Hi thomas,
I have a very important question about this topic.
I'll use JAWS as an example here, because I am not sure what other screen
readers do.
You said that any program which uses the Windows API is theoretically
readable with a screen reader because the program "broadcasts" some
information through the API which the screen reader can optain.
But of course programmers can allways do without the main API of any given
operating system. This might cause "confusion" for a screen reader as you
said.
But now there is my question.
A screen reader should be able to read most of the information currently on
screen, at least in theory.
When JAWS is first installed on a PC, a program wants to install "Video
Intercept" which adds a "virtual?" secondary graphics card into the control
panel.
Video Intercept should be able to get all information from the "real"
graphics card to the screen reader.
Even if a program doesn't use non Windows API controls, it should be
possible to find non standard controls and recognice them via Video
Intercept.
Even if controls are different, the basic principles still apply: selecting
entries from various lists, radio buttons checkboxes or any and all forms of
fields to enter any form of text...
So, the question is why do create a secondary Graphics card (probably a
virtual one) when most information gained from it seems to be unused all the
time, or does JAWS (or any other screen reader) need an update to the list
of standard controls it knows?
There are so many forms of editable fields in forms or other programs where
you can enter text, but you have to tell your screen reader manually that it
is an "edit" (in JAWS via your the configuration Manager).
I know that the list of known controls can be seen via the Insert+7 key
combination, but as far as I can remember (my first long term contact with
JAWS was before JAWS 4.0), this list has not seen many changes since that
time, and it can't be good this way...
---
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