Erik,

Yes you could always install Debian etc. However, that should not be necessary. 
OO does work reasonably well, but iWorks suite is also quite accessible and I 
am hoping the next version will be even more accessible. I am not sure Mark 
when it will be out, but I gather sometime in the next couple of months.

On Sep 26, 2010, at 5:33 PM, Erik Heil wrote:

> Well, it may be issues with support as well as development. Remember we also 
> have access to OOo, which is accessible. Barring that, you could always 
> install Debian within a BM and use the GO.OO.org version which is nincluded 
> in the distribution.
> 
> Sent from my iPad
> 
> On Sep 26, 2010, at 4:58 PM, Scott Howell <scottn3...@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> Mark,
>> 
>> I suspect Microsoft is simply not interested in accessibility for the Mac. I 
>> have never heard anything that would indicate a reason for Microsoft to take 
>> the time to make the Office suite accessible. If accessibility is not in the 
>> beta now, I would wager it will not be in the final version. In fact it 
>> seems that it would take more effort to add the accessibility in now instead 
>> of doing it at the beginning if you will. So, forget it, our hope is that 
>> iWorks 10 is even more accessible then 09.
>> On Sep 26, 2010, at 4:18 PM, M. Taylor wrote:
>> 
>>> Hello Greg,
>>> 
>>> Thank you so much for providing this info.
>>> 
>>> I cannot begin to relay how sad and disappointed I am at the news of
>>> Microsoft's Office 2011 VoiceOver inaccessibility.  
>>> 
>>> Wow!
>>> 
>>> You know, when I installed the very first beta of Windows 7, it was
>>> completely accessible.  That is to say, as soon as one launched the
>>> installation program for Windows 7, a very clear voice prompt asked if audio
>>> assistance was required.  This came as a total surprise to me, to say the
>>> least.  I answered in the affirmative and was able to install Windows 7
>>> without any sighted assistance, whatsoever.  I installed that first beta on
>>> three of my computers.  By the way, the voice that was used to guide me
>>> through the setup was not that of Narrator--it was much clearer.
>>> 
>>> Astonishingly, with the release of the next beta of Windows 7, this feature
>>> was removed.  I was shocked, disappointed, and angry, to say the least.  
>>> 
>>> It was then that I began considering purchasing a Macintosh.  
>>> 
>>> It's been much too long to recall how I came to learn Microsoft's reason for
>>> removing this feature but they said they removed it for security concerns;
>>> to which I exclaim, "TommyRot!!!!!"  Or, to put it in the vernacular,
>>> "That's a load of crap!!!!"
>>> 
>>> Greg, is it possible that the final release of Office 2011 will be VoiceOver
>>> accessible?  I mean, you reviewed a beta, did you not?  Perhaps I'm just
>>> grasping at straws, eh?  (Smile) 
>>> 
>>> Thanks again for giving us a proverbial "heads-up" on this one.
>>> 
>>> Most Sincerely,
>>> 
>>> mark
>>> -
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com
>>> [mailto:macvisionar...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Greg Kearney
>>> Sent: Sunday, September 26, 2010 1:22 AM
>>> To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com; macvoiceo...@freelists.org; Mary Beth
>>> Janes; Mike Shebanek
>>> Subject: Microsoft Office 2011 and VoiceOver
>>> 
>>> It is my sad duty to report that after getting a chance to test Microsoft
>>> Office 2011 for Mac that it is no more accessible in this version than in
>>> any of the previous versions. As in the past it is impossible to interact
>>> with any of the content areas of the program. You are not able to review,
>>> read or edit the text area in Word or Excel.
>>> 
>>> It should not be clear to all that Microsoft has no intention of ever fixing
>>> these issues. I communicated directly with Microsoft over the same failing
>>> in Office 2008. The fact that after a complete rewire of the programs they
>>> remain inaccessible to the built in screen reader of the OS to me speak
>>> volumes about Microsoft's total lack of commitment to accessibility on the
>>> Macintosh platform and may well speak to Microsoft's general commitment to
>>> the platform as well.
>>> 
>>> Gregory Kearney | Manager Accessible Media
>>> Association for the Blind of WA - Guide Dogs WA
>>> PO Box 101, Victoria Park WA 6979 | 61 Kitchener Ave, Victoria Park WA 6100
>>> Tel: 08 9311 8246 | Fax: 08 9361 8696 | www.guidedogswa.com.au
>>> Tel: 307-224-4022 (North America)
>>> Email: greg.kear...@guidedogswa.com.au
>>> Email: gkear...@gmail.com
>>> 
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