Thorium Reader (German) by EDR Labs
- Reading System Thorium Reader (German)
- Vendor EDR Labs
- Assistive Technology: Jaws
- OS: Windows
- Tested with Braille: No
- Tested with Screenreader: Yes
- Input type: Keyboard
Results for Basic Functionality: 46.67%
Last updated: 16 December 2021
Test book used: Fundamental Accessibility Tests: Basic Functionality, version 1.0.0
Summary
Thorium 1.7/ Windows 10/ Jaws 2021.This app was tested with the German interface. Concerning the accessibility of the basic functionalities there is still room for improvement. Especially the chapter and page navigation seems to be too difficult and confusing when using an assistive technology. Other missing feature are performing and reviewing a search, reviewing and navigating to bookmarks as well as adding and navigating to notes.
Test ID | Name | Description | Result | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
file-010 | Operating system/Platform accessibility | If you are using a hardware device, it can be started independently and essential accessibility for starting and exiting applications is available. | Pass | The screen reader Jaws starts automatically when starting the hardware device. Thereby it is ensured that applications can be started and switched off independently. |
file-110 | The reading system can be activated independently | If you are using a reading app that requires you to create an online account then the complete getting started process should be accessible. | Pass | The activation and authorization are accessible. |
file-210 | Open content | Open the Fundamental Accessibility Test book in the reading system. | Pass | By selecting „my books“ in the main menu you can find the control „ import EPUB-files“. The dialog window for selecting files conforms to the familiar Windows structure and is accessible. |
file-310 | Listing documents | Check if you can navigate inside the bookshelf. | Pass | The user interface of the reading software is highly accessible and well structured. All controls are labeled and can be recognized by the screen reader. By activating or deactivating the checkboxes of a function or setting, everything can be adjusted to personal needs. The bookshelf can be presented in a grid or list view. Both views can be navigated in an accessible manner. For each book, a submenu exists which provides more book functions and is accessible too. |
nav-005 | The table of contents in the app presents the content hierarchy | Check if the table of Contents is accessible and its hierarchy is presented correctly by the reading system | Pass | When activating the checkbox for the navigation you can find the TOC. The TOC is presented above the text of the open book when activating the corresponding checkbox. The hierarchy and heading levels are presented correctly. Each TOC entry/heading is presented as a hyperlink. |
nav-010 | Navigate to chapters through the Table of Contents | Check if you can navigate to a section by using the table of contents. | Fail | The navigation by means of the TOC doesn’t work. When selecting a section by using the enter-buttom the focus doesn’t lay on the desired location but above the main content frame. |
nav-110 | Navigate content by pages | Check if you can navigate the content by pages. | Fail | The „next/ previous page“ command can be found below the text and is labeled „left/ right“ within the screen reader. By activating the control nothing seems to happen and the cursor gets stuck at the bottom of the controls. The „go to page“-feature can be found within the navigation menu. Both the input of any page number and the drop-down list above can be used without any problem. However, you don’t reach the desired location when selecting a page. The cursor rests on the control of the navigaiton menu. When updating the screen ( a function of Jaws with the corresponding shortcut) the cursor is again above the beginning of the text. The information about the current reading position you can get above the „go to page“-feature. Beside the possibility of navigating by pages using the „left/ right“ control, the drop-down list for selecting respective pages or the input filed for the page number I don’t find an option to navigate by pages. The issue that despite of selecting another page by means of the mentioned methods, the cursor is not placed at the desired location, remains. |
nav-210 | Navigate forward and backward through reflowed content | Use any control or command to navigate forward and backwards in the book content. | Fail | Jaws doesn’t provide an extra navigation command in order to navigate by pages. I can use the shortcut „h“ to move to the individual chapters. |
nav-310 | Read navigation information | Use the "Where am I?" or any other similar command available in the reading system and check if you can get information about your current position in the book. | Fail | By using „Jaws key + t“ a „where am I?“-function can be found. The title of the current document as well as the current chapter are communicated. However, the current page number is not announced. |
nav-410 | Perform a search, review the search results | Perform a search, review the search results and navigate to the selected search result in the content. | Fail | Via the main menu the search within the document can be activated by using the checkbox. Right underneath the input field the search results are presented as links. While performing a search is easy, the links can not be activated. By pressing the enter or space key you don’t reach the desired location. |
nav-510 | Move across chapters without using TOC | Check if you can move across chapters without having to use the Table of Contents. | Pass | Because the chapter headings are labeled accordingly, you can navigate to them by using shortcuts. |
anno-010 | Add a Bookmark or Highlight | Some reading systems may have a Highlight feature in place of Bookmarks. The tests for Bookmarks may then be performed with Highlights. | Pass | The checkbox for adding a bookmark can be found in the main menu. By activating it a bookmark is somewhere added. It is impossible to say where the bookmark was placed. There is no feedback whatsoever. But the adding process is accessible. |
anno-110 | Review and navigate Bookmarks or Highlights | Check if you can review and navigate Bookmarks or Highlights. | Fail | By selecting „my bookmarks“ within the navigation menu which can be found easily the added bookmarks can be found. The bookmarks are presented using a percentage value. There is little that can be done with this because it obviously only refers to the percentage in the text but not to a page number or an actual text passage. Above that the bookmarks can not be activated or navigated to. There are two controls for each bookmark which are labeled „edit“ and „delete“. Using „edit“ an input field appears. There you can enter a text but somehow it is not possible to save it. |
anno-210 | Add a note | Add a Note at this location in the book. Provide a few lines of text in the Note. | Fail | If this test refers to the control „my annotations“ which can be found in the navigation menu, it can not be activated. Jaws says „the control for the annotations is not available“. |
anno-310 | Review and navigate Notes | Check if you can review and navigate Notes. | Fail | There was no possibility found to add a note. Therefore a navigation to any notes can not be conducted. |
Results for Non-visual Reading: 92.86%
Last updated: 16 December 2021
Test book used: Fundamental Accessibility Tests: Non-Visual Reading, version 1.0.0
Summary
Thorium 1.7/ Windows 10/ Jaws 2021. This app was tested with the German interface. The app is designed for reading the e-books with the screen reader JAWS. Beside the missing hyperlink navigation all accessibility aspects are provided.
Test ID | Name | Description | Result | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
reading-010 | Initiate "read from here" | Focus on the beginning of a paragraph or a sentence and initiate reading. Reading should continue until interrupted by the user or at the end of the current document, e.g. current chapter. The text being read should preferably remain in view, but this is not a requirement to pass the test. | Pass | The reading starts by using the corresponding Jaws command and stops when finished manually. |
reading-110 | Stop and resume reading | Initiate reading from any point in the book. Stop reading and note the last read position. Initiate reading again and check if reading starts at the last read location. | Pass | The reading resumes at the same location but not from the same word. It always starts at the beginning of the sentence or line. |
reading-210 | All text should be read in the proper order | Sample text has been provided to test the reading order. The Paragraph 2 should be read after Paragraph 1. Note that visually Paragraph 2 is placed to the left of Paragraph 1 but it is second in the reading order. | Pass | The reading order is correct. |
reading-310 | Image alternate text reading | Ensure that the alternate text for the image is available. | Pass | The alt text can be read completely, as a whole, word by word as well as line by line. |
reading-410 | Change reading speed | It should be possible to adjust (increase/decrease) the speed of reading. This test should be performed using the Assistive Technology being used for accessibility evaluation. | Pass | The reading speed can be adjusted. When using a braille device as assistive technology, the refresh rate can be changed, too. But unfortunately my braille device is not able to present the full text due to the missing capacity. I have to advance it manually and thereby the reading flow is interrupted. |
reading-510 | TTS allows pause for headings, paragraphs, list items, etc | The user should be able to identify the difference between content items such as headings, paragraphs or list items by sufficient pauses in the TTS reading or appropriate formatting in the Braille device. | Pass | When using Jaws the screen reader announces the heading and also emphasizes the punctuation correctly. However, the TTS emphasizes vaguely and pauses sometimes too long. When using a braille device, the punctuation is perceptible and headings are underlined. |
reading-610 | Navigate between the cells, rows and columns in the table | Check if you can navigate between the rows and columns of the table | Pass | The table navigation works by using the standard commands of Jaws. |
reading-710 | Navigate between internal hyperlinks | Check if you can navigate between internal hyperlinks. | Fail | By activating the hyperlink, I can reach the page where the link back is provided but I don’t reach the exact position of it. The cursor is placed at the very top of the page, just like when navigating back. |
reading-810 | Move to the next block item | Check if you can move to the next available page element e.g. paragraph, image or table by using a common key/gesture like swipe right, down arrow etc. | Pass | I can navigate to the block items using the standard commands of Jaws. |
reading-910 | Navigate by characters | Check if it is possible to navigate to next and previous character in the book text by way of any command or gesture. | Pass | By using the left or right arrow I can navigate by characters. |
reading-1010 | Navigate by words | Check if it is possible to navigate to next and previous word in the book text by way of any command or gesture. | Pass | By using Ctrl/ left arrow or right arrow, the cursor navigates the document by words. |
reading-1110 | Navigate by lines | Check if it is possible to navigate to next and previous line in the book text by way of any command or gesture. | Pass | By using shift/ arrow down or up, the cursor navigates the document by lines. |
reading-1210 | Navigate the content by headings | Check if you can move to the next and previous headings in this book without using the Table of Contents. | Pass | By using h or shift/h you can navigate by headings without the TOC. |
reading-1310 | Select and copy text | Reading systems should provide the ability to copy pieces of text that could be used for notes, in quotations, or to facilitate searching terms contained in the book. In some cases, this could be achieved using an AT such as a screen reader, for instance with a dedicated cursor or other procedures. | Pass | The text can be selected as well as pasted into other applications. By using shift/right arrow the text can be selected by words or by using shift/down arrow the text can be selected by lines. Through ctrl/c you can copy it and through ctrl/v you can paste it into other applications. |
Results for Read Aloud: 75%
Last updated: 16 December 2021
Test book used: Fundamental Accessibility Tests: Read Aloud, version 1.0.0
Summary
Thorium 1.7/ Windows 10/ Jaws 2021. This app was tested with the German interface. The read aloud feature is suitable for reading the text. Nethertheless there is still room for improvement when it comes to setting the focus of the feature on a specific section when using an assistive technology or to changing the highlight color.
Test ID | Name | Description | Result | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
ReadAloud-010 | The content can be read aloud | Focus on the beginning of a paragraph or a sentence and initiate reading with text-to-speech using a feature of the reading system. | Fail | It is not possible for me to put the focus of the TTS on a specific location. The read aloud feature just starts reading from a random position. The only possibility to start reading from a desired section is by selecting a chapter in the TOC. In this case the read aloud feature starts at the right position. But starting from a specific sentence or line seems to be impossible because the main content window disappears when TTS is activ. However, this feature is suitabe for reading but the navigation is difficult. One thing is interessing though; when the TTS is activ, the text normally being read aloud by the screen reader or presented on the braille device disapears. |
ReadAloud-110 | Stop and resume reading | Initiate reading from any point in the book. Stop Read Aloud and note the last read position. Initiate reading again using the Read Aloud feature and check if reading starts at the last read location. | Pass | After pausing, the TTS resumes reading at the beginning of the sentence but after stopping the feature completely, the TTS starts at the beginning of the chapter. |
ReadAloud-210 | The Read Aloud feature should continue until interrupted by the user | The Read Aloud feature should continue until interrupted by the user, keeping the text being spoken in view. | Pass | The read aloud feature continues until interrupted by the user. When using a braille device as assistive technology the text being read aloud is not presented. While the read aloud feature reads or is paused, the text window for the screen reader fades out. Only after a proper stop the text window for the screen reader appears again and I could read the content using JAWS. |
ReadAloud-310 | All text should be read in the proper order | Sample text has been provided below to test the reading order. The Paragraph 2 should be read after Paragraph 1 by the Read Aloud feature. Note that visually Paragraph 2 is placed to the left of Paragraph 1 but it is second in the reading order. | Pass | The reading order is correct. |
ReadAloud-410 | Change Read Aloud reading speed | It should be possible to adjust (increase/decrease) the speed of reading. | Pass | While the read aloud feature is active, the reading speed can be adjusted using the drop-down list found in the upper menu bar. There doesn’t seem to be a shortcut for the adjustment while there is one for play, resume and stop for example. Providing an extra shortcut means an easy user-friendly method to adjust the reading speed without searching exhaustively. |
ReadAloud-510 | Text to Speech handles punctuations and document structure appropriately | When Read Aloud is activated, there should be slight pauses after headings, list items etc., rather than reading as if it is one continuous section of text. | Pass | TTS allows sufficient pauses after punctuations and raises as well as lowers the voice slightly. Headings can be recognized through little pauses. Sames applies for list entries which are cleary separated from each other through emphases and pauses. |
ReadAloud-610 | Text is emphasised as it is spoken by read aloud | Check if the Text is emphasised as it is spoken by read aloud. | Pass | The line being read aloud is highlighted in yellow and the word currently read is underlined in organge. The focus always lays on the text being read aloud and after reaching a new section, the focus moves down automatically in a way that the reader can keep up. |
ReadAloud-710 | The emphasis or highlight colour can be changed | Activate Read Aloud feature as described in the previous test. Change the colour of emphasis or visual highlight of the text being read aloud using any feature available in the reading system or the operating system. The users should have a choice of different colours for text highlighting. | Fail | There is no possibility given to change the visual presentation of the text highlighted. |
Results for Media Overlays: 53.85%
Last updated: 16 December 2021
Test book used: Advanced Accessibility Tests: Media Overlays, version 1.0.0
Summary
Thorium 1.7/ Windows 10/ Jaws 2021. This app was tested with the German interface. Generally, Thorium supports the media overlay playback. However, it is not recommended to use e-books with media overlays due to missing control over the playback.
Test ID | Name | Description | Result | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
MOA-BASIC-010 | Media Overlays Playback | Tests whether playback of Media Overlays is supported. | Fail | When opening the EPUB there is no hint provided that the book contains media overlays. The book is presented like books without playback options. Within Thorium it is not perceptible that media overlays are embedded. There are no controls to start the playback. Only via the TTS-feature the text is being read aloud. It is not distinguishable whether the text is being read aloud by the TTS-feature or by the media overlay playback because the voices used are the same. The only evidence that the playback is active can be determined in the control options of the read aloud-feature which are placed at the top of the reading screen. When the playback reads the text aloud the control for changing the voice is missing and it is only possible to change the reading speed. It seems that for interacting with the media overlays the control bar of the read aloud feature is used. Thus, all further test results of this e-book are solely based on the assumption that the media overlays are activated by the read aloud feature. |
MOA-BASIC-020 | Pause and resume from the same position, without closing the book | Tests whether media overlay playback resumes at correct location after pause | Pass | The media overlay playback started at the beginning of the sentence after pausing it. |
MOA-BASIC-030 | Resume playback from last position on opening a book | Tests whether playback resumes even when the book is closed and opened again. | Pass | After opening the book the media overlay playback started at the beginning of the sentence where I paused before closing the book. |
MOA-NAV-010 | Section Navigation - Previous/Next Phrase | Tests whether previous/next phrase navigation is supported. | Pass | By using the controls of the read aloud feature this navigation is possible. |
MOA-NAV-020 | Navigate to previous section | Tests whether navigation to previous section is supported. | Fail | It is not possible to navigate to the previous section neither by using the navigation of the read aloud feature nor by using a shortcut of the screen reader. |
MOA-NAV-030 | Navigate to next section | Tests whether navigation to next section is supported. | Fail | It is not possible to navigate to the next section neither by using the navigation of the read aloud feature nor by using a shortcut of the screen reader. |
MOA-NAV-040 | Navigate with pagelist | Tests whether navigation to pages is possible using the page list or go to page feature. | Fail | The navigation seems to be random. |
MOA-NAV-050 | Move to next page | Tests whether navigation to next reflowed page is supported when media overlay is playing. | Fail | The navigation seems to be random. |
MOA-NAV-060 | Move to previous page | Tests whether navigation to previous reflowed page is supported when media overlay is playing. | Fail | The navigation seems to be random too. |
MOA-NAV-070 | Text and media overlay synchronization | Tests whether media overlay is synchronized with text display. | Pass | The text and the media overlays are synchronised visually. When using a braille device the presented text doesn’t match the text being read aloud. The text on the braille device doesn’t advance automatically. |
MOA-NAV-080 | Set and navigate to bookmarks | Tests whether bookmarks can be set and navigated to while media overlay is playing. | Pass | Bookmarks can be set and navigated to. Only the position of the bookmark is hard to detect because a percentage value is given not a page number. When multiple bookmarks are embedded you have to review all in order to find the right one. |
MOA-NAV-090 | Section Navigation - TOC | Tests whether navigation to a new section is supported. | Pass | The playback starts at the beginning of the chapter. |
MOA-NAV-100 | Continuous playback across page turns | Tests whether Media Overlay playback across page turns is supported. | Pass | The playback continuously carries on running. |
Results for Extended Descriptions: 50%
Last updated: 16 December 2021
Test book used: Accessibility Tests Extended Descriptions, version 1.1.1
Summary
Thorium 1.7/ Windows 10/ Jaws 2021. This app was tested with the German interface. Both extended descriptions are available but the navigation to the separate file and back to the image could be improved.
Test ID | Name | Description | Result | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
extdescription-010 | Detection and Utilization of HTML Details and Summary elements | Check if you can use HTML details and summary successfully and read the extended description contained in it. | Pass | The extended description presented within the details element is accessible. |
extdescription-020 | Technique for linking to a single extended description placed in a separate HTML file via text hyperlinks | Check if activating the hyperlink placed under the image takes you to a separate HTML file with extended descriptions, and the back link there brings you back to the image. | Fail | This tests fails because after selecting the link back to the image, I don’t reach the exact reading position where I left off but at the bottom of the page. However, the navigation works smoothly and I can read the extended describtion placed in a separate file. |