I've not dug into java development, but I have used programs written
in java. Programs written java can be acessible, but it takes a bit
of work by the developers, since the java accessability apis must be
used for anything more complicated than a basic input screen. Most
developers don't use these apis, especially if the app is cross
platform. It is possible to make accessible apps using java, but for
the most part, I've seen more not accessible than accessable stuff.
However, java source itself doesn't seem to be a problem, so perhaps
developing in it won't be a problem for you.
On Feb 22, 2006, at 10:42 AM, Rafael Bejarano wrote:
Hello,
I had no idea that programming on Mac OS 10 was so difficult for
blind programmers. I have been considering learning JAVA on the
Mac. Do you know whether this language is accessible by blind
programmers?
Rafael Bejarano
On Feb 21, 2006, at 10:08 PM, Travis Siegel wrote:
The problem isn't with blindsoftware, it's with the development
tools available for the mac. There are several of us who have dug
into programming on the mac. Unfortunately, the tools aren't very
accessible, and making programs that are very mac-like in
appearance requires use of those tools. When apple makes XTools
accessible, then you will see more blind developers working to
bring you mac applications. The only way to do it now with 100%
accessible tools is either to use terminal applications, or to use
the pascal GPC plugin for XTools. The C and C++ programming tools
can't be used by blind developers to do anything resembling a
standard mac application. Using the pascal plugin allows creating
apps that are very mac-like, but everything needs to be hand-coded
from scratch, including buttons menus, and display areas. It's
relatively easy when compared to the tools we have to work with
when trying to write C or C++ apps, but having to code everything
from scratch isn't exactly a time-saver, not to mention the need
to dig *very* deep to find the information needed to make standard
calls that are done with a click of a mouse in the C or C++
tools. It all adds up to sighted folks doing the development, and
those generally aren't going to spend their time making games for
blind folks. I've got several projects in the works, though at
the moment, only one or two are actual games, but progress is slow
on most of them, because of the need to work around the access
limitations imposed by the inaccessible tools we have to work
with. Give it time. More folks will come to the mac, and as they
do, more developers will as well. Given enough time, folks will
find other means of developing that don't require the standard
apple tools, (like the gpc plugins) and then you'll start to see
new games and additional programs appear. Be patient, this is
still new, and those of us who are tackling it now have to learn
it largely on our own, since there's nowhere we can go to ask for
help on how to do this or that using accessible tools. The
windows community has had more than 10 years to get where it is
now, and only in the last couple years have we seen the explosion
of developers of accessible games. Give the mac more time, I have
no doubt that it will eventually meet and even surpass the pc for
it's share of accessible software including games.
On Feb 20, 2006, at 10:28 PM, Rafael Bejarano wrote:
Hello,
Has anyone on this list heard of blindsoftware.com? It is owned
and operated by a blind programmer, whose mission is to develop
Windows applications accessible by the blind. As
blindsoftware.com welcomes suggestions for future releases, I
strongly urge the subscribers to this list to contact this
company, to suggest that it may be financially prudent on their
part to develop software compatible with Tiger and VoiceOver.
I can think of three reasons why blindsoftware.com might wish to
consider doing this. First, Macvisionaries.com has a record of 91
blind computer users who have switched to Tiger and VoiceOver,
many of whom are in need of accessible applications. Second,
apple has a strong presence in education, which, because of equal-
access laws, means that blindsoftware.com has an untapped market.
Finally, critical applications compatible with Tiger and
VoiceOver--namely, spreadsheet and word processing applications--
have yet to be released.
I think that, if enough people wrote to blindsoftware.com
informing them of the need for more applications accessible to
blind Mac users, they might respond.
Cordially,
Rafael Bejarano
