Hi, friends. My employer has upgraded its help desk database and now
JFW 3.2.31 will not work with it, though the newest patch would make no
difference with this anyhow.
I had the same problem sometime back with the first version of the Xerox
database. I was able to resolve the problem by putting a frame around the
field descriptions in the status bar.
Unfortunately, when the programmers upgraded the database two screens
have the status line descriptions, and one does not. This means I cannot
enter new files into the system withouta lot of sighted assistance or I
must have someone retype in the information I have put into Braille or
produced in another format. This particular screen has about 25 required
fields, depending on the type of service for the customer. It is where one
enters the type of printer, and the type of service requested, repair, tech
help over the phone, sending out a replacement part or driver diskette, etc.
I am a very very new script writer. I have begun going through Ken's
script manual, but since I can only experiment with the database at work,
this process is taking too long as my managers want me back on the phone or
answering customer e-mail. This means more and more Braile paper files have
to be created and I have to ask someone else to get off the phone to enter
my information into the database, or i have to print out or e-mail it to
them. After all this effort, I don't know if a script would work.
JAWS cannot tell me the labels for the edit boxes where information
goes in the new products screen for the labels for these are not standard.
They either use icons which are not spoken when pressing tab, or there are
no labels at all. "edit" is the only thing I hear when pressing the tab key.
Reclassing the windows does no good. The database is in Oracle with a Power
Builder front end and then some kind of interface that Xerox uses on top of
this. I have speech, Dectalk Access 32 and Braille, an ALVA 3 80 cell
display. On the two screens that do work, I can use the cursor touch pad on
the Braille display to simulate a click or double click because there are
labels here. Some work only with Braille, while others only can be heard
through JAWS. It took trial and error to figure out which label is for
which field, but that part works for the two introductory screens.
The last screen that gives me problems has no text labels, but has some
icons. I have maximized prompt detect and labeled all these graphics.
Still, all JFW says is "edit."
The programmers consider my problem with access a "low priority" so I
have no idea if or when someone will add status field descriptions. How can
one establish the window handles or controls when there are no text lables,
is this possible?
I have some knowledge of SQL so I thought I might be able to make an MS
Access database with all the appropriate tables and fields, but this would
seem to take as much time as the JAWS script learning.
Any suggestions about how I could make this work? I think my job might
be on the line depending on what decision is made about adding the status
descriptions. This kind of thing really annoys me, the database is using
non-standard windows design, I have ben told i'm very productive at work,
but this software puts my job in jeopardy. Besides sending the programmers
some info on making software accessible and working with them on how to make
the thing more speech friendly, does anyone have any other suggestions?
Thanks,
=Beth=
=Beth Hatch-Alleyne=
Justice Means Not Just Us.
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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Visit the jfw ml web page: http://yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au/~nallan/jfw
