Hello Brien, I use Jaws because that is what I started with and know, but I am hearing that some VIPs prefer NVDA, particularly for web navigation, and their numbers are growing.
As to your experiences with mouse functions ; I personally have enjoyed very little success with any keystroke replacements for mouse functions. You may wish to consider that this is an entirely different world. While we need to interact with sighted people, we are doing it in a completely different atmosphere. Happy New year! Kevin. From: Brian Vogel [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: December-30-15 12:45 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Are there any NVDA (or WindowEyes) and JAWS "dual users" or people who've used both here? Thanks to all who have taken the time to respond. The main thing I'm trying to do for myself is to get a bit better grip on "what's what" as far as web browsing goes. I frequently use INS+F6, list headings, and INS+F7, list links, with my clients as well as the Navigation Quick Keys. I have never had a good grasp (or I don't think I do, anyway) regarding Forms Mode, Table Navigation, or PlaceMarkers (though the concept for the last one is very clear to me). When you can see it's not nearly so necessary to know the actual structures within HTML that JAWS and other screen readers rely upon to make your navigation of these pages as quick and painless as possible, and I sometimes think that I'm going "around Jake's barn" with regard to web browsers and JAWS because don't have a clear grasp of the above nor Frames or Elements. The whole JAWS Cursor versus PC Cursor is utterly maddening to me because JAWS focus can switch without a corresponding visual move of the information displayed such that it can, for instance, be on a radio button that's not visible on the screen to me, which can make, no pun intended, getting on the same page as my client more than a bit of a challenge. I also wish I had more practice with using the mouse functions without actually using the mouse (although I admit I encourage my clients to use the physical left and right click buttons on the mouse pad on a laptop because they can be easily distinguished via tactile means - I just create a permanent mask over the mousing area itself so that it does not interfere with pointer movement or accidental click activation). If either NVDA or WindowEyes is substantially the same in its handling of these things at least I could get some sense of what might happen in a session as far as possible or probable trouble spots beforehand. Heaven knows I've got enough experience to be able to think on my feet and consult the keystrokes document at relatively high speed, but sometimes a bit of actual practice would probably help me. One of the really tricky things, but one I'm used to, is that there is virtually no sense in even thinking about something as structured as a lesson plan with the clients I work with. Most of the time by the time I'm called in they have a long list of "things I need to be able to do, some tomorrow and many yesterday" that I just walk through with them based on their prioritization of same. This is nothing like teaching a formal class and there are always the bugs one finds in JAWS (with some frequency) and/or technical support issues that unmask themselves as part of the whole process. I really love this work and always want to find ways that I can improve my service delivery. Brian, who still has to "shut JAWS up" when short bursts of really intensive work show up that I really need to do that are unrelated to the client's JAWS goals - I doubt I'll ever get entirely comfortable with the endless narration!
