Hello. I'm learning a lot about technical analysis, and hope to use it for swing trading stocks and equity options. The thing is this: I'm visually impaired and access a computer using a screen reader called JAWS for Windows. JAWS is good at reading textual information, Windows controls, and a good portion of the Internet. However, charting software such as TradeStation, etc., renders its charts in a totally graphical way. Not too helpful for trading with your eyes closed. (LOL) Here's what I'm thinking. Charts are created using historic price and volume data and applying formulae to that data. Moving averages, Bollinger bands, etc. Microsoft Excel is fairly accessible to JAWS. I hope to import raw data to Excel from Yahoo, for example, and apply TA formulae to the data and render price points and lines of support or resistance, and later even the other more difficult indicators such as Bollinger bands or momentum indicators. I'm new at all this, and am studying technical analysis on Investopedia.com. I guess I want to ask if anyone knows anyone who is blind and does technical analysis. Also, does anyone do technical analysis without using charting software? If so, how do you do it? Investopedia is pretty good, but I know I'm going to need more detail than Investopedia provides. Where can I find in-depth, and hopefully free, information about technical analysis? Remember, printed materials are pretty much useless to me. I really appreciate any information anyone could provide.
Interesting problem. As far as Excel and trading, you might try the XLTraders Yahoo group. There are some pretty smart folk there and they might be able to help you with your special circumstance: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/xltraders/?yguid=67369967 As for free info on technical analysis you might try these sites: http://stockcharts.com/education/ http://hardrightedge.com/tw.htm Good luck! Harold
whoa, its tough enough with sight--- may the market forces provide whatever you wish. what i would do is simply set up voice alerts when certain criteria is met--- breaking of SMA, oversold, tic, tiki, b band expansion, etc. this way you can use TA without the number crunching. the platform will "tell you" what's happening. all the best, surf
I thought I would reply to this thread for the heck of it even if the poster is fake. I honestly don't think I could trade without my eyes, although in the past I've traded listening to an S&P pit broadcaster, that is as close as I come to using another human sense to base my trades off of. http://elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&postid=1148148&highlight=blind+day+trading#post1148148 Do you speak to the computer to search the internet? How do you plan to execute your trades? Would you use a mouse or keyboard? If I were blind I would use tradethenews.com and listen to their live radio for news that comes out and then make trades that way. I might also use an S&P pit broadcaster and pit noise to scalp the ES, but it would take months to be good at that, if it were possible. I might scan for stocks that are gapping and if the futures were pointing in the same direction I might make the trade. How would you exit? If you had pit noise or if the computer could tell you were the tick was, then maybe you could exit that way. I would run scans for stocks that were consolidating for several days that have volume over 500k, (1-2mil or more is better), then watch for those stocks to break out the next day. Still, how do you scan for stocks, look at chart patterns, know what the volume is, and know where trend lines are? Maybe you could join a stock trading chat room and listen to what the other traders are saying to trade. Investopedia is a great website. I think you might be better off trading calendar spread options on stocks that you are following or maybe selling S&P futures options when they come close to expiration. Also, you could open 2 accounts and play a long/short strategy on stocks that are volatile and have news pending. I would paper trade for at least 6 months and decide if I were good enough to put real money to work. It would be real interesting to see a successful blind day trader. There are blind doctors,,,but I have yet to meet a blind pilot. Good luck
ive often thought about this, what would happen if a trader was to lose their sight. i remember reading a thread on elite trader about whether a trader could trade without using charts and quite a few traders mentioned that they did or knew people that traded without looking at charts. i cant find the link unfortunately this is a thread by maverick about tapereading which didnt use charts, from memory, only bid/ask and last price traded http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showt...erpage=6&highlight=tape reading&pagenumber=26
However, the traders you mention that don't look at charts... They are looking at other things like price quotes, price levels et cetera. Mark