Re: Silverlight Demos

  • From: Jamal Mazrui <empower@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:24:14 -0400 (EDT)

I found this article
Accessibility Support Documentation for Silverlight
http://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/WCAG20/implementation-report/Silverlight_accessibility_support_statement

It claims that Silverlight2 is mostly accessible with JAWS 9 if a JAWS ini
file, about which I had never heard, is tinkered with.  One also has to
toggle off the virtual cursor.

IronPython is being promoted as a particularly good language for
Silverlight apps.  I tried beginner samples, but could not get any to work
with JAWS9, 10, or Window-Eyes 7.1 public beta.  I was not willing to
tinker with the ini file, figuring that at least the latest JAWS 10 should
recognize the Silverlight plug-in.

I would love to find out otherwise, but my present conclusion is that
Silverlight is essentially inaccessible to users of Windows screen
readers.  This is surprising and disappointing given that Microsoft has
developed accessibility APIs that supposedly give us access to such rich
media applications.

Adobe AIR, by the way, is even worse.  With Silverlight, I got the title
of the sample in Internet Explorer.  With Adobe AIR samples, I get no
speech whatsoever.
 All of these trials have been after downloading the very latest plug-ins
for both users and developers.

Unfortunately, I think that blind consumer groups with the ability to
influence Microsoft and Adobe have been lulled into a mistaken sense that
new platforms would be designed with accessibility so as not to repeat the
GUI accessibility problems of the 1990s.
 Major software publishers like them and others have mastered the art of
doing just enough incrementally so that they appear to be acting on
accessibility as an integral design principle, and that any current
problems are just temporary snags, with full access around the
corner.
 They know the right buzz phrases for government and consumer audiences.
In truth, however, I fear we are going to lose significant ground again if
we do not turn up the pressure!

Jamal

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