On Thu, May 28, 2015 at 2:58 AM, Ilario Valdelli <valdelli(a)gmail.com> wrote:
[...]
The first lesson learned is that blind (or almost blind) people use always
a software of speech synthesis with a speed that makes the audio
almost unintelligible
for not experienced people. The operating system provides several tools for
that including mobile OS.
The second lesson is that this software of speech synthesis is crucial for
them and they would set and control it. So forget the normal speed of audio
that everyone of us is experienced to use.
I asked if anyone could point me to examples of "how fast do screenreaders
actually read", a few months ago.[1] The best examples I could find at the
time, are here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izrC4R7SsH4#t=1561s
and here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92pM6hJG6Wo
Searching a few days ago, I learned that the average speed that experienced
users generally use is 250-400 wpm, and that the default settings are
around 180wpm.
(Note: Users seem to typically talk about the speed they use in terms of x%
of maximum, rather than wpm, e.g. "I've got 63% with rate boost, and
rising. I used to think 75% with JAWS was fast, but not anymore. I'm just
turning it 1% faster every couple days, and I'm doing it because I can."
[2])
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Words_per_minute#Speech_and_listening says
English language audio books are generally at 140-160 wpm.
[1]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_talk:Manual_of_Style/Accessibility/…
[2]
http://forum.audiogames.net/viewtopic.php?id=10649
No one knew that I am from a Wikimedia chapter except the organizers and I
did several questions about Wikipedia because (I did
not know it) it was
presented as "good" example of website for speech synthesis.
I believe this is partially through the long-term efforts of: our
developers who have an understanding of accessibility issues, and our few
blind editors and many sight-impaired editors who give regular feedback and
bugreports.[3] Immense kudos to all of them.
[3]
https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/tag/accessibility/
(Sidenote: I compiled a list of all the related pages I could find, at
https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Accessibility_and_usability_cleanup
Anyone's additions to that listing, or notes/improvements/merge-efforts at
the linked pages over the longterm, would be greatly appreciated. :)
Quiddity