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<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=185112418-07022008>Hi Gerry,</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=185112418-07022008></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=185112418-07022008>
<DIV><SPAN class=185112418-07022008>> </SPAN>Has your campus gone to a
product like Google apps or something equivalent? If you have, what?</DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=185112418-07022008>> </SPAN>The more important question is
are there concerns with accessibility of these products?</DIV></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=185112418-07022008></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=185112418-07022008>This came up several
months ago on another list and I am re-posting some of the comments I made
there. My comments specifically address the Google interface (Gmail) as I
have not had a chance to really dive into other products (see John Foliot's
message for others). I focused my comments at the time on JAWS (as that is
what the original question asked), but have found similar experiences with all
the screen-readers out there (e.g., Window-Eyes, Supernova, etc.). Each
one has different advantages and customizations to improve the user experience,
but the real issue is how the page is delivered so that AT can interact with the
content.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=185112418-07022008></SPAN><SPAN
class=185112418-07022008></SPAN><SPAN
class=185112418-07022008></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><SPAN class=185112418-07022008>So, the short answer:
Yes, there are issues. That being said, there are some workarounds that a
student can use in order to improve the functionality between G-Mail and a
screen-reader but it is not going to be "the same experience" a student not
using a screen-reader. <BR> <BR>First, have the student enable "Basic
HTML" after logging into the G-mail interface (this is a hyperlink at the bottom
of the page). You can generally find this through the screen-reader's list
of hyperlinks. While this does remove some of the "interactive"
functionality, it does improve the user experience by adding headings to various
menu items such that the user can jump around through the interface. <BR>
<BR>There is also some hidden text a screen-reader will speak when first logging
into G-mail that suggests if using a screen-reader to enable the basic HTML
option. <BR> <BR>When using the basic HTML option, the message titles are
hyperlinks and these can be browsed by using the list of hyperlinks. <BR>
<BR>You can also "Tab" through the basic HTML interface as well. If
tabbing around the interface, when you get to the messages you will hear
information about a checkbox and the sender first, followed by the message
title. This can generally be customized a bit by a screen-reader user
(I have seen an elegant example of this with Supernova) to give you the
same information in a different order.<BR> <BR>When viewing a message (in
basic HTML mode), the subject will be a heading level 2 and the name of the
sender will be a heading level 3, which means that you will then have to
navigate through the To: and From: information, but at least you will not have
to listen to the entire interface. <BR> <BR>What you can also do when
viewing a message is to jump to the "Show Original" hyperlink - do not choose
the "Activate Link" option in a screen-reader, rather just use the "Move to
Link" option (each screen-reader calls this something a bit different).
Suffice to say, all you want to do is navigate the virtual focus to this
hyperlink, not activate it. This will jump you past the message To: and
From: information and allow you to proceed directly into the message reply.
<BR> <BR>When writing a message, make sure to enter forms mode in the text
area to reply to a message. The text area is not very well labeled, but is
just after the button marked "More Reply Options". <BR> <BR>This should
get you started. There have been improvements in the G-mail interface, but
(IMO) there could still be additional improvements to really enhance the
usability when using a screen-reader or other AT. There is a group working
on accessibility now at Google, but they are just starting to get their wheels
rolling so it may still be a bit of time before we see any major
developments. I know there is going to be a presence at CSUN, so it
may be beneficial (if you are there) to comment about the need for
accessible apps in the higher educational space.<BR> <BR>The accessibility
team at Google is aware of several of the issues. However, I think it is
*very* important to communicate these concerns to the Google representative your
institution is working with. I have had conversations with a few that
indicated they were not aware of how much an issue accessibility was at the
higher ed level and how much of an effect it could have on product adoption
(they may have heard of 508, but not all were aware of how it impacts
a public higher-ed institution). If multiple people are clamoring for
changes to improve accessibility, then that does have an impact when considering
development priorities.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=185112418-07022008></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=185112418-07022008>The last consideration was to look at the
option of IMAP support. There are some portable e-mail solutions
(Thunderbird on USB drive) that may also be a consideration where the user could
use this method to interact with Gmail (or any other IMAP solution).</DIV>
<DIV><BR> <BR>Take care,<BR>Sean <BR> <BR>Sean Keegan<BR>Web
Accessibility Instructor<BR>High Tech Center Training Unit of the California
Community Colleges </SPAN></DIV></BODY></HTML>