[blindlaw] Screenreader usage information

[Steve Jacobson]

Scott,

I am not a lawyer but try to help out with technical aspects of this list and therefore read it regularly.  My background is 
as a computer analyst and being involved a lot in technology.

With this background, I am very glad to see the interest that you are expressing in finding accessible solutions for web 
design.  Personally, I have no reservations about you collecting screen reader usage information, but I want to caution 
you that building accessibility around a particular screen reader and version is not going to prove adequate.  To use 
particular screen readers for testing is certainly reasonable, though.  There is enough written and enough options as well 
as enough people around to help find accessibility techniques that are not specific to particular screen readers.  Does 
this mean you have to have answers that work with all versions of all screen readers?  Of course not.  However, please 
take this into account as you map out your plans.  If you need to talk to others with a technical background, write to me 
off list and I can get you in contact with such people.  I apologize if I am preaching to the choir and you already know 
this, but there have been examples of companies who tailored their solutions for one version of a screen reader to 
become frustrated when people using other screen readers were not grateful and when a new version of the chosen 
screen reader broke some of the fixes.  I want to be sure to save you and us that difficulty.

Best regards,

Steve Jacobson, Vice-president
National Federation of the Blind in Computer Science

On Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:22:29 -0500, Scott Plumlee wrote:

>Hello to the list.  I'm a web developer with a large online legal
>services company with a name very similar to a luxury car
>manufacturer.  I'm leading a project for accessibility in our
>products, and one piece of information we are trying to determine is
>the usage of screenreaders, by manufacturer and version.  If you
>wouldn't mind sharing this information with us, please reply either to
>the list or directly to my address: scottplumlee at gmail.com.  Feel free
>to just state something such as "JAWS version 8" or "Home Reader", as
>much information as you would like to share.  Thank you for your time.

>If you would like to share any experiences with my companies product,
>feel free to contact me  directly as well.
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