Skype

I am able to confirm, through my own testing as well as reports from others,
that the Options dialogue box in this new version of Skype is now fully
accessible with JAWS 8.0.2107 and System Access 2.3. The tree view of
option categories is not spoken at all in Window-Eyes 6.1 at this time.

Skype version 3.2.0.158 is now available and one place where you can
download it from is at www.majorgeeks.com/Skype_d4245.html.

Here are the changes in this version:

feature: Getting Started Wizard improvement
bugfix: Installer error 1603
bugfix: Sound setting not saved on Vista
bugfix: Accessibility problems with screen readers resolved
bugfix: Delay when playing notification sounds
bugfix: Incoming call is not sent to Voicemail if user rejects it
bugfix: On some rare cases conference call participants were muted
bugfix: Skype crashes sometimes when ending a call
bugfix: NTLM proxy authentication did not work
bugfix API:App2App transfers did not work as expected
Language files updated

Many of you may be wondering why you are not able to obtain the version 3.2.148 update directly from the “Check for Updates” option in Skype’s Help menu. The reason appears to be that the Skype folks want you to manually download this release. It is highly recommended that you do this right away to obtain the accessibility related fixes.

Thanks to the folks at Skype for their quickly fixing a couple of significant accessibility issues in Skype 3.2. It is now possible to access the categories as well as the Save and Cancel buttons in the Options dialogue box by means of keyboard navigation. Way to go, Skype!

Skype is permitting their users to call anyone by telephone using Skype on Mother’s Day totally free of charge. See Free calls to any phone in the world. One day only for details.

Skype 3.2 is out of beta now and many of you will be chomping at the bit to download this shiny new version. If you are a screen reader user who is not comfortable using the mouse navigation features of your assistive technology, then I must advise you to wait just a few weeks longer due to a couple of keyboard navigation concerns.

There are currently two known keyboard accessibility issues with the Options dialogue box in Skype 3.2. First, though it is possible to up and down arrow through the categories of options upon initial entry into the Options dialogue, this list becomes unavailable after pressing tab or shift+tab. It is necessary to exit and re-enter the Options dialogue in order to regain access to the list of categories. Second, the Save and Cancel buttons are no longer reachable by pressing the tab and shift+tab keys. They also do not have equivalent hotkeys, so, for instance, pressing alt+s will not click the Save button as one would expect. These two issues may be reproduced by following these steps:

1. Run Skype from the Desktop or Start Menu, or open it from the System Tray by right clicking its icon and choosing Show Friends.
2. Press alt+t to open the Tools menu.
3. Press p to open the Options dialogue box.
4. Press the up and down arrow keys to move between the available categories of options you may adjust. Observe that your screen reader describes each category as it is selected.
5. Press tab followed by shift+tab. The list of categories is no longer available. It is possible to tab around the entire dialogue box without locating this list.
6. While navigating the dialogue box by pressing tab or shift+tab numerous times, observe that the Save and Cancel buttons are no longer available. It is necessary to find and left click them utilizing your screen reader’s mouse navigation functions. This is a dawnting task for many blind and visually impaired users relying on screen reading software.
7. Press alt+f4 to exit the Options dialogue box without making any changes.

A reliable source reports that these issues will be resolved in a hot fix scheduled to be released in the next several weeks. This source also tells me that the Skype developers are interested in insuring the accessibility of not only the software but also the Skype web site. In order to insure these two accessibility issues and any others get resolved, it is best that we essentially vote for their prompt resolution by reporting them through Skype’s official channels. I would also like to hear about these issues directly. Please report all accessibility issues, with as much detail as possible, by submitting a support request directly to Skype and sending e-mail to editor@blindaccessjournal.com so I may track and potentially facilitate the prompt resolution of your concerns.

Yesterday, I installed Skype 3.0 on my brand new Dell XPS 410 system. During the process, it seems I mistakenly opted for the Internet Explorer toolbar add-on. As this was one of the last things I did to the system last night, I didn’t notice any problems at the time.

As I started working this morning in Internet Explorer 7, I noticed that JAWS 8 was having a great deal of trouble reading links as I navigated using the tab and shift+tab commands. I was not having similar issues during the entire previous day. Thinking through the typical troubleshooting process, and knowing how some toolbars and similar extensions have been known to cause access difficulties in the past, I promptly disabled Skype’s Internet Explorer 7 toolbar. Taking this action resolved my issue immediately!

If you start experiencing unknown access issues with your web browser, I recommend the removal of any recently installed add-ons by taking the following steps:

1. Open Internet Explorer 7.
2. Press alt+t to pull down the Tools menu.
3. Down arrow to Manage Add-Ons and press enter.
4. Press enter on Enable or Disable Add-ons.
5. Select show add-ons currently loaded in Internet Explorer. Use up and down arrow keys to select this option if it is not already the default.
6. Press tab to reach the list of currently installed add-ons.
7. Press down arrow until you have reached the item you wish to remove. The Skype toolbar would represent an excellent example.
8. Press tab to reach the settings for the selected add-on.
9. Press down arrow to select the Disable radio button.
10. Press tab until you reach the OK button and press enter to make the changes to your browser.