[libreoffice-accessibility] some issues with screen reader accessibility

Hi,
While I understand that work is ongoing both between Libreoffice and
the NVDA project to make Libreoffice more screen reader accessible, I
thought I would point out a couple of small but important (I think)
points where some improvement would be welcome.

Firstly, when bringing up a word count, it's very difficult to see...
for the screen reader to read the word count. Most of the window seems
taken up with a needlessly (to me) long explanation of what word count
does. The only way I've found of hearing the actual word count is to
use insert+b to get NVDA to read the whole dialog box, and the word
count comes right at the end. Little thing I know, but rather
irritating if one is trying to keep tabs on the number of words, and
having to read every time that this shows the word count of the
current selection and the whole document, and that this is
automatically updated as you type. Useful to know once of course, but
annoying to have to hear every single time.

My second point is about automatic spell checking. I find that my
screen reader will only inform me of a spelling error if the cursor
happens to land on the word. I don't know if I can make it any
clearer, but for instance if reading a line back in this email, NVDA
will announce "spelling error" each time it encounters a mis-spelled
word. In LO writer, I will only be told each mis-spelled word when the
cursor is on it. Pretty little thing this, but it would be nice if it
could be corrected.

My third problem is potentially quite important, because if you're
using a braille display, if you prefer to work without speech, which I
often do, it can make editing and proofing quite challenging. Along
the top of a braille display is a row of buttons called 'router keys'.
When pressed, the cursor is moved to that place in the document.

So if I'm reading along, and I find something I want to change, I can
quickly reach that spot with the cursor by simply pressing the button
above the word or letter. With LO writer though, often the cursor
isn't moving to the right place. I'm using the NVDA screen reader at
the moment, and that does seem to work rather better than JAWS in this
regard, but I thought it was worth letting you know.

If I can provide more details to help fix these things I'll be glad to
try, and if anyone has any tips that might solve one or more of these
issues, please let me know. I must say that on the whole, Libreoffice
is the most accessible MS Word alternative I've come across, with the
possible exception of the now difunked Jarte. So all credit to the
team for that, it's so so so very important, because to me the MS
products... their whole set-up has become a prison, and I think their
attitude to their customers when they have difficulties is truly
abominable.

May you have all the help you can get in keeping up the good work, and
really let me know if you think there's anything else I can do.
Regards
Daniel McGrath

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