Screen reader/2: access to OS/2 and the graphical user interface

ABSTRACT

Screen Reader/2 is IBM's access system for OS/2, providing blind users access to the graphical user interface (GUI) of Presentation Manager, to Windows programs running under OS/2, and to text mode DOS and OS/2 programs. Screen Reader/2 is a completely redesigned and rewritten follow-on to IBM's Screen Reader Version 1.2 for DOS.There has been considerable discussion about the technical challenges, difficulties, and inherent obstacles presented by the GUI. Not enough time and energy has been devoted to the successes in GUI access, in part because the developers of GUI access software have had their hands full trying to solve very difficult problems.This paper will describe how IBM Screen Reader makes the GUI accessible.

REFERENCES

• 1: Adams, F.R., Crepy, H., Jameson, D.H. and Thatcher, J.W., "iBM Products for Persons with Disabilities," IEEE GlobeCom '89. November, 1989. (1990) 496-502.
• 2: Adams, F.R. and McTyre, J.H., "Screen Reader: An Audio Access System," ICAART Conference Proceedings, Montreal June, 1988.
• 3: Boyd, L.H., Boyd, W.L., and Vanderheiden, G.C., "The Graphical User Interface: Crisis, Danger and Opportunity,'' Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness 84 (1990) 496-502.
• 4: Jameson, D.H., "PC SAID: Computer Access for the Vsually Disabled," M.Sc. Thesis, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, ! 986.
• 5: Emerson, M.R., Jameson, D.H., Pike, G.G., Schwerdtfeger, R.S., and Thatcher, J.W., "Screen Reader/PM - GUI Access by blind computer users," Proceedings, World Congress on Technology, December, 1991.
• 6: Schwerdtfeger, R.S., "Making the GUI Talk," BYTE, i 18-128 (1991).
• 7: Jim Thatcher, Screen Reader/2—programmed access to the GUI, Proceedings of the 4th international conference on Computers for handicapped persons, p.76-88, September 1994, Vienna, Austria
• 8: Thatcher, J.W., "How to make OS/2 Talk and Why. Access to OS/2 with Screen Reader/2," Proceedings OS/2 World Conference, Volume 2, pp 331-346. July, 1994, Santa Clara, CA.
• 9: "iBM Independence Series Screen Reader Reference," The IBM Corporation, Amonk, New York, 1989.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)
          Subjects: Input devices and strategies (e.g., mouse, touchscreen)

Additional Classification:
  D. Software
  D.4 OPERATING SYSTEMS
      D.4.0 General

          Nouns: OS/2

  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)
          Subjects: Interaction styles (e.g., commands, menus, forms, direct manipulation)

General Terms:
Design, Human Factors