Tom.Holloway@f75.n254.z2.fidonet.org (Tom Holloway) (04/13/91)
Index Number: 14837 [This is from the Blink Talk Conference] >concentration. I must say, I can regretably see the day when >the good old text menu is forsaken for rodent operation, what >say you? That question of rodent mode operation is one that is worrying many blind users. I think we can assume that there are plenty of people addressing the problem, and I know of one major manufacturer doing some work on this. The problem is whether screen reading software that can be used with a mouse will ALSO require you to have OS2 as well. -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!2!254!75!Tom.Holloway Internet: Tom.Holloway@f75.n254.z2.fidonet.org
Eric.Bohlman@p1.f778.n115.z1.fidonet.org (Eric Bohlman) (04/20/91)
Index Number: 15051
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
TH> That question of rodent mode operation is one that is worrying many
TH> blind users. I think we can assume that there are plenty of people
TH> addressing the problem, and I know of one major manufacturer doing
TH> some work on this.
Let's assume for the moment that you're using a text-mode (no pictures)
program that requires mouse input. What would you like it to sound like?
When you're moving the mouse, what should you hear (please be more specific
than "whatever the cursor is passing over." Words, lines, characters,
windows, etc.)? What should you hear when the mouse stops moving? How much
interruptability should there be when the mouse is moving?
I'm the author of a speech program and would like to tackle the rodents, but I
need some feedback on how the user would like to hear what he's doing.
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!115!778.1!Eric.Bohlman
Internet: Eric.Bohlman@p1.f778.n115.z1.fidonet.orgJohn.Sanfilippo@f460.n101.z1.fidonet.org (John Sanfilippo) (04/25/91)
Index Number: 15161
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
Eric,
Being partially sighted, I've had occasion to use a mouse
(although it is not a prefered mode for me in most situations!)
and one thing I always have difficulty with is just finding the
cursor. So a command that will allow the location of the
pointer in some predictable spot would be helpful.
Perhaps for speech purposes, some control of the mouse speed
would be necessary because you don't really know how fast the
thing will go when you move that wheel.
What would I like to hear? Well it might be nice or even
necessary to hear short pitched beeps which change in value
(from hi to low as you move up or down). This could be turned
off if the user doesn't want it. Perhaps there could be a pair
of short pips: the first would indicate the horizontal location,
the second the virticle (indicate means approximate). I think
the user might want to check mouse location, so some command for
that might be needed.
In cases where dragging the mouse moves a light bar, I would
tend to think that any existing speechware that can track
lightbars can just do it without any special mouse software, but
I'm just guessing here and not trying to criticize.
Back to the pips: perhaps the length and loudness of the beeping
noise could generally reflect the size of a box which is now
highlighted.
Oh: The one application I have (which I rarely use) requires
560k, so the software you write should be capable of running in
extended/expanded memory if desired.
Can't think of anything else right now. Hope this helps. Not
sure I even know what I want <grin>!
--
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Internet: John.Sanfilippo@f460.n101.z1.fidonet.org