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

[Luke Yelavich]

On Sun, Aug 22, 2004 at 01:49:32AM EST, Paul Davis wrote:
> >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. 

I am not quite sure. I am aware that the authors of CakeWalk have added some
accessibility support to Sonar, but I don't think it covers all of Sonar's
operations. The screen reader in Windows that works with Sonar is called JAWS
for Windows. JAWS itself cannot work with Sonar, but an add-on is available to
allow it to do so. Sonar's accessibility is used as much as possible, but often
what has to happen, is that JAWS and the add-on have to examine the video memory
and determine what is being displayed. JAWS itself actually installs a video
intercept driver to intercept all video being sent to the screen.

So this is actually where Linux has an advantage, with ATK, etc, as the physical
screen doesn't need to be examined, but the information can be extracted via
GTK.

> 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).

I don't quite understand what you are getting at here.

> >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!). 

True. As for ksi, I am sure you would like to hear some other opinions on
what users might want. I am pretty sure that they will want a similar experience
to what they get when using Cakewalk.

When you port Ardour to GTK2, have you considered using the accessibility layer
to label custom widgets in Ardour, as in theory, Ardour will be usable with
GTK2 accessibility.
-- 
Luke Yelavich
http://www.audioslack.com
luke at audioslack.com