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Implementation Review of IBM Home Page Reader 3.02
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Evaluation Information
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Evaluation Summary
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Checkpoint Details
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Rating Scale Information
Subject: IBM Home Page Reader 3.02
Operating System: Microsoft Windows
Formats: HTML 4.01, CSS1 and CSS2
Date: 14 August 2001
Guidelines: User Agent Accessibility Guidelines ( 31 July Working Draft )
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Reviewer
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Name: Cathy Laws and David Poehlman
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Affliation: IBM and Blind Access Review Board
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Phone:
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E-mail: claws@us.ibm.com and poehlman1@home.com
Complete Implementation
Total checkpoints: 56
Very Good Implementation
Total checkpoints: 8
Good Implementation
Total checkpoints: 0
Poor Implementation
Total checkpoints: 0
Not Implementation
Total checkpoints: 0
Not Applicable
Total checkpoints: 8
Not Rated
Total checkpoints: 18
Rating: C
Comments
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All functions can be operated using the keyboard alone. Text
can be selected by marking the beginning and end of text with
shortcut keys or the HPR menu. Cut, copy, paste can be accessed
with common shortcut keys as well as with the Alt and arrow keys
through the menus. F6 takes the user through all the views and the
address bar. HPR can be installed by just pressing Enter a number
of times or by tabbing to different text fields and buttons. All
documentation and web page elements such as form controls and
tables can be accessed using standard Windows keys (arrows, PgUp,
PgDn, Home, End, Tab) as well as numeric keypad keys.
Rating: NR
No Comments
Rating: C
Comments
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Spoken messages that are not
web page content or HPR menus and dialogs are rendered in the
information view or on the status line. The user can read the
status line with Ctrl + Shift + F1 and the information view with
F6.
Rating: C
Comments
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All content is available visually in the Graphics
View dependent on IE's support. Most content is available in speech
and in the text view except for objects, applets, some plug-ins,
ABBR, and ACRONYM. For applets, alt, title, or code and content is
rendered in text and speech. For objects, the codebase, data, or
classid attribute and content is rendered in text and speech. For
image links and areas, the alt text, title, or the href is rendered
and a longdesc if available. Longdesc is rendered as a link
pointing to another page containing the longdesc content. For
controls and forms, meta text is rendered describing the type
attribute and the FORM tag. Also, the number of map areas and
select options are rendered as meta text. For frames, the title,
name, or src attribute is rendered in the information view or in a
dialog list control. For tables, colspan and rowspan are rendered
if there is more than 1, and headers are rendered if there are more
than 3 rows or 3 columns. Settings are available to control the
rendering of images with no or null alt text and the headers for
table rows and columns. For all links, the user can press a status
line key (Ctrl + Shift + F1) to hear the href which is displayed on
the status line. For all elements, the title attribute is also
displayed on the status line and spoken using the status line key.
Rating: C
Comments
- The view source feature from IE can be displayed and spoken.
Rating: C
Comments
- See
implementation notes under Checkpoint 2.1 for applet, object, img,
area, input, abbr, and acronym, conditional content settings, and
the status line key. Table summaries are rendered in the
information view and speech when the Where am I key is pressed. HPR
does not render NOFRAMES, NOSCRIPT, the longdesc for FRAME or
IFRAME, or multimedia conditional content.
Rating: C
Comments
- No UI to override the author's time-dependent code.
Rating: NA
No Comments
Rating: NA
No Comments
Rating: C
Comments
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See implementation notes under 2.1 and 10.1 for
content repair techniques and cell header repair strategies.
Rating: C
Comments
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HPR does not render an element with
alt="" unless the user has turned on the setting to announce images
with no alt text.
Rating: C
Comments
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HPR: Yes, see the implementation
notes under 2.3 and 2.1.
Rating: NR
No Comments
Rating: NR
No Comments
Rating: C
Comments
- Embeds IE so inherits accessibility features of IE
Rating: C
Comments
- Embeds IE so inherits accessibility features of IE
Rating: C
Comments
- Embeds IE so inherits accessibility features of IE
Rating: C
Comments
- Embeds IE so inherits accessibility features of IE
Rating: NR
No Comments
Rating: NR
No Comments
Rating: C
Comments
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Dependent on IE and Internet Options to handle this in the Graphics
view. Of course, no images are rendered in the text view but alt
text is rendered instead. Also, for images with null alt text or
have no alt text and are not a link, the user can choose whether or
not to render the image "placeholder" or not.
Rating: C
Comments
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The user can control text size through
a text settings dialog or the Windows system settings for all views
except the Graphics view, the menus, and dialogs. The text size can
be selected uniquely for headings, list items, links, visited
links, search results, and meta text. HPR has a small to large
font size setting for both the text and graphics views. They can
also use Internet Options and style sheets to control font size in
the graphics view.
Rating: C
Comments
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The user can control font type, style,
and effects in the same way as they control font size (see 4.1).
Rating: C
Comments
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The user can control foreground and
background colors in the same way as they control font size (see
4.1).
Rating: NA
No Comments
Rating: NA
No Comments
Rating: NA
No Comments
Rating: NA
No Comments
Rating: NA
No Comments
Rating: C
Comments
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For HPR-generated audio. Speech can be
turned on or off for the whole HPR environment or for just external
applications supported by HPR (so that a user can use their screen
reader instead of HPR speech, if desired). HPR volume control is
relative to the system and physical volume control settings. For
controlling volume in web page objects and plug-ins, HPR is
dependent on IE and Internet Options and the plug-in interfaces.
Rating: C
Comments
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Volume can be controlled individually for
default text, headings, links, visited links, search results, meta
text, list items, messages, and menus and dialogs. Speech can be
turned on or off for external applications supported by HPR so that
a user can use their screen reader instead of HPR speech, if
desired.
Rating: C
Comments
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For the tutorial audio, two key sequences
allow the user to increase or decrease the rate. For the speaking
of web pages, menus, and dialogs, speech rate is controlled through
shortcut keys, menus, and dialog controls. Speech rate can be
controlled individually for default text, headings, links, visited
links, search results, meta text, list items, messages, and menus
and dialogs. However, the speech rate is the same when switching
languages.
Rating: C
Comments
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See implementation notes under 4.9 and 4.10.
Rating: C
Comments
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HPR supports SAPI tags for gender, age, rate, volume, effects
(robotic and whisper), and language. Except for language, these
speech characteristics can be controlled individually for default
text, headings, links, visited links, search results, meta text,
list items, messages, and menus and dialogs. The language setting
is controlled by a user request, or automatically by using the lang
attribute for any element, if it exists, or by analyzing the text
for a web page using an HPR algorithm.
Rating: C
Comments
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HPR allows configuration of gender, age, and effects (monotone or robotic). These characteristics group pitch, stress, richness and etc..
Rating: C
Comments
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HPR allows configuration of gender, age, and effects (monotone or robotic). These characteristics group pitch, stress, richness and etc..
Rating: VG
Comments
- HPR provides access to the ViaVoice
TTS runtime dictionary, has a spell mode
(current character), and has a setting to
speak or not speak punctuation. HPR does
not have a speak numeral setting.
Rating: C
Comments
- Embeds IE so inherits accessibility features of IE
Rating: NR
No Comments
Rating: C
Comments
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HPR does supports window staying on top.
Rating: NR
No Comments
Rating: C
No Comments
Rating: NR
No Comments
Rating: NR
No Comments
Rating: NR
No Comments
Rating: C
Comments
- Embeds IE so inherits accessibility features of IE
Rating: C
Comments
- Embeds IE so inherits accessibility features of IE
Rating: NR
No Comments
Rating: C
Comments
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HPR
uses standard Windows controls.
Rating: C
Comments
- Embeds IE so inherits accessibility features of IE
Rating: C
Comments
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HPR is a standard Windows C++ MFC
application that uses Microsoft MSDN Workshop, HTML Help Workshop,
Speech SDK, and Platform SDK libraries. HPR does not implement MSAA
interfaces.
Rating: C
Comments
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HPR implements and handles
keys for menus, dialogs, and navigating web pages using standard
APIs, but HPR does not handle accesskey attributes on web pages.
Rating: C
Comments
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Yes, but dependent on the IE
web browser control and COM interfaces to the IE DOM. The IE
Encoding menu does not show any UTF-16 encodings as options.
Rating: C
Comments
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Access through the IE web browser control for the Graphics view only.
Rating: C
No Comments
Rating: VG
Comments
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HPR implements
default keyboard bindings for the most part. Some exceptions
include different meanings for the arrow keys, PgUp, PgDn, Home and
End depending on the reading mode; Spacebar for resume reading
instead of list selection; and Ctrl + B and Ctrl + D instead of
Shift + arrow keys for selecting text on web pages.
Rating: C
Comments
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HPR uses standard Windows
controls, standard Windows keys, a standard installation program
(InstallShield), and HTML documentation. Checkpoint 7.4 Follow
operating environment conventions to indicate the input
configuration. User agent only (Techniques for 7.4)
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Key bindings are underlined in menus and spoken and shortcut keys
are displayed on the menus and spoken. Also, see implementation
notes for 11.1.
Rating: NR
No Comments
Rating: VG
Comments
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Partial. HPR renders in text and speech
the CAPTION, THEAD, TFOOT for tables as they are encountered in a
table. HPR renders in text and speech the headers or scope
attribute as each new row or column cell is read for tables with
more than 3 rows or columns. The user can turn on or off the
reading of headers. HPR does not support TBODY, COLGROUP, COL,
axis, tabindex, or accesskey in text or speech. Also, see
implementation notes under Checkpoint 2.1.
Rating: NR
No Comments
Rating: C
Comments
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F6 takes the user through all the views and the address bar. FRAMES
and IFRAMES are selected using Ctrl + Tab or Ctrl + Shift + Tab, or
the frameset can be displayed in a dialog with all the frames in a
list for navigation and then selection by arrows or letters and
then Enter.
Rating: C
Comments
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Users can move focus forward and backward by
word, character, item, lines, links, tables, table cells, headings,
and form controls by selecting a reading mode and then using arrow
keys. Users can always use the Tab and Shift-Tab to move to links
and controls, and Ctrl + arrows to move by words. A user can
navigate a list of links and controls in a dialog by typing the
first letters of a link or control. The user also can enable and
use the HPR 2.5 numeric keypad keys for navigation instead of the
keyboard keys. Also, there are ways such as reading the whole page,
Controls reading, and Table Jump reading, to read just the start of
a group of elements, such as select menus, map areas, and tables,
without reading each element. Searching for meta text, such as the
words form, map, select, or submit, is a more direct way to
navigate a web page. The tabindex attribute is not supported.
Rating: C
Comments
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When a user returns to the previous page in HPR's history, HPR
returns them to the last point of regard on an item basis and then
highlights and begins speaking from the beginning of that item.
Rating: NA
No Comments
Rating: NR
No Comments
Rating: NR
No Comments
Rating: C
Comments
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There are reading modes for moving
focus forward or backward to all links (hypertext, image links, map
areas, controls) or just to form controls. The Tab and Shift + Tab
keys and numeric keypad keys 1, 2, and 3 always move focus to all
links in all reading modes. The Links List dialog is another way to
move focus to any link. The user can also access links along with
other types of elements using other reading modes and numeric
keypad keys. Search functions provide another mechanism.
Rating: C
Comments
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The user presses a key
(Ctrl + F) to bring up a dialog to begin a forward or backward
search from the current point of regard, case sensitive or not,
within the current frame or page or across the Internet. The user
can also begin a search from the address bar by typing a / then
string to search the current page or ? then string to search the
Internet. Shortcut keys allow the user to find the previous or next
match. The user is notified if there is no match in the direction
in which they are searching. The graphics and text views are always
scrolled to show the item containing the search string. The user
can select distinctive text or speech settings to distinguish
search results from the surrounding text in the speech and text
views. In addition to plain text, the user can search for meta text
(like "Start of form 1"), alternative text for images, and text
associated with controls (any text seen in the text view).
Rating: C
Comments
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Provides structured
navigation by frames/iframes, links and controls, just controls,
tops of tables, table cells across rows and up and down columns,
headings, lines, characters, words, and items (like paragraphs).
The user is told when the top or bottom or first or last of a
structure is reached. The user can also jump to the next or
previous block of text or links, which helps to skipping navigation
bars. Also, the user can hear about maps and select menus and their
number of items but then skip over the areas and options. For
orientation, there are Where am I and page summary keys. Structured
navigation by lists, applets, divisions, images, maps, and objects
is not available in HPR 3.0, but an HPR user can navigate by item
and/or link to all those elements except for divisions.
Rating: C
No Comments
Rating: VG
Comments
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Partial. Colspan and
rowspan are rendered before or after cell content according to a
setting. Table summary, table number on the page, and row and
column position within the table are rendered in the information
view and speech when the Where am I key is pressed. The CAPTION,
THEAD, TFOOT are rendered in text and speech as they are
encountered in a table. HPR renders in text and speech the headers
or scope attribute or a TH as each new row or column cell is read
for tables with more than 3 rows or 3 columns. The user can turn on
or off the reading of headers. The user can also press a key to
hear the top or bottom cell of a column or the rightmost or
leftmost cell of a row without losing their current cell position.
HPR does not support TBODY, COLGROUP, COL, abbr, or axis in text or
speech.
Rating: C
Comments
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The
current selection and content focus is highlighted in all views,
menus, and dialogs except for controls in the graphics view. HPR is
dependent on Internet Options and style sheets for configuration of
highlighting in the Graphics view. Highlighting is configured in
all other views and UI through the Windows system settings. Low
vision users can use ZoomText and Big Shot with HPR.
Rating: C
Comments
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See 10.2 for highlighting configuration
for selection and focus. The user can distinguish the font size,
style, type, or effects in addition to color for links/controls and
visited links in the text view. Links and visited links can also be
distinguished with speech (see checkpoint 4.13), sounds, and
leading and trailing text in the speech and text views.
Links/controls and visited links in the graphics view are set
through Internet Options. No distinctive settings exist for fee
links.
Rating: C
Comments
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The user can
select distinctive speech and text settings (full range supported
by Windows) for links (including controls) and visited links for
the current session for the speech and text views using user style sheets or configuration options. Through Internet
Options, the user can select settings for links and visited links
in the Graphics view. Distinctive speech and text settings for
image maps and fee links are not available.
Rating: VG
Comments
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The user can navigate by
headings and by form controls. When navigating by controls (or by
links), an HPR algorithm attempts to provide the control's
associated label. For each element, the user can obtain the title
attribute by reading the status line where the title attribute is
displayed. HPR does not provide an outline view with title
attributes, control labels, legends, optgroups, table captions, and
th elements. Outlines can be generated using style sheets.
Rating: VG
Comments
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The user can get the link URL and title attribute (if it
exists) by reading the status line (Ctrl + Shift + F1). Visited
links have distinctive speech and text settings. Alt text and
longdesc is rendered for image links. If automatic language
detection is on, the link is read in the author-specified language.
However, whether the link is internal, involves a fee, and
information about type, size, and natural language are not
rendered.
Rating: VG
Comments
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When a frame receives focus,
the number of the frame, the total number of frames, and the title
is spoken and displayed in the information view. When an HPR view
or the application gains focus, the current view name is spoken and
displayed on the status line. However, visually HPR does not
outline which view or frame has focus.
Rating: C
Comments
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When the selection or content
focus changes due to navigation or searching, both the graphics and
text view scrolls to show the new location. (There are still some
glitches with the graphics view.) The speech, text, and graphics
view are synchronized.
Rating: C
Comments
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The user can always get help by pressing F1.
When reading web pages, F1 displays online help in the form of an
HTML web page that explains all HPR features. To get a general,
concise reference list and description of keys, the user presses
Shift + F1. From that help page, there is a link that takes the
user to a detailed list and description of keys that are grouped by
"input configurations" (basic keys that work everywhere, numeric
keypad keys, menu and dialog keys, reading mode keys, and keys that
work within different kinds of web page structures like forms and
tables). All access keys are underlined in the menus and spoken,
and all shortcut keys are displayed in the menus and spoken. HPR
does not support web page access keys. Possible key conflicts with
3 popular screen readers are documented in the HPR online help.
Rating: NR
No Comments
Rating: NR
No Comments
Rating: VG
Comments
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Of the 26 funtionalities identified in
11.5, HPR has single key bindings for 19 of them. The ones without
single keys are increase and decrease text size (text settings
dialog), increase and decrease global volume (speech settings
dialog), fast reverse (none), history forward (Alt + right arrow),
and add to favorites (menu or Plus then minus). However, every
function can be accessed by pressing a series of single keys.
Rating: C
Comments
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Bindings exist for all
functions except fast reverse, and more than one binding is
available for most of the functions. The numeric keypad key
bindings are available for compatibility with key bindings in
earlier versions of HPR and to allow one hand navigation. The user
can show and hide viewports through the menu system but not with
shortcut keys.
Rating: C
Comments
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All HPR settings are saved in
the Windows registry under the Windows login name for the current
user. So user "profiles" are switched by logging into Windows under
a different login name. Each settings dialog has a Defaults button
to return those settings to their default values.
Rating: NR
No Comments
Rating: C
Comments
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All documentation is available in
accessible HTML format installed on the user's system and on the
IBM Accessibility Center web site. The main help file that
describes all HPR keys and functions is one file for easier
searching. From HPR, the documentation can also be saved as a plain
ASCII text file to read with other programs or for easier Braille
printing. Tutorial text can be found in ASCII text files installed
in the user's hpr3 directory even though we don't point that out to
the user.
Rating: C
Comments
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All
configurable settings can be accessed from one Settings menu. Each
setting, their default, and their range of values are documented in
one main section in the main online help. The Table of Contents in
help has a direct link to the Settings section. When focus is on
each setting, the user can press F1 to get contextual help for that
setting. There are also sections in the online help that describe
low vision features, Braille features, and screen reader
compatibility.
Rating: C
Comments
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See implementation comment under 11.
Rating: C
Comments
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See implementation
comment under 12.2. There's not one but 4 sections that mainly
address accessibility (settings, low vision, braille, screen reader
compatibility).
Rating: C
Comments
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All changes from previous releases of HPR are documented in
the second section of online help called "What's New in HPR 3.0."
Jon Gunderson (Jon Gunderson)
Ian Jacobs (ij@w3.org)
Last revised: $Date: 2004/03/09 18:53:40 $
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