[Athen] Help re Mac Accessibility

[E.A. Draffan]

We found that VoiceOver screen reading seemed to react in different ways
depending on the application and when on the internet the type of web page
seemed to affect it more than when working with PC screen readers.  When
using Bootcamp with Windows XP we successfully ran JAWS and were able to
access complex webpages with improved verbosity.  

Technologies produced by Assistiveware
http://www.assistiveware.com/index.php worked well and I much preferred the
Infovox iVox voices developed by Acapela  http://www.acapela-group.com/


Best Wishes E.A.

Mrs E.A. Draffan
Assistive Technologist
Mobile: 07976 289103 
http://www.emptech.info/

-----Original Message-----
From: athen-bounces at athenpro.org [mailto:athen-bounces at athenpro.org] On
Behalf Of Stacy L. Smith
Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2006 8:32 PM
To: Access Technologists in Higher Education Network
Subject: Re: [Athen] Help re Mac Accessibility

Norm -

I use a Mac at home, and have played with the accessibility options a bit.
I do know that the next release of the operating system is supposed to
include more accessibility options and looks good, but you never know until
it's out.

On the magnification:  the user can turn on screen magnification and then
zoom in and out using the keyboard. I can't remember the keystrokes but it
was fairly easy to use.  It wasn't as slick as Zoom Text, but it did work.

I have turned on the text-to-speech recognition a few times but have not
invested much time on it.  I do know that Mac offers some very silly voices;
for example, along with the English and British voices, you can have bells
or a whisper or other strange things.  Some of them sound downright creepy,
and if my computer talked to me like that on a regular basis, I don't think
I'd sleep at night.  However, it does voice dialog boxes and so on.
According to Mac:

"Speakable items lets you command and control the computer using your voice,
without requiring you to train the computer. You can use commands to open
and close programs, navigate the menu bar, switch between programs, control
application-specific items, to enter keyboard shortcuts and speak front
window controls such as check box names, radio button names, list items and
buttons.

The talking alerts feature gives voice to alert and dialog windows by
verbally identifying the application and reciting the contents of its dialog
box."

More information, from Apple, regarding accessibility can be found at: 
http://www.apple.com/accessibility/

They also have information on third-party vendors.  I'd be really interested
to know if major software suppliers (such as Freedom
Scientific) provide any Mac support.  They are getting much more common.

I'd love to hear more on this topic.  Hopefully someone else has some
information...

Stacy




Quoting Prof Norm Coombs <nrcgsh at rit.edu>:


>

> I have been trying to get some clear report on how useful the new mac 

> accessibility tools really are.  I don't get anything very definitive 

> either for or against.  EASI got Apple to be part of our CSUN track 

> either a year or 2 years ago, but they were really weird.  They were 

> scared to death about saying anything and made us turn off tape 

> recorders and stop broadcasting and said their lawyers wouldn't let 

> them even talk to the press!!  It was really strange.  So I no longer 

> look to them to help me understand how good its access is.

>

> I have the impression that its magnification and onscreen keyboard 

> stuff is good, but I get the impression that its screen reader stuff 

> is problematic.

>

> The real reason is a friend in Maine wants me to tell them how good 

> its tools for the blind is because Maine has bought tons of Macs for 

> grade school students.  U. S. Maine wants to put on a presentation for 

> the school teachers to help them understand how to use the macs with 

> students and are asking me how good or poor it is.

>

> Can anyone here pass along any first-hand experience????

>

> Norm

>

>

>

> ------------------------------------------

> EASI Courses on Accessible Information Technology for November:

> Barrier-free E-learning (expanded and enriched with more multimedia) 

> http://easi.cc/workshops/bfel.htm EASI has 3 Podcast series: 

> http://easi.cc/podcasts/ EASI Home http://easi.cc

>

> Norman Coombs, Ph.D.

> www.rit.edu/~nrcgsh

> (949) 855-4852  ** Pacific time zone!

>



Stacy Smith
Adaptive Technology Specialist, Disability Support Services
532-6441
stacylee at ksu.edu

~~~~~~~~~~~~

One does not need buildings, money, power, or status to practice the Art of
Peace. Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to
train.

--Morehei Ueshiba

_______________________________________________
Athen mailing list
Athen at athenpro.org
http://athenpro.org/mailman/listinfo/athen_athenpro.org

--
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.409 / Virus Database: 268.14.11/543 - Release Date: 20/11/2006
 

-- 
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.409 / Virus Database: 268.14.11/543 - Release Date: 20/11/2006