[g-a-devel] FireFox and LibreOffice: A11y always on, except when it isn't (?).

[Joseph Scheuhammer <clown alum mit edu>]

Background:  I was setting up a GNOME 3.6.1 demo machine, and was in the 
process of verifying that the interim magnifier focus tracker was 
working properly, when I came across the following.

Focus tracking did *not* function as expected in FireFox nor 
LibreOffice.  Tracking the keyboard focus did not occur with these 
applications.  By comparison, gnome-shell widgets (e.g., menus, task 
switcher) all worked as expected in terms of focus tracking.

Another clue:  I went on to check the Orca set up, launching it, and 
later quitting.

Then I went back to look further into the focus tracking issues with 
FireFox and LibreOffice.  To my surprise focus tracking now worked with 
these apps as well.

We discussed this at last week's gnome-a11y meeting, noting that in 
gnome 3.6 a11y is "always on".  Furthermore, gnome-shell respects that.  
We hypothesized that FF and LO do not, and require some further push to 
engage accessibility.

--
;;;;joseph.


'A: After all, it isn't rocket science.'
'K: Right. It's merely computer science.'
             - J. D. Klaun -