[blindlaw] Introduction and hello!

Wed Apr 13 10:09:45 UTC 2016

Angie-I assume you were using some sort of braille display with your iPhone?

----- Original Message -----
From: Angie Matney via BlLaw  <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
To: Blind Law Mailing List  <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Date: Wednesday, April 13, 2016 12:03 am
Subject: Re: [bllaw] Introduction and hello!

>
>
> hi Kristy,
> 
> I don't know of any OCR programs that can reliably deal with
> handwriting. While I can independently access PDFCbi's of decent copies of
> documents, I use a sighted assistant for dealing with documents that
> contain handwriting or that are of poor quality.
> 
> I use a program called Abbyy Finereader. When I have long documents, I
> usually convert them from PDF to plain text. I lose some of the
> formatting, but usually this works best for me. Sometimes, if there is
> handwriting, I can tell because there will be jibberish in the
> document. I will then ask my administrative assistant to read or type
> the parts of the document that I can't access with OCR. Also, if there
> are documents that I think could have handwriting, I will ask my
> assistant to scroll through and alert me if there is anything there.
> Sometimes, depending on the task, I ask my assistant to convert a
> document to Word or to read it to me, but most of the PDFCbi's I need to
> access can be dealt with in Abbyy Finereader or a similar program. My
> work is transactional in nature, though, so I might not encounter the
> types of things you do.
> 
> And I can't say enough about kNFB Reader. Once, I used it at a
> conference to scan a handout we were given in a group session. The
> results were near perfect. I had access to the material in speech and
> in braille almost instantaneously. It was pretty amazing. I was able
> to participate in the activity with my sighted colleagues and
> contribute meaningfully to my team's efforts.
> 
> I hope this is helpful. Good luck with JAWS. It can be difficult to
> incorporate training into your schedule when you have a busy practice,
> but JAWS can definitely give you pretty good access to a lot of what
> you will need in your practice.
> 
> Best,
> 
> Angie
> 
> 
> On 4/12/16, Avino, Kristy via BlLaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> > Thanks Kelby.  My firm has provided me with JAWS, but I have not found it
> > easy to learn how to use it on my own so I'm investigating training.
> >
> > Sounds like I definitely need KNFB reader app.
> >
> > Are there any scanner programs that will read handwriting, or at the very
> > least alert me that there is handwriting on a paper or scanned document?
> > That is a huge concern on mine when doing document review.
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: BlLaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kelby
> > Carlson via BlLaw
> > Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2016 1:31 PM
> > To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org
> > Cc: Kelby Carlson
> > Subject: Re: [bllaw] Introduction and hello!
> >
> > A couple of things:
> >
> > It's very possible your firm may be able to provide you with JAWS. If they
> > can't, some rehab organizations for the blind will, as well as services like
> > the Lions Club. I'd explore those options if you can. As far as reading
> > paper documents, you will probably want a scanner. You'll need an OCR
> > program to convert the documents to text. This is something else your
> > employer might have to provide under the ADEA. However, if you have a
> > Smartphone I would also suggest getting the KNFB Reader App. It essentially
> > turns your phone into a portable scanner that will read documents to you. It
> > works wonderfully and can also save converted documents for later use. The
> > app is about $85, but that is far less than what most programs like this
> > cost. It is also useful for being able to review documents in situations
> > where you don't have a main scanner.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Avino, Kristy via BlLaw  <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
> > To: his'Blind Law Mailing List'"  <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
> > Date: Tuesday, April 12, 2016 1:26 pm
> > Subject: [bllaw]  Introduction and hello!
> >
> >>
> >>
> >> Hi all,
> >>
> >> I wanted to say hello and introduce myself as I've been following the
> >> board for several months now.  I have been getting useful nuggets of
> >> information from the archives for a few months now, so thank you!
> >>
> >> I practice employment counseling and litigation at McCarter & English in
> >> Boston, MA.  BC Law class of 2003.  I learned I had retinitis pigmentosa
> >> one year after I graduated from law school, which was a complete surprise,
> >> as no one else in my family has it.  Legally blind since last fall, which
> >> again was a surprise as I thought I had a good number of years to go
> >> before I reached that point.  Trying to figure out how to use and get
> >> training for JAWS while maintaining my practice.  Also trying to figure
> >> out how to do all the things I ordinarily do in my practice (review paper
> >> documents!  Read paper books!) and if it can still be done as efficiently
> >> and effectively as before.  Anyone in the same boat or who has been
> >> through it before can feel free to reach out though the board or offline.
> >>
> >> All the best,
> >> Kristy
> >>
> >>
> >> Kristy L. Avino | Associate
> >> McCARTER & ENGLISH, LLP
> >>
> >> 265 Franklin Street | Boston, Massachusetts 02110
> >> T: 617-449-6577
> >> F: 617-607-9135
> >> kavino at mccarter.com | http://www.mccarter.com
> >>
> >> BOSTON | HARTFORD | STAMFORD | NEW YORK | NEWARK
> >> EAST BRUNSWICK | PHILADELPHIA | WILMINGTON | WASHINGTON, DC
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
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> >>
> >>
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