Next Mac OS X Version to Allow Spoken-word Controls
Summary of article from Macworld News by Lyn Robinson
Apple computers working in conjunction with ALVA Access Group (of outSPOKEN and inLARGE fame) have joined together to produce a fully integrated voice and enlargement package on all future versions of the MAC OS X, starting with the MAC OS X 10.4.
The article reports that a potential 37 million computers users with vision impairments or learning disabilities could benefit from such a product. The main advantage will be that the product comes fully integrated into the MAC OS X system and therefore does not have to be “added on” after the computer is bought. As well as the added expense of buying voice or enlarging software there can be compatibility problems as software upgrades are added to the computer.
Apple’s fully integrated control system called the “Spoken Interface” will enable web pages, email messages and word-processing documents to be read. It will also offer audio descriptions of a user’s workspace and easier navigation of the computer and applications. Spoken Interface can also be directed using a new feature called the viewfinder, a powerful tool that lets you control what is spoken, and enables you to interact with items on the screen using the keyboard. e.g. you can press buttons, drag sliders, enable and disable check boxes, select radio buttons, drag and use the scroll bars. A unique voice can be assigned for different parts of the interface so that it is easier to distinguish between the content, dialogue boxes and menu headings for instance.
Increasingly governments and businesses are legally required to make their
information and web sites accessible to people with disabilities. Apple has
decided to take the initiative in integrating this capability into its computers
and hopefully others will follow
For more information about Spoken Interface go try the following link
Apple unveils Spoken Interface for blind OS X users