RE: Assistive technologies

On Thu, 19 Oct 2006, John Foliot wrote:

> Anna.Yevsiyevich@kohls.com wrote:
> >
> > What we would like to do is create a retail website that is accessible
> > to as many people as possible.  This means we will need to test it
> > with the equipment people might use (though not all disabled people
> > would need equipment to use the site).  Would you have any
>
> Anna,
> This becomes a complicated question, as the myriad of combinations of
> assistive technology that may be used is both extensive and spread over
> multiple platforms.
>
> > I see that Microsoft has a screen
> > reader, there is also JAWS, I also saw a braille reader.  Is there
>
> For what it is worth, JAWS is the market leader for screen reading
> technology, followed by WindowEyes.  There are other solutions out there as
> well - I have IBM HomePageReader installed here for demo purposes. Many of
> these screen readers can output either audio rendering, or coupled with a
> Braille refresh bar, Braille text.

> Then of course there is the whole Macintosh platform situation.  The latest
> version of Macintosh has taken great pains to ensure that "accessibility" is
> a core component of the operating system (as I happily discovered 2 weeks
> ago at a presentation by a Senior Product Manager from Apple).


AND then there is the entire opensource movment which cannot be tracked
because it is not sold, but freely shared or given.  I don't think there
is anyone with even a clue of how many people use LYNX which is cross
platform or the free screen readers of which EMACspeak is probaably the
most used

and remember under the various USA Federal laws nothing can be browser
dependent unless all of the software neccesary to read that is freely
provided.

I doubt Micro$oft will give away windows XP just so a freely given version
of Jaws can be used to read something because a MAC or UNIX, or BsD or
LINUX or whatever operating system cannot use the site.

maybe the hardest part to remember is that M$ may claim to rule the world
it does not.

example   I am visiting this e-mail and responding using a Dvorak keyboard
on SUSE operating system, accessing the web with MINICOM, and reading this
e-mail with PINE, and no mouse of any kind.   and dern if it doesn't
work... because mail and this  list have set standards that will work with
dern near anything.

the beauty of the world wide web.

oh and one other thing to consider, the ONE LAPTOP PER CHILD project is
using a version of LINUX for at least the first couple million laptops
being distributed.

Bob


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Received on Thursday, 19 October 2006 17:51:56 UTC