[orca-list] unable to access programs in the panel notification area in Gnome 2.18

["Lorenzo Taylor" <daxlinux gmail com>]

OK, I haven't moved my subscription to my gmail account, but if the
list allows me to post I will be able to see any replies.

It seems that the panel notification area in Gnome 2.18 as shipped
with Ubuntu Feisty has taken a major step backward with regard to
accessibility when compared with 2.16 in Edgy. I used to be able to
access programs in the notification area, albeit by trial and error,
by counting the times the flat review said `panel'. Now in 2.18 this
is impossible, since the entire notification area is seen by Orca as a
single object and I can no longer even guess at a program inside it,
since the flat review is either on the notification area or it isn't.
It can no longer detect anything that is inside the notification area
at all. Is this a known bug? Is a fix on the way? Or is there another
way to access the programs running in the notification area that I am
currently unaware of?

Thanks for any help,
Lorenzo