Problem with Parallels Desktop on M2 MacBook2 Air

By coach, 29 July, 2023

Forum
macOS and Mac Apps

Hello,
I purchased and installed Parallels Desktop on my M2 Macbook Air, with a Windows11 virtual machine set up. I've been trying to connect my braille Display to the VM but have had no luck, nvda can't seem to detect the devices. I've tried everything I know, tweaking the options in the Parallels settings, reinstalling my braille display drivers, as well as connecting the device to my Macbook via both bluetooth and USb, but non of them works.
Freedom Scientific Focus 4 and Humanware Brailliant BI40 are the braille displays I'm currently using. Am I doing anything wrong. Any helpful responses would be appreciated.

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Comments

By Travis Roth

4 months ago

Is Parallel accessible now?
I've never used Parallel given it at least used to not be accessible. Generally speaking, most VM software has an option in the Devices management menus to allow you to select which device to share to the VM versus the host. If Parallel isn't fully accessible it'd also not surprise me if it is popping up a dialog when you connect a display asking what to do and you're not detecting it.

By coach

4 months ago

yeah, a dialogue pops up when I connect my braille display to Macbook, and I used some sighted assistance to click share to the VM.
I checked it, the braille display does show up in the device manager, but nvda can't detect that it's in fact a braille display.

By The Oliver Kennett

4 months ago

The installation of parallels is still not accessible with a standard voiceover setup. It is possible, however, to install VOCR:

https://github.com/chigkim/VOCR

which uses OCR to voice parts of the screen that are inaccessible. You can then move the VOCR focuse like a mouse to click the required boxes.

Once Parallels is installed, it is completely accessible.

I'd also say, VOCR is a fantastic add on to voiceover that, though not perfect, makes many apps that would not normally be usable by blind people, possible to use... With patients.

Regarding the connection to the VM, I'm going to have a play later with my Vario to see if I can get a direct connection and report back.

By Travis Roth

4 months ago

Are you using Windows Arm? That seems to be what Parallel defaults to according to Google.
I kind of wonder what, if any devices are supported under Arm? I know the last I read, JAWS only support Freedom Scientific displays on Windows Arm. And it'd not surprise me if NVDA doesn't support anything yet. I can't say definitively if this is the issue but since you mention NVDA doesn't detect it this is probably the angle I'd research.

By The Oliver Kennett

4 months ago

They all work on arm now.

I plugged in my Vario Ultra and, after selecting it from the devices menu in parallels, windows recognised it and asked me what I wanted to do with it. Unfortunately I'm a novice windows user so couldn't get much further, but it is certainly registering and moving the connection to windows 11.

By Travis Roth

4 months ago

Thanks, that is good to know. I'm kind of interested in Parallel it seems to be favored over VMware Fusion by regular Mac users. Perhaps when I switch to an Apple silicon Mac eventually I'll check it out. I'm not a regular Mac user, so being able to run Windows might give me more use for one.
Back on topic, then I am not sure what the issue with NVDA not recognizing the display would be.