A screen access (or screen review) program gives the blind computer
user access to off-the-shelf software.  This access usually comes
in the form of synthesized speech; the computer actually speaks to
let the user know about what is on the PC's screen.  Don't confuse
this with speech recognition where you give commands to the PC by
talking to it.  In most cases, the blind computer user has no
trouble giving commands to the PC with the keyboard.  (You're not
supposed to look at the keyboard while your typing anyway!)  The
real problem is determining what the computer is telling you.  If
you type a sentence with your favorite word processing program, you
want to know where the cursor is, what you've written, the format
of your work, and a host of other details that the specific word
processor may provide.  If you're using a web browser, you want all
these details plus the ability to identify and select links.  That
is exactly what the screen access program does.

When you first start your screen access program, the PC looks and
acts exactly like it did before, so you can use the same
applications your sighted piers enjoy, except now, your machine
announces what is on the screen and gives you commands to control
and review the screen's contents.  If you're using one designed for
a graphical environment like MicroSoft Windows, the screen access
program also provides commands to control the mouse, so you can
move and click on screen objects in programs that don't provide
keyboard shortcuts to access such items.  (In general, like sighted
users, the blind user works more productively when taking advantage
of keyboard shortcuts, but there are situations where nothing
replaces moving and clicking the mouse.

Automatic Screen Access Program for DOS (ASAP) and Automatic Screen
Access for Windows (ASAW) , two screen access programs developed by
MicroTalk, provide all the basic functionality of a screen access
program, then combine that with some intelligence and a user
interface that is so simple to use, you'll be an expert in minutes. 
The intelligence employed by these packages watches the screen and
automatically notifies you about important events.  This capability
alone makes it possible for you to concentrate on learning the
applications you got the PC to perform instead of wasting all your
time trying to figure out how to make those programs talk properly. 
Many Rehab professionals appreciate this fact, because when they
get a student with no computer experience, they can teach the
computer instead of the access to that system.  "Give me ASAP and
Word Perfect, and I can have a totally new person using Word
Perfect in ten minutes" is a comment MicroTalk hears repeatedly. 
This simplicity and intelligence is even more important when you
throw in the complexities of a multi-tasking, graphical operating
system, like Windows.  Combine this intelligence with the simple,
logical commands to control the speech and review material already
on the screen, and you've got a winning package that is simple
enough for the beginner, yet flexible and powerful enough for the
most savvy user.

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