Sadly, I must report that SP1 does not solve the issue of fixing the program so that VoiceOver, the resident screen reader for Mac OSX, works with the product. VoiceOver is still not able to read the content of the document pane. VoiceOver will read the toolbars and their content, and says that it is “interacting with document pane view” but that’s all. VoiceOver cannot read the content of the document pane, thus the product is still not accessible.

Perhaps what has impressed me most is the “touch screen” that is the main user interface. Like the move from the keyboard to the mouse – which Apple also perfected more than 25 years ago – the touch screen, I believe, is the way we will interact with computers in the future. I probably should expand that to include the fantastical 3D user interface that Tom Cruise’s character used in The Minority Report even though in that futuristic fantasy the interaction is between hands and holograms as opposed to actually touching a screen. But the concepts are the same – a more direct connection between human physical movement and the actions of a computer.

I think what I like best about the touch screen is how, almost intuitively (and I hate to even admit this), I was able to navigate the device. Being the typical red-blooded-American-male, I didn’t bother to read the directions until after I had given the device a good spin. I found it easy to navigate and move between apps and generally work the browser. The less intuitive stuff related to moving the badges around on the home screen or how to remove them from the device (I still don’t know how to do that on the Mac OS), I had to study to learn. But even these make sense if you think of it (unlike ejecting a CD by dragging it to the trash can – huh?).

The movement of dragging documents around on the screen to view them, squeezing and stretching them to zoom in and out and even the “flick of the finger” action of moving between pages is very close to the “feel” of hands and paper.

Well, it seems everyone has gotten into the “touch screen act” these days and yes things are getting ratcheted up dramatically with the recent release of the new Palm Pre – another touch screen dependent smart phone - in addition to the pending release of the Apple iPhone 3G S. Add to this is Microsoft’s announcement that touch screen capacity has been added into Window 7 (additional hardware required), and it is pretty clear that within a couple of years we will see more and more people engaging their technology “by touch” rather than using a clunky piece of hardware like a mouse or keyboard. Or will we?

Of course all of this creates many new challenges for people with disabilities. How does this new technology work with people who cannot see?

I am sensing that solutions to some of these issues may already be on the drawing board – well at the very least, on Apple’s drawing board. We’ll have to wait and see if the solutions become widespread.

Apple’s solution is the inclusion of the native VoiceOver screenreader into the new iPhone O/S. By the way, I was a little miffed by Apple’s insistence that the iPhone O/S is actually a version of Mac O/S X – bit of stretch if you ask me, Cupertino.

In addition to VoiceOver – which at this point apparently only works with the iPhone’s Safari browser and “native” apps – the new iPhone has Voice Control which will make dialing calls, choosing music and even announcing music titles accessible to people with visual impairments. As demonstrated, Voice Control is a universally designed feature which give heads-up control to all users and allows those who cannot see the device better ability to engage it.

But the clincher may come with the issue of the touch keyboard. If people who are blind or have visual impairments want to use the iPhone 3G S to send text messages or otherwise input text into the device, they are going to have to learn how to “touch type” in a whole new way. And the success of that remains to be seen – sorry no pun intended.

Of course, the next iteration of the iPhone (4G?) might have voice-to-text built in, but since we haven’t mastered that on desktop computers, it might not be that soon. But those Apple people are crafty.

It’s only been 48 hours since Apple made their big announcements at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference – WWDC (which I affectionately have referred to as the “Apple-Love-In”). It is clearly too early to gauge how this new iPhone will work with folks with disabilities. So, I am waiting patiently for the final verdict from my screenreading colleagues who just can’t wait to get their hands on the new toys when they are release to the public next week. I am assuming that Apple live tested these new accessibility features extensively before now – at least I hope they have – but I want to hear from my friends about what they really think about these tools when the phone is released and in the hands of real users.

So to answer my own question, it is pretty apparent that touch screens are the next big thing in personal technology, but maybe just a temporary thing.

Your thoughts?

~j

Apple safari for Mac + PC

Judging from all the twittering on Twitter regarding the latest version of the Safari browser, most people seem pretty happy with the release.

This past Tuesday, February 24th, Apple released Safari 4.0 in public beta to the approving roar of Apple enthusiasts and technology wonks alike. Some in the industry have indicated that Safari 4.0 was long overdue, but as the latest round of browser wars seems to be reigniting, the timing of this release was pretty effective and perhaps well planned.

What is of concern to me is how well the new browser will behave in terms of accessibility and particularly how well it will interface with the Mac OS X screen reader – VoiceOver. Reports from my various colleagues who have been putting Safari 4.0 through its paces have been rather impressive. I suggest you head over to the Mac-accessibility blog for  the play-by-play and to get specifics, but the general consensus is that the new browser is a winner and seems to work well with assistive technology. For mere mortals, ZDNet has several reviews with all of the details.

~j

VoiceOver icon

[Originally posted October 19, 2008]

I think.

I had the opportunity to partake in a presentation at the ACTEM MainEducation 2008 Conference last Thursday (October 16, 2008) where the presenter Mike Shebanek, Product Marketing Manager in Apple’s worldwide software product marketing group and 14-year veteran of Apple Inc. spoke on the new and improved accessibility features of the Mac OS X.

In addition to showing all of the marvelous widgets and gizmos that are built throughout the operating system, half of Mike’s presentation was on the new VoiceOver “screen reader” that is built into the new OS. VoiceOver first appeared in 2005 in OS X v10.4 Tiger, but grew a more distinct reputation when v 10.5 – Leopard appeared. The major reason was the inclusion of a new “voice” – Alex. Quoting from Apple, “…the new voice of Mac OS X Leopard, speaks English and uses advanced new Apple technologies to deliver natural intonation even at extraordinarily fast speaking rates.” My blind friend Steve noted that “Alex breathes!”

Those who know me know that “I’m a PC” and although I’ve tried not to get caught up in the hype of the OS Wars, Macs and I have not always gotten along very well. My first foray into AppleLand was in 1999 when I joined the staff at Maine ASCD – an All Mac Environment. Ironically, I had interviewed at Bates College earlier that fall – another All Mac Environment – and was assured by the folks there that I could be readily converted. I think the combination of the fervor and intensity of those from AppleLand are what I often find most troubling. Apple People from AppleLand tend to be a little over zealous and try a little too hard to find converts. They sometimes remind me of the Jehovah’s Witnesses on Fulton St. in Brooklyn when I was a kid. Stare at the ground and keep walking.

The Apple conversion did not take place in 1999 partially because I went from being fairly neutral about the Mac to downright hostile. The new iMac I was presented with actually bit me and drew blood – but that’s another story. Within a year I had divested Maine ASCD from their aging Mac fleet primarily for economic reasons. We simply could not afford the product. I admit to a little glee when the iMac kept crashing for unknown reasons and the G3 was full of macro viruses.

So with that background, I tuned into Mike Shebanek’s sermon fully expecting to find holes of faulty logic and extended examples of overreaching. While there was some of that – and I will note that Mike is a “Product Marketing Manager” – I was dutifully impressed. Not so much with all the gizmos, but I think that I actually sensed that Apple may “get it.”

The “get it” I am referring to is the concept of Universal Design that I have been preaching about for the past 8-9 years. The idea that products and services should be designed with the goal of making everything easier for everyone and in so doing, make it easier for people with disabilities.

I’ve heard many other speakers claim their respective companies were indeed modeling this behavior only to again and again find flaws in their message. My most recent experience was with the folks at Adobe who while claiming to have fully embraced accessibility, have been building and exploiting Rich Internet Applications using their new Adobe AIR development system. The best I can tell, everything they make with that product is completely inaccessible.

Unlike some of the competition – and I am now actually pointing my finger in the direction of northern Washington – Apple does appear to have practiced what they preach. The new VoiceOver does appear to really be a fully functioning – and fully integrated – screen reader AND actually has functionality that fully sighted people can use. This makes it a Universally Designed system; not an add-on or a plug in.

So, I was impressed and figured I had to make a public admission.

Now, the marketing pitch that Mike made did indeed make me a bit squeamish. But, paraphrasing the logic: “… for less than a thousand bucks, you can purchase a MacBook with OS X and not have to purchase an $800 copy of JAWS or other screen reader…” Hmm, kind of hard to argue with that.

To give the full picture – and just to prove that I was not completely co-opted – while VoiceOver is integrated into the OS, not all software made for the Mac – including many Apple-labeled products – work with it. And my colleagues and I are still testing VoiceOver before giving it our blessing. But I feel like I have drunk the Kool Aid. Stay tuned.

~j

Originally posted 10/19/08 | Posted by admin | Category Software and Applications