Apple's problem is that they have slipped to a three percent market share
overall in the mainstream market. The market share for blind users is
much less than that so it isn't worthwhile for a third party developer to
maintain a screen reader.
Kelly
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Hoad" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, January 01, 2004 12:29 PM
Subject: `
> 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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>
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