Blindness, meaning visual acuity of 20/200 in the better eye, after correction, or a field of view of no more than 15 degrees (or is it 10 degrees), occurs in less than 0.5% of the world population. Of this group, less than 0.1% will actually require or use a screen reader like JAWS.
Many people in general, and even more blind people in particular, are extremely resistant to change. Change makes us feel very uncomfortable, insecure, stupid, and out-of-control, while we are going through the change process. Given that blindness causes us to feel like our world is out-of-control anyways, this is not surprising. However, we do not have the numbers of people required to make any meaningful indentation in general market. The world changes, often in ways we do not like. It is our responsibility to adapt to those changes, no matter how we feel about doing so. It is our responsibility to continually and repeatedly subject ourselves to the stupids because we are such an insignificant group. And, as a general rule, we do not have the funds available to regularly access specialised Assistive Technologies. Therefore, it is put upon us to take full advantage of solutions provided by general market manufacturers as those solutions are less expensive, and more people will learn about them (small programmers can easily and freely run Windows narrator, for example, to start adding in accessibility. To run JAWS, on the other hand, is quite problematic.
Finally, worse for blind people than the current discussion, the world is headed rapidly toward touch-screens and touch-sensors. Buttons continue vanishing. It is now less expensive to use touch-screens and sensors rather than buttons. So, we need to adjust even more, no matter how we feel about it, to a less and less tactually friendly world. And, air gestures are coming. Then, there will be no tactual interface whatsoever.
Kind regards,
David Chittenden, MSc, MRCAA
Email: [log in to unmask]
Mobile: +61 488 988 936
Sent from my iPhone
> On 4/01/2017, at 06:51, Keith Bundy <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> I admit two things at the beginning of this post. First, I have done limited research on Microsoft Narrator, though I believe I have given it a fair look. Second, some of what I am about to say may be related to my age - I just passed a milestone birthday.
>
> I am concerned about Microsoft working hard to make Narrator competitive. I think competition is a great idea and will benefit all of us in the future. And a built-in screen reader is a fantastic idea!
>
> However, the operation of Narrator seems to be vastly different from the operation of other Windows screen readers out on the market. While this is fine for individuals just learning how to work with a screen reader, I get concerned for those of us who have been using such technology for ten fifteen, twenty or more years.
>
> First, how many programs will we be excluded from if we don't transition to Narrator? For example, I hear that Narrator works fine with Edge right now, but a user of JAWS or NVDA will have difficulty. Is this the trend of the future? Will we be excluded if we don't learn Microsoft's proprietary screen reader?
>
> Second, is Microsoft working on any type of training or documentation that will assist those of us who have certain ways of using the computer integrated into our brains in learning the smooth operation of Narrator? Now before anyone calls me a Luddite, please know that I have continually accepted new technologies for the last twenty years and don't plan to stop doing so - yes, I will learn Narrator. . But not all screen reader users wish to learn new methods of operating a computer and navigating the screen. Will these folks just be left behind like yesterday's dust?
>
> I welcome any and all discussion on this topic. If my concerns are invalid, please let me know. But I think what I am saying expresses the concerns of many users of screen readers.
>
> Thanks for reading this and for the opportunity of expressing concerns like this. Have a great day!
>
>
> Keith Bundy
> Digital Accessibility Consultant and Trainer
>
> Siteimprove, Inc.
> 7807 Creekridge Circle
> Minneapolis, MN 55439
> Tel: 612-259-6350
> Email: [log in to unmask]
>
>
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