eh, I still say to hell with the policy just put whatever you're more
comfortable using. I mean, that's like going to a barbershop and finding
out that the barber only knows how to shave heads, can't do anything
else. You wouldn't stand for that if you wanted a different style, would
you? Sorry maybe that's a horrible analogue. There is, however, nothing
wrong with even elementary training in another product because it is out
there and in a small market like the adaptive tech industry, or even the
screen reader market, why not learn about a few of them? That's not
saying you have to memorize the basic manual to each one, but a
consumer/employee should have a choice. So this is, "you can have any
color you want as long as it's black," all over again.
Dave c. bahr
On 7/18/2011 1:45 PM, M and L Dorn wrote:
The VA in the Vegas area and in Tucson only trained in Jaws. I kept
saying that my husband needed to use the same screen reader as me so
I could help him learn when they weren't here. They finally got it
for him, but they said they stuck to Jaws because they had no
trainers who knew Window Eyes. That's probably the reason for their
so-called restriction. They have never bothered to have their
trainers learn WE, so they can't teach it. The Vegas VA, who
contracts computer training through Easter Seals, now has a WE
trainer; and he's sharp and knows his stuff. About time!
TTFN, Marilyn
At 07:37 AM 7/18/2011, you wrote:
> IâEUR^(TM)m also in Illinois. YouâEUR^(TM)re probably right that they
only
> train in Jaws, but they did purchase my updated copy of Window Eyes
> since I insisted that thatâEUR^(TM)s the screen reader I desired. Keep in
> mind though that IâEUR^(TM)ve been using WE for 20 or so years.
>
>
> *From:* Keith [mailto:[email protected]] *Sent:* Sunday, July 17,
> 2011 9:58 AM *To:* gw info *Subject:* Re: States that allow
> window-eyes
>
> Here in Illinois, the Bureau of blind services will train new
> clients, whether they are looking for a job or going back to school
> in Jaws only.
>
> Keith
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: Dave Bahr
> <mailto:[email protected]> To: [email protected]
> <mailto:[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, July 17, 2011 7:53 AM
> Subject: Re: States that allow window-eyes
>
> Wow, just when you think you've heard it all. I've never heard of
> this before, wouldn't that be monopolizing in some form? If you are
> on a laptop or computer of your own, couldn't you just use WE? Then
> again, is this the civil service's equivelent of dictating what
> sort of computer can be used, pc or mac? I suppose they could argue
> on the grounds industry standard or uniformity, but that still
> seems cagy. I guess my course of action would be twofold. First, if
> you're working at a productive level in the job right along with
> either other blind or sighted colleagues and you feel comfortable
> using WE more than jfw, I would tell them that. If you're trying to
> learn a different screen reader which is really the only way you
> can navigate a computer and your productivity is at a level that is
> satisfactory to the managers, then why choose something that has a
> fairly steep learning curve? In other words, you could tell the
> supervisors that, for all intensive purposes the two prodducts are
> alike and you feel more comfortable with WE because you've been
> using it longer and feel you can give them your best work. They
> don't have to know the specific differences between the two
> products but it might be beneficial to say that you can give them
> much better work with something you don't have to spend hours and
> hours to learn. If they absolutely insist that under no
> circumstances can you use an alternative reader, then tell them
> that you need to go through intensive training to learn jfw and
> they should pay for it if they are so stuck in their ways. Then you
> have the advantage of saying that to get a WE license would cost x
> dollars while training and jfw would cost y dollars. In an economy
> where everything is being cut back, a savings is still a savings.
> of course there is also the tactic which carries probably the most
> weight and that is to emphasize the stability of WE and its
> features for your speicific tasks in the job and jfw's severe lack
> in both of those areas. If it really came down to it you could
> demonstrate such tasks and perhaps play up jfw's massive amount of
> keystrokes required to perform the task; keystrokes which also
> require that the user have 12 fingers to execute. Exaggeration in
> this case would benefit you i think. You could then switch to WE
> and glide through the task with ease thus demonstrating it's
> precision and streamlined approach. That's all hypothetical of
> course.
>
> Ok, i've probably analyzed this beyond the level necessary to make
> a decision, but those are just my thoughts on the matter.
>
>
> Dave c. bahr
>
>
> On 7/17/2011 7:12 AM, tony c wrote:
>> Hi, I never knew that there were
> Â Â any restrictions on what screen
>> reader one could use. Is it because WE
> Â Â will not work with their
>> software? IâEUR^(TM)ll check here in Saint Louis and
> Â Â let you know. T C
>>
>> *From:* Michael Peterson < <mailto:[email protected]>
>> mailto:[email protected]> <mailto:[email protected]>
> Â Â *Sent:* Sunday,
>> July 17, 2011 5:30 AM *To:* [email protected]
>> <mailto:[email protected]> < <mailto:[email protected]>
>> mailto:[email protected]> <mailto:[email protected]>
> Â Â *Subject:* States that allow
>> window-eyes
>>
>> *Hi all. I
> Â Â am looking in to possibley relocating to another state for
>> civil
> Â Â service employment. California restricts screen reader use to
>> Jaws
> Â Â only. Is this true of all or most states?* *The state I am
>> focusing on
> Â Â is PA currently and if I could use window-eyes the
>> learning curve
> Â Â would be easier although I am currently trying to
>> learn all the twists
> Â Â and turns of using jaws in case I work in CA.*
>> *At this point nothing
> Â Â is in stone but I wish someone had a list of
>> states that will allow
> Â Â there workers to use there choice of screen
>> readers or at least
> Â Â window-eyes as an alternative to Jaws if they
>> choose..* *Thanks for
> Â Â any helpful information.* *Mike* **
If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original sender only.
If your reply would benefit others on the list and your message is related to
GW Micro, then please consider sending your message to [email protected] so
the entire list will receive it.
GW-Info messages are archived at http://www.gwmicro.com/gwinfo. You can manage
your list subscription at http://www.gwmicro.com/listserv.
