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Re: Accessibility Myths 2011 part 2 published

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From: Will Grignon
Date: Jan 12, 2012 10:36AM

I am blind and I use JAWS. I was wondering whether people with dyslexia can use JAWS - i.e., rely on the audio output from JAWS rather than try to navigate and interface with the visual screen. If so, could people with other disabilities (cognitive and otherwise) benefit from using a screenreader - e.g., turn off the screen, avoid all the challenges posed by text and flickering images, and rely on the screen reader audio input?

If so, wouldn't it be simpler, more efficient, and cost effective to perfect screen reading technology that people with many kinds of disabilities could use and come up with standards for optimal screen reader website accessibility, instead of trying to develop separate adaptive technologies for each kind of disability or trying to configure websites to accommodate a growing list of disabilities and their respective accessibility requirements?

In addition, people without disabilities could use and benefit much more from a wider application of screen reader functionality - i.e., they already use hands-free and voice-control operability in their cars, why not expand this kind of interface (e.g. a kind of JAWS-Dragon-J-Say configuration) to home and office?

I apologize in advance if my comments display a modicum of blind-centric insensitivity.

Will Grignon
727.290.6454