I use VoiceOver. My vision is limited to slightly better than light perception.
What I do is slowly explore the screen, the same way a sighted person would do with vision. VO reads the text in the line under one's finger and places the read cursor either at the beginning or the end of the line, depending on the direction the finger is moving. I then use the rotor to select words for moving quickly through the line, and characters for specific editing (when not using my braille display). Even when using my braille display, however, I still use the touchscreen for reading and exploring. The touchscreen gives us the same two-dimensional experience that the sighted get, but to take full advantage of this, blind people must retrain our conceptions of how to function with the system. It is absolutely fascinating watching blind children, who only have positive training on iPads, navigate and work with the touchscreen. They do things that most of you regularly say are impossible, because they do not know any better. I wish more TVI's would train their kids the way a few excellent ones do. As for the app I use for my case notes: after experimenting with a few notes apps, I decided Apple Notes works well enough for my needs, and has the best guarantee of always working with the latest iOS (I always upgrade shortly after release), and will most probably always be VO accessible. after all, if Apple ceases its focus on universal accessibility in general and blindness accessibility in particular (considering Tim Cooks comments in April when challenged on this specific matter, considerably less likely than Jaws becoming a completely free program tomorrow), the entire system will become inaccessible anyway. Our medical office software is completely inaccessible, so we set up work-arounds for me. I email the complete notes file to our admin after each update. Admin copies my latest entry from the beginning of the file and pastes it into the patient's permanent record. This way, I maintain my complete client file in case I need to look up information, and only the most recent entry is added to the permanent record each time. When others update patient records in the system, and it is information relevant to my work, that person emails a copy of their entry to me and I paste it at the relevant place in my notes file. I separate each entry with a blank line, and type the date at the top of each entry. David Chittenden, MSc, MRCAA Email: dchitten...@gmail.com Mobile: +64 21 2288 288 Sent from my iPhone > On 21 Jun 2014, at 7:19, denise avant <denise.av...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Hi David, > What edit program are you using to write your case notes? If I may ask, are > you relying on voiceover or can you see the screen? > I am asking because it seems that the weakest part of the iPhone for blind > users seems to be the text editors. Otherwise, all of the other components > are fabulus. I use my iPhone, and sometimes the iPad for everything except > for keeping long notes, and editing documents. > >> On Jun 20, 2014, at 11:53 AM, David Chittenden <dchitten...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> I actually find Safari on my iPhone to be quicker to navigate than Safari on >> my Mac, or IE on an office PC. Then again, I use the touchscreen exclusively >> for navigating. >> >> I do all my email on my iPhone. I turn my MacBook Air on once or twice per >> week, currently. I write all my case notes for work, manage my calendars, >> perform much of my research, and do my initial paper writing, all on my >> iPhone. I plan to acquire an iPad when Touch-ID becomes available on it. I >> will keep a computer around, for now, mainly to back-up the iDevices. >> >> David Chittenden, MSc, MRCAA >> Email: dchitten...@gmail.com >> Mobile: +64 21 2288 288 >> Sent from my iPhone >> >>> On 21 Jun 2014, at 3:38, "Sherrie" <nanagoose4...@gmail.com> wrote: >>> >>> i use my iPhone 5 extensively and got an iPad a year ago to share with my >>> sighted husband. I am glad he uses it since I don't bother with it at all >>> anymore as I can do anything on my phone that I could do on the iPad. I >>> find the iPad very difficult to use as the screen layouts are so different >>> and the large screen makes it harder to feel around for the items I want. >>> I have used the iDevices with a BT keyboard for a few weeks at a time when >>> away on vacation but was extremely glad to get back to my windows laptop. I >>> use Excel a lot and have not mastered the Numbers app for this as yet. >>> Also, doing the hundreds of emails I get daily is much quicker on the >>> laptop. Surfing the Internet is so much quicker with IE or Firefox. . >>> But the main thing I use the laptop for is copying and storing articles, >>> recipes, information and such. When an email or webpage has information I >>> might find useful in the future I copy the relevant info and quickly save >>> it in my Dropbox folder. I have huge files of health articles, recipes, >>> iDevice information, computer and Jaws info, and tons of other stuff. I >>> have not figured out how to quickly (or slowly for that matter) copy items >>> from the web or email on my IOS device and save them in my files for future >>> reference. >>> Another thing the Windows laptop can do is handle certain functions on >>> Facebook that I can't do with the regular Facebook app.I also agree with >>> the person who mentioned the ability to use USB memory sticks for the NLS >>> readers and other backup purposes. I use my iPhone to listen to books >>> during the day but find my NLS player easier for night listening. >>> If you need a new computer you can get a budget laptop for less than an >>> iPad and then you have the best of both worlds. >>> just my biased opinion... >>> Sherrie Gosling >>> >>> >>> >>> -----Original Message----- From: Teresa Cochran >>> Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2014 9:37 PM >>> To: viphone@googlegroups.com >>> Subject: If Anyone Is Using Only iDevices and No Computer, How Are You >>> Faring? >>> >>> Hi, all, >>> >>> I have a computer that needs a hard-drive replacement, at the very least, >>> and possibly has a failed logic board. I'm seriously considering replacing >>> it with an iPad. Price is only somewhat an issue, since there seems to be >>> only about $100 US difference between a new model I would want and the >>> iPad. Mainly, I don't want the hassle of replacing moving parts and getting >>> dust and cat-hair and such snarled up in it. I'm also extremely comfortable >>> with iOS and use my iPod 5th gen constantly. I intend to use the iPad with >>> a keyboard. >>> >>> So has anyone else taken this sort of step? Am I out of my mind, or do you >>> think this is doable? >>> >>> I am a casual user. I read books, browse the web, play videos and music and >>> games, and occasionally write for informal publications. >>> >>> What do you guys think? >>> >>> Teresa >>> >>> Winging its way from my iPod >>> >>> -- >>> The following information is important for all members of the viphone list. >>> All new members to the this list are moderated by default. If you have any >>> questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a >>> member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators >>> directly rather than posting on the list itself. The archives for this list >>> can be searched at http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/. >>> --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "VIPhone" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>> email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com. >>> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>> -- >>> The following information is important for all members of the viphone list. >>> All new members to the this list are moderated by default. If you have any >>> questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a >>> member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators >>> directly rather than posting on the list itself. The archives for this list >>> can be searched at http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/. >>> --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "VIPhone" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>> email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com. >>> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> >> -- >> The following information is important for all members of the viphone list. >> All new members to the this list are moderated by default. If you have any >> questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a >> member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators >> directly rather than posting on the list itself. The archives for this list >> can be searched at http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/. >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "VIPhone" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com. >> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > -- > The following information is important for all members of the viphone list. > All new members to the this list are moderated by default. If you have any > questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a > member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators > directly rather than posting on the list itself. The archives for this list > can be searched at http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/. > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "VIPhone" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- The following information is important for all members of the viphone list. All new members to the this list are moderated by default. If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. The archives for this list can be searched at http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/. --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "VIPhone" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to viphone@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
