[BlindMath] SPSS and Jaws

Mon Feb 27 14:51:46 UTC 2023

Hello,
There are really very few Federal agencies in the U.S., here's a list:
https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies
On top of that, there are many ways to get around section 508 e.g., best
meets exceptions or undo burdon, but it's better than what many places have.
There are some universities, state, and local governments who use section
508 as a standard, but that's up to them, and there's little incentive for
companies (like SPSS) to do more than a token nod to accessibility. I'm
sure the only reason why SPSS is accessible is because
acquisition departments asked for it, and they can now say "yes", SPSS is
accessible. Of course there's no definition of "accessibility" except in
the web space where we have WCAG and the related guidelines, and even so,
just because something is WCAG compliant doesn't mean it's usable. That's
why companies like LevelAccess and TPGi always couple accessibility audits
with usability testing.
But sadly, section 508 is not a law for anything but the 450 or so federal
agencies.
The ADA and rehabilitation acts are more applicable outside the federal
government but are not as widely applicable. They mostly deal with
public-facing information like websites that don't require you to log in.
SPSS does not strictly fit under those requirements.
Thanks,

Brandon Keith Biggs <http://brandonkeithbiggs.com/>

On Mon, Feb 27, 2023 at 6:32 AM George Bell via BlindMath <
blindmath at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> Hi Jonathan,
>
> No, I was not being funny. It is the law in America, and ideally should
> apply world-wide.
>
> See below.
> George
>
> What is Section 508 and why was it created?
>
> Section 508 was enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology, to
> make available new opportunities for people with disabilities, and to
> encourage development of technologies that will help achieve these goals.
> The law applies to all Federal agencies when they develop, procure,
> maintain, or use electronic and information technology.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: BlindMath <blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Jonathan
> Godfrey
> via BlindMath
> Sent: 26 February 2023 04:31
> To: Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics
> <blindmath at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Jonathan Godfrey <A.J.Godfrey at massey.ac.nz>
> Subject: Re: [BlindMath] SPSS and Jaws
>
> Hello George,
>
> I'm really not sure if you were trying to be funny with this comment or
> serious.
>
> It would be nice for those of us living outside the US, if the powers that
> be in the US would force these US companies to meet their obligations under
> the ADA.
>
> With respect to SPSS, I reviewed their VPAT statement some years ago and
> found it almost unbelievable. They quite clearly did not have evaluations
> of
> their software made by screen reader users. <sigh> This was before I
> discovered the V in VPAT was for voluntary.
>
> I'd love to see some trigger-happy litigator file a class action against
> software companies for breaches of the ADA. It won't solve Ashley's
> situation though.
>
> Meanwhile, the best solution for anyone in my position is to make work for
> people who insist on using inaccessible software and/or systems. I decided
> that I would no longer pay someone sighted to help me navigate such systems
> with my own resources. I now put the work back onto the person wanting me
> to
> use that inaccessible system It's been quite easy really, starting with my
> supposed excessive annual leave problem. I was taking leave but unable to
> use the HR system to have it recorded or approved. When my balance got to
> three years' worth, I finally got a bit more attention from management and
> a
> satisfactory work around.
>
> When it comes to software, I have structured my life in such a way that
> means I avoid the painful software and make use of friendly alternatives.
> Thankfully, the alternatives are often free and open source.
>
> All the best,
> Jonathan
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: BlindMath <blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of George Bell
> via
> BlindMath
> Sent: Sunday, 26 February 2023 10:37 am
> To: 'Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics'
> <blindmath at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: george at techno-vision.co.uk
> Subject: Re: [BlindMath] SPSS and Jaws
>
> Does "Section 508" not cover this in the USA?
> George
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: BlindMath <blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Jonathan
> Godfrey
> via BlindMath
> Sent: 25 February 2023 06:43
> To: Blind Math list for those interested in mathematics
> <blindmath at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Jonathan Godfrey <A.J.Godfrey at massey.ac.nz>
> Subject: Re: [BlindMath] SPSS and Jaws
>
> Hello Ashley,
>
> I haven't checked v27 of SPSS, but many versions prior to this were less
> than fully accessible to a screen reader user.
>
> I doubt the course you are taking is going to make use of the underlying
> SPSS code/command language, often referred to by SPSS users as the
> "syntax".
>
> You have three options worthy of consideration, and the best option will
> heavily depend on what support you will get from your university. Most
> people know I favour R, while some others like to fight with SAS code, and
> a
> relatively small number work with Stata.
>
> All three require entry of commands entered as text in script files and all
> can return readable output (text of HTML).
>
> See https://r-resources.massey.ac.nz/statsoftware/ for a rough review. I
> probably need to do some more updates to it on the software I haven't
> checked for some time.
> And then https://r-resources.massey.ac.nz/help/AccessibleSTEMSoftware.html
> for a "go-to" list, which also includes some mathematics software options.
>
> Of note is the fact that I set the bar on accessibility quite high. See
> https://r-resources.massey.ac.nz/help/GoldStandard.html
> for my definition. This was a conversation started on this list
>
>
> If you decide to go down the R pathway, then there are plenty of resources
> to help, written in screen reader friendly HTML. I recommend you use the
> same workflow as many of these authors so that your work leads to an HTML
> file that you can deal with using your existing skills.
>
> HTH,
> Jonathan
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: BlindMath <blindmath-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Ashley N via
> BlindMath
> Sent: Saturday, 25 February 2023 6:55 pm
> To: blindmath at nfbnet.org
> Cc: Ashley N <crazy4chemistry at att.net>
> Subject: [BlindMath] SPSS and Jaws
>
> Hello,
> I am a current PhD student in Education with a STEM Accessability focus at
> Oregon State University. I will be taking a quantitative analysis course
> next quarter and have been told by the instructor I will need to use SPSS
> 27
> for my course. I am a JAWS user with the most current version of JAWS 2023.
> What all do I need to know to accomplish this or if that is not accessible
> what should I suggest for a work around?
> Thank you all!
> Ashley
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