Re: [Audiogames-reflector] I have no passion in life
Re: I have no passion in life Ive often felt that music is a good thing. I previously took piano, celllo, and guitar lessons but stopped for various reasons. But I have a Yamaha keyboard here in my apartment. I had an analog one when I still lived with my parents, but that one had some broken keys. So my parents got me this one a few years back as a Christmas present. It is digital and the display things arent accessible, but I still enjoy playing it. I was in a mini-band with some former neighbors. But they have since moved out of my building, and we have disbanded. Pun intended. But music is awesome.wanderer wrote:Ive been trying to pick up piano off and on for a while now, but keep getting confused over some of the concepts they try and describe, like half and wholesteps. I think I may end up looking to take actual lessons if I dont find something that works soon. Most of the youtube videos Ive found on beginning piano focus on simple chords for accompanyment, which isnt really what Im looking for. I havent gotten involved in anything done by my school since Ive been here, I might try for something next year, which will be my senior year. Speaking of which, Im trying to figure if I should go to my prom coming up in about 2 weeks. I guess the junior and senior proms are supposed to be those classic high school experiences, to make memories and whatever, but its assumed you have some friends to experience it with, which I do not. Id probably just end up standing around doing nothing the whole time, and the crowds of hundreds of people really wouldnt help, as Id hardly be able to hear anything, and I cannot dance at all, assuming anyone would want to dance with me. Ah well, probably wont have anything better to do that day, may as well. Oh and btw on the appearance thing, I mostly keep my hair short so I dont have to worry about it sticking up.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=173760#p173760 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Training Centers
Re: Training Centers Well said. I vaguely recall my brother being offered NFB scholarships several years ago, which he rejected. Some of the NFBs tactics are certainly not to be taken lightly. I too, have met and heard about a few level-headed Federationists but it seems the majority of them are still hard-core. I recall a phone conversation I had several years ago with a member of the NFB of Illinois who seemed to be pretty level-headed. She was talking about the guy who was their chapter president at the time, and she said he was pretty much a jerk. It just seems that a lot of NFB members still to this day have a one-size-fits-all mentality, and Im sorry folks but thats not how the world works. But on the other hand, I think the Federation has done some good things. An example is Newsline. Ive been subscribed to the service for several years. Although Ive never been much of a news junky--particularly in lieu of all this violence and hatred--I love Newsline. I was listening to the episode of Eyes on Success yesterday with Scott White, the director of Newsline. He mentioned that 4 states are not registered due to funding. I really hope this situation can be remedied very soon. Well, Id better get my dishes and grocery list done before my life-skills tutor gets here, or else Im in deep sh*t. Im outa here!BryanP wrote:Well said Turtlepower. I have even less respect for Cristianity than I do for the NFB and its philosophies, and the wa a lot of people preach te NFB mentality it might as well be an established religion. Yes I have met perfectly well-balanced, reasonable NFB members but they have been few and far between.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=173761#p173761 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] I have no passion in life
Re: I have no passion in life I, too, totally agree about the clothes thing. I have often gotten compliments about what I wear. I feel that, since I dont have a job, I therefore will be okay if I dont wear the nicest of clothing. However, I do try to look dressy for special occasions. For instance, Im going to a fundraiser this evening for CIF and actually carved out a chunk of time this morning to shave well. But on the whole, I really dont care that much about looking spiffy. Some people, including my family, have told me otherwise but I just dont think about it that way. As long as I have good hygiene, am nice to others, and am trustworthy and honest I guess thats all that really matters at this point. @fastfinge, everythings all sorted out at least for now with regards to Dream Width. I discovered--through reading a maintenance post and its subsequent comments--that a few ISPs have been blocking mail from the site. These include ATT, which I use. S o I just switched to my other account which is a subdomain of gmail. At some point I may try and contact ATT regarding this issue, but I dont currently have much time.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=173234#p173234 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] I have no passion in life
Re: I have no passion in life I think Id have to agree about the friendship thing. Ever since moving out of my parents house and into the apartment building where I currently live, I have created a circle of friends around me. This building is part of a nonprofit organization called Center for Independent Futures, see previous posts of mine. I frequently hang out with one or more of the neighbors in my apartment for a casual conversation, and its always so much fun. We also have a mandatory weekly meeting where we all just check in with one another, and where any important announcements are made. We also plan building activities at these meetings. But in addition, there are often activities here involving other friends of mine in the organization. I am always included in these activities. Whether or not I always attend is a different story though, which goes back to the orientationmobility issue. The locations for some of these activities have recently been changed, and I therefore can
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] I have no passion in life
Re: I have no passion in life I think Id have to agree about the friendship thing. Ever since moving out of my parents house and into the apartment building where I currently live, I have created a circle of friends around me. This building is part of a nonprofit organization called Center for Independent Futures, see previous posts of mine. I frequently hang out with one or more of the neighbors in my apartment building for a casual conversation, and its always so much fun. We also have a mandatory weekly meeting where we all just check in with one another, and where any important announcements are made. We also plan building activities at these meetings. But in addition, there are often activities here involving other friends of mine in the organization. I am always included in these activities. Whether or not I always attend is a different story though, which goes back to the orientationmobility issue. Sometimes I have other conflicts too, so Im not in attendance. But the locati ons for some of these activities have recently been changed, and I therefore cant go to them unless one of my friends is with me or Im able to book a trip on paratransit. But I have thoroughly enjoyed being included in these activities over the years.Id also like to go back to the point about sighted people asking questions of us. Im one who generally doesnt mind answering these questions. After all, people are curious about the ways in which I accomplish things. However, there is one acquaintance of mine who has this annoying habit of repeatedly asking me questions about other friends of mine which are of a rather personal nature. I am calling this person an acquaintance because he is, for lack of a better term, a nuisance. For instance, he has previously called me on the phone just to ask these questions about 2 friends of mine who have cerebral palsy. I am rather uncomfortable answering, and I have in fact told him that on numerous occasions.& nbsp; Ive also reported him to staff members here, and theyve talked with him. Yet he continues to do this. One of the questions he asks is how these 2 other guys go to the bathroom. This is honestly getting to the point of harassment, if it isnt there already. Reversing gears a bit here, my life-skills tutor and I recently saw another sighted friend from this organization while waiting at a bus stop and we immediately struck up a conversation. This friend has some disabilities. He happened to get on the same bus, so we continued the conversation. One of his questions to me was how I became blind. I could tell by the pause that followed that my tutor was a bit uncomfortable with this, and then our friend immediately apologized to us. He got off at the stop just before ours.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=173040#p173040 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] I have no passion in life
Re: I have no passion in life Thanks for the suggestion. I just registered on the site and it seems great in terms of accessibility in both Safari and Google Chrome with VoiceOver. One thing I especially like is the text-based CAPTCHAs they use! However, I still have yet to receive an email confirmation of my registration. I even went to the place on the site with a button which will supposedly email a validation code or something, but still havent received anything. But perhaps they will send it tomorrow. I also submitted a support request about this, so maybe someone will get back to me.fastfinge wrote:@jgeek: if youre still looking, I cant say enough good things about dreamwidth.org. Its based on the old LJ code, before it got annoying and stupid. The default layout could use some access work, but its fully configurable, so you can switch to a minimal layout and disable all of the sidebars and other c rap, without losing any functionality. They dont run any advertising, so no worries there. Most of the people Ive interacted with in that community have even gone to the trouble of giving their user icons alt-text that actually describes the image. From the front page of the website, it really looks like theyre targeting artists and painters, but I havent been made to feel unwelcome even though Im not an artist. Also, unlike places like wordpress, those of us who want to make almost all private entries arent made to feel like second class citizens.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=173102#p173102 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] I have no passion in life
Re: I have no passion in life I definitely agree about the journaling thing. I have had online journals--or blogs--on a few different sites. To date all of them have been abandoned, not because I dont know what to write. But I abandoned most of them due to accessibility concerns, and my most recent one was abandoned because my website got deleted. Thats because my account got shut down due to me acquiring this Mac. It is a Windows-based service and I am arguing back and forth with my parents about running Windows on here and signing up for another account. Well not arguing, but my parents seem to have a different opinion than me in this regard. The service to which Im referring here is SAMNet, the System Access Mobile Network. The reason I set up a website on there in the first place was because of the accessibility. But I guess this is a discussion which Im going to have to continue with my parents.Regarding being social, I have never really had an issue with that. What I do have a problem with though, is travel. But Ive discussed that on here already, so I wont revisit it. I just hope that a solution is found soon though, otherwise Ill turn into a hermit. I dont want that and Ive also been told this by other people around me, including my family. As far as bullying is concerned, I never really experienced that. There were 2 minor instances of it though. The first took place when I was little. My family and I were at our local swimming pool, and some guy came up to me and asked what the paper was inside my undergarment. He was referring to the tag that tells me which way they go on. But now that Ive given it some thought, that wasnt bullying in the true sense. However, I did experience something several years later which was akin to bullying. Although it really upset me and has caused me to really think twice about things, I am still able to talk about it. A sister and I were at home having lunch when the pho ne rang. I was still living with my parents at the time.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=172951#p172951 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] I have no passion in life
Re: I have no passion in life I definitely agree about the journaling thing. I have had online journals--or blogs--on a few different sites. To date all of them have been abandoned, but not because I dont know what to write. I abandoned most of them due to accessibility concerns, and my most recent one was abandoned because my website got deleted. Thats because my account got shut down due to me acquiring this Mac. It is a Windows-based service and I am arguing back and forth with my parents about running Windows on here and signing up for another account. Well not arguing, but my parents seem to have a different opinion than me in this regard. The service to which Im referring here is SAMNet, the System Access Mobile Network. The reason I set up a website on there in the first place was because of the accessibility. But I guess this is a discussion which Im going to have to continue with my parents.Regarding being social, I have never really had an issue with that. What I do have a problem with though, is independent outdoor travel. But Ive discussed that on here already, so I wont revisit it. I just hope that a better solution is found soon though, otherwise Ill turn into a hermit. I dont want that and Ive also been told this by other people around me, including my family. As far as bullying is concerned, I never really experienced that. There were 2 minor instances of it though. The first took place when I was little. My family and I were at our local swimming pool, and some guy came up to me and asked what the paper was inside my undergarment. He was referring to the tag that tells me which way they go on. But now that Ive given it some thought, that wasnt bullying in the true sense. However, I did experience something several years later which was akin to bullying. Although it really upset me and has caused me to really think twice about things, I am still able to talk about it. A sister and I were at hom e having lunch when the phone rang. I was still living with my parents at the time. I went over and picked up the phone. On the other end was the voc/rehab counselor I had at the time. He was joined by his supervisor, who had previously been my counselor. I could tell they were on speaker-phone because of the echo. They chewed me out just for writing a letter requesting more services. I should point out here that this new counselor had previously phoned me to introduce himself, and to assure me that no past events would be repeated and that he would see to it that things were straightened out. He was very friendly on that call. Then, he has the nerve to call me up and chew me out. But anyway, that was not pleasant. I also had a mudball thrown at me in nursery school, but thats about all I remember other than one of the teachers intervening in the situation. I recently tried commenting on another persons blog about my lack of real world experiences particularl y related to the movie Blindness, and she then posted an entire entry about my lack of experience with discrimination. Those of you who are members of either blindness organization can probably guess which organization shes in. This was right after I saw that movie with a group of friends. So I guess in part you could say Im not motivated enough to do much of anything in the realm of advocacy.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=172951#p172951 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Training Centers
Re: Training Centers Ive heard of the place to which you refer here, and I have a friend who lives there. She seems to like it there pretty much. It is called Friedman Place, or Freedman Place. I forget which spelling they use. But anyway, I actually met one of the staff members there several years ago when I went out for breakfast with some buddies and a sister. She is friends with a family friend of ours, and I think shes in charge of activities there. At least she was at the time. The founder/exec director of a nonprofit organization for which Ive volunteered, was going to go there and talk with them about some type of partnership, but I dont believe anything ever came of that. But Id be interested in just touring the facility sometime, and talking with the staff. In addition, my friend who lives there has said that she wants to get together with me again sometime. She is blind, and I think might have some additional disabilities.t urtlepower17 wrote:Ive heard about the high rate of institutionalizing in Illinois. Its a shame, really, but it makes sense. I think its because its one of the few states that actually has an apartment complex specifically for the blind, and, if you live there, you dont even have kitchen appliances in your apartment. You have to eat cafeteria food that they provide, from what I understand. Then again, supposedly they work with you on vocational or educational goals, so I dont know what to think. I feel that if a person is elderly, or has multiple disabilities, such a place may be appropriate for them, but the person I know who lives there is intelligent and well-spoken.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=172224#p172224 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Training Centers
Re: Training Centers Hi everyone. This topic about training centers, OM instruction and such has gotten me curious about something. I guess I actually have 2 questions here. First of all, for those of you who have been denied formal OM instruction by your respective state VR agencies, what if anything did/could you do about it? If any of you have, like me, gone to your state Client Assistance Program, what if anything did they tell you? My other question has to do more with the training centers. How is orientation and mobility approached and what is structured discovery all about. Somebody on another forum emailed me privately to try and explain it to me, but the document was inaccessible. I know that there are OM instructors out there who are visually impaired to one degree or another. Im not going to give my opinion on this, but what I want to know is what method or methods of instruction they use with their students?URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=171470#p171470 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Training Centers
Re: Training Centers Hi everyone. This topic about training centers, OM instruction and such has gotten me curious about something. I guess I actually have 2 questions here. First of all, for those of you who have been denied formal OM instruction by your respective state VR agencies, what if anything did/could you do about it? If any of you have, like me, gone to your state Client Assistance Program, what if anything did they tell you? My other question has to do more with the training centers. How is orientation and mobility approached and what is structured discovery all about. Somebody on another forum emailed me privately to try and explain it, but the document was inaccessible. I know that there are OM instructors out there who are visually impaired to one degree or another. Im not going to give my opinion on this one way or the other, but what I want to know is what method or methods of instruction they use with their students?URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=171470#p171470 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] I have no passion in life
Re: I have no passion in life Hey everyone. I can relate to the boredom thing. I recently got my first Mac and have been familiarizing myself with it, and I must say its been a much better experience than I ever anticipated. When my parents approached me over Thanksgiving last year about getting a Mac, I admit I was less than enthusiastic about the whole idea. I had read mixed reviews online about VoiceOver, and I didnt think there would be any training. State services here in IL for people with disabilities are an absolute joke, something which I will talk more about in a bit. So needless to say I myself had absolutely no intention of even touching a Mac. Well, when I finally did accompany my parents and a sister to our local Apple store and actually tried out a Mac Book Air, my interest was peaked a bit. The Mac Book Air which I tried out at the store ended up being the one which we brought home to my parents house. To make a long story short, I am thrilled with it. IURL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=171250#p171250 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] I have no passion in life
Re: I have no passion in life Hey everyone. I can relate to the boredom thing. I recently got my first Mac and have been familiarizing myself with it, and I must say its been a much better experience than I ever anticipated. When my parents approached me over Thanksgiving last year about getting a Mac, I admit I was less than enthusiastic about the whole idea. I had read mixed reviews online about VoiceOver, and I didnt think there would be any training. Most of the reviews I had read were negative. My former roommate used VoiceOver on a desktop Mac and loved it, but he passed away last year unfortunately and I never got to try it out. State services here in IL for people with disabilities are an absolute joke for the most part, something which I will talk more about in a bit. So needless to say I myself had absolutely no intention of even touching a Mac. Well, when I finally did accompany my parents and a sister to our local Apple store and actually tried out a Mac Book Air, my interest was peaked a bit. The Mac Book Air which I tried out at the store ended up being the one which we brought home to my parents house. To cut a long story short, I am thrilled with it. I know theres still stuff I have to learn, but everythings been working great.Having said all that, I hardly do much but computing here in my apartment. People keep telling me that I need a job so that I would get out more, and to an extent I have to agree with them. However, there are limitations to the paratransit service. Though it has improved significantly from what it was several years ago, trip reservations are only taken a day in advance and ridership has increased. In addition, the entire bus system, including fixed-route, has limited availability on weekends. I have a volunteer job, but due to circumstances beyond my control the location of that job has changed. Fortunately my coworkers and our executive director/founder have been very understanding about this and let me work fro m home. But I have seriously been thinking about quitting that job, due in large part to the funding issue. Our website was going to be revamped, but that hasnt happened. A former coworker sent me a log-in page at the beginning of last year to our half-built back end, and I found it to be pretty accessible. But since then very little if anything has happened, and its rather discouraging to say the least. Nothing is being done to resolve Illinois funding crisis. But as depressing as this is, I have not let myself get too down in the dumps about it. I do other things with my neighbors from time to time, and we have a weekly meeting which is mandatory. But by in large, yes I am rather bored.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=171250#p171250 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Dance my ass off a free colaborational music album
Re: "Dance my ass off" a free colaborational music album I just downloaded the full album to my Mac and love it. Im still more or less getting used to iTunes but I was able to listen to each track. Its clear that you guys put a lot of time and effort into this album. Awesome job and keep up the great work!URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=170648#p170648 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Things you really miss?
Re: Things you really miss? Yes indeed, I had both a Braille N Speak and a Type N Speak. Those were fun days. I was enrolled in a summer jobs program a few years ago, that is no longer in existence due to funding issues. But anyway, my brother was enrolled in the same program. I had my Braille N Speak at the time, and I can remember sitting in class one morning during a break, and I thought it would be fun to raise the pitch and frequency as high as they would go. Well, for some reason it stayed there and refused to come back down. It was great. It sounded kinda like someone was yelling and breaking glass at the same time. I I think that was the end of my BNS. But I also remember the alarm on those things. It was pretty cool. A friend of mine who is legally blind and still has a little bit of remaining vision, was actually kicked out of the Chicago Lighthouse just for fulling around with a speech synthesizer. She was asked never to come back, and still to this day I feel bad for her. But th e rehab programs there were a bunch of crap anyway.Regarding laptops, I think the one I have now is by far the lightest Ive ever seen. It is a Mac Book Air. This is my first Mac, and I love it. VoiceOver is super responsive and does a nice job. Alexs breathing is a bit creepy. A sister of mine just got a Mac Book Air as well, but hers is a bit smaller still. These things are amazing! I actually kept the case from my Dell laptop. I still have that laptop, but the motherboard fried and my life-skills tutor and I are going to get rid of just the laptop soon. Hes been talking to me about some places he knows of where we might take it, but he has to rent a vehicle since his truck passed away last summer. But I cant believe how fast these Macs boot up. tward wrote:Oh, I definitely do miss my Braille N Speaks. They seem rather clunky to the tech we have now, but back in the early to mid 90s the y were a must have item for a blind student. I got my first BNS Classic in 7th grade, used it a couple of years, upgraded to a BNS 640K in 9th grade, and finished with a BNS 2000 in college. Sadly, all of them are dead now, and I am not even sure where they are or if I even have any of them around.However, while I preferred using computers for serious work I liked my Braille N Speaks because they were very portable, I could literally take them anywhere, and they usually stayed charge for 24-hours or so. I could spend hours writing stories on the Braille N Speak or playing various games for the BNS such as Hangman, Simon, Mine Sweeper, Solitaire, etc. Plus the one thing that made the BNS so essential back then is that laptops were not really that portable or versatile if you were a blind user. Back in the 90s if someone purchased a laptop with say Win 95 on it they still had to get Jaws for Windows, they had to get an external synthesizer like a Dectalk Expre ss, and between the hardware and software one could expect to pay well over $3,000 for an accessible laptop which as I said wasnt very portable compared to a Braille N Speak. I actually had a Fujitsu Lifebook with a Dectalk Express and it was a pain lugging the computer around, having to plug an external synthesizer in to the com port, and usually having to use a full sized keyboard just to use the Jaws cursor keys because the laptop Jaws keys back then were extremely confusing. So in comparison laptops were not very accessible at all. They took up too much room and required to many extra pieces of hardware to be portable. Where the BNS weighed one pound, was small, compact, and could easily slip into a backpack or could be carried with its special carrying case.Ironically, while laptops are obviously much more portable and more speech friendly today than they were back in the mid 90s I see instances where a BNS would be useful. For example, I might be at the grocery store and I want to check my shopping list. With a BNS all I had to do was flip the unit on and when it booted up it would automatically open the file last accessed making it easy for taking and reviewing notes. Where with a laptop one has to boot the computer, bring up the documents folder, find the shopping list, and open it in Notepad etc. A laptop still isnt as efficient at quick and dirty note taking such as writing down shopping lists and reviewing them in the middle of a store. I guess that is where smartphones etc come in.However, their practical use isnt the only reason I miss the Braille N Speaks. The voices were very robotic, but could be made to say and do some very funny things. One of the most funny instances I can think of is one of the students at my school dropped her Braille N Speak picked it up and it wouldnt come on. So she tried a warm reset and when the BNS came on it gave the usual Braille N Spea k ready message, but it sounded demon possessed or something. As it was saying the words the voice went from high to low and low to high in pitch while speaking it in an extremely slow monotone
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Things you really miss?
Re: Things you really miss? Yes indeed, I had both a Braille N Speak and a Type N Speak. Those were fun days. I was enrolled in a summer jobs program a few years ago, that is no longer in existence due to funding issues. But anyway, my brother was enrolled in the same program. I had my Braille N Speak at the time and I can remember sitting in class one morning during a break, and I thought it would be fun to raise the pitch and frequency as high as they would go. Well, for some reason it stayed there and refused to come back down. It was great. It sounded kinda like someone was yelling and breaking glass at the same time. I think that was the end of my BNS. But I also remember the alarm on those things. It was pretty cool. A friend of mine who is legally blind and still has a little bit of remaining vision, was actually kicked out of the Chicago Lighthouse just for fulling around with a speech synthesizer. She was asked never to come back, and still to this day I feel bad for her. But the r ehab programs there were a bunch of crap anyway.Regarding laptops, I think the one I have now is by far the lightest Ive ever seen. It is a Mac Book Air. This is my first Mac, and I love it. VoiceOver is super responsive and does a nice job. Alexs breathing is a bit creepy. A sister of mine just got a Mac Book Air as well, but hers is a bit smaller still. These things are amazing! I actually kept the case from my Dell laptop. I still have that laptop, but the motherboard fried and my life-skills tutor and I are going to get rid of just the laptop soon. Hes been talking to me about some places he knows of where we might take it, but he has to rent a vehicle since his truck passed away last summer. But I cant believe how fast these Macs boot up. tward wrote:Oh, I definitely do miss my Braille N Speaks. They seem rather clunky to the tech we have now, but back in the early to mid 90s they w ere a must have item for a blind student. I got my first BNS Classic in 7th grade, used it a couple of years, upgraded to a BNS 640K in 9th grade, and finished with a BNS 2000 in college. Sadly, all of them are dead now, and I am not even sure where they are or if I even have any of them around.However, while I preferred using computers for serious work I liked my Braille N Speaks because they were very portable, I could literally take them anywhere, and they usually stayed charge for 24-hours or so. I could spend hours writing stories on the Braille N Speak or playing various games for the BNS such as Hangman, Simon, Mine Sweeper, Solitaire, etc. Plus the one thing that made the BNS so essential back then is that laptops were not really that portable or versatile if you were a blind user. Back in the 90s if someone purchased a laptop with say Win 95 on it they still had to get Jaws for Windows, they had to get an external synthesizer like a Dectalk Express, and between the hardware and software one could expect to pay well over $3,000 for an accessible laptop which as I said wasnt very portable compared to a Braille N Speak. I actually had a Fujitsu Lifebook with a Dectalk Express and it was a pain lugging the computer around, having to plug an external synthesizer in to the com port, and usually having to use a full sized keyboard just to use the Jaws cursor keys because the laptop Jaws keys back then were extremely confusing. So in comparison laptops were not very accessible at all. They took up too much room and required to many extra pieces of hardware to be portable. Where the BNS weighed one pound, was small, compact, and could easily slip into a backpack or could be carried with its special carrying case.Ironically, while laptops are obviously much more portable and more speech friendly today than they were back in the mid 90s I see instances where a BNS would be useful. For example, I might be at the grocery store and I want to check my shopping list. With a BNS all I had to do was flip the unit on and when it booted up it would automatically open the file last accessed making it easy for taking and reviewing notes. Where with a laptop one has to boot the computer, bring up the documents folder, find the shopping list, and open it in Notepad etc. A laptop still isnt as efficient at quick and dirty note taking such as writing down shopping lists and reviewing them in the middle of a store. I guess that is where smartphones etc come in.However, their practical use isnt the only reason I miss the Braille N Speaks. The voices were very robotic, but could be made to say and do some very funny things. One of the most funny instances I can think of is one of the students at my school dropped her Braille N Speak picked it up and it wouldnt come on. So she tried a warm reset and when the BNS came on it gave the usual Braille N Speak r eady message, but it sounded demon possessed or something. As it was saying the words the voice went from high to low and low to high in pitch while speaking it in an extremely slow monotone
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Things you really miss?
Re: Things you really miss? Ill have to take another look at Klango then. I thought that since the developers just abandoned it, it wouldnt work that great anymore. I found the software rather buggy in some areas, especially toward the end there.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=168417#p168417 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] What has this forum taught you?
Re: What has this forum taught you? H lets see. I have known about this site for a few years but only managed to register last year. I mainly come on here to look for new and interesting updates to games, and to post replies to topics that interest me. Yeah I know, Ive got too much time on my hands perhaps, but thats a whole topic inandof itself. One which I wont get into on here. I have played audio games off and on for the past several years, and now it seems Im currently in another off period. This is mainly due to computer issues, but also my financial situation. I just got my first Mac though, and in addition to exploring things with Voiceover I eventually want to start gaming on here hopefully in both OS X and Windows. Im happy to report that I do recognize a lot of you from Klango. All right, I guess Ill go bring up my clean laundry.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pi d=168211#p168211 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Training Centers
Re: Training Centers Lol I never really thought of calling it joke/rehab, but I like that! So true too! @Dark: Point well taken. Im not in the least bit upset by this, but Id just like to offer up a bit of an explanation of my living situation. Back in late 2002 my parents and I heard about a nonprofit organization that was getting started called Center for Independent Futures. The co-founders of CIF were quite frustrated with the sheer lack of services for people with disabilities offered by our state. All of the co-founders have family members with disabilities. Each participant and resident of CIF has life-skills tutors, who work with us on various daily-living skills. This is based on an Independent Living Readiness Inventory, and mine was conducted at my parents house. I was basically given various emergency situations during one part of the inventory, and asked how I would respond to these situations. They also assessed some of my other skills, such as traveling inside the hous e and finding things. I cant remember all the exact details, but I think you get the basic idea. The schedules for these tutors are set by the individuals and their families or other caregivers, and there is generally no government intervention whatsoever. A bit of background on the state of Illinois itself: The state institutionalizes people with disabilities at a very high rate, and the co-founders of CIF wanted to separate themselves and offer up a plan which would give individuals more choices in terms of how their lives would be run. I hope Ive explained this well enough. My parents and I sat down with my rehab counselor at the time and asked him for some formal OM instruction, because we werent sure yet what my tutor and I would be working on or how much time wed be spending together. We hadnt even met the tutor yet. That was to be done later. At the time my joke/rehab counselor agreed to put in a request for some formal OM instruction. However, as we soon found out that formal instruction was not to be. These tutors have since tried working on some of those skills with me, but their schedules just dont allow them to focus on the in-depth training that I need. In my opinion the state of Illinois--and other states with this kind of lousy track record for that matter--should really be ashamed of themselves for not doing anything to better equip people with disabilities with the tools and training needed for a full life. Anyone who wants to learn more, check out http://www.independentfutures.com . The website is not bad in terms of accessibility, but here again state funding does not allow for many improvements.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=167830#p167830 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Training Centers
Re: Training Centers Thought Id throw in my 2 cents here, for what its worth. I, too, have not faired too well as of late when it comes to formal orientationmobility instruction. Apparently the voc/rehab agency here in the Land of Lincoln thinks that one would need a good paying job in order to receive any formal OM instruction from them. A few years ago I did get an OM instructor out here, but she was only able to give me a few lessons which--now that Ive had time to think things through--were not very effective. I ended up going through my states Client Assistance Program in order to get her out here. The CAP representative assigned to me was actually very sympathetic and she understood where I was coming from. But other than that, I have had no formal OM instruction for several years. In fact I believe the last instructor who worked with me, prior to a few years ago, was when I attended a local community college not long after graduating high school. I graduated high school in 1994, so this was probably in about 1996. That instructor was quite good, but he was only able to work with me briefly. So now whenever I need to get somewhere that isnt within walking distance of my building and that requires a street crossing, I take ADA paratransit. The paratransit service here has greatly improved from what it used to be, but still it is not perfect. Although the hours for the reservation lines have been extended, they are still only taken just 1 day in advance and it can get rather difficult to secure a trip reservation. The service has limited hours on weekends, and there are frequently activities which I want to attend outside my building. A lot of times nobody will be available to drive me or their schedules are so tight that it is a bit inconvenient for them. Ive been told I cant take the trains by myself due to balance issues. This hasnt happened much thus far, but occasionally Ive had drivers who got a bit lost taking me to my destinations. Nevermind that I lack the skills to tell them how to get unlost. Nobody seems to be too concerned about that except for yours truly. I have a cell phone and take it with me on these paratransit trips in the unlikely event that I do get dropped off at a wrong location. I do have a life-skills tutor who has gone places with me, but he also works with others in my building. Plus he has another job now in addition to this one, and his truck bit the bullet not long ago. Another area in which Ive had absolutely no formal instruction is cooking, so my tutor does that for me. Luckily he is a great cook and doesnt mind doing it, but the VR agency has offered little if any assistance in this regard. I believe Ive mentioned that funding here in Illinois is sorely lacking, and nothing is being done about it.scotf2012 wrote:For right now, all I really need out of a blindness center is cane travel/mobility, and lots of it. I seriously would be content waking up and spending all day, every day, for a few months, just working on mobility cane travel, since my skills are seriously that bad. A combination of bad instructors for a few years, followed by no instruction for a few years, followed by more bad instruction leaves me in a pretty bad place. I have no idea how, for instance, public transportation works around here, or anywhere, for that matter. Dont ask me how to cross a street safely, because I dont know. As you can tell, serious issues, and I have no idea what to do about it.I figured a center could also help me with other blindness skills, too, like general stuff to do around your house, cooking, etc. Since I already know braille inside and out, I figured I could learn print – that might prove useful. But I have no idea what center to go to, Id prefer something for as long as possible, like the 9-month NFB ones...But as you say, theres no real information. And nobody around here even listens to what I have to say. Interrupt college for some blindness bullshit? No way! Even though this blindness bullshit as they call it is really damn important and useful.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=167722#p167722 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Training Centers
Re: Training Centers Thought Id throw in my 2 cents here, for what its worth. I, too, have not faired too well as of late when it comes to formal orientationmobility instruction. Apparently the voc/rehab agency here in the Land of Lincoln thinks that one would need a good paying job in order to receive any formal OM instruction from them. A few years ago I did get an OM instructor out here, but she was only able to give me a few lessons which--now that Ive had time to think things through--were not very effective. I ended up going through my states Client Assistance Program in order to get her out here. The CAP representative assigned to me was actually very sympathetic and she understood where I was coming from. But other than that, I have had no formal OM instruction for several years. In fact the last instructor who worked with me, prior to a few years ago, was when I attended a local community college not long after graduating high school. I graduated high school in 1994, so this was probably in about 1996. That instructor was quite good, but he was only able to work with me briefly. So now whenever I need to get somewhere that isnt within walking distance of my building and that requires a street crossing, I take ADA paratransit. The paratransit service here has greatly improved from what it used to be, but still it is not perfect. Although the hours for the reservation lines have been extended, they are still only taken just 1 day in advance and it can get rather difficult to secure a trip reservation. The service has limited hours on weekends, and there are frequently activities which I want to attend outside my building. A lot of times nobody will be available to drive me or their schedules are so tight that it is a bit inconvenient for them. Ive been told I cant take the trains by myself due to balance issues. This hasnt happened much thus far, but occasionally Ive had drivers who got a bit lost taking me to my destinations. Nevermind that I lack the skills to tell them how to get unlost. Nobody seems to be too concerned about that except for yours truly. I have a cell phone and take it with me on these paratransit trips in the unlikely event that I do get dropped off at a wrong location. I do have a life-skills tutor who has gone places with me, but he also works with others in my building. Plus he has another job now in addition to this one, and his truck bit the bullet not long ago. Another area in which Ive had little to absolutely no formal instruction is cooking, so my tutor does that for me. Luckily he is a great cook and doesnt mind doing it, but the VR agency has offered little if any assistance in this regard. I have a George Foreman grill complete with Braille manual and I used that a lot when I lived downstairs in this building. But my roommate down there always took up almost all the counter space with his stuff, and the grill and accompanying manual are now back at my parents house. I believe Ive mentioned that funding here in Illinois is sorely lacking, and nothing is being done about it.scotf2012 wrote:For right now, all I really need out of a blindness center is cane travel/mobility, and lots of it. I seriously would be content waking up and spending all day, every day, for a few months, just working on mobility cane travel, since my skills are seriously that bad. A combination of bad instructors for a few years, followed by no instruction for a few years, followed by more bad instruction leaves me in a pretty bad place. I have no idea how, for instance, public transportation works around here, or anywhere, for that matter. Dont ask me how to cross a street safely, because I dont know. As you can tell, serious issues, and I have no idea what to do about it.I figured a center could also help me with other blindness skills, too, like general stuff to do around your house, cooking, etc. Since I already know braille inside and out, I figured I could learn print – that might prove useful. But I have no idea what center to go to, Id prefer something for as long as possible, like the 9-month NFB ones...But as you say, theres no real information. And nobody around here even listens to what I have to say. Interrupt college for some blindness bullshit? No way! Even though this blindness bullshit as they call it is really damn important and useful.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=167722#p167722 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Training Centers
Re: Training Centers Well put. Regarding those liquid-level indicators, I have one. My mom ordered it when I was still living with my parents, and it is very good although I think it needs a new battery one of these years. I honestly dont use it much anymore though, since I have good sensitivity in my fingers and can just judge liquids that way when pouring them or getting water directly from the sink. With regards to technology training, I did have a little bit of formal training several years ago and it was very good. But I have since just taught myself various things. I just got a Mac Book Air with Voiceover, and have been utilizing the online resources that are out there such as Apple Vis and the Serotalk Podcast Network. Blind Cool Tech was a very good one too, but it doesnt seem to be active anymore. In addition, Ive been helping a sister out with her Mac Book Air. She is also a Voiceover user. Our local Apple store has been great too, but it is obviously crowded with shoppers and therefore the training offered is probably not ideal. But aside from that, there is nothing. The Hadley School for the Blind is an excellent resource, but they currently dont have any Apple training available.Dark wrote:Wel Cae, specialist schools as you know I have experiences ofand while theoretically I suppose there could be some good ones, both my own experiences and the after effects Ive noticed on others I know have been pretty dire, so I agree with you on those. while I dont like the sound of the Nfbs attitude or methodology, I equally cant say anything concrete beyond that having had no direct experience of the organization itself, ditto with the wsb people you mention. Regarding training however, I personally would recommend not planning on being entirely dependent upon sighted minians sinse A, as you said its hard to find people, and B, unless your directly paying people for the the job you have no reasonable control over their working schedule or format without being a git.Its sort of the difference between ordering a taxi to come at a time you! want, and getting a lift from a friend with a car, who is on their own schedule, might turn up whenever etc. Plus of course, I personally always feel if I am asking someone to do things for me out of the goodness of their heart simply because I have disfunctional eyeballs, I am being a bad friend and presuming upon their good will.this is why even if I need a job doing by a sighted person and I employ a friend to do it, I will always pay them, indeed this weekend having just bought the Ds9 box set, I will ask my friend who I have regularly employed as a research assistant to read the dvds for me so I can label them with my penfriend. We will have a chat, and itll be really nice to see her, she has even stated she wouldnt mind doing the job for nothing, but in order that A, I feel I can ask her without being a git, and B, that I can ask her precisely how I want things doing on my terms, I insist upon paying her slightly over minimum wage rate.I totally agree trying things is the best way, however Regarding cooking, kevla gloves are a good thing to have. Being gloves you lose no manual dexterity, but being kevla there is literally no chance of you burning your hands even if you directly touch the sides of the hot oven or the top rings, which is very handy for confidence. I would also suggest you get a liquid level indicator if you dont have one already to get used to pouring hot liquids and using the kettle even if you decide you can live without it later on. Your suggestion of getting a basic intro to things then trying to expand yourself is a good one. Just this week I had my mum stand behind me while I experimented with a wok, sinse Id like to start doing stir fry. I dont know about the Us, but in the Uk there are various local blind organizations for each county, and usually these have a person (usually a blind person), working for them whos express job is to show basic skills or technology to people. Obviously these vary according to the individual and how good their personal teaching skills and ability to be flexible are, but still if your looking for a basic intro to something I wonder if something like that is available. When I was looking into getting an Iphone, I very much wanted to try one first, and to have some hands on advice from someone who used vo. Id heard various stories, both from people who loved Vo and from people who couldnt live with the touch screen, and because buying an Iphone would require a big sack of cash, I wanted to be certain I knew what I was getting and could be sure Id be able to use the thing. I arranged a demo from the local soceity for the blind in Nottingham, and got a guy who was actually very good, who basically just sat with me for an hour while I played with his Iphone, answering my questions, which helped a lot. As I said, I dont know if that sort of basic, individual, one off stuff is available in the us, but if
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Things you really miss?
Re: Things you really miss? Hi everyone. I havent been on here for a little while, but Ill get to that. Anyway, one thing I miss is Klango. Although it became rather infested with spam in its final days and even prior to that, it was an awesome piece of software. Oh how I wish it could be brought back from the dead. Another piece of software which I miss is SAMNet, the System Access Mobile Network. Actually, I was able to log into my SAMNet account last week but my entire website disappeared. Im working on a new one, and hopefully my account will stay active even though I am now a Mac user. My parents threatened to have my SAMNet account shut down, possibly due to finances and the like. But Im going to talk with them about that. As far as places I miss, I really miss Pennsylvania. I used to live in Hummelstown and then Hershey, and I have a lot of fond memories of those days. For instance, I miss Hershey Park and Hershey Chocolate World, and Friendlys! For those of you who have never been to Friendlys, it is a restaurant chain which Im told only exists on the East Coast. A friend and former baby-sitter worked at the one I think in Hershey. She is now married and at a different job. But shed always get us free food. Now back to the Mac and my reason for not posting here in a little while. Ive been reading up on how to install and run Windows on here, and it seems like Bootcamp just might be the way to go even though it is somewhat inaccessible at present. Dont get me wrong, I love my Mac and Voiceover. But I also want to run Windows on here, so that I can keep up to date with things and what not.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=167293#p167293 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Things you really miss?
Re: Things you really miss? I definitely agree with those of you who miss the technology of days gone by. My first computer was an AppleIIE with the Echo speech synthesizer and Textalker. I got a kick out of that thing! I remember playing games such as Madlibs, Lemonade Stand and the list goes on. I also miss the past days of radio. I vividly remember one of my fascinations was listening to the names and voices of various radio personalities, and whenever there was a fill-in host for whatever reason Id eagerly await the return of the person who was a regular in a given time slot. I also remember there used to be a columnist in one of the local newspapers here in Chicago, who had a weekly segment on different events in commercial radio. For some reason I was just fascinated with those details. I read about the Echo emulator that is currently out. At some point I might try and get it, but Im by no means an advanced programmer so if and when I do use the emulator I think Ill at least need assi stance setting it up.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=167346#p167346 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Mac verses Windows
Re: Mac verses Windows Hey everyone. I thought Id come back here and give my initial opinion(s) on the Mac using Voiceover. I got a Mac Book Air on the 27th of December which is 2 days after Christmas, and Ive been having some fun. I really like it thus far, and Voiceover is quite good. I havent yet figured out everything on here, but I think Ive done enough to at least give a first impression. I am thinking about running Windows via Bootcamp sometime when I get good enough on here. Ive gone on the Apple Vis website a lot, and love what they have to offer. Additionally, the people at my local Apple store have been very helpful. I called yesterday to get help activating my Apple ID, and the support specialist was wonderful.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=161815#p161815 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] finally 2014 HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Re: finally 2014 HAPPY NEW YEAR! Id also like to wish you all the very best in 2014! I know the new years just begun, but already its been good for me except for the weather. But we wont talk about that here, roflmao! I got my Mac on Friday and have started the learning process. So far so good, and I am very impressed with Voiceover. I know I still have a good deal of learning to do, but over time I will be good to go. I spent both New Years Eve and yesterday here in my apartment building.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=160371#p160371 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] It's this time of the year again
Re: It's this time of the year again Well, Id have to say 2013 has been a pretty good year for me too. I recently had 2 separate surgeries which went great. Id be happy to share the details with anyone, just send me a pm and Ill write back. I dont want to disclose this information publicly though. Ill just say they went as expected, and both surgeons gave very positive reports. I think the surgeries were probably the only major events for me in 2013. But Im going to an Apple store in the morning with my parents and a sister to look at Macs. My mom called a local store this afternoon to make an appointment with someone, but they told here that we could just come and someone would help us out. I actually did get to try out Voiceover briefly this morning on a sisters Mac laptop. Neither of us really knew what we were doing, myself because this was my first time actually getting to try out Voiceover. This sister is fully sighted, so she doesnt need it and was therefore not familiar with it either. But she got it going, and it wasnt bad at all. So I think thats something else that went well this year. I had a great Christmas yesterday with my family, though it was rather hectic because of all the running around by the kids. But I got some nice gifts, and this Mac will be awesome. Oh and last but certainly not least, I successfully registered on this website and on Apple Vis! Im always a bit skeptical of these website registration forms, but Im happy to report that both worked great for me. Heres to a most prosperous and productive 2014 for everybody!URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=159693#p159693 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Blogging Software
Re: Blogging Software If youre a Serotek customer and wish to set up your own blog and/or website, theyve got you covered. Thats the platform Im using for my main website and blog, and Ive found it to be awesome in terms of accessibility. But like I mentioned, the catch is that you have to be a Serotek customer. http://www.my-diary.org is also very good, and thats what I use for my other website. The Klango blogging software wasnt bad either, but I dont think that platform is up to date anymore since Klango is no longer being worked on. Tabulas is also pretty good in terms of accessibility but rather cluttered.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=158931#p158931 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Birthday contest!
Re: Birthday contest! Happy happy birthday to you, and many many more to come! My birthday is coming up towards the end of January, and I hope! to have my Mac by then. This desktop machine is really starting to get on my nerves! I want to have a much better computing life, like before. But anyway, feliz cumplean~os a ti, en tu dia feliz!URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=158390#p158390 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] CDesk by AdaptiveVoice
Re: CDesk by AdaptiveVoice I have never used CDesk, but it was recommended for a sister of mine by an adaptive technology trainer at the new branch of the Chicago Lighthouse. But nobody ever followed up with that. I did read the AccessWorld article about it. I think the AccessWorld team does a great job with their product evaluations. Theyre very detailed, and non-biased. My sister and I are both receiving Mac computers hopefully very soon though.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=158391#p158391 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] CDesk by AdaptiveVoice
Re: CDesk by AdaptiveVoice Good on you for giving both NVDA and System Access a try. They are both great, although I havent yet been able to check out the latest and greatest version of NVDA. Hopefully that time will come though when I get my Mac. System Access is quite good though, and I love SAMNet. One of the customer service people for Serotek knew me and my parents ages ago, but I forget how exactly we met. It mightve been through Easter Seals, Im not sure. But she wasnt working for Serotek back then because they didnt even exist.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=158444#p158444 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Using Virtual Box with Mac OS X and VoiceOver
Re: Using Virtual Box with Mac OS X and VoiceOver Well then! I guess I know at least one thing to steer clear of, lol! All kidding aside though, this is helpful information. I, too, am getting a Mac of some form hopefully for Christmas or my birthday and Im so excited! As a matter of fact, now that I think about it I wonder if this accessibility issue with Virtual Box has been submitted to Apple Vis? Last I checked on their site, I saw something about advocating for better accessibility of products.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=158150#p158150 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Possible Problem with Registration on the Applevis Website
Re: Possible Problem with Registration on the Applevis Website Sebby wrote:Unless somethings changed since I last tried, you dont have to do anything special to start posting. I know that the community has had a bit of a spam problem recently, so maybe this is one of the manifestations; if you dont get some response from the subscription process for a bit, make sure you check your email junk folder, and if that doesnt work, Id get in touch with them. Thanks for your reply. I did contact the support team and received a reply this morning. Apparently theyve had email provider issues over the past few days. I have looked over their Apple training resources though and the site seems pretty extensive.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=157967#p157967 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
[Audiogames-reflector] Possible Problem with Registration on the Applevis Website
Possible Problem with Registration on the Applevis Website Hi everyone. Yesterday afternoon I registered on the Applevis site, because I want to get the ball rolling regarding this whole getting a Mac thing. The form worked great, and I was prompted to check my email for a confirmation message. However, no message has come yet. I tried resetting my password but that didnt work either. I would be happy to contact the website team over there, but I would first like to ask this here just in case Im being rather impatient with things. Does someone have to manually confirm my registration before I am allowed to post on their site? Just curious about this, since most if not all other website registrations Ive had to do email a confirmation right away. Thanks in advance for anybodys assistance on this.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=157776#p157776 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] According to my research, blindness training statistically irrelevant
Re: According to my research, blindness training statistically irrelevant Another very interesting topic indeed, and one which has aroused a great deal of curiosity in me over the years. Regarding this whole training thing, I honestly dont know what to think anymore. It does seem to vary widely in terms of both quantity and quality depending on where one lives. At least I have found this to be the case here in Illinois. While were on the subject, Id like to point out that Illinois is and has been ranked at or near the very bottom in serving people with disabilities. Im not just talking blindness and visual impairment here, but all types of disabilities. The even sadder thing is that virtually nothing has been done about this statistic. At least 3 past governors were thrown out of office for things which they fowled up on, and yet the state legislature cant seem to come to grips with this service delivery thing. The legislature voted unanimously to have former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich thrown out of office. Im talking all 59 members, some Democratic and some Republican. I even remember the days on which this all took place. I even blogged about it on my previous blog. But enough about that for now. I actually had some training provided through the state, but now that I have had time to think things over Ive come to the realization that a lot of said training wasnt that great. Im referring mainly to the orientationmobility training which I most recently received. Please see the previous posts of mine for more on this. Regarding healthcare, I am currently under my parents healthcare plan, and I think I will be at least for the foreseeable future. This doesnt seem to be sitting too well with at least one person. Im not naming names here. I think she knows who she is. Nobody on this site though. Ill just say that I have had nothing but positive interactions with all medical professionals with whom Ive come into contact, and my hospita l stays were all handled extremely well. I think a big part of this has to do with my father having worked in the medical profession for several years. In addition, a sister of mine is now a nurse practitioner. So if people have a problem with that, then I guess thats their own fault.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=157665#p157665 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Most butiful song you'll ever hear.
Re: Most butiful song you'll ever hear. I was only able to hear part of the song, but it sounds cool indeed. Hopefully Ill be getting that new computer sooner rather than later, so that I can finally put an end to all these problems. Im counting down the days! While we are on the topic of beautiful music, last night at the gift exchange here in my building I got the latest album of Straight No Chaser. They are an a capella group that was founded at Indiana University in Bloomington. The reason I bring them up here is because their harmony is spot-on, making for some truly wonderful music. You can check them out at their official website, http://www.sncmusic.com and on YouTube. There is also a blog at http://www.sncfanchat.blogspot.com which features interviews with the guys. I have not yet listened to the CD, but I actually did hear a few clips from the album. It sounds amazing indeed!URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=157507#p157507 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Most butiful song you'll ever hear.
Re: Most butiful song you'll ever hear. I was only able to hear part of the song, but it sounds cool indeed. Hopefully Ill be getting that new computer sooner rather than later, so that I can finally put an end to all these problems. Im counting down the days! While we are on the topic of beautiful music, last night at the gift exchange here in my building I got the latest album of Straight No Chaser. They are an a capella group that was founded at Indiana University in Bloomington. The reason I bring them up here is because their harmony is spot-on, making for some truly wonderful music. You can check them out at their official website, http://www.sncmusic.com and on YouTube. There is also a blog and podcast at http://www.sncfanchat.blogspot.com which features interviews with the guys. I have not yet listened to the CD, but I actually did hear a few clips from the album. It sounds amazing indeed!URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=157507#p157507 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] what is your favourite events and periods of your life
Re: what is your favourite events and periods of your life Well, I will at least give 2 of them. The first was when I graduated high school back in 1994. It felt really good to walk across that stage and receive my diploma, in Braille and print mind you! The other time was in the summer of 2004, when I moved out of my parents house into my own apartment which I shared with a former neighbor. He was honestly not the best of roommates, because he was extremely moody all the time. But it feels great to be independent. There are still things with which I need help, but I think thats par for the course.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=157321#p157321 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] New ESpeak voices
Re: New ESpeak voices Cool! Cant wait to try these out, when I get my Mac variant. I say variant because I dont know as of this writing which type of Mac my parents are getting me. But itll be a learning experience for sure, and thats a good thing. Ill post a second reply when I figure all this stuff out.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=157190#p157190 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Nvda and reading webpages.
Re: Nvda and reading webpages. Kinda forgot about that setting, but then again my use of NVDA has been rather sporadic. I like the links on the same line as other text, but Ill investigate that setting.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=157192#p157192 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Winamp going to heavens on 20th of December 2013
Re: Winamp going to heavens on 20th of December 2013 Well, I have bookmarked the Save Winamp website and just signed the petition I think last week. To the forum owners credit, he got right back to me when I wrote him regarding their inaccessible CAPTCHA. He even offered to set up my account for me, but I am unsure whether I want to participate in their forum, not because of the CAPTCHA but because of too many off-topic and poorly-written posts. But Im still giving it some consideration.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=157194#p157194 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] JROTC, Anyone?
Re: JROTC, Anyone? Ive never gone through one but I think my brother-in-law did. I think he liked it okay too.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=157202#p157202 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] childhood scares?
Re: childhood scares? So glad this topic came up, because I have been wanting to tell about 2 certain recurring dreams that I used to have. If my tutor comes in a few minutes Ill edit this post. But anyway, first to answer your question. I used to be particularly frightened of the sounds made by the Speak n Spell and the Speak n Math at my parents house, when the batteries needed replacing. I honestly thought for some odd reason, that the voice inside the Speak n Spell would come out of there and bite me. I remember the pitch of the thing went continuously up, and then eventually it made a sort of spitting and scratching sound. The Speak n Math got all fuzzy when his batteries went, and he sounded as though he was in the shower talking to himself. It was very weird I admit, but there you go. Now to the dreams that I mentioned. One was of my bed spinning around slowly in midair. The other was of this plastic lion that stood guard at my shut bedroom door at night, but he was actually really friendly. Ive never been able to see anything but light and dark, so I therefore cant tell you any other stories of being afraid. Regarding thunder, I have always found it to be rather peaceful. I love storms, not snowstorms but the other kind. Another sound I always liked was sirens, such as those of ambulances. Not that people getting burned is a good thing, but I always really liked the sound and still do.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=156906#p156906 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] childhood scares?
Re: childhood scares? Forgot to mention that I was also scared of the fire alarm at one of the elementary schools I attended back in Pennsylvania. Apparently I was so scared of it that some of the staff--including an itinerant teacher of mine--saw fit to record several instances of the alarm on cassette and send me home with it. I had to basically sit right in front of the tape thing and listen to it uninterrupted, so that I could be de-sensitized. @Kamochek, I cant remember much about the spinning bed dream, other than the slow motion.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=156914#p156914 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] childhood scares?
Re: childhood scares? Forgot to mention that I was also scared of the fire alarm at one of the elementary schools I attended back in Pennsylvania. Apparently I was so scared of it that some of the staff--including an itinerant teacher of mine--saw fit to record several instances of the alarm on cassette and send me home with it. I had to basically sit right in front of the tape thing and listen to it uninterrupted, so that I could be de-sensitized. Then as I got older, we used to scare a sister of mine to death with that thing. We actually did it as a prank, but we did get busted for it one time by an au pair who was working for my folks. @Kamochek, I cant remember much about the spinning bed dream, other than the slow motion.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=156914#p156914 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] accessible powerpoint software?
Re: accessible powerpoint software? Seroteks Accessible Event is said to be quite good too for Powerpoint access, although I havent used it so Im not going to speak from experience. But that is what Ive read. I know about the improvements that have been made in NVDA, but I havent been able to use the latest and greatest release yet. It sounds exciting indeed though.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=156920#p156920 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] The Complete Manual of Suicide?
Re: The Complete Manual of Suicide? I wasnt planning on posting in this thread, but I have recently been thinking about something that occurred several years ago. That is, a voc/rehab person in my state asked me out of the blue if I had ever been suicidal. Let me say for the record, and for claritys sake, that I have never given any thought to ending my life in any way whatsoever. Needless to say this question came as a total shock to me. I responded to this b***h by saying exactly what I said here, i.e., that no I have never been suicidal nor do I wish that on others. I honestly cant help but think what if I had answered yes to her question. Would she have actually gotten me the appropriate help, or would she have just laughed me off, or what? At the time I didnt really think to do anything about this, and I think there were 2 reasons for me not doing anything. The first being that I didnt want to get in trouble. I kinda wanted her to get into trouble, but at the same time I didn t want anyone else--myself included--to get in trouble. The second reason, perhaps somewhat related, is that I didnt think anything would have been done about it. I thought that more than likely, if I had reported her she wouldve simply gotten a slap on the wrist and told not to do that sort of thing again. Thoughts anybody? Was I in fact wrong for not reporting her?URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=156947#p156947 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Goodbye Windows XP, i still get nistalgic over you.
Re: Goodbye Windows XP, i still get nistalgic over you. Im writing this from my sisters computer at our folks house, and the computer is running Windows Xp. At least it was a little bit ago. I am currently logged into my System Access Mobile Network account, and everythings working flawlessly with the exception of a couple hardware issues. But the speakers that are hooked up here were mine back in 1995,. I really liked Xp, and I think its unfortunate that Microsoft is pulling the plug on it. However, my personal experience with both Windows Vista and Windows 7 hasnt been bad aside from some technical issues here and there which Ive mentioned.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=156760#p156760 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Winamp going to heavens on 20th of December 2013
Re: Winamp going to heavens on 20th of December 2013 Ive never used iTunes so cant comment on that. If memory serves me, it is accessible though with System Access and JAWS on the Windows side. I have, however, used Foobar2000 and it didnt work that great for me. Dont know why though, perhaps I was using an incompatible version or something. But I might try it out again at some point. I love the name. For some reason it reminds me of one of those cereal bars, and I really like those. Or perhaps some sort of medication? Anyway, Ill definitely check out the petition but I think these days open-source is good.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=156308#p156308 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] dectalk.com is down?
Re: dectalk.com is down? As long as were talking DECtalk, I thought Id post this here. Feel free to move it or whatever though. But Snoopi Botten is having a Black Friday sale on his CDs. Thats right--Pastor Snoopi. Check out his website for all the details plus some other cool stuff. Go to http://www.theflameofhope.co . I might purchase these myself, depending on what my parents have to say. They currently handle most of my financial matters.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=156127#p156127 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Freedom Scientific Gets a New CEO
Re: Freedom Scientific Gets a New CEO Well I was finally able to listen to that episode of FSCast. It does sound like Mr. Blake has some interesting experiences, and he certainly sounded sincere. As usual, Jonathan did a stellar job with the interview.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=156149#p156149 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Computer hardware upgrades and tinkering question
Re: Computer hardware upgrades and tinkering question I have never done this, because people keep telling me that its too technical. The thing is though, I have been wanting to learn more about this stuff for awhile. Ive been to the CAVI website and they seem to have a lot of useful material, but its just too expensive for me to afford on my own. Several years ago at a rehab facility here in the Chicago area, my computer instructor showed us a few motherboards and some other things from some computers which he disassembled. He was honestly one of the best and friendliest instructors there. But last I heard he got charged with some sort of sex crime and is no longer working at the facility. But other than that, I havent tinkered around by myself inside a computer. As Im typing this though I cant help thinking to myself about the motherboard in my Dell laptop, and just what it looks like now that its fried.URL: http:/ /forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=155822#p155822 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] things to consider when perchaseing a laptop?
Re: things to consider when perchaseing a laptop? Im wondering if any of you have or have ever had a Toshiba laptop and if so, how was your experience with it? By that I mean did it accommodate your assistive technology all right? Im asking because thats the brand Im supposedly getting to replace my Dell laptop. But Im quite honestly beginning to wonder if Im ever getting the Toshiba at all. I think I might as well just take matters into my own hands at this point. I mean, either finding someone to replace the motherboard in my Dell, or just asking my parents to intervene here.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=155845#p155845 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Dance my ass off a free colaborational music album
Re: "Dance my ass off" a free colaborational music album I just voted Yes, but I have not actually been able to download the full album yet as Ive been having computer issues. I think at this point Im just gonna take matters into my own hands regarding that though. Ive been having problems on both machines now, and this is silly. But having said that, I was able to listen to the sample clips and I love them. Cant wait to finally download your full album!URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=155847#p155847 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] NV Talk! - NonVisual Desktop Access, On AudioGames.net
Re: NV Talk! - NonVisual Desktop Access, On AudioGames.net Yeah, I saw that earlier today on their website. I only hope Ill be able to try it out before years end, either on the Dell laptop I currently own if I can find someone who can replace the motherboard, or on the refurbished Toshiba laptop that Im supposedly? receiving. Allow me to clarify something I said in my last post in this thread. What seems to be happening is that the saved config settings will work just fine for about a day or so, then the settings revert back. I was out of town over the weekend at a family function, and when I returned yesterday shortly before suppertime, I booted up my desktop PC to get caught up on email and what not. This of course after I had unpacked everything. The voice settings were exactly the way I left them on Friday before my father picked me up. But then when I started NVDA this morning, the settings were different again. So somethings most definitely not right with my desktop machine, because the config settings and a ll worked fine on my Dell laptop.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=155737#p155737 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Site or software to create a blog
Re: Site or software to create a blog I didnt know WordPress had a mobile site, but Ill definitely check it out. The platform on which my current and probably future blog is hosted is completely accessible. It is part of the System Access Mobile Network, which is an optional add-on to Seroteks line of products. Im not sure of the technical details of their website/blogging platform, but all the admin settings are fully accessible. This includes the administration of blog comments, and commenting on other SAMNet blogs etc. Try posting a comment or two on my blog and youll see what I mean. The price is right too, because everything is included in whichever payment plan the user chooses when they first become a Serotek customer.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=155480#p155480 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] JAWS 15 in beta. let's debate how bad it is???
Re: JAWS 15 in beta. let's debate how bad it is??? Thanks for your help. I do in fact know about that factory defaults option and have tried it, but it wont work on this machine. I think this desktop machine is perhaps on its last leg or if not, its almost there. One thing Ive given some thought to in the past few days is having one of the new life-skills tutors on staff here look at both my machines and just see if theres anything he can do. He will be filling in for my regular life-skills tutor in about a week or so. This new guy used to teach JAWS, and it sounds like he is pretty adept at computers. Either that or a next-door neighbors friend who is also a tech person.flyby chow wrote:hi jgeek, tip there is an way to reset NVDA to its default config. and clear all custome configs u made to it. no addons wil be remooved, it wil just forget your settings u made. that should solve it? i had some weard issues on my machine once, and i cleared the co nfig using a hot key build in to NVDA and it worked like a charmURL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=155378#p155378 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Think this will get sighted people's interest?
Re: Think this will get sighted people's interest? I think this is an excellent idea, and I have indeed done this sort of thing before. I think the first time I did this kind of thing was back in about late 1999. I was working at a nonprofit organization focused on creating awareness of people with disabilities. This was done by matching a person with a disability with a non-disabled person to form one-on-one friendships. We had organization chapters in several states, and some of those chapters might still be in existence but Im not sure. The main office, which was in my city, ceased operation in about mid-2001. Anyway, I didnt go on most of these visits due to health concerns, but the ones which I did go on were a blast. These chapters were mainly on college campuses, but some were more based out in the rest of the community. Besides helping to present the organization as a whole, I would often talk about what its like being blind. One of our activities which I always looked forward to was a game called Q uarter Mile Quarter Plop. I think the name pretty much sums it up. Quarters were placed at every mile mark on a track, and the person who collected the most quarters won. I also did this once for a Webelos Scout troop, and Ive done similar things as part of another nonprofit for which I volunteer. It is an organization called JJs List. Our website is and has been a work in progress, and will hopefully! be updated again soon. Im honestly rather skeptical about that though. I dont think Ive ever had a negative experience when doing this. Everyone has always been very open and welcoming, and in turn I try to be as open and welcoming as possible. After all, the only stupid question is one that is not asked. I am very comfortable with my blindness and I want others to feel comfortable around me.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=155384#p155384 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Think this will get sighted people's interest?
Re: Think this will get sighted people's interest? I think this is an excellent idea, and I have indeed done this sort of thing before. I think the first time I did this kind of thing was back in about late 1999. I was working at a nonprofit organization focused on creating awareness of people with disabilities. This was done by matching a person with a disability with a non-disabled person to form one-on-one friendships. We had organization chapters in several states, and some of those chapters might still be in existence but Im not sure. The main office, which was in my city, ceased operation in about mid-2001. Anyway, I didnt go on most of these visits due to health concerns, but the ones which I did go on were a blast. These chapters were mainly on college campuses, but some were more based out in the rest of the community. Besides helping to present the organization as a whole, I would often talk about what its like being blind. One of our activities which I always looked forward to was a game called Q uarter Mile Quarter Plop. I think the name pretty much sums it up. Quarters were placed at every mile mark on a track, and the person who collected the most quarters won. I also did this once for a Webelos Scout troop, and Ive done similar things as part of another nonprofit for which I volunteer. It is an organization called JJs List. Our website is and has been a work in progress, and will hopefully! be updated again soon. Im honestly rather skeptical about that though. But anyone please feel free to check us out online at http://www.jjslist.com . I dont think Ive ever had a negative experience when doing this. Everyone has always been very open and welcoming, and in turn I try to be as open and welcoming as possible. After all, the only stupid question is one that is not asked. I am very comfortable with my blindness and I want others to feel comfortable around me.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=155384#p155384 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Site or software to create a blog
Re: Site or software to create a blog I dont know which screen readers either of you use, but my current blog and website are hosted on the System Access Mobile Network. This is part of System Access, which is one of the screen readers I use. All the website and blog settings are completely accessible and straightforward. Never knew there was a mobile site for Wordpress, but Ill definitely check it out. Several blogs hosted on WordPress that Ive commented on havent been the greatest in terms of accessibility, but perhaps thats slowly changing.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=155388#p155388 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] The Complete Manual of Suicide?
Re: The Complete Manual of Suicide? I wasnt going to say anything on this thread, but somehow I feel the need to do so. I was once asked if I was ready to check out of life. Before going any further, let me assure you all that I have never been suicidal. I know people who have thought about it and in one case a member of my church who actually took her own life. I never actually knew her, but I know her husband and son. But I remember the situation like it was yesterday or just a few days ago. I was at home having lunch with a sister of mine when the phone rang. I was still living with my parents at the time. I walked over to answer the phone, and it was the voc/rehab counselor I had at the time. His supervisor was on the call too, and she had previously been my counselor. For whatever reason the government saw fit to promote her within the rehab agency. Anyway, the purpose of their call was to chew me out for writing them a letter in which I expressed the need for more equipment for them. Or perha ps it was services, I cant quite remember. But then they called back after I phoned another supervisor to basically report that I wasnt happy with their services. That second phone call is when I was asked about suicide. Now Im not a professional counselor of any sort, but I want to urge anyone who is feeling these sort of thoughts, to seek professional and maybe medical help right away. I think this has been stated already in the topic. Thats all I wish to say on the matter.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=155383#p155383 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Think this will get sighted people's interest?
Re: Think this will get sighted people's interest? Thought I had replied to this topic earlier but oh well. This is an excellent idea, and I have in fact done it before. I used to do it pretty often for a nonprofit disability-related organization for where I worked. We had chapters in several states mostly on college campuses, but some were more community-based. I worked in the main office, which happened to be only a few minutes by car from me. In addition, I was asked to speak along with a friend who has cerebral palsy. We spoke to a class of sixth-graders who were doing some sort of service-learning project. My friends mom drove us there and back, and she helped out where needed during the presentation. I also spoke at a Webelos den meeting, and demonstrated Braille as well as some other things. I currently do something similar for a volunteer-run nonprofit organization where I help out with social media. We run trainings about disability awareness from time to time, and theyre always great fun. Ive never had a negative experience doing any of these presentations. I am and have always been very comfortable with my blindness itself, and I firmly believe that the only stupid question is the one not asked. BTW, feel free to check us out online at http://www.jjslist.com . This site is a work in progress. Due to funding issues we have thus far been unable to make a lot of the changes we want or have them made for us. For instance, the backend of our site is currently not accessible with screen readers.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=155393#p155393 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Think this will get sighted people's interest?
Re: Think this will get sighted people's interest? Thought I had replied to this topic earlier but oh well. This is an excellent idea, and I have in fact done it before. I used to do it pretty often for a nonprofit disability-related organization where I worked. We had chapters in several states mostly on college campuses, but some were more community-based. I worked in the main office, which happened to be only a few minutes by car from me. In addition, I was asked to speak along with a friend who has cerebral palsy. We spoke to a class of sixth-graders who were doing some sort of service-learning project. My friends mom drove us there and back, and she helped out where needed during the presentation. I also spoke at a Webelos den meeting, and demonstrated Braille as well as some other things. I currently do something similar for a volunteer-run nonprofit organization where I help out with social media. We run trainings about disability awareness from time to time, and theyre always great fun. Ive never had a ne gative experience doing any of these presentations. I am and have always been very comfortable with my blindness itself, and I firmly believe that the only stupid question is the one not asked. BTW, feel free to check us out online at http://www.jjslist.com . This site is a work in progress. Due to funding issues we have thus far been unable to make a lot of the changes we want or have them made for us. For instance, the backend of our site is currently not accessible with screen readers.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=155393#p155393 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] JAWS 15 in beta. let's debate how bad it is???
Re: JAWS 15 in beta. let's debate how bad it is??? Well, guess Im kinda glad I dont use JAWS anymore. Back in the summer of 1999 I started volunteering at a nonprofit organization that was disability-related. They no longer exist, but for a different reason. I think money played a big part though in their folding. But anyway... ...A friend of mine was on staff there at the time and he grandfathered me in, think thats the right term. So they wanted to put a screen reader on this one laptop so that I could use it. But for whatever reason, the only thing that was made available to us was a demo copy of Window-Eyes. The adaptive technology person who was working at the Chicago Lighthouse at the time, was kind enough to send along a Braille quick reference guide for Window-Eyes. I found this especially helpful, as up to that point the only screen reader I knew was JAWS. I spent some time getting acquainted with Window-Eyes, and then I was able to do the tasks assigned to me. But the laptop ended up dying, which I thin k must be a somewhat common thing these days given whats happened to me and others. So anyway, a full copy of JAWS was eventually ordered and sent by mail. It took a bit of time, but it finally arrived. It was a dumbed-down copy though. No matter what I did, none of the settings could be changed and it was kinda boring. So as I said I no longer use JAWS, unless I am at my parents house and Im helping out my sister on her computer. The 2 screen readers I currently use--and will most likely use from this day on--are NVDA and System Access. Those of you who havent tried out System Access, should definitely do so. SA to Go is their free screen reader which is launched from the Internet. Other than SA to Go, Serotek products are not free but believe me its worth every penny. I wont spend anymore time gushing over SA, but its worked great for me and yes they do actually listen to their customers and it shows. NVDA is also an excellent choice. I ca nt believe that in this day and age, voc/rehab agencies have the balls to say that NVDA isnt worth a thing. Heck, it doesnt seem like they even know about Serotek. Or if they do, wheres the proof? The only reason I havent been using NVDA more--and I know Ive mentioned this elsewhere here--is that somethings messed up with the config settings on my desktop machine. Im supposed to be getting another laptop, I think? Anyway, Im done for now.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=155222#p155222 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] The Death Of ScreenReader Innovation an article by former FS employee
Re: The Death Of ScreenReader Innovation an article by former FS employee Thought this and another one of Mr. Hofstaders entries were posted elsewhere on here, but oh well. I wont reiterate here the comments I posted on his blog because I think people can just read them at their leisure. But suffice it to say I honestly have to agree with him, for the most part. I have frequently spent time at my folks house for various things, and a sister of mine who is visually-impaired lives there. She is a JAWS user, and I have been helping her out with various computer-related tasks. I can honestly say that I have been less than impressed with the overall functionality of these most recent JAWS versions. For example, it seems that just to change a voice setting now requires multiple somewhat convoluted steps whereas in early versions it was a simple task to adjust all these settings to ones liking. Im by no means saying that my sister should be forever banned from using JAWS again even if she did use another screen reader alongside JA WS, or that anyone else for that matter should be banned from using it. Please note I did say alongside and not in conjunction with, as only one screen reader should be run at a time to avoid mixed messages. At least this is what Ive been told.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=154876#p154876 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] The Death Of ScreenReader Innovation an article by former FS employee
Re: The Death Of ScreenReader Innovation an article by former FS employee Thought this and another one of Mr. Hofstaders entries were posted elsewhere on here, but oh well. I wont reiterate here the comments I posted on his blog because I think people can just read them at their leisure. But suffice it to say I honestly have to agree with him, for the most part. I have frequently spent time at my folks house for various things, and a sister of mine who is visually-impaired lives there. She is pretty much a beginning JAWS user, and I have been helping her out with various computer-related tasks. I can honestly say that I have been less than impressed with the overall functionality of these most recent JAWS versions. For example, it seems that just to change a voice setting now requires multiple somewhat convoluted steps whereas in early versions it was a simple task to adjust all these settings to ones liking. Im by no means saying that my sister should be forever banned from using JAWS again even if she did use another scre en reader alongside JAWS, or that anyone else for that matter should be banned from using it. Please note I did say alongside and not in conjunction with, as only one screen reader should be run at a time to avoid mixed messages. At least this is what Ive been told. Regarding the price of these things, I am of the opinion that FS charges weigh too much for their software. Ive never really used any of their hardware products so cant comment on those. I did own a Braille n Speak and then a Type n Speak, each for a rather brief period of time. They worked very well for me. I love the 2 screen readers Im using now, those being NVDA and System Access to Go with access to my SAMNet account. I have since had computer issues, but those Ive mentioned on here previously. But I really do think both SA and NVDA are the wave of the future. Serotek has some very good purchasing options, and my experiences with their support both vi a phone and email have been very positive. Although there is currently no US-based phone support in place for NVDA, Ive been extremely happy during the short time Ive used it. Regarding the supposed name-dropping, I dont really know what to think. I guess as long as he hasnt said anything bad or untrue about these people, its okay.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=154876#p154876 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] These audio captchas are really becoming nuisances!
Re: These audio captchas are really becoming nuisances! Just added my signature. The blog on my homepage uses a randomized text-based CAPTCHA, but it only comes up if youre commenting as a guest, i.e., if you John Doe were to click on my homepage and leave me a blog comment. The CAPTCHA does not show up for me when I access my blog via the admin settings. Back when GW Micro still had their blog, they used a text-based CAPTCHA which asked only one question. The answer to this question was only known to those familiar with the company. Their blog was taken down though I think a couple years ago. Not exactly sure why, but Im guessing it was due to constant abuse by spammers.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=154916#p154916 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] speech synths in movies?
Re: speech synths in movies? Youre forgetting one very famous occurrence. That is, Hal in 2001: A Space Odyssey, voiced I think by Softvoice. Never watched the movie, just remember hearing a bit about it from various people including my former roommate.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=154062#p154062 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Growing and caring for a beard when blind?
Re: Growing and caring for a beard when blind? I, too, have been known to shave unevenly. A lot of times when Im at my parents house overnight, I ask one of them to either trim my beard themselves or give me a complete shave. If I dont ask and they see that Im looking a bit scruffy, then they automatically assume I want a shave and do it themselves. In addition, friends and neighbors have helped me shave before. I admit this is pure laziness, and it has to do with the fact that I dont often go out in public unless someone sighted is with me. But thats a topic inandof itself. Ill just say that its not per my own choice. But I do have a rechargeable razor here in the pad. Actually I had a real little one that kind of looked like a fish, but I seem to have misplaced that one and have never found it. It was more or less a travel razor. But I use one that my parents bought me a couple summers ago. We were visiting family in the Seattle area, and there was a Meijer store right across f rom the hotel in which we stayed. So my mom and dad went in and picked me up a Remington. But like I said I dont use it unless I am going out somewhere, or Im having visitors. But I too, dont much care for long beards/moustaches as they can and have! gotten in the way of food.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=153920#p153920 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] NV Talk! - NonVisual Desktop Access, On AudioGames.net
Re: NV Talk! - NonVisual Desktop Access, On AudioGames.net NVDA is fantastic! I had it on my Dell laptop, and I also have it on here. But for some reason the config settings havent been saving no matter what I do. Ive had this desktop machine since November of 2007, and some people have told me its probably time to say goodbye to this machine. Or almost time perhaps. But I have used NVDA pretty regularly off and on now for a few years, and I love it. If I could, Id be all too happy to toss a few bucks their way. It looks like theres been a ton of progress with it too, a lot of which I have yet to see. Definitely agree that NVDA measures right up there with the other players, and in some cases perhaps it surpasses them.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=153954#p153954 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] These audio captchas are really becoming nuisances!
Re: These audio captchas are really becoming nuisances! I cant stand most audio CAPTCHAs! I actually did manage to solve one a year or so ago though on the first attempt. It was on a site called Progress Illinois, which appears to be down now anyway. But I think it was something called Molom. It was a series of letters, spoken phonetically by a clear male voice which had a German accent. But one point that hasnt been brought up yet here is that even audio CAPTCHAs are discriminatory. They are discriminatory because people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing cant use them very well if at all. When the website for my volunteer job went live back in March of 2009, we had a discussion forum. This forum was hosted by a third party, and contained a visual-only CAPTCHA with no audio alternative. I immediately notified our website developers and they took the whole thing down. Visual-only CAPTCHAs also discriminate against people with dyslexia and/or other learning disabilities. Me personally, I find the text-ba sed ones easiest to work with. Ive seen a few types of these out there.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=153964#p153964 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] dectalk.com is down?
Re: dectalk.com is down? Yup, thats certainly the correct address. Ive noticed this too, and I have unticked the box that says Make this website available to the public, which is in my website settings. So your guess is as good as mine.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=153843#p153843 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Installing Windows 7 or 8 without sighted assistance
Re: Installing Windows 7 or 8 without sighted assistance I wonder if this will work for a fried motherboard? Or will I have to continue sticking it out until I get the refurbished Toshiba laptop? The reason Im inquiring about this here is because I really! wanna get gaming again! I really dont feel comfortable downloading anything more on this desktop machine at this point. Its awesome that this program features a copy of NVDA, but will I be doing more harm than good by trying to use it to fix my Dell laptop?URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=153847#p153847 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Twitter apps.
Re: Twitter apps. Ive used The Qube before and really like it. But a beta of Easy Chirp 2 has just been released. I have tried it out and it seems to work great. The current URL is http://www.easychirp.org , but once the beta period expires I think it will be transferred back to http://www.easychirp.com . For now there is a redirect link on that site. The interface is a bit different, but all the functionality is still there that was previously available plus more. It is also still free but the developers are accepting donations. If I could Id gladly give them a little something.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=153849#p153849 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Regarding Lack of Formal Independent Outdoor Travel Training
Re: Regarding Lack of Formal Independent Outdoor Travel Training Well, Ive learned some new things about guide dogs just by reading these replies so thank you. My former roommate used a guide dog throughout the last few years of his life. His came from the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, and she worked out very well for the most part. He had to fly out there for training, and he was there for about 2 weeks. To be honest, I was pretty cool with being alone in the apartment throughout the duration of his training. I know that sounds a bit cruel, but he was quite crabby most of the time. Not just to me but to pretty much everybody. He could also be very friendly, but those times were far and few between. In fact, we always called him the loveable kermudgeon. It seemed as though he became a bit more friendly upon returning with the dog. But back to guide dogs. He honestly didnt say much about the training, but he really had a good time. I remember someone from The Hadley School for the Blind came to our apartment before the training, to shoot some photos of him walking around using his cane. Then a little while after the training, a representative from the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind came out to assess the progress. My roommate had some pretty serious health issues though, which made it difficult if not impossible for him to take the dog out for her daily walks and to do her business in our backyard. But our neighbors were always glad to help out with that. One thing I do remember quite well though is that whenever he and the dog were walking together, I couldnt go along because he said it would distract her. He also was extremely careful not to give out her name in public. As a matter of fact he snapped at pretty much anyone who called her by her name. I obviously knew it as he told me right when he came back from training, and the other neighbors knew it. The staff of our organization also knew the dogs name, but I think thats all the people who knew it. Right after his p assing she was taken to live with a nurse who came and helped him out with all the meds, but I think she has since been sent back to the school.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=153177#p153177 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Quality of ADA Paratransit Service in Your Area
Re: Quality of ADA Paratransit Service in Your Area Hi folks. Sorry about that, not sure what exactly happened there. I think my last post was eaten up by my computer, roflmao! I couldnt log into the site all day yesterday, but when checking my email a few moments ago I saw a reply had been posted here, so I tried logging in again and here I am back. Anyways, thanks for your replies. I will definitely read up on the poll mechanism later. Regarding my ADA paratransit experiences, I first registered for the service several years ago and began using it to get to and from classes at a local community college. Back then the service was very lackluster. For one thing, the phone lines were only open for about an hour each morning. This made it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get through and make my ride reservations for the next day. Whats more, I or my mom had to wake up at the crack of dawn to call. I had mostly friendly drivers but there were a couple bad apples mixed in. My rides were seldom on time, and I was t herefore late to school. Fortunately everyone at the college was very understanding about this and the blame was therefore taken off of me. But I had to cut class at the end of most days, and that probably wasnt good. Fast-forward to about a year later, when I took paratransit to and from an office skills course I took at the local lighthouse for the blind. Here again, my morning pick-ups were seldom if ever on time. However, the Lighthouse staff with whom I dealt were not so nice about me arriving late. This despite me making a point of phoning in each morning and leaving a voicemail for the head of the department notifying them in advance of my tardiness. I can remember one time when I was picked up by paratransit almost 4 hours late. The excuse I was given by the passenger who rode with me was that the driver got terribly lost on the way to pick up said passenger. Well, our driver also got terribly lost on the way to the Lighthouse and never even bothered to ask anyone for directions. When we finally did arrive and I was dropped off, I got yelled at by one of the staff and told off. She basically said that it was my responsibility to get there on time, even if the bus was late. Well yeah, it is! my responsibility to be somewhere on time but I have very little control of the buses. I can call to find out my drivers ETA, and thats about it. (ETA = on-time arrival.) Our paratransit service has since seen numerous improvements, including a new contractor who provides the rides for my area. Their on-time performance has fortunately improved drastically. In addition to that, the reservation hours have been extended. However, it is still mandatory that one call only a single day in advance to schedule a trip and ridership has increased. Other states have made it possible for ride reservations to be made more than 1 day in advance, but not Illinois. This in my view is something that needs to be changed. After all, airplane trips must! be booked se veral days in advance and, as a neighbor of mine told me not too long ago, so must Special Olympics events. But I suppose this is just one of those odd things that Illinois--with its phenomenal track record of services to people with disabilities--refuses to change. Please note the sarcasm there, as Illinois is actually ranked at or near rock bottom out of all 50 states plus Puerto Rico. Sorry for my long diatribe, but I just had to vent. Hopefully this isnt too much for the forum mechanism to handle.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=152931#p152931 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Quality of ADA Paratransit Service in Your Area
Re: Quality of ADA Paratransit Service in Your Area Hi folks. Sorry about that, not sure what exactly happened there. I think my last post was eaten up by my computer, roflmao! I couldnt log into the site all day yesterday, but when checking my email a few moments ago I saw a reply had been posted here, so I tried logging in again and here I am back. Anyways, thanks for your replies. I will definitely read up on the poll mechanism later. Regarding my ADA paratransit experiences, I first registered for the service several years ago and began using it to get to and from classes at a local community college. Back then the service was very lackluster. For one thing, the phone lines were only open for about an hour each morning. This made it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get through and make my ride reservations for the next day. Whats more, I or my mom had to wake up at the crack of dawn to call. I had mostly friendly drivers but there were a couple bad apples mixed in. My rides were seldom on time, and I was t herefore late to school. Fortunately everyone at the college was very understanding about this and the blame was therefore taken off of me. But I had to cut class at the end of most days, and that probably wasnt good. Fast-forward to about a year later, when I took paratransit to and from an office skills course I took at the local lighthouse for the blind. Here again, my morning pick-ups were seldom if ever on time. However, the Lighthouse staff with whom I dealt were not so nice about me arriving late. This despite me making a point of phoning in each morning and leaving a voicemail for the head of the department notifying them in advance of my tardiness. I can remember one time when I was picked up by paratransit almost 4 hours late. The excuse I was given by the passenger who rode with me was that the driver got terribly lost on the way to pick up said passenger. Well, our driver also got terribly lost on the way to the Lighthouse and never even bothered to ask anyone for directions. When we finally did arrive and I was dropped off, I got yelled at by one of the staff and told off. She basically said that it was my responsibility to get there on time, even if the bus was late. Well yeah, it is! my responsibility to be somewhere on time but I have very little control of the buses. I can call to find out my drivers ETA, and thats about it. (ETA = estimated time of arrival.) Our paratransit service has since seen numerous improvements, including a new contractor who provides the rides for my area. Their on-time performance has fortunately improved drastically. In addition to that, the reservation hours have been extended. However, it is still mandatory that one call only a single day in advance to schedule a trip and ridership has increased. Other states have made it possible for ride reservations to be made more than 1 day in advance, but not Illinois. This in my view is something that needs to be changed. After all, airplane trips must! be booked several days in advance and, as a neighbor of mine told me not too long ago, so must Special Olympics events. But I suppose this is just one of those odd things that Illinois--with its phenomenal track record of services to people with disabilities--refuses to change. Please note the sarcasm there, as Illinois is actually ranked at or near rock bottom out of all 50 states plus Puerto Rico. Sorry for my long diatribe, but I just had to vent. Hopefully this isnt too much for the forum mechanism to handle.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=152931#p152931 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Regarding Lack of Formal Independent Outdoor Travel Training
Re: Regarding Lack of Formal Independent Outdoor Travel Training I had a fantastic OM instructor throughout fifth grade, junior high, and high school. Fifth grade was when my family and I moved to Illinois. This instructor came to the house to introduce herself, along with another instructor who worked with me and 2 other family members only for a brief period, before resigning from the local special education district for personal reasons. She was quite good though. Last I heard, she and her husband started their own consulting business. But the OM person is still working for the district. She is as I said a great instructor, and is highly regarded by many both in the field and outside. Her father co-founded the rehab program at the Hines V.A. here in Illinois. Ive often remarked to others that I only wish I could get her back again to teach me a few routes and such around here, since she is so good. But once I graduated high school, I was no longer eligible to receive services from that district. People have since approached m e about the possibility of receiving some services from them again though, but I dont know if theyd make an exception for me. I suppose its not out of the question though to approach them about it. But I highly doubt Ill ever be able to make any more progress with my state VR agency. Not only that, but I dont even want to approach them. They just screwed me over way too badly, and I really dont think they feel even one iota of remorse for doing so. I guess you could say I have severed ties with them, and dont wish to open old wounds. There is one rehab instructor there who is pretty cool, but he seems to have been brain-washed by his superiors. He taught me Vocal-Eyes though a number of years ago. That was at a Jesuit college prior to his employment at the VR agency. Regarding guide dogs, Ive heard that ones OM skills have to be top-notch prior to getting or even being considered for a dog.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=152987#p152987 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
[Audiogames-reflector] Regarding Lack of Formal OM Instruction
Regarding Lack of Formal O Instruction Hi everybody. Im wondering if this has happened to any others in the United States and if so, what did you do about it. First off I think Ill explain my situation, and then Ill explain what OM is for those of you who have never heard of it but I think most people probably have. To cut right to the chase, I have been denied formal OM instruction until I get a good paying job. I actually approached my states Client Assistance Program awhile back about this, and they opened up a case for me. After some negotiations took place, an OM instructor called me and we set up a time when she could come out and do the necessary paperwork and assess me. Well, she came out and we filled out the necessary paperwork. Id say there was a little less than I expected, but still given the sort of training it was there probably shouldnt have been anything to fill out. But anyway, she then took me on a walk around the block in order to assess my cane ski lls. She was very impressed with thoseURL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=152512#p152512 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
[Audiogames-reflector] Regarding Lack of Formal Independent Outdoor Travel Training
Regarding Lack of Formal Independent Outdoor Travel Training Hi everybody. Im wondering if this has happened to any others in the United States and if so, what did you do about it. To cut right to the chase, I have been denied formal OM instruction until I get a good paying job. I actually approached my states Client Assistance Program awhile back about this, and they opened up a case for me. After some negotiations took place, an OM instructor called me and we set up a time when she could come out and do the necessary paperwork and assess me. Well, she came out and we filled out the necessary paperwork. Id say there was a little less than I expected, but still given the sort of training it was to be there probably shouldnt have been anything to fill out. One of her questions was what was one thing I felt we needed to work on together. My answer was street crossings, i.e., knowing when its safe to cross. The streets in my area are very busy. So she then took me on a walk around the block in order to a ssess my cane skills. She was very impressed with those. After all, I have been a cane user since I was little and I am now 39. I think its safe to say that my cane skills are very good. So after assessing those she and I began working on a street crossing, one which I think is pretty difficult even for someone with perfect eyeballs because there is so much traffic. Aside from the possible installation of an accessible pedestrian signal, the one and only solution she had for me was a card. Yes, a single card, which she had laminated. On that card was Im blind, could you please help me cross the street? The exact wording might be a bit off, but you get my point. She had me practice with that card. The first couple of times she acted as the sighted passer-by whom I was to ask for help. Then, she had me do it on my own and she just waited patiently at the other side of the street. I had to basically hold the card out straight, with my elbow slightly bent, so tha t someone would see and hopefully approach me. Id say that people around here are for the most part very friendly and willing to help out when necessary. This is most certainly true of the other people living in my building, and of the past residents here. However, as with anything this solution is not perfect. So I think what Im also wondering is, how do others in these pages feel about the solution which I have just described? Additionally, how do you cross the street safely? For those of you who rely on accessible pedestrian signals, just how effective are they? Oh and btw, that instructor only worked with me for about 3 lessons and then abruptly stopped.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=152512#p152512 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] avast faulse posetive
Re: avast faulse posetive Im not going to speculate Windows vs. Mac in this thread; Ill check out that one in a bit. But I ran both AVG and Avast prior to switching over to what Im currently using, which Ill mention in a minute. But my experience with both Avast and AVG was not that great. I found AVG to be only partially accessible, and I also found that it often times got in the way of other stuff I was doing on the computer. Avast was totally inaccessible for me aside from the audio alerts. But eventually those stopped playing, and I had to have my sighted tutor come look at the computer screen. It turned out that the program demo had expired and I needed to register. But I had no other way of knowing that since it was inaccessible. So we got rid of that and I am now using Microsoft Security Essentials. Yes there have recently been reports questioning its reliability, but theres an article over at http://www.askleo.com which I think is ve ry helpful in this regard. Just after I got my Dell laptop I was talking with a former co-worker about Security Essentials. He was Microsoft-certified, and said that was what he recommended. The program is free and very accessible. There is a minor issue with regard to some of the being labeled as buttons, but I think thats been fixed. At least it has in System Access and NVDA.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=152551#p152551 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Mac verses Windows
Re: Mac verses Windows Ah, I notice nobody else has posted in here. Not even Kyle, maybe you scared him off, lol! So I think Ill just go ahead and give my opinion on the matter. Ive never used a Mac. So there you go! I guessed Im biased? I like Windows!URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=152556#p152556 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] fun facts
Re: fun facts Ill have to check that out in more detail when I have more time, perhaps tomorrow or during the coming week. But it looks like an awesome site. Yeah I know, Ive got too much time on my hands and I admit it. But my independent outdoor travel skills are lacking in some areas, but thats a topic for later. Anyway, I love stuff like this.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=152371#p152371 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] importent notice for eti driver users of n v d a
Re: importent notice for eti driver users of n v d a Thanks for the heads up on this one. I had the ETI driver for NVDA here on my desktop machine, but somethings messed up with my config settings so I removed all add-ons and am now only using eSpeak. But if and when I ever get that other laptop I will try things out. Im perfectly happy with eSpeak though, but I guess Ive been known to experiment with things here and there, lol! If that other laptop isnt in my hands at least to try it out before closing in on a deal by Halloween at the earliest, Christmas at the latest, Im gonna do something not so nice! Lol I need it!URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=152374#p152374 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] The people behind TTS voices
Re: The people behind TTS voices Thanks for creating this topic! I dont have much time right now as Im going to an activity and have to do the dishes beforehand. Or perhaps Ill just skip todays activity since its so crappy outside. But anyway, Im wondering who did the voice of Eloquence. Or should that be voices since there are about 8 Eloquence voices? Also, Im wondering who is behind the Neospeech voices, especially Julie. She is so hot! I remember hearing a sample of that voice once where she said something about a sex kitten. Who did the Microsoft voices, both old and new? Or for that matter, who did all the other TTS voices that are currently out there?URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=152385#p152385 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Discrimination in a theme park
Re: Discrimination in a theme park Thereve been times when my clothes have smelled of smoke even after going through the washer and dryer, and Im okay with that. What Im not okay with is someone smoking right in front of or beside me. I have a downstairs neighbor who had apparently smoked for several years. She finally quit recently, only to start back up again a few weeks ago. But whenever I am riding in her car and she gets the urge, she rolls down the windows. I have to say that I dont mind that so much. At least she is rolling down the windows. In addition, a former neighbor of mine smoked for several years. One day back when he was still living in my building I asked him politely not to smoke around me due to health concerns. I was very diplomatic about it, and never again did he smoke around me. He has smoked off and on since then, but I hear he finally gave it up for good this time. I think the best one though was the librarian at one of the elementary schools I attended. She was a ch ain smoker, and would do it even when reading to us. Her breath always wreaked!URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=151684#p151684 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Discrimination in a theme park
Re: Discrimination in a theme park I am one of 3 family members who are blind, and weve never been discriminated against at an amusement park. But Id like to share the account of how one unnamed airline became non-smoking. This might seem made-up, but believe me its true. I know that for a fact. This happened several years ago when my family and I were returning from a very nice vacation in Florida, and yes we did go to both DisneyWorld and Epcott Center. I think we also spent some time at Bush Gardens, but it must not have been a lot because I dont remember it that much. We also visited some friends in the Orlando-Tampa area. But anyway, back to the airline. So we drove to the airport and the rest of us waited in the ticket line while my father returned the rental car. Then he came back and purchased our tickets. However, our assigned seats were basically scattered throughout the plane and my father was not happy with this. Some of us had been assigned seats in the smoking cabin, and 2 of u s have medical conditions. So he politely asked the ticket agent if she could make a change in our seating. The agent became very defensive, and my father in turn became quite defensive. A shouting match ensued, and a sighted sister of mine went over to see it. Keep in mind we were still kids at the time. My father then asked to speak with the agents supervisor, who was very nice and apologetic. He quickly fixed the error, and when we returned home my father wrote to the president of the airline in question requesting that there be a no smoking policy implemented, and they complied with his request. So there you have it, the story of how one major airline went from smoking to non-smoking.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=151498#p151498 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] The-m-word
Re: The-m-word I just signed the pledge too. The President of LPA lives right here in Illinois, at least Im pretty sure hes still their president. Ive met him before and hes a nice guy. He works at a disability rights organization here in Chicago called Access Living. I didnt see his name on the pledge count, so Im wondering if he knows about your site. Or perhaps he does and just hasnt signed on yet. Thanks so much for raising awareness of yet another important issue!URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=151594#p151594 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Understanding The Government Shutdown
Re: Understanding The Government Shutdown Nocturnus wrote:Amen to all youve said in post 11 Dark; and it wouldnt surprise me to find that that kind of stereotyping goes on just about everywhere to some degree or another. My simple and honest question has always been and always will be, Cant we all just, get along? I know the answer is no, but it would sure be nice if we could simply leave are differences aside and understand and respect them for what they are rather than what we believe they should be or could be or what have you. While I have no permanent cure, I do believe that I have done my best with music. when I perform, I witness hundreds of people collectively come together and relax and enjoy themselves as the music flows. I feel the power, the energy that circulates through all of us as we are mutually united for an hour or two, and I cant help but wonder at this beauty, this magic that is overl ooked and underestimated. its used for theropy, for psychological treatment, for meditation, for relaxation, for getting away from the world when you need a small vacation, and everything else inbetween and beyond! Ill use a simple and small quote from someone famous whos music I dont quite care for under most circumstances, but who I do feel has the right approach. Music succeeds, where religion and politics fail. Right on! I for one am a big music fan, give me just about anything and Ill be happy.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=151483#p151483 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] new-look 100 dollar bill with features for the visually impaired
Re: new-look 100 dollar bill with features for the visually impaired I actually heard something about this a few days ago on the radio in my moms car. I think its great that we here in the United States are finally starting? to see accessible paper currency. However, I think Id have to respectfully disagree with the starting point being the $100 bill. I doubt very many people have them anyway. I know I dont. I actually got to hold a $100 coin in my hand several years ago and it was pretty cool. But even if I did receive a $100 bill, my independent travel skills arent good enough for me to go somewhere and spend it. I will spare you all and not discuss my travel skills here, but perhaps in another topic in this room.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=151492#p151492 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Jon Briggs is the Voice of Daniel
Re: Jon Briggs is the Voice of Daniel Thanks Sebby. She actually does sound more friendly in real life than when digitized.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=151493#p151493 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] best way to access facebook
Re: best way to access facebook While the main Fb site has become a bit more accessible, it appears theres still work to be done. I like the mobile site too. I also use the Socializer from Serotek, but thats only available to SAMNet members. Theres a way to use the Socializer with other screen readers, but I havent yet read up on that. I am also starting to use Teletender, a phone portal which I read about in the message boards on the American Foundation for the Blinds website at http://www.afb.org . Fb isnt the only feature on Teletender, but it seems to work okay despite its current limitations. Teletender seems to be rather new, and hopefully it will grow over time. The website is http://www.teletender.org . When choosing the Facebook feature for the first time, you will be told to go online and authorize Teletender to access your Fb account. This works from both the main and mobile sites. Once authori zation is complete, you will have to call Teletender back and log into Fb with your credentials.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=151494#p151494 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Discrimination in a theme park
Re: Discrimination in a theme park I am one of 3 family members who are blind, and weve never been discriminated against at an amusement park. But Id like to share the account of how one unnamed airline became non-smoking. This might seem made-up, but believe me its true. I know that for a fact. This happened several years ago when my family and I were returning from a very nice vacation in Florida, and yes we did go to both DisneyWorld and Epcott Center. I think we also spent some time at Bush Gardens, but it must not have been a lot because I dont remember it that much. But anyway, back to the airline. So we drove to the airport and the rest of us waited in the ticket line while my father returned the rental car. Then he came back and purchased our tickets. However, our assigned seats were basically scattered throughout the plane and my father was not happy with this. So he politely asked the ticket agent if she could make a change in our seating so that the 3 of us who needed assistance w ere sitting with a family member who could help us if and when we needed it. The agent became very defensive, and my father in turn also became quite defensive. A shouting match ensued, and a sighted sister of mine went over to see it. Keep in mind we were still kids at the time. My father then asked to speak with the agents manager, who was very nice and apologetic. He quickly fixed the error, and my father wrote to the president of the airline in question requesting that there be a no smoking policy implemented, and they complied with his request. So there you have it, the story of how one major airline went from smoking to non-smoking.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=151498#p151498 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Understanding The Government Shutdown
Re: Understanding The Government Shutdown I like that computer analogy, although since Im more or less the technical Neophyte and I therefore dont exactly know the meaning of it. I get the general idea though. I was actually a bit worried that the medication I had ordered on the day prior to our government shut-down wouldnt arrive in time, or not at all. So I checked and was informed that mail delivery was still happening, and sure enough I got the medication refills I needed without a hitch. Im not much for politics, but itll be quite interesting to see what ends up being the outcome of this whole mess and how long itll last.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=151367#p151367 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Understanding The Government Shutdown
Re: Understanding The Government Shutdown I like that computer analogy, although since Im more or less the technical Neophyte I therefore dont exactly know the meaning of it. I get the general idea though. The Serotalk folks discussed it in a recent podcast episode though. I was actually a bit worried that the medication I had ordered on the day prior to our government shut-down wouldnt arrive in time, or not at all. So I checked and was informed that mail delivery was still happening, and sure enough I got the medication refills I needed without a hitch. Im not much for politics, but itll be quite interesting to see what ends up being the outcome of this whole mess and how long itll last. I just dont like all this in-fighting! I guess Im with those of you who say put an end to these divisions among party lines.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=151367#p151367 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] JAWS 15 in beta. let's debate how bad it is???
Re: JAWS 15 in beta. let's debate how bad it is??? I used JAWS from 1995 up until about 2006 or so, cant quite remember. But what I do remember is that FS tech support was so good at least back in the day. As a matter of fact I remember a guy by the name of Jim who stayed after hours to assist me and my father. Oddly enough I remember it was a keyboard issue, but I dont recall what exactly went wrong. I happened to be the only one home when I first called and spoke with Jim. I have only light perception and therefore couldnt trouble-shoot the things on the back of my computer. So I asked if I could call FS back when someone with working eyeballs was around. He said I could, so my father and I called and got Jim. I think I needed a different keyboard to be hooked up, which fortunately we had lying around in my parents house. But when I contacted FS for help with a problem on my WinVista machine I wasnt that happy with the tech support. I had been using early versions of NVDA so I made the switch to tha t and System Access. Both are excellent in my opinion.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=151246#p151246 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] JAWS 15 in beta. let's debate how bad it is???
Re: JAWS 15 in beta. let's debate how bad it is??? I used JAWS from 1995 up until about 2006 or so, cant quite remember. But what I do remember is that FS tech support was so good at least back in the day. As a matter of fact I remember a guy by the name of Jim who stayed after hours to assist me and my father. Oddly enough I remember it was a keyboard issue, but I dont recall what exactly went wrong. I happened to be the only one home when I first called and spoke with Jim. I have only light perception and therefore couldnt trouble-shoot the things on the back of my computer. So I asked if I could call FS back when someone with working eyeballs was around. He said I could, so my father and I called and got Jim. I think I needed a different keyboard to be hooked up, which fortunately we had lying around in my parents house. But when I contacted FS for help with a problem on my WinVista machine I wasnt that happy with the tech support. I had been using early versions of NVDA so I made the switch to tha t and System Access. Both are excellent in my opinion. Im trying to get a sister of mine to stop using Sharky altogether, or at least use it and either System Access or NVDA. After all, most screen reader users have more than one installed on their machines at a given time. At least this is what Ive read.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=151246#p151246 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Jon Briggs is the Voice of Daniel
Re: Jon Briggs is the Voice of Daniel Samantha was actually done by someone who is in real life a nice person. Check out SeroTalk podcast 172 at http://www.serotalk.com . One of the listeners posted the URL to a video about Samantha. I havent yet listened to it but hopefully I can do that soon.Chris wrote:Hi.I want to hear the person behind Samantha so I can laugh at what a terrible job they did with the end product.Seriously, why do they keep Samantha around? Shes crap, and Im surprised they havnt done away with that crappy tts voice.Maybe they should, would finally force Apple to swap out the US voice for something better like Alison or ava or Tom.Speaking of that, if were really on Vocalizer Expressive with IOS, why dont we get the scottish voice?URL: http://forum.audio games.net/viewtopic.php?pid=151269#p151269 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
Re: [Audiogames-reflector] Freedom Scientific Gets a New CEO
Re: Freedom Scientific Gets a New CEO I heard a bit about this on a recent episode of the Serotalk podcast. Now theres a company that gets it right. Or I guess theyre a corporation, I dont really know the difference. But anyway, Serotek has always been in business not for the money but for the customers. They dont just talk the talk, they walk it too! I think the same is true of the NV Access Foundation, makers of NVDA. But back to FS and their new CEO. I have not yet listened to that episode, but I think FSCast is still being hosted by Jonathan Mosen, who does a wonderful job. But he has left FS and has moved into greener pastures. I guess time will only tell what Mr. Blake will be like and how hell be received not only by his fellow employees but the customers whom they are supposed to serve. All right folks, gotta shut down for the night. Got a breakfast meeting in the morning.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net /viewtopic.php?pid=151275#p151275 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
[Audiogames-reflector] Bombarded with Windows Updates
Bombarded with Windows Updates Hello peeps. Ive been trying and trying to get help with a nagging computer issue, but thus far Ive had absolutely no luck. My desktop machine has been totally bombarded with Windows updates. I changed the setting to only notify me when new updates are available, but not download and install them. But Windows Vista for whatever reason seems to think it can override that change and Ill be cool. Ive also noticed this issue with a sisters desktop machine, and she is running Windows 2003 or Xp but I forget which one. Both of us use Microsoft Security Essentials and initially I thought it might be giving us all the updates, but it turns out to be other seemingly unnecessary stuff such as Silverlite which as far as I know isnt even accessible with screen readers. I guess what I want to know is this: is there somewhere I can go to get the skinny on all these updates and what and why, et cetera? I have gone to the FAQ in Windows Update but is there anot her, relatively non-technical place where one can obtain this information? These updates have been occurring so frequently that once my machine is re-started, more updates become available and some of them dont even install properly. Ive had this machine since November 2007, so Im wondering if perhaps that could be part of the issue? As previously mentioned here a few times Im supposed to be getting a refurbished Toshiba laptop, but I honestly dont know when or even if that offer still stands. It seems people have been dragging their feet. Any assistance greatly appreciated.URL: http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?pid=150174#p150174 ___ Audiogames-reflector mailing list Audiogames-reflector@sabahattin-gucukoglu.com http://sabahattin-gucukoglu.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/audiogames-reflector
