[Trainer-talk] Antivirus/security software

[David Goldfield]

I'm a little late in commenting on this discussion, but I also agree 
that AVG is, for the most part, quite accessible from the standpoint of 
a keyboard user.  When AVG 2011 came out I got nervous as I wondered 
whether AVG broke the interface.  Surprisingly, they did not and the 
program is very similar in its interface as it was with versions 8 and 
9; 2011 is really version 10.
Installing the 2011 upgrade over version 9.0 was fairly easy, although I 
have heard that installing the free version of AVG Antivirus 2011 is a 
bit tricky for speech users as there is a particular screen which is 
very hard to get past to the next button or whatever button is supposed 
to be pressed, so if you plan to install the free AVG product be 
prepared to do some serious battle.
Version 2011 has some buttons for functions like Antirootkit, 
Antispyware, etc. which work sometimes via arrow keys and other times 
are silent.  However, 2011 has a menu bar (remember those?) which allows 
you to access all of its components.
The new version does come with a one-time demo of AVG's Tune-Up Utility 
which I found to be very difficult to use via the keyboard, if not 
almost impossible.  However, as there are many free programs to do PC 
cleanup I'm not sure I'd pay AVG extra  for such a program but some may 
feel it's worth pursuing.

As has also been stated the free microsoft Security Essentials is very 
accessible.  I think there needs to be some more proactive advocacy on 
the part of blind consumers with this type of software.  I may be wrong, 
and if I am wrong I'd be happy to receive correction or other views from 
readers on this list but I get the sense that, while sighted people 
choose antivirus software based on how good they think the program will 
perform blind people choose security software based on how accessible 
the software is with their screen reader.  This doesn't seem to be a 
good method for choosing which program you're going to use to protect 
your computer from unwanted and malicious attacks and I think that we 
(myself included) need to contact vendors who produce inaccessible 
software and inform them that our access software won't speak with their 
particular solution.  I'm guilty of just finding a solution that talks 
with my screen reader and so I'm not trying to talk down to other blind 
consumers, but security software is so important and I think that more 
steps need to be taken to ensure that these packages are accessible to 
us.  I certainly don't believe that vendors are deliberately locking out 
blind users; I think they just aren't aware of our needs and issues and 
they need to be made aware of them.  Has anyone contacted vendors of 
inaccessible security software to ask if they can make their packages 
more accessible?  How did they respond?

David

Bryan Schulz wrote:
> hi,
>
> how many machines?
> got sick of norton etc. interface being less and less usable so 
> switched to avg.
>
> Bryan Schulz
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Chip Johnson" <cjohnson at cocenter.org>
> To: "List for teachers and trainers of adaptive technology" 
> <trainer-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, November 08, 2010 3:51 PM
> Subject: [Trainer-talk] Antivirus/security software
>
>
>> It's time to update our antivirus software. Can anyone recommend a 
>> package (preferably server-based) that's fairly accessible. Anyone 
>> have experience with Symantec Endpoint Pritection Small Business 
>> edition?
>> -- 
>>
>>
>>
>> Chip Johnson, Technology Instructor
>> Colorado Center for the Blind
>> 2233 W Shepperd Ave.
>> Littleton, CO 80120
>> Phone: (303) 778-1130 ext. 227
>> Fax: (303) 778-1598
>> Email: cjohnson at cocenter.org
>> Web Page: http://www.cocenter.org
>> Colorado Center for the blind:
>> Take charge with confidence and self-reliance
>>
>>
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