RareBird_15

RareBird_15, 10 days ago to archlinux

Just installed #archlinux on my computer. Stupidly forgot to install #brltty and #espeakup before rebooting though so now have no speech. Would any sighted person out there be willing to help me login, connect to the internet, and install what I need over a #videocall? It shouldn't take too long, and I don't want to boot from the #usb again. #BeMyEyes is great, but I'd prefer help from someone who knows #linux. #blind #tech #technology #arch

RareBird_15, 19 days ago to linux

Hi all. Hoping there are some #blind #linux users out there that can help me out. I'm using an old computer, not the one I mentioned in my previous posts, but a different one, and #Orca isn't speaking. I originally installed #Ubuntu Mate, but Orca was freezing a lot, so I switched my #DesktopEnvironment to #KDEPlasma. It seemed like a lot of things were inaccessible, though, so I decided to try #Gnome. I installed Gnome, chose GDM as the display manager, and restarted the computer. Now, Orca works on the login screen but nowhere else. It seems to be running, and when I run "orca --replace" in the terminal, I get an error about something only working with X11. I've been able to tell that by scanning the screen with #SeeingAI on my #iPhone. I need to get Orca up and running again so I can use my computer. What's the best way to do this, preferably without sighted help, as my mom and stepdad aren't good with #technology.
#accessibility #tech @mastoblind @main

RareBird_15, 25 days ago to ArtificialIntelligence

Hi all. I've got an older #computer running #Windows10, and I'm thinking about putting #Linux on it since I've always wanted to try it out and think this computer might run better with Linux. I read a topic on audiogames.net about Linux #accessibility, and I saw a few recommendations for #distros to try out. To any #blind Linux users, is #NixOS a good one for a beginner, or should I try #LinuxMint or #Ubuntu? Also, what's the best way to install Linux and replace #Windows? Thanks.
#technology #tech @mastoblind @accessibility @main

RareBird_15, 1 month ago to RSS

Can anyone recommend a good #accessible #RSS feed reader for #iPhone that does well with both text and audio #RSSFeeds? I recently subscribed to The Old Reader (https://theoldreader.com) and like how it lets you add text RSS feeds, #podcasts, and #YouTube channels, and I'm looking for a good app for it on my phone. I've tried #lire, but it doesn't seem to work well with podcasts.
#TheOldReader #iOS #accessibility #technology #tech @mastoblind

RareBird_15, 2 months ago to herbalism

Hi all. How's everyone doing today? I have a question for those with #chronicIllness who use natural remedies, particularly #herbalism, to help with your illness, instead of or along with western medicine. My mom got me some stuff to start a #garden since she thinks I'll love growing my own food and #herbs, and we also think it would be good to see if we can find any herbs that might help with my health issues. She seems to think it's enough to just look up herbs and what they do, but from what I'm reading, there's a lot more to it than that, since they might need to be prepared in a certain way, or there might be a certain tradition or way of use behind them, so I'm trying to find resources to teach me about herbs and how to use them, and maybe just natural and alternative medicine in general. There seems to be a lot of stuff on YouTube, but it's hard to know what's reliable or might be too visual since I'm #blind. I've looked at online courses, but I don't know about #accessibility and most cost a lot of money, which we don't have. Does anyone have any suggestions for where I can learn about herbalism, #alternativeMedicine, and things like that in an affordable, #accessible way?
#chronicallyIll #NEISVoid @chronicillness

RareBird_15, 3 months ago to tech

Got a #PixelTablet this week. I have a lot of #tech, but most of it won’t work together. Lol now I have a computer running #Microsoft #Windows10, an #Apple #iPhone 13 Mini on #iOS 17.4 beta, my #Google Pixel Tablet running #Android 14, an #AppleWatch on #WatchOS 10.4 Beta, and an #Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max and #EchoDot. I’m all over the place! Most of my stuff is in different ecosystems. Is anyone else out there like this? Lol sometimes I want things to work together, like being able to set do not disturb on one and have it go across all of them, but with all of them being in different ecosystems, I don’t think that's possible.
#technology

RareBird_15, 3 months ago to internet

Question to anyone with lots of #socialMedia links: I've been looking at different tools where I can share one link to them all, trying to figure out which one is best, but there seem to be a lot. I think these are called link in bio tools. If you use one of these, what do you use? Just trying to check a few of them out and see which one I like best. I can't afford to pay, so it needs to be free. Also, if you're #blind or know anything about the #accessibility of any of these tools, I would really appreciate your input.
#tech #technology

RareBird_15, 3 months ago to mastoblind

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, 3 months ago to accessibility

I want to talk about #accessibility in #gaming for a minute. I consider myself a gamer. I love finding #games I can play, and they're a great way to fill time stuck in bed or waiting at doctor appointments, but because of my multiple #disabilities, I'm more limited than some on what I can play. I've been mostly sticking to text-based games or games where sound isn't critical, but I want to try some #audiogames, and after I explain why I haven't, I'm hoping other #blind people can give me some suggestions.
Some of you might know that I'm both totally blind and #autistic. Because of my #autism, I can get easily overstimulated if a game has a lot of sound coming at me all at once. My sense of direction and where I am in space is also not very good, so I might get lost in games with complex maps. I don't mind that as long as there's no timer or anything like that. I also can't keep a mental map in my head. If a sound is supposed to be coming from a certain direction, there are a lot of times that I can't tell where that sound is coming from, even with headphones on, so I might misinterpret that cue. Finally, high-pitched sounds also worsen my chronic #headaches.
There are quite a few text-based games and others where sound isn't critical, but I know there are several great audiogames out there, too, and I'm just wondering which ones might be playable for me. As long as there aren't a bunch of sounds coming at me at once, too many high-pitched sounds, or a lot of directional sound cues, I think I could play it. Does anyone know of any games I might be missing out on?
@mastoblind

RareBird_15, 3 months ago to Autism

Does anyone else have trouble sleeping after a day where you were overstimulated? I had one of those days yesterday. It's now after 3:30 in the morning and I'm still awake. My body feels tense, and when I was with my mom earlier, we noticed that I was jumpy, flinching more often when she touched me. It doesn't help that I'm not feeling great and can't seem to get comfortable. Some of my health issues are flaring. I think being overstimulated somehow triggered them. Just curious if anyone else has experienced this kind of thing.
#ActuallyAutistic #autism #neurodivergent #neurodiversity
@actuallyautistic @actuallyautistics @neurodivergent @neurodivergentblind @neurodivergents @neurodiversity @neurodiversity

RareBird_15, 3 months ago to mastodon

Back to using #Semaphore as my #Mastodon client on #Windows. There's a lot I like about #Tweesecake, but I missed autocomplete, and Tweesecake has a habit of stopping responding and seeming to slow everything else down after a while of being open. Not sure if it's my crappy #Windows10 laptop or something else. There are things I like about both clients, but Semaphore seems to be the only #blind #accessible one that works well in my situation for now. Hoping to eventually get a better computer, but can't afford it right now.
#tech #technology

RareBird_15, 3 months ago to headphones

To #blind #techies, does anyone have any suggestions for a pair of noise canceling #headphones purchasable on #Amazon that can connect to my computer running #Windows10, preferrably wirelessly or through Bluetooth. It's even better if they can somehow also connect to a second device and let me hear when my mom calls my #iPhone. This would be something I could use with my computer on days when our dogs are barking a lot so I don't get such bad #SensoryOverLoad. Of course, they need to also either not have software for the computer, or that software needs to be somewhat #accessible. My budget right now is about $80, but I may have up to $120 or so if I wait a day or two.
@mastoblind #ActuallyAutistic #accessibility #iOS #tech #technology #Windows #WindowsTen

RareBird_15, 4 months ago to disabled

Ugh, it's been a rough, painful day. When you live with #chronicIllness, there can be a very, very fine line between getting up and moving and pushing yourself too hard. I'm trying to figure out where that line is for me so I can start exercising a little, and yesterday I overdid it. I need to move to keep my muscles and joints from getting stiff and painful and to lose, or at least maintain, weight, but if I overdo it a little bit, I end up with #pain all over, #headaches, and #fatigue for at least a day, and possibly more depending on what I did. Yesterday, it was walking 2047 steps when my average is 1248, and dancing to one song. I'm starting to feel a little better so hoping this will only last a day. Can any other #chronicallyIll or #disabled people relate?
#chronicIllness #disability #NEISVoid #chronicPain
@disability @chronicillness

RareBird_15, 4 months ago to advice

Hi all. Hope everyone is doing well. It's about to be 3:00 AM here, and I'm about to get some sleep, but before I do, I wanted to ask for #advice from those who might know more about #technology, creating #websites, and #accessibility than I do. My mom runs a #construction #business and has a website she designed herself with drag and drop on #GoDaddy. She owns the #domain it's on and wants to move the site for a few reasons: it keeps getting hacked and she's getting a lot of spam and scam messages, customer service is poor, and GoDaddy isn't very #accessible with #ScreenReaders, so I can't help her manage her website at all. I've done some research and seen that other recommended no-code website builders are #Wix, #Squarespace, and #Weebly, but I can't find a lot of information on their accessibility. I've seen posts on #Reddit recommending hiring someone to design your website, but we don't know anyone who could do that, and our budget probably wouldn't be high enough. My mom isn't great with #tech and really needs a no-code solution. Does anyone know about the accessibility of website builders like the ones I mentioned, or can you suggest another one that might work? Thanks.
#blind @mastoblind