Ere Ere <smile>
On 08/07/2006, at 11:47 AM, LARRY WANGER wrote:
You said, "Microsoft needs to change the Windows Presentation
Foundation paradigm immediately and restore the decade long features
gained by accessibility engineering and work from so many Microsoft
teams like the Access Technology Group (ATG).
Looks like another reason for our blind PC using friends to get a
beautiful new Mac if you ask me. Get out of the Jaws and Window race
and come on over to the better side of computing.
Visit my home page at http://www.disabilitynation.net and subscribe
to The DisabilityNation Podcast.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Access Curmudgeon"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS
X by theblind" <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, July 07, 2006 8:08 AM
Subject: FW: Some comments concerning Vista new MS UI
Interesting that as OS X moves forward with accessibility, Microsoft
may be loosing ground.
The following are technical comments on the current Vista Beta 2 and
Visual Studio Orca software. Please forward this to all who may be
interested.
Windows Presentation Foundation in Windows Vista and its Runtime for
Windows XP.
The Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) using XAML (XML Application
Markup Language) looks like the major programming user interface (UI)
for the next generation of applications (code named avalon). The
XAML
window layout file format is similar in concept to html. This
includes
setting foreground and background colors at design time. This
leaves out
system theme color support and programatic color selection at
runtime.
The way html is handled in this scenario is to hack the CSS
(Cascading
Style Sheet) process to (1) ignore color on the page (accessibility
option) and (2) select use system colors (or spec your own color
choices). In this hack, the designer background images are also
turned
off, thus loosing some visual content.
The lack of automatic runtime color scheme usage like Windows classic
high contrast black and full support of themes as found in Windows
Forms
.Net Framework programs is a very BIG hole in low vision
accessibility.
WPF needs revising to avoid the accessibility hack described above
for
html. WPF does offer a SystemColor object with theme color
support, but
this is not automatic for standard controls. It would be
necessary to
add this support in every case to the program, thus leaving
accessibility for visual access to the individual developer. The
promise of good accessibility for blind users through the new UI
Automation process does not negate the visual functionality needed
by so
many users, like aging baby boomers and those with functional vision
impairment.
For Microsoft to start another platform migration as significant as
going from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95, [Vista] must be designed
from the ground up with visual accessibility. Microsoft needs to
change the Windows Presentation Foundation paradigm immediately
and restore the decade long features gained by accessibility
engineering and work from so many Microsoft teams like the
Access Technology Group (ATG).
John Hedges
APH
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
