PerfectForms™ version 1.16 is compatible with JAWS version 10. JAWS for Windows is an accessibility solution that reads information on your screen using synthesized speech. JAWS provides many useful commands that make it easier to use programs, edit documents, and read Web pages. JAWS can also provide Braille output in addition to, or instead of, speech.
More information on JAWS can be found here: http://www.freedomscientific.com/jaws-hq.asp
Almost all PerfectForms™ visual controls implement accessibility so that JAWS can read visual objects descriptions. Accessibility is implemented as a new property on the Properties bars of visual controls. Depending on the object type, the accessibility properties include:
| • | Silent - This can only have a checked/not checked value. When checked, JAWS will not include that object into its list of page objects. This property is only available for static text objects. |
| • | Description - This is filled in by the form designer and is then read by JAWS when the virtual cursor or focus (for focusable objects) is set on the object using UP/DOWN arrows or TAB key. |
| • | Same as Caption - Several button objects use the Same As Caption accessibility property. JAWS will always read the caption of these objects. It cannot be made silent nor can the text be changed. |
Accessibility for Form Objects
Note: Several basic components (simple buttons, lists) of more complex objects may be read by JAWS independently from the parent object. For example, the button of a Date Input object may be detected (and read) by JAWS before the Date Input object itself or after it.
| • | Text (Text, Small Text, Large Heading, Medium Heading, Small Heading): Accessibility description by default will be the same as text contained in the objects. User can turn on the Silent property if he doesn’t want JAWS to read it. |
| • | Input texts (Text Input, Multiline Text Input, Numeric Input, Masked Text Input): Accessibility description is set by the form user when filling out the form. When JAWS finds an object of this type it will first read any user-defined accessibility description and then will read input text value. If the Description property is empty, JAWS will only read input text value or “blank” if input text is empty. |
| • | Buttons (Button, Submit Button, Page Button): Accessibility description is set by default to be the same as button’s label (Caption property). |
| • | Picture, Sound, Movie Assets: Accessibility options are not supported. |
| • | Group and Page: Accessibility Description property is set by the form creator when designing the form. |
| • | Date Input: Accessibility Description property is set by the form creator when designing the form. When JAWS is in forms mode, user can only set the date by typing into date input control’s text input. |
| • | Date Calendar: Accessibility Description property is set by the form creator when designing the form. After user defined accessibility description, JAWS reads selected date. Note: Editing of Month/Year using only the keyboard is not supported. |
| • | Ranking: Accessibility Description property is set by the form creator when designing the form. Using the TAB key, the form user can navigate between Up/Down buttons and items in the ranking list. |
| • | Sliders (Vertical Slider): Accessibility description is set by the user when editing form. JAWS does not read slider’s value, but only the user defined description. |
| • | Captcha: Accessibility Description property is set by the form creator when designing the form. JAWS also reads the CAPTCHA's value. |
| • | Progress Bar: Accessibility Description property is set by the form creator when designing the form. JAWS only reads progressbar’s value once. |
| • | Time Input: Accessibility Description property is set by the form creator when designing the form. Hours, Minutes, Seconds subcomponents have default description (“Hours <value>” for the hours text input, “Minutes <value>” for the minutes text input, “Seconds <value>” for the seconds input, where <value> is the text input’s value. |
| • | Drop-Down: Accessibility description is the default (Flex built-in) one. JAWS reads the selected item. |
| • | Numeric Stepper: Accessibility Description property is set by the form creator when designing the form. User must type the value for the numeric stepper, not change it using Up/Down buttons. |
| • | File Attachment and Image Import: For security reasons implemented by Flash Player, these two controls cannot be manipulated only by using the keyboard, so accessibility description is not supported. |
| • | Separators (Vertical Separator, Horizontal Separator): Accessibility description is not supported because these are only simple graphical elements. |
| • | Table: Accessibility description should be the default one (Flex built-in), but because the Table object is not an original Flex Table object (Data Grid), accessibility is not fully functional. |
Accessibility for Report Objects
| • | Cross Tab: Accessibility Description property is set by the form creator when designing the form. This object has a default description. JAWS reads user defined description first and then the default description as follows: |
“<c 1> <r 1> <value> <c 1> <r 2><value> … <c 1><r n> <value> …”, where <c 1> is the header of column 1, <r 1> is the label of row 1, <value> is the value of cell at column 1 and row 1.
| • | Reporting Grids (Data Grid and Data List): Accessibility Description property is set by the form creator when designing the form. This objects have default descriptions. JAWS reads user defined description first and then the default description as follows: |
“Column <index> Header <header> Values <value 1> <value 2> …”, where <index> is column’s index, <header> is column’s header and <value 1>, <value 2> … are column’s values.
| • | Gauge: Accessibility Description property is set by the form creator when designing the form. This object has a default description. JAWS reads user defined description first and then the default description as follows: |
“Minimum value is <min_val> maximum value is <max_val> selected value is <selected_val>”, where <min_val> is the minimum value, <max_val> is the maximum value, <selected_val> is the selected value of the Gauge control.
| • | Pie Chart: Accessibility Description property is set by the form creator when designing the form. This object has a default description. JAWS reads user defined description first and then the default description as follows: |
“Element <index> Label <label> value <value> (<percents> %) ...”, where <index> is element’s index, <label> is element’s label, <value> is element’s value and <percents> is the percents of the value from the total elements values.
| • | Bar Chart: Accessibility Description property is set by the form creator when designing the form. This object has a default description. JAWS reads user defined description first and then the default description as follows: |
“Bar <index> Label <label> value <value> …”, where <index> is bar’s index, <label> is bar’s label and <value> is bar’s value.
| • | Line Chart: Accessibility Description property is set by the form creator when designing the form. This object has a default description. JAWS reads user defined description first and then the default description as follows: |
“Element <index> Label <label> value <value> ... “, where <index> is element’s index, <label> is element’s label and <value> is element’s value.
| • | Value: Accessibility Description property is set by the form creator when designing the form. JAWS also reads the value of the control. |
| • | Filter Selector: Accessibility Description property is set by the form creator when designing the form. This control also has a default description. JAWS reads user defined description first and then the default description as follows: |
“Elements <element 1> <element 2><element 3> ...”, where <element 1>, <element 2>, <element 3> are filter’s list elements.
| • | Filter Selector: Accessibility Description property is set by the form creator when designing the form. |
Updated: 06/12/2011
Page url:
http://www.perfectforms.com/Documentation/manual/html/?fg_accessibility_and_jaws_compati.htm
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