Apple picker People often ask me how I can work on the computer when I can't see, or if I have any special equipment. I answer that I have a special software called a screen reader in my regular laptop, which reads everything that is on the monitor, and that the computer in combination with this program is a huge help for me, without which I could not, for example, even graduate from university.
And the person in question tells me: "I know everything, but how can you work on a computer if you can't see?" How do you control it and how do you know what's on the monitor, or how do you navigate the web?" Some things probably cannot be explained very well and it is necessary to try them. However, I will try to explain to you how I control the computer when I cannot see, and I will describe what such a screen reader actually is.
[do action=”quote”]The screen reader has any Apple computer in it.[/do]
As I have already mentioned, a blind person cannot really use a computer if it is not equipped with a screen reader, because it informs the user about what is happening on the monitor through a voice output.
When I lost my eyesight more than ten years ago and needed to start working on such a specially equipped laptop, JAWS was recommended to me, saying that it is the most reliable and sophisticated option in the field of voice readers. I won't tell you how much such a device cost at the time, because a lot of things will change in ten years, but if you need a "talking computer" today, the aforementioned JAWS software will cost you CZK 65. In addition, you have to buy the laptop itself. To be precise, the blind person will not pay this price himself, because the amount is not small even for a sighted person, but 000% of the entire price will be paid by the Labor Office, to which the entire social agenda has currently been transferred and which therefore also pays contributions to compensatory aids (ie a computer with a screen reader for example).
For a Hewlett-Packard EliteBook laptop with the JAWS program, which a company specializing in modifying computer technology for the visually impaired offers for a total price of CZK 104, you will pay only CZK 900 yourself, and the state or taxpayers will take care of the remaining amount (CZK 10) . In addition to that, you still need at least one computer scientist (or the mentioned specialist company) who will upload the mentioned JAWS software to your computer. Even for a regular user, it's not a completely simple activity, and you definitely can't do it without eyes.
[do action=”citation”]For the blind, Apple represents a very advantageous purchase.[/do]
I worked with JAWS software and laptops running on Windows for ten years, and every now and then I annoyed my golden computer scientist by saying that "the computer is not talking to me again!" Then one day the computer stopped talking to me for good. However, I cannot do without my talking laptop. Without it, I can clean as much as possible or watch TV, but I don't enjoy any of it. In addition, the school semester was in full swing, so I needed a new computer as soon as possible. I couldn't wait half a year until I was eligible to apply for a compensatory aid allowance at the Labor Office, or look for someone who would have the time and know how to install JAWS.
So I started to think about whether Apple also has a screen reader. Until then, I knew practically nothing about Apple, but I had heard about apple screen readers somewhere, so I started to find out the details. In the end, it turned out that any Apple computer has a screen reader in it. Since OS X 10.4, every iMac and every MacBook is equipped with so-called VoiceOver. It is simply activated in System preferences in the panel Disclosure, or even more easily using the CMD + F5 keyboard shortcut.
So what does that mean?
1. The screen reader is completely free for all Apple device owners. So forget about the bloody 65 CZK you need to make Windows speak to you.
2. You don't need a special company or a kind-hearted computer scientist to turn your laptop into a talking device. As a blind person, all you have to do is buy a MacBook Air, for example, play it and it will start talking to you after a while.
3. When your laptop crashes, like mine, you just need to get any other MacBook or iMac, start VoiceOver and you can continue to work and you don't have to spend three days cleaning up and waiting for some "guy" to upload your JAWS license to some surplus laptop.
4. Although Apple is considered an expensive brand and is very often bought by people who want to tell the world that they "just have it", for us blind Apple is a very good purchase, even if we are forced to buy it ourselves (when our computer has gone to silicon heaven sooner than after five years and we are not entitled to a contribution from the state), or it will be cheaper for us taxpayers if the authority contributes to it. Come on, 104 CZK and 900 CZK is a bit of a difference, isn't it?
Naturally, the question is whether VoiceOver, for which the user essentially does not have to pay anything, is at all usable and comparable in quality to, for example, JAWS. I admit that I was a little worried that VoiceOver would not be on the same level as JAWS. After all, only about 90 percent of blind people use Windows computers, so maybe they have a reason for that.
The first day with VoiceOver was tough. I brought my MacBook Air home and just sat there with my head in my hands wondering if I could even do this. The computer spoke to me in a different voice, familiar keyboard shortcuts didn't work, everything had a different name and actually everything worked differently. However, VoiceOver has an advantage in its intuitive and sophisticated help, which can be started during any activity. So it's not a problem to look anything up if you don't know how to do it. Thanks to this ubiquitous draw and a more user-friendly environment than Windows combined with JAWS, after a few days I completely forgot about the initial moments of hopelessness and found that I can do even the things that were forbidden to me when working with JAWS on the MacBook.
And it's probably worth adding that since the iPhone 3GS version, all iOS devices are also equipped with VoiceOver. Yes, I mean exactly all those touchscreen devices, and no, you don't need to use a special keyboard or anything like that - the iPhone really is only controlled via the touchscreen. But the story of how the iPhone controls are adapted to visually impaired users and what advantages iOS can bring to us blind people will be the topic of another article.
Beautiful article and I'm glad that the author really discovered VoiceOver, which is included in every Apple device. Normally, this is not talked about much, but it is proof of how much the company cares about its customers.
I myself became interested in Accessibility (a way to adapt your application as best as possible for VoiceOver and alternative control in general) a year ago, and I always found a couple of weeks when I went through my entire application blindfolded, adapted elements for VoiceOver and he was only trying to imagine what it's like for users who can't even control the device otherwise. I think that's the least developers can do - to invest time in making VoiceOver, which allows so many people to do so many things they couldn't do before, do its job as well as possible.
So developers - you turn on your app and VoiceOver - not all elements are responsive, so how should they be with VoiceOver? So hooray for Xcode. This will show how high quality our creation really is. And the feeling that you've made someone's day better - isn't that why we do it?
Excellent article! I think it should be published on a much wider forum and not "only" on Jablíčkář...
This topic has been "lying" for at least 8 years. It is not interesting for the big media. We are able to support the article within the community, we will of course try to offer it elsewhere as well.
Great article. I am happy to promote the mentioned functions to "healthy" users.
I myself use an Apple device because my vision is very bad. When the iPhone 3GS came out (the first smartphone with fully functional zoom and voice output - and included in the price, integrated into the OS) I switched to Apple and today, of course, I have no reason to leave.
And I thank the commenters of the post before me for the positive response. When I read the passage where the author openly admits that modified Windows laptops are co-financed by taxpayers for us disabled people, I was afraid of hateful comments.
And in particular to the developer czechboy0, I thank him for the painstaking modification of his applications for VoiceOver. :)
J
When else does a person have the chance to give so little that it still means a lot to someone? :)
I've been using VoiceOver on Apple devices for a year now. The beginnings were difficult, but I myself found that Apple is more accessible to us visually impaired than Windows itself, which does not offer us more options. Every time I myself discover something for us blind people either on a Macbook or an iMac or even on an iPhone, I write an article about it. The public should know how it is. That's why I'm quite annoyed that there are people who will tell you. All you need is a regular phone or a Windows computer, which is overpriced. No one realizes that Apple allows us blind people something more, and it happens that they find it unnecessary for us to purchase it. But the opposite is true. Apple products mean the future for us. Windows has no chance of breaking through with its overpriced Jaws. Jani, nice article.
I once saw a video where a blind man showed how the iPad made his life easier. Normally, I didn't want to believe it, but he works quickly with ziariadeni
VoiceOver is a great thing. I often encounter the ignorance that people do not know at all what "hidden" features Apple products have. Sure, why should we even care when we can see, hear, have no handicap... But it's really great that Apple also cares about handicapped people and tries to make life easier for them too...