Dear AccessWorld Editor,

I read about the Finger Reader in Janet Ingber's article, An Update on the Finger Reader, an On-the-Go Reading Device in Development at MIT. I see this Finger Reader mentioned every once in a while, and I can't help but wonder why they are spending time on this. The OCR readers are lightning speed. Faster than it would take to scan a page with your finger, especially if you are blind and just trying to scan in a straight line. The Optacon was like this and was terrible to try to stay on the line!

Have they asked the blind? This would slow me down, not speed things up

Maureen Murphy Lewicki

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

I think it's great Netflix is finally including audio description on some of its content, as I read in Audio Description Comes to Netflix by Jamie Pauls. However, I am left to wonder when the company is going to get around to actually improving the accessibility of its user interfaces on various mobile operating systems and its website?

Darrell Shandrow

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

I was very glad to read Jamie Pauls' article, Audio Description Comes to Netflix. I have watched Daredevil, and Orange is the New Black using the audio description. The quality of the description is amazing! I give Netflix a lot of props for this. I unsubscribed from Netflix and did not renew my subscription for about a year until the news of the availability of audio description was made known and followed through [on] by Netflix. I hope there are more shows to come.

Do you know where it is possible to find a comprehensive and updated list of what is available?

Thank you.

Christina

Response from AccessWorld Editor, Lee Huffman

Dear Christina,

A list of currently audio described content is available by clicking the audio description link at the bottom of your Netflix home page. You must have a Netflix account to see the list.

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

The Blackboard Online Coursework and Learning Environment: Accessibility Reports from Two College Students and One Instructor by Jamie Pauls is a nice article. I appreciate the analogy to Amazon, which hits upon the usability and effectiveness of the site's accessibility. I'd like to recommend that other Learning Management Systems (LMS) be reviewed, such as Moodle and Canvas, as a comparison that could help prospective students decide which college to attend. It's my understanding that Canvas developers have been quite responsive to support ticket requests with respect to accessibility. Keep up the good work.

Best,

Roberto Gonzalez

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

I am an enthusiastic reader of AccessWorld and enjoy a lot of your materials. I have used computers since 1983, first VersaBraille and then PC-computers. First I read the screen directly with the Optacon and then later with Braille Displays. Some 10 years ago I started using Videotim for my readings.

Some time ago I read a review on the Kindle for PC and Android devices, Kindle for PC with Accessibility Plugin by Darren Burton. There it was stated that Amazon only recognizes one English voice. When I tested Kindle for PC myself I found out that this was true. As I use the Espeak TTS in my Samsung phone I can only read headings but no text as it is only read by an internal voice of the software. [This] is really bad, as Amazon has books for sale in a number of languages.

However on my Samsung phone English, Icelandic, and other languages are read quite nicely by the Espeak.

It is a great drawback of Kindle for PC that it only supports an internal voice and in fact this is a discrimination to those who do not speak the recognized speeches of Amazon.

I know that the accessibility of iPhones and iPads is much better, but then the problem is that Apple computers do not speak Icelandic.

AFB is known for its powerful fight for accessibility to all kinds of information. Shouldn't it be on your agenda to make for equal accessibility to all commonly used computer systems like Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android?

I thank you again for your excellent and progressive work.

Greetings from Iceland.

Yours sincerely,

Arnthor Helgason

American Foundation for the Blind President & CEO, Carl Augusto, to Retire in Spring 2016

The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) announced that its President & CEO, Carl R. Augusto, will retire in the spring of 2016 after 25 years of service to AFB. Augusto, a longtime champion of people with disabilities and a preeminent leader in the field of blindness, joined the organization in 1991. Under his leadership, AFB has made significant strides in leveling the playing field for people with vision loss, especially in the areas of public policy, education, technology, aging, and employment.

AFB's Board of Trustees has established a search committee and retained Pangburn Partners, LLC, a leader in nonprofit executive search to identify a successor for Mr. Augusto. Mr. Augusto plans to remain at AFB until a successor is in place to ensure a smooth transition.

"Carl Augusto is one of my personal heroes," said Larry B. Kimbler, chair of the AFB Board of Trustees. "He is a remarkable leader and collaborator who has dedicated his life to making the world a better place for people with vision loss, their families, and the professionals who work with them. We are incredibly grateful for his outstanding service."

"This has been my dream job from beginning to end," said Mr. Augusto. "AFB is a very special place with a talented and committed staff and board. I feel fortunate and honored to have spent my career doing what I love and working alongside colleagues who share my passion to ensure people with vision loss have an equal shot at achieving their dreams."

A change agent known for his collaborative leadership, Mr. Augusto has forged numerous strategic partnerships and alliances within the vision loss community and beyond to address critical issues and expand opportunities for people with vision loss. This includes broadening AFB's scope to influence corporate America to make its products and services accessible.

Augusto has led AFB's move into the digital era. He significantly bolstered its technology program and created and expanded the organization's award-winning web programs and services, increasing access to AFB's information and services. He oversaw the establishment and growth of AFB TECH, the Technology and Employment Center at Huntington, West Virginia, and the AFB Center on Vision Loss in Dallas, Texas. In addition, he has strengthened AFB's leadership role and spearheaded efforts to help AFB attain greater financial stability by professionalizing its fundraising program and exercising rigorous fiscal discipline.

Mr. Augusto is the fifth chief executive of the American Foundation for the Blind since its founding in 1921.

Association of Rehabilitation Nurses Launches ReSTART Recovery Online Resource

The Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) announced the launch of the brand-new ReSTART online recovery resource for rehabilitation. The ReSTART site provides key information for those starting the journey of rehabilitation, as well as their family members, loved ones, and caretakers.

The ReSTART site also features an easy to understand glossary, to help familiarize anyone with some of the most common terms used by rehabilitation healthcare staff. In addition, visitors will find links to helpful resources and support organizations, as well as rehabilitation care planning tools.

Following surgery, a stroke, or other health event, many people may prefer to go home and "get back to normal." However, many people need help regaining their abilities. That's why the role of the rehabilitation nurse, as a patient advocate, advisor, and educator, is more important than ever.

According to one study, a 1% increase in rehabilitation nursing staff was correlated with a 6% decrease in patient's length of stay at in-patient rehabilitation facilities. To help support these impressive statistics, The Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN) recently announced the launch of the brand-new ReSTART online recovery resource for rehabilitation. The ReSTART site provides key information for those starting the journey of rehabilitation as well as their family members, loved ones, and caretakers.

The recovery site was created by rehabilitation nurses who understand the special needs of people who experience a major injury, chronic illness, or disability. Using the ReSTART site, visitors can learn about what to expect when first beginning rehabilitation, how to make the most of participating in the rehabilitation journey, how to best manage transitions between facilities and healthcare settings, and common financial and legal concerns, such as insurance coverage and disability qualification questions

Visit the ARN's ReSTART site. for more information.

JAWS 16 and MAGic?13 Are Windows 10 Ready

Freedom Scientific announced the compatibility of the latest updates of the JAWS 16 screen reader and MAGic 13 screen magnification software with Windows 10. Windows 10 was released on July 29, 2015, and will be offered as a free upgrade for devices running Windows 8.1 or Windows 7.

Anyone planning to update to Windows 10, who has an earlier version of JAWS or MAGic, will need to follow the instructions provided on the Freedom Scientific prepared guide for our customers. Please visit the Windows 10 Upgrade web page for the smoothest transition to the new Windows Operating System.

Envision Conference?2015: Low Vision Showcase

Get up to date on the latest in low vision products, optical, technology, and services at the Envision Conference?2015?Exhibit Hall.?The Exhibit Hall opens at the Grand?Hyatt Denver, on Thursday, September 10 at 3:00 pm?with a special evening reception from 5:30–8 pm Exhibit hours on Friday, September 11?are 7 am?to 2 pm and include a continental breakfast, 10:15 am?coffee break and a buffet lunch hour.

Be sure to stop by and visit the many low vision rehabilitation and research vendors and sponsors. See a listing of exhibitors here. Some highlights:

Optelec

Enjoy life beyond reading glasses! Optelec provides life-changing assistive technology for the blind and visually impaired by reaching out with simple and effective low vision solutions. The ShopLowVision.com division offers the latest in Professional Optical Products and Daily Living Aids.

OrCam

OrCam is an intuitive portable device with a smart camera designed to assist people who are visually impaired. OrCam translates what it sees and speaks to the wearer through a bone-conduction earpiece. OrCam gives independence.

Vanda Pharmaceuticals

Vanda Pharmaceuticals is dedicated to raising awareness of Non-24-Hour Sleep-Wake Disorder and supporting the blindness community. Non-24 is a rare circadian rhythm disorder affecting up to 70% of people who are totally blind. People living with Non-24 experience excessive daytime sleepiness and nighttime sleeplessness. Visit the Vanda booth to learn more about Non-24.

Reading Connections: Strategies for Teaching Students with Visual Impairments Released

Reading Connections is a guide for professionals in the field of visual impairment that explains the central components of reading. This book provides specific, targeted strategies for addressing each component, along with a description of the process of reading development, and the impact of visual impairment on the formation of reading skills.

Reading Connections is 360 pages long and is now available in paperback for $49.95. Electronic formats—e-books for $34.95 and online subscriptions for $29.95—will be available shortly.

Recommend Helen Keller for the new $10 Bill

You are invited to join in recommending Helen Keller to be chosen as the woman on the new $10 bill. According to the Treasury, the chosen candidate's legacy should illustrate "America's values" and "inclusive democracy" internationally, since the dollar is also the world's currency. Additionally, the new $10 bill will be the first US paper currency with a tactile feature distinguishable by people who are blind or visually impaired. Who better than Helen Keller meets these criteria? You can express your opinion via Share your Ideas.

Computers for the Blind is now shipping over 100 computers per month!

Computers for the Blind (CFTB) broke a new record by shipping 107 computers in July! Although our costs have gone up we are keeping the prices the same.

$110 for a desktop

$160 for a laptop

All computers are custom made to meet consumer needs for accessibility. Options include:

• NVDA and JAWS demo screen readers
• Fully licensed copy of MAGic screen magnification software valued at $395
• Large flat screen monitors, speakers, mouse, keyboard, etc.
• Free shipping
• All the necessary software to access the internet, do word processing, e-mail, Facebook, etc.

We continue to accept purchase orders. Several state agencies for the blind are now saving thousands of dollars on assistive technology for their consumers.

Contact info:
www.computersfortheblind.net
info@computersfortheblind.net
214-340-6328

In the June 2015 issue of AccessWorld, we described the AT&T NYU Connect Ability Challenge, where individuals and teams compete to develop technologies that offer new and creative solutions that can improve the lives of New Yorkers and others around the world. For the 2015 Challenge, a total of $100,000 in prize money was awarded. The winners were announced at an awards dinner on July 27. As promised back in June, this follow up article will tell you about the Challenge winners and describe their prize-winning entries. We'll save the best for last: a pair of winners—Enlight and Accessible Peak Meter—that focus on assisting the sight impaired.

Kinesic Mouse: $25,000 Grand Prize Winner and $10,000 Best Mobility Solution

The Kinesic Mouse is a software package that uses a 3D camera to detect facial expressions and head rotations so that users with movement impairments can operate a computer, game console joystick, or keyboard totally hands free.

Ava: $10,000 Best Solution for People with Sensory Disabilities

This mobile solution assists individuals with hearing disabilities to participate in group discussions. The app works by tracking and transcribing group conversations into text, and displaying not only the text itself, but also who says what.

LOLA: $10,000 Best Social/Emotional Solution

LOLA is an acronym for Laugh Out Loud Aid—a funny digital tool that sends the user reminders to train your brain with social and daily living skills. The concept for the app was developed by a student with Asperger's, with help from his father.

Drumpants: $10,000 Best Solution for People with Communicative and Cognitive Disabilities

The Drumpants device can be worn or attached to a wheelchair, where it provides users with limited mobility, or who have difficulty speaking, with a voice. The user simply taps the device's oversized soft wearable buttons, which act as triggers for speaking customizable phrases through an application on their phone. The device can also be used as a hands-free interface to control door locks, music players, and other devices.

MySupport: $5,000 Best Practices Collaboration Award

MySupport is described by its developers as the Match.com for home-care givers and recipients. It offers people with disabilities and support workers the ability to create a profile, answer match questions, and be connected with compatible users looking to receive or provide support. The software also makes it easy for workers and people with disabilities to keep track of upcoming shifts with text message reminders, and to submit timesheets to Medicaid-vendor agencies for payment.

InstaAid: $5,000 Best Practices Caregiver Award

This iPad app was developed to assist the residents of The Boston Home and other residential facilities to summon a nurse or engage in a video chat with the nurse or other caregiver without having to leave their room.

Braci: $5,000 Best Practices Universal Design Award

Braci uses a Pebble watch paired with an Android phone to recognize 1,000 preprogrammed sounds such as smoke alarms, doorbells, a baby crying, and a car horn. When the app detects one of these sounds it pushes an alert to the user.

Enlight: $10,000 Best Solution Impacting Policy and Society

Enlight is a mobile platform that uses iBeacons to assist with indoor navigation. "When my partner, Catherine Jue, and I began developing Enlight, our goal was to offer specific directions, such as: 'Two steps to the left, then follow the hallway 15 feet to reach the Men's room,'" says Ashwin Kumar. "But then we attended an AT&T sponsored collaboration session at the Berkeley Center for Accessible Technology." Kumar continues: "We spoke with Gus Chalkias and several other blind exemplars, and we learned a lot from them. They explained to us that specific directions were not as important as simply getting a general layout of the venue. If they knew, for example, that a coffee shop's counter was straight ahead, and the seating area was to the left, they could then use their cane and navigate the space more effectively."

Kumar and Jue purchased several iBeacons—tiny, lighthouse-type devices that transmit constant, unique identifiers that, when detected by an iOS device, can trigger an action, such as a social media check-in, coupon offers, or other point-of-interest information.

"Enlight triangulates the iBeacons, similar to the way a GPS device uses satellite position information to calculate location. We use the phone's built-in compass to determine in which direction the user is facing, then offer spoken location and direction information, such as 'Cashier, 12 feet straight ahead.'"

Kumar and Jue's prototype includes an easy-to-use interface that merchants and others interested in improving accessible indoor navigation can use to map their premises by piggybacking on their points-of-interest iBeacons as demonstrated in this described video.

Unfortunately, this was where they hit a technological brick wall.

"Current iBeacons broadcast on the same frequency as other electronic devices, and they are extremely low powered, so that the batteries only need to be changed every few years. This is sufficient to broadcast a coupon or alert a user that the men's department is nearby, but in most cases not sensitive enough to triangulate down to the levels we need to provide trustworthy indoor navigation at an affordable cost to the merchants."

Looking toward the future, the Enlight team is hopeful the next generation of iBeacons will be powerful and inexpensive enough that users will be able to map out a store, conference room or other venue for as little as $2 per beacon. Observes Kumar, "iBeacons may not have been developed for the blind, but they certainly show tremendous potential for assisting in accessible indoor navigation."

Accessible Peak Meter: Large Organization Recognition Award (Non-Monetary)

The Design Patterns for Inclusive Collaboration (DePIC) project at Queen Mary, University of London, aims to develop new ways for people to interact with each other using different senses, and thus reduce barriers caused by visual and other sensory impairments.

"When we interact with others we rely on combinations of the senses we have available to us," says post-doctoral research fellow and project member Oussama Metatla. "For example, when we both see and hear someone speaking, our brain associates the words spoken with the speaker. However, little research has examined how people combine and map information from one sense to another for individuals with sensory impairments."

One of the group's projects is the Accessible Peak Meter. "Many of the individuals who are blind that we work with are musicians and/or sound engineers," says Metatla. "One would assume that working with audio would be a natural fit for the sight impaired, but ironically, the recording industry's embrace of technology has turned sound engineering into an increasingly visual medium.

Cakewalk, Sonar, and other popular digital audio workstations use graphical representations of sound waves and digital peak meters. A peak meter displays the strength of an audio signal. If the signal is too strong, distortion, called clipping, can occur. Consequently, the sound engineer needs to carefully monitor this level on an ongoing basis and keep it from rising into the "red zone."

"Following these digital gauges can be difficult for a blind musician or sound engineer who relies on a screen reader," says Metatla. "By the time the level number has finished voicing, the level has likely already changed. We needed a new, more accurate way to combine the sound of the recording with the visual feedback of a peak meter."

The solution the team arrived at is Accessible Peak Meter: a plug-in that turns digital peak meter readings into real time "sonifiers," non-speech identification sounds that trigger when, say, clipping occurs, or which can run continuously with varying pitches to track the rise and fall of the digital peak meter.

"Users can even set stereo tones to monitor multiple tracks simultaneously," says Metatla. "It's a much more viable solution than trying to monitor both tracks with a screen reader."

For their work thus far DePIC received the Challenge's non-monetary, Large Organization Recognition Award. The open source VST or AU plug-in can be downloaded for free, and there's more to come.

"We've started working on using haptic feedback as an alternative tracking signal," says Metatla. "We also plan to develop and incorporate more complex sound cues so users can accessibly track even more information in real time."

Comment on this article.

Related Articles:

• AT&T NYU Connect Ability Challenge: Programming for Accessibility by Bill Holton
• A Review of the Odin VI: An Accessible Feature Phone from Odin Mobile by Bill Holton

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• Help Me See: The Organization Dedicated to Eliminating Cataract Blindness Globally
• Is Accessible TV Viewing Finally on Its Way?

From the first day that Humanware unveiled the first-generation Victor Reader Stream back in 2007, the blind community was immediately taken with this compact little device that played books, podcasts, and music anywhere at any time. Even before the first units began to ship, pre-release audio demos from people such as Jeff Bishop on ACB Radio's Main Menu program whetted the appetite of anyone who wanted to be able to carry content with them wherever they went. Not everyone was using truly accessible cell phones then, and accessible smart tablets were still a thing of the future. As popular as the first-generation Stream was, it had some limitations. It didn't have an onboard clock, and it couldn't connect to the Internet. That said, it was a durable product with great battery life, and it developed a loyal following among people who are blind all over the world.

Fast forward to 2014 when Humanware released the second-generation Victor Reader Stream. It was smaller in size than the first, had a clock, connected to the Internet, and retained the same great battery life as its predecessor. Still, many wondered if there were a place for a new Stream in the world of iPhones, iPads, and Android devices. Could the next generation Humanware product really find a place? As it turns out, the Victor Reader Stream New Generation has held its own with Apple and Android products, and its following continues to be quite strong.

But how does one go about learning all the ins and outs of using this little audio player? There is an excellent onboard user guide built in, and written documentation can be obtained online, but many people who don't consider themselves power users at the computer find the Victor Reader Stream to be quite useful in their daily lives. Wouldn't it be nice if a human could walk them through the various functions of the Stream? Thanks to a new DAISY audio tutorial produced by Mystic Access, it is possible to spend eight hours with a real person as you explore all that the Victor Reader Stream has to offer.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Mystic Access Audio Tutorial

Because the tutorial is produced in DAISY format, all main sections and subsections of the tutorial are marked up in a way that makes it quite easy to find exactly what you are looking for as you work through the tutorial. While new users will most likely want to study each lesson sequentially, there will certainly be times when you will want to go back and review material again to increase familiarity with a particular concept. The only disadvantage to providing the tutorial in only DAISY format is that a novice computer user will need to either learn how to use a DAISY player on the computer or gain enough familiarity with the Stream to be able to use the device to work through the tutorial. That said, MP3 files would be rather unwieldy, and would make it more difficult to find specific sections of the tutorial. It shouldn't take long for the user to become comfortable enough with the Stream to successfully work through the tutorial.

For the most part, you are guided through each lesson by Kim Loftis, whose positive presentation style should put anyone at ease. At the beginning of the tutorial, Loftis seems a bit nervous, but she quickly hits her stride and becomes increasingly relaxed as she works through the various lessons presented. True audiophiles will notice some inconsistency in microphone placement from time to time, but these are not deal breakers, in my opinion. On the upside, the output of the Victor Reader Stream is run through a mixer, rather than the Stream's external speaker. Loftis uses her experience as a life coach to provide a lot of positive encouragement, including tips on how to practice using the Stream without becoming overwhelmed. She also gives suggestions for ways to expand on the various lessons, so you can enhance your understanding of how to use the Stream.

In the final part of the tutorial, Chris Grabowski joins Loftis in a Q & A section that covers areas of study that didn't fit easily into other sections of the tutorial. Grabowski asks questions and Loftis answers them, giving demonstrations as she goes. This part of the tutorial felt especially scripted to me, and I found if difficult to listen to.

Finally, each section of the tutorial begins and ends with a chiming sound. This works for long sections, but becomes a bit annoying when sections are really short. All in all, I found the overall presentation style to be quite pleasant and easy to follow.

What the Mystic Access Audio Tutorial Covers

The Audio Tutorial thoroughly covers all functions of the Victor Reader Stream and provides plenty of practical examples. In part one, you will become familiar with the layout of the Stream's ports, jacks, and buttons. You will learn how to insert and remove the Stream's battery and SD card. You are not shown how to lock and unlock the Stream until the fifth part of the tutorial. While I understand that the sequence of key presses required to accomplish this task is a bit complex for a new user, I believe that most people will want to learn how to do this fairly quickly. It might have been worth mentioning briefly in part one, with a more in-depth discussion in part five.

When I purchased my New Generation Victor Reader Stream, I fancied myself enough of a power user that I didn't feel it necessary to thoroughly read the user guide. Consequently, I missed the very convenient command to hold the "Confirm" key down in order to hear not only the level of the Stream's battery, but also status of content you are downloading (such as when you are downloading NLS books to the device). Suffice it to say that even experienced Stream owners may find some nuggets of wisdom scattered throughout the tutorial.

Next, the tutorial introduces the student to concepts such as how to change the Stream's TTS voice, how to navigate the device's various bookshelves, how to adjust the speed, tone, and speaking rate of the material being read, and how to enter and exit the Stream's key describer mode and user guide. Finally, setting the Stream's date and time, setting bookmarks, and using text entry search round out the first part of the tutorial.

Part two of the tutorial takes an in-depth look at the Victor Reader Stream's offline bookshelves. These include audio notes, text documents, DAISY books, other books such as MP3 files, and saved podcasts. Much time is also devoted to working with books from Audible, as well as a thorough demonstration of the Music bookshelf. Finally, careful attention is given to all of the Stream's menu settings as they relate to working with offline content.

In part three, we learn how to work with online bookshelves. Loftis carefully takes us through the process of connecting the Stream via Wi-Fi. Once online, we take a look at playing Internet radio stations on the Stream. When I began using my New Generation Stream, I didn't think I would make much use of this feature at all, because I was used to listening to Internet Radio on my iPhone. I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed using Internet Radio on the Stream, and Loftis was able to pique my interest in this area of Stream usage even further. An area that I had not explored at all was searching for and reading content from Wikipedia and Wiktionary using the Stream. Again, Loftis was able to encourage me to explore these areas further. Also included in this part of the tutorial are lessons on using the NLS BARD service, managing online podcasts, using NFB Newsline, and working with Bookshare content. Finally, we learn how to update the Victor Reader Stream to the latest firmware.

The fourth part of the tutorial is devoted to the use of the Humanware Companion, a great piece of software for anyone who doesn't wish to manually transfer content from their computer to the Stream and back again. As stated earlier, Part 5 of the tutorial is a Q and A section that covers miscellaneous topics that didn't fit neatly into earlier sections. Included here are several ways to reset your Stream should it lock up at some point.

The Bottom Line

After having worked through all eight hours of the Mystic Access Humanware Victor Reader Stream New Generation Audio Tutorial, I would be willing to recommend this reference to anyone who wishes to learn how to use their Victor Reader Stream for the first time, anyone who is an experienced Stream user but wants to make sure they have gotten all that they can from the product, and anyone who might need to teach someone else how to use the Victor Reader Stream. At $89, this tutorial is not an insignificant investment. There are some issues that I would like to see corrected in a future release of the tutorial, especially considering the steep price. The relaxed presentation style needs to be consistent throughout the tutorial, and more care needs to be taken to ensure that microphone placement remains the same from beginning to end. That being said, I believe this is a really good tutorial, and I commend Kim Loftis for her hard work and dedication to what was undoubtedly a very time-consuming project.

Product Information

Product Name: Mystic Access Humanware Victor Reader Stream New Generation Audio Tutorial
Available From: Mystic Access
Price: $89.00
Available Format: DAISY audio
Length: Approximately eight hours

Comment on this article.

Related articles:

• Stream It! Music, Movies, and More with Apple TV and VoiceOver, by Jonathan Mosen: A Book Review by Jamie Pauls
• A Review of Wireless Content on the Victor Reader Stream New Generation from HumanWare by Aaron Preece

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• The American Foundation for the Blind Launches an Accessible HTML5 Video Player by Jamie Pauls
• Dolphin Guide from Dolphin Computer Access: A Suite of Access Programs that Simplify Computer Use by Jamie Pauls

Whether you're thinking of joining the Twitterverse or already are a seasoned Twitter member on your iOS or other device, your Mac can be used to create and manage a Twitter account.

This article will discuss creating a Twitter account through the Twitter website and managing your Twitter account with an app called NightOwl, also called YoruFukurou.

Creating a Twitter Account

If you do not yet have a Twitter account, go to Twitter and activate the Sign Up link.

Find the heading "Join Twitter Today." Just below it are edit boxes to enter your full name, your e-mail address, a password, and a user name. It may be necessary to Tab and Shift + Tab through the edit boxes because VoiceOver may not read the user name edit box correctly. Twitter offers some suggestions for a user name just below the user name edit box. After all information has been entered, activate the "Sign Up" button.

NightOwl

Once you've created a Twitter account or if you already have an account and are not yet using NightOwl, download the free app from the Mac App Store.

When NightOwl is first launched, it is necessary to sign into your Twitter account. If you have more than one account and want additional accounts to show, open NightOwl's preferences with Command + Comma and go to the Accounts tab. Activate the Add button and sign into your other account(s).

NightOwl's System Preferences

There are many options for customizing your Twitter feed; here are a few of the most useful. In the General tab, if you check the box labeled "Enable real time streaming" then new tweets will display immediately. If the box is not checked, activate the "Auto refresh" button within the same tab to set how often your Twitter feed is automatically refreshed. There is a pop-up button to set how many tweets are displayed when NightOwl is launched.

The Accounts tab has two sub-tabs: General and Notification. If you have more than one account, they will be listed in a table. Each account can have its own settings. If you want to add your initials or a tag line at the end of your tweets, check the "Insert footer text" box and then enter your text. The Notification sub-tab contains checkboxes that control what sounds NightOwl will play. For example, you can have NightOwl play a sound every time a new tweet is received.

In the Text Input tab, there is a pop-up button for choosing which key combination will send a tweet. The default setting is Return. Additional options are Control + Return and Command + Return. In the same tab, there is a checkbox where VoiceOver will say "'Show Candidates Automatically' Autocomplete." Make sure it is unchecked. NightOwl can offer user names and hashtags, but this feature does not always work well with VoiceOver.

In the Notifications tab, go to "Enable sound effect" and make sure the box is checked. This is the main sound control. If not checked, no sounds will play. There's also a volume slider to control how loud the sounds will play.

NightOwl Controls

There are several ways to interact with NightOwl. From the top of the main window, use VO + Right Arrow and you'll encounter various controls including a tool bar, drawer, and an Action Menu. Another option is the menu bar. NightOwl has the standard File, Edit, and View menus plus menus labeled Tweet, Timeline, and Tools. Many menu items also have keyboard shortcuts that provide an easy way to navigate NightOwl.

Finding Twitter Users to Follow

Before you can receive their tweets, it is necessary to select the people, teams, companies, etc. that you wish to follow. Type Command + U and VoiceOver will prompt you to enter a user name and will also say that you are in a combo box. If you know the Twitter name you want to follow, type the user name and press Enter. A list of their most recent tweets will be displayed. Typing VO + Spacebar will bring up a list of people and organizations you may want to follow. Typing Enter on any of these choices will also bring up a list of their tweets. If you do not know the user name or if the person or organization you want to follow isn't in the list, try a Google search. Type the name plus the word "Twitter." Frequently their Twitter user name is one of the first results.

If you decide to follow someone or something, go to any of their tweets and VO + Left Arrow four times until you hear the word "Drawer" and interact with it. Find the "User Action Menu" button and activate it. Then find the Following Status submenu and open it. Finally, activate the "Follow" button. The option to stop following a Twitter account is also in the User Action menu. If you want to follow American Foundation for the Blind on Twitter, look for @AFB1921.

The Timeline and Other Tabs

The main window in NightOwl is your Timeline. All tweets from the accounts you are following are displayed here. Tweets can be read with the Up and Down Arrow keys. Make sure QuickNav is turned off. It is not necessary to interact with the list. After a tweet is spoken VoiceOver will say something like 15m or 3h. This indicates how long ago the tweet was sent.

Additional tabs are Mentions, Direct Messages, and Favorites. Command + Right Arrow and Command + Left Arrow moves through the tabs. With this method, VoiceOver does not speak the name of the tab. Use VO + Home (Control + Option + Fn + Left Arrow) to get to the top of the window to hear a tab's name. There are additional navigation options and keyboard shortcuts in the Timeline menu.

Interacting with Tweets

The Tweet menu provides a long list of commands and their keyboard shortcuts. Here are some of the most frequently used commands:

• Reply: Enter
• Reply All: Shift + Enter
• Send a direct message to the sender: D
• Retweet someone's tweet: Command + Shift + V
• Retweet the tweet and add a comment: Command + Option + V
• Open a link in a tweet: L.
  • Option + Up Arrow moves to the top of a tab; Option + Down Arrow moves to the bottom

If you want to see a list of tweets from a specific sender, focus on one of their tweets and then type Command + 2. Only their tweets will appear in the window. Get back to the main Timeline with Command + 1. View an entire conversation by first focusing on any tweet and then typing Command + 3. Only tweets referring to that conversation will be displayed.

Sending a Tweet

The keyboard command to start a new tweet is Command + N. Your tweet cannot be more than 140 characters including punctuation and spaces. Check how many characters you have typed by pressing VO + Right Arrow twice. You will hear "Character Count" and how many characters are left. If the character count is over 140, there will be a dash plus the number of excess characters. Get back to your tweet by using Command + Left Arrow twice.

Hashtags

Many news, television, sports entertainment companies, corporations, and individuals employ hashtags. A hashtag consists of the number sign (#) placed before a word or phrase. The hashtag is used to indicate trending topics and makes it easier to find related tweets. For example, a news program might ask people to tweet their opinion of President Obama. They would say to use the hashtag #Obama.

Conclusion

It is possible to set up a Twitter account on the Twitter website and manage it with NightOwl. NightOwl has many useful options. Check out Alex Hall's excellent podcast.

Comment on this article.

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On June 30, 2015, Apple launched its much-talked-about Apple Music, a service that lets the user stream playlists, search for specific songs, follow their favorite artists, and more. The first three months of Apple Music are free. After that, an individual membership is $9.99 per month and a family membership is $14.99 per month.

Compatibility Requirements

For iOS devices, version 8.4 of the operating system is required. iTunes 12.2 is required for Mac and PC. Android users will have access to Apple Music this fall.

Setting up Apple Music on an iOS Device

After opening the Music app on an iOS device, information about Apple Music is displayed in two buttons: "Start 3-month Free Trial" and "Go to My Music." The latter button takes you out of the Apple Music signup process and back to music that you already own.

When the "Start 3-month Free Trial" button is activated, the next page has information about membership. The first part of the page lets you know that the first three months are free. After three months, your Apple Music plan will renew automatically unless you turn off Automatic Renewal in your Apple Music account.

Next is a "Learn More About Apple Music" button. Activating this button loads an information page in Safari. The same information can be found at the Apple Music website.

Next are buttons for choosing a plan: $9.99 for an individual and $14.99 for a family of up to six members. You must have Family Sharing enabled to use the family option. Next are pages for entering your Apple ID and password, for accepting Apple's terms and conditions, and for verification that you want the membership. Shortly after you complete registration, you will receive a confirmation e-mail. It explains subscription terms and contains a link to manage the subscription. You can also manage your subscription through the Music app on the iOS device.

Apple Music on iOS

The iOS Music app has undergone significant changes to include Apple Music. At the top left of the screen is the "My Account" button. Here is where your Apple Music subscription can be cancelled. Double tap on the button and once you are in the My Account section, double tap on the "View Apple ID" option. From there, select "Subscriptions."

Apple Music has many commands. However, it uses the same commands throughout the app, making it easy to use.

Siri will play content from Apple Music. You can ask for a specific song, album, artist, playlist, or genre. Siri can play songs from a specific year and can skip tracks. This is a quick and easy way to access your music.

There are five tabs: For You, New, Radio, Connect, and My Music. Each of these tabs has a search box at the top right of the screen.

For You

The tab on the bottom left of the screen is For You. There, you can choose genres and artists. Choices can later be modified in the My Account settings.

When For You is selected, a heading says, "Tell us what you're into." You first chose genres. VoiceOver says to tab once on the genres you like, twice on the ones you love, and press and hold the ones you do not like. These instructions do not work with VoiceOver. Options for each genre are Loved, Very Loved, and Not Loved.

There are two ways to select your opinion of a genre. Cycle through the options by double tapping on a genre. If you don't get the result you want, double tap again and if you still don't get the result you want, double tap once more. This will indicate the third option. If you want to delete a genre, double tap and hold. VoiceOver will say the name of the genre and the word "banned." A banned genre can be reactivated.

VoiceOver sometimes loses focus such as when selecting genres. After a genre is selected, VoiceOver may jump to the top of the genre list rather than just going to the next genre. Sometimes choices for genres and artists are not saved.

Another way to interact with genres is to use the rotor. In the Actions section of the rotor are two options, Activate Item and Ban. If you love a genre, select Activate. If you really love a genre, select Activate again. If you do not want music from a specific genre, activate the Ban option. Genre selection may be changed at any time.

After selecting genres, you need to select artists within a chosen genre. While still in the For You tab, activate the "Next" button located to the right of the "Account" button.

When the next screen appears, VoiceOver will tell you to choose three or more of your favorites. Select artists the same way as selecting genres.

Artists are not presented in alphabetical order or by genres. After the final artist is spoken, flick right three times to a button labeled "More Artists." Activating this button will bring up a new list of artists. Choose as many artists as you like. Sometimes the list will include previously mentioned artists and a few new artists will be at the bottom of the list. This will help Apple Music create playlists for you. Once all genres and artists have been selected, activate the "Done" button at the top right of the screen.

The For You tab will still be active and the "My Account" button will still be in the upper left corner. There will be a For You heading in the top middle of the screen. A button for searching is at top right of the screen.

On the main part of the screen will be a list of playlists that Apple has chosen based on your artist and genre selections. If the selection is a playlist designed by Apple, VoiceOver will say "Playlist by Apple Music" and the genre. If the playlist is an album, VoiceOver will say the album's name, genre and year. After the title of a playlist or the name of an album, VoiceOver speaks a very brief description of the music.

Start music playing by flicking up with one finger to activate item. If music is not already playing, then the playlist or album will start. If music is playing when you make your selection, new music will be cued and played after the previously selected music has finished. To start the new music, flick down with one finger and activate the "Play" option.

Within a few seconds, music will start playing. Information that was just on the main screen will still be there. Near the bottom of the screen will be a Mini Player. To get to it quickly, touch the bottom left corner of the screen by the For You tab and flick left. You will then encounter the Mini Player and hear VoiceOver say how much of the song has already been played. Next will be a "More" button, followed by a button labeled with the song's title and artist and a "Play/Pause" button. A song can also be paused and then started again with a two-finger double tap. Siri will also skip a track if given the Skip command.

Selecting the button with the song's title and artist will present a new Now Playing screen with included artwork, elapsed time of song, the album title, and buttons labeled "Previous Track," "Play," and "Next Track." There are also buttons for Shuffle and Sharing. A "More" button provides options such as Start Station, Add to My Music, and View in iTunes Store. There are options to share the song or playlist.

Another way to play music is to double tap on the name of the playlist or album displayed on the For You screen. On the next page, there will be a "Play" button, a description of the album or playlist's content, the track list, a button to love or not love the playlist, a button to add the playlist to your music collection and other buttons described in the section above.

You can also double tap on a particular song to play it. Once music starts playing, the Mini Player and corresponding information will appear near the bottom of the screen.

Below the track list will be buttons for featured artists in the playlist. Activating one of these buttons presents options including Follow and Top Songs.

New

The New tab, located next to the For You tab, displays new content. The same gestures that work in the For You tab will work here. Content includes Albums, Top Charts, and Hot Tracks. This is a good place to find out what is current and trending.

Radio

The next tab is Radio. If you have already created stations in iTunes Radio, they will be here. Apple's 24/7 live radio station, called Beats 1, is the first item in the radio tab.

Connect

The fourth tab is Connect. Use Connect to follow artists and comment on their posts. You will probably have some artists that you are following based on your iTunes library. When VoiceOver reads an artist's name, you will also hear the word "button." Double tapping on the button will load a new page with the artist's posts and comments made by other followers. There is also an edit box if you wish to post a comment.

Near the top right of the screen is a button labeled "See who you're following." Activating it will bring up a list of artists of possible interest. Next to each name is a button to follow that artist. If this button is selected, the next page provides a "Follow" button, a "Share" button, and a "More" button. The "Share" and "More" buttons are similar to the same buttons described above. If the "Follow" button is chosen, VoiceOver will say "Following." Double tapping the button will change the status back to "Follow." Apple Music also has "Follow" buttons for its various genres.

My Music

The final tab is My Music. This tab is significantly different than its iOS 8.3 version. There are two radio buttons labeled "Library" and "Playlists." Next is a "Search" button and a "Recently Added" button. A few recently added items will also be to the right of the button.

The next control is a "Category" button for choosing how you'd like your content sorted—by artist, song, album, or genre. Once a selection is made, there will be a table index on the right side of the screen, just as in the previous version of the Music app. Flicking up or down on an item will present options to Play, Activate Item, or More. The More option includes Remove or Make Songs Available Offline. When a song is playing, the Mini Player and controls will be near the bottom of the screen. The More button next to the Mini Player provides additional options including Add to a Playlist and View in iTunes Store. Add a song to a playlist by double tapping on that item. A list of playlists will be displayed. Double tap on the playlist you want.

The second button in the My Music tab is "Playlists." Your old playlists are here as well as any Apple Music playlists you have chosen.

Apple Music on the Mac

Apple Music works on the Mac but is easier to use and set up on an iOS device. If you have already signed up for Apple Music on an iOS device, you do not have to do it again on your Mac. Make sure that you have iTunes 12.2 on your Mac before trying to use Apple Music. It is important that you are familiar with VoiceOver on the Mac, because you will need to interact a lot with the application. Using the End + Control + Option + Fn + Right Arrow (VO + Fn +Right Arrow) can quickly get you to the results table. Using the Home + Control + Option + Fn + Left + Arrow (VO + FN + Left Arrow) can get you quickly to the LCD section.

iTunes Layout

In iTunes 12.2, the Store menu has been replaced by the Account menu. At the top of the iTunes window are the "Previous," "Play," and "Next" buttons followed by the volume slider. Then comes the Apple logo and the LCD section.

The next item is the "Store Account" button. Selecting this button will present a table of six options including Artists for You, Account Information, and Wish List. Once an item is selected, use Fn + Control + Option + Right Arrow (VO + End) to get to the results. Leave the Artists for You option for later. It can be used to modify the genres and artists you like once Apple Music is set up.

Moving to the right, there is a search box followed by options to go to the previous or next iTunes Store page. Next are four radio buttons: "Music," "Movies," "TV Shows," and "More." The "More" button has podcasts, books, and other content.

Next are a series of seven radio buttons: "My Music," "Playlists," "For You," "New," "Radio," "Connect," and "iTunes Store." Start the Apple Music sign-up process by selecting the "For You" button. Next use VO + End to get to the table with HTML content. Interact with the table and locate the "Start 3-Month Free Trial" option and select it. Next, choose a membership plan. Then you will need to sign into the iTunes Store with your Apple ID and Password.

For You

The next part of setting up Apple Music is to choose genres and then artists you like. Use the table provided to make selections. Unfortunately, VoiceOver does not give good feedback during this process. This part of the sign-up procedure works much better on an iOS device. Do not follow the instructions that you will hear for choosing genres and then artists. As you land on a genre, VO + Space on it. Doing this once will indicate that you Like the genre, doing it a second time indicates that you Love the genre and doing it once more indicates that you Don't Like it. Once genres are chosen, activate the Next button and repeat the process of selection, this time with Artists. There is also a More Artists button that will list more choices. Activate the "Done" button once all choices have been made. The For You button will now always offer recommendations. Go to the "Store Account" button and select Choose Artists for You to make changes to genres and artists.

Once genres and artists are chosen, still with the "For You" radio button, Apple Music will display a selection of playlists created by Apple Music and albums by specific artists. These results and all Apple Music content will be listed in the HTML table. Remember to interact with the table to review results. Use VO and the Left and Right Arrow keys to go through the table. If the item is a playlist, VoiceOver will say "Apple Music," a very brief description of the playlist, and the genre. If it's an album, VoiceOver will say the album title, artist's name, year, and genre.

Next to the listing is an unlabeled play button. Typing VO + Space on the button will start the album playing. When reviewing a list of results, if you hear "clickable" on an album's name, type VO + Space and a scroll area will load. It is possible that VoiceOver will lose focus and it may be necessary to type VO + End to get back to content.

The scroll area begins with a Header group. Interact with it. There will then be Options to Play, Shuffle, Add to Library, and Love the Album. Press the spacebar to Love or Not Love an item. The more Apple Music knows about music you like, the more accurate it can be with recommendations. There is also an Action Menu with additional options.

To view the track list, VO + Right Arrow to the album's table. Interact with the table to review individual tracks. Start a track playing by pressing the Return key. Music can then be started and stopped with the spacebar. Stop interacting with the track table and VO + Right Arrow to find a list of other albums by the same artist. VO + Right Arrow again to another list of artists that Apple Music thinks you will like.

Unfortunately, once music in a playlist has started playing, to view contents of the playlist, it is necessary to go to the LCD section.

Once at the LCD section, interact with it. Standard information will be there including Track Name, Artist, and an Action Menu. Select View Album from the Action Menu. Then stop interacting with the LCD section and use VO + End to get to the scroll area. Once there, the playlist information is presented the same way as albums are presented. The Action Menu in the LCD section has additional useful options including whether to add the song to My Music or to a playlist.

Apple Music lets the user search for any artist, album, or song. Start the search process by going to the Search box with Command + F and type your search. The results will be in a table next to the Search box. What appears in the table will depend on your search criteria. For example, if you search for an artist, some headings in the results may include Artist, Songs, Albums, and Playlists.

New

When the "New" radio button is selected, the Apple Music window lists new songs, albums, playlists, and more. It is definitely worth exploring this section. Use the same navigation techniques that are used in the For You section.

Radio

The Radio section is similar to the previous iTunes Radio. There is now a 24-hour live station called Beats 1. With an Apple Music subscription, all ads are gone. Any radio stations you previously created will still be in the section.

Connect

The final option in Apple Music is Connect, where artists and fans can interact. Artists can post updates, concert information, or anything else they wish. In order to view a particular artist's posts, it is first necessary to follow them. This feature worked well in Apple Music for iOS, but not on the Mac.

Conclusion

Apple Music is an excellent service with a tremendous amount of content. It works beautifully on iOS devices. Everything is labeled and easy to navigate. Although most of Apple Music is accessible on the Mac, it is more complicated to use and VoiceOver does not work as well.

Editor's Note

After the writing of this article, Apple informed us that updates have been made to Apple Music which may increase its accessibility to people using VoiceOver.

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For millions around the world, Microsoft Office is a must-have productivity suite. It's used by most workplaces—it is, after all, called Office—and by students everywhere. There are many alternatives, from Open Office to the iWork suite for Mac, but if you are working with a document which uses advanced Office features, or is highly formatted, it may not look the same if you import it into a different productivity suite, or export and save your work into a MS Office compatible format.

For many, familiarity with MS Office for Windows was enough to keep them firmly attached to their Windows PCs. There was a 2011 version of Office for Mac, but it lacked support for Apple's built-in screen reader, VoiceOver.

Recently, Microsoft unveiled Office for iOS, which runs on iPhones and iPads. Anyone with one of these devices can review Office documents, spread sheets, and PowerPoint presentations, though to save or share a file you'll need a subscription to Office 365. Office for iOS, which we reviewed in the May 2014 issue of AccessWorld, offers limited VoiceOver support. Microsoft has made numerous accessibility improvements since the publication of that article, however many if not most iOS users still prefer to use Pages, Numbers, Keynote, or Notes.

More recently, Microsoft introduced Office for Android, but as is the case with the iOS version, touchscreen reader accessibility is still very much a work in progress.

Until now, Mac VoiceOver users who need to use Office had only two viable choices: creating a Windows Bootcamp partition, or a virtual Windows machine using VM Fusion, and running Office from there. From personal experience I can assure you that constantly switching in and out of Windows can be cumbersome at best, which is why I was excited when Microsoft announced the availability of MS Office 2016 for Mac, including VoiceOver support.

Thousand-page manuals have been written to help users learn MS Office, and there are several excellent books describing how to use VoiceOver with a Mac, so I won't presume to do either here. Instead, I will describe how to obtain and install Office for Mac 2016, identify what screen reader help is and is not yet available, discuss some of the similarities and differences between this version of Office and the Windows version, and conclude with a few personal observations that may help you decide if Office for Mac 2016 is right for you.

Installing Office for Mac 2016

Currently, the only way to obtain and run Office for Mac 2016 is to subscribe to Office 365. There are several options. The most popular are Office 365 Home, which allows up to 5 installations on PCs and Macs, and Office 365 Personal, which allows only a single installation, on either a PC or Mac. Both versions allow for multiple mobile installations on iOS, Android, and Windows Mobile phones and tablets

Once you have purchased an Office 365 subscription, or assuming your already have one, log onto the Office setup website, where you can check your current installations, disable one or more of them, re-enable a preexisting installation, or create a new installation. There is an "Install" link that, when clicked, changes to "Installing." I had assumed that, as happened when I installed Office for Windows, I would be prompted what to do next. But a few seconds later the link reverted to "Install," with no audible prompt or explanation. Only after retrying this several times did it occur to me to check my download folder, where I found multiple copies of an office installation .pkg file. Opening this file began the full installation.

The entire Office for Mac 2016 suite includes Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and OneNote, and requires approximately 4.5 GB of free disk space. Microsoft Access is not included. The complete download and installation took just under ten minutes. Microsoft Word opened at this point, offering me the opportunity to activate the installation with my Office 365 e-mail login and password. Had it been my first installation, it would have asked for my activation code.

Navigating to Help

Like other Mac OS X applications, VoiceOver users can most easily access an app's menu bar by either pressing VO + M or by performing a two-finger double tap at the top center of the trackpad. Once there, current Microsoft Office users will feel comfortable with all the familiar command tabs. For example, in Word, along with the Apple and Word tabs already familiar to Mac users, you will find: File, Edit, View, Insert, Format, Tools, Table, Window, and Help. Let's focus on this last, as it is likely one of the first stops you will make in Office.

Each of the various Office apps includes a help system Keyboard Shortcuts article, which can also be accessed on the Web by following the links below.

• Outlook
• PowerPoint
• Word
• OneNote
• Excel

VoiceOver specific help varies from fairly comprehensive to entirely nonexistent.

Outlook includes a "Using Outlook with Voiceover" article on the main presentation screen. The article begins with a summary of VoiceOver, then offers detailed descriptions on how to accomplish various Outlook tasks, such as composing or replying to an e-mail, or entering an Outlook calendar event.

PowerPoint also includes an article describing how to use the app with VoiceOver, but you have to search for it by entering "Accessibility" into the Help search box.

If you search the Word Help screen for either "VoiceOver" or "Accessibility" all that appears is a brief mention that VoiceOver is supported.

There is a "Turn on Accessibility Options for OneNote 2016 for Mac" mentioned in the OneNote Help screen, but the only information provided is how to turn VoiceOver on and off, and how to access the Mac's accessibility options.

Excel Help includes no mention of VoiceOver. This is especially disconcerting, considering Excel is perhaps the most problematic of the Office apps from an accessibility standpoint.

The Cursor Conundrum

Windows and OS X handle cursor movement keys differently. In Windows, the cursor always appears to the left of the character or word you navigate to, using the left or right arrow keys, with or without the CTRL key modifier. On a Mac, the placement of the carat depends on the direction of movement. If you are cursoring left with the Left Arrow key or with Option + Left Arrow (OS X uses the Option key instead of the CTRL key to move by word), the cursor is placed to the left of each character or word. If you use Right Arrow or Option + Right Arrow, the carat is placed to the right of the character or word. Press Option + Left Arrow followed by Option + Right Arrow and VoiceOver will repeat the word as the cursor moves first to the beginning of the word, then reverses direction and appears at the end of the same word. Using a Windows screen reader, however, pressing CTRL + Left Arrow and then CTRL + Right Arrow will first read the previous word, then the next, with the carat placed at the beginning of each word in turn.

For long-time Windows users Mac cursor movement may seem confusing at first, but after learning this different way of cursor navigation, many, if not most, users come to prefer it. Unfortunately, Office 2016 for the Mac uses a combination of these cursor navigation methods. Use the Left or Right Arrow keys and the cursor moves using the Mac method, placing the cursor before or after the voiced character, depending on in which direction you are navigating. Use Option + Left or Right Arrow to advance by word, however, and Office will place the cursor at the beginning of each word VoiceOver announces, no matter in which direction you move. Since most sighted Office users use a mouse to place the cursor, they may not even notice this arrangement. Long-time VoiceOver users will likely find navigation by word extremely distracting, however. Windows users who are migrating to the Mac may be confused and even frustrated when the unmodified Left and Right Arrow keys don't behave as they have come to expect. Eventually, they will figure things out, but they, like other Mac users, will have to remember that Office for Mac 2016 still moves the cursor by word differently than any other Mac app, which means developing two sets of muscle memories for the same OS platform.

Other Issues

I am mostly a Windows Office user, but if there were ever a reason for me to switch to using OS X full time it would be the auto save-your-work-as-you-go feature available in most OS X and iOS apps. Type a few words, or work for an hour without saving your work, then close the app without hitting Save, and when you reopen the app your work will be there with your cursor in the correct position.

For some reason, Microsoft declined to use this feature in Office for Mac 2016. I verified this by first typing a few words in both Pages and Word, then forcing both applications to quit. On relaunch, Word came up empty, while Pages displayed my text with the cursor positioned after the last character I had typed.

A second reason I use Word for Windows is the ability to create my own shortcuts. For example, I have Word set to use Alt + I to clear formatting from my selected text. Unfortunately, Office for Mac does not include this ability to customize shortcuts. Most OS X app shortcuts are created in the System Preferences Keyboard setting. I tried creating several app-specific shortcuts there, but I was unsuccessful with any Office app.

Word for Mac also has a tendency towards display errors after text insertions. Often, cursoring down to the next line after a text insertion would skip ahead a line, requiring that I move down another line and then back up to read the text properly.

Excel for Mac refused to run any of my Windows version macros, even though I had turned the Developer tab on in Settings. More distressing, I could not get VoiceOver to speak my cell location. I contacted the Microsoft Accessibility Help Desk, but they had not yet had time to fully train their representatives to offer support for not only a new suite of programs, but an entirely different operating system as well. Personally, I find this understandable. After all, how much support does Apple offer for iTunes for Windows?

I am an infrequent user of both PowerPoint and OneNote, but I was able to review a PowerPoint presentation and create a few slides accessibly. OneNote refused to finish loading to access my OneDrive account using my Mac Mini running Yosemite. My second Mini, running a beta version of El Capitan, loaded the app, and I was able to create a note, but in all honesty I find this app more trouble than it is worth to use with speech.

Final Thoughts

Just as Apple does not have the in-depth OS knowledge to create a completely accessible Windows app on the first try—again, think iTunes for Windows—Microsoft is going to have a hard time doing a ground-up rebuild of Office for Mac without some snags, both in the app itself and in implementation of accessibility. Considering that the first beta versions of Office for Mac 2016 did not include any VoiceOver support, it would seem that Microsoft did not build in accessibility from the ground up, which puts them at a distinct disadvantage. Also, when considering productivity suites for the Mac, remember that Apple has a tremendous advantage over Microsoft, in that if there is a feature that doesn't work accessibly with VoiceOver, Apple can change VoiceOver so that it does work. Microsoft has to work with VoiceOver as it is—it is as unlikely that Apple will make changes to VoiceOver to facilitate Office accessibility as it is for Microsoft to alter Narrator and develop extra screen reader hooks to accommodate a Windows version of iWork.

That said, my sense is that Microsoft is committed to providing VoiceOver support for Office for Mac 2016, and I look forward to receiving and testing accessibility updates. As for right now, if you have a current Office 365 subscription and have an available install I would definitely give it a try. If you prefer to work on a Mac but need to submit documents in Office format you might also consider installing Office for Mac 2016. You can create content in Text Edit or one of the iWork apps, then copy them into Office for final formatting.

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