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Category archive
Stories Archive
Here you'll find all our customer profiles we've run in ZoomNews:
Setting Sail with ZoomText
October 14, 2008
Right now, Scott Duncan and his sailing partner, Pam Habek are in Vanuatu, an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean. And they arrived there with the help of ZoomText…
ZoomText Joins Forces with New York’s Finest
August 04, 2008
Born in Harlem and raised in Brooklyn, Darryl Humphrey has a long history with New York City and always wanted to work for the boys in blue: the New York City Police Department (NYPD). But Darryl was born with congenital cataracts and myopia (myopic pressure) in both eyes, although his left eye is the weaker of the two…
Mo Shahrokni: first prize winner, ZoomNews contest
August 04, 2008
“I was born in Iran in 1988 in a mid-income family. Until 1994 our family didn’t have any computers. I mostly spent my childhood playing outside with relatives, friends, and my sister. When we bought our first computer, I started to have a great interest in learning and playing video games. Back then, I could see like any other kids. Using computers though, only involved simple commands on DOS. I remember enjoy playing Tom & Jerry, Keen, or WOF on our first computer…”
Cindy LeDonne: second prize winner, ZoomNews contest
August 04, 2008
“I spent 16 years as a licensed paramedic in Illinois. I loved my job so it was with a heavy heart that I gave it up when my vision deteriorated to a point that it could be dangerous for me, my partner, or a patient. After leaving the ambulance, I worked for a medical supply company as a technical support specialist for 2 1/2 years before being downsized out of that job…”
Rodney Roe: third prize winner, ZoomNews contest
August 04, 2008
“Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma at the beginning of WWII, I was raised and attended public school, college, and medical school in Arkansas. I was married in 1966 to Lynn Byars and we moved at the end of medical school to Phoenix, Arizona in 1968 where I had my internship and residency in the field of pathology. My residency training was interrupted by two years of active duty in the U.S. Army, with one of those spent in Vietnam…”
ZoomText in our Hometown
June 12, 2008
If you’ve ever been to the Shaw’s in Manchester, Vermont, chances are you know who Chuck is. He’s the really friendly, talkative cashier at register #1. Of course most of you don’t live in our area so very few of you know Chuck’s story…
ZoomText ARISES to the occasion
March 06, 2008
Imagine going in for surgery after having been told that the operation would help you see better than before, and having it go so horribly wrong that you wind up blind. Sadly, this was the case for Dave Mills…
ZoomText Goes to Grad School
January 24, 2008
Studying molecular and cell biology. Investigating the enzyme telomerase and its implications in cancer and aging. Pipetting radioactive materials. Running an undergraduate biochemistry lab. Impressed? It’s all in a day’s work for Tracy Niday, and she says none of it would be possible without the help of ZoomText…
Driving with Stargardt’s
November 15, 2007
Almost 20 years ago, Susan Reed started to notice that her eyesight was deteriorating. Soon after that, she learned that her failing vision was due to Stargardt’s Disease, a hereditary macular (central retinal) degenerative disorder. Even though Susan is considered high functioning, she had to leave her job as a nurse because she couldn’t see well enough to perform her job properly…
Saving Lives with the Help of ZoomText
September 24, 2007
For many of us, the thought of being responsible for someone who is bleeding, broken or in the throes of a heart attack, would be a daunting task. For Pennsylvania Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Josh Waldeck, that’s the easy part. It’s the required trip report for each ambulance run that used to fill Josh with dread…
Michigan Woman is Back Online with ZoomText
February 16, 2007
It was just one year ago when Sandra Richardson, a 34 year old active working woman, began to notice that her vision was becoming blurred. A month after seeking medical attention, her doctors diagnosed her with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Unable to use the computer at the real estate office where she was employed, Sandra left her job. Ironically, Sandra’s life now revolves around her computer…
A Perfect Match with Ai Squared
January 14, 2007
Who would have guessed that an innocent question from someone with a curious mind would eventually turn into a spectacular match. Back in the late 1990’s when Maurie Hill was a new ZoomText user she called Ai Squared for assistance. During the call, Maurie and Ai Squared’s support specialist, Cathy Gettel, were chatting and Maurie asked, “Do you like your job?” Cathy answered, “I love my job”. It was a passing question and answer, but Maurie filed that information away…
Blind Photographer Still Capturing His Vision
December 15, 2006
In 1993, Kurt Weston took his mother to see “Tommy”, a movie about a blind pinball wizard. While watching the movie, Kurt realized he could see his mother sitting to his right, but could not see the woman sitting to his left. At that moment Kurt realized he was going blind…
A Low Vision Family To Inspire Us All
November 13, 2006
Many of us know what it’s like to raise a son. Some of us have even had the experience of raising more than one. But Shelley Bower of Quincy, California is busy raising four. That may not seem like a big deal, since there are lots of parents with four kids in their home. So what makes Shelley different? Well, for starters she has low vision. But what really caught our attention is that Shelley Bower is a low vision mom who with her husband is raising four low vision sons…
College Professor Finds New Career Teaching ZoomText
October 16, 2006
Karen Barlow is an assistive technology business owner who lost most of her vision and eventually one of her eyes to diabetes. Having only one eye with 20/400 acuity and a prosthesis has not stopped Karen from experiencing new people, places and other life opportunities. In fact, she is enjoying her work and life now more than ever…
ZoomText Helps Retiree Living With Macular Degeneration
September 15, 2006
In 1995, Aaron Beckwith was a retired businessman with a great life. Aaron and his wife Jane had moved from New Jersey to Boynton Beach, Florida where they could enjoy tennis and golf year round. Aaron also enjoyed marble sculpting and working with computers. One day while taking a golf lesson, Aaron noticed that the ball looked pebble-sized when viewed through one eye…
Vision Impaired Developer Finds a Home at Ai Squared
July 14, 2006
Born with Congenital Cataracts, Chris Millsap has been visually impaired all his life. With his vision corrected to 20/80 and his condition stable, Chris graduated from the University of West Florida with a degree in Computer Information Systems. After graduation he secured employment with the biggest name in computing – Microsoft…
Immigrant Loses Sight, But Not His Vision
June 13, 2006
At the age of 10, Jose Tamayo, who was born with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), moved with his parents from Cuba to America. Despite his young age and visual impairment, Jose adapted easily to what could have been a tough transition for any child. Jose and his family settled in Miami, where he grew up and attended public schools…
Doctor Forges Ahead with the Help of ZoomText
May 09, 2006
Dr. Joseph L. Fontenot has been a practicing cardiologist and vision rehabilitation specialist for over 26 years. In his early years he practiced cardiology exclusively, establishing himself in Alabama, the state he calls home. But the onset of a visual impairment would eventually change the course of his career…
ZoomText Keeps Teacher’s Career on Track
April 15, 2006
Cindi Brown’s story begins with an unusual family circumstance. She is one of three children in her family born with Stargardt’s Disease, a rare form of juvenile Macular Degeneration. Cindi and her affected brother and sister have varying degrees of vision loss. For Cindi, only recently has Stargardt’s begun to seriously effect her vision and her ability to perform at her job…
ZoomText Helps Author Compose His Novels
March 15, 2006
As a child growing up in the wilds of the Northern Canadian Rockies, Hunter Silvastorm and his family needed independence, drive and determination to prosper in a difficult environment. His father, whom Hunter refers to as simply “a free thinker”, moved Hunter’s family from Montreal to Alberta when Hunter was still an infant. Hunter became a free thinker and voracious reader, devouring book after book, oblivious to the rare eye disease that would eventually steal his sight…
ZoomText Gives Foresight Ski Guides a Lift
February 13, 2006
Since age four, Mark G. Davis relished his days on the slopes, so in 1999 when he lost his functional vision due to a rare symptom of Multiple Sclerosis, he wasn’t about to let his sight loss get in the way of the sport he loves…