[blindlaw] Introduction and hello!

Wed Apr 13 15:46:57 UTC 2016

Kelby, Yes, I use a braille display with my iphone. I currently have a Perkins Mini and a Vario Ultra 40 that I use mostly for personal stuff though sometimes for work), and a Braille Edge that my firm purchased for me to use for work. I also used the prior generation of the Focus 40 Blue (also bought by my firm) until it died a few months ago. Using a display with KNFB Reader is, for me, very empowering. Also, if anyone is interested, I would be happy to talk about how the displays I have used compare with each other, and how I use them in my practice. It would be interesting to hear from others who use braille displays as well.

Thanks,

Angie

Sent from my iPhone

> On Apr 13, 2016, at 6:09 AM, Kelby Carlson via BlindLaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> 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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