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#37 VMPK compatibility with the Orca screen reader (GNU/Linux)

v1.0_(example)
open
nobody
Accessibility (1) GNU/Linux (1) Screen-Reader (1)
5
2020-11-07
2020-11-07
Nalin.x.Linux
No

VMPK is not fully accessible with keyboard (Navigation through widgets using arrow keys or Tab) and also some widgets are not properly announced while navigating with Screen reader (Orca). So we are kindly requesting you to fix it.

Discussion

  • Pedro Lopez-Cabanillas

    Pedro Lopez-Cabanillas - 2020-11-07

    Ticket moved from /p/vmpk/bugs/66/

     

  • Pedro Lopez-Cabanillas

    Pedro Lopez-Cabanillas - 2020-11-07
    • summary: VMPK is not accessible for users with screen reader(Orca, GNU/Linux) --> VMPK compatibility with the Orca screen reader (GNU/Linux)
    • Description has changed:

    Diff:

    --- old
+++ new
@@ -1,13 +1 @@
-Accessible-Coconut(AC) is a community driven GNU/Linux operating system which is completely accessible for persons with visual impairment. AC is derived from Ubuntu-MATE. Yes the goal is to make a free and open-source eyes free desktop environment.  
-
-Accessible-Coconut community really likes VMPK.
-
-**But unfortunately VMPK is not fully accessible with keyboard (Navigation through widgets using arrow keys or Tab) and also some widgets are not properly announced while navigating with Screen reader (Orca). **So we are kindly requesting you to fix it.
-
-Thanks a lot for your beautiful software. 
-
-At present we are shipping LMMS with our distribution to provide simple keyboard playing,
-But it is huge and a lot of unnecessary(for Coconut users) or inaccessible things come with it.
-So we really like to switch to VMPK from the next release onwards. 
-
-Accessible-Coconut Home : https://sourceforge.net/projects/accessible-coconut/
+VMPK is not fully accessible with keyboard (Navigation through widgets using arrow keys or Tab) and also some widgets are not properly announced while navigating with Screen reader (Orca). So we are kindly requesting you to fix it.
    • Group: v0.8.x --> v1.0_(example)
    • Priority: 1 --> 5
     

  • Pedro Lopez-Cabanillas

    Pedro Lopez-Cabanillas - 2020-11-07

    This ticket has been moved from the bugs tracker to support requests, because it is not valid as a legitimate bug report or as a feature request. It does not identify a single wrong behavior in the program, neither offers the procedure to reproduce the problem. On the contrary, it tries to prevail on an alternative philosophy.

    In the process, I have edited the subject and text, deleting all the off topic flattery and propaganda.

     

  • Pedro Lopez-Cabanillas

    Pedro Lopez-Cabanillas - 2020-11-07

    The title of this ticket states that the Orca screen reader is not compatible with VMPK. This may be true, but then the body of the ticket states a different thing: that VMPK is not accessible using the computer keyboard, which is outright false, and it is a totally different matter.

    About Orca: I've tried to test this program, but it is totally dysfunctional here so I can't even try VMPK with it. What I've tested in macOS is the "Voice Over" utility, and in Windows 10 the "Narrator", which are two equivalent accessibility utilities. Anyway, you can use your computer keyboard with VMPK without needing to read the screen on any operating system. Would you need to "read" a guitar in order to play it?

    VMPK converts your computer keyboard into a piano MIDI controller (emulating a musical instrument.) It is obvious that it uses the computer keyboard in a different way than most other programs that use the computer keyboard to input text information. This is intentional, and gives the majority of users a good experience, even if it disturbs the expectations of some Orca users. This mechanism may be improved, of course, but it won't be reverted.

    The TAB key is the typical mechanism to transfer focus between input controls in a window. The main VMPK window does not work this way on purpose. The only control that accepts focus here is the piano. This way, the computer keyboard mapped keys always produce MIDI notes since the program is started, and this can't be disturbed. On the other hand, when the several dialog windows provided by the program are opened, for instance the "Preferences" dialog, this behavior is stopped and the program works the conventional way. The controls that are placed on the toolbars have keyboard shortcuts (which may be customized). For instance: the "Panic" button has the shortcut ESC, which you can press without needing to focus this button at all. Other functions are the octave spin box, which has two shortcuts: Left arrow and Right arrow by default to decrease and increase the base octave values. The Up and Down arrows are assigned to the next channel and previous channel respectively. The Pg Up and Pg Down keys are assigned to the "Programs" list box to change the instruments ...

    Only the main program actions have default shortcuts, but the shortcuts are customizable. There is a Menu->Edit->Shortcuts option to open a dialog (where the tab and arrow keys can be used to navigate the screen contents) where you can delete and assign new key combinations to each shortcut. The program menus are also accessible with keyboard shortcuts, which may depend on the program translation and the operating system.

     

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