Jennifer Mundl's Page

Interacting with people who are deaf/blind

There are many recommendations for communication between the hearing and the people who are part of the deaf/blind community. It is wise to talk with someone about communication prior to meeting the person for the first time when not possible, the following are some recommendations for communicating between the hearing and non-hearing community.

• To get the attention of a person who is deafblind, gently touch him or her on the arm or shoulder, wait to be acknowledged and identify yourself. Do not assume that he/she knows who you are.
• Learn to use whatever means of communication the person who is deafblind prefers. If you know another method that might be helpful, share that information.
• Express yourself in a natural way. Softening or exaggerating your gestures may result in confusion.
• Express yourself clearly and make sure that your message is understood. Summarizing important points at the end of a conversation is often helpful.
• Always inform the person who is deafblind of your whereabouts. Also, let him/her know if you intend to leave the immediate area.
• If others are present, let the person who is deafblind know their locations. Inform him or her of opportunities to enter the conversation without interrupting others.
• If you move an object (a glass of water, a chair) in the immediate environment, let the person who is deafblind know. Such information can prevent accidents and reduce confusion.
• When walking with a person who is deafblind, offer your elbow or shoulder as a guide. Hold your guiding arm close to your side to provide a stable area of contact and walk slightly ahead of the person who is deafblind. Pause slightly to indicate that you have arrived at stairs or a curb.
• You can learn more about interpreting and guiding by seeking the suggestions of people who are deafblind, observing their reactions in various…

Learning about the latest information about the ADA and disability is important for everyone. The following resources are some opportunities at no cost for you to explore and learn. Assistive technology is included in all of the websites and resources. Enjoy.

Disability Hub Training

• https://disabilityhubmn.org/my-tools/

Access North

• http://www.accessnorth.net/

Christopher Reeve Foundation and assistive technology for spinal cord injury

• https://www.christopherreeve.org/

Attitude Magazine for webinars for individuals with learning disabilities

• https://www.additudemag.com/tag/webinar/

ASL training opportunities

• http://adagreatlakes.org/ADA/ASL_Videos.asp

ITunes and Apple products once had the market for products with built-in accommodations but with increased awareness and ease of access has created a competitive market. Whether you are looking for visual accommodations such as voice output or typing strategies for one-handed skills, they are included in tablets, cell phones, and all android technologies. In addition, there is Google docs and the Play Store which are promoting inclusion.

Google Docs, Sheets and Slides with Google Internet Accessibility Options

Google Docs, Google Sheets and Google Slides are a word processor, spreadsheet and presentation program. They are part of a free, web-based software office suite offered by Google within its Google Drive service. The three apps are available as web applications, and as mobile apps for Android and iOS. The apps are compatible with Microsoft Office file formats. The suite consists of Google Forms, Google Drawings and Google Fusion Tables. The service automatically saves documents and keep them all coordinated. Everywhere you are working will update automatically in the cloud base environment. Google Chrome and Google services have expanded their disability services making their products work for a variety of needs. Voice-recognition, voice output, learning disability implementation, auditory options, keyboarding changes and similar options available on the PC or Macintosh computers built into Google docs.

Benefits

There are benefits to using the Google chrome docs for people with disabilities. It works with most accessibility options and software. Google docs announced that their software will work with JAWS screen reader, built-in Windows accessibility options and special keyboards. It is wonderful that you have access to your documents anywhere there is Internet access, it will automatically save your documents, and many colleges are exclusively using the Google drive and documents with…

Amazon Echo and Google Home Meet

Amazon Echo and Google Home are two environmental control units that allow for voice control of your home and searching the Internet along with music operation.  Amazon Echo and Google Home are affordable and expandable assistive technology options.  For under $200, an environmental control environment is set up with basic functions.  For each device in your home that you want to control, it will cost an additional $15-30 for a smart device controller.    

Amazon Echo (known in-development as Doppler or Project D and shortened and referred to as Echo) is a smart speaker developed by Amazon.com. The device consists of a 9.25-inch (23.5 cm) tall cylinder speaker with a seven-piece microphone array.  The device is capable of voice interaction, music playback, making to-do lists, setting alarms, streaming podcasts, playing audiobooks, and providing weather, traffic and other real time information. It can also control several smart devices using itself as a home automation hub.

Google Home is a voice-activated speaker powered by the GoogleAssistant.  This is a simple device in which a voice request triggers Google Home to play music, podcasts or radio from services like Google Play Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, Pandora and TuneIn. (Google Staff, 2016).  It was created and released in November 2016.

Terms to Learn:

• A smart device is an electronic device, generally connected to other devices or networks via different wireless protocols. Several notable types of smart devices. Some smart devices are smartphones, IPhones, Android Cellphone, Tablets, Smartwatches, and Smartbands.  The term refers to a device that exhibits some properties of computing and artificial intelligence.  Smart devices can be designed to support a variety of form factors, a range of properties pertaining to ubiquitous computing and to be used in three main system environments: physical…

Your phone is a useful tool for job searching, and almost every job seeker is using a mobile device in some way for job hunting. In 2015, Indeed reported that 50% of site traffic comes from mobile devices[1]. In 2016, Snagajob reported that 72 percent of hourly employee respondents use a mobile phone to find and apply for jobs (Doyle, 2018).

Mobile Job Applications

Even though many people use their phone for some component of job hunting, mobile job searching doesn't always translate into mobile job applications. That's because the application process can be lengthy on a site that isn't designed for mobile job applications.

There can be pages of information you'll have to enter to apply. If you use a job board or job search engine, they may have a process in place where you can seamlessly apply. Otherwise, it can be simpler to keep track of the job and apply from your home computer.

This is a good process to follow so that you know who you have applied with and who has responded. The contacts should be documented in a table or spreadsheet as well.

One way is:

Even if you opt not to apply on your phone, and job seekers are three times more likely to apply for a job from a computer than a phone, you can still effectively use your smartphone for job hunting. There are many apps for iPhones, iPads and Android phones that make it easy to look for jobs, and there are other tools you can use to job hunt using your phone. Here's how to utilize mobile devices to enhance and expedite your job search.

Install…

Dragon Naturally Speaking Command Cheat Sheet

Pause before and after commands but not within them.

Using Word with NaturallySpeaking

Voice Recognition Purchasing Recommendations

Computer specifications

• CPU: 2.2 GHz Intel® dual core or equivalent AMD processor
• Processor Cache: 512 KB
• Memory (RAM):
  • 32-bit: 4 GB for Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10 
  • 64-bit: 4GB  for Window 7, 8, 8.1, 10
• Free hard disk space: 4GB
• Supported Operating Systems:
  • Windows 8 and 8.1 (32-bit and 64-bit Editions)
  • Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (32-bit and 64-bit Editions)
  • Windows 10 (32-bit and 64-bit Editions)
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 or higher (64-bit only Edition)
  • Windows Server 2012
• DVD-ROM drive (required for installation).
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 9, 10 or 11 or Google Chrome
• Nuance-approved microphone
• Sound card capable of supporting 22 kHz 16-bit recording.
• An internet connection is required for activation.

Products for Voice Recognition

• Dragon NaturallySpeaking Premium for home usage and Professional for business
• PC by Voice from Nobrainer.com
• GooseneckMic 7G USB for desktop hands-free usage or Andrea USB microphone for a Bluetooth headset

Power of Your Voice: Part Two

Accuracy and Commitment

Your voice is a powerful tool which can empower you. It promotes independence by accessing the environment or writes passages of text. This is vital when there is a spinal cord injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, brain injury, or a learning disability. It is not an option for everyone. This resource explains the pros and cons of voice control programs. This a series of articles around utilizing voice-recognition and voice activation.

Part One -- Reaching for the Stars

Part Two -- Accuracy and Commitment

Part Three -- Look Mom, No Hands

Part Four -- It Doesn't Have To be DragonNaturally Speaking

Part Five -- Environmental Aids of Daily Living is a Word

Reaching for the Stars –

You are ready to begin speaking to your computer and see the words appear on your screen. There are many opportunities to use this software on laptops, desktops, chrome books, Apple computers, tablet,

System Requirements

With voice-recognition, these are the basic recommendations from Nuance website, however, it is suggested to purchase more power as you will be running different software packages on top of it in each will require you to have more RAM to prevent it from lagging behind what is spoken and when it will write it on the screen.

Minimum System Requirements:

• CPU: 2.2 GHz Intel® dual core or equivalent AMD processor.
• Note: SSE2 instruction set required.
• Processor Cache: 512 KB.
• Memory (RAM):
• 32-bit: 2 GB for Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10 and Windows Server 2012. ...
• Free hard disk space: 4GB.
• Supported Operating Systems:

Starting from The Beginning

Being Informed before Spending All of Your Dollars

Training a Voice File

Where Do I…

Photomath allows you to take a picture of a math equation with your cell phone and have it calculate the answer. best yet, it is free to use and I've tried it with 100% accuracy. You van find out more about it at this site: https://photomath.net/en/