[nfbcs] BMC Remedy web-based client

Tue Jan 17 20:24:27 UTC 2012

I don't think there is any law in the USA that says that software has to be 
accessible.  There is a law called the Rehab Act that says that agencies of 
the government of the United States can't buy inaccessible software if there 
is an accessible alternative. I think it was the Rehab Act that the NFB used 
to get several universities to stop their plans to buy their students kindle 
book readers.  There is also a law that says that consumer communications 
equipment has to be made accessible. That is the
Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act. Then there 
is the ADA which the Justice Department recently said applies to web sites. 
But like VMWare or Microsoft Word... I don't think there is any law covering 
software like that. I doubt it would be illegal for a company to buy an 
inacccessible software package and then fire a blind person for not being 
able to use it.   The company could argue that using the software is an 
essential part of the job. They could say that a blind person simply cannot 
do the job. Nobody wants a blind airline pilot for example. If there is a 
screen reader that would allow you to use the software, they'd have to buy 
you that. But if no screen reader could work with their software, I believe 
they could show you the door.

The greatest hope for progress on accessible software is for us to put some 
teeth into the Rehab Act. The success of the Kindle suit shows how well that 
can work. If government agencies like colleges and universities, most of 
which take funding from the federal government, cannot buy a software 
product because its inaccessible, then companies would be highly motivated 
to make their products accessible.  In fact, I believe this is the reason 
VoiceOver exists. Apple didn't write VoiceOver out of the goodness of their 
collective heart. No, they wrote it so they could continue to sell computers 
to colleges and universities.

The NFB has really taken some major steps in this direction in the last 
couple of years with the Kindle lawsuit and the one against Penn State 
University. Any university in this country is as guilty as Penn State. If we 
can light a fire under university administrators, software developers will 
sit up and take notice. They don't want to be locked out of the academic 
market.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net>
To: "NFB in Computer Science Mailing List" <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 12:20 PM
Subject: Re: [nfbcs] BMC Remedy web-based client

> Hi Gary.
> I wish your answer surprised me.  I'm pretty damn tired of accessibility
> being regarded as "something nice to do."
>
> So what was the outcome for you?
> Tracy
>
>> My experience comes from 18 months ago and it was bad. I inquired of two
>> companies about their interest in scripting a solution. They were less
>> than
>> enthusiastic. I pushed my company to apply pressure to BMC. They too were
>> less than enthusiastic, viewing accessibility as a nice thing to do 
>> rather
>> than complying with the law.
>>
>> It may be that in your job this is not a necessity, but in mine it was
>> much
>> more substantial. It is the way I got assignments, the way I reported
>> progress on them, the way I tracked time, and the way I was evaluated.
>>
>>
>> Gary
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>> Behalf
>> Of Tracy Carcione
>> Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 10:24 AM
>> To: nfbcs at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: [nfbcs] BMC Remedy web-based client
>>
>> Is anyone using the BMC Remedy web-based client?
>> We just moved to it.  The old PC-installed client was difficult, but
>> useable.  The web-based client has links and looks accessible, but I have
>> so far been unable to open any of the sub-menus under Change Management,
>> for example, "Group Manager", or "Assign To".
>> I asked my sighted co-worker, and he "hovered" the mouse over the link,
>> but I didn't see what he saw, and I don't know how to "hover the mouse"
>> with Jaws.  I tried the left click, the right click, the Applications 
>> key,
>> and just hitting enter on what looked like a link, but, if a menu
>> appeared, it wasn't anywhere near where I was.
>>
>> I thought the web-based Remedy would be an improvement, but I may not be
>> able to do this part of my job anymore.  It's not a vital part, but it is
>> annoying for all concerned.
>> If anyone has any experience with this thing, I could sure use some
>> advice.
>> TIA.
>> Tracy
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
>
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