Category: Geeks r Us
Originally, this content was posted on FB. Hoping someone knows the answer to this?
Thanks for any assistance in advance.
Nathan.
Topic--
Hello all.
Hang on, as this post will contain a lot of content. On the positive side, I received all of my textbooks this year in a timely manner, which for a blind student is paramount for having a successful educational experience. There is one textbook in particular I am waiting on, but the instructor does not plan on using it for many weeks yet. Because I believe that VoiceDream Reader is the most comprehensive app developed thus far for the blind and visually impaired, I wanted to explain the issue I am encountering in hopes that someone can either replicate it or steer me towards a solution. For those of you who are unaware of VoiceDream, it is so handy because of its ability to select text, which can then be highlighted and one can insert notes just as their sighted counterpart can with a similar reading device such as a Kindle. Because of the nature of my progressive hearing loss, it is almost impossible for me to listen to speech for the entire day, and history texts are much more compelling read via a Braille Display. My BrailleNote Apex BT 32 is now 5-years-old, but still serves a purpose, which is to read my textbooks and to take general notes over lectures. When I went to read my book this afternoon for Roman Civilization (there is a lot of Latin terms to remember), I did figure out how to get the Braille Display to turn pages. You use the command 3, 4, 5, and 6 (the number sign) to scroll up one page and 1, 4, 5, and 6 (the TH sign in Braille) to advance to the next page. However, I cannot select text, as I have not found an equivalent gesture that is similar to double-tapping and holding. Additionally, if I try the standard select commands that Humanware has published, they do not work. Text selection (a new feature in IOS 9), disappears from the rotor even though it is disabled. Help? Thanks.
Not sure about some of this, but you can double tap and hold on a braille display by using space with dots 5-6-7-8.
Scott, I'll try it. Hope it works on my ancient BrailleNote. Will report back. Thank you.
Scott thanks for that.
I currently have my baby RefreshaBraille tethered to my Mac but next time I actually use it with the phone i'll try and remember that.
Haven't had a chance to try it yet, due to the fact that VoiceOver would not turn on on my phone, requiring a restore.
Here are my findings after playing around with VoiceDream and my Braillenote Apex. First, for some reason, Text selection which appears in the rest of IOS is disabled in the VoiceDream Reader application. While I understand that this is mainly an audio reader, if this were enabled, users that require Braille, such as myself, would be able to select entire pages of a book. However, if you must select text, it is an arduous yet workable task. On a BrailleNote Apex, there are commands to scroll down a page and up a page; unfortunately, these commands only allow one to move through the book via a certain percentage. Also, if you use the thumb keys, you cannot pan through the text. instead, you have to adjust the percentage with the two commands for scrolling to the next or previous page, press dot 5 to move focus past the page, then dot 2. Then, you can turn pages. Selecting text one word at a time is possible, but highly inefficient and undesirable. I will be contacting Winston, the developer of this application, as I believe with a few alterations, he really could have the best reader yet for the blind!
Let me know if any of you guys can select entire sentences with your Braille Displays, and if so, what you are using.
You can try using the rotor, though it's kind of a ridiculously complicated thing. Are you able to place the cursor anywhere within the document/book you are reading? Try the following. First, let's just say you want to select a word. Move the rotor to words, and then find where you would like to start the selection. Then, press space with 2-5-6 to begin selecting by word. If you select 1 word too many, spress space with 2-3-5 to deselect. This same process should work for lines, characters, etc. Let me know how that goes. I uninstalled VDR and have no real urge to bring it back, so can't test it myself.
I'll try that and report back again. The only workable solution for the time being, is to use my Brailler and take manual notes.