Since a few people responded off list and since we all seem to want to 
know more in some way or other, I thought I'd post this update about my 
adventures in virtual desktop environments.


I now have log-in credentials for the computer system at work. When the 
computer work station turns on, I'm on the log-in screen for the virtual 
desktop package. This screen does not appear to be accessible at all 
though Tech Support will double-check with the package vendor. We 
restarted the computer a few times, and all but one of the times, the 
computer behaved predictably. Focus started on the user name field. I 
entered that information, tabbed once to the password field, entered 
that information, and pressed the enter key. On the next screen, a 
welcome screen for the virtual desktop, I tabbed once to accept terms 
and conditions--every time--and pressed enter again. I had no speech or 
audio cues of any kind, so I just had to wait extra long to make sure 
the system was ready for me to proceed because it took a while for 
things to happen. Once I got past the welcome screen, I could start 
narrator, and both Windows and Narrator behaved as they usually do.


The version of Windows that is being used at work is from about 2016. I 
asked if an update were possible so I could take advantage of newer 
Narrator features and stability improvements. An update has already been 
in the works, so tech support is going to hurry it along. One 
interesting thing is that Narrator worked better on one computer than on 
the others, and the IT specialist claims all systems are identical. He's 
going to try to figure out what's going on.


If we can't get the virtual desktop to work, we'll try a local laptop. 
For my job, the virtual desktop is the better solution because there are 
five work sites, and though I'm currently only at the main location, I 
will eventually report to the other sites.


One idea Tech Support is playing with is setting up a virtual desktop 
portal on a laptop, which is a compromise of sorts.


I'll post again if I have more to share.



On 9/4/2019 9:28 PM, David Chittenden wrote:
>> I would be interested in knowing which virtual desktop software they are using. The systems I know about are not accessible.
>> You should be able to get your specific workstation computer updated regardless of the system the company is using on the server side. After all, the server does not care what the local system is so long as the local system supports the server's protocols.
>> That said, if you were actually in the virtual desktop environment rather than the local machine environment, IT would need to update the virtual environment because that is what you are using.
>> The last  company I worked for had to provide me a local access laptop which connected to the server drives because their virtual desktop environment was completely inaccessible.
>>
>> David Chittenden, MSc, MRCAA
>> Email: [log in to unmask]
>> Mobile: +61 488 988 936
>>
>>
>> On 5 Sep 2019, at 12:55, Ana G <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>> Hi All,
>>
>>
>> I'll get to my questions eventually. First, I want to lay some background. The point of the background is to explain why I want information about virtual desktop environments that is specific enough to act on in some way.
>>
>>
>> I started a new job early this year. What's relevant to this post is that I work for a government entity, that I'm probably the first blind employee at this specific location, that my tech support contact is really helpful and interested in making things work, and that HR had a lot of misconceptions about blind people when I applied for the position. Because of those misconceptions, I'm not always clear about whether X accommodation was granted because HR staff didn't understand something or because HR staff didn't think I'd work out. One example is that I don't have an official work email address: I use one of my personal email accounts, having promised to keep everything confidential. Again, I'm not sure whether HR thought I read email on my braille note taker, which would be impossible for a sighted person to set up for me, or figured I'd be out by the end of the month so there was no point in bothering to generate an email account. At this point, I've been on the job a little over six months, and things seem to be working out, so I'm trying to change some accommodations. For example, I'd like to have a work email.
>>
>>
>> So ... back to virtual desktop environments ...
>>
>>
>> At work, I do a very small number of tasks on a computer, but I need to do them everyday. I manage some tasks on my personal laptop, which I bring from home, and I do other tasks via some other work-around devised by HR. Today, when the IT tech came by to help with a different issue, I asked him what version of Windows was running on the office computers and whether we could try using Narrator with some of the computer stuff I need to do. Here's what we discovered together along with my questions:
>>
>>
>> * The computers in the office aren't actual computers. They're virtual desktops. As we experimented with them, I noticed they behaved like an ordinary computer. I found icons on the desktop, and opened apps using a screen reader. Are there any differences between a desktop and a virtual desktop in terms of accessibility? I'm assuming all apps are web apps. Is this right?
>>
>>
>> * the computer was running some version of Windows 10, but it was from a couple of years ago. Narrator has a scan mode, but the Narrator toggle is Windows+enter. Is it possible to update the computer that would be assigned to me without necessarily updating everyone else's? I like the newest Narrator much better than previous versions.
>>
>>
>> * Are there Narrator or Windows commands or settings that would help the virtual desktop experience go more smoothly?
>>
>>
>> * I'm not sure that I do enough computer work to justify installing a third-party screen reader, but if I decide to try one, ... do thumb drive versions of screen readers tend to work on these types of setups?
>>
>>
>> Any additional information would be helpful. I don't want to approach HR until I know something concrete because I don't want us to get bogged down in yet another misconception.
>>
>>
>> Thanks for any wisdom.
>>
>>
>> Ciao
>>
>>
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