Jesse the K

WisCon31 concom, disability access witch

Born in the Boston area in 1955, lived in [Madison] since 1973

Checkered work history includes bicycle mechanic, computer tape librarian (with keypunched database) auto service writer, civil engineering drafter. My love of computers started with an Editwriter 7500 dedicated CP/M typesetting system, splashed up on the Mac shore with an 512k, 400k disc drive almost first of its kind, still in love twenty-two years later.

Was part-owner, doc writer & newsletter editor, user tester & beta captain for Raised Dot Computing. I authored five software manuals (in parallel large print, audio and braille editions). Proudly presented on the natural fit between SGML and alternate format production at SGML 1989 conference, which may have supported some of the platform independence of the net and openness to plug & play user agents.

During that time also studied American Sign Language and served as an apprentice interpreter. Exposure to blind and deaf communities was wonderful on its own, and immensely helpful when I had to retire on disability in 1990.

Have been home-schooling myself in Disability Studies for last 12 years. I hope WisCon 31 was my Masters' Thesis.

As a former typesetter who has transformed hundreds of machine-readable documents into large print and braille, I loathe PDF documents with a passion.

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