Accessibility on the Windows Platform

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In this context, the term “accessibility” refers to implementation in the software of features intended to make it more accessible to users with disabilities. The Windows version of Logos uses Microsoft’s “UI Automation” technology to provide User Interface data to Assistive Technology software. AT software then provides access to the user interface of Logos by a different means than the computer monitor. For example, Microsoft’s Narrator (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Hear-text-read-aloud-with-Narrator) application can use UI Automation to access the UI of Logos. The web page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_UI_Automation provides an overview on UI Automation.

Our accessibility efforts are currently focused on two areas: First, making the software as accessible as possible when using only the keyboard. Second, adding the information necessary for AT software to describe all the controls in the UI and to read resource text, search results information, guides output and so on.

Enabling Accessibility

Due to a problem with UI Automation and computers with touch screens, Logos is shipped with Accessibility off by default. To use Logos with a screen reader, you must first turn accessibility on:

  1. Launch Logos
  2. Type Alt + D to set the keyboard focus to the Command Box
  3. Type Set Accessibility to Yes
  4. Restart Logos

Supported Areas in Logos

The following areas currently have Accessibility support. This list is updated as accessibility features are added to Logos. If necessary you can install the beta version

Main UI

  • Main tool bar
    • Documents, Guides, Tools, Layouts and Help menus
    • Command Box
      • Needs auto complete list support
    • My Library
      • Needs support for Resource Information pane
      • Needs support for Prioritize pane
      • Needs support for Details view

Search Panel

  • Panel controls, panel menu, etc.
  • Basic search, By Title and By Count results views
    • The Ranked view needs improvement
  • Bible search, Grid and Verses results views
    • Aligned view not yet supported
    • Analysis view not yet supported
  • Morph search not yet supported
  • Syntax search not yet supported

Resource Panel

  • Panel controls, panel menu, etc.
  • Table of Contents, Locator bar
  • Reverse Interlinear Pane, context menu (accessible via the Enter key), etc.
  • Reading of resource contents, see notes below
  • Resource Information view not yet supported

When the keyboard focus is set to the display area of the resource panel, the textual contents of the resource for the displayed page is provided to the screen reader. Using the reader’s controls, this text can be traversed. For example, the NVDA screen reader (http://www.nvda-project.org/) will read each paragraph in the resource. With the Num Lock off, the number pad 9 key will move to the next paragraph, the 8 key will read the current paragraph, and the 7 key will read the previous paragraph. See your screen reader’s documentation for more information.

Program Settings

You access the Program Settings dialog from the Tools menu, in the Settings section.

  • Arrow keys move the keyboard focus between settings
  • Tab moves to the a setting’s controls, typically radio buttons (arrow keys move between buttons, Spacebar selects the radio button) or a drop-down list of options (F4 opens the list, arrow keys traverse, Enter selects)
  • The last control for each setting is a Help button; when it gets the focus, the setting’s options are described


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