[blindlaw] Lexis/Nexis and Accessibility

William Burley, III william.burley3 at gmail.com
Thu Mar 17 21:31:46 UTC 2011


Greetings all!

Lexis/Nexis was recently working on a beta version of a firm management
software.  You signed up online and they would send you a username and link.
You could use the service for free until they officially release the online
software.  If you were a beta tester, you will get a discounted rate for the
official release per month.

The firm management software is said to have legal research tools, billing,
online document repository, calendaring system that automatically sends out
reminders to whomever you wish them to go to, etc.  It basically has
everything you would need in a law firm.

A couple weeks ago, I got my e-mail telling me that I can be a beta tester
and they sent my username and password.  I set up my new password and when
it went to the home page, Jaws absolutely quit talking.  I tried using it in
Firefox with the same result...only my Firefox would freeze.  I sent e-mails
back and forth with the team at Lexis/Nexis that are developing the
software.  I told them I was blind and use a screen reader and for some
reason the login screen worked, but the home screen didn't work and I could
navigate using any of my shortcuts.  They e-mailed me back and said the
entire website is graphics.  There's not one piece of text
there...absolutely nothing but graphics.  I told them that my screen reader
isn't able to read graphics and they suggested I call Freedom Scientific and
see what settings i need to change.  I told them I had done all the
troubleshooting available, but Jaws is reading text normally and cannot read
pictures.  They said for me to get with FS.  Then I get an email saying the
beta version is ending and I have until April 1 to decide whether I will
continue using the service and be able to get the discounted rate.  Everyday
since then, I get an e-mail from the software with daily updates that of
course has nothing in it.  I asked if they had a mobile version and they do
which doesn't have any but three of the many features on it which is to set
up a task, enter a new contact and search those two items.

Does anyone have suggestions?  When I e-mailed them back they just said they
couldn't tell me what they're doing with the software and wouldn't say if
they were attempting to make it accessible to the blind.  What would you
suggest because this software, from the description is awesome and I would
really like to use it.





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