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screen reader's and library

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From: Jamie
Date: Mar 25, 2006 7:50PM

I'm new to the list and was looking at the archives
and saw a post on the 20th regarding a Library that
wants to know about what screen reader to get. I was
overjoyed that they are doing this.

I work for Florida Blind Services.

There are not many products to pick from.

The majority of our staff who are speech users use
JAWS, but our director who is blind uses Window Eyes.
On a list serve that is "of the blind", I discovered
more people using Windows Eyes for personal use as it
is less expensive. So for speech, a computer with one
product and another with the other might be the best
bet.

For low vision users (often forgotten) - ZoomText is a
program that I feel a must. (In Florida we serve more
people who would use low vision products than speech
users. Probably the same everwhere). Though some low
vision folks are starting to use a product called
Majic. So again, maybe one of each on two different
computers would be a great idea.

Having a CCTV and/or Kurswell type product would also
be benefitial. One computer with refreshable braille
might also be of benefit. He..he. I am a believer if
you don't ask, you don't get. I hope the friends of
the library have good funding. Licenses for these
products can be expensive.

Note, I'm saying to put these are different computers
not only because that may mean more access to
computers for customers, but because I have
personnally seen product incompatiblity problems. It
won't type up computers, access technology can be
turned off for us sighted folks.

Hope this helps.




He who allows oppression, shares the crime --Erasmus Darwin


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