she had the Jaws screen reader and it would be reading her screen SOOOOO fast and I never understand how she could understand it haha and she’s a big reason why I have my channel. I’m not the best but I’m good at what I do. 🤗 y’all are strong! I am a huge advocate for y’all. Just found your channel and I’m a fan. You keep doing what you do! ❤️ Also, and I cannot seem to recall what it’s called but I think it’s called a Braille Writer? My friend would have it in her lap and it would have these 6 oval shaped, like fat hotdog shaped buttons and she would be reading a Braille thing and she would be typing haha. Don’t know if you know the name. Haha. But anyways. I can’t wait to see more of your life man! Much love.

[@Lainegggg]

I hope you feel better and thank you answer my questions

[@katherinegardner]

It’s definitely an interesting time with tech and coping with a visual impairment. I was born in the late 80’s and grew up in the 90’s. I struggled with school as a result of classroom tech. I didn’t have zoom text until 2000 in a typing class. I used books on tape until 2002, when Daisy was starting to create textbooks on CDs. After graduation in 2006 I actually took a break from school because I struggled so much. I started college in 2012 and asked for the same accommodations I had in high school because that’s what I knew kinda worked. As I went through undergrad, I learned quickly about the advancements with CCTVs. They actually can read what’s on the screen now! And of course I got into Apple in 2016. This was a hesitant transition for me. Mac is standard in the media industry but I knew zoom text wasn’t compatible with iOS. In the end I didn’t regret switching from android while embracing technology to assist me in daily tasks. Now it’s what do I need next from the Apple Store.

[@pinkiestpiggy336]

Good afternoon from Wales UK! Hope ur doing well

[@TheSportscar86]

Good Morning James, Hope you feel better!

[@jamesrath]

Morning!!

[@TheSportscar86]

@@jamesrath I'm curious about 1 thing. IF you decide to get a Guide Dog, what breed & gender would be your preference and have you thought about which school to go to? If you would like, I'd recommend Leader Dogs in Rochester Michigan.

[@krazykrank7938]

nice video dude liked and now a subscriber.

[@jamesrath]

Awesome thank you!

[@BarcelonasHotCrowd]

Hi James! Awesome video! Thank you. It was super interesting! Have a brilliant and inspiring week! Paul

[@TheGENII]

Just found your videos through jubilee's, love your content! Earned a sub :)

[@jamesrath]

Welcome aboard!

[@DuffMichi]

The things u said about school was quite interesting. Because that’s the same tools we use who have dyslexia. I’m only talking about the pdf reader tho. I can read but it takes more energy than ppl who don’t have dyslexia and that why I get access to school books in audio format, in PDFs, spelling and sentences programs etc. My life would probably suck quite a lot without technology xD

[@SkyNetworkTV]

I grew up in a similar situation where my parents raised me to believe that I was “normal” to a fault, ie coming close to getting ran over while riding a three wheel bicycle because I didn’t know I was blind. I never had the opportunity to learn braille and I didn’t learn to use a white cane until I was an adult working with my state division of blind services. My mother even felt uncomfortable with me using my white cane and would ask, “why do you have your “stick” out?” I later learned from another family member that her defensiveness about my disability was born out of guilt because when she was pregnant with me she had x-rays done for some unknown reason and because of the x-rays I was born this way. This was back in 1966-67, she was told that her baby was protected and obviously I was not, nor would I EVER blame her for something like that.

[@connselty]

I too am visually impaired. With 6% vision in my left eye. Blind in my right. Similarly to you I’ve got nystagmus paired with tunnel vision! I’ve been following/subscribed to your channel and I really do admire your videos and I feel like I can relate to a lot of topics discussed around accessibility and other subjects. Keep up the good work!

[@jamesrath]

That's awesome!

[@tainabk]

Those short clips with young James... So sweet! I hope you get better soon, man. The midnight advices were great! Hugs from Brazil

[@jamesrath]

Thanks so much!

[@jackieg6813]

You were brave for answering these questions at midnight while not feeling well. I hope you are feeling better!!

[@jamesrath]

Thank you! I am feeling better!

[@samivayajd]

I think that transitioning into being on my own at the start of the 2010s was a big advantage because smart phone tech was more stable and reliable than compared to the 2000s. So navigating streets, public transit, and addresses was more easy being that I could enter all of that into my phone and it would show me which direction to go, where to turn.

[@alincojocaru613]

Hey, great video !!! Salutes from Romania🇹🇩

[@jamesrath]

Hey!! Thanks!

[@chloefergy4837]

I feel like my life would be completely different without technology. KZbin has had such a huge impact, allowing me to watch and listen to people with different backgrounds/cultures/lifestyles. It's great as I have become more educated and compassionate towards the world. As someone who struggled at university, the internet has shown me that education isn't restricted to just school and degrees and that there are other ways to be successful in life. Although I don't use assistive technology myself, I feel like it would be great to get to point where it was accessible for all who needed it around the world, as from what you've said it is such a positive modern innovation. Thanks for the cool content as always!

[@liammccoy7502]

I have thought about how digital video magnifiers make text so much larger and higher contrast than a dome or other glass magnifier, I wonder if this and other technology will have the opposite effect where kids with vision like yours will be able to get by a little more with print, where without the tech, large print and a magnifier may not be large enough and they would have to learn braille and other blindness skills, so would there have been more braille readers in the past because there was not the same aids to accomodate low vision

[@HunterKowald]

Hey James! Hope you’ve been doing well these days!

[@sunset2876]

Hey James! Sorry you're not feeling well. Hope you feel better really soon. 🙏 Canon 24 only affect people who are totally blind or can it also except those of us who are legally blind and still have some vision? Who are some of your favorite bands / singers / songs? What are a couple of your favorite things to get at a coffee shop? Could you please tell me what some great Technologies are for Android 4 speaking other band talk back? I have tried shouter it's okay but not the greatest. What are a couple of good things to possibly try wear it will read your messages and not hear it so Neco? 🤔 ☕

[@mrowls4427]

Anyone can develop non 24 but its more classically assigned to light blind people as the main part is not recognizing day and night so doing things in the dark that are day activities and missing sunlight and vitamin d but others are capable of messing up there sleep cycle yo a point that they also do day activities at night humans need sun light so its more about the negative effects of darkness than the activities themselves but yes the more blind you are the harder it is to keep track of time without tech aid even if your not light blind

[@sunset2876]

@@mrowls4427 that was my question. I have to speak my text and it does not always say what I tell it to. 😀 when I said can........ tI thought I said..... Cannon 😕

[@CZsWorld]

Will midnight James be appearing in more videos?

[@JuanAlcazar]

I always wonder how blind and visually impaired people lived without assistive tech. Makes me really appreciate the tech that is currently available, but also it’s something good to research since there’s going to be those occasions where technology could fail on me. Oh and are we sure Tommy wasn’t the real inventor of the light bulb? 😂

[@jamesrath]

As I mentioned... I'm gonna revisit that question in-depth and prepared very very soon! 😉

[@deronsworld5384]

Which one of the iPhones are you using today

[@deronsworld5384]

What did you do so the comments read out loud to you

[@dinahakim7114]

Sorry about that I was using voice to text on my iPad.

[@dinahakim7114]

I’d be dead without technology, especially with a MacBook Pro 16 hours I wouldn’t know what to do with myself. Anything Apple that has saved my life! I’d be dead without technology, especially with a MacBook Pro 16 hours I wouldn’t know what to do with myself. Anything Apple that has saved my life!

[@markmark9911]

Hi James. I'd like to ask you what vision you have ? What percentage ? Kind regards

[@jamesrath]

20/300 when not experiencing eye-strain.

[@markmark9911]

@@jamesrath allright thanks. Was wondering because our daugther with OCA has 20/80 and was trying to understand what that means. Cheers!

[@kittycat0876]

I was born in 1976 having access was hard & $$$