It is also my hope that in the reasonably near future to publish
a historical manuscript concerning my years between 1950 and 1963 at the North
Carolina State School for the Blind and Deaf in Raleigh, North Carolina, now
better known as the Governor Morehead School. One reason I started a blog was
to gain traction for my book. I can familiarize readers with myself and my
writing through my blog and hopefully continue to broaden my audience. Thank
you to everyone who is reading, following, sharing, liking, and commenting on
my blog posts!
In the meantime, I just want to say a few words about publishing
a blog as a blind person using a computer and screen reader. It would be self-serving to let you think I’m
smart enough to do it all by myself.
Some blind people probably can.
As I go and grow in this area, a lady, who I feel I can now refer to as
“friend”, has allowed herself to step this far into my life and the world of
the screen reader. To put pictures and
songs on the blog is not yet all that easy for me; so she fills in that
gap. Often I put a story out there only
to realize the spacing is different due to site specifications. I am expecting in the very near future to be
able to post my own music, maybe pictures, and preview to correct the
spacing. Any blind people out there who
want to offer constructive help with screen reader commands, of which I am not
yet familiar, please do so. Until then, I would like you all to meet Jennifer
Raven, an excellent helper who teaches even as she learns herself and quickly
understands where I would like to put what.
The blog words, stories, pictures and music are my own, but the
beautiful appearances and placement of graphics and/or videos and music are her
artistic gift.
Hello! My name is Jen and I have been working with Myra on
the startup of her blog. I can say it is an absolute pleasure working with and
learning from Myra when we get together. Myra emailed me back in February after
getting my contact info from acquaintances of friends; I had just finished
helping another Raleigh lady self-publish a book. I phoned Myra back and we chatted
about her email that described her wanting to start a blog and also about
publishing her book at some point. She invited me to meet at her house and get
started but I had to get back to her about a day and time. The next thing I
said was, “Should I email you about a time? Can you email?” Myra said she used a screen reader and that
emailing, or texting and calling were all good ways of communicating. I don’t
think that I assumed blind people couldn’t use certain technologies; she did
email me initially after all! Truthfully, I had just never really thought about
it. Myra’s poetic writing style and well-timed wit have inspired me to think
about it more. Not just blindness, but life in general.
We have had to do a lot of thinking, and problem solving,
while working on her blog. I came into the situation with some computer savvy
advice… And then I met Jabber Jaws. That’s Myra’s affectionate nickname for
JAWS, the screen reader that allows her to navigate and command her laptop. When
adding things to the blog, I first familiarize myself on how to use a specific website
(like SoundCloud which is used to upload and embed her songs on her blog).
Then, together we steer through then websites. There are always quirks because
everything varies when you’re scrolling through using JAWS keyboard commands
versus seeing a mouse icon and directing it across the screen. I listen to
everything the computer says so I can recognize and assist in both of us
understanding the workflow. That being said, Myra reads, types, scrolls, and
has JAWS set to speak VERY fast. Myra also has great patience, especially when
I say, “Um, let me figure out what’s going on.”
I feel very fortunate and have enjoyed every moment of both
teaching and learning that has come from starting a blog and a friendship. I
can’t wait for things to continue to unfold for Myra. Please keep following and
sharing her blog!
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