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#280 Coding for the blind

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nobody
Other (56)
9
2011-10-21
2011-10-21
David Reimann
No

I have used Dr Java as a development tool in my introductory computer science course for many years and am generally pleased with its capabilities and functionality.

This semester I have a blind student in my course. He has been using other tools for development, but has expressed interest in using Dr. Java because of some new Java features for the visually impaired. One obstacle he faces is a keyboard shortcut to switch between the development windows: code develop, interactions, file selection. Did I miss something that there is a way to do this? If not, is this a possible addition.

I would also be interested in other tools for the blind that people have experience using.

Thanks!

Discussion

  • David Reimann

    David Reimann - 2011-10-21
    • priority: 5 --> 9
     

  • David Reimann

    David Reimann - 2011-10-21
    • labels: --> Other
     

  • Mathias Ricken

    Mathias Ricken - 2011-11-29

    Hi, and sorry for the delay.

    I don't think we have keyboard shortcuts for changing to the Interactions Pane and the file list on the left side.

    We do have keyboard shortcuts for moving up and down in the list, though: Ctrl-Period and Ctrl-Comma move to the next and the previous document, respectively.

    Your student could also try detaching the Interactions Pane: Edit menu, Tabbed Panes submenu, Detach Tabbed Panes. Now the Interactions Pane is in a separate window, and your student can Alt-Tab between the two windows. Using Ctrl-[ and Ctrl-] (Ctrl-Open Bracket and Ctrl-Close Bracket), you can move from one pane to the next in that detached window.

    We'd appreciate it if you gave us more feedback on how we could improve DrJava for the blind. Please let us know if this helped.

     

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