SuperNova Access Suite

for every visual impairment

Latest Version: 13.03 - What's new?

SuperNova Access Suite Case Study: Why I use & train others on SuperNova at the RNC in Hereford

The Royal National College for the Blind (RNC) has developed throughout its 135 year history into the premier specialist residential college of further education for people with a visual impairment.

For nearly twenty-five years Dolphin has been working with RNC to deliver the most advanced screen readers and screen magnifiers to its students, as Graeme Allen an ICT Teacher at RNC explains;

Open quotation mark. In 1986, the college was contacted by a new local company, calling themselves Dolphin. They were developing a screen reader and large print access systems specifically for the IBM PC...This visit marked the beginning of RNC's association with Dolphin and the use of personal computer accessibility. Over the next 24 years, the college's computer acquisition increased significantly and so did RNC's association with Dolphin."

During this time Dolphin developed SuperNova screen reader magnifier and nearly a quarter of a century after the relationship began, Dolphin released SuperNova v11.50. After reading the 'What's new' document Graeme was keen to immediately put v11.50 through its paces;

Open Quotation mark. A voice guided first time set-up routine allowed me to choose a default setting for the various required options or I could define my own required options settings, which would truly allow me to personalise SuperNova...moving around the Desktop and navigating the Start menu, I could not help but be impressed by the responsiveness of the speech, and the tracking of the magnification view."

"As a trainer one of the first things I teach new users, is how to get help. The new and improved Help system is excellent, with instant access to Hot keys, Application Help, the excellent task based help available for the most popular of the Microsoft Office 2007 applications and the full Dolphin manual."

"Using SuperNova with Microsoft Word has become a far more enjoyable experience especially with a new set of quick keys, providing document navigation and access to various elements within documents quickly, along with improved menu navigation, formatting and spelling announcements to name but a few."

"I spend a lot of time on the internet; it can offer so many experiences and can be a fantastic resource...SuperNova tries to provide me with an enjoyable experience similar to the sighted user. With the virtual cursor providing full navigation and interrogation of the loaded web page, a full set of Keystrokes to allow me to move through a web page using a wide range of quick keys quickly and effortlessly, and with verbal announcements and guidance at all times."

Open quotation mark. As well as training users in ICT I also train users in the use of Braille technology. The new feature of having the ability to connect the HIMS Braille Sense Plus to a computer running SuperNova v11.50 & being able to use the Braille Sense's input keys to enter text into the running applications works very well."

"As I move on through life I find that I am relying on SuperNova more and more and it continues to amaze me with its versatility."