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Re: best screen readers for browser testing

for

From: Leo Smith
Date: Jun 19, 2002 11:37AM

I think the last point made below is a very good one. As Web
developers/designers, we have endured a long wait for user agents
to become more standards compliant. If the NS4 engine had
become the industry standard, then we would be in a sorry state
today, codewise.

Leo.



> 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!
>
>

Leo Smith
Web Designer/Developer
USM Office of Publications and Marketing
University of Southern Maine
207-780-4774


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