- From: Gregory J. Rosmaita <unagi69@concentric.net>
- Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2000 05:32:33 -0400
- To: Lakespur Roca <lake@netscape.com>
- Cc: User Agent Guidelines Emailing List <w3c-wai-ua@w3.org>
Netscape 6 Installation Notes
build 6.0.16-nb1b.200033112
evaluation performed by Gregory J. Rosmaita <unagi69@concentric.net>
NOTE: This evaluation is divided into 3 parts:
PART ONE: MATERIALS USED IN THIS EVALUATION
PART TWO: DESCRIPTION OF THE NAVIGATOR 6 INSTALLATION
PROCESS USING JAWS for WINDOWS, A SCREEN-
ACCESS PROGRAM FROM HENTER-JOYCE
PART THREE: CONCLUSIONS
DISCLAIMER: This note, though cross-posted to the W3C's User Agent
Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG) working group's mailing list, reflects my
conclusions alone, and is not to be construed as reflecting a consensus of
the UAAG WG. It has been posted to the list for review and commentary by
the product's developer and members of the working group.
PART ONE: MATERIALS USED IN THIS EVALUATION
Gateway Solo LS2500 Laptop, with Micron PC Windows95 keyboard
RAM: 224MB
CPU: Pentium II, 366MHz
OS: Windows95 (version 4.01.0.971.B)
Video Card Details:
type: NeoMagic MagicGraph 128XD
software version: 4.10.01.0009-Q6.16.02
drivers: nmgc.drv, nmgcVdd.vxd,NmgcDD.dll
Display Settings:
color palette: 256 Colors
desktop area: 800 by 600 pixels
Sound Card: NeoMagic MagicWave 3DX Sound System
(driver: NMA255.VXD version >4.0.13.2420)
Screen-Reader:
JFW version: 3.50.25 <http://www.hj.com>
Synthesizers:
software: Eloquence for JFW (provided with 3.5 release)
hardware: DECTalk Express (using HJ-supplied drivers)
Executable:
"NetscapeSetup.exe" (English Windows version;
build 6.0.16-nb1b.200033112; downloaded from
NetCenter)
PART TWO: DESCRIPTION OF THE NAVIGATOR 6 INSTALLATION
PROCESS USING JAWS for WINDOWS, A SCREEN-
ACCESS PROGRAM FROM HENTER-JOYCE
1. First dialog box (title: Welcome)
1A. dialog box voiced completely, accurately, and in proper
sequential order
2. second dialog box (title: Software License Agreement)
2A. dialog box voiced in a logical order--although JFW skipped
over the edit-area containing the actual license agreement,
it was clear from the contents of the box that one needed
to move to the edit box in order to review the contents of
the license agreement; and, while only the default button
("Accept") was automatically voiced, this is one of the
best implementations of this type of dialog box that i've
encountered in quite a long time!
3. Third Dialog Box (title: Setup Type)
3A. only the dialog title ("Setup Type"); the default directory
("C:\Program Files\Netscape\Netscape 6"); the default
selection ("Typical; radio button checked, one of four");
and the default button ("Next") were automatically voiced
by JFW.
3B. using JFW's "Read Box in Tab Order" command, the contents of
the dialog box were voiced in the following order:
Setup Type
bullet Typical radio button checked
quarter-circle Complete radio button not checked
quarter-circle Navigator radio button not checked
quarter-circle Custom radio button not checked
Program will be installed with the most common
options but without Java
You may choose the options you want to install.
Recommended for advanced users.
Program will be installed with the most common
options, including Java
Navigator only, with no other options
Destination Directory group box
C:\Program Files\Netscape\Netscape 6
Browse button
Back button
Next button
Cancel button
Click on the type of Setup you prefer, then click
Next
Readme
C:\Program Files\Netscape\Netscape 6
Note: JFW did not read the dialog box in the correct
order; in particular, it read down the column of
radio buttons, then read the description for the
"Typical" installation, skipped to the description
for the "Custom" installation, and then read the
descriptions for "Complete" and "Navigator" setup
types.
3C. chose "Custom" installation, and changed destination
directory
4. Fourth Dialog Box (title: Select Components)
4A. JFW automatically voiced this dialog box as follows:
Select Components
Setup
Select components dialog
Download size
Components
D
list box -- no selected item -- 1 of 7
4B. using JFW's "Read Box in Tab Order" command, the contents of
the dialog box were voiced in the following order:
Setup Type
Back button
Next button
Cancel button
Select the components you want to install, clear the
components you do not want to install.
Components
Description group box
Enables Java in Netscape
Disk space information group box
Total Download Size 16089k
Select components dialog
Download size
Components
D
list box; Components; no selected item; 1 of 7
By repeatedly reviewing the contents of the dialog box, in
conjunction with frequent recourse to JFW's routing commands
to move focus to and from the application cursor, then hitting
the spacebar, and once again reviewing the contents of the
dialog box to ascertain what had changed, it was possible, but
not probable, that a blind individual using JFW could
independently run a customized installation of Navigator 6.
4C. JFW failed to recognize when an item in the list box was
selected. It consistently reported, "Components D list box;
no selected item; 1 of 7" -- "Components D list box; no
selected item; 2 of 7"; etc. so i could, at least, ascertain
which list item i was on. Hitting the spacebar (the default
windows toggle for select/unselect, caused JFW to announce
the "Download Size" for the selected item, which JFW
continued to report as "not selected" when the "Say Window
Prompt and Text" command--which causes JFW
to announce the type of control that currently has focus,
and reads the associated label, if one is present, was
invoked in order to re-orient oneself within the list box
by ascertaining first where one was within the list (i.e.
"list item 4 of 7"), and then routing the JAWS (screen
review) cursor to the application cursor, and querying
JFW to "Read Line". Thus, without sighted assistance, it
is extremely difficult and time-consuming to independently
verify that an item is either checked or unchecked.
Likewise, when focus shifted from item to item in the list
box, neither the change in the "Description" nor the "Disk
Space Information" group box was spoken, and had to be
exposed using JFW's screen review commands and/or
mouse emulation keys.
SUMMATION OF POINTS
These are extremely serious accessibility problems--even a
"power user" such as myself found it excruciatingly slow going
--not to mention quite challenging--to ensure that i had the
settings i wanted set, set correctly. The only way to check
whether an item was selected or not selected was to use JFW's
screen review/mouse emulation keys to grope around the dialog
box for the "Disk Space Information" field, listen to the
value for disk space required, then return to the same item in
the list box, hit the spacebar again, return to the "Disk Space
Information" group box to ascertain if the value shown had
either increased or decreased, and proceed accordingly. Using
this trial-and-error method of verifying installation settings
was extremely time consuming--in all, it took me over an hour
to independently verify that i had indeed selected the
components that i wanted to install. It should be noted that
the only reason that i was able to accomplish this task in an
hour was that -- due to my testing and exploration of the
dialog box, i had some idea of where to "look" for the
disparate items enumerated above. If i had not been testing
this product for the accessibility of its installation procedure,
i would have abandoned the installation, and not loaded the
software.
It is imperative, therefore, that Netscape improve the labeling
of the NetscapeSetup program--otherwise, it is nearly impossible
for an individual using a screen access program, such as a screen
reader or refreshable braille display, to independently select
which components of Navigator 6 he or she wishes to install.
5. Fifth Dialog Box (title: Program Folder)
5A. JFW automatically voiced the following information:
Program Folder
Setup
Program Folder dialog
Setup will add program icons to the program folder listed
below. You can type a new folder name, or select
one from the existing folder list. Click Next
to continue.
Add Program Folder
E x i s t i n g Folder
Program Folder edit
Navigator 6
hitting the TAB key brings one to the "Existing Folders" list box
which is announced thus:
Existing Folders list box
not selected Accessories
i could not ascertain the number of items in the list box until
i established focus on the first item in the list box, using the
spacebar.
5B. Using JFW's "Read Box in Tab Order" command, JFW read:
Program Folder edit
Navigator 6
Existing folders list box
[read names of the 9 existing folders that fit in the list
box]
Scroll down symbol
Back button
Next button
Cancel button
Setup will add program icons to the program folder listed
below. You can type a new folder name, or select
one from the existing folder list. Click Next
to continue.
6. Sixth Dialog Box (title: Start Install)
6A. JFW automatically voiced the following information:
Start Install
Setup
Start Install dialog
Setup has enough information to start copying the program
files. If you want to review or change settings,
click Back. If you are satisfied with the current
settings, click Install to start copying files.
Current Settings
Current Settings edit
6B. Using JFW's "Read Box in Tab Order" command, JFW read:
Start Install
Current Settings
Current Settings edit
Back button
Install button
Cancel button
Setup has enough information to start copying the program
files. If you want to review or change settings,
click Back. If you are satisfied with the current
settings, click Install to start copying files.
A sighted user confirmed that the current settings were not
displayed, so they are inaccessible to everyone.
7. Seventh Dialog Box (title: Downloading File, 1 of 10)
7A. Contents of this dialog box only voiced when box received focus
(i.e. via ALT+TAB) or when JFW's "Read Box in TAB Order" command
was invoked.
8. Six times, the "Downloading File" interface issued an error message,
despite my being connected at 49.9kbps, the contents of which had to
be revealed using JFW's Screen review commands. Using the Read Box
in TAB Order" command, the following was voiced:
Netscape SmartDownload
Yes button
No button
Graphic 182
There was a temporary network error preventing the download
of your file. Would you like to try your download
again?
After the sixth "SmartDownload" error, i chose "No", but that
simply looped me back into the "Downloading File 1 of 10" dialog
box, with focus on the "Resume" button. Optimistically, i chose
"Resume", and shortly thereafter, the "SmartDownload" error
message transcribed above was re-generated. i let the
"SmartDownload" attempt to download the selected files for the
seventh time, but once again--after a 10 or 15 minute wait--
received the "SmartDownload" error message transcribed above yet
again. When i chose "No", and was returned to the "Resume" button,
i tabbed to the "Cancel" button, and JFW fully and accurately
voiced the resultant dialog box which asked for confirmation of
my cancellation of the download.
Netscape SmartDownload
Are you sure you want to cancel your download?
Yes button
No button
When i chose "Yes", the Setup Program closed itself, and the
installation was aborted.
9. I reran NetscapeSetup.exe and had to reset all of the settings
i had previously set (refer to items 1 through 6).
After the third "SmartDownload" error, i chose "No", and was
returned to the "Resume" button, i tabbed to the "Cancel" button,
and JFW fully and accurately voiced the resultant dialog box which
asked for confirmation of my cancellation of the download. When i
chose "Yes", the Setup Program closed itself, and the installation
was once again aborted.
PART THREE: CONCLUSIONS
1. The customization portion of the installation process is so
extremely difficult to use in an eyes-free environment, that
it is unreasonable to expect any user to exercise the extreme
patience and considerable skill necessary to successfully complete
the installation process.
2. It would greatly ease the burden of installation if it was
possible to select the components one wishes to download
from a WCAG-compliant web-based form (which used LABEL, FIELDSET,
and LEGEND), before downloading an executable, which could then
be run (and Navigator 6 actually installed) at the user's
convenience, and not leave the user prey to the tender mercies of
the capricious gods of connectivity.
3. Based upon the inaccessibility of the installation process--in
particular, that enumerated as 3 and 4 in Part Two of these notes--
it is my conclusion that the first public release of Navigator 6
does NOT comply with the User Agent Accessibility Guidelines, 1.0
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ACCOUNTABILITY, n. The mother of caution.
-- Ambrose Bierce, _The Devil's Dictionary_
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Gregory J. Rosmaita <unagi69@concentric.net>
Camera Obscura <http://www.hicom.net/~oedipus/index.html>
VICUG NYC <http://www.hicom.net/~oedipus/vicug/>
Read 'Em & Speak <http://www.hicom.net/~oedipus/books/>
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Received on Thursday, 6 April 2000 05:22:16 UTC