ORCA screen reader, discovery
ORCA, read on the internet
ORCA, read a txt document
ORCA, read an odt document
Transform an .odt document into a .txt document
Read a pdf document with Evince and F7
Reading a web page in read or text mode
Flow, pitch, voice volume Orca
Reading speed
Orca and cursor navigation
Espeak voice adjustment
ORCA, reading a txt document
Check that ORCA is launched (just press a key on the keyboard).
If it is not launched, press : CTRL + SHIFT + O but do not do it repeatedly.
Check that the speaker is active.
For a successful reading, respect the procedure below.
First, open the Mousepad software.
1 - Launch : WIN + R to open the list of applications and type : mousepad.
2 - Validate with Enter.
3 - Do : ALT + F to get to the menu : File
4 - With Down Arrow, go down to the line : ’Open’. Validate with Enter.
5 - Navigate in the folders and files until you find the document you are looking for.
6 - Validate with Enter.
7 - Disable the numeric keypad and hit the Plus key on the numeric keypad.
Stop reading with : CTRL - Resume reading with : PLUS
Go up in the text with : Up arrow, ORCA reads the line.
Go down in the text with : Arrow Down , ORCA reads the line.
Increase the reading rate : INSERT + CTRL + 6 of the disabled numeric keypad.
Decrease the reading rate : INSERT + CTRL + 3 of the disabled numeric keypad.
Search in the text : CTRL + F
ORCA, reading on the internet
Check that ORCA is launched (just press a key on the keyboard).
If it is not launched, press : CTRL + SHIFT + O but do not do it repeatedly.
Check that the speaker is active.
First switch to reading mode, if possible, by doing :
CTRL + ALT + R and Tab once
To read with ORCA :
- disable the numeric keypad (you hear : Num Lock Off).
- press the PLUS key once on the disabled keypad.
Stop reading with : CTRL - Resume reading with : PLUS
Move up in the text with : Up Arrow, ORCA reads the line
Go down in the text with : Arrow Down, ORCA reads the line
Increase the reading rate : INSERT + CTRL + 9 of the disabled numeric keypad.
Decrease the reading rate : INSERT + CTRL + 3 from the disabled numeric keypad.
Search in the text : F3
ORCA, reading a txt document
Check that ORCA is launched (just press a key on the keyboard).
If it is not launched, press : CTRL + SHIFT + O but do not do it repeatedly.
Check that the speaker is active.
For a successful reading, respect the procedure below.
First, open the Mousepad software.
1 - Launch : WIN + R to open the list of applications and type : mousepad.
2 - Validate with Enter.
3 - Do : ALT + F to get to the menu : File
4 - With Down Arrow, go down to the line : ’Open’. Validate with Enter.
5 - Navigate in the folders and files until you hear the document you are looking for.
6 - Validate with Enter.
7 - Disable the numeric keypad and hit the Plus key of the numeric keypad.
Stop the reading with : CTRL - Resume reading with : PLUS
Go up in the text with : Up arrow, ORCA reads the line.
Go down in the text with : Arrow Down , ORCA reads the line.
Increase the reading rate : INSERT + CTRL + 9 of the disabled numeric keypad.
Decrease the reading rate : INSERT + CTRL + 3 of the disabled numeric keypad.
ORCA, reading an odt document
Check that ORCA is launched (just press a key on the keyboard).
If it is not launched, press : CTRL + SHIFT + O but do not do it repeatedly.
Check that the speaker is active.
For a successful reading, respect the procedure below.
1 - First, you have to launch LibreOffice Writer by doing : WIN + ALT + Ampersand
2 - Do : ALT + F to reach the menu : File
3 - With Down Arrow, go down to the line : ’Open’. Validate with Enter.
4 - Go to the desired document. Validate with Enter
5 - Deactivate the numeric keypad and press the Plus key on the numeric keypad.
Stop reading with : CTRL - Resume reading with : PLUS
Go up in the text with : Up Arrow, ORCA reads the line
Go down in the text with : Arrow Down, ORCA reads the line
Increase the reading rate : INSERT + CTRL + 9 of the disabled numeric keypad.
Decrease reading rate : INSERT + CTRL + 3 of the disabled numeric keypad.
Search in the text : CTRL + F
Note for reading with Libre-Office Writer, the Orca screen reader gets tired and stops. That is why it is better to read texts in .txt format
Transform an .odt document into a .txt document
- open the document if it is in .doc or .docx
- select all the text by doing : CTRL + A
- copy all the text by doing CTRL + C
- open mousepad and do : CTRL + V
- save in txt format
- then Orca can read all the text.
Read a pdf document with Evince and F7
This is only possible if it is a real text pdf and not an image pdf
First, ORCA must be active
1) Open a pdf document with Evince - that is :
right-click (or SHIFT + F10) on the document and choose : open with Evince
2) Press the F7 key. The cursor navigation starts. You can see this by pressing the key : Right Arrow because you can see that the cursor moves from letter to letter.
3) The cursor is placed at the beginning of the first word of the page. (otherwise do : CTRL + Origin)
Wait a while because ORCA does not start immediately.
When ORCA is started :
By doing : Right-Arrow repeatedly, you can read letter by letter.
By doing : CTRL + Right-Arrow repeatedly, you can read word by word and even the whole text.
4) if this reading is not possible, for example for a pdf-image, it is necessary to pass by the reading machine.
Read a web page with read or text mode
This works with the Firefox browser
1) Reading mode
- launch the ORCA screen reader, then launch a website and an article page.
- do : CTRL + ALT + R
- Disable the numeric keypad and press the PLUS key then ORCA reads the text.
- you can read word by word with : CTRL + Right or Left Arrow.
- you can read letter by letter with : Right or Left Arrow.
- to go back to the original page, press : ALT + Left Arrow.
2) Texting. To use this method, you must first have installed the extension : Textise.
- launch the ORCA screen reader, then launch a website.
- press : ALT + M to go to the menu : bookmarks
- go down with Down Arrow to the line : Textise. Validate with Enter.
- Disable the numeric keypad and press the PLUS key. ORCA reads the text.
- You can read word by word with : CTRL + Right or Left Arrow.
- you can read letter by letter with : Right or Left Arrow.
- to go back to the original page, press : ALT + Left Arrow.
ORCA, flow, height, volume
Aciah-Linux uses two tools, Espeak and Orca. Sometimes they talk together. In this case, to mute a voice, hit the CTRL key.
When Orca is active, press Insert + Space to go to Orca preferences.
Then Right-Arrow to go to the tab : Voices
1 - Tab to : Rate.
Increase the rate with Right-Arrow. Decrease the rate with Left-Arrow.
Validate with Space.
2 - Tab to : Pitch.
Higher voice with Arrow-Right. Lower voice with Arrow-Left.
Validate with Space
3 - Tab to : Volume.
Louder with Arrow-Right. Lower with Arrow-Left.
Validate with Space
At the end, scroll down until you hear : Apply-button. Validate with Space
Tab again until you hear : Apply-button. Confirm with Space.
Playback speed
You can change the Espeak voice rate, and the Orca voice rate. Or you can make a specific modification.
Espeak voice rate : press CTRL + WIN + ALT + E
Choose with Right-Arrow or Left-Arrow.
Validate the choice with Space.
Tabulate until you hear : validate-button. And hit the Space Bar.
When Orca is active : Do Insert + Space to go to Orca preferences.
Then Right-Arrow to go to the tab : Voice
Tab to : Rate.
Increase the flow with Right-Arrow. Decrease with Left-Arrow.
Validate with Space.
At the end, Tab until you hear : Apply-button. Validate with Space
Tab again until you hear : Apply-button. Confirm with Space.
Change the rhythm of the playback :
Increase the rhythm with :INSERT + CTRL + 6 of the disabled numeric keypad.
Decrease the rhythm : INSERT + CTRL + 3 from the disabled numeric keypad.
Orca, cursor navigation
Cursor navigation is a navigation mode using the keyboard. It can be used with Firefox, Thunderbird and Libre Office. It sometimes uses the F7 key.
CTRL + Right-Arrow reads word by word - ORCA reads all words.
Right-Arrow reads letter by letter. ORCA reads all the letters.
You can also use - CTRL + Left-Arrow or Left-Arrow only.
With Firefox - it is better to read a simple article :
put the article in read mode by doing : CTRL + ALT + R
With Thunderbird :
You can use the cursor navigation to read a received message,
or to reread a message you have just written.
With Libre-Office :
You can use the cursor navigation to read an existing text,
or to reread a text you have just written.
With Evince and a pdf-text : you have to hit the F7 key first.
You can use the cursor navigation to read an existing text,
but you have to be patient : Orca takes time to analyze the page before starting.
Espeak, voice adjustment
Aciah-Linux uses two tools, Espeak and Orca. Sometimes they talk together. In this case, to cut a voice, press the CTRL key.
Setting the Espeak voice : Do : CTRL + WIN + ALT + E .
You hear : global configuration of the Espeak voice synthesis.
The tool guides you step by step. There you can set :
1 - Set the gender of the voice : male or female.
Choose with Arrow-Down or Arrow-Up. Validate the choice with Space.
Tabulate until you hear : validate-button. And hit the Space Bar.
2 - Set the voice rate : faster or slower.
Choose with Right-Arrow or Left-Arrow. Validate the choice with Space.
Tabulate until you hear : validate-button. And hit the Space Bar.
3 - Adjust the pitch of the voice : higher or lower.
Choose with Right-Arrow or Left-Arrow. Validate the choice with Space.
Tabulate until you hear : validate-button. And hit the Space Bar.
Set the speed temporarily :
Increase the rhythm : INSERT + CTRL + 6 of the disabled numeric keypad.
Decrease the rhythm : INSERT + CTRL + 3 of the disabled numeric keypad.
