Google abandons Windows
in [UK Mac]
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From: Rowland McDonnell on 11 Jun 2010 21:23 James Jolley <jrjolley(a)me.com> wrote: [snip] > Good point, it's worth noting that the blindness agencies and companies > do tend to charge a great deal more for specialist technology, claiming > small markets. I only go along with this so far now, seeing what Apple > have managed to do has really improved my ability to function > generally. There'd be no going back to Windows. Don't forget that the Mac Universal Access stuff is only possible because of Apple having very clever OS technology *AND* huge piles of loot to spend. Apple can lose the Universal Access development budget behind the sofa and not notice. Not many firms can bankroll their software development via iPod sales, y'know. Not only that, but also: It really does cost money to develop this stuff, and if you *only* sell to the blind, well, that is a small market. Apple sells the blind accessible stuff to *everyone* - it gets more sales. If more firms did the same, build accessibility in by default, it'd get a lot cheaper. Basically, stuff for the blind would be subsidised by everyone (if that makes sense) so that the cost of paying for the special development was spread out across the entire customer base. And that strikes me as an excellent way of paying for it - it even means us rich idle bastards living in developed industrialised nations subsidise those in poorer nations, on account of us buying more stuff. Rowland. -- Remove the animal for email address: rowland.mcdonnell(a)dog.physics.org Sorry - the spam got to me http://www.mag-uk.org http://www.bmf.co.uk UK biker? Join MAG and the BMF and stop the Eurocrats banning biking
From: Roger Merriman on 12 Jun 2010 07:01 D.M. Procida <real-not-anti-spam-address(a)apple-juice.co.uk> wrote: > James Jolley <jrjolley(a)me.com> wrote: > > > >> The blind need to work with sighted workers in business, > > > > > > I don't see why wage slavery should be viewed as a necessary state of > > > being - but I get your point aside from the social injustice you seem to > > > be accepting as desirable (wage slavery, that is). > > > > That's not, but really it's generally assumed that the blind need > > equipment for work. Many are unable to afford the technology they need. > > And that's just in the wealthy west with our disability rights > legislation and effective political movements in support of the > disabled. > > In other parts of the world, where there are more blind people because > of a lack of basic interventions to prevent or cure blindness, blindness > can be effectively a sentence to a life as beggar. Sometimes without the > life bit. > > Every new technology that emerges that doesn't have accessibility > built-in will, if it becomes important to economic survival, be part of > the problems faced by the blind rather than part of the solution. > there are winners and loosers regarding technology and disablities, the folks I work with (learning disablities) are in danger of being shut out in some ways as they can get phyical object = music, but mp3 players mobllie phones etc......require more of a leap of understanding. > That technology has to be available at the cheapest, most basic, lowest > common denominator level. > > Daniele roger -- www.rogermerriman.com
From: Peter Ceresole on 12 Jun 2010 07:26 Roger Merriman <NEWS(a)sarlet.com> wrote: > there are winners and loosers regarding technology and disablities, the > folks I work with (learning disablities) are in danger of being shut out > in some ways as they can get phyical object = music, but mp3 players > mobllie phones etc......require more of a leap of understanding. The classic example is switchgear. 15 years ago, I filmed with a chap who was blind, a composer. He used a synth. His previous one had rocker and tab switches to set functions; he could tell by feel what the settings were. The new ones had soft switches which toggled functions and gave no tactile indication at all of their settings. He wasn't naive, worked with BT on interfaces for the blind, and was finding new kit with soft swiches increasingly difficult to use. ATMs are similar. After the programme I got a furious letter from the Natwest implementation team, pointing out that they had made great efforts to make their ATMs blind-friendly, with beeps and tones, but I'd used them with blind people who pointed out, to use the things, how much info they had to remember. Sighted people had the prompts in sight all the time. Blind people had to make a major effort of memory to remember every sequence. They were at a serious disadvantage. -- Peter
From: Peter Ceresole on 12 Jun 2010 09:58 James Jolley <jrjolley(a)me.com> wrote: > Then he'd fine the iPhone impossible also then. Oh yes. Smooth devices like the iPhone, with no tactile feedback at all, are simply nightmares for the blind. In fact, they're not so great for me, either; my sons in law and daughters all have iPhones, but I copped one feel and decided I'd not have one for any money. I bought a Nokia instead; it has a number pad with discrete keys, to which I can actually relate. > People need to take responsibility for > themselves as well, not saying he didn't because he managed, but there > are many who just whinge and whine. But can you blame them? Especially older people, who are increasingly being left to one side. -- Peter
From: James Jolley on 12 Jun 2010 10:35
On 2010-06-12 14:58:02 +0100, peter(a)cara.demon.co.uk (Peter Ceresole) said: > James Jolley <jrjolley(a)me.com> wrote: > >> Then he'd fine the iPhone impossible also then. > > Oh yes. Smooth devices like the iPhone, with no tactile feedback at all, > are simply nightmares for the blind. In fact, they're not so great for > me, either; my sons in law and daughters all have iPhones, but I copped > one feel and decided I'd not have one for any money. I bought a Nokia > instead; it has a number pad with discrete keys, to which I can actually > relate. Now that is perfectly reasonable, given your age. For some, the iPhone is useless. It's a question of what you're prepared to adapt too. I personally don't mind these touchy things, I quite like the iPod/phone now, just because I have got used to how they work. The VoiceOver implementation is good enough for what I want, but it's no mac pro replacement or anything. I take your point though about finding some of this difficult. > >> People need to take responsibility for >> themselves as well, not saying he didn't because he managed, but there >> are many who just whinge and whine. > > But can you blame them? Especially older people, who are increasingly > being left to one side. True and of course this doesn't just apply to handsets. Many applications on computers are getting more advanced by the minute, many microwaves and other devices are more sophisticated from the UI perspective than they ever were. We just live in an age where survival isn't just about functioning, we have to adapt to the technology. that makes me sound a bit mad I suppose, I just love my gadgets and my bias shows probably. |