The first IBM Computer I learned on. Had to floppy disk drives and ran off DOS. No Windows!
More than once I’ve asked myself why do I invest so much money and time on a computer and access to the internet?
Computer technology has drastically changed the world and even more so for those with disabilities! Having a physical disability, almost all my life, presented a real challenge. In the 1970′s I had to begin making a decision as to whether I should take the easy way out and live off Social Security Disability or live a productive, independent life. It would have been so easy to live off of Social Security, stay up at all hours of the night reading and watching TV, sleep during the day, go when ever and where ever I wanted. But I knew that wasn’t the direction I wanted to go, so I took the hard way out. I knew I had to get off the disability, be independent and make my own living.
What could I do? I loved carpentry (the smell of wood and creating/building something from your hands) and horticulture (caring and growing things….working outdoors….anything that had to do with nature). Just one problem with those two areas, almost all those trades required good strong legs. I ended up going into the clerical area because I knew that would be less physically demanding. As a Vocational Assessment Aide, at a Community College, we purchased an Apple IIe computer
One of the first computers I gained experience with.
for vocational assessment testing in the late 1980′s, if I’m not mistaken and later the college bought a ton of IBM’s to teach students and employees how to use computers. I loved it, but DOS was way over my head and then in the late 1990′s the College had computers with Windows and we were connected to the internet! This opened a whole new world to me. During my spare time I began to do genealogy research and my family history began to fall in place piece by piece. Emailing allowed me to keep in instant contact with family and friends on the internet. When there was no radio or television close by….there was the internet and that is how I learned about 9/11. When I needed support to quit smoking, I found something on the internet called a “forum” which was an online community allowing me to socialize with people like myself to get support to quit and stay quit from smoking. More and more computers and technology became the focus of my main job. This was ideal for someone who was slowly but surely losing his ability to be constantly on the move. Today, 90% of my job requires me to be on a computer. Typewriters are almost obsolete. File cabinets are still necessary but not as widely needed as they once were.
I’ve had a home computer and the internet since around 2003. For me, it was and is like library. You can find answers instantly to almost any question you might have. You can pay bills, order products, keep in touch with family and friends, research any and everything…..the list goes on and on.
- This comes really close to my current home computer and monitor. The mouse is cordless and the internet is lightning fast! We’ve come a long way but…it will be even better in the next few years.
“Why do I own a computer? How has it changed my life?” Home computers are becoming more and more a necessity in our lives. If used right, it can save time and living resources. Just as electric, water, phones, television reception were all necessary conveniences that made our lives more comfortable, so has computers and the internet become. Going on the internet is like having the worlds biggest library at you finger tips. The information is almost mind staggering. One of the most valuable features I have found now is “FaceBook”. It can help you find friends and family members you haven’t heard from in years. Now that folks (like the commercial says) is priceless! Is a computer and the internet worth the expense? You bet it is!
