Question for #blind people, particularly those who use both a #Braille display and a laptop, if you’re sitting at a desk and need to use both, how do you arrange them so using them both doesn’t kill your back? For context, I don’t have a desk since I usually work from bed, but sitting with my legs straight out in front of me hunched over my display and keyboard was hurting my legs and back, so I got two TV trays and an office chair and I’m using those. I have my Braille display and laptop both on one TV tray in front of me, with the Braille display in front of the laptop, but this means that if I need to use the laptop, I have to lean over my Braille display, so I’m still hurting my back. I’m working on my #BrailleTranscription course, so I have to use the laptop to type the exercises and drills. Also, I’m on a rug, so rolling the office chair between two TV trays isn’t an option. Is there anything I can do here to not hurt my back so much?
#chronicIllness #chronicPain
@mastoblind @main
@tinygirl @mastoblind @main It’s a Brailliant BI 40X. It has a Perkins keyboard, but the first several lessons of a Braille transcription course require you to use a program from Duxbury called Perky Duck. You can type in it with your Braille display, but it’s inconsistent and there are en problems to make it more of a pain than it’s worth, so my best option is using six-key entry, or the S, D, F, J, K, and L keys to type in it.
@RareBird_15 @mastoblind @main I"m thinking, what might be a benefit to you is some kind of desk with a shelf underneath for the braille display., like a pull out shelf.
@tinygirl @mastoblind @main Yes, I could definitely see something like that being useful. I think I’ve heard of blind people using something like that before when they use a Braille display. I have to figure out something for now until I can get a desk like that though. I might see if I can find a group for Braille transcribers and students, and maybe I can find out from them how they set up their workspace.
@RareBird_15 @mastoblind @main I’m not sure where this desk I have came from, but it’s a computer desk with virticle and horozontal cubby wholes along the back and kind of a drawer along one side. But there’s a place where you can dit and have plenty of room for your legs, and above the lap, under the desk, there’s a flat board that slides in and out, that has wheels along the sides. Anyway, I use that board for a keyboard, but I’m thinking such a desk would work for operating a laptop.
@RareBird_15 @mastoblind @main and you’d store your braille display on this keyboard shelf thingie that pulls out. Not sure what to call it.
@tinygirl @mastoblind @main My mom, stepdad, and I have been talking about my next computer being a desktop computer since I don’t really go anywhere, they’re more powerful, and they’re easier to upgrade. The laptop I have right now isn’t very good. Maybe if I had a desktop computer, I could put the keyboard on the desk and my Braille display on the shelf or drawer thing. Or I might not need that. After a certain point in the course, you don’t have to use Perky Duck.
@RareBird_15 @mastoblind @main Well, I’m more of a fan of desktops than I am of laptops. So, I would agree with you there, but yes. My question is, is Braillient 40 long enough to where you can rest a qwerty keyboard on top of it?
@tinygirl @mastoblind @main Yes, I think it’s long enough. There’s not much space between the Perkins keyboard and the edge of the display, though.
@RareBird_15 @mastoblind @main I personally don’t like typing on a perkins style keyboard unless it’s a regular Perkins Braillewriter, although, the #NLSEReader is doable. Not sure if the Braillient 40 has the same keyboard or not. If it was up to me, since I type faster on a qwerty keyboard, I’d have a Mantis.
@tinygirl @mastoblind @main I type faster on a Perkins keyboard. It might have something to do with my coordination not being great, short, fat fingers, and never mastering the home row no matter how many times I tried. I’ve just always done better with Braille.
@RareBird_15 @mastoblind @main Okay, what is this mastoblind group all about? I keep seeing it boosting my messages to you. How does that work?