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Re: best screen readers for browser testing

for

From: Kevin Price
Date: Jun 18, 2002 11:08AM

I think it is okay to use Home Page Reader or JAWS if that is only one
piece of the evaluation. The W3C evaluation page
http://www.w3.org/WAI/eval/ specifically mentions Home Page Reader as an
option for evaluating a web page for accessibility.
As long as Home Page Reader is just one part of evaluation and not the only
part.
Kevin

At 01:45 PM 6/18/2002 -0400, you wrote:
>I am not a professional web developer, but I do some web design,
>and I work with people with various disabilities, often using the
>adaptive software out on the market.
>It seems to me that if you design to any one particular program (be
>it HomePage Reader, Jaws or another), you are
>1. of necessity neglecting the other software of that same type
>2. neglecting the issues faced by people with other disabilities
>(and the software >they< use....tetraplegics using voice recognition
>comes to mind) and
>3. you are adding to the confusion. Adaptive software engineers
>look at the same standards that you do (508 and w3c) and assume
>that web developers who are interested in accessibility are doing
>the same. If you are not, but rather designing to one or two
>specific software programs (and only certain versions of those, at
>that), you are in essence making those the standard.
>
>I vote that we stick with the "real" standards, for the benefit of all!
>
>
>
> >I am a webmistress and web designer who is investigating different screen
> >readers to buy for the purpose of testing accessibility on our websites.
> >Price is also a factor of course. I like IBM Home Page Reader but am worried
> >that it is not that common. Should my company buy this $200 program just for
> >testing websites or should they go for the more expensive Window-Eyes or
> >JAWS since they are the most commonly used? Any suggestions would be greatly
> >appreciated. Thanks in advance.
>
>Lee
>
>=======================================================================>Lee Davis, IT Services, University of Exeter
>Email: <EMAIL REMOVED>
>Tel: +44-(0)1392-263960
>Fax: +44-(0)1392-211630
>WWW: http://www.exeter.ac.uk/
>Post: Laver Building, North Park Road, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4QE, UK.
>=======================================================================>
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>---------------------
>Joyce Kennedy, A.T.P.
>Jericho Consulting
>96 Western Ave.
>Auburn, ME 04210
>phone: 207-795-0628
>fax: 425-675-3049
> <EMAIL REMOVED>
>http://www.webjericho.com
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Kevin Price
Coordinator-Assistive Computing Resource Center (ACRC)
Academic Computing and Media
California State University, San Bernardino
5500 University Parkway / PL-002
San Bernardino, CA 92407-2397
909-880-5079 FAX 909-880-7075


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