[nfbcs] voiceover in snow leopard prepare to learn

[Steve Pattison]

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Every Mac comes standard with a wide range of assistive technologies
that help people with disabilities experience what the Mac has to
offer. We call this Universal Access, and it includes many features
you won't find in other operating systems at any price. In Mac OS X,
they’re built right in. And now, the innovations in Snow Leopard
advance accessibility even further.

VoiceOver screen-reading built in.
Mac OS X is the first operating system to include as a standard
feature an advanced screen-reading technology, which is called
VoiceOver. Much more than simply a text-to-speech tool, VoiceOver
makes it possible for those who are blind or have low vision to
control their computer. It features a unique voice — based on speech
technology invented by Apple — that delivers amazing intelligibility
and natural intonation even at speaking rates up to 700 words per
minute. And with Snow Leopard, VoiceOver gets more powerful and
easier to use.

Now the trackpad is the screen.

VoiceOver in Mac OS X Snow Leopard offers a breakthrough new
capability: You can control your computer using gestures on a Multi-
Touch trackpad even if you can't see the screen. The trackpad
surface on your Mac notebook represents the active window on your
computer, so you can touch to hear the item under your finger, drag
to hear items continuously as you move your finger, and flick with
one finger to move to the next or previous item. You'll hear how
items are arranged on the screen, and you can jump directly to an
item just by touching the corresponding location on the trackpad.
For example, you can drag your finger around the trackpad to learn
how items are arranged in a web page, a spreadsheet, a presentation,
or any document with text. The more you touch, the more information
you gather.

More braille support,
greater collaboration.
The Mac is the only computer that supports braille displays right
out of the box. Snow Leopard broadens this built-in support by
including the latest drivers for over 40 models, including wireless
Bluetooth displays. Just connect one and start using it — no
additional software installation necessary.

Snow Leopard also introduces a new feature, called braille
mirroring, that enables multiple USB braille displays to be
connected to one computer simultaneously. It’s perfect for classroom
settings, where teachers can lead all of their students through the
same lesson at the same time, even if the students are using
different display models.

World-class web browsing.
VoiceOver in Snow Leopard offers new capabilities that make web
browsing easier, faster, and more enjoyable. VoiceOver has been
updated to take full advantage of powerful multicore processors, so
it can scan and analyze large, complex web pages quickly and allow
you to enter commands right away.

VoiceOver will begin reading an entire web page automatically after
it loads, and you can use key commands or gestures to control
VoiceOver as it’s talking. To help you more quickly size up web
pages you haven't visited before, VoiceOver can provide a
customizable web page summary, including the title, number of
tables, headers, links, form elements, and more.

Snow Leopard fully supports HTML web tables without the need for a
forms or table mode. You navigate tables using the same commands you
already know. You can hear the contents of a table, including the
column title and column and row number, by dragging your finger
across the trackpad or using simple keystrokes.

The rotor.
Instead of forcing you to memorize keyboard shortcuts to navigate
around the screen, VoiceOver offers a unique virtual control called
a rotor. When you turn it — by rotating two fingers on the trackpad
as if you were turning a dial — VoiceOver moves through text based
on a setting you choose. For example, after setting the rotor to
“Word” or “Character,” each time you flick, VoiceOver moves through
the text one word at a time or one character at a time — perfect
when you’re proofreading or editing text.

You can also use the rotor to navigate web pages. When you’re on a
web page, the rotor contains the names of common items, such as
headers, links, tables, images, and more. You select a setting, then
flick up or down to move to the previous or next occurrence of that
item on the page, skipping over items in between.

Faster keyboard navigation.
A new feature called Quick Nav uses arrow key combinations to move
the VoiceOver cursor so you can control the computer using just one
hand without the need for modifier keys. For example, you can move
up, down, left, and right by pressing the arrow keys individually,
or press the up and down arrows together to press a button or click
a web link. Other combinations let you adjust the rotor and move the
VoiceOver cursor according to the setting. With Quick Nav, you'll be
navigating and reading documents and web pages in no time.

Find information fast with auto web spots.
Many web pages are filled with complex design elements or lack
useful HTML tags, making them difficult to convey through a screen
reader. So Apple invented new technologies to comprehend and
interpret the visual design of web pages, then use the information
to assign virtual tags called “auto web spots” to mark important
locations on the page. If you’re on a newspaper website, for
example, there might be an auto web spot for each lead story,
another for a box containing weather or sports scores, and so on.
You can jump from web spot to web spot with a keystroke or the flick
of a finger. And if there’s a particular feature on a site you visit
often, you can assign a “sweet spot” on that page so that VoiceOver
will go there first when the page opens.

Create custom labels.
Sometimes items in applications are not well labeled, so VoiceOver
can describe them only with vague terms like “blank,” “empty,” or
“button.” If you know what the item is or have sighted assistance,
you can assign a custom label. The next time you visit the item,
VoiceOver will describe it using your label. You can add as many
labels as you like and export your labels to a file that can be
shared with other VoiceOver users.

More customization options.
Now you have even more ways to customize VoiceOver. You can change
the way VoiceOver speaks punctuation, identifies changes in text
attributes, announces links, and more. Choose one of three standard
verbosity levels — high, medium, and low — or customize them by
adjusting 30 separate settings. You can also change the order in
which descriptions are spoken and how much description you hear.

Snow Leopard also introduces VoiceOver Commanders, a new category in
VoiceOver Utility that lets you assign keys and gestures to open an
application, utility, or file; run an AppleScript or Automator
workflow; or perform a VoiceOver command. Commanders can help
those with physical and learning disabilities by simplifying complex
multikey shortcuts and making commands easier to reach and enter.
Choose the Numpad Commander, Keyboard Commander, or Trackpad
Commander and begin customizing VoiceOver to suit the way you work.

Every Mac includes a built-in VoiceOver tutorial called Quick Start.
It’s the fastest way to learn VoiceOver. Your Mac starts talking
soon after you turn it on and teaches you how to begin the Quick
Start tutorial. If someone sets up your computer for you, you'll get
an invitation to open Quick Start the first time you activate
VoiceOver. Quick Start teaches you the keys on the keyboard, basic
VoiceOver commands, and gestures, and it provides an environment
where you can learn at your own pace and practice your skills. It’s
localized in 18 languages, including nine new ones, so when you add
voices to your Mac (sold separately), you can hear Quick Start in
your native language.

All features of Snow Leopard are subject to change.