Screen reader users / visually impaired players?

[lazerwalker]

I’m working on a new OGS client (not meant to be a promo, but Tenuki: a new iOS OGS client ), and I’m starting to think about what it would mean to better serve blind and visually impaired players.

I already understand best practices around generally making software accessible to screen readers (and I’m already hard at work on supporting iOS-level dynamic text sizing for folks with visual impairments who still have some sight). I imagine the main Go-specific input mechanism needed is supporting plaintext input for typing moves as coordinates (as OGS does), but I’m mostly curious what a maximally-accessible audio interface to ‘reading’ the goban itself would be, as a game-specific problem.

In addition to reading out individual moves as your opponent makes them, do you want the ability to have the whole move history read out to you (and if so, would that include captured stones as well, or just placements)? A line-by-line reading of each stone that’s currently on the board? A different audio format entirely? I imagine requirements may also be somewhat different for live games vs correspondence, since in correspondence games you’re less likely to already have the whole boardstate in your head.

Are there existing tools people use for this? I see GitHub - blamarche/VoiceGoban: A voice command tool to play go (board game) on any windows go server. is a thing, but it seems much more focused on input than output, despite the option to read out moves as they come in.

Generally curious for any thoughts people have for whom this is directly relevant — I know what you think would be helpful is far more impactful than me as a random sighted person.

[lazerwalker]

Ironically, I had difficulty pulling up anything in forum history via official search, but some useful threads I ended up finding via reddit:

Development for the visually impaired person

@benjito I wonder to what extent one could already modify Termsuji the terminal one, to have a basic thing connect to OGS, have some ascii version of the board available (it has it right?) and then add some other bits and pieces of functionality on top? Thinking of the comment Please add an ASCII or a table representation of Goban for blind people. We need also to interact with keyboard only. from and this Termsuji: Play Go in your terminal (if you really want to)

OGS Voice-Based Input

Hi all, I recently released an OGS client that uses voice-based move input. You can try it at ogs-voice-client.surge.sh. It’s very niche, but I thought you all would find it interesting. I use it to play Go on my living room TV while sitting on the couch

Blind people can't play

The GH issue has by far the most detailed technical info, to the point that (while I’d absolutely love to hear more opinions if people have them!) I’m also more than satisfied that gives me most of what I need.

[benjito]

@lazerwalker

The GH issue has by far the most detailed technical info, to the point that (while I’d absolutely love to hear more opinions if people have them!) I’m also more than satisfied that gives me most of what I need.

Was just about to share this one! I am not visually impaired myself, but I thought Kujiu’s ideas of keyboard navigation and making the color/position screen-readable were well thought out.