Today, I’m sharing a technology pairing that is working well for both myself and the students I train on assistive technology.
For Christmas, I received an HP netbook, one of those slimmed down, ultralight notebook computers. It has a 16 GB solid state hard drive, making boot up and shutdown go faster than on a computer with a conventional hard drive. It weighs in a just under 2.5 pounds and has a 10-inch display screen. What It comes with is a 1 gig processor and 1 Gb of RAM, with 2 USB slots and an SD card reader. I also enjoy the built-in B/G WiFi and count this as a big addition to my personal computing experience.
What it doesn’t have is either a CD or DVD drive, which probably accounts for the trimmed weight and compact size. It does come with a recovery CD of the Windows XP Home operating system, just in case it ever crashes. To install the CD, though, will require using an external, USB disk drive. I don’t have one of these, but hope I won’t ever need one.
One of the best things on this HP model versus other makes is that the keyboard is 92% of the size of regular HP notebooks. That fuller size, versus mashed-together keyboards on other makes, really helps screen reader users who require a keyboard for operating the machine.
I’d heard that one could run a screen reader on these netbook computers and wanted to put that to the test. Being I’m a
JAWS
user by practice, I slapped the latest version of it on there and authorized it. It takes a little while for JAWS to start when booting up, but once it does, the machine runs along very well. My biggest hangup is getting used to the JAWS laptop configuration on this while using the desktop configuration at home. I recently purchased a USB keypad to let me use the more comfortable desktop configuration on this. I haven’t hooked that up yet, but will in the next few days.
Yes, with JAWS, This is a perfect road machine for me. When I travel and need a computer, I’ve got one that won’t break my back to carry. Neither did it break the bank, costing only $399. It does the primary tasks I want when away from home—surfing the net, email, and document writing. Any heavier jobs I wouldn’t usually do away from home anyways.
Still, I’ve also installed several of Jim Kitchens’
Kitchensinc games,
As well as some from other gamemakers, For my own entertainment. I use these myself, but also with the students I teach on assistive technology. I’ve yet to meet a blind or visually impaired student who knew that there were computer games made for folks who couldn’t see the screen. There are learning aspects to many of the games, but even for those which are just fun, these easily fall into the extended core curriculum.
The primary drawback of this netbook is that the battery only gives it about three hours of juice. I understand that HP is supposed to offer a supplemental 6-cell battery that will last longer than the current 3-cell model.
Aside from working well, this sleek, little thing looks great. My wife liked mine so much, she bought herself one, too.
Just this week, one of my students also received his own HP netbook, identical to mine. However, instead of using JAWS, he is using the thumb-drive version of
Serotek’s System Access Mobile,
Which is also running great for him.
My final comment on these netbooks is that, for blind students who need technology with a screen reader, they offer a very affordable alternative to the expensive, stand-alone electronic notetakers like the Pacmate or Voicenote, which run into the thousands of dollars. Granted, adding a screen reader like JAWS adds to the cost, but if you enroll your student in Serotek’s
KK-12 program,
That doesn’t need to be the case. The student will get a computer that gives the power of a full computer in a lightweight and easily-toted netbook that looks good to his/her peers. That also includes full Windows functionality, not the Windows Mobile version like on Pacmate. If there are additional programs that the student needs to run on the product, the compatibility will be near 100% on these as compared to to an “iffy” chance for compatibility on products like the Pacmate or Voicenote.
This post isn’t meant to slam those stand alone notetakers, but the more mainstream we can make products for our students, the better off they will be. Accessibility doesn’t need to come in a proprietary product., which has so often been the case in the past. Granted, Windows Mobile is better than a proprietary operating system, but it still isn't the full Windows package that one can get on a netbook.
Showing posts with label JAWS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label JAWS. Show all posts
Friday, February 20, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
On paydays and light bulbs
I’ve been working with a group of kids now for a period of roughly two months. Most of what I’ve been doing is teaching them how to use the JAWS screen reader, although I know there are many other fine points I’m overlooking if I say that’s all I’ve been doing with them. I have also demonstrated for each of them what the Victor Reader Stream is, and how this versatile media player can assist them in day-to-day activities. I’ve also introduced them to DVS movies and computer games for the blind, mostly those from Jim Kitchens’
Kitchensinc
Web Site.
There is more to come and I'm learning as well as the kids are. I am learning the keystroke commands for Serotek's
System Access Mobile
screen reader so that I can teach them how to use this as well. As the students turn in their application forms, they are getting their own jump drive versions of the System Access Mobile screen reader as part of Serotek's Keys for K-12 program.
The experience of teaching and empowering these young minds is incredible. I don’t think the students realize just how much they give back to me, but they pay me in denominations beyond words or anything of monetary value. It is so beautiful when the lesson we’ve been working on comes together for the student and that light bulb clicks for them. It just warms my heart each time this happens and I’ve been getting warm-hearted a lot lately. Its like the assistive technology professional I work with tells me, Today was payday and you just got paid.”
I was working with one of my elementary school boys yesterday on a lesson involving editing a document. He was learning where to place the curser to insert a letter in a word. Instead of putting it on the letter in front of which he wanted to insert the text, he would put the cursor on the letter he wanted the text to follow. Needless to say, he was getting a little frustrated. He was undaunted though, and kept trudging through the lesson, putting the pieces into place and finally finished the document just like it needed to be. It was beautiful to see that whole process happen.
While he was doing this, I was sitting back, coaching him, just grinning ear-to-ear as I witnessed learning in action. I told him that he was learning what to do as well as what not to do and attempted to illustrate with the story of Thomas Edison. I asked him if he knew who Edison was and he replied, Isn’t he the man who invented electricity, or was that Ben Franklin?” Then he went back to editing his document.
I grinned and then shared the story about how many times Edison had to work at inventing the light bulb. When a reporter asked Edison how it felt to fail so many different times, his reply to the reporter was, “ I didn’t fail those times. I just learned that many ways that the bulb didn’t work, which led me to figure out how to make it the right way.” (I wasn’t sure of the exact quote, but was paraphrasing in an attempt to illustrate the learning aspect for my student.)
Then, this boy told me, “Yeah, but he was just inventing the light bulb. He wasn’t trying to write a document like I am.”
Ka-ching! I just got paid again.
If you can’t tell, I love this job.
Kitchensinc
Web Site.
There is more to come and I'm learning as well as the kids are. I am learning the keystroke commands for Serotek's
System Access Mobile
screen reader so that I can teach them how to use this as well. As the students turn in their application forms, they are getting their own jump drive versions of the System Access Mobile screen reader as part of Serotek's Keys for K-12 program.
The experience of teaching and empowering these young minds is incredible. I don’t think the students realize just how much they give back to me, but they pay me in denominations beyond words or anything of monetary value. It is so beautiful when the lesson we’ve been working on comes together for the student and that light bulb clicks for them. It just warms my heart each time this happens and I’ve been getting warm-hearted a lot lately. Its like the assistive technology professional I work with tells me, Today was payday and you just got paid.”
I was working with one of my elementary school boys yesterday on a lesson involving editing a document. He was learning where to place the curser to insert a letter in a word. Instead of putting it on the letter in front of which he wanted to insert the text, he would put the cursor on the letter he wanted the text to follow. Needless to say, he was getting a little frustrated. He was undaunted though, and kept trudging through the lesson, putting the pieces into place and finally finished the document just like it needed to be. It was beautiful to see that whole process happen.
While he was doing this, I was sitting back, coaching him, just grinning ear-to-ear as I witnessed learning in action. I told him that he was learning what to do as well as what not to do and attempted to illustrate with the story of Thomas Edison. I asked him if he knew who Edison was and he replied, Isn’t he the man who invented electricity, or was that Ben Franklin?” Then he went back to editing his document.
I grinned and then shared the story about how many times Edison had to work at inventing the light bulb. When a reporter asked Edison how it felt to fail so many different times, his reply to the reporter was, “ I didn’t fail those times. I just learned that many ways that the bulb didn’t work, which led me to figure out how to make it the right way.” (I wasn’t sure of the exact quote, but was paraphrasing in an attempt to illustrate the learning aspect for my student.)
Then, this boy told me, “Yeah, but he was just inventing the light bulb. He wasn’t trying to write a document like I am.”
Ka-ching! I just got paid again.
If you can’t tell, I love this job.
Friday, December 05, 2008
Personal update
Sorry about the lack of posts of late. Aside from the Thanksgiving week break, during which I was gone for a 6-day cruise with my family, I’m also working on a couple of projects. Both of these undertakings are similar in that they involve me teaching assistive technology.
First, I have recently begun working with a local school district to teach their blind and visually impaired students how to use the JAWS screen reader and some other assistive technologies in which I’m well versed in. I’m so impressed with the range of skills the students possess, not to mention their desire to learn. I’m doing this a couple of days a week with students from elementary to high school age. The teachers and administrators keep thanking me for doing this, but I keep feeling that I should thank me for being able to contribute to the education of these kids. Maybe I’m idealistic, but what I teach them might be the very skill that helps them excel in college or land that job they want. Only time will tell what dividends are realized out of my time investment with these students.
The second undertaking I’ve been working on is a structured curriculum for teaching VI professionals on how to teach their students how to use JAWS. I was contacted a couple of weeks ago by a VI professional from another school district. He asked if I could teach him and a fellow colleague on how to instruct their students on this. He said that they have to know several different technologies to fit a variety of skill sets and visual acuities, but doing this usually means being a jack of all trades and master of none. To teach JAWS, though, one must have more of a skill level than what they have and he said that the practical experience I have is a very sought after skill.
Doing both of these teaching projects has sparked an inspired fire within me. Using JAWS and other assistive technologies are skills I’ve learned out of necessity, but mastering these and staying up to date on latest innovations in assistive technology was a self serving method for me to maximize my experience and abilities. However, I’ve realized that I have become a resource on using various technologies that many of my friends who are also users of these turn to when they need help or looking at purchasing new equipment. It is that realization mixed with a desire to help that have pushed me to embark on my latest efforts.
The down side of all this is that I’m winding up with less time to write here on Access Ability. Don’t worry, though. I’m still here and will be tending this fire as well. It may be a bit less frequent, but writing here will definitely be something I continue. After all, it was a passion to share resources that drove me to begin this blog in the first place, and that fire still burns.
I just feel that I needed to let regular readers of this blog understand why I’ve been a bit absent of late.
More soon…
First, I have recently begun working with a local school district to teach their blind and visually impaired students how to use the JAWS screen reader and some other assistive technologies in which I’m well versed in. I’m so impressed with the range of skills the students possess, not to mention their desire to learn. I’m doing this a couple of days a week with students from elementary to high school age. The teachers and administrators keep thanking me for doing this, but I keep feeling that I should thank me for being able to contribute to the education of these kids. Maybe I’m idealistic, but what I teach them might be the very skill that helps them excel in college or land that job they want. Only time will tell what dividends are realized out of my time investment with these students.
The second undertaking I’ve been working on is a structured curriculum for teaching VI professionals on how to teach their students how to use JAWS. I was contacted a couple of weeks ago by a VI professional from another school district. He asked if I could teach him and a fellow colleague on how to instruct their students on this. He said that they have to know several different technologies to fit a variety of skill sets and visual acuities, but doing this usually means being a jack of all trades and master of none. To teach JAWS, though, one must have more of a skill level than what they have and he said that the practical experience I have is a very sought after skill.
Doing both of these teaching projects has sparked an inspired fire within me. Using JAWS and other assistive technologies are skills I’ve learned out of necessity, but mastering these and staying up to date on latest innovations in assistive technology was a self serving method for me to maximize my experience and abilities. However, I’ve realized that I have become a resource on using various technologies that many of my friends who are also users of these turn to when they need help or looking at purchasing new equipment. It is that realization mixed with a desire to help that have pushed me to embark on my latest efforts.
The down side of all this is that I’m winding up with less time to write here on Access Ability. Don’t worry, though. I’m still here and will be tending this fire as well. It may be a bit less frequent, but writing here will definitely be something I continue. After all, it was a passion to share resources that drove me to begin this blog in the first place, and that fire still burns.
I just feel that I needed to let regular readers of this blog understand why I’ve been a bit absent of late.
More soon…
Friday, August 08, 2008
Updated: Yahoo makes accessibility progress, but CAPTCHA remains inaccessible
While the opening of this post might sound negative, this is actually a post to acknowledge Yahoo for some advances in user accessibility which were recently added to their email operations.
Its been a while since I wrote about the inaccessible process which
Yahoo
Has in place for setting up new accounts. In the past, I’ve aired publicly my problem with
Yahoo’s inaccessible CAPTCHA verification process,
And later added to that, when I wrote about
Yahoo’s acknowledgement that it was inaccessible.
Those two previous posts were about only the problems blind people have using Yahoo’s set up procedures. Once the account was set up, the account was accessible enough to read one’s mail and delete unwanted mail. It was also fairly easy to press the “Create New Message” button, then write and send mail.
However, there were still some problems I didn’t write about in using some of the various buttons on the site, such as those to reply and forward selected messages. It was often a hit-and-miss process on whether these buttons would work when activated with the JAWS screen reader. Most often, though, it was miss as nothing would happen. I have to think that this was a problem with the web site, because executing button commands on other web sites has never been an issue for me.
Today, I’m back to give an update on some progress the Yahoo Mail site has made on usability by users with screen readers. Unfortunately, that is not relating to the CAPTCHA situation. That problem still exists.
I use a Yahoo Mail account for my contact information on this blog. It allows me to freely give out my email address online and not worry about my home email inbox getting inundated with spam. (Yahoo Mail does seem to have a pretty good, although sometimes inconsistent spam filter.) For the most part, I use the Yahoo account to receive news alerts to which I subscribe. But I also receive email via my blog contact information to which I’d like to reply. That is where the problems used to arise.
In the past, When I would hit the “Reply” button, it would do nothing. The next option I had was to forward the message to my home email, but when I hit the “Forward” button, it was equally impotent using a screen reader. The only option I had left was to copy the message sender’s email address and paste it into a message using my home mail client.
This entire process was both frustrating and cumbersome, and seems like such a ridiculous concept in this technologically advanced age. After all, isn’t the purpose of advancing technology to make life’s tasks simpler?
The good news is that Yahoo Mail has worked out the button bugs. It is a fairly simple task today to use all of the button commands on my account. This slight shift in accessibility was silent and implemented without any fanfare a few months ago. I would think that Yahoo would want to bang its drum when it enables accessibility, so it is beyond me why they didn’t make any announcement on this technological advancement. It had to be an intentional fix, because the Yahoo developers definitely changed something.
So, congratulations to Yahoo Mail for making their web site more accessible and usable to their visually impaired clients who rely on screen readers to access their accounts. And, another round of applause for addressing an issue which I’ve not noticed much negative press about on the web.
This is a good start. Now, if Yahoo could just show such effort in incorporating an accessible CAPTCHA solution. (Hint to Yahoo developers: accessible solutions already exist. Email me at my
Yahoo account
And I’ll be happy to reply to you with more information!)
Update 08/11/08
I am appreciative of the submission of an anonymous commenter for his/her shared observations on Yahoo! mail. I believe these thoughts echo the complimentary nature of this post and feel compelled to share these insights. Screen reader users pay attention to the first point about these changes only relating to the "Classic" version of Yahoo! mail.
Thanks for that added perspective!
Its been a while since I wrote about the inaccessible process which
Yahoo
Has in place for setting up new accounts. In the past, I’ve aired publicly my problem with
Yahoo’s inaccessible CAPTCHA verification process,
And later added to that, when I wrote about
Yahoo’s acknowledgement that it was inaccessible.
Those two previous posts were about only the problems blind people have using Yahoo’s set up procedures. Once the account was set up, the account was accessible enough to read one’s mail and delete unwanted mail. It was also fairly easy to press the “Create New Message” button, then write and send mail.
However, there were still some problems I didn’t write about in using some of the various buttons on the site, such as those to reply and forward selected messages. It was often a hit-and-miss process on whether these buttons would work when activated with the JAWS screen reader. Most often, though, it was miss as nothing would happen. I have to think that this was a problem with the web site, because executing button commands on other web sites has never been an issue for me.
Today, I’m back to give an update on some progress the Yahoo Mail site has made on usability by users with screen readers. Unfortunately, that is not relating to the CAPTCHA situation. That problem still exists.
I use a Yahoo Mail account for my contact information on this blog. It allows me to freely give out my email address online and not worry about my home email inbox getting inundated with spam. (Yahoo Mail does seem to have a pretty good, although sometimes inconsistent spam filter.) For the most part, I use the Yahoo account to receive news alerts to which I subscribe. But I also receive email via my blog contact information to which I’d like to reply. That is where the problems used to arise.
In the past, When I would hit the “Reply” button, it would do nothing. The next option I had was to forward the message to my home email, but when I hit the “Forward” button, it was equally impotent using a screen reader. The only option I had left was to copy the message sender’s email address and paste it into a message using my home mail client.
This entire process was both frustrating and cumbersome, and seems like such a ridiculous concept in this technologically advanced age. After all, isn’t the purpose of advancing technology to make life’s tasks simpler?
The good news is that Yahoo Mail has worked out the button bugs. It is a fairly simple task today to use all of the button commands on my account. This slight shift in accessibility was silent and implemented without any fanfare a few months ago. I would think that Yahoo would want to bang its drum when it enables accessibility, so it is beyond me why they didn’t make any announcement on this technological advancement. It had to be an intentional fix, because the Yahoo developers definitely changed something.
So, congratulations to Yahoo Mail for making their web site more accessible and usable to their visually impaired clients who rely on screen readers to access their accounts. And, another round of applause for addressing an issue which I’ve not noticed much negative press about on the web.
This is a good start. Now, if Yahoo could just show such effort in incorporating an accessible CAPTCHA solution. (Hint to Yahoo developers: accessible solutions already exist. Email me at my
Yahoo account
And I’ll be happy to reply to you with more information!)
Update 08/11/08
I am appreciative of the submission of an anonymous commenter for his/her shared observations on Yahoo! mail. I believe these thoughts echo the complimentary nature of this post and feel compelled to share these insights. Screen reader users pay attention to the first point about these changes only relating to the "Classic" version of Yahoo! mail.
One thing I would point out to the readers is that many of the changes that you talk about are in the "Classic" version of Yahoo! mail and not the "New" version.
My personal favorites are alt plus 3, alt plus 6, and alt plus 7 for compose mail, reply, and reply to all respectively. The addition of headings at important parts of the page makes navigation a breeze. JAWS users will appreciate the ability to use table reading keys to move up and down within folders of messages.
I have been a Yahoo! mail user for almost ten years both before and after I started using a screen reader. It is a great service made even better by the addition of these keystrokes.
The lack of an alternative to a visual CAPTCHA is another story and one that I just cannot grasp. This really needs to be addressed by the entire industry.
Thanks for that added perspective!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Changing colas and switching relationships: Reflections on synthesized speech
I’ve written previously that I’ve been using JAWS for more than 10 years. In those years, I’ve also grown in the amount of time I spend on the computer. I’ve gone from 2-3 hours at the computer each day to probably spending 8 or more hours a day. Today, I would like to offer this experience as a qualifier to validate what follows as the perspective of a well experienced veteran of assistive technology and synthesized speech. Here goes…
Although I haven’t used Job Access With Speech, better known in assistive tech (AT) circles as JAWS, since its inception, I have been around for quite a bit of transition in the life cycle of this powerful tool. When I began using JAWS, it came on four floppy discs (yes, those 1.4 MB storage devices that wouldn’t even hold one song in mp3 format) and one of those disks was used only for the installation and removal of authorization key. It was also still being made by the company known as Henter Joyce. I marveled when, I believe it was, JAWS 3.0, or maybe 3.5, arrived on a neatly packaged CD-ROM. I just thought this was AT taking a big step forward and catching up with the rest of this modern world.
I also recall that this first distribution of JAWS on CD was my first introduction to the Eloquence speech engine. I have grown to use this as my default speech synthesizer and prefer it over all others that I’ve tried. I think it offers the best sound clarity and understandable speech. I do understand that not everybody feels this way, but this is my opinion.
However, before the switch to Eloquence, I had been using DECTalk Express, an external, device that had its own volume dial and needed to be plugged into one of the computer’s com ports. I also remember feeling at that time that a shift in reliance from a hardware-based speech synthesizer to one that was just another piece of software was something near blasphemy.
The DECTalk Express unit was small and sat nicely atop the rear half of the top of my CPU on the folding table turned computer desk, which was the Wal-mart version of the kinds used universally in school cafeterias. I had selected the Express model because it could be unplugged from my pc and plugged into any other computer that I needed to use. That portability feature was one of the selling points on choosing DECTalk over the other synthesizers I had been shown.
During my tech evaluation at the Assistive Technology Unit in Austin, I was shown JAWS and Window Eyes for screen reader choices and, obviously for what I wanted to do on the computer, I felt JAWS would be the best option. I was then shown three or four speech synthesizers. By far, I felt that DECTalk voices were the best. I was very sold on this selection and actually felt a little snobbish glee inside as a result of the inference the evaluator had made, when I said that I liked DECTalk best, was that this was the Cadillac of synths.
I used the DEC Express, as I came to call the talking box, for a couple of years without problems. I would adjust the volume up and down depending on the noise around me. That took place several times a day. Even though the new company Freedom Scientific assured me that I didn’t need to, I still chose to use it after JAWS introduced Eloquence. Sure, I installed Eloquence and tried it out for pure curiosity reasons. But that new technology sounded plastic and just didn’t have the warmth and realism that the DEC Express, with its nice collection of voices, gave me.
Then one day, I noticed the DEC Express began to emit a loud, scratchy noise whenever I turned the volume knob. That was bad, but not quite a killer for me. I just had to either get used to it or leave the volume at one level. Over the period of a couple of months, this degenerated to an untenable situation and I opted to try that new-fangled JAWS’ software synthesizer.
“Okay,” I thought, this isn’t too bad once you get used to it. But, I still preferred the soothing tones of DEC Express.
The final blow came when I got a new computer and the disk with the drivers for the DEC Express was hopelessly lost. With no other alternative, I made Eloquence my default speech engine on that new machine. Periodically, I would get this longing for my old friend DEC Express and fiddle around with it, trying to make it work. I even tried to find some resources online for the manufacturer, Digital Equipment Company. The company had been sold and finding online support in the late ‘90s was difficult for me to locate. All of this effort seemed to be of no avail, though, and I mostly abandoned my old friend, completely trading his companionship for that new kid on the block.
I kept that neat, little box atop the pc for a long time, thinking I would still find something that could fix it, but eventually began to store it on one of my bookshelves with other assorted, still viable tech equipment. Down the line, after I got married, we moved and it went from being stored on the bookshelf to being in a box that never got unpacked. From there, I think it went out with some other discarded material I didn’t have need for nor the room to store any longer.
I continued to use Eloquence over these years while JAWS has advanced to version 9. Along the way, I’ve watched the screen reader and assistive technology fields for news and breakthroughs in technology, mostly forgetting about my old friend DEC Express.
Then, last year, I tried out Serotek’s System Access To Go,which was good, but the speech didn’t work great for me. I was too used to the voices on Eloquence that the SAToGo speech engine didn’t even sound right. It sounded too mechanical. I looked at the overview of SAToGo to find what type of space alien voice box it was using for a speech engine.
What’s that? Did I read that correctly? SAToGo uses DECTalk. And, yes, I am the one who said this sounded too mechanical. Was I the one who is now blathering blasphemy?
Since finding that out, I felt like somebody who had been a die-hard drinker of one kind of cola, and when it became unavailable, switched to the other one and stuck with it. Now, years later, I’ve become accustomed to that other cola and think the first one just doesn’t taste right.
I know that the feelings I had for the DEC Express were warm, genuine, and right for where I was at the time. Since letting go and moving on to Eloquence, I’ve grown very fond of it and definitely prefer it over any other synth I’ve heard. Its sort of like a relationship. You get a lot out of it because you rely on that other part of you for so much, but when looking back at it from the safety and security of the new relationship, that first one just isn’t as magical as it once was.
Make what you want from this examination of my transition from DECTalk to Eloquence. It is still a little puzzling to me how my loyalty has shifted so much to land where it is today, but it is what it is.
Although I haven’t used Job Access With Speech, better known in assistive tech (AT) circles as JAWS, since its inception, I have been around for quite a bit of transition in the life cycle of this powerful tool. When I began using JAWS, it came on four floppy discs (yes, those 1.4 MB storage devices that wouldn’t even hold one song in mp3 format) and one of those disks was used only for the installation and removal of authorization key. It was also still being made by the company known as Henter Joyce. I marveled when, I believe it was, JAWS 3.0, or maybe 3.5, arrived on a neatly packaged CD-ROM. I just thought this was AT taking a big step forward and catching up with the rest of this modern world.
I also recall that this first distribution of JAWS on CD was my first introduction to the Eloquence speech engine. I have grown to use this as my default speech synthesizer and prefer it over all others that I’ve tried. I think it offers the best sound clarity and understandable speech. I do understand that not everybody feels this way, but this is my opinion.
However, before the switch to Eloquence, I had been using DECTalk Express, an external, device that had its own volume dial and needed to be plugged into one of the computer’s com ports. I also remember feeling at that time that a shift in reliance from a hardware-based speech synthesizer to one that was just another piece of software was something near blasphemy.
The DECTalk Express unit was small and sat nicely atop the rear half of the top of my CPU on the folding table turned computer desk, which was the Wal-mart version of the kinds used universally in school cafeterias. I had selected the Express model because it could be unplugged from my pc and plugged into any other computer that I needed to use. That portability feature was one of the selling points on choosing DECTalk over the other synthesizers I had been shown.
During my tech evaluation at the Assistive Technology Unit in Austin, I was shown JAWS and Window Eyes for screen reader choices and, obviously for what I wanted to do on the computer, I felt JAWS would be the best option. I was then shown three or four speech synthesizers. By far, I felt that DECTalk voices were the best. I was very sold on this selection and actually felt a little snobbish glee inside as a result of the inference the evaluator had made, when I said that I liked DECTalk best, was that this was the Cadillac of synths.
I used the DEC Express, as I came to call the talking box, for a couple of years without problems. I would adjust the volume up and down depending on the noise around me. That took place several times a day. Even though the new company Freedom Scientific assured me that I didn’t need to, I still chose to use it after JAWS introduced Eloquence. Sure, I installed Eloquence and tried it out for pure curiosity reasons. But that new technology sounded plastic and just didn’t have the warmth and realism that the DEC Express, with its nice collection of voices, gave me.
Then one day, I noticed the DEC Express began to emit a loud, scratchy noise whenever I turned the volume knob. That was bad, but not quite a killer for me. I just had to either get used to it or leave the volume at one level. Over the period of a couple of months, this degenerated to an untenable situation and I opted to try that new-fangled JAWS’ software synthesizer.
“Okay,” I thought, this isn’t too bad once you get used to it. But, I still preferred the soothing tones of DEC Express.
The final blow came when I got a new computer and the disk with the drivers for the DEC Express was hopelessly lost. With no other alternative, I made Eloquence my default speech engine on that new machine. Periodically, I would get this longing for my old friend DEC Express and fiddle around with it, trying to make it work. I even tried to find some resources online for the manufacturer, Digital Equipment Company. The company had been sold and finding online support in the late ‘90s was difficult for me to locate. All of this effort seemed to be of no avail, though, and I mostly abandoned my old friend, completely trading his companionship for that new kid on the block.
I kept that neat, little box atop the pc for a long time, thinking I would still find something that could fix it, but eventually began to store it on one of my bookshelves with other assorted, still viable tech equipment. Down the line, after I got married, we moved and it went from being stored on the bookshelf to being in a box that never got unpacked. From there, I think it went out with some other discarded material I didn’t have need for nor the room to store any longer.
I continued to use Eloquence over these years while JAWS has advanced to version 9. Along the way, I’ve watched the screen reader and assistive technology fields for news and breakthroughs in technology, mostly forgetting about my old friend DEC Express.
Then, last year, I tried out Serotek’s System Access To Go,which was good, but the speech didn’t work great for me. I was too used to the voices on Eloquence that the SAToGo speech engine didn’t even sound right. It sounded too mechanical. I looked at the overview of SAToGo to find what type of space alien voice box it was using for a speech engine.
What’s that? Did I read that correctly? SAToGo uses DECTalk. And, yes, I am the one who said this sounded too mechanical. Was I the one who is now blathering blasphemy?
Since finding that out, I felt like somebody who had been a die-hard drinker of one kind of cola, and when it became unavailable, switched to the other one and stuck with it. Now, years later, I’ve become accustomed to that other cola and think the first one just doesn’t taste right.
I know that the feelings I had for the DEC Express were warm, genuine, and right for where I was at the time. Since letting go and moving on to Eloquence, I’ve grown very fond of it and definitely prefer it over any other synth I’ve heard. Its sort of like a relationship. You get a lot out of it because you rely on that other part of you for so much, but when looking back at it from the safety and security of the new relationship, that first one just isn’t as magical as it once was.
Make what you want from this examination of my transition from DECTalk to Eloquence. It is still a little puzzling to me how my loyalty has shifted so much to land where it is today, but it is what it is.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Freedom Scientific updates thumb drive version to JAWS 9.0
Freedom Scientific has finally updated the portability of JAWS. Yes, I’m talking about the USB thumb drive version that allows blind users to run JAWS on any computer that has the video intercept file installed. I loved it when they originally released this, but that was JFW version 7.0, and the computer world has evolved a good bit since then.
First, JAWS itself has evolved two full upgrades since then, and there is now even an update for JFW 9 toJFW 9.0.2152. Also, since that first portable version of JAWS, Internet Explorer 7 launched with lots of new features, and Microsoft launched the Windows Vista operating system.
For my own use, I still use Windows XP and have come to love the tab browsing features of Internet Explorer 7, but when on a public computer with IE 7, the portable version of JFW 7 doesn’t work with the tab browsing. Now, that’s all about to change.
If you would like to download the portable version of JFW 9, and the necessary video intercept file, you can find that information, as well as the latest improvements in JFW on the following link.
http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws90fea.asp
Freedom Scientific also offers the following notes on the USB thumb drives:
The JAWS 9.0 and MAGic 11.0 thumb drive releases run on Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows 2000. However, when using the thumb drive version on a Windows Vista computer, keep the following in mind.
It is recommended that you disable User Account Control (UAC) by opening the Control Panel and selecting User Accounts. The thumb drive version works when UAC is enabled, but speech and tracking are limited for elevated programs.
The Microsoft Ease of Access Center loads when you start the thumb drive release on a Windows Vista computer. Once JAWS or MAGic loads you can close the Ease of Access Center window by clicking the Close button or pressing ALT+F4.
First, JAWS itself has evolved two full upgrades since then, and there is now even an update for JFW 9 toJFW 9.0.2152. Also, since that first portable version of JAWS, Internet Explorer 7 launched with lots of new features, and Microsoft launched the Windows Vista operating system.
For my own use, I still use Windows XP and have come to love the tab browsing features of Internet Explorer 7, but when on a public computer with IE 7, the portable version of JFW 7 doesn’t work with the tab browsing. Now, that’s all about to change.
If you would like to download the portable version of JFW 9, and the necessary video intercept file, you can find that information, as well as the latest improvements in JFW on the following link.
http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws90fea.asp
Freedom Scientific also offers the following notes on the USB thumb drives:
The JAWS 9.0 and MAGic 11.0 thumb drive releases run on Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows 2000. However, when using the thumb drive version on a Windows Vista computer, keep the following in mind.
It is recommended that you disable User Account Control (UAC) by opening the Control Panel and selecting User Accounts. The thumb drive version works when UAC is enabled, but speech and tracking are limited for elevated programs.
The Microsoft Ease of Access Center loads when you start the thumb drive release on a Windows Vista computer. Once JAWS or MAGic loads you can close the Ease of Access Center window by clicking the Close button or pressing ALT+F4.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
You've come a long way, baby
In the late 1960s and early 70s, back when cigarette companies were allowed to advertise on television and radio, I can still remember the catchy jingle of the Virginia Slims commercials that ran on television. Their slogan was “You’ve come a long way, baby.” I can still whistle that tune today.
That same catch phrase can be applied to the field of assistive technology. With advances in technology and computers in general, the world of assistive technology has come leaps and bounds.
When I first began using JAWS to access the computer ten years ago, it came on four floppy discs. That means that the whole program took up less than 5.7 megabytes of space. Heck, I’ve got several mp3s on my computer that are larger than that today. And, JAWS has definitely evolved in more than just the amount of space it takes up on the hard drive. (For the record, JAWS 9 is now a 65 MB download.)It has evolved to be able to handle the changing operating systems and programs that are frequently used by blind computer users.
In this same vein, there is a recent article in the New York Times describing
how speech recognition technology has evolved.
Instead of being relegated to the world of disability services, speech recognition has found much more mainstream appeal. The article highlights how this technology has gone From the early versions of Dragon Dictate (now Dragon Naturally Speaking) to the implementation of it on telephone services and, most recently, on cell phones.
The article also discusses the aspect of how this field changes when big corporate players take a role, such as Nuance and Microsoft. Nuance has been gathering various voice recognition resources for some time now and has grown to be a major player in this field. Microsoft also bought TellMe Networks a while back, adding this to their stable of growing assistive technology resources. (I first heard about TellMe a few years ago in blind circles as an accessible means of information gathering via telephone.) Microsoft is also now regularly front and center in those nationally broadcast Ford commercials promoting the auto companies use of Sync to use voice activated commands to execute commands while driving.
Yes, it is true. You’ve come a long way, baby.
That same catch phrase can be applied to the field of assistive technology. With advances in technology and computers in general, the world of assistive technology has come leaps and bounds.
When I first began using JAWS to access the computer ten years ago, it came on four floppy discs. That means that the whole program took up less than 5.7 megabytes of space. Heck, I’ve got several mp3s on my computer that are larger than that today. And, JAWS has definitely evolved in more than just the amount of space it takes up on the hard drive. (For the record, JAWS 9 is now a 65 MB download.)It has evolved to be able to handle the changing operating systems and programs that are frequently used by blind computer users.
In this same vein, there is a recent article in the New York Times describing
how speech recognition technology has evolved.
Instead of being relegated to the world of disability services, speech recognition has found much more mainstream appeal. The article highlights how this technology has gone From the early versions of Dragon Dictate (now Dragon Naturally Speaking) to the implementation of it on telephone services and, most recently, on cell phones.
The article also discusses the aspect of how this field changes when big corporate players take a role, such as Nuance and Microsoft. Nuance has been gathering various voice recognition resources for some time now and has grown to be a major player in this field. Microsoft also bought TellMe Networks a while back, adding this to their stable of growing assistive technology resources. (I first heard about TellMe a few years ago in blind circles as an accessible means of information gathering via telephone.) Microsoft is also now regularly front and center in those nationally broadcast Ford commercials promoting the auto companies use of Sync to use voice activated commands to execute commands while driving.
Yes, it is true. You’ve come a long way, baby.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Yahoo acknowledges inaccessible content, yet still fails to innovate
Well, if this doesn’t take the cake.
I have posted on Access Ability previously about
Yahoo’s inaccessible CAPTCHA,
those distorted letters and numbers that appear in a graphic and require the user to type them into an edit field to prove there is a human on their end of the computer and not some spam robot. Screen readers like the one I use, JAWS, do not recognize these images and Yahoo has been unwilling to present an accessible solution, of which several varieties already exist on different web sites.
It is as if Yahoo is sticking their head in the sand and ignoring the mere existence of blind computer users and their need for accessible web content. Maybe that is part of the grand Yahoo master plan, just play dumb and we can offer that as our defense.
I personally know, as of today, for a fact that Yahoo can not plead ignorance. (Its not like they really could, given the public outcry and awareness that has been raised over the past few months by advocates such as Darrell Shandrow at
The Blind Access Journal
Over inaccessible CAPTCHA.)
How did I find out that Yahoo knows blind people exist? Let me explain...
I use a Yahoo mail account for email and news alerts pertaining to this blog, and while signing in to my Yahoo account this morning, I was prompted to upgrade to the “ALL-NEW Yahoo! Mail.” In the pitch, I was told that I should “Be a better pal!” This was followed by claims that “We've built a better Yahoo! Mail, so upgrade to the all-new faster and easier version,” and given a list of what was better about their new service.
This all sounds really good, but below that list was the following message in a link:
“Unfortunately the new Yahoo! Mail doesn't currently work with screen readers. Until then, please return to Yahoo! Mail Classic.”
So, Yahoo acknowledges that they recognize there are blind people using their site and products. And, this includes me, as I was being personally directed to go back to Classic mode. Furthermore, they grant that their “ALL-NEW” and “better” Yahoo doesn’t work with screen readers. And, put this all together and Yahoo is saying blind people can’t be “better pals,” at least not if Yahoo has anything to say about it.
This means that one day, if Yahoo decides to make this much ballyhooed product accessible to screen readers, it will be a retrofit used to provide a virtual on-ramp that blind people can use onto this information superhighway, instead of having built in accessibility from the beginning. I just find it disgusting that people like the developers who make these products that can be designed with accessibility from the beginning, choose not to even attempt this. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, a new building must include wheelchair accessibility and only older buildings are allowed to retrofit. Why do information technologies not fall into some equal category for providing accessibility?
After this mornings experience, I have a question for Yahoo that comes to mind about their technologies. If you can detect that I am using a screen reader, and your company considers itself a leader and innovator of web content, then why in the world can the geniuses on your staff not incorporate the screen reader detection that I encountered today with your CAPTCHA to present an accessible method of human verification when you find a blind user is present?
This just gives me another reason to beat the awareness drum for the
Yahoo accessibility improvement petition.
If you have not yet signed the petition, please do so and help spread the news of this still on-going battle.
I have posted on Access Ability previously about
Yahoo’s inaccessible CAPTCHA,
those distorted letters and numbers that appear in a graphic and require the user to type them into an edit field to prove there is a human on their end of the computer and not some spam robot. Screen readers like the one I use, JAWS, do not recognize these images and Yahoo has been unwilling to present an accessible solution, of which several varieties already exist on different web sites.
It is as if Yahoo is sticking their head in the sand and ignoring the mere existence of blind computer users and their need for accessible web content. Maybe that is part of the grand Yahoo master plan, just play dumb and we can offer that as our defense.
I personally know, as of today, for a fact that Yahoo can not plead ignorance. (Its not like they really could, given the public outcry and awareness that has been raised over the past few months by advocates such as Darrell Shandrow at
The Blind Access Journal
Over inaccessible CAPTCHA.)
How did I find out that Yahoo knows blind people exist? Let me explain...
I use a Yahoo mail account for email and news alerts pertaining to this blog, and while signing in to my Yahoo account this morning, I was prompted to upgrade to the “ALL-NEW Yahoo! Mail.” In the pitch, I was told that I should “Be a better pal!” This was followed by claims that “We've built a better Yahoo! Mail, so upgrade to the all-new faster and easier version,” and given a list of what was better about their new service.
This all sounds really good, but below that list was the following message in a link:
“Unfortunately the new Yahoo! Mail doesn't currently work with screen readers. Until then, please return to Yahoo! Mail Classic.”
So, Yahoo acknowledges that they recognize there are blind people using their site and products. And, this includes me, as I was being personally directed to go back to Classic mode. Furthermore, they grant that their “ALL-NEW” and “better” Yahoo doesn’t work with screen readers. And, put this all together and Yahoo is saying blind people can’t be “better pals,” at least not if Yahoo has anything to say about it.
This means that one day, if Yahoo decides to make this much ballyhooed product accessible to screen readers, it will be a retrofit used to provide a virtual on-ramp that blind people can use onto this information superhighway, instead of having built in accessibility from the beginning. I just find it disgusting that people like the developers who make these products that can be designed with accessibility from the beginning, choose not to even attempt this. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, a new building must include wheelchair accessibility and only older buildings are allowed to retrofit. Why do information technologies not fall into some equal category for providing accessibility?
After this mornings experience, I have a question for Yahoo that comes to mind about their technologies. If you can detect that I am using a screen reader, and your company considers itself a leader and innovator of web content, then why in the world can the geniuses on your staff not incorporate the screen reader detection that I encountered today with your CAPTCHA to present an accessible method of human verification when you find a blind user is present?
This just gives me another reason to beat the awareness drum for the
Yahoo accessibility improvement petition.
If you have not yet signed the petition, please do so and help spread the news of this still on-going battle.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Freedom Scientific says no to access for deaf people
The following is an account of the effort Access Ability undertook to advocate for access with one of the big names in assistive technology. Unfortunately, the steps taken were not sufficient, so perhaps others need to request action as well. If you are interested in being an advocate for change, write to the email address below.
It is very sad that Freedom Scientific (FS), the company that manufactures JAWS and is the 800-pound gorilla of the screen reader world, does not fully acknowledge its role at making access to information a priority.
The assistive technology company began offering podcasts, which it calls
FSCasts,
to their many users in December, 2006, using the podcasts to share information and promote new releases of their products. There are now ten podcasts posted on the dedicated FSCast page. The podcasts are hosted by Jonathan Mosen, the company’s VP of blindness hardware product management, and the topics run the gamut from interviews with technology folks to showing off how new FS products work. I’ve listened to a few of these podcasts and found them very informative.
However, I’ve looked over the page and there are no transcripts available to provide the company’s deaf customers with the material covered in their podcasts.
What’s that you say…Freedom Scientific has deaf customers?
Of course they do.
Doing a search on the company’s web site for the word “deaf” returns 48 pages hosted on their site. There is a May, 2001 article where they trumpeted their Comm Light product. On top of that, in June of 2005 Freedom Scientific heralded their new deaf-blind solutions based on their PacMate product. Perhaps by showing the evolution of the PacMate into a deafblind product was the company’s insight, showing just how sensitive they were to the needs of their deafblind customers.
So, it is well established that Freedom Scientific has deaf consumers of their products and the company is aware of this consumer base. Additionally, they have been aware of these consumers for several years.
On Sept. 11, 2007, I wrote an email to Freedom Scientific, sending it to
fscast@freedomscientific.com
the email address given at the end of the podcast, inquiring about the absence of transcripts on the FSCast page. I explained: “The transcripts allow people who are deaf to gain the informational content of the podcast, even if the person is unable to take in the audio of such. Being there are some users of JAWS who are deafblind and use JAWS with a braille display, these consumers would be a prime beneficiary of these transcripts.”
I then noted the absence of such transcripts on the FSCast page and inquired whether these would be available in coming days.
Finally, I offered examples of two podcast sites that make use of transcripts and do so in different fashions, so that whomever read my email would be able to see that options do exist to make audio accessible. These sites were:
the Disability 411 podcast
And the
Day in Washington podcast.
(For an alternative version of transcrips, Freedom Scientific could also look to
The Disability Nation podcast
For guidance.)
I promptly received a reply from Mr. Mosen. He said that because podcasting wasn’t the company’s core business, he wasn’t certain that they had the resources to make FSCast transcripts available. He did elaborate about the efforts the company took to ensure complete access to training materials and their newsletter.
I think he missed my point, though.
To buttress his case, Mr. Mosen detailed how much time and work went into production of their latest book on Windows Vista where the audio was synchronized with the full text of the document. He followed this by explaining that because that particular process took a “long, long time to produce though, and we couldn't do this on a monthly basis for a programme that runs to 90 minutes.”
In my inquiry, I never asked them to provide a synchronized transcript that kept up with the audio. I pointed out two sites that provide just simple html transcripts, each in a different manner. All I asked was that Freedom Scientific provide their deaf consumers an accessible format of the useful and informative FSCast material that they provide to all their hearing consumers.
I did reply to Mr. Mosen again, emphasizing, “I believe providing FSCast transcripts would be an insightful effort on your company's part, embodying true understanding of your consumers needs.” I have waited a few weeks to write this post to allow him time to acknowledge my second suggestion or to work up some form of transcripts. However, I’ve not heard back from him nor are there any transcripts available on the FSCast site. Also, the tenth FSCast has been posted since my original correspondence. (There were only nine FSCasts when I began my original inquiry.)
I once coined the phrase, “If you’re not including somebody, then you’re excluding them.” That statement is true here. Freedom Scientific is excluding their deaf consumers. When it comes to podcasts, Freedom Scientific, a company that is recognized for their ability to provide access throws up a big, flashing sign that reads, “No deaf people allowed.”
It is very sad that Freedom Scientific (FS), the company that manufactures JAWS and is the 800-pound gorilla of the screen reader world, does not fully acknowledge its role at making access to information a priority.
The assistive technology company began offering podcasts, which it calls
FSCasts,
to their many users in December, 2006, using the podcasts to share information and promote new releases of their products. There are now ten podcasts posted on the dedicated FSCast page. The podcasts are hosted by Jonathan Mosen, the company’s VP of blindness hardware product management, and the topics run the gamut from interviews with technology folks to showing off how new FS products work. I’ve listened to a few of these podcasts and found them very informative.
However, I’ve looked over the page and there are no transcripts available to provide the company’s deaf customers with the material covered in their podcasts.
What’s that you say…Freedom Scientific has deaf customers?
Of course they do.
Doing a search on the company’s web site for the word “deaf” returns 48 pages hosted on their site. There is a May, 2001 article where they trumpeted their Comm Light product. On top of that, in June of 2005 Freedom Scientific heralded their new deaf-blind solutions based on their PacMate product. Perhaps by showing the evolution of the PacMate into a deafblind product was the company’s insight, showing just how sensitive they were to the needs of their deafblind customers.
So, it is well established that Freedom Scientific has deaf consumers of their products and the company is aware of this consumer base. Additionally, they have been aware of these consumers for several years.
On Sept. 11, 2007, I wrote an email to Freedom Scientific, sending it to
fscast@freedomscientific.com
the email address given at the end of the podcast, inquiring about the absence of transcripts on the FSCast page. I explained: “The transcripts allow people who are deaf to gain the informational content of the podcast, even if the person is unable to take in the audio of such. Being there are some users of JAWS who are deafblind and use JAWS with a braille display, these consumers would be a prime beneficiary of these transcripts.”
I then noted the absence of such transcripts on the FSCast page and inquired whether these would be available in coming days.
Finally, I offered examples of two podcast sites that make use of transcripts and do so in different fashions, so that whomever read my email would be able to see that options do exist to make audio accessible. These sites were:
the Disability 411 podcast
And the
Day in Washington podcast.
(For an alternative version of transcrips, Freedom Scientific could also look to
The Disability Nation podcast
For guidance.)
I promptly received a reply from Mr. Mosen. He said that because podcasting wasn’t the company’s core business, he wasn’t certain that they had the resources to make FSCast transcripts available. He did elaborate about the efforts the company took to ensure complete access to training materials and their newsletter.
I think he missed my point, though.
To buttress his case, Mr. Mosen detailed how much time and work went into production of their latest book on Windows Vista where the audio was synchronized with the full text of the document. He followed this by explaining that because that particular process took a “long, long time to produce though, and we couldn't do this on a monthly basis for a programme that runs to 90 minutes.”
In my inquiry, I never asked them to provide a synchronized transcript that kept up with the audio. I pointed out two sites that provide just simple html transcripts, each in a different manner. All I asked was that Freedom Scientific provide their deaf consumers an accessible format of the useful and informative FSCast material that they provide to all their hearing consumers.
I did reply to Mr. Mosen again, emphasizing, “I believe providing FSCast transcripts would be an insightful effort on your company's part, embodying true understanding of your consumers needs.” I have waited a few weeks to write this post to allow him time to acknowledge my second suggestion or to work up some form of transcripts. However, I’ve not heard back from him nor are there any transcripts available on the FSCast site. Also, the tenth FSCast has been posted since my original correspondence. (There were only nine FSCasts when I began my original inquiry.)
I once coined the phrase, “If you’re not including somebody, then you’re excluding them.” That statement is true here. Freedom Scientific is excluding their deaf consumers. When it comes to podcasts, Freedom Scientific, a company that is recognized for their ability to provide access throws up a big, flashing sign that reads, “No deaf people allowed.”
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
You don't have to be a geek to benefit from the Blind Geek Zone
If you or one of your students is a JAWS user and you have tried to use new programs in the past, only to find yourself stifled, then here is a site that may be of assistance.
The Blind Geek Zone
Offers audio tutorials on how to use many popular applications with JAWS as well as several other tech goodies. The audio tutorials are free for individual use and discuss applications such as the new Vista operating system, Spybot, Windows Defender, Outlook Express, and the Goldwave audio editing program. There are also many more free mp3 downloads on the site, so check it out for yourself and see what there is that might be of help to you.
If you don’t consider yourself a geek, its okay. Don’t be scared off by the name of the site. It offers lots of information and tools for anybody who uses JAWS.
However, be warned...have a little time on your hands when you go there as you will be there a while going through the virtual treasure trove of information.
The Blind Geek Zone is also a good resource for staying up on assistive technology news and information. To give the site credibility, it is run by a JAWS user.
Oh yeah, another thing the site offers is a link to the
Blind Geek Zone blog.
The Blind Geek Zone
Offers audio tutorials on how to use many popular applications with JAWS as well as several other tech goodies. The audio tutorials are free for individual use and discuss applications such as the new Vista operating system, Spybot, Windows Defender, Outlook Express, and the Goldwave audio editing program. There are also many more free mp3 downloads on the site, so check it out for yourself and see what there is that might be of help to you.
If you don’t consider yourself a geek, its okay. Don’t be scared off by the name of the site. It offers lots of information and tools for anybody who uses JAWS.
However, be warned...have a little time on your hands when you go there as you will be there a while going through the virtual treasure trove of information.
The Blind Geek Zone is also a good resource for staying up on assistive technology news and information. To give the site credibility, it is run by a JAWS user.
Oh yeah, another thing the site offers is a link to the
Blind Geek Zone blog.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Interesting diversion: Assistive Technology trainer reports on adventures in Ghana
I offer a slight diversion today, kind of. Instead of offering information or resources, I want to share an on-going profile of a person who is providing disability services. However, this person is not working in DSS at a postsecondary institution. Instead, she is traveling around the African countryside near Ghana, where she is conducting assistive technology training and other related activities promoting individual advancement with blind residents and reporting her adventures on her blog.
On the pages of the
Ghana 2006-2007 Blog,
Akuwa reports on her interactions with locals as her travels take her to different points of interest.
Akuwa‘s writings are smart and intelligently written, but most of all they are interesting, particularly the April 27 post titled “The Last Few Months,” in which she tells about her most recent adventures. There are several pictures also posted on the same date individually above that post. For sighted readers, these may prove informative and interesting, especially the voodoo chief’s palace or the motorcycle driver’s voodoo paraphernalia.
I know, this is a little stretch of serving the needs of postsecondary disability support services, but it is definitely an interesting sidestreet to venture down. I’ll soon return with more of the standard fare.
On the pages of the
Ghana 2006-2007 Blog,
Akuwa reports on her interactions with locals as her travels take her to different points of interest.
Akuwa‘s writings are smart and intelligently written, but most of all they are interesting, particularly the April 27 post titled “The Last Few Months,” in which she tells about her most recent adventures. There are several pictures also posted on the same date individually above that post. For sighted readers, these may prove informative and interesting, especially the voodoo chief’s palace or the motorcycle driver’s voodoo paraphernalia.
I know, this is a little stretch of serving the needs of postsecondary disability support services, but it is definitely an interesting sidestreet to venture down. I’ll soon return with more of the standard fare.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Flash animation and assistive technology
Is it just me, or has there been a recent explosion by web designers to incorporate Flash plug ins on their websites?
Perhaps Macromedia, the makers of the Flash animation product, have put on a full court press to promote a broader use of their application.
Whatever the reason, Flash seems to be flourishing on the web in the past several weeks. On top of that, in most cases, the controls for the Flash features are just the generic buttons with no description to what their functions are, leaving blind users of screen readers wondering what in the heck those buttons do. So, not only is Flash spreading like wildfire, the ignorance about accessibility is being incorporated in the fold as it does so.
I don’t think that most web designers have any idea that Flash is a difficult speedbump for users of screen readers. It is so much of a problem that Freedom Scientific’s JAWS screen reader includes a function to disable Flash animation when using the web browser.
Speaking purely anecdotally, I have noticed a large number of websites in just the past month that have begun embedding Flash animation as a means to spiff up their sites. I notice it because it makes it difficult for me to read their site’s content. On one newspaper’s site, if I had not been reading the site for the years that I have, I would have not known how the site was laid out and, as a result, when they employed Flash animation about three weeks ago, I would not have been able to read the news without taking a slow and time-consuming method of reading one line at a time with the down arrow. Even then, I don’t know how well the Flash animation would have interfered with JAWS.
Don’t misunderstand my complaint. I’m not a new JAWS user who might be unfamiliar with the program’s operation. I’ve been using this product for more than 10 years and am using the latest version. Also, I’m not a rookie in understanding how to maximize the efficiency of JAWS. I have often been called upon by friends who are also JAWS users for technical assistance.
I’m just noticing a glut of embedded Flash animation that is making my life difficult. I can’t speak for users of other assistive technology software such as screen magnifiers or other brands of screen readers, but I would think that this is affecting their access to web sites as well.
I just read an interesting post related to this subject on a new blog called ,
Aspirants.
It is only the second post on the blog, but seems well written and offers good insight to understanding web design.
Hopefully, future web designers will initiate some insight and think about the users of their products as somebody besides the typical, sighted consumer. Universal design would make their web pages readable by a broader audience. Isn’t more traffic what most creators of web content want? There are methods for creating accessible Flash animation. I’ve posted about some training on this specific subject here on previous occasions.
Finally, so you don’t think this post is purely a personal vent, look at your school’s web pages. Are they employing Flash as part of their effort to have the latest in whiz-bang technology? Is it accessible? Does it meet Section 508 standards?
Pardon any self indulgence on this subject, but it is a concern that I see as a growing trend and not dissipating in the near future.
My hope is that the understanding that Flash can be used successfully and also be accessible will begin to spread as fast as the use of Flash has been on the web.
Perhaps Macromedia, the makers of the Flash animation product, have put on a full court press to promote a broader use of their application.
Whatever the reason, Flash seems to be flourishing on the web in the past several weeks. On top of that, in most cases, the controls for the Flash features are just the generic buttons with no description to what their functions are, leaving blind users of screen readers wondering what in the heck those buttons do. So, not only is Flash spreading like wildfire, the ignorance about accessibility is being incorporated in the fold as it does so.
I don’t think that most web designers have any idea that Flash is a difficult speedbump for users of screen readers. It is so much of a problem that Freedom Scientific’s JAWS screen reader includes a function to disable Flash animation when using the web browser.
Speaking purely anecdotally, I have noticed a large number of websites in just the past month that have begun embedding Flash animation as a means to spiff up their sites. I notice it because it makes it difficult for me to read their site’s content. On one newspaper’s site, if I had not been reading the site for the years that I have, I would have not known how the site was laid out and, as a result, when they employed Flash animation about three weeks ago, I would not have been able to read the news without taking a slow and time-consuming method of reading one line at a time with the down arrow. Even then, I don’t know how well the Flash animation would have interfered with JAWS.
Don’t misunderstand my complaint. I’m not a new JAWS user who might be unfamiliar with the program’s operation. I’ve been using this product for more than 10 years and am using the latest version. Also, I’m not a rookie in understanding how to maximize the efficiency of JAWS. I have often been called upon by friends who are also JAWS users for technical assistance.
I’m just noticing a glut of embedded Flash animation that is making my life difficult. I can’t speak for users of other assistive technology software such as screen magnifiers or other brands of screen readers, but I would think that this is affecting their access to web sites as well.
I just read an interesting post related to this subject on a new blog called ,
Aspirants.
It is only the second post on the blog, but seems well written and offers good insight to understanding web design.
Hopefully, future web designers will initiate some insight and think about the users of their products as somebody besides the typical, sighted consumer. Universal design would make their web pages readable by a broader audience. Isn’t more traffic what most creators of web content want? There are methods for creating accessible Flash animation. I’ve posted about some training on this specific subject here on previous occasions.
Finally, so you don’t think this post is purely a personal vent, look at your school’s web pages. Are they employing Flash as part of their effort to have the latest in whiz-bang technology? Is it accessible? Does it meet Section 508 standards?
Pardon any self indulgence on this subject, but it is a concern that I see as a growing trend and not dissipating in the near future.
My hope is that the understanding that Flash can be used successfully and also be accessible will begin to spread as fast as the use of Flash has been on the web.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Review of IE7 and JAWS 8.0
I’ve recently upgraded to using JAWS 8.0 and also began using Internet Explorer 7. After briefly using both of these upgraded products, I’d like to share my initial thoughts about each.
I understand that the timeliness of this review of these two applications is behind those that other reviewers have offered, but I’ve not had access to the Beta versions of either of these products. I will also disclose that I chose not to install the JAWS 7.1 upgrade due to reported bugs in the initial launch of the free upgrade. This review is presented here to share my insights to what both of these applications can do.
Internet Explorer 7:
IE7 is an application most of us will have to live with at one time or another. Being able to adopt the new interfaced web browser at a time close to its initial launch will help users familiarize themselves with it for the long haul. The browser incorporates some features that seem like major changes but really aren’t and also employs some of the latest advances in browsing that are definite changes.
New Interface:
My comments about the new interface will be limited in scope. Being I’m totally blind really limits my assessment of this aspect. However, any blind user who has been used to performing functions in the program by way of the menu bars will notice that the menu bar does not appear to be there. (See, that change in the interface is so obvious that a blind man can see it!) However, This is the primary feature that seems to be changed, but really is not.
People, who loved to use the menu items, and especially those who rely on keystroke shortcuts to manipulate these menu items, needn’t despair. These features, such as edit and favorites are still there by pressing the alt+e and alt+a key combinations respectively. If one is used to using a mouse to access these, pressing the alt key once opens up the File menu in a drop down box. Pressing alt+f does the same thing. Users can just move over one menu at a time and work your way down just as in earlier editions of IE. And, yes, all your favorites from earlier versions of IE are still stored here.
(Note to computer users who use the keyboard to surf the internet: Using keystroke commands like Control+O to open a new web page are still the same.)
Tab Browsing:
Users of the Mozilla Firefox browser are already familiar with this nifty feature, but it is truly new for Microsoft. This feature lets you load a page by clicking on the link, but also keeps your main window of focus on the page you are viewing. It loads the page and has it ready for your reading without taking you out of your regular window until you are ready to move. Of course, you can just click on the link and open it up if you are ready to move on and leave the site you were on.
Where tab browsing proves really useful are web sites where one is reading something with several items the reader wants to explore, such as a newspaper. I usually read the Houston Chronicle and for ease of navigating the page, I’ve been opening articles in a new window when I wanted to read them. When I finished reading that article, I’d close the story and get moved back to the link on the Chronicle site where I had been before reading the article. (This was my selected option on how to read the Chronicle due to the site’s dynamic content resetting when I would use the “Back” command that would put me at the top of the page. I would then have to find my place on the page all over again after reading each article.
However, with tab browsing, the articles are all loaded in the same window I’m in. I can quickly skim through the Chronicle’s news page, press Control+Enter on each article I want to read and never leave the news page. Meanwhile, all the stories I want to read are loaded and waiting for me to read. I use the Control+Tab command to move from the news page to the first article I have loaded. When I’m finished reading the story, I press Control+F4 and that article closes and I’m placed on the next article I have loaded. This technique also saves the time spent waiting for pages to load.
Another sharp and useful feature of tab browsing is that a user can have more than one web site load when IE7 is launched. For instance, if you have your college’s web site set as your home page, but frequently refer to another page that offers a list of resources, such as the AHEAD site, you can have both these sites load at the opening of IE7. As far as I can tell, there is no set limit to how many pages one can set in this mode. Shifting from one site to the other is done by simply pressing the Control+Tab command until the desired site is in view. In my last position, this would have been useful as I used the college’s site as my home page, but also frequently went to the AHEAD site and also liked to read the news headlines in the Chronicle, so I could have had all three sites load at the launch of IE if version 7 were around then and had been accessible.
Search:
IE7 has incorporated a nifty search feature that is both functional and customizable to the individual user’s preference. The user originally setting up the browser is prompted to choose which search engine is the default and IE7 stores that information. What is even better is that to access the search engine, the user does not have to go to the web site of the search engine. Just go to the address bar and type in what you want and IE7 delivers your engine’s search returns.
Personally, I’m a Google fan and don’t like my choices mess with. So, I was very pleased when I tried this search feature and found that the results are brought up in the normal Google returns, not some model where the Google returns are just a framed portion of a larger screen.
Increased Security:
Microsoft has taken a lot of hits about the vulnerabilities in its flagship browser in the past and has sought to remedy that in its latest offering. One of the things they are offering is to indicate when a web site is suspect for phishing, sites where unwary web users are tricked into revealing personal information such as social security or, credit card, and bank account numbers. I haven’t tried to find any flaw with this and don’t visit too many suspect sites, so can’t offer an opinion on this aspect of IE7.
JAWS 8.0:
My initial thoughts about the latest version of JAWS all come back to the fact that it gives me full access to IE7. However, there are a few notable changes worth mentioning as well.
Virtual Window and Virtualized Current Command.
The concept of “virtual” is one that has been around for some time in tech circles, but not one that I’ve heard easily explained in a non-techie language. What this does is take an active control window and let you select and copy all the text from a message window into a document or email. The best application of this would be for error messages that give some string of alpha-numeric data that some geek on tech support might ask you for if calling for help. Now, with this virtual feature, users of JAWS can grab that information and put into an accessible document just as easily as sighted folks would do with a notepad and pencil.
Expanded JAWS Find.
This feature lets JAWS store the last 20 terms you have had used via the JAWS search command. It is extremely helpful in getting past superfluous headings on web sites that you frequent often and need to search for more than one term. The emphasis here is that you visit frequently, as your search will be as good as knowing what you are looking for.
New Keyboard Commands:
There are some new keystroke commands for JAWS users to learn, especially when using IE7. Adding these to the repertoire you already use regularly should come without any major problems.
All in all, JAWS 8.0 seems to be a smooth transition from the previous edition and gives full access to IE7. It feels like I haven’t changed anything and have even more access to information than I had before.
(Note: If you do not have an SMA to go to 8.0, but are running JAWS 7.0, know that Freedom Scientific made the upgrade to 7.1 a free upgrade, and the latest version of this includes a patch that allows 7.1 to access IE7.)
While this is perhaps behind the curve of the web offerings for reviews, I hope these insights are still timely and valid. They are only my initial thoughts and may grow over time. If so, I’ll share those here as well.
I understand that the timeliness of this review of these two applications is behind those that other reviewers have offered, but I’ve not had access to the Beta versions of either of these products. I will also disclose that I chose not to install the JAWS 7.1 upgrade due to reported bugs in the initial launch of the free upgrade. This review is presented here to share my insights to what both of these applications can do.
Internet Explorer 7:
IE7 is an application most of us will have to live with at one time or another. Being able to adopt the new interfaced web browser at a time close to its initial launch will help users familiarize themselves with it for the long haul. The browser incorporates some features that seem like major changes but really aren’t and also employs some of the latest advances in browsing that are definite changes.
New Interface:
My comments about the new interface will be limited in scope. Being I’m totally blind really limits my assessment of this aspect. However, any blind user who has been used to performing functions in the program by way of the menu bars will notice that the menu bar does not appear to be there. (See, that change in the interface is so obvious that a blind man can see it!) However, This is the primary feature that seems to be changed, but really is not.
People, who loved to use the menu items, and especially those who rely on keystroke shortcuts to manipulate these menu items, needn’t despair. These features, such as edit and favorites are still there by pressing the alt+e and alt+a key combinations respectively. If one is used to using a mouse to access these, pressing the alt key once opens up the File menu in a drop down box. Pressing alt+f does the same thing. Users can just move over one menu at a time and work your way down just as in earlier editions of IE. And, yes, all your favorites from earlier versions of IE are still stored here.
(Note to computer users who use the keyboard to surf the internet: Using keystroke commands like Control+O to open a new web page are still the same.)
Tab Browsing:
Users of the Mozilla Firefox browser are already familiar with this nifty feature, but it is truly new for Microsoft. This feature lets you load a page by clicking on the link, but also keeps your main window of focus on the page you are viewing. It loads the page and has it ready for your reading without taking you out of your regular window until you are ready to move. Of course, you can just click on the link and open it up if you are ready to move on and leave the site you were on.
Where tab browsing proves really useful are web sites where one is reading something with several items the reader wants to explore, such as a newspaper. I usually read the Houston Chronicle and for ease of navigating the page, I’ve been opening articles in a new window when I wanted to read them. When I finished reading that article, I’d close the story and get moved back to the link on the Chronicle site where I had been before reading the article. (This was my selected option on how to read the Chronicle due to the site’s dynamic content resetting when I would use the “Back” command that would put me at the top of the page. I would then have to find my place on the page all over again after reading each article.
However, with tab browsing, the articles are all loaded in the same window I’m in. I can quickly skim through the Chronicle’s news page, press Control+Enter on each article I want to read and never leave the news page. Meanwhile, all the stories I want to read are loaded and waiting for me to read. I use the Control+Tab command to move from the news page to the first article I have loaded. When I’m finished reading the story, I press Control+F4 and that article closes and I’m placed on the next article I have loaded. This technique also saves the time spent waiting for pages to load.
Another sharp and useful feature of tab browsing is that a user can have more than one web site load when IE7 is launched. For instance, if you have your college’s web site set as your home page, but frequently refer to another page that offers a list of resources, such as the AHEAD site, you can have both these sites load at the opening of IE7. As far as I can tell, there is no set limit to how many pages one can set in this mode. Shifting from one site to the other is done by simply pressing the Control+Tab command until the desired site is in view. In my last position, this would have been useful as I used the college’s site as my home page, but also frequently went to the AHEAD site and also liked to read the news headlines in the Chronicle, so I could have had all three sites load at the launch of IE if version 7 were around then and had been accessible.
Search:
IE7 has incorporated a nifty search feature that is both functional and customizable to the individual user’s preference. The user originally setting up the browser is prompted to choose which search engine is the default and IE7 stores that information. What is even better is that to access the search engine, the user does not have to go to the web site of the search engine. Just go to the address bar and type in what you want and IE7 delivers your engine’s search returns.
Personally, I’m a Google fan and don’t like my choices mess with. So, I was very pleased when I tried this search feature and found that the results are brought up in the normal Google returns, not some model where the Google returns are just a framed portion of a larger screen.
Increased Security:
Microsoft has taken a lot of hits about the vulnerabilities in its flagship browser in the past and has sought to remedy that in its latest offering. One of the things they are offering is to indicate when a web site is suspect for phishing, sites where unwary web users are tricked into revealing personal information such as social security or, credit card, and bank account numbers. I haven’t tried to find any flaw with this and don’t visit too many suspect sites, so can’t offer an opinion on this aspect of IE7.
JAWS 8.0:
My initial thoughts about the latest version of JAWS all come back to the fact that it gives me full access to IE7. However, there are a few notable changes worth mentioning as well.
Virtual Window and Virtualized Current Command.
The concept of “virtual” is one that has been around for some time in tech circles, but not one that I’ve heard easily explained in a non-techie language. What this does is take an active control window and let you select and copy all the text from a message window into a document or email. The best application of this would be for error messages that give some string of alpha-numeric data that some geek on tech support might ask you for if calling for help. Now, with this virtual feature, users of JAWS can grab that information and put into an accessible document just as easily as sighted folks would do with a notepad and pencil.
Expanded JAWS Find.
This feature lets JAWS store the last 20 terms you have had used via the JAWS search command. It is extremely helpful in getting past superfluous headings on web sites that you frequent often and need to search for more than one term. The emphasis here is that you visit frequently, as your search will be as good as knowing what you are looking for.
New Keyboard Commands:
There are some new keystroke commands for JAWS users to learn, especially when using IE7. Adding these to the repertoire you already use regularly should come without any major problems.
All in all, JAWS 8.0 seems to be a smooth transition from the previous edition and gives full access to IE7. It feels like I haven’t changed anything and have even more access to information than I had before.
(Note: If you do not have an SMA to go to 8.0, but are running JAWS 7.0, know that Freedom Scientific made the upgrade to 7.1 a free upgrade, and the latest version of this includes a patch that allows 7.1 to access IE7.)
While this is perhaps behind the curve of the web offerings for reviews, I hope these insights are still timely and valid. They are only my initial thoughts and may grow over time. If so, I’ll share those here as well.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
What's New in JAWS 8
If you've been wondering what the latest and greatest version of JAWS has in store, wonder no more. What’s New in JAWS 8 is now available. This is a downloadable zip file containing 10 mp3 files. In these audio files, two JAWS techies discuss each of the new features in JAWS 8
The file can be downloaded at the
JAWS Headquarters
web site. A quick head’s up—the file is 60 Mb.
The ten files are:
*1 Introduction
*2 Start Up Wizard
*3 Manage Application Settings
*4 Say All SAPI 5
*5 Alternate Say All
*6 Web Resources
*7 Smart Word Reading
*8 IE7 Tips and Tricks
*9 JAWS Find
10* Virtualize Window Controller Frame
You will notice that the one file indicates the SAPI5 speech engine. Freedom Scientific is including a CD of SAPI5 voice files to use when using the “Say All” command. (However, if you download JAWS 8 from the web, you will not get the files.) If you are using the “Say All” command as it has been used in the past and have installed the SAPI files, you will hear it read in the more human-sounding voice that the SAPI speech engine provides. Hence, you’ll also note there is also the file for “Alternate Say All,” which will let you continue using the normal JAWS Eloquence speech engine for using the “Say All” command.
I’ve almost completed listening to the What’s New files. On a personal note, I have to say that the advances that bring access to Internet Explorer 7 are the most intriguing aspect of JAWS 8 and have me very eager for this update. I believe IE7 will make using the web a lot more enjoyable and JAWS 8 is what is going to make that accessible.
If past behavior is any indicator, posting the What’s New files on-line means the new version is within 1-2 weeks of being shipped. This would also agree with what the Freedom Scientific rep told me this past week at the AHEAD in Texas conference.
The file can be downloaded at the
JAWS Headquarters
web site. A quick head’s up—the file is 60 Mb.
The ten files are:
*1 Introduction
*2 Start Up Wizard
*3 Manage Application Settings
*4 Say All SAPI 5
*5 Alternate Say All
*6 Web Resources
*7 Smart Word Reading
*8 IE7 Tips and Tricks
*9 JAWS Find
10* Virtualize Window Controller Frame
You will notice that the one file indicates the SAPI5 speech engine. Freedom Scientific is including a CD of SAPI5 voice files to use when using the “Say All” command. (However, if you download JAWS 8 from the web, you will not get the files.) If you are using the “Say All” command as it has been used in the past and have installed the SAPI files, you will hear it read in the more human-sounding voice that the SAPI speech engine provides. Hence, you’ll also note there is also the file for “Alternate Say All,” which will let you continue using the normal JAWS Eloquence speech engine for using the “Say All” command.
I’ve almost completed listening to the What’s New files. On a personal note, I have to say that the advances that bring access to Internet Explorer 7 are the most intriguing aspect of JAWS 8 and have me very eager for this update. I believe IE7 will make using the web a lot more enjoyable and JAWS 8 is what is going to make that accessible.
If past behavior is any indicator, posting the What’s New files on-line means the new version is within 1-2 weeks of being shipped. This would also agree with what the Freedom Scientific rep told me this past week at the AHEAD in Texas conference.
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