[nfbwatlk] Work-around for Access Problems with iTunes for windows 64-Bit version 12.1

[Mike Freeman]

Greetings.

 

The following posts appear on the AppleVis website and address a problem
wherein access using all screen-readers except NVDA has been broken on the
native 64-bit version of iTunes for windows V12.1. Basically, Apple broke
MSAA access by screen-readers resulting in many iTunes controls not being
properly interpreted by all screen-readers that use MSAA information. A
work-around is described below. Apple has been made aware of the problem.

 

Here are the Applevis posts.

 

 

 

A Windows 64bit Issue

new 

Submitted by DPinWI on 4 February, 2015 - 16:53

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is from Freedom Scientific regarding the issue.

 

"With iTunes 12.1 and 64-bit iTunes Apple inadvertently introduced an
accessibility problem with accessing the album list and perhaps other lists
in the iTunes UI.

(The problem does not exist in the 32-bit version of iTunes.)

 

It impacts JAWS, Narrator, and Window Eyes.

All three of these products use 64-bit components to obtain MSAA event
information inside of the iTunes process generating the events. This
generally offers better performance than receiving events out-of-process.

NVDA uses the out-of-process technique and is primarily a 32-bit app, even
on 64-bit windows. The nature of the iTunes bug is such that it does not
impact 32-bit processes receiving events out-of-process."

 

Just to let everyone know. We have had some success getting in touch with an
engineer on the iTunes for Windows team at Apple. We have given them the
information they need to get this resolved and will have to give them a
chance to resolve it now.

 

 

A workarround for fixing the problems you have with JAWS for now

new 

Submitted by Adi Kushnir on 6 February, 2015 - 18:13

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello. I am a Beta tester for Freedom Scientific, and they have just posted
a workaround to deal with for now, just if you want. Basicly, the problem is
on Apple's part, and they told that it would be fixed in a future iTunes
update for Windows. The problem is with 64-Bit versions of Windows that have
neightive 64-Bit versions of iTunes installed. You basicly have to go to
Apple's website, and download a 32-bit version of iTunes that can be
installed on 64-bit Windows, Apple offers it now. Here is a TSN article that
Freedom Scientific posted on their website, please read it carefully, and
select the correct file name like they tel you. If you don't want to
re-install iTunes, just wait Apple to fix the issue. Here is the link to the
wel-ritten TSN article:

http://freedomscientific.com/Support/TechnicalSupport/Bulletin/1543

The Macintosh version of the software works fine for me. I don't know the
exact date of when Apple will fix this issue. Good luck.