hello,

some weeks ago we discussed the offer proposed by microsoft at the
disability summit, regarding what it proposes to do to fix the windows
access debacle.   in short, it offered:

1. making management aware again of access.

2. increasing the access group by 3.

3. slowly, feature by feature, add access to microsoft products.

4. reminding other vendors, by "shaming", of the importance of access.

the discussion at the time was about if this offer is acceptable by
the blind community and should we settle, for what is a first offer
after all.   with the passage of time, i'm afraid we must turn down
this offer as too little too slowly and as not being in conformity
with existing law regarding access to software.   instead, i have a
set of counter proposals offered for general discussion among the
blind community.   if microsoft wishes to join in the discussion, all
the better.  if you know folk at microsoft who would want to know of
this so they can participate, please forward the counter offer to
them. after discussion, the final version of the counter offer will be
presented to microsoft. when all is said and done, microsoft will
respond, silence notwithstanding, one way or another to the counter
proposal.   what it says and in what manner it responds will
constitute it's counter offer.  if in silence, it will proclaim it's
contempt for blind customers, it's continuing sneer toward moral and
legal responsibility, and it's monopolistic determination to stonewall
while sticking a finger in our eyes, so to speak.  here are the
counter proposals, please add; subtract; reword as you see fit:

1.   for each product release,an explicit additional percentage and/or
number of access features must be included to address existing access
shortcomings.

2.   these features must be functional with existing screen readers.

3.  if a change is to be made in a product by adding new features, all
must be accessible.

4. if a new access and/or product function feature is to be added
which requires change in existing screen readers, the release of the
product will be delayed until all screen readers provide access.

5.   in view of the above, microsoft will release code very early in
the development cycle to screen reader developers and work intimately
with them, as the code evolves.

6. a body of screen reader users will be a part of the development
cycle to provide prior release confirmation of the new feature's
access viability.

7. the access group, in consultation with the screen consultants from
above, shall have the final authority in deciding the access
compliance, and thus the release date, of new products.

8. microsoft will seek prior consent from the other members of the
java development team, to confirm universality,  before any java
specific features are added to products.

9. microsoft will reinforce it's admonition to top management to be
mindful of access by instituting financial incentives based on total
new access and/or accessible features added to their respective
products or services.

10. microsoft will redo all web pages in order to make them 100
percent accessible with all existing web browsers.   third party
recognized experts in web access will be the sole and final source of
this determination.

let the discussion commence, when a final version is completed, we
will deliver the counter offer to microsoft.

regards,

dan dunfee