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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Hi Peter and group, Answers In Line. This is an interesting topic; thanks for posting.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>Q: If you wish to learn a program language or a particular Internet or cloud service and obtain the work-arounds to allow you to do it independently how do you obtain this instruction?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>A: Many solutions. I have a subscription to Oreilly Books Online, Udemy Business, Amazon’s Audible and occasionally buy Kindle books. Plus the general open information on the web for small items.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>Q: What have been your experiences when receiving this instruction online or in a facility-based program i.e. a rehabilitation center, lighthouse, etc?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>A: Mixed, some books / videos aren’t as good as others in terms of providing effective non-visual context. The good thing is there are usually several choices and if one option doesn’t work then there are others that may be better.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>Q: If you answered “Yes” to the previous question what advantages and drawbacks did you experience when learning this way?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>Q: What type of programming or game development language, application Website Hosting, Cloud platform development, content, management customer relations System and Videoconferencing tutorials do you feel would be of most benefit?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>A: I’d base the most importance off of data. E.g. C# aka C-Sharp, NodeJS, Java, Python, Docker, Kubernetes, Prometheus, Grafana, Alpine Linux, Ansible, Terraform, MySQL, Postgres, AWS, GCP, Azure, Jira, Confluence, Azure DevOps, etc. are all growing tools and technologies. Forming a comprehensive list for a development platform would be advisable. By this I mean .NET 6, C-Sharp on Alpine Linux as a docker container running on Kubernetes in GCP’s GKE with Prometheus metrics, Grafana Alerting , etc. is a foundation to build an entire enterprise application.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>Q: Which media types would you prefer for using these tutorials, audio, video, CD, DVD, downloadable files with purches, online listening and viewing via subscription, text and Braille hardcopy and downloadable transcripts.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>A: An online retrievable format, not CD/DVD. Written probably preferred with accompanying Audio/Video.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>Q: Would you be willing to pay for these tutorials?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>A: Absolutely if they are of adequate quality for the price. Learning is a life long endeavor and typically you get what you pay for with some exceptions.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>Q: Would you want to buy individual tutorials or would you subscribe to a service that would allow you to consume as many tutorials as you wish similar to a subscription to services like SiriusXM, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney Plus, Wondrium, ETC that charges a monthly subscription fee?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>A: Depends on quantity of tutorials, if only a few tutorials, nobody would likely pay for a subscription. Subscriptions would have to show a long term benefit with continual updates, community features, Q&A and/or the like.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>Q: Would you be willing to produce tutorials in your area of expertise for compensation to help us grow our library?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>A: Yes, but highly dependent upon terms not just a compensation question.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal'><b>From:</b> NFB-Web <nfb-web-bounces@nfbnet.org> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Peter via NFB-Web<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, September 1, 2022 2:42 PM<br><b>To:</b> program-l@freelists.org<br><b>Cc:</b> Peter <pdonahue2@satx.rr.com>; nfbcs@nfbnet.org; nfb-web@nfbnet.org; blindkid@nfbnet.org<br><b>Subject:</b> [NFB-Web] Feedback Request<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Good afternoon everyone,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> There are many resources available to sighted would-be computer professionals that for the blind have a major drawback the lack of the information needed to address usability and accessibility concerns for blind children and adults. Anyone who uses computers has probably taken advantage of a number of tutorials produce to teach the use of various computer devices and operating systems, productivity software and Internet-related skill development walk-through programs taught from a blindness perspective. A number of blind individuals created outstanding instructional tutorials many of us have used over the years. This has made it possible for many blind persons to learn the inns and outs of using devices such as smartphones, and digital-audio production hardware along with computer operating systems and applications such as Microsoft 365, various web browsers, audio and video production software to name a few.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> To the best of our knowledge few if any instructional tutorials exist that teach would-be blind computer professionals and end users how to write computer applications using various programming languages such as Python, C++, R, and others, the use of integrated development environments like Microsoft Visual Studio or Visual Studio Code, Eclipse, and other IDES usable by a blind computer programmer.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> Likewise I am not aware of tutorials that instruct blind youth and adults in the use of various Internet and Website hosting systems like game development, Drupal, Wordpress, Joomla and other content management systems or in the use of hosting platforms like Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, Linode Cloud Hosting, etc. With individuals and companies obtaining their computing power from an online environment instead of desktop applications it is important that blind users of these services know how to develop on these platforms, and know the tips and tricks of handling accessibility issues and finding work-arounds from those who have been there and done that. Such knowledge can also help blind youth and adults plan and seek employment in STEM-related careers involving technology. Classroom management programs like Google Classroom is another possible subject for instructional tutorials to be created. Although an excellent tutorial for learning Zoom was created early during the COVID 19 Pandemic and was made freely available by Jonathan Mosen no such tutorials have been created to instruct the blind in the use of other such videoconferencing systems like Microsoft Teams and Slack.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> Another area where instructional material from a blindness perspective is next to nonexistent is in the use and management of customer relations systems such as Amazon Connect, Salesforce, Seibel, and others.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> Some have given online classes for blind programmers and in the use of other modern applications, but I am not aware of any such instructional tutorials similar to those developed in years past for devices and desktop applications that teach these skills from a blindness perspective that a blind individual can replay and review as often as necessary to thoroughly understand the information shared and to look up points that may have been missed when such classes are taught online.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> To help create a way to make such documentation and tutorials available to blind students and tech professionals answers to the following questions would be very much appreciated:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> If you wish to learn a program language or a particular Internet or cloud service and obtain the work-arounds to allow you to do it independently how do you obtain this instruction?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> What have been your experiences when receiving this instruction online or in a facility-based program i.e. a rehabilitation center, lighthouse, etc?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> If you answered “Yes” to the previous question what advantages and drawbacks did you experience when learning this way?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>What type of programming or game development language, application Website Hosting, Cloud platform development, content, management customer relations System and Videoconferencing tutorials do you feel would be of most benefit?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> Which media types would you prefer for using these tutorials, audio, video, CD, DVD, downloadable files with purches, online listening and viewing via subscription, text and Braille hardcopy and downloadable transcripts.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> Would you be willing to pay for these tutorials?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> Would you want to buy individual tutorials or would you subscribe to a service that would allow you to consume as many tutorials as you wish similar to a subscription to services like SiriusXM, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney Plus, Wondrium, ETC that charges a monthly subscription fee?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> Would you be willing to produce tutorials in your area of expertise for compensation to help us grow our library?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'> Please understand that this is all exploratory at this time. If developed a service of this kind will give blind would-be computer professionals and those employed in related careers another way to learn many subjects taught by experienced blind professionals who can share their knowledge from a blindness perspective. Your feedback will be very much appreciated.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>Peter Donahue<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>