ATMac

Weekend Round-Up: See You In January 2009!

Ricky Buchanan — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 23:43:08 +0000

The ATMac team have been working hard all year and now we’re exhausted! We will be taking a break for Christmas and to come up with more great information and articles for you next year. There’ll also be a competition to give away some great software. We’ll be back in January, so don’t forget to check up on us.

If you haven’t already subscribed to ATMac, now would be a good time to do it - that way you’ll find out as soon as we’re back on deck. Reminder: subscription options are over on the right sidebar.

What would you like to see from ATMac next year? More articles about speech recognition? More user stories? More special education stories? Let us know in the comments.

See you in 2009!

- Ricky Buchanan

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Weekend Round-Up: See You In January 2009!

AssistiveWare’s Giesbert Nijhuis Launches Apparel Line

Paul Natsch — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 20:18:02 +0000

I thought I’d pass on the news that MacWorld just published an interesting news item about one of our very own, Giesbert Nijhuis. Giesbert has started selling his own line of T-Shirts under the label, AssistiveWear. Congratulations Giesbert!

You can check out the full article here.

- Paul Natsch

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AssistiveWare’s Giesbert Nijhuis Launches Apparel Line

MacSpeech Dictate Global Commands List & Cheat Sheet for 1.2.1

Ricky Buchanan — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 02:58:12 +0000

This entry is part 8 of 8 in the series Speech-to-Text Compilation

MacSpeech Dictate is a great program but learning so many commands at once can be intimidating. I’ve put together two documents to help you learn and remember all the global commands found in Dictate version 1.2.1.

Dictate has two types of commands - global commands and application specific commands. The global commands work in all programs and the application-specific commands work only in a single application, for example Mail or iChat. These documents are only concerned with the global commands, which you’ll need to know best and are likely to do most often. If there’s a demand for similar lists for application specific commands I’ll create these in the future.

These documents aren’t in any way meant to replace the Dictate User’s Manual - every Dictate user really should read the manual, even if you’re not the “manual reading type”. Trust me, you’ll get far better use of Dictate if you have read the manual! But nobody’s memory is perfect, especially for a program with so many commands, so I’ve made these

First there’s a “Global Commands List” which has all of the global commands, arranged according to their functions rather than alphabetically. It also has short explanatory text for the commands whose purpose isn’t obvious, to remind you of their function. The list is 3 pages long - it’s a complicated program! Here are versions in both Pages and PDF format, sized for US and A4 paper:

Second we have a “Globals Cheat Sheet”. This has most of the global commands but not all of them, again grouped by function but with no explanatory text. It’s formatted to fit on a single sheet of paper so you can print it out and use it as a memory aid when you can’t remember the specific words for a command. Here are versions in both Pages and PDF format, sized for US and A4 paper:

I hope people find these useful. I have mine printed out and stuck up beside my computer screen and it’s been a great help. Would you use a version with commands for the separate applications too? Let me know in the comments.

- Ricky Buchanan

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MacSpeech Dictate Global Commands List & Cheat Sheet for 1.2.1

VoiceOver For Sighted Users

Ricky Buchanan — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 04:14:49 +0000

VoiceOver is a screen reader primarily used by blind Mac OS X users, but sighted people also use it for a variety of reasons. Sighted people with dyslexia and other disabilities which impair reading may benefit from a screen reader. I’ve also heard of several users who have movement problems such as Parkinson’s disease and can’t manage any sort of pointing device using VoiceOver specifically for its screen navigation abilities. And of course teachers, parents, and other supporters of blind OS X users may wish to learn to use VoiceOver to better support the blind users. So, where would one start?

Woopid has a great tutorial focussing on the basics of VoiceOver in Leopard. This is a video tutorial aimed specifically at sighted users who wish to use VoiceOver and have zero experience. It only covers the barest beginning, but it’s a great start.

I suggest once you’ve been through the tutorial, start in with the VoiceOver Getting Started documentation from Apple’s website. The documentation is available in full in human-narrated audio form and PDF form with images. There’s also a printable “cheat sheet” for sighted users available in colour or black and white versions to help users memorise the function of different keys.

Website: VoiceOver in Leopard Video Tutorial from Woopid and VoiceOver Getting Started Documentation

- Ricky Buchanan

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VoiceOver For Sighted Users

All I Want For Christmas Is Power!

Ricky Buchanan — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 03:30:19 +0000

Power’s what assistive technology gives us, really. The power to communicate, to read, to type, to plan, to play, to control things. The power to achieve things that we couldn’t otherwise achieve.

There are some obvious Apple related gifts - an iPod Nano with talking menus, an iPhone or iPod Touch, or a new laptop. I’m thinking that if you were going to buy something that large you’ve already got your gifts lined up though. Here are some ideas for things you might not have thought of buying for an AT user:

The Gift Of Audio and Video

iTunes can be used to buy music or audiobooks or movies as a gift - there’s a specific button used to buy something as a gift. Remember that you can search iTunes to find movies with Closed Captions. If you’re not sure what your recipient would like, iTunes gift cards are also available in some countries.

Audiobooks compatible with iTunes and the iPod/iPhone range can also be purchased from Audible.com, and a subscription to Audible will keep the audio books coming all year.

If you want to buy a physical DVD or CD for an assistive technology user who would prefer to watch it on their computer, check out our instructions for Keeping a Digital Library to transfer your purchases to their computer.

The Gift Of Protection

(No, not that type of protection - you’ll definitely have to find a different website for that!)

All of this wonderful power isn’t any good if one’s assistive technology stops working. Keyboard covers such as those from zCover or KB Covers can stop crumbs, dirt, and drool or spills from getting into your keyboard, and the covers themselves can be washed in warm soapy water.

For those who use an external mouse, the Belkin Washable Mouse may be a good solution. I’m not aware of specific covers for other peripherals.

The Gift of Games

Games are always good for Christmas gifts! I know next to nothing about games, but luckily the AssistiveGaming site has plenty of reviews of Mac games which discuss their accessibility for users various disabilities, and hints and tips for making them more accessible.

The Gift Of Environmental Control

For those who have trouble using a radio, TV, or telephone separate from the computer, getting one which works through your accessible computer can be a great way to make things accessible. Three devices which I consider especially good - and use myself - are these:

PhoneValet Home Edition - answering machine and caller ID display for telephone.

Elgato EyeTV - Digital and analog TV receiver and Tivo-type software.

radio SHARK - Analog radio receiver with Tivo-type software.

The Gift of Caring

Anybody who’s reading this article is somebody who cares about assistive technology and AT users, so thank you. If you’re still looking for more ideas you could take a look at Did you know your Mac could do that?

So, what Apple gifts are you hoping to give or get this holiday season?

- Ricky Buchanan
The photo of the gift bows is adapted from a photo by nvaine on Flickr. Thank you.

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All I Want For Christmas Is Power!

Simple Keyboard Shortcuts To Save You Time

Ricky Buchanan — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 23:39:49 +0000

This entry is part 15 of 15 in the series Mac Accessibility 101

Keyboard shortcuts are a quick way of getting many things done without needing to access the menus or the mouse. If you know to press command-s to save your work, you’ve used a keyboard shortcut. For people who primarily use a keyboard or a switch interface, using keyboard shortcuts can save a lot of time and effort. MouseLess’s Keyboard vs. Mouse section has some good reasons why even people who can easily use both keyboard and mouse should use the mouse less. And there are lots of people out there with repetitive strain problems who can only use a mouse with some pain, so sticking to the keyboard means they can get more done with less pain.

There are some great pages which detail keyboard shortcuts which can be used in Mac OS X. UsingMac’s Mac OS X Leopard: 200+ Productivity Booster Keyboard Shortcuts is one example of many similar ones. But sometimes less is more - Karen Janowski reminded me with her efficient Shortcut Keys Handout post (for Windows users) that basic shortcuts need to be learned too. A half-page list that you can print out and refer to can be much more useful than an exhaustive list - especially for people not familiar with keyboard shortcuts.

So I’ve made one. This list doesn’t show you all the keyboard shortcuts you’ll ever need - just the ones you’re likely to use many times a day. It’s a half a page format that you can easily print out and refer to while you work. I’m making a PDF available for easy printing, and a version in the original Pages format for those who might want to edit it for themselves. I’ve also created versions in both A4 and US Letter page sizes, which should cover everybody’s standard page sizes.

Basic Keyboard Shortcuts - PDF, A4
Basic Keyboard Shortcuts - PDF, US

Basic Keyboard Shortcuts - Pages, A4 [Edit, 18 December 2008: this version is now available and works properly.]
Basic Keyboard Shortcuts - Pages, US

If you edit these for yourself, let me know what you come up with - I’d love to see.

- Ricky Buchanan

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Simple Keyboard Shortcuts To Save You Time

A Happy iPod Touch Stylus User

Guest Post — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 03:42:04 +0000

Guest Post by Kerry Mackenzie

My husband got me an iPod Touch for Christmas last year. I have no arms but I can use the iPod touch with my foot. We had thought at first that one would be able to type on the screen using anything with a sharp tip. I noticed on the first day that this was not the case - it was happy with me using my nose, but not using the top of a pen!

Because of this, at first the only way I had to do this was to type with my little toe, and then I couldn’t see what I was doing. I bought a stylus and that makes things far easier. I use my first and second toes if a double tap or resize is required, but otherwise the stylus is much more accurate on that tiny keyboard. The spell correct feature usually saves me a lot of time and allows me to type much faster.

My stylus is the pogo type. It clips to the side of the pod. The stylus isn’t just useful for accuracy, but also because the fact that it’s a few inches long means that I can see the on screen keyboard without my foot being in the way, which was one of the major problems with typing with the little toe of my left foot.

I use my iPod touch mostly for social networking, IM and email, at home. This saves me having to move my laptop around. It would be nice to use it for listening to music, but I have to keep my ears open for my kids shouting in the background most of the time.

I’d recommend the stylus to anyone who has problems with accurate typing, including people with big hands!

- Kerry Mackenzie, Left Foot Girl

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A Happy iPod Touch Stylus User

Weekend Round-Up: Polls, Twitter, Cheap Software, Cushions and Commentary

Ricky Buchanan — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 09:53:41 +0000

We have a new poll in the sidebar. This time I’m wondering what operating systems you use the most - now that we’re covering iPods and iPhones in more detail I suspect there are more Windows-using readers around.

Here’s a copy of the poll to save you finding it in the sidebar:
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.
Please vote!

You can now find ATMac on Twitter. We’re registered as @atmacjournal and all new articles will be announced when they’re published. There’ll also be other ATMaccish news and information there, but not a whole lot. If you want to follow the tiny bits of my life personally, you can find those at @rickybuchanan, though I can’t promise those latter will have any relationship to disability and/or Apple products.

MacUpdate Promo is running a Holiday Bundle, if you’re looking to pick up some nice low-priced software. The bundle at the moment contains:

Keycue
MacPilot
WhatSize
iVolume
RapidWeaver
LittleSnitch
Mac Gourmet
Virusbarrier x5
Drive Genius
Defaultfolder

That’s about US$447.69 worth of software being sold for US$49.99. Even if you only want two pieces of the software, it’s probably a good deal.

If you’re looking for some novel gifts for a Mac fanatic, Throwboy are offering a set of handcrafted cushions which resemble six of the icons in the Mac OS X dock. They’re somewhat pricey but very cute - I’d love to own a set!

I’ve come across some interesting commentary and useful articles this week:

TUAW compared voice recording apps for the iPod Touch/iPhone system with VoiceNotes vs. iDicto vs. Recorder vs. Record.
In a shameless not-at-all-Apple-related plug, InfoXchange Australia wrote about me in an article entitled Window to the World.
You may have read controversy about Mac computers and Virus protection software recently. MacWorld gives some solid advice with Macs and malware: The straight dope.
David Barnes wrote on the AbilityNet Blog about Why Do I Not Love Apple Products. I think he has some valid points but, interesting, I think they might be exactly the same points that make others love Apple products very much! What do you think?

- Ricky Buchanan

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Weekend Round-Up: Polls, Twitter, Cheap Software, Cushions and Commentary

inkBook 2.0 Handwriting-aware Note Taker Released

Ricky Buchanan — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 13:35:25 +0000

Mage Software has released version 2.0 of their inkBook program which takes advantage of OS X’s InkWell handwriting recognition technology to let you search, copy, and export notes handwritten with a tablet and stylus. We briefly mentioned inkBook in our recent article Turn Handwriting Into Text With InkWell but this 2.0 version is a major upgrade.

New features listed include a new interface in multi-page notebook style with customisable tabs allowing a freeform layout of notes, sketches and images. Targetted, context aware gestures such as “clear”, “delete”, “paste” and “join” are available. inkBook also lets you write with multiple “brushes”: pencil, paint, highlighter, calligraphy pen, and to record and tag audio input.

inkBook is now a Universal Binary. It can be trialled free for 30 days before purchase, and costs US$40 to buy. Version 1.0 users can upgrade for US$20.

Website: inkBook 2

- Ricky Buchanan

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inkBook 2.0 Handwriting-aware Note Taker Released

PHOTOsyms - Create Free Communication Boards

Ricky Buchanan — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:27:08 +0000

Create simple communication boards using digital images with the free PHOTOsyms Flash-based application. Your image grid can contain between 2 and 54 photos so within the grid limitations there’s quite a lot of room for customisation of size and number of pictures.

There’s no help file or instructions, but this is what I figured out: When you open the application first press the “Upload” button in the bottom left corner to get an image into the application. It should then show up on the left hand side of the application, like this:

You can use the slider under the photo to change the size of the portion of the image to be used, and drag the image itself to change the position of the section to be used.

If your “Upload” process doesn’t show your image on the left hand side, I suggest moving your image files into the “MySYMphotos” directory where the example images were. I found that the same image would work fine in that directory, but not if it were anywhere else on the hard drive. Kate at TLWMSN encountered this problem using the Windows version, while Patrick at TAS used the Mac version like me and didn’t have any trouble. I’m not sure what triggers it.

Once you’re happy with your selection press the “Add” button to put the picture onto your grid which is pictured on the right. The name of the image is used as a caption for the symbol, so I suggest renaming any symbols to have useful file names before you start the process. Pressing “Add” will always and only add the picture into the next grid space, so you must upload your pictures in order and be careful not to press “Add” twice with the same image. There’s no way to undo a mistake except for starting over, so be careful.

The slider under the grid can be used to change the number of image spots on the grid, although oddly the left side of the slider is a larger number of image slots and the right hand side is a smaller number. You can safely change the grid size while it has photos in it without erasing the photos you’ve already put in there.

Aside from your own photos, here’s some sources for online images which are legal to use and make good symbols:

These sources aren’t designed as communication symbols, but can be good legal sources also:

Website: PHOTOsyms

- Ricky Buchanan
(Via Patrick and Kate)

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PHOTOsyms - Create Free Communication Boards

ATMac

Weekend Round-Up: See You In January 2009!

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AssistiveWare’s Giesbert Nijhuis Launches Apparel Line

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MacSpeech Dictate Global Commands List & Cheat Sheet for 1.2.1

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VoiceOver For Sighted Users

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All I Want For Christmas Is Power!

The Gift Of Audio and Video

The Gift Of Protection

The Gift of Games

The Gift Of Environmental Control

The Gift of Caring

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Simple Keyboard Shortcuts To Save You Time

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A Happy iPod Touch Stylus User

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Weekend Round-Up: Polls, Twitter, Cheap Software, Cushions and Commentary

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inkBook 2.0 Handwriting-aware Note Taker Released

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PHOTOsyms - Create Free Communication Boards

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