[alabama] JAWS scripts for the Peachtree Complete Accounting System

[Joe Buck]

[alabama] JAWS scripts for the Peachtree Complete Accounting System

 

For some time, many blind people have been searching for an "accessible"
accounting package that would work well with screen access technology for
the blind.  I cannot count the number of times I have had to tell someone
that for all practical purposes, there was no really good way to use a
business-oriented accounting package (such as Quick books) with JAWS for
Windows.  At best, I have had to recommend nonvisually-accessible financial
programs that were more appropriate for the home user.

 

I am pleased to tell you that a company called Virtual Vision Technologies
has developed JAWS scripts for the Peachtree Complete Accounting system.
Although this is not a solution for people using Quick Books, this can be a
solution for that small business person who needs a well-reputed and
powerful commercial accounting program and who needs to use that program
with JAWS for Windows.  The complete package--that is, JAWS scripts and the
Peachtree Complete Accounting program--is available from Scripts for JAWS.
Quoting from the Scripts for JAWS home page:

 

"With Jaws Scripts for Peachtree, the two best solutions available for the
visually impaired are united: Jaws and Peachtree! This means that everything
from simply maintaining your own personal checkbook through running your own
business (of virtually any sort or size) is now open to you! Even becoming
an accountant yourself is now accessible!"

 

There is a lot of promise here and, I admit, no real-world experience.  I
myself have not had a chance to evaluate this offering.  Nevertheless, given
what I know about Virtual Vision Technologies, I am optimistic that an
extremely viable solution exists here and for only $169 (i.e., $100 for
Peachtree Complete Accounting and $69 for the JAWS scripts--an introductory
price) at that.

 

One of the challenges that has made nonvisual access even more difficult is
that once extensive scripting has been done for a specific version of an
accounting program, the scripting falls apart when the next version is
released.  When I raised this issue with the folks who developed the
Peachtree Complete Accounting scripts for JAWS, this is the response I
received:

 

"Allow me to point out one great thing right off the top:  Peachtree (unlike
other applications such as QuickBooks) has no constant requirement to
upgrade.  Thousands upon thousands (actually, literally millions) of
Peachtree users never upgrade.  Peachtree Complete Accounting is and will be
available for purchase for years to come.  For example, PCA 2006 is still
widely available.  Real users of accounting applications rarely upgrade
unless there is a business need to do so.  Compare to QuickBooks; which
requires at least one upgrade every other year.  This very stability issue
to which you point is perhaps the primary reason Peachtree was chosen (to be
scripted)."

 

If you want to learn more about Peachtree Complete Accounting and the JAWS
scripts that have been developed for this software, point your browser to
http://www.scriptsforjaws.com/index.php..

 

Curtis Chong

 

~ Issac Beavers, AIDB Huntsville Region

 

 

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