'How To’ choose the right equipment for you

Introduction to Computer Software Reviews
Hello there! I hope that by looking at different equipment and computer software, that as a fellow visually impaired person, I can help in your decisions when choosing what equipment is most suited to you and your needs.

In July, I will be going to the Sight Village in Birmingham, where I hope you might join me. There are many different stalls by other organisations providing advice and equipment for visually impaired people. Whilst there, I will be trying out the newest CCTV technology, and let you know how it goes!

For now, I will be concentrating on reviewing computer software, which I have used myself, and hope to give you a balanced overview of the functions and uses of each assistive technology and the benefits to different vi users.

As always, please feel free to make any comments on information given, or from your own experiences, and suggestions of equipment and software which you would like reviewed in the future.

Software Reviews Coming Soon:
Zoom Text
Supernova

In the near future I hope to also review for you:
Hal
Jaws
Guide

If there are any others which you would like to know more about, or would like to share your own experience of using, then why not drop me a line at tprovan@victa.org.uk

Before I go on to review the software it is worth having a think about what we should be looking for when choosing any kind of equipment designed for the vi market. This is what I want to do with the remainder of this post.

How to choose what’s right for you

When looking for any type of equipment, whether it be a computer, computer software or a CCTV, there are a number of questions you need to ask yourself and bare in mind:

- What is the Purpose of the Equipment?
- Who is for? (Myself or my child?)
- Has that person used it before?
- Who has recommended it?
- Is it for use inside the home, or for use in external possibly unfamiliar environments? (If the latter, will I/my child feel comfortable using this outside the home?)
- Is it portable? (Does it need to be portable?)
- Will this equipment need to be replaced and if so, how long will it last?

Sight Level

The level of sight that you or your child has will determine what type of equipment will be required.
• Is the sight level stable or is the sight loss *progressive?
(*see end of Blog for definition)

This is probably one of the most important questions you will need to bare in mind. Here, I would suggest that there are 3 main categories of sight level.

Category 1: No Sight, or no Useful Sight
Obviously, if there is no sight or no useful sight, then speaking computer software and talking phones for example will probably be the most appropriate forms of assistive technology. The types of equipment you will be looking for on a computer will use key commands rather than the mouse, so that the screen is easier to navigate and the user can always use the computer independently, as the speech will describe what is happening on the screen. You can either listen to the Speech through speakers or headphones on the computer or laptop.
(Please excuse me if I am preaching to the choir, I thought it would be best to start from the basics so that we can all start in the same place together!)

Category 2: Stable Partial Sight
If the sight level is stable, and a magnification level of between 2x and 5x is required for use on computers, then CCTV’s and Computer Magnification Packages will probably be sufficient. In this situation, the user will most likely feel most comfortable using a mouse for the majority of tasks. Before looking into any type of computer software, experiment with your existing computer or laptop; does it have a magnification option already on the Windows or Apple Mac PC version? If it does, try this before practically trying other types of Magnification Software, just because it might suit someone else, it might not be right for you. Also it is important to consider what is being magnified – is the whole screen larger, or only the menu options enlarged? Is this what you need or do you need a higher magnification level?

Category 3: Changing Sight Levels & Progressive Eye Conditions
If the sight level is subject to change, and progressively worsen without warning, then you find yourself in a position where you will need to assess a wider variety of options.
It is vital to encourage using what vision is available, BUT it is also important to prioritise what the useful sight should be used for. For example, is it more important to read a book, and then have to rely solely on another person to guide you around for the rest of the day; or is it better for you to listen to a book, and be able to walk home with little or no assistance from others? That is for you to decide, not for me to answer.
Either way, if you find yourself in this category, you need to ensure you use what vision is available while also ensuring that if the sight does worsen suddenly, then you have a technology which can adapt to your changing circumstances. By this I mean, choose Computer Software which Magnifies and also has Speech. This way you can choose to use either of the two functions, or even both Magnification and Speech together, depending on how the sight changes from one day to the next. This ensures that if you miss something by looking with the magnification, the speech should tell you what you missed. You can experiment and find what works best for you, for example, you may decide that you like to type a document with just the magnification, and then read it back by listening to the speech.

Because I find myself in this third category, I feel confident to give you an overview of my experience with both the Speech and Magnification functions available on each software package.

Try Before You Buy

Always try equipment practically before deciding what you want to purchase. There are several ways of doing this:-
- Attend an event like the Sight Village in Birmingham, where different equipment will be on display for you to try.
- Download trials of the newest versions of screen reading software, (which is how I will be reviewing the computer software) please ensure that the website is genuine before downloading any items onto your computer.

-Finally, when deciding on what computer software is best for you, you also need to ask yourself, “Is the person able to use a computer?”
If the answer is no, then you might want to consider enrolling on an IT College Course for visually impaired users, or asking your child’s school if they can arrange for your child to have some typing and computer lessons by a qualified IT Teacher of the Visually Impaired.

-Hot Keys
At the very least, in order to use any of the Computer Software available, the user needs to be able to navigate the keyboard, which means having basic keyboard skills.

Keyboard skills are not only vital in order to type a document or email etc, but also for a visually impaired person to navigate a computer screen. Even if the user has stable partial sight, they may not always wish to use the mouse. For example, pressing the ‘control’ button and ‘s’ key simultaneously, will ‘Save’ a document which has already been given a file name, or bring up a dialogue box on the screen to save the document if it has not already been Saved. Once this box is on the screen the user can then use the ‘tab’ key to navigate between all the different options and type the filename, once this has been done, the user can press the ‘return’ key rather than clicking ‘Ok’ with the mouse.

These hot keys allow the user to carry out simple functions without using the mouse and will also be quicker than navigating the menu options. If the user is a speech user, then the speech will often let you know what the shortcuts and hot keys are for specific functions.

Also, if the user does not know how to use a computer, then having a computer to use at home, may not solve this problem, unless supported by other learning elsewhere as suggested above.

-Be patient with yourself and the computer, it is hard enough for a fully sighted person to learn how to use a computer, so imagine how much more complicated it will be when you are only able to see a fraction of the whole screen at one time, or access a predominantly visual technology through audio alone.

Zoom Text Review Coming Soon:
Do not be misled by the name, Zoom Text not only ‘Zooms’, but it also has Speech as well. I believe that this was not always the case, as I do recall using this at Secondary School some years ago, with only magnification. Since then, this software has improved drastically, and I have also improved my own computer skills, by attending a College IT Course for vi users, which really helps to be able to use both the computer and the software.

I look forward to receiving your comments, suggestions and queries, so please email me and I will get back to you when I am in on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Thank you!

Tessa


*progressive – this word is usually used to describe conditions where sight deteriorates, sometimes due to cells within the eyes dying or failing to work over a period of time. This means that the sight will deteriorate, possibly over a number of years, or even over a life time, which can sometimes leads to total loss of sight over this period. Largely however, progressive eye conditions are either totally unpredictable, or given a time scale where the sight will deteriorate to a specific stated stage.
If the progression is unpredictable, this can lead to changes in the sight level from a morning to an afternoon for example, and the person will need to monitor these changes to identify if there is a time of day when the sight is at its lowest; and if this deteriorates to the same degree everyday. There may also be changeable conditions which affect the sight level, such as tiredness or lighting conditions, and there may be a need to adapt to this and also to monitor if there is a noticeable deterioration or stability over a sustained period of time.
If someone has a progressive sight condition, they will need to monitor these changes and inform their consultant of any important changes to their situation. Often, as with most severe sight conditions, progressive conditions are non correctable by surgery or treatment.
If you are concerned about a progressive loss of sight, or unsure what your sight condition usually entails over the long term, you should contact your Eye Consultant at the hospital, or see your GP for a referral.