1. #chat
  2. #chat #comunidadinternacional Newcomer in NVDA-AddOn group - Interested in Translating and or Python Development; I speak English (Native), Spanish (Native), Italian, German (about 5 years, but rusty), French (learning and at an A2 level

Re: #chat #comunidadinternacional Newcomer in NVDA-AddOn group - Interested in Translating and or Python Development; I speak English (Native), Spanish (Native), Italian, German (about 5 years, but rusty), French (learning and at an A2 level #chat #comunidadinternacional

Joseph Lee
 

Hi,

Welcome to NVDA Add-ons list.

Based on the description you provided, it looks like you will be a great addition to our effort. Before we get into this, I would like to give you an overview of what you are about to get into:

It is true that NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) is written in Python – a Python-based, open-source, free screen reader for Microsoft Windows. It is true that NVDA and add-ons were translated into many languages, and we are open to receiving contributions including translations and localization.

But NVDA is unlike any Python project: you can’t simply translate documentation into languages you can speak, because translating NVDA requires basic understanding of the disability culture, specifically about the blind people and technologies for them. For example, you can’t simply translate something like, “click this button” or “scroll through the page” without thinking about why these statements may or may not help people who can’t interact with computers effectively through visual means. For this reason, a lot of emphasis is on keyboard-based interaction and thinking about how blind computer users can interact with software and hardware through alternative means.

I myself am blind and began contributing to NVDA project by translating the screen reader’s interface and messages. It wasn’t until I sat down one day to think about the disability culture that I understood that translating a screen reader and its add-ons isn’t as easy as it seems. When you are translating NVDA and add-ons, you are saying that you wish to help someone gain access to technology, especially for a population with limited access to mainstream technology for many years.

Therefore I would like to suggest thinking about the following: translating a screen reader and its add-ons isn’t easy. This becomes a bit easier once you understand the needs of blind people and the disability culture. If you are willing to learn and navigate the disability culture while translating, then this project is for you; otherwise, I think it would be best to think really carefully before making a decision.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Joseph

 

From: nvda-addons@nvda-addons.groups.io <nvda-addons@nvda-addons.groups.io> On Behalf Of JD
Sent: Monday, February 8, 2021 5:55 PM
To: nvda-addons@nvda-addons.groups.io
Subject: [nvda-addons] #chat #comunidadinternacional Newcomer in NVDA-AddOn group - Interested in Translating and or Python Development; I speak English (Native), Spanish (Native), Italian, German (about 5 years, but rusty), French (learning and at an A2 level)

 

Hello everyone, my name is Joel (JD), I'm reaching out because I am interested in translating text and/or programming in Python for this group. I learned about this group through another Python developer and member, whom let me know about there being a need for translating items.

I've had about 5 years of Python programming experience, and I program every day in Python (I've learned some Angular but I need more practice). I studied Chemical Engineer, but I picked up and enjoy programming, and learning foreign languages.
I'm currently learning French, and am at an A2 level (according to my instructor). I grew up speaking Spanish and English, took Spanish for native speakers in high school, took German in college and studied it informally after college. After college, I taught myself Italian (through audio books, "learn a foreign language as you drive" albums, and translating catchy music for fun). After about 2 years of Italian, I decided to switch languages and take French lessons on iTalki.com . I decided to switch to French because I felt fairly comfortable with Italian, and thought that French was incomprehensible. 6 to 7 months of back-to-back lessons later, I can finally understand and communicate some French ! 

I'm interested in helping out because I have utilized text-to-speech services on written material, and have implemented some of these services such as IBM Watson's or Google Cloud Platform's text-to-speech services. I've implemented these text to speech services to read law literature such as a title from the California Code of Regulations, or laws from the California Penal Code. These projects, along with others and my interest of languages, made me interested in the intricacies of topics under natural language processing. I found reading law literature complex, because of complex formatting hierarchies (sections, titles, parts, bullets, tables, etc.) that exist, but nevertheless it's an interesting area. 

As such, I'm interested in contributing to translating text or in writing Python! 

However, I was wondering if I could get an intro on how to get started contributing, or if any translators could comment on this post and possibly introduce me to resources to get started?

I'm about to step-away from my computer for today, but I'm going to follow-up on replies tomorrow! 

Thank you so much, and I look forward to hearing from you all!

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