[gui-talk] Remote access with speech

[Brian Blair]

Hello,

Over the years I have often had the need to access computers at my work 
place remotely.  Unfortunately, as is so often the case the options for 
blind users are limited compared to options for sighted users.  At my 
previous employer I was able to use JAWS with Microsoft's Remote Desktop 
Connection on Windows XP and Windows 7, though it seemed that there were 
some more troublesome issues under Windows 7 than XP.  However, this 
scenario had its drawbacks. Now I have the need for remote access with 
my current employer, but we don't have a working Virtual Private Network 
capability and I don't think it's wise to expose multiple computers to 
hacking by forwarding the port for RDP through the corporate firewall, 
and I doubt IT support would allow such a thing.

So I wonder what other options have been found to work?  I've used JAWS 
TANDEM but
I
sometimes need to gain access to computers at my work place at times 
when no one is present to type in the meeting ID for a JAWS Tandem 
session.  Is there a way to initiate a JAWS Tandem session without the 
need for a person to type in a meeting ID?

Another option I've used successfuly is NVDA's Remote access.  The 
advantage this has is that a meeting ID can be set up on the computer to 
be controled.  Therefore a Remote Access session will start as soon as 
the computer providing the matching ID connects to the NVDA Host server. 
I do wonder how secure the NVDA Remote Access is?  And since I don't 
know of a way to start a JAWS Tandem session without the need for a 
person on the computer to be controled to type in the Meeting ID, I have 
thought it might be possible to use NVDA Remote Access and then, if need 
be, start a Tandem session with JAWS using NVDA Remote Access?

Thoughts anyone?

Brian