Re: [orca-list] Important: Web accessibility survey for screen reader users

[Magdalen Berns <m berns thismagpie com>]

This is partially true. It all comes down to the perception, accurate
or not, that if you're blind you must use windows. How this got
started I don't know, but in my experience linux can do most things as
well as, and in some cases better than windows in terms of
accessibility. Orca does a very good job at what it does and I'm
continually frustrated that the blind community in particular is among
the most stubborn and ungreatful of linux converts, often switching
back after a few days because they "think" they need windows for
something, and trying to convince them otherwise is like talking to an
apple fan

Recently I did a few (hand wavy) comparison checks between SwingSet results with the voiceover OSX screenreader vs linux with java-atk-wrapper, but so far I have to say that Orca + java-atk-wrapper seems a lot more superior at reporting what is there (no bias there whatsoever, of course ;-))

I have had the idea to produce a proper comparison of how the standard screenreader of each OS reports SwingSet once the next GNOME release is out, as long there's some time. It's possible that providing such a comparison for review could make it easier for non-users, who are unfamiliar with Orca, to appreciate that it does actually stand up (without having to persevere on an unfamiliar desktop in the first instance, themselves) and hopefully this could help raise awareness of the java wrapper + Orca's capabilities among sighted users, too.

I could be wrong about all that though, so I would be very open to hearing any other ideas in the meantime!

Magdalen