One of the most popular services for getting a free E-mail address is Gmail from Google.  This service works especially well for people who are blind or visually impaired.  If you want to access your e-mail over the web using an Internet browser such as Internet Explorer, Safari or Fire Fox, Gmail has a mode that will make it easier to do this using a screen reader.  If you want to use a program like Outlook Express, Windows Live Mail, Apple Mail or Outlook to handle your e-mail, this is easily done with Gmail as well.

In fact, the most difficult thing may be setting up the Gmail account.  Let me give you instructions for doing this; if you need help, you can contact our Adaptive Technology Help Desk at 888-825-0080.

In your browser, go to  HYPERLINK "http://www.gmail.com" www.gmail.com.  Once you are there, click or press enter on the “Create An Account” link.  You will need to fill in several form fields.  When you get to the one for User Name, you put in the thing which you want as the first part of your e-mail address.  For example, if I wanted to have an e-mail address of  HYPERLINK "mailto:myfubar@gmail.com," myfubar@gmail.com,  I’d put “myfubar” (without the quotes) into the user name field.  It’s really important after you put in the user name, that you tab to and click or press enter on the ‘Check Availability Button’.  Once you’ve done that, if you’re using JAWS, turn forms mode off by pressing the plus key on the numpad; if using Window-Eyes, turn browse mode on by holding down control and shift keys while pressing A.  Then, use your up and down arrow keys to determine if the user name you wanted is available.  If not, Gmail will give you suggestions on user names close to the one you want and you can pick one.

Once you have your user name, continue going through the form fields, entering in your password (which you have to do twice) and other information.  As you are doing this, one thing you will come to is an edit box where it says type in the characters you see.  This is what is called a CAPTCHA, and it’s there so that computers can’t sign up for e-mail accounts from which spam or unwanted e-mail can be sent.  CAPTCHA stands for “Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart” (Don’t ask me why there are three words that start with ‘T’ in a row, while CAPTCHA is only written with one ‘T’).  Anyway, this is also called Visual Verification.  When you come to this box, turn forms mode off or browse mode on, if using JAWS or Window-Eyes respectively, then down arrow to a button that says “Listen and Type the Numbers You Hear.”  Press enter on this.

What you will hear is a series of numbers spoken over a distorted background.  You’ll hear three beeps before these numbers, and they repeat once.  You need to pick out the numbers and type them into the edit box we talked about before.  After you type in what you believe the numbers are, continue filling out the form.  The last step you will be asked to accept Gmail’s terms and conditions and creat your account, this is a button you can click or press enter on.

If you got the CAPTCHA and everything in right, your Gmail account will be created.  However, if you missed the CAPTCHA, you have to go to the edit box for it, hit the “Listen and Type The Numbers You Hear” button again, listen to the numbers, they will be different and type them in.  If this happens, do not go right away and try creating your account.  You need to also go back and put in your password which is just after your user name twice.

Once you get the Gmail account created, you can close out of your browser, open it back up and log into Gmail with the user name and password you just set up.

If you are happy with checking your e-mail in your browser and you use a screen reader, you will hear a link that says ‘Basic HTML’.  Press enter on it.  This makes it much easier to navigate the Gmail website.  If you want to use a program like Outlook Express, Windows Live Mail, Microsoft Outlook or Apple Mail to check your e-mail, there is something you will need to do on the Gmail site before you can do that.

Log into Gmail, and if using a screen reader, hit enter on the Basic HTML link.  Then, find the settings link and press enter.  Then, look for the link that says “Forwarding and Pop/IMAP” and click or press enter on it.

Programs like Outlook Express, Apple Mail and Windows Live Mail use one of two protocols to help you get your e-mail, as do devices like mobile phones.  One is called Post Office Protocol (POP), the other is Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP).  If you are using an older version of say Outlook Express or Outlook such as 2003, it uses POP to get your mail.  Newer versions of e-mail software use POP or IMAP.

In any case, once you’ve entered on the Forwarding and POP/IMAP link, you need to enable POP and/or IMAP.  If you don’t know what your program will be using, no harm enabling both of them.  There are two ways to enable POP.  You can enable POP for all messages, or for messages arriving from now on.  I’d say enable it for messages arriving from now on.  Locate that radio button and press space bar on it.  Also if using POP, you need to tell Gmail what to do when your e-mail program gets your messages.  There’s a Combo box for this, and I suggest using the option to have messages deleted from Gmail once they are downloaded.

There is a radio button to enable IMAP, check that if needed or if you are not sure what protocol your e-mail program will be using.

Finally, you need to set up your e-mail program to get your e-mail from Gmail.  Newer software such as Outlook 2007 and 2010, Windows Live Mail and Apple Mail does a lot of this automatically.  All you need to do is set up a new account in your program, and put in your Gmail address and password and let the program do the rest.  If you are using an older package like Outlook Express or Outlook 2003, you need to put in the following:

Incoming e-mail server: pop.gmail.com

Outgoing E-mail Server: smtp.gmail.com.

For the outgoing server, check a box that says “My Server Requires Authentication.”

Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) for both incoming and outgoing messages.  For the incoming server port, the value it should be set to is 995; in many cases when you check SSL for incoming e-mail this is set automatically.  For the outgoing server port, the value is 465.

Once this is done, you’ll be e-mailing with family and friends with ease.  If you have any problems with this, call the Adaptive Technology Help Desk at 888-825-0080.  Happy e-mailing.