Re: [orca-list] my thoughts/decisions about orca

[Jude DaShiell <jdashiel shellworld net>]

A package called xl2html may help with some of these conversions. On Mon, 
5 Dec 2011, hackingKK wrote:

> On 05/12/11 16:29, Michael Whapples wrote:
> > Hello,
> > As you raised the topic, I will give some of my thoughts.
> >
> > I have to agree that for a system where one wants to focus on using it for
> > email, internet and office type work (word processing and spreadsheet) then
> > orca and gnome are just not cutting it now. Possibly the office type part is
> > the bit I can say least on, if I use libreoffice it normally is either
> > because I am dealing with a word document someone has sent me or its a very
> > basic document or I know that a word document is desired (eg. the Open
> > University specify that assignments should be submitted as word or RTF), for
> > anything more complicated I know LaTeX and so may resort to that. 
>
>
> For word processing I any time prefer LaTeX so I don't think I would ever use
> a word processor for any serious work (and for the kind of work I do with word
> processor, Orca is just perfect).
> My main issue with office apps is with spreadsheet.
> Orca not announcing the range selection is one of the problems a professional
> blind user would get irritated with.
> I see that formulas etc are doing well, but reading charts, and other such
> things is still an issue.
> > The main issues I have revolve round the Mozilla products (thunderbird and
> > firefox) and the unfortunate situation that we are currently held hostage to
> > using these gnome. Many of you probably know from previous messages about my
> > gripes with Mozilla based products, interestingly though flat review is
> > possibly not the thing I would highlight although it sometimes is in
> > firefox. I know webkit support is in development, however it still has a bit
> > to go and it doesn't solve the email problem.
> I feel firefox is good in most situation with Orca (probably its too specific
> for people like me), But still I feel that in many situations Orca is either
> sluggish or does not respond at all.
> In many cases it is an ff issue, for example the bug about backspace not
> reading deleted characters is some thing that mozila accessibility fokes must
> look at.
> Thunderbird has its own issues when you want to read another email.
> I hear that qt is coming up nicely, although I will be very glad if some one
> updates me how the kde accessibility is coming up?
>
>
> > Then there are possibly the more general platform issues, some of the bugs
> > which have come in since gnome 3, eg. the problem with new windows not
> > having the focused control shown by orca until a focus changed event happens
> > (actually I am not sure if its focus changed because just going into the
> > menu does not seem to resolve it). Some of these are small but just add to a
> > general feeling of clumbsiness when using the system. Then there are
> > non-accessibility issues such as the push to pulseaudio which just tends to
> > make me feel like I am fighting the system to get something which is
> > workable and is particularly a problem when I want to have sound both from
> > gnome and when I am in a text console with speakup, which probably is very
> > likely due to my feelings about thunderbird and the only other viable
> > alternatives for email seeming to be text based clients.
> No, I think it is still a good situation, just that the scope is huge for more
> development and to say that we are highly compelling when it comes to
> accessibility on desktop with GNU/Linux we have a long way to go.
> I use GNU/Linux exclusively and rarely face the problems, although I won't say
> that it applies to all.
>
>
> > I know the above sounds very negative, it has been a bit hard to say as in
> > the past I have been very keen on Linux and was actively choosing it over
> > some of the alternatives.
> >
> > I will finish by saying, there are certainly some uses where Linux may be
> > the right choice, however for core desktop activities I feel not.
>
> I think if kde accessibility is doing well, and webkit is improving, we can
> bare with some trouble for some days.
> I use a lot of work-arounds with Orca where ever I can, but again they are
> seldum needed because of the kind of work I do.
> And yes, I stay with some thing that is stable.  I still use Ubuntu 1010
> (actually vinux built on the said version).
> Happy hacking.
> Krishnakant.
>
> _______________________________________________
> orca-list mailing list
> orca-list gnome org
> http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/orca-list
> Visit http://live.gnome.org/Orca for more information on Orca.
> The manual is at
> http://library.gnome.org/users/gnome-access-guide/nightly/ats-2.html
> The FAQ is at http://live.gnome.org/Orca/FrequentlyAskedQuestions
> Log bugs and feature requests at http://bugzilla.gnome.org
> Find out how to help at http://live.gnome.org/Orca/HowCanIHelp

----------------------------------------------------------------
Jude <jdashiel-at-shellworld-dot-net>
<http://www.shellworld.net/~jdashiel/nj.html>