Sean McMahon writes: > Those who can't hear have different needs. That was her point I think. If you > have a generic good accessible framework, the assistive technology can tie into > it and make programs accessible to all not just you and me. Precisely. To put it another way, you cannot say a application is accessible because you've worked with the developer to adapt it so you can use it. We must also be our neighbor's keepers. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "jim grimsby" <jimgrims at pacbell.net> > To: "Speak Up Mailing List" <speakup at braille.uwo.ca> > Sent: Tuesday, April 05, 2005 1:22 AM > Subject: Having accessibility built in to a program! > > > Hi, I changed the subject of the last thread because we have now > straighed from the topic of web browsing. > Ok it is true that making things accessible is a narrow line and should > be done by experts for the most part. I do not think I would want a > programmer who has never worked with or met a blind person making my > screen reading software. On the other hand a programmer who does try to > insure that a program is accessible from the get go is going to be a > friend of mine. In some cases such has web browsing having built in > accessible features is a good thing. Lets take internet explorer on > windows. The screen reader provides access to this browser by hooking > in to the page object model of the browser and reading the source code > of the page and then taking control of the browser. This means you are > no longer using the browser to brows the web but the screen reader to > brows the web. The problem is when you have source code that causes the > object model not to behave in a manor the screen reader expects the hole > system crashes starting with the screen reader and the object model is a > core part of windows and so when it crashes the hole system reboots and > you have to wait tell your computer restarts and look at all the data > you have lost. If on the other hand the screen reader provides the > access you can avoid such problems. For example if you want to move to > a heading on the page just pressing a key will bring focus to it. This > will help every one not just blind users remember that most power users > who are sighted do not use a mouse to access information. They use the > keyboard just as we do. Another advantage is if this access was > provided in the said web browser witch ever screen reader you use would > not be an issue. The only issue is at this point how well does the > screen reader do at reading the info on the screen. Witch is always a > screen reader issue. Also programs that insure features are there that > will allow screen review programs to access the program are for the most > part beneficial as I explained in my last message on this subject. > Now the last point about people who can not here. No extra access is > needed do to the fact that the main means of reading a screen is with > the eye not the eres. A person with one hand or no hands need an > alternative input device. Programs that can interface with a said > device would be programs that have a lot of keyboard commands that could > be mapped to said device. So making it accessible on the one hand to > blind and deaf blind users witch by the way I am almost to the second > would benefit all users. Last but not least the spoken word is a > natural means of interfacing with people. It is also going to be come > the natural means of interfacing with the pc cell phone washer dryer and > so on. This means that programs that already have speech in mind will > be ahead when this inevitable transition accors. > I now think I am beating a dead hoarse we all have our own ways of > seeing things and that is why I am working hard at being a linux user > and getting away from being a windows user so that I can make my own way > of seeing things stick at least for my own clients. > Hth > > > > _______________________________________________ > Speakup mailing list > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup > > > _______________________________________________ > Speakup mailing list > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup -- Janina Sajka Phone: +1.202.494.7040 Partner, Capital Accessibility LLC http://www.CapitalAccessibility.Com Chair, Accessibility Workgroup Free Standards Group (FSG) janina at freestandards.org http://a11y.org If Linux can't solve your computing problem, you need a different problem.
