Editor's note: This article was originally published in the October 2010 issue of AccessWorld. Due to its still very relevant and timely information, it is being republished here.

As our nation recognizes and celebrates National Disability Employment Awareness Month, this is a great opportunity to offer AccessWorld readers who are currently a client in their state's vocational rehabilitation (VR) program and who may be looking toward employment some tips or advice for gaining the most from their VR experience.

Unfortunately, there is approximately a 70 percent unemployment or underemployment rate among blind and visually impaired adults. Regardless of the reasons for this high unemployment rate, people with vision loss, like everyone else, must take responsibility for preparing themselves for the highly competitive world of work. In addition to formal education, including high school and post-secondary education, people with disabilities, including those with vision loss, can often benefit tremendously from VR.

As you read this article, keep in mind all states handle vocational rehabilitation in different ways. You are encouraged to apply the information from the article to best support your particular situation and employment goals.

Advice from Joe Strechay

In order to get first-hand information, I spoke with AFB CareerConnect Associate Joe Strechay. Before joining AFB, Strechay worked for the Florida Department of Education, Division of Blind Services and has 5 years of experience in VR. He offered the following insight:

"You must remember, the VR counselor's job is not to find or give you a job; he or she is supposed to help prepare you and guide you toward opportunities for employment. It is important to realize your job search is your job, and gaining the most from your VR experience is part of that job. Job seeking is a job in and of itself. You should get up in the morning thinking about ways to find a job and then follow through. It's also very important to keep an open line of communication with your counselor. You may want to send him or her e-mails with updates on what you are doing to better prepare yourself for work or provide them with information about job leads you are pursuing. It is important for your counselor to see you are putting forth effort to find work."

Strechay explained that the road to finding fulfilling employment can be a long one, and even if challenging situations arise during your VR experience, you must remain professional and courteous. There may be instances when you want to say something out of frustration, but Strechay recommended holding back, "because a good working relationship with VR staff is a great asset."

Strechay encourages VR clients to remember the following:

• Deadlines can be very important; if your VR counselor asks you to get documentation to him or her by a certain date, have it to them prior to that date.
• Always follow up on requests to your VR counselor.
• Do the research necessary for the jobs that interest you, and utilize all your resources. If you have access to the Internet, use it as a research tool.
• Keep notes on your contacts with your VR counselor and the dates you submit information. Maintain a contact log specific to your VR case that includes when you filled out your application, received notice of being eligible for services, made your first contact after eligibility, and received your first service.
• Keep copies of e-mails, letters, and other correspondence you receive from VR staff and potential employers.
• Keep copies of any information, including your individual plan for employment (IPE), and keep it organized by date. This shows the services on your plan that you should be receiving.

The services a client receives should be based off an assessment or inventory of your needs, and your VR counselor will offer services that will help get you to work or back to work, Strechay said. In addition to career search and employment services, rehabilitation services will most likely be offered to improve your blindness skills, which may help increase your independence at work and at home.

"Most state VR agencies have a handbook or procedure guide that is often available online," Strechay noted. "VR counselors follow these procedures, and this should give you a better idea of what specific rules they follow. These are guidelines set by the state VR agency and will be different in each state. Services offered in one state may not be offered in another. States have different programs through their VR agency and may include programs aimed at children, teens (often called transition programs), seniors (often called independent living programs), vocational rehabilitation programs (employment training, including post-secondary training), or Blind Enterprisers' Program (as part of the Randolph Shepherd Act)."

Strechay also suggested that individuals who request equipment or technology ask for equipment that will be essential to their success in meeting a vocational goal, and to be prepared to justify why this piece of technology is needed. "Make sure you can get training on this technology or are already trained to use it. Ask for training if necessary," Strechay urged. "Most importantly, if at any time you don't understand something, ask questions."

Advice from Sheri Koch

Sheri Koch, program supervisor at the Blind & Visually Impaired Services for the West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services, also works extensively in VR. "The mission of the West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services is to enable and empower individuals with disabilities to work and live independently," Koch noted. "Our role in blind services is to work with the client with vision loss to provide all appropriate services to enable the individual to live and work with vision loss."

Individuals should investigate their VR options early, Koch said. "School-age individuals should start meeting with their rehabilitation counselor in the 10th or 11th grade to begin developing the client-counselor relationship. Counselors for the blind should start attending the client's IEP meetings at this same time to begin working on transition issues," Koch said. Self identification is important, especially for students with low vision, to ensure the school system provides appropriate accommodations for the student. "If vision loss occurs after the individual has completed public school," Koch remarked, "the sooner the connection between the counselor and prospective rehabilitation client can be made, the better."

"Generally, we begin working with individuals around age 16 or so, but there is no set limit on the maximum age as long as it is reasonable to consider employment for the person with vision loss," Koch said.

According to Koch, there are 10 important steps in the rehabilitation process:

1. An individual applies for rehabilitation services, and the specialty counselor for the blind in the individual's geographic area takes the application.
2. The counselor obtains information and documentation needed to verify the presence of a disability.
3. Eligibility for services is determined, which should be complete within 60 days of the application. An extension will be completed by the counselor if additional information is needed to determine eligibility.
4. The client participates in a variety of assessment activities designed to determine an appropriate vocational goal. Such activities may include a vocational evaluation, interest exploration, an evaluation of an individual's aptitude and achievement, an evaluation of the job market for the client's chosen goal, an assistive technology evaluation, a determination of whether compensatory blindness skills are needed, and a plan for specific training.
5. The counselor and client write an IPE uniquely tailored for that client's interests, abilities, training services, and placement.
6. The client receives services under an approved IPE.
7. The client maintains regular contact with the rehabilitation counselor during the delivery of services.
8. Upon completion of needed job-preparation services, the counselor works with the client to identify, interview for, and obtain employment.
9. Once the client is employed, the counselor works with the client and his or her employer to address such issues as accommodations needed to perform job tasks.
10. Once the client has been successfully employed for 90 days, and if no additional services are needed, the case is closed with the client being successfully rehabilitated.

According to Koch, "A wide array of services is available from the West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services, and these services are provided depending on the unique needs of and appropriateness for each client. Services include the following.

• Assessments
• Rehabilitation training, such as college, blind compensatory skills training, vocational technical training, and job readiness training
• Career planning services
• Placement services
• Counseling and guidance
• Access technology
• Support services, such as reader service, orientation, and mobility, and physical restoration services, such as glasses
• Services to employers

"Throughout the rehabilitation process, the counselor works diligently with the client to help him or her reach a positive employment outcome," Koch said. "Conversely, the client must work equally hard to meet their responsibilities throughout this process. Clients are given a copy of the Department of Rehabilitation Services Rights and Responsibilities at the time of application."

In order to get the most out of VR, Koch recommended that clients put maximum effort and work into all phases of the rehabilitation program, from vocational training and job search efforts to actual employment. Also, clients should communicate with the counselor on a regular and consistent basis, not just when they need something.

Frequently, Koch said, the client considers only the vocational training and placement part of the rehabilitation process and ignores the fact that compensatory blindness skills are essential prior to taking on academic or vocational training, or job placement. Before planning college or vocational training, or before going for the job of a lifetime, VR clients should complete a self-inventory and ask themselves:

1. Do I have reading, writing, braille, and computer skills?
2. How do I study for and take tests?
3. Can I prepare for and get a job interview on my own?
4. Can I travel independently?
5. Do I have the skills to live independently: prepare meals, plan and maintain a budget, do laundry, etc.
6. Do I know how to use the technology my rehabilitation counselor plans to provide?
7. Do I have the social skills to work and interact well with others?

"A second mistake made by many clients is their lack of involvement and planning in their own rehabilitation process," Koch said. "In other words, they tell the counselor what they want, and sit back and wait on it. Take the time to know what you need and when you need it, to succeed in your rehabilitation process. Plan ahead and don't wait for a crisis to get you moving."

Koch believes a third mistake made by clients is a lack of realistic job planning. "Look to see who's doing what and where they're doing it," she said. "For instance, if you want to be a sea captain but don't want to leave your land-bound state, you may want to reconsider that career choice."

Along the same lines, she warned, "Don't sell yourself short! If you want to be something specific, explore to see if other blind people are doing what you want to do and how they do it. Check out the CareerConnect website and other employment sites for people with vision loss. Always remember that good compensatory blindness skills can knock down many barriers to employment."

Koch also urged clients and potential clients to "communicate, communicate, communicate! Talk to your counselor. Talk to your classmates. Talk to other people with vision loss. Talk to people who work."

"The Division of Rehabilitation Services can and does provide life-changing services to clients so that they can live and work independently," she stated. Working with the Division can be an opportunity of a lifetime, but with opportunity comes responsibility. "Play an active role in your rehabilitation process from beginning to end," Koch advised. "After all, it's your life!"

Comment on this article.

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Editor's note: The majority of the content in this article was published in the October 2015 issue of AccessWorld in an article written by Joe Strechay. It has been updated for 2017 and edited for this publication by Aaron Preece.

October ushers in National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and each year AccessWorld strives to bring you information to assist in your employment search. Whether you are looking for your first job or have years of work experience, vision loss will impact your job search process. Having helpful resources to assist you on the path to employment is vital to your success. We hope the resources gathered here will prove useful.

Transition Services

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) increases the focus on transition services provided by state vocational rehabilitation agencies and their contractors. In fact, state vocational rehabilitation agencies will be spending 15 percent of their service dollars on pre-employment transition services for students and youth with disabilities. For most states, this is considerably more than in past years. This legislation went into effect in July of 2014, but the regulations were not released until very recently. Transition services provide students with activities on career exploration, employment skills, work experience, and much, much more. The strategy is to provide students with opportunities for successful employment experiences by starting preparation earlier than in the past. The legislation provides a consistent focus, which is something that has been missing, and the use of partners in the education arena is encouraged. The fact is, transition services have been provided in many forms, but with a consistent and widespread implementation, the result will be improved success rates for the future.

The United States Business Leadership Network

The United States Business Leadership Network (USBLN) has been a strong advocate for connecting employers with job seekers with disabilities. The USBLN connects and provides employers with guidance on the policies and structure within organizations to help employers embrace and support disability.

IN conjunction with the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the USBLN developed a tool called the Disability Equality Index (DEI). This effort was aided by the DEI Advisory Committee. This committee includes representatives both from organizations advocating for those with disabilities and business leaders. The DEI was modeled after the successful Corporate Equality Index that assisted with large strides for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) population in the past.

The DEI offers employers the ability to assess their organization on many levels, as to their ability to support employees with disabilities through policies and hiring practices. The USBLN is a membership organization for employers, and there are local leadership networks around the United States. If you are an employer, or you are advocating on behalf of people with disabilities with employers, encourage participation with these types of groups. The USBLN supports a widening of diversity in the overall workforce, including the hiring of underrepresented populations such as people with disabilities and veterans.

In addition, the USBLN Rising Leaders Mentoring Program offers college students a great opportunity to participate in a structured mentoring program with corporate professionals as mentors. The program links college students with disabilities to corporate mentors. The program is offered on an annual basis and at the time of this writing, the USBLN indicated that mentee applications for the 2018 program would begin to be accepted later this fall. The program has seen great success and expansion due to the positive impact of the program.

Technology and the Employment Process: Benefits and Challenges

In most cases, the job application process involves the submission of employment-related information online via a job portal. At this point, even if you are able to submit your resume and cover letter via e-mail, you still need to be able to access online job opportunities. Many large companies still have inaccessible job portals or utilize platforms that are poorly designed for accessibility—a disappointing reality in a time when such importance is placed on user experience. Many companies trust their contractors or an automated check to determine if their website is accessible, when true accessibility assessment takes education and understanding. The AFB Chief Consulting Solutions Officer, Cris Broyles, works with businesses and organizations on recognizing the complexities of accessibility. His team provides consultation on the development of and fixes to websites and apps for businesses around the United States. The team can coach developers on navigating through the standards and evaluating their current state of accessibility.

The AFB Consulting Solutions team is passionate about innovation and bringing access to people with visual impairments. AccessNote, a free, accessible note taking app, designed by the AFB Tech team, works with Bluetooth keyboards, and is available for both Android and iOS users. The team has also updated the AFB AccessWorld app by adding a powerful search feature and customized appearance. The team developed a new version of the CareerConnect app that includes access to the CareerConnect profile. In addition, the team developed the AFB Vision Connect app, which allows users to search for their local services and connect to a variety of online resources. VisionConnect is now also available on Android devices. You can find a listing of AFB's apps with links to their respective App Store or Play Store entries at the previous link.

LinkedIn is an important social media player in access to employment. LinkedIn users utilize the job search feature, network with other professionals, monitor and comment on groups, and are recruited by businesses via their LinkedIn profile. The accessibility of LinkedIn was reviewed in the October, 2015 issue of AccessWorld.

Useful Apps and Innovations for Accessible Job Searching and Professional Productivity

The KNFB Reader app offers access at a cost, but it is a useful app for individuals who are blind. The app provides the ability to access print documents, menus, and much more in everyday life and employment settings through a portable OCR solution. People use the KNFB Reader to independently access printed material, and the developers continue to add new features. IT is also possible to import PDF documents or images that contain images of text and have them converted into readable text with the KNFB Reader.

Microsoft's Seeing AI app provides recognition of text, products, and people. The app also has an experimental mode that aims to provide a description of an overall scene. The app has two OCR modes. One feature that could be particularly useful in the workplace is called Short text. This feature uses the camera to constantly scan for legible text and upon detection read it automatically. This feature is useful in many situations from reading error messages on a computer's screen in real time to sorting printed documents. AFB reviewed this app in the August 2017 issue of AccessWorld

The Be My Eyes app is a free app that allows people to volunteer to video chat in order to provide visual assistance to people who are blind or visually impaired. You can use this app for access to all kinds of information ranging from captchas to thermostats in hotels.

Aira is a service that allows someone with a visual impairment to request visual assistance from someone who has been professionally trained to provide assistance to people with visual impairments. We have reviewed Aira across two articles. The first article was published in the September 2017 issue of AccessWorld. Part 2 has been published in this issue.

There are a number of GPS apps specifically for people with visual impairments. These include BlindSquare, Nearby Explorer, and Seeing Eye GPS. Beacon technology has revolutionized the development of indoor navigation solutions for people with visual impairments. There are many apps available that take advantage of this technology to provide step-by-step directions or the equivalent of accessible signs indoors. Some of these include BlindSquare, Right-Hear, Aware, and ClickAndGo. No matter what app you use, an app will not replace the use of proper orientation and mobility skills with a white cane or dog guide.

Aside from mobile apps, there has been a lot of innovation prompting accessibility to be discussed within mainstream media and among many businesses. One such project is Depict, a crowdsourced image description tool to aid visually impaired web users to browse the web with ease. Depict is a two-part project composed of a browser extension and website that provides web users with visual impairments with a platform to request image descriptions from sighted web users. The developer researched common issues faced by Internet users who are blind or visually impaired. The creator of Depict, Niamh Parsley, stated, "I want to get people thinking about web accessibility. Depict deals directly with image descriptions, but is part of a much wider conversation."

Employment Resources Revisited

AFB CareerConnect

CareerConnect is a fully accessible member of the AFB family of websites dedicated to promoting the employment of people with vision loss. CareerConnect boasts a number of helpful resources, such as articles about the employment process, stories from successfully employed people with vision loss ("Our Stories"), and access to message boards with topics specific to careers for blind or visually impaired individuals. CareerConnect also offers useful resources for career exploration, as well as job application and resume and development tools. In addition, CareerConnect provides useful tools and activities for professionals working with clients who are blind or visually impaired.

Transition to Work Program Activity Guide

The Transition to Work: Program Activity Guide was created for Community Rehabilitation Program (CRP) Providers, Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Agencies, and Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVI's) working to improve employment outcomes for teens and young adults who are blind or visually impaired. The activities are intended to equip service providers to provide instruction and services to youth who are blind or visually impaired in three of the five Pre-employment Transition Services areas required by the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA): job exploration, work-based learning, and workplace readiness training. The materials were developed by a Teacher of the Visually Impaired with the intention of providing instructors easy access to a variety of activities in several formats to meet the learning media needs of all of their students. The activities can be printed, accessed electronically, and even e-mailed. The activities are also available as electronic braille files (BRF) in the Unified English Braille (UEB) Code ready to be embossed.

The materials were designed for youth whose primary (and possibly only) disability is their visual impairment, but activities can be modified for individual student needs and for students with additional disabilities. The activities are designed to facilitate individual and small group instruction and can also be used to facilitate distance instruction with students in rural areas when face-to-face instruction cannot occur or is limited.

The Job Seeker's Toolkit

CareerConnect's Job Seeker's Toolkit is a free, self-paced online course aimed at people who are new to the employment process. The Toolkit consists of a series of lessons and assignments that cover self-awareness, career exploration, job seeking tools, pre-interview and interview skills, and job maintenance. As you work your way through the Toolkit, you can save your assignments (ranging from your network contacts, to your resume and cover letter, to a list of job leads, in your My CareerConnect portfolio) where they can be accessed for future reference or use.

Maintaining and Advancing in Employment

The Maintaining and Advancing in Employment course offers 25 unique lessons and assignments to assist adults and youth in getting ready to maintain their employment and aim for future advancement. Professionals can sign up for free and associate to users as well. So, stay on the job and prepare to move up the employment ladder with this great resource.

CareerConnect App

The CareerConnect app offers access to the CareerConnect Blog, Our Stories section, and the Lesson Plans for Teachers and Professionals section. In June 2015, AFB launched version 2 of the CareerConnect app, which added access to the CareerConnect social networking features. Use the app to connect with mentors and accept connection requests.

NIB CareersWithVision

The NIB CareersWithVision website is the result of a collaborative effort between AFB CareerConnect and National Industries for the Blind. The NIB has compiled a large list of jobs from around the US within organizations that do work in fields related to blindness, or that have hired people with visual impairments. A unique feature of the site is that you can submit your CareerConnect resume to participating organizations in order to apply for jobs. This service requires the creation of a free CareerConnect user profile to gain access to the job board, develop a resume, and apply to positions.

Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired

The Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired offers online and correspondence courses for people with vision loss in subjects related to blindness skills, business writing, employment, and more. Hadley's exciting program, the Forsythe Center for Entrepreneurship, offers in-depth information and training for entrepreneurs who are blind or visually impaired and who want to start their own businesses. This resource has seen growth and innovation through partnerships with groups like the Veteran's Administration.

Accessing Federal Jobs

Federal agencies have two job application methods available for people with disabilities: competitive and noncompetitive placements. As with any employer, job applicants must meet specified qualifications and be able to perform essential job duties related to the position with reasonable accommodations.

Jobs that are filled competitively are advertised on USAJOBS, the official job-posting site used by the United States government. There are approximately 16,000 jobs available on the site each day. Once you register on the site, you can set up notifications for job advertisements related to selected keywords. Jobs filled non-competitively are available to those with mental, severe physical or psychiatric disabilities who have appropriate documentation as specified by the US Office of Personnel Management. Your VR counselor can provide this documentation to you if you qualify.

The US Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) offers useful connections to resources for self-employment, youth employment, employer advisement, the latest disability policies, and more. This office advises the US Department of Labor and other government agencies on employment issues regarding people with disabilities.

Job Accommodation Network

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is an online resource for accommodation advice for all disabilities. The website also allows users to submit questions regarding special accommodations and ADA issues in the workplace. JAN hosts webcasts on the provision of job accommodations, and the programs can be accessed through their website.

Career One Stop

Career One Stop is a free resource provided by the US Department of Labor that allows you to search state job bank databases.

Career Centers

Career centers help people perform research to support professional goals. Community Colleges, universities, and vocational schools often have career centers, and many are available to the public. You may have to visit, call, or do some online research to find out what is available to you locally. Keep in mind that many career centers maintain robust websites accessible to anyone with an Internet connection, and these sites may offer many free resources and materials. Career centers are often underutilized, and most are eager to have visitors. Some receive grant money to offer services to the community or state, and some actively recruit people with disabilities to their centers.

Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies

Vocational rehabilitation agencies help people with disabilities prepare for entry or re-entry into the workforce. Your local vocational rehabilitation agency will offer a range of programs, resources, and services to help you prepare for and find work. The range of programs offered by these agencies varies from state to state, so research your local vocational rehabilitation agency, determine what programs and services you are eligible for, and apply.

In most cases, these organizations exist to help you become job-ready and find employment. Some may also train you in independent living, orientation and mobility, and access technology. These agencies will also know about other available resources in your community and state. To find a local or state agency near you, use the AFB Directory of Services.

Bender Consulting Services

Bender Consulting Services is a highly successful recruitment firm that specializes in meeting employers' needs through the employment of qualified people with disabilities in the technology, science, government, and other employment sectors. The organization has been making a difference for a long time. Joyce Bender also hosts a popular audio show specific to disability and the employment process.

DisABLED Person, Inc.

DisABLEDperson, Inc. is a non-profit foundation with the mission to reduce the extremely high unemployment rate among people with disabilities by providing online recruitment solutions as well as program initiatives. A primary goal associated with this mission is to connect individuals and veterans who have disabilities with employers who are proactive in hiring them. It accomplishes this goal through their disability job matching system.

Another goal is to assist community members in gaining marketable job skills that will translate into sustainable employment, accomplished through their Microsoft Imagine Academy program. You can visit the Web portals at the disABLEDperson, Inc. website or the Job Opportunities for Disabled American Veterans (JOFDAV) website.

Eyes on Success

The Eyes on Success audio show is an excellent resource to find interviews with successful people who are blind or visually impaired and get employment tips. There are hundreds of shows accessible online that offer tips on job seeking and the use of resources. Find out about great blindness-related resources and inspirational stories.

NFB Where the Blind Work

The National Federation of the Blind has a resource that allows individuals who are blind or visually impaired to post information about their work. Where the Blind Work is a portal for learning about the jobs people who are blind are doing.

Project Aspiro

Project Aspiro is a website developed by the World Blind Union around addressing the employment issues specific to the needs in Canada and abroad. This is a career exploration resource that aims to illuminate employment options and programs without a Western-centric focus.

Final Thoughts

During NDEAM, take the time to evaluate your presentation to the public, online, and when approaching employment opportunities. When you step out into your local community or professional community, what brand are you presenting? Every one of us has our own brand, and it is up to us to evaluate that brand to see if it supports our intended message. The perception of the public is their reality of who we are as an individual. Put forth the best brand possible. We all are unique and offer valuable skills. Even professionals with the best brands have to reevaluate their messaging from time to time. Define the message you want to present in the public, create that message and image, seek feedback, correct your brand, and test your revamped brand in the community. This could be the difference between being employed and not being employed. This doesn't have to cost a lot of money.

Take the time to reevaluate your online presence. Look at your presentation through social media, and evaluate whether this is the professional image you seek. Social media offers both new opportunities and obstacles in the employment process. More and more jobs are released first through social media and associated online contacts. Corporations and recruiters are mining online profiles for qualified and talented candidates.

Even the most seasoned professional needs to update their skills for navigating the employment process. Individuals who have been employed for longer periods might be even more in need of making this effort. The employment process has changed, and our skills for interviewing and addressing the needs of new employers may be stale. The employment process is about bringing your skills to meet the needs of an employer. Defining and listening to the needs of an employer can be the thing that gets you a second interview. Each employer is different, and the fact is most interviewers have little to no training in conducting an interview, and this is especially true for a person with a disability. Most operate on their own biased assumptions of what an effective interview should be. Interviewers don't typically role play or practice the process, especially those who are not human resources professionals. The people who will typically interview you are professionals in a specific field. Take the time to practice your interviewing skills with various professionals who work both in and outside of human resources, This takes a lot of time and preparation. We all have misjudged our own readiness and proficiency in this area at some time in our professional lives.

Besides getting your brand to the highest level, take the time to give back to the community. Make the effort to schedule time to assist in creating more awareness around the employment of individuals who are blind or visually impaired. We are more than our blindness or vision loss. We are corporate professionals, nonprofit managers, retail associates, sandwich artists, scientists, counselors, lawyers, entertainment stars, and so much more. The positive impression you leave forever changes the world's perception of people who are blind or have low vision.

Comment on this article.

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Dear AccessWorld readers,

October is Disability Employment Awareness Month, and AccessWorld is once again taking this opportunity to focus on employment with articles that provide strategies, insider perspectives, and information about employment resources.

October is a time to celebrate the skills and accomplishments of American workers with disabilities. Further, it's a time to illuminate and discuss the employment barriers that still exist and, with renewed vigor, pursue their removal.

In historical perspective, the effort to educate the American public about issues related to disability and employment began in 1945 when Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in October as National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week. In 1962, the word "physically" was removed to acknowledge the employment needs and contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities. In 1988, Congress expanded the week to a month and changed the name to National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

In observance of this month-long celebration, I want to, once again, share with AccessWorld readers the thinking of former AFB CareerConnect Program Manager Joe Strechay. Joe has worked in the blindness field for many years, and I very much respect his work and his observations and philosophy regarding employment for people who are blind or visually impaired. He wrote:

Having traveled extensively around the United States and met with professionals, job seekers, teenagers, and adults who are blind or visually impaired, I have had the opportunity to learn about employment issues from all sides.

In that vein, I am often asked the question, "What is the major factor affecting whether or not a person with vision loss is or is not employed?" Too often, I feel, people want to highlight a single reason as the major cause for the differential between being employed or being unemployed. Instead of offering one reason, I assert that the underlying factor is that there is such inconsistency around the United States in the training and preparation of people with vision loss from an early age through adulthood.

Neither public nor private services are created equally, and for that matter, no government or private entity offers those services in the same manner. This issue is larger than just vocational rehabilitation. It includes preparation in schools, nonprofits, various state agencies and services, and other important variables, including family involvement. There are a lot of fantastic programs and services available, but any given region may be strong in one service and lacking in another. I know this is obvious, but it needs to be said openly: our field needs to address our weaknesses and diligently work to make improvements.

Each job seeker with vision loss has his or her own challenges. Unfortunately, I still see a level of learned helplessness among young people with disabilities, even among the brightest. Learned helplessness refers to an individual being taught that things will be done for them, which allows them to not attempt to initiate or do things on their own.

This type of thinking sometimes extends to the perception of job seekers that vocational rehabilitation is designed to find them jobs, but that is not its purpose. Vocational rehabilitation specialists definitely can help and guide, but they are not job placement professionals. Job placement is an art; it is a mix of sales, community relations, and having a well-defined pool of applicants.

Job seekers battle the perceptions of employers about vision loss and their own perceptions about navigating the employment process. At the same time, the technology divide between those who have appropriate access and mainstream technology and those who have orientation and mobility training, and those who do not, is apparent. Those with O&M training and technology skills have a better chance at finding, obtaining, and maintaining successful employment. In addition, job seekers are all individuals with strengths, skills, and weaknesses. All individuals have limitations, and not every job seeker is going to be—or wants to be—a computer programmer, accountant, teacher, mechanic, or maintenance worker. But most people do want to be productive and employed citizens.

I encourage everyone with vision loss to pursue every avenue of education and training possible. I encourage you to embrace and learn to skillfully use technology. Take it upon yourself to seek out resources such as CareerConnect and AccessWorld as well as the CareerConnect app and the AccessWorld app to assist you with career readiness. Ultimately, it is your life and your career, and you are responsible for it. Take action! By working hard, obtaining education and skills, and seeking out and using resources available to you, you can find the job that's meant for you!

Joe Strechay, former AFB CareerConnect Program Manager

I also want to remind AccessWorld readers who may be in the job market that for the purpose of expanding employment opportunities for people with vision loss, CareerConnect provides employment and job search information, helps new job seekers and students explore careers, and helps users learn about interviewing skills, resume building, disability disclosure, and any number of other topics related to a successful job search. Another helpful and inspiring area of AFB's website is Our Stories. These are firsthand accounts of life in the workforce from workers with vision loss.

This October also marks the five-year anniversary of the AccessWorld app. I'm very excited to announce the app has now been downloaded over 8,500 times. If you have an iPhone and haven't yet downloaded the app, I encourage you to do so.

I hope you enjoy this issue and will join AccessWorld in recognizing and celebrating the inroads individuals with vision loss, and all types of disabilities, have made in the world of employment.

Sincerely,
Lee Huffman
AccessWorld Editor-in-Chief
American Foundation for the Blind

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This message is in response to Bill Holton's article, Repairing or Replacing the Optic Nerve: New Frontiers in Vision Technology Research.

As a grandfather of a 2-year-old born without eyes or optic nerves, this article filled me with hope for my grandson's future. Thank you for the work you do.

Sincerely,

Rick Olsen

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This letter is in response to Janet Ingber's August article, Obtaining Accessible Cable Television: A Frustrating Experience.

I am also a Spectrum subscriber. I have had almost the same experiences as you have. The only difference is they do not have a Roku box in Kansas City. I am communicating with Joey Haas at Charter. When I turned on audio description it was totally unacceptable. If the program did not have it available there is just dead air sent. This did not work out very well when a friend and I wanted to watch the Kansas City Chief's game. Joey has turned this over to the programmers. It didn't bother me when a commercial did not play, but at first I thought my television was broken.

Best,

Susie Stanzel

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

Microsoft did an update to Windows 10 that took away display settings that those of us with vision problems use to set the display settings to the size and boldness that we nee. You used to be able to set the title bar, menus, palette files, icons, and tool tips to the size?and boldness that you needed. We need that back. I did call the Microsoft Disability Department?and they did roll back?the?update so I could get them back but at the same time I got back all the glitches it fixed.

Response from The Microsoft Accessibility Team:

The "Change only the text size" option was turned off in the Windows 10 Creators Update. Unfortunately, the setting was not supported throughout the entire system. For example, it didn't work with the Start menu, Cortana, Edge, and some applications.

For an alternative method of changing your text size, you can use the Scale and Layout options within Settings > System > Display. Use the dropdown under "Change the size of text, apps, and other items" to make things bigger or smaller.

If you'd prefer your text, apps, and other items to be even bigger or smaller, click the Custom scaling feature to go outside the ranges that Windows recommends for your hardware's screen size and resolution.

If the text looks fuzzy or blurry when you use custom scaling, this might happen if the custom size is not set to a 25-percent increment. For example, if your custom scaling is set to 157 percent, try changing it to 150 percent or 175 percent.

Note: Microsoft recommends keeping your display resolution set to the "recommended" value. If you use custom scaling to go outside the range that Windows recommends, some text, apps, and other items may become unreadable. If you're not able to read the screen well enough to restore your display settings, try starting Narrator by pressing the Windows logo key + Enter. Then press Tab to navigate through the interface until you find the right option for restoring your display settings.

You can find more information at Making Windows easier to see.

Dear AccessWorld Editor

This message is in response to Deborah Kendrick's September 2017 article, SEE3D: Teenagers Expand the Visual World for People Who Are Blind.

Thank you for posting such an interesting and inspiring article. I find myself almost in awe of such people, driven by forces of good—especially those of the younger generation who simply go beyond the extra mile just to make a difference. They seemingly wake up one day to become motivated to research and pursue a project, such as this one, and see it through.? The implications are quite profound. Who knows what this young person's drive and interest could hold for our lives in the upcoming future.

Thanks for the chance to stumble upon this.

Cheers,

Haroon Probst.

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This message is in response to Janet Ingber's September 2017 article, Instant Access to Information with Aira: An Introduction (Part 1 of 2).

I've been using Aira since July and absolutely love it!? Have been going on greenways, trails, stores, restaurants. Agents helped me set my water softener timer, showed me how to set up my new atomic clock, etc. It's a new freedom and a new chapter in my life.

Barbara

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This message regards the September 2017 issue of AccessWorld. This issue of AccessWorld is incredible.? I'm quite interested in getting my insurance to pay for Aira, as I am in a power chair in addition to being totally blind.? The SEE3D sounds really fun.? I am interested in aquaponics for personal food production, and maybe as a career, but there are no models to look at.

Thanks for the encouraging information.

Regards,

Donna Bell

Sci-Voice Talking LabQuest 2 Released

Independence Science integrates text-to-speech assistive technology with Vernier Software & Technology's data-collection interface

Independence Science recently launched the Sci-Voice Talking LabQuest 2 to help blind and low-vision students independently complete data-collection investigations during STEM labs. By integrating text-to-speech assistive technology with Vernier Software & Technology's LabQuest 2 hardware device, the Sci-Voice Talking LabQuest 2 speaks real-time data results to students.

Students can use the Sci-Voice Talking LabQuest 2 to collect data from more than 70 Vernier sensors. In addition to speaking the data-collection results, as well as displaying the results on the screen, the device can vocalize to students more than 20 characteristics of each element on the Periodic Table of Elements. The Sci-Voice Talking LabQuest 2 additionally features faster computing, wireless data sharing, and five built-in sensors (GPS, 3-axis accelerometer, ambient temperature, light, and microphone) making it easy and intuitive for students to collect, analyze, and share data from experiments.

Each Sci-Voice Talking LabQuest 2 is sold as a kit that includes a Sci-Voice Talking LabQuest 2, a USB keyboard, and three Vernier sensors (the Vernier Stainless Steel Temperature Probe, Differential Voltage Probe, and Current Probe).

Visit the independence Science website to learn more about the Sci-Voice Talking LabQuest 2.

Blackboard Receives 2017 WCET Outstanding Work (WOW) Award Recognizing Innovative Accessibility Solution

Blackboard Inc. has won a 2017 WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies (WCET) Outstanding Work (WOW) award for its revolutionary accessibility solution, Blackboard Ally, which makes digital course content more accessible for all learners.

Since 2004, WCET has presented the WOW award to colleges, universities, and organizations that implement exceptionally creative, technology-based solutions to contemporary challenges in higher education. The WOW award helps WCET meet its mission of promoting innovative and effective practice by providing exemplary programs as models for the higher education community to adapt for their own students and faculty. WOW award recipients have all implemented solutions in areas shown to have impact on student success.

Blackboard Ally integrates with an institution's existing learning management system (LMS) and automatically runs course materials through an accessibility checklist that looks for common accessibility issues. The solution generates a range of more accessible alternatives for the instructor's original content including Semantic HTML, audio, ePub, and electronic Braille. It provides educators with guidance for improving the accessibility of their course materials, while also supplying comprehensive reporting on the current state of content accessibility at both the course and institutional level.

The solution is currently available in the latest release of Blackboard Learn with the Original experience, Moodlerooms, and Canvas. It will be made available for Moodle 3.2 in October 2017, as well as additional platforms in the future.

"Each and every year, the WOW Awards committee has a challenging task to review outstanding proposals from across the country to select our final award recipients," said Kara Monroe, Vice President for Academic Innovation and Support at Ivy Tech Community College, and chair of the WOW Awards committee. "This year's four award recipients represent the entire 2017 class of proposals as an outstanding reflection of the innovation, quality, leadership and vision needed to help students, faculty, and institutions succeed in higher education today."

The WOW awardees will be recognized by WCET's national community of higher education innovators during the WCET 29th Annual Meeting in Denver, CO, October 25–27th, 2017.

"We're honored to be the first educational technology company to receive a WOW award in the history of the program," said Phill Miller, Vice President of Teaching and Learning at Blackboard. "Blackboard is committed to partnering with institutions worldwide to increase awareness of course content accessibility and to provide support for teaching students of all learning styles and abilities."

More information about Blackboard Ally can be found here.

Apple Releases iOS 11 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch

Apple has released version 11 of their iOS operating system for iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touch devices. New features include a Files app which allows for the viewing and accessing of files from various apps in one place, the ability to record what is occurring on the device, and support for augmented reality. The site AppleVis has published several articles relating to iOS 11 including "Apple Releases iOS 11; Bringing a Range of Enhancements and New Features" and "What's New in iOS 11 Accessibility for Blind, LowVision and Deaf-Blind Users". A post detailing the bugs introduced for assistive technology users in iOS 11 is also available.

Some educational resources for using this new operating system are already available including Jonathan Mosen's book "iOS 11 Without the Eye" and the Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired's updated iFocus series of tutorials for using iOS with accessibility features

Amazon Adds Braille Support to VoiceView for Fire Tablets and Magnification to Fire TV

Amazon has added support for braille displays through the VoiceView screen reader included on Fire tablets. Users can both input and read text using English contracted and uncontracted braille, Unified English braille, and computer braille codes. VoiceView supports braille chord commands, including commands to navigate by character, word, control, HTML Link, HTML Section, HTML list item, and HTML form control, as well as jump to key parts of the Fire tablet user interface such as Home, Back, App Switcher, and the Notification/Quick Actions Shade. There are also chords to quickly bring up the VoiceView settings pane and invoke the braille Find command.

At the time of writing, supported braille displays include BAUM, Humanware, and the new Orbit Reader 20. Braille support is being delivered throughout the month of September to fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh generation Fire tablets as a free, over-the-air update. You can learn more about braille support on Fire tablets here.

Amazon is also adding magnification to Amazon Fire TV. Users will now be able to magnify their Fire TV user interface up to 10x. The magnified view will automatically follow the part of the screen you are interacting with, or you can manually pan around the screen. Fire TV magnification also works in concert with the VoiceView screen reader, so you can use both at the same time.

Magnification is being delivered as a free, over-the-air update throughout the month of September to all existing Fire TV users, and users who have a Fire TV Edition Smart TV. You can find information on magnification for Fire TV here.

Scott Wilson-Billing knows a thing or two about weather. A self-employed software developer since 1997, he had the opportunity to work for the Met Office, the United Kingdom's national weather provider. During that time, he worked on software that followed the development of hurricanes throughout the world. Since a freelance programmer can only work for the UK government for two years at a time, Wilson-Billing was forced to take a break from developing weather-related software for a while.

He was eventually re-hired by the Met Office, and, along with a partner, spent six months working on a very early "alpha" version of yet another weather app that would work for the latest versions of Android and iOS devices. At the end of this project, Wilson-Billing and his partner decided to develop their own weather app for iOS.

The two-man team knew that there were many free weather apps in the App Store, and that their new offering would need to be unique in some way in order for people to be willing to spend money on it. Named Weather Gods, this app uses the various gods of weather—the god of fire, the god of water, the ice god, the moon god, and so on, to communicate weather conditions. The app is very rich in visual imagery. To make matters even worse for a blind person using VoiceOver, these graphics are highly customized, and do not follow Apple's accessibility implementation, which would provide an out-of-the-box accessible experience for the VoiceOver user. Regrettably, when Weather Gods was initially released, Wilson-Billing had only barely heard of the concept of making apps accessible for iOS. It wasn't until he watched videos from Apple's 2016 Worldwide Developer's Conference that he began to understand what providing accessibility for VoiceOver, the screen reader used on all of Apple's products by visually impaired people, really meant. Sadly, he realized that his weather app wasn't accessible at all.

Wilson-Billing set about learning more on the topic of making apps accessible to the blind. He began doing Google searches that led him to the AppleVis community. He was gratified to receive a lot of feedback on the AppleVis forums from blind people who were willing to help him test his app and make suggestions that would make Weather Gods truly accessible. Wilson-Billing says that beta testers—people who test prerelease versions of software—often use beta versions of an app, but don't always provide a lot of feedback to the developer. His experience with the blind community has been just the opposite. The community regularly uses the app, and provides a lot of feedback, both positive and negative, along the way.

Weather Gods: An App for Blind and Sighted Alike

Through many builds of Weather Gods, and after much input from the blind community, the app began to take on a form that was truly useable by the blind. Wilson-Billing says that he eventually realized the need to develop an app with two personas. For the sighted user, the app provides rich images and charts to communicate information such as hours of sunshine, rainfall, snow amounts, and wind speed, just to name a few examples. Since charts would be difficult to make use of with VoiceOver, this information is presented to the blind user in the form of a timeline that can be easily read through using the screen reader. The same is true for the weather wheel, which, for sighted users, provides hourly weather conditions for a seven-day period. For VoiceOver users, this information is provided by order of importance. This means that information about heavy rain is presented before information about the ultraviolet index, since the ultraviolet index wouldn't be as important during a rain storm.

This approach to accessibility requires a lot more work on the part of the developer, but provides a very customized experience for the VoiceOver user.

Keeping the Lights On for Weather Gods

Much of the weather information found in Weather Gods comes from IBM's Weather Company. IBM now owns The Weather Channel and Weather Underground. To help save on cost, days 3 through 7 of the weather information found in Weather Gods comes from Dark Sky. TimeAndDate.com provides information for sunrise, sunset, and moon phases, while Geonames is used for location information.

When first released, Weather Gods was priced at $3.99 in the U.S., but it now costs $2.99. Wilson-Billing estimates that approximately 65 percent of the app's users are blind. While VoiceOver use is not specifically tracked, Wilson-Billing is able to see how users are accessing information from the app. This allows him to make an educated guess as to whether or not that person is a VoiceOver user. He also believes that blind people are more likely to use Weather Gods on a daily basis than their sighted counterparts. Unfortunately, overall sales of the app have not been enough to cover costs. For this reason, by the time you read this article, Weather Gods will most likely be based on a subscription model. Anyone who has already purchased the app need not fear. You will never be asked to pay for an update to the program. Moving forward, however, new users will have seven days to try the app for free. After the trial has ended, users can pay $1 per quarter to use the app, or $3 for a full year. This means that yearly subscribers will get one quarter for free. Anyone who owns an Apple Watch will receive a fully accessible version of the app on that device as well.

What's Next for Weather Gods?

Wilson-Billing is committed to the continued development of Weather Gods, and there are a lot of things on the roadmap as far as the app's future is concerned. Currently, the user of Weather Gods can enable a wide array of notifications, including information about sunrise and sunset as well as whether it will rain or not. Currently, severe weather notifications are not available from within the app, but Wilson-Billing hopes to change this in a future update. In the past, it was necessary to relaunch Weather Gods each time the user's device was restarted in order to re-enable notification alerts. This is no longer the case with the most recent updates to the program. Another thing on the horizon for Weather Gods is pollen alerts, which should greatly benefit those who suffer from allergies.

For the VoiceOver user, Wilson-Billing plans to add custom actions to the VoiceOver rotor. It might be possible someday to place focus on a particular god such as the ice god, and then use the rotor to move through the next seven days to determine whether any ice is in the forecast.

Finally, the developers of Weather Gods—now a three-person team—hope to eventually release versions of Weather Gods for Apple TV and the Mac.

The Bottom Line

Anyone who has tried to use weather apps with VoiceOver knows the frustration of trying to quickly find the information they are looking for. Graphics-intensive information that catches the eye of the sighted user is often not easily discerned by a blind person using a screen reader. With Weather Gods, this isn't a problem at all, since accessibility is core to the development of this app. The reasonable price, the developer's commitment to accessibility, and the planned enhancements to the product make it worth checking out. By the time you read this, you should be able to get a seven-day free trial of the app so that you can decide for yourself if Weather Gods meets your needs.

Product Information

By the time you read this, Weather Gods by Meyume Ltd should be available as a subscription that costs $1 per quarter, or $3 per year in the United States with a free, seven-day trial. The app is available for iOS devices as well as the Apple Watch.

Comment on this article.

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Ever since the year 2000, the Microsoft Narrator screen reader has been built into every copy of Windows installed on a PC. From its inception, I, like many other blind people with whom I have spoken, viewed Narrator as a tool of last resort. If my preferred screen reader stopped talking for some reason, I knew that Narrator might get me out of a tight spot, allowing me to get speech up and running again. Narrator has always been able to go deeper into Windows than other screen readers could, thereby assisting with things such as the installation and updating of Windows drivers. Narrator's screen-reading abilities were very basic, and Microsoft Sam, the TTS voice used in Narrator, sounded as though he had just awakened from a deep sleep in order to perform his duties. For anyone who has never had the privilege of hearing Microsoft Sam in action, here is a hilarious YouTube video demonstrating some words that Sam can't say properly. (Warning: there is a bit of profanity sprinkled throughout the video.)

Fast forward to the year 2017, and the release of Windows 10 Creators Edition. One of the features being touted in the newest release of the Windows operating system is the inclusion of many improvements in Microsoft Narrator. These included enhanced braille support, better Web support with Microsoft's Edge browser, and the ability to perform a fresh install of Windows without sighted assistance in much the same way that Mac users are able to do using Apple's built-in VoiceOver screen reader.

I decided to install Windows 10 Creators Edition and put Narrator through its paces. This is by no means a comprehensive review of Microsoft's screen reader for Windows, but my impressions should give you a good idea as to whether you wish to do your own evaluation of the screen reader.

Getting Up and Running with Microsoft Narrator

My first task was to update my PC to the latest version of Windows 10. Fortunately for me, this process went off without a hitch and didn't need any intervention from me. I understand that there are parts of the update process that do not read using JAWS or NVDA, so Narrator must be started with Control+Windows+Enter to read the screen and find out what is happening. More about Narrator commands later. I had already set Narrator to load when Windows started, so I had speech as soon as my PC rebooted after the update was finished. As stated earlier, if I had needed to start Narrator manually, I could have simply pressed the Windows key plus the Control key long with the Enter key to load the screen reader. Narrator settings can easily be adjusted by Alt-Tabbing to the Narrator settings dialog that is always accessible. Along with changing Narrator's settings, it is possible to get a list of all Narrator commands here as well. As is the case with most anything else in Windows, there are multiple ways of accessing Narrator's settings, which include going to the Ease of Access Center.

Anyone who uses a smartphone with a screen reader will immediately feel at home with Narrator's "earcons," sound cues played by the screen reader when certain actions are performed such as activating a link or menu item. I personally like the audio ducking feature available in Windows Narrator that reduces the volume of other sounds such as YouTube videos when the screen reader is speaking. This feature is a part of Windows, so JAWS and NVDA take advantage of it as well. I do all of my audio editing with NVDA running, so I disable this feature in that screen reader and leave it enabled in JAWS and Narrator.

Anyone who uses VoiceOver on the Mac will be struck by the similarities in VoiceOver and Narrator when it comes to moving around on the screen. As with JAWS and NVDA, Narrator has a key that is used in combination with other keys to perform various actions. In the case of Narrator, that key is the Caps Lock key. By default, the Caps Lock key plus the Left and Right Arrow keys move you item by item. An item could be a chunk of text, a link, or an image. The Caps Lock key plus the Up and Down Arrow keys adjust how the Right and Left Arrow keys behave. Choices include moving by line, paragraph, and character, just to name a few. As with VoiceOver on the Mac, it is possible to also move around using more traditional methods such as the tab key and arrow keys, but you may find different results in various screens depending on whether you use Narrator navigation commands or the more traditional methods.

It is also possible to activate "Scan Mode" by pressing Caps Lock plus the Spacebar. This allows you to use Narrator in a more conventional manner, especially on the Web. For example, you can use the letter H to move to a heading on a Web page, and the letter T will take you to the next available table if one exists. At the time of this writing, Scan Mode is not enabled by default, but Microsoft states that this will change in a future update to Narrator.

Narrator uses Microsoft Mobile voices, which I find to be easy to understand and very responsive. I did notice that Microsoft Mark, the voice I currently use, makes it difficult for me to identify single characters such as the letters P, T, and D.

The Finer Points of Windows Narrator

When it came to actually using Microsoft Narrator, I had no difficulty accessing areas of Windows that one would expect to be useable with Microsoft's own screen reader. Tasks such as moving around on my desktop, accessing Windows Explorer, and examining the taskbar to see whether Dropbox was still syncing files were all quite easy to accomplish.

Narrator works well with Microsoft's built-in Mail program, as well as Outlook 2016. Microsoft Word was also a pleasure to use in most aspects, although this is as good a time as any to talk about some of the things that bothered me about the screen reader when I first began using it, and still bother me to some extent today. I still primarily use a desktop PC, and I was at first taken aback by the lack of any support for the extended number pad at the right end of the keyboard. Upon further reflection, however, I realized that many computer users today primarily use a laptop or tablet for their computing needs, and perhaps it made sense to focus on keystrokes that only take advantage of the main keyboard. Also, Narrator allows one to change keystrokes they don't like. That being said, I still find it odd to press Caps Lock+Control+O to read the current line of text in a document I am working on. Pressing Caps Lock+H to read an entire document doesn't feel particularly intuitive to me, nor does using Caps Lock plus the function keys at the top of the keyboard to navigate tables when Scan Mode is turned off. Fortunately, when scan mode is enabled, it is possible to use Alt+Control+Right Arrow to move across a table to the right, and all the other table navigation commands you have come to know and love in your favorite Windows screen reader of choice. Perhaps I am missing something really obvious here, and I will stand corrected if this is the case, but I never did find a command that would allow me to read the status line of a Microsoft Word document—something I do all the time when writing articles for AccessWorld.

Microsoft has provided a plethora of settings that you can customize if you don't like how Narrator speaks to you, so some tweaking should take care of any problems you have in that department.

I found it really difficult to make myself use Narrator with Microsoft's Edge browser when surfing the Internet. I wasn't sure when I wanted to turn Scan Mode on—something that, at the time of this writing, must be done each time a new page loads—or when I preferred to use Narrator's normal mode and navigate the page with the screen reader's dedicated navigation keystrokes. I didn't find keystrokes to let me bring up a list of links, headings, form fields, etc. as I can easily do with JAWS and NVDA. I have found PayPal's website to be increasingly challenging of late no matter which screen reader I use, but I found it especially maddening when using Narrator. I had better success visiting websites I knew were more screen reader-friendly including, ironically, the "Surf's Up" area of Freedom Scientific's JAWS Headquarters page.

Summing Up My Thoughts On Microsoft Narrator

After taking time to play with Microsoft Narrator off and on over the past three months or so, I am confident that I could sit down at a computer at my place of employment and get work done using this screen reader. The one thing that other screen readers such as JAWS and NVDA have going for them is the fact that configuration files—call them add-ons, scripts, or whatever you wish—are available that enhance the accessibility of many popular programs such as Skype, Reaper, and GoldWave, just to name a few. Custom scripts or add-ons can be written to make specific applications needed in a particular job work better for a blind person than they otherwise might. As far as I know, it is not possible to write scripts for Narrator, although I can't imagine that Microsoft isn't thinking about the problem as I write this article.

Another problem that I have when it comes to using Narrator is that there are already familiar alternatives available to me. It is easy to simply revert back to JAWS or NVDA in order to get my work done, rather than taking the time to learn a new screen reader. Finally, the use of what I consider less-than-intuitive keystrokes makes me less likely to use Narrator than I would if Narrator used many of the same commands as other screen readers. Perhaps this is my problem, and not Microsoft's. Should I be unhappy with them for thinking outside the box? This brings me to my last thought.

What compelling reason do I have to use Narrator for anything other than basic tasks? My sense is that there is a lot more power under the hood of Microsoft's built-in screen reader than I have tapped into up to this point. I haven't tweaked a lot of Narrator's settings, mostly because I am happy with the way the screen reader behaves, for the most part. Even though I grumble about some of Narrator's keystrokes, I haven't bothered to take the time to change any of those commands to something that feels more comfortable under my hand. Perhaps Microsoft might consider doing some audio tutorials on using Narrator, and highlight some areas where the screen reader really shines in comparison to the tried-and-true alternatives that are familiar to many in the visually impaired community. I haven't even touched on braille and low-vision support in Narrator. For anyone who likes to read user guides as I do, Microsoft's online guide to getting started with Narrator is quite well written.

Whether you read blogs, listen to podcasts, spend time on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, or go to the various blindness-related conventions held throughout the country each year, it is not hard to find a representative from Microsoft who is eager to talk about Narrator. When I first began working on this article, I hoped that I would be able to write the definitive guide to using Microsoft Narrator, but I don't believe it is time for such an article just yet. Narrator is still coming into its own as a screen reader, and things could change a lot over the next few months. I plan to continue working with the screen reader on a regular basis. There are tools built into Narrator that allow a user to leave both positive and negative feedback for Microsoft developers, and I plan to make use of these tools over the coming months.

Am I ready to take any existing screen readers off of my computer just yet? No. Do I believe that I could use Narrator on the job if I needed to? Yes. Do I believe that there are good things in store from Microsoft? I am very optimistic that the answer to this question is yes as well.

What are your experiences with using Microsoft Narrator? After you've had a chance to kick the tires, so to speak, leave us a comment, and let us know what you think.

As things develop where Microsoft Narrator is concerned, you can count on AccessWorld to keep you up to date, so keep reading!

Comment on this article.

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