I have updated my second generation Victor Reader Stream to version 4.3 and am impressed with the new features, in particular internet radio. HumanWare have given us plenty of stations to get started and it is easy to search for and add new stations to the favourites list. I am amazed how quickly we can now tune in to stations from around the world.

I have always thought highly of the Stream since it came out. I have always been a heavy user of my Stream. But now, with Internet radio, the Stream becomes my almost constant companion. The ability so search with ooTunes is nothing short of brilliant, and the unit is incredibly stable. I disagree strongly with those who say an iPhone user has no need for such a unit. My Stream complements my iPhone, it doesn't replace, nor is it replaced by the iPhone.

Compared to other blindness products, the new Victor Reader Stream provides a level of personal and professional empowerment unparalleled for the relatively reasonable cost. As a certified teacher of the visually impaired who does consulting work, it is gratifying to demonstrate the Victor Reader Stream to parents and to students who are blind and to let them know the wide range of options that are available. As little as ten years ago, if a student was losing his/her vision and had not entirely mastered the skill of reading Braille, it would most likely be necessary to pull the student out of the classroom in order to provide them with an accessible reading experience. Now, thanks to bookshare.org and NFB Newsline, along with the amazing bookmarking feature of the new VR Stream, I can confidently assure many pre-Braille readers of their continued ability to remain in and to participate in a mainstream classroom environment. Without the staggering cost inherent in the majority of blindness products, HumanWare has put the reality of auditory accessibility into many more hands and lives than would have otherwise been possible.

In confronting my blindness, the one thing I wanted to do was stay in my same junior high school with my same friends and lead my normal life. The BrailleNote and Oratio have been instrumental in allowing me to stay on that path. I use the BrailleNote in all my classes and I have been able to maintain a near straight “A” report card over the past year. I have a hope that any child that is blind will be able to use a BrailleNote to help them advance in school and become a productive adult. In addition, my social life has not missed a step either in part to HumanWare's Oratio. You can probably imagine how important text messaging is to kids these days and having Oratio on my Blackberry has been a God send.

The sense of freedom and triumph could probably only be understood by someone who, like me, had never been able to do something like this before unaccompanied. Thanks to the Breeze, this summer will be far less isolating for me than the last one. I've learned how to get to a mall and restaurant, my church, and a few other places including a centre where I volunteer once a week mentoring young people.