NOTE:

Please feel free to forward this article to as many listings, forums and
people. This is the only way to let Microsoft give more priority to
accessibility issues as they do now.

This article is also send to the National Federation of the Blind , the
American Foundation for the Blind and the American Council for the Blind. I
hope, that these organizations will use their contacts with Microsoft to:
- Ask for higher priority of accessibility issues in Microsoft products;
- Ask for a schedule to solve the GDI+ problem.

Venlo, January 8, 2002.
New Microsoft GDI+ Technology causes inaccessibility for users of
Commercial Screen Magnifiers
By Peter Verhoeven
Editor of The Screen Magnifiers Homepage at http:/www.magnifiers.org
E-Mail [log in to unmask]

GDI+ is a new version of GDI, that allows applications to have direct
access to the screen. When they do so, commercial screen magnifiers like
Lunar, MAGic and ZoomText will not be able to intercept and magnify screen
output and GDI+ output will end up corrupting the magnified screen.

GDI+ is used extensively in the latest versions of PowerPoint and Visio,
making these products totally inaccessible. GDI+ is also used by all Office
XP applications, when performing many graphical operations, such as
including images in a document.

One of the primary missions of Microsoft's ADG group is to make sure that
other divisions at Microsoft are aware of accessibility issues, while they
are designing and coding new products. The ADG group made a huge mistake by
not addressing the GDI+ issue. Other divisions at Microsoft had no idea
that their use of GDI+ would make their applications inaccessessible.

Do other divisions at Microsoft know that their exists an ADG group? How
does the ADG Group communicate with other divisions? Is Microsoft realy
giving priority to accessibility issues as Bill Gates promised in the past?
Why can we not read a statement at microsoft.com, that users of commercial
screen magnifiers are be advised to not purchase Office XP? Why can
Microsoft not give a schedule for solving this problem? It seems, that we
as users of accessibility features have to go two steps back in accessing
Microsoft products, after one step forward! We as users of accessibility
programs are highly dependent of Microsoft products in our daily living and
to do our job! Nearly all accessibility programs like screen magnifiers and
screen readers are designed to work best with Microsoft products.

A member of the Microsoft's ADG group says, that they plan to release
modifications in future version of Office.
But how long we have to wait before this problem is solved?

In my opinion blind organizations now must do why they exist. Speak with
Microsoft and demand for solving this problem as soon as possible. Giving
it the highest priority within Microsoft. Let Microsoft promise not making
such mistakes in the future. Let them promise to first check with companies
in the accessibility industry before releasing products, that are
inaccessible to thousands of people.
If section 508 of the American with Disability Act (ADA) realy works, USA
government now stops purchasing Office XP, because it is inaccessible for
their disabled employees!!!

Peter Verhoeven
Internet : http://www.magnifiers.org (The Screen Magnifiers Homepage)