The Freedom Scientific Student of the Month Program features K-12 students living in the U.S. who are blind or visually impaired and use Freedom Scientific technology to achieve educational goals. The Student of the Month for October 2024 is Daisy, a junior from Nebraska.
Daisy is both hearing and visually impaired. She uses Freedom Scientific products to complete work in and out of the classroom. She was introduced to JAWS in the third grade, and also uses ZoomText and refreshable braille. “I use a combination of JAWS, ZoomText, and braille to complete classwork,” Daisy said in our interview. “I use braille often to take notes in class, which helps a lot because I don’t have to listen to the teacher and speech on the computer at the same time.”
Daisy is musically gifted, playing clarinet in her school’s marching band, plus playing piano, guitar, and saxophone. She also enjoys drawing and producing music on her iPad. “I want to involve myself in the music world,” she said. “I like music production and am open to pursuing music either as a solo artist or playing with a band.”
Daisy’s favorite subjects are math, art, and English. After graduating from high school, she would like to pursue a career in criminal justice and has already begun taking criminal justice classes at her local community college. “I want to be an investigator and find out how and why things happen,” she explained.
Daisy credits her parents and TVI for always encouraging her to succeed. “My parents raised me to be the person I am today, and my TVI helped me to learn new things even when at times, I really didn’t want to.”
According to Daisy, the advanced features of JAWS and ZoomText help her both in and out of the classroom. “JAWS now provides detailed image descriptions, which makes a huge difference. I can also enlarge what is on the screen with ZoomText, giving me access to what I need.”
Daisy strongly advocates for accessibility and said technology like JAWS and ZoomText increases her independence. “I personally feel these tools have led me to use my skills and gain new ones.”
When asked what advice Daisy would give others, she said, “Follow your dreams. No matter how hard the goal is, keep a hopeful mindset and eventually, you will get there.”
Learn more about Daisy in this video.
Nominate a Student
Complete our nomination form to self-nominate or nominate a student. Visit the Freedom Scientific Student of the Month page for details and watch our blog in November for the next winner and that student’s story.
Winners receive a $300 Amazon gift card and a five-year license for JAWS, ZoomText, or Fusion. Their story will be featured by Freedom Scientific on our blog and social media—X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
In partnership with Computers for the Blind, each winner can also receive a free, refurbished computer along with a free one-year Home Annual license of JAWS or ZoomText, which is already installed. Learn more about Computers for the Blind and their partnership with Freedom Scientific on their order page. Have questions? Send an email to training@vispero.com.