Palmer was starting his studies at Algonquin College and needed to brush up on his computer skills.
He has , explaining, 鈥淚t mainly affects my seeing and hearing. So I have to wear hearing aids often. I am sensitive to light so I have to wear glasses. I have a bit of vision, but I can鈥檛 see print or colour.鈥
Palmer was looking to learn how to use screen reader , as well as Microsoft Office programs 鈥 , 听补苍诲 鈥 that were on the PC he had recently bought.
鈥淚 had purchased a PC computer and didn鈥檛 know how to use a lot of the main applications,鈥 he explains.
He had learned about Neil Squire鈥檚 Distance Computer Comfort program and found a fit.
Palmer was paired with a tutor, John, a service engineer in his day job, and they worked together on a weekly basis.
鈥淚t was excellent. Just about everything was helpful. There was always something new,鈥 Palmer says of the lessons.
Some weeks, the lessons he鈥檇 learn with John would have a direct effect on his coursework. For example, he was going through Excel applications with John while he was taking a computer course using similar applications, which greatly helped him in his assignments.
At times, when Palmer needed to learn a specific skill, he could email John and the next lesson would focus on that.
Palmer praises the online set-up of the Distance Computer Comfort program 鈥 student and tutor communicate remotely 鈥 as 鈥渧ery accessible.鈥 One of the programs he used to do Distance Computer Comfort remotely was . Now, due to COVID-19, he uses the program for remote coursework, with the help of a visual aide on the other side.
Today, he鈥檚 using the concepts he learned in Distance Computer Comfort and thriving.
鈥淚 think not coming to you might have made things a bit harder and more challenging,鈥 he concludes.