Re: Why isn't Open Office on Windows Accessible?

  • From: "Jay Macarty" <jay.macarty2009@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:28:55 -0500

One of the ideas I have been toying with for the java screen reader (either 
we4java or jac) is providing a set of runtime annotations which could be used 
to enhance an application's accessibility by allowing the app developer to put 
in self voicing annotations. There are differing schools of thought on self 
voicing. Some say it is good because the developer knows the app best and where 
self voicing would be helpful. On the other hand, putting in self voicing 
without providing the user a way of controling it or turning off certain levels 
of it, takes away from the user's control over the accessibility feedback. If 
we put self voicing annotations into the java screen reader, a developer could 
add them in if desired but the base screen reader code base would still have 
control and could provide a common mechanism for allowing the user to adjust 
the self voicing feedback.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Ken Perry 
  To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Friday, August 13, 2010 5:20 PM
  Subject: RE: Why isn't Open Office on Windows Accessible?


  I agree with Chris H.'s answer but I want to point out it's our fault it's 
not already accessible.  I wrote a simple talking java screen reader that did 
very little but it made it so I could use  Open Office. Crappily but the 
buttons talked and all and I did this in like 200 lines of code.  I know that 
code got passed around and I have since lost my copy but it  can be done by 
replacing the access bridge with self voicing code.  It just takes someone 
actually doing it. 

   

  I am interested to see where Open Office goes now that it is Oricals.  I am 
worried about all Java stuff now that Orical is trying to Sew Google into 
stopping Android.  It's a crazy world.

   

  Ken

  From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
[mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Kerneels Roos
  Sent: Friday, August 13, 2010 3:30 AM
  To: programmingblind
  Subject: Why isn't Open Office on Windows Accessible?

   

  Hi List,

  Sorry if this question has been raised before and dealt with. Does anyone 
know exactly why the Windows version of Open Office is only partly accessible 
with a screen reader, while the Linux version is streets ahead? Because Open 
Office is written in Java I assume the code base is 98% identical across 
platforms. Is the problem mainly with the JAB (Java Access Bridge) or with the 
screen readers themselves? Could the JAB not be open sourced so it can be 
updated to bridge Java, MSAA, UIA and any other access middle ware standard? 

  NVDA works the best with Open Office, so I would assume it makes the best use 
of the JAB. Is there other Java to access technology middle ware in common use 
today?

  I can remember a really long thread that in part had some info on Java 
accessibility, but I just can't justify going through all that to possibly find 
out more.

  Keep well


  -- 
  Kerneels Roos
  Cell/SMS: +27 (0)82 309 1998
  Skype: cornelis.roos

  The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese!

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