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What about a sccreen reader friendly version of the PortableApps Menu

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June 25, 2007 - 12:12pm
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clauderenaud
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What about a sccreen reader friendly version of the PortableApps Menu

Hi all,

It's my first post on portableapps forums although I use portable applications since a long time ago...

I recently downloaded and installed the Portable Apps, installbase version, in order I hoped, to replace the PStart software I used to start programs from my usb stick.
The problem is that this PortableAppsMenu is apparently very graphical and as I'm blind, I cfan not see the screen content and so use it.
I work with a screen reader under windows in order to read the screen and interact with the various programs I Use.
I would like to know, if it is not too difficult, if it could be possible to offer the choice to have a textual interface of this PortableApps menu in order to give blinds as me, the ability to access it ?

Regards,

Claude Renaud

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June 25, 2007 - 12:19pm
John T. Haller
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What's accessible?

From the research I'd done in Delphi and accessibility, the menu should be mostly accessible to a screen reader. But, as I have no access to one, I haven't been able to test it.

Of the menu, what is accessible? The list of applications? The folders (data, video, photos)? I think the exit button needs an accessible alternative.

Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!

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June 25, 2007 - 12:24pm
(Reply to #2)
clauderenaud
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Curently nothing

Unfortunatly I have to say that currently, I just did the test few minutes ago, my screen reader sees nothing...

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Greetings,

Claude Renaud

Regards,

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Claude Renaud

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June 26, 2007 - 9:39am
(Reply to #3)
netdroid9
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It'd be helpful to know what

It'd be helpful to know what screen reader you are using.

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June 26, 2007 - 12:03pm
(Reply to #4)
clauderenaud
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Jaws

Jaws from FreedomScientific available at http://www.freedomscientific.Com

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Regards,

Claude Renaud

Regards,

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Claude Renaud

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June 26, 2007 - 11:23pm
(Reply to #5)
Ryan McCue
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I'm downloading a copy now

To test it. 62MB should only take me until tonight on my wireless connection Blum

Edit: Well, it crashed my computer on installation, so I can't check it.
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June 27, 2007 - 2:30am
(Reply to #6)
Patrick Patience
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Oh, poor baby.

Try Wireless, and satellite, not the quickest internet in the World.

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June 27, 2007 - 5:55am
(Reply to #7)
netdroid9
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JAWS is a proprietary

JAWS is a proprietary product, so you'd have to pay to use it. However, it looks like the problem is deeper than that as Microsoft Narrator and NVDA don't work either, leading me to think something's happening with MSAA (The core for NVDA and, from my understanding, JAWS and Narrator too).

This article from Mozila has some information if you're curious: http://www.mozilla.org/access/windows/msaa-server.

EDIT: Speedbuttons and Labels, lacking a window, are not accessible through MSAA. I've changed the label in frmAddApp to a TStaticText, which is accessible. This leaves the Speedbuttons and imgClose on frmMenu.

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July 3, 2007 - 1:59am
(Reply to #8)
Ryan McCue
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.

I thought I'd come back and comment again.

netdroid9, would the window be accessible if there was a taskbar entry, or would it require a proper Windows window?
From what I can work out using a taskbar entry, it gives me:
PortableApps Menu. PortableApps Menu. Line.
Oh, and please take up John's offer. He desperately needs help Wink
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Ryan McCue.
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So all that Airbus-delay trouble over here in Europe is because of YOU!
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July 8, 2007 - 10:45pm
xrxca
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Ugly...

Ugly, pretty well all the currently used screen objects (TSpeedbuttons, TImages) would have to be replaced with a reader friendly alternative, I've had a bit of experience getting another app working with a screen reader I was able in that program to create a number of windows that were invisible to the normal user, but the screen reader picked up, I'm not sure it's still possible to fool the readers that way (that was more than 10 years ago, (Delphi 1 on Win 3.1) and I haven't worked with any screen readers since)

On another front, the program is very mouse centric, yes you can use a hot key to bring it up, but the keyboard is useless in the program itself, and I know a couple people who would use this thing if they could use it just from the keyboard (they are too shaky to use a mouse reliably)

I've been working with netdroid9s code (to be able to drag the menu) and have that part working, but am currently trying to suss out a way to make it more keyboard friendly.
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