Hi everyone.

I just received the following letter from Edward’s Email list.

I’m including that and the ad for his product below.

Hello and a Warm Happy New Year,

This month was so filled with news on TV that at times I had to pull myself away to get things done. Maybe you had to do so as well? Here’s what’s managed to get done this month.

About the 2022 Calendar

Prevent Products Inc. (PPI), my licensee, has gotten a fast start developing the 2022 edition. Because of our close collaboration creating the 2021, they are well prepared to work more independently. This relationship has given me time for both business and non-business pursuits as you’ll read below.

Dealing with Staples

I was warned by some people who were familiar with Staples, that it wasn’t going to be easy to be selected as a vendor. Boy, were they right! I found it difficult to even just get their attention. For 3 years I annually filled out online renewal forms and emailed requests for help or clarification where I found their questions, requests or terminology confusing. Having either gotten no response or ones of little help, I’ve stopped bothering with them. I will continue to seek other ways into the mass-market world.

About the EZ2See® Sticky Note Pads

All of the original 500 note pads were sold some time ago. I knew they would be helpful, but frankly I’m surprised by how fast they went. PPI is now arranging for a significantly larger print run which should be received around this summer.

Status of the New Product Idea

As I mentioned last time, I’ve started serious work on a new print product idea. I’m grateful to those of you who volunteered to hear the idea and provide feedback. What I heard both confirmed the worthiness of it and some ways to improve it. Now I’m in the final stages of pulling the needed elements together for the prototype. The final step will be “pitching it” to the folks at PPI.

Our license agreement gives them the first chance to license anything I develop. While they may like it and see its potential, they must first come to believe that there is both a large enough market and that they have a potential way to reach it. Only then will they make the necessary investment. This is the cold reality of business. I’ll keep you posted.

How to Pitch the New Product Idea

At first, I thought to offer PPI the prototype with blank sheets just like it would appear on the store’s shelf. I would then describe the many ways it could be put to use.

This product is something that is customized by the user to suit their unique needs. In time though, I decided to offer the prototype as if someone was already using it. This way they would see the many ways the product could be used. After that, we’ll go through the research I’ve done.

I’m aiming for a February presentation. If and when they make their decision, I can probably tell you more about what it is and stop being so mysterious.

My Interaction with Mayo’s Low Vision Clinic

My old transition sunglasses work great except now when it gets cold, they get too dark to be useable. Since I live in Minnesota, you can see this could be a problem.

I live near the Mayo Clinic, had an appointment and met with Dr. S, a very nice low-vision doctor. After we came up with a plan to deal with my sunglass needs, I asked if I could show her a low vision aid. You knew this was coming, right? Grin To my surprise, when I pulled my calendar out of my bag, she exclaimed, “We have one of those in our closet!”. Now for the rest of the story.

Maybe 4 years ago, my Mayo retina specialist invited me to come in to test a high-tech vision aid. On the day of the test, besides my doctor, several Mayo people were present. One of those doctors was a low vision specialist. When the test was over, I pulled out my calendar and showed it. You knew I would, right?

That low vision doctor took it and quickly said he liked it. He even measured and stated the print was over 10 times that of newsprint. I offered it and some flyers which he took and said he’d show it to some of his patients. And that was the end of it.

Now years later, he’s retired and the downtown low vision clinic is now in a nice, but smaller space some miles away. As a result, it sounds like what items they have are stored in what they call their “closet”. I didn’t see that space, but I remember being in the original clinic with a display room filled with a range of low-vision aids and devices.

Dr. S and I had a lovely conversation. She was relieved to know that the calendar was still available and enjoyed hearing its history. Since she also thought it would help some of her patients, I asked if she thought it would be helpful for it to be in the Mayo Store downtown. She didn’t know how items were selected to be there, but would look into it. Before parting, she took two calendars and some flyers. As you can imagine, I’ll be following up with her.

ACB Braille Forum March Article

I learned that the March 2021 issue of the American Council of the Blind Braille Forum will be devoted to the issue of low vision. I decided it would be good to submit something and sat down to write how my vision has shaped my life. The article has been submitted and the editor said it was good. So, if it gets published, I’ll share the news.

Letter to the Editor

With PPI doing the day-to-day tasks for my business, it’s freed up numerous hours a week to use in other ways. Among many things I can now do, is to occasionally write a letter to the editor about a pressing current event and submit it to our local paper. I’m happy to announce my recent letter was printed.

I recognize how lucky I am to be able to do much of what I want to do. I hope you’re able to do much of what you want to do as well.

Thank you for your interest, stay safe and be well,

Edward

AD: Finally, a Calendar You Can See!

For a limited time, the 2021 edition of EZ2See Products’ weekly calendar/planner—large print, large space, high contrast—is now available. Since 2015, thousands of these revolutionary calendar/planners have been sold, directly or as gifts, to people experiencing:

• Vision decline.
• Memory loss.

• Unsteady hands.
• Cognitive impairment.
• A need to Manage schedules for children or parents, or
• The need to record daily events.

Customers say everything’s included because a legally blind senior created it—for himself and then others—and incorporated the following features, most of which can’t be found in any other product:

• Printed on heavyweight 8.5” x 11” paper.
• Uses only high contrast, black ink.
• Numbers and letters are more than ten times larger than newsprint.
• Each uncluttered, daily cell is nearly the size of two, 3 x 5 cards.

• The edge of each daily page has a thick black border to prevent “off-page” writing.
• Spiral-bound so it folds in half and lays flat.
• Bold lined pages at the end for your own notes, and
• It’s only as thick as a wooden pencil.

Learn all about the totally unique, 8.5” x 11” EZ2See®Weekly Planner/Calendar, Specialty Visually Challenged Friendly Sticky Notepads and Markers and buy them online at: http://www.EZ2SeeProducts.com or place phone orders at 800-234-8291.