it will not do any better because it is audio and you cannot interact with it.
----- Original Message ----- From: "will lomas" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS X by theblind" <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, June 28, 2008 10:34 AM Subject: Re: WebAnywhere screenreader installed on servers! this sounds a really interesting alternative if it reads tables etc. until voice over reads the elements that it does not do at present, this may be an alternative On 28 Jun 2008, at 14:34, James Austin wrote: > Hi Janet, > > Pleas feel free to e mail me privately, and to keep in touch off > list if you like. > > Best wishes > > James > E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > On 28 Jun 2008, at 01:24, Janet and Felix * wrote: > >> >> Okay. I won't share future news I find here then. This applies to >> everyone though, regarless of what kind of computer you're using, >> since it has to do with public servers that are available to >> everyone. >> >> No worries. >> janet >> >> ---------------------------------------- >>> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> To: [email protected] >>> Subject: Re: WebAnywhere screenreader installed on servers! >>> Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:20:11 -0400 >>> >>> I'd rather not discuss this here it has nothing to do with the Mac. >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "Janet and Felix *" >>> To: >>> Sent: Friday, June 27, 2008 7:14 PM >>> Subject: WebAnywhere screenreader installed on servers! >>> >>> >>> >>> Online service lets blind surf the Internet from any computer, >>> anywhere >>> >>> Visions of future technology don't involve being chained to a >>> desktop >>> machine. People move from home computers to work computers to mobile >>> devices; public >>> kiosks pop up in libraries, schools and hotels; and people >>> increasingly >>> store everything from e-mail to spreadsheets on the Web. >>> >>> But for the roughly 10 million people in the United States who are >>> blind or >>> visually impaired, using a computer has, so far, required special >>> screen-reading >>> software typically installed only on their own machines. >>> >>> New software, called WebAnywhere, launched today lets blind and >>> visually >>> impaired people surf the Web on the go. The tool developed at the >>> University >>> of >>> Washington turns screen-reading into an Internet service that >>> reads aloud >>> Web text on any computer with speakers or a headphone connection. >>> >>> "This is for situations where someone who's blind can't use their >>> own >>> computer but still wants access to the Internet. At a museum, at a >>> library, >>> at a public >>> kiosk, at a friend's house, at the airport," said Richard Ladner, >>> a UW >>> professor of computer science and engineering. The free program >>> and both >>> audio and >>> video demonstrations are at >>> http://webanywhere.cs.washington.edu. >>> >>> Ladner will demonstrate the tool next week in Dallas at the National >>> Federation of the Blind's annual convention. WebAnywhere was >>> developed under >>> Ladner's >>> supervision by Jeffrey Bigham, a UW doctoral student in computer >>> science and >>> engineering. The research was funded by the National Science >>> Foundation. >>> >>> Free screen readers already exist, as do sophisticated commercial >>> programs. >>> But all must be installed on a machine before being used. This is >>> the first >>> accessibility tool hosted on the Web, meaning it doesn't have to be >>> downloaded onto a computer. It processes the text on an external >>> server and >>> then sends >>> the audio file to play in the user's Web browser. >>> >>> "You don't have to install new software. So even if you go to a >>> heavily >>> locked-down computer, say at a library, you can still use it," >>> Bigham said. >>> >>> In May, Bigham was named the winner of the Accessible Technology >>> Award for >>> Interface Design for the Imagine Cup, a student programming contest >>> sponsored >>> by Microsoft Corp. The prize comes with $8,000 and a trip to Paris >>> in early >>> July. >>> >>> For the past month WebAnywhere has been available on request. >>> Bigham said >>> he's received inquiries from librarians who would like to make all >>> their >>> machines >>> accessible on a limited budget. He's also had interest from >>> teachers who >>> struggle to find the time to locate free software, get permission >>> to install >>> it >>> on a school computer and then maintain the program so that a >>> single computer >>> is accessible to a visually impaired student. This software would >>> make any >>> computer in the lab instantly accessible for Internet tasks. The >>> Web-based >>> service also eliminates the need for local technical support: >>> there is no >>> software >>> to install or update because each time a person visits the site he >>> or she >>> gets the latest version. >>> >>> To test the software, researchers had people use the tool to do >>> three things >>> typically done at public machines: check e-mail, look up a bus >>> schedule and >>> search for a restaurant's phone number. People using WebAnywhere >>> were able >>> to successfully complete all three tasks, using a variety of >>> machines and >>> Internet >>> connections. >>> >>> Like other screen readers, WebAnywhere converts written text to an >>> electronically generated voice. So far the system works only in >>> English. But >>> the source >>> code was released a few weeks ago and a Web developer in China has >>> expressed >>> interest in developing a Chinese version. >>> >>> The UW team plans to create updates that will allow users to >>> change the >>> speed at which the text is read aloud and add other popular >>> features found >>> in existing >>> screen readers. The service is currently hosted on a server at the >>> UW >>> campus. >>> >>> Bigham is also working with Benetech, a Palo Alto, Calif., >>> technology >>> nonprofit that distributes free electronic books, to make its >>> collection of >>> more than >>> 30,000 books accessible to blind users without them having to >>> install any >>> screen-reading software. >>> >>> He believes this could be the first of many Web-based >>> accessibility tools. >>> >>> "Traditional desktop tools such as e-mail, word processors and >>> spreadsheets >>> are moving to the Web," Bigham said. "Access technology, which >>> currently >>> runs >>> only on the desktop, needs to follow suit." >>> _________________________________________________________________ >>> Earn cashback on your purchases with Live Search - the search that >>> pays you >>> back! >>> http://search.live.com/cashback/?&pkw=form=MIJAAF/publ=HMTGL/crea=earncashback >>> >>> >>> >> >> _________________________________________________________________ >> The other season of giving begins 6/24/08. Check out the i’m >> Talkathon. >> http://www.imtalkathon.com?source=TXT_EML_WLH_SeasonOfGiving > >
