[RWP] ReaAccess 2.0? Some thoughts

[Indigo]

The Cockos forums are full of sighted users who want some particular 
change  in reaper, and sometimes that user is the only one, or maybe 
there are 3 or 4 that think it's  a good idea, but they're persistent 
and vocal.
If the programmers agree, it'll happen.
More often, though, other smart programmers who frequent the forums find 
workArounds, if they get fired up on the idea.
There are usually at least 2 or 3 ways to approach any operation in 
reaper, so if you can clearly express what you can't get at, somebody 
might suggest an alternative method.
Getting help is a social thing, like everything else, a bllind person 
needs to become known, and accepted not as a freak, but as just another 
Reaper user, who has different needs, and somebody will volunteer.
I don't at all believe that developers make every change in their 
product only for profit.
There are still plenty of generous and helpful folks out there.
I got the changes in the little program Fractal tuneSmithy,because the 
developer became intrigued with learning what a screenreader would see 
in his program; Roy Shtupler asked Rob Papen for and got registry 
entries to expose screen text in Predator and Blue; I asked 
PropellerHeads for a few affordable developer's licenses for Reason 6, 
and got them, and a small group of us are now learning how to run Reason 6.
The developers aren't stupid, they realize what we learn might or might 
not result in more sales of reason 6 to blind musicians.
The approach that gets results is to be polite, professional and reasonable.
I don't think petitions asking for a generality like increased 
screenreader access could ever have any good effect.
could you like for someone to get up a petition to force you to do 
something?
It's bound to get your hackles up,and piss you off, and you're more 
likely to do the opposite.
That's how I am, I hate for anyone to threaten or force me to do 
anything, and plenty of others feel the same way.
One of the greatest fears of small businesses in the US is that the 
government will suddenly require equal access provisions that will cost 
so much to implement that their struggling business will go belly up.
As an example, I know of instances where small towns around here were 
forced to put wheelchair ramps sloping off sidewalks, at a cost of 
$16,000 each, because of exact government provisions that must be met, 
and these were for 1 user only.
You know I sympathize with anybody in a wheelchair, but I also know that 
I could have made a working ramp myself, by hand, for no more than $200, 
because I've made some concrete ramps around my place here, for 
wheelbarrows to roll smoothly off sidewalks.
These small towns are barely scraping by these days to find enough cash 
to hire fireman and police, or keep the waterworks running.

Indigo L






On 1/11/2012 9:43 PM, Dave wrote:
> Hello,
>
> Guess that depends upon the number of Blind users that use Reaper at
> this time.
>
> As usual, there are about 12 of us, and even if we numbered 112, that
> number would hardly register when compared with the Sighted customer
> base numbers.
>
> The Blind users groups, for just about any software, just do not have
> the numbers needed to really grab the attention of what ever Developer,
> of what ever software package.
>
> Seems like the Blind community has to find a yet to be discovered
> program, that is very good, and has one starving Developer, that will do
> almost anything to start getting a Cash Flow from his product.
>
> Only then do we get Accessibility issues addressed. Then after the guy
> does a few updates, that incorporate a few good changes for the Screen
> Reader crowd, not enough buy his program, because so many screen reader
> users are broke, or are looking for a Free update, or just outright
> steal the software, no matter what taste it might leave in the
> struggling Developers mouth.
>
> Not sure why Ivan, the guy that created Reaaccess, has chosen to stop
> his own efforts. I was hopeful, but looks like that hope has diminished
> along with the other previous projects to give full access to a quality
> Recording program.
>
> If Mr. Ivan would have really given us a solid, Total access, I would
> have paid him $200 for such an ability. $200 is about my top end limit,
> unless I suddenly wake up with a lot more extra cash in my pockets.
>
> I paid a lot of my own money for my computer, and for the Screen Reader
> that allows me to have limited access to most programs. When the Screen
> Reader software costs more than my computer, well, I just don't care for
> it. Seems a bit odd, unless most sales are paid for by the Government,
> which is sure to raise the pricing of most anything. Perhaps it is just
> me that has the wrong idea of what fair market pricing should be?
>
> Sorry, I am off on another rant. Sorry about the Reaper program not
> getting any further access, at least it looks that way for the short
> term, if I were optimistic.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>> Hello,
>> I guess we may have to put up with no further ReaAccess versions, at
>> least this is what I learn from recent discussions on this list.
>> I sent an email to Cockos a couple of months ago asking for their plans
>> on direct accessibility support. They indicated that they have
>> screenreader support on their list but - like with so many SW projects -
>> this list may be long.
>> Nevertheless, I think the only way to support accessibility in the long
>> run will be to integrate it directly into the Reaper code.
>> On Windows systems there are many ways to do it, Microsoft UI Automation
>> beeing probably the most promissing at the moment.
>> Exposing all UI elements to UIA would allow all modern screenreaders to
>> work without any extra plugins or auxiliary technology.
>> Reaper already allows all important actions to be bound to key strokes
>> and so this should not create a problem.
>> I wonder if a feature request signed by as many active visually impaired
>> Reaper users as possible could help in bringing this task a bit closer
>> to the top of Cockos's todo list.
>> Their reply to my email left me with the impression that they were not
>> even aware of ReaAccess and what it does.
>> On the other hand screenreader compatibility could help them boost their
>> sales, especially for public institutions who are bound to provide
>> accessible solutions.
>>
>> What do you guys think?
>> /Roland
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> RWP at reaaccess.com
>> http://reaaccess.com/mailman/listinfo/rwp_reaaccess.com
>
>
>
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