[Electronics-talk] Electronics accessibility of apple products andmainstream level playing field

Mon Feb 21 12:09:54 UTC 2011

I can tell you that some Federal agencies are taking a look at Apple
products as possible note taking solutions for employees who are blind, and
communication devices for employees who are deaf.  The biggest issue is
being able to support the Apple products from both an infrastructure and
HELP Desk point of view.  On the other side of things, as Federal agencies
move into Cloud Computing, they are looking at taking a stand where it does
not matter what type of product a person uses to access the network.  I
really believe that over the next 3 years we are going to see significant
changes in how and what we use to do our computing across the board.

Given today's economy, I do not think we will see much of a move to Apple
products being available from the state programs.  They are bound to what is
on state and federal contracts, and now is not the time to look at spending
money to add or modify existing contracts.  Yes, I do believe this will
change.  Keep in mind that the Apple products cost significantly less than
the traditional adapted products, and many blind consumers can go out and
purchase them , or even family members can give them as gifts.  We are no
longer limited to only one or two mail order resources to purchase these
types of accessible product.

In the past 6 months, here in our house we have made a number of purchases
of appliances, computers and a vehicle.  I have been pleased to find
improved accessibility in all of them.  Yes, it takes time and effort to
research what accessibility features are out there, but I'm beginning to
find that the features are out there in some products.  Our vehicle even has
a voice recognition system in it that I love.  Now all I need is the button
to activate the system on the passenger side of the car in addition to the
one on the steering wheel.

Annette

-----Original Message-----
From: electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jude DaShiell
Sent: Saturday, February 19, 2011 10:02 PM
To: Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances
Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] Electronics accessibility of apple products
andmainstream level playing field

This isn't a State problem, it's a Federal problem.  The Computer
Accommodations Program Office in the Pentagon buys thousand dollar screen
readers for the Veterans as well as Federal employees and States pretty much
use those same C.A.P. office contracts.  It's all been standardized.  
Deal with States and you only hack away at the tentacles of the octapus you
need to go for the head then the tentacles in time will change.On Sat,
19 Feb 2011, fred olver wrote:

> Wouldn't it be nice if state services for the blind would consider the 
> accessability of Apple products instead of having on-going contracts 
> with sellers of thousand dollar products which can only do one thing.
> 
> Fred Olver
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Sharon Ballantyne" <sballan at nexicom.net>
> To: "Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances" 
> <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, February 19, 2011 6:33 PM
> Subject: [Electronics-talk] Electronics accessibility of apple 
> products andmainstream level playing field
> 
> 
> > Hi again,
> >
> > As I said earlier I am  a brand new Mac user. I made the switch for 
> > a number of reasons. The software is all there right out of the box 
> > and I don't have to buy expensive software to be a screen reader or 
> > pay for expensive SMA agreements. Not only is there support at the 
> > apple store but any person who is a Mac user can simply turn their 
> > own voice over on and start looking around a bit. Instead of being a 
> > party of one using JAWS (or what can feel like that) I can have any 
> > number of conversations with plenty of Mac users and they can more 
> > easily troubleshoot with me in a way that I  not experienced as a PC 
> > user.  I also have the magic track pad along with the keyboard and 
> > these gestures fully place me on the same playing field with iphone, 
> > ipod touch and ipad users who can explain gestures to me as I need. 
> > The help of keyboard description when turned on voice over plus the 
> > letter k not only lets you sort out the keyboard but the track pad 
> > is also put into a key describer mode as well, which is really good for
me as a new user.
> >
> > I agree the Mac product is not cheap but there are no added 
> > softwares to add or a blind only niche market and while I am still 
> > brand new, even with all my exploring I have never had voice over cut
out or had things freeze.
> > The fact that Macs are not experiencing the windows crash kind of 
> > things on the PC side I really look forward to.
> >
> > I am really enjoying the voice. It is different and there is actual 
> > amore human sound to it. While I am quite accustomed to JAWS and am 
> > fine with that, I have been experiencing that people can understand 
> > voice over Alex whereas they can't get their head around the JAWS 
> > voice and call it robot headache.
> >
> > If I don't get my head around this I am thinking about calling up 
> > the local high school and speaking to the computer teacher there to 
> > see if he or she has a bright teenager who would be willing to turn 
> > on voice over and figure some things out and just hiring someone to 
> > come in and tutor me. Our young people are not intimidated by these
machines at all.
> >
> > That's my novel of feedback!
> >
> > Sharon
> > _______________________________________________
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> 
> 
> 
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