Mac VoiceOver users wanted for testing

I’ve started to work on improved accessibility for Spatterlight. It is not quite there yet, but it would be nice to have some feedback before I go on. There is a test version here: https://github.com/angstsmurf/spatterlight/releases/tag/v0.5.9a

Also see the discussion here: [url=https://intfiction.org/t/unofficial-spatterlight-0-5-5b/13822/5]

The main changes is that the status window (and any text grid window) now is a regular text view, and that text printed after enter a command actually will be read (most of the time). I’ve also added a command for re-reading the last move (shortcut option + command + left arrow).

If there are any VoiceOver users out there, please try it out and let me know what doesn’t work and how you would like it to behave instead.

I’ll start testing now. I’d still like a screen reader accessible version of Gargoyle for Windows and Linux, but I don’t think that’ll ever happen.

Thanks for taking a look! May I ask what system you are using?

I’m curious how hyperlinks work. I can see them and click them in Accessibility Inspector, but I’m not sure how to make them obvious to the user. Also, it would be nice if windows that completely cover the regular game window, such as the help menu in some games, would gain focus and be read aloud automatically.

EDIT: I’d like to implement stepping backward and forward through earlier moves as well, just like in Zoom, but so far not even repeating just the last move works properly.

Mid 2012 MacBook Pro, running macOS High Sierra. So far, I’ve tested Inform and TADS games. Everything seems to work okay, except help menus.

Good to hear! Can’t you read the help menus at all, or are they just awkward? There seems to be a general philosophy running through VoiceOver and Apple accessibility that the user should decide what to focus on, not the program, and that keeps getting in the way of making things behave in a sensible way.

EDIT: Is hyperlink-driven stuff like A Colder Light playable at all?

I can read the menus, it’s just awkward to navigate and select options. Menus in TADS work okay though, since they’re printed as a list of numerical options. I have yet to try Hugo menus, though.

Thanks! I guess those Inform game menus is a problem on the game design end, and difficult for the interpreter to do anything about. Just let me know if you have any ideas about how to improve things.