An article from the April 1998 issue of the Braille Forum,
published by the American Council of the Blind


              IS BETTER ACCESS TO WINDOWS ON THE WAY?
                          by Nolan Crabb
    The caller to the ACB national office was frustrated.  He was
on the verge of a full-blown rave; that was apparent in his
voice.
    "I've worked for these people since I got out of college," he
almost yelled into the phone.  "Now the company's going to change
operating systems; they're about to begin using Windows NT, and
I'll likely lose my job.  Please tell me there's some good news
out there."  In fact, there are some NT access solutions that
might help the caller somewhat, but none of them offers truly
adequate access.
    Until now, the "good news" regarding real access to Microsoft
Windows products has been almost nonexistent, but that could be
changing.
    At the annual Technology Access Conference sponsored by the
California State University-Northridge Center on Disabilities
late last month, Microsoft very quietly discussed developments
that could improve access to its software products by blind
computer users.  But not all is sweetness and light, and the
members of the American Council of the Blind Information Access
Committee who were highly visible at the conference warn that
Microsoft could still change its mind and even take no action at
all despite the discussions.
    This journey toward potentially better access apparently
began with a trip Microsoft Chairman and CEO Bill Gates took to
Spain recently.  While there, he visited the headquarters of the
Spanish organization of the blind known as ONCE.  ONCE is a
progressive, active organization and often takes a world view
regarding affairs that affect blind people.  In addition, ONCE is
an organization of considerable financial means.  Because of its
diverse holdings and investments, ONCE is the single largest
purchaser of Microsoft products in Spain.
    While in Spain, Gates apparently got a firsthand introduction
to the world of adaptive technology, and that introduction
allowed him to focus on the issue in an up-close and personal
way.  That one-on-one exposure to synthetic speech, braille
displays, and yes, apparently some Spanish money, seems to have
jump started some new access initiatives like nothing has done
before.
    "The Braille Forum" has learned that Microsoft initiated a
kind of joint technology agreement whose members include
Microsoft, ONCE, Eurobraille, a French adaptive technology
company, and Baum Electronics, a German-based designer and
developer of Screen Power as well as a number of braille
displays.  Contracts were quietly agreed upon among these
organizations, and programmers in Redmond, Wash., and elsewhere
began working on the design of access tools that would give
screenreader developers a great deal of help in designing better
and more robust screen readers.
    The major component of the joint technology agreements is the
development of access tools which offer additional information to
screenreader developers about the actual operating system.  This
additional information could serve as a shortcut to developing
screenreader software.  Assume for a moment that screenreader
developers are like interior decorators who must tastefully and
appropriately decorate a new operating system house or office.
Until now, the interior decorators have had to engage in deep
exploration in order to get information about the floor plan of
the house.  That has forced screenreader developers to become
detectives of sorts, literally digging into the operating system
house to determine the exact nature of the floor plan.  That kind
of digging, according to one screenreader manufacturer who asked
not to be identified, creates software clashes and crashes.  It
also results in a significant drain of resources and time for the
screenreader designers.  The alternative is to dig less deeply
into the operating system house, and recognize that some of the
interior decorations, so to speak, won't be as precise as they
might be otherwise.  This additional information which could come
about as a result of the joint technology agreements would allow
screenreader developers to focus on development of different
aspects of their products.
    The Microsoft discussions at CSUN were so low key that the
casual observer might have missed them altogether.  The low-key
nature of the discussions probably stems from a great desire at
Microsoft not to build false hopes among blind users of its
products.  The company was badly burned when it released a
version of its popular Internet web browsing software which did
not achieve the level of access gained in a previous version.
The severity, suddenness and strength of that outcry may have
come as a surprise to Microsoft officials.  Their caution
probably indicates they're not willing to go through an exercise
like that again.
    Things appear to have changed at Microsoft where the
company's attitude toward accessibility is concerned.  In late
February, it hosted "Accessibility Day" during which Gates spoke.
"This is about providing technology access to people who truly
depend on their computers in their personal and professional
lives," Gates said.  "We want to address accessibility issues at
every stage of product development, resulting in products that
are easier to use and, ultimately, more empowering for all
customers."
    One component discussed at "Accessibility Day" and at CSUN is
the inclusion of some basic screen magnification technology in
Windows 98 and Windows NT 5.0.  This magnification utility
apparently will be better than the current magnification options
available in Windows 95.  Its major purpose is to serve as a
short-term or emergency magnification solution which could be
used if a visually impaired operator isn't using his or her own
computer.  It is not designed to replace third-party
magnification software such as that developed by Ai Squared.
Also announced for NT 5.0 was a mini screenreader that will allow
blind users to install new software and troubleshoot existing
software.  This screenreader will be separate from existing
screen reader technology already in use.
    While there was no mention of the joint technology agreements
at "Accessibility Day," Gates pledged top-level commitments to
accessibility.  He alluded to a five-point accessibility plan
which was unveiled at the CSUN conference.  The plan includes: 1.
Strengthening promotion of accessibility through the Designed for
Windows logo program.  Under the terms of the Designed for
Windows Logo Program, other software developers couldn't use the
Microsoft Windows logo unless their products included some
accessibility features.  2.  A significant increase in the number
of Microsoft employees focused on accessibility issues; 3.
Adding specific guidelines for the company in addressing
accessibility in its products; 4.  Increasing communication
between the disability-advocacy community and Microsoft product
groups; and 5.  Achieving measurable improvements in the
accessibility of key Microsoft products.
    As part of its five-point plan, Microsoft has established a
Blind Access Review Board which will provide the company with
feedback regarding the accessibility of its products; it has also
announced the implementation of an advisory council designed to
strengthen Microsoft's relationship with ACB and other consumer
organizations.
ACB's role:
    While the Microsoft discussions took everyone on this side of
the Atlantic by surprise, ACB's Information Access Committee has
been involved with Microsoft on an ongoing basis.  "They know who
we are," said Debbie Cook, the chair of the committee. "We don't
have to force ourselves or plead to be invited to meetings where
accessibility is discussed.  They're very good at coming to us
and including us.  The committee has no plans to sigh with relief
and say its job is done.  That's far from true."
    As an example of the committee's ongoing vigilance, Cook
suggested a scenario where procurement officers would buy future
versions of Microsoft operating systems, see that they included
screen magnification and some kind of screenreader software, and
fail to buy the more sophisticated screenreader technology or
screen enlargement software that will still be needed.  "I don't
think I'd want my procurement officer to buy that for my screen
access," Cook said.  "You may be able to run notepad or
something, but it won't talk in Office 97."  She said the
committee will work to educate procurement officers and others as
to the limits of the Microsoft screenreader, assuming it is
implemented at all.
    ACB's information access group will almost certainly have to
monitor the progress of these pending features as well.  "We're
going to continue to work back and forth with Microsoft and the
screenreader developers, with major procurers and other
organizations to try to ensure that there is a good checks and
balances system."
    Cook said while the ACB committee could rant and rave and
write demanding letters, it would get nowhere by so doing.  "One
of the things we've been doing all along is being in
communication with Microsoft and to a lesser extent with other
players like IBM and Corel."
    Cook said the committee also had to work closely with other
disability groups to ensure that they feel included in the
accessibility quest.  She said anger on the part of other
disability groups could do much to damage access for blind users.
Cook is a member of Techwatch, a cross-disability committee
sponsored by the National Council on Disability.  ACB is also a
member of an information access task force.  The other members
include the American Foundation for the Blind, National
Industries for the Blind, and the Association for Education and
Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired.  ACB First
Vice President Brian Charlson chairs that task force.
    "We must stay active and involved," asserted Christopher
Gray, a member of the information access committee and an ACB
board member.  "The fact is that we've been burned in the past by
Microsoft, as have the screenreader developers.  Microsoft Active
Accessibility hasn't been as successful as anyone would have
liked, and we've been promised things in the past that simply
didn't happen.  I think what we have to do is throw our weight
behind these new developments and let Microsoft know that we view
this as a positive thing if it all comes together."
    As for the desperate caller to the ACB national office, we
can only encourage him to read "The Braille Forum" for additional
stories about this and related issues in coming months.  We can
provide what information we have about the far-from-perfect NT
solutions of today and hope that Microsoft's movements toward
access aren't too slow, too little, and too late to affect the
caller's tomorrow.

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