user 'freedom' (was RE: [thelist] Site check: Staples.com)

Ian Anderson ian at zstudio.co.uk
Wed Sep 21 05:56:37 CDT 2005


Anthony Ettinger wrote:
> 
> Care to cite your source?
> 
> Either way, I'm sure both OS's offer great accessible
> applications if you know where and how to find it.

Jeff is quite correct. Windows has long been the only platform with a 
significant support for many types of assistive technology.

The key part is Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA), which is a layer 
in the OS that talks to devices like screen readers, braille tablets, 
screen magnifiers and so on. If you want to use most assistive 
technology, you need a Windows box.

Apple has only just added basic access support to their OS to allow you 
to use the keyboard alone to navigate, and the relevant preferences that 
allow it at all are off by default. Very few Mac applications support 
keyboard only access.

Macs have been the least accessible computers on the planet for 20 
years; the situation is changing slowly but not significantly.

I understand there is a movement to create an accessibility layer for 
Linux, but I don't think it's mature yet and is not supported by the 
majority of AT devices out there.

Cheers

Ian


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