As readers who have been following my progress for the last few days will already know, I am now learning to use the Orca screen reader. This is turning out to be a fantastic tool that's much nicer, in my opinion, than JAWS was; although I will admit that I did not give JAWS a real test drive because I was annoyed that it tried to take over my computer and broke my browser.
Orca has its problems, that much I will concede. The voice is still annoying but I'm working on finding a better voice for it (I'd like one that doesn't sound like a synthetic man, is that too much to ask?) but I was impressed with the range of regional accents it has to offer.
I'm once again writing this entry using the screen reader to help me, which feels so good and so right. I haven't managed to get up to my usual typing speed yet but I'm working on it and I'm sure I'll get there in the end once I'm used to waiting for Orca to tell me what I just typed (or maybe I'll turn that option off once I'm more confident).
I'm still having problems getting the screen reader to read websites for me but I'm now wondering if this is because of a badly programmed layout on the sites or if it really is down to me not understanding how these things work. I had Orca read out a whole paragraph of a website earlier when I used the 'speak entire document' option so I'm getting there!
But now I have work to do so I'll end this entry now and get on with work, then a bit more practice is in order, I'm sure! :)
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3 comments:
Hi Holly,
Thanks for sharing this resource (i.e. your blog) with us all. I don't know much about BIID and have been reading the links with interest. It brings us some difficult stuff for me, having been born disabled and then having had my mobility impaired for several years, and I really don't want this to get in the way of hearing what you have to say. I hope I don't come across a jerk at any point!
I was particularly wondering what you feel about the comparisons some people with BIID make between that and GID/transsexualism, and the connection that some people (not people with BIID) seem to make to Munchauser's Syndrome. Munchauser's seems to me to be a very different thing, but I wondered what your thoughts were.
"It brings us some difficult stuff for me"
I think it's a difficult subject all 'round but I can imagine it being particularly difficult for someone who's experienced disability themselves. Having experience of a disabling condition myself, I admit I do sometimes have difficulty reading some blogs where the person with BIID expresses a desire for a condition similar to my own.
It's hard to admit but it's true that I read those blogs and think "why would you want this? It's hell sometimes!" but I'm always reminded of my own BIID condition and I know why they want it - it's because it doesn't matter if the disability causes problems, it's got to be better than what we face every day due to BIID.
"I hope I don't come across a jerk at any point!"
Don't worry, you didn't! :)
"I wondered what your thoughts were."
I was going to reply to this here but that would have meant a massive reply so I thought I'd be better off writing a full blog entry for this instead. :)
Hi April, I am finding your blog really interesting. I'd really like to talk to you about something but can't find a contact email. If you feel you could, please email me at funnyfeet2000@hotmail.com and I'll fill you in. Thanks so much, kate x
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