I love to be efficient so, if you don't mind, I use this chance to thank
Martin, Jackie, Ken, Cearbhall, Tony, Paul, and everyone else who finds
the notes useful. In case you don't, I still thank you for reading them.
PS: Cearbhall, I'm surprised too!
Regards,
Adrian
On 2024-02-17 17:12, Adrian wrote:
FB Exchange Cork Meeting minutes 17/02/2024
Welcome to the FB Exchange Cork gathering on the 17th of February 2024, a relaxed weekend session. We ventured into a variety of topics today, with a focus on technical matters which are at the forefront of this minutes. We were joined by 10 members, and apologies were noted. Today, your note-taker is Adrian.
Upcoming events:
We discussed the forthcoming Uncontracted Braille Course offered by VI, commencing on Friday the 23rd via Teams. For further information, please visit: https://vi.ie/event/uncontracted-braille-course/ or contact training@xxxxx.
Don't miss out on Tuesday at 11 am on Midland Radio 103 - Tune in to Anne Marie Kelly's documentary on Sightless Cinema. Listeners can access the broadcast by asking Alexa to play the station or at https://www.midlands103.com/ (if that's the station's website. Ger can confirm.)
Friday 1 March 3 pm at Hugh Lane Gallery: In the Dark - a live audio play - brings to life dramatic turning points in the lives of five people who are blind or visually impaired. https://hughlane.ie/whats_on/in-the-dark-live-performance-1mar2024/
Technical matters:
During our discussion on OCR functionality, Cearbhall mentioned that this feature is available in NVDA and likely in JAWS as well. Stuart added that Voiceover OCR is a capability. This feature allows users to capture screenshots containing a picture with text in it, which is then automatically recognized and copied to the clipboard for pasting into a text editor. For NVDA, an addon is required, which can be found here: https://addons.nvda-project.org/addons/ocr.en.html#:~:text=To%20perform%20OCR%2C%20move%20to,in%20the%20%22Miscellaneous%22%20category
Martin shared his difficulties using the new VI Hub skill for lady A devices, and others confirmed experiencing similar issues.
Bookshare was discussed. This is the free book library available for people with reading disability including those visually impaired. It is available at https://bookshare.ie/.
It integrates both with the Voice Dream app for iOS and Easy Reader for Android, but also it allows you to download the book in different formats and use any compatible software. This led to the discussion of various voice models available and the Audible app which Cearbhall said he struggled with while reading a certain book. Borrowbox is also a good option for books.
An extensive discussion about how important is one get the skill of using TalkBack or Voiceove. Alxa was also covered and how it helps.
While discssing about PC or laptop preference, people agreed the challenges of using laptop keyboards. It was recommended to utilize an external Bluetooth or wired keyboard with well-raised and clearly defined keys. Adrian particularly recommends a Dell keyboard for its excellent design and usability. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dell-multimedia-profile-Keyboard-580-ADGV-Black/dp/B07W2XJPDS/ref=asc_df_B07W2XJPDS/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=394280480146&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=779454070978923214&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9181192&hvtargid=pla-845542589758&psc=1&mcid=ac2d08ec7e0d321dba07f5fd5a0ef283&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=88750752904&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=394280480146&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=779454070978923214&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9181192&hvtargid=pla-845542589758
Various other topics:
Cearbhall engaged the audience in a discussion about their preferences in board games. He mentioned a friend who is developing board games and expressed interest in knowing what types of games the VIP community enjoys and how these games can be made accessible. Chess and Monopoly were among the games mentioned. The conversation then delved into the accessibility of chess, with further exploration on methods to make it accessible. For more insights into how blind individuals play chess, you can visit: https://ibca-info.org/how-visually-impaired-play-chess/
If the notes are accurate, the individual is also interested in creating the board game called Fidchell, known as the Irish game of kings. https://emeraldisle.ie/the-rules-of-fidchell#:~:text=The%20ancient%20game%20of%20Fidchell,predates%20chess%20by%20many%20centuries.
Conversations also veered into topics ranging from holidays and weather to even touching on a bit of politics.
The meeting has ended. Now, brace yourselves for a flood of appreciative emails to the list -- members are all eager to shower it with praise for the note-taker! While I appreciate your kind words, let's spare our inboxes from exploding, shall we? Feel free to drop me a line in private if you must. Thanks, folks!
Regards,
Adrian
