For those with vision disabilities, Tiger includes VoiceOver, a built-in screen reader that provides keyboard control of the computer, enhanced screen magnification options, and spoken English descriptions of what’s on the screen. VoiceOver enables many users with special needs to work collaboratively with other Mac users and use a Macintosh without assistance.

It’s for You

VoiceOver is intended to provide those who are blind, have low vision, or learning difficulties the ability to use a Macintosh. It’s perfect for those who have never used a computer or screen reader before, for those who are new to Macintosh and for those using screen readers on Mac OS 9 and want to take advantage of all Mac OS X has to offer. With VoiceOver, you’ll be able to create and edit word processing documents, send email and browse the world wide web, even play chess!

Now hear this

VoiceOver reads aloud the contents of documents speaks a description of your workspace and the activities taking place on your computer. Tiger includes over 20 unique synthesized voices and you can adjust the rate, pitch and volume of each voice individually. Several voices such as Vicki, Bruce and Fred are also optimized to speak extremely fast so you listen to documents at your own speed. You can also assign different voices to speak at different times. So for example, one will speak the menus while another speaks the content of a document. There’s also a pronunciation dictionary so VoiceOver will speak names and phrases the way you prefer. When typing, you can set VoiceOver to speak every character or only complete words.

Accessible out of the box

With Tiger, accessibility begins the moment you power on your computer. If you already know how to use VoiceOver, you can press Command-F5 to activate it and you start using your new computer right away. If you’re new to VoiceOver, an audible prompt will instruct you how to get started and introduce you to the VoiceOver QuickStart. It’s built into the Setup Assistant application that runs automatically the first time you startup your computer. Using the VoiceOver QuickStart, you’ll learn the names and location of keys on your Apple keyboard and practice using VoiceOver so you can set up your computer and teach you how to learn more using on-line help. A high-contrast white on black contextual VoiceOver menu is always available so you know which commands you can use and it can repositioned anywhere on screen and magnified, so you’ll always know which commands are available at any time. Should you ever need to re-install Tiger or troubleshoot your computer, you’ll find the Terminal application, utilities and even the Tiger installation disc accessible. Tiger makes it easier than ever before to set up, use, maintain and troubleshoot your system without sighted assistance.

See what I’m saying

VoiceOver is designed so you can work together with sighted users in the office, classroom and even on the same computer — naturally. It includes visual elements like the on-screen VoiceOver menu and unique Caption Panel that displays in large, high-contrast print, what’s being spoken by VoiceOver to make it easy for low vision and sighted users to follow. The Caption panel font can be resized and the background made transparent or opaque and moved to any location on screen — all using the keyboard. These visual element enable sighted users to more easily follow what you’re doing and can be helpful for those with learning disabilities who will appreciate hearing and seeing what’s being spoken by the computer.

Unlimited Navigation

VoiceOver will speak descriptions of items under the mouse, but is also designed to work using only the keyboard. You navigate menus, windows, controls, text and anything else on screen using the VoiceOver cursor which outlines objects onscreen. As it moves, it speaks a description of the item inside the cursor. The VoiceOver cursor is powerful, allowing you to to interact with items on the screen as well as hear a description. For example, using the VoiceOver cursor, you can press buttons, drag sliders, turn dials, enable and disable check boxes, select radio buttons, drag, and scroll. VoiceOver also provides additional key commands for faster navigation and to request information such as text attributes like font and style, the names of running applications the location of the mouse cursor, and much more.

In addition to keyboard navigation and hot keys, VoiceOver also provides Item List and Link List choosers to help you navigate even faster. VoiceOver instantly scans the HTML area of the current document and displays in alphabetical order, every URL (or link) found on that page. You arrow through the list sequentially to select and the VoiceOver cursor moves there directly. You can also filter the list of links by typing a few characters instead of or in addition to using the arrow keys. The list will filter out links whose names or URL don’t match the characters you typed. You can keep typing to continue filtering the list, or press Delete to return to the full list and type different characters to filter it again differently. In just a few keystrokes you’ll be able to navigate to any link directly. The Item list works the same way but includes every visible item in an application as well as links so you can navigate anywhere in the app directly with just a few keystrokes.

To switch between applications and windows, you can use the Dock, Command-Tab shortcut, or the VoiceOver application and Window choosers. You can even use the new Spotlight [link] menu, fully accessible, to find and open applications, documents, mail messages, and just about any other type of document on your system all using only the keyboard.

Learn By Discovery

One of the hallmarks of Mac OS X is that you can learn it through exploration — you don’t have to read a manual to get started. Since VoiceOver is built right into the operating system, it works together with all of the key commands and shortcuts you already know like Command-S for Save and Command-C for copy. VoiceOver also includes additional key commands that allow you to navigate and ask VoiceOver to speak descriptions of what is on the screen. The commands are mnemonically assigned (M for Menu, D for Dock, W for Word, etc.) and related commands are stacked on the same keys (press the same key twice or three times) so you don’t have to move your fingers to perform the related command. The key layout for VoiceOver remains the same no matter which application you are using and works the same way on laptops and desktops so there’s no relearning required. Should you forget the location of a key, you can return to keyboard practice at any time to learn its name without affecting the application you’re working in.

One of the ways VoiceOver helps you learn is through the use of sound effects. For example, as you navigate, you’ll hear subtle audio sound effects to let you know when you reach the end of a row, or wrap around from the beginning to end beginning. Through sound effects you’ll be able to learn the relative position of items on screen and your location so you can find things more easily the next time. There’s also a contextual VoiceOver menu so you can learn new commands that apply to the item you’ve selected. This menu also provides fast access to commands that let you configure VoiceOver preferences, learn keyboard shortcuts, reference on-line help, edit the VoiceOver pronunciation dictionary, and use keyboard practice. After announcing a menu command, VoiceOver speaks its shortcut key, or hot-key. Next time, you can use the shortcut to access the command instantly without having to navigate the menu again. Even Mac OS X online help is spoken, so you can learn about the new features in Mac OS X Tiger, solve problems on your own and learn new features at your own pace.

Now you see it, now you don't

Sighted users like parents, teachers, and family members who want to learn how to use VoiceOver to teach it to others can take advantage of the built-in screen curtain feature that temporarily darkens the screen so they must rely on their hearing and knowledge of the keyboard to navigate and control the computer.  The curtain can be lifted with the press of a key so they can easily verify their work and check their progress.

As You Like It

Using the VoiceOver utility you can set preferences and customize VoiceOver to meet your needs. Tiger ships with over 20 unique voices that you can assign to different types of information VoiceOver speaks, or just one voice for everything.  You can also tune each voice by adjusting its rate, pitch and volume. You can even adjust the speech settings on the fly while VoiceOver is speaking. So for example, you can increase the speed to skim large text documents very quickly or slow it down to savor every detail. You can also adjust how punctuation is spoken, echo only complete words or every letter as you type it, and announce when modifier keys and the Caps Lock key are pressed. 

The VoiceOver utility also includes a Pronunciation dictionary so you can modify how words are pronounced in a particular application or in all applications.  You can even replace words or phrases with alternatives so for example the emoticon ;-) can be pronounced as "wink".  All of your settings can be saved into a file that you can share with friends, store for backup, or Import into another computer so it can be configured just the way you like it.

Compatible with a Variety of Applications

Tiger includes several accessible applications including Finder, Mail, Safari (for web browsing), TextEdit (which can open, edit and save Word documents), iChat AV, Preview (a PDF viewer), Terminal, Automator, Chess, and many utilities. Apple is also providing public, well-documented programming guidelines so application developers can easily enhance the accessibility of their applications.  For more information about the accessibility of certain applications, review the Macintosh Products Guide or consult the application developer.