[blindlaw] Software quarry

[Tai Tomasi]

Howard:

In addition to JAWS, I recommend that you request some optical character recognition software. You don't necessarily need software designed specifically for blind users, though if you are already familiar with Kurzweil or OpenBook, you will face less of a learning curve. If you do not already know a particular OCR program, I recommend ABBYY FineReader or OmniPage. These are commercial software programs that can recognize documents and convert to many document formats including Microsoft Word. FineReader and OmniPage are significantly less expensive than Kurzweil or OpenBook, though cost may not be a concern for you. I use ABBYY FineReader for all OCR. 

These software packages can convert most PDF documents to largely legible Word documents, as long as the documents aren't handwritten. If you need to be able to scan hard copy documents, you will need to buy a scanner. I have had good luck with Fujitsu and HP machines. Some Samsung all-in-one scanner/printer models are powered by Android tablets which have some screen reading capabilities, but these machines are expensive to purchase. My office rents me one for approximately $20 a month.

If you need a new laptop, I recommend the HP Spectre 13" or the Lenovo X1 Carbon. These are powerful, small and lightweight machines ideal for those who do not require use of larger screens. Ask for at least 8GB of RAM, the highest speed processor you can get, and a solid state drive (SSD) for file storage. If you have questions, please contact me off list at ttomasi at driowa.org. 
 
Ms. Tai Tomasi, J.D.
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Staff Attorney



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-----Original Message-----
From: BlindLaw <blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Howard Adelsberg via BlindLaw
Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2018 2:59 PM
To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org
Cc: Howard Adelsberg <howardadelsberg at gmail.com>
Subject: [blindlaw] Software quarry

I am returning to practice after losing my vision. New York State has offered to purchase software for me. In addition to Joy’s what are the software do you recommend?

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