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Re: Using Google Chrome with a screen reader

for

From: Steven Faulkner
Date: Sep 5, 2008 4:30AM

Hi Jonas

It's good to hear that Google have plans for rapid improvements in the
accessibility of Google Chrome. Providing a simple user interface is
definitely a usability improvement that potentially benefits all
users, but at present for many people with disabilities Google Chrome
is simply unusable.

Here at TPG we work with many companies that use web browsers as a
software platform and we have already been contacted by clients who
want to take advantage of the potential Google Chrome holds for the
delivery of better performing more robust accessible rich internet
applications, but will not be able to do so until Google Chrome
provides the required support.

It would be a real step forward for accessibility on the web if Google
made a public commitment to make Google Chrome conformant with the
W3C's User Agent Accessibility Guidelines, and, like the Mozilla
Foundation, work with users with disabilities and Assistive Technology
vendors to ensure that Google Chrome is the most accessible browser
available.


with regards

Steve Faulkner
Technical Director - TPG Europe
Director - Web Accessibility Tools Consortium

www.paciellogroup.com | www.wat-c.org
Web Accessibility Toolbar -
http://www.paciellogroup.com/resources/wat-ie-about.html

2008/9/4 Jonas Klink < <EMAIL REMOVED> >:
> Google Chrome, our new Open Source browser released on Tuesday, strives to
> innovate and drive development on the web. This certainly extends to all of
> our users, and the issue of accessibility is no different.
>
> In the spirit of releasing early and iterating, this version of Chrome has
> focused on basic support for keyboard navigation and shortcuts, as well as a
> clean user interface that is simple for all users to navigate. At the same
> time, we have laid the foundations in place for exposing the appropriate
> information through the Windows Accessibility APIs (used by screen readers,
> etc.), as well as support for WAI-ARIA. Users can expect rapid improvements
> in both of these areas in releases to come.
>
> Accessibility is important to us, and we have for some time worked on its
> implementation. We look forward to releasing this, and making further
> improvements for our users.
>
> Sincerely,
> Jonas Klink
> Software Engineer - Accessibility
> Google Inc.
>
> On 9/3/08, Joshue O Connor < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
>>
>> Hi Steve,
>>
>> Thanks for the overview of the somewhat limited accessibility features of
>> the new browser. I think the under the hood improvements with Chrome are
>> very impressive and it is a pity that it is let down by it's current
>> inability to work with screen readers.
>>
>> Cheers
>>
>> Josh
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Jonas Klink
> Software Engineer - Accessibility
> Google, Inc.
> Phone: 650.253.8701
> Email: <EMAIL REMOVED>
>
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