Many of us are giving tribute to what Steve Jobs has done for them. I would like to share my own tribute toward his legacy as well.
Without Steve Jobs, I would not be portable communication-wise for one thing. For Deaf and Hard of Hearing people, telephones were tricky. We were tied to landlines, for one thing. We have to use special equipment for phones with text or video for visual communication. Years ago, all we had were TTY, TDD machines that weren't on every street corner. We couldn't just ring someone up from anywhere. We were limited. We couldn't even use a cordless phone. Some of you reading this may not remember those "old days" but for those of us who do, we can't thank Steve Jobs enough.
With my IPhone, I can be anywhere and be instantly in touch with my husband. I no longer worry about being on the road and my car breaking down, having to wave down a complete stranger to help me, or make a simple phone call for me. I don't have to worry about trying to communicate this to a complete stranger, I can contact my husband or one of my friends. Even if a payphone were right there on the corner, finding one with a tty or ttd attached to its underside is unlikely in that event. They are few and far between, usually located at the back of major store chains only.
I remember once either at the San Francisco Airport or LAX, I needed to call to let my family know of my flight delays. There were pay phones available right in front of me, but the ttd phone was in area I had no access to from the security area I had to remain in. Today I never have to worry about that happening. I have accessibility at my fingertips.
With my Iphone, I can access relay operators to assist my calls with hearing people.
I can access an app for subtitles, or captions, at new movies in the theater so I can have idea of what's being said.
I can go on, but these are just a couple of ways Steve Jobs made the world more accessible to me as a deaf person.
My life and my world changed with this technology and the creative inventions of Steve Jobs. This is just a small example of my own personal experience. What example can you share about the impact this man has left on you?
Raised on the Southern Oregon Coast, now retired on the Southern Oregon Coast. I was a hard of hearing child who grew up to be a deafened adult. I share and write about deafness, hearing loss and other things I find interesting. I am a 50 something year old woman who could be anyone's mother, grandmother or friend. I've traveled the U.S., and I've lived in Europe. I'm currently residing near the beach with Fabulous Husband and 11 year old son. ~ Joyce Edmiston
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