Re: Advice for a programmer losing vision?
- From: Jackie McBride <abletec@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:19:43 -0700
Well, ESpeak & Festival are free--Cepstral isn't. But yeah, you're
right--Cepstral does sound a whole lot better.
On 6/15/09, Bill Cox <waywardgeek@xxxxxxxxx> 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>
>> __________
>> View the list's information and change your settings at
>> //www.freelists.org/list/programmingblind
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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>
__________
View the list's information and change your settings at
//www.freelists.org/list/programmingblind
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