Actually many, though not all, Microsoft documents explicitly describe
Narrator as a "screen reader", though they usually state it is basic
compared to third-party alternatives. e.g.:
http://urlx.org/microsoft.com/31d64
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms971307.aspx
But that's partly because, like VoiceOver, Narrator relies on the native
accessibility framework rather than employing video intercepts or
special API hooks. (Only partly; Narrator doesn't have many options in
terms of customization either.)
--
Benjamin Hawkes-Lewis
Dane Trethowan wrote:
Ok, well second to this, Microsoft bundle Narrator as "assistive
technology" and they actually state that Narrator is not intended to be
a Screen Reader.
On 10/07/2007, at 5:58 PM, Benjamin Hawkes-Lewis wrote:
Microsoft already bundle a screen reader with Windows (Microsoft
Narrator). It's just not a very good screen reader. It's actually
comparable to VoiceOver in some ways. From what I can understand, the
truly key differences are that Apple's Accessibility API was developed
years after Microsoft Active Accessibility and that more Mac
applications use Apple's widget set and so get accessibility for free
than Windows applications use Microsoft's widgets. Both Apple and
Microsoft persist in making software that fails to use their own
accessibility framework fully (e.g. iWeb and Office for Windows).
Limitations of current accessibility frameworks and applications failing
to use them properly or provide other means of access, is actually a
much bigger problem than any limitations with VoiceOver or Narrator,
since it inhibits both commercial and free and open source solutions
from plugging the gaps.
Whether or not software companies can be held directly to account for
failing to take reasonable means to make their products accessible,
companies and especially the government can be held to account for
buying inaccessible software and excluding people from disabilities from
employment. The corporate and public sectors are worth far more money to
Microsoft than individual users with disabilities at home.
If web development is any indication, software architected to be usable
to people with different abilities from the ground up should be better
for all users in the end. Avoiding accessibility issues can be false
economy and the "majority of users" can be an ultimately self-defeating
target, abstracted from the real variety of human ability and the aging
populations of the developed world.
--
Benjamin Hawkes-Lewis
Dane Trethowan wrote:
Yes Ian, that's all quite accurately summed up and I certainly think
that $2,500.00 is an outragious price to pay for that screen reader,
that's why I won't buy it but on the other hand, if Microsoft don't
want to develop a Screen Reader then in no way should any pressure be
brought to bare upon them to do so, Microsoft are a company who market
products to a majority of users and unfortunate as it is, the majority
of Microsoft users are not blind just as the majority of Apple users are.
On 10/07/2007, at 1:31 PM, Ian Blackburn wrote:
hi all
regarding this thread with M$ Dollar and screen readers it might be
all right for people to say m$ should not make a screen reader but I
live In australia and it costs about $2,500 for Jaws and only about
1300 for a PC that is about $4000 that is too much I can buy a imac 17
inch for about $1700 I think it is unfare of M$ and the us government
to preclude m$ makeing a screen reader and I would not care less if
Freedom Scientific or GW micro went out out business.
some people can get grants for equipment but not all and 68% of the
working age blind in Australia dont work
If Apple can do cross subsidization to make screen reader so can m$ nd
it is about time the US government helped them.
regards
Ian
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Dane Trethowan
From Melton Victoria Australia
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Dane Trethowan
From Melton Victoria Australia
Email [EMAIL PROTECTED]
phone uk 0121 288 4976
Phone/tty (+61 3) 9747 975
Fax +61 3 9743 7954
mobile/sms: +61425 777 508
Skype: callto:grtdane12
MSN: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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