NTLite isn't accessible for the blind. Why?
- Thread starter ogoniciel
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First time I'm hearing that, people used it with NVDA before, maybe there is a mode that needs to be turned on.
Either way, please describe what is the issue and what is expected compared to some other tool - could be File Explorer for example.
Either way, please describe what is the issue and what is expected compared to some other tool - could be File Explorer for example.
Hey.
Thanks for your reply.
About the modes:
I tried using NTLite in normal mode with the keyboard — arrows, Tab, Enter — but unfortunately I couldn’t do anything.
For example, I couldn’t even load an ISO — pressing Space or Enter on the proper buttons did nothing.
So I also tried using NVDA’s object navigation with the numpad — still didn’t help.
Even OCR didn’t read the interface properly — it only catches some fragments.
The best I can suggest is: please test NTLite yourself with NVDA. I’m not a programmer, so I can’t suggest exact fixes, but I can show you exactly how it behaves.
If you want, I can record an audio or video with OBS to demonstrate the problem. Just tell me.
Thanks for your reply.
About the modes:
I tried using NTLite in normal mode with the keyboard — arrows, Tab, Enter — but unfortunately I couldn’t do anything.
For example, I couldn’t even load an ISO — pressing Space or Enter on the proper buttons did nothing.
So I also tried using NVDA’s object navigation with the numpad — still didn’t help.
Even OCR didn’t read the interface properly — it only catches some fragments.
The best I can suggest is: please test NTLite yourself with NVDA. I’m not a programmer, so I can’t suggest exact fixes, but I can show you exactly how it behaves.
If you want, I can record an audio or video with OBS to demonstrate the problem. Just tell me.
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I agree, I am a blind user and would love to be able to use NTLite with the keyboard.
BTW: what is this other mode you talk about running NTlite in? you said you ran NtLite in normal mode. Are you talking about the extra features you get after buying a license?
Thanks.
BTW: what is this other mode you talk about running NTlite in? you said you ran NtLite in normal mode. Are you talking about the extra features you get after buying a license?
Thanks.
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that is wonderful, thank you so much for making the effort to fix the problem. I am not a coder so I have no idea how hard or how easy it is to make an app screen reader friendly.
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Alright, as a first set of changes, uploaded a ribbon bar fix to be able to focus on it with Alt.
So update to the latest version and here is a bit of an accessibility guide, once finalized it will be included in the support documentation:
Starting the tool, it will be focused on the Image page. It is used for adding targets for loading.
Pressing Alt will bring you to the Ribbon bar, use the arrows to move through it for the available options.
Use the key Up for main tabs, then Left-Right to move through those tabs if more than one, then Down to enter each of them.
All options in the toolbar have keytips, a letter that can quick-activate them, in case you find that useful.
If on an Image page, use Alt to go to the Add menu to add either an ISO, WIM or a directory, it opens a browse window which is part of Windows, as usual.
Selecting your image will add it to the Image page.
If focused on the ribbon bar, press Alt again, it will defocus the ribbon bar and focus back on the current page, again use the arrows to move through it.
Focus on an edition of the added image and press enter or right-click Load.
Tool will now read status bar actions as well, like reading data or completed.
On the Image page, pressing Tab will switch it between Images and Presets lists.
Once an image has been loaded, pressing CTRL+Tab moves you through the main pages on the left.
Pressing the Right arrow will focus on that page.
Apply page, ribbon Start will process the changes.
All this said, it won't be easy as the tool has a lot of text, grids and items, let me know of its accessibility downsides and we'll see how far can it be improved.
So update to the latest version and here is a bit of an accessibility guide, once finalized it will be included in the support documentation:
Starting the tool, it will be focused on the Image page. It is used for adding targets for loading.
Pressing Alt will bring you to the Ribbon bar, use the arrows to move through it for the available options.
Use the key Up for main tabs, then Left-Right to move through those tabs if more than one, then Down to enter each of them.
All options in the toolbar have keytips, a letter that can quick-activate them, in case you find that useful.
If on an Image page, use Alt to go to the Add menu to add either an ISO, WIM or a directory, it opens a browse window which is part of Windows, as usual.
Selecting your image will add it to the Image page.
If focused on the ribbon bar, press Alt again, it will defocus the ribbon bar and focus back on the current page, again use the arrows to move through it.
Focus on an edition of the added image and press enter or right-click Load.
Tool will now read status bar actions as well, like reading data or completed.
On the Image page, pressing Tab will switch it between Images and Presets lists.
Once an image has been loaded, pressing CTRL+Tab moves you through the main pages on the left.
Pressing the Right arrow will focus on that page.
Apply page, ribbon Start will process the changes.
All this said, it won't be easy as the tool has a lot of text, grids and items, let me know of its accessibility downsides and we'll see how far can it be improved.
Hvergelmir
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Hi ogoniciel, I think a lack of accessibility is almost never bad faith.
Consider that techies are only a fraction of the overall population. Normies are the vast majority. Now let's pretend that among the techies the ratio of blind to seeing is the same as for normies (I think it's much smaller, i.e. comparably less blind, though!), this means it's hard to come by a tech-savvy blind person and that person willing to assist a seeing developer ironing out all these issues. And that's "just" the case for software were it makes sense. There's a lot of software out there trying to visualize something and that lends itself even worse to being made accessible for the blind. For obvious reasons, I hope.
That said: it's always good to bring this to the attention of those that are in the position to fix it.
Consider that techies are only a fraction of the overall population. Normies are the vast majority. Now let's pretend that among the techies the ratio of blind to seeing is the same as for normies (I think it's much smaller, i.e. comparably less blind, though!), this means it's hard to come by a tech-savvy blind person and that person willing to assist a seeing developer ironing out all these issues. And that's "just" the case for software were it makes sense. There's a lot of software out there trying to visualize something and that lends itself even worse to being made accessible for the blind. For obvious reasons, I hope.
That said: it's always good to bring this to the attention of those that are in the position to fix it.