[NFB-Science] Is Solidworks Accessible?

[ngrice5456 at aol.com]

Hi Nic,
I'm sighted NFB member and I do have some experience with Solidworks. I actually took a Solidworks course at a local community college last Fall because I was curious on how it works. Solidworks is a 3D graphic program for designing components that can be manufactured. Factories like it because you can try out different iterations of prototype designs before committing to the final design. That saves money for them.
In Solidworks, you use the mouse to draw shapes in the X and Y planes and then use different commands to rotate, expand or "pull up or out" the shape to make it 3D. You also can cut out shapes within shapes, merge shapes to make larger parts and change the shape of parts.
I checked on the SolidWorks website for accessibility and there is the ability to modify the colors and fonts on the controls so the program is more accessible to people with color blindness. But I'm not sure if or how you would be able to use the program independently with JAWS because it is a graphic design program and very visual.  I do have an idea on how you could work with Solidworks from a different approach. 
Here's what I have in mind. Step 1 would be to have the professor provide you with a 3D-printed model of what the final result should be for each assigned project. This would allow you to objectively study the shape and size of the object so you are clear on what the final product looks like. In Step 2, you could work with a sighted assistant where YOU draw the design of the components (using something low-tech like the Sensational Blackboard ($50 from sensational books.com/products.html) or APH Draftsman. The idea is that you use the tactile drawing board to draw what you want to do and then and have the sighted person use your design and draw it on the screen. Step 3, I don't know if this is possible, but if you could have screenshots of each design step and be able to get a quick printout with something like a Tiger embosser, then you could determine if the diagram  had been correctly drawn by the sighted person and or if that design step required any modifications. Step 4 would be to  print out a final version on the college's 3D printer and compare your version to the professor's version....determining if your design was the same, not so good, or actually better!
I hope this helps.
Sincerely,Noren Grice
-----Original Message-----From: Nicolas Spohn via NFB-Science <nfb-science at nfbnet.org>
To: nfb-science at nfbnet.org
Cc: Nicolas Spohn <nspohn0 at gmail.com>
Sent: Wed, Jul 22, 2020 8:45 pm
Subject: [NFB-Science] Is Solidworks Accessible?

Greetings Federationists,

My name is Nic Spohn and I will be a freshman this fall at Penn State Harrisburg.  My  major of study is mechanical engineering. This fall I will be taking a course called introduction to engineering design.  My advisor said that we will be using a software called Solidworks.  Is anyone familiar with this software and if it is accessible? I am a Jaws user. 

Thank you,
Nic Spohn
2020 Scholarship Winner


Sent from my iPhone
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