- From: Access Systems <accessys@smart.net>
- Date: Tue, 5 Mar 2002 09:40:29 -0500 (EST)
- To: Joe Clark <joeclark@joeclark.org>
- cc: WAI-IG <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
On Tue, 5 Mar 2002, Joe Clark wrote: > >>I use a Macintosh and it is bad enough not being able to see many > >>websites because they are coded for the Microsoft users of this > >>world. and our whole office is Linux/Unix (not to mention Linux at home) > > I don't know what you're talking about. HTML is HTML. You can even and movies are movies, but some are captioned/described HTML is about as close to universal as you can get but it still takes an OS to interpert the signals and operate the access software > Care to name five different sites you cannot use *at all* on a > Macintosh? I suppose Java applets could be examples, but that's a > stretch. I don't know about that but I can name hundreds that won't work on text to speech browsers > >>So, should I buy a new PC with all the latest kit just so I can > >>'see' this latest and greatest Flash website? I think not, and I > >>don't think that I should be forced into doing so. > > Unbeknownst to you, Microsoft actually *has* a system-wide that is MS system wide, try it on any other OS > I know for a fact that Macromedia *wants* to make accessible Flash > work cross-platform, but faced with the task of writing its own > access infrastructure on Mac, they *wisely* opted to take the easy > path first. Get the thing working on one platform and then worry > about making it cross-platform. or more likely there is less profit in Unix/Linux/BSD/Mac/etc and to get the MS code you have to sign away your rights to building anything cross platform > >>While I think that Macromedia is doing the right thing in > >>addressing accessibility of its multimedia software and how it is > >>viewed, I guess that many would agree that this type of product > >>would be better if it incorporated all users, regardless of > >>hardware or software. > > Flash is *already* platform-dependent. I suppose you want Macromedia > to also create Flash for DOS. how about for something that is used in the business world, like Unix > >>Ahem, excuse me! $795, plus the cost of Windows, plus the cost of > >>hardware capable of running windows! Not to mention the serious > >>hassle of mopping up each new "virus"!! How the **** is that > >>supposed to be "accessible" to any but a tiny minority of the > >>richest blind people? or any company that has a large vested interest in a more flexible or job specific OS > Technology costs. Get used to it. And anyway, screen readers are > aimed at workplace use: JAWS technically stands for Job Access with > Speech. US$795 is affordable for many companies, and in any event is > deductible or depreciable. well I work on one of the Open Source Software Access project (one of many) and what we have avaliable so far is essentially no cost. > Oh, but wait a sec-- you want the whole shebang (computer, operating > system, screen reader) to be free just because you're blind? How > amusing. no but just because one is blind (or otherwise disabled) doesn't make em a "mark" or sucker either Bob ASCII Ribbon Campaign accessBob NO HTML/PDF/RTF in e-mail accessys@smartnospam.net NO MSWord docs in e-mail Access Systems, engineers NO attachments in e-mail, *LINUX powered* access is a civil right *#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*# THIS message and any attachments are CONFIDENTIAL and may be privileged. They are intended ONLY for the individual or entity named above. If you are not the intended recipient, Please notify the sender as soon as possible. Please DO NOT READ, COPY, USE, or DISCLOSE this communication to others and DELETE it from your computer systems. Thanks
Received on Tuesday, 5 March 2002 09:29:21 UTC