[blindLaw] Reading text aloud verbatim while listening to JAWS

Thu Jan 9 14:36:53 UTC 2020

Hi all,

In addition to the excellent points below, I sometimes use XL to break up the text. I might put a blank cell for a pause or put categories of information in different columns. During oral advocacy you may be interrupted by a judge with questions. Having a way to jump back to your current point from information needed to answer  the question at hand. For that, I might have a replicate page of information on a different sheet so that when I go back to my original point I flip back to the original  sheet. The original sheet reserves my place at the cursor. Alternatively, you may need two  sets of reference material .   In that case, I put my argument on sheet 2, sandwiched between  One set of information on sheet one and another set of information on   sheet three.   This way, I can reference sheet one or sheet three  and quickly jump back to my original spot in sheet to. As Microsoft word is linear, it doesn’t have that dynamic ability to quickly jump from one piece of information to another.

I hope this is helpful,
Bruce   

BruceSexton, JD

Dictated on an accessible device. 

> On Jan 9, 2020, at 8:09 AM, Derek Dittmar via BlindLaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Rahul,
> 
> I have extensive experience using the method that Dr. Harpur outlined
> above.  I was able to successfully use this as an award-winning
> debater and public speaker, as well as in law school on trial and moot
> court teams.  I also workd for three years teaching oral advocacy and
> presentation techniques, with a special focus on working with people
> with disabilities.  Here are a few of my thoughts:
> 
> First, don't worry.  The fear of sounding unnatural while reading, as
> well as finding ways to emphasize and hit a good tone, is not limited
> to persons with vidual disabilities.  Everyone struggles with this.  I
> do know that it's harder when you have a speedy robot voice in your
> ear though...
> 
> It does take a bit of trial and error to get this down.  I typically
> break up sentences by line based on phrases.  In other words, I often
> end lines at organic pauses and begin lines with words that I want to
> emphasize.  My best practice was to practice 2-3 times.  The first run
> through was all the way, and then I would stop when I would lose the
> thread of the phrase or begin to sound unnatural (if you have a hard
> time picking up on that, I recommend recording yourself).
> 
> I keep jaws pretty fast for writing and reading.  When I am speaking,
> I might slow it down 10-15%, just so it's not speeding through.  But
> generally jaws will be a few words ahead of what's coming out of my
> mouth.
> 
> This method also has the benefit of letting you make eye contact with
> your audience.  You will appear more engaging and available as
> compared to someone staring down at their notes.  (For the same
> reason, I will typically keep a laptop screen tilted down, close to
> the tops of my hands, to lessen the amount of my body covered by the
> screen).  You can also be intentional about using the arrow keys with
> one hand, leaving the other for gestures, if this is something with
> which you are comfortable.
> 
> If there were particular words I wanted to emphasize (particularly in
> poetry reading), I had some markup strategies.  A * before the word,
> for example, would remind me to hit it harder.  A - would tell me to
> soften.  A ^ would remind me to take a breath pause.  This was usually
> only used in high levels of forensic competitions, where those pauses
> and modulations were a way of getting a higher score.
> 
> Finally, the advice that I give most often for speakers (regardless of
> sight) is that you should know your speech or presentation well enough
> so that, if the pages unexpectedly went blank, you would not stop
> mid-word.  Some good familiar with your speech or presentation means
> that, if jaws does something weird, you are able to give a strong (if
> not 100% accurate to the text) delivery.  And, unless you are quoting
> something hugely important (the Constitution, a case, etc) that's
> almost always good enough.
> 
> If you have other questions, I'm happy to chat off list.
> 
> Warmly yours,
> Derek
> 
> Derek J. Dittmar, J.D., LL.M
> (919)816-7549
> derekjdittmar at gmail.com
> 
> 
> 
>> On 1/9/20, Rahul Bajaj via BlindLaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> Dear Dr. Harpour,
>> 
>> This is excellent, thank you for sharing your approach. I have been
>> thinking of adopting the same approach. I have some follow-ups for
>> you:
>> 
>> First, when reading text aloud in this fashion, do you speak
>> organically as you listen, or do you listen, commit to memory what you
>> have heard and speak it out loud in a seamless fashion?
>> 
>> Second, at what speed rate do you keep JAWS when getting it to read
>> aloud the text?
>> 
>> Third, do you feel that you are able to sound natural and maintain the
>> desired tone while doing this? One difficulty I foresee with doing it
>> is sounding disjointed and unnatural while speaking. Also, I am
>> wondering if it is possible to tonally emphasize some specific words
>> or phrases when adopting this strategy.
>> 
>> On the whole, it certainly does sound like a viable solution. Thank
>> you, again, for sharing it.
>> 
>> Best,
>> Rahul
>> 
>>> On 09/01/2020, Paul Harpur via BlindLaw <blindlaw at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> I am not sure I do it fantastically, but what I do is have a bite size
>>> amount of text on each line.  I then arrow down each line as the line
>>> above
>>> is finishing.  I have my screen reader speaking at slightly faster than I
>>> am.
>>> Here is part of a speech I gave recently at the a ILO workshop.
>>> 
>>> We are up here on a small platform but we have a big message
>>> Thank you Frances
>>> Today I want to focus my paper on
>>> Workers with Disabilities Working in the Global Gig Economy
>>> This project forms    part of a wider collaborative work between myself and
>>> Professor Peter Blanck   Professor Blanck chairs  the Burton Blatt
>>> Institute
>>> Syracuse Universitywhere I am also an international distinguished fellow
>>> I am going to start my presentation by analysing
>>> how technology and universal design
>>> is enabling workers with disabilities to participate in the global gig
>>> economy
>>> Second
>>> I will show how this new market is creating
>>> new policy and regulatory opportunities
>>> to enable persons with disabilities to become
>>> workers with disabilities
>>> we have heard in other sessions how technology can be used as an enabler
>>> Universal Design can guide the
>>> design of environments
>>> processes
>>> policies
>>> technologies and tools
>>> to facilitate the inclusion of all people in society
>>> Universal design however can do more than this
>>> Universal design can create new work opportunities
>>> Universal design can Create new opportunities  for economic advancement
>>> Universal design can provide people with disabilities
>>> who have been denied their right to work access
>>> to work
>>> it can make persons with disabilities into workers with disabilities
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Dr Paul Harpur
>>> BBus (HRm), LLB (Hons) LLM, PhD, solicitor of the High Court of Australia
>>> (non-practicing)
>>> Fulbright Future Scholar/International Distinguished Fellow, Burton Blatt
>>> Institute, SU, New York/Academic Fellow, Harvard Law School Project on
>>> Disabilities.
>>> Associate Professor
>>> The University of Queensland Law School
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: BlindLaw [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Rahul
>>> Bajaj
>>> via BlindLaw
>>> Sent: Thursday, 9 January 2020 7:42 PM
>>> To: blindlaw at nfbnet.org
>>> Cc: Rahul Bajaj <rahul.bajaj1038 at gmail.com>
>>> Subject: [blindLaw] Reading text aloud verbatim while listening to JAWS
>>> 
>>> Hi, all,
>>> 
>>> Are any of you here able to do this in a natural-sounding and seamless
>>> way?
>>> If so, how? One solution is Braille. However, I started learning Braille
>>> as
>>> an adult a couple of years ago and still have a long way to go to get to a
>>> point where I might be able to deploy it in this context. So I’d really
>>> like
>>> to learn how to do this with JAWS on a war footing.
>>> 
>>> Most blind people I know cannot do this. But some can which suggests to me
>>> that it is a learnable skill.
>>> 
>>> Best,
>>> Rahul
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Sent from my iPhone
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>> 
>> 
>> --
>> --
>> Rahul Bajaj
>> Candidate for the MPhil in Law
>> Rhodes Scholar (India and Linacre 2018)
>> University of Oxford
>> 
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> 
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