Big question - depends what you mean by doing the job...  I can do most 
things that I need to with JAWS, but I've been using it for 15 years now. 
Problem is, JAWS can probably do the things that stump me, but it's so 
chuffing clever that you need to go on a 2-3 week training course to keep up 
with it!

A very powerful, but expensive, very expensive, tool.  I am a DSA needs 
assessor and get frustrated by the recommendations/suppliers tables in the 
template we use.  I have to pay someone to transfer my quote into the 
report.  It's not the cost, it's having to wait for my bod to be free to do 
that bit, and it means that my reports can be delayed by 24 - 36 hours after 
I have finished them.

JAWS stands for job access with speech, maybe, maybe not.

Getting back to Apple, I still think that building access into the OS is a 
fantastic idea, problem is, software writers don't keep to the conventions 
in the PC platform and I'll bet my last pair of socks that the same will 
happen with MAC, although the chances of a working program are better.

All I was saying was, don't be fooled by the hype.  Be realistic...

Barry G
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paul Jarman" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2005 9:27 PM
Subject: Re: A blind student doing Music Technology


Yes, Barry, you're absolutely right, I've no doubt.  One of your points
is particularly crucial however: "it's still early days", you point out,
but it's very late days with Jaws and other screen-readers, and are they
doing the job?  More to the point, can any bolt-on screen-reader ever do
the job?

Paul.

Paul Jarman,
Learning Development Officer for Students with Disabilities,
400 Chemistry Building,
Queen Mary College, University of London,
Mile End Road,
LONDON.  E1 4NS
Tel.: +44 (0)20 7882-3237
Fax: +44 (0)20 7882-5223
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]


-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Barry G
Sent: 06 December 2005 21:18
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: A blind student doing Music Technology


As with a lot of these things, the hype doesn't quite match the reality.
I
am a JAWS user on the PC platform and have been awaiting the release of
this
software/feature for some time and listening to the chatter amongst beta

testers.  It doesn't do a bad job, but there are still massibe holes in
it,
so please, please, don't assume that it will work straight out of the
box
with any software - it is not fully functioning with a lot of the basic
applications.

I am not putting a damper on things, I applaud what Apple have done,
it's
just that it's still early days - be warned!

Barry G
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paul Jarman" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2005 7:38 PM
Subject: Re: A blind student doing Music Technology


Hello,

Since the release of Mac Operating System 10.4, the visually-impaired
don't even need to purchase a screen-reader, as it is now built in to
the Mac itself.  The time is well overdue when Microsoft should be doing
exactly the same with the Windows OS.  This now means that any Mac is
usable anywhere by anyone with a visual impairment, and straight from
the box.  I'm not a Mac user personally, but I've been trying to keep up
to date with what they are doing.  I believe you simply hit f5, and the
voiceover program just starts.  Precisely how many programs are fully
usable with voiceover I'm not sure, but the best way to find out is to
log on to an organisation specialising in using Macs for the VI.  They
are called Mac Visionaries, and can be found on: www.macvisionaries.com.

Hope this helps,

Paul.

Paul Jarman,
Learning Development Officer for Students with Disabilities, 400
Chemistry Building, Queen Mary College, University of London, Mile End
Road, LONDON.  E1 4NS
Tel.: +44 (0)20 7882-3237
Fax: +44 (0)20 7882-5223
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]


-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Pauline McInnes
Sent: 06 December 2005 17:18
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: A blind student doing Music Technology


Dear All,
We have a prospective blind student who is hoping to do Music Technology
here at TVU next year.  WE have had several students do this in the past
but before my time so I'm not quite sure how they managed a few of the
potential challenges we've already spotted.

The Music Technology subject area uses Macs and uses the following
programmes:
1.  Qbase
2.  Logic
3.  Protools.

Dose anyone know if there is a screen reader that would first of all
work with Macs and I mean at least a G4 Powerbook Mac and secondly if
anything works with the above programmes?

If not, are there any PC based programmes that will do the same thing
and if so, which screen readers would you use with these?

Looking forward to some responses.

Regards
Pauline


Pauline McInnes
Disability Co-ordinator
Disability Team
Student Services
St Mary's Road
Ealing
London
W5 5RF
Tel:  0208 231 2058



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