posting from Windsor Maine;
Steve Hoad


Hi!

I've seen postings in a few places looking for a developer.

I'd just like to add some historical perspective to that article.  Having
dealt with Apple and Macintosh since 1993, I saw their commitment to
accessiblity slide hard between 1993 (the introduction of System 7) and
1995.  The old outSpoken screen reader became barely functional, and
according to sources at Alva Apple was not cooperating by providing code and
appropriate hooks in the operating system for developers (third party
cooperating developers) to use.

The statement in the article,
"
  To be fair, the situation isn't entirely Apple's fault. CEO Steve Jobs
  himself can't force third-party software companies to continue =
developing
  products they don't want to build. And Apple can't be expected to pick
=
up
  the slack for every third-party developer that leaves Mac users in the
=
lurch.

  OPEN-SOURCE SOLUTION. Apple claims that it's not ignoring blind users.
=
"A
  screen reader is something that's important to us, and we continue to
  evaluate our options in that area. Accessiblity is something that has
=
been
  important to us through the entire development of OS X," says Chris
  Bourden, senior product-line manager for OS X."
is very hard for me to believe.
I worked with Alva and Apple as these computers were introduced in Maine and
there was a heck of a lot of stone walling on Apple's part.  Alva didn't
have an appropriate product to use with OSX (system 10) and so, to cover
their assets, Apple made their Maine school laptops load with the dual boot
of OSX and OS9.  Soon all the stuff that could run in 9 was outmoded by the
increased functionality of System X (OSX) and the blind were in the lurch.
They still are.

Apple made the choice to be very closed mouthed and closed minded about
providing access to the blind.  They did not want to talk.  They wanted to
make big PR breakthroughs with their roll out in Maine, and the blind
weren't to get in the way.  Despite objections by me and other colleagues,
they maintained that their products were accessible.

They really should be scared.  Separate is not equal,
if you are offered a job in an office environment using Apples and you are
blind, you are out of luck!  Your access will always be patched together and
spotty.

It is Apple's responsibility and duty under the law to cooperate with third
party developers.

Bill Gates and Microsoft did it and things happened.

Apple didn't do it.

They ought to be sued soon!!!!

Happy New Year to who ever the new engineer at Apple is,
and to you all on the list!!

I was an Apple user until 1996!!!!

Steve Hoad

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