[Trainer-Talk] Teaching someone using ZoomText when you're a JAWS user

[David Ward]

Sarah,

Great question; an I think the good folks here gave you some good advice 
so far. As mentioned by some of them, if your in the same classroom 
environment and can run a screen reader in parallel with what their 
doing that be great, it might help orient you a bit. With what there 
doing. Ideally a screen reader that works well with ZoomText so, should 
you need to take control or demonstrate something their ZoomText tracks 
and pan's the screen view to the appropriate place your navigating too, 
via the keyboard. Fusion and/or JAWS & ZoomText aren't bad for this. 
NVDA and ZoomText seem to work ok, too, I imagine it might have its bad 
moments though. Also, Windows Magnifier and Narrator have really 
improved their tracking as far as working together. Now while ZoomText 
is your primary, I'm sure as an instructor you'll want to acquaint them 
withe Windows Magnifier as well, because they'll be times ZoomText won't 
work, or will crash, or has a memory leak, or your on a Microsoft Setup 
screen or update screen or who knows what else.


I'd say about 90% of what will aid you, in aiding them after you've got 
some way to hear what their doing, by having an ear-bud in one ear or 
what not. Is orientation. Now for this you might need a sighted 
orientation, a very descriptive video resource or something, or lastly a 
touch screen with JAWS running. So as an aside that way you can help 
them orient.

As an example.

The Start Menu, is in the bottom left, or in Windows 11 bottom middle.

Task Bar is along the bottom of the screen. File Menu's and Ribbons are 
going to be along the top of the Application, etc. etc. But honestly a 
lot of the UI is similar. An maybe even googling it might be a quick 
fix. Where's the Maximize button located in a window?

Now if you're dealing with some one who is transiting, their vision is 
on the decline, or their low-vision is in pretty bad shape. I think 
you'll bring a lot to the table. Because you can say, it took you a 
minute and a half to open you email client where wit ha keyboard command 
I did it in 5 seconds. You searched for the edit field on the webpage 
for a full minute, I found the form field in 10 seconds. So in that 
arena I think you can help them a lot, an help focus on what there 
low-vision is good for and how not to over tax it, and end up with a 
bunch of migraines.


Anywho, my two cents, hope it helps. I'm a person in transition myself, 
been using ZoomText for 20+ years, now I'm using more an more JAWS, 
NVDA, and I use VoiceOver all the time on my iPhone.


Rock on! Feel to give me a buzz at the office if you think I can help in 
some other way or you need to pick another trainers brain.

*David Ward, Assistive Technology Instructor for New Vision Program*
O: (540) 985.8900 | ext. 1122 | C: (540) 871.5409 | F: (540) 342.2397 
Goodwill Industries^® of the Valleys, New Vision Program 2502 Melrose 
Avenue, NW, Suite B | Roanoke, VA 24017 www.goodwillvalleys.com 
<http://www.goodwillvalleys.com/>// //** <https://www.goodwillvalleys.com/>

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On 10/16/2021 1:44 AM, Rayn Darren via Trainer-Talk wrote:
> Good evening all,
>
>   
>
> The subject says it all. I'm a JAWS user and my student is a ZoomText user.
> How in the world do I teach her to navigate around the screen when I can't
> see it and she can't adequately  describe it to me in order for me to figure
> out what she's seeing? Sighted assistance on my end is not an option. She
> needs to learn how to use ZoomText in order to be productive in her given
> tasks, posting to a website and I have no idea how to help her. I'm sure I
> can learn the keyboard commands but I haven't used any type of magnification
> program in probably about 25 years.
>
>   
>
> Any help/tips/tricks/advice would be greatly appreciated.
>
>   
>
> Thank you,
>
> Sarah Hale
>
> Work: 714.852.3238
>
> Email:  <mailto:sarah.hale at siteweaver.org> sarah.hale at siteweaver.org
>
>   
>
>   
>
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