I was just reading an AMA by a blind redditor and was wondering, how do you browse reddit without eyesight? Do you have someone read and type for you, or are there special devices? I apologize in advance if I am being insensitive, just curious!
Unuhi3 points7y ago
Lot of blind people use screenreaders. Macs and ios devices come with VoiceOver; Windows comes with Narrator, but you can also install NVDA (free) or Jaws (expensive) on Windows. Whatever you get comfortable with - I'm effective with VoiceOver. The app will read your screen and also wjat you type. Wjochever screenreader you use it can take a while to get fluent with it.
Also not all blind people are totally blind. Some have a bit of usable vision left, whole you still are considered legally blind. So other options may include zoom in browser (you can make the letters as big as a cat if it helps). Then you can also use reallly high contrast or inverted colors if you are able to see something.
Reddit has also many ways to browse it. Right now I'm using an app on my iPad. It kind of works - I know how to use it and where my controls are. But I don't know for instance if I'm replying to a pm or a thread because I can't tell. On iPhone I often find links to intereeting topics via a twitter app where I follow a few subreddit bots. So I click on the link, follow thru to read it... Sometimes open it on safari too. Any text gets then read by voiceover. Pictures are pretty useless, and I don't bother reading long threads of comments because that takes forever.
No matter of browsing style the usual visual landmarks don't apply. "click on the sidebar on the left"... I can try to find it in iOS with Safari by touching around left side of the screen to listen what's there. Otherwise the bars or lefts or rights aren't there. (I use headphones and have my voices set to pretty fast).
If you want to try, on Mac or iOS go to settings > preferences > accessobility and turn on VoiceOver. You'll get a black or white box that will show where you are on the screen. The app will guide you telling you how to do what.
Forgot to add there are also refreshable braille displays. They can be the size of a larger phablet to a keyboard. You'll use your fingers to read the text. Those dispkays are really cool, but they are also really expensive (easily thousands of $). But if someone is let's say deafblind (or can't hear well or as auditory processing issues etc) that'll be the way to use the internet. Those also usually have a standars Perkins layout keyboard so you can type in braille.
weebaab [OP]1 points7y ago
Thanks for such an elaborate response! Just out of curiosity, how long does it take to type something long like that?
Unuhi1 points7y ago
I'm pretty fast with regular keyboard as long as i have tactile version (on screen only versions are painful obviously). So probably no longer than it would have taken years ago just using computers "regularly".
Plus for typing you could also use Siri, Cortana, Dragon or something else and dictate your text, whatever method is comfortable. :) i don't like talking even to Siri but I know a few people (some sighted, some not) that like to use dictation features.
thatsnotgneiss2 points7y ago
I am not totally blind so I use a combination of large font and screen readers.
BARDLover1 points7y ago
I personally use Windows Magnifier. I can invert colors and zoom as much as I need to. Also, I can set default color schemes to my preference across all interfaces.
Polskihammer1 points7y ago
what do invert colors do to help blind see? Do glasses not help you see?
BARDLover1 points7y ago
Glasses unfortunately don't help me, no.
I zoom in as well, and sit close to my screen. A bright white screen bombarding my eyes non stop really wears them out, and it's hard to pick out the little black characters.
Where as, a black screen with super bright white characters is easy to pick out.
Nighthawk3211 points7y ago
Out of curiosity, which AMA was this? I'd be interested in reading an AMA by a fellow blind person.
Oh haha! I didn't even realize! Hadn't read such an intriguing AMA like yours in a while, keep it up!
Nighthawk3211 points7y ago
Haha thank you! Feel free to ask any questions through pm or on the AMA :).
johnnytai1 points7y ago
BRL display allows us to read what's on the screen via BRL. Screenreader softwares read the texts outloud, and most of us can type and navigate the keyboard by memory so we do it real fast heh. And no we don't need special keybaords, my keyboard is just like your keybaord, I just memorized where every key is and what they all do.
fastfinge1 points7y ago
We also have a $1 that gives answers to this and other questions.
weebaab [OP]2 points7y ago
Wow, I didn't notice this. Answers a lot of questions I had. Thanks!
romanj351 points7y ago
I'm completely blind and use an app on my Samsung Galaxy S 7 called Reddit is Fun. The Samsung has a voice over called 'Voice Assistant' or you can use a standard google one called Talk Back. There are a few buttons that are unlabeled, but thats not Google's or Samsung's fault, that's the app developers. For the most part its easier for me to use android for reddit then my ipad.
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