Actually, the employer I worked with, at least the one that was not
working for a rehabilitation agency, took the recommendation that was
given by the rehabilitation agency that was working with them to keep me
employed. That company knew nothing about adaptive equipment or software
and depended on the VR agency to tell it what would work. I just get
frustrated when the VR agency just recommends Jaws without considering
Window Eyes when it will be much more expensive to purchase the software
necessary for a client to use a computer. An example of this is that I
currently have a student who has difficulty typing on the keyboard
possibly due to the size of his hands or his dexterity to reach keys on
the top row. He wants to use Dragon Dictate so that he can dictate
documents and use it to access the internet without having to type much
on his keyboard. I recommended Window Eyes because the last time I knew,
Window Eyes could work with Dragon Dictate Professional without having
to buy another peripheral program to make WE speak the information on
the screen. JAWS uses another additional (very expensive program to
allow Jaws to work successfully. It's either something called J Say or
Jawbones. When deciding what to do to use Citrix, we talked to Freedom
Scientific and to GW Micro about what we would need to have a screen
reader work with the Citrix desktop. It was going to cost considerably
more money for us to purchase JAWS because we had to get Jaws for
Windows Professional and it was not necessary to buy a whole new version
of Window Eyes to get it to work with Citrix. So this is why I think
that rehabilitation agencies should not exclusively use one screen
reader for every client. As someone pointed out earlier, one screen
reading program doesn't fit all. I would advocate just as strongly for
using JAWS if it worked better for a particular client due to some
unique circumstance. I can't say I'm without bias having known some of
the circumstances where GW Micro was the only company to work with
Microsoft when they were developing Vista and a number of companies were
invited to the table including Freedom Scientific and who was the only
one to show up? GW Micro. Also, whenever I've had a tech problem, with
Window Eyes, I have always had an answer as quickly and as accurately as
possible. I've spent hours of my time trying to install JAWS on a laptop
for a client using a cell phone because I didn't have access to a long
distance phone line and worked with a tech support person from Freedom
Scientific.
On 2/8/2013 10:58 AM, Amanda Lee wrote:
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
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--
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