[access-uk] Re: Help required please?

  • From: "Peter Beasley" <p.beasley@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:37:36 -0000

You can use whatever sapi voices you happen to have on your PC. Unfortunately, if the PC had never had any alternative voices installed, then you are left with theaweful microsoft sam. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jackie Cairns" <cairnsplace@xxxxxxx> 

To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2008 6:00 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Help required please?



Hi Lynda
I have seen Thunder very briefly on a machine at our local Society for the Blind, and didn't like the voice. But, as you say, that can be overcome.
The guy doing the distance learning courses is a top bloke. I came across him by doing a Google search a few years ago for distance learning courses in journalism and related topics. Immediately I contacted him to find out if his materials were accessible, that was it. We hit it off, and he went out of his way to make sure everything he sent me was accessible.
On occasions, he has sent me stuff to look over, or links to his site when he has updated it, always wanting to make things accessible for screen reader users.
So when I came out of hospital, he told me to go onto his site and choose a course as a gift, which was really very decent of him. That's why I'm doing the Sports Journalism course, as I enjoy different types of writing and find it a challenge.
He also does in-house training, and I believe has done some stuff with RNIB. If anyone wants to have a look at his site, visit 
www.ctjt.biz

Thanks again for all info.

Jackie
----- Original Message ----- From: "Lynda Blake" <lynda.blake@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2008 4:52 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Help required please?
Glad to hear you've got a good tutor Jackie. When you get one they're worth their weight in gold. My writing tutor was fascinated when I told her about JAWS. It has opened up her mind to a whole new world and like your guy she is very careful to make sure everything she sends me is accessible. She has done research on my behalf too, which is excellent. One day when I'm rich and famous (ha ha) hopefully I'll be able to return her kindness.
But on the subject of screen readers, the only one I use now is Thunder and I find it does most things I need. Admittedly I have some sight, so can handle things like opening the Thunder icon, which I think would be hard for anyone with no sight because I do it by playing hit and miss with the mouse. But the program itself is fine. The one thing I would say in respect to dictation though is that I found Thunder's own voice horrendous. I now use a Daniel Real-speak voice and find it very easy on the ear. Some pronunciations are a bit strange, but people using Real-speak with JAWS say the same thing, so that has nothing to do with Thunder itself.
However, when I got Thunder in 2006 I had to pay for the Real-speak voice separately and I imagine that is still the case so since you really need the additional voice to make it palatable it might be pushing things a bit far to say it is free.
Check with www.screenreader.org though because I haven't updated my program for a long time and they may have a section where you can try out the voice for yourself. I know they make every effort to make the program accessible and I have had excellent support from them. 

Good luck.
Lynda
----- Original Message ----- From: "Jackie Cairns" <cairnsplace@xxxxxxx> 
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2008 9:26 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Help required please?
Thanks Andrew. I'll check it out. My tutor is really delighted with these suggestions. He is very keen to make all his teaching materials as accessible to everyone as possible, and has no problem whatsoever in contacting me to ask for anything that would help. He's a top guy and is such a refreshing change in wanting to do everything for any student with a disability. 

Jackie
----- Original Message ----- From: "Andrew Ireland" <a.emaillists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2008 9:15 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Help required please?



Hi Jackie,
No, it will not bother Jaws. I don't use Jaws myself, but my mate does and 
has no problems.

All the best

--
Andrew
Secrets That We Keep Audio Book by David Caldwell:-
http://www.secretsthatwekeep.com/mainindex.php?code=006


-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of 
Jackie Cairns
Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2008 9:13 PM
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Help required please?
Andrew, I assume that this screen reader doesn't conflict with JAWS? I'm of
course not saying you would run them together, but I mean conflicting in 
terms of them both being on your system.

Thanks.

Jackie
----- Original Message ----- From: "Andrew Ireland" <a.emaillists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2008 9:11 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Help required please?



Hi Jackie,

Yes, I have used Thunder, but to be honest, I much prefer NVDA.

The really good thing about NVDA is, it can be run direct from a USB
stick.
Brilliant for fixing computers that don't have a screen reader installed. 

All the best

--
Andrew
Secrets That We Keep Audio Book by David Caldwell:-
http://www.secretsthatwekeep.com/mainindex.php?code=006


-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf 
Of
Jackie Cairns
Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2008 9:00 PM
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Help required please?

Thanks Andrew.  He is delighted with the info provided thus far.

Has anyone used Thunder, and what is it like?

Jackie
----- Original Message ----- From: "Andrew Ireland" <a.emaillists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2008 8:48 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Help required please?



Hi Jackie,

Best free screen reader at the moment is NVDA.

http://www.nvda-project.org/

TextAloud maybe useful.

http://www.nextup.com

HTH.

All the best

--
Andrew
Secrets That We Keep Audio Book by David Caldwell:-
http://www.secretsthatwekeep.com/mainindex.php?code=006


-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf 
Of
Jackie Cairns
Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2008 7:32 PM
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Help required please?

Thanks Ray, I'll forward these links.
He mentioned a free screen reader too. Would Thunder be any help in the 
scenario he is looking for does anyone know?

Thanks.

Jackie
----- Original Message ----- From: "Ray's Home" <rays-home@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2008 7:22 PM
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Help required please?



Jackie, first off there's
www.blindcooltech.com
There stuff's all spoken reviews.

How's about the Soundings Magazine:
www.soundings.org

There interviews are very well recorded on the whole so no problems
understanding what's being said.

Cheers,


From Ray
I can be contacted off-list at:
mailto:ray-48@xxxxxxxx

-----Original Message-----
Jackie Cairns
Subject: [access-uk] Help required please?


Hi List

The tutor of the online course I am doing in Sports Journalism has
sent me the request pasted below. Does anyone have any suggestions I 
could pass onto him please?

The info he is looking for is below my signature.

Many thanks for any help.

Jackie

I wondered if I could pick your brains? We are developing online
shorthand training for journalists, and I have been recording
dictation passages as voice
files, which we send as email attachments. This works quite well.
But I wondered - do you know any good sites where there are audios or podcasts etc containing passages of people speaking? It doesn't really 
matter what
the passages are about, or how long - though if you new any shorthand 
dictation sites this would be wonderful!
We've searched the web high and low, with limited results ofher nthan 
BBC news-type podcasts - but it occured to me that there might be
facilities for the
blind that we may not have heard of?

Or - are there any good, free screen readers available to download -
so that we could send people text, which could be read to them -
though preferably
the students would be able to select the speed at so-many words per
minute.

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