Comments on: Assistive Tech Helps Soften a Harsh Job Market http://abledbody.com/profoundlyyours/2009/06/02/for-disabled-assistive-tech-softens-a-harsh-job-market/ where can-do is done different. Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:24:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Active Gray Matter » Blog Archive » Economy Makes Finding A Job Harder http://abledbody.com/profoundlyyours/2009/06/02/for-disabled-assistive-tech-softens-a-harsh-job-market/comment-page-1/#comment-811 Active Gray Matter » Blog Archive » Economy Makes Finding A Job Harder Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:54:18 +0000 http://abledbody.com/?p=1415#comment-811 [...] Read the rest… [...] [...] Read the rest… [...]

]]> By: Darrell Shandrow http://abledbody.com/profoundlyyours/2009/06/02/for-disabled-assistive-tech-softens-a-harsh-job-market/comment-page-1/#comment-798 Darrell Shandrow Tue, 02 Jun 2009 16:54:44 +0000 http://abledbody.com/?p=1415#comment-798 freedomscientific.comgwmicro.comserotek.comnvda-project.orgIt is important to correct the notion that Windows has a built-in screen reader. It does not. The access provided by Narator in Windows is far below that required for even the most basic of job tasks. Even Microsoft will tell you this is the case. The two leading screen readers are JAWS and Window-Eyes. They possess the configurability and scripting capabilities required in order to access many jobs. JAWS by Freedom Scientific - http://www.freedomscientific.com Window-Eyes by GW Micro - http://www.gwmicro.com If scripting isn't required, then you have low cost and free options that may be appropriate, especially in jobs where e-mail, web access and word processing are the order of the day. System Access by Serotek - http://www.serotek.com Nonvisual Desktop Access by NV Access (open source) - http://www.nvda-project.org All in all, unfortunately, despite the assistive technology currently on the market, many jobs remain inaccessible to us because employers won't bother to ensure their software actually works with screen readers. I was laid off in July of last year because my employer, SonicWALL, made some changes that would've required me to use a completely inaccessible implementation of Siebel. Instead of spending the hour or so of their programmers' time to make available a "standard interactivity" version, SonicWALL chose the path of least resistance by simply throwing me away like yesterday's garbage. I filed a charge of disability related discrimination against SonicWALL through the EEOC, but no conclusions have yet been reached. freedomscientific.comgwmicro.comserotek.comnvda-project.orgIt is important to correct the notion that Windows has a built-in screen reader. It does not. The access provided by Narator in Windows is far below that required for even the most basic of job tasks. Even Microsoft will tell you this is the case. The two leading screen readers are JAWS and Window-Eyes. They possess the configurability and scripting capabilities required in order to access many jobs.

JAWS by Freedom Scientific – http://www.freedomscientific.com
Window-Eyes by GW Micro – http://www.gwmicro.com

If scripting isn’t required, then you have low cost and free options that may be appropriate, especially in jobs where e-mail, web access and word processing are the order of the day.

System Access by Serotek – http://www.serotek.com
Nonvisual Desktop Access by NV Access (open source) – http://www.nvda-project.org

All in all, unfortunately, despite the assistive technology currently on the market, many jobs remain inaccessible to us because employers won’t bother to ensure their software actually works with screen readers. I was laid off in July of last year because my employer, SonicWALL, made some changes that would’ve required me to use a completely inaccessible implementation of Siebel. Instead of spending the hour or so of their programmers’ time to make available a “standard interactivity” version, SonicWALL chose the path of least resistance by simply throwing me away like yesterday’s garbage. I filed a charge of disability related discrimination against SonicWALL through the EEOC, but no conclusions have yet been reached.

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