In this episode I will show how to use NVDA Remote addon as a NVDA screen reader user.
It is a very simple installation like any other addon.
You can download the addon from nvdaremote.com website.
They have a version for NVDA 2019 or newer, and an older version for previous versions of NVDA screen reader.
This service is very useful when you need to help another blind person with adjusting settings or to copy details or settings from a computer to other.
I have used during the demonstration a feature called push clipboard which allow the initiator of the remote session to copy some text from his machine, and paste it into the controlled machine.
Another scenario where this addon is very useful is when you can control a local server from distance.
Asuming you have a computer 24/7 turned on, used like aFTP server or online radio station, you can control that station via NVDA Remote addon also.
Excepting Jaws, which is featuring a similar service called Jaws tandem, is no other screen reader so friendly when is about remote control between computers of blind people.
Third part programs for remote control are not always fully accessible, or some issues with screen readers in particular could make them challanging to be used.
Hope to come back soon with a demonstration of Jaws Tandem as well.
Enjoy your little tutorial from this podcast.
Today I am going to demonstrate Deliveroo, an iPhone app which gives you multiple options for take away, restaurants orders and grocery too.
Using Voiceover screen reader in my iPhone 11 I will show you how to add to basket but also how to check out and pay.
If you never worked with this app then start from this link to register and download your app.
https://roo.it/adriant-8xu8
It is my referral link which will credit my account with a couple of pounds. It is no extra costs involved for your side if you start from here. Also you can go straight in App Store for download and sign up from there.
Good luck with it.
In this episode I make a comparison between 4 microphones: 3 mics dynamics and one condenser.
Which one is your pick for your podcast channel?
Is no processing in this recording and the EQ is flat. All microphones are connected to same mixer and use the same cable at its turn.
Sorry for various volume fluctuation but no way to demo a microphone for podcasting. Isn’t it?
Each microphone mentioned have a link below where you can go to check the product page for technical specifications.
Note! When the comparison starts is a podcast chapter inserted for each portion starts. It is easy navigation in case of your device supports podcast chapter navigation.
Today I will post an episode with my first atempt to create a Signal account using my iPhone 11. The audio demonstration is done from the downloding app stage up to sending first message with Signal, like an end user who never has used the service before.
This recording shows the easyness of signing up with Signal as a blind user. I have used Alex voice in my Voiceover screen reader.
I am looking for your opinion about the screen reader accessibility of this app. I’ve found being good and totaly usable by screen reader, users but here and there a gentil touch will make the app even more screen reader friendly.
In this episode I will show you how to learn the main shortkey combinations using keyboard help section but also how to manipulate text from an app to other using keyboard navigation shortkeys.
All is done having Voiceover screen reader turned on, so completely accessible for blind.
Enjoy.
Few days ago I have had the pleasure to interview Pramit Bhargava, the creator of Louie voice Assistant.
You can listen this interview in order to learn more about him but also to find out some answers about this app and its future.
But I will leave Pramit to talk about his background and how Louie came to life
I’m Pramit, Founder of Louie Voice Control which allows the users to do each & everything within supported Apps with just voice commands.
I would like to share with you why I started developing apps for the visually impaired. The side-effect of medicine that I took in 1999 impacted my Retina and my vision has been dramatically declining ever since. By 2012, I was not able to read anything. At that point, I felt completely miserable and did not know what to do next.
This low-point was completely unexpected especially for someone who had graduated from India’s prestigious engineering and management institutions (IIT and IIM) and worked for global companies such as Unilever, Motorola, and Quest Diagnostics. I wasn’t able to come to terms with this situation.
However, as I look back now, I believe that this phase guided me towards a higher purpose in life rather than chasing traditional career goals and materialistic successes. I also got involved in spirituality, meditation during this challenging phase, and started understanding the true purpose of my life.
One might say that my next phase was driven by a series of coincidences. But, I consider it as divine help that led me to a senior executive of a Top Venture Capital Company who encouraged me to work on Apps to solve the problems that I and other visually impaired individuals face across the world.
With that one meeting, Louie was born.
The aha moment for Louie Voice Control came when a sighted friend was booking a Uber ride for me. He kept asking me questions and then, he made the appropriate selections. In a matter of minutes, the booking was done! I wondered how empowering it would be especially for the visually impaired if the phone were to read out the menu options and then, accept my verbal responses as inputs and make the booking.
Louie is all about being able to operate popular Apps and do everything within those Apps using voice commands. As of today, Louie supports YouTube, WhatsApp, Uber, Contacts & Phone Calling. More Apps are under development.
Louie is an accessibility App and can be used by all voice-lovers including but not limited to visually impaired, blind, motor-disabled, elderly, people with limited manual dexterity and all hands-free lovers. Louie needs accessibility permissions to operate.
None of the leading Voice Assistants or Personal Assistants (Alexa, Google, Siri) can do what Louie can:
· Voice Assistants tend to be superficial & will allow you to do only 2-3 things within an App. Louie in comparison will fully voice control an App – each and every feature within the App.
· Leading Voice Assistants or Personal Assistants have a nasty habit of going silent every now and then. Louie in comparison will do a two-way continuous interaction – just like a human interaction
Watch Louie in action:
The app is in beta stage and free to install. My aim is to spread the word around so that more and more people use the app and benefit from it.
The app is available for Android devices only but iOS version is coming soon.
The Google Play link for Louie voice Assistant is here.
Learn in this podcast episode how to reset your Apple Watch, how to re-link it to your iPhone and how to set up your preferable face and complications. All demonstration is made with Voiceover turned on and no help was needed from a sighted person.
Enjoy!
In this podcast episode I will show how to install Pontes Media Downloader for Mac, but also how to download a Youtube play list with its help.
The program could be downloaded from Pontes website.
When you try to install the program from application folder, as you do with any Mac OS app, a warning will come up saying the developer is unknown and Mac can’t install this program.
But instead of using command O to open the app use context menu pressing shift VO M and from the options list choose open. Press open and don’t worry about the message saying the program will overwrite the privacy settings.
Once the program will be opened properly ,it is another grant access which needs to be accorded, which helps Pontes Media downloader to work with short keys.
You have to go in system preferences pressing the button open system preferences and navigate to unlock . Your account password will be required to be typed in in order to allow Pontes Media Downloader to be listed in the table with granted permits apps.
Once you have done all mentioned above the program will work very similar with Windows version, if you are familiar with.
I have been surprised to see the program being able to download a play list of 80 videos and even more, to convert them in mp3.
Hope to help you in one way the audio tutorial.
Any questions are welcome in comments section below.
You can learn in this short episode of podcast today how to make Jaws to read text from pictures or unaccessible documents or websites.
Simply, just open that file or document, or maximise your browser window then press Insert and spacebar at the same time followed by O, then S to start the process.
Jaws will say Jaws OCR has started. Shortly you hear OCR finished.
A Jaws voice with a different pitch then the one used regular will read the result of OCR.
OCR stands from Optical Character Recognition which is a technology used to detect automatically txt from pictures.
Listen how I have done my demonstration with a little package card from a SIM to check what is written on it.
If you wish to learn more about Jaws just go here.
Today I will show you how to insert a Re-captcha Google code into your WordPress site.
It is annoying to receive all sorts of automatic e-mails with spam, as comments or messages via contact form.
Adding a tick box “I am not a robot” we can avoid all this unpleasant extra work with cleaning spam.
Introduction
Before starting, I wish to mention this tutorial is for screen reader users, and instructions are provided with keyboard navigation only in mind.
I have used Jaws for Windows 2020 screen reader and Google Chrome for demonstration.
I am looking to open a course soon called WordPress with Speech which will help blind people to go blogging with WordPress independently.
Resources
I have used for contact form builder a plugin called Jetpack which is available here.
I like it because it is packed with lots of features which are available on wordpress.com site. Actually, takes the power of wordpress.com into your selfhosted WP blog.
In order to insert Google Re-captcha code, I will use a plugin called Re-captcha Jetpack which can be downloaded or installed from this page.
If you wish to install it straight from your dashboard then go to your website dashboard, login, then click on Add new link under Plugins section.
In the search field for plugins type Re-captcha Jetpack and press enter.
A list of plugins will appear, each one having the title displayed as heading.
Installation and configuration
For easy navigation use H key to jump from result to result until Re-captcha Jetpack will come up.
Arrow down to install link and press enter.
When the plugin is installed do not forget to activate it.
We will go then, to Re-captcha Jetpack settings where two edit fields are important for us.
Site key
Secret site key
These 2 keys we need to obtain them from Google Re-captcha page.
There, we need to add the website where the Captcha code will be placed.
A link to Google Re-Captcha admin console is provided just below the edit field of the site key in the settings page of Re-Captcha Jetpack plugin.
If that link does not work properly for you, you can access just here Google Re-captcha admin console.
You need to have a Google account and a gmail address.
Type a label for your website, because the same console can be used to add multiple websites.
Then, you need to choose a type of captcha for your website.
I will recommend Re-captcha version 2.0 and I am not a robot tick box model. Also, under version 2.0 other 2 models are available: an invisible captcha and one for Android.
It is important to choose the right option here, then insert your website domain name, your gmail address in the e-mail field, then tick the box I agree terms and conditions.
Finally, press enter on submit button and wait for few seconds.
When the request is processed, a new window will appear mentioning your website name has been added.
Below that message is a line where your site key appears in clear, and few lines below the secret site key as well.
For each key it is a button which allows you to take it in clipboard.
Paste them into the right edit field, in your website dashboard, where the settings page for Re-captcha Jetpack plugin is, then press save changes button.
Pay attention to paste the right key in the right edit field. It is easy to mess them around, thing which will make the plugin to not work.
Once the correct information is saved you do not need to make other things to appear that Re-captcha code into your form. Just go to check your form in your front end of the website and amazingly see your little Re-captcha code there, just above submit button.
Conclusion
Things are not so complicated with all this process, but require attention.
It is possible to have similar results with other plugins, but I was interested in this particular one because I use Jetpack plugin to create forms. Also, it is free of charge.
What to do next?
If you wish to hear an audio demonstration with step by step instructions, please listen the podcast episode below.
If you are interested in learning more about WordPress with Speech, then contact me and let me know which are your biggest challenges with WP blogging.
