ZoomText in our Hometown
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.
Charles Honke grew up in Omaha, Nebraska and worked as an account representative for Strategic Air Command (SAC) at IBM. In this position, he sold, maintained, and helped the SAC program their equipment which was used for intelligence work. They were ahead of the business world; they used computers and technology to process and store information which in turn was used to formulate war plans.
He saw IBM move out of the punch-card era and into the computer era. Chuck remembers that people were very resistant to the change, fearing that the automation of tasks would eliminate jobs, when in reality it actually increased employment opportunities. When Chuck started at IBM, computers took up entire rooms and when he retired in 1989 after 29 years of service, the more accessible personal computer industry had begun. Even though Chuck retired from IBM, he’s never really retired – he’s been working at the Manchester Shaw’s for the past 12 years.
“I’ve tried to retired about six or seven times, but I just can’t seem to accomplish it,” says Chuck. “Honestly, I need to be occupied so I just don’t think a true retirement is in the cards for me.”
About five years ago, Chuck went in for an eye exam because he was having trouble seeing properly. It turned out that the reason he couldn’t see out of the center of his left eye was due to a blind spot. After he endured a year of shots into the eye to dissolve the spot with no success, he underwent surgery to remove the spot. While in surgery, a portion of his macula came off along with the spot. Doctors told him that he could have another surgery to repair the damage, but the success rate was so low that Chuck opted not to have the surgery. After visiting with a specialist in Albany, he learned that in addition to the blind spot, he also had dry macular degeneration in both of his eyes. Chuck believed that his only option would be to quit his job at Shaw’s because he could no longer see the tiny screens at the checkout.
One of Chuck’s doctors told him to contact the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (VABVI) to see if they could do anything to help keep him employed. His experience with VABVI was incredibly positive, and soon after his evaluation they purchased him a larger screen to use at Shaw’s, making it possible for Chuck to continue performing his job. Shaw’s cooperated perfectly – they didn’t want to lose him as an employee just as much as Chuck didn’t want to have to quit. Now whenever Chuck has a shift, you’ll find him using the large screen at register #1.
The VABVI also installed a brighter lamp at his computer desk at home along with ZoomText, “I would absolutely not be able to use my computer without ZoomText,” says Chuck. “I really don’t know what I would do without it!”
“Helping to improve the quality of life for people with low vision is a noble and worthwhile cause, one that we are all proud to be a part of,” says Walter Elliot, president of Ai Squared. “Whether it’s allowing our users to perform their jobs at the same level as their sighted peers or, as in Chuck’s case, providing a way to still shop online, complete taxes electronically, and play Free Cell and Sudoku, ZoomText opens doors that were previously thought to be closed forever.”
When Chuck isn’t working at Shaw’s he’s probably at home with Joann Tobin, who he met in college, working on his 2.5 acre yard. Or he might be playing or snoozing with his dog Maggie, the lovable boxer who is the proclaimed queen of the house. Chuck used to be a very avid reader and was once an amateur WWII historian, but because reading has become very difficult, he is trying to get into audio books. These audio books are available for free either at the Manchester library, or through the Special Services Unit of the Vermont Department of Libraries in Berlin, VT. We encourage you to contact your area library to see if they offer similar services – that is if you haven’t already!
