1 Ask the expert 2 Business commentary 3 From the soap box 4 The president's feature 5 News and views 6 Advertisements 7 Notes
Acknowledgements We would like to acknowledge the following contributors to this month's STAE issue. The Sterling Creations accessibility team, Jeff N Marquis and Kerry J Harrison who are our resident business consultants, Scott Savoy our managing editor, Christian Robicheau our assistant editor, and Donna J Jodhan our president. We are especially delighted to have both Jeff N Marquis and Kerry J Harrison as part of our magazine staff and as our resident business experts because of their in depth knowledge and expertise as special needs business consultants. Both Jeff and Kerry have written many articles and they released their newest hot selling book called "Untapped Wealth Discovered." This book was released in mid August and it has already begun to fulfill promises of being dynamite, explosive, and seismic and we are very sure that many of you will find it extremely valuable, useful and informative. Both the U.S and British governments have already given their blessing to this book and several business experts have also jumped on the band wagon. Marquis and Harrison are off to a flying start. We believe in this book because it is unique in that it can help you to get back on your feet if you suddenly find yourself without a job, if you are looking for ways to put money away for your kids' education, or if you need extra income to help you live more comfortably. Here are just a few quotes from some U.S government officials and experts to peak your interest. "Block buster material. This book has the potential to change the way we reduce our costs, increase our revenues, expand our customer base, and stay ahead of our competition." "If you are looking for safe ways to protect the future of you and your kids then you should pick up a copy of Untapped Wealth Discovered." "Marquis and Harrison have affectively provided their readers with logical and common sense ways to generate and create business ideas that will work because they are based on markets that exist. Moreover these markets are going to be around for a very long time to come." "This book is meant to help the little guy. It's a book for almost everyone. The woman, the entrepreneur, the small business owner, and even the retiree and the college student." "If you want to avoid those get rich quick schemes and keep your money safe then Untapped Wealth Discovered is an absolute must read for you." Mr. Marquis is a motivational speaker and a highly paid consultant to both the U.S and British governments. He has over 20 years of special needs business consulting and is absolutely delighted to be co-authoring "Untapped Wealth Discovered" with Ms Harrison. His time is filled with speaking engagements, consulting, and traveling around the world to help set up new ventures. Ms Harrison also has over 20 years in the special needs business-consulting field and her expertise is constantly in demand and among other things she works as a consultant to the U.S government, she is a motivational speaker, and she finds time to work on other projects for large corporate clients, small businesses, and even entrepreneurs. These two are indeed an unbeatable combination. Visit www.untappedwealth.com/order.htm to pick up a copy of this very affordable book.
Ask the expert
All you ever wanted to know about screenreaders February 2006 By the Sterling Creations accessibility team Hello there! This month we would like to present you with an article that we recently came across and we thought that it would be appropriate for this month because for the past few months we have been receiving several questions about screenreaders for the blind and visually impaired. We hope you enjoy it. The sound of computing Product Evaluation The Sound of Computing: A Review of Three Screen Readers Amy Salmon January 2006, Volume 7, Number 1 If you are blind or have low vision and use a computer, then you are probably familiar with one of the products that are evaluated in this article: Freedom Scientific's JAWS for Windows 7.0, Dolphin Computer Access's Hal 6.51, and GW Micro's Window-Eyes 5.5. If you are already familiar with one or all of these screen readers, then you know the power and access that a good screen reader can provide to today's computer user who is visually impaired. If you are just beginning to dive into the wonderful world of screen readers, read on and be amazed at how these products can empower you. Each screen reader was evaluated independently using the same testing and criteria. Specifically, each screen reader was evaluated on its accessibility and usability in the following areas: installation, documentation and support, basic performance in Microsoft Word and Excel, and basic and some advanced features on the Web using Internet Explorer 6.x and Mozilla Firefox 1.5. Testing was conducted on Pentium 4 computers at 3.8 GHZ with 1 gigabyte of RAM running Windows XP Professional and Microsoft Office 2003 Service Pack 2. Since AccessWorld's last evaluation of screen readers in May and July 2004, significant upgrades and new features have been added by many of the manufacturers. This article evaluates the changes and upgrades that most significantly impact the average user of screen reading software. For a complete description of individual upgrades, consult your screen reader's What's New materials or manual. Note that evaluation was not conducted on each screen reader's support and functionality with various braille displays. Stay tuned to AccessWorld for a future article that will include an evaluation of braille access. JAWS for Windows 7.0 Freedom Scientific's JAWS for Windows screen reader has been providing speech access output, enabling users who are visually impaired greater access to the computer and information, since the mid-1990s. JAWS supports numerous refreshable braille displays and several languages. A standard version of JAWS can be used with Windows 98, ME, and XP Home. JAWS Professional also works with Windows NT 4.0, 2000, and XP Professional. Installation The overall installation of JAWS 7.0 was simple and easy to follow. You can install training materials, such as a basic training guide and a guide on surfing the Internet, directly on your computer. If you choose not to install the training materials, you can access the materials directly from the CD at a later time or from Freedom Scientific's web site <www.freedomscientific.com>. New since JAWS 5.0 is the Internet License Manager (ILM). No longer do users have to deal with installing JAWS authorization from a floppy disk. Users who have the ILM CD and access to the Internet can easily install their JAWS authorization. Some users may experience problems installing their ILM, depending on their individual Windows firewall settings. Users who do not have their ILM authorization CD or access to the Internet can have a Freedom Scientific technical support representative walk them through the installation over the telephone. Although this is not a difficult process, users need to be aware that they have to pay for the telephone call, since it is not a toll-free number. Also new to JAWS 7.0 is the ability to install and run JAWS from a Dongle (a hardware device that you can connect to a computer's parallel or USB port or from a USB thumb drive). This is an added-value feature, but there are some limitations. There is an additional cost for the Dongle version of JAWS. If you use a USB thumb drive, you must install one of the JAWS authorization codes, or the program will run only in the 40-minute demonstration mode. The Dongle and USB thumb-drive versions offer portability to install JAWS on other computers, but users should be aware that speech is not immediately available when the device is plugged in. Most of the manufacturers recommend that you initially run Windows Narrator (a utility in Windows 2000 and XP that speaks dialog boxes, menus, and web pages) to open the device and program. If you are updating from JAWS 5.0 or later, you can easily merge your configuration (JCF) files, dictionary (JDF) files, graphics (JGF) files, and voice settings from a previous version of JAWS using the Merge Utility option. Documentation and Support Most JAWS users who upgrade to 7.0 receive only the program and ILM authorization CDs in a CD sleeve that includes braille and large-print labels. First-time purchasers of JAWS also receive a regular print and a braille quick-reference guide and an audiocassette tape describing basic information on the program. For most users, this slimmed-down version of the JAWS documentation is a welcome relief, since they no longer will need an entire shelf to store all the documentation. The reason for this slimmed-down version is that all the support and Help features are available on the program CD and on Freedom Scientific's web site <www.freedomscientific.com>. During installation, you can choose to download JAWS 7.0 training materials, such as Basic Training and Surf's Up HTML Challenge! and can access the JAWS manual and Quick Reference cards in text format through the JAWS menu. JAWS also offers its training materials, manual, and Help features in DAISY format, which can be read using the built-in DAISY reader or by inserting the JAWS program CD into any standard DAISY reader. These and additional training materials can be accessed through Freedom Scientific's web site <www.freedomscientific.com> in MP3 and text files. A standard feature of JAWS is its online Help system, which includes context-sensitive help, hot-key help, and application-specific help. JAWS keyboard Help mode is another tool for learning the keyboard and JAWS commands. Microsoft Word 2003 JAWS 7.0 performed well with Word 2003, reading documents, menus, and dialog boxes in a predictable and efficient manner. The most notable problem occurred with Spell Check: Occasionally, JAWS did not read the misspelled word, and it was necessary to use Insert-F7 to determine the error. JAWS' loss of focus when reading a document appears to have been resolved in 7.0. Although JAWS lost its ability to move through a document paragraph by paragraph or page by page for no apparent reason, the problem was resolved when the document and Word were shut down and restarted. However, when working in Word 2000, JAWS froze and no speech support was available to read the error dialog box. Windows Narrator was used to access the dialog box and shut down JAWS, after Which JAWS had to be restarted. Freedom Scientific has added several new features to JAWS 7.0 support of Word. Similar to the JAWS navigation quick keys that were introduced for Internet Explorer, JAWS now offers navigation quick keys that provide users with an easy and efficient way to move through a document by headings, tables, form fields, pages, and sections. This is a helpful feature for anyone who has to slog through lengthy documents. JAWS can now automatically announce the nesting level of paragraphs that are formatted as bulleted or numbered lists. Pressing Insert-T announces the name of the current document and its document view (Normal, Outline, or Print). Those who like to create and use bullets will appreciate that JAWS can now announce the types of bullets, such as filled square, star, or arrow. Although unrelated to JAWS' performance in Word, the following problem warrants noting. When using Alt-Tab to cycle through open programs and files, JAWS frequently loses speech. It is not clear why this problem occurs, since it does not occur consistently and is resolved by minimizing all applications, returning to the desktop, and trying again. Microsoft Excel 2003 JAWS 7.0 provides excellent support in Excel 2003. Simple and complicated spreadsheets are easy to read and navigate. New to JAWS 7.0 is the Custom Summary feature, which allows you to create a snapshot of important data from a worksheet, such as subtotals, monthly totals, and grand totals. You define which cells appear in the custom summary by assigning labels to each cell. The summary then displays the contents of all the specified cells as links. One feature in JAWS 7.0 that many users will greatly appreciate is the ability to press the Insert-Tab key twice to receive information that is specific to a cell, such as text, cell height and width, font specifics, and number format. Internet Explorer 6.x JAWS 7.0 continues to build on the advances that Freedom Scientific has made in making the Web more accessible and user friendly. Similar to upgrades in JAWS 5.0, the new features in JAWS 7.0 work not only on the web, but in most standard applications, such as Word and Adobe Acrobat/Reader. The main problem encountered with JAWS on the web was that occasionally speech support was lost, and the system required a complete reboot. Custom Labels enables you to customize any HTML element on a web page that can be moved to by pressing Tab, such as text links; graphic links; and all form fields, including buttons and images. The unique feature of custom labels is that you can label a link to a web site, and that link will appear with the new label on any page on which it is displayed. The Custom Label feature is also a real plus for any user who is frustrated with mislabeled form controls. If you regularly visit a site like <www.walmart.com> or <www.amazon.com>, where the form controls are not labeled correctly, you now can create new labels for all the form controls, and the new labels will be there every time you visit the site. This feature was tested on the web site <www.marriott.com> and proved to be easy to use. Custom Labels can also be used to label form fields in Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat/Reader. Also new to JAWS (in version 6.x) is the Skim Reading feature, which lets you quickly browse through cluttered web sites or long documents by reading the first part of each paragraph. This feature can also be used to skim a web site or document for elements or paragraphs that contain certain words and phrases. Users can define skim-reading rules and create a summary of all skim-reading rules for easy navigation to specific sections of the web site or paragraph. This feature was tested using a publication from the web site <www.socialsecurity.gov> and a 95-page Word document. In both cases, there were complications using the feature, and on several occasions JAWS crashed, which required a complete reboot of the system. The real advantage of this feature is not clear, since JAWS already offers excellent features like Insert-F7 (which provides a list of links), Insert-F5 (which provides a list of fields), and the navigation quick keys. Mozilla Firefox 1.5 JAWS now supports the Mozilla Firefox web browser version 1.5 beta or later <www.GetFirefox.com>. As of the JAWS 7.0 release, the current level of support for Firefox remains under development, and technical support is not currently available. However, when testing was conducted using JAWS 7.0 with Firefox 1.5, all the features of JAWS performed well. This is a major improvement over JAWS 6.2 support of Firefox. Using the Google search engine and accessing web sites, such as <www.amazon.com>, <www.walmart.com>, and <www.socialsecurity.gov>, presented no difficulties, and all JAWS navigation quick keys and Internet browsing features worked well. Also, JAWS online help through Insert-H and Insert-F1 provided detailed information on supporting Firefox. HAL 6.51 Dolphin Computer Access software has been assisting individuals who are blind or have low vision to access a wide range of Windows programs through magnification, speech, and braille since 1986. Hal is Dolphin's screen-access solution supporting both speech and refreshable braille output. Hal supports all Microsoft operating systems (Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, NT, and XP Home/Professional), and support for Citrix networks and Terminal Server sessions is standard. Installation Although installation of Hal was fairly simple, the three-level installation seems a bit complicated for the average user. You first install the screen reader; then Dolphin's synthesizer access manager (SAM); and finally Orpheus, Dolphin's software speech synthesizer. After all that, you have the Option to install IBM's Via Voice from a CD that is provided. It would seem that the entire installation process could be consolidated and simplified. Once Hal is installed, users can access the Update from Internet option to see if any new or updated map files are available from the Dolphin server. Map files are Hal's configuration files for specific applications. The entire process is easy to perform, and Dolphin recommends that you check for Hal updates on a regular basis using this feature. New for Dolphin is the ability to purchase Supernova, Hal, Lunar, and LunarPlus in the new Dolphin Pen edition, as well as in the standard PC edition. The dolphin Pen runs from a USB pen drive, which plugs straight into the USB slot of a computer. Several good features are offered by the Dolphin Pen: Your settings are saved to the pen every time it is used; the pen installs Dolphin's interceptor on the first installation, so you can return to the same computer, plug in the pen, and have full access support; and the pen and all software on the pen are copy protected, so you cannot accidentally erase or overwrite the program. One drawback is that for computers that do not have Dolphin's interceptor installed, you first have to install the interceptor from either the pen or the Dolphin web site. This process is not supported with speech, and Dolphin recommends that users activate Windows Narrator to get them through this part of the installation. Documentation and Support Hal's manual is available in print, on a CD as an interactive DAISY file, and through the Dolphin web site. A copy of Dolphin's EaseReader player is included on the CD. Users will also find print manuals for the Getting Started Tutorial and Using Windows and a braille Quick Reference Guide. Online Tutorials are available through Dolphin's web site that provide easy-to-follow instructions for performing most basic tasks with Hal, such as setting verbosity and using the Internet. Application-specific help can be accessed through a hot key or through the Hal control panel. Outside the application-specific help, all the documentation and Help menus are generic for all Dolphin products (SuperNova, Hal, Lunar, and Lunar Plus). You have to dig through information to find Hal-specific help. Finally, you will need sighted assistance to determine which CD in the case is the program CD, since there are no braille or large-print labels. A unique feature of Hal is keyboard emulation, which allows you to select another product's keyboard command set. So, users who are familiar with JAWS commands can set Hal to use JAWS commands. This can be a plus for new users of the product who have previously used other screen-reader or screen-magnification products. For users who want to customize Hal's commands, the fact that they can use the left and right modifier keys gives them even greater functionality when selecting key combinations. New in Hal 6.51 is a feature that allows users to configure their own Dolphin products to a range of different keyboards and languages. This is a real plus if you want to be able to switch keyboard languages without changing your keyboard. Microsoft Word 2003 Hal 6.51 reads documents, menus, and dialog boxes in a predictable manner in Microsoft Word. Text attributes and styles are read automatically, as well as with the Hal hot key. Problems may be encountered when using the Spell Check feature. For example, during testing, Hal read the context of the Misspelled word but not the misspelled word, and when the Hal hot key was used, Hal spoke color information first, then the context of the misspelled word, then the misspelled word, and finally the first suggestion. All this information is confusing and makes it difficult to identify the misspelled word. Hal reads selected text and even the number of lines that are selected. However, if you cut, copy, or paste the selected text, no speech feedback is provided. Hal properly reads tables within a Microsoft Word document. When the focus is placed on a new cell, the cells column or row number is spoken. Moving between cells is accomplished using the Tab or arrow keys. Hal informs you when you are entering a table and provides the table parameters but does not announce when you leave a table. New in Hal 6.51 is its ability to announce embedded objects, page or section breaks, and hyphens. Hal also offers the ability to review a Word document through a list of links, headings, objects, spelling errors, grammatical errors, and revisions through simple hot keys. Users also can get Hal to tell them the type of bullet in a bulleted list, such as a filled round bullet or an arrow. Microsoft Excel 2003 Hal 6.51 accurately reads worksheets in Microsoft Excel and consistently identifies and reads cell values and cells with formulas. Switching between Hal's three default verbosity levels dramatically affects the amount of information that is spoken while moving through a worksheet. When using high- or medium-verbosity levels, Hal announces the cell location, cell contents, text attributes and alignment, and if a formula or comment is used. Hal also announces the type and style of a cell border and if you have gone outside the spreadsheet print area. In addition, Hal reads dialog boxes, such as the formula-selection dialog box, with few problems. You can read the equation that makes up a formula with one of Hal's hot keys. New in Hal 6.51 is the ability to pull lists of information from an Excel spreadsheet using a hot key. You can now easily skim through a list of worksheets, objects, charts, visible cells with formulas, visible cells with content, and visible cells with comments. This makes it easy to go directly to a specific cell or information. Internet Explorer 6.x Hal 6.51 performs well accessing and reading web sites in Internet Explorer. However, users who like to switch between HTML pages, such as web pages or HTML Help areas, and another program, such as Word, may get frustrated with Hal. Every time you leave and then return to an HTML page, you are returned to the top of the page, rather than to the location that you left. Hal does provide the ability to list links, headings, and frames with a hot key. New in 6.51 is Hal's ability to announce bulleted lists on HTML pages. The speed of Hal's Virtual Focus mode and Find feature have also been improved. However, on the web sites <www.amazon.com>, <www.walmart.com>, and <www.socialsecurity.com>, Hal appeared to move sluggishly. A unique feature that Hal offers is the ability to access a link's URL address, even if the link or graphic is not properly labeled. This allows you to know exactly where selecting the link will take you. Another upgrade in Hal 6.51 is its improved Forms mode. Hal can now intelligently detect the label to edit areas; return you to Virtual Focus mode when you land on buttons, radio buttons, and check boxes; and then return you to Interactive mode once more when an edit area or list box is reached. Hal's ability to pause a web page that is constantly refreshing by taking a snapshot of the page, allowing you to review the page content in full, is a real plus for anyone who regularly visits web sites with autorefreshing pages. Mozilla Firefox 1.5 In repeated testing, Hal 6.51 did not work with Mozilla Firefox 1.5. Users cannot even access the main Firefox Google page to perform a simple search. Dolphin states that support for Firefox will be available in an upgrade that is due out in early 2006. Window-Eyes 5.5 Since 1990, GW Micro has been providing computer access for users who are visually impaired. GW Micro's Window-Eyes screen reader offers speech features with full braille support and the flexibility needed for running many of today's most advanced Windows applications. Window-Eyes is compatible with Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, and XP and supports multiple users either on a stand-alone machine or across a network remote access with Citrix MetaFrame, Microsoft Terminal Services, and Windows XP Professional Remote Desktop. Installation Installation of Window-Eyes 5.5 is simple and straightforward. You can download the upgrade to Window-Eyes 5.5 from the GW Micro web site <www.gwmicro.com> or install it from the program CD. When installing the Window-Eyes 5.5 upgrade, you now have the option to make a backup of existing configuration files. During the installation, Window-Eyes prompts you if you do not have the latest version of Microsoft Word installed and provides steps on updating Word with the latest updates, service packs, and hot fixes. In addition, GW Micro informs you that most of the new features in Window-Eyes will be available only if you are using Microsoft Office 2000, XP, or 2003 and recommends that users upgrade to Office 2003 for maximum benefits with Window-Eyes 5.5. New in Window-Eyes 5.5 is the ability to install Window-Eyes on a portable device, such as a USB stick or removable drive, or to another directory on the computer. To use the Window-Eyes Mobile Install feature, you also must install video support from the Window-Eyes program directory. As with any of the portable devices, you do not have speech during installation, but you can use Windows Narrator to get you through the initial installation process. The Mobile Install feature is a real plus for anyone who requires access to several computers that do not have speech support. Also, if you customize Window-Eyes while using the Mobile Install version, you can save the changes to the portable device. Documentation and Support Users who are upgrading to Window-Eyes 5.5 will receive a program CD in a braille and large-print labeled sleeve. First-time purchasers of Window-Eyes will receive the Window-Eyes program CD, Window-Eyes tutorial on audiocassette, Print Installation Guide, Braille Installation Guide, and Hot Key Quick Reference Guide. Included on the Window-Eyes program CD are electronic versions of the manual in text, PDF, MP3, and HTML formats and the Window-Eyes tutorial in MP3 format. You can also access the various formats of the manual and the tutorial from the GW Micro web site. Application- and task-specific help are available for most programs through the hot key Control-Shift-F1. The Window-Eyes manual and online help provide excellent support. However, the MP3 single-track format for the tutorial does not allow you to skip to specific content, requiring you to listen to the entire tutorial, rather than specific sections of interest. For Windows 2000 or later systems, you can now place Window-Eyes in the system tray. Window-Eyes 5.5 also now provides access to those annoying balloon tool tips that pop up, such as the Update Windows balloon tool tip in the system tray. You can route the mouse pointer to the tool tip and press the left mouse button to close the tool tip. Also new in 5.5 is the ability to customize the Window-Eyes Control Panel menu to your preferences and skill level with different menu structures for beginner, intermediate, and advanced features. Microsoft Word 2003 Window-Eyes 5.5 performs well in Microsoft Word and reads documents, menus, and dialog boxes in a predictable manner. The Read-to-End function reads documents without interruption. It is easy to read and navigate tables, and the fact that Window-Eyes shortens the announcement of cell locations with "r" for row and "c" for column (resulting in the cell location announced as r2c3) is a plus. No problems are encountered when using the Spell Checker; misspelled words and errors are announced, and the use of the hot keys provides added support. Occasionally, Window-Eyes did not correctly read the text that was selected during testing. A new feature since Window-Eyes 5.0 is the ability to use the Insert-Tab key to access a summary of features for that document, such as spelling errors, grammatical errors, and hyperlinks. You can select the desired summary (such as a list of spelling errors), navigate through the list using the arrow keys, and then press Enter to move to the item in the document. Window-Eyes also has added default hot keys for moving to the next or previous sentence in a document. Microsoft Excel 2003 Window-Eyes 5.5 has made significant improvements in its support of Microsoft Excel. The most notable problem that was encountered in Excel during testing was the missing documentation for the Window-Eyes Application Help screen. GW Micro is aware of the missing documentation and is working to update These files. Some of the new features in Window-Eyes 5.5 support of Excel include more than 30 new verbosity options; consistent application of navigation tools; page Navigation and Element Properties among Internet Explorer, Firefox, Adobe Reader, Microsoft Word, and Excel; a Headers and Totals dialog box, which Simplifies the reading of spreadsheets; the Monitor Cells dialog box, which allows you to monitor specific cells across worksheets; and chart navigation using the arrow keys for all 73 possible Excel charts.
You will find the Page Navigation dialog box (Insert-Tab) useful when working in Excel. Through this dialog box, you can access a summary list of different elements in your spreadsheet, such as comments, hyperlinks, objects, named areas, cells in row, page breaks, monitor cells, charts, and worksheets.
Internet Explorer 6.x
Window-Eyes 5.5 continues to build on the advancements made in previous versions in its support of Internet Explorer. In addition to the quick access keys that were introduced in Window-Eyes 4.5, Window-Eyes 5.5 enables users easily to access a variety of different web-page elements through the Page Navigation dialog box. In this dialog box, you can access a list of links, tables, lists, forms, anchors, headings, and frames, depending on what is available on a particular web site. When a new web site or web page is loaded, Window-Eyes 5.5 can announce the number of links, tables, headings, and frames in addition to the page title. This provides a snapshot of what you can expect to encounter on the particular web page and can be a real bonus. One problem was that no application-specific help is available for Internet Explorer using the Control-Shift-F1 hot key.
The most noticeable change in Window-Eyes 5.5 is that it now refers to the environment that is used for browsing web pages, PDF documents, HTML help, and HTML e-mail messages as Browse Mode. Although Window-Eyes now announces Browse Mode versus MSAA (Microsoft Active Accessibility) Mode, that is the Only difference. All features and hot keys that are associated with MSAA Mode still apply. You do have to listen to fewer syllables, though. Mozilla Firefox 1.5 Window-Eyes' support for Firefox is almost identical to that of Internet Explorer. All the quick access keys work in both Firefox and Internet Explorer. In other words, regardless of the browser, C will move you through form controls, S will move you through lists, L will move you through links, and so on. No problems were encountered when navigating web sites or completing forms on the web sites <www.amazon.com>, <www.walmart.com>, and <www.socialsecurity.gov>. However, similar to Internet Explorer, no application-specific help is available for Firefox through the Ctrl-Shift-F1 hot key. The Bottom Line All three screen readers have made significant improvements in the latest versions. JAWS 7.0 continues to expand its support for HTML documents. Hal 6.51 has added a list function for Word and has improved its Internet accessibility by enabling users to pull summaries of specific elements on a web site and through the new Interactive Forms mode. Window-Eyes 5.5 includes expanded support for Microsoft Excel. Both JAWS and Window-Eyes support Mozilla Firefox 1.5 through the use of existing HTML hot keys and features; therefore, users are not required to learn an entirely new set of commands. Manufacturer's Comments GW Micro "Although our manual covers in great detail how to use Window-Eyes with Word, Excel, Internet Explorer and Firefox, we understand that our context-sensitive help needs to be enhanced. We plan on improving all our on demand help in the next release. Until then, I suggest users refer to Section 20 of the Window-Eyes manual for Word, Section 21 for Excel, and Section 19 for Internet Explorer and Firefox. "It was stated that occasionally Window-Eyes did not correctly read text being selected in Word. This very much surprises me, as we are talking directly to Word for the selected text and as of the release of our enhanced Word support in January of 2005 we have had no reports of this. I would welcome the reviewer to expand on this to determine if this is truly a problem." Additional Resources JAWS user lists JAWS Lite: <Jawslite@blindprogramming.com> JAWS Employment User Group: Subscribe at <jfw-employment-subscribe@yahoogroups.com> JAWS-List User Group: Subscribe at <jaws-list-subscribe@yahoogroups.com> JAWSScripts User Group: <Jawsscripts@blindprogramming.com> Blind Programmers User Group: <Programming@blindprogramming.com> To subscribe to the JAWS mailing list, send a message to < jfw-request@freelists.org> with the word subscribe in the subject line. Window-Eyes User Lists Visit the GW Micro web site at <www.gwmicro.com/support> to subscribe to any of the following e-mail lists: GW-Info: The GW-Info list is a discussion list, which often contains many messages per day. GW-News: The GW-News list is a low-traffic, announce-only list. Messages on the GW-News list are posted by GW Micro employees only. GW_Italiano: The GW_Italiano list is specifically for users of the localized Italian version of Window-Eyes. The majority, if not all, the traffic on This list is not in English. GW_Polska: The GW_Polska list is specifically for users of the localized Polish version of Window-Eyes. The majority, if not all, the traffic on this List is not in English. GW_UK: The GW_UK list is a low-traffic, announce-only list. Only GW Micro employees and GW Micro UK dealers are able to post. GW_DE: The GW_DE list is a discussion list that is available for German users of Window-Eyes. The majority, if not all, the traffic on this list is not in English. Note: There is currently no discussion list for Hal users. View the Product Features as a graphic View the Product Features as text View the Product Ratings as a graphic View the Product Ratings as text Product Information Product: JAWS for Windows 7.0. Manufacturer: Freedom Scientific Blind/Low Vision Group, 11800 31st Court North, St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1805; phone: 800-444-4443 or 727-803-8000; e-mail: <Info@FreedomScientific.com>; web site: <www.FreedomScientific.com>. Price: JAWS Professional (works with Windows NT/2000Pro/XPPro), $1,095; JAWS Standard (works with Windows 95/98/Me & XP Home), $895. Product: Hal 6.51. Manufacturer: Dolphin Computer Access, 60 East Third Avenue, Suite 301, San Mateo, CA 94401; phone: 866-797-5921 or 650-348-7401; e-mail: <info@dolphinusa.com>; web site: <www.dolphinusa.com>. Price: Hal Standard edition (runs under Windows XP Home and Professional editions, Windows 2000, Windows ME, Windows NT 4.0, and Windows 98), $795; Hal Professional edition, $1,095. Product: Window-Eyes 5.5. Manufacturer: GW Micro, 725 Airport North Office Park, Fort Wayne, IN 46825; phone: 260-489-3671; e-mail: <sales@gwmicro.com>; web site: <www.gwmicro.com>. Price: Window-Eyes Professional (works with Windows 95/98, Millennium, 2000, Windows XP Home/Professional and Windows 2003), $795. Related articles An Introduction to JAWS Scripting by Joe Lazzaro The Key to the Information Age: A Review of Three Screen Readers, Part 1 by Jim Denham, Jay Leventhal, and Heather McComas The Key to the Information Age: A Review of Three Screen Readers, Part 2 by Jim Denham, Jay Leventhal, and Heather McComas Copyright C 2006 American Foundation for the Blind. All rights reserved.
Business commentary
Investing in India February 2006 By Jeff N Marquis and Kerry J Harrison Hi! It's Jeff and Kerry the inseparable two! This month we want to focus a bit on investment opportunities in India. According to several experts India is quickly growing into a hot spot for investors but there are a few things that you should be aware of before you go off on your investment adventure. According to a report published by KPMG late last year you should not consider investing in India as a short-term project. Rather, think of it as a long-term venture that can bring you very profitable rewards despite the administrative headaches and distribution problems presently facing investors in India. This is a good time to get in on the ground floor as India is in a similar position to China four or five years ago. However, before you pack your bags you should consider the following: Don't just go to India for a quick visit and decide on the spot. Take the time to get to know the culture and nuances of the land. Unlike their Western counterparts Indian businessmen don't trust very easily. They take their time in getting to know you and when they do you have a friend for life both in business as well as on a personal level. Indian businessmen don't like to show their distrust because they don't want to lose face. They take more than just a few days to make up their minds and when they say yes they mean it. Indian businessmen have different methods of carrying out business and it is important for you to know this. If you are thinking of investing in India then you would be wise to partner with someone in India. It would probably help to make things easier for you. Indians as a whole really appreciate it if you make an effort to try their native food and enjoy some of their cultural events. So put this on your list of things to do and try. Remember, the Indian way of doing business is quite a bit different to ours so pack plenty of patience and understanding when and if you decide to take the plunge. Don't go in there with the attitude that the Western way is the high way. Be prepared to change your approach to suit their way of doing things. The Indian economy is growing by leaps and bounds and the Indian consumer's appetite for Western goods is rich and growing rapidly. Both the Indian and American governments are anxious for trade to grow between these two countries and we must not forget that several large American corporations have already started to capitalize on cheaper paid Indian workers by re-locating their call centres in India. Namely IBM, AT&T, Sprint, Primus, and others. We are probably going to see more and more companies follow this trend and in addition several hosting companies are using cheaper paid Indian workers to help design and develop websites. Transcription companies are also doing the same thing. So, there you have it. Lots of opportunity for financial success if you are serious about it.
From the soap box
Blind kids are not to be forgotten February 2006 By Scott Savoy Hello everyone, this month I would like to focus on the plight of blind kids in the United States and to publish a short article that was submitted to us by one of our readers. Kids are near and dear to my heart and indeed near and dear to the hearts of most of us but it seems as if we do not include blind kids according to this report. How very sad! Commission report says more services needed for blind children. Civilrights.org - Washington,DC,USA, January 30, 2006. PROVIDENCE, R.I. --A state commission is pushing to improve services for blind and visually impaired children, after a report showed there are not enough specialists and tools available to help visually impaired children succeed in school. The commission, made up of education, health and human services officials, parents and teachers, wants Rhode Island to adopt national standards for access to technology and materials for visually impaired students. It's also pushing to train eye doctors and school nurses to look for signs of vision problems in children. The report, released last year, found a lack of vision specialists in the state meant many children rarely saw someone who could help them learn to read Braille or how to walk with a cane. "We are looking to increase the opportunities for people who are visually impaired to get good jobs," said state Rep. Eileen Naughton, D-Warwick, who chairs the commission. "We know that 70 percent of the visually disabled community is unemployed, and that is not acceptable." The Special House Commission to Promote and Develop a Comprehensive System of Education for Visually Impaired Children plans to meet Feb. 6 to hear about recent accomplishments and outline future plans. Source URL: http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2006/01/30/commission _report_says_more_services_needed_for_blind_children?mode=PF.
The president's feature
Change your attitude, change your life February 2006 Sponsored by Donna J Jodhan Hi all! This month I would like to publish an article that I came across recently. I feel that this article can serve as a motivator for those who are presently struggling to stay positive. I hope you find it of some value as I did. Change Your Attitude, Change Your Life by Grant Williams Voice of the Diabetic, Winter 2006 I am a diabetic. It is very difficult for some people to say they have a disease. It seems to fester in the minds of many. They become consumed with the fact that they have a chronic disease, that they are not like others, that they will have to take medicine every day for the rest of their lives. Their lives are hijacked by their negative attitude. A positive attitude, on the other hand, can change your whole life. Of course we all have to be conscious of our diabetes and monitor our sugar levels, but the disease does not have to take over our lives. The key to having a positive attitude is to do something you love-enrich your life by having other outlets, such as hobbies or a fulfilling job. I love to write poetry and editorials, and by having this hobby I use my time for construction instead of destruction. Instead of complaining, I bring joy into others' lives through my poetry or mini-stories. I don't wake up each day thinking about my diabetes. Instead, I wake up with the attitude that today I will accomplish something and bring some happiness to someone. A positive attitude can work wonders, and you can have one too. Take up a hobby, get a pet or go on a trip. By doing one or all of those things, you will find many rewards. If you like cooking, collecting, or gardening, or playing sports, do it. If you enjoy writing, then write the world's best novel or a poem for a loved one. If you get a pet, you will spend time caring for this pet. Your pet needs you, and really doesn't care if you have diabetes. By loving and nurturing your pet, you will feel better about yourself, too. You will be needed. If you take a trip, you will delight in the places you visit and the new people you meet. By making your life more fun, you will not be preoccupied with your diabetes. You won't have time to feel sorry for yourself because you have diabetes. Bring your positive attitude to work, too. Of course, your coworkers need to know about your diabetes for your safety, but your relationship with them can be so much more positive. Talk to your coworkers about your hobbies, trips or interest, instead of constantly moaning about your illness. Of course, just because you're not preoccupied with your illness doesn't mean you should ignore it. Take charge of your health. If you have a job that requires a lot of stress and little exercise, take a walk at lunch-time or after work. Don't skip a meal or snack, but don't let the fact you have diabetes slow you down, either. Make your job rewarding, and don't use your illness as a crutch. My point is that when you do something you love, you don't have time to grumble about your disease. If you dwell on the fact you are a diabetic, and want others to feel sorry for you, you will not be happy. You can choose to have a good attitude or a bad attitude. It is entirely up to you. And good attitudes are contagious. You will be surprised at how people around you will react to your positive attitude. If you are focused on doing the things you enjoy, everyone around you will be more positive, too. It is up to you to get on with your life and enjoy your blessings. You can live a long, happy and productive life, and it starts with the right attitude.
News and views
Password security and dealing with Spam emails February 2006 By Christian Robicheau Hello! This month I want to pass on some tips about how to go about choosing a password that can't be easily deciphered. You won't believe it when I tell you that some persons make it their daily jobs to go on to the Internet and crack or hack into other people's passwords just for the fun of it. Apparently, they feel so great when they can hack into someone's system by breaking their password and as part of their miserable lives they spend hours using the English dictionary to help their cause. So, here are some safety tips for you: Make your passwords at least eight characters. Do not use your birth date or those of your kids or spouse. Do not use the names of your kids, spouse, pets, friends, or other family members. Use a combination of letters and numbers. Change your passwords regularly. Do not use the same password for all of your websites. Remember, there are individuals out there just waiting to pounce on your password and use it to reap havoc with your systems and websites. On another note, I want to publish the text of a note that a reader sent to us. If you get an email similar to this one then please delete it and do nothing if you are a "PayPal" user. A company like PayPal would never send out an email like this. Here is the text in its entirety. Please note there are 1 or 2 grammatical errors and this is the first hint that this is a fraudulent email. The sender or senders of this email are only after one thing and that's your banking details that they will use to invade your bank accounts and remove your money. PayPal Notification You have received this email because you or someone had used your account from different locations. For security purpose, we are required to open an investigation into this matter. In order to safeguard your account, we require that you confirm your banking details. To help speed up this process, please access the following link so we can complete the verification of your PayPal Account: Alert code: 1842659684 https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_notice=184</a> If we do no receive the appropriate account verification within 48 hours, then we will assume this PayPal account is fraudulent and will be suspended. The purpose of this verification is to ensure that your paypal account has not been fraudulently used and to combat the fraud from our community. We appreciate your support and understanding and thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. Regards, PayPal Fraud Investigation Team
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Notes
If you would like to contribute an article to our magazine then please contact us at: Tel (416) 491-7711 Email info@sterlingcreations.ca Check out our online magazine page at www.sterlingcreations.ca/magazine.html for our rates. Comments to the editor can be submitted free of charge. All submissions are reviewed and you will be notified if yours is chosen. If your submission is chosen we will print it upon receipt of payment. Are you having difficulty finding qualified translators to translate written documents or audiocassettes? Are you looking for qualified and skilled persons to coach you in the English language? Are you looking for electronic and audio transcription services? Then look no further. Please go to www.translationpeople.com and there you will find translation and transcription services to suit your needs. Are your customers constantly complaining that your website is either too difficult to navigate or access? Are they saying that they have to wait for such a long time when trying to access your website? Or are your cell phone customers unable to access your website with their cell phones because there are just too many icons or graphics? If you are looking for ways to improve access to your websites, improve the content of your documents, emails, faxes, letters, and proposals, then visit www.sterlingcreations.ca. If you are looking for skilled and creative writers to help you craft and write your ideas, proof read and edit your documents then visit www.sterlingcreations.ca and go to the ghostwriters' page and then you will find a variety of services that are designed to help you. If you are looking for new business ideas for yourself, your kids, or even a friend then visit www.untappedwealth.com and there you will be treated to a collection of free ideas and information and you will have an opportunity to purchase either a hard or electronic copy of "Untapped Wealth Discovered" written by Jeff N Marquis and Kerry J Harrison. You will also find up to the minute information on the business desk page, a list of very informative articles on some really important strategies on the top business strategies page, plus much more.
