Having accessibility built in to a program!

[Janina Sajka]

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
> 
> 
> 
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> 
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-- 

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.