[blinddev]

This is really interesting. I've often thought about a browser extension that could describe a web page. I don't mean text, as screen readers are (usually) more than capable there. I mean a visual description like:

"The web site has a off white background with black text. There is a horizontal menu at the top that fills the screen 95% horizontally and 10% vertically. The horizontal menu has a navy blue background with white text. There is a logo on the left of the horizontal menu filling 25% of the screen horizontally and 5% vertically. There are five menu items to the right of the logo image in the horizontal menu."

That's probably a little more verbose than it needs to be. But it could be a combination of CV, tapping into the renderer and traversing the DOM in order to best describe a page. Then if my screen reader isn't cutting it and I'm feeling lost I can just have the current view described to me.

[mrkgnao]

> The web site has a off white background with black text

I'm genuinely curious noe: how would the descriptions of color help?

[trynewideas]

It can provide two useful functions:

- Context in places where color is used to relay information but the designer failed to provide alternative means of gaining that context without sight. For instance, if a text field is "grayed out" to indicate a certain state on the field, but that state isn't independently communicated by a screen reader.

- The ability to more easily describe the page to a sighted person.

[jscholes]

Also, some context for the blind person when designing their own pages. If they're aware that website X is considered to have a good design, they can get a description of it and know what colour schemes, positioning and placement, etc might work for them.

[garysieling]

That's a really fascinating idea!