*Plants Soapbox firmly on the ground and steps up*
Hey Y'all... Your friendly neighborhood sighted VO user here! Some
of you have heard this rant, but given the discussion of Vista and
other things I decided to toss in.
I'd first like to propose a change of terminology. Voice Over is
not a screen reader, in my opinion it is an auditory output, spoken
output, ... take your pick, but it does not read the screen. From
working with it, It gives you direct access to the code and
information BEFORE it gets to the screen! I consider screen reading
the poor cousin of true access to a computer. Unfortunately it was
the result of the breakthrough of GUI interface, but we have gotten
back to the roots with VoiceOver. Compare a direct interface with
your computer to a third party solution... such as Windows has.
Microsoft itself tells you in their accessibility wizard that their
OS is not accessible, and you will have to seek a 3rd party
solution. How the hell do you get away with that? It's blatantly
inaccessible and yet purchased by federal agencies and state agency
recommendations all the time. Wholly Loophole batman!
Admittedly, I have heard Apple approached FS and GW about making a
screen reader for OSX and they turned it down. So Apple had to do it
themselves. Which for anyone paying attention to revolutions in OS
and PC computing , they should have known that would be a death
knell. I also have a friend that handles computer training for Hines
VA, he has had Vista for a while now and says every new feature just
makes it less accessible. In fact he himself is about to buy a Mac
after a lifetime of PC use. I'll admit I've been working on him
since grad. school to join the enlightened few.
As an FYI to folks I will be doing my VoiceOver song and dance again
this year at Closing The Gap in Minneapolis. I'm feeling like a
broken record though... I may have to do a VO for the advanced user
or comprehensive Apple alternatives for the blind user... But then
for that, I'm not the best resource. You all are. I'm just some
punk with a laptop that can hold his own in front of a crowd. Feel
free to hit me with suggestions or ideas to bring to the table....
Your Friend,
Sean Richards Tikkun
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
