All About Access

ODF 1.1, which has been described as “the most accessible document file format, bar none,” is now available for public review according to this announcement from OASIS:

The public review starts today, 27 July 2006, and ends 25 September 2006. This is an open invitation to comment. We strongly encourage feedback from potential users, developers and others, whether OASIS members or not, for the sake of improving the interoperability and quality of OASIS work.

Links to the specification can be found at OASIS as well as on Peter Korn’s blog.

Peter Korn blogs:

Daniel Carrera at the Open Document Fellowship has developed a text-only ODF reader (which is part of their more general ODF Viewer project) that converts ODF to HTML and then invokes the Lynx web browser to read it. I just downloaded this early “alpha” edition of the code, and started playing with it. Thus far it opened my two test text files just fine (one of which was committee draft #2 of the ODF 1.1 specification – a 735 page document that worked out to some 3,416 “pages” on my Lynx 80×24 character terminal window). Unfortunately it didn’t do anything useful with a test spreadsheet I gave it.

I’ve had similar success with text files. Unfortunately it didn’t do anything useful with the presentation I gave it either. At least not yet. After all, it IS only an alpha version….

Peter adds:

At the moment this version works on UNIX systems, but as Lynx also runs on Windows and Macintosh, and the conversion is simply an XSLT transformation, there is little reason why this couldn’t be easily ported to Windows and Macintosh.

However, his entry does not mention what porting the ODF reader to Windows can mean for users who are blind. And it can mean a lot.

As we are all too aware, there are some pretty significant barriers to information access for individuals who are blind or visually impaired:

• The cost of the computer iteself


• The cost of the mainstream software (e.g. Windows and MS Office)


• The cost of the assistive technology required to access the mainstream software


• The cost and availability of quality training

As a result of these expenses, there are a lot of users out there who are running old versions of their screen reader. While JAWS and Window-Eyes have come a long way when it comes to providing solid access to MS Office, the major improvements have all been relatively recent. If you want to be able to effectively access complex documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, you really need to have a recent copy of your access software. If that is not an option—and for many users, it is not—the information in question winds up being functionally inaccessible.

There are other users who do have the latest greatest versions of everything, but have never received the training on how to use their office suite or the more advanced features of their screen reader. If you have no idea how to use Excel or PowerPoint and to do so in conjunction with your screen reader, spreadsheets and presentations wind up being inaccessible.

This all boils down to the following: There’s a heck of a lot of information out there—information which is technically accessible—that still cannot be accessed by users who are blind. Porting the ODF reader to Windows can change that.

Once the ODF reader is ported to Windows, and is further developed to support spreadsheets and presentations, suddenly all sorts of information that was previously inaccessible due to the aforementioned barriers becomes accessible: All you have to be able to do is open it in your web browser. That is going to make a big difference to a lot of people.

Until recently, the all mighty Google had a poor reputation among visual and mobility impaired web users. Their use of visual verification systems like ”captcha” to prevent automated bots from creating Google user accounts (see Oops, Google Did it Again and A Call to Action: Captchas Limit Equal Access to Information) created barriers to visually impaired users. The lack of structural markup made it difficult for visual and mobility impaired users (more specifically keyboard users) to quickly and efficiently navigate search results. And the heavy use of DHTML in many of their new “Web 2.0” applications (like GMail, Google Calendar, Google Spreadsheets, and the long anticipated launch of their word processing app Writely) make it difficult if not impossible for keyboard only users to access these alternatives to bulky and expensive desktop applications (although this may not be considered their oversight, but rather a limitation of the access software in use today).

In the article ‘Google for the blind’ recently published in the San Francisco Chronicle, Jessica Guynn writes about a new project in Google Labs called Google Accessible Search:

Google research scientist T.V. Raman, blinded by childhood glaucoma, doesn’t want the visually impaired to be sidelined on the Internet.

That’s why this fervent proponent of making technology accessible to the entire disabled community moved from IBM to the Internet mainstream a year ago, and has been working tirelessly ever since toward Web sight for all.

His latest effort? It’s called ”Accessible Search,” a new Google search engine that aims to deliver results both relevant and easy for the visually impaired to access.

The article also mentions improvements in access to Google’s visual verification system:

Those squiggly words you see on a Web page that act as a security measure to keep out spammers. Known as “captchas.” They work great, if you can see them. Google finally added audio to their word verification system in April.

And it hints at greater things to come, like improved access to web apps like GMail and Google Talk.

I have to admit, the prospect of a more accessible Google, which is for many, the gateway to the World Wide Web, is very exciting. However, at first glance, it appears that Google Accessible Search has quite a ways to go. The lack of structural markup is a huge shortcoming. The only heading tag is an H1 wrapped around the first words on the page “Accessible Search.” How about adding an H2 to that meaningless word WEB that appears above the search results? Better yet, change that word to something meaningful, like RESULTS!)

Sarcasm aside, Google and T.V. Raman should be commended and encouraged in their efforts. A more accessible web benefits all. So be sure to read the article in full at The Technology Chronicles : Google for the blind. Don’t forget to look for quotes from Carroll Tech and All About Access’s very own Joanmarie Diggs!

Technorati Tags: Google, captcha, Accessible Search

This morning I received an email from Joe Lazzaro, Manager of the Assistive Technology Group at ITD in response to my earlier post. With Joe’s permission, I am posting his reply:

I read your blog entry regarding Orca with great interest. As you know, we’re setting up an assistive technology testing lab here at the Commonwealth’s Information Technology Division. Moreover, we’ve established an Assistive Technology Group, and I’m honored to be its first project manager. The Assistive Technology Group is under the umbrella of the Enterprise Applications Bureau, which is responsible for developing software applications and deploying information technology for most of the Commonwealth state agencies, so we’re in a good place to make positive change with the development of information technology to make sure it’s accessible. The Group is responsible for testing all ITD applications for accessibility, including web sites, web applications, software applications, and even documents. We’re inserting language into procurements to inform vendors bidding on state IT contracts that accessibility is a major component that must be met. We will also be looking at legacy applications to determine how to repair accessibility issues.

The Assistive Technology Group is currently reaching out to stakeholders in the disability community for feedback while we do the lab build out, and form the new group within ITD. I would like to offer ITD as a place for the Orca users group to meet, discuss new ideas, and expand the technology. We could also work with the emerging open source software packages and their integration with Orca, and it would be a good learning experience for us all.

ITD is at One Ashburton Place in downtown Boston, and is close to the Park Street MBTA Station, which would make it easy for people to get to our facility.

As a blind person, I’m interested in a very personal way about Orca and Open Office, as it’s free software that has the potential to help literally tens of thousands of persons with vision and other disabilities. I don’t have to tell you how expensive most assistive technology is, and open source software has great potential to significantly close the digital divide for persons with disabilities on fixed incomes. With a free screen reader, free office suite, free web browser, persons with disabilities can live, work, and learn more independently, and without breaking the bank.

We are also interested in hosting other user groups focusing on assistive technologies from both commercial and open source providers.

If folks want to contact me directly, my voice phone is 617-626-4410, and my email is Joe [dot ]Lazzaro [at] state [dot] ma [dot] us. The ITD web site is www.mass.gov/ITD.

This is great: Now we have a meeting place. Thanks Joe!!

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been migrating my PCs over to Ubuntu and learning how to use Orca, an open source screen reader for Linux being developed by Sun Microsystems. For a product that’s only at version 0.2.6, Orca is quite impressive. And you sure can’t beat the price: Your operating system, office suite, and screen reader come to a grand total of—oh wait, they’re free. But that’s old news. What’s new—at least for me—is the approach to development adopted by the open source community in general, and the Orca team specifically.

As someone who has spent the last ten years working with assistive technology in the Windows environment, I’ve grown accustomed to approaching access to software as an uphill climb:

• Trying to convince the mainstream companies to design their software in such a way that lends itself to access through the keyboard and by screen readers—and often being ignored.


• Trying to convince the assistive technology manufacturers to do the necessary customizations within their product. Alas I don’t usually get very far here either, lack of demand and/or inherent inaccessibility always being cited.


• Trying to customize the assistive technology myself to provide a basic level of support so that the mainstream technology is not completely unusable. Some days are better than others in this regard.

If you use and/or teach assistive technology for Windows, then you undoubtedly know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s no fun— sometimes it’s downright maddening. And we pay thousands of dollars for the privilege…. But what can you do???

You can go open source and give Orca a try. In the open source world, it’s not a three-way fight among users, AT manufacturers, and the mainstream software companies. It’s a collaboration. Or, as Dave Winer would put it, it’s users and developers partying together.

It’s a bit strange at first: not just being listened to, but being truly heard, and knowing that your participation is valued; seeing the AT and mainstream developers work together to find solutions—and to find them quickly as a result of their collaboration. Now I know how Dorothy felt when she looked around and concluded that she and her four-legged friend were no longer in Kansas…. But unlike Dorothy, I don’t want to go back home. If I want an uphill climb, I’ll go for a hike.

Of course, transitioning from the known to the unknown can be rather daunting. Therefore, what I think we need is a local Orca users group: A place to come together, share tips and tricks, and support one another as we learn. Let’s help each other get up to speed on technology that has the potential to fundamentally change computer access as we know it. Are you interested? If so, do please get in touch! joanmarie [dot] diggs [at] carroll [dot] org.

As someone who teaches technology classes for users who are blind or visually impaired, I always try to get my hands on the beta versions of products so that I can familiarize myself with them as a sighted user before tossing the screen access software into the mix. As such, I’ve switched over to Office 2007 for all of my work-related tasks: Outlook for email, calendar, and tasks; Word for writing; Excel for maintaining my grade book; and PowerPoint for creating presentations. It’s been, well, interesting… in a “May you live in interesting times” sorta way….

At the heart of the adventure is ribbons. What is a ribbon, you ask? Well, picture the menu bar and its menus that we’ve all come to know and love. Now erase that picture from your mind— and if you were picturing any tool bars, get rid of them too— because with the exception of the main Outlook window, those are things of the past. Gone. Fini. In their place is the ribbon. The ribbon, as described by Microsoft is:

a new device that presents commands organized into a set of tabs. The tabs on the Ribbon display the commands that are most relevant for each of the task areas in Office Word 2007, Office PowerPoint 2007, Office Excel 2007, or Office Access 2007. For example, Office Word 2007 has tabs for writing, inserting, page layout, working with references, doing mailings, and reviewing documents. Office Excel 2007 has a similar set of tabs that make sense for spreadsheet work: creating worksheets, inserting objects like charts and graphics, page layout, working with formulas, managing data, and reviewing. These tabs simplify accessing application features because they organize the commands in a way that corresponds directly to the tasks people perform in these applications.

That certainly sounds like a great idea: Simplification is a good thing. Although didn’t the menus on the menu bar already organize the commands in a way that corresponds directly to the tasks people perform in these applications? If I want to insert something, I look in the Insert menu; in order to format something, I look in the Format menu; if I need to create or modify a table, I look in the Table menu; and so on. At least I used to….

Regardless, while ribbons sound cool in theory, actually using them has been a bit different – in fact, my experience has been the complete opposite of what Microsoft intended, namely:

a user interface that makes it easier for people to get more out of Microsoft Office applications so they can deliver better results faster.

Maybe I am the proverbial old dog having a hard time with all of these new tricks, but for the life of me I cannot find what I’m looking for. It’s as if someone rearranged the contents of all of my drawers and cabinets—and rather than telling me where everything wound up said simply, “Don’t worry, you’ll find what you need because I’ve organized it for you.”

I certainly appreciate the thought, but at least before I knew where everything was; now I don’t. As a result, I’m not delivering better results faster; I’m delivering merely adequate results slower. Slower because I have to take the time to figure out where the things I need have wound up; merely adequate because I often conclude that I don’t have the time to go looking for those things and therefore blow off whatever nifty formatting I had intended to use. (Although, to be completely honest, if the formatting in question really matters, I switch over to StarOffice which I’ve been checking out ever since the ODF issue arose.)

I suspect the Office team must have seen old dogs like me coming because they did preserve a certain amount of menu functionality from Office 2003 (Thanks guys!!). Here’s how it works: Press the accelerator key from the 2003 menu bar, such as Alt A for Word’s Table menu. A tooltip-like object will appear telling you to “Continue typing the Office 2003 menu key sequence, or press Escape to Cancel.” At that point if you can remember that it’s, say, I for Insert and T for Table, you’re golden. Unfortunately if you can’t, you’re out of luck because there’s no actual menu on the screen in which you can arrow around. And Office doesn’t give you any clues. Sometimes when I can’t find things on the ribbon, I resort to playing Guess that Sequence:

Me: “I want to select my current table. Let’s see, how about Alt A, S for select?”

Word: Sort Text dialog.

Me: “That ain’t it. How about Alt A, E?”

Word: Beep.

Me: “L?”

Word: Beep.

Me: “C?”

Word: No response.

Me: Wooohooo, that means it’s still a valid sequence and no unwanted dialogs have appeared. Now I need Table. “T”

Word: Selects the table.

Me: Sighs with relief.

I wish the tooltip-like object would instead say “Continue typing the Office 2003 menu key sequence, press Escape to Cancel, or press ? if you can’t remember what the sequence is.” I’d be pressing that question mark a lot, but if doing so caused a little help window to appear providing a) what I was looking for and b) where I’d find it on the ribbon, I’d be much happier. I think ultimately what I am going to do is create an “Office 2007 for Old Dogs” guide with that very information and make it available via Carroll Tech – unless National Braille Press is already on it. I wonder what Anna Dresner is up to these days as this would be right up her alley.

I’m curious about what other folks think. If you’ve been using MS Office since dinosaurs roamed the planet, as I have, how is the switch going for you? From my perspective, the main advantage of the ribbon is that it looks pretty and inviting for the brand new, easily intimidated, (sighted) user.

The Software Freedom Law Center is an organization whose mission is to “provide legal representation and other law-related services to protect and advance Free and Open Source Software.” Yesterday, the SFLC cleared ODF for free software use:

“A number of our clients asked us to determine whether ODF is truly free of patent, copyright and trademark encumbrances. We looked into the issue, and are confident that developers can use ODF in free software,” said James Vasile, SFLC Legal Counsel. “ODF is GPL-compatible.”

With this assurance, more developers will feel comfortable creating products that incorporate ODF, which means we’ll have even more choice regarding which tools we use. This is great!

It does raise an interesting question, however: Microsoft is trying to compete with ODF by producing their own open format. Will their format be similarly cleared by the SFLC? Or will Open XML require the use of MS Office due to the potential legal risks of implementing the format elsewhere?