[athen] Mac Access [let's get started]

[Kerri Hicks]

On 1 Mar 2006, at 12:25 PM, Pratik patel wrote:


> Hello all,

>

> I have also just acquired a Powerbook with OSX Tiger.  While I  

> initially

> beta tested the Apple screen reader, I have not had the chance to  

> play with

> the screen reader extensively with latest updates.  I will also  

> post my

> experiences to the ATHEN blog from the blindness perspective.


I'm really looking forward to hearing about your experiences. I am a  
Mac user (and a PC user), and as someone who doesn't *have* to use a  
screen reader, I have been so frustrated trying to get VoiceOver to  
do what I want it to do, I've given up. Tried on numerous occasions,  
given up on all of them. I've heard in developer circles that  
VoiceOver wasn't really intended to be a complete screen reader for  
people with visual impairments, but more a reading aid for people  
with certain learning disabilities. I have been using FireVox for the  
last couple of weeks to read web pages, and it's been doing a good job.

Also, applications will vary widely in their support of VoiceOver, as  
certain accessibility features have to be built into applications for  
them to be available to VoiceOver...there's no central messaging  
system in the operating system to handle them, as there is in  
Windows. (At least not yet.) :-)

There is some benefit to getting intimate with the VoiceOver manual,  
though -- which is available as text or audio.

http://www.apple.com/accessibility/voiceover/manual.html

Best,
Kerri