Countdown to PDC2008: Early Bird Discount Ends August 15
Play Saqib Shaikh and Scott Hanselman: Designing for Accessibility
Description
In this interview, Scott Hanselman and Dan Fernandez to to Saqib Shaikh, a developer for Microsoft Consulting Services in the UK who is also blind. Saqib talks about some of the key things to know when designing for accessibility, the Windows UI automation
framework, Windows Mobile accessibility and more.
You can hear more about developing accessible applications in Scott's Hanselminutes podcast.
For more accessibility resources, visit:
- www.microsoft.com/enable/
- msdn.com/accessibility/
You can hear more about developing accessible applications in Scott's Hanselminutes podcast.
For more accessibility resources, visit:
- www.microsoft.com/enable/
- msdn.com/accessibility/
Download
Download this episode
- High Quality WMV (178.7 MB)
- MP3 (4.6 MB)
- Low Quality MP4 (31.0 MB)
- Mid Quality WMV (26.6 MB)
- WMV (218.0 B)
The Discussion
-
Minh Unfortunately, accessibility has mostly been an afterthought on web sites I've seen. Unless you're a governmental site.
Even C9 has a poor accessibility record.
Devs definitely need to step up on this.
-
PerfectPhase What's Silverlight V2 like for accessibility? -
Sampy Looks like it uses UI Automation
-
nektar Can you ask your guest the following:
Does he like the Narrator in Vista? For me I find it extremely slow, very very basic and not improved from the year 2000. Even the free and open source NVDA screen reader is much much better. What is his opinion? Does he find Narrator attequate? Does he find the current prices for commercial screen readers compared to what they offer reasonable?
How does he find the accessibility of Vista and its interface? For me I find many small errors and inconsidencies in the Vista interface. How does he access the new split-button controls for example? Does he like the new Office 2007 ribbon or does he find it slow to navigate compared to the menus in previous versions? What is his opinion on what has to be done on future versions of those products to make them accessibble as much as possible?
What about the Live websites and Windows Live applications? What is his opinion? For me I find the sites too complicated, built with little accessibility thought compared to Google, full of links that are difficult to understand what they do when you first encounter them and generallly not very easy to figure out the design thoughts behind the websites. For me Windows Live application have many accessibility obstacles, for example the contacts list in Live Messenger. What is his experience and what does he do to work out these issues? What is his comments to Microsoft about this state of affairs?
What is his opinion about the increasing accessibility of other Operating systems and if he has used any of them?
Thanks. -
Ken Metz My name is Ken Metz, and I would like to interview Saqib Shaikh on our Tek Talk program on www.accessibleworld.org in the Pat Price Tek Talk Training Room next Monday night at 23:45 GMT, I believe, 4:45 PM, Pacific time for an hour program regarding the Seeing AI app. I am the Co-Chair of Tek Talk, and Robert Acosta is the President of www.accessibleworld.org.
We have a technology program approximately each Monday evenings excluding major U.S. holidays, and I think it would be interesting to interview so shortly after the Seeing AI app was released.
You can contact me, of course, by my email, kenmetz1946@gmail.com, or my phone numbers are as follows:
(818) 882-3610-HOME, or
(323) 793-1805-CELL.
I am hopeful that you can and will appear on our program next Monday night although I do recognize the time difference. I believe that we would have a minimum of 40-50 folks in our chat room and another 150-200 listening later to the Podcast of the program.
I realize that this is short notice, but I'd sure appreciate having the opportunity to have you speak to our audience.
Best Regards,
Ken Metz
Co-Chair, Tek Talk