Pulsar Chess Engine on Android is Accessible for the Blind and Visually impaired - and new Easy level

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adams161
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Joined: Sun May 13, 2007 9:55 pm
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Pulsar Chess Engine on Android is Accessible for the Blind and Visually impaired - and new Easy level

Post by adams161 »

It took a year, I got stuck last summer, but it's out now on both Google Play and Amazon App Store.
As it now says in the Google Play App description of Pulsar Chess Engine explains it best, below.
Pulsar Chess Engine is also on iOS & Mac and accessible and there are Linux, Windows, and Mac binaries at http://www.lanternchess.com/pulsar/
The apps have no real mods to search itself and use pulsar2009b, except bugs in FR castling were fixed in the apps.
I started pulsar in 98 as a Winboard engine and taught it variants between 2002-2009.
The levels are unique to the apps and take advantage of changing search parameters but also now evaluate for our new easy level.
From the Google Play Description:
The board in Pulsar Chess is Accessible by Talkback, for the blind and visually impaired. Only direct tapping is supported, not swiping. Tap on a square, and it will speak what's on the square such as "e2 - white pawn". Double tap to select the square with Talkback on. There is also speak move. This speak move and tap on square info is in English as well as Spanish, Italian, French and German. Talkback can normally read text on buttons and labels etc, but a board is a collection of images. To be accessible, the board has to be programmed to return text when the tap is in the space of a square.
adams161
Posts: 630
Joined: Sun May 13, 2007 9:55 pm
Full name: none

Re: Pulsar Chess Engine on Android is Accessible for the Blind and Visually impaired - and new Easy level

Post by adams161 »

I got asked in an email
How exactly the TalkBack function working
And wanted to share my response so everybody can do this if they want. And try other chess apps with talkback on and see what happens when the board is tapped on.
Talkback puts the device in screen reader mode. You can enable it in android settings / then Accessibility option of settings / then talkback should be a choice near top. Need android 5.0 or greater.
adams161
Posts: 630
Joined: Sun May 13, 2007 9:55 pm
Full name: none

Re: Pulsar Chess Engine on Android is Accessible for the Blind and Visually impaired - and new Easy level

Post by adams161 »

I also did a video demonstrating how to turn on voice over or talkback on iOS or Android and showing accessibility in my Pulsar Chess Engine app. There is a separate post but wanted to put it here too for archival purposes

Additionally for programers interested in adding accessibility i wanted to link to my technical post with resources on how to add it http://talkchess.com/forum3/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=70420