For me, if I'm going to use a blindness related product whose design was solely to make accessible a mainstream product not built with accessibility in mind, I will both use the blindness product, and encourage the manufacturer of the mainstream product to come into compliance with accessibility standards. If we use blindness-related products without lobbying for accessibility to the main streams, mainstream producers may assume we blind people will design work-around to their inaccessible tools. Sure, we can take companies and products to court, but given the large number of companies, and the small number of blind people, many companies might be willing to take the risk of not bothering with accessibility. The payout of fines might be less than hiring the people to create accessible products.
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Christopher Chaltain Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2012 8:01 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Voice Book and philosophy [was "Re: tried"] This is just my personal opinion, and I don't intend to force this opinion on anyone else or flame anyone, but I disagree for myself. Although I fully embrace using mainstream applications, I'm not going to turn a back on an application or a device that makes my life easier or more convenient just because it was written with accessibility in mind. What are our alternatives here? Use inadequate, hard to use or inaccessible applications while we're working with Facebook to make their sites and apps more accessible? I'm not a big fan of the phrase blind ghetto when referring to devices and applications for the blind. I wouldn't have been employed and independent for the last 30 years without tools like the Braille 'n' Speak, JAWS, a refreshible braille display, Home Page Reader and so on. Furthermore, I think these devices, and the experiences blind people have with them, do as much to promote accessibility in mainstream products as their existence might seem to hinder. Bottom line for me, is that I'm going to use all of the tools available to me to get done what I need or want to do. I won't look down at my nose on any blind person who feels differently though. To each his own. On 26/05/12 06:30, David Chittenden wrote:> Hello, > > I tend to agree with you. People are typically much more comfortable with the familiar, and often willing to pay a premium to keep/maintain it. > > > David Chittenden, MSc, MRCAA > Email: [email protected] > Mobile: +64 21 2288 288 > Sent from my iPhone > > On 26/05/2012, at 21:41, Krister Ekstrom <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Hi, >> I'll probably get flamed for saying this, but i haven't tried Voicebook and probably never will. In my opinion from the description it sounds like yet another lame unnecessary reinvention of the wheel and another part of the worrysome trend i think i see that we blind are going further and further away from the mainstream that we wanted to be a part of in the beginning of the IPhone revolution. Don't get me wrong, some apps are needed, like the money reader, the recognizer, vizwiz and others but others are in my opinion not. But i guess to each their own. >> /Krister >> >> 26 maj 2012 kl. 02:35 skrev adrian: >> >>> Has any one tried the new face book app called Voicebook? I have it and i find it very accessible. >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google Group. >>> To search the VIPhone public archive, visit http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. >>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. >>> For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en. >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google Group. >> To search the VIPhone public archive, visit http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. >> For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en. > -- Christopher (CJ) chaltain at Gmail -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google Group. To search the VIPhone public archive, visit http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google Group. To search the VIPhone public archive, visit http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en.
