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<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en"> <head><script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/bundle-playback.js?v=HxkREWBo" charset="utf-8"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/wombat.js?v=txqj7nKC" charset="utf-8"></script> <script>window.RufflePlayer=window.RufflePlayer||{};window.RufflePlayer.config={"autoplay":"on","unmuteOverlay":"hidden"};</script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/ruffle/ruffle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> __wm.init("https://web.archive.org/web"); __wm.wombat("https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Accessibility/Conceptual/AccessibilityMacOSX/OSXAXIntro/OSXAXintro.html","20130421131926","https://web.archive.org/","web","/_static/", "1366550366"); </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/banner-styles.css?v=S1zqJCYt" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/iconochive.css?v=3PDvdIFv" />  <title>Accessibility Overview for OS X: Introduction to Accessibility Overview for OS X</title> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=7"> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8"> <meta id="book-resource-type" name="book-resource-type" content="Guide"> <script>String.prototype.cleanUpURL=function(){var c,b="",a=this;if(this.match("#")){b="#"+this.split("#")[1];a=this.split("#")[0]}a=a.replace(/\/\.\/|([^:])\/\//g,"$1/");if(a==="./"){return""+b}while(a!==c){c=a;a=a.replace(/[\/][^\/]+\/+\.\.\//,"/")}a=a.replace(/^.[^\/]+\/+\.\.\//,"");return a+b};(function(){var a="../../../../../";var c=window.location.pathname;var b=(c.slice(0,c.lastIndexOf("/"))+"/"+a).cleanUpURL();if(top.location.href==window.location.href){if("createTouch" in document){if(document.getElementById("book-resource-type").content!=="Standalone"){switch(navigator.platform){case"iPad":window.location.replace(a+"ipad/#"+c.replace(b,"")+window.location.hash);break;case"iPhone":break}}}else{window.location.replace(a+(window.location.protocol=="file:"?"index.html":"")+"#"+c.replace(b,"").cleanUpURL()+window.location.hash)}}})();</script> <meta scheme="apple_ref" id="identifier" name="identifier" content="//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40001078"> <meta id="document-version" name="document-version" content="3.2.0"> <meta id="build" name="build" content="d80e4893ed790679b5881d8d12f986e4"> <meta id="chapterId" name="chapterId" content="TP40001078-CH205"> <meta id="date" name="date" content="2012-07-23"> <meta id="description" name="description" content="Explains how to use the accessibility features built into OS X."> <meta id="book-title" name="book-title" content="Accessibility Overview for OS X"> <meta id="book-root" name="book-root" content="../"> <meta id="book-json" name="book-json" content="../book.json"> <meta id="book-assignments" name="book-assignments" content="{Type/Guide}, {Topic/User Experience/Accessibility}"> <meta name="pdf" contents="../AccessibilityMacOSX.pdf"/><link id="book-pdf" media="print" rel="alternate" type="application/pdf" href="/web/20130421131926/https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Accessibility/Conceptual/AccessibilityMacOSX/AccessibilityMacOSX.pdf"/> <meta id="generator" name="generator" content="Gutenberg 30934"> <meta name="numbat" content="aa879094b666337fdcde744b62fbff30"> <meta id="copyright" name="copyright" content="Copyright 2013 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved."> <meta name="viewport" content="width = device-width"> <meta id="xcode-display" name="xcode-display" content="render"> <meta id="IndexTitle" name="IndexTitle" content="Introduction to Accessibility Overview for OS X"> <meta id="resources-uri" name="resources-uri" content="../../../../../Resources/709"> <link id="book-index-page" rel="Start" title="Accessibility Overview for OS X" type="text/html" href="../index.html"> <link id="next-page" rel="Next" type="text/html" href="/web/20130421131926/https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Accessibility/Conceptual/AccessibilityMacOSX/OSXAXWhy/OSXAXwhy.html"> <link id="previous-page" rel="Prev" type="text/html" href=""> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/web/20130421131926cs_/https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/Resources/709/CSS/ac_media.css" charset="utf-8"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/web/20130421131926cs_/https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/Resources/709/CSS/devpubs.css" charset="utf-8"> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/web/20130421131926cs_/https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/Resources/709/CSS/docs.css" charset="utf-8">  </head> <body><a name="//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40001078-CH205" title="Introduction to Accessibility Overview for OS X"></a> <article id="contents" tabindex="0" role="main"> <div id="pageNavigationLinks_top" class="pageNavigationLinks"> <a class="nextLink" rel="next" href="/web/20130421131926/https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Accessibility/Conceptual/AccessibilityMacOSX/OSXAXWhy/OSXAXwhy.html">Next</a> </div> <a id="top" name="top"></a> <a id="INDEX" href="/web/20130421131926/https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Accessibility/Conceptual/AccessibilityMacOSX/index.html" style="display:none;"></a> <a name="//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40001078" title="Introduction to Accessibility Overview for OS X"></a><a name="//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40001078-CH205-BABGJCGG" title="Introduction to Accessibility Overview for OS X"></a><h1 id="pageTitle">Introduction to Accessibility Overview for OS X</h1><a name="//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40001078-CH205-DontLinkElementID_1"></a><p>Accessibility is the successful access to information and information technologies by people with disabilities. Apple’s commitment to accessibility is rooted in the Macintosh’s legendary ease-of-use and is enhanced by the Universal Access features in OS X. Beginning in OS X version 10.2, Apple introduced the accessibility architecture, which defines how an assistive technology, such as a screen reader or head-tracking mouse, communicates with applications running in OS X.</p><p>This document describes why you should make your application accessible, a process Apple calls access enabling. It then provides an overview of the design considerations you should make when developing an accessible application. Finally, it describes OS X accessibility architecture that supports both the access enabling of applications and the development of assistive technologies.</p><a name="//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40001078-CH205-SW1" title="Who Should Read This Document?"></a><h2 class="jump">Who Should Read This Document?</h2><p>To reach the broadest range of users, all applications should be accessible. Therefore, all application developers should read this document to learn how accessibility affects their applications and how OS X supports accessibility. This document is a prerequisite to the Cocoa framework–specific documents listed in <span class="content_text"><a href="#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40001078-CH205-BHCFEJJF">“See Also”</a></span> that describe how to access-enable these types of applications.</p><div class="notebox"><aside><a name="//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40001078-CH205-SW2" title="Note"></a><p><strong>Note:</strong> Java developers should implement the <code>javax.accessibility</code> APIs to ensure their applications are accessible (both Swing and AWT interfaces are accessible). </p><p></p></aside></div><p>If you’re developing an assistive application, you should read this document for an introduction to the OS X accessibility architecture. In particular, you’ll learn about some of the information you can expect to receive from an accessible application.</p><a name="//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40001078-CH205-DontLinkElementID_2" title="Organization of This Document"></a><h2 class="jump">Organization of This Document</h2><p>This document contains the following chapters:</p><ul class="ul"><li class="li"><p><span class="content_text"><a href="/web/20130421131926/https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Accessibility/Conceptual/AccessibilityMacOSX/OSXAXWhy/OSXAXwhy.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40001078-CH206-TPXREF101">“Why Make Your Application Accessible?”</a></span> will help you to make a business justification for spending the development time to make your applications accessible.</p></li><li class="li"><p><span class="content_text"><a href="/web/20130421131926/https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Accessibility/Conceptual/AccessibilityMacOSX/OSXAXDeveloping/OSXAXDeveloping.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40001078-CH207-BABGJCGG">“Developing an Accessible OS X Application”</a></span> describes design considerations to keep in mind during the design process and outlines how to access-enable an application.</p></li><li class="li"><p><span class="content_text"><a href="/web/20130421131926/https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Accessibility/Conceptual/AccessibilityMacOSX/OSXAXModel/OSXAXmodel.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40001078-CH208-TPXREF101">“The OS X Accessibility Protocol”</a></span> provides an overview of the OS X accessibility architecture.</p></li><li class="li"><p><span class="content_text"><a href="/web/20130421131926/https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Accessibility/Conceptual/AccessibilityMacOSX/OSXAXTesting/OSXAXTestingApps.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40001078-CH210-TPXREF101">“Testing for Accessibility on OS X”</a></span> describes how to use tools Apple provides to test the accessibility of your application. </p></li><li class="li"><p><span class="content_text"><a href="/web/20130421131926/https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Accessibility/Conceptual/AccessibilityMacOSX/OSXAXKeyboardShortcuts/OSXAXKeyboardShortcuts.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40001078-CH253-CHDIGFBH">“Accessibility Keyboard Shortcuts”</a></span> lists the keyboard shortcuts reserved by OS X for accessibility purposes. </p></li><li class="li"><p><span class="content_text"><a href="/web/20130421131926/https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Accessibility/Conceptual/AccessibilityMacOSX/OSXAXRevisions/OSXAXRevisionHist.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40001078-CH204-CIHCAHEB">“Document Revision History”</a></span> lists the changes to this document.</p></li></ul><div id="seeAlsoSection"><a name="//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40001078-CH205-BHCFEJJF" title="See Also"></a><h2 class="jump">See Also</h2><p>In addition to <em>Accessibility Overview</em>, Apple developer documentation includes several documents that cover accessibility. Documents that describe specific areas of accessibility are listed below.</p><ul class="ul"><li class="li"><p><em>Getting Started with Accessibility</em> provides a brief introduction to accessibility and describes learning paths you might choose to follow.</p></li><li class="li"><p><em><a href="/web/20130421131926/https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Cocoa/Conceptual/Accessibility/cocoaAXIntro/cocoaAXintro.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/10000118i" target="_self">Accessibility Programming Guidelines for Mac</a></em> describes how to access-enable a Cocoa application.</p></li><li class="li"><p><em><a href="/web/20130421131926/https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/UserExperience/Reference/Accessibility_RoleAttribute_Ref/Introduction.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40007870" target="_self">Accessibility Roles and Attributes Reference</a></em> lists the attributes associated with each role defined in the OS X accessibility protocol. </p></li><li class="li"><p><span class="content_text"><a href="/web/20130421131926/https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Cocoa/Reference/ApplicationKit/Protocols/NSAccessibility_Protocol/Reference/Reference.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/20000945" target="_self">NSAccessibility Protocol Reference</a></span> describes the NSAccessibility protocol and its methods and constants.</p></li></ul><p>In addition to these documents, Apple maintains a website devoted to accessibility in OS X, with links to more information about compatible assistive technologies:</p><ul class="ul"><li class="li"><p><span class="content_text"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130421131926/http://www.apple.com/accessibility" class="urlLink" rel="external">http://www.apple.com/accessibility</a></span></p></li></ul></div> <div id="pageNavigationLinks_bottom" class="pageNavigationLinks"> <a class="nextLink" rel="next" href="/web/20130421131926/https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Accessibility/Conceptual/AccessibilityMacOSX/OSXAXWhy/OSXAXwhy.html">Next</a> </div><br/> <div class="copyright"><br/><hr/><div align="center"><p class="content_text" lang="en" dir="ltr"> © 2004, 2012 Apple Inc. 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