This is the first of some occasional screen reader tips. I got the idea from Brian Hartgen, who is doing this kind of thing for JAWS at Brian’s Tips Page.
On Brian’s page, he outlines how to reduce the volume of JAWS in a Zoom meeting by using voice profiles. I intend here to do the same, using NVDA’s configuration profiles.

So what are configuration profiles?

Configuration profiles give NVDA the ability to customise settings on a per application basis. In our example here, we want to decrease the volume of NVDA when running Zoom. As with JAWS, this is a two part process, in which we first need to create the configuration profile, then apply it to Zoom.

Creating The Configuration Profile

To reach the Profile Configuration menu can be done in two ways. You may either press the NVDA key and N to reach the NVDA menu, then arrow down to Configuration Profiles and press enter, or simply press Control+NVDA+P to get straight there. So the best thing to do is to open Zoom first, then go to Configuration Profiles.
In the Profile name, you can enter what you want, but if you leave it blank, the next step will fill it in for you. So leave it blank for now and press tab. You should reach “Use this profile for” and some radio buttons. Manual is the default, but we don’t want that. Arrow down to Current Configuration: Zoom, or whatever app you have in focus at the time, Zoom in our example.
Next tab to Apply and press enter, then OK and press enter.
Now you have created a profile called Zoom and any changes you make in NVDA settings, will apply only to that profile, while Zoom is in focus.

Setting the volume

Now we can go into NVDA’s voice settings, and set the volume. So press Control+NVDA+V to get straight to the voice settings, and you should hear something like Voice Settings Zoom Configuration. If you hear Normal Configuration, then make sure Zoom has focus before you do it. Now tab to the volume slider and reduce it as much as you like, then tab to Apply and press enter, then OK and press Enter.
Now, every time you are in the Zoom application, the volume should be set to the lower level that you set, increasing again when you alt tab to another application.

Various aspects of using a telephone are challenging for visually impaired people – in particular the interface of a modern cordless phone is via a screen, so is inaccessible.

trueCall Vi was designed specifically for visually impaired people with a number of key features:-

• trueCall Vi’s interface is via voice menus rather than a screen
• When you play back messages, the control is via the familiar telephone keypad rather than an arbitrary array of buttons.
• trueCall announces callers through its speaker so you know who is calling before you answer the phone.
• When trueCall announces a caller it can announce them by name rather than just reading out a string of digits (as is the case with existing ‘talking Caller-ID’ systems).
• trueCall’s nuisance call management features mean that you are not disturbed by the majority of nuisance callers.
• trueCall Vi has audible alerts telling you how many messages you have waiting.
• trueCall Vi comes with a large print and audio manual and the serial number in Braille on the base of the unit.
• trueCall Vi’s optional call recording feature allows you to playback your calls at your leisure. This means that if you are making complex arrangements – travel arrangements; negotiating a mobile phone tariff; etc – you don’t have to worry about taking down notes during the call.

Steve Nutt of Computer Room Services who is blind and who helped to specify and design trueCall Vi said

“Modern landline phones are challenging for blind people – they give out key information like caller-ID visually, are controlled via visual menus, and an arbitrary array of buttons on the base station and handset. trueCall Vi solves this problem by allowing your phone to be controlled through voice menus and prompts. It offers a call recording facility and the most advanced Talking Caller-ID feature available anywhere in the world. All this, and it also blocks nuisance phone calls!”

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Hello and welcome to our new-look web site.

Here, You will find news, events and product announcements.

We hope you enjoy looking around, but should you have any comments about the web site, how accessible it is, its appearance, anything, please do not hesitate to Email steve@comproom.co.uk