-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Hi Olivia,
Maybe it's the same conservatism that once made many blind people complain about abandoning DOS for Windows. I'm not clear over how the blindness organizations in the U.S dealt with that question, but i remember me among others in the Swedish youth blind organization demonstrating against GUIs, ironically it was the Mac that was in focus at that time. Had anyone told me then that in about 2 to 3 years time from that time in 1989 i'd be working with the Mac and Outspoken and love it, i would simply not have believed them.:-) And now people have started to finally get used to Windblows and it's quirks and oddities and then suddenly, along comes Apple and presents a better alternative than Windows... /Krister On, at [GMT] (which was 04:30 where I live) you wrote:: UBF> Well put. I wholeheartedly agree with all that has been said here. UBF> It is so liberating to be walk up to any mac, at a library, at a UBF> friends house, at my parents house, and know that I will have full UBF> access to it. Windows has never given us this kind of freedom and UBF> flexibility. I don't understand why the blindness organizations can't UBF> get beyond the windows OS and realize how much the mac gives. UBF> Olivia UBF> blind consumers. UBF> On Oct 1, 2008, at 1:26 PM, Dan Eickmeier wrote: >> 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. >>>>>>> thanks for reading >>>>>>> Systems administrator and owner of http://gwhosting.net >>>>>>> msn: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>>>>> twitter: http://twitter.com/creepyblindy >>> Max Ivey Jr. >>> The Midway Marketplace >>> Office 936-273-6960 >>> Cell 281-989-0448 >>> www.midwaymarketplace.com >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> yahoo messenger id midwaymarketplace - -- /Krister [EMAIL PROTECTED] Get pgp keys here: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.7 (MingW32) iD8DBQFI5IxIRWsKDrvnacURAhT1AJ0dpacImzmKW/1L9kTknasIeZr0/wCdEGTQ wby19CcI6Mk7ZME2tLUu4OE= =jzyU -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
