This has always been a thing with me, I have never seen why consideration
for specific software should not come under the ada provision for
accomidation.  Take the example of being forced to shift from wp to word,
this is mindless.  Both can talk to each other if not only at the level of
plain text files, any formatting being a function of the software not the
actual text.  It is the same with spreadsheets and databases, each can
import/export comma delimited data files.  As for speech, that must surely
be an accomidation only issue, it isn't enough to say we provide speech and
be done with it on the employer's part.  What if they demanded a certain
kind of wheelchair or of breed of dog or any number of such things.  In
principle, one can even argue that continuing to use dos, whose software
can also exchange files with windows programs, and speech would also apply.
These are tools only after all and the employer should only be intrested in
work output and not the tool.  What if it is the rehab agency forcing such
decisions, would we accept so meekly their decision?  This is but another
example of where the blind have been wimps as compared to other groups and
have and will continue to pay the price of lack of personal control on such
issues.  These kind of precidents get set and the rest is history.

                                ic|xc


VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
To join or leave the list, send a message to
[log in to unmask]  In the body of the message, simply type
"subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
 VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html