When it comes to email, the terms accessible, helpful, and online mail don’t always go hand in hand when talking about screen readers. America Online (AOL) debuted its newest web interface for AOL Mail subscribers in late August 2007. Specific design elements intended to enable accessibility and complete usability to those who use screen readers are among the various changes made to the e-mail service and its online interface.
We at AFB TECH decided to have a quick look at AOL Mail and were pleasantly pleased and delighted by the capabilities and considerate touches offered. There are two ways to go to the AOL Mail page. When you go to www.aol.com, you’ll see a vast and sophisticated website with a bewildering array of information, objects, and headers. Despite the fact that these elements are all recognized, the page’s logic and organization eluded me. However, there is a clearly labeled “Mail” link, and clicking that took me straight to the AOL Mail website. You can also use the direct URL http://mail.aol.com instead of www.aol.com. I was also directed to the main Mail page using this address.
The first thing I had to do was create a new account. A clearly defined link, “Get Free AOL Mail,” announced itself at the top of the Mail page. Following this link took me to a standard subscription page, where you can fill in well-labeled edit fields with your name, location, and other standard subscription information for services like this. An auditory version of CAPTCHA is also available on the page, in which you must type a series of letters and numbers into an edit box. The AOL audio alternative was well-executed in my opinion. The sounds can be repeated by pressing a button. Three tones precede the voice that speaks the numbers and letters, giving me enough time to turn off my screen reader and prepare to write down the characters as they were announced. This is the first time I’ve had to utilize the audio option, and I don’t think it’s any more of a hassle than it is for sighted folks. I should mention that the audio was not reproduced on numerous PCs I use at home and at work. After consulting with AOL, the problem was determined to be a problem with my machines’ site audio settings, not with any blindness-related technology.
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A Few Issues
There are other areas of the website to investigate. It’s worth noting that there are still some problems. The screen has a poor habit of refreshing itself every now and then, interfering with the screen reader’s operation. If you open your mailbox using Alt-Control-I, this problem is minimized. Considerable large sets of functions can be found above the headers and will take some investigation.
When I contacted AOL for my review, they were quick to respond to my concerns. According to AOL, all of the issues will be resolved in a site upgrade slated for later this month.
In terms of accessibility, AOL Mail is head and shoulders above its competitors, such as Gmail.com and Hotmail.com. AOL may be the answer if you’ve been looking for a truly helpful webmail experience.
Using An E-Mail Client
AOL provides advice on how to set up an e-mail application to receive your AOL mail because not everyone is acquainted with or comfortable using a web page to read and create e-mail. AOL supplied the following instructions:
How To Read And Send Aol Or Aim E-Mail Using Microsoft Outlook 2000
Microsoft Outlook 2000 can be used to send and receive AOL or AIM e-mail. You can now use any e-mail program that supports both the POP3 and IMAP protocols to access your AOL or AIM e-mail. The primary distinction between POP3 and IMAP is that POP3 downloads and keeps messages on your computer’s hard disc, whereas IMAP stores messages on AOL’s mail servers.
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Using IMAP Or POP3, Create A New AOL 0r AIM E-Mail Account With The Outlook 2000 Software.
The first step in installing Outlook is to set up an AOL or AIM e-mail account. Your existing AOL or AIM account will be used. To set up a new AOL or AIM e-mail account in Outlook, follow these steps:
- Open the Outlook application. Note: If you see a notice asking you to set Outlook as your default manager for Mail, News, and Contacts, select Yes.
- Accounts can be found under the Tools menu.
- Then select Mail from the Add menu.
- Enter your name as you want it to appear on your outgoing e-mail messages in the Display name box.
- Then press the Next button.
- Enter your full e-mail address in the e-mail address field, such as [email protected] or [email protected]
- Then press the Next button.
- Choose IMAP or POP3 as applicable from the drop-down selection for My Incoming Mail Server.
- If you’re using IMAP, type imap.aol.com> or imap.aim.com> in the Incoming mail (POP3 or IMAP) server box; if you’re using POP3, type pop.aol.com> or pop.aim.com>.
- Type smtp.aol.com or smtp.aim.com in the Outgoing Mail (SMTP) server box.
- Then press the Next button.
- Fill in your AOL or AIM screen name in the Account Name field.
- Type your AOL or AIM password in the Password box. Note: Make sure the Remember Password box is checked if you want the Outlook 2000 software to save your AOL or AIM password.
- Then press the Next button.
- Which of the following methods would you like to use to connect to the internet? By picking the Connect Using My Local Area Network (LAN) option, you can connect to your network. This works even if you aren’t linked to the internet via a LAN.
- Then press the Next button.
- Finish by pressing the Finish button.
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Using IMAP Or POP3, Configure Your Aol Or Aim E-Mail Account In Outlook.
To connect to the AOL or AIM service, the Outlook software must be properly configured. Follow these steps to set up your AOL or AIM e-mail account in the Outlook 2000 software:
- Start the Outlook 2000 program.
- Accounts can be found under the Tools menu.
- Toggle to the Mail tab.
- To highlight it, click pop.aol.com> or pop.aim.com>, and then click the Properties option.
- Toggle to the Servers tab.
- Verify that your AOL or AIM screen name and password are provided in the Incoming Mail Server area.
- Place a checkmark in the My Server Requires Authentication box in the Outgoing Mail Server section.
- Then press the Apply button.
- Select the Advanced option.
- Type 587 in the Outgoing Mail (SMTP) box. Note: If you’re using POP3, select the box labeled “Leave a Copy of Each Message on the Server” in the Delivery section.
- Then press the Apply button.
- Close the pop.aol.com> or pop.aim.com> Properties window by clicking the OK button.
- Close the window with a click.
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