Suggestion from a Blind User

Cubase
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#1

Hi
I have been using Cubase since V5 but over the years my eyesight has deteriorated until this point where I have around 10% vision. I really don’t want to have to change DAW and relearn but the current version of 8.5 has disabled any accessibility practices I had in place so I am writing to see if the following can be included in a maintenance update:

I know that there are a lot of tooltips within Cubase which is great but the most important ones, i.e. values, peaks and track names within the mixer or other built in plug-ins do not have them. Being an ex=programmer myself, I know it is laborious but adding a variable which state these vales would go a long way to making your program more accessible to the visually impaired (or those that can still use a mouse).

It would also massively improve things for all VI users if there were some sort of tab order to the application.

The main issue with screen readers is that they cannot detect any of the internals of a window. It is almost as if they are transparent. This however could be minimised if a frame were placed around all objects with a frame title which could allow for using the TAB key to lock onto each item. If it spoils the ‘look’ of the application, it could be possible to allow a check box in settings to switch them off for sighted users.

I know that visually impaired users are a small minority of your market (or anyone else’s but please, please consider this

With grateful thanks

2 Likes
#2

Hi Crunchy, I agree, cubase is not very accessible for VI and blind producers or those who want to learn becoming producers. In general there´s not much support for blind audio professionals. I´m an senior audio and broadcast engineer with some musical history, who teaches audio-production since 2001. In the past 10 years I focused on creating assistive hardware for non sighted to cross the barriers in the studio for VI. It´s just not acceptable that visually impaired can´t properly edit audio and midi to become professionals! It´s late and I´m tired but we should stay in touch. Maybe we can setup a little “lobby” for VI, a petition to Steinberg considering our special needs? I know several blind people who´d take part :slight_smile: Best wishes, Marc

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#3

I have recently started using Cubase. It would be so so wonderful if there were a way of using tabs. Navigation would be so much easier. At the moment I am using Magnifier and I have learned some of the keyboard shortcuts that come with the program. But tabs would be such a lifesaver. I know we are probably a minority but we are still paying customers and it’s a fabulous program if it was just a little bit more accessible.

1 Like
#4

It is such an absolute shame that it is not more access a ball for screen readers! The sounds and instruments are fantastic in the d.a.w. it is one of the best around but is just simply inaccessible for vision impaired users.