Writings about Ataxia, being DeafBlind, family life. The best life can offer!


Let me tell you… second attempt

Okay, If you happened to read that first blog and think, Craig didn’t finish his story, you are correct!

I am using iPad, and a new toy (more about this later), plus using zoom on iPad, so something got activated that should not have…

Anyways, here is the continuous story…

So… it was raining Cats & Dogs & Ferrets…

And I wanted to take a taxi to get a kid to school…

I had my lovely wife call dispatch for a cab…

She was able to get through and texted me back that taxi would arrive between 8:45 and 9 AM. So, my boy and I got ready and outside by 8:47. Yes, we were under some sort of cover, but we were still getting wet from the rain.

While we were waiting, I told the boy what I used to sing as a boy during the 70s: “Rain rain, go away, come again another day,” he just looked at me kinda weird like!

At 9:10 I informed me wife we were still waiting in the rain. And she texted me at 9:25 that the school called her and wanted to know where the boy was… At this point I was so frustrated that I decided “screw the taxi, we are getting the bus!” So we hustled down to the bus stop and waited 5 minutes for a bus and pow, not even 3 minutes later, we are at the school.

He arrived 40 minutes late. And I got back home 4 minutes after 10, because I had to wait for another bus!

We live 10 minutes brisk walk from the school!

Taxi dispatch queues aside: the icing on the cake, was the fact that I had to ask someone else to book a taxi for me. I often ask my wife or Mum to make this call, mainly because they can call dispatch quickly, and get a reply, but for me, the Deaf-Blind Dad, I would first need to start up my laptop, hoping it doesn’t crash on start-up, get onto internet, call IP-relay (Deaf individuals should know what this is), and wait for an answer, then wait for taxi dispatch to answer… about 15 minutes if nothing happens. IP-Relay in the morning is always really slow with many people making calls.

So, I asked my Wife, who was working, to make the call… I then had my Mum call to verify, but Mum couldn’t get through! She called for 10 minutes!

Yes, the local taxi company does have a handy app, that I had, but never used. Because, I heard rumours that dispatch hardly ever book rides by app!

I am Going to Try putting IP-Relay on my iPad, and quickly make calls. Gonna try it! That is the only way I can think of accessibility to taxi dispatch, unless they start to accept text calls? Now that is something to consider! I could text dispatch and request a pick up! Independence!

Now about my new toy!

I ordered a new protection case and keyboard for my iPad, and it arrived today! I love it!

It looks very much like a composition book, with a keyboard that can move, but it is magnetically connected!

Look out world!

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About the author

Craig MacLean is DeafBlind with ataxia, a rare condition called CAPOS. He & his wife of 22 years have two sons, the oldest of which has CAPOS as well.

Craig uses American Sign Language to communicate. He is an avid writer, friend, Hot Wheel collector and intervenor advocate.

Craig sits on many committees, boards and associations as a DeafBlind rep. He graduated university with a BA in psychology in 2000.