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My blind grandmother has asked me to help her better use her laptop computer. Looking for advice (self.Blind)
submitted by MrTomnus
My grandmother is blind and she called today asking if I could help her use her computer. I told her I'd do some research and get back to her.
She mainly wants to use email and browse the web and it's a Windows computer. Are the built-in accessibility features enough for that?
If not, someone point me to some free or inexpensive software and/or how-to guides for setting up and using a computer for a blind person?
She mainly wants to use email and browse the web and it's a Windows computer. Are the built-in accessibility features enough for that?
If not, someone point me to some free or inexpensive software and/or how-to guides for setting up and using a computer for a blind person?
AllHarlowsEve 10 points 2y ago
Narrator is a thing that exists, a built in screen reader for Windows, but I'd suggest NVDA over it by a wide margin. It's a free, open source screen reader. I'm not a windows user because I find macs more intuitive, but NVDA isn't bad at all.
You should be able to find guides or youtube videos for it, I just don't have the spoons to hunt them down for you right now.
You should be able to find guides or youtube videos for it, I just don't have the spoons to hunt them down for you right now.
MrTomnus [OP] 2 points 2y ago
Thank you, I'll check out NVDA
I tried doing some googling and was a little disappointed in the results. So many of them were people asking "how do blind people use computers?" or explainers on how blind people use computers rather than how-to guides
I tried doing some googling and was a little disappointed in the results. So many of them were people asking "how do blind people use computers?" or explainers on how blind people use computers rather than how-to guides
80percentaccurate 4 points 2y ago
You kind of have to break each task down in order to learn how to use screen readers. Tell her to get rid of the mouse. The keyboard is now her best friend. You may consider marking some keys to make them easier to find because she’s going to be using some obscure ones that others might not use often. Look up shortcut key lists for the screen reader being used, web browser being used, e-mail used, and overall computer system. Then you have to go through each of these lists to find the commands you need to get you to the goal.
MrTomnus [OP] 1 points 2y ago
What’s a good way to make keys for a blind person?
80percentaccurate 1 points 2y ago
Maxi Aids has a variety of things they call bump dots. Really any texture change can help someone find the key they are looking for quickly. You can use Velcro, pieces of felt, or cork, or really anything else that feels distinct. The benefit to the ones at maxi aids is they are already sticky on the back to attach to whatever you would like. The important thing to note is that you shouldn’t be marking all the keys, just three or four important ones to help your grandmother find her place. For example, I mark j, f, alt, enter, and 5 on the number pad for most people when they first start out.
fastenedbrick25 3 points 2y ago
nvaccess.org
This is the main NVDA website. Good luck
This is the main NVDA website. Good luck
autistictechgirl1990 1 points 2y ago
I recommend NVDA
RapperNev 1 points 2y ago
I hear Narrator has improved somewhat in the newest versions of windows, but NVDA is still better IMHO. More responsive overall. The default voice isn't the greatest but you can get ad-ons for more natural voices. I use Eloquence, which has been around in some form since windows 95, its very responsive, but I think the only way to get it now is on the seven seas as CodeFactory may not be selling it anymore.... For some reason.
There is quite a number of features of NVDA I don't use just because I don't have to, and I'm a power user. The thing is just remembering shortccuts. Win+B, win+m, alt+tab, copy/paste commands. The NVDA modifier and some keys will help customize the screen reader. For example NVDA+r will use Windows 10's OCR feature on the current window, which basically puts the text on the screen which might otherwise be unreadable into a window to read like a regular document, handy for some inaccessible apps, but I doubt that will be an issue for her judging by what you said, but its still there.Just read some of the guides on the net, its super easy.
There is quite a number of features of NVDA I don't use just because I don't have to, and I'm a power user. The thing is just remembering shortccuts. Win+B, win+m, alt+tab, copy/paste commands. The NVDA modifier and some keys will help customize the screen reader. For example NVDA+r will use Windows 10's OCR feature on the current window, which basically puts the text on the screen which might otherwise be unreadable into a window to read like a regular document, handy for some inaccessible apps, but I doubt that will be an issue for her judging by what you said, but its still there.Just read some of the guides on the net, its super easy.
Fatlazyceliac 1 points 2y ago
webAIM.org has a guide on how to use NVDA. It’s meant to teach people how to use it to perform accessibility testing, but it has a bunch of practice pages that might be helpful?
theblindadvocate 1 points 2y ago
I recommend NVDA.
bradley22 1 points 2y ago
Me too but I’d recommend sitting down with her and perhaps printing off the manual for parts she’d want to work on.
If you get stuck, feel to pm me and I can give you my skype or facetime detales.
If you get stuck, feel to pm me and I can give you my skype or facetime detales.
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