RE: Tasks: browser <-> screen reader

Within the Windows Platform we have a flag, known as the "Screen Reader
Present" flag.  It is set and queried through the SystemsParameterInfo()
API.  There is no end-user means to turn this flag on, it must be done
programmatically via the screen reader.

Internet Explorer 3.x and 4.x do the following when this flag is turned on:

*	When images are turned off, automatically enlarge the image box to
include all the ALT text that is available.

Similarly there is a "High Contrast" flag which can be turned on and off via
the Accessibility Options Control Panel.  Please note that while HC color
schemes are available for Windows NT 4.0, the High Contrast flag is not.
This is fixed in Windows NT 5.0 and is of course available on Windows 95 and
Windows 98.

Internet Explorer 3.x and 4.x do the following when this flag is turned on:

*	Turn off the background bitmap
*	Double the font size being used
*	Ignore the page specified fonts, colors and font styles and use the
ones specified in the Colors and Font dialog box.

Charles Oppermann
Program Manager, Active Accessibility, Microsoft Corporation
 <mailto:chuckop@microsoft.com> mailto:chuckop@microsoft.com
<http://microsoft.com/enable/> http://microsoft.com/enable/
"A computer on every desk and in every home, usable by everyone!"

		-----Original Message-----
		From:	Jon Gunderson [mailto:jongund@staff.uiuc.edu]
		Sent:	Monday, March 09, 1998 1:11 PM
		To:	David Poehlman; w3c-wai-ua@w3.org
		Subject:	Re: Tasks: browser <-> screen reader

		Response to David by JRG:
		I think it would be difficult in some operating systems for
the browser to
		know there is a screen reader, escpecially UNIX.  I think
that the browser
		should have features that can support screen readers, but I
am not sure we
		should require screen readers to be detected.  It is not
clear to me that
		there would be a good consensus between screen reader
manufactures about
		what the browser should do if it new there was a screen
reader present.
		Jon
		At 06:39 PM 4/6/98 -0400, David Poehlman wrote:
		>I finally got in and read the page.  I have a couple of
comments.  is it
		>possible for the ua to sense that there is a screenreader
and
		>automatically make at least the basic adjustment to pages
that come in or
		>perhaps automatically set a default that prevents the text
from extending
		>outside the window?
		>there are a few other things, but I'll be going back over
the document for
		>them.
		>
		>
		>Hands-On-Technolog(eye)s
		>touching the internet
		>voice: 1-(301) 949-7599
		>poehlman@clark.net
		>ftp://ftp.clark.net/pub/poehlman
		>http://www.clark.net/pub/poehlman
		>
		>
		Jon Gunderson, Ph.D., ATP
		Coordinator of Assistive Communication and Information
Technology
		Division of Rehabilitation - Education Services
		University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign
		1207 S. Oak Street
		Champaign, IL 61820

		Voice: 217-244-5870
		Fax: 217-333-0248
		E-mail: jongund@uiuc.edu
		WWW:	http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~jongund
			http://www.als.uiuc.edu/InfoTechAccess

Received on Thursday, 9 April 1998 17:39:28 UTC