Books by Apple
- Reading System Books
- Vendor Apple
- Assistive Technology: Voiceover
- OS: macOS
- Tested with Braille: No
- Tested with Screenreader: Yes
- Input type: Keyboard
Results for Basic Functionality: 100%
Last updated: 7 March 2025
Test book used: Fundamental Accessibility Tests: Basic Functionality, version 2.0.0 .
Summary
MacOS 13.5.1 Books version 5.2 (5800.52) Using Voice Over Overall using Voice Over with books is a very clunky experience and forces you to jump through multiple steps in order to read the book which should be a seamless experience.
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| file-210 | Open content | Open the Fundamental Accessibility Test book in the reading system. | Pass | |
| file-310 | Access list of available content in the reading system | Check if you can navigate inside the bookshelf. | Pass | |
| 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 | There is a quirk where you must press Tab 3 times to get from the TOC button over to the "Done" button and pressing Tab once more brings you into the TOC but does not speak anything and you must cursor up/down first before the TOC is read and can be activated using the VO+Space to activate. |
| nav-010 | Navigate to chapters through the Table of Contents | Check if you can navigate to a section by using the table of contents. | Pass | |
| nav-110 | Navigate content by pages | Check if you can navigate the content by pages. | Pass | Search works for both text searches or by page number. However, getting to the results is not intuitive. You can't just tab after entering your page number the focus jumps from the results back to the edit field. So. you must instead use VO + right arrow twice to pass the clear text and get to the "table" where you must then enter the table with VO + Shift + Down arrow before you can use your VO + up/down arrow keys to find and select the item you want using VO + Space. |
| nav-210 | Navigate forward and backward through reflowed content | Use any control or command to navigate forward and backwards in the book content. | Pass | |
| 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. | Pass | At the bottom of the screen it tells you which page and the total # of pages available are. |
| 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. | Pass | You are able to search similar to searching page #'s clunky interface. While you are brought to the page with the text you are not taken directly to the item also when returning you are brought back to the top of the page which was a couple tests back from the actual nav-410 search test. |
| nav-510 | Move across chapters without using TOC | Check if you can move across chapters without having to use the Table of Contents. | Pass | |
| 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 | Page level Bookmarks. Highlights can be placed on text, with 5 different colors or a red underline option, you must bring up the context menu using VO + Space + M, then you can add your highlight with your choice of color / underline. Note: it won't be exactly at the spot you stopped reading but is close by. I don't know how to highlight more than one word. |
| anno-110 | Review and navigate Bookmarks or Highlights | Check if you can review and navigate Bookmarks or Highlights. | Pass | Again, very clunky UX where you must move away from the headings get to the "table" and then enter the table before you can review and select one of the bookmarks or highlights set. |
| anno-210 | Add a note | Add a Note at this location in the book. Provide a few lines of text in the Note. | Pass | Bringing up the context menu be pressing VO + Space + M allows you to enter a note at this location of what is being read. |
| anno-310 | Review and navigate Notes | Check if you can review and navigate Notes. | Pass | Notes are indicated also with a Red underline and are intermixed in the Navigation between Notes & Highlights. This information was not announced to Voice Over either. |
Results for Non-visual Reading: 56.25%
Last updated: 7 March 2025
Test book used: Fundamental Accessibility Tests: Non-Visual Reading, version 2.0.0 .
Summary
MacOS 13.5.1 Books version 5.2 (5800.52) Using Voice Over
| 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 | |
| reading-110 | Stop and resume reading at the same reading location | 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 | |
| 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 | |
| reading-310 | Image alternate text reading | Ensure that the alternate text for the image is available. | Pass | |
| reading-420 | Footnote Reading | This tests the usability and functionality of footnotes. The markup includes the semantics that the reference is to a note,which could be announced to the reader. The destination could be a footnote or an endnote and announced to the reader. The link back to the original position has the semantics that it is a backlink and could also be announced to the reader. | Fail | Just says 1 - Link. selecting it pops up dialog box which announces "In book content - Heading". Moving in this you just here "Heading" and then "link comma" no text is spoken trying to move around in this dialog box. trying to activate the link fails, only escape exits the dialog returning to main content, but you need to re-enter the book content, surprisingly you stay at the link location. |
| reading-510 | TTS allows pause for indicating 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 | |
| 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 | Fail | Unable to navigate Up/Down, and row column #'s is always spoken as you move across the row. |
| reading-710 | Navigate between internal hyperlinks | Check if you can navigate between internal hyperlinks. | Fail | Pressing VO + Command + L Getting "Link not found." |
| 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. | Fail | Trying to get to the next image VO + Command + G "Image not found.", or "Table not found with "T". However, I can move between paragraphs with VO + right arrow. |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | I believe this works, not an expert can enter text and read word by word, and I believe through the rotor you can change this to line by line. |
| 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. | Fail | No next heading found |
| 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. | No answer | |
| reading-1410 | MathML Reading | The block and inline math expressions below are in the MathML format. We want to determine that the Assistive Technology (AT) identifies the math and enables the detailed exploration of the math with the chosen AT. | Fail | First issue normal navigation with VO + Right arrow stops at the horizontal line, unable to get past it without using the Start Reading from here VO + A. Math spoken incorrectly as flattened text only no structure. |
| reading-1510 | TTS Change Languages Automatically | Screen readers and other Assistive Technology that use TTS should be able to detect language changes marked in XHTML content. A screen reader should be able to be configured to automatically change the TTS speaking language when it encounters a language change in the XHTML. This test contains English, German, French, and Italian. | Pass | Worked great changed languages flawlessly. Even explore each word by word the synthesizer switched languages and spoke the works correctly. |