I thought this from across the pond would make interesting reading in case any HE institution should go down the Google collaborative route.
Patrick Adams
Assistive Technology Officer
-----Original Message-----
From: The EDUCAUSE IT Accessibility Constituent Group Listserv [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Steve Worona
Sent: 16 March 2011 16:48
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ITACCESS] ITACCESS] Accessibility of Google Apps
Very useful, Lucy, thanks!
Steve
-----
At 9:31 AM -0700 3/16/11, lucia greco wrote:
>Hello:
>as a web accessibility expert and a screen reader user I have to side
>with NFB this time. The machinations a person has to go through to use
>some of the Google tools are crazy. A few weeks ago I wanted to create
>a shared spreadsheet. The obvious choice was to go to Google Docs.
>After four days of frustration trying my hardest with both jaws and
>NVDA I gave up. I don't think I ever even managed to create a document
>let alone putting data into it. There was no way to tell when I was in
>the cells or which cell I was in. There was no way to move from cell
>to cell without mouse clicks. I'm considered to be an expert Jaws user but I couldn't figure it out.
>
>Google calendars are readable. However unless you're using a mobile
>device entering data on the calendar is time consuming and challenging.
>Gmail is usable. Although unlike the Google homepage Gmail is a
>cluttered far too busy interface with too much on the screen. I find
>it very hard to find the body of a message. The trick I have found is
>go to the bottom of the page and move backwards by heading and then
>look for text. The Google threading when you respond to someone else's
>e-mail makes that trick not work.
>
>The Web developer toolkit claims to have a great deal of accessibility.
>However I worked with several developers who can't seem to figure out
>how to implement it. The documentation is poor and the work needed is
>extremely difficult. I have found that NVDA does tend to be more
>effective for applications created with the toolkit. I have not played
>enough with voiceover to see if the same is true. My instinct is it
>will work equal to NVDA. Okay so Google is encouraging open source and
>free but eliminating 60% of the market according to the latest WEBAIM
>survey doesn't do it for me.
>
>I hope this answers your questions. Lucy Lucy Greco Assistive
>Technology Specialist Disabled Student's Program UC Berkeley
>(510) 643-7591
>http://attlc.berkeley.edu
>http://webaccess.berkeley.edu
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: The EDUCAUSE IT Accessibility Constituent Group Listserv
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Steve Worona
>Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 9:04 AM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: [ITACCESS] Accessibility of Google Apps
>
>Presumably everyone knows about
><http://www.nfb.org/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=771>.
>
>Looking at this page
><http://docs.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=152439> it
>appears that Google thinks Google Apps (or maybe just Google Docs?) is
>accessible. NFB apparently disagrees. Anyone know the answer?
>
>Thanks.
>
>Steve
>--
>Steven L. Worona
>Senior Policy Director
>EDUCAUSE / 1150 18th St. NW suite 900 / Washington, DC 20036
>202-331-5358 / 202-872-4318 fax
>[log in to unmask] http://www.educause.edu/blog/1033 @SLWorona
>
>**********
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