On Jan 10, 2021, at 11:12 AM, HH. Smith Jr. <josham129@...> wrote:

Hi,

I am suffering from the same issue at Capella. In a conference call with a Blackboard tech and disabilities services at the school the issue was reproduced. The problems stems from an update to the Blackboard platform in the summer of 2020. It is an issue with application layer. JAWS being a screen reader only reads text and has had an issue with application layer from the beginning of time. Blackboard, in an effort to save processing time and other network resource task reducing techniques, have placed their apps on different concurrently running layers not to be confused with levels, laying on top of each other. With JAWS being a screen reader, it cannot dig down to the appropriate layer to read or interact with the layer you want to work with properly, but yet, it will read the entire screen in totality after you interact with it good or bad. The problem is known to Blackboard, but, as screen reader users, our voice is very small in this arena; therefore, the fix/change is not forthcoming any time soon. they're also very stubborn and in denial of the issue. The problem is not them, it is us? according to them. Go figure?

-----Original Message-----
From: main@jfw.groups.io <main@jfw.groups.io> On Behalf Of Russell
Solowoniuk
Sent: Sunday, January 10, 2021 10:19 AM
To: jfw@groups.io
Subject: Jaws & Discussion Board in Blackboard

Hi Everyone,

I'm working with a student who is using Jaws 2021 and is enrolled in an English course. The course is being delivered mostly online in Blackboard, version 9.1, I believe.

The issue we are having is with the Discussion Board. The students must post an introduction in the Discussion Board, and read and respond to at least 2 other student introductions.

When the student clicks on "Create Thread" to start his introduction,
Jaws goes into "Application Mode. In this mode, the student can type
in the Subject line, but there seems to be no way to get to the editor
where the student must type in his introduction. Well, he can get to
it by tabbing twice, but once there, he is not able to type anything
in this editor, and there is no indication that he has entered the
editor. Jaws reads "Thread: Self introduction. – ENGL-102-AS07(1) -
2021 Win..." when tabbing twice from the subject field. We can confirm that no text is being entered when typing by getting out of Applications Mode and narrowing down to where the Word count is shown, and it shows 0 words. The student is able to type his introduction in Word, copy all the text, and then paste it into the editor, but can not then read what he has pasted. We know the text has been pasted by the Word count, and once he submits his post, we are able to open it and read it with Jaws.
The same thing happens when trying to respond to another student's introduction. He is able to read the introduction, press enter on "Reply" but cannot type or even know when or if he is in the Editor.
He is able to type the response in Word, and copy and paste it into the Editor, but it seems like sometimes pressing tab twice from the subject field takes him into the editor, and sometimes he must tab 3 times, and since there is no indication that he is in the Editor, it is really hit and miss and quite frustrating.

Are there settings in Blackboard that can be changed to allow Jaws to work with the Editor in the Discussions area? Are there any Jaws settings that can be changed to make this work?

I also experience this same issue on my PC, so it's not specific to the student's computer. The problem also exists with NVDA. We are both running Windows 10 and Jaws 2021.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Russell

On Jan 10, 2021, at 11:12 AM, HH. Smith Jr. <josham129@...> wrote:

Hi,

I am suffering from the same issue at Capella. In a conference call with a Blackboard tech and disabilities services at the school the issue was reproduced. The problems stems from an update to the Blackboard platform in the summer of 2020. It is an issue with application layer. JAWS being a screen reader only reads text and has had an issue with application layer from the beginning of time. Blackboard, in an effort to save processing time and other network resource task reducing techniques, have placed their apps on different concurrently running layers not to be confused with levels, laying on top of each other. With JAWS being a screen reader, it cannot dig down to the appropriate layer to read or interact with the layer you want to work with properly, but yet, it will read the entire screen in totality after you interact with it good or bad. The problem is known to Blackboard, but, as screen reader users, our voice is very small in this arena; therefore, the fix/change is not forthcoming any time soon. they're also very stubborn and in denial of the issue. The problem is not them, it is us? according to them. Go figure?

-----Original Message-----
From: main@jfw.groups.io <main@jfw.groups.io> On Behalf Of Russell Solowoniuk
Sent: Sunday, January 10, 2021 10:19 AM
To: jfw@groups.io
Subject: Jaws & Discussion Board in Blackboard

Hi Everyone,

I'm working with a student who is using Jaws 2021 and is enrolled in an English course. The course is being delivered mostly online in Blackboard, version 9.1, I believe.

The issue we are having is with the Discussion Board. The students must post an introduction in the Discussion Board, and read and respond to at least 2 other student introductions.

When the student clicks on "Create Thread" to start his introduction, Jaws goes into "Application Mode. In this mode, the student can type in the Subject line, but there seems to be no way to get to the editor where the student must type in his introduction. Well, he can get to it by tabbing twice, but once there, he is not able to type anything in this editor, and there is no indication that he has entered the editor. Jaws reads "Thread: Self introduction. – ENGL-102-AS07(1) -
2021 Win..." when tabbing twice from the subject field. We can confirm that no text is being entered when typing by getting out of Applications Mode and narrowing down to where the Word count is shown, and it shows 0 words. The student is able to type his introduction in Word, copy all the text, and then paste it into the editor, but can not then read what he has pasted. We know the text has been pasted by the Word count, and once he submits his post, we are able to open it and read it with Jaws.
The same thing happens when trying to respond to another student's introduction. He is able to read the introduction, press enter on "Reply" but cannot type or even know when or if he is in the Editor.
He is able to type the response in Word, and copy and paste it into the Editor, but it seems like sometimes pressing tab twice from the subject field takes him into the editor, and sometimes he must tab 3 times, and since there is no indication that he is in the Editor, it is really hit and miss and quite frustrating.

Are there settings in Blackboard that can be changed to allow Jaws to work with the Editor in the Discussions area? Are there any Jaws settings that can be changed to make this work?

I also experience this same issue on my PC, so it's not specific to the student's computer. The problem also exists with NVDA. We are both running Windows 10 and Jaws 2021.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Russell

On Jan 10, 2021, at 12:30 PM, Don Walls <donwalls@...> wrote:

Wouldn’t this be an appropriate case to put forward in terms of acces for all users including the visually impaired? In Canada, couldn't federal or provincial agencies be approached and in the States federal or state officials?

Don


-----Original Message----- From: HH. Smith Jr.
Sent: Sunday, January 10, 2021 10:12 AM
To: main@jfw.groups.io
Subject: Re: Jaws & Discussion Board in Blackboard

Hi,

I am suffering from the same issue at Capella. In a conference call with a Blackboard tech and disabilities services at the school the issue was reproduced. The problems stems from an update to the Blackboard platform in the summer of 2020. It is an issue with application layer. JAWS being a screen reader only reads text and has had an issue with application layer from the beginning of time. Blackboard, in an effort to save processing time and other network resource task reducing techniques, have placed their apps on different concurrently running layers not to be confused with levels, laying on top of each other. With JAWS being a screen reader, it cannot dig down to the appropriate layer to read or interact with the layer you want to work with properly, but yet, it will read the entire screen in totality after you interact with it good or bad. The problem is known to Blackboard, but, as screen reader users, our voice is very small in this arena; therefore, the fix/change is not forthcoming any time soon. they're also very stubborn and in denial of the issue. The problem is not them, it is us? according to them. Go figure?

-----Original Message-----
From: main@jfw.groups.io <main@jfw.groups.io> On Behalf Of Russell Solowoniuk
Sent: Sunday, January 10, 2021 10:19 AM
To: jfw@groups.io
Subject: Jaws & Discussion Board in Blackboard

Hi Everyone,

I'm working with a student who is using Jaws 2021 and is enrolled in an English course. The course is being delivered mostly online in Blackboard, version 9.1, I believe.

The issue we are having is with the Discussion Board. The students must post an introduction in the Discussion Board, and read and respond to at least 2 other student introductions.

When the student clicks on "Create Thread" to start his introduction, Jaws goes into "Application Mode. In this mode, the student can type in the Subject line, but there seems to be no way to get to the editor where the student must type in his introduction. Well, he can get to it by tabbing twice, but once there, he is not able to type anything in this editor, and there is no indication that he has entered the editor. Jaws reads "Thread: Self introduction. – ENGL-102-AS07(1) -
2021 Win..." when tabbing twice from the subject field. We can confirm that no text is being entered when typing by getting out of Applications Mode and narrowing down to where the Word count is shown, and it shows 0 words. The student is able to type his introduction in Word, copy all the text, and then paste it into the editor, but can not then read what he has pasted. We know the text has been pasted by the Word count, and once he submits his post, we are able to open it and read it with Jaws.
The same thing happens when trying to respond to another student's introduction. He is able to read the introduction, press enter on "Reply" but cannot type or even know when or if he is in the Editor.
He is able to type the response in Word, and copy and paste it into the Editor, but it seems like sometimes pressing tab twice from the subject field takes him into the editor, and sometimes he must tab 3 times, and since there is no indication that he is in the Editor, it is really hit and miss and quite frustrating.

Are there settings in Blackboard that can be changed to allow Jaws to work with the Editor in the Discussions area? Are there any Jaws settings that can be changed to make this work?

I also experience this same issue on my PC, so it's not specific to the student's computer. The problem also exists with NVDA. We are both running Windows 10 and Jaws 2021.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Russell

On Jan 10, 2021, at 11:12 AM, HH. Smith Jr. <josham129@...> wrote:

Hi,

I am suffering from the same issue at Capella. In a conference call with a Blackboard tech and disabilities services at the school the issue was reproduced. The problems stems from an update to the Blackboard platform in the summer of 2020. It is an issue with application layer. JAWS being a screen reader only reads text and has had an issue with application layer from the beginning of time. Blackboard, in an effort to save processing time and other network resource task reducing techniques, have placed their apps on different concurrently running layers not to be confused with levels, laying on top of each other. With JAWS being a screen reader, it cannot dig down to the appropriate layer to read or interact with the layer you want to work with properly, but yet, it will read the entire screen in totality after you interact with it good or bad. The problem is known to Blackboard, but, as screen reader users, our voice is very small in this arena; therefore, the fix/change is not forthcoming any time soon. they're also very stubborn and in denial of the issue. The problem is not them, it is us? according to them. Go figure?

-----Original Message-----
From: main@jfw.groups.io <main@jfw.groups.io> On Behalf Of Russell Solowoniuk
Sent: Sunday, January 10, 2021 10:19 AM
To: jfw@groups.io
Subject: Jaws & Discussion Board in Blackboard

Hi Everyone,

I'm working with a student who is using Jaws 2021 and is enrolled in an English course. The course is being delivered mostly online in Blackboard, version 9.1, I believe.

The issue we are having is with the Discussion Board. The students must post an introduction in the Discussion Board, and read and respond to at least 2 other student introductions.

When the student clicks on "Create Thread" to start his introduction, Jaws goes into "Application Mode. In this mode, the student can type in the Subject line, but there seems to be no way to get to the editor where the student must type in his introduction. Well, he can get to it by tabbing twice, but once there, he is not able to type anything in this editor, and there is no indication that he has entered the editor. Jaws reads "Thread: Self introduction. – ENGL-102-AS07(1) -
2021 Win..." when tabbing twice from the subject field. We can confirm that no text is being entered when typing by getting out of Applications Mode and narrowing down to where the Word count is shown, and it shows 0 words. The student is able to type his introduction in Word, copy all the text, and then paste it into the editor, but can not then read what he has pasted. We know the text has been pasted by the Word count, and once he submits his post, we are able to open it and read it with Jaws.
The same thing happens when trying to respond to another student's introduction. He is able to read the introduction, press enter on "Reply" but cannot type or even know when or if he is in the Editor.
He is able to type the response in Word, and copy and paste it into the Editor, but it seems like sometimes pressing tab twice from the subject field takes him into the editor, and sometimes he must tab 3 times, and since there is no indication that he is in the Editor, it is really hit and miss and quite frustrating.

Are there settings in Blackboard that can be changed to allow Jaws to work with the Editor in the Discussions area? Are there any Jaws settings that can be changed to make this work?

I also experience this same issue on my PC, so it's not specific to the student's computer. The problem also exists with NVDA. We are both running Windows 10 and Jaws 2021.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Russell

On Jan 10, 2021, at 10:27 AM, Jessica D <jldail13@...> wrote:

Hi Russell,

This may sound like a crazy question, but have you tried with Narrator? What about using the chromium version of edge?

Just some thoughts.

Thanks,

Jessica

Get Outlook for iOS

---

From: main@jfw.groups.io <main@jfw.groups.io> on behalf of Russell Solowoniuk <rsolowoniuk@...>
Sent: Sunday, January 10, 2021 10:18:58 AM
To: jfw@groups.io <jfw@groups.io>
Subject: Jaws & Discussion Board in Blackboard

 

Hi Everyone,

I'm working with a student who is using Jaws 2021 and is enrolled in
an English course. The course is being delivered mostly online in
Blackboard, version 9.1, I believe.

The issue we are having is with the Discussion Board. The students
must post an introduction in the Discussion Board, and read and
respond to at least 2 other student introductions.

When the student clicks on "Create Thread" to start his introduction,
Jaws goes into "Application Mode. In this mode, the student can type
in the Subject line, but there seems to be no way to get to the editor
where the student must type in his introduction. Well, he can get to
it by tabbing twice, but once there, he is not able to type anything
in this editor, and there is no indication that he has entered the
editor. Jaws reads "Thread: Self introduction. – ENGL-102-AS07(1) -
2021 Win..." when tabbing twice from the subject field. We can confirm
that no text is being entered when typing by getting out of
Applications Mode and narrowing down to where the Word count is shown,
and it shows 0 words. The student is able to type his introduction in
Word, copy all the text, and then paste it into the editor, but can
not then read what he has pasted. We know the text has been pasted by
the Word count, and once he submits his post, we are able to open it
and read it with Jaws.
The same thing happens when trying to respond to another student's
introduction. He is able to read the introduction, press enter on
"Reply" but cannot type or even know when or if he is in the Editor.
He is able to type the response in Word, and copy and paste it into
the Editor, but it seems like sometimes pressing tab twice from the
subject field takes him into the editor, and sometimes he must tab 3
times, and since there is no indication that he is in the Editor, it
is really hit and miss and quite frustrating.

Are there settings in Blackboard that can be changed to allow Jaws to
work with the Editor in the Discussions area? Are there any Jaws
settings that can be changed to make this work?

I also experience this same issue on my PC, so it's not specific to
the student's computer. The problem also exists with NVDA. We are both
running Windows 10 and Jaws 2021.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Russell

On Jan 13, 2021, at 9:37 PM, Russell Solowoniuk <rsolowoniuk@...> wrote:

Hi Ashleigh,

Thank you for your response. You are right. We tried fire fox, and the discussion board works great with it. The only trouble is, with fire fox, we aren’t able to upload a word document to submit an assignment. The window to select the file to attach isn’t accessible in Firefox. Luckily it does work in chrome, so we just have to keep switching browsers.

Thanks again,

Russell

On Jan 13, 2021, at 6:05 AM, Ashleigh Piccinino <apiccinino@...> wrote:

You might want to look at the help topics on Blackboard about using JAWS. They say to have forms mode turned to manual, but even that doesn’t work all the time. I to am a frustrated Blackboard user/student who uses JAWS. I’ve dealt with this many times, so try Firefox for your browser. It seems to work the best out of all the browsers used.

On Jan 10, 2021, at 9:19 AM, Russell Solowoniuk <rsolowoniuk@...> wrote:

Hi Everyone,

I'm working with a student who is using Jaws 2021 and is enrolled in
an English course. The course is being delivered mostly online in
Blackboard, version 9.1, I believe.

The issue we are having is with the Discussion Board. The students
must post an introduction in the Discussion Board, and read and
respond to at least 2 other student introductions.

When the student clicks on "Create Thread" to start his introduction,
Jaws goes into "Application Mode. In this mode, the student can type
in the Subject line, but there seems to be no way to get to the editor
where the student must type in his introduction. Well, he can get to
it by tabbing twice, but once there, he is not able to type anything
in this editor, and there is no indication that he has entered the
editor. Jaws reads "Thread: Self introduction. – ENGL-102-AS07(1) -
2021 Win..." when tabbing twice from the subject field. We can confirm
that no text is being entered when typing by getting out of
Applications Mode and narrowing down to where the Word count is shown,
and it shows 0 words. The student is able to type his introduction in
Word, copy all the text, and then paste it into the editor, but can
not then read what he has pasted. We know the text has been pasted by
the Word count, and once he submits his post, we are able to open it
and read it with Jaws.
The same thing happens when trying to respond to another student's
introduction. He is able to read the introduction, press enter on
"Reply" but cannot type or even know when or if he is in the Editor.
He is able to type the response in Word, and copy and paste it into
the Editor, but it seems like sometimes pressing tab twice from the
subject field takes him into the editor, and sometimes he must tab 3
times, and since there is no indication that he is in the Editor, it
is really hit and miss and quite frustrating.

Are there settings in Blackboard that can be changed to allow Jaws to
work with the Editor in the Discussions area? Are there any Jaws
settings that can be changed to make this work?

I also experience this same issue on my PC, so it's not specific to
the student's computer. The problem also exists with NVDA. We are both
running Windows 10 and Jaws 2021.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Russell

On Jan 13, 2021, at 7:52 PM, Justin Williams <justin.williams2@...> wrote:

I used firefox when I was in school also.

Try that.




-----Original Message-----
From: main@jfw.groups.io [mailto:main@jfw.groups.io] On Behalf Of Ashleigh Piccinino
Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2021 8:05 AM
To: main@jfw.groups.io
Subject: Re: Jaws & Discussion Board in Blackboard

You might want to look at the help topics on Blackboard about using JAWS. They say to have forms mode turned to manual, but even that doesn’t work all the time. I to am a frustrated Blackboard user/student who uses JAWS. I’ve dealt with this many times, so try Firefox for your browser. It seems to work the best out of all the browsers used.

On Jan 10, 2021, at 9:19 AM, Russell Solowoniuk <rsolowoniuk@...> wrote:

Hi Everyone,

I'm working with a student who is using Jaws 2021 and is enrolled in
an English course. The course is being delivered mostly online in
Blackboard, version 9.1, I believe.

The issue we are having is with the Discussion Board. The students
must post an introduction in the Discussion Board, and read and
respond to at least 2 other student introductions.

When the student clicks on "Create Thread" to start his introduction,
Jaws goes into "Application Mode. In this mode, the student can type
in the Subject line, but there seems to be no way to get to the editor
where the student must type in his introduction. Well, he can get to
it by tabbing twice, but once there, he is not able to type anything
in this editor, and there is no indication that he has entered the
editor. Jaws reads "Thread: Self introduction. – ENGL-102-AS07(1) -
2021 Win..." when tabbing twice from the subject field. We can confirm
that no text is being entered when typing by getting out of
Applications Mode and narrowing down to where the Word count is shown,
and it shows 0 words. The student is able to type his introduction in
Word, copy all the text, and then paste it into the editor, but can
not then read what he has pasted. We know the text has been pasted by
the Word count, and once he submits his post, we are able to open it
and read it with Jaws.
The same thing happens when trying to respond to another student's
introduction. He is able to read the introduction, press enter on
"Reply" but cannot type or even know when or if he is in the Editor.
He is able to type the response in Word, and copy and paste it into
the Editor, but it seems like sometimes pressing tab twice from the
subject field takes him into the editor, and sometimes he must tab 3
times, and since there is no indication that he is in the Editor, it
is really hit and miss and quite frustrating.

Are there settings in Blackboard that can be changed to allow Jaws to
work with the Editor in the Discussions area? Are there any Jaws
settings that can be changed to make this work?

I also experience this same issue on my PC, so it's not specific to
the student's computer. The problem also exists with NVDA. We are both
running Windows 10 and Jaws 2021.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Russell

On Jan 13, 2021, at 6:05 AM, Ashleigh Piccinino <apiccinino@...> wrote:

You might want to look at the help topics on Blackboard about using JAWS. They say to have forms mode turned to manual, but even that doesn’t work all the time. I to am a frustrated Blackboard user/student who uses JAWS. I’ve dealt with this many times, so try Firefox for your browser. It seems to work the best out of all the browsers used.

On Jan 10, 2021, at 9:19 AM, Russell Solowoniuk <rsolowoniuk@...> wrote:

Hi Everyone,

I'm working with a student who is using Jaws 2021 and is enrolled in
an English course. The course is being delivered mostly online in
Blackboard, version 9.1, I believe.

The issue we are having is with the Discussion Board. The students
must post an introduction in the Discussion Board, and read and
respond to at least 2 other student introductions.

When the student clicks on "Create Thread" to start his introduction,
Jaws goes into "Application Mode. In this mode, the student can type
in the Subject line, but there seems to be no way to get to the editor
where the student must type in his introduction. Well, he can get to
it by tabbing twice, but once there, he is not able to type anything
in this editor, and there is no indication that he has entered the
editor. Jaws reads "Thread: Self introduction. – ENGL-102-AS07(1) -
2021 Win..." when tabbing twice from the subject field. We can confirm
that no text is being entered when typing by getting out of
Applications Mode and narrowing down to where the Word count is shown,
and it shows 0 words. The student is able to type his introduction in
Word, copy all the text, and then paste it into the editor, but can
not then read what he has pasted. We know the text has been pasted by
the Word count, and once he submits his post, we are able to open it
and read it with Jaws.
The same thing happens when trying to respond to another student's
introduction. He is able to read the introduction, press enter on
"Reply" but cannot type or even know when or if he is in the Editor.
He is able to type the response in Word, and copy and paste it into
the Editor, but it seems like sometimes pressing tab twice from the
subject field takes him into the editor, and sometimes he must tab 3
times, and since there is no indication that he is in the Editor, it
is really hit and miss and quite frustrating.

Are there settings in Blackboard that can be changed to allow Jaws to
work with the Editor in the Discussions area? Are there any Jaws
settings that can be changed to make this work?

I also experience this same issue on my PC, so it's not specific to
the student's computer. The problem also exists with NVDA. We are both
running Windows 10 and Jaws 2021.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Russell

On Jan 10, 2021, at 9:19 AM, Russell Solowoniuk <rsolowoniuk@...> wrote:

Hi Everyone,

I'm working with a student who is using Jaws 2021 and is enrolled in
an English course. The course is being delivered mostly online in
Blackboard, version 9.1, I believe.

The issue we are having is with the Discussion Board. The students
must post an introduction in the Discussion Board, and read and
respond to at least 2 other student introductions.

When the student clicks on "Create Thread" to start his introduction,
Jaws goes into "Application Mode. In this mode, the student can type
in the Subject line, but there seems to be no way to get to the editor
where the student must type in his introduction. Well, he can get to
it by tabbing twice, but once there, he is not able to type anything
in this editor, and there is no indication that he has entered the
editor. Jaws reads "Thread: Self introduction. – ENGL-102-AS07(1) -
2021 Win..." when tabbing twice from the subject field. We can confirm
that no text is being entered when typing by getting out of
Applications Mode and narrowing down to where the Word count is shown,
and it shows 0 words. The student is able to type his introduction in
Word, copy all the text, and then paste it into the editor, but can
not then read what he has pasted. We know the text has been pasted by
the Word count, and once he submits his post, we are able to open it
and read it with Jaws.
The same thing happens when trying to respond to another student's
introduction. He is able to read the introduction, press enter on
"Reply" but cannot type or even know when or if he is in the Editor.
He is able to type the response in Word, and copy and paste it into
the Editor, but it seems like sometimes pressing tab twice from the
subject field takes him into the editor, and sometimes he must tab 3
times, and since there is no indication that he is in the Editor, it
is really hit and miss and quite frustrating.

Are there settings in Blackboard that can be changed to allow Jaws to
work with the Editor in the Discussions area? Are there any Jaws
settings that can be changed to make this work?

I also experience this same issue on my PC, so it's not specific to
the student's computer. The problem also exists with NVDA. We are both
running Windows 10 and Jaws 2021.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Russell

On Jan 10, 2021, at 9:19 AM, Russell Solowoniuk <rsolowoniuk@...> wrote:

Hi Everyone,

I'm working with a student who is using Jaws 2021 and is enrolled in
an English course. The course is being delivered mostly online in
Blackboard, version 9.1, I believe.

The issue we are having is with the Discussion Board. The students
must post an introduction in the Discussion Board, and read and
respond to at least 2 other student introductions.

When the student clicks on "Create Thread" to start his introduction,
Jaws goes into "Application Mode. In this mode, the student can type
in the Subject line, but there seems to be no way to get to the editor
where the student must type in his introduction. Well, he can get to
it by tabbing twice, but once there, he is not able to type anything
in this editor, and there is no indication that he has entered the
editor. Jaws reads "Thread: Self introduction. – ENGL-102-AS07(1) -
2021 Win..." when tabbing twice from the subject field. We can confirm
that no text is being entered when typing by getting out of
Applications Mode and narrowing down to where the Word count is shown,
and it shows 0 words. The student is able to type his introduction in
Word, copy all the text, and then paste it into the editor, but can
not then read what he has pasted. We know the text has been pasted by
the Word count, and once he submits his post, we are able to open it
and read it with Jaws.
The same thing happens when trying to respond to another student's
introduction. He is able to read the introduction, press enter on
"Reply" but cannot type or even know when or if he is in the Editor.
He is able to type the response in Word, and copy and paste it into
the Editor, but it seems like sometimes pressing tab twice from the
subject field takes him into the editor, and sometimes he must tab 3
times, and since there is no indication that he is in the Editor, it
is really hit and miss and quite frustrating.

Are there settings in Blackboard that can be changed to allow Jaws to
work with the Editor in the Discussions area? Are there any Jaws
settings that can be changed to make this work?

I also experience this same issue on my PC, so it's not specific to
the student's computer. The problem also exists with NVDA. We are both
running Windows 10 and Jaws 2021.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Russell

On Jan 10, 2021, at 12:54 PM, Mark <mweiler@...> wrote:

Russell, without having access to the specific environment, I can't offer a specific response to your question. What I can offer is a link to the reading material about application regions. It's the application section in the Accessible Rich Internet Application specification.  There is a link in that section on Managing Focus, and I wonder if that might explain the behaviour?   If others have more reliable documentation, it would be appreciated if it can be shared so we can clear these sorts of barriers (I'm puzzling over application mode in the reference manager, Zotero web library).