[blindlaw] Re JAWS scripts as a remedy for inaccessible workplace software

[Susan Kelly]

Apple is by far superior these days with the iOS / iPad Voice Over leading the way - and this is coming from someone who always swore by DOS and Windows computers prior to losing my vision.  Be aware, however, that many legal office environments are strictly Windows-based, like the county agency for which I work.  If it is in the public sector (rather than a private firm), you will not be likely to get any lee-way on the system and equipment provided by the employer, and will need to learn the tools and apps for using the Windows-based work on an Apple product.  It is possible in most cases, but is time-consuming and sometimes costly.   

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Anita Keith-Foust via blindlaw
Sent: Monday, February 09, 2015 11:12 AM
To: 'Elizabeth Rene'; 'Blind Law Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Re JAWS scripts as a remedy for inaccessible workplace software

Good to know. I have an iPad and will try this out ASAP. These are great tips!

Thank you for them.

Anita Keith-Foust
919-430-1978

-----Original Message-----
From: blindlaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Elizabeth Rene via blindlaw
Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2015 4:36 PM
To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org
Subject: [blindlaw] Re JAWS scripts as a remedy for inaccessible workplace software

When dealing with inaccessible workplace software, I wonder whether we lawyers shouldn't be using more than one screen reader tool.  We're always talking about whether JAWS will do this or do that.  What about Apple OSX and iOS?

I find, for example, that working with PDF files in JAWS is a headache, while opening a PDF document in iBooks lets me breeze right through it.  In fact, Apple reads PDFs better than it does Word documents!  But Apple does something else better than JAWS.  Now I have a tiny, tiny bit of eyesight.
I can read the Apple screen with a 10X magnifying lense.  So if something isn't readable with VoiceOver, I can turn VO off and use the Zoom utilities to enlarge the print as much as I need to, and scroll through text that VO somehow isn't flexible enough to accommodate.  A simple click of the home button allows switching back and forth, or, if you want to, switch back and forth to reverse from white on black to black on white.  And you can flip between portrait and landscape orientations.  No extra software needed!  And you can do all of this at your desk, at a cafe or a pub with something good in front of you, or on your backyard deck with the kids outside.

 For that matter, maybe WindowEyes does some jobs better than JAWS or Apple.

I think we should be skilled in every tool we can find and afford, to make our lives what we want them to be, and not be held hostage to office programs that one tool can't handle.

And even as I say this, our offices may have a duty to vet their software for accessibility before they buy it.To me, that seems to be part of the "reasonable" in "reasonable accommodation."

Elizabeth Rene




 
  

---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com
_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/anitakeithfoust%40gmai
l.com


_______________________________________________
blindlaw mailing list
blindlaw at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindlaw_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for blindlaw:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindlaw_nfbnet.org/susan.kelly%40pima.gov