I am seriously latge with this, but one of the myths brings up a
question.
Is XTools accessible yet? If so, I haven't figured out how to use them.
Jane
On Jul 24, 2007, at 2:14 AM, Josh de Lioncourt wrote:
I have compiled the following list based on comments I've seen over
a spectrum of email lists, personal acquaintences, etc, to
represent the most common myths about the Mac as it is used by the
blind which are false. If anyone has any to add, any changes that
should be made, etc, please speak up. I plan on posting this on a
couple f lists and on a Mac web site I'm in the process of setting
up. Thanks.
1. Myth: VoiceOver does not include scripting functionality, like
that in Jaws for Windows, rendering it less useful than its Windows
counterparts.
Truth: While VoiceOver itself does not include scripting
functionality, the Mac OS X operating system does. AppleScript
provides a great deal of similar functionality and features
visually impaired Windows users are used to in Jaws scripts, and
then some. Other tools, such as the Automator are also available,
which may be used in enhancing access to applications and the OS.
The upshot to all of which is, of course, that VoiceOver does not
need to duplicate that which the operaing system already provides.
2. Myth: ITunes is not accessible on the Mac with VoiceOver.
Truth: ITunes is nearly entirely accessible with VoiceOver, and has
been steadily improving as updates to Apple's media player have
been released through the course of 2007. VoiceOver users can
easily browse, organize, listen to, and manage their music and
playlists, as well as work with the content on their iPods. One
limitation at present is the ability to purchase entire albums from
the ITunes store, though as accessibility improvements continue,
this will likely be available in the future. Purchases can be made
on a song-by-song basis.
3. Myth: VoiceOver is very limited due to its lack of using an OSM
(off screen model).
Truth: Windows screen readers that do not use an OSM are severely
limited, which is likely where this misconception arises. Mac has
a much more robust and well-designed accessibility infrastructure.
It has undergone radical renovations in recent years, and has been
designed with accessibility in mind. Unlike Windows, OSM's are not
critical to making the OS and third-party applications accessible.
Just like Windows, visually impaired users will suffer
inaccessibility when trying to use applications which are highly
graphical in nature. Overall access between the two systems is
very comparable, with Mac surpassing Windows in many key areas, due
to its better accessibility framework.
4. Myth: There is no Braille display support on the Mac.
Truth: Currently it is possible to use a Braille display while
using terminal applications on the Mac. Apple has stated that more
robust Braille display support will be available in VoiceOver when
the next version of Mac OS X, V10.5, is released this fall.
5. Myth: You cannot produce or emboss Braille content from a Mac.
Truth: Many free open source tools, complete with GUI interfaces,
have been developed for the Mac for just such a purpose. Louis for
Mac is a great tool for Braille translation into a variety of
languages, and is freely available at
http://w3.wmcnet.org/louis/
6. Myth: You cannot perform OCR with a Mac.
Truth: While not entirely flawless solutions, several OCR packages
for Mac are perfectly usable with VoiceOver, including the popular
OmniPage. For users with less robust needs, several Canon CanoScan
models of scanner come bundled with basic accessible OCR software
for less than $80 all inclusive.
7. Myth: You can't read PDF files with VoiceOver.
Truth: Reading PDF files with VoiceOver is simple and painless, and
is far easier with the Mac's built-in Preview program for PDF
viewing than with Adobe Acrobat Reader under Windows with Windows
screen readers.
8. Myth: VoiceOver has not been updated in over two years.
Truth: VoiceOver is an integral part of the operating system. As
software and components of the operating system are updated,
accessibility with VoiceOver often improves. VoiceOver itself does
not need to have new releases for better performance, and indeed we
have seen a number of OS updates that have improved accessibility
on the Mac.
9. Myth: Most software for the Mac doesn't work with VoiceOver.
Truth: Most modern software for the Mac is developed with Cocoa, a
derivitive of Objective C. Cocoa provides inherent accessibility
functionality, and the XCode tools needed to build Cocoa
applications are available with every Mac. Most Mac software
developed in the last several years will work well to stellar with
VoiceOver without any effort on the part of the third-party
developer. As a result, a treasure trove of Mac freeware and
shareware is available that works out of the box with VoiceOver.
Much of this software can be found at
www.pure-mac.com
Josh de Lioncourt
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
