Shaun,
Your tone in this thread has been, by at large, rather hostile, and I
hope it is not indicative of how you conduct yourself toward these
companies in the name of advocasy. Like your message to Slau, you're
assuming an awful lot about me that is simply false. I've worked in
the adaptive tech industry in a variety of different capacities for
over a decade. I've never been one to "sit and wait for accessibility
to fall in my lap". I simply feel that your method of obtaining
access is destructive.
I've acknowledged Apple's shortfalls as well as commended them on
their successes. Apple is, however, not the topic of this thread. It
is Pro Tools and DigiDesign. Regardless of the company involved, I
stand by my assessment that your methods are flawed and counter-
productive.
The government takes our tax money. I think they do owe us things
like accessible money and such. They are working for us. Where you
and I differ, is that you seem to think that private organizations and
companies owe you everything, and it was due yesterday.
Snapping your fingers and expecting companies to not only jump, but
ask how high is a childish frame of mind, and in the long run hurts us
all.
Josh de Lioncourt
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
...my other mail provider is an owl...
On 9 Jan, 2008, at 9:49 AM, Shaun Jones wrote:
Like what? If you stand around and say you are waiting on
accessibility to fall in your lap you will wait a lifetime. If you
are embarrassed then grow up, be a man and stand up for yourself and
your people. When you told me that the only contact for Apple
accessibility was a e-mail address I immediately began working on a
better way. I don't wait for Apple to put accessibility in a product
I find the problem and suggest results. As long as someone says
Apple is the best you have no problem, but the minute someone talks
about change you bow down and accept it. Your government doesn't owe
you a thing, you have to go and get it. As a man I resent that
comment, but as a person who was once in your frame of mind I
understand.
On Jan 9, 2008, at 12:27 PM, Josh de Lioncourt wrote:
The sue-happy tendency of minority groups and organizations
representing said groups, is a real tragedy in the US. I say that
as a totally blind US citizen.
Not every product will be accessible to the blind, and not every
product that will one day be accessible to the blind be made so as
quickly as we'd like. The key is to work with companies, give them
positive feedback, and offer help. Strong arming makes us all look
bad. This is exactly why I dislike groups like the ACB, NFB, and
AFB.
Accessibility should not be forced into companies. It should be
encouraged and fostered by those who need it.
As a software developer, I can understand much better than some of
you here the difficulties faced by DigiDesign. Shaun, you are
ignoring the key facts in that situation. DigiDesign gave blind
Mac users access for a decade. Things only slowed when Mac itself
no longer had a screen reader. Now that it does, they're working
on it again.
This has been one of the most depressing threads I've seen on this
list in a long time. It has furthered my embarrassment for the
blind community as a whole.
To Apple or any other developers or manufacturers who may be
reading this....we're not all like this.
Josh de Lioncourt
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
...my other mail provider is an owl...
