How do you use a computer?

I have spent the last day wondering what my first entry should be about.  A lot of ideas got pushed aside for later and I just couldn’t seem to think of a topic that would effectively be the start of my new site.  Then it hit me.  I should write about something you, my readers are wondering about.  In fact it’s one of the questions I’ve been asked most frequently.

How do you use a computer if you are blind?

The answer is quite simple really.  I use screen reading software that makes my computer talk to me.

I currently use a MacBook Air.  I decided to make the switch from Windows when I realized just how much Apple concentrates on accessibility.  Every Apple computer has a program called VoiceOver that is pre-installed as part of the operating system.  There are way too many features to list here, but you can read about all of them in the link I have provided.  Since becoming a Mac user a whole new world has opened up to me!  I can use any Mac without having to buy extra programs to install and for the first time ever I was able to use a computer right out of the box!  It allows me to use the internet, send and receive email, chat, work and has recently become my recipe book.  If you have a Mac and haven’t played around with VoiceOver before might I suggest you go have a look?  You can find it in your System Preferences under Universal Access.

Before I made the switch when I used Windows I used a program called JAWS for Windows.  This program was OK, but took up a lot of extra memory and cost almost as much as the computer it was being installed on!  My last Windows laptop came with Windows XP Professional installed, as most laptops do so the regular $895 version of JAWS wouldn’t work.  We had to upgrade to the professional version that cost $1095 plus a $200 Software Maintenance Agreement just so I could have some access to a computer!

These programs function by saying whatever is on your screen.  The have different settings for the amount of information that is spoken etc. to suit each individual and can be muted or turned off for when a sighted person wants to use the computer.

I also learned to touch type when I was in jr. high school.  I learned where all of the keys were just as a sighted person would and have used a computer to take notes in class and do work on ever since.

If you have any other questions about how I use a computer or other technology please feel free to ask them in the comments section.  I look forward to answering them!