- Paul doesn’t have to move very far to get to vital information, because obviously he can not work outside his home, and the computer is the only way of work for him.
- Paul doesn’t have to keep information in filing cabinets and in storing cupboards, because most of it is on his computer at home.
- Paul can upload pictures on his computer, to put on his magazine and then he can print off pages for his magazine.
- Paul can also ring up his friends to watch a film on his 32inch TV, because it would be a struggle for him to sit in a cinema at the back aswell, because that is the only spare place he can sit in the cinema.
The PC meets his needs as it allows him to run his business. Without this piece of technology he would not be able to earn an income it gives him a means to gain financial independence. The computer is a convenient means to store all his information in one place. As Mr James can do this he does not have to have filing cabinets to store the information. As Mr James is in a wheel chair having files cabinets would make it hard for him to move around his office and could prevent him from working.
There are other technology items that Mr James uses for example mobile phones, digital answering machines, Digital cameras, scanners and an inkjet printer. He uses these items because he can have checks and update for his business. Paul does not only use the computer for business related issues but for home use as well. Mr James uses the internet to buy his weekly shopping from either Sainsbury’s or Tesco’s. This meets his needs as he does not drive and has to rely on people to take him to the shops and then to get stuff from the high shelves. As Mr James can does this is gives him more independence as he does not have to rely on others to get his shopping. Paul has learnt to play the keyboard and uses the computer to play and compose music, He also burns CD’s with his music. This entertains him when he is bored. There are many advantages of Paul using the computer and other technology at home, one advantage is that Paul is never stuck for something to do; he can regularly check stock records, accounts and recent orders. There are also many disadvantages, for example Paul could loose work off the computer, and computers are not always that reliable. The digital answering machine helps Mr James to answer the phone when he is unable to get to it. As Mr James is in a wheel chair he can not get to the phone as fast as most able bodied people. If he did not have this technology he would miss many important business calls from his customers.
Mr James and his wife, Sally, use digital cameras and a camcorder and they are just starting to investigate using their pc to edit and create their own videos. This technology helps Mr James to be more efficient in his business as he does not have to rely on other to print off the photos. If he didn’t have this ability to plug the camera into the camera Mr James would have to go to the photo shop to get the pictures printed off. To do this Mr James would have to rely on his wife to take him to the shop as he does not drive. Paul has a mobile phone which he uses for both business and personal use. It meets his needs as it allows him to communicate with people when he needs to. This technology makes him feel safe and secure. Mr James has recently bought a sky+ box which he says enables him to record programs he wants to watch even if his wife wants to watch other things. Paul used to play cricket before his accident but now he can not, but he can still go to watch his cricket team, Worcester, but he finds it less enjoyable because before he could just pop in between overs to go to the snack bar. This meets his needs as he can use the red button facility to pause the programs, therefore he never misses anything and can play them back live when he wants in his own time.
Mr James Home cinema system consists of a 46" Sony KDL46S2530U Widescreen LCD HDTV, Sony BDPS500 BLU-RAY DISC PLAYER, Sony STRDB2000 AV receiver - 6.1 channel audio with 6 dynamic speaker's 80w subwoofer this enables him to watch videos and DVDs more easily than going to the cinema, its hard to go to the cinemas for Paul because he can not choose where he wants to sit. At the moment Paul does not drive, he is dependant on his wife taking him anywhere. He says that he uses the internet to figure out the routes of which they are going, to see if there is wheelchair access. This technology allows Mr James to be able to arrange his social life as he can invite his friends around and watch the latest films that he rents over the internet form LOVEFILM. This means that he can have the DVDs sent right to his house and does not have to rely on anyone or get his wife to go to the shop to rent one. Although this means Mr James can have a social life it is not as good as the cinema. He misses out on the social experience, the sweets and the pop corn. The videos that he rents although they are the lasted you can rent they are not as up-to-date as the films at the cinema. Therefore he has to wait for the latest films to come out and sometimes his friends have seen theses.
Mr James also uses the internet to purchase goods online from Tesco online. He uses it to do his weekly shops. Mr James could go to the shops to get the shopping himself. But he has to rely on his wife to get him there and then when he is there he often has to rely on staff at the store to get goods from the upper shelves. This piece of technology gives Mr James the independence to do his shopping without the hassle of actually going to the shops to do it. Despite this Mr James is sometimes let down by the quality of the goods that are delivered to him as they are not what he would have chose. Also he sometimes forgets to order things and misses out on in store deals. As it cost him for delivery every time he makes a order he cannot simply just add a item to his basket if he forgets something so he often has to wait till the next week.
Paul is a member of a group similarly disabled people who use email to recommend places, events and companies who they have had good experiences with. This meets Mr James needs as he does not end up visiting an attraction that is unsuitable for him, meaning he has to rely on others to push him around.
Mr James is now considering the use of a website to help expand his business, he is also considering a single webcam to allow him to communicate with his parents and friends in different parts of the country on a more personal basis than simply using the phone or email.