[blparent] Accessible PDF program

Sun Nov 29 22:24:00 UTC 2015

Can I get an amen!  I saw the Optacon falling out of favor as technology 
passed it by, and when I did some work for the state back in the early 
nineties, I took in-kind payment in a couple of old machines so I would have 
backup in case mine ever died.  Man, am I glad I did that!  I use mine 
regularly, and I've got a lifetime of spare parts--knock on wood--and a 
watchmaker in the family who can fix things with tiny soldering and the 
like.  I use it to read recipe boxes, mail, medical coresspondence, papers 
from my daughter's school, and countless other day-to-day print items, and I 
can't imagine what in the world I would ever do without it.  Optacons do pop 
up on Ebay sometimes, and at decent prices, because people don't even know 
what they've got.

Jo Elizabeth

"The Bright Side of Darkness"
is my newly published novel,
available in Kindle, audio, and paperback formats at Amazon.com.
-----Original Message----- 
From: Deborah Kent Stein via BlParent
Sent: Sunday, November 29, 2015 12:39 PM
To: 'Blind Parents Mailing List'
Cc: Deborah Kent Stein
Subject: Re: [blparent] Accessible PDF program

Let's hear it for the Optacon! It is a wonderful piece of technology! None
of today's programs and devices even attempts to do what the Optacon started
doing back in the 1970s. I use mine every day and I shudder to think of life
without it.

Debbie

-----Original Message-----
From: BlParent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Steve
Jacobson via BlParent
Sent: Sunday, November 29, 2015 11:45 AM
To: 'Blind Parents Mailing List' <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Steve Jacobson <steve.jacobson at visi.com>
Subject: Re: [blparent] Accessible PDF program

Judy,

Another Optacon user, it's good to meet you.  <smile>  I also still use one,
too.

Another point to make about forms is that it isn't always easy to reason out
where a response is supposed to go.  For example, it is common to fill in a
response to the right of the label, but I've seen forms where the response
goes on the line below, for example.  Once one knows a form, one can deal
with it, but forms are somewhat unpredictable these days.

Best regards,

Steve Jacobson

-----Original Message-----
From: BlParent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Judy Jones
via BlParent
Sent: Sunday, November 29, 2015 9:46 AM
To: Blind Parents Mailing List <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Judy Jones <sonshines59 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [blparent] Accessible PDF program

Also, if you do fill out a Word document, there are times when, because of
the tags, you have to simply right-arrow through to find the underlines.  As

steve said, that is when you want to be in overwrite mode, but make sure you

get out of it as soon as you need to type anything else other than
substituting an underscore with another character.  Whenever I have done
this, especially with a new unfamiliar document, I always double-check
myself with the Optacon.  A sighted proof-reader can do the same thing of
course.

Judy

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Jacobson via BlParent
Sent: Sunday, November 29, 2015 8:10 AM
To: 'Blind Parents Mailing List'
Cc: Steve Jacobson
Subject: Re: [blparent] Accessible PDF program

Jennifer,

If you can experiment with common forms using an OCR program such as Open
Book, and maybe even the serotek program, with your mom, you might be able
to get a word document that can be filled out.  Generally you will need to
fill out such a form in "overtype" mode so your typing doesn't push text
along.  Also, it can be a little difficult to determine where you should
type.  Some OCR programs will turn underlined areas into an underline code
and a tab.  This makes a very nice looking underline but is sometimes not
easy to use to type into.  Most often, if they have some warning, staff in a
doctor's office will help with forms, although you might need to get there
early to allow for extra time to get that done.

There adobe documents that are designed to be filled out by a computer and
not just printed.  While those can be managed, they are not always as easy
to fill out as one might expect.  Some of the fault for that is in how
documents are created, but some is probably on the screen readers as well.
Adobe is so busy updating their programs, screen reader developers are
shooting at a moving target.  Some of these companies seem to believe that
there program is the only one that we run and the only one screen readers
have to support.  <smile>

Best regards,

Steve

-----Original Message-----
From: BlParent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jennifer
Woods via BlParent
Sent: Saturday, November 28, 2015 11:22 PM
To: Blind Parents Mailing List <blparent at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Jennifer Woods <jenn.purplepuppy2 at icloud.com>
Subject: Re: [blparent] Accessible PDF program

Hi Judy,

Thank you for sharing your knowledge with me.
I do not have open book yet I need to get that. I am currently using Serotek
DocuScan Plus the issue that I have though is similar to what you mentioned
you've experienced with Word and it re formats the document making it not
possible to print out in the same format I received it and return it to the
doctor.

I am running dual operating systems and recently added Windows to my Mac so
I do not have all of the necessary software that I need yet.

For the paperwork I needed filled out I was able to send it to my mom and
since she is sighted she filled it out for me using Adobe on her Mac.

Jennifer

On Nov 28, 2015, at 9:07 PM, Judy Jones via BlParent <blparent at nfbnet.org>
wrote:

Hi,

When you see a document you can download in adobe, depending on the editor,
you may or may not be able to fill it out on the computer.  Many adobe
publishers figure that you will print out their documents and fill them out
by hand.

I have tried to copy/paste a document into word, but messes up the
formatting.

Some adobe documents, when they are processed, you will get an "alert empty
document" message.  That document will still print though.

With the newer Jaws versions, if you are using Jaws, there may be ways
around this.  Also, if you have OpenBook, you may be able to open that adobe
document from within OpenBook program, then edit it in edit mode, but
haven't had the chance to play around with that much.

I would also be interested to hear others' input who may have had more
experience than I.  I don't find Adobe to be terribly dependable when it
comes to access.  Again, it depends on the creator of the document.

Judy

-----Original Message----- From: Jennifer Woods via BlParent
Sent: Saturday, November 28, 2015 9:08 PM
To: Blind Parents Mailing List
Cc: Jennifer Woods
Subject: [blparent] Accessible PDF program

Hello I am wondering what you use for an accessible PDF application to fill
out paperwork using the computer such as medical forms that need to be
filled out and taken back to the doctor.

Is Adobe accessible?

Thanks
Jennifer
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