Support Needs      Patrick F. Kane, a planner, community builder, and planning educator with over forty years experience suffered a stroke six years ago, which resulted in loss of vision in his right eye and partial paralysis in his left side. He is limited to the use of his right hand in any tasks he attempts. Communication and connectivity are keys to his future potential. He is unable to type and is attempting to adapt voice activated software to his needs. Telephone management is challenged by the inability to hold a phone and take notes such as alternate telephone numbers. The digital camera is used to compensate for his vision loss. The photos are transferred directly into a Kodak system which is difficult to manage. No programs have been installed to facilitate program management. The computer system was provided by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of the Blind and Visually Impaired. This equipment was accompanied by some training; unfortunately, this occurred while the equipment was being adjusted to his needs. He has been supported by people who have responded by church bulletin notifications of his needs and his network of people who have befriended his through his village. For many years, he has operated from a home office which had a view of the lake and opened onto a Japanese garden.  His current base of operation is a room in the second floor of a two-story town house.  Accommodating the equipment is a challenge due to the size of the room. He shares this unit with his wife and daughter, both who work full time. Problems occur with his system such as when the housekeeper unintentionally unplugged the elements of his system. Reconnecting is a challenge because of his limited dexterity and vision. His wife has minimal experience in these types of activities, as does his live in daughter. Unfortunately, he has no system savvy neighbors to call on for help. The set up of his system with large fonts presents a different screen format than his wife is familiar with, causing her difficulty in correcting minimal problems. His is now in contact with a department of George Mason University which has posted his requirements on the Patriot webpage. One candidate has indicated an interest and has the ability to assist with photo management provided that his system had the necessary photo management software. The system was installed with a program called Zoom Text. This enlarges everything on the screen including the small print in warnings and web pages. Unfortunately Zoom Text expired recently and an upgrade was made available. Currently the upgraded system is operative but causes some operating problems. The voice activated software is also demonstrating some problems. Additional training may be necessary. All of these factors incur financial liabilities. At present there are no contracts in place to provide income. He is currently attempting to develop a new organization that could seek financial support to become operative. Recently he encountered a Catholic priest who is also blind and advised him that he would like to share the knowledge and access to the support systems that will improve his functionality and ability to accommodate. Currently, there are a number of issues that will affect the future of Reston and the Dulles Corridor. Public Forums will be held. He has been asked to attend a number of the public forums for which he would expect compensation.     Presenting the new venture