It is interesting to note that the ribbons were accessible, much of the user interface is as well. It is the main content areas that are not accessible.
Greg On Sep 27, 6:16 am, "Dave Taylor" <davetay...@tafn.org.uk> wrote: > I bet that if they tried, they would soon realise that the ribbons would be > difficult if not impossible to implement with VO anyway. As it is, their > insistence on these awful things is one of my key drivers for making the > switch, though there are many others too. Mike, the podcast where you > install Snow Leopard is as good a demonstration as anything of how far > things have come on the Mac side, I'm afraid it is the opposite story, > almost the reverse story, on the windows side! > > Cheers > Dave > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com > > [mailto:macvisionar...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Mike Arrigo > Sent: Sunday, September 26, 2010 11:03 PM > To: macvisionaries@googlegroups.com > Subject: Re: Microsoft Office 2011 and VoiceOver > > 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 > > athttp://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 > athttp://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. 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