I suspect that this is just the opening salvo in the end of the Window screen reader war. I suspect we will see WindowEye become the built in screen reader of Windows and with that JAWS and the other will die on the vine as it were. No one is going to pay for a screen reader if they get one for free in the OS.
This is likely being driven somewhat by the proposed FCC rule on accessibility to consumer electronics. Greg On Wednesday, 15 January 2014 03:21:50 UTC+8, BillH wrote: > > Jan-14-2014 > > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE > > Fort Wayne, Indiana (January 14, 2014) - GW Micro, Inc. (www.gwmicro.com) > is proud > > to make a revolutionary announcement. GW Micro and Microsoft Corp. have > partnered > > to make Window-Eyes available to users of Microsoft Office at no cost. > Window-Eyes > > is a screen reader that enables people who are blind, visually impaired, > or print > > disabled to have full access to Windows PCs and makes the computer > accessible via > > speech and/or Braille. > > To better deliver Window-Eyes to the people who need it most, GW Micro and > Microsoft > > have collaborated on this global initiative, available in over 15 > languages, to enable > > anyone using Microsoft Office 2010 or later to also use Window-Eyes for > free. > > Access to technology is critical to people who are blind or visually > impaired in > > order to have the same opportunity to compete in the workplace. As such, > this initiative > > between GW Micro and Microsoft has the potential to reduce barriers for > millions > > of people who are blind or visually impaired around the world. > > As the population ages, technologies like Window-Eyes will become more and > more important > > as the number of people with age-related macular degeneration and other > retinal degenerative > > diseases increases. " > > This significant change in the way we are doing business reflects the > changing perception > > of accessibility and also technology in general. > > Rather than wait for the world to change, Microsoft and GW Micro are > leading the > > way > > ," said Dan Weirich, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for GW Micro. > > Weirich believes this technology can help millions of people gain access > to their > > PC, and that providing it free of charge will open a whole new world of > assistive > > technology to many people. > > In light of the rapidly changing face of technology and specifically, the > changing > > face of assistive technology, the combined efforts of GW Micro and > Microsoft have > > the goal of providing accessibility to people who are blind and visually > impaired > > for the long term. > > Microsoft continues to take accessibility seriously. > > “By partnering with GW Micro in this endeavor we are demonstrating > Microsoft’s ongoing > > commitment to provide all of our customers with the technology and tools > to help > > each person be productive in both their work and personal lives.” > > said Rob Sinclair, Chief Accessibility Officer for Microsoft. > > Eligible customers, using Microsoft Office 2010 or higher, will be able to > download > > a full version of Window-Eyes starting today at > > www.WindowEyesForOffice.com > > . > > The website provides download instructions as well as additional details > about this > > offer. > > GW Micro, Inc. (www.gwmicro.com) has been a trusted pioneer in the > adaptive technology > > industry since 1990, and continues to lead with innovative, customer > driven solutions. > > Contact: > > Dan Weirich, VP of Sales and Marketing > > d...@gwmicro.com <javascript:> > > (260) 489-3671 > > ### > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MacVisionaries" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
