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Hartgen Consultancy closing dates are as follows:
Friday 20 December 2024 through to Monday 6 January 2025.
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This is exactly the same procedure as previous years.
Are usual opening hours are Monday to Friday 9 AM to 5 PM UK time, excluding public holidays.
Reach for the Skype! Working with Skype Version 8 and JAWS for Windows.
Introduction.
When you hear the word "Skype", you instantly think of keeping in touch with friends, family or colleagues. You might also think of making phone calls, chatting via text or group audio and video calls. However you want to communicate, Skype probably has a way to do it; not surprising as there are an estimated 300 billion users of Skype every month, and the total number of minutes people spend on Skype every day is 3 billion.
Users of screen-readers used to find Skype very easy to work with. It consisted of a list of contacts or events, and it was easy to manage those items quickly. It's ability to easily configure personal preferences was also accommodated in a familiar environment to that which people used within other programs. However recently, Microsoft completely refreshed Skype which provides a very different way of working for people using screen-reading technology and the keyboard. That is the subject of our new training course "Reach for the Skype"!
The course Tutor, Brian Hartgen, will show you how to install, set up and use Skype version 8 with JAWS for Windows. He will also fully demonstrate each of the topics outlined below, so you can hear for yourself how the screen-reader reports each component within Skype.
Who is the Course For?
This Training Course is suitable for someone who wishes to learn about Skype for the first time and all the advantages it brings. However mor particularly, it will be helpful for people who wish to transition from the more traditional Skype version 7 interface to the latest release. JAWS scripts will be provided offering some very useful functionality.
Through the power of the JAWS scripting language, we have been able to:
- Ensure Skype version 8 is much easier to use from a keyboarding standpoint, providing a more logical framework;
- Make the experience of using Skype text chat feel much like MSN and Windows Messenger which people have loved in the past;
- Correct some anomalies which exist within the program which make access via the keyboard troublesome.
What Will I Learn?
The training course is divided into three lessons, each of which lasts approximately 60 minutes, in which you will learn, broadly speaking:
- Launching, exiting and customising the Skype interface.
- The new Skype screen experience: a guide to the new Skype layout and good orientation points.
- Closing down Skype.
- JAWS Context Sensitive Help and how to use it.
- The JAWS Script Skype Menu and the screen-reader menu bar.
- Changing your Skype status.
- A quick keystroke to review your Skype status.
- Customising the Mood Message.
- Quickly reviewing the Mood Message with a keystroke.
- What are Contacts?
- Finding a Contact directly.
- Browsing all Contacts, Skype Only or Active Now.
- Reading the information in a Skype Profile.
- A definition of the term "Conversation".
- Moving to, and exploring, the Recent Conversations List.
- Deleting an entry from the Conversations List.
- Making audio and video calls.
- Accepting audio and video calls.
- Learning the name of the person calling.
- Accepting an audio call via a global keystroke from any application.
- Disconnecting from a call.
- Working with missed calls.
- Conversing with people using text chat Instant Messeging.
- Sending and Editing messages.
- Enabling and disabling the typing indicator sound.
- Learning if a person is typing without the use of the indicator sound.
- Reviewing the ten most recent messages with keystrokes or placing them into the JAWS Virtual Viewer.
- Enabling and disabling the speaking and Brailling of message timestamps.
- Moving directly to, and exploring, the History List.
- Inserting emoji and other signs with the Expression Picker.
- Moving focus away from a conversation.
- Creating a new conversation.
- Adding more than two people to a conversation for text chat, audio or video.
- Recording audio and video Skype conversations.
- Sending a file to a user.
- Receiving files and how to access them.
- The advantages and disadvantages of Skype Voice Messeging.
- Using Skype Credit and Subscriptions.
- Quickly learning your Skype Credit balance with a keystroke.
- What is a Skype telephone number?
- Making telephone calls with Skype including international dialling.
- Sending text messages to mobile or cell phones.
- The Dial Pad and how to enter telephone numbers into an automated system.
- Changing Skype Contact views.
Course Prerequisites.
It is important that you have:
- JAWS for Windows. We highly recommend the use of JAWS version 2018 as this will give the best performance using Skype version 8. However, version 18 can also be used with slightly less functionality. JAWS version 2019 will offer the same high level of functionality as version 2018, so if you have a JAWS Software Maintenance Agreement and will be entitled to version 2019, you can enjoy the same high quality functionality.
If I Purchase the Course, What Will I Receive?
The course will give to you:
- An audio recording of each lesson in MP3 format. This can be played as many times as necessary to reinforce topics which have been covered.
- Brief text documentation comprising a list of keystrokes to reinforce topics covered in the lesson.
- An Email list available during the training course itself and afterwards. This can be used to ask questions not only while training is progressing, but also at a later date as Microsoft implement changes to Skype.
Costing.
The cost of the course is £30 which is currently 42 US dollars.
Alternatively, anyone can purchase the course by sending an Email to jaws@hartgen.org, whereupon a fully accessible electronic invoice will be sent to you which can be paid through PayPal or any major credit or debit card. Orders can also be placed by telephone:
If you would like to read the views from participants of our previous courses, please Visit our Training area.
You can also download an extract from one of our previous training courses, "Don't Be Twixt, Be Tween", right here.
Conclusion.
While plenty of help exists in text-based form or through podcasts, we've found very little formal training available from a blind person's perspective regarding Skype version 8. Take control of this application so you can talk to people day or night for free or at a low cost. Skype8 is accessible and usable. You just need to know how it works. Join us on our journey and we'll show you. The Skype is open, you just need to reach for it!