Accessible scanner drivers
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Tony Malykh
Hello all,
I am looking to buy a new scanner as my old one just died. However I've heard that scanner drivers from many manufacturers tend to be not very accessible. Can anyone recommend me which scanner (or scanner+printer) comes with accessible driver/accompanying software? Thanks! Tony |
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Richard Kuzma
Depends on what software you are going to use with it.
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If you are using open book and/or kerzweil os something like that all you should need is twain support and that will be transparent to the software. I havea a standalone black and white brother inexpensive laser printer that I just love and a separate cannon scanner that is working like a champ. Hope this helps Rich -----Original Message-----
From: nvda@nvda.groups.io [mailto:nvda@nvda.groups.io] On Behalf Of Tony Malykh Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2020 10:38 AM To: nvda@nvda.groups.io Subject: [nvda] Accessible scanner drivers Hello all, I am looking to buy a new scanner as my old one just died. However I've heard that scanner drivers from many manufacturers tend to be not very accessible. Can anyone recommend me which scanner (or scanner+printer) comes with accessible driver/accompanying software? Thanks! Tony |
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Gene
Others may want to make correction s or expand on
what I'm saying. I haven't kept up with scanners for years but this is my
understanding of how things used to be.
I don't know if the driver has anything too do with
what the scanner supports. It used to be that at least some scanners came
with accessible OCR programs. I don't know enough about this to
generalize, but it is my impression that not as many do now. The thing to
do might be to ask the list for good scanners to use for OCR and get a program
like Fine Reader to use with it, which is accessible and much cheaper than
software for blind people such as Openbook or Kurzweil. It isn't a
question of whether the driver is accessible, but whether you can use the
scanner with accessible scanning programs. Do scanners usually support the
TWAIN interface? I believe Fine Reader uses that interface. I
havedn't looked into whether the TWAIN interface is necessary with such programs
and others may comment.
The Epson Perfection series of scanners has been
popular with blind people scanning documents for a long time. I haven't
looked into the line for years and others can comment on whether it is still
popular.
Gene ----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2020 9:49 AM
Subject: Re: [nvda] Accessible scanner drivers If you are using open book and/or kerzweil os something like that all you should need is twain support and that will be transparent to the software. I havea a standalone black and white brother inexpensive laser printer that I just love and a separate cannon scanner that is working like a champ. Hope this helps Rich -----Original Message----- From: nvda@nvda.groups.io [mailto:nvda@nvda.groups.io] On Behalf Of Tony Malykh Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2020 10:38 AM To: nvda@nvda.groups.io Subject: [nvda] Accessible scanner drivers Hello all, I am looking to buy a new scanner as my old one just died. However I've heard that scanner drivers from many manufacturers tend to be not very accessible. Can anyone recommend me which scanner (or scanner+printer) comes with accessible driver/accompanying software? Thanks! Tony |
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Bob Jutzi <jutzi@...>
In my case, I have a cheap Canon
LiDE120. The driver has its own installer which is extremely
accessible with NVDA. I use KNFB Reader for Windows 10 since I
bought cheap when launched. I also purchased Omnipage 19 on Ebay
extremely cheap. Also works perfect with NVDA.
On 5/21/2020 10:59 AM, Gene wrote:
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Richard Kuzma
I forgot to add that there is also a program called text cloner that is roughly $129 and is complete accessible. I know of two other blind people that use it.
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On Thu, May 21, 2020 at 10:59 AM, Gene wrote:
It used to be that at least some scanners came with accessible OCR programs. I don't know enough about this to generalize, but it is my impression that not as many do now.Gene, since you asked for comment, this is precisely the opposite of my experience, still ongoing. I don't know of a single home or office grade flatbed scanner or multi-function that doesn't include OCR as part of its "scan to PDF" function. They've all been doing this for years now. I have a personal preference for Canon multi-function machines, which definitely include OCR functionality, but mostly because they still sell a number of models with separate ink tanks, which are less expensive in the long run, and infinitely less expensive if you buy automatic reset chip (ARC) tanks that you can refill. A dear friend of mine who's my mother's age, and has been totally blind since birth, has been using a now-out-of-production Canon multi-function that I recommended to her for somewhere around 5 years or so now. She does have scanning software other than that which comes with the multi-function, though, and I'm not sure which software she's using with it. I have to admit that I am at least a bit confused by the original question, as I have not directly interfaced with a scanner driver, whether with a sighted or blind client, in years. The application software that comes with or that you can use with the device is the user interface. -- Brian - Windows 10 Pro, 64-Bit, Version 1909, Build 18363 Science has become just another voice in the room; it has lost its platform. Now, you simply declare your own truth. ~ Dr. Paul A. Offit, in New York Times article, How Anti-Vaccine Sentiment Took Hold in the United States, September 23, 2019
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Gene
I don't know how good it is. It used to be
inferior in accuracy of recognition but I didn't use it enough to know if it was
acceptable. When I tried it, it was a simple program and some people my
like it for its simplicity if the results are good enough. There is a demo
available.
Gene ----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2020 10:52 AM
Subject: [nvda] scanner software I forgot to add that there is also a program called text cloner that is roughly $129 and is complete accessible. I know of two other blind people that use it.
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Gene
I know that Epson Perfection scanners used to come
with an accessible version of Fine Reader, but a number of years ago, comments
on one or two lists indicated that the software provided with the scanner is no
longer accessible. I don't know about other scanners.
Gene ----- Original Message -----
From: Brian Vogel
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2020 11:21 AM
Subject: Re: [nvda] Accessible scanner drivers It used to be that at least some scanners came with accessible OCR programs. I don't know enough about this to generalize, but it is my impression that not as many do now.Gene, since you asked for comment, this is precisely the opposite of my experience, still ongoing. I don't know of a single home or office grade flatbed scanner or multi-function that doesn't include OCR as part of its "scan to PDF" function. They've all been doing this for years now. I have a personal preference for Canon multi-function machines, which definitely include OCR functionality, but mostly because they still sell a number of models with separate ink tanks, which are less expensive in the long run, and infinitely less expensive if you buy automatic reset chip (ARC) tanks that you can refill. A dear friend of mine who's my mother's age, and has been totally blind since birth, has been using a now-out-of-production Canon multi-function that I recommended to her for somewhere around 5 years or so now. She does have scanning software other than that which comes with the multi-function, though, and I'm not sure which software she's using with it. I have to admit that I am at least a bit confused by the original question, as I have not directly interfaced with a scanner driver, whether with a sighted or blind client, in years. The application software that comes with or that you can use with the device is the user interface. -- Brian - Windows 10 Pro, 64-Bit, Version 1909, Build 18363 Science has become just another voice in the room; it has lost its platform. Now, you simply declare your own truth. ~ Dr. Paul A. Offit, in New York Times article, How Anti-Vaccine Sentiment Took Hold in the United States, September 23, 2019
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I can definitely say that OCR engines in general have improved more substantially than I can even express over the last several decades. You can have some very, very crappy originals and still get remarkably accurate results. For those of us of a certain age where mimeographed copies were later photocopied you get these things that have little dots scattered all over the place and blotches here and there. When I've OCRed these (or image PDF versions of these) in recent years the results have been nearly perfect, which is saying something.
I also just tested the Canon IJ Scan Utility with NVDA and all of its buttons are accessible and, given how little its changed over the years, I'd expect that the underlying functions for each, when they require user interaction, will be so as well. For single page scanning to PDF all you do is hit one button and you're done. -- Brian - Windows 10 Pro, 64-Bit, Version 1909, Build 18363 Science has become just another voice in the room; it has lost its platform. Now, you simply declare your own truth. ~ Dr. Paul A. Offit, in New York Times article, How Anti-Vaccine Sentiment Took Hold in the United States, September 23, 2019
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sardar shankar
may be oftopic can any one tell me how to do auto scan in omni page
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like we do in kurzweil and abbyy fine reader. On 5/21/20, Brian Vogel <britechguy@...> wrote:
I can definitely say that OCR engines in general have improved more |
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On Thu, May 21, 2020 at 01:59 PM, sardar shankar wrote:
may be oftopic can any one tell me how to do auto scan in omni pageIt is off-topic. If, after having consulted Omnipage's own help page for this, http://omnipage.helpmax.net/en/bringing-images-into-omnipage/scanning/scanning-pages/, which gives step-by-step instructions for virtually any type of document, you need additional help please start a topic in the Chat Subgroup. NVDA Chat Subgroup Addresses
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-- Brian - Windows 10 Pro, 64-Bit, Version 1909, Build 18363 Science has become just another voice in the room; it has lost its platform. Now, you simply declare your own truth. ~ Dr. Paul A. Offit, in New York Times article, How Anti-Vaccine Sentiment Took Hold in the United States, September 23, 2019
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Tyaseta Rabita Nugraeni Sardjono <tyasetarabita@...>
Hp n canon scanner have software from factory which is accessible without 3rd party app On Thu, May 21, 2020, 21:38 Tony Malykh <anton.malykh@...> wrote: Hello all, |
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hurrikennyandopo ...
Hi Tony
I have noticed unless it states it has OCR software on the box some where it does not seem to have it. some times it will mention the software with the scanner that you can look up to see if it is there.
What I have done lately is depending on the scanner software if it is crap and not useable with a screen reader on the new printer is I have brought the KNFB reader when it is on sale a few years back for windows 10.
it is very accessible with nvda I think you can try it out and do 25 scans for free with some limitations but forget what they are.
If you have the same account on both computers with other scanners from other manufactures it seems you can use that software on those computers as well with the software.
So last time I got a muti function printer scanner package for 18 bucks as I only wanted the scanner and used the KNFB reader with it it if I remember right either used it own drivers or the scanners to use the KNFb reader.
I have the saem software on my android phone the KNFB reader and have that on a couple of phones with the same account very use full to read those things that come by real mail but not hand written.
Gene nz
On 22/05/2020 6:10 am, Tyaseta Rabita
Nugraeni Sardjono wrote:
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Tony Malykh
To clarify my original question, my old scanner is Epson, and
it's driver was completely inaccessible, so I was unable to
install it, and back then I didn't have anyone sighted to help me
- so no matter what OCR program you're using, without a driver
it's not going to work. So this time I would like to check that
the driver is accessible first and foremost. On 5/21/2020 9:21 AM, Brian Vogel
wrote:
On Thu, May 21, 2020 at 10:59 AM, Gene wrote: |
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Gene
It isn't a question of the driver being
inaccessible. it’s a question of the installation program being
inaccessible. Do you know how to work with object navigation and screen
review? Do you also have another screen-reader available, it can be as a
demo. I don't have any idea if you could have used the installation
software. About ten years ago, I installed Epson software. I may
have had to use something like object navigation and/or another screen-reader, I
don't remember now. But we need more information about what you have and
if you know how to use these ways of navigation.
It also sounds as though you have sighted help
now. if you install the driver or the full software, any compatible OCR
program that can cause the scanner to run and have the information transferred
to it will be able to be used. You aren't working with the driver.
You are working with the OCR program and that program is communicating with the
driver.
Gene ----- Original Message -----
From: Tony Malykh
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:46 PM
Subject: Re: [nvda] Accessible scanner drivers To clarify my original question, my old scanner is Epson, and it's driver was
completely inaccessible, so I was unable to install it, and back then I didn't
have anyone sighted to help me - so no matter what OCR program you're using,
without a driver it's not going to work. So this time I would like to check that
the driver is accessible first and foremost. On 5/21/2020 9:21 AM, Brian Vogel wrote:
On Thu, May 21, 2020 at 10:59 AM, Gene wrote: |
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Gene
As I think about it, it was something like fifteen
years ago that I installed Epson software.
Gene ----- Original Message -----
From: Gene via groups.io
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2020 5:26 PM
Subject: Re: [nvda] Accessible scanner drivers It isn't a question of the driver being
inaccessible. it’s a question of the installation program being
inaccessible. Do you know how to work with object navigation and screen
review? Do you also have another screen-reader available, it can be as a
demo. I don't have any idea if you could have used the installation
software. About ten years ago, I installed Epson software. I may
have had to use something like object navigation and/or another screen-reader, I
don't remember now. But we need more information about what you have and
if you know how to use these ways of navigation.
It also sounds as though you have sighted help
now. if you install the driver or the full software, any compatible OCR
program that can cause the scanner to run and have the information transferred
to it will be able to be used. You aren't working with the driver.
You are working with the OCR program and that program is communicating with the
driver.
Gene
----- Original Message -----
From: Tony Malykh
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2020 4:46 PM
Subject: Re: [nvda] Accessible scanner drivers To clarify my original question, my old scanner is Epson, and it's driver was
completely inaccessible, so I was unable to install it, and back then I didn't
have anyone sighted to help me - so no matter what OCR program you're using,
without a driver it's not going to work. So this time I would like to check that
the driver is accessible first and foremost. On 5/21/2020 9:21 AM, Brian Vogel wrote:
On Thu, May 21, 2020 at 10:59 AM, Gene wrote: |
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Hmmm most modern scanners unless they are the semi expensive ie over 200 dollars will have an ocr package.
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Anything 90 dollars or under won't. All depends what you want. cannon will have an ok driver set, online html manual, etc. Hp will have a reasonable driver set, web interfaces, email printing but their smart setup and printer apps just don't work however regular drivers are a snap. Firmware updates can be a bit of a tricky beast but you can update from the web internal server and its ok. The hp connected account system is a heck of a lot better than it was a couple years back. I am unsure about epsom but they did come with abbyy fine reader sprint. Hp ones may come with readiris which sadly after version 12 aint worth it, a pitty because the prices for readiris on hps are majorly cut down. So a home version of readiris is a lot less than it would other wise be. A corperate version is slightly more expensive than the home version but aparently a user that I have as a friend and a fellow tester at dolphin and former dealer says its rubbish. Right now, the only issue which is not resolved is that abby 15 while having a lot more access is really slow on menu access. I have told support, they have tested it, and given it to the devs who have also tested it. The bug has been found and aparently fixed but there is no release date for the new v15. So either buy and use abbyy 14 or 12 for now. You can try 15 but the menus just don't speak right with any reader. Now if you want something with all the features, server controls, etc, brother stuff is the best. No eprint, but the ability for server side controls with software which I have not tried to use. An accessible ish web interface and service pannel. Not as good as hp's interface but not bad either. As usual updates from the device for firmware the updaters can be a bit hit and miss otherwise though a bit better than hp. The driver installers are slightly inaccessible on a couple screens but not to bad. The software updaters are ok enough to use. The iprint software after its set just runs but aint really accessible. The drivers themselves are ok but not that accessible though once installed its fine. A pluss for brothers is that there is a full version of paperport installed and this will work if you have any brother product on the system. The updater for that works well to. So it all depends on waht you want. On 22/05/2020 2:38 am, Tony Malykh wrote:
Hello all, |
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Jean yeah you are right fine reader sprint v6 a stripped down abbyy came with some epson scanners of yesteryear. However its worth noting that aparently while the sprint version does exist, its development does not mirror actual releases of abbyy fine reader. The last versions I saw on the abbyy site were versions 8, and 11, suggesting that while abbyy may have fine reader sprint for some stuff that its either discontinued or just not something they care about anymore.
On 22/05/2020 4:50 am, Gene wrote:
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Tyaseta Rabita Nugraeni Sardjono <tyasetarabita@...>
Abby fine reader can scan your document On Fri, May 22, 2020, 04:46 Tony Malykh <anton.malykh@...> wrote:
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Gene
Do you still have the old scanner and software and
does the old scanner work? You may have to connect the old scanner to
install the software. You may be able to begin the installation but at
some point, it may ask you to connect the scanner. If you install the old
software, and it has Fine Reader as the provided OCR program, you can use it
with other scanners or with the old one.
Gene ----- Original Message -----
Abby fine reader can scan your document On Fri, May 22, 2020, 04:46 Tony Malykh <anton.malykh@...>
wrote:
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