Here's a new easy way to raise money for VICTA that does not involve parting with extra cash.
Everyclick.com has launched a new way to donate – it’s been christened “Give as you Live”. It means you can search the web, shop on line from your favourite retailers, trade on eBay and raise money for VICTA.
You get great search results from Yahoo!, content from leading shopping providers and access to all eBay auctions. Every search you make creates a donation for charity.
Our special address is http://www.everyclick.com/victa , all searches, shopping and eBay activity made from here will raise money for us.
Make sure you sign up so you can track your giving – it updates every 3 minutes, you’ll be amazed how quickly it adds up!
Everyclick has already raised over £1,386,445.56 for a wide range of charities around the UK, and Everyclick was voted website of the Year 2008 and has been recognised as a top 100 media tech company 2009.
Discover the new way to give to VICTA. Give as you Live.
Wednesday 22 September 2010
Thursday 1 July 2010
Zoom Text Review
I use Zoom Text on my computer on a daily basis, making this review quite detailed as I am very familiar with it. For future reviews on other software, I will be reviewing the usability of both Magnification and Speech when using MS applications: Word, Internet & Email & Excel.
For the purpose of this review however, I have drawn on my own experience of using Zoom Text; which you may find useful if you have recently purchased this software and would like some guidance on how to get the best out of it for your own needs.
Here is a summary of the functions available on Zoom Text. For a more detailed review read further on!
Summary
Zoom Text is one of the most popular Screen Readers for visually impaired users. Zoom Text has many useful functions which will be beneficial to users with some or limited vision, such as the Zoom Window, magnification level of up to 36 xs and the option to increase the size of the mouse pointer and change the colour contrast on the screen to reduce glare.
Although Speech is also available on this program, it is difficult to navigate the computer using speech alone, and for this reason I would suggest that users choose all software carefully, and try before you buy to ensure you get the right program for your needs. In my opinion, I would say that the users who would benefit the most from using Zoom Text, would be mainly mouse users, within sight level Categories 2 and 3 (partial and changing sight levels), rather than Category 1 (no sight or no useful sight).
Speech is however extremely useful within Word, as there is the option to set the voice to one you prefer at a speed that suits you, and speech will also tell you what you are typing word by word as well as being able to follow what you type on the magnified screen. The most impressive speech function is that it can read you the whole Word document, which you can either follow by listening and following on the magnified screen at the same time, or sit back and listen. This is very easy to start, pause, move to another line, restart and stop; by using both the mouse and the keyboard commands. However, drawing on the difficulties I have personally experienced here, I would suggest that it may be of more use for the user to be a mouse user alongside using some key commands. The reason for my suggesting this is that the option to tab around dialogue boxes and screens, has not worked for me during this exercise on Zoom Text.
Rating Out of 5 Stars
The rating I award to Zoom Text as a Category 3 user is: **** 4 stars
Have Your Say
If you have any feedback, comments, or experiences about this review or any additional information regarding Zoom Text, please click on the comments box below to post your views.
July’s Blog Coming Soon – CCTV Reviews from Birmingham Sight Village.
Zoom Text Review
As I mentioned before, this is the screen reading software which I prefer, and it has both Speech and Magnification functions.
Magnification
Like most Screen Reading Software, when you install the programme you can decide if you want to load up Zoom Text automatically when the computer loads or not. This is useful if it is your own computer so it will load without you having to find it manually. Alternatively, if it is a family computer you can opt not to load automatically, in which case it is easy for the user to load Zoom Text by either clicking on the yellow box with a ‘Z’ in it on the computer background, or pressing the letter ‘Z’ followed by the ‘return’ key.
There are many reasons why I prefer Zoom Text, one being that I can type a document and the screen will follow what I type, so I can see what I am typing. I have the magnification level quite high, (well actually most other people consider it to be very high) – 12x, which sometimes makes it quite difficult to navigate new screens and websites.
Zooming In and Out
It can be rather irritating when you are trying to type or click on something, and the computer will not allow you to. This is usually because the magnification level is so high that it is impossible to see the whole screen at once. For these occasions there is a simple function which I find extremely useful, as although I am unable to read any information when the screen is zoomed out, I am able to see if there is a dialogue box which is preventing me from being able to carry out any functions.
To zoom out, press the control button and roll the scroller on the mouse downwards to make the screen smaller. To zoom in and make the screen larger, press control and scroll upwards on the mouse scroller.
Split Screen
As the magnification is so high, it is very difficult when trying to receive instructions about a specific task on a computer, from someone who does not have experience of using a screen reader.
The Zoom text dialogue box is extremely useful for these occasions, click on ‘Magnifier’, and under this will appear ‘Zoom Window’, click on this, and then select ‘Window’ from the tabs at the top of the dialogue box. This will display the different ‘Window Type’ options. The default setting is to ‘Full’ screen, with some other options listed below which I will describe shortly. There is a second selection list next to this, which allows you to ‘Dock’ the screen to a certain position; for example, I always choose ‘Docked Bottom’, as this splits the screen into two horizontal sections, with the magnified section of the screen at the bottom half. The top half shows a normal view, so the person instructing me what to do, can look over my shoulder and see most of the screen at once, in a normal view while I can navigate the magnified bottom half at the same time.
However, this does take practice, it does limit further how much of the screen you can see, and is really useful for those occasions where a fully sighted person needs to see the screen as well, rather than using it like this all the time.
The plus side to this is that it shows the person who is instructing you how much more work you have to do just to see the screen, and you will probably impress them with your competence at using it, while they are completely lost!
Docking the magnification to the bottom half of the screen is my personal preference, but you may decide that you prefer something different. If you select ‘Docked Top’, the magnified half of the screen will be the top horizontal half. ‘Docked Left’, will split the screen vertically and dock the magnification to the left, while ‘Docked Right’, will magnify the vertical right side of the screen.
There are other options which a magnification user of between 2 xs and 5 xs may prefer to use the majority of the time. ‘Overlay’ will give you the bottom right corner of the screen as a magnification window. You can navigate the whole screen in this one magnified quarter, whilst seeing the remaining three quarters as a normal size. ‘Lens’, will allow you to navigate the whole screen by using the mouse, which has a small rectangle that magnifies where ever the mouse goes while the remainder of the screen is again normal size. ‘Line’, does exactly what it says on the tin, it will magnify a line strip horizontally across the screen which magnifies a line across where ever you move the mouse too, while the rest of the screen is a normal size.
Whilst using all of these functions you are still able to zoom in and out with the mouse scroller and control button. However, I would recommend that if you use Overlay, Lens or Line, that you are a user who needs between 2x and 5x magnification, as if you need to zoom in any larger than this, the magnification boxes that appear will not enlarge with the text. This means that you cannot read the text if the text is zoomed in too far. These functions will be of most benefit to you, if you are a mouse user, as you can see the whole screen by navigating with the mouse and magnifying only what you need to.
Other Magnification Options
Experiment with the Zoom Text dialogue box, there are an infinite range of options which will suit everyone. For example, you are able to change the colour contrast on the computer, which reduces glare and makes it easier to read, similar to the colour contrasts available on CCTV’s.
It is also possible to increase the size of the Pointer (Mouse Arrow) and the Curser, which again is extremely useful especially for lower magnification users, who may wish to have a Lens Window Magnifier with a larger pointer, for instance.
All of these options are excellent for someone who has changing sight levels, you can start by setting the Pointer to appear larger, and then progress to using Zoom Windows, or a low magnification level which can be increased up to 36x, (which to give you some idea of what that looks like, will show you up to 4 letters in Arial 11 on the screen at once. I use 12 xs which gives you up to around two lines of 9 letters in a word document, Arial 11).
The larger you magnify, the more you should consider using Speech, as it becomes extremely difficult and slow to navigate the screen the more you increase the magnification level; as you will limit the amount of information available to you on the screen at one time.
Speech
While I was studying at University, my preference was to use magnification only whilst carrying out internet research and checking emails, and using both magnification and speech simultaneously to read scanned documents for my assignments, such as books, chapters, articles and journals.
However, I have discovered during the process of this exercise; that Zoom Text Speech is fantastic for reading word documents, but does not seem to work very well in doing anything else. For instance, if you use the tab key on the keyboard on some other Screen Readers, (Supernova to name just one), you can navigate a dialogue box, and the Speech will tell you what is in the box. This does not work on Zoom Text.
I would really appreciate any comments from anyone who is a Zoom Text Speech user, as I am sure that there must be a way of making Speech work so it will read your emails, and describe what is on a website, but unfortunately I have been unsuccessful in discovering how to do this.
It might be worth noting here that, if this is the case, then Zoom Text is not really a viable Screen Reader option for a user who relies solely on Speech to navigate their computer.
Zoom Text is one of the most popular screen reading software’s provided by VICTA’s Grants Service, and this is a good time to re-iterate, that as always, when looking for new equipment, try before you buy to ensure that you get what is best suited to you.
So, from here we will assume that if you are a Zoom Text user, you are using magnification with Speech to reinforce some of the tasks you carry out, rather than a user who is fully reliant on Speech.
The good news is, that the voices available are not all metallic generic computer sounding voices; however they are all americanised, which I suppose is to be expected from an American based company.
To choose a voice for Speech, go to the Zoom Text dialogue box, click on the ‘Reader’ tab, and then double click on the word ‘Speech’ which will appear under the Magnification tab. This will bring up a dialogue box displaying the speech options. The first tab is ‘Synthesiser’. Under this it will have a ticked box next to ‘Enable Speech Output’, and under this is a drop down box where you can choose the options from. I prefer to use ‘Neo Speech English’, and to the right of this it will give you the name of the voice, mine is set to ‘Paul’.
In addition to changing the voice options, you can also increase or decrease the rate at which the speech will talk.
Again, it is best to experiment with the options, to find the best setting for you.
Word Documents
This is the most impressive part about using Zoom Text. As I type now, the Magnification follows my typing, and the Speech reads each word after I press the space bar. This reinforces to me that I am typing accurately, to avoid as many typing and spelling mistakes as possible. Having this instant recall of what you type, places you on an equal with fully sighted users who can spot their mistake at a glance.
Speech will automatically tell you what you are typing, and if you use the arrow keys to move up and down, it will read you a line at a time. If you click, or point the mouse arrow over menu options, it will tell you what it is. For example, if I hover over the Office Button (using Windows 7), Speech will tell me a whole list of information: “Tool tip Office button click here to Open, Save or Print, or to see everything else you can do with your document. Press F1 for more help.” If I click on this Office Button, speech will tell me, “Menu Open, Dialogue Box”. If you arrow up and down through this list or navigate with the mouse, it will tell you the available options and their short cuts. For instance, ‘New’ is the first on the list, to get to it quickly once this Menu Dialogue Box is open, press ‘N’. Alternatively, if you know your hotkeys, you will know that by pressing Control and ‘N’ simultaneously, that this will make a New word Document available. This is the same for Open, Save and Print (Control ‘O’ to Open an existing file, Control ‘S’ to save an existing file, or Control ‘P’ to print a file).
By returning to the speech dialogue box I described previously, you can click on the tab ‘Text Processing’, which is the next option along from ‘Synthesiser’ and choose to change the settings for what Speech will read. I have changed the Punctuation option to read all punctuation, as I prefer to know if punctuation has been used or not, although it will be quite obvious from the intonation of the voice if a question mark or an exclamation mark appears at the end of a sentence.
To read back an entire document, open the Zoom Text dialogue box, and click on the option ‘Actions’ which appears to the right of File at the top of the box. There are two similar options in this drop down menu, ‘Doc Reader’ and ‘App Reader’, which I will now explain.
‘Start App Reader’ will place a pink rectangle around the word that your curser is nearest to at the time. To operate this function, you can either use the mouse or the keyboard keys. To use the mouse, left click on the word you want to start from and Speech will read you the whole document, unless you left click with the mouse, which will pause the speech. To cancel App Reader, right click the mouse. This function will follow each word on the screen with the pink rectangle, and read the whole document, so you can either follow what its reading, or sit back and listen.
To use the keys, press the ‘enter’ key to start reading the document, and when you want to pause, press the enter key again. If the word which appears highlighted in the pink rectangle is not where you want to start from, you can use the arrow keys to find the right place. By pressing the space bar, speech will read the word; press the space bar a second time and it will spell out the word, a third time will spell out the word phonetically. To cancel App Reader, press the ‘escape’ key.
This is my preference, as you can see the screen in the magnification level you usually use, and it is easy to pause and move to a different line.
All of these functions apply when using ‘Start Doc Reader’. There are however a few main differences between these two options within the layout appearance and contrast of the screen. For example, the screen is shrunk to a normal size; all of the text within the document is highlighted; so the writing appears as white on a black background, and highlights each word being read in blue. It also changes the layout of the document while it reads it, so that where there may be a line space in the document, there is not within the Doc Reader function.
‘Speak It Tool’ is another option within this drop down menu, and is quite self explanatory. Whatever you click the mouse on; speech will speak it to you. However it will only speak the individual words that you click the mouse onto, rather than a whole line.
By opening the Zoom Text dialogue box, clicking on ‘Actions’ and then pressing the letter ‘i’ on the keyboard, this will start the ‘Speak It Tool’. A small white box will appear next to the mouse arrow, and you can click on what you want to hear the function of. Once you have finished, press ‘escape’ to exit.
Please note: that unlike before, when using the shortcuts for the Office Button, for Save, Open and Print, if you click Control ‘I’ this will not start the Speak It Tool. It will however italicise any text you then type afterwards. This is because the hotkeys are meant for use with Windows Packages, rather than being designed for Specialist Software.
There are a few limitations to this Speak It Tool, firstly be aware that you can not open any menus or carry out any other functions while this tool is in use. It will tell you menu headings and some information on web pages and emails, but does not seem to work within word documents.
For the purpose of this review however, I have drawn on my own experience of using Zoom Text; which you may find useful if you have recently purchased this software and would like some guidance on how to get the best out of it for your own needs.
Here is a summary of the functions available on Zoom Text. For a more detailed review read further on!
Summary
Zoom Text is one of the most popular Screen Readers for visually impaired users. Zoom Text has many useful functions which will be beneficial to users with some or limited vision, such as the Zoom Window, magnification level of up to 36 xs and the option to increase the size of the mouse pointer and change the colour contrast on the screen to reduce glare.
Although Speech is also available on this program, it is difficult to navigate the computer using speech alone, and for this reason I would suggest that users choose all software carefully, and try before you buy to ensure you get the right program for your needs. In my opinion, I would say that the users who would benefit the most from using Zoom Text, would be mainly mouse users, within sight level Categories 2 and 3 (partial and changing sight levels), rather than Category 1 (no sight or no useful sight).
Speech is however extremely useful within Word, as there is the option to set the voice to one you prefer at a speed that suits you, and speech will also tell you what you are typing word by word as well as being able to follow what you type on the magnified screen. The most impressive speech function is that it can read you the whole Word document, which you can either follow by listening and following on the magnified screen at the same time, or sit back and listen. This is very easy to start, pause, move to another line, restart and stop; by using both the mouse and the keyboard commands. However, drawing on the difficulties I have personally experienced here, I would suggest that it may be of more use for the user to be a mouse user alongside using some key commands. The reason for my suggesting this is that the option to tab around dialogue boxes and screens, has not worked for me during this exercise on Zoom Text.
Rating Out of 5 Stars
The rating I award to Zoom Text as a Category 3 user is: **** 4 stars
Have Your Say
If you have any feedback, comments, or experiences about this review or any additional information regarding Zoom Text, please click on the comments box below to post your views.
July’s Blog Coming Soon – CCTV Reviews from Birmingham Sight Village.
Zoom Text Review
As I mentioned before, this is the screen reading software which I prefer, and it has both Speech and Magnification functions.
Magnification
Like most Screen Reading Software, when you install the programme you can decide if you want to load up Zoom Text automatically when the computer loads or not. This is useful if it is your own computer so it will load without you having to find it manually. Alternatively, if it is a family computer you can opt not to load automatically, in which case it is easy for the user to load Zoom Text by either clicking on the yellow box with a ‘Z’ in it on the computer background, or pressing the letter ‘Z’ followed by the ‘return’ key.
There are many reasons why I prefer Zoom Text, one being that I can type a document and the screen will follow what I type, so I can see what I am typing. I have the magnification level quite high, (well actually most other people consider it to be very high) – 12x, which sometimes makes it quite difficult to navigate new screens and websites.
Zooming In and Out
It can be rather irritating when you are trying to type or click on something, and the computer will not allow you to. This is usually because the magnification level is so high that it is impossible to see the whole screen at once. For these occasions there is a simple function which I find extremely useful, as although I am unable to read any information when the screen is zoomed out, I am able to see if there is a dialogue box which is preventing me from being able to carry out any functions.
To zoom out, press the control button and roll the scroller on the mouse downwards to make the screen smaller. To zoom in and make the screen larger, press control and scroll upwards on the mouse scroller.
Split Screen
As the magnification is so high, it is very difficult when trying to receive instructions about a specific task on a computer, from someone who does not have experience of using a screen reader.
The Zoom text dialogue box is extremely useful for these occasions, click on ‘Magnifier’, and under this will appear ‘Zoom Window’, click on this, and then select ‘Window’ from the tabs at the top of the dialogue box. This will display the different ‘Window Type’ options. The default setting is to ‘Full’ screen, with some other options listed below which I will describe shortly. There is a second selection list next to this, which allows you to ‘Dock’ the screen to a certain position; for example, I always choose ‘Docked Bottom’, as this splits the screen into two horizontal sections, with the magnified section of the screen at the bottom half. The top half shows a normal view, so the person instructing me what to do, can look over my shoulder and see most of the screen at once, in a normal view while I can navigate the magnified bottom half at the same time.
However, this does take practice, it does limit further how much of the screen you can see, and is really useful for those occasions where a fully sighted person needs to see the screen as well, rather than using it like this all the time.
The plus side to this is that it shows the person who is instructing you how much more work you have to do just to see the screen, and you will probably impress them with your competence at using it, while they are completely lost!
Docking the magnification to the bottom half of the screen is my personal preference, but you may decide that you prefer something different. If you select ‘Docked Top’, the magnified half of the screen will be the top horizontal half. ‘Docked Left’, will split the screen vertically and dock the magnification to the left, while ‘Docked Right’, will magnify the vertical right side of the screen.
There are other options which a magnification user of between 2 xs and 5 xs may prefer to use the majority of the time. ‘Overlay’ will give you the bottom right corner of the screen as a magnification window. You can navigate the whole screen in this one magnified quarter, whilst seeing the remaining three quarters as a normal size. ‘Lens’, will allow you to navigate the whole screen by using the mouse, which has a small rectangle that magnifies where ever the mouse goes while the remainder of the screen is again normal size. ‘Line’, does exactly what it says on the tin, it will magnify a line strip horizontally across the screen which magnifies a line across where ever you move the mouse too, while the rest of the screen is a normal size.
Whilst using all of these functions you are still able to zoom in and out with the mouse scroller and control button. However, I would recommend that if you use Overlay, Lens or Line, that you are a user who needs between 2x and 5x magnification, as if you need to zoom in any larger than this, the magnification boxes that appear will not enlarge with the text. This means that you cannot read the text if the text is zoomed in too far. These functions will be of most benefit to you, if you are a mouse user, as you can see the whole screen by navigating with the mouse and magnifying only what you need to.
Other Magnification Options
Experiment with the Zoom Text dialogue box, there are an infinite range of options which will suit everyone. For example, you are able to change the colour contrast on the computer, which reduces glare and makes it easier to read, similar to the colour contrasts available on CCTV’s.
It is also possible to increase the size of the Pointer (Mouse Arrow) and the Curser, which again is extremely useful especially for lower magnification users, who may wish to have a Lens Window Magnifier with a larger pointer, for instance.
All of these options are excellent for someone who has changing sight levels, you can start by setting the Pointer to appear larger, and then progress to using Zoom Windows, or a low magnification level which can be increased up to 36x, (which to give you some idea of what that looks like, will show you up to 4 letters in Arial 11 on the screen at once. I use 12 xs which gives you up to around two lines of 9 letters in a word document, Arial 11).
The larger you magnify, the more you should consider using Speech, as it becomes extremely difficult and slow to navigate the screen the more you increase the magnification level; as you will limit the amount of information available to you on the screen at one time.
Speech
While I was studying at University, my preference was to use magnification only whilst carrying out internet research and checking emails, and using both magnification and speech simultaneously to read scanned documents for my assignments, such as books, chapters, articles and journals.
However, I have discovered during the process of this exercise; that Zoom Text Speech is fantastic for reading word documents, but does not seem to work very well in doing anything else. For instance, if you use the tab key on the keyboard on some other Screen Readers, (Supernova to name just one), you can navigate a dialogue box, and the Speech will tell you what is in the box. This does not work on Zoom Text.
I would really appreciate any comments from anyone who is a Zoom Text Speech user, as I am sure that there must be a way of making Speech work so it will read your emails, and describe what is on a website, but unfortunately I have been unsuccessful in discovering how to do this.
It might be worth noting here that, if this is the case, then Zoom Text is not really a viable Screen Reader option for a user who relies solely on Speech to navigate their computer.
Zoom Text is one of the most popular screen reading software’s provided by VICTA’s Grants Service, and this is a good time to re-iterate, that as always, when looking for new equipment, try before you buy to ensure that you get what is best suited to you.
So, from here we will assume that if you are a Zoom Text user, you are using magnification with Speech to reinforce some of the tasks you carry out, rather than a user who is fully reliant on Speech.
The good news is, that the voices available are not all metallic generic computer sounding voices; however they are all americanised, which I suppose is to be expected from an American based company.
To choose a voice for Speech, go to the Zoom Text dialogue box, click on the ‘Reader’ tab, and then double click on the word ‘Speech’ which will appear under the Magnification tab. This will bring up a dialogue box displaying the speech options. The first tab is ‘Synthesiser’. Under this it will have a ticked box next to ‘Enable Speech Output’, and under this is a drop down box where you can choose the options from. I prefer to use ‘Neo Speech English’, and to the right of this it will give you the name of the voice, mine is set to ‘Paul’.
In addition to changing the voice options, you can also increase or decrease the rate at which the speech will talk.
Again, it is best to experiment with the options, to find the best setting for you.
Word Documents
This is the most impressive part about using Zoom Text. As I type now, the Magnification follows my typing, and the Speech reads each word after I press the space bar. This reinforces to me that I am typing accurately, to avoid as many typing and spelling mistakes as possible. Having this instant recall of what you type, places you on an equal with fully sighted users who can spot their mistake at a glance.
Speech will automatically tell you what you are typing, and if you use the arrow keys to move up and down, it will read you a line at a time. If you click, or point the mouse arrow over menu options, it will tell you what it is. For example, if I hover over the Office Button (using Windows 7), Speech will tell me a whole list of information: “Tool tip Office button click here to Open, Save or Print, or to see everything else you can do with your document. Press F1 for more help.” If I click on this Office Button, speech will tell me, “Menu Open, Dialogue Box”. If you arrow up and down through this list or navigate with the mouse, it will tell you the available options and their short cuts. For instance, ‘New’ is the first on the list, to get to it quickly once this Menu Dialogue Box is open, press ‘N’. Alternatively, if you know your hotkeys, you will know that by pressing Control and ‘N’ simultaneously, that this will make a New word Document available. This is the same for Open, Save and Print (Control ‘O’ to Open an existing file, Control ‘S’ to save an existing file, or Control ‘P’ to print a file).
By returning to the speech dialogue box I described previously, you can click on the tab ‘Text Processing’, which is the next option along from ‘Synthesiser’ and choose to change the settings for what Speech will read. I have changed the Punctuation option to read all punctuation, as I prefer to know if punctuation has been used or not, although it will be quite obvious from the intonation of the voice if a question mark or an exclamation mark appears at the end of a sentence.
To read back an entire document, open the Zoom Text dialogue box, and click on the option ‘Actions’ which appears to the right of File at the top of the box. There are two similar options in this drop down menu, ‘Doc Reader’ and ‘App Reader’, which I will now explain.
‘Start App Reader’ will place a pink rectangle around the word that your curser is nearest to at the time. To operate this function, you can either use the mouse or the keyboard keys. To use the mouse, left click on the word you want to start from and Speech will read you the whole document, unless you left click with the mouse, which will pause the speech. To cancel App Reader, right click the mouse. This function will follow each word on the screen with the pink rectangle, and read the whole document, so you can either follow what its reading, or sit back and listen.
To use the keys, press the ‘enter’ key to start reading the document, and when you want to pause, press the enter key again. If the word which appears highlighted in the pink rectangle is not where you want to start from, you can use the arrow keys to find the right place. By pressing the space bar, speech will read the word; press the space bar a second time and it will spell out the word, a third time will spell out the word phonetically. To cancel App Reader, press the ‘escape’ key.
This is my preference, as you can see the screen in the magnification level you usually use, and it is easy to pause and move to a different line.
All of these functions apply when using ‘Start Doc Reader’. There are however a few main differences between these two options within the layout appearance and contrast of the screen. For example, the screen is shrunk to a normal size; all of the text within the document is highlighted; so the writing appears as white on a black background, and highlights each word being read in blue. It also changes the layout of the document while it reads it, so that where there may be a line space in the document, there is not within the Doc Reader function.
‘Speak It Tool’ is another option within this drop down menu, and is quite self explanatory. Whatever you click the mouse on; speech will speak it to you. However it will only speak the individual words that you click the mouse onto, rather than a whole line.
By opening the Zoom Text dialogue box, clicking on ‘Actions’ and then pressing the letter ‘i’ on the keyboard, this will start the ‘Speak It Tool’. A small white box will appear next to the mouse arrow, and you can click on what you want to hear the function of. Once you have finished, press ‘escape’ to exit.
Please note: that unlike before, when using the shortcuts for the Office Button, for Save, Open and Print, if you click Control ‘I’ this will not start the Speak It Tool. It will however italicise any text you then type afterwards. This is because the hotkeys are meant for use with Windows Packages, rather than being designed for Specialist Software.
There are a few limitations to this Speak It Tool, firstly be aware that you can not open any menus or carry out any other functions while this tool is in use. It will tell you menu headings and some information on web pages and emails, but does not seem to work within word documents.
Thursday 3 June 2010
RNIB Insight Radio Interview Today
Hello to anyone who may have heard me talking to Paul on RNIB Insight Radio at 12pm this afternoon!
I hope that what I said made sense and was of some interest!
I'm sure it’s possible to listen again if you missed it, but I'll give you a short summary of the conversation here and also more information I was not able to mention on air.
My big news:
Having volunteered with VICTA since March, I have been offered the opportunity to become a part time paid member of staff which I have accepted, and am very happy to now be in employment!
If you listened to the show, you will also have heard my other big news, which is that I am pregnant! My husband and I are looking forward to meeting our baby boy in late September.
Volunteering
The majority of the show was about voluntary work, which I would highly recommend any visually impaired person to look into, especially if it is regular voluntary work.
There are many benefits to you, which include, improving your employment prospects, your social skills, gets you out of the house and prepares for working scenarios.
If you get involved as a regular volunter, you will find out what you like to do, what you don't like to do, what equipment and software would help you when you are in paid employment and can apply to access to work and it also gives you a sense of achievement by helping an organisation.
The organisation or charity you volunteer with will be very happy to support you, volunteers are very valuable in many not for profit organisations as they provide extra staffing at events, and are able to carry out admin tasks that other staff members often find it difficult to schedule into their timetable.
If you volunteer at an organisation whose work you are interested in, or have a qualification relating to, they will find your expertise on the subject very useful. They will also find your experience as a VI person valuable to help them to develop the accessability of their service.
Remember, as a volunteer you can usually claim back any expenses incurred for travel, and if you commit to a certain number of hours then you must be a reliable person, as the organisation will probably be depending on your time.
Unfortunately, as a disabled volunteer, you do not get Access to Work, however if you are under 24, visually impaired, and find that you would need certain equipment in order to meet the demands of your voluntary role, you can apply to VICTA for an equipment grant for personal use which you could take with you to your placement.
Doing unpaid work, looks a lot better on your CV than doing nothing. It will also help you to flesh out your CV with references and relevant experience.
So give volunteering a go, you never know what it might lead to!
Barriers for vi people
You may find that there are some things that you can not do, (such as using a franking machine or photo copier) but focus on what you can do (such as answering phones and taking minutes) and be yourself.
If you are confident in your own skin, and your own abilities, then other people will be confident in you as well.
I discovered during my time at a Gallery in London, that it isn't practical for me to commute to London, as it makes me and my eyes very tired.
I thought about where I wanted to volunteer, Galleries, Theatres, Charities, and called them to find out if they would be interested in taking on a new volunteer, with a visual impairment.
I have found that my best experiences were when I was honest about being vi from the start, as they often expect you to not be able to do anything, and then you can surprise them by what you can do.
If you don't tell them from the start, in my experience, it makes things a little more complicated, and I have felt a bit guilty about not being able to do something, because they didn't know I was vi, and therefore expected I would be able to do everything.
At the end of the day, as someone with a visual impairment, you will find everyday tasks a challenge, so be prepared for a challenge, and enjoy what you take on, and ask for help when you need it.
Blogs
Please let me know if there is anything you would like me to get more information on, and give me comments on previous posts. Email: tprovan@victa.org.uk
We discussed issues surrounding being visually impaired and going to University, which I have to admit, I was very fortunate in that my course was a joint degree in Drama and English, and the students studying these subjects are often friendly and outgoing. I always felt as though I was part of the group, to the point where my friends would forget that I couldn't see very well, which has its pros and cons!
I was also very fortunate to have the support and understanding from the majority of teaching staff, and having heard some horror stories from other vi people, and a few of my own bad experiences, I hope to put together an action plan blog for those of you who are at, or will be starting at University in September.
Look out for my next Blog - Zoom Text Review
I hope that what I said made sense and was of some interest!
I'm sure it’s possible to listen again if you missed it, but I'll give you a short summary of the conversation here and also more information I was not able to mention on air.
My big news:
Having volunteered with VICTA since March, I have been offered the opportunity to become a part time paid member of staff which I have accepted, and am very happy to now be in employment!
If you listened to the show, you will also have heard my other big news, which is that I am pregnant! My husband and I are looking forward to meeting our baby boy in late September.
Volunteering
The majority of the show was about voluntary work, which I would highly recommend any visually impaired person to look into, especially if it is regular voluntary work.
There are many benefits to you, which include, improving your employment prospects, your social skills, gets you out of the house and prepares for working scenarios.
If you get involved as a regular volunter, you will find out what you like to do, what you don't like to do, what equipment and software would help you when you are in paid employment and can apply to access to work and it also gives you a sense of achievement by helping an organisation.
The organisation or charity you volunteer with will be very happy to support you, volunteers are very valuable in many not for profit organisations as they provide extra staffing at events, and are able to carry out admin tasks that other staff members often find it difficult to schedule into their timetable.
If you volunteer at an organisation whose work you are interested in, or have a qualification relating to, they will find your expertise on the subject very useful. They will also find your experience as a VI person valuable to help them to develop the accessability of their service.
Remember, as a volunteer you can usually claim back any expenses incurred for travel, and if you commit to a certain number of hours then you must be a reliable person, as the organisation will probably be depending on your time.
Unfortunately, as a disabled volunteer, you do not get Access to Work, however if you are under 24, visually impaired, and find that you would need certain equipment in order to meet the demands of your voluntary role, you can apply to VICTA for an equipment grant for personal use which you could take with you to your placement.
Doing unpaid work, looks a lot better on your CV than doing nothing. It will also help you to flesh out your CV with references and relevant experience.
So give volunteering a go, you never know what it might lead to!
Barriers for vi people
You may find that there are some things that you can not do, (such as using a franking machine or photo copier) but focus on what you can do (such as answering phones and taking minutes) and be yourself.
If you are confident in your own skin, and your own abilities, then other people will be confident in you as well.
I discovered during my time at a Gallery in London, that it isn't practical for me to commute to London, as it makes me and my eyes very tired.
I thought about where I wanted to volunteer, Galleries, Theatres, Charities, and called them to find out if they would be interested in taking on a new volunteer, with a visual impairment.
I have found that my best experiences were when I was honest about being vi from the start, as they often expect you to not be able to do anything, and then you can surprise them by what you can do.
If you don't tell them from the start, in my experience, it makes things a little more complicated, and I have felt a bit guilty about not being able to do something, because they didn't know I was vi, and therefore expected I would be able to do everything.
At the end of the day, as someone with a visual impairment, you will find everyday tasks a challenge, so be prepared for a challenge, and enjoy what you take on, and ask for help when you need it.
Blogs
Please let me know if there is anything you would like me to get more information on, and give me comments on previous posts. Email: tprovan@victa.org.uk
We discussed issues surrounding being visually impaired and going to University, which I have to admit, I was very fortunate in that my course was a joint degree in Drama and English, and the students studying these subjects are often friendly and outgoing. I always felt as though I was part of the group, to the point where my friends would forget that I couldn't see very well, which has its pros and cons!
I was also very fortunate to have the support and understanding from the majority of teaching staff, and having heard some horror stories from other vi people, and a few of my own bad experiences, I hope to put together an action plan blog for those of you who are at, or will be starting at University in September.
Look out for my next Blog - Zoom Text Review
Tuesday 25 May 2010
'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.
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.
Tuesday 27 April 2010
Hello and Welcome to Tessa's Blog
Hello! My name is Tessa and I am 24 years old (soon to be 25!) I have started volunteering at VCTA every Tuesday and Thursday for the foreseeable future.
My visual impairment is Cone and Rod Dystrophy, which is a progressive Retinal condition making it difficult to see long distances, distinguish detail, some colours and written material. It also makes it difficult to see in bright sun light and as well as being night blind I also have a central blind spot, caused by my lack of cones.
Despite this lack of vision however, I have achieved a lot of my aims in life, with the support of family and friends, including completing both Undergraduate and Masters degrees at University and pursuing my interests in the Arts – literature, drama, performance, visual arts and disability arts practice.
My long term aim is to gain relevant work experience and new skills which will improve my future employment prospects. In the past I have undertaken several voluntary placements; including a 3 month internship in the Education Department of a London Gallery, assisting members of the public to access exhibitions at a local Gallery, writing a report on barriers to learning faced by visually impaired adults and becoming a member of a local Theatre and Gallery Steering Group to improve disabled access to their events.
I am volunteering at VICTA because I would like to get involved with Charity work and assisting with projects for families with visually impaired children. This will give me the opportunity to be involved with VICTA on a weekly basis and take responsibility for some of my own tasks and projects.
I have first hand experience of being visually impaired and overcoming barriers to education and day to day living. Hopefully I will be able to give practical advice to parents and children alike and to develop a forum for everyone to share their experiences; from how to explain to others about your visual impairment, to feedback on the latest beneficial equipment and computer software.
Look out for my blog messages and updates on Facebook.
My visual impairment is Cone and Rod Dystrophy, which is a progressive Retinal condition making it difficult to see long distances, distinguish detail, some colours and written material. It also makes it difficult to see in bright sun light and as well as being night blind I also have a central blind spot, caused by my lack of cones.
Despite this lack of vision however, I have achieved a lot of my aims in life, with the support of family and friends, including completing both Undergraduate and Masters degrees at University and pursuing my interests in the Arts – literature, drama, performance, visual arts and disability arts practice.
My long term aim is to gain relevant work experience and new skills which will improve my future employment prospects. In the past I have undertaken several voluntary placements; including a 3 month internship in the Education Department of a London Gallery, assisting members of the public to access exhibitions at a local Gallery, writing a report on barriers to learning faced by visually impaired adults and becoming a member of a local Theatre and Gallery Steering Group to improve disabled access to their events.
I am volunteering at VICTA because I would like to get involved with Charity work and assisting with projects for families with visually impaired children. This will give me the opportunity to be involved with VICTA on a weekly basis and take responsibility for some of my own tasks and projects.
I have first hand experience of being visually impaired and overcoming barriers to education and day to day living. Hopefully I will be able to give practical advice to parents and children alike and to develop a forum for everyone to share their experiences; from how to explain to others about your visual impairment, to feedback on the latest beneficial equipment and computer software.
Look out for my blog messages and updates on Facebook.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
