Have your say ahead of this weekend's Mosen At Large. Favourite TTS voice, Braille displays, IAAP and more
Kia ora everyone. I’m so looking forward to us all getting together again for the next Mosen At Large.
Before I look ahead to this weekend’s show, just to confirm that I posted episode 50 to our new podcast feed a couple of days ago. This is the episode containing the interviews with Judy Dixon and Marco Salsiccia. If you received that OK, this means that your podcast playing method of choice is super and duper, and has kept up with the times. If you have not received episode 50 in your podcast client, you might need to subscribe to our RSS feed manually. For ways to listen including the new RSS feed, please visit the Mosen At Large podcast page at
http://mosen.org/MosenAtLarge
I promised a summary of all my extensive research on the state of podcast hosting in 2020. I’ll bring it to you, but not this weekend as the show is already very busy. Here are some of the things you are welcome to contribute on just as soon as you like. Getting your contributions in ahead of time definitely helps me plan the flow of the show bro.
It's a bit scary to think that our computers may talk to us even more than our spouses and families. That’s really saying something because, just between you and me, my spouse can talk the hinds legs off a donkey mate! For some of us, particularly those of us who’ve been using computers for decades, our text-to-speech engines sort of blend into the background. They’re just there and we want to get information from them as quickly and efficiently as possible. For others, particularly in this era where there is a lot more choice of voice, many perceive the voice they choose as a kind of fashion statement or an expression of their own personality. So, what current text-to-speech voices are your favourites, and why? What text-to-speech engine can you simply not tolerate, and why? No contest for me on this latter question, I literally cannot understand eSpeak at all.
We’ll also hear from a listener who is looking to purchase his first ever Braille display. What advice would you give him? Similarly, another listener is looking for tips on reading with optimum efficiency using a Braille display. Do you find it easier to read at speed with hardcopy Braille, and what techniques have you found that speed you up?
There is also an extended feature segment on this weekend’s show. Last weekend, Tim from the Netherlands expressed his concerns about the process for taking exams with the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP). His message prompted listeners to let us know that, co-incidentally, this issue was being put forward to the Resolutions Committee of the National Federation of the Blind’s 2020 convention. Since last weekend’s show, the Resolutions Committee has indeed debated the matter and has sent the resolution to the Convention floor.
As I indicated on the show last weekend, the moment I received Tim’s message, I reached out to the IAAP inviting them to comment. They are very willing to do so. As well as hearing from the sponsor of the NFB resolution, I’ll also speak with Sam Evans, Certification Manager at IAAP. She’ll give you a clear explanation about the accessible options available to blind people, and discuss their work with specialised test providers. This interview raises an interesting quandary on which there will be legitimate and strongly-felt different views regarding whether and how to engage with mainstream entities who are still on their accessibility journey.
There is so much more. Remember, the podcast version of Mosen At Large is abridged. To hear the full version, tune into when I record it live, on Mushroom FM at 2 PM US Eastern time, 7 PM UK on Saturday, that’s Sunday at 6 AM in New Zealand.
You are very welcome, and in fact encouraged, to get contributions in ahead of time. To contribute, send an email with an audio attachment or just written down to Jonathan at MushroomFM.com, or call the listener line, +18646066736, that’s 1-864-60Mosen.
See you soon for Mosen At Large.