Needed: Python IDE for the visually impaired

[Michael Chermside]

I received a request from John Guildford, asking whether there is
an IDE available for Python development which will work with
Window-Eyes, Jaws, or other common screen readers. Unfortunately,
IDLE will not work (presumably because the TK widgets are not
standard windows widgets).

Does anyone have a suggestion about IDEs to use in this
circumstance? Advice from other developers with visual impairments
would be particularly welcome. In addition to responding to the
list, could you please CC John at "jglists at ntlworld.com".

-- Michael Chermside

----- John's original email -----
> Greetings,
> could you forward this email to the relevant person(s) please?
> My name is John and I have just begun learning Python.  I am
> visually-impaired which means that I use adaptive software on
> my computer
> in order to gain access to the Windows platform.  The program
> - window-eyes
> - is a very effective tool for fully utilising most
> off-the-shelf software
> packages albeit problems do pop up occasionally.
> Unfortunately, the Python
> GUI interpreter falls in the category of the few products
> which cannot be
> access with Window-Eyes or Jaws - its main rival - for that
> matter.  the
> message from Window-Eyes is that the Python edit window is in
> fact a custom
> control.  Normally the problem can be remedied by, as it
> were, re-classing
> the control but on this occasion even that does not seem to
> be possible.
> my question is, is there an alternative to the Python interpreter for
> learning and developing programs in Python which use
> "standard" controls
> or, better still, could the developers of IDLE make the
> necessary changes
> in the future releases of the program?
> So far I have been relying on the Python commandline utility
> but as you can
> appreciate this has its limitations.  so I would be very
> grateful if you
> could respond to my email with a solution.
> All the very best,
> John Guildford