Yes, and another resource is the Centre for Accessibility [1]https://www.accessibility.org.au/. Their whole aim is to help people with all accessibility needs in the digital world.
« The Centre for Accessibility Australia is a not-for-profit collaboration working to promote digital access » The free Helpdesk for people with disability, their families and carers has been created to support people with disability who are finding it difficult to access content online [2]https://www.accessibility.org.au/helpdesk/ Walks you through setting up your device, whatever it is. [3]https://www.accessibility.org.au/setting-up/ Centre for Accessibility Australia Suite 5 Belmont Hub 213 Wright Street, Cloverdale WA 6105 Phone +61 (0)466 099 101 [4][email protected] Rosemary Spark PO Box 781 South Fremantle WA 6162 Australia 0414268043 [5][email protected] On Thu, 26 Jun 2025 at 11:17, Graham Rabe via WAMUG <[6][email protected]> wrote: Hi Kaye, A former neighbour of mine is totally blind and is now living in Melbourne. I sent her your email and her response included the following points that may assist your friend (they are direct quotes from her email to me ). * My very first thing to say is that WA Guide Dogs and Vision Australia operate in Perth, and they both have techno people who can and do assist. In my experience Vision Australia is better. They really would be/should be the best to answer her very helpfully specific needs. * I am presuming that she would qualify for NDIS, which I believe would then/should help pay for various items. I know though that it is a mammoth piece of bureaucratic work trying to get onto it but, again, they have Social Workers at both those agencies who should be able to help with that. * I purposefully got a new Iphone 16, as I was told that anything less would not be able to link with AI; this one does and it’s relatively ok for that. But, don’t talk to me about Voice Over; it’s a nightmare; and altogether it is rare that I manage to send any message, read any message without frustration. But They (whoever they are), always insist that Iphones are the best for Blindees, so I guess I have to believe them. * Personally, I just use audio books, and she can get a Victor Stream Reader from Guide Dogs WA on which can be downloaded audio books, podcasts. And I know you can download books and podcasts onto an Iphone as well, but a Victor Stream Reader is totally Blind friendly; you can even get international radio stations on it – yes, I love it; it’s small and totally portable with a long life rechargeable battery! No, I don’t get paid by them to advertise! I hope this information is of some assistance to your friend. Kind regards, Graham Rabe From: WAMUG <[7][email protected]> on behalf of Kaye and Geoff via WAMUG <[8][email protected]> Date: Tuesday, 24 June 2025 at 10:09 am To: “WAMUG_Mailing_List” <[9][email protected]> Cc: Kaye and Geoff <[10][email protected]> Subject: [WAMUG] Help for Mac user who is blind Hi, I have a friend who uses Mac computers, but who has just gone from partly sighted to totally blind. She has been trying to navigate her way around Siri and Voice Control, but has a lot of problems getting it to work for her. To complicate matters she is bi-lingual - French and English - and uses the computer with both languages (native born French). Her laptop is old, and runs Monterey (10.12). I checked, and it can't be upgraded beyond that. She has tried to list her needs, and I'll show you what she sent me (this email from her was dictated, hence the odd words): > I still have a problem switching from voice control to dictation. > When I disable voice control I do not manage to go on dictation even if I click dictation. > There might be another Parramatta I cannot find. The micro Image does not appear and it doesn't take my voice. > I haven't managed together things read to me in French either . > I am also trying to analyse exactly what my needs are and what I will use from now on. > I would not use graphics any more. I will not use spreadsheets or calculations any more. I will use emails and write them and I want to be able to classify them in different boxes. I want to be able to keep documents and classify them so that I could find them easily my topic. > I want to be able to photo Graaf important documents and keep them together in case I lose them. > I want to be able to Connect whatever device I have to a bigger monitor but I don't know for how long it will keep helping me. > I still want to be able to write texts who is kind of the word processor and keep it if I want to write a book for example. > I want to be able to transfer documents with a USB key or whatever works now. > I want to have the latest possibilities with AI so that I can do everything by voice. > I start thinking that a computer might be and overkill for all those requirements. > I do not know if an iPad or the latest iPhone can do all that. > I truly want to upgrade to the latest know. But I want to choose the right device with maximum efficiency for my needs now. > Maybe you can help me disentangled all that. Can anyone help with information about any of this, especially about what device might be most useful for her. In particular, if she could get a single device that would let her use dictation and speech and act as a phone at the same time. She is also interested in getting a stand-alone device to scan and read back letters and books - does anyone know of anything that might suit? Cheers, Kaye -------------------- Kaye and Geoff [11][email protected] -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- Archives - <[1][12]https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/> Guidelines - <[2][13]http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> Settings & Unsubscribe - <[3][14]https://lists.wamug.org.au/mailman/listinfo/wamug> References 1. [15]https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ 2. [16]http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml 3. [17]https://lists.wamug.org.au/mailman/listinfo/wamug -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- Archives - <[18]https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/> Guidelines - <[19]http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> Settings & Unsubscribe - <[20]https://lists.wamug.org.au/mailman/listinfo/wamug> References 1. https://www.accessibility.org.au/ 2. https://www.accessibility.org.au/helpdesk/ 3. https://www.accessibility.org.au/setting-up/ 4. mailto:[email protected] 5. mailto:[email protected] 6. mailto:[email protected] 7. mailto:[email protected] 8. mailto:[email protected] 9. mailto:[email protected] 10. mailto:[email protected] 11. mailto:[email protected] 12. https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ 13. http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml 14. https://lists.wamug.org.au/mailman/listinfo/wamug 15. https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ 16. http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml 17. https://lists.wamug.org.au/mailman/listinfo/wamug 18. https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ 19. http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml 20. https://lists.wamug.org.au/mailman/listinfo/wamug
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