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For six years, the Internet Nexus served as my technology blog, but I've since started blogging at the SuperSite Blog instead. If you're looking for the blog, please head there. --Paul

Wednesday, March 17, 2004

Apple previews spoken interface for OS X

Apple: "Introducing the spoken interface for Mac OS X. The Universal Access capabilities of Mac OS X will soon be enhanced with a spoken interface that provides a new way, through speech, audible cues, and keyboard navigation, to access the Macintosh. The Universal Access capabilities of Mac OS X that provide equal access for everyone to the power and simplicity of the Macintosh are now enhanced to include a spoken interface for those with visual and learning disabilities. The spoken interface is a fully integrated, built-in enhancement of the Mac OS X Aqua user interface making it an additional and equal way of accessing the Macintosh. It reads aloud the contents of documents like Web pages, Mail messages, and word processing files; provides a comprehensive audible description of your workspace and all the activities taking place on your computer; and includes a rich set of keyboard commands that allow you to navigate the Mac OS X interface and interact with application and system controls."

MacWorld: "Apple is developing new technologies to make Mac OS X more accessible for people with visual and learning disabilities, though these won't be made available until 'the next major release of OS X', Apple says. The company is previewing these technologies at the 19th annual Technology & Persons with Disabilities Conference in LA."

On a side note, MacCentral's coverage of this story is extremely insensitive to the handicapped. This software isn't for "blind OS users" as Peter Cohen coldly writes. It's for any visually handicapped user.

[ Posted at 11:07 AM | Permalink ]