I agree in principle.  However, an employer's approach is that they don't 
obtain the brand of personal computer or monitor or other productivity tools 
and software for other employees based upon their preference.  So why, since 
both Screen Readers who lead the market as well as the Screen Magnification 
products work similarly should they give preferencial treatment?  We all 
have personal preferences and there's really no justification for demanding 
that an employer provides JAWS just because you like it or Window-Eyes or 
MaGic or ZoomText unless one can present a documented justification that one 
product will achieve more productivity or access to specific applications. 
It really can no longer be argued that it's that difficult to learn one's 
Screen Reader commands versus the other as well.  This isn't my personal 
preference.  I'm just attempting to help you to consider stepping back and 
to be more objective.
If I were to be employed in another organization who wouldn't provide 
Window-Eyes, for example, I wouldn't personally desire it but unless I could 
present a case which would justify how Window-Eyes would enable me to be 
more productive or to access a given application, then it's sort of the same 
as them providing a Dell computer for me to use to perform work versus some 
other brand that i like.
A few years ago, I know our argument would have likely been easier but not 
currently.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sandra Fouts" <[email protected]>
To: "'Marcie Brink-Chaney'" <[email protected]>; "Andre Vosloo" 
<[email protected]>
Cc: "'Samuel Wilkins'" <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, February 08, 2013 8:50 AM
Subject: RE: Off topic - U.S Federal Workers using Window-Eyes?


Amen!

-----Original Message-----
From: Marcie Brink-Chaney [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, February 08, 2013 12:16 AM
To: Andre Vosloo
Cc: 'Samuel Wilkins'; [email protected]
Subject: Re: Off topic - U.S Federal Workers using Window-Eyes?

I work for Visually Handicapped Services which is a program to train people 
to be able to use adaptive software to access their computers. I personally 
think that no state or federal government agency should require the use of 
one software access program over another. Consumers are supposed to have a 
choice in the vocational rehabilitation programs funded by the federal 
government and to me, only one screen reading or magnification program 
purchased or recommended is no choice. Even the way the criteria for 
training by the agency we are contracted to for rehabilitation services 
states that a person should receive training for JAWS and does not mention 
any other adaptive software programs and this includes magnification is 
unacceptable. As for the lack of support for Window Eyes or Jaws, I have 
never had any problems getting help from GW Micro and I think there is 
something wrong when our IT people have been told that they must call 
technical support because they are having problems
 installing Jaws 11.00. These are the computer gurus and they can't install 
JAWS without having problems? They didn't have any problems that I couldn't 
help them with when they installed Window Eyes after the upgrade to Windows 
7. Not that I want to put accessibility software companies out of business, 
but, like Apple, all computers should have accessibility for everyone out of 
the box!!!

Marcie Brink-Chaney CVRT


Onn 2/4/2013 3:24 AM, Andre Vosloo wrote:
> Same situation in SA.  I tried to convince one of the government
> departments here to use WE, to no avail.  The vendor which sells the
> product tells them there is no support for WE, but there is support
> for the shark.  I am not surprised, given the amounts he gets paid extra 
> to do scripting.
>
> Regards
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Samuel Wilkins [mailto:[email protected]]
> Sent: 04 February 2013 10:15 AM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: RE: Off topic - U.S Federal Workers using Window-Eyes?
>
> Unfortunately, this is not the case everywhere.  Here in the UK, as
> far as I know, the major governing bodies only use Jaws and Supernova,
> and they do not know anything about Window-Eyes because of the
> relatively small marketing it has received in the UK.  However, I could be 
> wrong.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: John Riehl [mailto:[email protected]]
> Sent: 04 February 2013 02:01
> To: [email protected]; 'Peter Wolfe'; 'gw-info'
> Subject: RE: Off topic - U.S Federal Workers using Window-Eyes?
>
> JAWS is used a lot throughout the Federal Government but it does not
> have a "contract" with the Federal government. I am a Fed and I use
> both JAWS and Windoweyes.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Reinhard Stebner [mailto:[email protected]]
> Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2013 8:30 PM
> To: 'Peter Wolfe'; 'gw-info'
> Subject: RE: Off topic - U.S Federal Workers using Window-Eyes?
>
> I am using both window-eye and JAWS and I am a contractor with HHS.
> What would you like to know?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Peter Wolfe [mailto:[email protected]]
> Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2013 7:45 PM
> To: gw-info
> Subject: Off topic - U.S Federal Workers using Window-Eyes?
>
> Dear all,
>
>
>      Does anyone on here work for the U.S federal government using
> Window-Eyes at work? In many many conversations wih people and
> programs that I've attended, it appears that JAWS has a federal
> contract with the federal government. I'm not trained with JAWS Screen
> Reader, so would like to know your advice on whether its worth my
> while to learn JAWS or not for federal employment. I'm just so annoyed
> that I was trained with Window-Eyes and its not even used almost
> anywhere of employment. Can somebody or anybody give me advice on what
> to freakin do. Right now I'm blamed for not knowing JAWS for the IRS 
> training program, so I couldn't complete it impart cause of it.
>
>
>      This is where the government in my view screws up by picking
> losers and winnersx in things. I wish that Window-Eyes and JAWS could
> work in the federal government. However, the IRS in particular thinks
> that Window-Eyes isn't as powerful as JAWS. I've had two separate
> occasions had Window-Eyes through the Small Business Administration and 
> another  internship in D.C.
> How many freakin screen readers must we know what should we know or
> what can we do? I'm so so tired of the confusing mess of the
> disorganized Vocational Rehabilitation programs that  they are
> obviously failures and us students are blamed for it?
> Thanks for listening just I want work with my social science degree
> just that not even SPSS softwares and other necessary softwares don't
> currently work with Window-Eyes or JAWS and there is no clear answers
> or standards of what we should know to obtain a job or anything.
>
>
> Thanks,
> Peter
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