I happened by the Independent Living Aids table and happened upon a travel alarm clock. I started thinking about the dinosaur talking clock perched on my nightstand and thought I’d speak with one of the representatives about purchasing a shiny new replacement that wouldn’t intrude as much on the lifestyles of my family and neighbors.

Unfortunately, the independent Living Aids table seems to be one of the most popular booths at the conventions because it was packed with people four deep waiting to ask questions and acquire new devices to make their lives easier.  I wondered how many were waiting to ask the same question as I.

My clock is functional enough.  It tells the time and wakes me at the appointed hour when requested. At first glance, you might think my clock to be a handy device that does its job well, has lasted me over 20 years and will continue to chug on for many years to come.  That’s probably true.

There’s only a couple things wrong with my talking clock.  It’s LOUD and setting the time or alarm are ponderous. Individually, these might not be an issue but together, they cause no end of problems.

I sometimes have trouble sleeping.  I wake and wonder what time it is.  My hand hovers over the speak button of my clock.  I gently press the button and cringe as the time echoes throughout the house, “THE TIME IS 4:05 AM!”  It isn’t bad enough that it has to shout, it has to pause between 4 and 05.

Jostled out of a sound sleep, my boyfriend turns to me and asks if I’m having trouble sleeping.  A kitten snuggled happily at the top of the cat tree stretches and I feel his resentful glare.  I’m sure Gizmo thinks I woke him on purpose.  I imagine our neighbors turning in their sleep relieved to know they have a few more hours of rest ahead of them.  Coyotes in the desert beyond our subdivision plot my death as their prey scurries into the darkness having been startled by the fact it’s now 4:05 AM.

Setting the alarm is an event that is planned well in advance.  If I forget to set my clock until my family falls asleep, I risk the wrath of all as it booms each hour and minute as I feverishly press the buttons in hopes of ending everyone’s miserly as quickly as possible.  Of course, pressing the buttons in rapid succession accomplishes nothing but a carpal tunnel flare up.  The clock insists on calmly and loudly proclaiming each minute and hour in succession preceded by a bong in which Big Ben would take pride.

I silently weep if I need to awaken at 5:30 AM and my alarm is currently configured for 6:00 AM.  I’ve tried covering the speaker but it seems as though the little fellow with the booming voice just gets annoyed and shouts all the louder.

Standing at the ILA booth, I imagined myself acquiring a new alarm clock with an adjustable volume.  I just knew they’d have the box I needed sitting behind the table and would hand it to me with a flourish.  A shaft of sunlight would shine down on the package and everyone in the vicinity would turn and stare at me in awe and wonder, wishing they had acquired the perfect talking clock.

Alas, it wasn’t to be.  I never made it through the throng of people.  I’ll have to wait until the next convention.  Until then, I continue to schedule my life around setting the alarm mid-day so as not to disturb the delicate ecosystem that is Southern Arizona.

My rehab counselor purchased a computer and bestowed it upon me.  I was thrilled to enter a new world of technology but there was a dearth of training opportunities available.  I learned of mailing lists and started absorbing everything I could from those who knew more than I.  I seldom wrote to the lists, I merely read every post that entered my inbox and absorbed as much information as I could.

As my skills developed, I had questions.  What was happening on the display and why did I execute a particular keystroke.  I met a number of trainers and they all taught by keystroke.  To open a document, I learned to press ALT-F, O, type the name and press ENTER.  That was all I knew.  I had no idea what was happening or why.  I had to remember those keystrokes and execute them exactly to accomplish a task.

This wasn’t enough for me.  I wanted more.  I researched on my own and found the answers I wanted.  I learned of menus, dialogs, radio buttons, buttons, combo boxes, and so much more.  I learned the language of Windows and of the screen reader.  I was able to share this knowledge with others and, like me, they gained a new perspective on computers. They finally understood.  Windows wasn’t a litany of keystrokes to be memorized but it was an interface with which we could interact.  I made that the heart of the certification course I developed several years later.

In the Access Technology Trainer Certification Course offered on this site, students learn the ins and outs of Windows.  They learn what’s happening, when it’s happening and how to control what’s happening on the computer rather than guessing at a keystroke and hoping they get it right. They learn how to interact with a computer rather than typing several keystrokes to accomplish each task.

The training course starts at the beginning.  What is Windows and how is it laid out.  Students learn how to interact with each feature of Windows and applications. We create a foundation upon which future components build.  Students gain an overall understanding of Windows, Applications and Screen Readers.  They learn keystrokes but in the context of the concepts and controls of Windows.

I’m proud of the trainers who take the time to endure ten months of comprehensive and challenging training that includes hours of study each week, an online discussion and weekly testing.  This course isn’t for the faint of heart.  Those who graduate from this training course are among the upper echelon of Access Technology Trainers in the World.  I can say that without reservation because I’ve worked with them and have seen the heights they’ve reached upon graduation from the training course.

The cost of the training course is expensive.  I’m not going to pretend it isn’t.  I also receive a lot of criticism for asking $1000 per component for the certification course.  Many feel that being self-taught is equal to what is offered but they don’t see the whole picture.  Upon graduation, students are welcomed into a community of graduates who work together to help one another succeed.

In most training situations, once you graduate from a course, whether it be college or a training center, you are cut lose and left on your own.  There isn’t an opportunity to continue your training unless you’re willing to pay additional funds.  With the way in which technology is developing and with new versions of applications being released on a regular basis, it’s difficult for trainers to stay current on the materials they teach.

At ATI we solve this problem before it occurs.  Upon graduation, every graduate receives unfettered access to every textbook and future component written or created by the staff of ATI.  They never have to pay another dime to upgrade their skills.  Those who graduated from the certification course in the days of Windows XP and Word 2007 now have the opportunity to learn Windows Vista, Windows 7, Word 2007 and Word 2010.  They can download the new components and textbooks at their leisure and we are available to provide support and assistance where needed.

This month, I posted three new components for ATI graduates to download.  If these materials weren’t free of charge, each graduate would have had to pay $3000 for these materials.  I don’t ask anything of the graduates except that they abide by some simple guidelines such as not sharing our materials and showing respect to one another and the ATI staff. I’ve only removed graduate privileges from one student in the ten years I’ve taught this class and that was a result of plagiarism.

We dedicate ourselves to the success of our students and graduates.  No cost is spared when it comes to providing ongoing services to our graduates.  I’m pleased to offer a new website for graduates to download products and receive support at www.attrainers.com and am updating materials for the trainers on a regular basis.

I’m not aware of any training facility that offers similar services to their graduates. At ATI, we understand our success is rooted in the success of our graduates so we do everything we can to help them succeed.

When you hire an ATI Certified Trainer, you’re placing your student’s computing future in the hands of a skilled professional who will do everything necessary to insure their success. 

Henry Adams said, “A teacher affects eternity, you never know where his influence stops.”  The knowledge and skill embodied in the trainers who graduate from the certification course touches many lives in a myriad of ways and is molding the future of Access Technology Training.