Learn a New Language for the New Year

I love the idea of inclusive design rather than accessible design because it casts a wider net.  Language, for example,  gets overlooked because a lot of us born in Canada get by with our mother tongue. I don't think we appreciate the hard work that comes with mastering a language as well as the barriers. Imagine trying to explain medical conditions, legal and financial issues in Mandarin?

I think, now, more than ever is the best time to learn a new language. For one, it provides a little bit of understanding for what our New Canadians go through. It's also good for our brains and the apps that are available now make langauge even more ....accessible ;).


My background is European and I took a Mandarin course in 2000. Mandarin is very different from English :) . It is character not alphabet based. There is a phonetic alphabet, pinyin, to help you with the sound of the characters but,  if you read books or newspapers you, essentially, need to memorise the characters. This was my hurdle. Luckily Toronto had many Chinese signs and even newspapers, but if I didn't know the characters it was very hard for me to find their meaning in the dictionary. Also, phrases were very hard to grasp. For example, the Chinese character for "big" means something completely different if it is placed with other characters.


Fast forward to today, my child and I are both learning Mandarin. But now, we have YouTube to help us sing "ba luo bo" :).  I can use Google Translate with my pinyin keyboard to help me figure out Chinese phrases as well as their pronounciation. I can take out a Chinese book from our Toronto libraries (btw thank you Toronto libraries :)) and use an OCR app to obtain the meaning as well as the pinyin.


With the tech that we have today, I actually feel there is a chance that I, or maybe my child :) can be fluent in Chinese. But for now, the journey is an enjoyable one and maybe this could be your new year's resolution.

Spelling, Parents and Computers

There is a lot of "writing" in our little digital world. This is daunting for a lot of my students who are starting their computer voyage later in life. Most of them were not born in Canada. They speak English very well but, they never had a need to write English formally. Therefore, they are anxious over all the spelling and grammar mistakes that they are going to make.

I wanted to share with you some of the things we discuss in class to help my students get more comfortable and confident with computers and "writing" :). Perhaps, this may be something you can use for your parents if you suspect that this might be the reason for their resistance to computers.

1. The most common complaint I get is, "How can I search on the Internet if I can't spell?"  In response, I demonstrate to them how Google is very good at predicting search queries -- even misspelled ones:). The students are very impressed at Google's predictive powers and by how little is required to enter for a query.
2. I  show the students that it is possible to use the computer and surf the Internet in their native language.
3. We discuss spell check and the visual cues for misspelled words like the squiggly red line :).
4. I show my class that most of us in the digital world are bad spellers and have committed terrible acts against grammar (including me :))  and any email sent by them will be accepted with love and without judgement by their family members :).

Communicating Medical Info to the Hard of Hearing

 My mom is hard of hearing. When  my mom has a doctor's appointment, I act as the doctor's translator. I translate his/her medical mumbling terminology to .. English :).

As I took my mom to the Herzig Eye Institute,   I was pretty much shocked when my services were not needed. My mom understood the doctor with little help from me.

Here are some of the techniques he used

1. Face to face: The doctor spoke directly to my mom.  For people who are hard of hearing, it is easier to understand someone when they speak face to face.

2. Enunciation: The doctor spoke loudly and clearly.  No mumbling :).

3. No Medical Jargon: The doctor spoke to my mom in words she could understand.

4. Pamphlets Pamphlets Pamphlets :  The doctor had written information about her condition. This is great for the patients' family who can not attend the appointment and for the patients themselves.

 The doctor at Herzig Eye used simple techniques that I think all doctors should consider. The hard of hearing population is on the rise and it is within their right to expect doctors to provide accessible care to them including effective communication.

Typing with a Touchpad: A Senior's Perspective

Imagine typing your email and not knowing if the next word that you enter will appear at the end of the last line or in some random spot on the page. The problem is that as you type you touch the touchpad. This moves the cursor to another part of the page along with the words :).


To not be  able to type where you want to type is a very frustrating experience and it is shared by some of my students who have laptop keyboards with touchpads.


If your loved one already has this issue with their laptop here are some workarounds.


Workarounds

1. If they are not using the touchpad at all (i.e using a mouse), then you can disable it.  http://www.pcworld.com/article/241048/how_to_disable_your_laptop_touchpad.html
2. You can try connecting a USB keyboard. This is especially useful if their laptop keyboard is small and the user finds it hard to type on.

If you are looking to buy a laptop for your loved one and they need to use a touchpad  then buy one where the touchpad supports palm rejection. This eliminates the movement of the cursor while the user types 

Some things to Consider when Buying a Kindle Reader for your Parents

My student approached me during a computer class to help show her how to use a Kindle Reader. The version she showed me is shown below. It is a Kindle Basic that uses a 5 way Controller to navigate. There were some interesting points of usability from a seniors perspective that I wanted  to share.

Kindle with 5 button controller

Senior Usability Pros

• The Kindle is ready out of the box. You do not need to connect the Kindle to a computer prior to use. It comes loaded with some books and a dictionary. The only thing you need to do is charge it. (Please note power adapter sold separately grrr )
•  The price is affordable :)
• The screen is readable. There is no apparent glare.  The text is sharp :).

Senior Usability Cons

• Navigation on this Kindle can be challenging because of the Controller. The arrow buttons are very thin and may prove difficult if the person fingers are not flexible or rigid
• The keyboard button is not very intuitive and requires the person to select letters using the Controller which can be difficult from the above reason.
• My student was able to charge the Kindle. However, the connection from the Kindle to the USB plug is narrow and may prove difficult for unsteady hands.
• Power Adapter sold seperately :(
• Overall  interface not very intuitive

Kindle has many other versions to consider for your parents or grandparents like a touch screen. If it is possible, have your loved one try the e-reader first and see if it is usable to them.

If you need further help in buying mobile devices, computer or any other tech devices for your parents or grandparents please contact us at info at 2jour dot com or www.2jour.com

In Your Face Computer Lessons : Baycrest Terrace

I love teaching at Baycrest Terrace. They have an amazing computer lab. However, the lab is located  at the end of a long hallway far from the lobby where the residents socialise. It is intimidating for a lot of people to make that first step to learn computers and because the lessons are off the beaten path we weren't reaching these people.

Wi-Fi Thursday started when I noticed Baycrest Terrace had Wi-Fi in the lobby. The idea was for residents to come down to our booth with their notebooks and we would help them resolve  issues they may have with their computer. I would also bring an iPad and notebook for those who did not have a computer. Thanks to a very supportive Recreational Director, she put in the legwork to help get Wi-Fi Thursday up and running.


So far it has been a huge success. Residents are getting the help they need with their notebooks. We are also impacting seniors who have no computer exposure by showing them how to use the iPad. The transformation is quite remarkable. Within minutes, the most stringent computer self doubter is converted into a computer believer after navigating the iPad and being blown away at how easy it is.

I call this direct interaction In Your Face Computer Lessons. It has a great impact for our senior population and it can be easily set up in any retirement home or public/private community centres. Please contact 2JOUR at info at 2jour dot com for more details.

The Case of the Stolen Hotmail

2Jour Computer Coaching Toronto, Canada

Ring ring ring..

"Hello?"

"Karl, my gosh what happened to you man?"

"Charlie?! It's 4 in the morning!!!! You gotta stop this!"

The call from your Ottawa friend of many years did not surprise you. Ever since your move to the big city Toronto, Charlie has found many ways to contact you, tweets, IMs, and also by the soon to be obsolete phone.

"Karl, Toronto has changed you!! Why are you selling prescription drugs?"

"Huh? WHAT?? Charlie what's wrong with you?"

"Karl, you keep sending us mail from your hotmail account about cheap prescription drugs. Jose thought we should do an intervention. "

"But Charlie, I am not selling anything. I have no idea why you are getting email from me... I"

"Karl, you need to STOP the insanity and move back to Ottawa!"

"Is this Jose?", you reply getting more and more anxious.

"Yes, I am here as well as all your friends who have received your disturbing email. Please come home."

Your heart races and you wonder, "Did someone steal my Hotmail account?"

.............................

Your internet account, like email, can be hijacked for a variety of reasons. In any case, the best thing to do is to change your password immediately.

Below are some scenarios on how your account information could be stolen:

1. You log on to your account from a public computer or mobile device without logging out and clearing your activity from the computer. The next time you go to an Apple store and check out your email or facebook account on the shiny iPad, make sure you remove traces of your username and password.

2. You have been Phished! At some point, you logged on to a fake website that looks like your internet account and you supplied the fake website with your username and password.

3. Malware (virus, spyware) is on your computer. It is logging on to your account through the userid and password stored on your computer. Therefore, you need to change your password for your internet account on an UNAFFECTED computer. You will also need to do a scan of your computer and remove the offending program.

Buying a Computer: The Curse of the Acronym

2Jour, Computer Coaching for Seniors Toronto, Canada

The phone rang.

"Hey Karl, your computer is dead."

"Charlie? Is that you? How in the.. How did you know my computer was broken?" replied Karl.

"Karl, you have been offline for several days. I can't skype you or chat with you which is very annoying. Please, please, please, get rid of your old klunker. Go to College and Spadina. I hear it's THE place to get a computer in the big city."

Karl thought through what his friend Charlie had to say and he was right. He was sick and tired of having to repair his slow and frustrating computer. Tomorrow, he will buy a new PC.

As Karl exited the Spadina streetcar all his happy thoughts for his new purchase were replaced quickly by FEAR. Big signs in front of what looked like a computer store had no mention of computers, but scary words like HDD or DDR and many other letter nonsense combinations.

"Oh, what a disaster!!!", Karl thought sadly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stores have made an effort to make it easier to buy computers. However, the dreaded acronyms are still everywhere. College and Spadina is a great place to get computers, but you need to know the computer jargon. Therefore, it may not be suitable for first time computer buyers.

Essentially, if all you want from your computer is to surf the web, check your email, and write documents then the most basic of computers is all you need. If you are not comfortable with the computer lingo, I would suggest going to big computer store chains for your purchase. You may also try getting someone you trust who is knowledgeable about computers to accompany you.

I have included some phrases that will be used to describe your computer. Good Luck!!!!!

Processor (CPU) - The brains of the computer. It's a set of chips probably made by Intel or AMD. This is measured with words like this: 2.3 GHz. The higher the number the faster the computer is. It is also measured by the number of "cores" which tells you how many things the computer can do at the same time. For your basic computer needs, you won't need to take the number of cores into consideration.

Hard Drive (HDD)- Hard Disk Drive space. This is the space the computer uses to save your photos, music, documents and videos. It is measured with words this: 640GB. The higher the number, the more content you can store. To put the size in perspective, 640GB can store roughly half a billion photos! On modern computers, you almost never have to worry about not having enough space on your hard drive.

RAM - Random Access Memory affects how software/program is run. This is measured with words like this: 6 GB. The higher the number the faster a program can run. For basic computer needs, as long as you have at least 2 GB, you'll be fine.

Buying a Computer: Computer vs the Internet

2JOUR Computer Coaching for Seniors Toronto

We are going to have a few articles in the next few weeks on how to buy a computer. There is a lot of gobbledy gook or jargon but we are going to try and simplify the process and hopefully, make it easier for you.

The first thing we are going to discuss is the computer vs the internet.

When you buy a computer, you are not automatically going to be connected to the internet. It is the same for television and a phone. In order to use your phone, you need a provider like Bell or Rogers to be set up and with a television, you need a cable provider or rabbit ears :) to view the channels. The computer and the internet is the same way. You need a provider, Internet Service Provider (ISP), to provide you with the means to connect to the internet.

The computer store can offer you a subscription to a particular ISP, but you can also wait and learn more of what each Internet Service Provider has to offer you and give them a call. We will talk about choosing the right Internet Service Provider in our last installment of this series.

Next week, Karl goes to the mean street of college to buy a computer :).

Recycle Old Electronics

2Jour Computer Coaching for Seniors Toronto

If you are looking for a place to recycle your old computer, then try this website, www.dowhatyoucan.com. You type in your postal code and the material you want to recycle and this website will list all the recycle locations close to you.

Next week, we will have some tips on buying a computer in Toronto.

Canadian Government: People with Disabilities Online

2JOUR Computer Coaching for Seniors Toronto

This is a great place to go if you have accessiblity issues. They have a lot of interesting information like tax benefits and getting financial assistance for home renovation to make your home more accessible. Please, check out the link below.

http://www.pwd-online.gc.ca/pwdh.4m.2@.jsp?lang=eng

Twitter: Annoying but Maybe Useful

2Jour Computer Coaching for Seniors Toronto, Ontario

Karl's cellphone beeped again. It was probably another tweet from Charlie. He missed him and the conversations he had with him in Ottawa, but to follow his dear mad friend on Twitter was, well, insanity. Karl received about 100 tweets a day from Charlie and they were either about a great computer sale or the latest scoop on Céline Dion.

At this point, Karl really hated Twitter and as he entered the Toronto Metro Zoo and discovered that Dwayne the Shark was also on Twitter, he knew that the world was CRAZY.

Twitter, essentially, is a website (www.twitter.com) that allows anyone to sign up and post simple and short messages about anything which are called Tweets. If your Tweets are interesting, then people will want to follow them. Tweets can range from being mundane to being useful like transit cancellations or weather updates and they can be transmitted to your phone as text messages.

Please note, Twitter does not do any verification on their users. This means anyone can assume any identity and their Tweets can be unreliable. So bear that in mind when you follow a particular user. Although, I think Dwayne the shark is on the up and up :).

Here are some interesting Twitter links

2Jour - Tweets from us :)

Red Flag Deals - Tweets about sales within Canada

WestJet

CBC News

Dwayne the Shark - Shark News, why not?

WeFollow.com - Ideas for other Twitter links

Alerts: Power of the Cellphone

2JOUR Computer Coaching for Seniors Toronto

The news from the television or radio can tell you about all the important cancellations like a trip to Fiji cancelled due to snow or the Yonge Sheppard subway line cancelled due to signal malfunctions. 

What if, you are outside and you have no access to television or radio? Wouldn't it be great to know what the status of the subways en route so you can plan accordingly?

In comes alerts. TTC and other services like airlines have set up a system called alerts where they e-mail you any delays to their service. If you have a cellphone, you can get the alert via a text message to your phone.  All you need to do is use the email provided to you by your cellphone provider. Please note, you should find out what your cellphone provider charges for incoming text messages before you consider subscribing for an alert with your cellphone.

To set up alert with TTC go to the TTC Alert Subscription website

To set up an alert with Air Canada go to the Air Canada Mobile Notification

Next we will talk about getting the status of services like TTC using Twitter

YouTube: How to Videos

YouTube is everywhere. It is mentioned constantly, but what is it? Essentially, it is a place where anyone can transfer videos they have made or collected to this website called YouTube and you can watch these videos for free. 

There are many "How To" videos that can help you.  I have included some videos that help with accessibility

Dressing Stick

Bed Ladder

Pick up Reach

Wheel Trans: Being Mobile in Toronto

If it is harder to use the TTC because of mobility issues, then you have another option: Wheel Trans.  You would not have to navigate along icy sidewalks to get to a bus stop because Wheel Trans provides door to door service  All you need to do is book your trip a day before. You can book via phone or via the TTC Wheel Trans Booking page. 

To find out how to register, please go to the TTC Wheel Trans registration page.

Next week we will talk about alerts.

2JOUR is now in Toronto

The hiatus is over. 2Jour has finally moved!!  We are now in the big city of Toronto. Our blog will be updated every week with wonderful computer accessibility tips and resources.  Next issue will focus on Wheel Trans and how to book your next trip online.

Coming soon.. The Accessible Life in Toronto.  A blog about moving around the big city with a stroller and a walker.

Never Too Old for Computers!

Computer Coaching for Seniors Ottawa Canada

For anyone who has heard the negative voice, "I am too old to learn computers", I want you to shake your fist and shout out, NOOOOOO!!!!! If you have a desire to learn, then you are never too old. People in their nineties with no prior computer experience are e-mailing loved ones, using their computer to see pictures of their grandkids and children and surfing the web. If you find your children too impatient to show you, do not despair. You can find many other people willing to teach you; in the library, in the retirement homes, in community courses and even at 2Jour ;). Stop listening to the negative voice and empower yourself with the computer.


Dedicated to Marjorie

Power of Google: Exchange Rates and much more!!!

Computer Coaching for Seniors Ottawa Canada

José was not a happy man. He thought the computer would make his life easier, provide the information he wanted in a blink of an eye or close to a blink of an eye, but all the clicking and pleading and keyboard pushing got him to places where he did not ask to be. He didn't want to stay in Las Vegas, nor did he want to find a special someone on an online dating website. He wanted to know the current exchange rate of the Canadian dollar that is it, no more no less.

With certain keywords you can use GOOGLE to get the answer you want instantly.

• 1 cad in usd finds out the exchange rate of Canadian dollar in US dollar
  
• 1 inch in cm converts from inches to centimetre
• film ottawa shows what movies are playing in Ottawa
• Ottawa weather shows the current temperature in Ottawa. Unfortunately, the temperature is in farenheit. However, you can convert it to celsius using google.
  26 farenheit in celsius
  

Free Computer: Freecycle, Ottawa Giveaway Day

Computer Coaching for Seniors Ottawa Canada

If you are looking for a computer, how about a used one? You don't need a powerful computer if all you are doing is going on the internet and reading your e-mail.

In fact, there is a chance you can get the computer for FREE. A lot of people are buying the latest computers and do not know what to do with their old ones.

Try asking family and friends, if they know someone who wants to give away their computer. You could also look in Ottawa Freecycle. This is a place where people post, kind of like a classified section in a newspaper, objects that they want to give away, like computers :). And if all else fails, then take advantage of Ottawa Giveaway Day Saturday June 23 2007. On this day people in Ottawa will leave on their curb objects they don't need anymore and anyone who wants it can pick it up. If you miss it this year, keep an eye out for it next year because this is a yearly event.

Happy Father's Day and Ecards

Computer Coaching for Seniors Ottawa, Canada

A great way to wish someone a happy Father's day (this Sunday :) ) is to send an E-card FOR FREE. They are more exciting than normal greeting cards because you can choose from a variety of animation in your card.

There are many websites that allow you to send E-cards. You can just google "free e-cards" to find a list of them. You can also go to Hallmark.