mastodon - Link to source

I tried to enable the #GNOME screen reader (aka orca) to test the #accessibility of some application.

I have little experience with screen readers, but the GNOME experience after enabling the screen reader appears to be super bad. I can barely understand the voice. The speech synthesis is horrible, I have heard better in the 90s.

Is this the expected state of free software screen readers? How can I get something usable?

#Accessibility #gnome

reshared this

in reply to André Polykanine

mastodon - Link to source

outsidecontext 🇺🇦🕊️

@menelion it really sounds like that you need to use commercial systems if you have to rely on a screen reader. In all honesty I had expected the situation to be better in the free software world. Not necessarily great, but at least somewhat usable.

As it stands out of the box you are basically lost. At best you need someone with vision and a lot of Linux administration experience to set something workable up for you. At least that's the impression I got.

@André Polykanine

André Polykanine reshared this.

in reply to outsidecontext 🇺🇦🕊️

mastodon - Link to source

André Polykanine

that's it. Nice to talk to you because you are asking adequate questions and take adequate outcomes. Unfortunately, most of the FOSS developers are like… "You need accessibility? Fix it on your own". If you have some time, read this article. This man, the author, is very knowledgeable and he's also on Mastodon @fireborn: fireborn.mataroa.blog/blog/i-w…

I Want to Love Linux. It Doesn’t Love Me Back: Post 1 – Built for Control, But Not for People — fireborn

fireborn.mataroa.blog
@aaron
in reply to André Polykanine

mastodon - Link to source

outsidecontext 🇺🇦🕊️

@menelion Thanks for the nice words. The article was very interesting. It even seems things have gotten worse in some areas.

To be honest, I can understand how especially screen reader accessibility is rather difficult for developers not currently affected by accessibility issues.

I have some experience with it from years ago, but not much. But I try to learn and improve.

@André Polykanine
in reply to outsidecontext 🇺🇦🕊️

mastodon - Link to source

André Polykanine

Yes, and I'm sincere because you are one of the very small amount of people who talk to me like this. I even once heard things like "Let's first ditch Windows, and then make Linux accessible". They simply don't understand that for us screen reader accessibility is the same as a display and a mouse for everyone else. If you want to improve something, ask Aaron, he's far more knowledgeable in Linux world than me (I'm a Windows-and-SSH-to-Linux guy). Also, there is Orca mailing list (I don't know the address but you might google for it). There you can find Joanmarie Diggs, an absolute gem of development, the main person who is behind Orca and continues the fight for years and years. Everyone will be grateful if people like you help her.
in reply to outsidecontext 🇺🇦🕊️

mastodon - Link to source

Jeff Fortin T. (風の庭園のNekohayo)

@menelion This year it was revolutionary for me to discover "Piper" voices that can be used with Orca (instead of the default espeak voice): mastodon.social/@nekohayo/1150…

Jeff Fortin T. (風の庭園のNekohayo) (@nekohayo@mastodon.social)

Attached: 1 video @joojmachine@ursal.zone Oh my god, Pied JUST WORKS! I can't believe my ears! :psyduck: I just installed Pied's flatpak package, let it install Piper, then downloaded the best English voice I could find ("Lessac", the basis for mos…
Jeff Fortin T. (風の庭園のNekohayo) (Mastodon)
@André Polykanine
This entry was edited (20 hours ago)
in reply to André Polykanine

friendica (DFRN) - Link to source

Peter Vágner

@André Polykanine @Jeff Fortin T. (風の庭園のNekohayo) @outsidecontext 🇺🇦🕊️ For sure linux screen reader accessibility has issues but people who are using it for years can be productive with it.
For some languages eSpeak and RHvoice are standard TTS choices that serve the purpose.
I better like these opensource voices rather than voices by microsoft or google.
@André Polykanine @outsidecontext 🇺🇦🕊️ @Jeff Fortin T. (風の庭園のNekohayo)
⇧