I don't agree with this statement. I've been blind my entire life and I've worked as a computer programmer for the past 20 years.
My first programming job was as a cobol/cics maintenance programmer and I was expected to possess these skills as a hiring requirement. The fact I was blind added the additional required skill set that I be competent in the use of a screen reader. My employer couldn't care less what screen reader I used as long as I could properly perform the required work. When I got started no one would have hired me and then paid for me to be taught cobol. Blind individuals owe it to themselves and to their potential employer to come to the job interview with the needed skills including assistive technology and the ability to explain and demonstrate their abilities. Over the years I've learned and used virtually all of the screen readers and one isn't really more difficult to learn than another. The actual choice should depend on which screen reader provides the broadest level of access to the specific applications required for the job. I own both window eyes as well as jaws and some applications are more easily accessed with jaws while others are more easily accessed with WE. -----Original Message----- From: Sandra Fouts [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, February 08, 2013 10:05 AM To: 'Amanda Lee'; gw-info Subject: RE: Off topic - U.S Federal Workers using Window-Eyes? Amanda, you make itsound like if a blind person doesn't know jaws, tuff luck for them, and they shouldn't get a job. Well, if they require people to know jaws, then they should pay for the training and I bet most of them would not. -----Original Message----- From: Amanda Lee [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, February 08, 2013 9:59 AM To: Sandra Fouts; gw-info Subject: Re: Off topic - U.S Federal Workers using Window-Eyes? I agree in principle. However, an employer's approach is that they don't obtain the brand of personal computer or monitor or other productivity tools and software for other employees based upon their preference. So why, since both Screen Readers who lead the market as well as the Screen Magnification products work similarly should they give preferencial treatment? We all have personal preferences and there's really no justification for demanding that an employer provides JAWS just because you like it or Window-Eyes or MaGic or ZoomText unless one can present a documented justification that one product will achieve more productivity or access to specific applications. It really can no longer be argued that it's that difficult to learn one's Screen Reader commands versus the other as well. This isn't my personal preference. I'm just attempting to help you to consider stepping back and to be more objective. If I were to be employed in another organization who wouldn't provide Window-Eyes, for example, I wouldn't personally desire it but unless I could present a case which would justify how Window-Eyes would enable me to be more productive or to access a given application, then it's sort of the same as them providing a Dell computer for me to use to perform work versus some other brand that i like. A few years ago, I know our argument would have likely been easier but not currently. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sandra Fouts" <[email protected]> To: "'Marcie Brink-Chaney'" <[email protected]>; "Andre Vosloo" <[email protected]> Cc: "'Samuel Wilkins'" <[email protected]>; <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, February 08, 2013 8:50 AM Subject: RE: Off topic - U.S Federal Workers using Window-Eyes? Amen! -----Original Message----- From: Marcie Brink-Chaney [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, February 08, 2013 12:16 AM To: Andre Vosloo Cc: 'Samuel Wilkins'; [email protected] Subject: Re: Off topic - U.S Federal Workers using Window-Eyes? I work for Visually Handicapped Services which is a program to train people to be able to use adaptive software to access their computers. I personally think that no state or federal government agency should require the use of one software access program over another. Consumers are supposed to have a choice in the vocational rehabilitation programs funded by the federal government and to me, only one screen reading or magnification program purchased or recommended is no choice. Even the way the criteria for training by the agency we are contracted to for rehabilitation services states that a person should receive training for JAWS and does not mention any other adaptive software programs and this includes magnification is unacceptable. As for the lack of support for Window Eyes or Jaws, I have never had any problems getting help from GW Micro and I think there is something wrong when our IT people have been told that they must call technical support because they are having problems installing Jaws 11.00. These are the computer gurus and they can't install JAWS without having problems? They didn't have any problems that I couldn't help them with when they installed Window Eyes after the upgrade to Windows 7. Not that I want to put accessibility software companies out of business, but, like Apple, all computers should have accessibility for everyone out of the box!!! Marcie Brink-Chaney CVRT Onn 2/4/2013 3:24 AM, Andre Vosloo wrote: > Same situation in SA. I tried to convince one of the government > departments here to use WE, to no avail. The vendor which sells the > product tells them there is no support for WE, but there is support > for the shark. I am not surprised, given the amounts he gets paid extra > to do scripting. > > Regards > > -----Original Message----- > From: Samuel Wilkins [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: 04 February 2013 10:15 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: RE: Off topic - U.S Federal Workers using Window-Eyes? > > Unfortunately, this is not the case everywhere. Here in the UK, as > far as I know, the major governing bodies only use Jaws and Supernova, > and they do not know anything about Window-Eyes because of the > relatively small marketing it has received in the UK. However, I could be > wrong. > > -----Original Message----- > From: John Riehl [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: 04 February 2013 02:01 > To: [email protected]; 'Peter Wolfe'; 'gw-info' > Subject: RE: Off topic - U.S Federal Workers using Window-Eyes? > > JAWS is used a lot throughout the Federal Government but it does not > have a "contract" with the Federal government. I am a Fed and I use > both JAWS and Windoweyes. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Reinhard Stebner [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2013 8:30 PM > To: 'Peter Wolfe'; 'gw-info' > Subject: RE: Off topic - U.S Federal Workers using Window-Eyes? > > I am using both window-eye and JAWS and I am a contractor with HHS. > What would you like to know? > > -----Original Message----- > From: Peter Wolfe [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2013 7:45 PM > To: gw-info > Subject: Off topic - U.S Federal Workers using Window-Eyes? > > Dear all, > > > Does anyone on here work for the U.S federal government using > Window-Eyes at work? In many many conversations wih people and > programs that I've attended, it appears that JAWS has a federal > contract with the federal government. I'm not trained with JAWS Screen > Reader, so would like to know your advice on whether its worth my > while to learn JAWS or not for federal employment. I'm just so annoyed > that I was trained with Window-Eyes and its not even used almost > anywhere of employment. Can somebody or anybody give me advice on what > to freakin do. Right now I'm blamed for not knowing JAWS for the IRS > training program, so I couldn't complete it impart cause of it. > > > This is where the government in my view screws up by picking > losers and winnersx in things. I wish that Window-Eyes and JAWS could > work in the federal government. However, the IRS in particular thinks > that Window-Eyes isn't as powerful as JAWS. I've had two separate > occasions had Window-Eyes through the Small Business Administration and > another internship in D.C. > How many freakin screen readers must we know what should we know or > what can we do? I'm so so tired of the confusing mess of the > disorganized Vocational Rehabilitation programs that they are > obviously failures and us students are blamed for it? > Thanks for listening just I want work with my social science degree > just that not even SPSS softwares and other necessary softwares don't > currently work with Window-Eyes or JAWS and there is no clear answers > or standards of what we should know to obtain a job or anything. > > > Thanks, > Peter > 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. > 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. > > > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus > signature database 7966 (20130203) __________ > > The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. > > http://www.eset.com > > > 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. > 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. > 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. > > -- 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. 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. 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. 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.
