Just to add a little to this, far be it for me to speak in Microsoft’s behalf but I think the comments about Microsoft dropping the ball on accessibility are a little untrue as I understand them.
First, Microsoft has always been an employer of blind engineers and staff so
let’s give them some credit there. I believe there are some Microsoft folks on
list, I know Apple is represented but I think MS is as well. If not here then
certainly on the blind sysadmins list and the android list to name a few.
Next, Microsoft was pressured to not include a viable screen reader.
Let’s remember that around the time of the Henter Joyce to Freedom Scientific
transition Ted Henter paid the NFB a sizable amount of money (north of 7
figures) to buy their loyalty. Almost immediately the NFB started protesting
on Microsoft’s door against the inclusion of a screen reader. Many hit pieces
were written as well as direct on site pressure to stop all development.
Microsoft caved (that’s their responsibility) to this pressure and stopped
development. Essentially, the NFB’s public policy and position was bought off
for the purposes of enriching Ted Henter and the freedom scientific mob.
Let’s remember that the NFB wrote similar hit pieces and attempted the
same action against Apple. Luckily, Steve was a focused hard you know what who
did the right thing and dismissed them completely. We really don’t know what
if any thing Steve knew about it but we do know that Apple did not cave and
continued with Voice Over even today. These hit pieces went on and on clearly
demonstrating over time the authors hadn’t even used a Mac or if they had it
was a different screen reader from years earlier. All hell broke loose when
the iPhone was released and Apple started scooping up the blind community. The
flood of hit pieces increased until some time later when it was obvious that
the NFB’s position was largely being ignored outside their circles.
Unfortunately, their circles in combination with HJ payoffs have had
exclusivity deals in place with many state governments and adaptive technology
so called experts. Yet Apple persisted and more and more people migrated away
from the expensive software management agreements and additional cost of screen
readers. Thankfully also free options on the windows and linux side started to
evolve and even there Freedom scientific applied legal and strong arm tactics
to force their product in the market not based on quality but based on heavy
handed self interest at our community’s expense. This thankfully is starting
to fade. I sincerely hope Martin is right about a decent built in screen
reader being included as of 08/02/2016. Not having a built in screen reader
that has access to the whole product life cycle is a major job impediment for
our community. As Simon mentioned it requires sited help or other gymnastics
to install a version of windows where no such limitations exist in the Apple
world or Linux world. If true, this could be a real help to folks in the IT
space so I hope this is true as I know a lot of admins who are held back
professionally by this limitation
So Martin, I share your skepticism about Microsoft and they have and
continue to do things I have issues with but in this case I don’t think they
were entirely responsible. We can argue they shouldn’t have caved but it’s
understandable why they did. I just thought it’s worth presenting a little of
the background for a fair representation of the complex and many times
ethically challenged history of screen reading technology. Let the bashing
continue and here’s hoping the next iteration of narrator is a step forward.
I like your line of questioning and balanced responses btw.
> On Jul 5, 2016, at 7:47 AM, Martin Brown <mbrown.bro...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hello Tim.
> Thank you for that very constructive email. As I said in my previous post, I
> find the folks on this list very knowledgeable and helpful about all things
> Mac. On your suggestion about the tab setting in the advanced window of
> Safari, that is, however, already checked.
> I am a little surprised to hear that a lot of Mac users prefer the grouping
> method over that of DOM. I mostly use the latter of these methods. Indeed, I
> find the grouping method of navigating a web site such as Amazon.co.uk a
> little more problematic than using the DOM method. However, since my little
> rant, I have tried the Grouping method on the Soap Kitchen and have found
> that at least to make the site a lot more usable. At least Voiceover didn't
> go into a tail spin. On the point about deleting bookmarks...well what can I
> say Tim, my own stupidity on that one. It should have been obvious as it is
> a similar method on the Windows platform.
>
> On your points about just how committed Apple is to making continuous
> improvements to their screen reader, I sincerely hope you are right. It
> would be a shame to let what has already been achieved become only something
> recalled in the history books. So far, Microsoft's efforts on behalf of its
> disabled customers is pitiful in contrast. I have been informed that on the
> second of August 2016 we are to get a substantial upgrade to Narrator, the
> Microsoft native screen reader. I just can't wait for that non-event to
> happen. The thrill of it all is likely to give me multiple cerebral orgasms
> of a sufficient magnitude to make my ears pop big time.
> Respectfully Yours:
> Martin
>
>
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