I also agree with this, voice over is a great screen reader, and apple has provided the tools to make an application completely accessible. A self voicing program normally should not be needed. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jacob Schmude" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, March 09, 2009 5:12 AM Subject: Re: Understanding Blind User's Needs
> > Hi Krister > I'm in full agreement here. Let's not forget what makes the Mac > platform so awesome, the fact that we need not have any additional > program other than Voiceover to provide accessibility, and the fact > that Voiceover is right there for developers to test and with which > they can make their application compatible. I think the goals Martin > has already set out are exactly what is needed in 99.99% of all > applications for good accessibility, and I also must applaud and thank > him for his willingness to do this and for the example he will set. > The only times self-voicing should be used is if there is no way at > all to hook the application into Voiceover (very rare), or in the case > of programs that have a lot of background events that need to be > reported. It is common practice on the Mac to enable the speaking of > these background events, e.g. a contact signing on or off in an > instant messaging application. This isn't implemented for the sake of > the blind, however, a lot of people take advantage of these event > notifications in some form or another, be they spoken or just a sound > effect. > > > On Mar 9, 2009, at 05:58, Krister Ekstrom wrote: > >> >> Hi, >> Excuse me here a moment, but what do we want? Do we want a specially >> made program for the blind or an application that both blind and >> sighted people alike can use without us stepping on eachothers toes? >> You may think this question is silly or such, but i think it's >> relevant since what i've heard is more or less about a specially made >> program for the blind. My advise maybe is provoking i don't know, but >> here goes: Don't do anything special. Just make sure all controls are >> made available to the Apple Accessibility framework, and as i >> understand it, it can be done by writing the app in Cocoa. If the >> logic of the controls is very bad, then sure it could use some fixing, >> but otherwise just make all controls visible to the accessibility >> framework already in place. >> /Krister >> >> >> 9 mar 2009 kl. 01.41 skrev Michael Babcock: >> >>> very good points chris, i agree. Though the self voicing option >>> isn't a 100% thing, in some apps it would truly be nice. >>> mike >>> >>> On Mar 8, 2009, at 4:37 PM, Chris Gilland wrote: >>> >>>> I think it would be cool to use the default voice set via system >>>> preferences and make it where the program can be self voiceing if >>>> needed. Also provide an option to turn on, or off the self voicing >>>> feature, this way if a user wants to use voice over, great, if not, >>>> he or she still can do what needs to be done. Also, I would make >>>> your labels for the U I, very discriptive but yet maybe slightly >>>> shorter for the interface that is viewed via a braille display. >>>> This way the point is made but only the absolutely necessary amount >>>> of cells are used, this way providing more room for other things, >>>> such as the value of the U I control. I may also advise you write >>>> your programs in cocoe as I hear that language is very very voice >>>> over friendly. Finally maybe provide an option for the program to >>>> be able to enable magnification in the program for low vision >>>> usersw. Also maybe provide an option to turn the programs st. >>>> >>>> This way it even helps low vision users as well as us like myself >>>> who are nearly compltely total. >>>> >>>> Chris. >>>> >>>> >>>> Do you use Twitter? If so, then, I'd love! for you to follow me. >>>> My twitter URL is: >>>> >>>> http://twitter.com/chris28210 >>>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>> From: Martin Pilkington >>>> To: [email protected] >>>> Sent: Sunday, March 08, 2009 8:25 PM >>>> Subject: Understanding Blind User's Needs >>>> >>>> Hi All, >>>> >>>> Let me introduce myself. My name is Martin Pilkington and I'm a >>>> software developer on the Mac. I'm sta bility push and I'm trying >>>> to get many developers to join me. One of the key parts of this >>>> push is a pledge to make all my applications 100% accessible by the >>>> end of 2009. I've defined 100% accessible to mean 5 things: >>>> >>>> 1. The UI available to VoiceOver users should be as user friendly >>>> as the visual UI. >>>> 2. All UI elements should have titles and/or descriptions. >>>> 3. All custom controls should provide full keyboard access. >>>> 4. There should be a clear and logical order to navigating UI >>>> fields with the keyboard. >>>> 5. Every part of an application should be reachable without the >>>> mouse. >>>> >>>> Now I'm coming at this from the perspective of someone who hasn't >>>> got a disability, so I'm hoping everyone on this list could help >>>> me. Are there any other major points you would say an application >>>> needs to be 100% accessible to you? Are there any things you would >>>> like to find in an application as a user with a visual impairme e >>>> standard Mac accessibility tool? For example, an option to get a >>>> full text description of the current window and how to use it, at >>>> any point in the application >>>> >>>> Hopefully I can get a lot of other Mac developers to join me in my >>>> pledge, some others have already come on board with the idea. But >>>> getting the developers on board is just one piece of the puzzle. >>>> The most important piece is understanding exactly what your current >>>> problems and wishes are for accessibility in Mac apps so any >>>> feedback you can give me is greatly appreciated. >>>> >>>> Thanks >>>> >>>> --------------------------------- >>>> Martin Pilkington >>>> Writer of Weird Symbols >>>> [email protected] >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> ace; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "> >>>> Michael Babcock >>>> GW Hosting, Your Dedicated Home On The Web >>>> Phone: +1-888-272-3555, ext 4121 >>>> email: [email protected] >>>> administrative e-mail: [email protected] >>>> url: http://gwhosting.net >>> >>> >>>> >> >> >> > > > The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a > thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot > possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to > get at or repair. > --Douglas Adams > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
