What an interesting message. Voice-Over, Apple's built-in screen reader, gives me excellent access to a large percentage of apps on my iOS device. On my Mac, Voice-Over gives me good access to Apple's office type apps. Apple publishes everything needed for third-party vendors to make their apps fully accessible should those vendors choose to do so.
As for Microsoft, I have never been able to get narrator, Microsoft's built-in screen reader to provide anything more than some access to Microsoft's office products. Since you have, congratulations. However, if you mean you get excellent access using a third-party screen reader, the access is because the third-party screen-reader manufacturer, not Microsoft, is highly focused on accessibility of the software you are using, and places many man hours on finding accessibility work-arounds every time a new version is released. Fortunately, Microsoft now provides pre-release versions to said vendors so they can, hopefully, release updated screen-reader support when the updated product is released. As for mobile phones, Windows Phone is completely inaccessible. Microsoft Windows for tablet is not accessible. Only Microsoft Windows for full computers is accessible, from what I understand. Also, though Microsoft has an accessibility unit, it is up to each department in Microsoft as to whether they choose to utilise the accessibility department. No, the two companies are not equal as to their levels of commitment to accessibility. David Chittenden, MSc, MRCAA Email: [email protected] Mobile: +64 21 2288 288 Sent from my iPhone > On 7 Apr 2014, at 16:39, Christopher Chaltain <[email protected]> wrote: > > It's a good thing we don't pass judgment on Apple's commitment to > accessibility based on how well they support their applications on their > competitors platforms. > > I haven't used their mobile app for the iPhone, but I have used their web > interface for Outlook on my iPhone with Safari, and I was able to do > everything I needed to do, such as move messages to folders, delete messages, > reply to messages and compose new messages. > > I've recently started using Windows again for work, I'd been using Ubuntu > almost exclusively for the last three years on my previous job, so I'm not a > Microsoft fan boy by any means. I will say this about Microsoft though, every > application I need to use for my job that comes from Microsoft is accessible, > and I work in a shop that uses Microsoft products for almost everything. This > includes Outlook, Word, Excel and so on. There's no way I could do my job > without Microsoft's commitment to accessibility, and there's no other company > that offers the range of accessible programs that Microsoft does allowing > someone to even do the job that I currently have. > > IMHO, there's no reason to toss off these gratuitous messages bashing other > companies. This is an list for Apple products, so nothing constructive is > served, and it just makes all of us look petty. > >> On 04/05/2014 04:41 PM, David Chittenden wrote: >> Sounds like the level of commitment to accessibility that I have come to >> expect from Microsoft. >> >> David Chittenden, MSc, MRCAA >> Email: [email protected] >> Mobile: +64 21 2288 288 >> Sent from my iPhone >> >>> On 6 Apr 2014, at 6:48, "Richard Turner" <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> There has been some confusion which I may have contributed to, but also if >>> folks would be careful to use real app names, things would not get quite as >>> confused. >>> >>> The app I've been talking about is "Microsoft Office Mobile" which is free >>> and is free for home use. It works with OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive) and >>> only Office 2007 and above documents that have the "x" at the end of the >>> file extension, like ".docx" or "xlsx", etc. >>> >>> Microsoft also released "Microsoft Word for iPad" which requires an Office >>> 365 subscription if you want to edit documents. >>> It is only for the iPad. >>> Apparently, it will also edit older .doc files. >>> >>> I do not have an iPad or an Office 365 account so am hoping that Microsoft >>> will make the "Microsoft Office Mobile" app which works on the iPhone, iPod >>> Touch and iPad, fully accessible with VoiceOver. >>> My sighted wife can edit documents quite easily with it and VoiceOver will >>> read the documents, but you can't edit them with VoiceOver. >>> >>> Richard >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> The following information is important for all members of the viphone list. >>> All new members to the this list are moderated by default. If you have any >>> questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a >>> member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators >>> directly rather than posting on the list itself. The archives for this list >>> can be searched at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "VIPhone" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>> email to [email protected]. >>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > -- > Christopher (CJ) > chaltain at Gmail > > -- > The following information is important for all members of the viphone list. > All new members to the this list are moderated by default. If you have any > questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a > member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators > directly rather than posting on the list itself. The archives for this list > can be searched at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. > --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "VIPhone" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- The following information is important for all members of the viphone list. All new members to the this list are moderated by default. If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. The archives for this list can be searched at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "VIPhone" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/viphone. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
