Re: ITunes and the blind a legal story?

[Dan Eickmeier]

Well said Max, I totally agree with you all the way.  Has Microsoft  
ever done something like apple has done?  Can we just get a PC, and  
use it right out of the box?  No, we can't.  But with macs we can,  
thanks to Apple's universal access solutions.  We can just walk up to  
any mac, and have access to it with one keystroke.  I agree that the  
nFB and other organisations, but particularly the nfb, love windows,  
and the third party products which we have to get to access it.  In  
articles which they had published regarding the mac,and  voiceover,  
they have put a lot of information in them which is totally wrong.   
Like for instance, saying that Voiceover's system of navigation is  
extremely complex?  Uh, no I don't think so.  Frankly, in my opinion,  
it's a lot easier to work with than the windows screen readers are.
On Oct 1, 2008, at 12:32 PM, Maxwell Ivey Jr. wrote:

Hello listers;  I've been thinking about this issue.  And what it  
amounts to is a special interest group wanting to maintain its  
importance in the eyes of its consituancy.  Like a lot of political  
action groups, their biggest fear is becoming irrelivant.  If they  
aren't seen as constantly pushing their group's interests forward,  
their constituants will go somewhere else with their time, money,  
and passion.  Apple is in my opinion a very large threat to them  
because here you have a company that has made a real detication to  
universal access without the threat of law suits.  You have a  
product that works out of the box.  You have a product that a blind  
person can go to any computer made by apple press command f-5 and go  
to work.  There is no barrier to push down no evil to fight  
against.  And their obvious love afair with windows and windows  
screen readers to me puts them in an even worse position.  In  
addition to everything I said so far, they would have to admit that  
all the nasty things they have said about apple and voiceover are  
wrong.  Trust me, large insitutions like these don't admit being  
wrong easily.  Now, I'll admit my position on this could be wrong  
and my arguements may not be sound; but if they aren't; then why  
hasn't nfb or other organization went after windows for the lack of  
accessibility provided by microsoft argueably one of the largest and  
wealthiest companies in the world.  I wish that nfb could say good  
job apple and go on with their business, but like an angry child on  
the playground, they just aren't going to give in.  I hope the  
moderaters aren't mad, but i had to respond to this post.  Thank  
you, Max
On Oct 1, 2008, at 9:15 AM, David Poehlman wrote:
this is what all that lawyer activity was about a while back.

----- Original Message -----
From: "UCLA Bruins Fan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac  
OS X by
theblind" <discuss@macvisionaries.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 01, 2008 9:11 AM
Subject: Re: ITunes and the blind a legal story?


I agree. Typical NFB. I just hope that they stay out of this and let
apple do it's thing.  Though, I feel like Jacob, there is no way of
getting rid of them!
Olivia

On Oct 1, 2008, at 5:30 AM, Jacob Schmude wrote:

Unfortunately not a permanent one :). You can get rid of them until
you go near them again... or until they come to you.


On Oct 1, 2008, at 02:26, David Poehlman wrote:

I think there is a cure for leaches though.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jacob Schmude" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac
OS X by
theblind" <discuss@macvisionaries.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 01, 2008 4:25 AM
Subject: Re: ITunes and the blind a legal story?


I feel the same way, Mike, but I'm far from surprised. This is
typical
of them, expect them to do it again and again--they are, in many
ways,
the classic definition of a leech, and like leeches we'll never  
truly
be rid of them. Here's hoping they stay out of the way, that's the
best thing we can hope for.



On Sep 26, 2008, at 22:49, Babcock, Michael Alex wrote:

this pisses me off, now the nfb is looking like the good person  
then
On Sep 26, 2008, at 5:35 PM, David Poehlman wrote:


Apple makes iTunes more accessible for the blind
By JAY LINDSAY, Associated Press Writer 23 minutes ago

Most teens listen to their music on digital players, but Cory
Cadlik, who is blind, had to ask for help when he wanted to buy
songs for his iPod from the online music store iTunes.

To Cadlik, a self-described tech "geek," that was too frustrating
to tolerate.

"For me to be as tech savvy as I am, and not be able to do
something ... I hated it," said Cadlik, 17, of Medway, Mass. "I  
had
one iPod. I got rid of it."

On Friday, Cadlik was making plans to get his iPod back after
Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley reached agreement
with Apple Inc. to program iTunes to make it accessible to anyone
with software that blind people use to read the Internet.

Tony Olivero of the National Federation of the Blind demonstrated
the technology at a press conference at the Perkins School for  
the
Blind in Watertown. Olivero navigated through iTunes, guided by a
voice that called out whatever he slid the mouse pointer over,
including file commands and the movie, music and TV titles iTunes
sells.

Cadlik planned to test out the new iTunes this weekend by  
sampling
some hard rock from bands like Breaking Benjamin and Chevelle.

"You had no access before," Cadlik said. "When then this came
out ... I said, 'Wow, this is great, this is awesome.'"

Under the agreement, Apple must make iTunes accessible to all
systems by next June.

Providing equal access to online stores is required in the same  
way
supermarket aisles must be a certain width to accommodate people
with disabilities. But major gaps remain in the online retail  
world
for blind consumers.

Coakley said a lot of industries are working to make the Internet
more accessible because they know it's good business to give more
people a way to buy your product. Coakley said she hopes the move
by Apple inspires more copycats.

"Apple is the leader, they've become the industry standard," she
said. "Other companies that compete will have to or want to do
this."

Spokespeople for Apple did not return e-mails or calls for  
comment.

The new iTunes can be read on a Macintosh, though people with PCs
must buy "screen access software" to make it work. It's pricey,
retailing for around $1,000. John Olivera of the Massachusetts
Commission for the Blind said discounts are available around the
U.S., and the commission has purchased a substantial amount of  
the
software and is supplying it free in his state.

As fun as movies and music are, Olivera said the state approached
Apple primarily because of the increasing popularity of iTunes U,
which provides lectures and other educational content from  
colleges
and universities. Schools were posting class material there, and
that created problems for blind students.

Apple worked with Coakley voluntarily, but at least one other  
case
over online accessibility for the blind wound up in court.

In August, retailer Target Corp. agreed to pay $6 million in
damages to plaintiffs in California who were unable to use its  
Web
site as part of a class action settlement with the National
Federation of the Blind.

Target and the NFB agreed to a three-year relationship during  
which
the advocacy group will keep testing the site to make sure it is
accessible to the blind who use technologies such as screen- 
reading
software. The NFB said it would certify the site through its own
certification program once the improvements are completed.





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