I remember the first time I had my Sendero GPS working with my Braille Note. I was like a child in a candy store. Why? It was for the first time that I didn't have to ask an Access driver "Where are we?" It gave me so much information that I was craving for and really didn't know what I was missing not having a GPS on the BrailleNote. The most ironic thing is when I give precise directions to drivers who don't know where they are driving or I turn off speech and know when I'm being taken for a joy ride and need to correct the driver. The Sendero GPS has given me more independence when walking in unfamiliar areas. The spatial directional input is wonderful in having a choice on cardinal, right-left, and clock directional indicators. This gives more precise abilities to find the exact location of one's destination. I am looking forward in the near not distant future in traveling to London and visiting my son. It's the fact that I will be able to know exactly where I am and get to my final destination independently.

I have found that even after giving GPS demonstrations to people who are sighted in their own community that they find things that they didn't even know were there. These are locations that they pass by all of the time on a daily basis going to and from home. This happens to a greater extent with blind folks because so much of the information is visual signage. It is almost like a new window has opened when they hear the Sendero GPS announcing things like the streets they are on, the cross streets and the various points of interest that are around them. This was the feeling that I had when I first obtained the Sendero GPS two years ago. I felt that I was in control and didn't have to rely on sighted people telling me about what things were around and what streets I was on and what streets we were approaching. I find myself being the person answering questions like, "what street are we on?" and, "where are we?" It is quite powerful having this ability to have just as much if not more information than the sighted folks you are with. The people I was in the car with were stunned when I was able to say we were on 4th and Mission. I also find myself being the person finding distances to certain locations, getting the phone number of restaurants and making reservations all within a matter of a few seconds. I also find myself being the person saving the driver from unfolding their map on the dashboard and me telling them where to turn and where to get on and off the freeway. I wouldn't even think twice about walking out the door without my PK and GPS.