Hi Matt, I was very interested in your comments about VoiceOver and the Mac for low vision use. I've configured a Macbook for someone with the Zoom mode universal options enabled, and with various preferences set up for mail and TextEdit to use large fonts. Are there other low-vision software programs besides the freeware Nocturne application that you found useful? We have Greg's VoiceOver Compatibility list of software at:
http://w3.wmcnet.org/vo/ but it strikes me that there's no comparable list of low-vision software apart from the general listings on the Apple Accessibility page links. You might send a suggestion to accessibil...@mac.com to add Nocturne to the entries on their third-party solutions page: http://www.apple.com/accessibility/resources/macosx.html You mentioned a ZoomText feature named DocReader to reformat text for reading and magnification zones. I'm not familiar with this, but from the description I would guess that you might be able to get similar functionality on your Mac by defining a keyboard shortcut to the "New Window Containing Selection" menu option that's under the Services menu that's available for every application. For example, if you have a web page, possibly with embedded pdf document, or even something in Preview you can select all content (Command-A), then use the Services menu option to send the output to a TextEdit document whose contents you select (Command-A) and zoom up with Command-equals (the same key that has the "+" key when shifted). The difference between simply using this sequence directly in your browser is that you get a larger range of text enlargement and don't have to worry about incompatibilities with text layout formating. It will also pull out only the text. Because the size of the TextEdit window is fixed, this effectively re-formats the sentences to always fit within the window boundaries, for easier magnification. And you could probably pre-define a style and font to choose a font type that is easier to use with a single key press. I use this shortcut sequence as another way to get continuous speaking text on web pages --- and even as a way to read web pages that have other accessibility issues (because of the problematic HTML elements) for VoiceOver. What's neat about this method specifically in the case of web pages is that you can click on the links in the content that's been sent to TextEdit and activate the links, as long as they're regular links with full addresses -- not links to Javascript actions. Your browser will update and show the new page. However, even without using the magnification feature in TextEdit, this method (sending the selection to a TextEdit window through the Services menu option) is one of the ways to make VoiceOver speak web pages continuously, and also get around some otherwise inaccessible pages. Plus, the feature of being able to click links in TextEdit, provided you know they are there (from context, or sometimes by the text attributes) is pretty neat. It's really when this is bound to a shortcut key that this sequence is useful, because you do your selection (any part, or the whole thing with Command-A), then use the shortcut, and a TextEdit window comes up in focus with the contents. You can either have VoiceOver speak the contents, or you can stop speaking (e.g., press Control), and then select the text (Command-A) in the TextEdit window and use Command-equals to magnify the text (hold down the command key and tap or press the "=" key to the left of the delete key.) If you want to try this, make your selection in an app, then go to the "New Window Containing Selection" option under the Services menu for your app on the menu bar: 1. VO-M to go to menu bar 2. Right-Arrow to your app 3. Down Arrow into menu 4. Press "S" to go to "Services" 5. Right Arrow to services submenu 6. Press "T" to go to "TextEdit" (Up Arrow also takes you here) 7. Right Arrow to the "Services TextEdit" submenu 8, Right Arrow to "New Window Containing Selection" and Return A TextEdit window containing your selection will come up, so if you have VoiceOver enabled you can just have it speak. If you want to check whether the magnification under TextEdit is a useful feature for low vision use, try doing select all (Command-A), and then magnifying with Command-equals until the fonts match your desired magnification. This is a slightly different way of using shortcut key assignments for selected text, instead of using either "Start Speaking Text" (another item in the Services menu, under the "Speech" submenu instead of under the "TextEdit" submenu) or setting a key for "Speak selected text when the key is pressed" in the text-to-speech tab of the "Speech" menu under Systems Preferences. Scott Bresnahan detailed a tip about the other two shortcut key assignments in an archived post: http://www.mail-archive.com/disc...@macvisionaries.com/msg30770.html (tip: speaking selected text: service menu v. speech pref) Those two shortcuts can speak the selection separately from VoiceOver The TextEdit shortcut uses VoiceOver for speech, but also offers some new features (e.g. clickable links and magnification for low-vision users). You can assign a keyboard shortcut using the "Keyboard Shortcuts Tab" of the "Keyboard & Mouse" menu under System Preferences. However, if you're assigning a shortcut for any application it must be done while the application is closed, since the definition gets written into your application preferences settings. These get updated every time you open and close and close an application and your current settings get saved, so if you assign a shortcut while your app is open, when you close your app your current settings are saved and will overwrite any new definitions you've made. Similarly, if you make a shortcut for "all applications" you may need to logout and login again for it to take effect. 1.VO-M to the menu bar 2. Arrow down and press "S y" to go to Systems Preferences and return 3. In the Systems Preferences window navigate (tab) to the Keyboard & Mouse menu button and press (VO-Space) 4. VO-Right Arrow to the "Keyboard Shortcuts" tab and press (VO-space) if it isn't already selected 5. VO-Right Arrow past the table of currently assigned shortcuts to the button; VO-H will announce "Click to define shortcuts within applications" 6. VO-Space to press the button. A dialog window will pop up prompting you for the shortcut definition. 7. VO-Right Arrow to the popup button for the application and press (VO-Space) to set the selection to "All Applications" or to a specific application 8. VO-Right Arrow past "Menu Title" and enter the exact name of the menu command you want to define a shortcut for in the text box. In the present case, this is "New Window Containing Selection" (without the quotation marks) 9. VO-Right Arrow to past "Keyboard Shortcut" and press the shortcut combination you want to assign. Then press return to close the dialog window (or escape to cancel the action). You can also VO-right arrow to find the "Cancel" and "Add" buttons and press your selection with VO-Space if you prefer. 10. Close the System Preferences window with Command-W Alternatively, you can use the same instructions to assign a shortcut to "Start Speaking Text", which many list members use. Check out the archive link to Scott Bresnahan's posted tip if you use that. The main difficulty people run into is finding a shortcut key combination that isn't already defined to use as their hot key. This is especially true if you try to make a definition for all applications. I usually use some combination with the Command key and maybe option and punctuation keys. HTH Cheers, Esther On Mar 17, 2009, at 2:57 PM, Mueller, Matt wrote: > > Absolutely, the magnification is usable. I moved From Windows and > ZoomText to the mac about five months ago and have been using only > the built in magnification and VoiceOver. Certainly many of the > features are comparable. There is more fine control over zoom > levels. Cursor size, contrast, and brightness can be adjusted and > colors can be inverted. On that note, I also use a free application > called Nocturne that allows for more flexibility. It lets you > invert colors, hues, or both, tint colors or make them monochrome, > and disable the desktop wallpaper. These create a profile of sorts > that you can switch between with a single click depending on your > needs. It is simply invaluable, beating ZoomText in many regards > with the exception of replacing individual colors if that is > needed. Getting back on topic, the customary options for tracking > the pointer are available. Tracking of keyboard focus can be > toggled, and a preview rectangle is also available. > > The distinguishing feature, though, and the one that brought me to > the mac was VoiceOver. Namely it provided full screen reading > capabilities that ZoomText lacked while providing options to > highlight or magnify position on the screen. The option is not > explicit, but allowing the mouse pointer to follow the VoiceOver > cursor has resulted in very usable tracking of that as well. The > result is a combination I was unable to match on Windows. It is > feature rich and certainly usable. > > With all of that said, there are some features you loose. The xFont > smoothing of ZoomText 9 provided superb clarity of text. In contrast > the zoom of OS X uses basic smoothing that becomes blurry at high > magnification levels. Some have found this unusable. I, personally, > have no issues with it. I can only hope the much awaited resolution > independence will someday fix this issue. Additionally, if you use > different magnification types (i.e. not full screen, but lens, line, > or split views) these are not available from the built in zoom. The > other significant features you will loose are the DocReader, used to > reformat text for reading and magnification zones. The SpeakIt tool, > used to read a selected area will also be missing. When I have > needed this functionality I just let VoiceOver read what is under > the cursor as it moves. This works for me. It may be cumbersome to > toggle though, if you use it frequently. An additional nitpick is > that there are occasional times when the cursor will jump, causing > the view to shift away. To me, these are small issues in comparison > with the added power of of VoiceOver and the incredible > responsiveness of the system. (Of late, ZoomText has received much > criticism for this and its high resource usage.) > > Certainly mileage may vary with individual needs. I can only provide > my experience and some of the quantitative and qualitative > differences between ZoomText and the accessibility features of the > Mac. Hopefully this is helpful to you, Linzy, and anyone else > considering their options. I'll be happy to answer any more > specific questions as best I can. Hopefully some others will chime > in here, as I am equally interested in hearing others' experiences. > > > ________________________________________ > From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com > [macvisionar...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Dan > [key...@comcast.net] > Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2009 5:34 PM > To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com > Subject: Re: Zoom Text on Mac Question [was Re: iTunes/iPod Shuffle > Problem] > > Hello, > How about the options under Universal access. The mac has > accessibility aides for blind, visually empaired and deaf persons. > > > Dan > > key...@comcast.net > > > > > On Mar 17, 2009, at 3:22 PM, Dan Eickmeier wrote: > >> >> I'm not a low vision mac user, but would anybody that is, for Linzy's >> benefit, say that the magnification offered just in Voiceover alone, >> would be enough for low vision users in general? assuming that she >> wants to avoid putting Windows on her mac when she does get one? Or >> do a lot of low vision users use VisioVoice as well? On Mar 17, >> 2009, >> at 1:51 PM, Esther wrote: >> >> >> Hi Linzy, >> >> Zoom Text is a Windows only program, so no, it doesn't work on the >> Mac >> unless you are asking whether it will work on Macs that are running >> Windows on separate partitions, such as with Bootcamp, or in virtual >> environments, such as under VMWare's Fusion. In those instances it >> may run only for Windows operating systems operations -- not as part >> of Mac's system and not with VoiceOver or any of the built-in Mac >> applications. There are Mac based programs like VisioVoice from >> AssistiveWare for low vision use. >> >> Incidentally, you are more likely to get answers related to this >> question if you start a new thread. I've changed the subject of this >> reply post to match your question, but many list viewers may not read >> your question unless they are checking out information on iPod >> Shuffle >> problems. >> >> Hope this helps. And welcome to the list if this is your first post. >> >> Cheers, >> >> Esther >> >> On Mar 17, 2009, at 7:35 AM, linzy buhr wrote: >> >>> does anyone know if zoom text works with mac's >> >> >> >> >> >>> > > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
