Glenda's Book Update #10
November 2006
Greetings!
As I write this, I am looking out at a winter wonderland. We received over a foot of snow this weekend!The rooftops are nestled under a thick, white blanket and the trees are weighted down by gigantic marshmallows. Beautiful! Although it is mighty chilly; frost was on the inside of the bedroom window this morning!
After a few unexpected delays and some procrastination on my part, my autobiography I’ll Do It Myself is at the printer! It was surprisingly difficult to send the manuscript to the printer. Despite the intensive editing and proofreading, I feared errors would still be found. It is amazing how that fear of imperfection can paralyze someone. When I realized I had written this book for readers and not for critics, it was easier to take a leap of faith and to take the next step. Barring any more lengthy power outages and blizzards, I should have actual books in my hands by next Friday, December 8th! My thirty-year-old dream is nearly reality!
Visit my website at www.BooksbyGlenda.com to pre-order your copies! Books will be mailed as soon as I receive them. I am using Paypal to take orders, however you do not need a Paypal account to place an order – simply have your credit card ready. I also gladly accept cheques and money orders. Please email me at Glenda@BooksbyGlenda.com if you have any questions.
The next step is to finalize details for my virtual book tour in January and February. The idea is to have forty bloggers and ezine writers interview me in forty (business) days. A few bloggers have already contacted me to set their date; there is a special blogger scheduled for February 16th, which will be fun. Stay tuned for details! Please contact me if you are a blogger interested in hosting an “appearance” during the virtual tour.
Once again, thanks for your support and for believing in my dream. I truly appreciate it.
Until next time...please feel free to forward this to friends and colleagues...
Cheers,
Glenda
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Book Excerpt:
A young lady in Grade 5 is going through a rough patch at the moment. She has cp too and is questioning whether she can be a productive part of society. Sometimes knowing others have gone through similar feelings and how they have dealt with them can make a difference. With that in mind, I would like to share this:
As I began sensing the time was right to start writing this book, my left hand, my typing hand, started protesting. I have been working since I was five, with no real appreciation. I think I’ll force Glenda to stop for a while. My fingers were tingling and going numb, and my wrist and knuckles were fairly painful. Simple things, such as picking up cans while grocery shopping, were becoming difficult. And using the computer, particularly the mouse, was causing pain.
I was scared; in fact, I was terrified. Writing, in whatever format, was my predominant means of income. If I could no longer type, how would I earn a living? I was only thirty-six and still had a career or two ahead of me. Flipping burgers, pumping gas or performing brain surgery were definitely not options for me. What was I going to do? I felt like God was playing a cruel joke on me, and I didn’t know what to do.
I had been typing since age five; it was part of me. The typed word is my connection with and contribution to society. Without it I would have nothing of value to offer to society or, perhaps, nothing society would see as valuable. Without the typed word, I would be isolated from society, except for those few who understand or who take the time to learn Glenda-ish. Without the typed word, I have no means of expressing myself; I merely survive, with no tangible way of recording or marking my existence.
Once I found a suitable solution for using the mouse, I realized how much opportunity and potential the computer and internet held for me:
The internet has opened a whole new world to me. I can finally communicate with others without my disability getting in the way. Oftentimes, others don't even know I have a disability. If they do, they don't know the extent of it. This means we can have more meaningful exchanges because we can bypass the misperceptions and misunderstandings of my cerebral palsy and get right to the topic at hand. It is such a liberating feeling! And, it is amazing who all I have connected with online. Email, online conferences and discussion forums enable me to participate fully in the virtual world and to lead the exciting life of an online solopreneur.
Hang in there, Lyndsay. Nobody else can be just like you. There is a place for you in society just as you are.
Readers' Corner:
Here is your opportunity to ask me questions about living with a disability, how to possibly adapt something to make it accessible, writing a book, or almost anything. So, go ahead, ask me a question! Send your questions to questions@BooksbyGlenda.com.
"How can I set up my email template to make sure it is easy to read for people with disabilities?"
~ Pam Slim, Escape from Cubicle Nation
Great question, Pam. Web accessibility is one of my passions and would require a lengthy response to completely answer your question. For now, here are four points to consider when setting up your signature file (sigfile) for the bottom of your email messages.
- Many people with sight impairments use software called screen readers. This software reads aloud what is on the screen, including ASCII art – images created with text characters and symbols. They will hear something like "asterisk asterisk asterisk asterisk asterisk asterisk asterisk asterisk asterisk..." which can become tedious. Avoid using ASCII art.
- Screen readers can only read text, not images. An ALT attribute provides a text equivalent of images. When using a logo or graphic, include an ALT attribute so that individuals using screen readers will know the email is from ABC Company (or whatever the graphic portrays). Also, people who only use text email - for whatever reason - will not see the graphic, and thus, will not know who the email is from, either. Not exactly good for business.
- As some people will be listening to rather than reading your email, consider the order of information: for example, office: 555-1234 rather than 555-1234 (office).
- There is a new trend of providing a link in a sigfile to a mp3 file. Hearing a voice can make the experience more personable. However, people using computers with no sound cards or speakers, say in an Internet cafe or public library, people accessing email from a noisy environment, people who don't understand the particular accent, perhaps they are ESL, or people with hearing impairments are unable to access the information provided orally. Be sure to also provide a transcript.
For more information on web accessibility, please email me at Glenda@BooksbyGlenda.com.
Do you have a question for me? Email it to questions@BooksbyGlenda.com.