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Reprinted with permission from the Journal of Visual Impairment
& Blindness Vol.93, No. 3, and is copyright 1999 by the American
Foundation for the Blind, 11 Penn Plaza, Suite 300, New York, NY
10001.

A Survey of Windows Screen Reader Users: Recent Improvements in
Accessibility

Crista Earl and Jay Leventhal

The purpose of the survey reported here was to gather
information about Windows accessibility from the perspective of
people who are visually impaired (who are either blind or have
low vision) and use screen readers. A previous survey (Leventhal
& Earl, 1997) revealed that even experienced users had
difficulty accessing Windows. The current survey shows a much
greater comfort level, though some areas, such as formal
training and access to databases, continue to be a problem.

The survey

The survey was conducted from August 22 to October 15, 1998.
Over 400 people were contacted by telephone or E-mail, 200 of
whom responded.

Questions

Respondents were asked what hardware they use; whether they use
a braille display or screen magnification in addition to
synthetic speech; what Windows or DOS applications they use;
what methods they used to learn Windows; why they began using
Windows; and how comfortable they feel using Windows.
Respondents were also asked if they were able to perform
successfully each of a list of tasks in the Windows environment
and to comment on the performance of those tasks. They were then
asked to list any additional tasks or Windows applications they
would like to be using but were not.

Participants

The survey participants were drawn from among the 526 members of
the American Foundation for the Blind's Career and Technology
Information Bank (CTIB) who use Windows screen readers. CTIB is
a network of visually impaired people who have agreed to consult
with other visually impaired people about how they perform their
jobs and the technology they use. Of the 200 people who
responded, 83% have a college degree, 40% have a graduate
degree, 93% are currently employed, and 62% have no useful
vision.

Among the respondents, 22% work in the assistive technology
field, 22% are computer programmers or network administrators,
5% are attorneys or judges, 7% are rehabilitation counselors or
teachers, 4% are secretaries or receptionists, 5% are college
professors or directors of university services, 6% are
administrators in rehabilitation or education, and 4% are
scientists. Clearly, the survey participants are highly
successful visually impaired users who might be expected to use
Windows applications and Windows screen readers with a higher
level of success than would a random sample of visually impaired
computer users.

Responses

The respondents used the following Windows-based synthetic
speech programs: JAWS (Job Access with Speech) for Windows from
Henter-Joyce: 68%; Window-Eyes from GW Micro: 35%; WinVision
from Artic Technologies: 15%; ASAW (Automatic Screen Access for
Windows) from MicroTalk Software: 6%; Window Bridge from
Syntha-Voice Computers: 3%; ScreenPower for Windows from
TeleSensory Corp.: 3%; and outSPOKEN for Windows from ALVA
Access Group: 3%. (Note: The survey results may not total 100%
because of rounding and because many respondents used more than
one program.) Twenty-four percent of the respondents reported
using more than one Windows-based screen reader, 27% reported
using a braille display in addition to synthetic speech, and 11%
used screen magnification along with a screen reader.

Almost all of the respondents reported using word
processors--Microsoft Word and Corel WordPerfect; E-mail
packages--Qualcomm's Eudora and Microsoft Outlook; and World
Wide Web browsers--Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Netscape's
Navigator. In contrast, only 37% reported using a Windows
spreadsheet and only 17% were using a Windows database.

Tasks performed in Windows

Respondents were presented with a list of 22 Windows tasks and
asked if each was something that they do easily, do with
difficulty, cannot do, or had never attempted. Because 89%
submitted their responses via E-mail, it was not surprising that
most respondents replied that they could read and reply to
E-mail messages easily. What was surprising was that although
92% of the respondents had tried to use Windows Help, 55% had
difficulty with or could not use this feature.

Similarly, a high percentage of respondents (56%) had difficulty
filling out forms on the Internet, an essential skill for users
for whom the Internet is the only means of access to otherwise
printed materials. More than three-quarters of the respondents
had never played games or joined a chat group, and 40% had never
used a Windows database or spreadsheet.

In comparison with the respondents to the previous survey
(Leventhal & Earl, 1997), the current users are doing more with
Windows and using a wider variety of Windows applications at a
more sophisticated level. In the previous survey, only the
following tasks could each be accomplished by more than half of
the respondents: navigating from window to window, formatting a
document in a word processor, running a spell checker,
installing new applications, and reading and replying to E-mail
messages. In the current survey, of the 22 tasks listed, only
the following were attempted by fewer than half the respondents:
looking up items in an encyclopedia, playing games,
participating in a chat group, scheduling and checking
appointments, using mainstream optical character recognition
software, entering and reading data in a spreadsheet or
database, and doing advanced formatting (such as preparing
complex tables) in a word processor. In addition, tasks not
generally attempted by beginners (managing files, changing
colors or sounds, and installing software) were considered easy
by a large number of the respondents (66%, 48%, and 38%,
respectively).

Although most participants still used DOS for some applications
or for file management--75% versus 95% in the previous
survey--most used Windows regularly and successfully. Two
typical responses were the following: "I was led to believe that
using Windows would be very difficult but have found the
transition quite smooth" and "I really feel comfortable in
Windows now and never thought I would be."

In spite of the positive comments about Windows in general, many
users mentioned specific applications or categories of
applications they wanted to use but could not access. Most
notably, databases were among applications considered
inaccessible.

Training

To compound the challenge that accompanies learning any new
system, a large number of respondents had never had formal
training. In the previous survey, 36% of the respondents had had
some formal training. Among the current respondents, the
percentage is higher (48%) but still low. Further, not all
respondents gave high marks to the formal training they did
receive. General Windows training classes not specifically
designed for visually impaired people were rated by the group
lower than were books about Windows (3.5 compared to 5.3.)

The following are some typical responses about training: "There
needs to be a greater awareness of professionals in the field of
rehabilitation for the blind that computer skills are no longer
a luxury . . . when it comes to employment" and "Training
remains a major problem, as instructors do not seem to have the
necessary knowledge or teaching skills to impart information
adequately." A third respondent wrote: "One of the biggest
problems and concerns that I have with sighted instructors of
Windows screen readers and various Windows applications is that
many times when the student gets stuck [the instructors] just
pick up the mouse and fish them out of the problem. I think a
lot of them need to learn how to do it blindfolded and then be
very comfortable in using keystrokes."

What it all means

One of the clearest findings of this survey is that the longer
respondents had been using Windows the higher their comfort
level. On a scale of 0-10, with 0 being "totally clueless" and
10 being "a real expert," the average comfort level was 6.4.
People who began using Windows in 1998 had an average comfort
level of 5.0, whereas the average rating for those who began
using Windows before 1995 was 8.1.

It was interesting to note that 84% of the respondents agreed
that reading and replying to E-mail messages was easy, but the
group showed less agreement about the ease of word processing
programs. This discrepancy might be attributable to the
respondents' lack of experience with Windows word processors,
since 36% of them still used a DOS word processor. The
difficulty and range of word processing tasks compared to those
of E-mail programs is probably also a factor.

The authors were surprised by the respondents' frustration about
performing specific tasks, especially using the Help feature,
running a spell checker, and installing applications. At the
same time, much of the frustration expressed in the earlier
survey is nearly gone. Respondents still mentioned the
difficulties involved in learning Windows and its applications,
but they were much more positive about using Windows in general.
Few respondents mentioned problems that could be interpreted as
errors in their screen readers' off-screen model or other
complete screen-reader failures. Only a few mentioned unlabeled
graphics as problems. A problem that was mentioned often (at
least 96 times) was the amount of time it took to select an
accessible application and learn to use it. The following are
some representative comments: "My main frustration is not having
the teaching materials [written specifically for visually
impaired users] that I need to learn" and "Be prepared to spend
a lot of time learning and have a lot of patience because it is
easy to get lost and have to start over."

Recommendations

The previous survey of Windows screen reader users concluded
that more training for visually impaired users was greatly
needed. This conclusion is still valid, in light of the fact
that over half the respondents have not received formal
training. As one respondent wrote:

"I think the transition from DOS to Windows was the most
shattering experience I've had to date as a person with a
disability. My performance dropped to half for over six months
and I truly did not feel I could compete . . . I would have
gladly purchased some training intervention just to straighten
this out, but it was not available."

In addition, respondents made it clear that improvements in
training are essential.

Many survey participants recommended that users take what they
learn from formalized approaches and go on to explore on their
own. One respondent offered the following techniques: "The first
thing I always do when I am trying to learn a new application is
to look at the choices on the menu bar and pull-down menus and
take note of any available shortcuts. . . . I experiment with
the tab and arrow keys to see what options I can access."
Another recommendation was for users to get a solid foundation
in Windows and screen reader basics. As one respondent wrote: "I
have found that it is easier to learn new Windows applications
if you have a good basic knowledge of Windows concepts, such as
navigating dialog boxes."

Many respondents recommended Internet resources, such as
listservs and newsgroups, as sources for learning about Windows.
Some respondents especially suggested listservs devoted to a
particular speech package.

Manufacturers of screen readers have gone a long way to improve
access. To benefit fully from these improvements, users need to
stay informed about updates to their screen readers, learn to
use new features, and inform their screen reader manufacturers
about bugs in their products.

One respondent eloquently summed up the situation: "Windows is
sure easier to use than it was just a couple of years ago. But
that wouldn't be possible without the dedicated efforts of our
adaptive technology providers. I'm sure there will be more bumps
in the road, but if we all stick together and support our
respective software and hardware manufacturers we will all
continue to survive and, yes, even thrive."

Jay D. Leventhal, senior resource specialist, and Crista L.
Earl, resource specialist, Technical Evaluation Services,
National Technology Program, American Foundation for the Blind,
11 Penn Plaza, Suite 300, New York, NY 10001; [log in to unmask]

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