@dandylover1 I’m sorry you had that experience! The Orca shortcut is configured as Super + Alt + S and you should have heard that read aloud to you after booting. I just got a message yesterday from someone that they heard the shortcut announcement and were able to install blind using the screen reader

If you have time, an issue report with all the details would be appreciated so developers can try to reproduce and fix the issue: https://docs.elementary.io/contributor-guide/feedback/reporting-issues

@elementary As promised, here is the review. At least, it's the portion of it connected with Elementary Os. I am also in the process of writing a comparison with Accessible Coconut (I am new to both systems). Having said that, the latter seems far more promising in how they handle things, from the desktop layout and hotkeys (they use Mate), to a dedicated user guide folder on the desktop, complete with keyboard commands. For the record, I have been using computers for over twenty-five years, just not Linux. I am a DOS and Windows XP/7 lover, though I also reluctantly use 11. So if I am confused, imagine someone who is truly new to all of this.

Unlike with Vinux and Accessible Coconut, I wasn't offered the option of starting the system without a password. I like all of my systems to start automatically. After I created a password, I suppose it logged me in because I had to reenter it. That was fine. What wasn't is that, again, there was no speech. I had to use the ocr function in NVDA to know what was going on. If this were a real machine and not a virtual one, I would be lost without the idea of using the hotkey, which is something a new user might not consider. Fortunately, when I pressed it, Orca started again, but this shouldn't be an issue in the first place. If someone doesn't need Orca, it should start when the system does with a one-time question about whether this should be the default. That way, someone who doesn't need it can turn it off, and someone who doesn't won't be left wondering why his system isn't speaking after restarting.

I really liked the option to automatically delete certain files after thirty days. I checked them all. Also, while I didn't use it yet, it was helpful that there was an option to connect online accounts. One of the best features about the installation was the option to install various programs. This is especially good for those of us who are unfamiliar and/or who have no patience with how Linux installs things i.e. not simply downloading the equivalent of a .exe file, running it, and using it, or likewise, running a program directly from a drive or directory as with portable apps. That said, I did see something about portable apps, so perhaps, Linux has something similar. Regardless, I couldn't tell whether I was installing something or reading about it. The setup of the centre was very confusing. It would make far more sense if, after the free/paid option were selected, the resulting apps were presented in a vertical list that could be checked, unchecked or researched as needed, with an install button. This is somewhat similar to how the NVDA add-on store works.

After dinner, I returned to my machine, only to discover that I had to reenter my password. Once i did, though, I was immediately brought back to the window in which I was working. I was able to change the settings in Orca as usual. But when I hit alt+f1 to get to the apps, it didn't work. I then found this guide.

https://elementary.io/docs/learning-the-basics#learning-the-basics

But it wasn't helpful. It said the following. "To open or search for installed apps, select Applications on the Panel. You can page through your apps by scrolling on a mouse, swiping with two fingers on a touchpad, or by using the pager dots at the bottom. You can also use the view switcher at the top to switch between showing your apps in a grid or a categorized list."

That's great, but I was in some kind of blank screen and needed a hotkey to list my apps or a way to get to them. None was provided, nor do I know what is meant by "pager dots" or a "view switcher, and telling me where they are on the screen doesn't help me activate them. I eventually gave up on reading the guide, since everything was visual, from tapping, to dragging and dropping. There were no keyboard commands anywhere. I had to figure out, on my own, that alt+f2 got me into the app centre. Then, I just saw a list of programs, and I had no idea whether they were installed or not. Hitting enter on one didn't seem to start it, nor could I figure out how to install it if it wasn't already installed. This seemed to be the same screen I was taken to after installation, where I would install programs onto my machine. After five minutes, I grew very frustrated and quit. I may start again, but only if I have a decent guide with keyboard explanations. If I were seriously considering Linux, this would clearly change my mind against it.