Windows From The Keyboard Tips, Windows Run Dialogue, January 8, 2020

Hello. This is Gerry Chevalier from the GTT Edmonton Chapter. This weekly blog provides tips that I find useful as a keyboard user of Windows. The information is for Windows10 and Office 365, although many tips still apply to older versions. The tips do not require a screen reader unless specifically noted. Thus, the tips apply whether you are a keyboard user or low vision mouse user. Here is this week’s tip.

Windows Run Dialogue

A quick way to run some programs or access specific resources is to use the Windows Run dialogue. Hold down the Windows logo key and press R. This opens the Windows Run dialogue with focus in an edit box. The edit box will show the command that was last typed into the Windows Run dialog. You may repeat this previous command by just pressing Enter or, since the command is highlighted, you may just type a new command which will replace it. After typing a new command, press Enter to execute it.

In this command edit box you may type the name of some programs such as Notepad. Or, you can type the path to a device drive such as c: to open the root of your main hard drive, or F: to open the SD or USB in drive slot F. Or, you can type a folder path name such as C:\Users\Gerry\Documents to open your main documents folder. Or, you can type a web address such as www.cnib.ca to open that specific web page. In all cases, end your typing by pressing Enter.

The Windows Run dialogue remembers the previous commands you have typed so, instead of typing a command, you may simply arrow down to choose from the list of previous commands. When you find the desired previous command, just press Enter to execute it.

Unlike the Windows search, which is invoked by pressing the Windows logo key, the Windows Run command will not perform a search. It requires that you type exactly the name of the resource you wish to run. It is useful if the resource name is fairly short and you know it precisely. Otherwise; the more general Windows key search discussed in a previous tip is more efficient because it will search for matches to what you type including desktop apps, documents, or web sites and bring them up in a search results list simultaneously as you type.

That’s it for this tip. Until next Wednesday, happy computing.

Windows From the Keyboard Tips, Task Bar – A Productivity Tool, January 1, 2020

Happy New Year! All the best for 2020. This is Gerry Chevalier from the GTT Edmonton Chapter. This weekly blog provides tips that I find useful as a keyboard user of Windows. The information is for Windows10 and Office 365, although many tips still apply to older versions. The tips do not require a screen reader unless specifically noted. Thus, the tips apply whether you are a keyboard user or low vision mouse user. Here is this week’s tip.

Windows Task Bar – A Productivity Tool

We have devoted several tips to using the desktop to make it easy to open folders, apps, and web sites. However, the Windows Task Bar is also very useful for quickly launching and switching to frequently used apps. You can easily reach the Task Bar in 2 ways:

From the Desktop press TAB multiple times until you reach the task bar, or from anywhere, press Windows Key + T.

While on the Task Bar you can arrow across and find apps that have been pinned to it or apps that are currently running. If you press the Applications key on any Task Bar item, a context menu opens that allows you to do various things such as closing the app, pin the item to the Task bar if it is not already pinned or unpin it if it is pinned. Pinning an item makes it available to launch quickly from the Task Bar by just pressing Enter on it. Or, from anywhere, you can press Windows Key +1, Windows key + 2, Windows key + 3 etc. to launch the first, second, third etc. item in the Task Bar.

Office apps such as Word or Excel may be useful to pin to the Task Bar. For example, to pin the Word app:

Launch Word so it is running.
Pres Windows + T to focus on the Task Bar.
Arrow across to find the running task for Word.
Press the Applications key to open its context menu.
From the menu, select Pin to Task Bar, and press Enter. Word will now be on the Task Bar permanently even after you shut down and restart your computer.

This does not mean Word will always be running when you start your computer. Rather, a shortcut to launch it will always be on the Task Bar. If it is positioned as the 4^th item on the Task Bar, then simply pressing Windows key + 4 from anywhere will launch it. If you focus on the Word icon on the Task Bar and press the Applications key, you will find recently accessed Word documents listed on the resulting context menu also referred to as a jump list. Simply press Enter on any of those documents to open them in Word. If you later decide to remove Word from the Task Bar, the unpin option is also available in its context menu. IF you unpin it, any remaining pinned items after it will be renumbered. Any time you pin a new item it is always added as the last item on the Task Bar.

By default, File Explorer is pinned to the task bar which is very handy. You may also press the Applications key on it to open a jump list of recently visited folders as well as choices to open your Documents and Downloads folders.

Pinning a browser such as Google Chrome or Firefox to the Task Bar may also be useful because their jump list will remember recently visited web sites so you can quickly return to them.

You can access the jump list for your task bar icons directly without focusing on the task bar itself by inserting the Alt key. For example, Windows+Alt+1 will open the jump list for the first task bar item, Windows+Alt+2 will open the jump list for the second task bar item and so on. Thus, if Word was pinned as your third task bar item, you could bring up the jump list of recently used Word documents by simply pressing Windows+Alt+3 from anywhere.

That’s it for this tip. Until next Wednesday, happy computing.

Windows From the Keyboard Tips, Create a Desktop Shortcut to the Documents Folder, December 25, 2019

Season’s Greetings!. This is Gerry Chevalier from the GTT Edmonton Chapter. This weekly blog provides tips that I find useful as a keyboard user of Windows. The information is for Windows10 and Office 365, although many tips still apply to older versions. The tips do not require a screen reader unless specifically noted. Thus, the tips apply whether you are a keyboard user or low vision mouse user. Here is this week’s tip.

Windows– How to Create a Desktop Shortcut to the Documents Folder

In a previous tip, a general method was provided for creating desktop icons, but Windows also provides a way to create shortcuts through the Applications menu on certain items. For example, it is very helpful to have a desktop shortcut to open your Documents folder. To accomplish this:

Press Windows key + E to open File Explorer.
Arrow down to your Documents folder but don’t open it. Instead, press the Applications key or Shift+F10. A context menu opens for the Documents folder.
Arrow down to the context menu’s Create Shortcut item and press Enter.
You will be informed that a shortcut to the Documents folder cannot be created here, and you will be asked if you want to place it on the desktop. This is precisely what we want, so TAB to the Yes button and press spacebar to activate it. Your Desktop will now have a shortcut icon to the Documents folder.
Press Alt+F4 to close the File Explorer program.
Return to the Desktop by pressing Windows+M. You may want to add the Control+Alt+D keyboard hot key to activate your new desktop Documents shortcut.
Press D multiple times until you reach the new Documents shortcut icon.
Press Alt+Enter to open the properties dialogue for the Documents shortcut.
TAB to the shortcut field and type the letter, D. Just type the single letter D because Windows will automatically add the Control+Alt keys.
TAB to the OK button and press spacebar to activate.

The Control+Alt+D hot key sequence has been attached to the desktop Documents icon. Now, to reach your Documents folder from anywhere, just press Control+Alt+D.

That’s it for this tip. Next tip is next year. See you in 2020!

Windows From the Keyboard Tips, Create a Shortcut Key for a Desktop Icon, December 18, 2019

Windows Desktop Icon – How to Create a Shortcut key

It’s possible to launch desktop icons by holding down Control+Alt while pressing another shortcut letter. To set up a Control+Alt hot key sequence, select the desktop icon by arrowing to it or pressing its first letter. Then press Alt+Enter. Tab to the edit box that is labelled, Shortcut Key. Press the single key that you wish to use as the shortcut key. Just type the single key as Windows will add the Control+Alt keys. For example, if you have an icon to go to the CELA Library web site, you might type the letter C. It must be unique as you can’t use the same letter for multiple icons. After typing the single letter TAB to the OK button and press spacebar. You are done. Now, to launch the icon , simply hold down the Control+Alt keys while pressing the shortcut letter even if you are not on the desktop.

That’s it for this tip. Until next Wednesday, happy computing.

Windows From the Keyboard Tips, Rename a Desktop Icon, December 11, 2019

Windows Desktop Icon – How to Rename

If you have a desktop icon that you wish to rename simply highlight (place focus on) the icon and press F2. An edit box will open where you can type the new name over the existing name. Press Enter when done and your icon will be renamed. Note that F2 can also be used to rename folder or filenames while browsing in File Explorer.

That’s it for this tip. Until next Wednesday, happy computing.

Windows From the Keyboard Tips, Create a Desktop Shortcut for a Desktop App, December 4, 2019

Windows Desktop – Create a shortcut for a desktop app

Perhaps you want a shortcut on your desktop to launch a frequently used app like Excel, Word, or any other app on your Start menu.

Press Windows key to open the Start menu.
- Tab to the all apps list and arrow through the list of apps to highlight the app you want and press the Applications key to open the context menu for the app.
Choose Open file location, or if that isn’t present on the menu, open the More sub menu, and then choose Open file location.
File Explorer opens at the location where the shortcut for the app is stored, and the shortcut to the app will be selected.
Press the Applications key to open the shortcut’s context menu.
From the context menu, choose the Send to sub menu, and choose Desktop (create shortcut).
Press Alt + F4 to close File Explorer. A shortcut to the app is now present on your desktop.

That’s it for this tip. Until next Wednesday, happy computing.

Windows From the Keyboard Tips, How to Create a Desktop Shortcut, November 27, 2019

Windows Desktop Icon – How to Create

If you use a folder or web site often, you may wish to create an icon for it on your desktop.

Press the Windows key plus M to focus on the desktop.
Press Control+Space to unselect the icon you are focused on.
Press the Applications key or Shift+F10 to bring up the context menu for the Desktop.
Arrow down the menu and press Enter on the New submenu.
Arrow down the New submenu and press Enter on Shortcut.
A wizard opens asking you to type the target location for the new icon. This can be a folder or document or a web site. For folders or filenames there is a Browse button to allow you to find the exact path to that document or folder. If the shortcut is for a web site, you need to type the exact HTTP address. If it is a long address it may be best to first go to that web site and then press Alt+D to focus on the address bar and then press Control+C to copy that web page address to the clipboard. Then you can simply press Control+V to paste the web address from the clipboard into this location field of the wizard.
After filling in the target location, TAB to the Next button and press Space bar.
Then type the name of the icon as you wish it to appear on your desktop .
TAB to the Finish button and press space bar. The new icon will now be on your desktop.

Anytime you are on your desktop, you can select the icon and press Enter to activate it. To select the icon, arrow to it or type the first letter of its name.

That’s it for this tip. Until next Wednesday, happy computing.

GTT Edmonton Meeting Notes, Stay Safe Online, November 11, 2019

Summary Notes

GTT Edmonton Meeting November 11, 2019

The most recent meeting of the Get Together with Technology (GTT) Edmonton Chapter was held November11 at 7pm at Ascension Lutheran Church 8405 83 Street in Edmonton.

17 people attended.

Reading Tip: These summary notes apply HTML headings to help navigate the document. With screen readers, you may press the H key to jump forward or Shift H to jump backward from heading to heading. Read the Additional Resources section following the meeting notes to learn about our one on one telephone support, the National monthly teleconference, and the support email list.

2020 Membership Dues

Thank you to those who paid their CCB 2020 membership. We have a total of 32 paid up members for 2020.

November Topic –Stay Safe Online

Lisa Boone from the Athabasca University informed us of many perils we need to be aware of in the online world and she provided recommendations for dealing with those security concerns.

Disclaimer: The opinions and recommendations of Lisa’s are her own and not endorsed by the Canadian Council of the Blind. However, Lisa is an IT professional and her comments and recommendations are worthy of your consideration as you evaluate how to stay safe online. Following is a summary of her presentation.

Internet Browser Address Bar Secure Indications:

For browsers such as Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox – consistent across all of them the address bar says httpsfor secure connection, the https means you are communicating with a legitimate web site and the data you send to that site is encrypted. Don’t communicate with sites that show only http instead of https in their address.

Visually, secure sites also show a padlock icon and screen readers will announce that the site is secure. You may need to press Shift+Tab at the address bar to have your screen reader read the secure designation.

When it comes to online banking there is an EV certificate, a third party that confirms a safe site (I.e., digicertt). In a browser address bar these EV certificates show a banks name (e.g. TD Bank, then the https and the text are green. Red colour means it is not secure. Chrome now does not indicate this way when an EV certificate is confirmed. Other browsers currently show the EV certificate. Safari shows the certificate by using green text in the address bar

Stop using Internet Explorer. Microsoft does not support it if it gets hacked.

Using apps or browsers?

Is it more secure to use the web site or app? (e.g. Amazon, eBay, Kijiji, etc.). Safer to use an app on mobile devices then a browser. On a computer, there is no real best way app or browser.

Apps leak information. App developers never tell us they leak. Info can be username, password, email address. Apps can send packets of data and malicious people grab those packets.

Android is wide open, and you are not sure an app is encrypting your data you may want to look at the Check out the recon site and download the app to see what network traffic is going out without you knowing.

http://Recon.meddle.mobi tracks what kind of traffic is going out from your phone so it blocks info going out from phone (android, iOS, windows).

Also, ask the app vendor if the app data they send out from your phone is being encrypted. Less risk with apple developers then other operating systems.

Passwords:

Do not use birthdates, names, mother’s maiden name or addresses

Try to make a password at minimum 8 characters

Use sentences, phrases, symbols and numbers in place of letters.

Online shopping:

Use a separate credit card with a lower limit or debit visa that is separate from our normal account. That way hackers are not accessing your major credit cards and accounts. Vanilla or prepaid credit cards can be safer because they are not linked to you.

Sign up to Take Advantage of a deal:

Anytime you need to create an account just to get a promotion like Spotify, Recipes, etc. use a junk email you’ve created for just such instances and let it receive all the resulting spam that typically follows. Remember the email and password because you may have to verify it from an authentication email.

Often email providers require 2 factor authentication. This is encouraged so that the person trying to access your email account, needs to also have your phone number or fingerprint.

Email Accounts:

Don’t install Gmail or Outlook on a computer. Use a browser to access emails if accessible. When you open an email that has malware, the browser server gets to deal with it, not your local hard drive. Never open attachments that end in the extension .exe or .bat. Be suspicious of any link that says click here.

Phishing Emails:

Most phishing activity is about banking. They want you to click their website and log in to your account. The result is they now have your username and password.

These are scammers trying to get access. Their fishing emails are usually shocking and look accurate. No government, bank or large corporation is going to ask you for private information or money. Check the email address. Big companies will not use outlook, Gmail or Hotmail. Apple or your IT department.

This is the email version of the fake phone calls from Revenue Canada, Microsoft, the bank.

Contests:

Scammers do this all day every day. Always be aware. One of the first things to ask them is “what is my name?”. There are social media scams such as if you pay $ you will get a gift card from Costco.

In Canada, the only thing required of someone if you win something is to answer a skill testing question.

Your email may be actually sending the email. Never click on a link in an email when they claim you’ve won something. You can phone your bank or CRA to confirm. Don’t respond. Delete it forever.

Fraud Reporting Departments:

Big companies like Amazon often have a fraud reporting department.

Snopes.com does investigation of rumors and hoaxes like costco or walmart card. They will tell you if its true or not

The Anti Fraud Center, RCMP, and Consumer Affairs Canada are all good reliable sources to check for information about fraud and scams. Please report fraud.

Other Safety Tips:

Don’t willingly give codes or personal information. Ensure they confirm your info rather than you divulging it.
Debit machines have red tape on them to show the debit machine has not been tampered with.
Place daily limits and weekly limits on withdrawals of bank accounts.
Use tap as it is safer or Apple Pay on your smart phone with fingerprint confirmation because you are not giving away your pin.
Check your statement often. Call the bank.
Clear out your internet browser cookies or cache. Be advised you will then need to re-enter passwords on web sites.

Privacy Settings:

All computers, smart phones, social media accounts have privacy settings. Turn off location tracking and decide which apps you will allow to use your microphone or web cam. If you have gone away, don’t post your pictures on social media until you get back home.

Spoofing Phone Numbers:

In Canada, spoofing phone numbers is legal and the scammer computer grabs any phone number in Canada which then appears on our call displays even though the scammer is likely calling from abroad. The spoofed number may even be an actual number such as CRA or Microsoft. The government is relying on the phone provider to protect us from spoofing and bogus numbers. Again, be smarter than them and let them tell you about yourself rather than the other way around. Even better, don’t answer the phone at all if you are not expecting the organization to call you. They can leave a message.

Private Browsing:

Chrome has incognito mode (a private browsing mode) presumably to prevent websites that want to know when you visit their site (airlines, google,) but browsers are smart, and you never really hide from those sites. They still track you.

DuckDuckGo.com instead of google search claims to be a private browser that does not store/track search or location info. Set it as your default search engine or use it’s extensions.

Google and Bing try to catch your search data

Ad Blockers:

Ad blockers are good to have. But Youtube is rewriting their core and if you have an ad blocker you won’t be able to use YouTube

Unblock is one ad blocker

Antivirus Software:

In Windows 10, windows defender is sufficient if you are reasonably cautious. The huge downside of Defender is that it is really slow to scan your system. If you turn your system off every night, you are not giving it enough time to do its job. Let Windows 10 go to sleep and log off your computer rather than completely shutting it down. This allows Defender to do its scan. Keep your Windows 10 up to date to ensure you are closing any loopholes that Microsoft has patched.

Legacy Windows7, 8.1,2000

Download windows defender separately. You will also have to download SHA2 algorithm that ensures it is from Microsoft. Those older Windows systems will prompt you to download SHA2 before it will install windows defender.

Upgrade to Windows 10?

Likely older hardware will have trouble running on new operating systems. Take your system to a computer store or Geek Squad

A special tool – Microsoft Safety Scanner is another double check virus scanner that may be up to date if windows defender virus definitions are not up to date yet. It’s an applet, download it, launch it and it automatically installs. It’s only valid for 10 days.

Next Meeting (Monday December 9 at 7pm)

Topic will be our annual presentation and tech demo by Steve Barclay, CEO of Canadian Assistive Technology. Steve has over 30 years’ experience consulting and selling assistive technology across Canada and always has interesting tech to show us. He is also glad to answer questions about your needs. We recommend you come and see what is new and exciting in tech and take advantage of Steve’s vast experience. It’s the Christmas season so if anyone wants to bring any Christmas baking or treats that would help make the evening more festive.

Additional Resources

Telephone Support

Contact our GTT coordinators, Kim Kilpatrick in the East or Albert Ruel in the West to book one on one telephone support.

Kim: 877-304-0968 Ext. 513

Email: GTTProgram@Gmail.com

Albert: 877-304-0968 Ext. 550

Email: albert.GTT@CCBNational.net

GTT Blog and Monthly Teleconference

CCB sponsors a national GTT monthly teleconference. You may subscribe to the GTT blog to get email notices of teleconferences, meeting notes from GTT chapters, and other information. To subscribe, activate the Follow link at the bottom of the blog web page to enter your email.

GTT Email Support List

CCB also sponsors a GTT email support list to provide help and support with technology for blind and low vision Canadians. To subscribe to the email list, send an empty email to:

GTTsupport+subscribe@groups.io

GTT Edmonton Overview

GTT Edmonton is a chapter of the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB).
GTT Edmonton promotes a self-help learning experience by holding monthly meetings to assist participants with assistive technology.
Each 2 hour meeting consists of a feature technology topic in the first hour and a general tech discussion in the second hour.

[End]

Windows From the Keyboard Tips, Touch Typing Tutor App, November 20,2019

Windows Touch Typing Tutor App

If you are experiencing progressive vision loss, the old hunt and peck typing skills you developed over the years will not serve you very well if you can’t see the keyboard. It’s time to take the plunge and learn to touch type. Check out Typio, a Windows touch typing tutorial program from Canadian Assistive Technology that runs on Windows and has complete audio feedback.

That’s it for this tip. Until next Wednesday, happy computing.

Windows From the Keyboard Tips, Windows Logo Key and Search, November 13, 2019

Windows Logo Key and Windows Search

The Windows Logo key by itself or in combination with other keys is very useful. You will find the Windows key 2 keys to the left of the spacebar on most keyboards.

Windows key by itself will open the Start menu with focus on the Windows search. You can type almost anything in the search box. For example, you can type the names of desktop apps such as Excel, Word, or Outlook. You can type partial filenames and suggested matches will be shown. The results of what you type appear in a list above the search box with focus at the top of the list. The search results list changes dynamically as you type your search text. For example, I have an Excel document named, Books I Have Read.XLSX. To open that file quickly, I press the Windows key then type “Books I” without the quotes and Windows finds it even though its name was only partially typed. It appears at the top of the search results list and I just press Enter to open it. I know it’s at the top of the search results, because JAWS announces it as soon as I pause typing the search text. As soon as I hear the full file name announced, I just press Enter to open it.
Even if the result of your search is not at the top of the list, you can press Down Arrow to review the results list and press Enter when you find the result you need. Beside each result is its category such as desktop app, settings, documents, and web page.
Instead of pressing Enter to open the item, you may also press the Applications key for any item in the list and a context menu will open. In that menu are other choices such as opening the item’s location or pinning it to the task bar.
If you don’t find the desired result ,try typing something else because your typing focus magically remains in the search edit box even as you browse the search results list.
If the search text you type is not found on your computer, Windows will offer to search the web for you, meaning you don’t always have to first open your browser to do a web search. You may find it easier to just press the Windows key and type your web search.
Finally, instead of typing a search string, you can press TAB multiple times to explore the rest of the Start menu.
Here are more Windows key shortcuts:
Windows key + 1 will launch the first item of your task bar, Windows key + 2 will launch the second task bar item, and so on.
Windows+B opens the System Tray menu.
Windows+Control+Enter toggles the built-in Windows 10 Narrator screen reader on or off. Note that the tips in this blog series do not require that a screen reader is running.
Windows++ (plus sign) turns on the Windows 10 built-in screen Magnifier. While Magnifier is running, Windows++ increases magnification, and Windows+- (minus key) reduces magnification. Windows+Escape will close the Magnifier.
Windows + E opens the File Explorer app.
Windows+I opens the Settings Centre.
Windows+T places you on the task bar.
Windows+M minimizes all apps and goes to the desktop.
Windows+U opens the Ease of Access centre.
Windows+Up Arrow maximizes the current window.
There are many more. Here is the complete list of Windows Shortcut keys.

That’s it for this tip. Until next Wednesday, happy computing.

Windows From the Keyboard Tips, Applications Key for Context Menus, November 6, 2019

Windows Applications Key for Context Menus

Mouse users frequently right click on items to bring up a context menu of things they can do with the item their mouse is pointing at. Keyboard users can also access the same context menus.

While focused on an item, press the Applications key beside the right control key and the same right-click context menu will pop up. Arrow up and down the menu items and press Enter on the item you need. If you can’t find an Applications key on your keyboard, you may also press Shift+F10 to bring up the context menu. It is called a context menu because the menu items will vary depending on what item you are focused on. Don’t hesitate to press the Applications key anywhere for these handy context menus. For example, you can press the Applications key when focused on a file or folder, an item on the desktop or task bar, an email message, a word in a document, a cell in an Excel spreadsheet, an email message, and many other places. It is extremely important to use the Applications key frequently if you want to be productive using Windows from the keyboard.

Windows users often ask, “how do I do that?”. The answer is frequently, press the Applications key and what you need is in the context menu. Keyboard users may complain they can’t find what they need in the Office ribbons because they are difficult to navigate, but likely, what they need in the ribbon may be in the context menu. If you don’t find what you need in the context menu, just press Escape to close the menu. The Applications key will be used many times in upcoming Windows from the Keyboard Tips.

That’s it for this tip. Until next Wednesday, happy computing.

Windows From the Keyboard Tips, Windows General Shortcuts, October 30, 2019

Windows from the Keyboard – General Shortcuts

When progressive vision loss makes it increasingly difficult to see the mouse or read the screen you can use Windows without a mouse. You can operate most Windows programs such as Word, Excel, email, and web browsing without using the mouse. Did you know that the TAB key will move from link to link in a web page or from item to item in a web form or from field to field in an email? Once you navigate to an item you can activate it without clicking the mouse. Just press the Enter key.

Here are some other handy Windows keyboard shortcuts:

Control+Backspace will delete the previous word while typing in an edit field or document.
Control+Delete key will delete the next word while typing in an edit field or document.

Control+S will save your document.

Control+P will print your document.
Control+C will copy selected text, files, or folders to the clipboard.
Control+V will paste clipboard text into a document or email. Also, Control+V will paste files or folders that have been copied to the clipboard into another location.
Alt+F4 will close a window.
Alt+F4 while focused on the desktop will bring up the Windows shutdown menu.
Pressing TAB multiple times while on the Desktop will move to the Start button, then to the Task Bar, then to the Notifications area, then back to the Desktop. While in the Notifications area you can press down arrow to cycle through the System Tray icons.
Alt+Tab will cycle between open windows.
Windows key + M will minimize all open windows and return to the desktop.
While on the desktop, press the first letter of any icon to jump to it. Press Enter to activate the icon.
The Applications key beside the right control key is very important in Windows so much so that it will be discussed in a separate tip.
Here is Microsoft’s Windows 10 Complete List of shortcuts.

That’s it for this tip. Until next Wednesday, happy computing.

Windows From the Keyboard Tips, Windows 10 Accessibility, October 23,2019

Hello. This is Gerry Chevalier from the GTT Edmonton Chapter. This weekly blog provides tips that I find useful as a keyboard user of Windows. The information is for Windows10 and Office 365, although many tips will still apply to older versions. The tips do not require a screen reader unless specifically noted. Thus, the tips apply whether you are a keyboard user or low vision mouse user. Here is this week’s tip.

Windows10 Accessibility

Many people who are experiencing progressive vision loss find it increasingly difficult to see their computer screen and ask what kind of assistive tech software they should buy. The good news is you can improve the accessibility of your computer without buying anything. Windows 10 has built-in accessibility settings for both screen magnification and screen reading with speech.

Just hold down the Windows logo key and press U to open the Ease of Access settings. You will find a list of accessibility features such as screen magnification, contrast, and alternative mouse pointers. Try setting these parameters to improve your screen reading experience.

Also, within the Windows 10 Ease of Access Centre is a speech screen reader called Narrator that should be explored if your vision loss is significant and you would benefit more by having the contents of your screen spoken to you.

That’s it for this tip. Until next Wednesday, happy computing.

GTT National Conference Call Summary Notes, How to Search and Download From the New CELA Website, September 11, 2019

GTT National Conference Call.

An Initiative of the Canadian Council of the Blind

Summary Notes

September 11, 2019

Gerry Chevalier gave a presentation to the GTT National Conference Call Meeting demonstrating how to search for and download from the new website launched earlier this year by The Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA).

Please check out the presentation on the CCB Podcast below for more details.

08 GTT National Conference Call Summary Notes, How to Search and Download From the New CELA Website, September 11, 2019:

Gerry used Windows 10 for this demonstration, and the web browser used was Google Chrome. The site also works well with Firefox and Internet Explorer.
The screen reader used for this demonstration was JAWS for Windows, and both Narrator and NVDA are also compatible with the CELA Library website.

What is CELA:

The CELA accessible library service for print disabled Canadians provides many services including: downloadable recorded DAISY books, downloadable DAISY eBooks, downloadable Bookshare DAISY eBooks, DAISY books on CD mailed to your home, braille books mailed to your home, print-brailled books for kids, over 150 downloadable DAISY e-text magazines, recorded DAISY magazines by download or mail, and over 40 daily newspapers that can be read online.
In early 2019 CELA launched a new accessible website that brings together their collection and that of Bookshare searchable from one place.
Many will recognize these CELA services to be the same as those previously provided by the CNIB Library. CELA took over the CNIB Library in 2014 and now serves all print-disabled Canadians not just those who are blind or vision impaired.

The Players:

In addition to playing CD books the Victor Reader Stratus can also receive direct to player DAISY books over the Internet. The user chooses their book by logging into CELA online and once a book is chosen it is sent directly to the player. For non-computer users, CELA customer service or your local Librarian can set up a reader profile for you and then the CELA computer will choose your books and send them directly to the player or on CD mailed to your home.
It is also suggested some may prefer the pocket sized Victor Reader Stream which can accept the direct to player books and perform other online functions Such as getting Bookshare books and listening to podcasts and radio stations.
CELA Direct to Player audio books can also be played on your iPhone or Android phone using the free Dolphin EasyReader app.
CELA audio books can also be downloaded through Dropbox to iPhones and played using the Voice Dream Reader app.

How much does it cost:

There is no fee for CELA service or Bookshare service.

How do I find CELA:

Visit the CELA web site for information on all their services or call their customer service at 1-855-655-2273.

For more information please contact your GTT Coordinators:

Albert Ruel or Kim Kilpatrick

1-877-304-0968,550 1-877-304-0968,513

albert.GTT@CCBNational.net GTTProgram@Gmail.com

CCB Backgrounder:

The CCB was founded in 1944 by a coalition of blind war veterans, schools of the blind and local chapters to create a national self-governing organization. The CCB was incorporated by Letters Patent on May 10, 1950 and is a registered charity under the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada).

The purpose of the CCB is to give people with vision loss a distinctive and unique perspective before governments. CCB deals with the ongoing effects of vision loss by encouraging active living and rehabilitation through peer support and social and recreational activities.

CCB promotes measures to conserve sight, create a close relationship with the sighted community and provide employment opportunities.

The CCB recognizes that vision loss has no boundaries with respect to gender, income, ethnicity, culture, other disabilities or age.

The CCB understands in many instances vision loss is preventable and sometimes is symptomatic of other health issues. For the 21st century, the CCB is committed to an integrated proactive health approach for early detection to improve the quality of life for all Canadians.

As the largest membership organization of the blind and partially sighted in Canada the CCB is the “Voice of the Blind™”.

CCB National Office

100-20 James Street Ottawa ON K2P 0T6

Toll Free: 1-877-304-0968 Email: info@ccbnational.net URL: www.ccbnational.net

GTT National Conference Call Summary Notes, LV and Blindness Features of Windows 10, 2019Jul10

GTT National Conference Call.

An Initiative of the Canadian Council of the Blind

Summary Notes

July 10, 2019

Find the CCB Podcast of this event at the link below:

05 GTT National Conference Call, Low Vision Features of Windows 10, July 10, 2019

Windows 10 Accessibility Primer

Following is a summary of the Windows10 accessibility primer Carrie Anton and Lyle Rollaman presented to GTT National Conference Call meeting attendees on July 10, 2019. Although the presentation was focused on low vision Windows access there is information that is also relevant to blind users. There are links to other resources so you can research more commands and tools. The commands provided are for Windows 10. The resource links provided take you to the Microsoft pages where you can choose the version of Windows you are using. Also find at the bottom of this document links to three Microsoft Accessibility Learning Webinar Series episodes hosted by Microsoft staff related to low vision and blind access to Narrator and Magnification features built into Windows 10.

Windows Shortcut Keys

Learning Windows Shortcut Keys is important to be Efficient and to be able to perform functions when you cannot use a mouse.

Windows Ease of Access Center

This is where all Accessibility related settings can be adjusted.

. TO DO THIS	PRESS THIS
Open the Ease of Access Center	Windows logo key + U

Scaling

This is a setting that adjusts the size and clarity of most items on your screen. The default is 125% but you can also customize it to what you want. Adjusting this to higher settings does require more scrolling of windows. Icons are larger, and text is larger without the stepping pixelating that often happens with magnifying things.

Right click anywhere on the desktop

Go to display settings

Scaling and Layout appear in the middle of the screen.

Magnifier

Magnifier allows you to enlarge the entire screen or sections of it. There are 3 viewing modes including full, lens, and docked. Magnifier’s application toolbar appears in the Taskbar at the bottom of the screen. It may also hover a magnifying glass on your screen. Click it and see the tools like plus, minus, zoom percentage, View, and a gear for settings.

TO DO THIS	PRESS THIS
Turn Magnifier on	Windows logo key + Plus (+)
Turn Magnifier off	Windows logo key + Esc
When Magnifier is on, zoom in or out	Windows logo key + Plus (+) or Minus (-)
Zoom in and out using the mouse scroll wheel	Ctrl + Alt + mouse scroll wheel
Open Magnifier settings	Windows logo key + Ctrl + M
Pan in the direction of the arrow keys	Ctrl + Alt + arrow keys
Invert colors	Ctrl + Alt + I
Switch to full screen view	Ctrl + Alt + F
Switch to lens view	Ctrl + Alt + L
Switch to docked view	Ctrl + Alt + D
Cycle through views	Ctrl + Alt + M
Resize the lens with the mouse	Ctrl + Alt + R
Resize the lens with the keyboard	Shift + Alt + arrow keys
Quickly see the entire desktop when using full screen view	Ctrl + Alt + Spacebar

More About Magnifier https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/11542/windows-use-magnifier

Mouse Enhancements

As one of the hardest things to find as a visually impaired person, the Pointer’s Size and Color often makes the difference in its visibility.

Also, if you can find your Mouse Settings in Control panel, you can adjust more mouse shapes and effects like pointer trails.

Press WindowsKey+U to open Ease of Access centre.

IN the Search box type, Mouse

Then the mouse panel appears and you can choose to change the look of the mouse, how it looks when moving, and more.

Cursor Thickness

In the Ease of Access Center, “Other Options” you can change the thickness of the typing cursor by using a horizontal left/right slider from a blinking vertical line to a thick blinking box. This makes finding where your cursor is much easier.

Color & High Contrast

There are many ways to change color of THE screens in Windows.

Magnifier’s invert color

Windows color filters – especially useful if someone has color blindness

Windows Themes – is a quick way to adjust all colors in every application for text, hyperlinks, buttons and active or inactive items.

I find that using a Windows Theme presents the best diversity of color especially high contrast. However, the possibility of losing information that is only represented by color is there. Take for example, a web page that is not coded for accessibility may eliminate colored items if a theme is enforced. You will need to be the judge of your own experience. For working with text and email Themes work great. For someone who is always on the web and uses cues from images and color, themes won’t work well.

Use invert colors of Magnifier or similarly the Color & High Contrast Invert setting. Keep in mind certain colors have hard to read inversions like organize and green. Yellow’s invert is blue. White is black.

TO DO THIS	PRESS THIS
Turn your High Contrast Theme on or off	press Left Alt + left Shift + Print Screen
Turn your color filter on or off	press Windows logo key + Ctrl + C

Text to Speech to Read What is Magnified

There is a built-in screen reader called Narrator which I’ll mention later. For those of us who just want reading in MS Office documents there is a Speech feature you can activate. It reads aloud any text you select in the document. It can be activated by keyboard shortcut or a button in the Quick Access Toolbar at the top of the application. This feature is available in Microsoft Office 2013, 2016 and of course Office365.

Narrator

Narrator is a full-blown screen reading application that does just that, it reads the screen. Again, keyboard shortcuts are handy in controlling and navigating documents.

Narrator has a setting panel that allows you to customize the way narrator acts such as voice, cursor and pointer following. Narrator also lets you “highlight the cursor” which is where it is reading, a red box appears around where Narrator is reading. This is useful when I am trying to hover my mouse over text I want read.

On many keyboards, the Windows logo key is located on the bottom row of keys, to the left or right of the Alt key.

TO DO THIS

PRESS THIS

Open Narrator settings

Windows logo key + Ctrl + N

Turn Narrator On or Off

Windows logo key + Ctrl + Enter for Windows 10

Windows Logo Key + Enter for Windows 7/8

Speech Recognition

A great feature for dictating to the computer as well as in documents. The trick to anyone using speech recognition software is to recognize when mistakes are made. You can open programs, control menus, click buttons and dictate text. First be in a quiet environment with a microphone connected to your computer. At the start menu type Speech Recognition or just speech and it will appear in the Start Menu.

More about Speech Recognition

Microsoft Accessibility Learning Webinar Series

Microsoft Accessibility Learning Webinar Series for low vision and blindness on YouTube

Accessibility Learning Webinar Series: Magnifier and Low Vision Features in Windows 10, Feb 27, 2019

Accessibility Learning Webinar Series: Narrator 101, Jan 30, 2019

Accessibility Learning Webinar Series: Narrator 101 for the May 2019 Update to Windows 10, Jul 2, 2019

For more information please contact your GTT Coordinators:

Albert Ruel or Kim Kilpatrick

1-877-304-0968,550 1-877-304-0968,513

albert.GTT@CCBNational.net GTTProgram@Gmail.com

CCB Backgrounder:

CCB promotes measures to conserve sight, create a close relationship with the sighted community and provide employment opportunities.

The CCB recognizes that vision loss has no boundaries with respect to gender, income, ethnicity, culture, other disabilities or age.

As the largest membership organization of the blind and partially sighted in Canada the CCB is the “Voice of the Blind™”.

CCB National Office

100-20 James Street Ottawa ON K2P 0T6

Toll Free: 1-877-304-0968 Email: info@ccbnational.net URL: www.ccbnational.net

Windows From the Keyboard Tips, New Weekly Blog, October 16, 2019

Hello. This is Gerry Chevalier from the GTT Edmonton Chapter. Starting next Wednesday, we will begin a new weekly blog called, Windows from the Keyboard Tips. These weekly posts will contain useful keyboard shortcuts, tips, and strategies that I find useful as a keyboard user of Windows. The information is for Windows10 and Office 365, although many tips will still apply to older versions. The tips do not require a screen reader unless specifically noted. Thus, most of the tips apply whether you are a keyboard user or low vision mouse user.

There are over 50 weekly tips planned in the next year that will cover Windows 10 in general, including the desktop, Start menu search, settings, and File Explorer. Office apps such as Word, Excel, and Outlook will also be included.

If you know people who might be interested in reading the blog posts, they can read them on the

GTT National blog web site.

If they prefer to receive the posts in their email inbox there is a Follow link at the bottom of that web site where you can submit your email address.

Watch your inbox next Wednesday for the first tip in the series.

GTT New Westminster Summary Notes, Web Browsing with PC Screen Readers, June 26, 2019

Get Together with Technology (GTT)

New Westminster Meeting

A Chapter of the Canadian Council of the Blind

in partnership with

Blind Beginnings

And

Vancouver Community College

Summary Notes

June 26, 2019

Find the CCB Podcast of this event at the link below:

04 GTT New Westminster, Web Browsing with PC Screen Readers, June 26, 2019:

Windows 10 Shortcut Keys:

JAWS Keyboard Commands:

NVDA Keyboard Commands:

Narrator Keyboard Commands:

Google Chrome Shortcut Keys:

Firefox Shortcut Keys:

General Windows, Mac, MS Office Shortcut Keys:

On June 26, 2019 Ryan Fleury and Albert Ruel presented some favourite shortcut keys to the GTT New Westminster group based on the below list.

Ryan’s frequently used Windows keyboard commands:

Insert W application hot keys

Insert h jaws hot key info for application

Windows x works like a mini start menu

Windows I quickly jump to windows settings

Windows r opens the run dialogue

Insert spacebar h brings up jaws speech history

Windows E opens windows/file explorer

Windows D to go to desktop

Albert’s frequently used Windows keyboard commands:

Insert T, Task Bar

Insert F, Font attributes in JAWS

Insert B, read the pop up window

Control Z, undo

Insert number row 1, keyboard help toggle

Control X, C and V, Cut, copy and paste

Control B, U and I, bold, underline and italic

Windows B, System Tray

For more information please contact your GTT Coordinators:

Albert Ruel or Kim Kilpatrick

1-877-304-0968,550 1-877-304-0968,513

albert.GTT@CCBNational.net GTTProgram@Gmail.com

CCB Backgrounder:

CCB promotes measures to conserve sight, create a close relationship with the sighted community and provide employment opportunities.

The CCB recognizes that vision loss has no boundaries with respect to gender, income, ethnicity, culture, other disabilities or age.

As the largest membership organization of the blind and partially sighted in Canada the CCB is the “Voice of the Blind™”.

CCB National Office

100-20 James Street Ottawa ON K2P 0T6

Toll Free: 1-877-304-0968 Email: info@ccbnational.net URL: www.ccbnational.net

GTT Beginners National Conference Call Summary Notes, Navigating Websites Using Screen Readers with a PC, May 28, 2019

GTT Beginners National Conference Call.

An Initiative of the Canadian Council of the Blind

Summary Notes

May 28, 2019

Find the Podcast of this event at the link below:

01 GTT Beginners National Conference Call, Navigating Websites Using Screen Readers with a PC, May 28, 2019:

Navigating Websites Using Screen Readers with a PC

Kim Kilpatrick, Brian Bibeault and Albert Ruel demonstrated the use of Navigation Quick Keys and other strategies for effectively and efficiently accessing information from the websites we visit using the screen readers available in the Windows environment.

The pages visited were the Get Together with Technology (GTT) Blog and CELA Library pages.

Navigation Quick Keys for JAWS

NVDA command key quick reference

Narrator keyboard commands and touch gestures

For more information please contact your GTT Coordinators:

Albert Ruel or Kim Kilpatrick

1-877-304-0968,550 1-877-304-0968,513

albert.GTT@CCBNational.net GTTProgram@Gmail.com

CCB Backgrounder:

CCB promotes measures to conserve sight, create a close relationship with the sighted community and provide employment opportunities.

The CCB recognizes that vision loss has no boundaries with respect to gender, income, ethnicity, culture, other disabilities or age.

As the largest membership organization of the blind and partially sighted in Canada the CCB is the “Voice of the Blind™”.

CCB National Office

100-20 James Street Ottawa ON K2P 0T6

Toll Free: 1-877-304-0968 Email: info@ccbnational.net URL: www.ccbnational.net

First Public Beta of JAWS 2020 Posted with Improved OCR, Form Control Handling, Blind Bargains by J.J. Meddaugh on September 17, 2019

First Public Beta of JAWS 2020 Posted with Improved OCR, Form Control Handling, More

Author: J.J. Meddaugh

Date Written: Sep 17, 2019 at 4:38 PM

Date Saved: 9/19/19, 11:33 AM

Source: https://www.blindbargains.com/bargains.php?m=20489

The first public beta of JAWS version 2020 has been posted. It’s free for JAWS 2019users.

This version includes a variety of enhancements, including several improvements for web users. Many websites will double-speak names of controls because of the way they were programmed. This beta aims to reduce much of this double-speak as you move through forms. Improved support for modern web apps which use their own keyboard hotkeys is now included, with JAWS remembering the state of the virtual cursor across tabs in Chrome. This is especially useful for sites such as Gmail. Other improvements will benefit users of Microsoft Word, the Zoom conferencing platform, and the Convenient OCR feature. Check the source link to get yur beta copy. Here’s a list of what’s new, taken from the public beta page:

New Features Added in JAWS 2020

The following features are new to JAWS 2020.

Reduced Double Speaking of Form Control Prompts When navigating and filling out forms on the web, it has become increasingly common for web page authors to include the prompt inside the control in addition to assigning an accessible Tag for the control. While non-screen reader users only see the written prompt, those using a screen reader are getting both the Prompt and accessible Tag in Speech as well as Braille if a display is in use. Often times, the web page author has assigned the same text for each, so it appears the screen reader is double speaking. In JAWS 2020, we have greatly reduced the amount of double speaking of form controls as you navigate using speech and Braille by comparing the prompt and these tags, and only speaking or brailling them both if they are different.

Note: For Public Beta 1, only the double speaking of prompts has been completed. The Braille representation will be corrected for Public Beta 2 in early October.

Zoom Meeting Scripts Added for an Improved Experience Thanks to Hartgen Consulting, basic scripts for Zoom are now included directly in JAWS and Fusion to improve the experience when attending Zoom Meetings. This platform is used for our quarterly FS Open Line program as well as the free training webinars we hold each month. These scripts offer a more pleasant experience by giving more control over what you hear, without interrupting the flow as users enter or leave the room or make comments. Press INSERT+H to view a list of JAWS keystrokes available in Zoom such as turning off alerts, speaking recent chat messages, and more. You can also press INSERT+W to view a list of Zoom hot keys.

Hartgen Consultancy also offers more advanced scripts for Zoom Pro if you are interested.

Enhanced JAWS and Invisible Cursor Support for Windows 10 Universal Apps For years, JAWS users have relied on the JAWS cursor (NUM PAD MINUS) and Invisible cursor (NUM PAD MINUS twice quickly) to review and interact with areas in an application where the PC cursor cannot go. This includes reading textual information which is on-screen but not focusable, and interacting with controls which are only accessible using a mouse as the mouse pointer will follow the JAWS cursor and NUM PAD SLASH and NUM PAD STAR will perform a left and right click. However, the Off-Screen Model (OSM) which has traditionally been used to support the JAWS and Invisible cursors is becoming less and less available as newer technology such as UIA, found especially in Windows universal apps like the calculator or the Windows Store, is now being used exclusively for accessing screen content. This results in the JAWS and Invisible cursors becoming unusable when attempting to navigate in those windows. All you would hear in those cases was “blank” as you reviewed the screen. This is because the modern technology currently in use is not able to be captured by the traditional Off-Screen Model. In those cases, the only solution was using the Touch Cursor, something most users are not as familiar with.

JAWS 2020 now detects when focus is in an application where the OSM is not supported and will automatically use the new JAWS Scan cursor in these situations. You will use all of the same navigation commands as you would with the traditional JAWS cursor or the Invisible cursors.

For example, if you open the Calculator or Windows Store in JAWS 2020 and press NUM PAD MINUS, you will now hear JAWS announce “JAWS Scan Cursor” as these are apps that do not support the OSM. You can then use the ARROW keys like you always have done to move by character, word, line, as well as INSERT+UP ARROW to read the current line, or PAGE UP, PAGE DOWN, HOME, and END. The mouse pointer will also continue to follow as it always has. The only difference is that the cursor does not move from top to bottom or left to right. Instead, it moves by element the way the developer laid out the app.

While this works in many places, there are still some areas where more work by Freedom Scientific is required. For instance, if you use Office 365, and try to read your Account version information with the JAWS cursor commands, it is still not possible to navigate and read in these places. That work is underway and we plan to have an update for this area in the 2020 version soon. Stay tuned.

Convenient OCR Updated to Use the Latest OmniPage The recognition engine used by the JAWS Convenient OCR feature has been updated to Kofax OmniPage 20, formerly owned by Nuance. This offers greater accuracy when recognizing the text from on-screen images as well as text from images captured with a PEARL camera or scanner.

For users needing to OCR using Hebrew or Arabic, these languages will be included in later public beta builds or by the final release at the latest. Once these languages are working, they will be installed with any English or Western European download of JAWS and Fusion.

Virtual Cursor Toggle Now Tab Specific in Google Chrome Today, there are many web apps where using the Virtual Cursor is not the best approach. An example of this can be seen if you use Gmail in the Chrome Browser. In these cases, it makes sense to toggle the Virtual Cursor off by pressing INSERT+Z and then use this application with the PC cursor. Many users also regularly open multiple tabs (CTRL+T) so they can easily access different sites such as GMail plus one or two other pages by moving between the open tabs using CTRL+TAB. This can become frustrating as you need to constantly press INSERT+Z to get the right cursor in use as you switch between tabs.

Beginning with version 2020, we are introducing an option to help JAWS automatically remember the state of the Virtual Cursor for each tab once you set it. It will also announce whether the Virtual Cursor is on or off as you move between various tabs. Once you close the browser, or restart JAWS, it will default back to its default behavior so you will need to set this each day as you use it.

For the Public Beta, this feature is not turned on by default. It will be enabled by default In later Beta builds. If you would like to try it out in the first Beta, do the following:

Press INSERT+6 to open Settings Center.
Press CTRL+SHIFT+D to load the default file.
Type “Tab” in the search field.
Press DOWN ARROW until you locate “Virtual Cursor On/Off based on Browser Tabs.”
Press the SPACEBAR to enable the option and then select OK.

Note: If you choose to enable this feature in public beta 1, you will hear the announcement of the Virtual Cursor state in certain situations as you navigate. This will be corrected in subsequent builds. Contracted Braille Input Enhancements For ElBraille users as well as those who regularly use a Braille display with their PC, JAWS 2020 offers significant improvements when typing in contracted Braille. In particular:

You should now be able to enter and edit text in numbered and bulleted lists in Word, WordPad, Outlook, and Windows Mail.
Contracted Braille input is now supported in more applications including PowerPoint and TextPad.
Improved Contracted Braille input in WordPad, especially when editing a numbered or bulleted list created in Word and opened in Wordpad. This includes properly handling wrapped items which previously showed the number or bullet on subsequent wrapped lines, rather than indenting the text.
Improved Contracted Braille input in Chrome, Google docs, and other online editors which can create bulleted and numbered lists.
Typing rapidly using Contracted Braille in Microsoft Office as well as other applications should no longer result in text becoming scrambled.

General Changes in Response to Customer Requests • While browsing the internet, JAWS will no longer announce “Clickable” by default as you move to various content.

You should no longer hear the message “Press JAWS Key+ALT+R to hear descriptive text” as you navigate form controls and certain other elements on the web.
By default in Word and Outlook, JAWS will no longer announce “Alt SHIFT F10 to adjust Auto Correction” when you move to something that was auto corrected previously.
JAWS and Fusion will no longer gather a count of all the objects, misspellings, grammatical errors, and so on when a document is opened in Word. This will enable documents to load much faster, including very large documents containing a lot of these items. You can always press INSERT+F1 for an overview of what the document contains.
Improved responsiveness when closing Word after saving a document.
The AutoCorrect Detection option, previously only available in the Quick Settings for Word, can now also be changed in the Quick Settings for Outlook (INSERT+V).https://support.freedomscientific.com/Downloads/JAWS/JAWSPublicBeta

Source: JAWS Public Beta

Category: News

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J.J. Meddaugh is an experienced technology writer and computer enthusiast. He is a graduate of Western Michigan University with a major in telecommunications management and a minor in business. When not writing for Blind Bargains, he enjoys travel, playing the keyboard, and meeting new people.

Thx, Albert

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Getting the Job Done with Assistive Technology: It May Be Easier Than You Think, AccessWorld

Getting the Job Done with Assistive Technology: It May Be Easier Than You Think | AccessWorld
afb.org

Getting the Job Done with Assistive Technology: It May Be Easier Than You Think | AccessWorld
Author Jamie Pauls
10-12 minutes
——————————————————————————–

main region
article
Jamie Pauls

I remember getting my first computer back in the early 90s almost like it was yesterday. A friend of mine was receiving regular treatments from a massage
therapist who happened to be blind. My friend mentioned that this gentleman used a computer with a screen reader. I was vaguely aware that this technology
existed, but I never really considered using a computer myself until that first conversation I had with my friend. I began doing some research, and eventually
purchased my first computer with a screen reader and one program included. I’m sure there were a few other programs on that computer, but WordPerfect is
the only one I recall today. The vendor from whom I purchased the computer came to my home, helped me get the computer up and running, and gave me about
a half-hour of training on how to use the thing. A few books from what is now
Learning Ally
as well as the
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
along with some really late nights were what truly started me on my journey. I sought guidance from a few sighted friends who were more than willing to
help, but didn’t have any knowledge about assistive technology. There were times when I thought I had wasted a lot of money and time, but I eventually
grew to truly enjoy using my computer.

I eventually became aware of a whole community of blind people who used assistive technology. They all had their preferred screen reader, and most people
used only one. Screen readers cost a lot of money and hardware-based speech synthesizers increased the cost of owning assistive tech. Unless the user was
willing to learn how to write configuration files that made their screen reader work with specific programs they wanted or needed to use, it was important
to find out what computer software worked best with one’s chosen screen reader. I eventually outgrew that first screen reader, and spent money to switch
to others as I learned about them. I have no idea how much money I spent on technology in those early years, and that is probably for the best!

Fast forward 25 years or so, and the landscape is totally different. I have a primary desktop PC and a couple laptop computers all running Windows 10.
I have one paid screen reader—JAWS for Windows from
Vispero
—and I use two free screen-reading solutions—NVDA, from
NVAccess
and Microsoft’s built-in screen reader called Narrator.

I also have a MacBook Pro running the latest version of Apple’s Mac operating system that comes with the free VoiceOver screen reader built in. I have
access to my wife’s iPad if I need to use it, and I own an iPhone 8 Plus. These devices also run VoiceOver. Finally, I own a BrailleNote Touch Plus,
HumanWare’s
Android-based notetaker designed especially for the blind.

Gone are the days when I must limit myself to only one screen reader and one program to get a task accomplished. If a website isn’t behaving well using
JAWS and Google’s Chrome browser, I might try the same site using the Firefox browser. If I don’t like the way JAWS is presenting text to me on that website,
maybe I’ll switch to NVDA. If the desktop version of a website is too cluttered for my liking, I’ll often try the mobile version using either Safari on
my iPhone, or Chrome on my BrailleNote Touch.

The lines between desktop application and Internet site have blurred to the point that I honestly don’t think about it much anymore. It is often possible
to use either a computer or a mobile device to conduct banking and purchase goods.

So what makes all this added flexibility and increased choice possible, anyway? In many cases, the actual hardware in use is less expensive than it used
to be, although admittedly products such as the BrailleNote Touch are still on the high end of the price spectrum. Along with the availability of more
screen readers and magnification solutions than ever before, the cost of most of these solutions has come down greatly. Even companies like Vispero that
still sell a screen reader that can cost over a thousand dollars if purchased outright are now offering software-as-a-service options that allow you to
pay a yearly fee that provides the latest version of their software complete with updates for as long as you keep your subscription active.

While some may not consider free options such as NVDA or Narrator to be as powerful and flexible as JAWS, they will be perfectly adequate for other people
who aren’t using a computer on the job complete with specialized software that requires customized screen reader applications to make it work properly.
There are those who will rightly point out that free isn’t really free. You are in fact purchasing the screen reader when you buy a new computer as is
the case with VoiceOver on the Mac. While this may be true, the shock to the pocketbook may not be as noticeable as it would be if you had to plunk down
another thousand bucks or so for assistive technology after you had just purchased a new computer.

In addition to the advancements in screen reading technology along with the reduced cost of these products, app and website developers are becoming increasingly
educated about the needs of the blind community. I once spoke with a game developer who told me that he played one of his games using VoiceOver on the
iPhone for six weeks so he could really get a feel for how the game behaved when played by a blind person. Rather than throwing up their hands in frustration
and venting on social media about how sighted developers don’t care about the needs of blind people, many in the blind community are respectfully reaching
out to developers, educating them about the needs of those who use assistive technology, and giving them well-deserved recognition on social media when
they produce a product that is usable by blind and sighted people alike. Also, companies like Microsoft and Apple work to ensure that their screen readers
work with the company’s own including Safari and Microsoft Edge. Google and Amazon continue to make strides in the area of accessibility as well. Better
design and standards make it more likely that multiple screen readers will work well in an increasing number of online and offline scenarios.

You may be someone who is currently comfortable using only one screen reader with one web browser and just a few recommended programs on your computer.
You may be thinking that everything you have just read in this article sounds great, but you may be wondering how to actually apply any of it in your life.
First, I would say that if you are happy with your current technology then don’t feel intimidated by someone else who uses other solutions. That said,
I would urge you to keep your screen reading technology up to date as far as is possible. Also, make sure that you are using an Internet browser that is
fully supported by the websites you frequently visit. This will ensure that your experience is as fulfilling as it should be. For example, though Microsoft
Internet Explorer has been a recommended browser for many years for those using screen access technology due to its accessibility, it is no longer receiving
feature updates from Microsoft, and therefore many modern websites will not display properly when viewed using it.

If you think you would like to try new applications and possibly different assistive technology solutions but you don’t know where to start, keep reading.

Back when I first started using a computer, I knew of very few resources to which I could turn in order to gain skills in using assistive technology. Today,
there are many ebooks, tutorials, webinars, podcasts, and even paid individual training services available for anyone who wishes to expand their knowledge
of computers and the like. One excellent resource that has been referenced many times in past issues of AccessWorld is
Mystic Access,
where you can obtain almost every kind of training mentioned in the previous sentences. Another resource you may recognize is the
National Braille Press,
which has published many books that provide guidance on using various types of technology. Books from National Braille Press can generally be purchased
in both braille or in electronic formats.

There are also many online communities of people with vision loss who use a specific technology. Two of the most well known are
AppleVis
for users of iOS devices and the
Eyes-Free Google Group
for users of the Android platform. Both communities are places where new and long time users of these platforms can go to find assistance getting started
with the technology or for help troubleshooting issues they may encounter.

While I vividly recall my first experiences as a novice computer user, it is almost impossible for me to imagine actually going back to those days. Today,
the landscape is rich and the possibilities are endless for anyone who wishes to join their sighted counterparts in using today’s technology. While there
are still many hurdles to jump, I am confident that things will only continue to improve as we move forward.

So fear not, intrepid adventurer. Let’s explore this exciting world together. In the meantime, happy computing!

This article is made possible in part by generous funding from the James H. and Alice Teubert Charitable Trust, Huntington, West Virginia.

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• Looking Back on 20 Years of Assistive Technology: Where We’ve Been and How Far and Fast We’ve Come
by Bill Holton
• Getting the Most out of Sighted Computer Assistance: How to Help the Helpers
by Bill Holton
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• Pinterest Takes Steps Toward Accessibility
• A Review of “Stress Less, Browse Happy: Your Guide to More Easily and Effectively Navigating the Internet with a Screen Reader,” an audio tutorial from
Mystic Access
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TO DO THIS	PRESS THIS
Turn Scan Mode On or Off	Caps lock + Spacebar.
Read by paragraph in scan mode	Up and Down arrow keys
Read by character	Left and Right arrow keys
To activate an item that you want to use, such as a button in an app, a link in a webpage, or a text box	Press the spacebar
Move to the start or end of a line of text in an app or webpage	Home and End
Move to the beginning or end of text	Ctrl + Home and Ctrl + End
Move to the next or previous word	Ctrl + Left arrow and Ctrl + Right arrow
Move to the next or previous line	Ctrl + Up arrow and Ctrl + Down arrow

Windows Run Dialogue

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Windows Task Bar – A Productivity Tool

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Windows– How to Create a Desktop Shortcut to the Documents Folder

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Windows Desktop Icon – How to Create a Shortcut key

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Windows Desktop Icon – How to Rename

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Windows Desktop – Create a shortcut for a desktop app

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Windows Desktop Icon – How to Create

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November Topic –Stay Safe Online

Internet Browser Address Bar Secure Indications:

Using apps or browsers?

Passwords:

Online shopping:

Sign up to Take Advantage of a deal:

Email Accounts:

Phishing Emails:

Contests:

Fraud Reporting Departments:

Other Safety Tips:

Privacy Settings:

Spoofing Phone Numbers:

Private Browsing:

Ad Blockers:

Antivirus Software:

Upgrade to Windows 10?

Next Meeting (Monday December 9 at 7pm)

Additional Resources

Telephone Support

GTT Blog and Monthly Teleconference

GTT Email Support List

GTT Edmonton Overview

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Windows Touch Typing Tutor App

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Windows Logo Key and Windows Search

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Windows Applications Key for Context Menus

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Windows from the Keyboard – General Shortcuts

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Windows10 Accessibility

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GTT National Conference Call.

Summary Notes

What is CELA:

The Players:

How much does it cost:

How do I find CELA:

For more information please contact your GTT Coordinators:

CCB Backgrounder:

CCB National Office

@GTTProgram

GTT National Conference Call.

Summary Notes

Windows 10 Accessibility Primer

Windows Shortcut Keys

Windows Ease of Access Center

Scaling

Magnifier

Mouse Enhancements

Cursor Thickness

Color & High Contrast

Text to Speech to Read What is Magnified

Narrator

Speech Recognition

Microsoft Accessibility Learning Webinar Series

For more information please contact your GTT Coordinators:

CCB Backgrounder:

CCB National Office

@GTTProgram

@GTTProgram

Summary Notes

Ryan’s frequently used Windows keyboard commands:

Albert’s frequently used Windows keyboard commands: