[access-uk] Vista: another view

This message, although appearing on the GUI talk list, I found a little
while ago on TAFN's list.

Briefly two things:
1.  Not sure if in fact UI automation is being shipped as part of the first
release of Vista.
2 I believe the speech input facility isn't really very accessable without
scripting or other means of bridging to screen reader software.


From: "Steve Pattison" <
To: "GUI Talk" <
gui-talk@xxxxxxxxxx

Sent: Monday, June 05, 2006 7:10 PM
Subject: Article: MS: Vista Most Accessible Windows Ever

 This article is taken from the BetaNews home page at
 ww.betanews.com.  -Steve.

 MS: Vista Most Accessible Windows Ever

 By Ed Oswald,
 BetaNews
 June 5, 2006, 3:02 PM

 Windows Vista will be one of the most accessible operating systems that
 Microsoft
 has ever released, the company said Monday. New features for those with
 disabilities
 take into account three years of research by Microsoft, and is being led
 by Rob Sinclair.
 Sinclair is the new director of Microsoft's Accessible Technology Group.
 "Developing
 new ways to make technology easier for people to use has always been one
 of my passions,"
 he says. "I've really been pursuing the same goals throughout my career."

 There is good reason for Microsoft to focus heavily on accessibility. A
 commissioned
 study by Forrester found that 57 percent of working-age computer users
 benefit from
 such technology. These features are especially helpful for those with
 vision, hearing
 and mobility problems.

 Thus, Microsoft has focused its efforts to improve accessibility into
 three different
 areas: an Ease of Access center to assist users in finding ways to make
 using their
 computer easier; new technologies, such as better speech recognition and
 magnification;
 and Microsoft UI Automation.

 First, the Ease of Access Center is a redesigned version of the
 Accessibility control
 panel option. Microsoft is moving away from the "disability" or
 "accessibility" terms,
 as it found that users ignored the features since they didn't identify as
 disabled.

 A wizard would walk users through the new features and help to select
 which ones
 would be the most appropriate. "The task-based questions in the Ease of
 Access center
 allow us to gather information about our customers' requirements and
 preferences
 based on their daily experiences," Sinclair explained.

 Second, new technologies within Vista will enhance accessibility options
 that were
 also available in previous versions of Windows. Speech recognition has
 been improved
 to allow for PC control by voice. The feature is designed to adapt over
 time, meaning
 the software will learn a user's style and vocabulary.

 Additionally, a new magnification layer has been added to the user
 interface that
 would dramatically improve the quality of magnified imagery and text for
 those with
 vision problems.

 "Instead of stretching an image to enlarge it, which often creates jagged
 edges and
 other distortions, magnifying an image in Windows Vista is more like
 changing a font
 size," Sinclair said. "It is rendered at a larger size from the start."

 Finally, a new testing model called Microsoft UI Automation would make it
 easier
 for third parties to incorporate accessibility features into their
 software. Integrated
 into the model are 18 different core behaviors that assist in making an
 application
 more accessible.

 Sinclair believes that the vision of a computer system that can adapt to
 the needs
 of any user is no longer just a concept, but something that users will
 benefit from
 upon the release of Vista.

 "The field of accessibility is one of the most exciting places to work in
 the industry,"
 he said. "At Microsoft, we have a huge opportunity to improve the way
 everyone interacts
 with technology, and we have the vision, motivation and engineering power
 to make
 it a reality."


 Regards Steve
 Email:
srp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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