Dragon, Word 2007, and hiding the status bar

One of the things that annoys me about using Dragon with Microsoft Word 2007 is that when my dictation reaches the status bar, the status bar gets in the way; even if I continue to dictate, the screen does not always advance to the next line until I actually take a breath and start a new sentence. So, I googled and copied the VBA code for hiding the status bar. You lose the nice automatic word count that way, but you can always just say “show word count.” Perfect. The code is: Application.CommandBars(“Status Bar”).Visible = False

It’s a little trickier to actually apply this code if, like me, you’re not used to VBA.

Step 1: Say “office button” and then “word options.” Under Popular, say “show Developer tab in the ribbon.”

Step 2: Say “developer,” then “macros.” In the macro name box, name the macro something like Hide, so you know what it refers to. Then say “macros in,” then choose Normal. This means that you can use the macro in any document once you set up.

Step 3: Say “create.” You’ll be taken to a Visual Basic editing window. Paste the code into that window, and save it.

The next thing you want to do is create a button, so that when you tell Dragon to click it, it will run the macro and hide your status bar. This is done via the Quick Access Toolbar (the one with the tiny icons).

Step 4: Using the mouse commands, right-click the Quick Access Toolbar and say “customize quick access toolbar.”

Step 5: Say “choose commands from,” then “macros.” Hide, or whatever you called it, should be on that list, though its name will be surrounded by a bunch of programmy stuff. Once it’s highlighted, say “add.” Your macro will be moved to the list on the right hand side.

Step 6: Tab until Hide is highlighted again, then say “modify.” Tab into the Display Name field, and rename it simply Hide or whatever, without the programmy stuff. Say OK.

Step 7: Now there should be a new button on the toolbar, named Hide. This is what Dragon “sees”. Say “Click Hide.” NOTE: You MUST include the click before the name, or Dragon won’t click it. I’m not sure why.

Step 8: Enjoy dictating without the speedbump.

Microsoft Office 2007 and the perks of assistive technology

I’m using someone else’s computer to learn Office 2007, because I don’t have it myself and public computers aren’t very accessible to me at the moment. However, I need to learn it for the sake of future employment. Friend graciously let me put Dragon on, so as to get the full idea. I don’t know that I’d spend the money for Office myself as I can get by with Jarte Plus and (to a less-reliable and more RAM-intensive extent) OpenOffice, but — dare I say it? — I like this program. Before you start doubting my sanity, let me say this for balance — I only like it because, having no mouse, I don’t have to touch the counter-intuitive, plasticky interface. So maybe that’s not true liking. Gratitude at squeaking by, perhaps?

I’m unsure whether to start with the good tweaks or bad first impressions, so I’ll give you a summary of what I did and elaborate from there.

Step 1: Say “start Command Browser” and choose Microsoft Word 2007 from the list. It’s easier if you uncheck Include Global, because it pares down the list. Study this list.

Step 2: Press F1 (there is no voice command for Help, perhaps in concordance with the tiny help button’s exile to the far right corner of the screen), and enter “hide ribbon.” Pressing Control-F1 hides the ribbon. There is no verbal command for this either, but you can certainly say the keypresses. Once you hide the ribbon, you get a great deal of your screen back. For me, I also regained my concentration, because I can’t take that much visual noise.

Step 3 (optional): Go online and search for a list of TRUE Word keyboard shortcuts (i.e. the ones that use Ctrl and Alt and function keys), then print what you find. The same goes for the other Office programs.

I just favor the traditional keyboard shortcuts, because they’re more compressed and become automatic; I have a quick memory. I would only use the F10 keytips (pressing F10 toggles the ribbon and keys to open various options) if you need to assist a mouse user with finding something in the Ribbon, which I will have to do if employed. But I prefer old-school for myself.

Now for some of the perks of being an assistive technology user:

• If you use Dragon, and study the Command Browser well, everything you do is invisible. You don’t need to know where Microsoft hid the line spacing options, or what have you, so you don’t have to guess at the counterintuitive menus. Thus, you don’t need the ribbon. All you have to do is say the command. As far as dictation, accuracy is the same and speed isn’t noticeably slower (but I suspect Jarte is infinitesimally faster).

• Once you’ve memorized the keyboard shortcuts from whatever list you find, your actions are likewise invisible. And I have to say, things become more convenient in some ways than they used to be. I absolutely love the keyboard shortcut for double spacing, for example — Control-2. I don’t think that was available in previous versions.

I could get used to this, though it’s not worth spending the money if I have a semi-decent alternative in Jarte; I’ve already put the work into Vocola commands.

TypeBooster and Word update

I mentioned that the TypeBooster word completion/expansion program doesn’t work with Word XP or OpenOffice.org Writer 2.4. It still doesn’t. However, I was informed that it will in fact work with Word 2007. So, if you can stomach it…go to. Off to edit previous review…