[blindkid] Chromebooks

Sun Mar 2 14:49:41 UTC 2014

All,

I would have to echo Denise's sentiments here. having just come away from the AFB Leadership Conference in NYC and having attended a presentation given by Google, I was not able to get a straight answer about forums for blind users to discuss issues, nor could we get any confirmation if blind end users were invited to be testers for this product. I was told there were concerns and that they could not answer either way. sounds like a big no to me.

It is not ready for prime time just yet and is a closed screen reader much like with Apple products. 
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-----Original Message-----
From: blindkid [mailto:blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Denise Robinson
Sent: Sunday, March 02, 2014 9:35 AM
To: Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)
Cc: Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Chromebooks

If you use a standard laptop with jaws fortunately google drive and docs are accessible. Chrome books have their own voicing program that is not close to accessibility that is offered with a laptop with jaws...it has a ways to go

Denise M Robinson
Sent from my iPad

> On Mar 2, 2014, at 2:34 AM, Holly Miller <hollym12 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> We are dealing with this at Hank's school.
> 
> The machine itself is not fully accessible.  Jaws can not be added to a Chrome Book.  Hank uses a PC with jaws & MS office installed.  
> 
>  The problem that can't be fixed by giving the blind student a standard laptop is that with widespread use of Chrome books also usually comes with widespread use of Google drive and google docs.  
> 
> Those apps have significant accessibility issues even when using a standard laptop with jaws.  There are some clunky work arounds - for example the teacher can convert & email all assignments via word when the class is given assignments via docs/drive. 
> 
> One thing that is popular & problematic is group assignments done via docs/drive. Docs/drive allows real time collaborative editing amongst a group that a blind student will not be able to access.  This either leaves the blind student out of group work or the group the blind student is in will have to use alternate methods that #1 the other students might not be familiar with using #2 the other students might not be able to access with their Chrome Books.  
> 
> The folks in the NFB technology center have been working with this issue closely. I'd definitely contact them for more details.  
> 
> Holly
> 
> 
> 
>> On Mar 2, 2014, at 12:27 AM, Richard Holloway <rholloway at gopbc.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Thanks Debby,
>> 
>> I suspected there might be issues. I guess the best to hope for is we would be able to access the same information with something more conventional like a PC with JAWS.
>> 
>> We’ve already had some previous bad experiences with some e-textbooks that were supposed to be accessible, only their idea of “accessible" was the pages would self-read, after getting sighted assistance to click about once every paragraph or so. With that situation, we never could get JAWS or VoiceOver to navigate their cute animation-filled web site. 
>> 
>> Visual appeal is all good and well, but it seems to me that full access for students to the actual text content needs to come first.
>> 
>> Anyhow, thanks for for your response!
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> On Mar 1, 2014, at 10:29 PM, Debby B <bwbddl at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Last year Winona won (yes, won!) a ChromeBook at school. They were unable to adapt it to be accessible for her, so ended up swapping it out for a regular laptop. 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Debby
>>> bwbddl at yahoo.com
>>> 
>>> ~"Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can 
>>> read."~Mark Twain
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On Saturday, March 1, 2014 9:47 PM, Richard Holloway <rholloway at gopbc.org> wrote:
>>> 
>>> A middle school we have been researcing for our daughter is looking at outfitting all the students with Google Chromebooks. She would likely be the only blind student potentially using these. I’m very curious to know how likely we are to have problems with such a plan, though I assume we might be able to access the same information with a PC or Mac Laptop.
>>> 
>>> I recall there were some NFB issues addressed relating to Chromebooks a while back. From what I read, they do have some accessibility features, but I don't have any current access to explore any of these machines directly.  
>>> 
>>> Has anyone explored these accessibility features, and can anyone compare them to JAWS on a PC, or VoiceOver on a Mac?
>>> 
>>> Thanks!
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>> 
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