This report was written in February 2002 and rewritten in March. It's
intended for Adaptive Technology Providers wherever they are! Its main goal
is to inform and invite others to objectively contribute in order to
constantly meet our clients needs. 

Since the release of Windows XP Professional and Home Editions, what is the
current status of computer adaptive software for people with vision problems?
Recent investigations via Email with Software Developers and
explorations/experiments conducted at home make me believe that, indeed, we
are at the end of the tunnel. Today, I’m sharing with you some results for
Screen Readers (Jaws and Window-Eyes), Large Prints (ZoomText and Magic),
OCRs (VIP, Kurzweil 1000 and Openbook), as well as some topics such as XP
stability and My Survivor Tool Kit for Windows 2000 and XP. 

Last January, I wrote about Adaptive Technology installation in Windows XP
Professional. At that time, only Windows-Eyes, Magic and ZoomText could not
be installed, which forced us to turn our back to Windows XP and remove it
for a new and fast computer. I will skip the downhill compatibility problems
created by new component installation in Windows 98. 

Anyway, because of requests from clients and external sources regarding XP
upgrading, installation, training and troubleshooting, I promised myself to
investigate XP accessibility in the comfort of my home. I’m sure there are
many among us still facing questions regarding Windows XP accessibility and,
maybe there's a risk of regression to previous versions of Windows. 

So, last February, I decided to build two computers in order to experiment
with Windows XP: one running at 1.4 GHz with brand new components (less than
$800 including XP full version and a CD Writer), the second, housing a $50
motherboard, handles only 300MHz (with XP upgrade for Windows 98). Naturally,
I used downloaded demos for my experiments. Please read my installation notes
and tips/warning at the end of the present report. 


ACCESSIBILITY WITH JAWS AND WINDOW-EYES

Finally, Window-Eyes 4.2 works in Windows XP. In a 1,4 GHz computer,
Window-Eyes and Jaws Demos can be installed very quickly. Thanks to Jim
Noseworthy’s email regarding the installation/uninstallation priority order.
You can visit gwmicro.com for installation tips/warnings. Tested both of them
for XP general access, basic Word Processing, Email, Internet, etc. So far,
things seem to be OK! But, fine-tuning has to be made, plus more exploration
and management of keystrokes access. For Instance, Window-Eyes will not read
a text with Times New Roman size 14. Switching to size 12, on the fly, will
provide warmer and more approachable communication. So guys, let's do our
homework and grab these two Screen Readers by the hand and go for a deep dive. 


ZOOMTEXT V 7.10 AND JAWS V 4.02

As advertised on several sites, ZoomText is ready for Windows XP. Some
Adaptive Technology Vendors have not succeeded yet in installing Jaws and
ZoomText in XP (still fighting for the driver seat). Cathy Swanson from
Aisquared helped me resolve the installation problem. I've tested ZoomText
full magnification in all kind of situations with Jaws running as the main
speech output software. Imagine the worst-case scenario where, ZoomText is at
16 times magnification, live TV channel broadcast, CNN Video Clip playing
while a Video Conferencing program running with chat and Whiteboard,
StarOffice Suite, and the properties of a hardware component displayed on the
screen. The stability of Jaws and ZoomText in Windows XP was really
astonishing. 


ZOOMTEXT V 7.10 AND WINDOW-EYES V4.2

No luck! XP crashed and kept restarting itself. According to GW Micro,
ZoomText works fine with Window-Eyes. Unfortunately, my ZoomText demo has
expired and I cannot confirm GW Micro results. If you have done the test,
please let others know. 


MAGIC V 8.0

We have a date with Magic: sometimes soon, maybe in summer. According to
Freedom scientific Web Site: "Windows XP compatibility is targeted for second
quarter 2002." Let's be patient! 


VIP Version 3.02

Jim Bliss explained to me how to install VIP in Windows XP. I’ve provided his
tip in my previous email: Ignore/Bypass Windows XP warning during the
installation. VIP works fine! Moreover, it comes with PnC Net, a wonderful
Internet software for Low Vision. Remember, VIP has a CCTV feature that
requires an ATI TV Wonder card as well as a Low Vision Camera such as Prisma,
Magni-Cam or Flipper. An IBM WebCam will not work, but believe it or not, you
can use it with VIP to access VCR or DVD Audio! You can contact
jim@jbliss.com for more information or subscription to VIP Listserv.  


KURZWEIL 1000 V 6.0 AND OPENBOOK V 5.0

For some reason (maybe the source code and good scanner drivers), these two
OCRs seem to have no installation problems in Windows XP. Remember, with
K1000, one keystroke will scan and read, two keystrokes will braille-emboss. 


INSTALLATION NOTES AND TIPS/WARNING

- Screen Readers and ZoomText: Who is the designated driver?

During multiple screen reader installation, GW Micro wants to take the driver
seat: you have to install Window-Eyes before installing Jaws. If you plan to
do any access uninstalltion, do it in the reverse order, that is to say, the
last one installed is the first one to be uninstalled. According to
Aisquared, in order to successfully install ZoomText, you must uninstall Jaws
and Windows-Eyes. If your Video Card is a nVidia one, you might have trouble
installing ZoomText. If you have nVidia GetForce2 MX 100/200 Video Card,
contact me to provide you with installation tips. 

From what I've learnt during my experiments, ZoomText has to be installed
first in a clean XP environment. Please do not trust ordinary uninstallation
procedures since there are always leftovers that might corrupt XP
environment. Feel free to contact me for cleaning details. 

Now, do we really need to have both screen readers loaded with ZoomText in
one single station especially when adaptive programs have inherent
installation problems and there's a need to assess hundreds of people who pay
for the service provided? What's wrong with using a second computer
($700-$800 range) with ZoomText and a second screen reader to assess a
client? That's what two clients will pay for assessment anyway! That's what a
"plumber" will tell you, just a leak-free/clean thought, indeed a kiss
goodbye to stress! 

For those willing or forced to have everything in one station (this reminds
me "the Lazy Boy Mission" as my mum used to put it), there are always hope
and workaround solutions. But, please, let's do our homework, study and ask
Reliable Sources (not a trigger-happy neighbour, over the fence) before
stuffing a PC with all access devices. Remember, computers, operating
systems, software, etc, are not designed by Angels and often not in the ideal
conditions. They will crash like cars, airplanes, rockets, or human beings
themselves when forgetting that "too much" means really too much. That's why
it's better to have enough equipment for demo purposes. 


- Optical Character Recognition: The right scanner

For OCRs, please visit Developer Web Site for a list of compatible scanners
and their performance. Make sure your scanner driver is XP compatible. For
unlisted scanners, contact Developer for advice. 


UPGRADING AN OLD PC TO WINDOWS XP

According to Microsoft, the primary requirements are as follows: PC running
Windows 98, 98 SE or ME, with 300 MHz processor (233 MHz minimum), Intel
Pentium/Celeron Family, AMDK6/Athlon/Duron family or compatible processor,
128 MB of RAM or higher (64 MB minimum), SVGA 800X600 or higher-resolution
video adapter and monitor, 1.5 GB of free disk space and a CD-ROM or DVD
drive. Additional requirements will apply for other XP features such as
Internet Access, Networking, Instant Messaging, Video Conferencing,
Application Sharing, Remote Assistance, DVD Video Playback, etc. For video
capture, you need to raise the processor frequency to 400 MHz or higher. For
more information, please see microsoft.com/windowsxp and
microsoft.com/windows/catalog/.

So, if you plan to upgrade your old computer, you can still do it, but you
might run into incompatibility problems. If your existing computer cards have
not obtained Microsoft blessing yet, XP will offer you a friendly
installation anyway, but at the end, it might provide you with a deadly
report listing all uninstalled components. Before upgrading, pay a visit to
Driver Web Sites to find out if there’s an XP driver for your Sound Card,
Video Card, Modem, Network Card, etc. After successful installation, XP might
suddenly interrupt your work inviting you to email THEM a bug report. 

Conclusion: It's not worth it! It’s better to buy cheap and new components
with XP compatible drivers. A PC purchased one year before XP release will
have more chance. Please feel free to contact me for detailed installation
tips. 

Things to avoid: A happy installation in someone's old computer shouldn't
become a standard to apply to any old computer. Hearsay attitudes will
certainly waste our precious time and make our service less credible. When in
doubts, it's better to deal with a real computer professional, not a blessed
charlatan! 


XP FULL INSTALLATION IN A NEW COMPUTER

Any Computer Sale Technician will recommend the purchase of a new computer,
not to tinker with an old one, especially if housed in a 233 or 300 MHz
fence. Access Software programmers are forced to review their source code to
meet not only the latest operating system specifications/features but also
the most current hardware components. They have the burden of dealing with
continuous imposed changes. I really don't see them rushing to their basement
to pull out an old 486 PC, Pentium 1, 2 or 3 and put it to the test in a
hungry XP environment, for the only purpose of satisfying some nostalgic
minds! 

In a new computer, Windows XP makes its installation a lot easier and more
reliable. You can learn more by visiting Microsoft Site as well as other
sites dealing with installation questions. Windows 98/ME/2000 users can still
rely on learnt keystrokes to navigate in XP. It's faster and more stable, not
to mention easier network installation. XP will detect other connected
computers and will help you install them. Rebellious applications, when not
responding, can be terminated on the fly without resetting or turning off the
computer. However, Internet games might reset/turn off your computer even if
you have created multiple user access. When closing Access applications,
please be patient! It seems that either XP or the application, or both,
require few breathing seconds before terminating. 


MY SURVIVOR TOOL KIT FOR WINDOWS 2000 AND XP

- Magnification and Speech

For Low Vision and Blind Advanced Users, XP and 2000 English version can
offer minimum access functionality. In emergency situations, they can use any
computer on Earth not loaded with Adaptive Software to do basic
word-processing, email and Internet using Windows Magnifier (9 times max) or
Microsoft ZoomIn (free download) and Narrator (speech output). With Narrator,
you can explore your system hardware (CD-ROM, Video Card, Sound card, Modem)
and do basic troubleshooting. Naturally, this is in case of emergency for
very advanced computer users. The Magnifier and ZoomIn are still primitive
and the Narrator is shy when surfing the Net. It doesn't talk to strangers,
but it will when a web page is user-friendly. 


- Email

In Outlook Express, keyboard keys will be echoed in the message body. But you
can still listen to the whole message. For more access/control, it's better
to type your message in WordPad. To open a new message window with the
recipient's email address, you can do it from Windows Command Line directly.
You only need to provide a subject and paste your WordPad text. This can be
done at a very high speed. 

Note: always carry a diskette containing your Outlook Express Account file
for high-speed email configuration (few seconds). 


- Opera Browser

Free Internet Browser, up to 1000% magnification. Opera 6.02 Canada - DocuWeb
(FTP) 11 MB with Java can be downloaded in less than one minute with cable.
Installation will take a minute. No success with Narrator.  


- StarOffice Suite 5.2 

Free download or purchase for $17, 78 MB in size, including Word Processor
with language selection, Presentation, Database and Spread Sheet, all
compatible with Microsoft Office 2000. Warning: during installation, don't
let it take control of your Email and Internet. 


ARE WE READY FOR WINDOWS XP?

My answer is YES! Remember, many Agencies or Organizations tend to wait and
see for about 6 to 8 months before upgrading to newer versions of Windows.
Adaptive Technology Software Developers do not always have the ideal
adaptation conditions. I strongly believe that we should encourage our
clients to use Windows XP or 2000. Some Vendors are still selling Windows 98
computers! Maybe we need to help them make the big step. Last September, I
started training a student using Windows XP. Thanks to his father, a Network
Administrator, who was not afraid of the big jump. Only Kurzweil 1000 was
working. I've encouraged him to survive with Windows Accessibility Options,
Magnifier and Narrator. In February, he purchased ZoomText 7.10. In a
six-month period, he made only one technical support request. 


WHAT I REALLY THINK

Being a programmer myself, familiar with the In and Out of Windows
Applications as well as Magnification and Screen Readers software design, I
cannot afford to dream about equipment perfection. As a Math, Physics and
Chemistry lover from childhood, I'm not impressed by any operating system or
ordinary application. I have a lot of admiration for Access Developers who do
their best to make our world a little bit more accessible. Earlier, I
mentioned Angels and software design, well I have to confess that often,
Mother Nature itself, shows no signs of perfection. So, let's adapt and
adjust to changes and keep some room for improvements.  

http://www.cnib.ca/eng/index.htm
http://www.cnib.ca/tech_aids/

Adam Daou
Technical Aids Department/RAC
CNIB, Ottawa-District
613/563-0000 ext 121
24.43.116.74
adaou1661@rogers.com