Category: AT articles

Get into Fred’s Head at American Printing House for the Blind

Published July 8, 2010 by L. Legendary

One of my favorite sites for info on everything from adjusting to vision loss to tech tips to cane travel is the site aph.org. Not only do they offer some great products and services, they also have a great blog, called Fred’s Head. Here’s the blurb right off the home page:

The Fred’s Head blog contains tips, techniques, tutorials, in-depth articles, and resources for and by blind or visually impaired people. Fred’s Head is offered by the American Printing House for the Blind. Fred’s Head is named after the legendary Fred Gissoni of APH’s Customer Relations Department.

The Fred’s Head blog is superbly managed by Michael McCarty, who is social media coordinator for APH. He is also President of the Kentucky Council of the Blind, and has provided ADA training to TARC, MV Transportation, Yellow Cab and a host of other local businesses. He is a dog guide user and co-host of a weekly radio program that focuses on issues faced by the blind and visually impaired from local, state and national levels. Michael has also written many of the articles you’ll find on the site.

Here’s the link to the APH home page: h

You can follow on Twitter: (@fredshead) www.twitter.com/fredshead

Read the blog: www.fredshead.info/

You’ll find a treasure trove of articles and tips written for people who are blind, by people who are blind or visually impaired. You’ll even find some of my own articles there. Here’s the link to the latest, on what to consider when buying a video magnifier:

Laura’s article on APH

There are literally hundreds of articles to browse through, so enjoy. If you or someone you love is coping with vision loss, American Printing House for the Blind and the Fred’s Head blog are great resources from which to learn and grow.

Comments closed

Make your planet more inclusive, part 4

Published June 11, 2010 by L. Legendary

This is the fourth and final installment of my interview series with Inclusive Planet’s communications and marketing director, Ujjvala Ballal. I hope you have enjoyed the series. Frankly, I’m exhausted. I’m no professional journalist!

We have covered quite a lot of ground with regard to Inclusive Planet’s plans for growth and expansion, marketing and monetization, impact and policy. In this last part, I want to explore some questions about copyright protections, intellectual property and file sharing.

The sum total of everything I know about copyright can be summed up by my mother’s admonition, “don’t take things that don’t belong to you.” I’ve always lived by that, and I realize that the finer points of copyright law just might be a bit more complex. However, not being a legal eagle specializing in intellectual property rights, my further understanding of these complexities might be obscured by my rather unsophisticated knee-jerk reaction, "hey, take your hands off that, it’s mine.”

I always find other’s attitudes about copyright and intellectual property protections really very interesting. I notice that people who produce intellectual property tend to have a healthy respect for, nearly a reverence of, copyright laws. On the other hand, I know of those who produce nothing, have created nothing, have never agonized over every detail of their handiwork a day in their lives, and freely rip off whomever and whatever they can, sharing in copious quantities with no reservation or consideration of the source whatsoever.

One of the first things I noticed when I logged into Inclusive Planet for the first time was the liberal use of file sharing. Everything imaginable is being shared on the site, from music to texts, audio to video. Some of the files were being uploaded by entities I recognized as publishing companies of print material in alternative file formats, such as Libre Vox, Matilda Ziegler and Washington Association for the Blind. However, I found a number of other file types, which caused me a bit of eyebrow raising.

My understanding of current copyright laws is that to some degree, they are fluid and there are efforts underway to make changes. How U. S. copyright law differs from international copyright laws, I do not know. My only exposure to specifics comes from my own published work and information shared by a relative who works for a book publishing company. I know that in the US, the Writer’s Guild, for example, has fought against making some books available in audio formats for the blind, as this renders their work vulnerable to copyright infringement. Well, if you saw what goes on in some of these file-sharing sites, you’d understand their concerns.

I also understand that ever since the Internet was born, there is strong opinion on both sides of the issue. Some people believe that because it’s out there for the taking, it should be taken. Others believe a vice-like grip is necessary to fight the tidal wave of piracy from compromising quality. Then, there are those who haven’t stopped downloading long enough to think about it.

I’m really very curious about this now, and I’d love it if some experts in copyright law would weigh in. I’ve had my own experiences where I was forced to either gently remind someone that permission must be granted in order to reprint another’s work, to outright demanding something be pulled down. Without the teeth of legal jurisprudence, however, kindly requests seem to go utterly ignored.

LL: Some might refer to this type of web site as a "file sharing" operation, and this raises some questions about copyright and intellectual property. What rules govern Inclusive Planet, and how is it monitored? Is there some sort of legal oversight?

IP: IP allows its members to use the site for various purposes, such as social interaction and sharing of content in accessible formats. Inclusiveplanet.com is an intermediary in accordance with Indian law, similar to say, youtube.com. Inclusive Planet respects third party intellectual property and we have a take down policy pursuant to which we will take down infringing material if we are informed about it in accordance with our take down policy. For more information on the take down policy please see www.inclusiveplanet.com/en/take-down-policy_en

The users of Inclusive Planet, the “Planeteers,” are the best advocates of the site. While they would likely agree with me that use of the site is by no means limited to individuals who have print disabilities, there is a definite camaraderie among the members, a bond forged by understanding and shared experiences.

Planeteer Gunjan said: IN A NUT SHELL FROM THE INCLUSIVE PLANET I GOT

MOTIVATION TO MOVE AHEAD IN LIFE and inspiration to enhance myself socially. I love Inclusive Planet!

Comments closed

Make your planet more inclusive, part 3

Published June 10, 2010 by L. Legendary

If you are a regular reader of the Accessible Insights blog, then you may have already read parts one and two of this interview series about a relatively new social networking platform called Inclusive Planet. This rapidly growing web destination aims to connect people who have print disabilities with accessible content, and build a community that is truly global. As a “Planeteer” myself for only a few weeks, I was so impressed with what the Inclusive Planet team was doing that I asked for, and was granted an interview with IP’s marketing visionary, Ujjvala Ballal.

In parts one and two we discussed Inclusive Planet’s goals, plans for growth and monetization. In this third part, Ujjvala shared IP’s plans to impact policy for the print-impaired community.

LL: How are you getting the word out about Inclusive Planet?

IP: Some things we are doing include working closely with the first few thousand print-impaired members to sharpen our value proposition, for example, the Transformative impact of connecting, sharing and collaborating. We are also connecting and engaging other high-impact organisations around the world that work with the print-impaired and staying open to various models of collaboration.

LL: What about word of mouth?

IP: We recognize the fact that localisation is big. People want the platform in their local language and they want an early lot of content and conversation to attract them to adopting the platform. Thus offering local languages and early seed content, mostly in partnership with the kind of organisations mentioned previously is critical. We’re identifying powerful stakeholders in the accessibility world (Google, IBM etc.) and taking the first steps to demonstrate the calibre of our early work so as to get them to support us strategically (marketing, accessible content) and so on. Our biggest focus area is listening hard to the early community and responding accordingly. That’s the mantra of community formation and we want to validate our value propositions carefully.

LL: Care to share some specifics about your marketing plan?

IP: In the short term, we are exploring the idea of 2 campaigns at the moment. In the Breaking Stereotypes Campaign, we are looking at partnering with a few organizations across the world to create stories, and content from the existing community to help break common stereotypes that most sighted people have about visual impairment.

We are also exploring the idea of creating inspiring and powerful content (in the form of audio and video) of print impaired people who have achieved success in their own fields, and overcome the unique challenges that they have been faced with. Each of these stories will be a powerful tool for the print impaired community as role models are always a strong source of inspiration! Our objective would be to create a storehouse of knowledge and inspiration for the global print impaired community.

LL: Sounds ambitious. Anything else you want to add?

IP: There is another facet to our work. Direct policy work that Inclusive Planet is doing and the impact that inclusiveplanet.com will have on policy.

Inclusive Planet’s policy advocacy arm helped with the drafting of the WIPO Treaty for Improved Access for Blind, Visually Impaired and other Reading Disabled Persons and are helping the World Blind Union in advocating for the treaty at WIPO. We were part of the WBU delegation at the Stakeholders Platform and the open consultations at Geneva. In India, we conceptualized and executed the Right to Read campaign to bring about copyright changes to enable the conversion and distribution of reading material in accessible formats. Leading political parties have come forward to support the initiative and a copyright amendment is currently pending before Parliament.

As for the policy impact of inclusiveplanet.com, policy advocacy amongst the print-impaired is poor because there is no print-impaired community. Naturally community formation as a result of inclusiveplanet.com would have a transformational impact on this because it would allow problems to be discussed and strategies to be evolved at a community level, and not just draw national inputs but international inputs. A small example of an already successful public initiative on inclusiveplanet.com is that of the South African National Commission for the Blind to solicit views on its Braille voting template.

Whew. Admirable goals indeed. In the final part of this interview series, we’ll talk about alternatives to print formats, copyright and file sharing. Strap in, we’re coming in for a landing on Inclusive Planet!

Comments closed

Make your planet more inclusive, part 2

Published June 9, 2010 by L. Legendary

Today’s post is a continuation of my interview with one of the core group members of Inclusive Planet, Director of Marketing Ujjvala Ballal. I asked Ujjvala about IP’s plans for future expansion and monetization.

First, here are some quick facts about Inclusive Planet:

Beta platform Launched: End of October 2009.

Number of members: About 3,700

Representing: 81 countries

Accessible files shared: Over 20,000

Conversations between members: Over 4,000

Turkish version launched: April 2010

Turkish members: 300

Latin American version: Ready to launch

The founders of InclusivePlanet have charted a three-year course for growth and value that includes global outreach and advocacy.

The interview continues:

LL: Tell me about IP’s plans for growth.

IP: Our three-year plan

Year 1 – till March 31 2011:

We want to connect around 15000 members worldwide with strong English, Spanish and Turkish bases. We want to tie up with at least 4-5 strong international partners, and reach a critical mass in at least one region – in order to pilot at least one of our monetisation plans.

Year 2 – till March 31 2012:

We want to connect 600,000+ members worldwide with a strong presence in 5-6 languages, have at least 6-8 strong international partners and break even in at least one region. We want to move up a value chain in at least one area – relationships, learning, employment, travel, etc.

Year 3 – till March 31 2013:

We want to have 2 million + members worldwide with a strong presence in 8-10 languages and have at least 10-12 strong international partners. By this time, we want to distribute 10% of our stock amongst the member community, and we hope to break even as an organisation. Inclusive Planet aims to have a strong mobile presence in countries that have poor computer Internet penetration.

LL: So, how do you plan to monetize Inclusive Planet?

IP: We seek to monetise two aspects. The expertise we have as a result of creating and managing inclusiveplanet.com and inclusiveplanet.com itself.

Firstly, the expertise:

We are helping IT firms; site designers and end users themselves create more accessible platforms. Our expertise in designing systems for the print-impaired is being conveyed through consulting services that we are already delivering to national institutes and to private IT /ITES players. In addition we offer the product creators the world’s most sophisticated testing area – inclusiveplanet.com‘s community!

Secondly, inclusiveplanet.com:

As the member base increases Inclusive Planet will be in a position to offer organisations across the world unprecedented access to the print-impaired community along with tremendous intelligence about the needs and wants of the community. We will offer advertising and Retail of third-party products and services catering to the print-impaired. We will enable content publishers to sell their content (e-books etc.) to a large content- consuming community with expressed interests.

We are also interested in facilitating e-bay type user-commerce – for example, print-impaired persons with products, expertise and knowledge acquired for themselves could sell this to other print-impaired people. Additionally, we will climb the value chain by providing services linked to popular content, for example learning services with educational content, dating and matrimonial services with relationship content.

Finally, Ballal points out that “In order for the business model to succeed we need to achieve scale. Without scale our access route would not be attractive enough for companies wishing to market to the print-impaired. Also, without scale the numbers of potential consumers of paid services would be insufficient.”

Watch for part 3 of my interview with Inclusive Planet’s marketing and community relations guru, Ujjvala Ballal. We’ll talk about advocacy and accessibility policy, and how Inclusive Planet plans to make an impact.

More soon!

LL

Comments closed

Make your planet more inclusive with this interview series

Published June 8, 2010 by L. Legendary

This week, I’ll be posting a series of articles on a relatively new social networking site called Inclusive Planet. I discovered them only because I had spotted one of their tweets (follow @inclusiveplanet), and while I was curious, I did not investigate until I was approached and invited to join. After spending only a few days on the site, I became fascinated with the concept and intrigued by the platform’s potential. So much so, in fact, that I requested an interview with some of the site’s principals, and was granted access to some great information I’ll share here.

Inclusive Planet is a web site devoted to connecting people who have print disabilities. The term “print disability” can include a learning or cognitive impairment, dyslexia, blindness or low vision, or anyone who just needs greater accessibility in a social network environment. The site is fully accessible for anyone who uses a screen reader, and it is simple and easy to navigate. I had no trouble quickly familiarizing myself with the site features, and there were no complicated settings or customizations. The straightforward prompts and intuitive, flexible format made the site usable and fun.

Inclusive Planet is relatively new. Therefore, it has a rather small membership, at least compared to Twitter or Facebook. However, it is growing rapidly, and just since I joined two weeks ago, I would guess over one hundred new members, or "Planeteers" as they are called, have created their own profiles.

One of the unique aspects of Inclusive Planet is the ability to create a “channel,” a sort of personalized information conduit that allows channel owners to import a blog, upload files, books, class notes, syllabi, audio files, and any other content that might otherwise be inaccessible for people with print disabilities. All content on the web site that is shared by it’s members is usable by anyone who requires the use of a screen reader such as Jaws or ZoomText.

It’s a cliché these days to marvel at how small our world has become, thanks to the ability to connect with anyone on the globe from our desktop. Inclusive Planet truly brings that notion home when you realize that, at least for right now, the majority of the members are not North Americans, which is the usual result of a silicon Valley-born enterprise.

In part one of this series, the Director of Marketing for Inclusive Planet, Ujjvala Ballal, shares some background information as to Inclusive Planet’s own “big bang.”

LL: Who came up with the original concept of Inclusive Planet?

IP: One of our co-founders – Rahul Cherian, a copyright lawyer, was invited to help draft the WIPO Treaty for Improved Access for Blind, Visually Impaired and other Reading Disabled Persons in 2008. It was there that it struck Rahul that there was a massive resource problem that technology could fix. Subsequently upon his return Rahul, Sachin and Reuben worked with organizations working with persons with print impairment to understand what the best solutions would be. The more we were exposed to the nature of the problems faced by the community the more apparent it became what the solutions needed to look like.

There is no one person behind the idea. It is an evolving iterative effort that has been changing shape to meet the problem intelligently. The core group of six people behind the project is an interesting mix of technologists, lawyers, business graduates, disability policy activists and designers.

Here is a link to the profiles of the core group:

corp.inclusiveplanet.com/about.htm

LL: When did Inclusive Planet first go online, and how many members have you now?

IP: We launched our beta platform end of October 2009 and currently Inclusive Planet connects around 3700 print-impaired persons from 81 countries. These 3700 persons have shared 20,000+ files of accessible content and over 4000+ conversations. We hope to connect over 10,000 people by December 31, 2010 and over half a million by December 31, 2011.

We launched the Turkish version in April 2010 and already have 300 members. The site was driven completely because of the efforts of a member from Turkey.

We also have the Spanish version of the site ready but we are looking at partnering with a few organizations in Latin America to help us.

LL: How was the project funded, or by whom?

IP: So far we have raised money from angel investors who have invested in their individual capacities. These individuals are people from the Indian venture capital, social business and technology business community. We’ve raised 120,000 USD so far from these. Currently we’re looking to enlist a few more of these angels, but we are also looking for a larger round of support to give us the resources we need for 2-3 years.

According to Ballal, the specific impact of the project is intended to encompass a “greater pool of educational, leisure and work related content (books, articles, magazines, journals, blogs and conversations) for the print-impaired worldwide, positively impacting education and employment amongst the print-impaired, as well as increased reading amongst the print-impaired.”

Another goal of the Inclusive Planet platform is to “Increase social interaction between people with print impairment leading to relationships, community building and more complete individual development.” As a result of these efforts in community building, the Inclusive Planet group hopes it will lead to “fuller citizenship and lobbying and, equally importantly, the discovery of the print-impaired as a market for products and services.”

Ballal also suggests that the large pool of lifestyle content, such as tips for greater independent living, city guides, menu cards, travel information and tips on Assistive technologies will lead to a “higher lifestyle standard amongst the print-impaired.”

In part two of this series Ujjvala Ballal will share more info about the Inclusive Planet goals and plans for expansion.

Thanks for reading, and more soon!

3 Comments

Text messaging solution for visually impaired texters?

Published June 5, 2010 by L. Legendary

Do you feel left out because all of your friends keep in touch by texting, and you cannot? Do you have problems seeing the small screen, pressing those impossibly tiny buttons, or just keeping pace? Now there is a solution in the UK based Text Magic. Read more here:

blog.textmagic.com/weblog/2010/05/text-messaging-becomes-a-reality-for-the-blind-and-visually-impaired.html

I’m interested to know what my readers are using now. Please comment and share your texting tool of choice. Is text messaging your preferred method of communication? Are you one of those people who can text a mile a minute, or is your phone too awkward to use for texting? I know my readers who are blind aren’t driving while texting, so I need not be concerned there. Can you tap and text?

I use a Moto Q with Mobile Speak. I like my phone because it has a spectacular tactile qwerty keyboard, and Mobile Speak is sufficient for my pitiful texting purposes. What are you using?

2 Comments

Low-cost Home Modifications for Greater Independent Living: 10 Accessibility Tips

Published June 2, 2010 by L. Legendary

Whether you anticipate changes in your health status or that of a friend or relative, modifying a home to accommodate a disability could be a component of those changes. While you may have visions of drop cloths, plastic sheeting and drywall dust all over your home, don’t worry. Many home modifications need not involve noisy construction and costly contractors. There are many inexpensive ways to make your home more accessible. If you are planning in-home care strategies with your aging parents, or just want to answer the question, “What do we do when Uncle Bob comes over?” the following tips can help alleviate the stress and anxiety of making the changes that will accompany you into a new phase of life.

Keep the lines of communication open. It is always better to inquire as to what is needed than to avoid the issue. Asking what is the best way to accommodate a disability is not insensitive, and raising your awareness can help to avoid awkward moments and misunderstanding. Don’t be afraid to express your ignorance and consider the situation a learning opportunity. Your desire to learn is an act of compassion, as it treats others with dignity and respect.

Try a “simulation exercise.” Spend a day sitting in a wheelchair. Move about the living areas making note of what is in the way or out of reach. Rearrange the items that you anticipate will be needed frequently. For example, pull the microwave closer to the edge of the countertop, or move it to a low table, while still allowing for a food transfer and preparation area. Simulate vision loss with a blindfold, and attempt to locate food in the pantry or refrigerator, personal care items, towels, electrical outlets, and the telephone. Make these items readily accessible and identifiable. This exercise will help you to understand the challenges that face people with disabilities every day.

Don’t overdo it. If your loved one or friend uses a wheelchair, it is not necessary to remove all the furniture in the house. In general, you should establish a five-foot by five-foot turning radius for wheelchair users in kitchens and bathrooms when possible. If a person who is blind comes over, you need not pack away your knick-knacks. While removing obstacles is a good idea, simply orienting the person to his surroundings and potential hazards can go a long way toward making that individual feel more welcome and comfortable.

Seek alternatives. If you are unable to recruit a contractor to widen doorways, you can try removing doors altogether or purchasing “swing free” hinges. These special hinges allow the door to swing completely away from the frame, allowing just a little extra room to accommodate a scooter or smaller wheelchair.

Remove hazards. Think of the home modification project in the same way you think of baby-proofing a home. If electrical cords might cause a tripping hazard, remove them or tape them securely to the floor. Remove throw rugs or floor mats that may impede a person who has difficulty ambulating. These items may also make using a cane or walker more difficult.

Know when to stop. If a friend or loved one with vision loss is visiting or living with you, ask how much description is needed for comfortable identification of food, surroundings or entertainment activities. This way you do not find yourself providing a continuous stream of information, which may be embarrassing and unnecessary.

Keep your options open. Not all alterations to the home must be permanent. If a person is temporarily disabled or undergoing difficult treatments that will eventually conclude, look for independent living aids that can assist with reaching and grabbing, seating and support, watching TV or reading. Many daily living aids are inexpensive, and may fill a role temporarily. Daily living aids can be found in catalogs and on the Internet. You will discover an astounding array of tools for home, work or play.

Shop around. Not all home modification fixtures are utilitarian, unsightly and sterile-looking. With the popularity of home makeover and interior decorating shows, many of these design elements are very fashionable. Decorative grab bars, bath fixtures and floor texturizing for safe ambulation are attractive and readily available.

Don’t forget about lighting. For those with low vision, consider how lighting can make your guests or loved ones more comfortable. Either insufficient or intense lighting may be problematic, depending upon the specific type of vision loss. Use lighting to enhance contrast, as well as a way to identify potential hazards, such as stairs or changes in the floor texture. Ask the individual in what type of lighting he or she functions best. He or she may prefer indirect light or close lighting, or lighting that can be adjusted. Install dimmer switches for maximum flexibility.

Do a little research. If you do require construction, look for contractors who are familiar with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) construction guidelines. Accurate communication will ensure that the result will meet your specific needs. A good contractor will know the critical requirements of wheelchair ramp width, slope ratio, handrail height, etc. If you are considering a major remodel or building a new home, then find a contractor who specializes in “universal design.”

When modifying a home for accessibility, small changes can make a big difference. Evolving health circumstances along with aging can make for difficult choices. Educate yourself as to the variety of accessibility options, and comparison shop for the best value. Planning for changes before they are necessary will make transitioning into a new lifestyle more comfortable and secure. Most importantly, you can enhance the quality of life for yourself as well as for your loved ones.

One Comment

Travel outlook for people with disabilities

Published May 28, 2010 by L. Legendary

Travel Outlook for People with Disabilities

By Laura Legendary

If you think walking to the corner market might be intimidating for a person who is blind, imagine how it might feel to navigate a bustling open-air street market in another country. If you’ve ever been on a cruise, you already know it can be a sublime experience, with inspiring sights, tranquil sounds and an abundant array of leisure activities available at all hours. Imagine, though, how it would feel to know that you could not take full advantage of the shipboard amenities because of the lack of wheelchair access. What if you were deaf and your heart’s desire was to lose yourself in the cool confines of an art museum, but for lack of a docent who could communicate in sign language, you could not avail yourself of the rich historical context in which the precious artifacts were created?

Although these scenarios make travel seem impractical, if not impossible, for those with disabilities, it doesn’t have to be that way. With a little research, planning, and spirit of adventure, nothing has to come between you and the trip of your dreams. Below is a short list of a few places to begin your investigation. If you are a person with a disability or if your special someone is disabled, you’ll want to explore these wonderful travel websites, which specialize in accommodating travelers with disabilities.

111 Travel Directory

www.triple1.com/

This website caught my attention because it is easy to read and navigate. My favorite features are the “Tips For Trips” sections, where travelers from all over the world have contributed practical words of wisdom. There are tips lists just for traveling to specific destinations, tips for parents traveling with small children, safety tips and, of course, tips for travelers with disabilities, all submitted by people who have been there, done that. You may even find a few of my own recommendations there.

Disabled Travel USA

www.accesstours.org/

Or,

www.ability.org.uk/disabled_travel_usa.html

From Acadia National Park to Zion National Park, this wonderful list of accessible places would be awfully handy when you’re ready for a road trip. The list briefly describes the type of accommodations you can expect. Call ahead to verify that your needs will be met, and relax knowing that a warm welcome awaits. Also see Disabled Travel Europe, and page after page of disability-related resources by Ability.org.

Accessible Journeys

accessiblejourneys.com/

This is the world’s largest cruise travel company specializing in wheelchair travel. Visit the “About” page and read their story. It offers great resources for planning your trip, understanding shipboard illness and a variety of tour types to suit the adventurer in everyone.

Independent Living Links

www.independent living.org

A head-spinning list of links for every aspect of independent living. Don’t miss their extensive list of travel resources. This site could keep you busy for hours.

Tips for Travelers with Disabilities Brochure

travel.state.gov/

This is a U.S. government site with additional brochures and links to other travel sites. Lots of important international travel information here.

Remember that outside of the U.S., there is no such thing as the Americans with Disabilities Act. Other countries are under no legal obligation to make accommodations that will ensure fully accessible passage.

For even more options, just type “disabled travel” or “accessible travel” into your favorite search engine. You will be amazed at the choices. You can find travel companies that specialize in a full range of services, such as mobility equipment rental, travel companions, medical supervision, and more. There are travel companies that will arrange every detail of your holiday, from your door to your destination and back. Thoroughly investigate your options during the early planning stages of your trip. Whether you walk or roll, set your sights on these great web resources and bon voyage!

Author’s note: On the front page of Accessible Insights, you’ll see a couple of travel links that will take you to some accessible travel newsfeeds.

Click here to go to Accessible Insights

Comments closed

Win 7 workaround for Zoom Text users

Published May 13, 2010 by L. Legendary

If you have yet to upgrade to Windows 7, then you may be unaware of a perplexing little phenomenon about the new operating system. At first, you may not catch it, you are so enthralled by the new features and doo-dads. Once you get set up, though, you realize that there is something missing, but you just…can’t…quite…put your finger on it. Oh well, you’ll get to that later. Right now, you want to send an email to your best friend to tell him or her how great your new Windows 7 performs.

Then you realize what the missing piece of the puzzle is. Windows 7 does not come with email. that’s right, no Windows Mail, no Outlook or Outlook Express. Microsoft announced this, it is not an oversight. You did not get ripped off by the value-added reseller who configured your system. Microsoft did not include an email program in the latest version of Microsoft Windows, deliberately.

There are more than a dozen different options you can choose for your email client. You do not have to use the Windows Live Journal online email. If you already have pop 3 mail, and use Outlook or Outlook Express, you can download the Windows Live Essentials suite of programs.

Windows Live Essentials is a grouping of free products that includes Live Writer, media software and mail. You can choose to install only the components that interest you. Or, if you already own the MS Office package, you already have a copy of Outlook that you can use in your new Windows operating system. Either way, don’t panic. You are not forced to use any paid services or obtain a hotmail address.

One caveat though, for screen reader users, particularly those who use Zoom Text: While Windows Live Mail is almost identical to Outlook Express, all the way down to the steps required to setting up email accounts and importing contacts, the screen reader may not work. In fact, when I was unable to get Zoomtext to voice the “To,” “CC” and “Subject” data entry fields, I called A I Squared. The tech support person informed me that Zoomtext is flat incompatible with Windows Live Mail, told me that it will not work, and that there is no work around.

that’s not entirely true. Perhaps that is what they have to say, since they made no effort to develop ZoomText for Live Mail. However, I have had little difficulty in getting around, except for a few important keystrokes that do not announce accurately.

A work-around for this, I discovered, is by using Windows Narrator. if you read my previous post, then you know I’m becoming a bit of a fan of Narrator, because on the occaisions when Jaws loses speech or ZoomText hangs up or something else goes horribly awry, invoking Narrator or NVDA (if you have it) really helps.

While struggling to figure out how to get ZoomText to tell me what I wanted to know in Windows Live Mail, I found that Narrator filled the gap. It voiced what ZoomText did not. So, I was able to complete the Live Mail setup process, load in my email accounts, and I’ve sent and recieved email with no problems whatsoever. So, keep those hotkeys handy. Admittedly, having to use multiple screen readers isn’t the most elegant solution in the world, but it’s no different than driving around with a spare tire. You may not ever use it, but you are sure glad it’s there when you need it.

Comments closed

Hotkey help for screen reader users

Published May 10, 2010 by L. Legendary

Recently, I found myself sitting in front of a new computer trying to get it up and running with my critical personalization’s. If you are someone who has low or no vision and have ever been dead in the water because you cannot get to anything without sighted assistance, you can empathize. New version of Windows, old versions of software on CD. Update them? Sure, no problem. Just go online and download the new OS compatible versions, right? Except that you don’t have your screen reader loaded onto the new PC. I knew that if I could get something, ANYTHING to talk, I’d have no problem, but I realized that without something that would auto play, like a screen reader loaded onto a USB drive, I was stuck. My NVDA on USB? Older version, wouldn’t work with Win 7. Zoomtext? My CD wouldn’t load on Win 7, unless I made some changes to the compatibility mode, which I could not do without speech. I didn’t even know how to get to Windows Narrator, which I knew would do in a pinch. I even tried matching keystroke for keystroke in tandem with my desktop, but alas, the steps diverge at some point. Grrr! When you cannot see what’s happening on the screen, just randomly pressing keys and hoping for a lucky break can be dangerous. Once you lose your place, who knows what havoc ensues.

In sheer frustration, I went out to Twitter, which is quickly rivaling Google as the repository for all knowledge, and queried my accessibility tweeps how to invoke the Narrator in Windows 7. In fractions of a second, five people produced the answer. A hotkey sequence that was unknown to me brought up the native screen reader in my new version of Windows, and I was off and running. Whatever you may think of Twitter, many of the people who use it are brilliant pros who are eager to help. I was very grateful for their help in this case.

It occurred to me that I cannot be the only person who has ever been sitting blind in front of a computer, with no way to accomplish anything without a screen reader. I began compiling a list of Windows 7 keyboard hotkeys, gathering them from various places, either web sites or help screens or user’s guides. Below is that list.

This is by no means a comprehensive list. Also, keep in mind that not all hotkeys are going to work in all versions of all programs. If you are using a screen reader or other feature-rich programs, hotkeys can often conflict. I have not personally tested every one of these hotkeys with the various versions of each program, but this list will get you started. I suggest you just copy and paste this entire post into a notepad doc, and then clip out what you don’t want. Save it to your desktop, copy it to a USB drive, send it to your friends. You never know when one of these key combinations will get you out of a jam. If I had known that by pressing the Windows key plus U, then pressing alt-n would get me to Windows Narrator, I would have saved an entire day of frustrated attempts trying to get something loaded that would talk.

Finally, if you want to try out a screen reader but don’t want to spend the money, scroll down to the bottom of the list and click the link for NVDA. It’s a great little screen reader, especially for the price..it’s free. Immediately below that, I’ve listed a few of those hotkeys, too.

Windows 7 abbreviated hotkey list:

From the desktop, press Win plus U, then alt plus N to get narrator started

Ease of Access keyboard shortcuts

Right Shift for eight seconds: Turn Filter Keys on and off
Left Alt + Left Shift + PrtScn (or PrtScn): Turn High Contrast on or off
Left Alt + Left Shift + Num Lock: Turn Mouse Keys on or off
Shift five times: Turn Sticky Keys on or off
Num Lock for five seconds: Turn Toggle Keys on or off
Windows logo key + U: Open the Ease of Access Center
General keyboard shortcuts

F1: Display Help
Ctrl + C (or Ctrl + Insert): Copy the selected item
Ctrl + X: Cut the selected item
Ctrl + V (or Shift + Insert): Paste the selected item
Ctrl + Z: Undo an action
Ctrl + Y: Redo an action
Delete (or Ctrl + D): Delete the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin
Shift + Delete: Delete the selected item without moving it to the Recycle Bin first
F2: Rename the selected item
Ctrl + Right Arrow: Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word
Ctrl + Left Arrow: Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word
Ctrl + Down Arrow: Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph
Ctrl + Up Arrow: Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph
Ctrl + Shift with an arrow key: Select a block of text
Shift + any arrow key: Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or

select text within a document
Ctrl + any arrow key + Spacebar: Select multiple individual items in a window or on the

desktop
Ctrl + A: Select all items in a document or window
F3: Search for a file or folder
Alt + Enter: Display properties for the selected item
Alt + F4: Close the active item, or exit the active program
Alt + Spacebar: Open the shortcut menu for the active window
Ctrl + F4: Close the active document (in programs that allow you to have multiple

documents open simultaneously)
Alt + Tab: Switch between open items
Ctrl + Alt + Tab: Use the arrow keys to switch between open items
Ctrl + Mouse scroll wheel: Change the size of icons on the desktop
Windows logo key + Tab: Cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Aero Flip 3-D
Ctrl+ Windows logo key + Tab: Use the arrow keys to cycle through programs on the

taskbar by using Aero Flip 3-D
Alt + Esc: Cycle through items in the order in which they were opened
F6: Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop
F4: Display the address bar list in Windows Explorer
Shift + F10: Display the shortcut menu for the selected item
Ctrl + Esc: Open the Start menu
Alt + underlined letter: Display the corresponding menu
Alt + underlined letter: Perform the menu command (or other underlined command)
F10: Activate the menu bar in the active program
Right Arrow: Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu
Left Arrow: Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu
F5 (or Ctrl + R): Refresh the active window
Alt + Up Arrow: View the folder one level up in Windows Explorer
Esc: Cancel the current task
Ctrl + Shift + Esc: Open Task Manager
Shift when you insert a CD: Prevent the CD from automatically playing
Left Alt + Shift: Switch the input language when multiple input languages are enabled
Ctrl + ShiftL: Switch the keyboard layout when multiple keyboard layouts are enabled
Right or Left Ctrl + Shift: Change the reading direction of text in right-to-left reading

languages
Dialog box keyboard shortcuts

Ctrl + Tab: Move forward through tabs
Ctrl + Shift + Tab: Move back through tabs
Tab: Move forward through options
Shift + Tab: Move back through options
Alt + underlined letter: Perform the command (or select the option) that goes with that letter
Enter: Replaces clicking the mouse for many selected commands
Spacebar: Select or clear the check box if the active option is a check box
Arrow keys: Select a button if the active option is a group of option buttons
F1: Display Help
F4: Display the items in the active list
Backspace: Open a folder one level up if a folder is selected in the Save As or Open

dialog box

Windows logo key keyboard shortcuts

Windows logo key: Open or close the Start menu.
Windows logo key + Pause: Display the System Properties dialog box.
Windows logo key + D: Display the desktop.
Windows logo key + M: Minimize all windows.
Windows logo key + Shift + M: Restore minimized windows to the desktop.
Windows logo key + E: Open Computer.
Windows logo key + F: Search for a file or folder.
Ctrl + Windows logo key + F: Search for computers (if you’re on a network).
Windows logo key + L: Lock your computer or switch users.
Windows logo key + R: Open the Run dialog box.
Windows logo key + T: Cycle through programs on the taskbar.
Windows logo key + number: Start the program pinned to the taskbar in the position

indicated by the number. If the program is already running, switch to that program.
Shift + Windows logo key + number: Start a new instance of the program pinned to the

taskbar in the position indicated by the number.
Ctrl + Windows logo key + number: Switch to the last active window of the program

pinned to the taskbar in the position indicated by the number.
Alt + Windows logo key + number: Open the Jump List for the program pinned to the

taskbar in the position indicated by the number.
Windows logo key + Tab: Cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Aero Flip 3-D.
Ctrl+Windows logo key + Tab: Use the arrow keys to cycle through programs on the

taskbar by using Aero Flip 3-D.
Ctrl+Windows logo key + B: Switch to the program that displayed a message in the

notification area.
Windows logo key + Spacebar: Preview the desktop.
Windows logo key + Up Arrow: Maximize the window.
Windows logo key + Left Arrow: Maximize the window to the left side of the screen.
Windows logo key + Right Arrow: Maximize the window to the right side of the screen.
Windows logo key + Down Arrow: Minimize the window.
Windows logo key + Home: Minimize all but the active window.
Windows logo key + Shift + Up Arrow: Stretch the window to the top and bottom of the

screen.
Windows logo key + Shift+ Left Arrow or Right Arrow: Move a window from one monitor

to another.
Windows logo key + P: Choose a presentation display mode.
Windows logo key + G: Cycle through gadgets.
Windows logo key + U: Open Ease of Access Center.
Windows logo key + X: Open Windows Mobility Center.
Windows Explorer keyboard shortcuts

Ctrl + N: Open a new window
Ctrl + W: Close the current window
Ctrl + Shift + N: Create a new folder
End: Display the bottom of the active window
Home: Display the top of the active window
F11: Maximize or minimize the active window
Ctrl + Period (.): Rotate a picture clockwise
Ctrl + Comma (,): Rotate a picture counter-clockwise

Num Lock + Asterisk (*) on numeric keypad: Display all subfolders under the selected

folder
Num Lock + Plus Sign (+) on numeric keypad: Display the contents of the selected

folder
Num Lock + Minus Sign (-) on numeric keypad: Collapse the selected folder
Left Arrow: Collapse the current selection (if it’s expanded), or select the parent folder
Alt + Enter: Open the Properties dialog box for the selected item
Alt + P: Display the preview pane
Alt + Left Arrow: View the previous folder
Backspace: View the previous folder
Right Arrow: Display the current selection (if it’s collapsed), or select the first subfolder
Alt + Right Arrow: View the next folder
Alt + Up Arrow: View the parent folder
Ctrl + Shift + E: Display all folders above the selected folder
Ctrl + Mouse scroll wheel: Change the size and appearance of file and folder icons
Alt + D: Select the address bar
Ctrl + E: Select the search box
Ctrl + F: Select the search box
Taskbar keyboard shortcuts

Shift + Click on a taskbar button: Open a program or quickly open another instance of

a program
Ctrl + Shift + Click on a taskbar button: Open a program as an administrator
Shift + Right-click on a taskbar button: Show the window menu for the program
Shift + Right-click on a grouped taskbar button: Show the window menu for the group
Ctrl + Click on a grouped taskbar button: Cycle through the windows of the group

Magnifier keyboard shortcuts

Windows logo key + Plus Sign or Minus Sign: Zoom in or out
Ctrl + Alt + Spacebar: Preview the desktop in full-screen mode
Ctrl + Alt + F: Switch to full-screen mode
Ctrl + Alt + L: Switch to lens mode
Ctrl + Alt + D: Switch to docked mode
Ctrl + Alt + I: Invert colors
Ctrl + Alt + arrow keys: Pan in the direction of the arrow keys
Ctrl + Alt + R: Resize the lens
Windows logo key + Esc: Exit Magnifier

Click here to download NVDA 2010

NVDA command key quick reference

Many of these commands use the NVDA key. The NVDA key is the insert key found either

on the numberpad or near the delete, home, end, page up and page down keys on

your keyboard. NVDA can also be configured so that you can use the capslock key as

the NVDA key.

Global commands

Control: Pause speech
Shift: Continue speech

NVDA+1: keyboardHelp
turns on keyboard help mode so you can press any combination of keys on the

keyboard and NVDA will tell you its name and what command it performs if it has one.

To turn off keyboard help, press NVDA+1 again.

NVDA+t: title
Announces the title of the currently active application. Spels it when pressed twice and

copies to the clipboard when pressed three times..

NVDA+b: speakForeground
Speaks the content of the currently active application. Useful to read information in a

dialog box that you perhaps missed when it first was announced.

NVDA+n: showGui
Press this key to activate the NVDA menu where you can access NVDA’s settings.

NVDA+q: quit
Asks if you want to exit NVDA. Pressing yes will exit, pressing no will not.

NVDA+s: speechMode
Toggles between the three speech modes (talk, beeps and off).

NVDA+F12: dateTime
Announces the current time, pressing twice quickly announces the current date.

NVDA+End: reportStatusLine
Announces the status bar of the current application if it can find one.

NVDA+f: reportFormatting
Announces formatting information at the current position in a document

Control+NVDA+f1: speakApplicationName
Announces the currently active application’s name, and also spells it out. It also

announces the currently loaded NVDA app module.

NVDA+Shift+b: say_battery_status
Announces the current battery level and whether AC power is plugged in.

NVDA+5: toggleReportDynamicContentChanges
Turns on and off the automatic speaking of content changes (such as when new text

appears in a dos console window).

NVDA+6: toggleCaretMovesReviewCursor
Turns on and off the automatic movement of the review cursor as the caret moves.

NVDA+7: toggleFocusMovesNavigatorObject
Turns on and off the setting of the navigator object to the object with focus as it

changes.

NVDA+Tab: reportCurrentFocus
Announces the object you are currently focused on.

NVDA+f2: passNextKeyThrough
Pressing this key then allows you to press any other key on the keyboard and NVDA will

let it go straight to the operating system with out running its NVDA specific command if it

has one.

Shift+NVDA+upArrow: reportCurrentSelection
Announces the current selection in edit controls and documents. If there is no selection it

says so.

NVDA+upArrow: reportCurrentLine
Announces the current line in edit controls and documents.

NVDA+downArrow: sayAll
Starts reading from the current position in a document or edit control

Control+NVDA+c: saveConfiguration
Saves the configuration.

Control+NVDA+r: revertToSavedConfiguration
Resets the configuration.

NVDA+c: reportClipboardText
Reports the text on the Windows clipboard.

Change Settings (found in the settings dialogues)

NVDA+2: toggleSpeakTypedCharacters
Turns on or off the speaking of characters when you type them.

NVDA+3: toggleSpeakTypedWords
Turns on or off the speaking of words as you type them.

NVDA+4: toggleSpeakCommandKeys
Turns on or off the speaking of any keys as you type them.

NVDA+p: toggleSpeakPunctuation
Turns on or off the speaking of punctuation symbols as NVDA speaks information.

NVDA+m: toggleMouseTracking
Turns on or off announcement of the object or word at the mouse pointer’s current

position, as it moves.

NVDA+u: toggleBeepOnProgressBarUpdates
Controls how NVDA anounces progress bar updates. It can either beep for all the

progress bars within the active window (default), beep for all the bars currently in

progress within the whole system, or it can even anounce each 10 percent by speech.

Control+NVDA+leftArrow: previousSetting
Moves to and announces the previous voice setting
Control+NVDA+rightArrow: nextSetting
Moves to and announces the next voice setting

Control+NVDA+upArrow: increaseSetting
Increases the current voice setting

Control+NVDA+downArrow: decreaseSetting
decreases the current voice setting

Show dialogues

Control+NVDA+g: activateGeneralSettingsDialog
Shows the general settings dialog.

Control+NVDA+s: activateSynthesizerDialog
Shows the synthesizer selection dialog.

Control+NVDA+v: activateVoiceDialog
Shows the voice settings dialog.

Control+NVDA+k: activateKeyboardSettingsDialog
Shows the keyboard settings dialog.

Control+NVDA+m: activateMouseSettingsDialog
Shows the mouse settings dialog.

Control+NVDA+o: activateObjectPresentationDialog
Shows the object presentation dialog.

Control+NVDA+b: activateVirtualBuffersDialog
Shows the virtual buffer settings dialog.

Control+NVDA+d: activateDocumentFormattingDialog
Shows the document formatting settings dialog.

Control+NVDA+z: activatePythonConsole
Shows the python console.

navigator object navigation

NVDA+numPad5: navigatorObject_current
Announces the current navigator object. If pressed twice spels it out and if pressed three

times copyes its name and value to the clipboard.

NVDA+numpadDelete: navigatorObject_currentDimensions
Announces the size and location of the current navigator object.
NVDA+numPad8: navigatorObject_parent
Sets the navigator object to the current navigator object’s parent (i.e. the object that

contains it).

NVDA+numPad2: navigatorObject_firstChild
Sets the navigator object to the current navigator object’s first child (i.e. the first object

inside it)

NVDA+numPad4: navigatorObject_previous
Sets the navigator object to the current navigator object’s previous object (i.e. the

object before it, on the same level).

Shift+NVDA+numPad4: navigatorObject_previousInFlow
Sets the navigator object to the current navigator object’s previous object in flow (i.e.

the object before it, not necessarily on the same level).

NVDA+numPad6: navigatorObject_next
Sets the navigator object to the current navigator object’s next object (i.e. the object

after it, on the same level).

Shift+NVDA+numPad6: navigatorObject_nextInFlow
Sets the navigator object to the current navigator object’s next object in flow (i.e. the

object after it, not necessarily on the same level).

NVDA+numpadEnter: navigatorObject_doDefaultAction
Performs the default action on the current navigator object (e.g. presses a button,

activates a list item).

NVDA+numPadDivide: moveMouseToNavigatorObject
Move the mouse pointer to the current navigator object
NVDA+numPadMultiply: moveNavigatorObjectToMouse
Sets the navigator object to the current object under the mouse pointer

numpadSubtract: review_moveToCaret
Moves the review cursor to the location of the caret.

Control+numpadSubtract: review_moveCaretHere
Moves the caret to the location of the review cursor

NVDA+numPadSubtract: navigatorObject_toFocus
Sets the navigator object to the current object with focus.

NVDA+shift+numPadSubtract: navigatorObject_moveFocus
Sets the keyboard focus to the navigator object

numPadDivide: leftMouseClick
Clicks the left mouse button once where ever it may be at the time.
shift+numpadDivide: toggleLeftMouseButton
Locks or unlocks the left mouse button

numPadMultiply: rightMouseClick
Clicks the right mouse button once where ever it may be at the time.

shift+numpadMultiply: toggleRightMouseButton
Locks or unlocks the right mouse button

numpadAdd: review_sayAll
Uses the review cursor to read from its position to the end of the currently reviewable

text.

NVDA+numPadAdd: navigatorObject_sayAll
Starts to read all the objects after the navigator object, in flow order.

reading objects

numpad1: review_previousCharacter
Moves the review cursor to the previous character.

Shift+numpad1: review_startOfLine
Moves the review cursor to the start of the line.

numpad2: review_currentCharacter
speaks the character at the review cursor.

numpad3: review_nextCharacter
Moves the review cursor to the next character.

Shift+numpad3: review_endOfLine
Moves the review cursor to the end of the line.

numpad4: review_previousWord
Moves the review cursor to the previous word.

numpad5: review_currentWord
speaks the word at the review cursor.

numpad6: review_nextWord
Moves the review cursor to the next word.

numpad7: review_previousLine
Moves the review cursor to the previous line.

Shift+numpad7: review_top
Moves the review cursor to the first line.
numpad8: review_currentLine
speaks the line at the review cursor.

numpad9: review_nextLine
Moves the review cursor to the previous line.

Shift+numpad9: review_bottom
Moves the review cursor to the last line.

NVDA+f9: review_markStartForCopy
Marks the current position of the review cursor as the start of text to be copied.

NVDA+f10: review_copy
Retrieves the text from the previously set start marker up to and including the current

position of the review cursor and copies it to the clipboard.

VirtualBuffer commands:

NVDA+space: toggleVirtualBufferPassThrough
Turns virtualBuffer pass-through mode on or off.

control+NVDA+f: find
NVDA+f3: find next
NVDA+f7: elements list
NVDA+f5: refresh buffer
NVDA+v: toggleScreenLayout

VirtualBuffer quick keys to skip to the next element of a particular type (also use shift with

the key to go backwards):
h: heading
l: list
i: list item
t: table
k: link
f: form field
u: unvisited link
v: visited link
e: edit field
b: button
x: checkbox
c: combo box
r: radio button
q: block quote
s: separator
m: frame
g: graphic
d: ARIA landmark
n: nonLinked text
o: embedded object
1 to 6: headings 1 to 6 respectively

If you have a USB drive, be sure to get the “portable” version of NVDA, so you can have speech anywhere, on any computer. While you’re there, make a donation! NVDA is a free and open source program, and your generosity keeps the good stuff coming.

One Comment