[Athen] MAC accessibility for music

[Doug Hayman]

It'd be good for him to learn some of the most common keyboard shortcuts. 
If it is Pro Tools,  there are a number of shortcuts for playing a track 
or stopping it, zooming in on a waveform for finding the zero-point for 
quiet edit points, and other tasks one does over an over.  It would be a 
useful skill for one with low vision but will also minimize RSI issues 
when spending a whole day zooming in on waveforms, making edits, saving 
session content.  There is a book I've seen in stores like Barnes & Noble 
that is filled with these keyboard shortcuts.

Pro Tools also provides a lare PDF manual with each version so the same 
may be found without buying a book.

Many will use two or more screens with audio software.  One my show the 
virtual mixer view while the other shows the settings of a plug-in being 
applied to a track.

Most audio recording software will have the ability to use a 
hardware-based controller with faders and pan-pots which may be easier to 
use than using a mouse to control a visual representation of a mixer on a 
screen.  An example is the Mackie MCU Pro:

http://www.mackie.com/products/mcupro/index.html

If the persons vision is expected to deteriorate to the point of blindness 
then it would be better to go the route of JAWS + Sonar + Caketalking:

http://www.dancingdots.com/prodesc/CakeTalkingForSONAR.htm




Doug Hayman <dhayman at u.washington.edu>
Technology Specialist
DO-IT Program (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, Technology)
UW Technology Services
Box 354842
Seattle, WA 98195
(206) 221-4165
http://www.washington.edu/doit

On Mon, 7 Nov 2011, Robert Beach wrote:


> Hi all,

>

> I have a visually impaired student going into audio engineering.  He has some limited perifial vision and can do okay with enlarged graphics.  He doesn't know print well enough to read it effectively.

>

> Our biggest concern is the Mac computers he will need to use for the audio recording software.  We will be meeting with one of the instructors from the program tomorrow to see how well the built-in magnifier works for him.  We'll also try Voice Over to see if it will read enough of the text to be effective.

>

> Do any of you have any other ideas that we could try to make the Macs and the audio software accessible?  I'm all ears!

>

> Thanks.

>

>

> Robert Lee Beach

> Assistive Technology Specialist

> Kansas City Kansas Community College

> 7250 State Avenue

> Kansas City, KS  66112

> 913-288-7671

> rbeach at kckcc.edu

>

>