Tips & Tricks Suggestions
• I would benefit from a session on using ZoomText with Google Drive and Google Calendar. Many post-‐secondary institutions are going to Google Apps and that concerns many. • I introduced a couple clients with visual impairments to ZoomText this month by down loading the free 60-‐day trial. Some training on how to use ZoomText for new users or a template of keys to hand out would be helpful also information on ZoomText tech support had a difficult time finding a number for one client who struggled Some information on how to update voices on ZoomText is something I could use. • Hi, I would love to see ZoomText demonstrated on some of the more complicated websites, such as ancestry.com, good reads, and Facebook. I do a lot on each of these websites and while your product is fabulous, there are some issues. Thank you. • I'd like to see a video on using the speech reader with PDF documents that contain multiple columns of text plus pictures with captions. (I edit a magazine and need to proof the PDF layout of articles.) Thanks! • How about some tricks for using zoom text and the MS office suite.
• I think a great topic would be to show users how to get peak performance from ZoomText. For instance, which browser ZoomText works best with, what computer settings best lend themselves to ZoomText, programs that might have adverse effects on ZoomText, etc. Having been a long time ZoomText user I have learned to actually consult with ZoomText technical support prior to purchasing a computer or downloading an upgrade to facilitate my ZoomText experience. :) A second topic would be tips and tricks for using ZoomText with photo editing software. • As both a user and an adaptive technology instructor (Certified by Ai Squared), one of the most challenging thing I have found for those who have never used screen magnification, is teaching them how to navigate around a screen that is magnified (e.g. finding a dialog box on the web that popped up in the middle of the screen). Even teaching the concept of just because you don't see it on your screen does not mean it isn't on the screen...they are just seeing a fraction of the screen at once due to it being magnified. • I have an idea for a help video or audio that i would like. I notice that most of the videos are geared for people who use ZoomText with some kind of magnification because they have some sight. I would love some help videos that give you tips and tricks when you really have no functional vision left. That is the situation I find myself in. I could perhaps use a different program -‐ but for now this is what i have. I feel like i am lagging behind in some of the newer features though and would love to learn how to use them more functionally. It would not even have to be a video then -‐ it could just be done in audio format. I use ZoomText 10 for PC. Thanks so much for all of the great work you do.
• I would like to know how to hold down a cookbook flat enough so that when I use my ImageReader to copy recipes from the book that the print on the inside toward the binding appears. • I have a couple of ideas for Tips & Tricks videos for this month's contest. You may have done some of them already, but I don't think so. 1. Creating new configurations / changing configurations 2. ZoomText Recorder 3. Changing hotkeys • How to know what ZoomText feature/function is assigned to a particular hotkey. I often want to use some key combination or other in a program to execute a function in that program. But I don’t know if the key combination also has been assigned to a ZoomText function/feature. I don’t want to just hit the key combination, because it might have some unwanted ZoomText effect. The best I can do is go to the ZoomText UI, go to Settings > Hotkeys, and then tediously search through the functions on the list one-‐by-‐one till I land on the key combination of interest (not even knowing if it’s there to be found at all). Some guidance on the best way to handle this situation would be helpful (so far, I’m not aware of a ZoomText feature like MS Office’s Ctrl+Alt+NumPad_Plus, which allows the user to then hit a key combination of interest or click on a button and be told what that combination or button would do). • Idea with all the handicap accessibility things out there have a law created to make all web masters, Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Microsoft all comply with Ai Squared ZoomText configurations on the web. So the ZoomText will not keep getting disrupted by the updates.
• I’m new to the iPhone. It would really help if I had a detailed description of what is available in mobile apps from Ai Squared and how to use them. I know you have a short description of using the ZoomReader but it focused pretty heavily on the iPad rather than the phone. • I would love to see more details on how the mobile app works and all that can be done with it. I’d also like to know what makes the ZoomText keyboard better than any of the other large print keyboards. Something that justifies the significantly higher price. • I would be interested in knowing more about how to use the speech tool for ZoomText. Unfortunately, I am one of those individuals who needs to be shown how to learn new computer tools, etc. I would like to know how to use DocReader for reading such things as emails, PDFs, as well as other things from the web. Actually, I managed to get DocReader to work before I read my ZoomText manual. • This may be outside the mission statement, but I think an amazing tool would be a device that could transmit a conference–style PowerPoint (meaning you’re in a large room outside of your workplace with a presenter you don’t know) to a device at your seat with a screen large enough to view the slides (so smart phones would not work for me). I know there are machines that magnify what is on the room screen. But they don’t seem practical for lugging around a national conference, for example. I could imagine that there would be a room-‐only transmission to receivers, serving the same purpose as signing interpreters for the hearing impaired.
• I'd like to see a video going thru more of the ZT keyboard shortcuts. I know myself, I depend upon them alot for navigation since using the mouse to click on the ZT interface is very slow and time consuming especially on the job where speed is essential. I've been planning on finding a job as dispatcher & typing speed @ 60 wpm or above is essential to that type of job. While I can type over 100 wpm if I'm using speech, using ZT to read the screen tends to slow my typing speed down if I have to take my hands off the keyboard to use the mouse, especially when your using zoom and what your looking at isn't fitting on the current window. Would be nice to know of keyboard ways to move the zoom window around, turn on off color enhancements, etc. I mean, I know all the keyboard shortcuts are listed under settings, hotkeys, but not everyone knows that, and it would be nice to have a video demonstrating some of the more popular ones, esp. in the workforce where speed is important, especially speed in a web browser doing searches for certain text or controls on the screen. Alot of websites especially social security, are timed now, and if you take too much time typing into controls then you risk the website timing out on you, which has happened to me a few times, so a tips and tricks video demonstrating how to boost productivity would be really helpful. I have a few tips myself but you guys at Ai Squared probably know more then I do so. • Greetings, I'd like to request a hopefully simple new feature for ZoomText. Several times in my years of using ZT I've had to uninstall it and reinstall to solve an issue. Last week when I had to this after transferring my license I had a heck of time uninstalling ZoomText so I could reinstall it because I didn't have access to ZoomText for this. I am requesting a utility that both transfer license and uninstalls ZoomText all at once, so it easier to resolve issues that often come up, especially those that occur when installing other adaptive software.
• My tip is: quick ways to get to the top or bottom of a web page. Magnification can make getting around the web page a slow, tedious process. The ever-‐increasing content of web pages doesn't help the situation. Instead of clicking on the up/down arrow on the elevator box, or moving the elevator box itself in the elevator bar, a tedious process, press the HOME button on the keyboard to get to the top of the web page, or the END button on the keyboard to get to the bottom of the web page There, you just got back a few precious moments of your life. The recovered moments add up, you know. Microsoft should have put express arrow keys in the scroll bar (haven't they ever heard of express elevators?) to quickly bring you to the top or bottom of a window. Maybe things will change now that Steve Ballmer is no longer in charge, and they will look out for the little guy/gal instead of the massive corporation. • HI I would love to see how to install ZoomText 10.1. I would love to make your own custom colors in app reader. The reason I want those topics I want to learn all about ZoomText that I can. Plus ZoomText 10.1 will be coming out for Windows 7 soon I want to know if there is any tricks for the installation so I can avoid trouble if possible. • I would like a video on blinded or visually impaired veterans that participate in blind rehab programs. That would be cool.
• A helpful video for me would be tips and tricks on how to save settings and configurations. I thought I have done this from the ZoomText file menu for cursor settings, but when I reload my computer it will not load the settings or still revert back to previous ones, could be something that I am doing incorrectly. • I have a few suggestions for future tips & tricks. 1. Using ZoomText with Yahoo Mail in Windows. Yahoo recently overhauled their mail interface and it is not possible to go back to the old one. I find that with ZoomText I no longer get my messages read to me like they used to. Also there is also a lot of “noise” being read aloud. 2. Using ZoomText with Facebook in Windows. I think I may have suggested this before. 3. Using ZoomText to access Google Docs in Windows. My company is using Google Docs more to collaborate and share documents. • I would like to give you an idea that might improve tips and tricks video in the future regarding zoomed text mac. I would like to see videos about ZoomText Mac in the voice over working together and one to learn more about it. • Here is my suggestion for ZoomText Large Print Keyboards: Because my Dad is legally blind as well and has super bad vision in his right eye, can you please add a ‘caps lock light’ to the left side of the ZoomText keyboard? He is such a terrible typist that he doesn't realize the caps lock is on since he struggles to see things more on his right side than his left.
• My name is Brian J. Coppola, who has been a Zoom Text user since 1997. I had been through all of the worlds of Zoom Text. One suggestion would be for Ai Squared to consider doing is creating a wireless version of the Zoom Text Keyboard for portability so that it can be moved between desktop and laptop computing. Another idea I have is that Zoom Text also works with Apple to create a large print keyboard for the iPhones and iPads that can be connected via Bluetooth. This I suggest in light of some technology called Scripview from En-‐Vision America that allows a blind or visually impaired person to be able to scan a medication bottle’s QR code and have the medication read aloud via voiceover in the iPhones and iPads. Once created, it would be an idea to host a webinar on the subject matters and to make them cost effective for those who are blind, print reading challenged or visually impaired. Another idea I have that Ai Squared should consider developing is a way to make a Zoom text for the iPads and iPhones in light of the new technology that is now available for reading prescription medications. To find out more information, do not hesitate to contact En-‐Vision America in Normal, Ill or call them at 1 800 890-‐1180 and ask to speak to David or Phil Raystrick the Vice CEO and CEO of the company and try and get on board with them to make even more cost effective ways for pharmacies to acquire equipment to place prescription information into accessible format for those who are blind, visually impaired or print reading challenged. • Here are two tips in one that would be useful. Some of my clients use ZoomText and Dragon Naturally Speaking at the same time. A video of how to create a desktop icon on the Desktop that would be used for increasing magnification and another icon to decrease magnification. One could left click the icon and it would increase or the other icon would decrease the magnification. The follow up would be icons to start AppReader or DocReader from the desktop or taskbar.
Then if they have Dragon they would say “Open icon name” or “Start icon name” to increase magnification as well as decrease magnification by voice. Just as in Dragon and Word is on the desktop they would say “Open Microsoft Word”. Is it possible that Dragon integrates well with ZoomText and I do not know it? IF they do work well together seamlessly then a video of how to use Dragon with ZoomText would be very useful. • I use a ZoomText Keyboard at work and find the Feature Keys hard to use. First, they are small, as well as their corresponding icons below. Second, there are 8 keys on the left and 8 keys on the right. If I don't put raised dots near some keys, I won't know what they are for. So, I suggest:
1. Make the Feature Keys bigger, preferably as big as the regular keys. 2. Group the Feature Keys in groups of 4, like the function keys on the regular keyboard, with a gap between each group.
• Any tips on how to work around PDF documents would be welcome. Most just don’t seem to be readable with ZoomText, but even those that are seem to be temperamental. Also, any tips on using ZoomText with PowerPoint. I don’t seem to be able to read text on the slides. And tips on reading “Comments” in Word document – sometimes it won’t read them at all, other times it picks up text from the document and then text from the comment, and typically not only reads the words in the comment but the “spaces” between words which is totally obnoxious.
