Wes, Good luck, and thanks for being a friend... I'll mention that now because you are in for a ride ;-)
The Java Accessibility API on Windows via the Java Access Bridge (JAB) connector to LibreOffice/ApacheOpenOffice UNO Accessibility API has fidelity problems for Assistive Technology like the JAWS screen reader or the open source NVDA project by NV Access. The current JAB bridge, v2.0.3 on Java JDK 7 and the JRE 1.7u > 6, has been rendered non-functional by an Oracle design flaw, so we are advising folks to stay with Java JDK 6 and JRE 1.6u41 and JAB v2.0.2 Details for that are in this LibreOffice wiki Faq/General/a11y/Java <https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Faq/Java> Dependency on the Java Accessibility API for Windows will be eliminated by implementation of a native IAccessible2 bridge to the UNO Accessibility API of LibreOffice and Apache OpenOffice. IBM implemented an IAccessible2 bridge in its Lotus Symphony product, the current version of which, v3.0.1 can still be downloaded for free use. IBM is still supporting the product which received a fix-pack in November 2012. You can download IBM Lotus Symphony from links on this set of release notes <http://www-03.ibm.com/software/lotus/symphony/help.nsf/ReleaseNotes?OpenForm&version=3.0.1> , but also obtain and apply the fix-packs. Unfortunately these are difficult downloads to navigate, so as @Tanstaafl suggests your best bet would be a remote desktop capability to assist your friend with setup and maintenance. IBM contributed the source code for Symphony through v3, to the Apache Foundation and its developers are working on the Apache OpenOffice project to integrate many components of the Symphony product including its IAccessible2 implementation. An ongoing development branch is in QA testing of AT function and that IAccessible2 code will be merged with the main build at some point. And it is likely that LibreOffice will integrate some form of the Apache OpenOffice IAccessible2 bridge at some point--but that work has not yet started. For now, the *cross-platform* office suite choices are to stay with a 32-bit JRE 1.6 and JAB v2.0.2 installation--use the JWin installer as noted on the wiki page and LibreOffice 4.0.1 or Apache OpenOffice 3.4.1. They have comparable levels of support for Assistive Technology. Or to install Lotus Symphony for a notably better IAccessible2 screen reader AT. And of course a mix of JAWS, or NVDA, and Microsoft's User Interface Automation and SAPI 5.4 does provide very good AT when used with a Microsoft Office Product. So the "ribbon" GUI can be tamed--then just an issue of cost and effort and whether you can stomach a Microsoft centric solution. Stuart -- View this message in context: http://nabble.documentfoundation.org/Accessibility-issues-BLIND-USER-tp4038845p4038923.html Sent from the Users mailing list archive at Nabble.com. -- For unsubscribe instructions e-mail to: users+h...@global.libreoffice.org Problems? http://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/mailing-lists/how-to-unsubscribe/ Posting guidelines + more: http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Netiquette List archive: http://listarchives.libreoffice.org/global/users/ All messages sent to this list will be publicly archived and cannot be deleted