WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

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Re: Assistive technology on terminals (thin clients)

for

From: Tim Harshbarger
Date: Sep 26, 2007 10:50AM

Yes, both JAWS and WindowEyes can be set up to work in a Citrix
environment. A few years ago I did some research for a small nonprofit
on the issue. Additionally, some terminal emulation software is
accessible--although that tends to be for terminal environments that
are largely text-based.

If the list is still active and your focus is on visual impairment, I
would suggest checking on the blind programming list. At least, it use
to be a good way to make contact with developers with visual impairments
that worked in a fairly wide variety of environments.


Tim
>-----Original Message-----
>From: <EMAIL REMOVED>
>[mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of PAUL BROWN
>Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 10:29 AM
>To: <EMAIL REMOVED>
>Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Assistive technology on terminals (thin clients)
>
>Yes, terminal services, sorry for not being clearer. No
>specifics yet, might be Citrix, I should find out more next week.
>
>>From my understanding the issue is (was?) that terminal
>services effectively serve a screenshot to the terminal, so
>there's no data for AT to get hold of. I'm not sure what AT
>functionality is being considered, from screen reader to zoom,
>changing colours / contrast, etc. My knowledge of how
>terminals work is very limited also, all I know is the web
>side of things :)
>
>Interesting to hear that JAWS does now support terminals, the
>older articles I'd be able to find implied that support was
>pretty non-existant.
>
>Thanks for your help,
>
>Paul
>
>> I think you might have missed the mark there, I would have assumed he
> > was talking about Terminal Services or similar. (Citrix perhaps?)
> >
> > I'm not sure how a zoom application would work? Presumably
>alternative
> > browsers just rely on being loaded on the system.
> >
> > JAWS 7.1 (and I assume 8) does support TS but in addition
>to the JAWS
> > Professional it requires an upgrade:
> >
>http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jawspricing.asp.
> >
> > However, I've not actually talked to anyone who's actually
>used it, or
> > any other screen reader with thin clients.
> >
> > Apart from that I don't know, you might have to ask the vendors...
> >
> > -Alastair
> >
>