Hi April, It sounds to me like you are trying to handle a lot at once. The things that have been said in these posts concerning suggestions, have merit and all work. However, the two goals that you are trying to accomplish are both difficult and long-term in and of themselves. Many of the folk who have responded to you on the list are very capable users. My suggestion is that you find someone to work with off list, who can, advise you to work on the mac one step at a time, so you can reduce your feeling of overwhelm. I am not trying to be critical of you in any wayou. I hope you can take this in the spirit in which it was meant.
Jerry Doody jerrydood...@gmail.com Sent from my iPhone On Jan 13, 2014, at 3:29 PM, Tim Kilburn <kilbur...@gmail.com> wrote: Hi, Actually, the tutorial does cover menus, and does do a reasonable job of explaining some basic functions of VO on the Mac. Later… Tim Kilburn Fort McMurray, AB Canada > On Jan 13, 2014, at 12:49 PM, Teresa Cochran <vegaspipistre...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > Yes, I remember using the quick-start tutorial about twenty minutes after > taking my Mac Mini out of the box. Once I went through it, the registration > form for my Mac was a breeze. As I recall, I then panicked because I couldn’t > remember the keystroke to get into menus, and my husband had to look it up > for me. LOL I think the tutorial doesn’t cover menus, which is VO-m or > control-f2. > > Teresa > > "Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too > dark to read."--Groucho Marx > >> On Jan 13, 2014, at 11:15 AM, Phil Halton <philh...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> If I may say, the Quickstart tutorial is for people who have never even >> touched a Mac >> Before. It's not a review for experts. >> >> Sent from my IPhone >> >> >>> On Jan 13, 2014, at 1:10 PM, Anne Robertson <a...@anarchie.org.uk> wrote: >>> >>> Hello April, >>> >>> Looking back over your posts, I see that you said you had to relabel your >>> bumblebee keyboard. What kind of keyboard is this? It could well be that >>> all your confusion stems from not having an Apple keyboard. >>> >>> VoiceOver is not really a program as such, it’s a method of interacting >>> with the Operating System, so turning it off is like turning the screen off. >>> >>> When using VoiceOver, you need to treat the Control and Option keys as >>> though they were pedals on a piano. You hold them down before pressing >>> other keys. >>> >>> If you have problems holding down so many keys at once, there is a setting >>> in System Preferences where you can turn on Sticky Keys which allows you to >>> press one key at a time. >>> >>> Cheers, >>> >>> Anne >>> >>> >>>> On 13 Jan 2014, at 18:06, April Brown <aprilbrownwr...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>> >>>> Hi Donna, >>>> >>>> I'm going to do my best to politely disagree with you. The training >>>> program is fine for a review for people who have used VoiceOver, and >>>> perhaps other screen readers successfully.. >>>> >>>> However, for someone who never has been successful at using a >>>> screen reader, it is totally unclear. The only clear step - is how to >>>> turn it on and off. >>>> >>>> Most people trying to learn it would have far less computer knowledge than >>>> either me or my husband, are not young, can't read the developer's mind, >>>> and are still partially sighted, or only recently lost their vision. The >>>> training program is not geared for those people - exactly the people >>>> trying to use it. >>>> >>>> I have asked specifically to a link to a specific web site with step by >>>> step directions. Although, others responded offering to help off list, >>>> the first person reminded me that I am too stupid to live, and no one has >>>> the time to write a step by step guide. >>>> >>>> I should say thank you to that person for reminding me what I heard many >>>> times a day for the first twenty years of my life. >>>> >>>> I am too stupid to live if I can't read the developer's mind, and need a >>>> actual training manual to learn something new. >>>> >>>> I have asked, at least three times what three specific terms meant, hoping >>>> I could figure it out if I cold figure out those terms. One person >>>> defined one of them today. And a search on the Internet does not reveal >>>> definitions related to computers, or VoiceOver. >>>> >>>> I think I'm wasting my time trying to learn a program without a training >>>> manual. >>>> >>>> How many thousands of people have given up before this point, because >>>> there is no manual? >>>> >>>> How many people are sitting at home twiddling their thumbs because they >>>> are not a mind reader? >>>> >>>> I need to be spending the last few weeks with my remaining vision writing >>>> and learning Braille. >>>> >>>> This will be my last computer. I'm too old too keep up with the lingo. >>>> >>>> Since I am just a pest trying to ask questions to learn how to use this, I >>>> won't ask anymore. >>>> >>>> On Monday, January 13, 2014 8:05:57 AM UTC-5, Donna wrote: >>>> April, >>>> >>>> Just a few comments that I hope will be helpful. >>>> >>>> First, it seems like you've turned this thing into a dragon. It really >>>> isn't it's just a piece of software. Treat it that way. You're not >>>> climbing a mountain. Many of us, myself included found the Mac very >>>> frustrating at the beginning. for me, that lasted about three months, and >>>> then suddenly everything just clicked.. I don't think this is due to any >>>> inherent problems on the Mac, but rather that it was a new system and new >>>> screen-reader. I'm pretty sure I was equally frustrated with JAWS and >>>> Windows, but that was so long ago now that I've forgotten how frustrated I >>>> was. So take it easy, and take it in very small chunks. >>>> >>>> Second, don't rely too much on your husband. I'm not sure it's always >>>> intuitive to sighted person how someone who is blind or low-vision uses a >>>> computer, so his take/experience with Voiceover may not be the best >>>> measuring stick. this may apply to you as well. You've mentioned that >>>> you're losing both your hearing and your vision. That is going to require >>>> that you figure out new ways of interacting with things, which is >>>> inevitably going to be quite frustrating at times. So while you may have >>>> a lot of computer knowledge, I suspect that you are doing more than just >>>> learning to use a Mac, you're relearning how to use a computer. >>>> >>>> Regarding the terms you say overwhelm you, if you can figure out physics >>>> terms, then you know that every discipline, and even subdisciplines, have >>>> their specific terminology. If you don't know what a hot-spot is, either >>>> google it, or ask one of us. We'd be happy to tell you. Asking questions >>>> and then getting answers is a much better use of this list then just >>>> venting your frustrations, though of course many of us have had occasion >>>> to do that as well. :) >>>> >>>> As for dictation, I hate to shoot down your husband's theory, but it isn't >>>> context-based. So it works the same way, whether your using Facebook or >>>> Pages. It cares less about the inflection in your voice than it does the >>>> clarity of your speech. One key difference that I can see between social >>>> media and a pages document is that the latter is usually much longer. So >>>> I'm wondering if the chunks you are dictating in your social media posts >>>> are simply shorter, and thus you're having better luck. >>>> >>>> Just some thoughts, hope they're helpful. >>>> Good luck today, >>>> Donna >>>>> On Jan 13, 2014, at 6:47 AM, April Brown <aprilbr...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> I get to spend the afternoon doing one of my favorite things (and yes, >>>>> this is honest, not sarcastic): Re-formatting a computer for one of >>>>> hubby's co-workers. >>>>> >>>>> While in that room - Hubby and I will try the VoiceOver trainer on his >>>>> Mac, and see if he has any luck figuring it out. >>>>> >>>>> Most people say that if between his computer knowledge, and mine, it cant >>>>> be figured out, it either can't be important, or it isn't easy. >>>>> >>>>> I can figure out earthquake, volcano, and even some physics terms >>>>> relatively easy. And yet, these term that I cannot find defined anywhere >>>>> on the net that are used in the VoiceOver training are OverWhelming. >>>>> >>>>> Regina, I did see that link to Sarai's post, and have read all the pages >>>>> on that site, even before my first post on here. >>>>> >>>>> Oh, and hubby thinks he knows why I can use Dictation in social media, >>>>> and not Pages to tell a story. In social media, I rarely use inflection. >>>>> However, I am a storyteller, so in novel writing, I have all kinds of >>>>> inflection and excitement. I don't talk in a monotone while recording a >>>>> story. Makes sense. >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>>>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>>>> email to macvisionarie...@googlegroups.com. >>>>> To post to this group, send email to macvisi...@googlegroups.com. >>>>> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. >>>>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>>> email to macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >>>> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. >>>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. >>> >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>> email to macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >>> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "MacVisionaries" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "MacVisionaries" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. 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