Comment 5 for bug 749700

Regarding the question, it is a shame the community did not respond. I have just sent them a new note forwarding your original message and pointing out this bug.

As for how to read documents, including help.... There are a couple of things to keep in mind when tackling non-visual access to electronic information:

1. A user who is blind sitting down at a computer usually has at the very least 'basic screen reader skills.' Most users have far, far more than that. As a result, introductory announcements telling all users how to access content they very likely already know how to access would probably be seen as an inconvenience by the users; not a convenience.

2. Consider what makes sense. In other words, think of those awesome personae you're working on and what the implications of those are. Often that will tell you want you need to know. The need to press F7 is unfortunate (not common knowledge for all new users) -- BUT it is my understanding that Ubuntu is solving (has solved) that downstream. So F7 will just happen automatically rendering the question of "how to I move into the document?" a non issue. (Thanks Ubuntu!) With this out of the way, you just need to stick to the principle of "to see it you have to move to it." This applies to on-screen objects as much as it does real-life, tangible objects. :-) Thus if you are in a document, how do you read line by line using Orca? Up/Down Arrow. Because that is how you move amongst lines. How do you read by character? Left/Right Arrow. Because that is how you move amongst characters. How do you read by word? Ctrl Left/Ctrl Right. How do you access focus-able objects including links? Tab/Shift+Tab. Etc., etc. If you can do that -- and pretty much any blind user sitting down to independently access a computer should be expected to know at least how to do that -- you have what you need to read help.

Rather than trying to figure out how to make a screen reader for users who are blind more helpful to sighted users, I think the thing to do is figure out how to effectively educate the sighted users who are interested in screen readers but totally unfamiliar with the needs (and strategies) of users who are blind. One way that springs to mind is upstream through documentation on how to smoke test one's application/environment for accessibility. Another way might be through the personae you and your team are developing. Making these documents easier to find on our respective websites for those searching should also be taken into consideration. Modifying Orca itself is not the way to go. IMHO.

Hope this all makes sense. And thanks again for your interest and the ping re the button!