This is a weird request, but I figure the worst I can get for it is silence. I'm totally #blind and have very bad hearing. To set up a device through its inaccessible software, I'm in need of a sighted person for about an hour and a half to two hours who can access a computer remotely, speaks and reads English, and can describe images and graphs. The person needs to be quite patient with follow-up questions, needs to be willing to repeat if needed, as well as be able to click on items and describe what happens on the screen. The person needs to be fairly detail oriented because some of the images appear to have arrows and other ways to expand them, according to the manual. Though I'm happy to be reasonable, I have no clue how much to offer as payment, this is my first request of this kind. I'm posting it because I know we have some blind people here who may be able to point me towards someone who has done this before and may be willing to do it for such a short period. Boosts welcome, indeed, they're appreciated. #hearingimpaired#software#A11Y#accessibility#remote
#BeMyEyes! It's a free app you can download and is for this kind of situation. (I'm a volunteer.)
Usually it is for something quick (reading a tin label, confirming a temperature, etc.), but I've helped people for up to 45 minutes at a time (all I could spare).
There is no charge; it's just one person helping another.
There is a contact form on the website for specialised help & I'm including the link here.
@techsinger I haven't tried it for your use case, but there is a way to hook up ChatGPT so that it can take voice prompts and respond to you. I will check it out and post it on our site itworldcanada.com
@Weanerdog It's Phonak Target, a hearing aid fitting application. I should say I don't need to get the software running, it runs fine, I just want to know what the screens look like and what can be done in the software with my particular aids.
@techsinger there’s an app called “Be My Eyes” (I know it’s available on apple, not sure about other platforms) where sighted people can describe things for people who have sight impairment. I don’t use it so not sure if it’s exactly what you’re looking for but it’s the only thing I can think of that might be even close to what you want.
@weirdwriter@nona80_swanette That's true, but it's worth noting that you can use the camera to read the computer screen. I've used it to read UEFI screens in the past, for things like "what choice is my cursor on", it's lovely so long as you can hear the volunteer easily and hold the phone in a good spot. The volunteer will usually be able to help you with that last. #BeMyEyes
@techsinger I have not done this work for blind people but I have done it for elderly people (who can have vision, hearing, and sometimes cognition issues) and would be willing to give it a try.
I am very technically experienced, have experience in technical consulting, customer support, engineering, teaching, etc., and am patient and communicative and collaborative.
Given my relative inexperience I would be happy to do it pro bono as a one off. My normal rate is USD$120/hr to $240/hr sliding scale, for work in technical or activist/advocacy fields, but given the social support nature of this work, I would be willing to reduce the lower end to $60/hr if for some reason pro bono were not acceptable.
I can provide personal and professional references if needed.
@weirdwriter@techsinger first, what rate are you interested in, second, is this for personal tasks or for corporate work that might be used and reused? And third, how long do you think the typical task will take? Finally, how many references are you looking for? It's Sunday in my neck of the woods so my response there will be somewhat delayed.
@europlus@techsinger Since I retired in September of 2008 I have been living timelessly. Other than the odd appointment which I let my phone keep track of I never know month day hour or minute and often I have to pause to realize what year it might be.
@europlus I'm in UTC-4, time is very flexible. I'm not in any great hurry, if I can find a person to put up with this, two or three weeks wouldn't be a problem, perhaps even longer. I just need a plan of the software which I have a feeling I'm going to be using for quite a few years, so speed isn't as important as finding a person who is okay with doing it.
@techsinger ok, sounds doable - I’m currently UTC+10. I’ve done a lot of phone support in the past where I’m saying what is or should be on screen. I’ve done a lot of remote screen control work. I’m tech savvy. I’m used to talking to all levels of tech ability and describing screen elements. I reckon we’ll be a good match. I’m baching it this weekend. I’ll DM suggested times. #LetsDoThis
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