assistive-technology: Difference between revisions
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Total users as of 2002: [http://web.archive.org/web/20021015235548/http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/trial/mswitness/2002/hofstader.asp "There are approximately 80,000 registered users of JAWS"] - Chris Hofstader of Freedom Scientific. Presumably world-wide users of any version of JAWS. | Total users as of 2002: [http://web.archive.org/web/20021015235548/http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/trial/mswitness/2002/hofstader.asp "There are approximately 80,000 registered users of JAWS"] - Chris Hofstader of Freedom Scientific. Presumably world-wide users of any version of JAWS. | ||
==== Testing possibilities ==== | |||
You can download demo versions of JAWS that are limited to run for about half an hour per Windows session. Unfortunately, Freedom Scientific considers testing web standards support in JAWS demos to be a breach of its EULA. Alternative, you could submit a test-case to end users at one of the [http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_support/User_Groups.asp JAWS mailing lists]. | |||
=== GW Micro Window Eyes === | ==== Documentation ==== | ||
*[http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_support/doc_screenreaders.asp Official manuals]. | |||
*[http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/Surfs_Up/_Surfs_Up_Start_Here.htm Official tutorial about surfing the web with JAWS]. | |||
==== Extensibility ==== | |||
JAWS is scriptable, and some scripts attempt to improve web access, such as Jamal Mazrui's [http://www.freelists.org/archives/guispeak/04-2007/msg00010.html HomerKit]. | |||
==== Release notes ==== | |||
* [http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws80fea.asp JAWS 8] (November 2006). | |||
* [http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws710fea.asp JAWS 7.10] (June 2006). | |||
* [http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws70fea.asp JAWS 7] (October 2005). Perhaps the most commonly used version of JAWS). | |||
* [http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws620fea.asp JAWS 6.2]. | |||
* [http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws610fea.asp JAWS 6.1]. | |||
* [http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws60intro.asp JAWS 6] (2005). Many JAWS-related mailing list correspondents use a version of 6. | |||
* [http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws510intro.asp JAWS 5.1] (2004). | |||
* [http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_products/software_jaws5intro.asp JAWS 5] (2004). A few correspondents use 5 or earlier. | |||
* [http://www.freedomscientific.com/fs_downloads/DL_JAWS451.asp JAWS 4.51] This is the earliest version recently spotted on JAWS-related mailing lists. | |||
=== GW Micro Window-Eyes === | |||
* ... | * ... | ||
Revision as of 22:01, 30 April 2007
assistive technology
This page is for documenting currently known accessibility assistive technologies (implementations) that are being used in the wild for the purpose of testing any particular microformats and microformats techniques to determine their impact on assistive technologies.
What to add
Only accessible assistive technologies
Rather than duplicating lists elsewhere on the Web (e.g. Wikipedia's Comparison of screen readers), please only add assistive technologies that you, or someone you know (such as a user of an assistive technology that you are in touch with) has access to for testing purposes. This will help keep the testing "real world" on an ongoing basis, because if no one has access to an assistive technology, then testing it is an unreasonable (purely theoretical) expectation.
Please provide
When adding an assistive technology to the list(s) below, please provide:
- Your name / name of person who has access to the assistive technology for testing purposes
- Name of assistive technology
- URL to home page for the technology, and URL(s) to purchase if available
- version number
- when published/released
- estimated number of users if known (even rough estimates are ok), along with date of estimate (ideally with a citation).
Note their bugs too
In addition, by keep tracking of various different assistive technologies, their versions, their bugs/shortcomings, and any non-standards-compliant behavior, especially when such behavior interferes with microformats on the page, we can focus our efforts on suggesting improvements for them accordingly.
Screen Readers
General marketshare numbers for screen readers:
- 2003 USA: JAWS 65%, GW-Micro Window-Eyes 35%. According to a study of screen reader use published in December 2003, a spokesperson for the US National Federation of the Blind estimated that in the USA, JAWS had 65% of the screen reader market and GW-Micro Window-Eyes had 35%; also JAWS was the software most commonly used by U.S. federal workers.
JAWS
Publisher: Freedom Scientific Total users as of 2002: "There are approximately 80,000 registered users of JAWS" - Chris Hofstader of Freedom Scientific. Presumably world-wide users of any version of JAWS.
Testing possibilities
You can download demo versions of JAWS that are limited to run for about half an hour per Windows session. Unfortunately, Freedom Scientific considers testing web standards support in JAWS demos to be a breach of its EULA. Alternative, you could submit a test-case to end users at one of the JAWS mailing lists.
Documentation
Extensibility
JAWS is scriptable, and some scripts attempt to improve web access, such as Jamal Mazrui's HomerKit.
Release notes
- JAWS 8 (November 2006).
- JAWS 7.10 (June 2006).
- JAWS 7 (October 2005). Perhaps the most commonly used version of JAWS).
- JAWS 6.2.
- JAWS 6.1.
- JAWS 6 (2005). Many JAWS-related mailing list correspondents use a version of 6.
- JAWS 5.1 (2004).
- JAWS 5 (2004). A few correspondents use 5 or earlier.
- JAWS 4.51 This is the earliest version recently spotted on JAWS-related mailing lists.
GW Micro Window-Eyes
- ...
MicroPower Virtual Vision
Brazilian screen reader.