MATLAB®

Accessibility

Software Accessibility Support

MathWorks™ products includes a number of modifications to make them more accessible to all users. Software accessibility support for blind and visually impaired users includes:

• Support for screen readers and screen magnifiers, as described in Assistive Technologies

• Command-line alternatives for most graphical user interface (GUI) options

• Keyboard access to GUI components

• A clear indication of the current cursor focus

• Information available to assistive technologies about user interface elements, including the identity, operation, and state of the element

• Nonreliance on color coding as the sole means of conveying information about working with a GUI

• Noninterference with user-selected contrast and color selections and other individual display attributes, as well as noninterference for other operating system-level accessibility features

• Consistent meaning for bitmapped images used in GUIs

• HTML documentation that is accessible to screen readers

Keyboard access to the user interface includes support for "sticky keys," which allow you to press key combinations (such as Ctrl+C) sequentially rather than simultaneously.

Except for scopes and real-time data acquisition, the MathWorks software does not use flashing or blinking text, objects, or other elements having a flash or blink frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz.

The MathWorks believes that its products do not rely on auditory cues as the sole means of conveying information about working with a GUI. However, if you do encounter any issues in this regard, please report them to the MathWorks Technical Support group.

http://www.mathworks.com/contact_TS.html 

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Documentation Accessibility Support

Documentation is available in HTML format for all MathWorks products in this release.

Accessing the Documentation

To access the documentation with a screen reader, go to the documentation area on the MathWorks Web site at

http://www.mathworks.com/access/helpdesk/help/helpdesk.html

Navigating the Documentation

Note that the first page that opens lists the products. To get the documentation for a specific product, click the link for that product.

The table of contents is in a separate frame. You can use a document's table of contents to navigate through the sections of that document.

Because you will be using a general Web browser, you will not be able to use the search feature included in the MATLAB^® Help browser. You will have access to an index for the specific document you are using. The cross-product index of the MATLAB Help browser is not available when you are using a general Web browser.

Products

The documentation for all products is in HTML and can be read with a screen reader. However, for most products, most equations and most graphics are not accessible.

The following product documentation has been modified (as described below) to enhance its accessibility for people using a screen reader such as the JAWS^® application software from Freedom Scientific BLV Group:

• MATLAB (many sections, but not the function reference pages (however, M-file help is accessible))

• Spreadsheet Link™ EX

• Optimization Toolbox™

• Signal Processing Toolbox™

• Statistics Toolbox™

Documentation Modifications

Modifications to the documentation include the following:

• Describing illustrations in text (either directly or via links)

• Providing text to describe the content of tables (as necessary)

• Restructuring information in tables to be easily understood when a screen reader is used

• Providing text links in addition to any image mapped links

Equations

Equations that are integrated in paragraphs are generally explained in words. However, most complex equations that are represented as graphics are not currently explained with alternative text.

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Assistive Technologies

Note   To take advantage of accessibility support features, you must use MathWorks products on a Microsoft® Windows® platform.

Tested Assistive Technologies

The MathWorks has tested the following assistive technologies:

• The JAWS screen reader application software 5.0, 6.0, and 7.0 for Windows platforms from Freedom Scientific

• Built-in accessibility aids from Microsoft, including the Magnifier and "sticky keys"

Use of Other Assistive Technologies

Although The MathWorks has not tested other assistive technologies, such as other screen readers or ZoomText^® Xtra screen magnifier from Ai Squared, The MathWorks believes that most of the accessibility support built into its products should work with most assistive technologies that are generally similar to the ones tested.

If you use other assistive technologies than the ones tested, The MathWorks is very interested in hearing from you about your experiences.

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Installation Notes for Accessibility Support

Note   If you are not using a screen reader such as the JAWS application software , you can skip this section.

This section describes the installation process for setting up your MATLAB environment to work effectively with the JAWS software.

Use the regular MATLAB installation script to install the products for which you are licensed. The installation script has been modified to improve its accessibility for all users.

Note   Java™ Access Bridge 2.0 software from Sun Microsystems™ is installed automatically when you install MATLAB.

After you complete the product installation, there are some additional steps you need to perform to ensure the JAWS software works effectively with MathWorks products.

Setting Up JAWS^® Software

Make sure that the JAWS application software is installed on your machine. If it is, there is probably a shortcut to it on the Windows desktop.

Setting up JAWS software involves these tasks:

1. Add the Access Bridge to your Windows path (for networked installations only).

2. Create the accessibility.properties file.

These tasks are described in more detail below.

(For Networked Installations Only) Add Java™ Access Bridge Software to Your Path.   If you are running MATLAB in a networked installation environment (that is, if the MATLAB Installer was not run on your machine), you need to take the following steps to add Java Access Bridge to your Windows path.

Note   This procedure assumes the Start button in your Windows preferences is set to Classic mode. To set Classic mode, from the Start button, select Settings. Next select Task Bar and Menu. Then select the Start Menu tab and make sure the Classic Start Menu option is enabled. Click OK and you are done.

1. From the Start button, select Settings, next select Control Panel. Scroll down and click the System icon to display the System Properties dialog box.

2. In the System Properties dialog box, select the Advanced tab.

3. Click Environment Variables.

4. Under System variables, select the Path option.

5. Click the Edit button.

6. To the start of the Path environment variable, add the directory that contains matlab.exe; for example:

   C:\matlab\bin\win32;

   Be sure to include that semicolon between the end of this directory name and the text that was already there.

7. Click OK three times.

8. If the JAWS software is already running, exit and restart.

   Note   The JAWS software must be started with these path changes in effect to work properly with MATLAB.

Create the accessibility.properties File.  

1. Create a text file that contains the following two lines:

   screen_magnifier_present=true
   assistive_technologies=com.sun.java.accessibility.AccessBridge
   

2. Use the filename accessibility.properties.

3. Move the accessibility.properties file into

   matlabroot\sys\java\jre\win32\jre1.5.0_07\lib\

Pronunciation Dictionary for the JAWS^® Software.   As a convenience, The MathWorks provides a pronunciation dictionary for the JAWS application software. This dictionary is in a file called MATLAB.jdf.

During installation, the file is copied to your system under the root directory for MATLAB at sys\Jaws\matlab.jdf.

To use the dictionary, you must copy it to the \SETTINGS\ENU folder located beneath the root installation directory for the JAWS software.

You need to restart the JAWS software and MATLAB for the settings to take effect.

Testing

After you install the JAWS software and set up your environment as described above, you should test to ensure the JAWS software is working properly:

1. Start the JAWS software.

2. Start MATLAB.

The JAWS software should start talking to you as you select menu items and work with the user interface for MATLAB in other ways.

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Troubleshooting

This section identifies workarounds for some possible issues you may encounter related to accessibility support in MathWorks products.

JAWS^® Software Does Not Detect When Installation of the MATLAB^® Software Has Started

When you select setup.exe, the Windows copying dialog box opens and you are informed. After the files have been copied, the installation splash screen opens, and then the installer starts. However, the JAWS software does not inform you that the installer has begun: the installer either starts up below other windows or applications or it is minimized. Since the installer is not an active item, nothing is read.

Therefore, check the Windows applications bar for the installer. After you go to the installer, you can use the JAWS software to perform the installation.

JAWS^® Software Stops Speaking

When many desktop components are open, the JAWS software sometimes stops speaking for MATLAB.

If this happens, close most of the desktop components, exit MATLAB, and restart.

Command Output Not Read

In the MATLAB Command Window, the JAWS software does not automatically read the results of commands.

To read command output, first select File > Preferences > Command Window, select the option Use arrow keys for navigation instead of command history recall, and click OK. Then, in the Command Window, press the arrow keys to move to the command output and use keystrokes for the JAWS software to read the output.

With this preference set, you cannot use arrow keys to recall previous commands. Instead use the following key bindings:

• Key bindings for Windows platforms:

  • Previous history: Ctrl+up arrow

  • Next history: Ctrl+down arrow

• Emacs key bindings:

  • Previous history: Ctrl+p

  • Next history: Ctrl+n

To return to using the up and down arrow keys to recall previous commands, clear the preference.

Some GUI Menus Are Treated as Check Boxes

For some GUIs (for example, the figure window), menus are treated by the JAWS software as though they are check boxes, whether or not they actually are.

You can choose a menu item for such GUIs by using accelerator keys (e.g., Ctrl+N to select New Figure), if one is associated with a menu item. You can also use mnemonics for menu navigation (e.g., Alt+E).

Note that check boxes that you encounter by tabbing through the elements of a GUI are handled properly.

Text Ignored in Some GUIs

For some dialog boxes, the JAWS software reads the dialog box title and any buttons, but ignores any text in the dialog box.

Also, in parts of some GUIs, such as some text-entry fields, the JAWS software ignores the label of the field. However, the JAWS software will read any text in the text box.

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Toolbars Preferences for the MATLAB® Desktop and Editor

Internationalization