thats the problem with screen readers. they operate in a serial fashion. Now there are some keyboard tricks to be able to skim a page of information, but its still serial. However, if someone would just come up with a braille tablet (about the size of a sheet of braille paper), it would become easier as I would be able to skim the screen the same way you do with your eyes. only issue is that there are just 3 braille device manufacturers and they all mark up the cost of the devices they make by slightly more than 1,000%. FOr example, the retail cost of a braille sense U2 is $6,000 and yet the cost to manufacture it is less than $50 per unit. Oh yeah, it also uses windows CE (ugh!). I have been trying to convince the powers that be over at HIMS to go with linux. So far, the management is being intractable. THey claim the R&D would cost them too much (like the $30,000 they spent on gaining access to the windows CE source code and the per unit license fees). They don't want to hear it (or so it would seem). the R&D cost on linux would be far less and it would also be more stable. The latest release of their current OS (windows CE) left a lot to be desired. THe OS would lock up and the apps had various issues (and there aren't that many apps either). Now, if the braille device marketplace were a nit less limited in scope (I.E. the devices were more affordable) then there would be a lot more of us using them (and of course, a lot more fingers scanning the source code for bugs). sorry if I got off on a bit of a rant there guys. I am still paying off my braille sense device here (its on a 72 month contract and I am more than half through). So, it gets under my skin every time I hear that the companies involved don't want to go open source. Seriously, it would save them time and money (and translate to a lower cost device for us). anyway, I hope someone can change how a screen reader can present a screen. -eric On Oct 23, 2015, at 8:30 AM, Steve Litt wrote: > On Thu, 22 Oct 2015 17:38:10 -0700 > Eric Oyen wrote: > >> As for >> learning new apps, try being blind guys. You have to relearn >> EVERYTHING at some point. > > I never thought about it before, because corrected my visions about > 20/50. But if one's completely blind, the user interfaces I've seen, > even when read by a screen reader, I'd imagine would be slow and > cumbersome. > > It strikes me that, first, an interface for the blind requires the > equivalent of a sighted person's glance: Where you are now, and what > are your options. You could ask for further details on your current > location or your options, or you could choose an option, or you can > fill out a form. Maybe??? > > The average website with thirty gazillion links and all sorts of > extraneous verbiage, and context by color, seems like it would make a > blind person pull his/her hair out. > > There's got to be a better way! > > SteveT > > Steve Litt > October 2015 featured book: Thriving in Tough Times > http://www.troubleshooters.com/thrive > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.phxlinux.org To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: http://lists.phxlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss