Re: Advice for a programmer losing vision?
- From: BlueScale <bluescale1976@xxxxxxx>
- To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:09:25 -0400
Hi,
Kubuntu isn't the most accessible version because of lack of at-spi
infrastructure. I keep being told that work is being done in this area,
but there's not really any noticeable sign of it. For the best
experience with accessibility features, you should try just plain ol'
Ubuntu. It uses Gnome, and Orca is built right in. I have never used
emacspeak, so can't say much about it, but it probably works in gnome.
There is an email list called accessiblelinux@xxxxxxxxxxxxx that will be
able to help with any questions. The website to subscribe is:
//www.freelists.org/list/accessiblelinux
HTH
On Mon, 2009-06-15 at 14:46 -0400, Bill Cox wrote:
> Thanks, Jackie, and everyone for the replies.
>
> I have to say, it's a load off my shoulders knowing that many other
> programmers succeed with visual impairment. I'm more adaptable than
> most, and am pretty sure I'll do OK. The emacspeak project looks most
> promising to me in my situation (long-time emacs hacker, with
> peripheral vision that should work long-term). I'll be able to use
> apps I'm familiar with with magnification sometimes (like skype). I'm
> having trouble installing any speech synthesizer it works with on my
> Kubuntu 9.04 x64 system, though. I'll post to the emacspeak list, and
> if I have to, I'll write some support for other speech synthesis
> back-ends.
>
> Not that it's critical now, but if I'm going to bother writing a
> back-end for emacspeak to support another speech synthesizer, which
> synthesizer would you recommend? I've installed both festival and
> espeak. I've also listened to demos of Cepstral, which sound much
> better to me.
>
> Thanks,
> Bill
>
>
> On Mon, Jun 15, 2009 at 2:12 PM, Jackie McBride <abletec@xxxxxxxxx>
> wrote:
>
> Hi, Bill:
>
> 1st, I do know what you're going thru. It bites.
>
> U asked a question about whether u should use magnification or
> screenreader. generally speaking, the conventional wisdom has
> it that
> once you're at 5x magnification or above, productivity
> decreases to
> such a level that screenreading software should be employed.
> This is
> not to say that being able to zoom in on a particular spot
> might not
> be helpful, but that it takes so much time to navigate the
> screen
> using magnification that productivity suffers. It should also
> be noted
> that eyestrain using magnification software can result in
> headache &
> fatigue. Often, if system requirements permit, screenreading
> software
> & magnification can function together to create a more
> powerful
> solution than either technology alone.
>
> Regarding learning braille, there are a variety of factors to
> consider, including tactile sensitivity & desire to learn. I
> recommend
> it for those who can, but, for example, many w/diabetic
> retinopathy/neuropathy find it to be more frustrating than
> it's worth.
>
> I really suggest that u not only avail yourself of the
> resources on
> this list, which are considerable, but also contact your state
> vocational rehabilitation department/commission for the blind,
> as the
> case may be. They should surely be able to assist u,
> especially as it
> relates to learning braille. Also, Hadley School for the blind
> in
> Winnetka, IL, has braille courses, though I think u probably
> have to
> be legally blind in order to access those.
>
> Please let me know if u think I may be of further assistance.
>
>
>
> On 6/15/09, Haden Pike <haden.pike@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > The orca screen reader, part of gnome, supports
> magnification.
> >
> > Haden Pike
> > Email: haden.pike@xxxxxxxxx
> >
> > --------------------------------------------------
> > From: "Holdsworth, Lynn" <Lynn.Holdsworth@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Sent: Monday, June 15, 2009 11:16 AM
> > To: <programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Subject: RE: Advice for a programmer losing vision?
> >
> >> And there must surely be a plethora of free and cheap
> screen
> >> magnification solutions for Linux. Anybody know anything
> about those?
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >> [mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
> Tyler
> >> Littlefield
> >> Sent: 15 June 2009 16:09
> >> To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >> Subject: Re: Advice for a programmer losing vision?
> >>
> >> Bill,
> >> Something you might check out is the speakup project found
> at:
> >> http://linux-speakup.org
> >> They have a mailling list, and a good community.
> >> Basically speakup is the community for one of the linux
> screen readers
> >> that is out, that uses espeak,flite,or festival.
> >> HTH,
> >>
> >> Thanks,
> >> Tyler Littlefield
> >> Web: tysdomain.com
> >> email: tyler@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >> My programs don't have bugs, they're called randomly added
> features.
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "Bill Cox" <waywardgeek@xxxxxxxxx>
> >> To: <programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >> Sent: Monday, June 15, 2009 9:03 AM
> >> Subject: Re: Advice for a programmer losing vision?
> >>
> >>
> >>> Thanks, Jim.
> >>>
> >>> It makes me feel a lot better to hear you say that. I've
> been here
> >>> before,
> >>> with the typing problem, and there wasn't much of any
> community at the
> >>
> >>> time
> >>> to help. Yes, I will most likely stay in the linux world,
> though I
> >> would
> >>> not rule out controlling linux boxes through cygwin bash
> shells and
> >> emacs
> >>> like I did before. I also hope to help with development
> of some of
> >> the
> >>> tools being used.
> >>>
> >>> Bill
> >>>
> >>> On Mon, Jun 15, 2009 at 10:47 AM, Homme, James
> >>> <james.homme@xxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Hi Bill,
> >>>>
> >>>> You can definitely be productive as a programmer in your
> situation.
> >>>> According to me, you have come to the right place to ask
> these kinds
> >> of
> >>>> things. We have a lot of great people on this list. Do
> you want to
> >> stay
> >>>> in
> >>>> the Linux world?
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Thanks.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Jim
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> ----------
> >>>>
> >>>> Jim Homme, Usability Engineering.
> >>>>
> >>>> 412-544-1810.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Note: I will reply to email and voice mail within four
> hours.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> "Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> "Talent will not; nothing is more common than
> unsuccessful people
> >> with
> >>>> talent.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> "Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> "Education will not; the world is full of educated
> derelicts.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> "Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."
> >>>>
> >>>> - Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933)
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> *From:* programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:
> >>>> programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] *On Behalf Of
> *Bill Cox
> >>>> *Sent:* Monday, June 15, 2009 10:32 AM
> >>>> *To:* programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >>>> *Subject:* Advice for a programmer losing vision?
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> Hi.
> >>>>
> >>>> Sorry if you get a lot of first-time dumb posts, like
> this. I've got
> >> a
> >>>> rare genetic defect that's causing me to lose my central
> vision.
> >> It's a
> >>>> lot
> >>>> like macular degeneration, but I'm only 45 years old.
> I've been a
> >>>> programmer all my life, and have succeeded in dealing
> with disability
> >>>> before. I could not type for three years. I mostly
> program in C on
> >>>> Linux.
> >>>>
> >>>> What tools should I learn, what forums should I join, and
> what skills
> >>>> should I develop to stay a productive programmer? I'm
> very good at
> >>>> building
> >>>> custom environments, which I did when I couldn't type.
> For example,
> >>>> should
> >>>> I bother with Braille, and which screen readers are best
> for mail,
> >> web
> >>>> browsing (and which browser?), and controlling shells and
> emacs? I
> >>>> expect
> >>>> to have peripheral vision for a long time. Do
> programmers with only
> >>>> peripheral vision fare better reading text up close, or
> using screen
> >>>> readers?
> >>>>
> >>>> Thanks,
> >>>> Bill
> >>>>
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> --
> Change the world--1 deed at a time
> Jackie McBride
> Check out my homepage at:
> www.abletec.serverheaven.net
> & please join my fight against breast cancer
>
> <http://teamacs.acsevents.org/site/TR?px=1790196&pg=personal&fr_id=3489>
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