The below should prove a concern to all Apple accessibility feature users, and I would urge as many of you who can do so, to please write to Apple yourselves to express your concern along the same lines where possible… (accessibil...@apple.com).
For years now Apple has led the way in accessibility standards and application of methods in interacting with all of its product range. Internationally within many disability arenas Apple is celebrated as the defacto standard and is widely acknowledged as users preferred platform for persons with accessibility issues. Whether or not the App Store had an unofficial policy towards customers with accessibility needs or not, is unknown to me. What I am aware of is that where I've bought Apps which turn out not to be accessible, Apple App Store has always been prompt to refund the purchase immediately without question. Since Apple do not enforce accessibility standards, nor in anyway whatsoever offer a method of a disabled user to know whether or not an App is, or is not, accessible in advance of purchase, this seemed to be a most reasonable compromise. However, in correspondence over the past week with Apple iTunes support staff via e-mail in relation to an App I have purchased which is inaccessible, Apple's stance has been both surprising and frankly highly dismissive of our needs and vulnerability when using Apple's App Store. I have been point blank refused a refund upon this occasion, with staff suggesting that I could leave a review for the App which others could read, and or write to the developer. Whilst I understand that the second suggestion may illicit a positive response, and sometimes it does… In many instances developers haven't even heard of Voice Over let alone understand what it does and how they aught to address compliance with Apple's Accessibility API's. Of course, the best approach would be for Apple to make compliance with its Accessibility API's a requirement for all new Apps being approved to the App Store, indeed a range of other options would also work, such as; a discount on the 30% cut that Apple takes for compliant Apps, a penalty higher fee (35% etc) for those that do not comply and perhaps indicating with a marker in the App store which Apps do meet the requirements. Since Apple do none of these, despite so publicly professing to up holding and supporting some of the most well implemented accessibility innovation and support seen in the industry, it seemed like a fair compromise that Apple voluntarily and without complication offered a refund to customers who had accessibility needs where an App proved to be inaccessible. The situation now, though is that Apple is refusing in an uncompromising and frankly shocking way to refund such purchases, with patronising and unsympathetic suggestions as to how we, as blind users, go about reviewing Apps etc. I would ask that Apple firstly developed a robust policy in this regard, and secondly, reviews options as to improving the compliance uptake of developers within their iOS and Mac App Stores. So that I can convey your response to the ViPhone, Macvisionaries and other Apple Accessibility user forums promptly, I would sincerely appreciate your earliest feedback and response on this issue. Yours kindly. Regards, Neil Barnfather http://www.NeilBarnfather.com Regards, Neil Barnfather Talks List Administrator Twitter @neilbarnfather TalkNav is a Nuance, Code Factory and Sendero dealer, as well as an Apple iOS, Macintosh and Android accessibility specialist. For all your accessible phone, PDA and GPS related enquiries visit www.talknav.com URL: - www.talknav.com e-mail: - serv...@talknav.com Phone: - +44 844 999 4199 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google Group. Post a new message to VIPhone by emailing viphone@googlegroups.com. Search and view the VIPhone archives by visiting http://www.mail-archive.com/viphone@googlegroups.com/. Reach the VIPhone owner and moderators by emailing viphone+ow...@googlegroups.com. Unsubscribe and leave VIPhone by emailing viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. More VIPhone group options can be found by visiting http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en. --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "VIPhone" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to viphone+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
