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Microsoft

Submission + - Microsoft Backtracks on Accessibility in WP7 (afb.org)

beetle496 writes: One of the things Microsoft has done well for many years now (since they got called on the carpet about Windows 95) is providing compatibility with assistive technology used by the blind. Their current push is for a set of APIs called User Automation. Many of us in the field have remained skeptical of the early promises, especially those related to cross-platform compatibility. The news that Microsoft is now backtracking is disappointing, but hardly surprising. It looks like IAccessible2 is the way to go.
Government

Submission + - Fed CIOs want to hear from you! (federalregister.gov)

beetle496 writes: Chicago, 30 Sept. Listening Session: In order to better understand the needs of diverse communities and provide better solutions, the U.S. Council of CIOs, in collaboration with the Chief Acquisition Officers Council, the GSA Office of Governmentwide Policy and the U.S. Access Board, is holding the first in a series of listening sessions to engage citizens and employees in expressing concerns and proposing ideas. This continues a recent theme.

Comment Re:Zero sum game (Score 1) 274

Sorry, but the Americans with Disabilities Act is clearly civil rights legislation. I agree that it is not as fundamental as slavery or voting, but it is a difference of scale, not kind. People's right to discriminate is limited, especially if they are business owners. Frankly, your example of being offended is exactly why this kind of legislation is needed.

Comment Re:Zero sum game (Score 1) 274

So discriminating against a minority is okay if the minority is small enough? I guess I am less libertarian than you, but I think this is exactly the sort of thing I want and expect from government. Your freedom of expression ends at my civil rights. I agree that individuals have the free speech right to post uncaptioned videos and images with alt tags. I respectfully disagree that first-world business owners should have this same freedom.

Comment Re:Your strawman (Score 1) 274

That's two different groups, with vastly different demographics. Yes, there are a minor few who try to exploit ADA for ill gain. It is legitimate to be upset by such abuse. Then you have the vast majority of people who are blind that routinely have trouble navigating the web, even though they have the right software and the best practices techniques for accessible web development are pretty straightforward and reasonable. It is this second large group that are finally getting some attention, after this question was raised and answered (to the affirmative) almost fifteen years ago.

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