[slikom] Zanimljiva planirana panel diskusija
- From: "Gradimir Kragic" <bastono@xxxxxxxx>
- To: "Lista SliKom" <slikom@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 06:00:14 +0200
GW Micro Responds to the Future of Screen Readers Discussion Panel Questions
Zdravo svima,
Po meni ovo je vrlo zanimljiva informacija. Nažalost zbog mog "znanja"
Engleskog jezika ostaćete bez pune informacije. Ipak, potrudio sam se da
prevedem barem uvod i prepričam deset pitanja kako bi se svatilo o čemu se
radi. Ostatak poruke je na Engleskom jeziku pa su dobro voljci za prevod, dobro
došli.
Uvodni tekst:
Tokom ovog ljeta, Odbor za organizaciju konferencije o pristupu informacijama
pozvao je proizvođače čitača ekrana i to: "GV Micro", "Freedom Scientific",
"Serotek", "NVDA" i "Apple" da učestvuju na panel diskusiji o budućnosti
čitača ekrana tokom "ACB konvencije" u "Phoeniks Arizona.
Kada je došlo vreme za panel diskusiju, "GV Micro" bio je jedini proizvođač
čitača ekrana koji se pojavio da učestvuje. "Serotek" i "NVDA" su pokušali da
učestvuju preko Skype ali nisu bili u stanju da to učine zbog problema sa
Internet vezom u samom hotelu gdje se održavala konferencija. Što se tiče
ostalih, "Freedom Scientific" je odbio da učestvuje a "Apple"
nije ni odgovorio na ovaj poziv.
Bilo je predviđeno da se na panel diskusiji postavi deset pitanja. Meni su
lično zanimljiva pitanja broj 3, 7 i 9, mada i sva ostala su zanimljiva.
Deset pitanja predviđenih za ovu panel diskusiju:
Prvo pitanje. Svaka vaša kompanija ima drugačiji poslovni model za marketing i
prodaju svog čitača ekrana. Na osnovu tog modela, vaš čitač ekrana je
predstavljen da će najviše uticati na ukupno tržište čitača ekrana.
Drugo pitanje. u poslednjih nekoliko godina uloga računara se naglo razvija.
Istovremeno sa mnogo računara ili sa udaljene lokacije kroz nekakav virtuelni
operativni sistem ili virtualne mašine kao što je "VMuare". Taj razvoj ide i
dalje naprijed. Recite nešto o vašim strategijama za daljinsku podršku sa
čitačem ekrana.
Treće pitanje. Kao što se zna, Brajevo pismo je apsolutno od vitalnog značaja
za mnoge aspekte života kojeg živimo kao slijepe ili slabovide osobe,
uključujući obrazovanje, zapošljavanje i pismenost. Kako planirate podršku
Brajevom pismu u vašim programima?
Četvrto pitanje. Buduća uloga "Vorld Vide Veb" se često opisuje kao da je
interaktivna. Kao što se zna, ušli smo u eru u kojoj ova uloga "www" postaje
sve više i više važnija. Primjena ovih tehnologija kao što su "AJAKS" i
"HTML5", šta se očekuje u novim verzijama vaših čitača ekrana?
Peto pitanje. Sa brzim promjenama, često vrlo brzim promjenama, u operativnim
sistemima, pregledačima i drugim programima, korisnici čitača ekrana izražavaju
nezadovoljstvo što nisu u mogućnosti da iskoriste te nove verzije programa a
koje koriste njihovi videći vršnjaci mjesecima, ako ne i godinama. Pored toga,
model za svaki čitač ekrana može se znatno razlikovati. Koje oblike saradnje
možete preduzeti kako bi se smanjila kašnjenja i omogućilo korišćenje novih
verzija programa.
Šesto pitanje. Zamislite da sada učestvujete u panel diskusiji 2015. godine.
Šta bi mogli očekivati da bi ste nam rekli o vašim čitačima ekrana? Kojim bi se
novinama mogli nadati?
Sedmo pitanje. Obuka i podrška su od suštinskog značaja za većinu korisnika
čitača ekrana. Koje inovativne korake možete preduzeti u budućnosti kako bi se
obezbedilo da korisnici imaju najbolju obuku i podršku na raspolaganju?
Osmo pitanje. Koje su tri stvari koje ćete reći programerima koji razvijaju
softver, veb sajtove, i interaktivna okruženja?
Deveto pitanje. Uvođenjem čitača ekrana kao sastavnog djela operativnog sistema
za svakog korisnika i bez dodatnih troškova, "Apple" je promenio dinamiku i
proizvodnju čitača ekrana. Koje promene treba da se dese u Microsoft da bi se
sličan model pojavio i za Vindovs? Koji su razlozi da se to nije desilo?
Deseto pitanje. Kao razvijači čitača ekrana, šta je ono šta vas najviše
frustira u oblasti proizvodnje čitača ekrana?
Pošto se ostali proizvođači čitača ekrana nisu pojavili na panel diskusiji, "GV
Micro" je iskoristio priliku da javno odgovori na 10 pitanja predviđenih za tu
panel diskusiju. Slijedi tekst na Engleskom jeziku sa pitanjima i odgovorom
kojeg je poslao "GV Micro". Sada nam ostaje da vidimo hoće li i ostali možda
odgovoriti.
Napomena: "GV Micro" je proizvođač čitača ekrana koji se zove "Window-Eyes" te
još nekih drugih programa.
Earlier this summer, the Information Access Committee invited GW Micro, Freedom
Scientific, Serotek, NVDA and Apple to participate in the Future of Screen
Readers discussion panel at the 2010 ACB convention in Phoenix Arizona. When
the time came for the discussion panel, GW Micro was the only screen reader
manufacturer that showed up to participate. In fairness, Serotek and NVDA
attempted to participate via Skype but were unable to do so because of Internet
connectivity issues in the hotel conference area. As for the others, Freedom
Scientific declined to participate and Apple did not even acknoweldge the
invitation sent by the Information Access Committee. GW Micro would like to
take this opportunity to publicly respond to the 10 questions asked of each
participant and you can find the ten discussion panel questions along with our
responses below:
1. Each of your companies has a different business model for marketing and
selling your screen reader. Based on this model, describe how your product is
expected to impact the overall market for screen readers.
GW Micro’s business model is driven by the needs of our customers and screen
reader users all over the world. Our goal is to make current versions of the
Windows operating system and all Windows-based applications fully accessible.
This is accomplished by three methods. First, we try to make Window-Eyes as
flexible as possible so that the operating system and user applications will be
completely accessible and usable “out of the box” without having to perform any
screen reader customization or scripting. Second, we offer users the ability
to create set files which can be used to customize and enhance the speaking
environment of an application that might not be fully accessible out of the
box. The task of creating set files in Window-Eyes can be easily accomplished
using an intuitive user interface. Lastly, we allow you to customize the
operating system and applications based on a user’s specific needs. This is
done by providing the most powerful scripting abilities of any screen reader
currently available. Unlike the competition, Window-Eyes scripting uses the
industry standard approach of COM Automation which allows state-of-the-art
programming languages to harness the full power of Window-Eyes and create a
seamless computing experience for the end-user. More than 200 Window-Eyes
scripts are already available for use and can be downloaded for free directly
from Script Central (www.gwmicro.com/sc).
With over 90% of computers running a Windows operating system and the
increasing popularity of Windows 7, we expect that there will continue to be
strong demand for a stable, secure and flexible Windows-based screen reading
solution in the marketplace. In addition, we expect that Window-Eyes will
continue to grow in popularity as more people learn about the powerful
scripting capabilities as well as the screen reader’s unmatched stability. It
is also important to mention that GW Micro was the first and still the only
screen reader manufacturer to offer a payment plan. We believe that the
Window-Eyes payment plan has had a dramatic impact on the screen reader market
by making a powerful screen reader like Window-Eyes affordable to people on
fixed incomes as well as others who find themselves in a difficult financial
situation.
2. The role of computing has shifted dramatically in the past few years with
much computing being done either remotely—through some kind of cloud-based
virtual operating system—or virtual machines via products such as VMware.
Going forward, tell us about your strategy to support remote and virtual
computing with your screen reader.
GW Micro worked diligently to be the first screen reader to support remote
computing. This was accomplished by working very closely with Citrix and
Microsoft to make sure their remote access technologies would be accessible
with Window-Eyes. This allowed screen reader users access to remote computers
using software like Remote Desktop for the first time in screen reader history.
GW Micro has also spent considerable time and effort to make sure that both
fat and thin client computing is fully supported. In addition, GW Micro
continues to expand Window-Eyes support for virtual computing platforms
including VMWare, Virtual PC, Virtual Box and Parallels. Moving forward, our
strategy will be to continue to work very closely with leading technology firms
that provide remote and virtual computing solutions to ensure that these
products continue to be fully accessible with Window-Eyes.
3. As you know, braille is absolutely vital to many aspects of the lives that
we live as people who are blind or visually impaired including education,
employment, and literacy. How do you imagine support for braille can be
improved in your product?
GW Micro understands the importance of Braille and Braille literacy in the
Blind and visually impaired community. In addition, Braille is essential for a
computer user who is Deaf-Blind and GW Micro is proud to report that many of
the leading advocates in the Deaf-Blind community prefer Window-Eyes as their
screen reader of choice. This is in part because of our attention to detail
found in the Window-Eyes Braille support with features like Quick Message and
Speech Box mode. Another benefit of our Braille support is that Window-Eyes
Braille output can be customized and presented in three different ways or
modes: Structured, Line and Speech Box. These three modes give the user the
flexibility to control how Window-Eyes will present information on the Braille
display based on their individual Braille reading preferences. For example, in
Line mode, all of the text and controls of a dialog box will be displayed on
the same line of Braille instead of displaying each text item and control on a
separate line. By displaying all of the information found in the dialog on one
line of Braille, the user can access all of the information very quickly
without the need to continually scroll down line by line.
Moving forward, we are very optimistic about the future of Braille and
Window-Eyes Braille support. Because of the advanced scripting abilities of
Window-Eyes, Braille display manufacturers like Handy Tech have created
powerful scripts allowing users to make better use of their Braille displays.
In addition, innovative features being introduced in Braille displays like
Active Tactile Control (ATC) will allow users to interact with their
applications in more efficient ways without having to move your fingers away
from the Braille display.
GW Micro is constantly striving to make sure any and all Braille displays are
supported by Window-Eyes. GW Micro and many other leaders in assistive
technology have chosen to support the OpenBraille initiative. The focus of
this initiative is to develop a universal standard which will allow for any
Braille display to work with any screen reader automatically. Regretfully, not
all screen reader manufacturers support this initiative which is negatively
impacting the affordability and compatibility of Braille displays and screen
readers. For more information, please feel free to review the two insightful
blog posts made by Doug Geoffray, the lead developer of Window-Eyes, on the
Braille driver signing issue found at
http://www.gwmicro.com/blog/index.php/all/?title=a-thought-on-braille-driver-signing
and
http://www.gwmicro.com/blog/index.php/all/?title=more-thoughts-on-braille-driver-signing&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1.
In addition, if you would like to sign the petition to voice your opposition
to the “Secure and Compatible Braille Display Initiative” which in our opinion
will only serve to harm the Braille reading community as a whole, please visit:
http://www.petitiononline.com/brl4all/.
4. The future role of the World Wide Web is often described as that of a
highly interactive, media-rich desktop. As we move into the era where this
role becomes more and more evident with the gradual implementation of such
technologies as AJAX and those collectively known as HTML5, what challenges do
you foresee your screen reader facing? What opportunities do you imagine these
interfaces to bring?
GW Micro feels that the opportunities presented by emerging web technologies
such as ARIA and HTML5 will be truly amazing as long as web authors are given
the necessary strategies and tools needed to make their web content accessible
in an efficient manner. GW Micro will continue to work closely with companies
and organizations that create web and accessibility standards as we strive to
make the web as accessible as possible.
The biggest challenge that we currently face is making the transition from
reading simple static web pages to web pages and web applications that are much
more complex and dynamic. This challenge cannot be overcome by adding a few
lines of code or writing a few simple scripts. Instead, GW Micro will invest a
significant amount of time and resources to completely re-write the Window-Eyes
Browse Mode giving users the power and flexibility needed to access the web
content of both today and tomorrow. GW Micro plans to include our new web
support in the next major release of Window-Eyes, version 8.
5. With rapid changes, often dramatic at times, in operating systems,
browsers, and other technologies, screen reader users express frustration that
they are unable to take advantage of the technologies used by their sighted
peers for months—if not years. In addition, the interaction model for each
screen reader may differ significantly. What collaborative steps can you take
to reduce the lag and different interaction modalities for increased benefit to
users?
In the past, it was not uncommon for screen reader users to have to wait
several months before a new operating system or application would become
accessible. GW Micro was not satisfied with this paradigm so we took the
necessary steps to make sure that major applications and operating systems are
supported on day one. This is accomplished by working very closely with the
application developers during design time to ensure that their applications are
fully accessible with a screen reader.
GW Micro has a strong reputation for working closely with key application
developers in an effort to provide full access to applications at the time they
are made available to the public. The list of software companies that GW Micro
has collaborated with over the years includes Microsoft, Apple, IBM, Adobe,
Citrix and many others.
Microsoft is at the top of the list because we strive to provide full access to
every version of Windows before or as soon as it is released to the public. In
fact, Microsoft contracted with GW Micro to write the Display Chain Manager
(DCM) which set the precedent for collaboration between a screen reader
manufacturer and a commercial technology giant like Microsoft. Window-Eyes was
the first screen reader to support Windows Vista because during a two week
porting lab at Microsoft, GW Micro was the only screen reader manufacturer to
send our software engineers for the entire two week period. Because of our
extra efforts, Microsoft decided to use Window-Eyes to demonstrate the
accessibility of Windows Vista prior to the official release of the operating
system. Window-Eyes was also the first screen reader to support Microsoft
Office 2007 and 2010 because we worked directly with the Office team to ensure
full accessibility.
Our collaborative efforts with Adobe and Macromedia led to Window-Eyes being
the first screen reader to support both PDF files and Flash content. In
addition, Window-Eyes was the first screen reader to support Citrix and
Terminal services because GW Micro was the first screen reader manufacturer to
work with Citrix and Microsoft to make these tools accessible.
Moving forward, GW Micro’s strategy will be to continue to work side by side
with leading software developers so that accessibility incorporated into the
design and development of future operating systems and applications.
6. Imagine that you are participating on a panel 5 years from now. What do
you hope you can tell us about the screen reader space and the role of your
screen reader in it?
While companies like Microsoft and Apple will continue to integrate
accessibility into their operating systems, we feel that GW Micro and other
screen reader manufacturers will still have an important role to play in the
market. This holds true because competition has been proven to drive
creativity and innovation. Without competition from companies like GW Micro,
Microsoft and Apple will have no incentive to make their screen readers work
with competing technologies. For example, what incentive would Apple have to
make their screen reader work with Microsoft Office and what incentive would
Microsoft have to make their screen reader work with iTunes?
Many people are optimistically waiting for a utopia where all applications and
technologies are accessible from day one because commercial technology vendors
will build accessibility into their products. While this might sound like an
ideal solution to the accessibility issues we face today, history has shown us
that technology evolves too quickly for this to be possible in all cases.
Because of this, screen reader pioneers like GW Micro will still play a very
important role in developing the most innovative solutions to solve the
accessibility problems inherent in commercial technologies.
GW Micro has been a pioneer in the screen reader industry for over 20 years and
its founders, Doug Geoffray and Dan Weirich have been developing assistive
technology for Blind and visually impaired computer users since the early 80’s.
We have the experience and knowledge required to develop a powerful screen
reader and properly support our customers. If Apple and Microsoft are the only
companies left offering a screen reader in the future, you can rest assured
that screen readers will only be capable of what an Apple or Microsoft want
them to instead of what screen reader users actually need them to do. In
contrast, GW Micro will continue to pioneer innovative and customer driven
solutions and add to our “list of firsts” as new operating systems and
applications are developed.
7. Training and support are essential for most screen reader users. What
innovative steps can you take in the future to ensure that your users have the
best training and support available? What are some challenges are you likely
to face?
GW Micro has a unique training model that is not matched by any of our
competitors. GW Micro offers two types of Window-Eyes training: individualized
one-on-one phone training as well as hands-on group training.
Our phone training is the perfect training option for someone who would like
personalized training that can be setup around their schedule and at an
affordable cost. You can read more about our phone training by visiting:
http://www.gwmicro.com/Training/Phone_Training/.
GW Micro also travels around the country conducting hands-on Window-Eyes
training classes that cover basic and intermediate Window-Eyes skills. These
classes have been extremely successful and were recently reviewed and
recognized by the American Foundation for the Blind’s AccessWorld online
publication. You can read the glowing review written by Deborah Kendrick by
visiting: http://www.afb.org/afbpress/pub.asp?DocID=aw110305.
With the introduction of Window-Eyes scripting, GW Micro has launched hands-on
Window-Eyes scripting training classes as well. These classes give individuals
an opportunity to learn how to download, configure and use Window-Eyes scripts
as well as how to start writing your own Window-Eyes scripts. GW Micro offers
both a Beginner/Intermediate scripting class as well as an Advanced scripting
class. You can read more about our script training by visiting:
http://www.gwmicro.com/Training/Script_Training/.
GW Micro has a reputation for offering superior technical support and this is
accomplished by having a dedicated group of technical support representatives
and engineers to help our customers troubleshoot and resolve any problems that
they may encounter. Unlike other companies, you are always going to speak to a
real person when you call us for support. In addition, GW Micro is the only
screen reader manufacturer to host and moderate an email discussion list. This
list is a great resource that allows our customers to discuss technical issues
and questions with GW Micro’s technical support team as well others in the
Window-Eyes community.
Moving forward, GW Micro would like to continue to use and deploy new solutions
that take advantage of remote computing and emerging web technologies so we can
continue to improve and enhance the support and training we provide. For
example, GW Micro is actively using social media outlets including Twitter,
Facebook, YouTube and Flickr to increase our outreach and exposure to the
community. In addition, GW Micro gives everyone the ability to review and rate
scripts at Script Central (www.gwmicro.com/sc), participate in forums dedicated
to accessibility (www.gwmicro.com/forum) as well as to contribute to online
documentation (www.gwmicro.com/wiki).
At GW Micro, we don’t just provide assistive technology solutions; we are an
active member of the Blind and visually impaired community. GW Micro hopes to
pass along our knowledge and expertise to a new generation of assistive
technology trainers, consultants and end-users. We are optimistic that our
model for training and support will lead to a growing and prosperous community
of Window-Eyes users all over the world.
8. What are the top three things you would tell developers who develop
software, websites, and interactive environments?
First, we would recommend software developers introduce accessibility at design
time using existing standards instead of creating new standards or trying to
retro fit accessibility into the application or website after the fact. This
should reduce development costs and greatly enhance the accessibility of the
application. Second, we would encourage software developers to work directly
with accessibility leaders such as GW Micro. This can lead to more commercial
software being fully accessible “out of the box” with screen readers. Lastly,
we would tell developers that they should have Blind and visually impaired
users test their software for accessibility and usability before releasing the
product. We believe that this strategy would help software companies better
understand the unique perspective of Blind and visually impaired computer users
and encourage them to fix accessibility issues found in their software before
it is released.
9. By introducing a screen reader as an integral part of the operating system
available for every user and at no additional cost, Apple has changed the
dynamics of the screen reader industry. What changes need to occur for
Microsoft to bring about a similar model for Windows? What reasons are there
for not taking such a step?
GW Micro believes that having a free screen reader as part of the operating
system does a disservice to Blind computer users. How many people dropped
their dedicated screen reader in favor of Microsoft Narrator when it first came
out in Windows or now that it has been around for more than a decade? The
relatively small size of the screen reader market does not allow Microsoft or
Apple to invest the amount of resources that accessibility truly deserves.
Without a major change in Microsoft or Apple’s infrastructure, they would be
ill-prepared to develop a strong and evolving screen reader as well as provide
the type of support that is often required by screen reader users. Without
competition from screen reader manufacturers like GW Micro there will be no
incentive for Apple or Microsoft to include a feature-rich and powerful screen
reader into their operating system.
10. As a developer of a screen reader, what to you is the most frustrating
aspect of being in this market?
GW Micro’s biggest frustration is not being able to make all of our customers’
applications and the web pages they browse fully accessible. With the growing
use of accessibility standards by software developers in conjunction with the
powerful scripting capabilities and increased flexibility of Window-Eyes, we
are optimistic that we will eventually be able to reach our goal of making all
of our customers’ applications and favorite web pages fully accessible.
Other related posts: