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Number of posts in this thread: 7 (In chronological order)

From: Jennifer Sutton
Date: Thu, Oct 23 2014 10:54AM
Subject: accessible third-party commercial online chat options
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Greetings, WebAIM:

Does anyone have recommendations for accessible third-party
commercially available online chat services/clients?

I'm not looking to "build our own," such as might be possible via this:

http://whatsock.com/modules/accessible_chat_dialog_module/demo.htm


and the style guide:
https://github.com/accdc/tsg

Rather, I'm looking for a third-party vendor who's committed to
accessibility of online chat, especially on the front end, but
preferably on both the front and back end.

If you've used online chat services that work well, but you don't
know who the vendor is, I'd be interested in that input, too, as it
could facilitate my doing further research.

Thanks in advance.

Jennifer

From: Jennifer Sutton
Date: Thu, Oct 23 2014 11:39AM
Subject: Re: accessible third-party commercial online chat options
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To clarify, I mean text chat online; I don't mean voice chat.

I'm meaning services where you can post your question in a box, using
text, and a customer service rep. would respond and chat with you in
"real time."
At 09:54 AM 10/23/2014, Jennifer Sutton wrote:
Greetings, WebAIM:

Does anyone have recommendations for accessible third-party

commercially available online chat services/clients?

>I'm not looking to "build our own," such as might be possible via this:
>
>http://whatsock.com/modules/accessible_chat_dialog_module/demo.htm
>
>
>and the style guide:
>https://github.com/accdc/tsg
>
>Rather, I'm looking for a third-party vendor who's committed to
>accessibility of online chat, especially on the front end, but
>preferably on both the front and back end.
>
>If you've used online chat services that work well, but you don't
>know who the vendor is, I'd be interested in that input, too, as it
>could facilitate my doing further research.
>
>Thanks in advance.
>
>Jennifer

From: Andrews, David B (DEED)
Date: Mon, Oct 27 2014 9:20AM
Subject: Re: accessible third-party commercial online chat options
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While it is probably overkill for what you want, we use Microsoft LYNC here, and I have found the chat to be accessible.

Dave

From: Thomas McKeithan II
Date: Mon, Oct 27 2014 10:13AM
Subject: Re: accessible third-party commercial online chat options
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I've used that application in a previous life and it can be navigated with a screen reader. There are a few small challenges.

Respectfully,
Thomas Lee McKeithan II
QSSI
http://www.qssinc.com
508 SME, SSQA Solutions Center
10480 Little Patuxent Pkwy , Suite 350
Columbia , MD 21044
(301 )977-7884 x1058 (Work)
(202) 276-6437 (Cell)
 

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From: Mike Bicknell
Date: Wed, Oct 29 2014 9:47AM
Subject: Re: accessible third-party commercial online chat options
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We use Microsoft Lync within our school and also with our distance
learning math students. The chat feature appears to be accessible during a
web meeting and also in the stand alone chat client. We have students
access the chat feature using refreshable Braille displays.

The Lync accessibility team visited our school and worked with us a few
years ago. Our students also sent feedback to a Yammer developer for
awhile too. I¹m curious what experience others have.


Mike Bicknell
Digital Learning Coordinator
Digital Research and Development Coordinator
Campus IT Manager
Washington State School for the Blind
360-696-6321, ext. 133
http://www.wssb.wa.gov











On 10/27/14, 9:13 AM, "Thomas McKeithan II" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

>I've used that application in a previous life and it can be navigated
>with a screen reader. There are a few small challenges.
>
>Respectfully,
>Thomas Lee McKeithan II
>QSSI
>http://www.qssinc.com
>508 SME, SSQA Solutions Center
>10480 Little Patuxent Pkwy , Suite 350
>Columbia , MD 21044
>(301 )977-7884 x1058 (Work)
>(202) 276-6437 (Cell)
>
>
>This electronic mail (including any attachments) may contain information
>that is privileged, confidential, and/or otherwise protected from
>disclosure to anyone other than its intended recipient(s). Any
>dissemination or use of this electronic email or its contents (including
>any attachments) by persons other than the intended recipient(s) is
>strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please
>notify the sender by reply email and delete the original message
>(including any attachments) in its entirety.
>
>
>

From: Jennifer Sutton
Date: Sat, Nov 15 2014 1:28PM
Subject: Re: accessible third-party commercial online chat options
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Belated thanks to responses to this question that I received, both
off and onlist.


A similar thread was started later, here:
http://webaim.org/discussion/mail_thread?thread=6665

Jennifer

From: Birkir R. Gunnarsson
Date: Sun, Nov 16 2014 7:44PM
Subject: Re: accessible third-party commercial online chat options
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Microsoft Lync 2010 works pretty well for chat as well as call and
screen sharing features (the most accessible program that I, as a
screen reader user, have used for this purpose).
Unfortunately Lync 2013 breaks a lot of that functionality (which is
inexplicable and I have a difficult time understanding how that could
happen, but it did).
For those who have Office 2010, you have a good option, but be careful
upgrading when you want to rely on Lync as your chat solution.
Google Hangouts is actually not too bad, if you avoid Internet
Explorer (at least I have never been able to get the sound to work),
and if you understand that hangouts.google.com is actually the one
place you are unable to start anything hangout related, it is just
promotional stuff.
If you start a Hangout meeting from Google calendar, join a meeting
invite with a Google Hangout URL or use Google Plus, it is not too
bad.

There are accessibility markup issues, such as simultaneous use of
labels and aria that actually confuse the user
(what does it mean when the label on a button is "unmute" and its
aria-pressed attribute is "true", screen reader will say "unmute
button pressed").
But you can use the voice/video chat features, share your screen and
do the online chat (though Hangouts will not notify you of incoming
chat messages, you have to look yourself).
No more than 10 participants (15 if you are a corporation account) can
use Hangouts simultaneously, which is a limiting factor.
Skype is somewhat limited but useful, especially together with an Irc channel.
So is the client used by http://easi.cc for their webinars.
The Acrobat Pod client has accessibility issues, particularly with the
online text chat portion (I have only tried it once and that was
around a year ago, you can see specific comments on that in the GAAD
Paciello Group discussion that unfortunately turned into blasting that
one aspect rather than discussing some of the good things that hapTPG
was doing, but hopefully we can take something positive out of that
experience).

I am a little confused here, whether this was the original question or not.
If the question is, what web-based customer service chat works
appropriate with aria live regions, there are a few.
State Farm Canada's online chat works nicely, but getting to it for
testing purposes requires going through some data.
It is a very good example of the appropriate use of aria live regions.
I have heard that Bank of America´s online customer service chat is
not bad actually.
What they do is to play a little "ding" sound when a customer service
rep posts a message.
When used in combination with a live region, I think we are on to something.
hth
-B


On 11/15/14, Jennifer Sutton < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Belated thanks to responses to this question that I received, both
> off and onlist.
>
>
> A similar thread was started later, here:
> http://webaim.org/discussion/mail_thread?thread=6665
>
> Jennifer
>
> > > >


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