[blindkid] Why JAWS - refreshable braille keyboard

Penny Duffy pennyduffy at gmail.com
Thu Mar 7 15:43:36 UTC 2013


It was't  free just maybe no cost to the district most likely  used federal
quota funds to purchase it through their Ex Officio Trustees.  Every state
has one (some are organized in a way to have more than one)  Every state
only as a certain pool of money of federal quota funds to use and every
state decides different ways to distribute those funds.  My daughter also
has a braille display provided with Federal quota funds but its not hers or
the school districts its the states on 'loan'  consumable items that are
purchased in our state with federal quota funds are given while other item
on loan usually until they are not longer needed.


On Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 8:47 AM, <hpscheffer at aol.com> wrote:

> Erin, my daughters TVI got the one from APH, our school system could order
> it at no cost, not sure if that is the case for all.
>
>
> Heidi
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Erin Teply <eteply at cfl.rr.com>
> To: Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children) <
> blindkid at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thu, Mar 7, 2013 7:05 am
> Subject: Re: [blindkid] Why JAWS?
>
>
> Yes, good point Denise.  It's been good for me to read this string.
>  Sometimes,
> I just think about our current situation, maybe because that's what I can
> handle!  But, with time, yes, we need to learn note takers.  My next
> feat--ipad.
>
>
> Brandon, I left out an important point on my email, which is the
> refreshable
> braille keyboard.  You probably caught onto that, but of course, that is a
> necessity so that they can check their work.  It's on my list right now to
> research them.  I'm contacting DBS (division of blind services) and see if
> they
> can help and if not, can anyone recommend a good starting refreshable
> braille
> keyboard?
>
> Thanks for all the good info.
>
>
> On Mar 7, 2013, at 6:30 AM, Denise Robinson wrote:
>
> > Just to give people a heads up, they are discontinuing the pacmate
> >
> > ...Erin ...good for your TVI..keep in mind it will take many tools to do
> life
> ...so all kids need to learn several...just as all sighted people do
> >
> > Denise M Robinson
> > Sent from my iPad
> >
> > On Mar 6, 2013, at 5:44 PM, Erin Teply <eteply at cfl.rr.com> wrote:
> >
> >> Hi Brandon,
> >>
> >> I don't have all the answers and I'm sure someone on this list is
> likely an
> expert, but I can tell you what my son (1st grade) is doing and I've been
> pleased with his progress.
> >>
> >> First, we discussed PacMates vs. laptops/PCs because the school
> district has
> both in house.  Our TVI pushed for a laptop for a few reasons.  One, long
> term a
> laptop will be what people use (generally speaking).  Two, it's easier for
> sighted parents to 'work along' with their kids on laptops where we can
> see a
> screen.  JAWS is a screen reading software based on the entire platform of
> Windows, not just for the internet.  If any of you have opened a browser
> up with
> JAWS running, it's enough to drive you crazy (likely due to a learning
> curve on
> my part).  My son, who is in first grade, has a computer (PC) at home and
> at
> school with JAWS.  Note that our home version is just the demo where you
> can run
> it for 45 minutes and its free.  My son can open a word document, do his
> typing
> (spelling words, sentences, etc), save and print, along with booting and
> shutting down the computer.  Microsoft Word for Windows that I can tell is
> fully
> accessible.  We are a Mac family and have Mac's
>  at home and have not tried voice over with him.  I thought I had heard
> that
> Windows on Macs is not fully accessible, but I may be wrong.  I'm sure
> someone
> on this list can answer that more firmly.
> >>
> >> Anyway, that's what I know.  I think with time I will allow my son to
> choose
> whether or not he would like a note taker vs. laptop, but for now, I can
> tell
> you that the laptop with JAWS is working!
> >>
> >> Good luck--it is overwhelming.
> >>
> >> -Erin
> >>
> >>
> >> On Mar 6, 2013, at 5:28 PM, Brandon and Sarah wrote:
> >>
> >>> I'm trying to make sense of a recent conversation with our daughter's
> >>> TVI, who I realize is not up speed on technology - to be fair, neither
> >>> am I. We were discussing a braille notetaker vs. braille display +
> >>> computer. The TVI thinks she can justify the cost of a notetaker to
> >>> the district by not having to get JAWS. Her impression is that JAWS is
> >>> only for screenreading of internet material, which a notetaker can
> >>> theoretically do. Here is my question for those who are ahead of us on
> >>> this issue: If you have a notetaker at the elementary level and home
> >>> computer access with Voiceover, is there a strong reason to have/learn
> >>> JAWS? We have the MS Office for Mac on the home computer, so I'm less
> >>> concerned about Emilia missing out on the Windows experience than I am
> >>> about her getting more acquainted with accessing school curriculum,
> >>> doing school work, etc. by electronic means. Thanks. Brandon
> >>>
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> >>
> >>
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-- 
-- 
--Penny
----------
My Blog - visionfora.blogspot.com

NH Parents of Blind Children http://www.nhpobc.org/
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