Ana:
Without realizing it, you answered your own question. Microsoft and others are putting so much effort into mobile phones because, outside of the blindness community, that's where the sales are coming from. Sighted people, at least for home use and, in many cases, for on-the-job use as well, are replacing their desktop computers with mobile ones. This makes sense--it allows them to have their computers with them wherever they go and not have to worry about being chained to a desktop system that is available in only one room of the house or office. The market for blind and visually impaired users is so small (about .5% of the entire population) that providing them (us) with better access to Windows would be a very unprofitable venture, indeed, no matter what the law says.
--
Ted Chittenden

Every story has at least two sides if not more.
---- Ana G <[log in to unmask]> wrote: 
I have to admit that the announcement about MobileAccessibility coming 
to Windows 8 phones is a major disappointment to me.

what I've learned from messages on the Android list is that some people 
like MobileAccessibility because it's simple, so there isn't much of a 
learning curve. I don't think Android is inherently difficult to learn, 
but it's different, and MobileAccessibility is what blind people are 
used to: lists and small numbers of commands. I don't really get the 
appeal because, as someone else so beautifully put it, MA gives blind 
people access to a feature phone at smart phone rates. What I do get, 
though, is that, while the blindness community clamors for off-the-shelf 
accessibility, many blind people aren't willing to meet mainstream 
accessibility efforts halfway by learning to work with mainstream 
solutions, providing constructive feedback to whomever needs to hear it, 
and mobilizing advocacy groups into pushing for guidelines or best 
practices.

My preference is for Windows to keep working on Narrator. It really has 
come a long way in Windows 8 and feels very much like a real screen 
reader. It's not quite ready for on-the-job action, but it's close, and 
it's probably good enough for smart phone use. Why Microsoft thinks 
MobileAccessibility on Windows 8 phones is a better solution than 
Narrator is beyond me.

My other concern is that Windows 8 users will have an experience similar 
to Android users. When people call AT&T, Verizon, etc., about Android 
accessibility, what they usually get is information about 
MobileAccessibility for Android, not about Android accessibility itself.


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