----- Original Message -----
From: "Tony Ballou" <cyberpro224@...>
To: <nvda@nvda.groups.io>
Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2020 9:16 AM
Subject: Re: [nvda] Free JAWS licence that was anounced today


Hi,


As a long time adaptive trainer and technical specialist, I have seen
this same thing, numerous times. I myself have been an NVDA user for
about 8 years or so now. And I have seen it grow, and improve by leaps
and bounds. Since I first tried it out when situations forced me to
moved to a more affordable screen reading solution, I will be the first
to admit that I didn't bring any of my clients across because of the
familiarity aspects and issues with more of the shall we say mainstream
products. However, if they were in a situation where they wanted to
purchase a new system from me, I would be sure to install NVDA on it for
them so that they would have it at their fingertips if they couldn't
afford Jaws and bring them across that way. Getting schools and
organizations to support NVDA is by no means going to be an easy task
for they all have been spoon fed on Jaws as the premiere screen reading
software for the longest time. The adage seems to be if what we've got
works, why fix or in this case, try to change it.


Tony

On 3/23/2020 2:02 PM, Sky Mundell wrote:

Hello guys . I do agree with everybody about what they're saying. However, I
am going to point something out to you, and that is, as a 6 year adaptive
tech trainer who has trained blind students in screen readers, I have to say
that there are folks out there that won't give up there screen reader too
easily. As an example, I do have friends out there that know that NVDA
exists, and so on and so forth, but a lot of them think that if something is
cheaper, it is inferior. I'll give you an example. I do have a friend in
California who has heard of NVDA, and her blind friends know that NVDA
exists, and they have tried it but they end up going back to JAWS because
its what they know. Also Many of the institutions that I've come across have
never heard of NVDA, or if they have heard of it, they assume that it is
incomplete or inferior because they have seem more than one person use JAWS
and iPhones so they think, all blind folks use, are JAWS screen reader, and
iPhones. Which, as you and I know, is not true. As, while JAWS and iPhone's
are certainly used, not everybody uses, or cannot afford, either JAWS, or
iPhone. Another example is that I have a relative that works at a
university, and they use JAWS and I bet if they have heard of NVDA they
would be reluctant to try it because they would, once again, assume it is
incomplete, and inferior. Sadly, there is no support for NVDA in the school
districts that I am aware of where I am. I am certainly in favor of client
choice and I am in favor of cheaper stuff but at the moment its going to be
real tough to get organisations to realize that NVDA even exists let alone
trying it out.