Jessie Lorenz runs marathons, serves as executive director of a California non-profit, carried the Olympic Torch as it made its way through San Francisco, and is a gold medalist of the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. She is also responsible for a staff of 12, a toddler, and a seeing-eye dog.
“They all depend on me, and Astrid helps me capture the things I need to get done.”
Blind since birth, Jessie got an iPhone a few years ago but found that many of the existing apps were not accessible. She stumbled upon Astrid and loved it for its voice input, collaboration features, and compatibility with David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” methodology.
Jessie now uses Astrid to help run Independent Living Resource Center of San Francisco (ILRCSF), where she took over as Executive Director in 2011. She adds tasks using speech input and shares lists with her employees and assistant. During check-ins with team members, she also uses the “I’ve Assigned” feature on the web.
In her personal life, Jessie uses Astrid to share a list with her childcare provider (for tasks like picking up something at the store) and to keep lists for her toddler, errands, and – of course – marathon training.
Her only complaint? The menu button on the iPhone app is not labeled for the accessibility voiceover feature. We’ve since fixed it for the upcoming version.
In the near future, ILRCSF is moving to a new office that will better serve their clients with disabilities. The organization is currently raising money for the relocation, so consider making a donation to help them transition: ILRCSF’s Upcoming Move (✓ Remind me: Donate to help ILRCSF relocate)
Follow Jessie Lorenz on Twitter at @jessielorenz