[NFB-Science] Engineering tips and tricks

[John]

Hello, the following is a summary of some of my remarks at the 2022 meeting of the Science and Engineering Division of the NFB. 
As as a blind Engineer, I use JAWS for Windows 2022 from Vispero and a 40-cell refreshable braille display.  At the moment, I use the braille display Brailliant BI 40 from Humanware.
I recommend having access to two braille displays.  When a refreshable braille display breaks, it may take an employer quite some time to provide a new one. 
Recently, the braille keys stopped accepting input on my braille display and I was so glad I had purchased a personal backup braille display so I could move forward effectively with my work.
For software version control I use GitBash as a windows client.  There is a matching webserver Gitlab.
GitBash works well with speech and a braille display.
Markdown is becoming a common engineering format for documentation. Markdown files end with .md. 
A section heading is formed with a line that begins with “#”.
A second level section heading is formed with a line that begins with “##”.
Markdown supports tables, bulleted lists, and latex equations.
Sighted peers use a what you see is what you get (WYSIWYG) to verify markdown.
Pandoc can be used to generate a .pdf from markdown.  I have thought about running OCR on a generated .pdf to verify format, but currently just take care that I have entered formatting tags properly.
For engineering analysis, I use MatLab version 2018b -nodesktop option. I have found that MatLab 2022a has some accessibility problems.
 
A virtual private network (VPN) protects business data.
Cisco AnyConnect works well with speech and braille.
it is possible for a user or company to set up a password that is dynamic.
The iPhone app authenticator provides a 6-digit code that changes each minute.
The iPhone app works well with voiceover for reading remaining time of the code and reading the code itself.
Using VPN allows working remotely or working from home.
Other blind people may know how to install and configure authenticator without sighted assistance.
 
I myself asked for sighted assistance to scan a QR code from my company's website when I was at my office.
Once the app recognized the QR code, I now establish a VPN session without sighted assistance using the app.
I use Microsoft Teams at work for meetings.
 
 
Very Best,

John Miller