Comments on: Accessibility for blogs http://chasingdaisy.com/2005/05/19/accessibility-for-blogs/ A little bit of this, a little bit of that... Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:00:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: Neil T. http://chasingdaisy.com/2005/05/19/accessibility-for-blogs/#comment-7059 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0000 http://chasingdaisy.com/2005/05/19/accessibility-for-blogs/#comment-7059 In Windows XP: Start, All Programs, Accessories, Accessibility, Narrator. It's a bit basic but it does at least attempt to read stuff. In Windows XP: Start, All Programs, Accessories, Accessibility, Narrator. It’s a bit basic but it does at least attempt to read stuff.

]]> by: Eliza http://chasingdaisy.com/2005/05/19/accessibility-for-blogs/#comment-7060 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0000 http://chasingdaisy.com/2005/05/19/accessibility-for-blogs/#comment-7060 I believe that is a marvellous idea. Certainly one I would consider exploring. I believe that is a marvellous idea. Certainly one I would consider exploring.

]]> by: Daisy http://chasingdaisy.com/2005/05/19/accessibility-for-blogs/#comment-7061 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0000 http://chasingdaisy.com/2005/05/19/accessibility-for-blogs/#comment-7061 Ah Neil, silly me, I'd forgotten about that - it crashes on the XP setup we have here and I'd been meaning to try and sort it out but I rarely use that machine, my main one is still Win2K. Eliza, thank you and welcome! I'm knee deep in deadlines today but will switch my blog hat back on tonight and write some more. Ah Neil, silly me, I’d forgotten about that - it crashes on the XP setup we have here and I’d been meaning to try and sort it out but I rarely use that machine, my main one is still Win2K.

Eliza, thank you and welcome! I’m knee deep in deadlines today but will switch my blog hat back on tonight and write some more.

]]> by: Vickie http://chasingdaisy.com/2005/05/19/accessibility-for-blogs/#comment-7062 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0000 http://chasingdaisy.com/2005/05/19/accessibility-for-blogs/#comment-7062 What an intriguing idea, dear Daisy. I'd be checking it in a heartbeat. Fantastic! ;-) What an intriguing idea, dear Daisy. I’d be checking it in a heartbeat. Fantastic! ;-)

]]> by: mary http://chasingdaisy.com/2005/05/19/accessibility-for-blogs/#comment-7063 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0000 http://chasingdaisy.com/2005/05/19/accessibility-for-blogs/#comment-7063 Leave it to a really smart lady to come up with the obvious, but brilliant idea. Hope you get lots of other bright folks to join you - I'd show up for classes in a wink. Leave it to a really smart lady to come up with the obvious, but brilliant idea. Hope you get lots of other bright folks to join you - I’d show up for classes in a wink.

]]> by: Lyle http://chasingdaisy.com/2005/05/19/accessibility-for-blogs/#comment-7064 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0000 http://chasingdaisy.com/2005/05/19/accessibility-for-blogs/#comment-7064 Nice idea - must talk to Pix about it! As for a forum site that contains help from people who actually know what they're whittling about (in general) may I recommend <a href="http://www.cre8asiteforums.com" rel="nofollow">Cre8asite Forums</a>? It's not perfect (then, what is?) but it's pretty good for answering questions and the like. Nice idea - must talk to Pix about it!

As for a forum site that contains help from people who actually know what they’re whittling about (in general) may I recommend Cre8asite Forums?

It’s not perfect (then, what is?) but it’s pretty good for answering questions and the like.

]]> by: Lyle http://chasingdaisy.com/2005/05/19/accessibility-for-blogs/#comment-7065 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0000 http://chasingdaisy.com/2005/05/19/accessibility-for-blogs/#comment-7065 Oh, and if you use Firefox at all, look for the Fangs extension. It basically emulates a screen-reader, so you can see what the output would be. Bloody great! Oh, and if you use Firefox at all, look for the Fangs extension. It basically emulates a screen-reader, so you can see what the output would be.

Bloody great!

]]> by: Daisy http://chasingdaisy.com/2005/05/19/accessibility-for-blogs/#comment-7066 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0000 http://chasingdaisy.com/2005/05/19/accessibility-for-blogs/#comment-7066 Thank you Lyle, I hadn't come across Cre8asite before, have bookmarked it immediately. And yes, Pix will be <i>numero uno</i> on "hope to get involved" list ;-) Thank you Lyle, I hadn’t come across Cre8asite before, have bookmarked it immediately. And yes, Pix will be numero uno on “hope to get involved” list ;-)

]]> by: Richard http://chasingdaisy.com/2005/05/19/accessibility-for-blogs/#comment-7067 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0000 http://chasingdaisy.com/2005/05/19/accessibility-for-blogs/#comment-7067 Apparently, Opera 8 has a built in aural browser. Though I can't seem to find it in my linux version of Opera, so perhaps it's only in the Windows build. Apparently, Opera 8 has a built in aural browser. Though I can’t seem to find it in my linux version of Opera, so perhaps it’s only in the Windows build.

]]> by: pixeldiva http://chasingdaisy.com/2005/05/19/accessibility-for-blogs/#comment-7068 Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0000 http://chasingdaisy.com/2005/05/19/accessibility-for-blogs/#comment-7068 Ah! So *this* is why my ears were burning! :) You can download a demo version of JAWS, one of the most popular screen readers, from http://www.freedomscientific.com. It works for 40 minutes at a time. If you want to use it longer than 40 minutes, just reboot and you're all set to go again. It does take a fair bit of getting used to though, but if I can find it, I'll comment again and post a link I have saved somewhere at work of the most commonly used JAWS commands for browsing. IBM used to do a really nifty thing called Home Page Reader, which used speech and had a text only version that it would highlight as the words were being spoken, but they hobbled it with the latest version and you can only access certain URLs with it, which makes it ok for demo'ing what a screen reader sounds like, but a bit pish for testing with. Fangs is good for testing linearisation, but it doesn't give you that unique sense of "what the... " that you get when trying to use a screen reader. As for the accessible template idea, it's one I've had on my mental "should do" list for a while, I just haven't had the time to do anything about it, so yeah, count me in. Ah! So *this* is why my ears were burning! :)

You can download a demo version of JAWS, one of the most popular screen readers, from http://www.freedomscientific.com. It works for 40 minutes at a time. If you want to use it longer than 40 minutes, just reboot and you’re all set to go again.

It does take a fair bit of getting used to though, but if I can find it, I’ll comment again and post a link I have saved somewhere at work of the most commonly used JAWS commands for browsing.

IBM used to do a really nifty thing called Home Page Reader, which used speech and had a text only version that it would highlight as the words were being spoken, but they hobbled it with the latest version and you can only access certain URLs with it, which makes it ok for demo’ing what a screen reader sounds like, but a bit pish for testing with.

Fangs is good for testing linearisation, but it doesn’t give you that unique sense of “what the… ” that you get when trying to use a screen reader.

As for the accessible template idea, it’s one I’ve had on my mental “should do” list for a while, I just haven’t had the time to do anything about it, so yeah, count me in.

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