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[ Music ]

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(Narrator) A generation
ago, personal computers

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began to make their
mark on the world.

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It was the beginning
of an incredible change

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in the way we do things.

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For people with
disabilities, that change

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was even more profound.

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(Dan) For the first time,
people with disabilities,

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particularly people
who are blind,

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had a chance to
compete successfully,

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using the computer.

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(Stephanie) I found
that computers opened up

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a whole new world, and I could
get a lot of stuff in Braille.

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What I can do is I can
use my screen reader

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to get into a different program; 
I can type something up

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just regularly on the
computer, hit three buttons,

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and it will be in Braille
right in front of me

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on a piece of paper.

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(Israel) The program
I use for speech

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helps me read
everything like email,

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and if I look for
information about something,

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it will tell me the results.

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(Narrator) They're talking
about adaptive technology:

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software and hardware
systems that assist computer

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and Internet access for
people with disabilities.

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(Dan Comden) The technology
that we have available

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is appropriate for
people with a wide range

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of sensory impairments.

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Everything for somebody with
a minor hearing impairment,

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where we might do some
captioning or special blinking

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on the screen, to somebody who's
blind, who needs speech output,

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or maybe wants to incorporate
speech output with speech input.

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(Narrator) People with
sensory impairment

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are affected in the way they
use vision, hearing, or touch.

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They may have a slight
loss of ability,

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or they may be completely
unable to use one or more

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of their senses.

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(Michael Richardson) Sensory 
impairments affect people in

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a variety of ways, depending on
how well they've adjusted

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to their disability,
how significant it is.

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For me personally, with a
significant, profound hearing loss,

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I have issues
with communication.

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Hearing and talking
on a regular phone

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is nearly impossible for me.

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However, the use
of computers lately

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has really enhanced my
communication abilities,

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especially with
the use of email.

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With email, I'm able to communicate 
with anybody anywhere, anytime.

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(Narrator) Some people
with sensory impairments

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may not need adaptive
technology for computer access.

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Others will require
significant enhancements.

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To decide what
works best for you,

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start by determining
what you want to be

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able to do with the computer.

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Then choose accommodations
that help you do those things.

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(Dan) It's absolutely vital that
somebody with a disability be

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involved in the decision-making
process when it comes

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to selecting their
adaptive technology.

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They're the experts who
know what they need,

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so it's imperative that they be
part of evaluating what's going

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to be a successful solution.

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(Justin) Adaptive technology
has helped me out a great deal.

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I can get on the Internet and
access anything I want to with

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voice output on the
computer, and it, you know,

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it's just really
helped me out a lot.

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(Narrator) We'll show you some
of the computing tools that

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people with sensory impairments
have used successfully.

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These are just some
of the options;

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there are always other
approaches to try,

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and new hardware
and software are

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being developed all the time.

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(Narrator) We'll start
with visual impairments.

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First, a definition.

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Low vision is a loss
of visual acuity

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while retaining some vision.

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People may have
uniform low vision,

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or they may have variations such
as tunnel vision or alternating

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areas of vision and
total blindness.

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There may be light sensitivity,
or an inability to see colors.

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People who are blind have very
little or no vision at all.

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(Ryan) Now I'm going to
Internet Explorer right now.

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(Screen reader) http...

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(Narrator) Speech output is
the most popular form of access

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for people who are blind.

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This software
allows the computer

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to read aloud text,
email, or Web pages.

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(Screen reader)
Page has 31 links.

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(Narrator) Ryan, a high
school student who is blind,

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uses this type of software.

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(Ryan) It can tell you all
the stuff on the screen,

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and it speaks through
your sound card.

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It's good for surfing
the Web, doing email,

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or doing your reports.

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I can go into a Word
document, I can start typing,

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it will speak the
character as I'm typing it.

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(Screen reader)
W..I..N..D..O..W..S period.

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(Ryan) I can also have it read
to me exactly what I've typed,

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so I can know if I made
any spelling mistakes.

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(Screen reader) I like 
Jaws for Windows.

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(Narrator) People who are blind
use a standard keyboard for input.

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That standard keyboard also
controls the screen reader.

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(Screen reader) Link
reference tools.

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Enter.

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(Narrator) Braille
output systems

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are also available
for those who need

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more detailed information
than speech output provides.

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Refreshable Braille
displays echo information

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from the screen to a
panel with Braille cells

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with moveable pins.

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To print materials
for later reference,

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a Braille embosser gives
a permanent record.

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(Teacher) You have
about eight minutes...

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(Narrator) Portable notetakers,
using speech or Braille,

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can be invaluable
for people on the go.

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(Student) I'm writing this down.

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(Narrator) Many people with low vision
use screen enlargement software.

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This enlarges text and graphics
displayed on the monitor.

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You can also use 
closed circuit TVs,

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or video magnifiers, to
enlarge printed materials

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or photographs.

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This camera has auto
focus and can be

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used with a computer monitor.

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(Nate) You slide your
paper under and then just

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fool with the
knobs a bit and you

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can get it as big or
as small as you like.

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(Narrator) For those who
are sensitive to light,

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the enlargement systems
can also reverse the screen

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from black on white
to white on black.

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And large print
keytop labels may

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be helpful for people
with low vision

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who are learning to type.

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(Buffy) I have a
question about this word.

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What does it mean?

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(Narrator) People with
hearing impairments

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may have partial or
complete hearing loss.

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And for general computer
use, there's very little need

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for adaptive technology.

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Built-in operating features
offer visual alternatives

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to audio signals.

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(Buffy) For example, when you
get a signal from the computer

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like a beep or a honk that says
you've done something wrong,

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then they can make it do
something else to show me that

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something's wrong.

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(Narrator) Streaming multimedia
is a concern for people who can't hear.

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Captioning for videos, or
audio transcribed into text,

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are ideal.

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However, most content
developers don't include this.

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Some do.

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(Jeffrey) When I use
my computer at home,

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some of the games and so
forth, and the Internet,

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has closed captioning.

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(Narrator) For
immediate conversation,

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people who are deaf
or hard of hearing

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have some electronic options.

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One choice is instant
messaging software.

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Another is to use a TTY
or TDD device, which

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sends typed messages
over telephone lines.

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The newer TTY or TDD
versions allow conversation

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between someone with
a computer and someone

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using the TTY or TDD.

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(User) Final fourth-quarter projections?

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(Computer) Final fourth
dash quarter projections?

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(Narrator) People with limited
sensitivity in their hands or fingers

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may not be able to use 
a standard keyboard and mouse.

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Speech input software allows
them to control a computer

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and enter text.

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If the loss of sensitivity
is peripheral neuropathy

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due to diabetes, there may
be vision loss as well.

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In that case, speech output can
be combined with speech input,

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using middleware to
connect the two programs.

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(Computer) Pay close attention
to the recognition accuracy

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of the system.

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(Dan) Middleware allows
the speech output software

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to work with the
speech input software;

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it brings the two together
so that the person who

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is speaking and
listening to the computer

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can have a successful
experience.

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(Narrator) Selecting
adaptive technology

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should be based on
individual needs.

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For education, employment,
and everything else,

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it's all about success.

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(Michael) The
advancement of technology

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and the use of computers
in the last 10 or 15 years

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has just been
phenomenal, especially

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for people with disabilities.

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And to see my peers, 
other people with disabilities,

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succeed well in
school and careers

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is just a wonderful sight,

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and who knows 
what the future holds.

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