Thank you Steven!

This is a message sent by a member who attended the computer tutorial over the weekend.

By Lim Kim Lan
MDS member

Dear Steven, thank you so much for that excellent tutorial on how to adjust the PC to assist our poor visual capacity. You are such a patient and systematic teacher... I feel very blessed also to get your very well-prepared hardcopy notes.

And the nice spread of eats was so very refreshing and thoughtful of you. We could ask for no more. Thanks!

Cosy computer tutorial

MDS organised its second computer tutorial at the home of member Steven Lo, which has once again kindly agreed to be the "tutor" of the day and share his tips on how to make using computers much easier with low vision. Just like the first session last year, it was an intimate and cosy affair, with just a handful of participants. It allowed for closer interaction.

The society is grateful to Steven for sharing and stepping forward to play an active role to help fellow members. A big thank you!

Please find below the report and pictures filed by Steven.

By Steven Lo
MDS member

It was a good thing only five persons registered for the Computer Tutorial because this was the maximum number I could "comfortably" accommodate. Even if my room could take more than five, it would be hard for the participants to make out the words from my 22-inch monitor.


The first half hour was reserved for demonstration only. The participants were shown the default font size set by the software designers for Desktop, Windows Explorer, and Internet Explorer in their computers at home. After a few mouse clicks, they were able to see the much enlarged fonts in the Title Bar, Menu, etc in not only Desktop, Windows Explorer, and Internet Explorer, but also in other software like MS Word, Adobe Reader.


Many of them were aware of the magnification feature in MS Word but all agreed that increasing the font size would cut down the annoyance and giddiness of left-right scrolling in reading.

The participants welcomed the prospect of a short break where we had the opportunity to pose for a group picture. The next hour or so was spent going through in detail the various steps to tweak the computer settings to what we wanted.

One of the participants had to leave for another appointment and requested for a soft copy of the "Roadmap" so he would not miss any steps.

It was around 5 pm when we finally ended the session and took the time to pose a final photo for the MDS blog and website.

Blind piano student goes for big score

By Kimberley Lim
The Straits Times

In a few weeks, Ms Rebecca Koh, who is blind, will know if she has aced her piano fellowship exam. That fellowship accolade is one of the highest a player can aspire to achieve.


"Of the 80 students I've taught, only one other besides Rebecca has taken the test and that student passed,' said Mrs Tan Khe Tong, 81, who has guided Ms Koh for the past three years. The test, which Ms Koh took a week ago, requires one to play five pieces, with some clocking in at 20 minutes. So how does Ms Koh, 30, who was born blind, master music sans reading scores of some pieces which can run to 18 pages?

Said Mrs Tan: "Her ears are her eyes. Her fingers give her the will to press the notes and her determination enables her to endure hours of practice." Said Ms Koh, an only child, who does not work: "Since birth, I could only listen to the things around me, and in the end, I fell in love with music."

Her father, Mr Sebastian Koh, recalled that when she was six, she could reproduce music he had taught her on the organ. "I knew then that she was talented," he said. She started piano lessons at seven and completed her Grade 8 examination in 1998 at 19. In 1999, however, the lessons were discontinued after her father's business of selling second-hand pianos failed.

It was only in 2006, when Ms Koh was introduced to Mrs Tan via a mutual acquaintance, that her quest to master music was renewed. "It was a challenge I could not refuse," said Mrs Tan, president of Royston Music School. Mr Koh, 59, who is now a taxi driver, said Mrs Tan has not charged 'a single cent for tuition these past three years'.

She usually charges $250 to $300 a month for diploma students. Under Mrs Tan's tutelage, Ms Koh obtained first her diploma and then her licentiate from the London College of Music at Thames Valley University. Ms Koh will be in Kuala Lumpur on April 25 to perform at a graduation ceremony for licentiate holders. "This way, she can be an inspiration to others," said Mrs Tan, who had urged the organising committee to let Ms Koh play. The piano student said: "I'm still unsure of my future. All I know is, I want to share my music with the world."