[linux-audio-dev] Re: [off-list] Read this after your first cup of coffee

[Paul Davis]

>Sorry to be pedantic here Paul, but Outspoken is in fact a screen reader. Ther
>e
>is a difference between a screen reader and speech recognition.

oops, my mistake. i should have know better, given that ardour/ksi is
*designed* from scratch to be used with a screen reader :)

>In terms of using GUI software, there is in fact software for Windows, that
>allows blind/vision impaired users to use Cakewalk Sonar with a screen reader.
>Just how this is done, I do not know, but it is done.

i think they use an accessibility layer similar to ATK. as long as the
widget/toolkit library used by Sonar uses this layer, then a screen
reader can figure out what is on the screen and control it, in the
same way that (in theory) all GTK2 apps can be controlled using screen
readers. 

note, however, that my very limited experience with ardour/ksi
suggests that a fairly low limit to the onscreen complexity that can
be reasonably managed using keystrokes (which is what the linux screen
reading systems do).

>> the point about GUI systems for tasks like audio editing is that the
>> screen functions as a sort of backing store for your memory. you don't
>> have to remember where all the audio regions/events/clips are, because
>> the screen will show you, both statically and more importantly while
>> moving one (or more) them around. if you can't see the screen, then
>> you either have to (1) remember where everything is yourself, and edit
>> using only that memory or (2) devise some other form of mnemonic
>> design that performs the same role as the screen does for
>> non-sight-impaired users.
>
>I guess this is why people are able to use CakeWalk, and have screen reading
>software developed for it, simply because it doesn't use regions, however I

cakewalk (classic and sonar) emphatically *do* use regions. i don't
now if outSPOKEN can interact with their "editor canvas" as opposed to
the buttons etc. that function as controls. it would be interesting to
know, although it still leaves a huge area of basic functionality
unexplained (possibly because its not basic and is actually
unnecessary - we got most of the best recorded music to date without
any of this DAW crap!). 

--p