![]() This problem occurred with both screen readers. There seemed no pattern to the times when pressing the Alt key would put the focus on the menu bar and when it would do nothing. However, access to the menu bar was inconsistent. This was most likely a JFW problem, since Window-Eyes had no trouble. General Application Accessibility Application Tools: Menus, Error Messages, and Controlsīoth screen readers were successful at reading the actual TaxACT menus, but the items on the menu bar were spoken only by Window-Eyes. The log-in link was not given a text label, although the file name connected with the link-"s_TaxACT/login"-was understandable. The TaxACT Download was basically accessible. Users of up-to-date versions of JFW should read the comments carefully because the ratings for that program are often lower than the actual performance they can expect. The ratings reflect the accessibility of the tax software, not the availability of an old configuration file for one of the programs. Some instructions for renaming these files are available upon request. But by renaming the JFW TaxACT 99 files to TaxACT01, the program was much more accessible using JFW. As a result, Window-Eyes worked a little better with no configuration files. Performance varied significantly because of one factor: JFW comes with a script (configuration file) written for an earlier version of TaxACT. This review is applicable to users of all screen readers, since the access issues were fairly consistent, regardless of the screen reader that was used. Poor access made some features cumbersome and others not worth using at all. In Product Ratings at the end of this article, an overall rating is given that is not the sum of the ratings for each factor but, rather, a reflection of the program's overall accessibility. Some were divided into subcategories to represent dramatic differences in the accessibility of two parts of the same feature. The following features were examined: installation and setup general application accessibility (using standard Windows keystrokes or, at least, the mouse pointer) the application tools: menus, error messages, and controls the application window (Is it displaying informational content, program instructions, and so forth?) filling out forms program help and tax advice. ![]() Although some screen-reader configuration was helpful, in most cases, the configuration necessary was beyond the average user. To use either tax program, you must know your screen reader, including its mouse-movement commands. JAWS for Windows (JFW) 3.7 and Window-Eyes 4.1 were used for the review. The computer's display was set to 256 colors, 800 x 600 resolution, and the display color scheme was set to Windows Standard. The state tax forms were not available at the time of this review, but both packages promise direct importing of information into state forms, and there is no reason to expect accessibility to differ from program to program.Ī 300 MHz Pentium laptop computer with 128 MB of RAM running Windows 98 was used. Versions for preparing 2001 federal taxes were not finalized at the time of the review, but both promised no real interface changes. This article reviews the accessibility of two commercial tax preparation packages: 2nd Story Software's TaxACT Deluxe and Intuit's Quicken TurboTax Deluxe. Tax software holds the promise for blind taxpayers of independently calculating deductions, deciding whether to itemize, deciding whether to file jointly with your spouse or separately, and much more.
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