[gui-talk] Voiceover

[Dean Martineau]

The kinds of questions Albert asks are the sort of questions the Federation
staff should have taken on objectivbely, but didn't, and I'll be surprised
if they ever do, because they'll have to admit they actually erred.  The
choice of Mac vs. Windows, and trhen Voice Over vs. any of several windows
screen readers, gets down to learning style, economics,and the functions you
want to perform with the computer.  As I understand it, MS Office is not
accessible but there are alternatives which can work in some situations.
Anything media-related will be at least as good with the Mac and will
probably be supported by Voice Over.  One advantage of Voice Over and the
Mac is that one needs to learn many fewer keystrokes.  One does things,
apparently effectively, in much more the way a sighted computer user will do
them.  For some learners, this is clearly an advantage.  The point is that
somebody who knows both systems well, and probably who likes them both,
should be conducting the analysis.  Such people do exist, and if they don't,
it would be a great function of that Baltimore Center to seriously acquire
the skill.   


Dean

-----Original Message-----
From: gui-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:gui-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of albert griffith
Sent: Saturday, July 25, 2009 4:05 PM
To: 'NFBnet GUI Talk Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [gui-talk] Voiceover

Hello Curtis:
If someone needs to access, Ms. Office, a media player to rip, burn,
organize and play files along with managing place markers in a wide range of
file types
will the voiceover work? This person has to access the acrobat reader, an
instant messenger and an internet browser.  
-----Original Message-----
From: gui-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:gui-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Curtis Chong
Sent: Saturday, July 25, 2009 5:56 PM
To: 'NFBnet GUI Talk Mailing List'
Subject: [gui-talk] Voiceover

On July 25, 2009, Kevin Fjelsted wrote in relevant part:

"The fact that the NFB technology center chooses to publish inaccuracies and
propaganda which is so misleading must mean that the existing companies like
Freedom Scientific are running scared and trying to rally resources to quash
VoiceOver usage."

Having managed the International Braille and Technology Center for five
years, I think I can say with some credibility that the Braille Monitor
article which Kevin refers to was not intended to be deliberately
inaccurate.  Nor was it intended to (as he says) "quash VoiceOver usage."

The article that was published in the June edition of the Braille Monitor
was clearly written from the perspective of a community which, in the main,
has strong familiarity with the Windows operating system, Windows-based
screen access technology, and Windows conventions.  Having read the article
myself and reviewed some of the responses to it, I would acknowledge that
the article can be said to contain some inaccuracies and erroneous
conclusions.  However, the perspective of the author, while not that of a
VoiceOver user, is reflective of the majority of blind computer users who,
today, are familiar with Windows.  Clearly, the author of the article was
not aware that there is a very dedicated community of blind people who have
developed a high degree of understanding, competence, and sophistication
with VoiceOver and the Macintosh.  The article would have been well served
if the author had been able to talk with some of these people.

This may have been the case when the article was written, but I am confident
that the voices of the Macintosh and VoiceOver community have been heard and
are even now being consulted.

Cordially,

Curtis Chong



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