Remote testing opportunity for blind user?

Hi all,

I know a person here in Edinburgh (Scotland) who I have used in usability
studies in the past.

She’s an experienced VoiceOver user on iOS and is totally blind and
provides thoughtful, measured and detailed feedback.

I’m wondering if anyone would be able to help her by adding her to your
pool of remote testers as she’s unfortunately in a position were her
benefits will be cut unless she can provide evidence that there is a demand
for her accessibility evaluation skills.

Please find enclosed her edited email below.

If anyone is interested, I can pass on her email address to get in touch.


***
I wonder if you can help me. I recently applied to have my access to work
support renewed. If you are not Familiar with access to work, it is a
government program that provides personal support i.e. people and or
travelling expenses for disabled people who are either self-employed or in
paid employment.

I have been receiving access to work support for the last six years under
two separate contracts and this has enabled me to employ helpers on an ad
hoc basis regularly and also covers 50% of my travelling costs around
Edinburgh. However, I now understand that in October 2015, the rules
covering access to work provision were changed. This means I now have to
earn more money from my self-employment in order to qualify for access to
work support. I have been told, I do not earn enough money to qualify for
access to work support and travel expenses under the new rules.

As I know you can imagine, this has been a body blow. it means simply that
I am no longer able to employ the help I need or receive help with the
travelling expenses I incur for simply doing my work. I can appeal against
this decision but it was explained to me, I am in a very weak position.

So what do I need from you? I know you value my art work and all my
practice stands for, so could you please write and send to me by email, a
message of support and a description saying how you believe my art and
disability practice benefits other people. I am meeting with my MSP on
Friday the 26th of May in order to enlist her help and I am currently
preparing a dossier of evidence to support my case.

The other thing I must do in order to win the appeal, is to present
evidence that there is a demand for what I do and people are willing to pay
me for my services.I have identified three main areas where I can generate
payments and these are broadly:

1 selling my art work and applying for grants to support my project work
and exhibitions.

2 providing arts and disability training, workshops and presentations.

3 providing website evaluations and training around accessible apps for
disabled people.

If you know of anyone, person, organisation or company, who would be
interested in engaging me to provide any of these services, please could
you let me know. I am hoping, if I can show evidence that I have an income
from future sales and activities, this will be enough to satisfy the access
to work team and they will reinstate my provision. However, ultimately I
must do more than that. I must secure additional paid work so that I avoid
falling into this situation next time.

Let me thank you in advance. If however you feel you cannot immediately
help me but can point me in a more positive direction, I would greatly
appreciate it!

Again, thank you so much and I hope to hear from you soon.

With warmest regards and very best wishes!


***

Thanks
Peter