- 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 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