[nabs-l] Efficiency and Productivity

Mon Aug 25 16:26:57 UTC 2014

Hi all,

At the outset, I would like to thank you all for sharing your insights
and experiences. I will definitely strive to implement most of the
suggestions that you guys have shared. I have already been using some
of them, but I am sure some of the tricks that I wasn't aware of will
be immensely beneficial to me.
Arielle, while I partly agree with you, I think it is essential to
remember that, in many contexts, your work is evaluated by using the
time taken by your sighted colleagues to perform the same kind of work
as a yardstick.
Please remember that the deadlines that you speak of are also fixed by
sighted people for sighted people. Implicit in the deadline is the
assumption that an ideal sighted person would be able to complete the
work within that deadline.
The upshot of what I am saying is this: If you are not able to work as
efficiently as your sighted colleagues, your employer may decide to
allot all important tasks to your sighted colleagues and you may be
left with either no work or with less meaningful and substantive work
than your sighted colleagues.

It is heartening to know that I am not the only one who is facing this
problem. Over the years, I have consistently been required to work
harder than my sighted peers in order to compete and, in some cases,
perform better than them in academics, so I am mindful of the fact
that some things will never be as easy for me as they are for a
sighted person.
During all my internships, the biggest challenge for me has been
completing tasks that have to be completed within one working day such
as writing short research notes, finding and summarizing cases on a
specific issue (I am a law student), quickly reviewing long
agreements, etc. Typically, you have to complete such tasks within
30-120 minutes.
So, sometimes, the people who assign work to me are able to find what
they are looking for long before I send my findings to them.
It is a lot easier for me to complete more comprehensive assignments
such as writing research articles, drafting agreements, etc. This is
because one usually gets at least 3 to 5 days for completing such
assignments.
One way to circumvent this problem would be to ask my employers to
assign substantive research and writing tasks to me which would allow
me to showcase my strengths instead of assigning tasks where instant
results are required.
Would love to know what you all think about this.

Best,
Rahul

On 25/08/2014, Mary Fernandez via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> All,
> Arielle, excellent points. However, it is important to be as efficient
> as possible, and at least to be very competent at using assistive
> software. That's not so much for the sake of speed, but also, because
> when you run into accessibility issues, which inevitably you will, the
> more proficient you are with using assistive software, the most
> information you will be able to extract, even if the accessibility is
> awful. You will know work arounds, and commands  which will make it
> possible to at least get something, if there is something to be gotten
> out of a page or software or whatever.  Rahul, I wonder if the machine
> you are using is quite up to par for using Jaws. When I started at my
> current job, I had a rather aged laptop, which would constantly freeze
> and crash if I ran Adobe, Firefox and Jaws. I wasted hours just
> troubleshooting! Sometimes these problems come about for things you
> can't help, like the machine isn't quite doing its job. Maybe the IT
> person can have a look at the resources Jaws uses, and how the machine
> measures up to the resources needed. I am not techy at all, but at my
> job they did an evaluation of my machine and apparently,  there was
> something with video and memory and stuff, once they switched laptops
> it all worked much better. A lot of professional software takes more
> resources than software we use at home, so a machine that works for
> regular life may not be great at the office.
> Anyway, just a thought.
> Thanks.
> Mary
>
>
> On 8/25/14, Ashley Bramlett via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> Arielle,
>> Right. I agree. We are definitely generalizing here.
>> Sighted people certainly do not perform all at the same speed.
>> I think my point is I do perform some tasks faster than other sighted
>> people
>>
>> while some tasks are slower.
>>
>> Its an argument that never can be won. However, I still maintain my
>> strong
>> point that many computer tasks are slower because we cannot skim the
>> screen.
>>
>> You all mention navigation keys for screen readers and windows. Well,
>> I've
>> been in many situations where that does not work. This only works if the
>> web
>>
>> designer has it marked well with html codes like headings and lists.
>> In this case, use the letter h for heading or l for next
>> list.
>>
>> I also have found most  databases have some accessibility issues;  same
>> with
>> other academic journals, encyclopedias and magazines.
>> Rahul,
>> you mentioned needing
>> footnotes. Although, I do not have the command offhand,
>> there is a jaws command for footnotes and endnotes. If you need it, I can
>> probably find that.
>>
>> Ashley
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Arielle Silverman
>> Sent: Sunday, August 24, 2014 7:53 PM
>> To: Ashley Bramlett ; National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Efficiency and Productivity
>>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I always thought it was a little silly to talk about whether blind
>> people work slower or faster than sighted people. The truth is that I
>> don't time myself nor do I time my colleagues. And, any such argument
>> assumes that all sighted people work at some uniform speed--which is
>> not true. I might work slower on the Internet than a Web-savvy sighted
>> person, but I can probably work faster than a sighted person with no
>> computer traning. I can almost definitely write a research report
>> faster than a sighted 18-year-old who's neverwritten an APA-style
>> research report before. And finally, speed isn't the only metric of
>> success. Accuracy and thoroughness are equally important. I may not be
>> able to skim a textbook easily, but by reading every sentence of a
>> chapter, I am probably studying the information more deeply than
>> somebody who quickly skims.
>> Instead of trying to work as fast as some idealized sighted person, I
>> think it's more important to focus on meeting the demands of a job and
>> performing as well as possible. Some job tasks require adherence to
>> deadlines, in which case efficiency does matter. But then the goal
>> should be to adhere to the deadline, not to race an idealized sighted
>> employee to the finish.
>>
>> Arielle
>>
>> On 8/24/14, Ashley Bramlett via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> Rahul,
>>> Ah, I understand now with specifics. I have issues with powerpoint.
>>> unfortunately, there is just more steps for us in that program. use a
>>> reader
>>>
>>> for the graphics if possible. For pdf files here are a few commands to
>>> help.
>>>
>>> Go to page: control shiftN
>>> Next page: right arrow
>>> Prior page: left arrow.
>>>
>>> Ashley
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Rahul Bajaj via nabs-l
>>> Sent: Friday, August 22, 2014 4:55 PM
>>> To: Cindy Bennett ; National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Efficiency and Productivity
>>>
>>> Thanks for the suggestions and the encouragement, everyone. I am sure
>>> most of the suggestions that you guys have given will be immensely
>>> helpful.
>>> I'm pasting below the text of the mail that I sent in response to
>>> Arielle's query which, unfortunately, only went to her:
>>> Arielle, I am using JAWS 15 on a Windows 7 machine, so the technology
>>> is fairly up to date. Some problems are with regard to specific
>>> features such as
>>> reading comments, footnotes and using track changes in Word; finding
>>> text and reading comments in PDF documents; preparing long PPT
>>> presentations with
>>> graphs and charts; using the internal applications designed by my firm
>>> which are almost always partly inaccessible, etc.
>>> Even otherwise, I take a lot more time than my sighted  colleagues for
>>> reading long 50-100 page documents.
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>> Rahul
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 23/08/2014, Cindy Bennett via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>> Hi Rahul,
>>>>
>>>> I think your list of challenges may have just gone to Arielle. Would
>>>> you mind sending them to the list? I think she gave some great
>>>> solutions though. As for speed of JAWS, I gradually increased mine 5
>>>> points and then waited a couple of weeks and then increased it again.
>>>> I do slow it down 10 points when I am reading textbooks or other heavy
>>>> material.
>>>>
>>>> Cindy
>>>>
>>>> On 8/22/14, Arielle Silverman via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>> Also, if you use Gmail, you can send a PDF to yourself as an
>>>>> attachment, then click "view attachment as HTML". You'll get an HTML
>>>>> version that is very easy to navigate with JAWS.
>>>>> Arielle
>>>>>
>>>>> On 8/22/14, Arielle Silverman <arielle71 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>> Hi Rahul,
>>>>>> Thanks for clarifying. I have a few quick suggestions and others may
>>>>>> have
>>>>>> more.
>>>>>> 1. Try increasing the speech rate of JAWS by opening the JAWS program
>>>>>> and pressing Alt to get into the basic menus. Increasing the speed
>>>>>> should make reading line by line go faster. You don't want it to be
>>>>>> so
>>>>>> fast that you can't understand, but just try increasing by 5 or 10%.
>>>>>> 2. I suggest partnering with a sighted colleague, if possible, to
>>>>>> work
>>>>>> on the PowerPoint charts and any inaccessible software. You can still
>>>>>> do the majority of the thinking, but just utilize the sighted
>>>>>> person's
>>>>>> efficiency with the mouse-clicking in those situations. There is
>>>>>> nothing wrong with using a reader, hired or otherwise.
>>>>>> 3. To quickly read Track Changes comments, use
>>>>>> control-shift-apostrophe.
>>>>>> 4. Sometimes it's necessary to ask your employer if you can use a
>>>>>> different program to do the work; for example reading a file in Word
>>>>>> instead of in PDF format.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Good luck and congrats on the internship!
>>>>>> Arielle
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On 8/22/14, Derek Manners via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>>>>> Hello, I can definitely understand how you feel. I think there are
>>>>>>> three
>>>>>>> things I'd keep in mind.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> 1. Any new job takes time to get in a rhythm where you are getting
>>>>>>> things
>>>>>>> done quickly.
>>>>>>> 2. Practice makes perfect, just as any job takes time to learn, so
>>>>>>> does
>>>>>>> using assistive tech.
>>>>>>> 3. It's perfectly fine work at your own pace. Your goal should be to
>>>>>>> do
>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> best you can under the circumstances and just look for ways to do
>>>>>>> better.
>>>>>>> I
>>>>>>> work faster/hard than some of my sighted colleagues and I work
>>>>>>> slower/less
>>>>>>> hard than others.  The main thing employers want to see is
>>>>>>> improvement
>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>> a
>>>>>>> good attitude.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Best
>>>>>>> Derek
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On Aug 22, 2014, at 3:19 PM, Rahul Bajaj via nabs-l
>>>>>>>> <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Hi all,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I often find it hard to maintain the same level of productivity as
>>>>>>>> my
>>>>>>>> sighted colleagues. I guess this can primarily be attributed to the
>>>>>>>> fact
>>>>>>>> that I have so far been merely a casual user of assistive
>>>>>>>> technology
>>>>>>>> which
>>>>>>>> is perhaps why I am not able to use it as expeditiously as I should
>>>>>>>> be
>>>>>>>> able to in a professional setting.
>>>>>>>> That being said, my uniform experience has taught me that jaws is
>>>>>>>> often
>>>>>>>> unresponsive and unreliable. This makes it virtually impossible to
>>>>>>>> work
>>>>>>>> with the same level of efficiency as a sighted person.
>>>>>>>> Most blind students get double the time that their sighted
>>>>>>>> counterparts
>>>>>>>> get for writing exams. However, this is not really a feasible
>>>>>>>> option
>>>>>>>> in
>>>>>>>> the private sector where you are not only required to do your work
>>>>>>>> well
>>>>>>>> but are also expected to complete your tasks expeditiously.
>>>>>>>> My inability to meet the latter requirement has often been a source
>>>>>>>> of
>>>>>>>> frustration for me during my internships. My employers have never
>>>>>>>> raised
>>>>>>>> any objections about my inability to complete the same amount of
>>>>>>>> work
>>>>>>>> as
>>>>>>>> my sighted counterparts within a given time period. I guess this is
>>>>>>>> reflective of the low expectations that society has from blind
>>>>>>>> people.
>>>>>>>> Be that as it may, this has greatly reduced my job satisfaction and
>>>>>>>> has
>>>>>>>> been a major cause of concern.
>>>>>>>> I'd like to know what you guys think about this. Has anyone here
>>>>>>>> had
>>>>>>>> a
>>>>>>>> similar experience?
>>>>>>>> What strategies would you recommend for effectively grappling with
>>>>>>>> this
>>>>>>>> challenge?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Best,
>>>>>>>> Rahul
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>>>>>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>>>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>>>>>>>> for
>>>>>>>> nabs-l:
>>>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/dmanners%40jd16.law.harvard.edu
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>>>>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>>>>>>> for
>>>>>>> nabs-l:
>>>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/arielle71%40gmail.com
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>>> nabs-l:
>>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/clb5590%40gmail.com
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Cindy Bennett
>>>> Treasurer of the Greater Seattle Chapter and of the National
>>>> Federation of the Blind of Washington
>>>> Affiliates of the National Federation of the Blind
>>>>
>>>> clb5590 at gmail.com
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>> nabs-l:
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/rahul.bajaj1038%40gmail.com
>>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> nabs-l:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/bookwormahb%40earthlink.net
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nabs-l mailing list
>>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> nabs-l:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/arielle71%40gmail.com
>>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nabs-l mailing list
>> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nabs-l:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/trillian551%40gmail.com
>>
>
>
> --
> Mary Fernandez
> "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will
> forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them
> feel."
> --
> Maya Angelou
>
> _______________________________________________
> nabs-l mailing list
> nabs-l at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nabs-l_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nabs-l:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nabs-l_nfbnet.org/rahul.bajaj1038%40gmail.com
>