SeroTalk

There are many OCR options available on the market. They come in all shapes and sizes, hardware and software configurations, variety of features and prices. In the end, they all provide electronic text that can be access with through built-in TTS or a screen reader or customized for visual access. With OCR now available for free through Google Docs, web-based services like www.robobraille.orgg and free, or very low-cost Apps for iOS and Android devices why would you pay even $299 for an OCR software package, let along $999 – $4,000?

Aside from the obvious, everyone’s needs, desires, preferences etc. are different the answer, in my opinion, lies in the flexibility and ease of use of the paid programs. Though, I too struggle with paying $999 for software that has a free alternative. I find DocuScanPlus to be that solid middle ground in price, ease of use, flexibility and quality.

iOS, Android and Google Docs Web App are making it easier than ever to perform OCR, and access previously blank pieces of paper, anywhere. That is of course if you like spending time making sure that the lighting, distance from the paper, and coping with all of the other factors that go into taking a picture with a mobile camera, or are a Google Web Apps master, and have screen reader access on every computer you might possibly interact with.

And, if you want to access that text on any of your other devices or formats, well, I hope you like jumping through hoops. DocuScanPlus price tag still makes a few people cringe, $299. However, the easy to use interface, cloud storage built-in TTS option, and multi-platform capabilities certainly make it an appealing, flexible, accessible and more affordable, option than some other programs or hardware combinations.

It is not possible to stress the ease of use of DocuScanPlus enough! The software is simple to install, recognises the image capture hardware/software attached to/installed on the computer automatically, and there are no complex menus to navigate, you don’t have to memorize keystrokes to make it easier to perform actions, and the language used to convey the meaning of different buttons is clear and easy to understand.

There are only five (5) options when you first launch the program: Scan a Document Read a file on this computer Manage files Download from Bookshare Send Feedback How much easier does it get?

The one thing I do find to be a bit cumbersome is saving the scanned document in a different format for use on other devices. This would intuitively be something you could do, like saving, after scanning a file, however the options are only available once the document has been saved to the DocuScanPlus Cloud and you open the document again using the file management tools. Compared to the process of scanning? uploading to Drive > converting > converting to .doc, .txt or .rtf format > downloading from Drive > moving to portable device, that is involved in performing OCR using Google Drive however, this process, and the variety of formats available in DocuScanPlus puts it a bit ahead of that free competition in my opinion. You can save documents in the following formats in DocuScanPlus MP3 Structured DAISY Braille Text Large Print text

In tests the recognition process accurately recognizes and formats links, e-mail addresses, and often recognizes heading structure/formatting correctly. In 9 out of 10 scanning tests the heading structure of a pdf I had previously saved on my computer was recognized correctly. In all 10 of my scanning tests the recognition errors were never so significant for me, as to impact my comprehension of the material scanned. Was it perfect, no, but it was close enough that I could get the idea, and if I wanted I could confidently edit the errors out, without sighted assistance to compare the printed copy to the newly created electronic copy.

There are a few things I’d like to see added to the newest release of DocuScanPlus, and I’ll be taking full advantage of that send feedback button, but all-in-all I’d say that Matt has done it again, created an intuitive, easy to use product, that allows users to get the job done with as little hassle as possible!

Update: June 16

I knew when I posted my initial thoughts that changes would be made, as DSP V3 is in a testing phase. In fact just a short 7 days after writing the first
draft changes were made, and if the fact that in that 7 days the placement of buttons for saving, or converting, scanned documents into different formats,
were created and implemented in more intuitive locations, doesn’t speak to the developers commitment to the product, and making it as easy as possible
for the end user I don’t know what will.
In addition to more intuitive placement of these types of controls I also found that downloading content from bookshare is an easy and intuitive process.

I hope to have time to write a bit more soon!
If you haven’t tried DSP yet I’d encourage you to do so, and keep in mind that feedback really is taken into consideration!

The new SPN team has been at it for six months now. We’d like to think the results of our labor have been successful, but it’s always good to take a pulse of the listeners, gauge interest, and make sure we remain humble enough to listen to what you think.

For example, we’ve taken a hard look at our coverage of technology. As more mainstream products become accessible to blind persons, you can look beyond the current slate of excellent blindness podcasts to a broader landscape of tech journalists reporting on news and development on a daily basis; therefore, does it make sense for us to echo the stories you’re already hearing elsewhere?

So, where does that leave us? Internally we’ve kicked around the thought of moving more squarely into lifestyle topics. The Real World Fitness and What’s Up were the first steps in moving in this direction. Now we’re thinking of turning the ship more fully onto this course, pulling back from technology and blindness as a focus and carving out our own niche in popular culture in a way that integrates our community with the mainstream market.

We want to hear from you. What kind of stories and interviews outside of technology would you like to hear in our podcasts? What kind of articles would you like to read in our blog? We’ve received a number of suggestions pointing us to more instructional materials. We’ve also heard requests to concentrate tech coverage on household products.

All your suggestions are welcomed as we prepare for the next phase of our growth. There are definite plans in the works, but before moving full throttle on executing any of them, we want to know if you’re ready for a change, or frankly, if you think SPN should be put to rest. Either way, talk to us. Leave a comment here, or if you’d like to submit something private, please send it to resources@SeroTalk.com.

Thank you for being a part of SPN!

On SeroTalk 227 we featured an article contemplating whether or not Braille was headed for obsolescence. The idea is not a new one. Everyone can agree technology is reshaping the way a blind person consumes information, but the debate prompts a larger question about whether or not there is a link between Braille and literacy. This point has also made its way around the block but is still igniting heated responses.

The question could boil down to this: If you are a blind individual unable to read printed information, are you illiterate if you cannot read Braille?

In today’s politically correct and overly polite society it’s easy to express hesitant opinions that fear offending opposing viewpoints. These opinions are sadly watered down and do nothing to stretch our intelligence. I have no interest in offending anyone, but as someone who has a high regard for your intellect, and as someone who enjoys spirited debate, I trust you will take me to task, and back up your arguments, if you disagree with my opinion that you would indeed be illiterate.

We received the following responses shortly after the release of 227. Although these comments will be featured in their entirety as part of our regular Mailbag segment in 228, I offer the relevant statements here for the sake of a concentrated discussion of this touchy subject. The point here is not to pick on these individuals, or their comments, but rather to respond to thoughtful viewpoints likely shared by others in the community.

I encourage you to listen to the episode in question to draw your own conclusions.

From Josh:

I also take some issue with Joe’s definition of literacy. As an avid reader of audio books, I believe that while reading is important, it doesn’t have to only mean recognition of how letters look. While I am not advocating for the use of audio books only, I don’t think the question should be either or, but both. I realized that reading textbooks in Braille was slo and absolutely inefficient for me in high-school. On the other hand, if I couldn’t read braille signage, I’d be in big trouble!

My response:

Perhaps your issue has more to do with my interpretation of literacy. I would not be so arrogant as to define what literacy means to the rest of the world, so for the sake of neutral reference points to frame the discussion, let’s consider a few independent sources.

First, the National Assessment of Adult Literacy provides this definition: “Literacy is the ability to use printed and written information to function in society, to achieve one’s goals, and to develop one’s knowledge and potential.”

Regardless of where you stand on the debate, I think we can agree Braille can substitute references to printed information moving forward, yes?

Second, because people argue the definition of literacy has evolved, here’s a definition offered by the Ohio Literacy Resource Center:

“Defining literacy in our changing world is not easy. Several years ago, being literate meant being able to read and write a little. Now, being literate means being able to read and write at a level to be successful in today’s world and also being proficient at math, knowing how to use technology, and knowing how to solve problems and make decisions.”

Now, Before you seize on that reference to technology as justification for why you’re right and I am wrong, I think we can agree “literacy” in the Center’s definition is being used as a link to competence in a given subject. For example, an engineer is most likely literate in mathematics.

Finally, just in case you were disappointed not to see a standard dictionary entry, Oxford defines literacy simply as: “The ability to read and write.”

Okay, let’s drill down a little more, because that’s the second time we see a reference to “reading”, so what is reading?

A Houghton Mifflin Company site offers the following:

“Reading is the process of constructing meaning from written texts. It is a complex skill requiring the coordination of a number of interrelated sources of information (Anderson et al., 1985). …

“Even definitions of reading that emphasize meaning indicate that reading is activated by print. The reader must be able to translate the written words into meaningful language. Virtually all four- and five-year-old children can communicate with and learn from oral language, but very few can read, because they lack the ability to identify printed words. While simply being able to recognize or “say” the printed words of text without constructing the meaning of that text is not reading, constructing meaning from written text is impossible without being able to identify the words.”

Okay, so there you go, some unbiased definitions, none of them from blindness resources, that both frame the discussion and make my point. Are there texts out there that refute these terms? Perhaps. Feel free to make use of the comments to offer them.

Now, as to your point about Braille and inefficiency, I believe this is a lack of support by school districts that: 1) do not believe in Braille as a viable reading process; or 2) lack the resources to teach Braille. Neither of these is the affected student’s fault, but these factors should be all the more critically weighed to prevent more individuals from growing up illiterate.

From Gary:

I listened to your excellent Serotalk podcast this evening. During your discussion of Braille, my impression was that you were coming very close to equating Braille and literacy. There is little question that were one suddenly able to become a proficient Braille user, few would decline the opportunity, including me. Braille is a skill I would like to have developed when I was young. However, when I did try to teach myself as an adult, my success was minimal. Even so, the little I did learn was very useful.
Having acknowledged the point that being able to use Braille efficiently would be a very good thing and further knowing that young blind children learning Braille would be a good thing as well, please do not suggest that learning Braille is the only path to literacy. The notion that not knowing how to read and write using Braille is somehow equated with not being able to become fully literate is silly and quite wrong.
I also think that is a deep rabbit hole you head down when you suggest that using readers or text to speech or other electronic methods is not reading. Since few written materials were originally produced in Braille, having them converted to Braille and then reading the Braille is not much different than having them converted to speech. You come close to arguing that your accommodation is better than my accommodation which is another one of those silly arguments.

My response:

If Braille is not the only path to literacy for a blind person, what alternatives should we consider? You mention electronic methods. I disagree and will get to that in a moment. In 227 a point was made about raised letters, and I suppose that is another viable path to literacy. Yet, if there is a lack of resources to teach and produce Braille, I find it hard to believe there will be adequate resources to teach and produce raised text. Remember the lack of resources devoted to Braille is based in part on the notion that screen access software is replacing the need for blind individuals to learn a conventional reading method. In other words the lack of Braille support is partially based on an attitudinal perception about what is best for a blind person. Maybe the lack of Braille support is even driven by financial convenience since it might be easier to buy someone an iPad than it would be to send a teacher out to a location for proper Braille instruction.

You suggest readers, text-to-speech and electronic methods provide an alternative path to literacy. First, these factors fall flat if you accept my contributed definitions of what it means to read. If you have a definition other than an interpretation of printed symbols, by all means share it in the comments, and let’s debate its merits.

Second, since you mention readers and text-to-speech in the same sentence, I’m left to assume that by “readers” in this context you are referring to human readers. If Jack reads Jill a bedtime story, are you suggesting Jill is equally partaking in the reading process as Jack? I am going to submit that Jack is the only one reading. Jill is only listening, which leads to my final point.

Third, let’s use an example of linguistics. Language proficiency exams test on writing, reading, and listening. There is a reason why there is an accepted difference between reading and listening. There is a different level of cognitive activity between the two methods. Or, is it your position that a blind person ought to be exempt from the reading requirement in such a scenario because, for a blind person, reading and listening are intertwined?

Now, you make the point that “since few written materials were originally produced in Braille, having them converted to Braille and then reading the Braille is not much different than having them converted to speech.” If we’re drawing a direct comparison between Braille and print, print is print regardless of whether you’re looking at text on paper, splashed across a screen or scratched in dirt. Braille is Braille regardless of whether the bumps form letters on a display, a sign, or cobbled out of egg cartons. In short, the production process will differ, but the emphasis in our discussion is not the production process, but rather the consumption.

You say I come close to arguing my accommodation is better than yours. I honestly don’t understand that argument and welcome you to elaborate so that I might better respond.

From William:

Secondly, on the matter of Braille, an opinion was expressed and agreed upon, that if one did not learn Braille one was illiterate. That comment was surely not meant to be as offensive and bigoted as it sounded to those of us who loss sight later in life and have never learned Braille proficiently. One who takes advantage of electronic text and does not know Braille is far from illiterate. I assume this comment was made in an off hand manner and was not well considered.

My response:

Bigotry refers to an unfair dislike or intolerance of other people or ideas. I never claimed to dislike, or be intolerant of, people who cannot read Braille. I may have a range of reasons for why I dislike certain people, but somehow being illiterate will never rank high on that list. Let’s have a hearty debate here, but let’s not put words in people’s mouths or throw out accusations that are as inconsiderate as the claim.

The point is raised about people who are not proficient at Braille because they lost their sight later in life. Putting proficiency aside, a point could be made that if a person has some Braille instruction, they may be what is called functionally illiterate. According to Wikipedia: Functional illiteracy is reading and writing skills that are inadequate “to manage daily living and employment tasks that require reading skills beyond a basic level”.

I won’t expand too much on this point because it’s too likely we’d get sidetracked on issues of daily living, employability and overarching philosophies of blindness and independence. Suffice to say we could get into the weeds of degrees of literacy. I submit it’s a slippery slope and could create a cop-out for people not interested in forming their own definitive conclusion.

It’s worth contemplating maybe our methods of learning Braille are insufficient. Reading Braille on an electronic display could be more convenient than reading it in a large physical volume. Reading Braille as part of a communication with other people could be a lot more enjoyable than reading a one-sided narrative. Braille communication can be as dry or as engaging as we make it, but make no mistake, it must be made a priority if we are to get good at it. Otherwise, we would have chucked our iDevice if we had not made learning the navigation of touch screens a priority.

Final Thoughts

Let’s see the discomfort for what it is. I believe people would generally agree the lack of Braille in some circumstances equates to illiteracy but feel offended to be called illiterate. This is cold comfort, but if this is you, then you are part of about 32 million Americans, or 14 percent of the population in the United States, according to the Department of Education in 2013. 19 percent of high school graduates cannot read. Surely we are not pretending the evolution of technology has single-handedly solved the literacy problem across the board? Has literacy become an illusion? Rather than draw flimsy links between listening skills and active reading, we might do well to get angry with such statistics and do more to promote literacy among our peers regardless of their visual impairment.

Yes, there are some circumstances where Braille is not a viable option. There are medical conditions that would make the process of distinguishing dots difficult or downright impossible. Only you can decide if your impairment is genuine or self-imposed.

Maybe it’s time to stop complaining about how your teachers didn’t offer it growing up and make it a point to learn it now. You’ll never lose anything by learning the skill.

If you learned it but do not feel proficient at it, maybe it’s time to devote time to practicing it. You can’t really lose your literacy once you’ve gained it, just like you don’t ever really forget how to read Braille. It’s like riding a bike. Anyone can pound out the rust from any dormant skill if they want to bad enough.

If you never learned Braille and have no other way of processing printed information, and if you’re okay with that, then embrace your illiterate self! Don’t let me or anyone else dictate what skills you should or should not possess to meet your personal definition of success, but don’t feed me this bologna that because you can listen to a book with VoiceOver reading more than 300 words a minute you are as literate as I am. I hate labels as much as you do, but the undeniable truth is this: I can also listen to a book with VoiceOver working at high speed, and, I can read Braille. So, who’s the real badass? 😛

Okay, over to you. Hopefully I’ve lit enough of a fire under your butt to motivate a comment or two. If I’m right, back me up in light of the many others who will say I’m totally wrong! 🙂 And, a huge thank you to Josh, Gary, and William for sharing their thoughts. If we always agreed on everything, life would be a pretty dull state.

You may find the following item of interest if you are a mobile technology user and are looking for an alternative means to edit documents.

The original message follows:

Dear Member

In the frame of his Ph.D. project Martin Dorigo developed a novel system for reading and editing structured documents in a non-visual way on mobile and wearable devices. This App is called DOKY and it is available for Apple iPhone, iPad and Android devices!

DOKY provides you amongst others the following 3 unique key features:

1. A fast overview over the document structure
2. A fast skim and scan over the document content
3. Move, remove and insert elements and text

He would like to invite you to test his system. It will take you 15 minutes only:

1. Please go to the Apple AppStore or Android PlayStore and search for DOKY (written with Y).
   Or use the following links:
   http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/doky/id975186203
   http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ch.dorigo.doky
2. Install and start the DOKY app
3. Follow the spoken instructions

In order to reach significant results the participation of a lot of people is required. May I ask you to forward this message to many others.

Please test DOKY until April 30th 2015. With your valuable assistance the reading and editing of structured documents will be revolutionized!

Thank you so much and kind regards,

Martin Dorigo

Do you want to be able to access your favorite websites across Internet Explorer, Firefox, iOS and OSX across different devices? This is not the quickest method, but nor does it involve the alternative registry tweak that is too likely to lead to problems if you flick the wrong setting by accident.

Before starting, I’m going to assume you are: 1) at least an intermediate computer user; 2) using a PC as a starting point; and 3) currently using a file sharing service like Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive. For the sake of simplicity, I’ll stick to Dropbox as a reference point moving forward.

OK, first, in Dropbox, create a folder called “Favorites.”

Now, in Windows, we need to change the default location of where your Favorites are stored. Currently your Favorites will be located in your User folder:

C:\Users[User Name]

• Right click on Favorites.
• Click on Properties.
• Move to the Location tab and browse to the Favorites folder in Dropbox you just created.

This is important: If you do not select the Favorites folder, your links will end up scattered all over your Dropbox amid your other files, and while it is possible to reverse the process, it’s completely unnecessary to make that mistake.

Okay, boom, your favorite links now reside in the new Favorites folder in Dropbox, which means you can now access the same links via Internet Explorer on any PC where you have Dropbox installed, right? Not so fast. You will need to change the default location for Favorites in subsequent Windows machines as well, because those subsequent machines are still pointing to the default location. Yes, you only have to do this once.

You with me so far?

Okay, the problem is that the default Favorites folder links to Internet Explorer. If you’re like me and switch between IE and Firefox, you need to create a bridge between the two browsers so that the Favorites you see in IE are the same Favorites you see in Firefox, and the simple answer is the Plain Old Favorites add-on in Firefox. Download it, install it and enjoy accessing, adding and reviewing the same Favorites no matter whether you choose IE or Firefox. Since your add-ons travel with your Firefox profile, as long as your Firefox profile is loaded in additional machines, you’ll retain the same access to Favorites no matter the PC you’re using.

Still hanging in there?

Great! Now, how do you suppose you synchronize your Favorites between the PC and, say, your iDevice? If your mental answer was iCloud! you would be correct.

Download and install iCloud to your PC, tell it to synchronize Favorites, and enjoy Favorites across Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari on iOS and OSX.

Okay, after reading all that, you want to hear the kicker? You could theoretically use EverSync to do the same, including Android and Chrome, but as I have not tested the app for accessibility, I cannot personally recommend it just yet. Hence, that is why I began by pointing out this would not be the quickest method, but it’s the strategy I’ve been employing thus far and it has served me well.

Thoughts? Alternative methods? Leave them in the comments!

The bus lurches to one lane and the other as my driver and I plow down the highway like we are on a heist.

“Where you go again?” the driver asks as he screeches to a halt before the light flashes red ahead of us. When my head springs back onto my neck I give him a smile, wondering if any other riders of this short bus understand that we’re in captivity with a very radical driver, who’s possibly a dog lover and republican.

“I’m going to The Godfrey, sir.”

“oh! is that hotel?” the driver asks sincerely. I retract my statement about being a dog lover. He’s definitely asexual.

I am on my way to The Godfrey in Chicago, a place I am sure, that’s packed with people who know how to be fancy and high class, whereas I know how to be lower middle class. Before this trip, I even looked up classy in the dictionary so that way I could have all the knowledge I’d need to blend into this wholesome environment.

I am staying at The Godfrey thanks to the wonderful folks in the PR department. Their emails were shiny and it didn’t include anything about going libertarian so I accepted the days that they chose for me.

Bouncing along the cold Chicago streets, I wonder what a fancy hotel will have. I’m sure it will have room service and a host of ebony men who I can’t flirt with because they are on the job. I wonder how much accessibility features this hotel will have though. I don’t know. I have saved all of the links the PR department gave me a few days ago to look at after the stay, to see if everything adds up, as if I am the singular soul who can judge accessibility. I know I can’t be that singular person, however, simply because I don’t have the best looking hair and the disability community needs excellent hair to represent them.

Finally, after a few more lurches and tire squeals, the spunky driver tells me that we have, indeed, arrived at The Godfrey hotel. My heart doesn’t understand this yet because it begins to pump even faster, as if I am facing immediate death.

As soon as the driver opens the door to the short bus, a bellman materializes out of thin air, sticks his head in and asks for a Mr Kingett. I spring up like I am in a drill line and ready my bags, a backpack and a short suitcase. The bellman helps me down the steps and I tap alongside him to the entrance of the hotel, where I’d be housed for two days. He’s exceptionally friendly. I wonder if he knows that I eat meat.

We’re very chatty going to the front desk, where I am checked in by a man named Frank. When my stay is confirmed, I am taken to my room.

The Godfrey is a hotel, not of mystery and intrigue, but comfort. Even though my good eye is swiveling to the left and the right, as I am wondering where we’re going, unable to see in the dim hall lighting, the carpet is so fluffy and soft that I don’t even hear our footfalls as we step towards an elevator that doesn’t talk. The elevator whisks me up to my floor. Soon, I am marveling at how easy it is to slide the key card in and I am soon in my sanctuary.

Once I am in my room, the adventure begins. Tapping my way along the carpeted floor, I pass by a small counter with empty wine glasses on it. A pitcher of water rests beside the glasses, begging to be sipped. I am utterly amazed that I haven’t done anything radical, like dance around my plush room.

Naturally, I want to find the most important arsenal in a travelers toolkit. The thermostat. This proves to be quite the challenge, as I don’t have any knowledge of what the thermostat looks like. It also, doesn’t talk, so I can’t quite just randomly mash buttons I find on panels around my apartment, for fear that I will cause the hotel to be on the evening news.

For some reason, my quest takes me into a brightly lit bathroom, where, I am very pleased to see that there’s epic smelling shampoo resting in a tidy beaker on the sink. The floor is a dark mahogany, which provides wicked contrast, all the more better when I am hunting for my sock I am sure I will lose when I get out of the shower tonight. This bathroom has everything I’d expect to see in a bathroom for the disabled. Bars that look as if this is a training Dojo rather than a place to read books, an easy to open shower door, and isolation for when tone deaf people start singing.

I exit the bathroom again and browse for the thermostat in my plush room. It has to be here somewhere, it just has to be in here somewhere.

Though I don’t find it, I set my mind to checking out the hotel after connecting to their wireless network. I am amazed that I don’t have to squint too much walking down the hallways. The halls stretch and curve, with speckled dots of tiny bulbs just above my head. While they don’t light up the hall enough to where I can navigate by sight, there are big patches of light near the elevator. This definitely helps in navigating.

My stay at the hotel is quiet. As I rest in my room, walk around the hotel, and meet some very interesting people without life insurance, it is soon Sunday morning and I have to leave. I am even more amazed at how lost I became resting in the bed, and dining in their open restaurant.

The restaurant, I am proud to say, is delicious. I didn’t make it to breakfast, but I did make it to lunch and dinner, where I feasted on every type of burger from the traditional cheese burger to a delicious French burger with blue-cheese that made me moan aloud, making people wonder if I have life insurance.

Sunday rolls around sooner than I’d like, and I soon have to pack up and leave my epic room, complete with a crafty thermostat. As I approach the elevators, ready to depart, I thwack a woman in sandles who smells as if she took a dip in chocolate.

“oh. Excuse me.” I say. “I’m sorry. I’m just trying to get on the elevator.”

“yeah. You and the rest of us kid.”

“what do you mean the rest of us?” as soon as I ask that question, I look around to see that the hall is filled with people. We’re stuck on the tenth floor.

We stand there for twenty minutes more, me wishing I had life insurance, before I address the crowd.

“I have an idea! Why don’t we take the stairs!” even though my CP will kill me as a thank you for walking down stairs, I don’t want to stay rooted in this hallway forever. Luckily, everyone agrees with my logic and soon, we are off to the stairs.

The stairs are what freaks me out. They are very thin, and small, and everywhere is white. The sun streams in flooding our skin with a wash of light as we descend. Behind me, a black guy watches me like a hawk in case I fall down or look like I will fall down.

Finally, we reach the bottom.

“alright dudes!” a black guy says as he readies his key card. “this should work!” with a flourish, he swipes the key card against the machine. Nothing happens.

“what’s going on?” I inquire.

Looks like my card don’t work!” he exclaims sounding as if he’s surprised the Easter Bunny doesn’t exist. A blonde woman tries. Nothing. I try. Nothing. Now, we’re stuck in a stairwell.

We whip out our cells and try to get signal. I don’t know about anybody else, but I don’t have any signal, nor life insurance. The few who do manage to get signals place a futile call to the managers of the hotel, asking for a rescue and why none of our keys work. As it turns out, keys only work on our floor we’re assigned.

It’s a good twenty minutes before we are rescued. As the time passes, I chat with Jake, the black guy who stood behind me going down the stairs. He is a music agent. There’s woman who thinks I am adorable, and she makes me blush. There’s another black guy who flirts with me in the stairwell and I exchange emails with him. There’s a woman who’s hysterical and believes we’re locked in here permanently. She has life insurance.

When all of us are rescued, we race to the brightly lit circular lobby. I admit, compared to getting good life insurance, and meeting epic people in a stairwell, I am glad I chose the latter this weekend. The accessibility is something to behold, certainly, but the adventure is much better. Better than the dashing food and striking black managers who work there.

I think the hotel should change it’s motto to “stairs are but an adventure.” it would be accurate, and better still, it would be a clever hint to the fun someone could have at the Godfrey hotel;.

What makes someone a leader or a professional? Is it their ability to aspire and motivate subordinates? Is it a specific set of skills or knowledge? Perhaps, or perhaps it is far more. I think ultimately the definitions are subjective and open for interpretation, to a degree.

The following definitions were retrieved from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary leadership, as a noun means 1: the office or position of a leader 2: capacity to lead 3: the act or an instance of leading 4: leaders Leading, an adjective 1: coming or ranking first : foremost 2: exercising leadership 3: providing direction or guidance 4: given most prominent display Professionalism, A noun: the skill, good judgment, and polite behavior that is expected from a person who is trained to do a job well 1: the conduct, aims, or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person(see 1professional) 2: the following of a profession (as athletics) for gain or livelihood.

Qualities/Characteristics According to Forbes Magazine the top 10 qualities, of a leader, are: Honesty Ability to delegate Communication Sense of humor Confidence Commitment Positive attitude Creativity Intuition Ability to inspire The Holden Leadership Center includes the following as must have characteristics of good leaders Ability to be proactive rather than reactive Flexibility/adaptability Respectfulness Open-mindedness Resourcefulness Ability to recognize achievement Being well informed/educated Being interested and engaged in feedback and making change Being well organized Consistency Discussion

I have had the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds in the assistive technology industry. They have not only taught me a lot about technology, access technology/accessibility, and other specific hard skills; they have also taught me some valuable soft skills, like how to be an effective teacher and to relate to consumers in a meaningful yet professional way. Through it all they have demonstrated leadership and professionalism that I aspire to. Those who have modeled leadership and professionalism throughout my life, education and career have lead by providing direction/guidance and demonstrating professionalism. Each of my mentors have been honest, creative, committed, and had a sense of humor, though some may have been a little dry. In short, they have been teachers.

Professionalism has been demonstrated to me in a variety of ways. First, these people were honest and treated others with respect and dignity. Second, these professionals utilized constructive criticism and provided direction/guidance to others who might be struggling or disagree with them on a topic. The third way that professionalism has been demonstrated by my mentors is through open, direct, conversation and information sharing.

An action that one perceives as honest or respectful may be perceived differently by others. Honesty and respect are key components in defining both leadership and professionalism. If the perception of honesty or respect is perceived as dishonest or disrespectful conflict may arise, and the professionalism or capacity for leadership may be questioned. It is such perceptions that leave the definitions of professionalism and leadership open for interpretation.

So, how do you define leadership, or professionalism?