When Computer Accessibility Features Aren't Enough

If you have been dependent on your computer but can no longer distinguish information on the computer screen, even using the accessibility features of Windows VISTA or XP or the MAC Leopard, you may be feeling very lost.

It would be advisable to locate a vision rehabilitation agency in your area where you can take advantage of a thorough Technology Evaluation. Specially trained AT (Assistive Technology) professionals will be able to help you determine which adaptive devices and software will best meet your computer usage needs.

Thanks to major advances in screen reading software, it has become much more possible and far easier to access all aspects of computer usage via synthesized speech. Some of the more popular speech software programs (screen readers or speech synthesizers) on the market today include:

• JAWS — from Freedom Scientific
• WindowEyes — from GW Micro
• Hal — from Dolphin Computer Access
• ZoomText with NeoSpeech from AI Squared

In the United States, and increasingly throughout the world, JAWS for Windows is taking a significant part of this market. For this reason, you may find it easier to locate potential trainers for this software as opposed to other alternatives.

The downsides to these types of programs are their relatively high price and their complexity, which can make the learning process rather time consuming. However, all of these products offer free demonstration copies, which you can either request on a CD-Rom or download directly from their websites. These demonstration copies will come with certain restrictions, but do provide you with the opportunity to try them out and get used to listening to synthesized speech. By the way, do not get discouraged if you are unable to easily understand everything you hear. With practice, you will get much faster and you will quickly forget you are listening to computer-generated speech.

Features to consider:

• Of course you must be sure the software is compatible with your computer's operating system. The Mac OS comes with VoiceOver as part of the operating system, and there are few other products made for the Mac. Windows VISTA OS has accessibility features too. And most of the screen reading products run on versions of the Windows OS.
• Do you need to use the software while traveling or while you are not on your home computer? The Dolphin Pen is a USB device that you can plug into almost any computer running Windows and use the software to magnify and read speech, so you can take the software with you to school or work.
• Do you need the software available in a language other than English? Not all of these screen readers are multi-lingual.
• Check the hardware requirements of the software. Some require a CD-ROM or DVD drive, a certain amount of RAM or disk space, sound cards, graphic cards, and keyboards. And, does it work with your braille display?
• Are you a musician? You might take a look at CakeTalking software that provides a customized configuration for the JAWS for Windows screen reader that allows blind musicians to use both basic and advanced features of Cakewalk SONAR, a music editing and recording program.