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Re: Now that IBM will no longer be supportingHomePageReaderwhat else to use or recommend.

for

From: Rebecca Ballard
Date: Nov 14, 2006 1:30PM

Carolyn,

I've been away from my email for a few days, so am only just picking up the
threads... Whilst I acknowledge that the cost of Jaws is high for individual
users, there is a hell of a lot of development that goes into any new
version of a screen reader. Have you looked at how many mainstream
applications that they support, and how many new versions? Screen reader
developers do not have the economies of scale that the Macromedias and
Adobes of this world have, (let alone the Microsofts) and yet they still
have to keep pace with new versions of mainstream apps as well as improve
themselves. Yes we would all love jaws and window-eyes to be dirt cheap but
we also want them to work with mainstream apps that people are using every
day in work - yes there are disabled people out there in work, including
some who work for Freedom Scientific and GWMicro. But quality takes
resources.

Sorry if that was a bit of a rant and if someone has replied already with
this slant...

Rebecca

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-----Original Message-----
From: <EMAIL REMOVED>
[mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Nelson-Brooks,
Carolyn
Sent: 09 November 2006 19:32
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Now that IBM will no longer be supporting
HomePageReaderwhat else to use or recommend.

Ok, now you guys got my attention.

This is my dilemma also. Currently I'm using the demo version of Jaws.
Yes, it really is a pain to have to reboot your computer every 40 minutes...
And, the price is indeed too high for individuals purchasing single versions
of the software. These vendors of screen reading software programs should
be ashamed of themselves. They all know that most individuals using Jaws or
Window-Eyes are usually living on disability benefits which we all know is
nothing; so they should be a little more accommodating. If anyone has any
information about resources for obtaining screen reading software free,
through grants, at reduced prices, etc., please post it here. I'm sure we
all would like to communicate with these companies.



-----Original Message-----
From: <EMAIL REMOVED>
[mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Moore, Michael
Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2006 11:15 AM
To: <EMAIL REMOVED> ; WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Now that IBM will no longer be supporting Home
PageReaderwhat else to use or recommend.

For small groups who can live with a bit of a loss in productivity the demo
version of JAWS will run for 40 min intervals for a period of one year, then
you have to down load a new copy. The biggest pain is that you have to
reboot after 40 mins if you wish to continue testing.
However if your organization is medium to large in size, purchasing a full
blown version of assistive technology products should be a normal cost of
doing business. After all, compared to the price of Dreamweaver Studio,
Adobe Creative Suite and other assorted hardware and software that many
development groups use, < $1000 US for a full blown screen reader to add to
the testing lab seems like a reasonable business expense.

Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: <EMAIL REMOVED>
[mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Sandra Clark
Sent: Thursday, November 09, 2006 11:49 AM
To: 'WebAIM Discussion List'
Subject: [WebAIM] Now that IBM will no longer be supporting Home Page
Readerwhat else to use or recommend.

I've been recommending Home Page Reader (and using it myself) as a lower
cost way of testing accessibility features since the latest version came
out. Now that is no longer going to be possible what are other avenues?
Many of the people I train or consult with do not have the budget to be able
to accommodate Jaws or Window-Eyes for testing purposes.

Any suggestions I can look into?

Entry noting that "Homepage Reader is dead"
http://ability.aol.com/ability/index.php?ID=118&;catID=7

Sandra Clark
=============================http://www.shayna.com
Training in Cascading Style Sheets and Accessibility



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