Cheat sheet

This is a short summery with links that to the corresponding chapters that explain the idea in more detail.

This book is not a bible. It is meant to help you to guide you in the right direction.

Where to start

Start with MacOS or Windows. Once you are more comfortable with these platforms, experiment with linux if you need to. 3.1. Operating system

If you are on windows, learn NVDA. If you are on macos, learn VoiceOver. 3.2. Screen reader

You do not need braille to code. TTS is way faster and cheaper. 3.3. Should I learn braille?

Which tools are accessible?

Don't use a terminal if you depend on TTS. Terminals are great for people with partial sight. 4.1. Goodbye terminal life

If you are blind, experiment which editors works best for you. Do not use vim when you are starting out. Visual studio code worked well for me at the time of writing. (2023/01/15) If you have partial sight, use what you like most. Almost every editor has high contrast large text capabilities. 4.2. What's the most accessible editor?

Learn your stuff. If you want to learn a language, first read a book, then practice. This way you do not have to stack overflow everything together. Consider using AI Chat bots for searching for information. 4.3. Navigating websites

What language should I use?

This is the most important section of the book. I highly recommend reading the full chapter. 5. What language should I use?

You can see only a small portion of a script, so you should use the compiler as your sight. 5.1. The compiler is your sight

Dynamic types are blind. You are blind too. Dynamic types cannot lead you in the dark. Use static typed languages. Such as Java, Kotlin, Rust and many others. 5.2 Why dynamic types are even worse for some with a visual impairment

Use unit test as your sight. Write as many as possible. This makes debugging relatively easy. 5.3. Why tests are so important for us

Avoid yaml as much as possible. Use Nix to define your build pipeline and checks. 5.4. Make build pipelines that last

Overcoming obstacles

Speed will come. Don't compare yourself to sighted people. Compare yourself to yesterday. Learn how to use the 20/80 rule so you become insanely productive. 6.1. I am way too slow and this costs too much energy

Sighted people underestimate your skills. You can do way better then they think. Be kind to them, it all comes from a good heart. 6.2. This is too hard

Practice by trying a few exercises