Transcript of Video

NARRATOR 1: Deanne Jackson and Rae Burns sitting at an office desk. Deanne is wearing a blue blouse. Rae, a rehabilitation specialist, speaks first.

RAE: Today we want to take a look at labeling, because that’s going to help in the efficiencies in your office.

NARRATOR 2: Former business owner, Deanne Jackson, has macular degeneration, but her home office is still important to her. She’s turned to rehabilitation specialist Rae Burns to help solve what Deanne says is a constant battle to keep track of important papers.

NARRATOR 1: Deanne sorts through a collection of papers and envelopes.

DEANNE: It’s in that stack. And I go through that stack every day. And I’m, oh, my, I didn’t handle this. It’s very frustrating.

NARRATOR 2: The solution for much of office organization can be found though inexpensive portable labeling systems, or one’s own computer, because both can generate large print labels with ease.

A portable labeler is handy. This model not only prints large type labels, it also cuts them automatically. (Sound of label being cut)

NARRATOR 1: Rae printing a label. It exits the left side of the machine. The label is white. Black text spells out the word “Mags.”

NARRATOR 2: Depending on your usable vision, you can create labels directly from the keyboard, or place the portable labeler underneath a video magnifier to increase the size of the text on the keyboard.

NARRATOR 1: The magnified image of the labeler keys on the monitor of the video magnifier.

RAE: Is that good?

DEANNE: I can read the letters.

NARRATOR 2: Deanne is able to check her work under the video magnifier.

There are also braille labelers that emboss braille symbols. On this model, the upper rim of the dial is braille letters, while the lower rim has a standard print alphabet.

Raised dots or tactile markings can also be helpful for orienting through one’s sense of touch. Here they are used to highlight commonly used keyboard functions.

NARRATOR 1: Rae and Deanne place a label on a file folder.

NARRATOR 2: Labeling does take time and commitment to a system, but it’s well worth the effort because it encourages you to handle paperwork only once or twice.

RAE: Having something organized and you know, gives you a sense of control. It gives you a sense of you’re efficient. You’re able to handle it by yourself.

NARRATOR 2: Depending on your type of vision loss, creating labels on your computer may be easier than using a stand-alone label maker.

NARRATOR 1: Rae and Deanne at the computer.

RAE: Come back up and hit control-P, come up and hit it. There we are.

NARRATOR 2: By learning keyboard commands, Deanne is able to create labels and send them to the printer. This approach works best for her because her macular degeneration makes it difficult to use the mouse.

Once printed, the peel-off labels can be easily applied to everything, from files and equipment, to shelving.

NARRATOR 1: Deanne places a label that says “audio” on a bookshelf. Later, she sorts through a well-labeled file drawer.

RAE: Align it.

NARRATOR 2: In just a short time, Deanne has created a number of useful labels. She says she now understands how being organized can be transformational.

DEANNE: It helps keep everything separate.

RAE: It’s very important.