Posts
Any blind student that wants to take classes dealing with music should learn braille music to access everything their sighted peers access, giving them the ability to learn anything they wish.
Watch on youtube
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Creating BEAUTIFUL Cards using WORD
As the holidays approach and throughout the year with parties, classes make cards for their families and friends. My students need their own fancy way to make the most beautifully decorated cards too.
All this can be accomplished using WORD. Students can insert beautiful pictures, change them to a very light background then type the fanciest script to type words directly on top of the picture.
As soon as the sighted students see how beautiful my students' cards turn out, they too want to learn these tricks, which is great for expanding their social circle. Giving tools like this to any student is a huge self-esteem builder because they know they have the knowledge that others want, so people seek them out for help.
Lessons to help you learn more
Make beautiful cards
All this can be accomplished using WORD. Students can insert beautiful pictures, change them to a very light background then type the fanciest script to type words directly on top of the picture.
As soon as the sighted students see how beautiful my students' cards turn out, they too want to learn these tricks, which is great for expanding their social circle. Giving tools like this to any student is a huge self-esteem builder because they know they have the knowledge that others want, so people seek them out for help.
Lessons to help you learn more
Make beautiful cards
Monday, November 7, 2011
Twitter Accessibility with Qwitter
Twitter is very accessible with JAWS talking software. It will just take many keystrokes to get to where you want to go.
However, to make a Tweet, just hit E for your edit box, enter for forms mode on and type those 140 characters, then TAB to Tweet and ENTER to send. That fast and that easy. However, reading all the content is a bit different...that is where all the keystrokes come in.
There is also Easychirp which has all the accessible features.
For an incredibly accessible Twitter, download Qwitter or EasyChirp. It makes everything very accessible in Twitter, just like m.facebook.com does for Facebook.
However, to make a Tweet, just hit E for your edit box, enter for forms mode on and type those 140 characters, then TAB to Tweet and ENTER to send. That fast and that easy. However, reading all the content is a bit different...that is where all the keystrokes come in.
There is also Easychirp which has all the accessible features.
For an incredibly accessible Twitter, download Qwitter or EasyChirp. It makes everything very accessible in Twitter, just like m.facebook.com does for Facebook.
Braille Reading - smooth and easy
Watch this young lady read braille: Youtube--Smooth fluid motion across the pages of braille. Able to read as fast as sighted peers. Uses Bookshare and other online braille sources to download books constantly to read on her Braille Note.
Never say Impossible
A wild fire is raging toward you and your family as you walk along some very steep cliffs. There is no way out....What do you do?
Never say something is impossible or there is just no way. You must think outside the box...something different. The answer is out there, it is just seeking it out.
Answer for fire: The father took out a match and started his own fire, making a completely burned out area for he and his family to stand in while the wild fire burned out before even getting to them.
There is always a WAY!
Never say something is impossible or there is just no way. You must think outside the box...something different. The answer is out there, it is just seeking it out.
Answer for fire: The father took out a match and started his own fire, making a completely burned out area for he and his family to stand in while the wild fire burned out before even getting to them.
There is always a WAY!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Health Insurance for all Children
CHIP-Children's Health Insurance Program is children's medicaid.
Every state has some form of CHIP, so check into your local service
If you have a child that needs medical attention BUT you do not have health insurance, every child is eligible if you earn under $45,000 a year. Check into this program to get their needs met and pass this information along to other parents who need to get eye exams, dental appointments or any other type of medical care.
Every state has some form of CHIP, so check into your local service
If you have a child that needs medical attention BUT you do not have health insurance, every child is eligible if you earn under $45,000 a year. Check into this program to get their needs met and pass this information along to other parents who need to get eye exams, dental appointments or any other type of medical care.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Virtual Machines--Mac with PC and PC with both XP and Windows 7
Today, you no longer have to have just 1 operating system on 1 computer. Since I am writing lessons for people who use XP and Office 2003 and Windows 7 and Office 2010, I have both operating system on one machine. Windows 7 is my main machine and I have XP running virtually. With 2 monitors, I run XP on one monitor and Windows 7 on the other and can quickly write the lessons needed by having both operating systems on 1 computer.
Mac is the same way. You have Mac OS on one side and with a Command Tab you switch to Windows 7, which operates virtually. This way you can use as many features as you want. You download products according to which side you are using.
What I suggest to people who really want to switch to a Mac but have always been PC users, is...get both. Buy the Mac and put the virtual Windows 7 on it too, so when you just can't get something done while learning the Mac, you can switch to the PC side.
Same thing for switching from XP to Windows 7. Have both and when you just can't figure out how to do it on the Windows 7 side, switch back to the XP side.
Just more options for getting work done.
Mac is the same way. You have Mac OS on one side and with a Command Tab you switch to Windows 7, which operates virtually. This way you can use as many features as you want. You download products according to which side you are using.
What I suggest to people who really want to switch to a Mac but have always been PC users, is...get both. Buy the Mac and put the virtual Windows 7 on it too, so when you just can't get something done while learning the Mac, you can switch to the PC side.
Same thing for switching from XP to Windows 7. Have both and when you just can't figure out how to do it on the Windows 7 side, switch back to the XP side.
Just more options for getting work done.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Mountbatten brailler is great for young children to learn Braille
Little fingers can easily press the keys on a Mountbatten brailler--watch YouTube Video. Learn quickly and easily so by kindergarten blind children can read and write just as much as their sighted peers.
More at www.yourtechvision.com
More at www.yourtechvision.com
Blind student demonstrates PowerPoint
Completely blind yet notice the perfect touch typing skills click on Youtube. She knows all the keystrokes to insert videos and pictures into a PowerPoint presentation and complete the perfect slide show. Learn these skills at: www.yourtechvision.com
Accelerated Reader (AR) and access with JAWS and Braille Display
Anyone who has elementary students most likely knows about AR tests. Accelerated Reader (AR) is a program where children read books and then take tests on a computer system called AR. Each book is assigned a certain amount of points depending on their difficulty. Children in class compete to see how many points they can earn within a certain time period and by the end of the year.
Accelerated Reader (AR) tests can be accessed with JAWS and a Braille Display. I had to laugh yesterday as I was teaching one of my students how to move through the pages. She has incredible listening skills and her JAWS works at about 400 wpm. Her fingers cannot read that fast, so she would bypass the braille display and quickly listen to each page and take the test. She could finish 3 tests before a sighted student even finished their first due to the speed at which she operated the site.
Where once upon a time, a sighted reader had to read these tests to our blind students, it is no more, which is true for so many areas of their lives, due to technology.
Lessons that will help you learn
AR, braille display and talking software
Accelerated Reader (AR) tests can be accessed with JAWS and a Braille Display. I had to laugh yesterday as I was teaching one of my students how to move through the pages. She has incredible listening skills and her JAWS works at about 400 wpm. Her fingers cannot read that fast, so she would bypass the braille display and quickly listen to each page and take the test. She could finish 3 tests before a sighted student even finished their first due to the speed at which she operated the site.
Where once upon a time, a sighted reader had to read these tests to our blind students, it is no more, which is true for so many areas of their lives, due to technology.
Lessons that will help you learn
AR, braille display and talking software
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Braille Instruction begins at 3 years old
Braille Instruction begins at 3 years old
This young man on the video from the above link, began braille and technology instruction at 3 years old. A year later he knows his braille alphabet and typing on a keyboard. When he reached kindergarten, he had as much reading/writing knowledge as peers.
www.yourtechvision.com
This young man on the video from the above link, began braille and technology instruction at 3 years old. A year later he knows his braille alphabet and typing on a keyboard. When he reached kindergarten, he had as much reading/writing knowledge as peers.
www.yourtechvision.com
Video Calls on IPhone & IPad
Whether fully sighted, low vision or even blind, I have students and friends who love using the video call feature with the Iphone and Ipad.
The way to make free calls on either device but more importantly you can use this as a phone feature on the Ipad, is to download SKYPE and SKYPE wireless to go with it. Go to the app download section of your product. Once the programs are downloaded, you can use voice over with the programs to make and receive calls with a new twist.
This happens to be a great feature for virtual teaching also. Just another way to connect and do what you need to do to teach a lesson.
Download lessons on Learn how to use iTools
The way to make free calls on either device but more importantly you can use this as a phone feature on the Ipad, is to download SKYPE and SKYPE wireless to go with it. Go to the app download section of your product. Once the programs are downloaded, you can use voice over with the programs to make and receive calls with a new twist.
This happens to be a great feature for virtual teaching also. Just another way to connect and do what you need to do to teach a lesson.
Download lessons on Learn how to use iTools
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
American Printing House for the Blind
If you are looking for a major resource for materials adapted for blind students from the earliest age, The American Printing House for the Blind is for you.
Founded in 1858, the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) is the world's largest nonprofit organization creating educational, workplace, and independent living products and services for people who are blind and visually impaired.
If you need something adapted to blindness or low vision, go to APH.org and there is a good chance you will find it there in their catalog.
Order your free catalog from them to have all this valuable information at your fingertips when a situation comes up and you need a tool.
Schools can use Free quota funds which are designated for blind/low vision children. The government has allocated a certain amount of funds for each child per year, so this helps the districts with their budgets too.
You can also call them at: 1-800-223-1839
Founded in 1858, the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) is the world's largest nonprofit organization creating educational, workplace, and independent living products and services for people who are blind and visually impaired.
If you need something adapted to blindness or low vision, go to APH.org and there is a good chance you will find it there in their catalog.
Order your free catalog from them to have all this valuable information at your fingertips when a situation comes up and you need a tool.
Schools can use Free quota funds which are designated for blind/low vision children. The government has allocated a certain amount of funds for each child per year, so this helps the districts with their budgets too.
You can also call them at: 1-800-223-1839
Blind Technology-adapted Braille laptop
Teenage student loses sight at 16 and learns the technology to do her work
Watch on YouTube: Young Woman
Click on Lessons on how to learn the Braille Note
Watch on YouTube: Young Woman
Click on Lessons on how to learn the Braille Note
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Secrets in Office 2010 for talking software or blind users
There are many areas that are inaccessible in Office 2010 for a blind user, but you can make them accessible with a quick command.
As soon as you open a document, do a CTRL+S to save, name the file, then TAB to save as Type and down arrow to word 97-2003 document, then hit ENTER. (You can make this change permanent if it works well for you)
Now, when you want to insert pictures, graphs, Wordart and other graphics, you will have the ability to left, right or center them where you want. If using Office 2010 in the .docx format, you will have to use the arrow keys, which is just guess work if you are blind and you have no idea where you are truly placing your object.
Another trick: Most commands you memorized in Office 2003 can be used in Office 2010. So if you want to insert a picture, Alt+I, then hit P then hit C to clip art and your clip art options open.
Enlarge the screen: Just ALT+V, then hit Z, then hit 2 for 200% and you have magnified your screen.
Just keep moving through the keystrokes and they work with or without talking software
As soon as you open a document, do a CTRL+S to save, name the file, then TAB to save as Type and down arrow to word 97-2003 document, then hit ENTER. (You can make this change permanent if it works well for you)
Now, when you want to insert pictures, graphs, Wordart and other graphics, you will have the ability to left, right or center them where you want. If using Office 2010 in the .docx format, you will have to use the arrow keys, which is just guess work if you are blind and you have no idea where you are truly placing your object.
Another trick: Most commands you memorized in Office 2003 can be used in Office 2010. So if you want to insert a picture, Alt+I, then hit P then hit C to clip art and your clip art options open.
Enlarge the screen: Just ALT+V, then hit Z, then hit 2 for 200% and you have magnified your screen.
Just keep moving through the keystrokes and they work with or without talking software
Restoring your Computer to Working Great again
With all the different types of software and downloads from the Internet, you may have experienced your computer crashing or slowing. If you use talking software you may notice compatibility issues after you downloaded a particular program.
Here is a quick easy fix. Every PC offers a restore of your system. If you are on Windows 7, you can just hit the start key and type restore and down arrow to restore your computer to an earlier time. When the dialog box comes up, look back at all the dates and make note of when your computer worked well and restore it to that date. When my talking software stops working well, I can see a particular type of update was made on my computer and now I know which update knocked my talking software out.... I then go and hide that update in my update folder so it will never occur again. You can do the exact same thing in XP but you will have to go into the control panel to do so.
You can also set restore points. Last week, one of my students went on vacation and her laptop had been having major issues, so I took it for the week to overhaul. After I fixed it, I set a restore point with an original name, so as problems occur down the road, I can talk them through how to easily restore her computer back to the date last week. It is like getting a brand new computer right out of the box, but just loaded with all the blind software and ready to use.
Restore is a wonderful feature However: If you set a restore point on your computer on Oct 1 and you loaded another program on Nov 1, found issues on Nov 5 and restored back to Oct 1, any program you loaded after that Oct 1 date will be gone. Your files are still there, it just takes away programs---but the new added program could be what was giving you problems, so this is decision time, if you do a restore. It is something major you are doing to your machine.
Always backup your files before doing something like this. Backup, just means, make another copy somewhere else, like on a thumb drive. You should be doing this anyway because technology crashes and you always want another copy of your files somewhere else.
There are a lot of great powerful features on computers, just learn how to take control of them and use the power to your advantage, instead of them taking control of you.
Here is a quick easy fix. Every PC offers a restore of your system. If you are on Windows 7, you can just hit the start key and type restore and down arrow to restore your computer to an earlier time. When the dialog box comes up, look back at all the dates and make note of when your computer worked well and restore it to that date. When my talking software stops working well, I can see a particular type of update was made on my computer and now I know which update knocked my talking software out.... I then go and hide that update in my update folder so it will never occur again. You can do the exact same thing in XP but you will have to go into the control panel to do so.
You can also set restore points. Last week, one of my students went on vacation and her laptop had been having major issues, so I took it for the week to overhaul. After I fixed it, I set a restore point with an original name, so as problems occur down the road, I can talk them through how to easily restore her computer back to the date last week. It is like getting a brand new computer right out of the box, but just loaded with all the blind software and ready to use.
Restore is a wonderful feature However: If you set a restore point on your computer on Oct 1 and you loaded another program on Nov 1, found issues on Nov 5 and restored back to Oct 1, any program you loaded after that Oct 1 date will be gone. Your files are still there, it just takes away programs---but the new added program could be what was giving you problems, so this is decision time, if you do a restore. It is something major you are doing to your machine.
Always backup your files before doing something like this. Backup, just means, make another copy somewhere else, like on a thumb drive. You should be doing this anyway because technology crashes and you always want another copy of your files somewhere else.
There are a lot of great powerful features on computers, just learn how to take control of them and use the power to your advantage, instead of them taking control of you.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Guide Dogs help students Compete in LIFE
A young high school woman loses sight but loves cross country running. She gains a guide dog and gains LIFE back. Read her full story at
Teen Blinded by Stargardt's Disease Chases Dreams With Guide Dog
Teen Blinded by Stargardt's Disease Chases Dreams With Guide Dog
Blind Technology Helps Students Succeed in School
Here is a video of a 4 year old and a 2nd grader racing each other on their Braille Computerized Technology. Learning is fast and fun when you have the right tools and friendships to learn together.
Watch video at: Blind Technology Helps Students
Watch video at: Blind Technology Helps Students
Friday, October 28, 2011
Technology tells Blind students date and time
I want my students to be able to quickly know the date and time at any point during the day. I do not want them to have to ask those around them to keep track of their schedule. One of the first JAWS commands I teach is the INSERT+F12, which will tell them the time, then INSERT+F12 twice quickly tells them the date.
My students have become so astute with what time it is that they don't start checking the time until about 10 minutes before our class ends. I love hearing that time announcement as they are working along. They have taken charge of their schedules and know how quickly to finish work and get it emailed off before the end of the period. With them taking their own time and schedules on, they have become more competitive with completing work at the same time as their peers.
Being aware is the first place to start with making change in how we do things.
My students have become so astute with what time it is that they don't start checking the time until about 10 minutes before our class ends. I love hearing that time announcement as they are working along. They have taken charge of their schedules and know how quickly to finish work and get it emailed off before the end of the period. With them taking their own time and schedules on, they have become more competitive with completing work at the same time as their peers.
Being aware is the first place to start with making change in how we do things.
Instant Lessons at your finger tips when you need to Teach something
Have you ever sat with a child and thought, "OH, I WISH I had a lesson on this to teach!" Immediate download of Microsoft Lessons, and other blind tools is now available at your fingertips. In addition, there are hundreds of articles on how to teach lessons or what types of lessons to teach for a particular situation. There are also articles on the above products, daily living skills, how to teach math, a foreign language and so much more. All on one site
As a teacher, you can download lessons the day before, the morning of or as you sit with a student who just came to you with a question on, "How do you do a PowerPoint Lessons?" or any other type of lesson. You go to PowerPoint lessons on www.yourtechvision.com and download it digitally within a couple minutes (all depending on the speed at which you use a computer). Lesson planning is now made incredibly easy and simple. You also discover that if a lesson in not on the site, a request on the contact page for a particular lesson will be added to the site within a week for your use.
Parents who are homeschooling also have the same ability. With the ever changing technology and questions on how to use talking software, adapted braille computers, the Internet and the software that goes with it, the answers are in articles and in easy lesson download format with just a click away. Articles to read on how to go about teaching your blind child and which lessons to download with the article are just a click away.
For the Blind user, who wants to learn skills themselves, everything above applies too and a click away is just an INSERT+F7 using JAWS. Everything on the site is link based, using INSERT+F7 you can access lessons and articles. Edit boxes can be accessed using the letter e, and hitting ENTER will turn on the ability to write. If you hit a combo box, ENTER activates that too. TAB always moves you easily through the whole site, every link, heading, and form box. If you want to read the articles on the site, H will jump you to the headings and down arrow enables you to read it. If you bring up your links, just go to the next article with 2, 3, etc, as their are hundreds of articles to peruse.
Education, Instruction and Lessons are now in quick text download format and close to as instantaneous as you can work a computer. Help is always at the contact page and you can request a private free lessons with any purchased product to get you up and running.
As a teacher, you can download lessons the day before, the morning of or as you sit with a student who just came to you with a question on, "How do you do a PowerPoint Lessons?" or any other type of lesson. You go to PowerPoint lessons on www.yourtechvision.com and download it digitally within a couple minutes (all depending on the speed at which you use a computer). Lesson planning is now made incredibly easy and simple. You also discover that if a lesson in not on the site, a request on the contact page for a particular lesson will be added to the site within a week for your use.
Parents who are homeschooling also have the same ability. With the ever changing technology and questions on how to use talking software, adapted braille computers, the Internet and the software that goes with it, the answers are in articles and in easy lesson download format with just a click away. Articles to read on how to go about teaching your blind child and which lessons to download with the article are just a click away.
For the Blind user, who wants to learn skills themselves, everything above applies too and a click away is just an INSERT+F7 using JAWS. Everything on the site is link based, using INSERT+F7 you can access lessons and articles. Edit boxes can be accessed using the letter e, and hitting ENTER will turn on the ability to write. If you hit a combo box, ENTER activates that too. TAB always moves you easily through the whole site, every link, heading, and form box. If you want to read the articles on the site, H will jump you to the headings and down arrow enables you to read it. If you bring up your links, just go to the next article with 2, 3, etc, as their are hundreds of articles to peruse.
Education, Instruction and Lessons are now in quick text download format and close to as instantaneous as you can work a computer. Help is always at the contact page and you can request a private free lessons with any purchased product to get you up and running.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Video- Blind student using slate n stylus, the blind persons' pencil
The slate n stylus is the perfect quick writing tool used by the blind: It can be placed in a back pocket or purse and quickly taken out to use. Any piece of paper lying around will emboss or imprint braille using the slate n stylus.
Blind student on Youtube using slate n stylus
Blind student on Youtube using slate n stylus
Get a Job, Keep your Job
To get a job, you need more expertise in the area you are applying for than anyone else does. You need to be dressed appropriately for the job you are applying for, also. You are going to need the confidence to show others, you can do this job and great skills will give you this confidence!
Once you get the job, you need to keep up with your skills, especially technology. Make yourself invaluable. Technology is crucial. If you are a K-12 educator or parent, then make sure your children are getting technology training at the youngest grade possibly....preschool is ideal, after that time, just begin ...IMMEDIATELY!
If blind, this training is even more crucial. You need to start young to learn what it is like to keep up with your peers and compete with the rest of your class, so when you get to college and the workforce, you have gained the experience you need to prove yourself to the potential employer.
Without technology skills, it is very hard to compete in the world. If you are blind and lack technology skills, it will be harder. Computers and talking software will give you the advantage of getting a job. Once you get the job, continue to gain training to keep up with your skills.
There are many places to gain education: Your local college, online classes and a myriad of information right on the Internet.
If you are blind, be upfront about the issue of your blindness. It is on everyone's mind whether you want to admit it or not. Tell them to ask you any question they have, let them know how you would tackle certain job aspects. If you are not comfortable with your blindness, they will not be either and that will hinder potential employment.
If you want a job and you want to keep your job, then get those technology skills to compete. Word skills enable you to write any type of document to any specification. Excel will help you auto-calculate math and get you organized for all projects and so much more. PowerPoint will enable you to walk into an interview and demonstrate a rundown of you skills on a PP and in the process show the potential employer your skills. PowerPoint will also enable you to give any type of presentation to impress any group of people. Internet skills will enable you to do the research on any project the boss may give you. If you are blind, learning those talking software skills combined with the above will enable you to go anywhere and compete with anyone.
Once you get the job, you need to keep up with your skills, especially technology. Make yourself invaluable. Technology is crucial. If you are a K-12 educator or parent, then make sure your children are getting technology training at the youngest grade possibly....preschool is ideal, after that time, just begin ...IMMEDIATELY!
If blind, this training is even more crucial. You need to start young to learn what it is like to keep up with your peers and compete with the rest of your class, so when you get to college and the workforce, you have gained the experience you need to prove yourself to the potential employer.
Without technology skills, it is very hard to compete in the world. If you are blind and lack technology skills, it will be harder. Computers and talking software will give you the advantage of getting a job. Once you get the job, continue to gain training to keep up with your skills.
There are many places to gain education: Your local college, online classes and a myriad of information right on the Internet.
If you are blind, be upfront about the issue of your blindness. It is on everyone's mind whether you want to admit it or not. Tell them to ask you any question they have, let them know how you would tackle certain job aspects. If you are not comfortable with your blindness, they will not be either and that will hinder potential employment.
If you want a job and you want to keep your job, then get those technology skills to compete. Word skills enable you to write any type of document to any specification. Excel will help you auto-calculate math and get you organized for all projects and so much more. PowerPoint will enable you to walk into an interview and demonstrate a rundown of you skills on a PP and in the process show the potential employer your skills. PowerPoint will also enable you to give any type of presentation to impress any group of people. Internet skills will enable you to do the research on any project the boss may give you. If you are blind, learning those talking software skills combined with the above will enable you to go anywhere and compete with anyone.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Find the AntiVirus that Works for You
One thing is for sure....if you want to keep your computer running well you MUST have antivirus protection on your computer. There are many types available and many do not cost anything, but do compare the ones that cost to the ones that do not as you may need to pay for that extra protection.
Here is a list of antivirus programs that you can look over to see what fits you best. Antivirus List
For good free Antivirus software, see the following
Microsoft Security Essentials
AVG
AVAST
AVIRA
Here is a list of antivirus programs that you can look over to see what fits you best. Antivirus List
For good free Antivirus software, see the following
Microsoft Security Essentials
AVG
AVAST
AVIRA
Video-Blind student learning how to sew on a sewing machine
Blind students can learn how to do anything with education and instruction. This young lady also sews beautiful beaded necklaces and bracelets.
Learn more about education for the blind at: www.yourtechvision.com
Watch Blind student Sewing
Learn more about education for the blind at: www.yourtechvision.com
Watch Blind student Sewing
Monday, October 24, 2011
JAWS 13 is out TODAY--lucky 13
Freedom Scientific just released JAWS 13 today
One of the biggest items is Convenient OCR--for all those nasty PDF files that are inaccessible and refuse to be read...AH HAH...there is a solution now
Frequently, you will encounter images that contain textual information. These can include a PDF file, the setup screen of an application, or the menu of selections for a DVD movie. While these images contain text that is readable by a sighted person, JAWS is unable to read the text as it is part of the image.
The new Convenient OCR (Optical Character Recognition) feature enables you to access any image on the screen that includes text. With just a few simple keystrokes, JAWS will recognize the image in a matter of seconds and activate the JAWS cursor so you can navigate the resulting text. The recognized text will be in the same location as the actual image on the screen. In order to differentiate the recognized text from other text that may be in the window, JAWS will use a different voice when it encounters the recognized text. When you activate the PC cursor, or switch to another application or dialog box, the text is removed, and you will need to perform the OCR again.
To use Convenient OCR, the following layered keystrokes have been added:
INSERT+SPACEBAR, O, W. Recognizes the current application window that has focus.
INSERT+SPACEBAR, O, S. Recognizes the entire screen.
INSERT+SPACEBAR, O, C. Recognizes the currently selected control, such as a graphical button.
INSERT+SPACEBAR, O, Q. Cancels recognition while it is in progress.
INSERT+SPACEBAR, O, H. Speaks a brief help message describing the commands in the OCR layer.
Read about all the new features at JAWS 13
One of the biggest items is Convenient OCR--for all those nasty PDF files that are inaccessible and refuse to be read...AH HAH...there is a solution now
Frequently, you will encounter images that contain textual information. These can include a PDF file, the setup screen of an application, or the menu of selections for a DVD movie. While these images contain text that is readable by a sighted person, JAWS is unable to read the text as it is part of the image.
The new Convenient OCR (Optical Character Recognition) feature enables you to access any image on the screen that includes text. With just a few simple keystrokes, JAWS will recognize the image in a matter of seconds and activate the JAWS cursor so you can navigate the resulting text. The recognized text will be in the same location as the actual image on the screen. In order to differentiate the recognized text from other text that may be in the window, JAWS will use a different voice when it encounters the recognized text. When you activate the PC cursor, or switch to another application or dialog box, the text is removed, and you will need to perform the OCR again.
To use Convenient OCR, the following layered keystrokes have been added:
INSERT+SPACEBAR, O, W. Recognizes the current application window that has focus.
INSERT+SPACEBAR, O, S. Recognizes the entire screen.
INSERT+SPACEBAR, O, C. Recognizes the currently selected control, such as a graphical button.
INSERT+SPACEBAR, O, Q. Cancels recognition while it is in progress.
INSERT+SPACEBAR, O, H. Speaks a brief help message describing the commands in the OCR layer.
Read about all the new features at JAWS 13
Video-Perfect Touch Typing leads to Fast keyboarding for Blind Student
This young lady started computer skills with talking software, early on, so by 3rd grade she could email her work to her teacher. She learned hundreds of keyboard commands to move quickly over the keyboard, doing anything she needed. Teachers today can grade work using TRACK CHANGES and send it back in email. This way, blind people can work independently, checking their own work and scores. Hundreds of keyboard lessons at yourtechvision.com
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Easy Lessons to make you SMART
Yourtechvision.com has added bulk lessons, so when you order the lesson, it will take you from the basics of instruction, through advanced techniques. All based on keystrokes, you will fly over the keyboard just as this student.
Video-Blind and singing like an angel
I have been blessed with many musically talented students. I wish I could take credit for this young lady also, but I cannot. See this wonderfully talented young lady, playing the piano and singing like an angel. It does not take sight to be gifted, it just takes practice. Click on link below.
: Pianogirl281
: Pianogirl281
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Video of Blind Student on Computer
The Student in the link to a YouTube Video below lost her sight quickly and had never touched a computer before 10th grade. She learned how to use a computer with talking software within 2 weeks, which lead to freedom.
Lessons to your freedom at www.yourtechvision.com
Blind Student Learns FAST
Lessons to your freedom at www.yourtechvision.com
Blind Student Learns FAST
Friday, October 21, 2011
How to Make your Work LOOK Beautiful
In the upper elementary school, and beyond, students are asked to make their presentation or research papers look colorful. Where sighted children are cutting and pasting onto their work, blind and low vision students are taught how to make their fonts with great color, putting borders of artwork around paragraphs, words or the whole page. Students also insert pictures and position them where they need along with different types of WordArt.
All the Basics of Inserting Word Art and Clip Art just click on Office 2003 or Office 2010 to get what you need. You can also download 12 lessons on how to make your papers look beautiful with all the tricks to make is easy.
Enjoy and have fun. Students Love knowing they can do anything their sighted peers can do when the teacher starts giving directions, they just do it on a computer. It is a huge confidence builder and reinforces all their skills now and makes them want to learn even more so they can tackle anything that comes up in the future.
Lessons to help you learn more
Work looking beautiful
All the Basics of Inserting Word Art and Clip Art just click on Office 2003 or Office 2010 to get what you need. You can also download 12 lessons on how to make your papers look beautiful with all the tricks to make is easy.
Enjoy and have fun. Students Love knowing they can do anything their sighted peers can do when the teacher starts giving directions, they just do it on a computer. It is a huge confidence builder and reinforces all their skills now and makes them want to learn even more so they can tackle anything that comes up in the future.
Lessons to help you learn more
Work looking beautiful
First Steps in Great Braille Readers
First!!! Know that braille readers can read material as fast as print readers. I teach it and see it all the time. Attitude is the first hurtle. Once you know a braille reader can read as a print reader, then you are ready for the next step.
Second, if the above is to happen, the child has to start in that 0-5 year old mark. They could read faster if they are older too, but the mental adjustment into braille reading, or the "bad press" on braille being too hard is difficult for many to overcome ...thus they are slower braille readers. There are many more reasons off this, but those are 2 biggies.
Third, get the child excited about reading--This applies to Blind and Low vision children. Start with reading print/braille books to them, so if they can see color or pictures, they can look at the colors while feeling those wonderful dots. Put braille all over the house using sticky tape (just go to local hardware store and pick up sticky shelf paper and braille label words on that to put all over house). So wherever they touch, they feel braille. Once again, BOTH low vision and blind. This really applies at any age level...so start doing all these steps, no matter what age....they can get over the "bad press" on braille if you have a really positive attitude about it.
Fourth, when you are reading to them,(this is cuddle time-them on your lap or very close) have them put their fingers over top of yours and you move your hand from left to right across the page with all 4 fingers down on the page and those 4 fingers slightly curled touching the line of braille, so they can feel the smooth motion across the page (You will be holding the book with the other hand, so don't worry about both hands yet). It does not matter you can't read braille yet...fake it until you learn. Just read the print above on the page, as you smoothly move your fingers across the line of braille. It is the smooth movement you want them to learn.
Fifth, when they are babies and toddlers, have all those blind tools around, so they can "scribble" on the brailler, as in pressing the keys, knowing this will be their writing tool. Help them with a slate n stylus to make dots on paper. Also have an older computer around with free talking software, so they can press those letters on the computer and get that cause and effect...They need to learn the computer typing and braille at the SAME time, so they understand how these tools go together later for school.
Sixth, when they are ready to start formal brailling of words and letters, and today most children are doing that somewhere between 2-4 years old, so blind, low vision children need to start then also. You will read the word and then you help them braille it. At first, their hands are on top of yours so they can feel the smooth motion of you pressing the keys. Then they get to try. If their fingers are too weak, then look at something like a Mountbatten brailler with very easy keys, that gives verbal feedback along with the output of braille.
Seventh, When they are brailling, have them braille the same contraction or word over and over, so they can feel the flow of brailling--several lines of the same words or simple sentences---have them braille something to do with their life....it helps them remember the words. Then when you pull the brailled sheet out, they place their hands on top of yours first, to get the feel of smooth braille reading across the page, then you help them position their hands on the braille line -- BOTH HANDS! All 8 fingers slightly curled under, all 8 fingers touching the braille line--trust me--all 8 fingers are going to do something, but have them focus on their pointer fingers to do the major reading of the words. You lightly cup all 8 fingers with your 8 fingers to help them, then you read the words as you both go across the page, having them focus on those pointer fingers. (I have had kids come in with bandages on their pointer fingers saying they injured them....their middle fingers got to do the reading for the day--they were amazed at how all their fingers could read the braille--they can if you practice the method above!!)
Now some kids get this right off the bat and do not need help, so figure out your child and how much help they need. Lift your hands off as they begin the journey across the page by themselves...YOU still reading each word before they hit it, so there is NO scrubbing or back tracking on the word to figure it out. As they read, they are going to split their hands several words in on the line and they WILL need help doing this until it is a smooth motion. About 2-4 words in on an 11 x 11 paper, the left hand will go back down to the next line as the right hand finishes the line. As the right hand finishes the line of braille, the left hand begins reading the next line. REMEMBER, you are reading the words for the child before they hit the word, so they get and continue that smooth motion with NO scrubbing.
Keep it simple. Braille sentences with contractions and about 3 words each. I like cats. and so forth.....keep it up and this child will be reading 300-400+ words per minute by high school.
Lessons and articles to help you:
Fast Braille Reading
Second, if the above is to happen, the child has to start in that 0-5 year old mark. They could read faster if they are older too, but the mental adjustment into braille reading, or the "bad press" on braille being too hard is difficult for many to overcome ...thus they are slower braille readers. There are many more reasons off this, but those are 2 biggies.
Third, get the child excited about reading--This applies to Blind and Low vision children. Start with reading print/braille books to them, so if they can see color or pictures, they can look at the colors while feeling those wonderful dots. Put braille all over the house using sticky tape (just go to local hardware store and pick up sticky shelf paper and braille label words on that to put all over house). So wherever they touch, they feel braille. Once again, BOTH low vision and blind. This really applies at any age level...so start doing all these steps, no matter what age....they can get over the "bad press" on braille if you have a really positive attitude about it.
Fourth, when you are reading to them,(this is cuddle time-them on your lap or very close) have them put their fingers over top of yours and you move your hand from left to right across the page with all 4 fingers down on the page and those 4 fingers slightly curled touching the line of braille, so they can feel the smooth motion across the page (You will be holding the book with the other hand, so don't worry about both hands yet). It does not matter you can't read braille yet...fake it until you learn. Just read the print above on the page, as you smoothly move your fingers across the line of braille. It is the smooth movement you want them to learn.
Fifth, when they are babies and toddlers, have all those blind tools around, so they can "scribble" on the brailler, as in pressing the keys, knowing this will be their writing tool. Help them with a slate n stylus to make dots on paper. Also have an older computer around with free talking software, so they can press those letters on the computer and get that cause and effect...They need to learn the computer typing and braille at the SAME time, so they understand how these tools go together later for school.
Sixth, when they are ready to start formal brailling of words and letters, and today most children are doing that somewhere between 2-4 years old, so blind, low vision children need to start then also. You will read the word and then you help them braille it. At first, their hands are on top of yours so they can feel the smooth motion of you pressing the keys. Then they get to try. If their fingers are too weak, then look at something like a Mountbatten brailler with very easy keys, that gives verbal feedback along with the output of braille.
Seventh, When they are brailling, have them braille the same contraction or word over and over, so they can feel the flow of brailling--several lines of the same words or simple sentences---have them braille something to do with their life....it helps them remember the words. Then when you pull the brailled sheet out, they place their hands on top of yours first, to get the feel of smooth braille reading across the page, then you help them position their hands on the braille line -- BOTH HANDS! All 8 fingers slightly curled under, all 8 fingers touching the braille line--trust me--all 8 fingers are going to do something, but have them focus on their pointer fingers to do the major reading of the words. You lightly cup all 8 fingers with your 8 fingers to help them, then you read the words as you both go across the page, having them focus on those pointer fingers. (I have had kids come in with bandages on their pointer fingers saying they injured them....their middle fingers got to do the reading for the day--they were amazed at how all their fingers could read the braille--they can if you practice the method above!!)
Now some kids get this right off the bat and do not need help, so figure out your child and how much help they need. Lift your hands off as they begin the journey across the page by themselves...YOU still reading each word before they hit it, so there is NO scrubbing or back tracking on the word to figure it out. As they read, they are going to split their hands several words in on the line and they WILL need help doing this until it is a smooth motion. About 2-4 words in on an 11 x 11 paper, the left hand will go back down to the next line as the right hand finishes the line. As the right hand finishes the line of braille, the left hand begins reading the next line. REMEMBER, you are reading the words for the child before they hit the word, so they get and continue that smooth motion with NO scrubbing.
Keep it simple. Braille sentences with contractions and about 3 words each. I like cats. and so forth.....keep it up and this child will be reading 300-400+ words per minute by high school.
Lessons and articles to help you:
Fast Braille Reading
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Beginner Drawing of Pictures on a Brailler
If you are one of those creative imaginative people who can create pictures in your head then you can braille that picture straight out on a brailler, great, but if you need more direction, see below.
Here is some more guidance. You will draw the picture first, then insert into a brailler and braille over the picture. You can tactile the picture while drawing it out on sandpaper using a draftsman tool kit or use a window screen, and lay a piece of paper over it and press down with a wooden tool to draw a basic shape....there are many tools out there to do this. Then once you get the basic shape, go back to your brailler, wheel in the paper and start at the top, brailling over the copy you just designed. Sometimes you are going to braille a full cell with all 6 dots, sometimes, only an L or sometimes 4 5 6 or any combination of dots as you move down the sheet. You can make a beautiful border around the sheet also.
For my wedding, my mentor had made us an incredibly beautiful card. He was a guide through my sight loss and regaining of it who had a big influence in my teaching style and of whom I also became his student teacher. He had been blind all his life, was very creative and quite a genius to boot, had made us the most beautiful braille picture-wedding card. My sister-in-law wanted to frame it immediately. I told her if she put glass over it, that no one could touch it, and that is what needed to happen.
When I student taught with him, we had all the students make cards like this for their parents for holidays. They became very adept...just takes practice, some math, and some perceptual skills. With Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and all other holidays coming up, this is a great time to practice. If you need a simple braille drawing lesson using the brailler, go to Beginner Drawing of Pictures on a Brailler If the blind child does these projects with his sighted peers, I can guarantee you they will be VERY impressed...a great confidence builder too.
Ok, so if you are not THAT creative you can buy a book and read all about it...I love books and learning. Just click on Drawing with Your Perkins Brailler and order a copy to do some great creative drawing with your brailler if the simple lesson from above is not enough. When the site comes up, just do a search for the book.
If the child needs to be quicker about accomplishing a drawing task, Quick Draw Paper is Great, where you just use a very liquid pen and draw away and the paper rises up to feel--but then they may prefer the Draftsman again that is a sandpaper type material and the sandpaper disperses as you draw on it, so you can feel the lines you just made.
If you are a teacher and need something like every type of science graphic around, you may want to pick up a Basic Science Tactile Graphics book....if you are a teacher of the blind, you can order this with quota funds from your resource center who works with American Printing House for the Blind...true for the quick draw Paper and Draftsman too.
In general, everyone, if you are related to or working with a blind or visually impaired child in anyway...go to APH.org and ask them to send you a catalog. This is an invaluable site.
Here is some more guidance. You will draw the picture first, then insert into a brailler and braille over the picture. You can tactile the picture while drawing it out on sandpaper using a draftsman tool kit or use a window screen, and lay a piece of paper over it and press down with a wooden tool to draw a basic shape....there are many tools out there to do this. Then once you get the basic shape, go back to your brailler, wheel in the paper and start at the top, brailling over the copy you just designed. Sometimes you are going to braille a full cell with all 6 dots, sometimes, only an L or sometimes 4 5 6 or any combination of dots as you move down the sheet. You can make a beautiful border around the sheet also.
For my wedding, my mentor had made us an incredibly beautiful card. He was a guide through my sight loss and regaining of it who had a big influence in my teaching style and of whom I also became his student teacher. He had been blind all his life, was very creative and quite a genius to boot, had made us the most beautiful braille picture-wedding card. My sister-in-law wanted to frame it immediately. I told her if she put glass over it, that no one could touch it, and that is what needed to happen.
When I student taught with him, we had all the students make cards like this for their parents for holidays. They became very adept...just takes practice, some math, and some perceptual skills. With Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and all other holidays coming up, this is a great time to practice. If you need a simple braille drawing lesson using the brailler, go to Beginner Drawing of Pictures on a Brailler If the blind child does these projects with his sighted peers, I can guarantee you they will be VERY impressed...a great confidence builder too.
Ok, so if you are not THAT creative you can buy a book and read all about it...I love books and learning. Just click on Drawing with Your Perkins Brailler and order a copy to do some great creative drawing with your brailler if the simple lesson from above is not enough. When the site comes up, just do a search for the book.
If the child needs to be quicker about accomplishing a drawing task, Quick Draw Paper is Great, where you just use a very liquid pen and draw away and the paper rises up to feel--but then they may prefer the Draftsman again that is a sandpaper type material and the sandpaper disperses as you draw on it, so you can feel the lines you just made.
If you are a teacher and need something like every type of science graphic around, you may want to pick up a Basic Science Tactile Graphics book....if you are a teacher of the blind, you can order this with quota funds from your resource center who works with American Printing House for the Blind...true for the quick draw Paper and Draftsman too.
In general, everyone, if you are related to or working with a blind or visually impaired child in anyway...go to APH.org and ask them to send you a catalog. This is an invaluable site.
How to STOP scrubbing While reading Braille
If students are left to their own devices when they first learn to read braille and no one is checking those fingers, a child will scrub, as in move finger up and down or around and around on the dots, or any deviation off these movements. This will not only squash all the braille dots down, scrubbing will make you a VERY slow Braille reader. If you cannot create enough speed when you read Braille, then comprehension will be difficult. You have to be able to read a certain amount of information within a certain period of time or the brain forgets.
Starting off correctly is the best way to begin instruction. Start off with words that are applicable to the child. They will braille the words first, for example: I love cats. --Make the sentence short and double-space every word and sentence and they will rebraille this on half of an 11 x 11 piece of braille paper. Then they braille a second sentence: I love dogs. Double-space every word and sentence. For an example to download and use go to: Beginner Braille Reading
After you use this one lesson, create others that are exactly like this for them to reread until you see that fluid movement over the braille page. They need to create a good habit of fluid motion across a page, so they must know the content they are reading well...this way they do not have to focus on decoding, but rather the movement. When they want to braille a contraction, make sure they braille a couple of lines of it, then read it over and over before putting into a sentence.
If they are already scrubbing the braille, reading from lessons like Beginner Braille Reading will help them break the habit of scrubbing. You will need to be persistent in breaking this poor practice. A habit takes 30 days to break or make...keep it up and beautiful braille reading will happen
Starting off correctly is the best way to begin instruction. Start off with words that are applicable to the child. They will braille the words first, for example: I love cats. --Make the sentence short and double-space every word and sentence and they will rebraille this on half of an 11 x 11 piece of braille paper. Then they braille a second sentence: I love dogs. Double-space every word and sentence. For an example to download and use go to: Beginner Braille Reading
After you use this one lesson, create others that are exactly like this for them to reread until you see that fluid movement over the braille page. They need to create a good habit of fluid motion across a page, so they must know the content they are reading well...this way they do not have to focus on decoding, but rather the movement. When they want to braille a contraction, make sure they braille a couple of lines of it, then read it over and over before putting into a sentence.
If they are already scrubbing the braille, reading from lessons like Beginner Braille Reading will help them break the habit of scrubbing. You will need to be persistent in breaking this poor practice. A habit takes 30 days to break or make...keep it up and beautiful braille reading will happen
Blind/Low Vision software for Cognitively or Memory Challenged
This software has been around for more than a year but I did not have a chance to try it out until today.
CDesk is a very basic talking software program for older adults who have lost sight or cognitively challenged children in school who cannot remember hundreds of commands to make their computer do what they want it to do. I have trained many adults and I can tell you, the challenge in remembering all these commands starts in the late 20's, so when I say older, you may be included in this category where technology is concerned.
CDesk offers several enlarged fonts for viewing. White letters on Black is the most popular, but it has other options too. Any major command begins with the Alt key, so that is only 1 thing to remember. Even if you do not remember ALT-the TAB key will move you through every option and ENTER opens the option. The Main menu consists of:
- WORD PROCESSING
- EMAIL
- INTERNET BROWSING with SCREEN READER
- DOCUMENT SCANNING with OCR PAGE READING
- ADDRESS BOOK/CONTACT MANAGEMENT
- CALENDAR/APPOINTMENTS
- NLS/BARD/MUSIC/GAMES/INTERNET RADIO
- SKYPE AUDIO/VIDEO CALLS
You can download books straight from Bookshare or BARD. If you are looking for games for blind children and adults, it has that in the Media Center. Simple email that you are already on is incredibly easy to navigate and use. Anything you scan can also be brought right into the CDesk Word and the same commands that you use for word processing are used now for your scanned object.
Enlarging your page is simple and easy with the F12 key, so when you go into an email that has pictures, you can enlarge them enough to see them, true for Internet browsing and the other programs in CDesk too.
If you have tremors or palsy in your hands, the company will be putting out a new speech program soon, which works off of CDesk basic commands already, so it is easy to verbally command your computer to do what you need it to do. Your voice just needs to be loud enough to be heard by the mic. It has also come out with a simple small camera that will take a picture of any print work and put it on the CDesk format on your computer for you to immediately have feedback.
The more I work with this software, the more I see its potential for those who have difficulties remembering all those commands. In addition, the company: adaptivevoice offers the option to buy a computer, monitor, printer, scanner and software for $1999. Within that agreement is Best Buy will come out and set it up for you. So you can be set up to go in a very short time.
CDesk is a very basic talking software program for older adults who have lost sight or cognitively challenged children in school who cannot remember hundreds of commands to make their computer do what they want it to do. I have trained many adults and I can tell you, the challenge in remembering all these commands starts in the late 20's, so when I say older, you may be included in this category where technology is concerned.
CDesk offers several enlarged fonts for viewing. White letters on Black is the most popular, but it has other options too. Any major command begins with the Alt key, so that is only 1 thing to remember. Even if you do not remember ALT-the TAB key will move you through every option and ENTER opens the option. The Main menu consists of:
- WORD PROCESSING
- INTERNET BROWSING with SCREEN READER
- DOCUMENT SCANNING with OCR PAGE READING
- ADDRESS BOOK/CONTACT MANAGEMENT
- CALENDAR/APPOINTMENTS
- NLS/BARD/MUSIC/GAMES/INTERNET RADIO
- SKYPE AUDIO/VIDEO CALLS
You can download books straight from Bookshare or BARD. If you are looking for games for blind children and adults, it has that in the Media Center. Simple email that you are already on is incredibly easy to navigate and use. Anything you scan can also be brought right into the CDesk Word and the same commands that you use for word processing are used now for your scanned object.
Enlarging your page is simple and easy with the F12 key, so when you go into an email that has pictures, you can enlarge them enough to see them, true for Internet browsing and the other programs in CDesk too.
If you have tremors or palsy in your hands, the company will be putting out a new speech program soon, which works off of CDesk basic commands already, so it is easy to verbally command your computer to do what you need it to do. Your voice just needs to be loud enough to be heard by the mic. It has also come out with a simple small camera that will take a picture of any print work and put it on the CDesk format on your computer for you to immediately have feedback.
The more I work with this software, the more I see its potential for those who have difficulties remembering all those commands. In addition, the company: adaptivevoice offers the option to buy a computer, monitor, printer, scanner and software for $1999. Within that agreement is Best Buy will come out and set it up for you. So you can be set up to go in a very short time.
Secrets in Magnification on EVERY computer
Many do not know that magnification is already on every computer built with Microsoft Technology.
On XP, hit your Start Key+U to begin your utility manager. Your computer will begin talking to you also and the words magnifier is not running will be your first options, do an ALT+A to get the magnifier working and turn off narrator if you do not want speech. The magnified part of the screen will come up at the top of your monitor. Take your mouse and drag it to where you want it to be. You can also drag the corner of the magnifier to make it larger and more easily to see. As you move the mouse around your machine, everything will be enlarged in this magnified window.
On Windows 7, Start Key+U then hit ALT+G to start your magnifier and Enter to start the magnifier window at the top of your monitor. You can take your mouse and go to the bottom line of the magnified window and while you hold down the left click of the mouse, you can drag down the window to make it larger. Once again, as you move around your machine, everything will be enlarged for you.
There are many free options already built into computers today, that you may not need to buy something else. Try it out.
On XP, hit your Start Key+U to begin your utility manager. Your computer will begin talking to you also and the words magnifier is not running will be your first options, do an ALT+A to get the magnifier working and turn off narrator if you do not want speech. The magnified part of the screen will come up at the top of your monitor. Take your mouse and drag it to where you want it to be. You can also drag the corner of the magnifier to make it larger and more easily to see. As you move the mouse around your machine, everything will be enlarged in this magnified window.
On Windows 7, Start Key+U then hit ALT+G to start your magnifier and Enter to start the magnifier window at the top of your monitor. You can take your mouse and go to the bottom line of the magnified window and while you hold down the left click of the mouse, you can drag down the window to make it larger. Once again, as you move around your machine, everything will be enlarged for you.
There are many free options already built into computers today, that you may not need to buy something else. Try it out.
Secrets to Getting Every Computer to Speak
Narrator is built into every PC computer, if you are running Microsoft products and their operating systems (OS).
If you are using talking software already and you use the following hotkey, the double speech may get annoying, so turn it off. Narrator is a basic program. If you do not have talking software on your machine and need to get it installed, this is a way you can do it independently. It is a basic talking program and does not come close to a speech program such as JAWS, but it does help you to get things setup.
In Windows 7, Hit your Start Key+U also known as the Windows key with the Logo+ U - hit ALT+N to start narrator...if you are blind, you are going to walk by faith as you turn on your computer with NO speech and just do those 2 commands and narrator will start speaking to you. A dialog box will open with options, just TAB through to select the ones you want to use and continue with your work on the machine.
In XP, hitting the Start Key+U will immediately get Narrator talking. A dialog box will open with options--down arrow to listen to the options, then TAB to your next options, then TAB to OK.
This is a wonderful option for anyone who needs speech to get things setup on his or her new computer or fix one where the speech has gone down.
If you are using talking software already and you use the following hotkey, the double speech may get annoying, so turn it off. Narrator is a basic program. If you do not have talking software on your machine and need to get it installed, this is a way you can do it independently. It is a basic talking program and does not come close to a speech program such as JAWS, but it does help you to get things setup.
In Windows 7, Hit your Start Key+U also known as the Windows key with the Logo+ U - hit ALT+N to start narrator...if you are blind, you are going to walk by faith as you turn on your computer with NO speech and just do those 2 commands and narrator will start speaking to you. A dialog box will open with options, just TAB through to select the ones you want to use and continue with your work on the machine.
In XP, hitting the Start Key+U will immediately get Narrator talking. A dialog box will open with options--down arrow to listen to the options, then TAB to your next options, then TAB to OK.
This is a wonderful option for anyone who needs speech to get things setup on his or her new computer or fix one where the speech has gone down.
IPAD, Iphone and great Apps
The new operating system iOS5 is out and works much better with voice over on your iproducts. The new iphone 4S just works better all-around in so many areas and with the app Siri where you can give voice commands to make it do what you want, frees up more than your hands...it frees up time.
But if you are looking for a good word processor for your Ipad that you can use voice over with and a braille display iA Writer at the iTunes store is only $4.99 . Hook to a Braille display or a Bluetooth keyboard also! If you want to be able to use spell check, it will do that too, rename files, copy, paste, and a host of other options.
iA Writer is a really good basic all around writing program and students will love using the braille display with it to get that tactile feedback that helps in their learning. That cause and effect approach..They braille it, hear it, feel it.
But if you are looking for a good word processor for your Ipad that you can use voice over with and a braille display iA Writer at the iTunes store is only $4.99 . Hook to a Braille display or a Bluetooth keyboard also! If you want to be able to use spell check, it will do that too, rename files, copy, paste, and a host of other options.
iA Writer is a really good basic all around writing program and students will love using the braille display with it to get that tactile feedback that helps in their learning. That cause and effect approach..They braille it, hear it, feel it.
What Blind-VI Need in School TODAY
Teachers and Parents often ask me what their child needs for school. Here is the basic rule of thumb. Look around in the world today and see what is everyone else basically using. What are they using in class today? Educate today, what they need tomorrow.
First, to compete in the world and be able to do what every else is doing, blind, visually impaired children must learn the computer inside and out, Excel, PowerPoint and Word are the main programs. Having an adaptive laptop (such as a Braille Note) is incredibly valuable, but if schools only have enough money for 1 piece of equipment, go with the computer, as it will do everything the Braille Note will do, but the Braille Note can NOT do what the computer can do. They must learn how to do email and socialize on social networking sites like Facebook. There are many other things off this, but those are the main points. If using talking software, they need to learn how to control it and make it do what it needs to do for them. If visually impaired, use magnification where possible BUT also ask, "if my eyes cannot do as much and as quickly as my peers around me, then I need to learn blind skills also."
One thing for sure, you will never go wrong if you teach many tools. The child will get into big trouble if they do NOT have enough skills in their toolbox of learning. Get the education and lessons they need and parents anything that is taught at school, backup at home, or vice versa. Get everyone on the team involved in the education of this child, and you will have someone who can meet tomorrow's challenges.
First, to compete in the world and be able to do what every else is doing, blind, visually impaired children must learn the computer inside and out, Excel, PowerPoint and Word are the main programs. Having an adaptive laptop (such as a Braille Note) is incredibly valuable, but if schools only have enough money for 1 piece of equipment, go with the computer, as it will do everything the Braille Note will do, but the Braille Note can NOT do what the computer can do. They must learn how to do email and socialize on social networking sites like Facebook. There are many other things off this, but those are the main points. If using talking software, they need to learn how to control it and make it do what it needs to do for them. If visually impaired, use magnification where possible BUT also ask, "if my eyes cannot do as much and as quickly as my peers around me, then I need to learn blind skills also."
One thing for sure, you will never go wrong if you teach many tools. The child will get into big trouble if they do NOT have enough skills in their toolbox of learning. Get the education and lessons they need and parents anything that is taught at school, backup at home, or vice versa. Get everyone on the team involved in the education of this child, and you will have someone who can meet tomorrow's challenges.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Yourtechvision.com fast keystroke lessons=no Mouse
The Logo that Stands for the Vision in all of us. The eye over the TechVision word is to show the inner potential we all have. The reflection below the name is to show that if we look inside we can truly reflect our ability outside and TechVision lessons can help you reach that potential.
This logo goes with the new website that is completed with hundreds of lessons that are all done using keystrokes and not the mouse. The lessons are linked to the blog so every lesson I teach you can teach too or just learn yourself. The website is: YourTechVision.com which is here to inspire and help people who want to learn more technology skills and develop their true ability.
This logo goes with the new website that is completed with hundreds of lessons that are all done using keystrokes and not the mouse. The lessons are linked to the blog so every lesson I teach you can teach too or just learn yourself. The website is: YourTechVision.com which is here to inspire and help people who want to learn more technology skills and develop their true ability.
Find your Computer's IP address and Speed
If you have not already had this experience, some day, someone is going to ask you for your IP address, especially if you start teaching virtually, or you need to hook into a school. Go to Find IP Address
Have you ever wondered why your Internet runs so slow during some parts of the day? First, the Internet is like a highway and the more people on, the slower you will go. If you are on during the peak of the day along with everyone else, you will run slower. If you are on at midnight, you will zoom like a speed car. Here is a test to see how fast your Internet speed is.. Speed Test
Many Services providers offer a faster speed if you need it. By checking your own speed you can be better informed on what you need.
Have you ever wondered why your Internet runs so slow during some parts of the day? First, the Internet is like a highway and the more people on, the slower you will go. If you are on during the peak of the day along with everyone else, you will run slower. If you are on at midnight, you will zoom like a speed car. Here is a test to see how fast your Internet speed is.. Speed Test
Many Services providers offer a faster speed if you need it. By checking your own speed you can be better informed on what you need.
A Song to Help Children Learn Braille
There is an enormous amount of research on music and learning. Music makes learning fun and fast.
Here is a Braille Rap song that will enable your children to learn the Braille Alphabet quickly. Have them sing it for awhile, then when they place their hands on a brailler, it will all come together. Make sure those fingers are in the correct position on the brailler.
Click on the link to go to Braille Rap Song and download a copy for yourself
Here is a Braille Rap song that will enable your children to learn the Braille Alphabet quickly. Have them sing it for awhile, then when they place their hands on a brailler, it will all come together. Make sure those fingers are in the correct position on the brailler.
Click on the link to go to Braille Rap Song and download a copy for yourself
Free Braille Books-Where to go to get Books
There are many options when it comes to finding and getting braille books.
For Free Braille books, go to Seedlings Braille Books for Children
They offer 2 Free braille books per year through their Angel program. Otherwise they offer very low cost braille books for your children.
If you want to create your own braille or audio books, you can download books from bookshare.org, where school children can sign up for free. Bookshare offers thousands of books at your fingertips. You can download Victor Reader Soft, from their site, which is free audio software. When you download your books, you will download them in daisy format to be played on Victor Reader Soft right from your computer. Sign up and get your child registered.
Bookshare offers braille book downloads also. If you have braille software such as Duxbury Braille Translation software you can download books in the .brf format and have them open in braille. Combine this with a braille display and your child can read the book from their computer. If they are blessed with an adaptive laptop such as a Braille Note then the file can be saved to a thumb drive and loaded onto the Braille Note, or the Braille Note can go online and download it directly from Bookshare and can be read in the bookreader of the Braille Note.
National Braille Press also offers books, some for purchase and others for free.
But never forget about your state book and braille library. This is a free book loan program in your state for braille and audio books. For more books than you can dream of, go to the largest braille library source in the country: Utah State Library for the Blind and Disabled
If you go there, they will have a host of other information and where to go and get more braille books and materials. Your state library can help you get books from this resource if you do not happen to live in the loan area for books from them.
Web Braille is the National Library of Congress loaded with thousands of braille books for download also. When you sign up for services you will go to their download section of Braille Books which will require you to have a username and password. There you will find a plethora and myriad of braille books at your fingers tips also.
So here are a few options to get you going. For more information on educating your child based on experience and years of education, visit yourtechvision.com and ask questions that you need answers too.
For Free Braille books, go to Seedlings Braille Books for Children
They offer 2 Free braille books per year through their Angel program. Otherwise they offer very low cost braille books for your children.
If you want to create your own braille or audio books, you can download books from bookshare.org, where school children can sign up for free. Bookshare offers thousands of books at your fingertips. You can download Victor Reader Soft, from their site, which is free audio software. When you download your books, you will download them in daisy format to be played on Victor Reader Soft right from your computer. Sign up and get your child registered.
Bookshare offers braille book downloads also. If you have braille software such as Duxbury Braille Translation software you can download books in the .brf format and have them open in braille. Combine this with a braille display and your child can read the book from their computer. If they are blessed with an adaptive laptop such as a Braille Note then the file can be saved to a thumb drive and loaded onto the Braille Note, or the Braille Note can go online and download it directly from Bookshare and can be read in the bookreader of the Braille Note.
National Braille Press also offers books, some for purchase and others for free.
But never forget about your state book and braille library. This is a free book loan program in your state for braille and audio books. For more books than you can dream of, go to the largest braille library source in the country: Utah State Library for the Blind and Disabled
If you go there, they will have a host of other information and where to go and get more braille books and materials. Your state library can help you get books from this resource if you do not happen to live in the loan area for books from them.
Web Braille is the National Library of Congress loaded with thousands of braille books for download also. When you sign up for services you will go to their download section of Braille Books which will require you to have a username and password. There you will find a plethora and myriad of braille books at your fingers tips also.
So here are a few options to get you going. For more information on educating your child based on experience and years of education, visit yourtechvision.com and ask questions that you need answers too.
Virtual Teaching using Remote Access
When one of my students is having difficulties with their Jaws or needs help installing it, I need to connect to their computer a different way than through Jaws TANDEM. There are many ways to do remote access, but I chose to connect yesterday through SKYPE. For those new to the idea, remote access is where someone can help you resolve computer problems, no matter where you or they are in the world. You just need a phone line, but better is a wireless connection...anything works though.
The student called and then I gave her directions on the key commands so I could call up her computer.
Within minutes her Jaws was fixed. I then gave her the JAWS commands to pull up her computer using JAWS TANDEM and continued her lesson.
When you connect remotely using anything else other than JAWS TANDEM, you will not be able to hear JAWS unless the person turns him way up, which I have done also depending on the issue, but you miss too much information. To truly check to make sure JAWS is working correctly you must pull the students' computer up using TANDEM. I had her and SKYPE on one of my monitors, still connected remotely and then pulled her computer up using TANDEM on the other monitor. I could easily watch the interaction on both screens, tweaking as I needed. Well actually having her tweak. In general, I will not touch my keyboard to control their machine, as this is a great chance for the student to learn how to fix their own problems.
The point is giving them applicable skills that will work for a lifetime, so when they are on their own, they can fix their own issues as they come up. My older students who have long since graduated, can just email me now with a problem and I can give them the answer back through email. Rarely do I have to pull their machines up. Watch video: Virtual teaching
Give someone a fish and they eat for a day.
Teach them how to fish and they eat for a lifetime!
The student called and then I gave her directions on the key commands so I could call up her computer.
Within minutes her Jaws was fixed. I then gave her the JAWS commands to pull up her computer using JAWS TANDEM and continued her lesson.
When you connect remotely using anything else other than JAWS TANDEM, you will not be able to hear JAWS unless the person turns him way up, which I have done also depending on the issue, but you miss too much information. To truly check to make sure JAWS is working correctly you must pull the students' computer up using TANDEM. I had her and SKYPE on one of my monitors, still connected remotely and then pulled her computer up using TANDEM on the other monitor. I could easily watch the interaction on both screens, tweaking as I needed. Well actually having her tweak. In general, I will not touch my keyboard to control their machine, as this is a great chance for the student to learn how to fix their own problems.
The point is giving them applicable skills that will work for a lifetime, so when they are on their own, they can fix their own issues as they come up. My older students who have long since graduated, can just email me now with a problem and I can give them the answer back through email. Rarely do I have to pull their machines up. Watch video: Virtual teaching
Give someone a fish and they eat for a day.
Teach them how to fish and they eat for a lifetime!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Looking Outside Yourself Gives you Hope
Ever notice how you get a problem and all you can do is think about it? Ever notice someone go into a depression and you are not sure what to do? Ever see someone so lonely it hurts you to watch them?
We can get so self-absorbed in our own problems that is all we see.
The only way to get your mind off yourself is to put it on someone or something else. A pet will do that in a heart beat.
A child that is rocking in a corner will now have a puppy to lick all over them and to walk around, to sleep with, hug and hold, as is true for an adult too.
When you can start looking outside yourself, you gain perspective and HOPE.
We can get so self-absorbed in our own problems that is all we see.
The only way to get your mind off yourself is to put it on someone or something else. A pet will do that in a heart beat.
A child that is rocking in a corner will now have a puppy to lick all over them and to walk around, to sleep with, hug and hold, as is true for an adult too.
When you can start looking outside yourself, you gain perspective and HOPE.
Help for the Low Vision Student in the classroom
We have many low vision students, sitting in the classroom and unable to see what the teacher is doing when she uses the document camera, or projector or computer to project images up on the board, in front of the room.
There is a very inexpensive way to combat this problem. A simple VGA splitter and an extra monitor is all that is needed. An extra monitor can be connected to these other pieces of technology and brought right to where the student is sitting. The student can now easily participate with the rest of his peers, take notes as needed and complete work with more understanding of what is occurring in the front of the room.
Lessons to help you learn more
Help Student
There is a very inexpensive way to combat this problem. A simple VGA splitter and an extra monitor is all that is needed. An extra monitor can be connected to these other pieces of technology and brought right to where the student is sitting. The student can now easily participate with the rest of his peers, take notes as needed and complete work with more understanding of what is occurring in the front of the room.
Lessons to help you learn more
Help Student
Free Office Tools
Open Office is an option to use instead of purchasing expensive software. Open Office will open all Office documents too. Basic and easy to use and perfect to get little kids going while you save up the money for years later when they need more sophisticated tools.
Also remember that when you do purchase Microsoft products that one license can be used on 3 computers. You can use it on a home and work computer and a laptop, so you do not need to feel you need to buy multiple licenses for many machines. Lessons on how to use these products, only using keystrokes, can be downloaded at yourtechvision.com
Also remember that when you do purchase Microsoft products that one license can be used on 3 computers. You can use it on a home and work computer and a laptop, so you do not need to feel you need to buy multiple licenses for many machines. Lessons on how to use these products, only using keystrokes, can be downloaded at yourtechvision.com
Touchscreen Braille writer
All those wonderful flat screens from the IPhone to the IPad to the IPod, Kindles, etc are going to make a leap into touchscreen braille writing given the new technology that has just come out.
Standford University just released a newsletter describing the Touchscreen braille writer. It is intuitive and however you hold your fingers in the 6 key fashion, the tablet will adjust to your fingers and allow you to braille on this flat screen.
You can watch a video at this link Touch Screen Braille writer and learn move about this upcoming technology at Braille Writer Tablet
Standford University just released a newsletter describing the Touchscreen braille writer. It is intuitive and however you hold your fingers in the 6 key fashion, the tablet will adjust to your fingers and allow you to braille on this flat screen.
You can watch a video at this link Touch Screen Braille writer and learn move about this upcoming technology at Braille Writer Tablet
Answers on How to Use Windows 7
When you are using Windows 7, every time you hit the start key, think of it as entering a huge search engine for your computer. Any word you type in, Windows 7 will find.
Your Start Key or Windows Key is the second key in on the left of a desktop keyboard (the key with the windows symbols picture on it). For sighted people it is the round button you most likely click on at the bottom left hand corner of the screen.
Let's do some keystrokes to see how fast Windows 7 is:
Hit the start key and type in: volume and down arrow to adjust system volume or what is applicable to your version of Windows 7. Enter on the volume and your options open. Up and down arrow to adjust the volume. Hit ESC --top right hand corner on keyboard to get out of the volume
Hit the start key again and type: documents and down arrow to documents and enter to open--down arrow through all the documents you have already created on your computer
ALT+F4 to close the documents folder
Hit the start key again and type in the name of a file on your computer, down arrow to find the file and enter to open it. The file opens.
ALT+F4 to close the file
You can search for anything on your computer with that START Key....it is very powerful. Now go have some fun and look for other things on your computer using the Start key.
If you would like to learn how to use Windows 7 and Office products using just the keyboard or keystrokes with JAWS, go to yourtechvision.com and go through the site either with a mouse or with JAWS using Insert+F7. You can move through your options easily on every page, using your TAB key.
If you don't see a lesson you want, just go to the contacts page and request a particular lesson you need and it will be added to the site.
Your Start Key or Windows Key is the second key in on the left of a desktop keyboard (the key with the windows symbols picture on it). For sighted people it is the round button you most likely click on at the bottom left hand corner of the screen.
Let's do some keystrokes to see how fast Windows 7 is:
Hit the start key and type in: volume and down arrow to adjust system volume or what is applicable to your version of Windows 7. Enter on the volume and your options open. Up and down arrow to adjust the volume. Hit ESC --top right hand corner on keyboard to get out of the volume
Hit the start key again and type: documents and down arrow to documents and enter to open--down arrow through all the documents you have already created on your computer
ALT+F4 to close the documents folder
Hit the start key again and type in the name of a file on your computer, down arrow to find the file and enter to open it. The file opens.
ALT+F4 to close the file
You can search for anything on your computer with that START Key....it is very powerful. Now go have some fun and look for other things on your computer using the Start key.
If you would like to learn how to use Windows 7 and Office products using just the keyboard or keystrokes with JAWS, go to yourtechvision.com and go through the site either with a mouse or with JAWS using Insert+F7. You can move through your options easily on every page, using your TAB key.
If you don't see a lesson you want, just go to the contacts page and request a particular lesson you need and it will be added to the site.
Monday, October 17, 2011
You can be Pitiful or Powerful, but NOT Both
I have the students who take on everything I have to teach them and rise to the top of their class, eventually with no accommodations at all. Completely supported by parents who fight for this independence also and let their child know they can reach this goal. The children have learned how to read their Braille work, so their fingers fly across the page, then they quickly turn to the computer and output the answer. When the teacher says it is time to hand in the work, they open their email, attach the lesson and send it off before all the other work is collected in the class from the sighted students. The teacher grades the work, using TRACK CHANGES to mark the paper. The teacher emails the lesson back with grade and remarks and the student can easily read it with her JAWS commands. , all independently. All these children, are powerful and everyone looks up to them. One particular child even scores the highest on state tests in the spring time and she is only in the 6th grade. Greater things follow and people seek her out to be her friend and she becomes middle school president of the ASB and later successfully enters the college of her choice.
I also have other students, who are backed or rather fronted by parents who seek unlimited time for their child to finish work and they do poorly in class because their lessons have been cut in half or less, so they are not learning the same amount of content as their peers. This child has the same abilities as the fore mentioned child but because of the limited work and due to an unlimited amount of accommodations insisted by parents, they child cannot rise to their potential. Children like this are frustrated by their poor grades and it hurts their self esteem and they either act out or go into depression or just mediocre silence and apathy. They feel sorry for themselves and believe the school needs to do more for them. The parents believe this also. The more the school does, the less the child does and the less they learn other than they have become pitied and pitiful. They do not have friends. They stay home every weekend and do not even have the skills to go to camps in the summer. They graduate school and cannot get into college or find a college to finally go to after many rejections. They go and within the first month cannot do school and drop out. Some call later to ask what to do, others stay with their parents. Some insist that their rehab counselor find them a job and the pity from others and themselves grow.
This is not a blind thing or a sighted thing, this is a human thing. I have seen it in every age, ability, creed and color. You have the people who believe the world owes them something and you have the people who actively put out the energy to make the world a better place. I go back to what Kennedy said decades ago "Ask not what your country can do for you--- ask what can you do for your country." So what are you doing? Are you taking or are you adding?
You can be pitiful or powerful, but you cannot be both. Life is choices. What choice will you make?
I also have other students, who are backed or rather fronted by parents who seek unlimited time for their child to finish work and they do poorly in class because their lessons have been cut in half or less, so they are not learning the same amount of content as their peers. This child has the same abilities as the fore mentioned child but because of the limited work and due to an unlimited amount of accommodations insisted by parents, they child cannot rise to their potential. Children like this are frustrated by their poor grades and it hurts their self esteem and they either act out or go into depression or just mediocre silence and apathy. They feel sorry for themselves and believe the school needs to do more for them. The parents believe this also. The more the school does, the less the child does and the less they learn other than they have become pitied and pitiful. They do not have friends. They stay home every weekend and do not even have the skills to go to camps in the summer. They graduate school and cannot get into college or find a college to finally go to after many rejections. They go and within the first month cannot do school and drop out. Some call later to ask what to do, others stay with their parents. Some insist that their rehab counselor find them a job and the pity from others and themselves grow.
This is not a blind thing or a sighted thing, this is a human thing. I have seen it in every age, ability, creed and color. You have the people who believe the world owes them something and you have the people who actively put out the energy to make the world a better place. I go back to what Kennedy said decades ago "Ask not what your country can do for you--- ask what can you do for your country." So what are you doing? Are you taking or are you adding?
You can be pitiful or powerful, but you cannot be both. Life is choices. What choice will you make?
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Tricks in SEEING the Computer Better
I have spent the last few days with my mother in law—an incredible woman. She has a bit of age on herself and as many older people she is having difficulties SEEING the computer screen.
So, with indelible ink , using large black letters, I wrote on the hard space of her laptop to help her remember the important keystrokes.
To enlarge the Internet, use CTRL+
To reduce the size, CTRL-
When you are in WORD and having difficulty seeing the words, keep the same font size so you don’t print out large letters, but use a ZOOM effect
ALT+V then hit Z, then hit 2 and enter and you will have 200%. No matter what Office you are using, just keep hitting those keystrokes and ZOOM effects will open
Just little fast keystrokes can make all the difference in your life. For more ways to make your life easier in using your computer, Go to Low Vision Lessons for a multitude of low vision lessons
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