Re: Screen Reader Programs

On Dec 9, 2011, at 2:42 PM, Wayne Dick wrote:

> Remember, when you meet WCAG and WAI ARIA, and a screen reader cannot
> read your site, your page is isn't the problem... the screen reader
> just has a bug.

Sorry Wayne, but this is a gross generalization. There's no way this statement is accurate. 

Wayne's point may have been better phrased as, "no software is bug-free." If something doesn't work the way you expect it to work, it might be user error, it might be an interface problem with the assistive technology, or it might be a software bug. If it is a bug, the bug might be in one (or more) of many places: the web page, the rendering engine, the browser, the accessibility framework, or perhaps in the screen reader.

The best thing to do in all of these cases is to file a bug. Be sure to include detailed steps of how to reproduce the bug, list what you expect should have happened, and include relevant versions of your software, like OS, screen reader, and browser version. All software companies have a way for customers to file bugs or register complaints, even if it's just via email. Just make sure let them know about it. All software companies like to fix bugs, too, but if you don't like them know about the problem, they may not even know that the bug exists.

Cheers,
James

Received on Saturday, 10 December 2011 01:00:10 UTC