[BlindTlk] changing screen readers...

[Ericka]

I don’t know anything about what kids are learning in the schools. This stuff did not exist when I was in public school.

How offer I am of working age. It depends on what business or company or whatever that hires you once you become an adult. It’s in my experience that they don’t want to do any accommodations, but that is besides the point. We’re talking software and you get to choose What’s best for you if you have your own business. But what you also have to think about is that not every company like my Husband’s, exact sciences, is willing to buy software and put it on the server. There are several people at his work who are Low Vision or totally blind and they decided to purchase. This is the medical testing corporation that processes request for COLOGAURD. I believe they have other products now besides colon cancer screening. He works in customer service. I’m not saying that JAWS works for everything there. They use EPIC which doesn’t want to be accessible for. Besides. They have been making more and more jobs accessible recently. They would not allow one to use NVDA on their computer if you are working remotely. I don’t know the experience of others. Small businesses might be interested in the NVDA, but you have to think about these things when You’re doing something you are getting paid for. I did work for Goodwill Industries several years ago and I wasn’t given the option of NVDA. The state said I had to use JAWS reason? Because that was the one that is mostly accepted in the business world if they’re going to accommodate.

Hope this helps somebody. I’m certain there are different experiences out there and I look forward to hearing them.

Ericka Nelson
KD9 DYN

> On Sep 24, 2025, at 4:17 PM, jude dashiell via BlindTlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> When i use windows i use nvda which is donationware. If you donate $10.00 for each update the people that make nvda will be happy. Goodtutorials are available Joseph Lee made a series as have others. The tutorials he made do cost and were well done. The thing with nvda is blind children learn to use that in schools not jaws and more bugs get found and removed since more blind children are in the population than blind employees due to the demographics of employment. Each screen reader can do things the other cannot since nvda development started in 2008 and jaws was available for windows 3.11 back in the 1990’s.
> 
> On Sep 24, 2025, at 4:48 PM, madisonolivialanemartin483--- via BlindTlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
> I know that this might be a better topic for the many tech email lists I'm on
> but I'm wanting general thoughts not steps for how to do a particular thing with
> a screen reader so I thought I'd ask here but if you think that I should post
> this on the tech lists then feel free to tell me. Anyway I currently use JAWS as
> my screen reader but I'm starting to not like the fact that you have to pay
> every 2 years in order to continue to get updates and there's a free screen
> reader that you can download that's apparently fairly similar to JAWS. So for
> those of you who use a Windows computer which screen reader do you use and what
> do you like/dislike about it? I know it couldn't hurt to just download the free
> one and try it but I'm just having a hard time deciding what to do so thought
> I'd ask though I know none of you can make the decision for me. I look forward
> to reading whatever anyone has to say though I don't really want it to turn into
> a fiery debate.
> Madison
> 
> 
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