I don't think he said it was a beta. It is very disappointing indeed, really, Microsoft has no excuse for this one, it's not like they were not aware of accessibility and voice over, they just chose not to do anything with it. Apple has created a built in screen reader and provided the APIs to make programs accessible, Microsoft has definitely shown their interest in this. At least on the mac, there are alternatives that will handle Microsoft Office files, namely iwork and open office. On Sep 26, 2010, at 3:18 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 > > -- > 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.
