ok hear we go hope this works
Blind ambition: plea for funds to keep free software project alive
Sylvia Pennington, The Sydney Morning Herald
March 16, 2012
CAPTION: NVDA co-creator James The at the Young Australian of the Year
2012 ceremony.
Two Australian programmers may be forced to abandon their not-for-profit
work that allows blind
people around the world to join in social networks and the information
age if funding is not
forthcoming.
Twenty-seven year old James Teh and his co-developer Michael Curran have
spent the past four years
building the open source screen reader Non Visual Desktop Access (NVDA)
for the Windows operating
system. The reader is free, available in 20 languages and has been
downloaded more than 45,000 times
since November.
The NVDA program can translate whatever the cursor touches into
synthetic speech, enabling blind
users to hear what the rest of the population is able to read on the
screen.
Advertisement: Story continues below
Although similar readers are available commercially, they can cost
several hundred dollars to
install and upgrade; a sum which is beyond the reach of many vision
impaired users, Teh said.
"We've had a lot of positive feedback that it's changed lives,
especially in the developing world,"
Teh said. "Users have a sense of gratitude for the system - for access
to things not previously
accessible."
Many blind people have not had access to free screen reader technology
in Australia outside
educational settings and this has impeded their ability to interact
socially and look for jobs, he
said. The unemployment rate among blind and vision-impaired people
wanting to work is currently 63
per cent, according to research from Vision Australia.
Given the ways in which technology could transform the lives of the
blind, it was imperative that
barriers to entry were made as low as possible, Teh said.
As well as providing access to vast reserves of information not
previously available in bulky
Braille tomes or audio form, the internet can open up a world of
services which make tasks of daily
living such as shopping and banking easier. Being able to participate in
social networking also
allows blind people to expand their contact with friends, family and the
wider world.
"Technology for everyone has become part of daily life," Teh said. "If
it is critical for sighted
people, it's much more critical for blind people."
Himself blind since infancy due to retinal cancer, Teh is no stranger to
the obstacles faced by the
vision impaired when attempting to lead a regular, independent life.
A talented pianist and passionate programmer from a young age - "it's
mostly text so you don't need
to see it" - he completed mainstream schooling at Brisbane's Nudgee
College before graduating with a
degree in IT from Queensland University of Technology in 2005.
A first job as a programmer with local internet security entrepreneur
Trent Davis at Netbox Blue
followed, before he joined forces with Curran in 2008.
Ensuring the NVDA reader keeps pace with the upgrade cycle of major
software packages is a full time
job for the pair. But despite attracting a swag of accolades, including
an ABC New Inventors award
in 2010 and a spot for Teh on the 2012 finalists list for Young
Australian of the Year, funding to
continue the work has been hard won and precariously retained.
The pair received modest funding from Microsoft, Adobe and Yahoo in the
past and the Mozilla
Foundation continues to provide ongoing support but they are seeking a
larger commitment to continue
developing and updating the software to keep up with the upgrade cycle
of major programs.
Teh says they need $200,000 to cover overheads and provide themselves
with a modest living wage.
Unless further backing was secured, Teh said it was likely he would have
to look for other work
later this year to support his family.
"I would love to continue what I do and am really driven to do it," Teh
said. "A free screen reader
for Windows does need to exist. It's disappointing that there's not much
funding for the work at all
in Australia. It's very difficult to raise money when you don't have
experience in the
not-for-profit sphere and no one dedicated to doing it."
SOURCE
http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/business-it/blind-ambition-plea-for-funds-to-keep-free-software-project-alive-20120316-1v99i.html#ixzz1pMkjCzGh
----- Original Message -----
From: "luigi" <teraclope@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <nvda@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, March 17, 2012 4:34 PM
Subject: [nvda] Re: Please help to keep nvda alive.
not male i mean mail, sorry
----- Original Message -----
From: "playful-puppy" <lawrence4477@xxxxxxx>
To: <nvda@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, March 17, 2012 10:32 PM
Subject: [nvda] Re: Please help to keep nvda alive.
lost the main male how ever I have a note pad with most of the info in
it, let me see if I can put it up on the list for those who missed it if
that will be ok.
----- Original Message -----
From: "luigi" <teraclope@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <nvda@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, March 17, 2012 4:24 PM
Subject: [nvda] Re: Please help to keep nvda alive.
i wanted to do it but i lost the main mail
----- Original Message -----
From: "playful-puppy" <lawrence4477@xxxxxxx>
To: <nvda@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, March 17, 2012 9:15 PM
Subject: [nvda] Re: Please help to keep nvda alive.
yes tuns of friends and also family who will also help where they can,
and perhaps some will give to help keep N
VDA going.
----- Original Message -----
From: "luigi" <teraclope@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <nvda@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, March 17, 2012 3:11 PM
Subject: [nvda] Re: Please help to keep nvda alive.
that's a good idea if you have tons of friends who know nvda
----- Original Message -----
From: "playful-puppy" <lawrence4477@xxxxxxx>
To: <nvda@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, March 17, 2012 9:09 PM
Subject: [nvda] Re: Please help to keep nvda alive.
I put the article up on facebook, I have lots of friends who help me
to pass it along I would hate to see NVDA go by the way side.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Benjamin D. Moser" <moser757@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <nvda@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, March 17, 2012 3:03 PM
Subject: [nvda] Re: Please help to keep nvda alive.
Great article, but why did they not include NV Access' website? We
all know it, but those made interested by the article may not.
Ben Moser
Sent from my iPhone
On Mar 15, 2012, at 1:18 PM, Kevin Cussick
<the.big.white.shepherd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi all,
Not to sure how recent this is.
just saw the date so ignore that last statement but I hope the mods
do not mind me posting this here please folks consider donating to
nvda it would be a huge loss to everyone if this fantastic screen
reader goes belly up because of the lack of funds. article below I
am forwarding this to some other people who do use nvda please read
this.
Blind ambition: plea for funds to keep free software project alive
Sylvia Pennington, The Sydney Morning Herald
March 16, 2012
CAPTION: NVDA co-creator James The at the Young Australian of the
Year 2012 ceremony.
Two Australian programmers may be forced to abandon their
not-for-profit work that allows blind
people around the world to join in social networks and the
information age if funding is not
forthcoming.
Twenty-seven year old James Teh and his co-developer Michael Curran
have spent the past four years
building the open source screen reader Non Visual Desktop Access
(NVDA) for the Windows operating
system. The reader is free, available in 20 languages and has been
downloaded more than 45,000 times
since November.
The NVDA program can translate whatever the cursor touches into
synthetic speech, enabling blind
users to hear what the rest of the population is able to read on
the screen.
Advertisement: Story continues below
Although similar readers are available commercially, they can cost
several hundred dollars to
install and upgrade; a sum which is beyond the reach of many vision
impaired users, Teh said.
"We've had a lot of positive feedback that it's changed lives,
especially in the developing world,"
Teh said. "Users have a sense of gratitude for the system - for
access to things not previously
accessible."
Many blind people have not had access to free screen reader
technology in Australia outside
educational settings and this has impeded their ability to interact
socially and look for jobs, he
said. The unemployment rate among blind and vision-impaired people
wanting to work is currently 63
per cent, according to research from Vision Australia.
Given the ways in which technology could transform the lives of the
blind, it was imperative that
barriers to entry were made as low as possible, Teh said.
As well as providing access to vast reserves of information not
previously available in bulky
Braille tomes or audio form, the internet can open up a world of
services which make tasks of daily
living such as shopping and banking easier. Being able to
participate in social networking also
allows blind people to expand their contact with friends, family
and the wider world.
"Technology for everyone has become part of daily life," Teh said.
"If it is critical for sighted
people, it's much more critical for blind people."
Himself blind since infancy due to retinal cancer, Teh is no
stranger to the obstacles faced by the
vision impaired when attempting to lead a regular, independent
life.
A talented pianist and passionate programmer from a young age -
"it's mostly text so you don't need
to see it" - he completed mainstream schooling at Brisbane's Nudgee
College before graduating with a
degree in IT from Queensland University of Technology in 2005.
A first job as a programmer with local internet security
entrepreneur Trent Davis at Netbox Blue
followed, before he joined forces with Curran in 2008.
Ensuring the NVDA reader keeps pace with the upgrade cycle of major
software packages is a full time
job for the pair. But despite attracting a swag of accolades,
including an ABC New Inventors award
in 2010 and a spot for Teh on the 2012 finalists list for Young
Australian of the Year, funding to
continue the work has been hard won and precariously retained.
The pair received modest funding from Microsoft, Adobe and Yahoo in
the past and the Mozilla
Foundation continues to provide ongoing support but they are
seeking a larger commitment to continue
developing and updating the software to keep up with the upgrade
cycle of major programs.
Teh says they need $200,000 to cover overheads and provide
themselves with a modest living wage.
Unless further backing was secured, Teh said it was likely he would
have to look for other work
later this year to support his family.
"I would love to continue what I do and am really driven to do it,"
Teh said. "A free screen reader
for Windows does need to exist. It's disappointing that there's not
much funding for the work at all
in Australia. It's very difficult to raise money when you don't
have experience in the
not-for-profit sphere and no one dedicated to doing it."
SOURCE
http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/business-it/blind-ambition-plea-for-funds-to-keep-free-software-project-alive-20120316-1v99i.html#ixzz1pMkjCzGh
--
All The Best
Kevin Cussick
Come talk with other NVDA users on irc.blufudge.net #NVDA
Your continued donations help keep NVDA development going strong.
Donate at:
http://www.nvaccess.org/wiki/Donate
Or by purchasing voices from Ivona TTS:
http://www.ivona.com/accessibility.php
Use the following link with the code STOR-4NS3-DSCT to save 10% on
Voices from nextup.com:
http://bit.ly/eJN97w
To post messages to the list send email to
nvda@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To modify your NVDA Email settings or view archives go to:
http://www.freelists.org/list/nvda
NVDA homepage:
http://www.nvda-project.org/
NVDA on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8601265515
The NVDA controler DLL is at:
http://www.nvda-project.org/nvdaControllerClient/
NVDA Snapshot Downloader:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1473937/NVDASD-v2.0.2.exe
Get SkypeTalking for NVDA:
http://skypetalking.googlecode.com/
Come talk with other NVDA users on irc.blufudge.net #NVDA
Your continued donations help keep NVDA development going strong.
Donate at:
http://www.nvaccess.org/wiki/Donate
Or by purchasing voices from Ivona TTS:
http://www.ivona.com/accessibility.php
Use the following link with the code STOR-4NS3-DSCT to save 10% on
Voices from nextup.com:
http://bit.ly/eJN97w
To post messages to the list send email to
nvda@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To modify your NVDA Email settings or view archives go to:
http://www.freelists.org/list/nvda
NVDA homepage:
http://www.nvda-project.org/
NVDA on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid?01265515
The NVDA controler DLL is at:
http://www.nvda-project.org/nvdaControllerClient/
NVDA Snapshot Downloader:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1473937/NVDASD-v2.0.2.exe
Get SkypeTalking for NVDA:
http://skypetalking.googlecode.com/
Come talk with other NVDA users on irc.blufudge.net #NVDA
Your continued donations help keep NVDA development going strong.
Donate at:
http://www.nvaccess.org/wiki/Donate
Or by purchasing voices from Ivona TTS:
http://www.ivona.com/accessibility.php
Use the following link with the code STOR-4NS3-DSCT to save 10% on
Voices from nextup.com:
http://bit.ly/eJN97w
To post messages to the list send email to
nvda@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To modify your NVDA Email settings or view archives go to:
http://www.freelists.org/list/nvda
NVDA homepage:
http://www.nvda-project.org/
NVDA on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8601265515
The NVDA controler DLL is at:
http://www.nvda-project.org/nvdaControllerClient/
NVDA Snapshot Downloader:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1473937/NVDASD-v2.0.2.exe
Get SkypeTalking for NVDA:
http://skypetalking.googlecode.com/
Come talk with other NVDA users on irc.blufudge.net #NVDA
Your continued donations help keep NVDA development going strong.
Donate at:
http://www.nvaccess.org/wiki/Donate
Or by purchasing voices from Ivona TTS:
http://www.ivona.com/accessibility.php
Use the following link with the code STOR-4NS3-DSCT to save 10% on
Voices from nextup.com:
http://bit.ly/eJN97w
To post messages to the list send email to
nvda@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To modify your NVDA Email settings or view archives go to:
http://www.freelists.org/list/nvda
NVDA homepage:
http://www.nvda-project.org/
NVDA on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8601265515
The NVDA controler DLL is at:
http://www.nvda-project.org/nvdaControllerClient/
NVDA Snapshot Downloader:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1473937/NVDASD-v2.0.2.exe
Get SkypeTalking for NVDA:
http://skypetalking.googlecode.com/
Come talk with other NVDA users on irc.blufudge.net #NVDA
Your continued donations help keep NVDA development going strong.
Donate at:
http://www.nvaccess.org/wiki/Donate
Or by purchasing voices from Ivona TTS:
http://www.ivona.com/accessibility.php
Use the following link with the code STOR-4NS3-DSCT to save 10% on
Voices from nextup.com:
http://bit.ly/eJN97w
To post messages to the list send email to
nvda@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To modify your NVDA Email settings or view archives go to:
http://www.freelists.org/list/nvda
NVDA homepage:
http://www.nvda-project.org/
NVDA on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8601265515
The NVDA controler DLL is at:
http://www.nvda-project.org/nvdaControllerClient/
NVDA Snapshot Downloader:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1473937/NVDASD-v2.0.2.exe
Get SkypeTalking for NVDA:
http://skypetalking.googlecode.com/
Come talk with other NVDA users on irc.blufudge.net #NVDA
Your continued donations help keep NVDA development going strong.
Donate at:
http://www.nvaccess.org/wiki/Donate
Or by purchasing voices from Ivona TTS:
http://www.ivona.com/accessibility.php
Use the following link with the code STOR-4NS3-DSCT to save 10% on
Voices from nextup.com:
http://bit.ly/eJN97w
To post messages to the list send email to
nvda@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To modify your NVDA Email settings or view archives go to:
http://www.freelists.org/list/nvda
NVDA homepage:
http://www.nvda-project.org/
NVDA on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8601265515
The NVDA controler DLL is at:
http://www.nvda-project.org/nvdaControllerClient/
NVDA Snapshot Downloader:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1473937/NVDASD-v2.0.2.exe
Get SkypeTalking for NVDA:
http://skypetalking.googlecode.com/
Come talk with other NVDA users on irc.blufudge.net #NVDA
Your continued donations help keep NVDA development going strong. Donate
at:
http://www.nvaccess.org/wiki/Donate
Or by purchasing voices from Ivona TTS:
http://www.ivona.com/accessibility.php
Use the following link with the code STOR-4NS3-DSCT to save 10% on
Voices from nextup.com:
http://bit.ly/eJN97w
To post messages to the list send email to
nvda@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To modify your NVDA Email settings or view archives go to:
http://www.freelists.org/list/nvda
NVDA homepage:
http://www.nvda-project.org/
NVDA on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8601265515
The NVDA controler DLL is at:
http://www.nvda-project.org/nvdaControllerClient/
NVDA Snapshot Downloader:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1473937/NVDASD-v2.0.2.exe
Get SkypeTalking for NVDA:
http://skypetalking.googlecode.com/
Come talk with other NVDA users on irc.blufudge.net #NVDA
Your continued donations help keep NVDA development going strong. Donate
at:
http://www.nvaccess.org/wiki/Donate
Or by purchasing voices from Ivona TTS:
http://www.ivona.com/accessibility.php
Use the following link with the code STOR-4NS3-DSCT to save 10% on Voices
from nextup.com:
http://bit.ly/eJN97w
To post messages to the list send email to
nvda@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To modify your NVDA Email settings or view archives go to:
http://www.freelists.org/list/nvda
NVDA homepage:
http://www.nvda-project.org/
NVDA on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8601265515
The NVDA controler DLL is at:
http://www.nvda-project.org/nvdaControllerClient/
NVDA Snapshot Downloader:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1473937/NVDASD-v2.0.2.exe
Get SkypeTalking for NVDA:
http://skypetalking.googlecode.com/
Come talk with other NVDA users on irc.blufudge.net #NVDA
Your continued donations help keep NVDA development going strong. Donate
at:
http://www.nvaccess.org/wiki/Donate
Or by purchasing voices from Ivona TTS:
http://www.ivona.com/accessibility.php
Use the following link with the code STOR-4NS3-DSCT to save 10% on Voices
from nextup.com:
http://bit.ly/eJN97w
To post messages to the list send email to
nvda@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To modify your NVDA Email settings or view archives go to:
http://www.freelists.org/list/nvda
NVDA homepage:
http://www.nvda-project.org/
NVDA on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8601265515
The NVDA controler DLL is at:
http://www.nvda-project.org/nvdaControllerClient/
NVDA Snapshot Downloader:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1473937/NVDASD-v2.0.2.exe
Get SkypeTalking for NVDA:
http://skypetalking.googlecode.com/