Proofreading with ZoomText's AppReader
Mark Twain once said, “Ideally a book would have no order to it, and the reader would have to discover his own.” However, most of us want our writing to be orderly and understandable. So what do you do when you've put heart and soul into an essay for class, a letter to a client or an email to your grandchild, and want to be sure that it's good? You read it visually, from start to finish. But the problem is sometimes you read what you think you wrote and not what is really on the screen. Enter ZoomText's AppReader – the proofreader at your fingertips.
Built into ZoomText Magnifier/ScreenReader, AppReader lets you hear your words while looking at your document in the application in which it was written (hence the name AppReader). As AppReader progresses through your document, the words being spoken are highlighted so you can follow along.
Using AppReader is easy. Simply press the AppReader hotkey (Alt+Shift+A) and listen while AppReader automatically reads the entire document. At any time you can pause reading, to navigate by word, line, sentence or paragraph.
Now you've closed your eyes and are listening intently to your brilliant essay. You know the professor is going to love this one; she'll be impressed with your style and subject comprehension. But suddenly you hear a word that doesn't sound right and decide that a revision is needed. No problem - press the Enter key to pause AppReader, and use the arrow keys to navigate to the word that you wish to edit. Then press the Esc key to exit AppReader and the cursor will automatically appear at the word you wish to modify.
Of course, AppReader is more than an excellent proofreading tool. It allows you to read web pages, documents created by others and email you receive.
So the next time you sit down to write the great American novel, a letter to a customer or an email to a family member, remember to use AppReader for proofreading and editing. Maybe Mr. Twain could get away with writing a book without order, but for freshman English essays, you better have your ducks in a row.
For more information on using AppReader, in the ZoomText Help system, select Screen Reading Features > Reading Tools > AppReader.
Meet Ai Squared's Product Support Team
Ai Squared's Product Support technicians are known industry-wide for their patience and perseverance. You may recognize their voices or know their names from a phone call or an email exchange. Today we'd like to share a bit about this trio.
The easy-going Gary Walker, in his patient and diligent manner, has been known to spend hours on the phone with a single customer, making sure the person has ZoomText up and running before ending the call.
Gary, a former chef, decided to pursue a career in the computer industry when it became obvious a chef's life did not lend itself to family time. Gary and his wife Claudia moved to Vermont from Delaware 17 years ago and have been enjoying the Vermont way of life ever since. They have two sons; Gregory, a college freshman at Long Island University, and Geoffrey, a high school junior.
Last month you met Maurie Hill when she started her column in this newsletter. Maurie, herself a ZoomText user, is intimately aware of low-vision issues on and off the computer. Maurie's laugh can be heard throughout the first floor as she interacts with the rest of the Product Support group and keeps them aware of the lighter side of technology.
Maurie's life has calmed down in the last decade. When she was younger, Maurie hitch-hiked cross country, white water canoed the rapids of the Dead River and did a solo bicycle trip from her home in Vermont to northern Maine. Today she saunters through town pushing a baby stroller and considers going to the dollar store a big outing. Maurie and her husband Andy have a two-year-old daughter, Arden.
Derek Bove is the newest member of the team. Derek has impressed us with his enthusiasm, compassion and technical skills. Fresh out of Marist College with a Bachelor's in Information Technology, Derek returned to his home state to join Ai Squared. A rarity in the laid-back, dress-down culture of Ai Squared, Derek arrives every day wearing a neck tie.
Next time you have a question or concern regarding ZoomText, please contact this group of experts by phone or email. This technologically talented trio is available weekdays between 9 AM and 5 PM (Eastern Time), to answer questions and troubleshoot problems. Ai Squared Product Support — the team you can rely on.
Phone: 802-362-3612 Option 2
Email: support@aisquared.com
Maurie's Corner: Job Interviews
Alas - you've finally landed an interview for that dream job. Now you start to panic. You ask yourself: “What if they test me on a computer and they don't have ZoomText? What if I have to fill out some forms? When do I tell them that I am visually impaired?” All of a sudden you're not feeling so qualified.
Relax - you would not have gotten the job interview if you weren't qualified. But the more prepared you are, the more confident you will be. This article gives you some tips on how to prepare best for the interview.
First of all, give Ai Squared a call so we can send you the latest 30 day trial CD of ZoomText. Practice installing and uninstalling the trial on your home PC. That way you won't waste time during the interview.
Find out as much about the computer related aspects of the job as possible beforehand, by calling their Information Technology department. What Windows operating system do they use? What are the names of any specialized software they use and are they web-based or Java-based? Do they use terminal emulation software to access data on a mainframe? If so, what is the name of the terminal emulator? After gathering this information, give Ai Squared Product Support a call and we can help you out.
Ask the person who will be interviewing you to send you any forms in advance, so you can fill them out ahead of time. If you will need to fill out forms or do a written test on-site, see if a local blind center can loan you a portable CCTV.
When do you tell them of your visual impairment? I read that you do not need to do this until the second interview or you've been offered the job, but you have to be the judge of that. You might feel uncomfortable bringing it up at that late stage in the game, but it really depends on a lot of things. How does your visual impairment impact your performance with this type of work; is your vision impairment obvious when you walk in the door; how is your interview going; do you need a CCTV or ZoomText during the interview; how comfortable are you with the interviewer?
Once you do bring up your visual impairment – be ready to explain it. What can you do well and how have you adapted to compensate for things that are more difficult. Focus on what you can do, not on what you can't.
If you'll be sharing a PC with other workers, show the interviewer how quickly you can enable and disable ZoomText (using the Alt+Delete and Alt+Insert hotkeys). You don't want them to have the false impression that accommodating you would slow down another employee.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So use the suggestions I've mentioned here to prevent getting into an awkward situation. Getting nervous? Don't be – you're the BEST!
QuickTips: Using the Freeze Window
In a magnified view, it is impossible to see the entire screen at once. As a result, you may not be able to view multiple items of interest at the same time, such as information located at opposite edges of the screen. ZoomText's Freeze Window solves this problem by allowing you to monitor a selected area of the screen, while you simultaneously view and work in other areas. Here's how it works...
Using the Freeze tool, you select an area of the screen that you want to monitor. When you've completed your selection, the Freeze window automatically appears on top of the Full zoom window displaying the selected area. The Full zoom window continues to scroll to all areas of the screen, while the Freeze window keeps your selected area in view.
To set up a Freeze window
- Set the zoom window type to Full.
- On the Magnifier toolbar, select Freeze > New.
The Freeze tool becomes active.
- Move the mouse pointer until the area you want to freeze is scrolled into view.
- Hold down the left button, drag the selection rectangle around the desired freeze area and release the button.
When you complete the drag, the Freeze window will appear with sizing handles on the frame.
- To size the window, drag any handle. To move the window, drag inside the window frame. To scroll the contents of the window, hold down CTRL and drag inside the window frame.
- To exit the Freeze tool, right click or press ESC.
To enable and disable the Freeze window
On the Magnifier toolbar, select Freeze > Enable (or Disable), or press the Freeze Window hotkey: CTRL + SHIFT + E
That's it. Once you learn how quick and easy it is to setup the Freeze window, you'll soon discover many places where you can put it to use.
