I recently presented on Metro UI at "redefining perspectives" - an event that Sapient hosts for architects and senior developers.
Here is the video.
Here is the video.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Accessible windows 8 Metro app
I came across this very good article on how to write accessible metro apps with html 5 and javascript. It is mostly the same things as those you would use to create an accessible web page but is a good place for someone looking for accessibility guidance for windows 8 metro apps:
Monday, September 17, 2012
IPad with a keyboard
After I learned how to type on a mechanical typewriter about 20 years ago and then on a computer some time later, I never thought I'll have to figure out how to do something as basic as hitting "enter" or "return" on a keyboard again. ...and least of all did I expect this to happen with the king of usability - an apple keyboard and an IPad combination. I am surprised about this so much so that I still think I am missing something. Untill I came across this excellent post about how to use a keyboard with the IPad I was totally unable to use my shiny new apple wireless keyboard with the new IPad to do anything useful.
Someone needs to tell apple that there is an enter key on all keyboards and that is the most obvious way of tapping something on the IPad screen from the keyboard.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
DLR presentation on Techgig
I recently presented a Webinar on the techgig site on DLr integration in silverlight and WPF. A topic not really related to accessibility ...but since I've not been writing a lot about accessibility anyway, I thought I'll put the link here.
The quality of the audio is not very good...but I am hoping its just my poor connection and people were able to hear it much better.
The quality of the audio is not very good...but I am hoping its just my poor connection and people were able to hear it much better.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
silverlight accessibility quick start
I came across this post on silverlight accessibility quick start
While this is better than the mostly nothing that is out there in terms of making silverlight apps accessible, it falls far short of providing developers with effective ways/guidance/tips and tricks for making silverlight apps accessible.
What I don't understand is why the silverlight team doesn't fix very basic things like the textblock control not being accessible!!! either make it accessible or get rid of the control. The guidance that use a read only textbox instead just doesn't make sense to me and definitely much less to all those developers who have little or no exposure to accessibility related issues.
While this is better than the mostly nothing that is out there in terms of making silverlight apps accessible, it falls far short of providing developers with effective ways/guidance/tips and tricks for making silverlight apps accessible.
What I don't understand is why the silverlight team doesn't fix very basic things like the textblock control not being accessible!!! either make it accessible or get rid of the control. The guidance that use a read only textbox instead just doesn't make sense to me and definitely much less to all those developers who have little or no exposure to accessibility related issues.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Visual Studio 2010 Accessibility
I've been trying to work with visual studio 2010 RC for the last few days. Below is what I've found so far.
Configurations tried:
vs 2010 RC on windows xp
vs 2010 RC on windows 7 64 bit
screen readers: NVDA 2010.1 RC1 JFW 11.0.756
NVDA:
- NVDA reads most text out of the box.
- NVDA is not able to identify any collapsed regions in the text window and only speaks the expanded regions.
- NVDA is not able to identify any breakpoints placed on any code lines (am not sure if I need to turn on some feature in NVDA for it to announce graphics/icons).
- NVDA also does not speak line numbers.
- NVDA is not able to correctly read or navigate watch windows like "autos", "locals", "watch1" etc. This is very critical for me.
- NVDA is able to correctly read autocomplete and intellisense.
- NVDA does not have mouse control keys but the object navigation seems to be able to pick up everything. I am still learning how to use this sensibly.
JFW
- jaws is not able to read any text in the code editor window by default. This seems to be because jaws doesn't understand the foreground and background colors used (I am using c# environment settings). Trying to assign a custom highlight color only gives black on black at all times.
- I can remedy this by going into Tools|Options|Fonts and colors in VS and then setting the foreground and background colors for all the text elements in this list to blue on white. After doing this, jaws is able to read almost all the text in the code editor window.
- Jaws still cannot read the braces ({}) in the code for some reason. There is probably some element that I didn't correctly change the color for - although I checked several times.
- Jaws cannot identify collapsed regions inside the code editor.
- jaws cannot read any breakpoints (it was able to identify breakpoints in VS 2008 and earlier).
- Jaws does not read line numbers.
- jaws is able to properly read and navigate the various watch windows like "autos", "locals", "watch1" etc.
- jaws is able to read autocomplete and intellisense correctly.
- Routing jaws cursor to keyboard seems to behave strangely. The jaws cursor is placed in the same window but not close to the keyboard focus.
I don't need to use the visual designer to layout controls etc. and haven't tested that. From the little interraction I had with the designer, neither jaws nor NVDA could read anything there.
I also need to use the various properties windows more to find out if they are accessible.
If other people have used other screen readers like window eyes with VS 2010 and can report on those, it will be really useful.
Configurations tried:
vs 2010 RC on windows xp
vs 2010 RC on windows 7 64 bit
screen readers: NVDA 2010.1 RC1 JFW 11.0.756
NVDA:
- NVDA reads most text out of the box.
- NVDA is not able to identify any collapsed regions in the text window and only speaks the expanded regions.
- NVDA is not able to identify any breakpoints placed on any code lines (am not sure if I need to turn on some feature in NVDA for it to announce graphics/icons).
- NVDA also does not speak line numbers.
- NVDA is not able to correctly read or navigate watch windows like "autos", "locals", "watch1" etc. This is very critical for me.
- NVDA is able to correctly read autocomplete and intellisense.
- NVDA does not have mouse control keys but the object navigation seems to be able to pick up everything. I am still learning how to use this sensibly.
JFW
- jaws is not able to read any text in the code editor window by default. This seems to be because jaws doesn't understand the foreground and background colors used (I am using c# environment settings). Trying to assign a custom highlight color only gives black on black at all times.
- I can remedy this by going into Tools|Options|Fonts and colors in VS and then setting the foreground and background colors for all the text elements in this list to blue on white. After doing this, jaws is able to read almost all the text in the code editor window.
- Jaws still cannot read the braces ({}) in the code for some reason. There is probably some element that I didn't correctly change the color for - although I checked several times.
- Jaws cannot identify collapsed regions inside the code editor.
- jaws cannot read any breakpoints (it was able to identify breakpoints in VS 2008 and earlier).
- Jaws does not read line numbers.
- jaws is able to properly read and navigate the various watch windows like "autos", "locals", "watch1" etc.
- jaws is able to read autocomplete and intellisense correctly.
- Routing jaws cursor to keyboard seems to behave strangely. The jaws cursor is placed in the same window but not close to the keyboard focus.
I don't need to use the visual designer to layout controls etc. and haven't tested that. From the little interraction I had with the designer, neither jaws nor NVDA could read anything there.
I also need to use the various properties windows more to find out if they are accessible.
If other people have used other screen readers like window eyes with VS 2010 and can report on those, it will be really useful.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The tactile mouse
Recently I (along with a friend) worked with an Israel-based company, http://www.tactile-world.com, to present their product, a "tactile mouse" in the techshare india 2010.
This is a note about this mouse. Hopefully, those who couldn't attend the conference or didn't get a chance to come to our stall will be able to get a better sense of what this alpha/concept product brings to the table.
Look and feel:
It looks like a regular mouse, slightly larger. A regular mouse has 2 buttons for clicking in the front. This mouse instead has 4 braille cells with 8 pins each in place of those buttons.
A person holds this just like a regular mouse and now has 16 dots under each of two fingers.
On each side of the mouse are 2 buttons each (making a total of 4 buttons) for giving the various commands for using the mouse.
function:
The mouse provides 4 functions with its currently implemented software (the product team is constantly coming up with newer innovative functions and applications):
1. A full fledged refreshable braille display.: This at a fraction of the cost of a regular braille display simply because this uses only 4 cells instead of the traditional 40 cells. 1 braille cell costs anywhere between $40 to $80 and is by far the costliest component of a braille display. This product innovatively uses just four cells to provide a full braille display (imagine using a tread mill instead of walking on the road to visualize how this works).
2. a tactile graphics display: Since the braille cells here are mounted on a mouse, they can be moved in any direction corresponding to the screen. This gives an unlimited area for displaying a tactile image -- all be it, a user is looking at 32 pixels at a time. With a little practice, following diagrams maps etc. becomes completely possible. To visualize this, think of how you will use "cut outs" to explain the shape of the states in the map of a country or how you will draw a tactile diagram on some kind of wool slate. On the mouse, you encounter raised dots wherever there is an image on the screen and flat dots for white space.
3. A games console - they even have several video games for the blind. This uses the mouse' ability to show tactile graphics, and animations created using the flowing motion of dots and the accompanying software's ability to accept mouse gestures as inputs to create real and interesting games.
4. A screen reader that uses the unique ability of this mouse to display animations used by flowing motion of dots to provide rich access to applications like MS word and IE and more are being built.
To control all the above functions, the mouse software accepts 3 kinds of inputs (mostly overlapping):
- keyboard commands -- just like current screen readers
- spoken commands -- like those with dragon/jsay or windows native speech recognition.
- Mouse Gestures -- These help productivity because you don't have to constantly take your hand away from the mouse to give keyboard commands.
The mouse gives output in the form of speech using MS sapi synthesizer, refreshable braile for text, and tactile for graphics.
We had long conversations with the CTO of tactile world and the inventor of this mouse and we gave a lot of inputs to him about features that will make this mouse more effective, easier to use, earlier to market etc.
Probably, the strongest features on the mouse were the tactile display, the games console and the low cost braille display.
Its weak point was its current ability to function like a stand alone screen reader, specially when compared to existing screen readers. We gave inputs to try to integrate the mouse with existing screen readers (or at least one open source one like NVDA) and get the mouse out in themarket before trying to build a full fledged screen reader on their own.
I think a full screen reader accompanying the mouse does make sense in the long term because that screen reader will be able to innovatively use this mouse's unique features while bringing down the total cost of ownership for a person.
The above is meant to describe the mouse for potential blind users who would not have benefitted from a photo here and is not intended to violate any part of the NDA I signed with the company.
This is a note about this mouse. Hopefully, those who couldn't attend the conference or didn't get a chance to come to our stall will be able to get a better sense of what this alpha/concept product brings to the table.
Look and feel:
It looks like a regular mouse, slightly larger. A regular mouse has 2 buttons for clicking in the front. This mouse instead has 4 braille cells with 8 pins each in place of those buttons.
A person holds this just like a regular mouse and now has 16 dots under each of two fingers.
On each side of the mouse are 2 buttons each (making a total of 4 buttons) for giving the various commands for using the mouse.
function:
The mouse provides 4 functions with its currently implemented software (the product team is constantly coming up with newer innovative functions and applications):
1. A full fledged refreshable braille display.: This at a fraction of the cost of a regular braille display simply because this uses only 4 cells instead of the traditional 40 cells. 1 braille cell costs anywhere between $40 to $80 and is by far the costliest component of a braille display. This product innovatively uses just four cells to provide a full braille display (imagine using a tread mill instead of walking on the road to visualize how this works).
2. a tactile graphics display: Since the braille cells here are mounted on a mouse, they can be moved in any direction corresponding to the screen. This gives an unlimited area for displaying a tactile image -- all be it, a user is looking at 32 pixels at a time. With a little practice, following diagrams maps etc. becomes completely possible. To visualize this, think of how you will use "cut outs" to explain the shape of the states in the map of a country or how you will draw a tactile diagram on some kind of wool slate. On the mouse, you encounter raised dots wherever there is an image on the screen and flat dots for white space.
3. A games console - they even have several video games for the blind. This uses the mouse' ability to show tactile graphics, and animations created using the flowing motion of dots and the accompanying software's ability to accept mouse gestures as inputs to create real and interesting games.
4. A screen reader that uses the unique ability of this mouse to display animations used by flowing motion of dots to provide rich access to applications like MS word and IE and more are being built.
To control all the above functions, the mouse software accepts 3 kinds of inputs (mostly overlapping):
- keyboard commands -- just like current screen readers
- spoken commands -- like those with dragon/jsay or windows native speech recognition.
- Mouse Gestures -- These help productivity because you don't have to constantly take your hand away from the mouse to give keyboard commands.
The mouse gives output in the form of speech using MS sapi synthesizer, refreshable braile for text, and tactile for graphics.
We had long conversations with the CTO of tactile world and the inventor of this mouse and we gave a lot of inputs to him about features that will make this mouse more effective, easier to use, earlier to market etc.
Probably, the strongest features on the mouse were the tactile display, the games console and the low cost braille display.
Its weak point was its current ability to function like a stand alone screen reader, specially when compared to existing screen readers. We gave inputs to try to integrate the mouse with existing screen readers (or at least one open source one like NVDA) and get the mouse out in themarket before trying to build a full fledged screen reader on their own.
I think a full screen reader accompanying the mouse does make sense in the long term because that screen reader will be able to innovatively use this mouse's unique features while bringing down the total cost of ownership for a person.
The above is meant to describe the mouse for potential blind users who would not have benefitted from a photo here and is not intended to violate any part of the NDA I signed with the company.
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