RE: [ID] Bevi's hyphens for accessibility

[Bevi | PubCom]

Kat, how hyphens are voiced is determined by the AT itself. Depends upon
whether the user is using JAWS or Windows Eyes or another screen reader.
Also which version.

But generally with recent versions of screen readers, HARD hyphens in
compound words aren't really ignored but discretionary ones that form line
breaks are.

Hard hyphens should trigger a pronunciation dictionary: example, 9-5
(hyphen, not en-dash) might be read as 9-to-5 or 95, depending upon the
screen reader program and its version.

RE: peri-operative, that's a toughie! I doubt JAWS is going to have that
compound word in its dictionary. There is a good chance that the Alt-text
could be mispronounced as "perio perative" or something else. Users, by the
way, will generally stop and have their screen reader spell out the word in
these situations.

But a simple trick you could use in the Alt-text is to write it with a
spacebar, such as peri- operative or peri operative, to force a more normal
pronunciation.

Keep in mind one thing as you make your decision: your job is to write
accurate Alt-text. It's not your fault if the technology the user is using
mispronounces it. It's a deficiency in the software and the customer, the AT
user, should complain to the manufacturer about the software's shortcomings.

But on the other hand, if you can easily avoid a miscommunication like this,
then do so!

- Bevi Chagnon

-----------------------------------------------------
Bevi Chagnon | be...@pubcom.com
PubCom - Trainers, consultants, designers, and developers
Print | Web | Acrobat | XML | eBooks | Section 508
-----------------------------------------------------
Classes: www.PubCom.com/classes
Publishing Blog: www.pubcom.com/blog
-----------------------------------------------------
*** It's our 30th Year! ***

-----Original Message-----
From: indesi...@googlegroups.com [mailto:indesi...@googlegroups.com]
On Behalf Of Kathleen
Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2012 8:05 PM
To: InDesign talk
Subject: [ID] Bevi's hyphens for assessibility

Bevi's ID mag accessibility article said hyphens are ignored, so
"peri-operative" is read as one word by ATs (Assisted Technology software or
devices).

So since hyphens are ignored, read as one word for accessibility, how do we
write alt text, e.g., peri hyphen operative or peri-operative?

Also this explains why we've been unable to make a url link, which contains
a hyphen, active.

kat

--
you are subscribed to "InDesign talk" on Google Groups, to post: send email
to indesi...@googlegroups.com, to unsubscribe: send email to
indesign-tal...@googlegroups.com, for more options visit
http://groups.google.com/group/indesign-talk

[Kathleen]

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Bevi.

Using a space instead of a hyphen in alt text is a great trick. The client agreed that we'll be able to use it in two 40-pg files, but will skip the hundreds of instances in the dozen 40–60 page pdfs.

It will be interesting to see what happens with accessibility in CS6.

kat