SuperNova Access Suite Case Study: Mike tackles new challenges with SuperNova

Inspired by a more independent life

Mike Cooke is 46, married with eight children living in Runcorn, Merseyside. Mike lives an extremely busy life, managing to find plenty of time to spend with his kids whilst running his own sports-banner campaign to raise awareness of the issues that the youth of today face on a daily basis. However, up until recently, Mike has lived his life unaware of what he is capable of achieving; and unaware of how his passions can make a real difference to the lives of those around him. Here is the story of a man who grew up without computers, and to whom using Dolphin SuperNova has delivered independence his everyday life.

"Eyesight is a thing that some people take for granted and for those that don't have it, life can be so different."

Mike comments: "Before my experience with SuperNova ... I had no experience with computers at all, apart from a couple of years of touch typing when I was at St Vincent's school for the blind and visually impaired in Liverpool Merseyside."

"I never had any help off anyone in regards to my eye sight until 25 years later (in 2005) when I got a visit from an occupational worker from social services. I was informed about a centre for the blind and visually impaired where I could go and learn how to use computers."

"The very first time I used SuperNova I knew from the start that this was the program for me. I could understand the voice clearly, I loved the magnification and how easy it was to control. I loved the way I could personalise the settings to suit my way of using the program on a laptop. Everything about the program felt right to me and the whole experience of using it made me so happy. I felt that it was so easy to use and with not forgetting my typing skills from when I was at school it just made things a lot more easier for me to use the program."

Learning to use SuperNova at the Vision Support Centre

"I first came across SuperNova after the first week of attending the Vision Support Centre in Runcorn."

"I started to use SuperNova for two hours on a Tuesday and Thursday at the centre with the coaching of my tutor, Steve Andrews. He gave me some word processing exercises to do and each time told me about any hot keys I should know about. I picked it up quite quickly and things just got better and better every time I used the program."

"I would honestly say that after just a few weeks, I felt like I was in control to an extent that I would turn up to the centre and teach my tutor a few things about the program".

"If I hadn't attended any of the SuperNova courses I would still be in a state of what I always called vegetation; sitting at home doing nothing with my life just watching television and listening to the radio now and then."

Combining Speech and Magnification

"The best thing about SuperNova that I like using is the speech. The document read is brilliant as I find it helps me go over things easily and helps to recognise where they have gone wrong when writing long letters."

"I love the magnification for what it is. It helps me to use what little sight I have got left to my advantage ... I use the magnification at all sizes really with no particular set size as I find the flexibility helps me to just choose whatever I am happy with at the time..."

"I use the magnification a lot when surfing on the net. I use it in any photo's I want to see i.e. pictures of my family; I can see them easier on the computer than in real life as I have control of movement with still pictures, and I find it a big advantage when typing letters as I have the text magnified on the computer screen."

An Independent Life

"My whole life has changed since learning SuperNova. Right from the start I just grew with confidence and excitement every time I turned my computer on. What SuperNova has done for me is very hard to put into words. You would have to be in my shoes to understand what a difference this program has made in my life. For years I did nothing at all, and after learning how to use a computer with SuperNova I started to get involved in a number of things that I wouldn't have normally got involved with. Not only did I learn plenty of courses with the vision support centre but I was confident enough to take up a few more courses that were run next door to the vision support centre i.e. a digital photography course, learnt all about front page and the Internet, and went back to do a level two in media and design.

"I also took up a post of fundraiser for my son's junior football team, a position that I wouldn't have even thought about 12 months earlier. I soon became the treasurer for the team and turned the fortunes of the team around and put them at a comfortable sustainable level ... I have now secured sponsors who have invested money into the team for the last two years and are going to invest again for another 12 months, and all this was made possible because I learnt how to use a simple program called SuperNova.

Mike is now running Sports4all Banner Scheme; a campaign to raise the awareness of issues that face children on a daily basis:

"The Sports4all Banner Scheme is a brand new initiative that has been launched in the Halton area, and the whole idea was a brainstorm of mine. It is a non-profit scheme targeted at young kids in sports. The scheme raises awareness of very important issues that young kids face every day in their local communities. We display these messages on banners that are put up around the playing fields in the Halton & District Junior Football League."

"Our vision is to make this scheme one of the biggest none-profit schemes ever to hit amateur sports."

"I can't say enough about SuperNova and I just hope that a lot more people out there get the same chance as me to learn about computers for the blind and just how easier it is made with the SuperNova program. Thank you very much Dolphin."

Related links:

• Visit the SuperNova product pages
• Visit the Sports4all banner-scheme website (site contains Flash content)

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