RE: Advice for a programmer losing vision?
- From: BlueScale <bluescale1976@xxxxxxx>
- To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:48:28 -0400
Hi,
You can get Eloquence for Linux still from Voxin. I found out about it
after a year of using Espeak, and now Espeak actually sounds a lot
clearer and easier to understand I guess it's just what you get used to
hearing lol. Anyway, the Eloquence package can be purchased from:
http://voxin.oralux.net/
It's not very expensive, like $7 or so if I remember right. There is an
old library that it depends on that is included in the package. At some
time in the possibly short future this package may no longer be
compatable, but it still works for now.
On Mon, 2009-06-15 at 17:35 -0400, Ken Perry wrote:
> I think you got a couple good posts of advice for screen readers plus
> magnification so I will say as a Access technology instructor in
> Canada I found that screen reader plus magnification will save you a
> lot of pain later. You can get used to the screen reader before you
> have to use it and not use it when you donʼt want to. I am also now a
> full time programmer and 100% blind so vision means little in the
> coding world if youʼre willing to work at it.
>
>
>
> Now with that said you had mentioned cepstral. I do like cepstral but
> the problem I fine with voices like it and realspeak solo, and even
> neo speech which all have linux versions is while they sound better
> they have a hard time emphasizing where they should and end up
> sounding more mechanical in the end than Elequence and TT speak.
> Unfortunately Elequence is no longer being compiled for Linux and for
> those who think it never was just look at the Braille plus running OE
> linux and using that engine. Anyway The only good speech right now
> for linux that does decent at pronouncing and sounding is TT synth
> which is just VIA voice from IB updated. You can buy it anywhere from
> $5 bucks to $45 bucks I am not sure the $5 is really legal but I have
> seen people get it for that much. Their home page is at:
>
>
>
> http://www.ttsynth.com/
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> It has a link where you can listen to it. It is mechanical but it
> does a better job of really speaking what is there.
>
>
>
> Ken
>
>
>
>
> From:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Bill Cox
> Sent: Monday, June 15, 2009 2:46 PM
> To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: Advice for a programmer losing vision?
>
>
>
>
>
> 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
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