Up until version 4.5 VMware View Administrator was accessible to Blind administrators using Jaws for Windows. Unfortunately at version 4.5 they introduced some kind of flash control on the page and focus will not leave it. It is now impossible to access any of the tables or other elements of the pages in this interface. This is a major pity. With some work on the part of screen reader users all of the VMware tools and utilities were reasonably accessible with the exception of the VMware P2V standalone client. With the inaccessibility of VMware View this entire platform becomes completely unusable for blind administrators. Considering the legal requirements for government departments in the US to only use accessible software I wonder if VMware ESX would become a usable platform. I certainly hope this is the case however I doubt I’m right for some reason. I seriously believe that all companies who do not make accessible software should be firmly penalised.
I have submitted a support request in relation to this. Either way I should hear something back from them. I would hope to have an update in relation to this by tomorrow.
What people don’t realise is with every application that becomes inaccessible I have one more thing that I can’t do. How am I meant to administer VMware View and the large infrastructure we have based on this virtual platform when I no longer have access to the administrative interface? If I can’t do my job should I be kept in employment? Of course not! Of course, as always I’ll fight and I’ll protest with the company who have made this change but it rarely makes a difference. Yet again I will need to find something else to do to ensure I take an equal share of the responsibility while hoping someone is nice enough to take this particular task off me.
I shouldn’t have to do this. Companies should take responsibility for the user interfaces they create. If this flash control was created properly and due consideration was given to keyboard focus I would not be in this situation yet again.
Please do not see this as a rant. See it as a warning. A warning that if more people do not speak up over the lack of access in enterprise applications then you will effectively help in creating a cealing for blind people working in the IT industry as they simply will not be able to progress above a certain point as the applications they require will be inaccessible. What’s the point in working if you have nothing to strive to? If you’re sighted put yourself in my shoes. What if you use Microsoft word every day and Microsoft released an update that meant that you could only see a very small bit of the screen when in Microsoft word. How could you work when you only had access to a tiny part of the application? I know. That’s highly unlikely but you see where I’m coming from hopefully.
Thanks for letting us know about this, keep us posted if you hear anything back!