[stylist] Essential Office Tools

Sun Oct 10 18:08:28 UTC 2010

One thing. If you're looking for a fully accessible computer planner
and/or alarm clock, do a Google search for DaybyDay Planning Calendar.
This calendar costs about $40 (and you can put it on two computers),
allows for multiple users, has an address book and reminder alerts
(alarms), goes from I think 400 A.D. (<_< Yes, I checked...I wanted to
know!) to past 2400 (that's as far in the future as I went, but it
kept going!). So, this calendar could also be sued by historians to
keep track of a timeline, or for a history student to do the same. In
the present time, it is very useful too! You use very basic hotkeys
(CTRL+A is to add a note, CTRL+D is to go to the Delete menu options,
etc). You can move by day, week, month, or year, so for example, I
wanted to put in birthdays, and I put them in for 2010, then moved by
year and added them each year for like 10 years! I'm not going to have
to worry about not knowing when birthdays are for a whole decade now!

This program is usable with Windows (I don't know about Mac). It is
compatible with JAWS and WindowEyes (I think that's what the other one
is called?). It is also partially compatible with NVDA (the address
book edit fields don't tell you what each one is for, and you have to
tab onto the date to read it, but otherwise, I've not seen any
problems using DaybyDay with NVDA, and I do it every day). This
planning calendar is amazing and fully accessible, having been
designed by  a totally blind programmer. I definitely recommend it!

The same programmer (just look on the website for DaybyDay) has other
programs, including a clock program that is fully accessible (since
it's made by th e same totally blind programmer). It can do alarms (I
don't know what the limit is, it's too large...I tried, and didn't
reach the limit!), and has a really cool feature that I loved when I
wasn't at my computer (it's too loud when I am at the computer). You
can set it to speak the time, yes, but I much prefer the Big Ben
choice. On the hour, it does the full song and a chime per hour (1:00,
1 chime, and so on). You can tell it if you want it to go off on the
half hour and quarter hours or not, also. It can do a short chime on
the quarter hours, and a longer chime on the half hour, but you can
turn these off if you don't want them. I have found that a grandfather
clock on my computer reminding me of the time while I'm reading is
great, because then I notice, hey it's 7pm, time to get dinner ready
or such like that.

other office tools I find essential.
-A handheld massager from Bookstone. This little vibrator is very
compact, easy to stick in a desk drawer and very light. It runs on two
double-A batteries, and has a single setting. Because my muscles are
so sensitive, this single setting is perfect for me, as it has a light
touch. It works great when you sat at the computer too long and
strained your neck. The curvature of the device means it will even sit
on your shoulder if you place it right, and work hands-free, so you
can keep working!
-An index card box. It's a little box made of plastic with a flap that
snaps down (some nicer ones have a zipper or a snap latch). I keep a
stylus in there with the index cars and a Jannus (sp?) slate nearby.
If I need to take a note (someone's address, phone number, where
so-and-so left my papers, or what this book sitting in front of me is
that I need to scan). I write up the note, and the notes for the book
get put on with tape or a paperclip (hardback versus paperback), and
the addresses, phone numbers, and little notes like that can go in an
open box on the desk to be sorted at the end of the day. An important
notecard could be taped to the bottom of the keyboard at the frong,
where it'll stick out and I'll touch it every time I type. Another
location for notes like this is hanging from the underside of the desk
at the frong. Every time you sit down, you're likely to brush against
them. No more out of sight, out of mind to worry about!
-My desk doesn't have a drawer for stuff, just for the computer, so I
have a fabric box on the top of my desk for stuff (a nice looking one
from Ikea). It holds tape dispenser, paperclip jar, rubber band jar,
scissors, hole-puncher (one- and three-hole), , slate (the regular
size one, not the Jannus slate, since the Jannus stays out for quick
grab), a jar with extra styli (you never know!), extra packets of
index cards, stamps, a few pens and pencils and a highlighter for
other people to use, twist ties for cords and cables, Krammer abacus,
talking calculator, and a few other items I can't remember...oh yea,
gum! Gotta have gum.

Then, when I need something, I just stick my hand in, feel around for
the right shape and grab. Everything's a different shape and texture,
so I can grab quickly.
-Bumpdots and circle felt stickers. I have found these to be
essential, not just for labelling. If I'm reading a Braille document
and I want to 'highlight' something, I put a small circle felt dot
sticker right before the beginning and end of what I want highlighted.
if I'm reading a magazine that I know I won't read all the articles in
(say , for example, PC World [which I don't get]), I can put a felt
circle or small bumpdot next to the articles in the table of contents
that I want to come back to and read).

That's all I can think of for now...

On 10/10/10, BDM <lists at braddunsemusic.com> wrote:
> Joe,
>
> These are my few essential items:
>
> 1. File Management: I'm not afraid to create folders on my computer,
> and  try to maintain them in a very organized manner.
> . I find the need to clean house once and a while  when in a hurry
> creating and though it takes a little time, I take it.
>
> 2. Digital Recorder: A super help is a digital recorder, my
> electronic brain, my notepad of sourts.  I have two of these. One
> cheaper one I bought for like $40 which is an Olympus model and is
> easy to use with no speech menus. I use it to keep numbers on the
> fly, notes about my business on the fly, I use it like an inventory
> sheet in my business marking down what I need where, I use it for
> anything I don't wish to forget or need to mark down in a hurry. I'll
> use it to mark down song titles, lines, melodies, etc. as well on the
> fly. The other one I have is a more expensive Olympus one that
> records in WAV format if you wish. I use it as both a computer
> microphone at times as well to note songs I'm working on, record
> conferences, live song evaluations, and etc.  I couldn't live without
> one these days. A note that if you have a Victor Stream you can also
> use it for audio recorded notes too. I've also used the Stream to
> serve as note promptors when doing a class on songwriting. I made a
> txt file  of my notes and put it on the Stream and covertly used a
> ear bud as a promptor. I similarly use my digital recorder as my set
> list promptor on long gigs of two hours or more. Everyone thinks its
> a sound system ear monitor :).
>
> 3. Day Timer: Probably one of my biggest things is my day
> timer.  Anytime I need to be reminded of something, an appointment, a
> special day or To Do item, I'll enter it in there, have it remind me
> ahead of time and even send me an email as well pop an alert on my
> screen. It keeps my contacts, notes and details for my address book
> or To Do items and everything else. It has calendar, address book,
> expense view, glances or views by day, week, month, year and other
> stuff, some not accessible but I don't use them anyway so that's
> cool.  The program is one that use to be supported by Jaws, no longer
> formally is but it still works if you have  the old scripts. It is
> Anytime Organizer. I will say the latest version I had tried, version
> 13, did not agree with my system and I am running version 12 which
> works great and I will probably not change unless major tweaks are
> made  from my version. Though I've found their customer service to be
> atrocious, I still love the program and it is one of which that has
> kept me from converting to a Mac, which I am yet seriously
> considering. I just need to find  a Mac anser to this and be open
> minded to a different, yet free screen reader :). I also occasionally
> use a free and fairly accessible program called Alarm Clock By Terry.
> It serves as a countdown timer as well an alarm clock on board. It is
> pretty accessible. I looked forever to find one that wasn't totally
> graphical and it wasnt' easy. This one has a couple buttons not
> labeled but other than that its fine.
>
> 4. Braille Tags: I am not a big Braille reader, I have trouble
> falling asleep trying to read it for any length of time , but I do
> use it around the office. I use old business cards I have and make
> notes to print papered items if I just need to file or otherwise deal
> with them.
>
> 5. Clips: One last thing I'll mention since I use to use this and it
> worked great the way I was running my business/office then. I
> bought  some of those  paper clips that  from a profile view are
> shaped like a triangle and have two foldable wire handles on them.
> You can  afix Braille dymo tape numbers to them. I'd have my reader
> go through and read  a certain mail item or papered item on to a
> digital recorder starting off "Item #1:" and proceed to read it. This
> way I could go and file or attend to it later when I had time and not
> pay someone to do that for me.
>
>
> Hope that helps.
>
> Brad
>
>
>
>
>
> At 09:16 AM 10/10/2010, Joe Orozco wrote:
>>Dear all,
>>
>>I'm curious about what people think are the essential office tools for
>>writers who are blind.  Our sighted counterparts keep notepads, paper
>> files,
>>bulletin boards and all manner of things to keep things organized and
>> spread
>>out through their office.  Last year when I switched jobs and took one
>> where
>>I have the luxury of working from home, I was a little pleased and somewhat
>>disappointed to realize that the two main information storage devices I
>>needed was a laptop and an external hard drive.  I recently invested in an
>>embosser for those times when I'd like to be able to read hard copy, but I
>>somehow don't see pasting Braille stickies on a board as all that
>>productive, out of sight is out of mind and so forth.  The trouble with
>>working primarily from home is that the work is always there.  Similarly,
>>working out of a single laptop makes it seem as though my work has never
>>really disappeared after 6:00 PM.  I suppose I should accepted when my
>>office tried to buy me a Mac.  It's not too late, but I'm not ready to
>>explore a new operating system.  So what do you use to keep things
>>compartmentalized and organized in your office?  Any tips and tricks would
>>be appreciated.  I'm reading this time-management book and want to see if
>>there's a different way of arranging my information to boost general
>>productivity.  Thanks much in advance.
>>
>>Best,
>>
>>Joe
>>
>>"Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves,
>>some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."--Sam Ewing
>>
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>Writers Division web site:
>>http://www.nfb-writers-division.org <http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
>>
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>
>
> Brad Dunse
>
> Check out my blog at: http://www.braddunsemusic.com
>
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>
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-- 
~Jewel
Check out my blog about accessibility for the blind!
Treasure Chest for the Blind: http://blindtreasurechest.blogspot.com