[il-talk] need help finding technology

[Gregory D. Rosenberg]

Good afternoon Kayla,

I apologize for asking computer related questions on this list. Just trying to help.

What make and model laptop do you have? 

What version of operating system (Windows 10 Professional, MAC OS El Capitan, …)?

What assistive technology software are you intending to use (JAWS, Window Eyes, Voice Over, …)?

I have a brand new, very portable, and rarely used Cannon LiDE 200 scanner I would be happy to send you if your operating system / accessibility software supports it. It supports Windows and MAC OS. And seems to work with a good number of assistive technology software packages. Although its software drivers and documentation hasn’t been updated since 2014, it is still well supported by the most current operating systems.

Learning Ally (https://www.learningally.org) may be of some use to you. They record a lot of textbooks and you can request text books to be recorded. Of course there are many readers that are very willing to read textbooks. Depending where you read you might find many local resources that can read books. If you are lucky you might find a person in your field(s) of interest to read books. 

Quite a wide variety of college texts are available in electronically accessible form. I get lots of books in Amazon Kindle format and use my various computing devices to have the books content read to me. Granted the computer voice isn’t as perfect as a human voice. My more technical books I try to get read by a human. When that isn’t an option I have turned to commercial audio textbook producers and occasionally sources like Learning Ally.

When I was in my early years of school I had no access to large print books as at that time there were only two story books. My parents, members in the Bridgeview Lions Club, and other readers read my books to four track reel-to-reel tape. At that time I had no optical aids to allow me to read regular print. I got my very first microscope lens that allowed me to read regular print. In 2011 that all changed and my vision started to blackout, turn transparent, and on my best days a little better than light perception. I find myself in a similar place as you today. I am a life long learner and continue taking college courses, as well as earn and maintain professional certifications. 




> On Jun 22, 2016, at 14:50, cathy randall via il-talk <il-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi Kayla,
>  Listen to Andrew!
> 					Cathy
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: il-talk [mailto:il-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kayla James
> via il-talk
> Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2016 7:06 PM
> To: NFB of Illinois Mailing List
> Cc: Kayla James
> Subject: [il-talk] need help finding technology
> 
> Hi, guys. This is Kayla James and I need help. I am trying to find a piece
> of technology for college. I have a new laptop, but I'm thinking of getting
> a scanner to read printed material, like textbooks. Also, any other college
> adaptive product suggestions would be appreciated.
> I have $500 from Delta Gamma sorority. Can anyone help?
> 
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The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can have the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back. 

--
73' & 75'
Gregory D. Rosenberg AB9MZ
gregg at ricis.com

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