Andrew18489
Active member
Hello,
I’ve pretty much completed my hardware restoration process on my Performa 450. With the thought of a working computer on my mind, another big question has come upon me. Restoring the Macintosh (by just replacing all the bad parts) was pretty easy for me with my low vision, but the software side of a Macintosh of that age is a totally different story. I make it work, sometimes by using my iPhone to magnify the screen, but I feel like there should be something better. Lots of my friends who can’t see at all have never had the experience of using a MacIntosh. They use modern computers every day through screen readers that tell them what’s on the screen, but of course, System 7 doesn’t support VoiceOver. Before I lost hope on an “Accessible Macintosh” I did some retro computer research and even accidentally found a book on accessing computers for the blind… published in 1982. My research taught me about people who’d made their Apple II and IBM DOS PCs accessible, but the same book, even 1982 pointed out a big problem. Even in 1982, the visually impaired community was getting worried about graphical computing, saying it would be way harder. Windows 95 supported screen readers of some sort, and I even think I heard Apple had an accessibility team before their financial problems in the 1990s. On one archived article from 1993 I think, I saw a lot of information about Apple II, DOS, and early Windows screen readers, but only one mentioned Macintosh, and for some reason specified LC which probably meant it had poor compatibility with earlier models. Also, if a synthesizer box for the blind existed, where could I get one in 2022?
Does anyone know of any way to add voice feedback to the Macintosh screen? Also, would 80s or 90s Macs have a control plus type command for enlarging the screen? Could modern tech be used to make a Macintosh accessible to the blind? I thought of Microsoft SeeingAI for a second, but then realized text recognition wasn’t enough by itself because you have to know where you’re clicking and not just what’s on the screen. Camera solutions themselves aren’t very practical either because CRTs and cameras don’t go well together.
I’ve pretty much completed my hardware restoration process on my Performa 450. With the thought of a working computer on my mind, another big question has come upon me. Restoring the Macintosh (by just replacing all the bad parts) was pretty easy for me with my low vision, but the software side of a Macintosh of that age is a totally different story. I make it work, sometimes by using my iPhone to magnify the screen, but I feel like there should be something better. Lots of my friends who can’t see at all have never had the experience of using a MacIntosh. They use modern computers every day through screen readers that tell them what’s on the screen, but of course, System 7 doesn’t support VoiceOver. Before I lost hope on an “Accessible Macintosh” I did some retro computer research and even accidentally found a book on accessing computers for the blind… published in 1982. My research taught me about people who’d made their Apple II and IBM DOS PCs accessible, but the same book, even 1982 pointed out a big problem. Even in 1982, the visually impaired community was getting worried about graphical computing, saying it would be way harder. Windows 95 supported screen readers of some sort, and I even think I heard Apple had an accessibility team before their financial problems in the 1990s. On one archived article from 1993 I think, I saw a lot of information about Apple II, DOS, and early Windows screen readers, but only one mentioned Macintosh, and for some reason specified LC which probably meant it had poor compatibility with earlier models. Also, if a synthesizer box for the blind existed, where could I get one in 2022?
Does anyone know of any way to add voice feedback to the Macintosh screen? Also, would 80s or 90s Macs have a control plus type command for enlarging the screen? Could modern tech be used to make a Macintosh accessible to the blind? I thought of Microsoft SeeingAI for a second, but then realized text recognition wasn’t enough by itself because you have to know where you’re clicking and not just what’s on the screen. Camera solutions themselves aren’t very practical either because CRTs and cameras don’t go well together.
