This is me, Ricky Buchanan!
If you’d like to talk to me live, feel free to look for me on these chat networks:
- Skype, as rickybuchanan (text, audio, or video chat)
- iChat/AIM as rickybuchanan@mac.com (text chat)
- YahooIM as rickybuchanan (text chat)
- MSN/Microsoft Live as ricky@notdoneliving.net (text chat)
Because typing can be slow and painful for me I prefer audio or video chat if possible, but if you can’t manage that I will always do my best with typing.
You can also follow ATMac on Twitter as @atmacjournal.
My personal website, for people interested in the non-ATMac bits of my life, is Not Done Living. I also run No Pity City, a site with great T-shirts and other gear with disability-related slogans, and iTalk Magazine for new iPhone and iPod Touch users.
In reply to “Simple Switch Scanning and Voice Output in MS Word 2004 for OS X”; you can also assign a macro of the speech command to a hotkey of your choice. That way you can read a text in word, just by pressing a hotkey.
It works fine here in Word 2004.
Con: You can play and stop, but when you start again it will start at the beginning of the document. Further it still won’t give a speech output while typing.
Having difficulty subscribing by email. Keep getting a few letters to duplicate but never getting through to completion of the subscription. I would like to subscribe by email if that is possible. Thanks for any help. Michael
I am an IT Analyst and I specialise in writing about ICT Accessibility. I am not disabled except a bit of RSI and therefore a dislike of any mouse; but I have a lot of experience from friends, family and acquaintances around the issues of accessibility across the range of disabilities.
I recently wrote an article .
I would really be interested to get your views on my article and maybe you could add it, or a reference to it, on your blog.
Thanks in advance.
Peter
@Peter: The article’s from nearly a year ago, and it’s not up to date. I left a reply at the time explaining some of the things that were incorrect about the article, but you haven’t fixed or updated it at all that I can see. I don’t like to link to outdated information.
- Ricky
IS it possible to submit a software to be listed on your website? This is about a PDF editor application called PDF Studio that we would like to see appear on your site.
Thanks in advance for your answer!
Leila Caison
@Leila: You’re welcome to email me details of software that you would like reviewed. I won’t promise to review anything submitted but I’ll certainly look at it as time and health permits and I’m quite likely to review something like PDF Studio which has assistive tech relevance. My email address is listed above on this page.
Hello,
I am glad I found this site, and I visit now and then to get up to speed. I have used mac for a year, and is looking around for the possibilities for mac users.
Why? When mac is workning as it should with installing apps by just draging it to the apps folder, and being just easy to use it is unbeatable alternative. I have the parent perspective and when things are overcomplicated the children who are in need of the computer maybe never get a good setup, because the people around the the child rely on does not have the knowledge.
So I am looking around, and even thinking of learn to program software to create what is missing on the mac, or at least one missing app. Probably will take time.
So keep up the good work,
@Jon: Thanks for the feedback. I’d love to hear about the specific missing app you have in mind, too.
What I miss the most is a paperchartmaker for bliss and photos, where you can edit symbols and make your own translations, change the words.
But i should be compatible with other symbols as well, and integrated with iphoto.
I will sketch up the program on paper first and then investigate how one is to get it started. I need to check what databases I should use, one with open format of course so that no one gets locked in if the software is not for them. You should keep your customers by being good, not because they have to stay.
But for now this is only a thought, and I don’t have the knowledge to back things up. But maybe my efforts can trigger something
But it need to be cheap, no overpriced software. Not everybody gets things via the health system.
I use the Symbol for Windows right now from handicom.nl and I don’t like it one bit, I have got it from the communication therapist? but even though I have not paid anything, it sucks! I rather pay out of my own pocket if there is something that works user friendly.
But depending how things works, if you program functions that you can use in more softwares there might be more. But that will show, and it will take time.
Thinking of starting an accesible mac blog in swedish also, since there aren’t that much and I am looking around I might as well write about my findings.
/Jon
I’m not a Mac user but it is great to see voice recognition software available for Mac computers. I have passed this on to a friend who has a disability and is finding it difficult to use a mouse. It would be great to be over to control the mouse by voice.
i am 8 and totally blind. i play a mean set of drums, but my grandparents still think i should develop some other skills. i am still working on my contractions. we have a dual-boot imac with Kearney’s translator, Louis, a braille blazer (used) and a brailled keyboard. we need someone with time and empathy to help us work through some problems. we can’t even figure how to add the scripts to the translator. the first goal is to emboss something on the blazer.
thanking you in advance
mandy
ps we’re also having a problem with sending email which hopefully be resolved soon
@Mandy: If you’re still having trouble setting up your Mac computer and the braille things, I suggest you ask somebody from the MacVisionaries list. That’s the biggest list of blind Mac users and I’m sure somebody there will help you.
Here’s the address:
http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries/
Best of luck.
I feel for Kati. I have Ataxia. Not being able to control balance is debilitating in so many ways. I appreciate her sharing her story and her ways of coping
Diane Hoover Bechtler
@Diane: Thanks for your comment – all comments are appreciated! It’s easier to keep track if you put the comment on the blog post itself though, rather than here. In another 2 years I’ll look at it and be all confused about what you’re referring to
Ricky,
thank you for this site and all your help. I came here looking for more scripts such as the mouse button operator. I see there are more shortcuts. Through information from this site and others I am now up and running with the latest upgrade to 1.5.
Keep up the good work.
Larry Jay
Ricky,
My autistic son, age 12, loves his ipod. but he is non verbal, and his manual dexterity is not good. he needs an ipod that was really basic: just one on/off switch, no other buttons or tabs to skip to the next song (not necessary) or really, even volume, since i am buying him headphone that automatically stop at 85 decibels.
Problem is, my son, and those like him, often unintentionally turn off their ipod simply by just playing with the buttons when he is wearing it. i’ll drive long distance, thinking he is pleasantly listening to his ipod, when he starts to fuss and fidget — that’s when i realize he has mistakenly turned off his ipod. how about an ipod with nothing more than a big switch that turns green when it’s on ON, and red when it is OFF. and that’s all.
do you think they will ever make one like that, or could you “adapt” one like that? i could sell them to my whole school is they were adapted like that.
Thanks, Lauren
Hello Ricky. As a person with cognitive “differences” I have been trying to advocate why using a MAC is not only more efficient, but also, essential for me to obtain gainful employment. I live in Overland Park Kansas and have been involved with our state vocational rehabilitation services and a cognitive therapist since September of 2009. With the help of my Cognitive Therapist, we have found many articles related to cognitive impairment and why a MAC works as opposed to the PC. I thank you for your time and dedication in the work you do. Would love to visit with you and perhaps learn from you some other ideas that will support my belief that the MAC system is an assistive technology tool-not just a type of device that is preferred because it is more expensive. Together, with HCBS services, my neuropsych evaluation and all medical documentation of living with Cerebral Palsy and Traumatic Brain Injury has not been sufficient argument for the Kansas SRS Vocational Rehabilitation councelors. Any ideas on getting funding for the MAC and it’s training programs???
@Mindy: Sorry, I don’t have any ideas about funding and I live in Australia so it’s a bit far for visiting I suspect! I’d be very interested in articles that you and your cognitive therapist have found about Mac use for those with cognitive impairments though – could you share them with me?
Hi Lauren
May I suggest a wander around http://www.tecsol.com.au ? Email any queries you have to them as they are now based in Melbourne and are very accommodating and friendly bunch.
Cheerio
Vicki
PS Look under Switches.
@Vicki: Thanks for the information! Technical Solutions are a wonderful company who’ve helped me with a bunch of AT and always been helpful.
Hey Ricky,
I was originally a linux used but I switched to mac because I need assistive software. When I stumbled upon your website I noticed that one particular great mac app is missing from it: iTracker. It uses a normal webcam to trace the movement of your head and enables you to use your mouse handsfree. It works surprisingly well.
It took me a long time to find this and I really think a lot of people could benefit from it, so here is the link: http://www.eyetwig.com
I hope it is of use
Nihlaeth
@Nihlaeth: Thanks for your feedback! I originally came to OS X from Linux because I needed assistance software too. iTracker’s actually on my list of things I want to write about and haven’t got around to – there are so many things happening in the Mac AT world that it’s impossible to keep up! I certainly think it’s worth an article, would you be interested in writing one for me?
I’d love to
I’ll send you an email when I’m done. Are there any specific conditions the article should meet?
@Nihlaeth: You can email me with any questions, and we have submission guidelines that will give you an idea of what’s the easiest for me. But the guidelines aren’t set-in-stone rules so if you have trouble with any of them just email!