[nfbcs] Helping a software engineer keep his job

Fri Oct 17 20:03:00 UTC 2014

Not sure if this helps, but in case...

I use Cygwin's ssh client to access MacOS, FreeBSD, and Linux. Most of
what I do is not full screen, but I have used Vi and Lynx, besides
mail clients. The ease of setting this up has varied among Windows
versions, and JAWS 12 was the last JAWS version that got full-screen
redraws right every time. I work around the JAWS problem by redrawing
screens in Mutt (my mail client) occasionally. Terminal emulation
issues have also beset me from time to time but have yet to prove
insurmountable.

A few tips:

For Lynx, use -show_cursor so that the cursor position will identify
links and such.

For mail clients that allow it, use an arrow (->) to mark the current
message. I find the cursor goes with this.

For Vi, turn screen echo off.

For everything, use a blinking underline cursor if possible. I can
script the tracking of a solid block cursor but prefer not to bother.

I've been using terminal interfaces for Unix variants for about 28
years by now.

On Fri, Oct 17, 2014 at 12:31:42PM -0700, NFBCS mailing list wrote:
	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
} > 
} > _______________________________________________
} > nfbcs mailing list
} > nfbcs at nfbnet.org
} > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbcs_nfbnet.org
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} > http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbcs_nfbnet.org/jbar%40barcore.com
} > 
} 
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>-- End of excerpt from Jim Barbour via nfbcs

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