I lied, <grin> one more message
David Chittenden, Western U.S. Manager
Technologies for the Visually Impaired, Inc.
5455 Geary Blvd, suite 161
San Francisco, CA 94121
(415) 902-3462
fax and voice mail (888) 269-9233
email [log in to unmask]
http://www.tvi-web.com
certified window bridge distributor
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1999 12:08:03 -0800
From: "Stephen C. Greeley" <[log in to unmask]>
To: David Chittenden <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: tech: ibm home page reader (fwd)
SG] One thing I forgot to mention in my last message. Thefiles at the
Syntha-Voice web and ftp sites are both demo and full version, all rolled up
in one executable. the way SWB knows thedifference between a demo and a
full version is if a security key is read from a SWB original Master install
disk. Or, if it finds a key in c:\bridge directory. Without a key, the
program installs as a 30 minute demo. When the 30 minutes run out, just
reboot and you have an infinit number of 30 minute demo sessions between
rebooting. The is also a 45 session evaluation version as well. Just call
Syntha-Voice at 800-263-4540 for further information. The reason why I give
the information is in case people want to check out SWB for themselves, to
compaire against IBM Home Page.
Stephen Greeley
Email: [log in to unmask]
My Web: http://home.earthlink.net/~sgreeley
Syntha-Voice Web: http://www.synthavoice.on.ca
Syntha-Vision Web: http://www.techno-vision.co.uk
Techno-Vision FTP: ftp://ftp.techno-vision.co.uk/files/window_bridge
-----Original Message-----
From: David Chittenden <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Friday, January 22, 1999 9:36 AM
Subject: Re: tech: ibm home page reader (fwd)
>
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1999 10:08:52 -0500
>From: "wang.." <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: "VICUG-L: Visually Impaired Computer Users' Group List"
> <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: tech: ibm home page reader (fwd)
>
>What about the price??? To evaluate a software, you may need to consider
>cost and easy updrade--the rate of functionality and convenience over
>price. To measure value of IBM Home Page, what do you think?
>Ren
>
>
>On Thu, 21 Jan 1999, David Chittenden wrote:
>
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1999 22:00:33 -0800
>> From: "Stephen C. Greeley" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: David Chittenden <[log in to unmask]>
>> Subject: Re: tech: ibm home page reader (fwd)
>>
>> Sg] I think these people need a look at SWB 2.54 with Microsoft Internet
>> Explorer 4.01 with the MSAAUPD.exe patch applied and the MSAA 1.2
update.
>> What they will find is that SWb can do everything tghat this document
>> describes that IBM Home Page is doing.
>>
>> Stephen Greeley
>> Email: [log in to unmask]
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: David Chittenden <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
>> Date: Thursday, January 21, 1999 7:08 PM
>> Subject: tech: ibm home page reader (fwd)
>>
>>
>> >If not interested, let me know and I'll stop forwarding them to you. I
>> >have 5 or 6 of these reports to date.
>> >
>> >David
>> >
>> >
>> >---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> >Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1999 20:33:33 -0600
>> >From: Kelly Pierce <[log in to unmask]>
>> >Reply-To: "VICUG-L: Visually Impaired Computer Users' Group List"
>> > <[log in to unmask]>
>> >To: [log in to unmask]
>> >Subject: tech: ibm home page reader
>> >
>> >Here's more information about "Home page Reader" from the International
>> >business machines corporation as to be presented at csun.
>> >
>> >kelly
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > IBM Home Page Reader: The Voice of the World Wide Web
>> >
>> > Catherine Laws and Chieko Asakawa
>> > [log in to unmask] and [log in to unmask]
>> > IBM Special Needs Systems
>> > 11400 Burnet Road
>> > Austin, Texas 78758
>> >
>> >Introduction
>> >
>> > Web browser solutions for people who are blind suffer from a growing
>> > list of problems including the inability to easily obtain page layout
>> > information, difficulty navigating the grammatical and structural
>> > elements of a web page, synthesizer inaccuracies, the inability to
>> > accurately read tabular information, and limited document search
>> > capabilities (Vanderheiden, Chisholm, & Ewers, 1996). In the last
>> > year, the World Wide Web Consortium, as part of its Web Accessibility
>> > Initiative, has authored accessibility guidelines for user agents,
>> > which include screen readers and screen magnifiers working with web
>> > browsers as well as independent web browsers (Gunderson & Jacobs,
>> > 1998). These prioritized guidelines offer recommendations for browser
>> > implementations which significantly improve access to WWW documents.
>> >
>> > This paper discusses how IBM Home Page Reader, a new web browser
>> > solution for blind users, implements some of these guidelines in its
>> > approach to address World Wide Web accessibility problems for blind
>> > users.
>> > _________________________________________________________________
>> >
>> >
>> >History
>> >
>> > In 1996, blind people in Japan had only two sources of published
>> > information: Braille books and cassette tapes. With computer users
>> > able to get information easily and quickly from all over the world
>> > using the Internet and blind users unable to access the web easily,
>> > the information gap between sighted and blind users was becoming
>> > wider. When Japanese blind users did try to access the web in the DOS
>> > environment, the screen reading and navigation of hypertext links and
>> > two-dimensional information was difficult and incorrect (Asakawa &
>> > Itoh, 1997).
>> >
>> > Since the IBM Screen Reader/2 product had been translated into
>> > Japanese, the IBM Tokoyo Research lab first tried to create a
>> > prototype system using SRD/2 to read Netscape Navigator web pages.
>> > However, this solution read only the text information displayed on
the
>> > screen; it was unable to read and navigate tables, forms, long web
>> > pages, and frames. To address these problems, the research lab
decided
>> > to develop a talking web browser solution for Japan that analyzed
HTML
>> > tags rather than simply reading the screen. In October, 1997, the IBM
>> > Japan Entry Systems Business Unit (ESBU) announced IBM Home Page
>> > Reader as a Japanese consumer product for blind user access to the
>> > web. In 1998, the IBM Special Needs Systems organization in Austin,
>> > Texas, worked with IBM Japan to develop Home Page Reader as a U.S.
>> > English, IBM Independence Series product that offers blind users
>> > better access to the World Wide Web.
>> > _________________________________________________________________
>> >
>> >
>> >Overview
>> >
>> > IBM Home Page Reader offers a number of features that enable it to
>> > provide better access for blind users to the World Wide Web:
>> >
>> > * Netscape Navigator synchronization. Because Home Page Reader
>> > communicates with Netscape Navigator to get web information (HTML
>> > source), HPR reads tables, frames, forms, and images on graphical
>> > web pages logically, as they should be read. While HPR speaks web
>> > pages to a blind user, sighted users can see the Netscape
>> > rendering of the same web page the blind user is reading to
>> > provide sighted assistance, if needed.
>> > * Software text-to-speech support. HPR supports IBM's software
>> > text-to-speech, SAPI-compliant engine, IBM ViaVoice OutLoud. No
>> > extra hardware expense is required.
>> > * Numeric keypad web page navigation. HPR provides a logical,
>> > numeric keypad interface for navigation and manipulation of web
>> > page elements, such as image and text links, text, form elements,
>> > tables, maps, lists, headers, and frames. Keys help mode allows
>> > users to press any HPR key combination and hear its description.
>> > * Web pages are read with speed and auditory distinctions. HPR's
>> > fast-forward key allows users to skim web pages to locate desired
>> > information quickly. Using a female voice to read links and a
male
>> > voice to read text, HPR provides the user with easy, auditory
>> > distinctions when reading web pages. Optionally, the user can
>> > select the word "link" or a MIDI sound to identify links, or
>> > select no announcement of links, if desired.
>> > * Web page authoring accessibility features are utilized. HPR reads
>> > ALT or other descriptive text, when it exists, for all images,
>> > maps, and other web page objects. Otherwise, it reads the URL
link
>> > information. HPR reads other new HTML 4.0 information provided by
>> > web authors, such as table captions, headers, and summaries.
>> > * Web page orientation. Page summary information and "where am I"
>> > numeric keypad commands tell the user information about the
number
>> > and location of page elements on the current web page and at the
>> > current location.
>> > * Online help and bookmarks accessed as web pages. HPR online help
>> > and bookmarks are easily retrieved as local web pages with
>> > hypertext and help the user get started quickly using HPR.
>> > * Electronic mail feature. HPR provides an integrated electronic
>> > mail feature consisting of forms and menus that can be read and
>> > handled by HPR. This feature requires the Microsoft Personal Web
>> > Server or Peer Web Services. Also, for sending mail, HPR can
>> > handle mailto tags.
>> > * Easy, self-voicing installation. Spoken instructions guide
>> > non-sighted users through a standard installation program. HPR
>> > setup includes installation of the IBM ViaVoice OutLoud software
>> > TTS engine and an optional installation of Netscape Navigator for
>> > new Internet users.
>> > _________________________________________________________________
>> >
>> >
>> >Logical Numeric Keypad Layout
>> >
>> > HPR uses a logical layout of the numeric keypad for its users to read
>> > and navigate web pages. Basic numeric keypad keys are assigned to
read
>> > the previous, current, and next link (1, 2, and 3), page element (4,
>> > 5, and 6), and word or character (7, 8, and 9), to read the page (0)
>> > and to stop reading (Enter). Other basic keys provide access to a
>> > history list (Num Lock), online help (slash), a settings menu
>> > (asterisk), and bookmarks (minus). In settings mode, basic keys (2,
4,
>> > 6, and 8) are used to logically navigate and select settings in a
>> > non-visual menu system.
>> >
>> > Extended HPR functions use the plus (+) key then a basic key that is
>> > usually related to the extended function. Extended numeric keypad
keys
>> > are assigned to read the first or last link (+ then 1 or 3), page
>> > element (+ then 4 or 6), and word or character of an element (+ then
7
>> > or 9). Other extended functions include reloading a web page (+ then
>> > Num Lock), getting keys help (+ then slash), adding or deleting
>> > bookmarks (+ then -), setting word/character reading mode (+ then 8),
>> > getting "where am I" information (+ then 5), opening a link (+ then
>> > 2), fast-forward page reading (+ then 0), getting a new URL or
>> > searching (+ then dot), and canceling a connection (+ then Enter).
>> >
>> > Jump keys in Home Page Reader use the dot (.) key to provide
>> > additional navigation capabilities for tables (dot then Num Lock,
>> > slash, or *) , headers (dot then 1, 2, or 3), frames (dot then 0),
>> > paging up and down (dot then 4 or 6), and structures (dot then 7, 8,
>> > or 9). A structure can be a list, select menu, table row, form, or
>> > map. A page summary key (dot then 5) is also a jump key.
>> >
>> > Functions for managing bookmarks require the user to hold down the
>> > bookmarks key (minus) and then press a basic key. Functions for
>> > history list navigation involve holding down the history list key
(Num
>> > Lock) and then pressing a basic key.
>> > _________________________________________________________________
>> >
>> >
>> >Screen Reader compatibility
>> >
>> > Since HPR requires a screen reader for access to some of its advance
>> > customization features, it provides some screen reader compatibility,
>> > such as the use of standard Windows controls. However, HPR must be
>> > silenced when using a screen reader and vice versa. The Ctrl+F12 key
>> > silences and reactivates HPR keys and functions. Unchecking a setting
>> > called "Active in the background" also enables HPR to coexist with a
>> > user's screen reader. The online help provides additional information
>> > that suggests how specific screen readers can coexist with HPR.
>> > _________________________________________________________________
>> >
>> >
>> >More Information
>> >
>> > For more information about IBM Home Page Reader and other IBM
>> > Independence Series products, visit the IBM Special Needs web site at
>> > http://www.ibm.com/sns. In addition to the web site, you can obtain
>> > information about IBM SNS products by calling 1-800-IBM-CALL and
>> > through our dealers.
>> > _________________________________________________________________
>> >
>> > | Top |
>> >
>> >References
>> >
>> > Asakawa, C. and Itoh, T. (1998). User interface of a Home Page
Reader.
>> > Proceedings of the ASSETS '98 ACM Conference on Assistive
>> > Technologies, 1998-4.
>> >
>> > Gunderson, J. and Jacobs, I. (1998, July 3). WAI accessibility
>> > guidelines: User agent. Working draft. [Online].
>> > http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-WAI-USERAGENT/
>> >
>> > Vanderheiden, G., Chisholm, W., and Ewers, N. (1996, March 27).
Making
>> > screen readers work more effectively on the web. [Online].
>> > http://trace.wisc.edu/docs/screen_readers/screen.htm
>> > _________________________________________________________________
>> >
>> >
>> >VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
>> >To join or leave the list, send a message to
>> >[log in to unmask] In the body of the message, simply type
>> >"subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
>> > VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
>> >http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>> VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
>> To join or leave the list, send a message to
>> [log in to unmask] In the body of the message, simply type
>> "subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
>> VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
>> http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html
>>
>
>
>VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
>To join or leave the list, send a message to
>[log in to unmask] In the body of the message, simply type
>"subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
> VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
>http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html
>
>
>
VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
To join or leave the list, send a message to
[log in to unmask] In the body of the message, simply type
"subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html
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