Fundraiser for PCs needs boost

If you think your slow, old personal computer is frustrating, try making it work without looking at the monitor.

That’s what some workers at Lilac Services for the Blind struggle with every day as they teach the visually impaired to be self-sufficient on turn-of the-century computers.

The nonprofit organization recently received an $11,000 matching grant from the Gibney Family Foundation to replace aging PCs. But it’s having trouble coming up with its share of the necessary funds, and time is running out.

So far, the Lilac Services has raised $2,700 toward matching the grant by Oct. 31, the deadline imposed by the foundation.

“Some of our computers are over 10 years old and are running Windows ME,” said Matthew Plank, director of marketing and development at Lilac Services. “This matching grant would allow us to buy new Windows 7-based computers that will be 10 to 100 times faster.”

Speed is everything when you’re waiting for special software to read you your e-mail. Blind users interact with computers through sound and the keyboard.

“Using a mouse is like finding a needle in a haystack,” said Russell Smith, a computer trainer at Lilac Services.

On Tuesday, Smith was teaching Lilac Services volunteer Dolores Keyser, who is blind, to access e-mail using software that reads aloud the contents of documents, Web pages and on-screen computer instructions.

“It tells you exactly what to do,” Keyser said.

Lilac Services for the Blind, which teaches independent living and adaptable communication skills, serves an estimated 42,000 blind or visually impaired people in 14 counties.

“We have clients that are losing sight,” Plank said. “We teach them how to do the things they used to do with sight.”

Computer use is a big part of independent living.

The new hardware also will enable Lilac Services technicians to troubleshoot problems by accessing clients’ computers remotely, saving time and money, Plank said.