[nfbcs] Helping a software engineer keep his job

[Brian Buhrow]

	Hello.  I would dispute that using a windows terminal with ssh into a
Linux box is an efficient way to work.  The problem is that there is no
modern version of a windows screen reader I know of that can give accurate
row and column information about where my cursor is in the terminal or
where a particular character appears on the screen.  Not having this
information makes it very hard to look at tabular data or to edit files
with a screen based editor like vi and have any hope of getting reasonable
formatting.  I've used Yasr all day, every day at my job for the past 7
years.  After some initial patches I made to improve stability with its
interactions with the software synthesizer I use, I've found it can run for
weeks at a time without a reboot or  any issues.

	For the record, it used to be that every year I would visit the
Freedom Scientific booth at the NFB convention and ask them if they fixed
their interaction with Putty so I could get row and column information out
of the terminal.  Every year they'd wonder why under God's green earth I'd
want that information.  Finally, since I had a solution that worked for me,
I gave up.

	If someone is using a full screen terminal program with Jaws, NVDA or
VoiceOver for the Mac and successfully using ssh to get into a Linux or
other Unix system and then using that connection to use programs that
provide output in a full-screen manner, please speak up.  I'd love to know
how you do it and how it works.
-thanks
-Brian

On Oct 17,  9:39am, Jim Barbour via nfbcs wrote:
} Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Helping a software engineer keep his job
} Hey Gary,
} 
} I'm sure several of us, including me, would be happy to talk with him.
} 
} Frankly, the best bang for the buck is to use a windows terminal
} emulator to ssh into his linux machine to do work.
} 
} When he says this isn't efficient, I wonder if he means because he's
} used to using GUI tools and is having a hard time switching to a pure
} command line environment; or if he is having a hard time building
} fluency with JAWS.
} 
} Both will take dedicated practice and struggle to gain real
} perficiency.  I do not recommend native linux screen reading
} technologies such as orca for new AT users.  They're flakey and
} somewhat frustrating to use at their best.
} 
} There are some terminal based screen readers that run natively on
} Linux that he may be happy with.  Two of the more popular ones are
} yasr (yet another screen reader) and SpeakUp.
} 
} Finally, there's this idea of blindness focused LInux distributions,
} such as vinux.  These are not as interesting or promising as they
} sound.  They're a way to bring a lot of AT into one place.  I might
} suggest this for a seasoned linux user who is also a seasoned AT user
} who wants a quick and dirty platform to test out various AT.
} 
} I hope this helps,
} 
} Jim
} 
} On Fri, Oct 17, 2014 at 10:47:55AM -0500, Gary Wunder via nfbcs wrote:
} > Several days ago I was contacted by a software engineer who is going blind.
} > He uses the Linux operating system, and what he really needs is a way to
} > efficiently do the things that are required of him as a programmer for
} > Lockheed Martin. His employer seems to be willing to get him any equipment
} > that might help him in his job, so they have gotten him Zoom text, the
} > K1000, and I think they have even purchased several copies of JAWS for
} > Windows for him to use on several computers. Of course all of these are
} > based on Microsoft Windows, and what he really needs to interact with is a
} > Linux box. He has figured out a way to do some terminal emulation that lets
} > him use screen reading technology, but all of the workarounds really make it
} > difficult for him to do what once was efficient.
} > 
} >  
} > 
} > Do any of you have ideas about how to help him? My impression is that he is
} > smart, motivated, well regarded by his employer, but at his wits in as to
} > how to do his job and to meet the deadlines that are being offered. He is
} > monitoring this list and will appreciate any comments that people care to
} > give. I will be monitoring the list, but I will be on vacation and rather
} > out of touch for the next ten days or so. I thank all of you for thinking
} > about this and giving him your best ideas. His name is Graham Mehl.
} > 
} >  
} > 
} > Warmly,
} > 
} >  
} > 
} > Gary
} > 
} > Linix operating system
} > 
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} 
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>-- End of excerpt from Jim Barbour via nfbcs