San Francisco (ip-192.com): The Linux Foundation released IAccessible2, a new accessibility API for Microsoft Windows applications, and AccProbe, a desktop application testing tool, under the BSD license. AccProbe uses IAccessible2 platform services to assist developers in discovering and correcting code problems in their Windows applications. It was developed in Eclipse by IBM and donated to The Linux Foundation's Open Accessibility Workgroup.
Adobe Systems said that it plans to support IAccessible2 in the next major releases of Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader. The software is already supported in IBM Lotus Symphony, Firefox, and Eclipse. Assistive Technology vendors supporting the API include JAWS, NVDA, Window-Eyes and ZoomText.
"IAccessible2 contains important technological improvements that we plan to incorporate into upcoming versions of Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash Player, and Adobe Air in order to continue improving on existing accessibility support in these products," said Andrew Kirkpatrick, group product manager for Accessibility at Adobe.
The license change makes it easier to integrate the software into proprietary Windows environments, making programs more accessible to computer users with disabilities, the Linux Foundation said in a press release. IAccessible2 enables individuals who are blind or visually impaired to read online text and provide the means for individuals who do not have the use of their arms and hands to write and correspond.
"AccProbe is the only game in town for developers and testers who wish to leverage IAccessible2 in their desktop applications or test rich Internet applications in IA2-enabled browsers," said Michael Squillace, IBM Human Ability and Accessibility Center Software Engineer. "Extending our commitment to support AccProbe for The Linux Foundation IAccessible2 effort can help developers make applications more accessible for people with disabilities."
Photo: www.imagine-your-world.com
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