I'd have pretty much the same options that I've got now since my OS9
powerbook got stolen - hunt down outdated hardware and software, survive
with it best I can, or switch to Windows and stay slightly more current with
a less respected software package and maybe less efficiency. That said, I'd
have way bigger fish to fry if I'd just gone blind, what with orientation
and finding the confidence to still run a session and suchlike.
I'm not particularly genned up on Ray Charles' career, so you might need to
forgive my ignorance, but as i understood it he came up the ranks from being
a grafting musician not a grafting engineer. The two situations and two
paths leading to greater things from them are so totally different. I'm not
knocking Ray, I'd say that the blindness can still be turned to your
advantage nowadays as a frontman, look at Raul Midon.
I don't know enough about investment to be absolutely sure of the process of
getting that accessible dividend statement in to your hands, but seeing as
stuff like that is bound to come from an electronic format in the first
place, surely it's just someone doing a bit of converting or exporting and
emailing it out. I'm not surprised you have good results, it's not a huge
amount of work, and there's money involved. True, there's money involved
for Digidesign, but blind users make up such a tiny percentage of their
revenue, I can understand why we're not at the top of the priority list. If
it were as simple as labeling a few buttons or tinkering with a few bits of
code here and there I'd be joining you in being slightly less patient, but
as far as I know Pro Tools isn't even in COCOA yet. Maybe Jerry or Rick
could shed some light on the problems that need rectifying in more detail
either on or off list, i'd be curious to know more.
Anyway man, not taking issue, I admire the amount of get up and go you seem
to have at your disposal. If you've got it, use it wisely. I just wasn't
quite sure how a few bits from the last post related to the pro tools issue,
and wanted again to drag back to my original point that it really isn't as
clean cut as "pro tools works, now I have a career at my fingertips" for
anybody on here.
Scott
----- Original Message -----
From: "Shaun Jones" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS X by
theblind" <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 3:39 PM
Subject: Re: ProTools: The path to accessibility
Scott if you could see and used Pro Tools and suddenly you went blind
what options for work would you be left with. I just feel that if Pro
Tools is the leader then they should lead by example. I know for a fact
that Apple does this because it shows. I know that Skype does this
because it shows. I wonder if Ray Charles took the attitude that most
people take because they are blind would have ended up. It is hard and it
is being imp-lamented and it is something we are considering and it may
be in our next version or upgrade or it's not possible or it's not
affordable for us to do are all excuses. I want to hear a plan for
accessibility just like they have a plan in place if they want my
investments. As a investor if I get a dividend statement that isn't
accessible you can bet the house that I will have one that is within 1
week at the most with no excuses. Sorry folks but being poor, black and
blind has long taught me that I can make a change. We can start a
Accessibility for Pro Tools foundation and put some money into the
development of Pro Tools for the blind if they can figure out what is
needed. It sounds like they don't know what is needed. When I pull their
Dun and Brad street report and the financials and I can't see any money
being put into Pro Tools and accessibility then all the hoopla about what
I know and don't know can be proven in black and white from there own
accounting firm. You see my dear people I do my research and I do it
well. You want accessible software, then fight for it and stop making
excuses. A corporation in the U.S. is looked at as one person which is
the reason for incorporating, so one big company is one person as far as
the law goes. Again not mad, but fed up.
On Jan 9, 2008, at 10:16 AM, Scott Chesworth wrote:
Hey all,
While Rick's message covers the history beautifully, I thought it was
worth adding to the thread to throw out a few thoughts about the future.
Much of this is just my oppinion and based on my experiences, but maybe
it'll make a penny drop for someone somewhere.
Let's just say that, in a year, 2, 3, however long, Pro Tools released
an accessible version. It would be a groovey Tuesday indeed! The next
week would be one of the most frustrating times of my life no doubt,
because I'd realise just how many of the current plugins are still
completely inaccessible. Then what happens? the fun starts all over,
with more corporations, companies owned by corporations, individual
developers etc.
I don't mean to sound cynical, but the music business moves fast, and
access generally doesn't. With the development of technology in recent
years, seems to me that nearly every area of the industry has shifted
toward working freelance for us humble engineers. How highly
recommended would you're name have to be so that you could actually get
away with carting an OS9 rig into someones studio, ignore the power
house of a mac sitting under the desk, in a lot of cases ignore the desk
too, and still keep the faith of your recording subject? How many of
the few fixed studio positions are you likely to get when, even if you
could use Pro Tools the backbone of it all, you couldn't use maybe 75%
of the plugins they're running on the resident system? In esscence,
this is why I lost the faith, why (for now) I regret focusing on music
for my degree, and why (also for now) I'm persuing a career in something
totally unrelated. Someone's bound to argue that there's snags in a lot
of things if you're VI, but with some industries it feels to me like
mole hills, whereas music feels like mountains. Of course, if you're
working from your own gaff like Jerry and Rick (to my knowledge) it
changes the dynamic of all this slightly, I just wish they needed a tea
boy haha.
Sorry if it's a bit off topic, but like i said, maybe it'll calm things
down slightly if people realise that it's not as clear cut as "pro tools
works, I have a career now".
Cheers...
Scott
----- Original Message ----- From: "Rick Boggs" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS X
by theblind" <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 7:59 PM
Subject: Re: ProTools: The path to accessibility
>Attention all audio enthusiasts and engineers interested in using
Pro >Tools. In light of the recent plea transmitted to this list, I am
>compelled to clarify the very important history and ongoing advocacy
>efforts on behalf of blind Pro Tools users. Please consider this
>information before taking any action called for in the recent post to
>this list.
Many of you are aware of the proven track record that I have in
working with Digidesign to make Pro Tools accessible for blind users.
In fact, for several years, Digidesign published a story about our
successful work in this area on their web site. For those who don't
know, in 1992 I initiated a dialog with the leadership at Digidesign
about possible accessibility for blind users. By 1994, I successfully
arranged a test at the Digidesign lab which determined that outSPOKEN,
the Mac screen reader at the time, would NOT function with Pro Tools.
Specifically, the Mac would not even boot properly while both
outSPOKEN and Pro Tools were loaded on the machine. However, through
respectful, professional, assertive communication, I was pleased to
find that Digidesign voluntarily made changes to a "system init" file
which resolved the conflict and allowed blind users to access Pro
Tools. The change was made with the launch of the next generation of
the Pro Tools software at that time and appeared simultaneously with
other improvements to the software.
Since then, I launched the "BlindProducers.com" web site and made
special arrangements with the Digidesign sales department and a Los
Angeles vendor to be able to sell Pro Tools systems to blind
individuals with an appropriate package and sufficient support to make
use of Pro Tools realistic for blind users. I facilitated the
purchase of Pro Tools for blind clients of the department of
rehabilitation after they in fact purchased my own system. I even
later hired blind audio engineers in my studio to work as Pro Tools
engineers. Digidesign is well aware of all of these facts. Jerry
Halatyn and I arranged to meet in person with the product development
team at Digidesign and demonstrated how blind users interacted with
Pro Tools 5.1.3 versus what the barriers are for using Pro Tools 6.0
and later. We have established a rapport with key leadership at
Digidesign over the years and are working to help them resolve some
SIGNIFICANT technical barriers to accessibility. We can discuss those
technical details on this list at a later time.
In the interest of preserving the good will at Digidesign, and with
respect for their past record of making necessary accomodations, we
ask that all interested audio enthusiasts and professionals allow us
to continue to pursue the existing path toward accessibility for Pro
Tools.
Nobody has a greater interest in finding a resolution than myself or
Jerry since both of us earn a living exclusively by making recordings
with or Pro Tools systems which are now quite old and out of date.
Please note that rather than bombarding some clerk at Digidesign with
separate and random expressions of frustration, Jerry and I organized
a public display of support for a resolution with the Pro Tools
Petition at www.ProToolsPetition.org which did render a response from
Digidesign.
We ask that all brainstorming on this subject be done in an open forum
and that NO ACTION be taken without careful consideration of the
history and progress made thus far.
Why not stick with what has worked folks? Ask yourselves how much you
really know about what the technical problems are that face Digidesign
this time around. I assure you the barriers are significant.
Rick Boggs
