Linux distributions for the blind include Oralux and Adriane Knoppix. More and more, screen readers are being bundled with operating system distributions. Recent versions of Microsoft Windows come with the rather basic Narrator. The Macintosh OS also comes with a built-in screen reader, called VoiceOver. Screen readers are a form of assistive technology potentially useful to people who are blind, visually impaired, or learning disabled, often in combination with other AT such as screen magnifiers. Only a small fraction of this population, when compared to the sighted community, have Internet access.

Web browsers, word processors, icons and windows and email programs are just some of the applications used successfully by screen reader users. The movement towards greater web accessibility is opening a far wider number of websites to adaptive technology, making the web a more inviting place for visually impaired surfers. The latter developed in part by Knopper who has a visual impairment. Further functionality remains limited compared to equivalent desktop applications, the major benefit is to increase the accessibility of said websites. Near 4 percent of those deemed legally blind, by any measure, have no vision. Screen reader choice is contentious: differing priorities and strong preferences are common. This interpretation is then represented to the user with text-to-speech, sound icons, or a braille output. Most legally blind people 57 percent do not use computers. The rest have some vision, from light perception alone to relatively good acuity. A persons choice of screen reader is dictated by many factors, including platform and the role of organizations like charities, schools, and employers.

The console-based Oralux Linux distribution ships with three screen-reading environments: Emacspeak, Yasr and Speakup. While Apple Mac OS X includes VoiceOver, a more feature-rich screen reader. A screen reader is a software application that attempts to identify and interpret what is being displayed on the screen.

Access technology such as screen readers and Screen magnifiers enable the blind to use mainstream computer applications. Experimental approaches in sensory substitution are beginning to provide access to arbitrary live views from a camera.

The open source GNOME desktop environment long included Gnopernicus and now includes Orca. Next month nonprofit worker Anthony Loeff is writing about screen readers for visually impaired people Indeed, using a screen reader is, according to some users, considerably more difficult than using a GUI and many applications have specific problems resulting from the nature of the application. The primary audience for such applications is those who have difficulty reading because of learning disabilities or language barriers. Later versions of Microsoft Windows include an Accessibility Wizard and Magnifier for those with partial vision, and Microsoft Narrator, a simple screen reader. Screen readers can be assumed to be able to access all display content that is not intrinsically inaccessible.

There are also open source screen readers, such as the Linux Screen Reader for GNOME and NonVisual Desktop Access for Windows

Posted by admin as Health Tips, Medical Tips + More, School of Software at 12:40 AM CDT

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Microsoft Business Solutions stakes on Microsoft Great Plains as main Accounting/ERP application for US market. At the same time it seems to be staking on Navision in Europe and has Axapta as high end large corporation market competitor to Oracle, PeopleSoft, SAP, IBM. This article is brief review of Microsoft Great Plains integration with Microsoft Access. This is also applicable to Small Business Manager (which is based on the same technology - Great Plains Dexterity dictionary - DYNAMICS.DIC and runtime DYNAMICS.EXE) and Great Plains Standard on MSDE or MS SQL Server.

If you are developer who is asked: how do we implement Great Plains integration/interface with your MS Access-based system - read this and you will have the clues on where to look further.

1. Great Plains Integration Manager - this is rather end-user tool - it is very intuitive, it validates 100% of business logic, brings in/updates master records (accounts, employees, customers, vendors. etc.) brings in transactions into work tables. The limitation of Integration Manager - it does use GP windows behind the scenes without showing them - so it is relatively slow - you can bring 100 records - but when you are talking about thousands - it is not a good option. By the way you can program Integration Manager with VBA. Microsoft Access is ODBC compliant and so you can do direct Integration Manager query to MS Access
   
2. eConnect - it is type of Software Development Kit with samples in VB.Net. Obviously the development environment should be Visual Studio.Net. eConnect will allow you to integrate master records - such as new customers, vendors, employees, etc., plus you can bring transactions into so called Great Plains work tables (eConnect doesn’t allow you to bring open or historical records - you need to post work records in Great Plains, the same limitation applies to Integration Manager above) eConnect is rather for ongoing integration. It was initially created for eCommerce application integration to Great Plains.
   
3. SQL Stored Procedures. Obviously you have unlimited control and possibilities with SQL queries. You need to know Great Plains tables structure and data flow. Launch Great Plains and go to Tools->Resource Description->Tables. Find the table in the proper series. If you are looking for the customers - it should be RM00101 - customer master file. If you need historical Sales Order Processing documents - they are in SOP30200 - Sales History Header file, etc. Do not change existing tables - do not create new fields, etc. Also you need to realize that each GP table has DEX_ROW_ID - identity column. Sometimes it is good idea to use inbound/outbound XML in the parameters - then you can deploy web service as a middle party between two systems.
   
4. Data Transformation Services (DTS) - Good tool for importing your third party data into staging tables in GP - then you can pull them in using either stored procs of Integration Manager. You can also deploy this tool for EDI export/import. You can have DTS working with Linked Server - SQL Server Construction for linking to Microsoft Access
   
5. Great Plains Dexterity Custom Screens. Sometimes users prefer to have seamlessly integrated into GP interface custom screens - for parameters settings and initiating integration. Dexterity is a good option, however remember - it is always better to create new custom screen versus customizing existing one - due to the future upgrade issues. Also - Dexterity is in phasing our by Microsoft Business Solutions.
   
6. Modifier/VBA custom buttons on the existing screens - alternative to Dexterity is you are comfortable with VBA and ADO.
   
7. SQL Linked Servers - you can do direct SQL queries to other ODBC compliant platform via SQL Linked Server (including Microsoft Access) - you may need to familiarize yourself with OPENROWSET command in Transact SQL. This is also good option if you need cross-platform Crystal Report - pulling data from SQL Server and third party databases on the same report.
   
8. Warning - do not place existing GP tables into Replication! - you will have upgrade issues.

Happy integrating! if you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies - USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, based in Chicago, California, Texas, New York, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Oregon, Arizona, Canada, UK, Australia and having locations in multiple states and internationally (www.albaspectrum.com ), he is Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.

Posted by admin as School of Software at 8:47 PM CDT

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