WebAIM Releases Results of Survey of Preferences of Screen Reader Users
This past May, WebAIM (Web Accessibility in Mind) conducted a survey of preferences of screen reader users. 1,782 valid responses were received for this survey, which was a follow-up survey to the original WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey of January 2009 and its follow-up surveys from October 2009 and December 2010.
According to this most recent survey:
While JAWS is still the most popular screen reader, it has seen a significant decline in primary usage - down to 49% from 66.4% in October 2009 and 59.2% in December 2010. Window-Eyes and ZoomText saw small increases in primary screen reader usage while VoiceOver saw a small decrease in usage. NVDA saw continued increase in usage, up to 13.7% from 2.9% in 2009 and 8.6% in 2010 (a nearly 500% increase in just 2.5 years). Perhaps most surprising is the significant increase in usage of System Access or System Access to Go, jumping to 10.4% from only 4.7% in December 2010.
You can read the entire report at the WebAIM website.
Walmart Offers ScripTalk Talking Prescription Program on a Pilot Basis
Walmart has announced it is going to offer ScriptTalk Talking Prescription Program on a pilot basis to its mail order customers with visual impairments and to Walmart pharmacy customers in three stores. Please read the full press release for complete details.
This is the first time in the United States a national retailer has offered talking prescription labels to the vision loss community on a national basis. Walmart is working with the ACB, AFB, and CCB through the Structured Negotiations process on this important health, safety, and privacy initiative.
Inquirers about talking pill bottles or accessible prescription information in connection with Walmart or any other retailer or prescription provider should e-mail Scott Grimes at Goldstein, Demchak, Baller, Borgen & Dardarian or dial toll-free: 1-800-822-5000.
Walmart mail order customers or customers at the three pilot stores (listed in press release) may contact En-Vision America at 1-800-890-1180 for a free ScripTalk Talking prescription reader.
Walmart mail order pharmacy can be reached online or by calling toll free: 1-800-2REFILL (1-800-273-3455).
Free ZoomText 10 Update is Now Available
The next free update in the ZoomText 10 cycle is now available. ZoomText now fully supports Internet Explorer 9! Along with that, Ai Squared has incorporated reading support in the Thunderbird e-mail client, improved performance when running ZoomText with JAWS, added Portuguese language support, fixed several bugs, and more.
If you already own version 10, this is a free update for you. If you've got ZoomText set to download updates automatically, you're good to go. The next time you launch ZoomText, it will install the update for you. Otherwise, go to the Help menu and choose "Check for Program Updates."
To contact Ai Squared with questions, call 1-800-859-0270 or 1-802-362-3612.
New Website Offers Information and Support for Adults with Vision Loss
The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) and Reader's Digest Partners for Sight Foundation have launched VisionAware.org, an easy-to-use informational website for adults with vision loss, their families, caregivers, healthcare providers, and social service professionals.
The new VisionAware combines two stand-alone resources from AFB and Partners for Sight (Senior Site and the former VisionAware, respectively) into a single, comprehensive website offering dynamic social networking and customized guidance for adults of all ages with rich content and practical tips on living with vision loss.
Visitors to the new VisionAware will find:
- Free, practical tips and resources for adults with vision loss, their families, friends, caregivers, and related professionals.
- Information on eye diseases and disorders.
- Different ways to connect, including message boards and social media channels like Twitter and Facebook.
- Breaking news on the latest developments in vision loss treatment via the VisionAware blog.
- Directories of helpful services, products, and resources.
For more information, visit: http://www.visionaware.org
