[nfbcs] Looking into taking Microsoft Access

[Beth Hatch]

Hello Joe, Robert and all,
In my opinion, Microsoft Access is still being used, at least by bigger
corporations, and where I work, the government. Access is part of the
standard configuration for all of the computers on the Air Force base where
I work and although I would love to use something other than Access to build
the databases I've been assigned to make for my job, it would take a lot of
bureaucratic action and written justification to use any other product for
making databases because all of our computers have Microsoft office 2007 as
a part of their standard configuration.
As a blind person, in my opinion, the accessibility of Access has gotten
worse. I now have an open ticket with Freedom Scientific for some issues
that I can't do independently such as putting controls like check boxes or
combo boxes on a form for example. Access 2003 used to work a bit
better--you could put controls in a form by bringing up a tool box using the
shift-control-b command where you could place the controls on a form and set
properties for them--but that command is no longer there as it was in Access
2003. When I spoke to Freedom Scientific about the problems I've been having
such as the above mentioned forms issue, as well as making queries and
reports, I was told that "Microsoft fixed that problem with the ribbon." A
response like that made me wonder if anyone at Freedom really tried to use
Access 2007 with speech!! I think the screen reader vendors have made their
products work with the most common denominator, they make sure you can enter
data into a form or table using Access, but not design forms, reports, or
complicated queries as a blind person. My cynical side wants to think that
perhaps these folks think blind people don't make databases, they only use
them. I should say that my only experience with Access 2007 is with JAWS 11
and 12, I haven't tried Window-eyes or any other screen readers with Access.
However, I've made a lot of phone calls and sent several email message to
blind folks, and no one can seem to assist me with getting access to work
with JAWS, or any other screen reader for that matter.
So Robert, to answer your question, I might look into other database
products such as File Maker that Joe had mentioned, Oracle, or Microsoft
SQLL Server, or MY SQL which is an open source database product.  I'm
looking into all of these to see if any of them will help me on the job
since if I can make something work, I'm going to have to advocate to be able
to use it on the job instead of Access. I'm glad we are talking about this
issue, since it personally effects my job, and I haven't been able to get
any information from anyone with the exception of one technology vendor here
in New Mexico who spent a lot of time here helping me to try to make it
work, and he also agreed with me concerning the lack of information  on how
to make it work better in terms of Accessibility. If you check the Microsoft
Accessibility web site, all you'll find there are the keyboard shortcuts and
nothing more about how to make Access work for blind folks, but there is
information for the rest of the MS Office 2007 product line since there are
step by step accessibility tutorials on Word, Excel and PowerPoint,  but not
for Access--so apparently some people, those with Microsoft as well as
access technology folks,  may feel blind folks don't need to worry about
designing databases in Access.
Sorry for the rant, I had meant to post something about this issue earlier,
and Robert and Joe's message about it helped that process along.<smile>

Beth 

-----Original Message-----
From: nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Joe Orozco
Sent: Friday, November 12, 2010 5:07 PM
To: 'NFB in Computer Science Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Looking into taking Microsoft Access

Is anyone using Access these days?  Please don't take this as me bashing
your desire in the slightest, but I think Access is something of the
red-headed step child in Office.  What about Filemaker Pro?  I'm just
putting this out there to ensure you gauge all your options and learn
something marketable.  If I'm wrong, please do feel free to correct me so
I'll know better.

Best,

Joe

"Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves,
some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."--Sam Ewing 

-----Original Message-----
From: nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org 
[mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Robert Jaquiss
Sent: Friday, November 12, 2010 6:29 PM
To: NFBnet NFBCS Mailing List
Subject: [nfbcs] Looking into taking Microsoft Access

Hello:

     I am thinking about taking Microsoft Access 2007. I have 
JAWS and a braille display. Any suggestions for good reference 
materials would be appreciated. thank you.

Regards,

Robert
_______________________________________________
nfbcs mailing list
nfbcs at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbcs_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account 
info for nfbcs:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbcs_nfbnet.org/jsorozco%
40gmail.com


_______________________________________________
nfbcs mailing list
nfbcs at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbcs_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nfbcs:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbcs_nfbnet.org/bhatch200%40comcast.n
et