Navigator 6 (English Windows) Installation Notes

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

-------------------------------------------------------------------
ACCOUNTABILITY, n.  The mother of caution.
                         -- Ambrose Bierce, _The Devil's Dictionary_
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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/>
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Received on Thursday, 6 April 2000 05:22:16 UTC