If anyone else wondered where the theme tune for PCS Games/GMA Games Lone Wolf came from, it was the main theme from Victory at Sea, a World War II documentary.
I've wondered this for about 25 years.
Thanks @pitermach for digging it up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-EXNounv-U #Blind@mastoblind
I also went back to Semaphore because the focus issues are increasing for me. I do think a blind developer should fork Enafore or even Semaphore. I understand that the main web interface is usable, I just really like theSemaphore kind of interface @mastoblind
Edited with Michael fair's Mastodon username.
I'm re-reading issues of Audyssey. It was a Magazine created by Michael Feir that was dedicated to games accessible to blind people that ran from 1996 until 2008 . He edited it for the first few years before passing it on to Ron Schamerhorn.
I think it's fascinating to look back at to see how things have progressed, and of course we still have a long way to go.
Michael Feir's on Mastodon @mfeir.
You can download all 54 issues individually from the below page as well as a zip file with them all in.
There was also an e-mail discussion list. I wonder if that got archived anywhere. https://ksapergia.net/audyssey/ #blind@mastoblind
@KaraLG84@mfeir@mastoblind yeah i remember that. i think that was the one i had sent over to me via tape back in the late 90s or early 2000s? damn, that brings back memories
So I'm hoping other blind people can enlighten me. For real, this isn't sarcasm. I think I'm missing something with Tweesecake. Like, I use TW Blue, Enafore, and Mona just fine. Tweesecake just escapes me and I feel like I'm using it wrong or something, or there's some trick to it I just don't understand because other Blind/VI people seem to think it highly intuitive. I'd like some tips on using it. I'm using the visual interface. Maybe that's the disconnect? What are some tips you can give me? @mastoblind#Blind
@weirdwriter@mastoblind I'm not being sarcy either here. Tweesecake is the only app you mention here that actually has traditional menus and keystrokes, online documentation you get to by pressing the standard help key, F1, shortcuts in all the menus you can learn, all the nice things we once used to get as standard. Maybe you just aren't used to efficient shortcut keys any more, that's all I can think.
whenever using sirens and lights, emergency vehicles (ambulances, fire apparatuses, etc.) ALWAYS have the right-of-way. Be hypervigilant when crossing streets. PAY ATTENTION! Do NOT cross when sirens are barreling towards you. They likely cannot stop/swerve in time to avoid hitting you. Do NOT be the person who learns this fact the hard way.
PS: I am physically fine. Deeply shaken, but am not hurt. I have no idea how, but I somehow tuned out the siren coming at me until someone yelled for me to stop crossing. Had I not heard the person yelling, I likely would have been hit and at the verry least seriously injured. In other words, I made a serious mistake that could have killed me. I still don't know how I did it. I am posting this in the hope that this does not happen to someone else. Please, learn from my mistake.
@NoahCarver@podcast I've seen other blind people have similar experiences. I think it has something to do with the fact they don't always know which way the vehicle is coming or the sense to cross overrides the noise of the emergency vehicle. My rule of thumb is if I hear an emergency vehicle I stay put until I can identify it's gone or going the other way.
@andrew@NoahCarver@podcast Yup, me too. I've had to wait like 2 extra minutes when crossing because of this before, even when I wouldn't have been in danger, but it's worth it.
Blind hive mind, I wonder what the proper name for German film is, as in that plastic film that you draw on to create tactile images. It just seems to be known at least in the UK as German film, which surely can't be what it's actually called. #Blind@mastoblind
Blind hive mind, I wonder what the proper name for German film is, as in that plastic film that you draw on to create tactile images. It just seems to be known at least in the UK as German film, which surely can't be what it's actually called. #Blind@mastoblind
This is interesting. I've never heard of this material. (Disclaimer: I am sighted.) So there's a material on which you can draw something, and someone can feel the drawing and the shadow of the lines?
Please excuse my ignorance if this is already well-known in there circles.
@potungthul@mastoblind Yeah. You drew on one side of it, which engraved what you drew so when you flip it over you can feel it. So you had the problem of having to draw things upside down. There's apparently something similar now where you don't have to do that
Does anyone know how to negotiate dropdowns like the one found on https://fantastical.app/A11y/afs I’m having trouble choosing a meeting location. Thank you. I’m using VoiceOver on iOS. @mastoblind
@mastoblind I wonder if @podcast listeners might have some answers since Jonathan is responsible for my coming to love Fantastical. Just to be clear, he is not responsible for this issue. I’ve contacted Apple Accessibility and FlexyBits on this one.
@mastoblind@podcast In the meantime, I have done a responsible disclosure email to my office explaining the situation and asking visually impaired employees to reach out to me for assistance if they encounter trouble. I believe this problem is only temporary and this seems okay for the time being. #A11y
@mastoblind I'm looking for any online harmonica lessons that aren't Bill Brown's courses. I want to learn to play the blues, not "God Is So Good".
Do you have any recommendations for YouTubers that describe what they're doing thorough enough for a totally blind person to follow along?
@KaraLG84@BorrisInABox@mastoblind Best of luck, hope you find something. I play the harmonica a bit, though not very well and haven't picked it up in a few years. Mostly focused on the ukulele these days.
@changeling@mastoblind Unfortunately had to pretty much figure it out by myself when our agency started using it, at least the parts of it I have to use. I have not found any formal training material on it for us.
@mastoblind I just ran into not being able to file my taxes online accessibly. I have to verify my ID online through id.me and can’t provide a satisfactory document upload. I can’t even access their video call feature to verify because I have to upload a copy of my id first. This is the third time this week I’ve run into a problem like this. I’m just over it.
@mastoblind And for those of you who were wondering about the state of accessibility on X/Twitter, I got the official sightling answer to all blind problems—we can’t solve it. Get someone else to help youou. So unacceptable in 2024.
Ok so here’s what I want, I want #BrailleDisplay brands to start offering realistic payment plans for their products, when your payment plan expects a #blind person to be able to pay ~$300/mo for a year to buy a product that I would really hope should last a hell of a lot longer than that it feels sorta slimey. I mean my phone that is less than a third of the price is on a 3 year payment plan. Also, I’m guessing a whole lot more blind people would buy #braille tech if it could be paid for over 3 or 5 years. @mastoblind
@alyssa6595@mastoblind Lots of small market high costs products do this already, so this is not a great argument, also the individual user is absolutely not the majority of their sales so the amount of people paying in this manner would have a very limited impact on their revenue.
@dhamlinmusic@kev@mastoblind In theory I absolutely agree with you. In practice I don’t know how they would be able to do it and make enough money right away to get a return on their investment. Many credit cards nowadays are allowing you to finance big purchases with Little or no interest. This is really helped me afford some larger purchases.
@dhamlinmusic@changeling@mastoblind Ha. Good question. I'd say more of the former than latter. Then again, many of the latter don't identify themselves as kinksters out in the open.
@mastoblind Sitting in a webinar by @freedomscientific and @acb and they just announced you’ll be able to play BARD books on your PC when the new version comes out.
Question for #blind people, particularly those who use both a #Braille display and a laptop, if you're sitting at a desk and need to use both, how do you arrange them so using them both doesn’t kill your back? For context, I don’t have a desk since I usually work from bed, but sitting with my legs straight out in front of me hunched over my display and keyboard was hurting my legs and back, so I got two TV trays and an office chair and I’m using those. I have my Braille display and laptop both on one TV tray in front of me, with the Braille display in front of the laptop, but this means that if I need to use the laptop, I have to lean over my Braille display, so I’m still hurting my back. I’m working on my #BrailleTranscription course, so I have to use the laptop to type the exercises and drills. Also, I’m on a rug, so rolling the office chair between two TV trays isn’t an option. Is there anything I can do here to not hurt my back so much? #chronicIllness#chronicPain @mastoblind@main
@RareBird_15@DavidGoldfield@mastoblind@main If you have a case for your Braille display, put it on your stomach, if you’re laying down and then have the laptop on the table. If you’re sitting up, you can adjust that length of the strap on the case, and then use your body as the table for the braille display and the TV tray for the computer. if you don’t have a case check with turtle back.
@RareBird_15@DavidGoldfield@mastoblind@main So three years ago, I popped a disc in my back. Painful in the extreme. What worked for me to minimize/eliminate the pain so I could still work was to lay on my back either on the bed or the floor with a pillow under my knees, under my lower back etc. then have the laptop with the cooling fan on my stomach and the Braille display in front of the laptop(around my sternum). Since I didn’t/don’t have to look at the screen, it turned out to be a very good solution. I was able to work on my computer with the display and answer and make calls to my subcontractors with no issues.
Every time I pull out my BrailleNote Touch Plus, I'm reminded of how pitifully stagnated blindness-related products are compared to mainstream systems. Turns out I can no longer install Box because HumanWare has backed themselves into a corner and will not be updating past Android 8.1. This would not be a big deal... except for the fact that it's the only #Braille display I have at the moment, and literally every BRF file I need at Eastman is stored in Box. Way to keep up with the times, guys. /s
@NoahCarver@mastoblind@main Wait, it doesn't support XFAT? Why not? Android 4.4+ supports XFAT. I guess they block them at an OEM level, but that still begs the question, why? KeyWord and such should never have to directly interface with those drivers. The more and more time that goes on, the more tempted I am to attempt to flash a custom rom on mine.
@TheQuinbox@mastoblind@main Unfortunately, I do not have the answers. All I know is that I cannot plug-in an exfat drive. When I plug it in, I’m prompted to format it as fat 32.
#BlindMasto / #BlindMastodon / #BlindFedi / @mastoblind peeps, if you're going to write multiple sequential replies to a post (i.e. write a reply thread), please reply to your own reply so that it actually threads and others can read both of your replies.
Lol, this is funny yet frustrating! To other #blind people, have you ever mistaken hand sanitizer for lotion? Just wore myself out rubbing what I thought was lotion all over me to try to get rid of itching from dry skin, only to go ask my stepdad to help rub some on my arms where I couldn't reach and have him tell me it was hand sanitizer. Even exerted myself to the point of making my #IIH symptoms worse. Hoping it doesn't make my skin issues flare now. Too tired to go wash it off. @mastoblind
@Laniebird91@mastoblind Yuck! Confused body wash for shampoo/conditioner once. Needless to say my hair was not pleased. And I also grabbed a big bottle of what I thought was lotion only to learn it was my dad's hair gel.
I've just had a look at Osirus, the Access Virus B/C emulator.
Surprisingly I was able to access - lol - some of the GUI with NVDA because they've used JUCE. I figured out how to change presets, and even edit some of the parameters. It's poorly labeled though, and I suspect the little of it I can get to is just the front panel of the synth. Every section of the virus has an Edit button, taking you to a huge amount of menus. at least it's like that on the Virus TI.
I reckon if someone worked with them this could end up being more accessible than the original hardware is.
You can get it from the below link. Note you'll have to supply your own ROM, and it's fairly easy to find.
There's also an Emulator for the Access Virus TI but I can't get hold of a ROM for that. https://dsp56300.wordpress.com/osirus/ #blind@mastoblind
Come check out our latest episode of the NABS NOW Podcast, where we take a deep dive into all things #GraduateSchool. Learn what it takes to find accommodations, explore career paths, and find the best program for you. Join Isabel and Noah as they take a journey down the path to success with three graduate students or alumni from a graduate program.
