Hi, Yeah, it's easy to find. If you Google something like "NFB lawsuit against Apple" or whatever, it's there. :)
And the GWMicro issue I was gonna get around to. It's kind of funny. At least GW works with Apple instead of trying to give them improper input. Regards, Nic Skype: Kvalme MSN Messenger: nico...@home3.gvdnet.dk AIM: cincinster yahoo Messenger: cin368 Facebook Profile My Twitter On Apr 15, 2010, at 10:18 AM, James & Nash wrote: > Hi Rob, > > Where did your friend get this info from? I would be interested to read this. > When was the law suit issued? Apple has always had some manner of > accessibility in their computers I believe with the Outspoken, Screen Reader > formally made by Alva. Only since 2005/6 though has Apple used its own > Screen Reader. > > I don't know, but I suspect that this NFB law suit is a distortion of the > facts if anything. From what i understand, when Microsoft announced that they > wanted to develop an in-built accessibility for Windows, the NFB pressured > them not to continue because they feared that it would be detrimental to > venders such as Freedom Scientific. However, this may just be a rumour as I > cannot find any info on this. Your friend might be referring to the > announcement that in September 2008, NFB reached an agreement with apple on > making ITunes more accessible to Blind users which would last for three > years. This agreement was only for ITunes though as far as I know. This > agreement came shortly after Freedom Scientific's announcement that ITunes > would be accessible with JFW. As Josh De Lioncourt notes in his September > 2008 article "Apple & NFB reach agreement on Apple Accessibility", > > ...NFB made no such fanfare when GW Micro announced its work with Apple on > ITunes accessibility with Window-Eyes earlier this year,, when that > accessibility came to fruition earlier this month, or when the vast majority > of the ITunes application became accessible with Apple's Voice Over Screen > Reading technology for Mac OS X early in 2007... > > Ignoring Apple's (and others') advancements in accessibility still seems to > be a favourite NFB tactic. This was shown very clearly in NFB's article in > the June 2009 edition of The Braille Monitor called "Report on the ease of > access of the Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard environment with Voice Over". Mr. > Majerus' comments in this article were not entirely accurate and the article > suffered from obvious bias and a lack of objectivity. Eventually, NFB issued > a retraction, and whilst it was welcome, I think their previous comments > damaged their reputation as an Assistive Technology review powerhouse. But > sadly, NFB's stance is one taken by the majority of Blindness organisations - > especially here in Europe. This is changing in France it would seem and there > are people working in the UK too who seek to change venders' outlooks. > > I don't think Apple are going to walk away from Voice Over. As others have > pointed out, they have invested far too much time and money, as well as been > the beneficiaries of a major switch by a growing number of Blind and VI users. > > TC > James, Lyn, Nash & Twinny > > On 15 Apr 2010, at 07:08, Rob Lambert wrote: > >> I just got wind, from a friend of mine, that the only reason Apple is >> accessible to us is because of a lawsuit by the NFB. The term of the >> agreement was for accessibility improvements for three years. Here's a >> question. First, what's your side of this ordeal? Second, who thinks Apple >> will keep up with the accessibility improvements after this three year term >> is up? I apologize for making smooth waters mirky, I just wanted to know >> what your take on this was. >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "MacVisionaries" group. >> To post to this group, send email to macvisionar...@googlegroups.com. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "MacVisionaries" group. > To post to this group, send email to macvisionar...@googlegroups.com. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. To post to this group, send email to macvisionar...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en.
