The Problem With Printing

For those of us who do not have enough vision to see whether or not there is printed text on a page, here are some daily challenges that we face as blind persons.

 

We need to ensure that when we print a page, it does contain text.  When the page comes out of the printer, there is no way to tell if the page does indeed contain text or if it is blank.  So for me, I use my scanner to help me out.  I scan the page and then I use my access software to tell me what is going on.  I can hear what is on the page through voice output.  However, there is more for me to be concerned about.  I have to ensure that all of the text is there and often enough, I have to ask for sighted assistance to ensure that everything is okay an that it looks okay. 

 

When it comes to the printing of labels and envelopes, I have to be very meticulous.  In my case, I have learned how to line up my envelope in the printer so that the text is well centered when it is printed but to be safe, I almost always ask for sighted assistance.  The other day for example, mom told me that the text on the envelope was not centered and I had to make two efforts before I got it right.

 

Nothing could be worse for me than to have missing text on a page, or an envelope with an address that is not properly centered.  So I have to use a combination of patience, my trusty scanner, and sighted assistance.  If you'd like to learn more about software that enable blind persons to use mainstream scanners, then visit http://www.kurzweil.com/

 

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your friendly accessibility advocate wishing you a terrific day and inviting you to go out there and share my blogs with the rest of the world. 

Yes, I Can Tell the Time

One of the questions I most frequently asked is this: How can a blind person tell the time?

This is a very good question, and I am here to answer it as best as I can.

Blind persons can tell the time by using clocks and watches that can either speak or display the time in Braille or large print. These time pieces can also be part of calculators, note takers, or PDAs. The voice output is of course robotic but, nevertheless, they are easy to understand once you get the hang of it. Time pieces that produce Braille displays are also quite good and the advantage of these is that if a blind person needs to know the time, they can do so without having to let the rest of the world know that they are checking their time piece. Large print displays on time pieces are also quite good.

Large print time pieces can not only benefit those who have enough vision to see them; they can also benefit those who prefer to see the time in large print. Persons such as seniors who find it difficult to read smaller displays or any other mainstream person with the same preference.

There used to be a time when time pieces for blind persons were mainly available in Braille only, but not anymore. Now there is a choice and for those without enough vision to see: Braille display and voice output. There is a little trick that I often use and it can apply only to those non-digital clocks. If you remove the face of the clock or watch it is possible to touch the hands and dots that represent the hour. I still have an old faithful clock that I can use in this way. I can remove the cover that acts as the face of the clock and gently touch the hands and dots.

Digital time pieces are much of a problem for me because there is no way for me to be able to feel the hands and dots that represent the hours. To counteract this problem, I have a clock that chimes the hour at every quarter. It's the best that I can do for now, not being able to read the clock on the VCR, the stove, or the microwave.

If you are thinking of purchasing a time piece for a friend or family member who is blind then please visit http://www.maxiaids.com

I'm Donna J. Jodhan your accessibility and special-needs business consultant wishing you a terrific day and asking you to go out there and tell the rest of the world that blind and visually impaired persons have ways to tell the time.