E-mail List Archives
Thread: PowerPoints and Text to Speech
Number of posts in this thread: 7 (In chronological order)
From: LSnider
Date: Sun, Oct 09 2011 6:51PM
Subject: PowerPoints and Text to Speech
No previous message | Next message →
Hi Everyone,
Recently I learned a lot about powerpoints and how to make them accessible
for those who use screen readers (thanks to everyone here who provided a ton
of resources). I wondered if any of you had specific tips for those that use
text to speech software? I thought that by making a powerpoint accessible to
someone who uses the screen reader that this would cover other text to
speech converters. Would this not work the same as a screen reader or am I
wrong here?
Thanks!
Lisa
From: Tim Harshbarger
Date: Mon, Oct 10 2011 6:42AM
Subject: Re: PowerPoints and Text to Speech
← Previous message | Next message →
I have seen some other applications that are supposed to convert text to speech for the purpose of adapting the information for someone with a reading -related disability. However, they don't seem to have the same complexity of a screen reader when it comes to picking up information from an application. Of course, I think most of those type of applications start with the assumption that they do not need to have such semantically rich speech output so they rely on simpler mechanisms to acquire the text--mechanisms that do not always work in every situation.
From: LSnider
Date: Mon, Oct 10 2011 9:57AM
Subject: Re: PowerPoints and Text to Speech
← Previous message | Next message →
Hi Tim,
Yes, those are the ones I mean...one that I can remember offhand is
BrowseAloud. I had a feeling they would be a bit less complex, but I also
wondered how they worked. I thought they would work on the same principle,
in terms of how they 'read' the page. So I guess if I can make that
powerpoint as accessible as possible for screen readers then I should be
okay.
Thanks!
Lisa
On Mon, Oct 10, 2011 at 5:44 AM, Tim Harshbarger <
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> I have seen some other applications that are supposed to convert text to
> speech for the purpose of adapting the information for someone with a
> reading -related disability. However, they don't seem to have the same
> complexity of a screen reader when it comes to picking up information from
> an application. Of course, I think most of those type of applications start
> with the assumption that they do not need to have such semantically rich
> speech output so they rely on simpler mechanisms to acquire the
> text--mechanisms that do not always work in every situation.
>
>
>
From: Ryan E. Benson
Date: Mon, Oct 10 2011 4:42PM
Subject: Re: PowerPoints and Text to Speech
← Previous message | Next message →
I agree with Tim, they are much simpler applications than screen
readers. They rely on the fact that the end user can probably see the
text and tell the order. Office 2010 has an accessibility check, and
one of the rules is reading order. To check the order, click home >
drawing group > arrange > selection pane. Note: this pane actually
works backwards than you may think! The list is read from bottom to
top.
--
Ryan E. Benson
On Mon, Oct 10, 2011 at 8:44 AM, Tim Harshbarger
< = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> I have seen some other applications that are supposed to convert text to speech for the purpose of adapting the information for someone with a reading -related disability. However, they don't seem to have the same complexity of a screen reader when it comes to picking up information from an application. Of course, I think most of those type of applications start with the assumption that they do not need to have such semantically rich speech output so they rely on simpler mechanisms to acquire the text--mechanisms that do not always work in every situation.
>
>
>
From: LSnider
Date: Tue, Oct 11 2011 9:45AM
Subject: Re: PowerPoints and Text to Speech
← Previous message | Next message →
Hi Ryan,
That is great, thanks. Good points about the structure and sight...I have
2010 but haven't installed it yet, time to do it! Oh and thanks for the tip
on the pane.
Cheers
Lisa
On Mon, Oct 10, 2011 at 3:41 PM, Ryan E. Benson < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >wrote:
> I agree with Tim, they are much simpler applications than screen
> readers. They rely on the fact that the end user can probably see the
> text and tell the order. Office 2010 has an accessibility check, and
> one of the rules is reading order. To check the order, click home >
> drawing group > arrange > selection pane. Note: this pane actually
> works backwards than you may think! The list is read from bottom to
> top.
>
> --
> Ryan E. Benson
>
From: Ryan E. Benson
Date: Tue, Oct 11 2011 4:57PM
Subject: Re: PowerPoints and Text to Speech
← Previous message | Next message →
You are welcome, check for that panel in 2007. I am running 2010 at
work and 2003 at home *blush*.
--
Ryan E. Benson
On Tue, Oct 11, 2011 at 11:47 AM, LSnider < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Hi Ryan,
>
> That is great, thanks. Good points about the structure and sight...I have
> 2010 but haven't installed it yet, time to do it! Oh and thanks for the tip
> on the pane.
>
> Cheers
>
> Lisa
>
> On Mon, Oct 10, 2011 at 3:41 PM, Ryan E. Benson < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >wrote:
>
>> I agree with Tim, they are much simpler applications than screen
>> readers. They rely on the fact that the end user can probably see the
>> text and tell the order. Office 2010 has an accessibility check, and
>> one of the rules is reading order. To check the order, click home >
>> drawing group > arrange > selection pane. Note: this pane actually
>> works backwards than you may think! The list is read from bottom to
>> top.
>>
>> --
>> Ryan E. Benson
>>
>
From: Karlen Communications
Date: Tue, Oct 11 2011 6:06PM
Subject: Re: PowerPoints and Text to Speech
← Previous message | No next message
The selection Pane is available in PowerPoint 2007. Keyboard command is Alt + J, A, P while anything on the slide is selected. Same keyboard command in 2010.
As mentioned, the last item in the list is the first item someone would Tab to so starry at the bottom to arrange a logical reading order.
Cheers, Karen
Microsoft MVP for Word
Out of Office, Sent from my iPad
On 2011-10-11, at 6:57 PM, "Ryan E. Benson" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> You are welcome, check for that panel in 2007. I am running 2010 at
> work and 2003 at home *blush*.
>
> --
> Ryan E. Benson
>
>
>
> On Tue, Oct 11, 2011 at 11:47 AM, LSnider < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>> Hi Ryan,
>>
>> That is great, thanks. Good points about the structure and sight...I have
>> 2010 but haven't installed it yet, time to do it! Oh and thanks for the tip
>> on the pane.
>>
>> Cheers
>>
>> Lisa
>>
>> On Mon, Oct 10, 2011 at 3:41 PM, Ryan E. Benson < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >wrote:
>>
>>> I agree with Tim, they are much simpler applications than screen
>>> readers. They rely on the fact that the end user can probably see the
>>> text and tell the order. Office 2010 has an accessibility check, and
>>> one of the rules is reading order. To check the order, click home >
>>> drawing group > arrange > selection pane. Note: this pane actually
>>> works backwards than you may think! The list is read from bottom to
>>> top.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Ryan E. Benson
>>>
>>