[nfbcs] Using Dictation on the Mac Mini

[April Brown]

Hi Michael,

      I have version 10.9.1.  I can try turning off enhanced dictation.  I may have to determine if I can use one of the voice features in my Iphone and transfer it to Page documents.

Hi David Andrews,

     It doesn't matter where I set the cursor.  At the beginning of the document, somewhere in the middle, or at the end.  It never givers the opportunity to dictate.  If Dictation had not been on, it get's the grey circle for several minutes, and then disappears.  The microphone picture never appears. If I have been using Dictation in social media, the microphone appears. However, before I can speak, the cycling psychedelic color wheel appears.  And again, it crashes.  It only crashes in Pages.

     I did make a comment in the Mac Visionaries group someone else recommended.  Apparently, Dictation cannot do some of the things I need it to do.  Until I can find something that does, I probably won't be using it in Pages.

      Trying to learn all this new computer stuff makes me feel so stupid.  I've always been the one people come take to fix their computers. And half the time, when I look into conversations going on here, and other blind computer support groups I feel like I'm looking at a mixture of Greek and Chinese.   Most of the time I have no clue what they're talking about.

     I'm also giving up on VoiceOver for now.  I tried the training session three times and couldn't get it to work.  I've printed off the multiple page document from AppleVis.  I tried to work with that yesterday. I was able to get voice over to read on a Pages document, much like the speak command.  As for trying to get it to work on the Internet, no luck.  I should be getting tech training from the state soon.  My appointment for tech evaluation, or scheduling for the evaluation is just a few weeks away.  I really need someone there to show me what I'm doing wrong. No point in wasting weeks trying to figure it out on my own, when someone can take five minutes and figure out what key I am missing. 

       In the meantime, I will attempt to learn some of the keyboard work arounds. I've never been good at those. And I never call them short cuts because they take ten times as long.  First, I have to figure out what I want to do. Second, I have to go look at the keyboard combination. Third, I have to attempt to get my fingers into some kind of position to find that keyboard combination for. Fourth, I have to hope that it did what I wanted it to do and not some unknown something or other.  

       I'm not used to having to try to spend so much time trying to figure out how to get my computer to do what I want it to do.  It exhausts me.  The constant noise exhausts me. My ear gets tired after listening for just a few moments.  My comprehension, due you hearing loss, is extremely low.  My jaw hurts after a short dictation session.  I have no idea how other people do it.  I don't want to have to give it all up. Which is one reason I'm also learning Braille so that I can do it with a Bbraille display if needed.  I am thinking that would probably be the best for me.

Thanks for your help, and have a great day,

April Brown

Writing dramatic adventure novels uncovering the myths we hide behind.