Dear AccessWorld Editor,
I have followed AccessWorld for the past eight years or so and greatly appreciate the publication.
I have limited vision and use ZoomText with speech.
I have been very disappointed over the years in how Microsoft ignores people with low vision. When Office 2007 came out, I had trouble seeing multiple highlighted cells in both Excel and Access. I looked on the Web for a solution and people with "normal" vision had the same complaints. Office 2013 has slightly darkened the color of multiple highlighted cells in both Excel and Access.
When Windows 7 came out, I and many people with "normal" vision did not like the pale highlight color used in Windows Explorer or any of the newer (I will say excellent) dialogue boxes. I found where you can turn on checkboxes in Windows Explorer for each file/folder listed. I also found where you can change the theme to something retro like Windows 95. I also noted Windows 8.1 appears to throw up an encumbering extra layer or two to keep you from getting to the programs and system tools you need to get to.
In another area, I am very disappointed in Ai Squared; I hope its merger with GW Micro has positive results. I think Ai Squared is now all about public media and sales and much less about reliable up-to-date product maintenance.
I would like to see an honest review of the poor state of accessibility encountered by people with low vision using Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, and ZoomText. Anything AFB or AccessWorld can do to help this situation would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Clark Moore
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
I'm writing to provide information about one of the best-kept secrets for people who are blind and live in the Silver Spring, Maryland area. My fianc? is blind, and we live in downtown Silver Spring, Maryland.
Silver Spring seems to be quite unique in that they offer personal escort walking services to and from various places for free within the downtown Silver Spring area. My fianc? uses the escort walking assistance service to walk to the Silver Spring train station from her home every morning, and they escort her back. All she has to do is call. They will also walk her to the store and mall for shopping. Upon arriving at a store, the escort will introduce her to a sales person, and pick her up when she is finished shopping.
The service is provided by the Silver Spring Urban District (SSUD). Its address is 8110 Georgia Avenue 3rd Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20910. The SSUD hotline telephone number is 240-876-2911.
The Silver Spring Urban District provides enhanced services to the Central Business District to ensure that downtown Silver Sprng is maintained as a clean, safe and attractive environment to promote a vibrant social and business climate to support long-term economic viability and vitality. SSUD services include ambassadorship, security, streetscape maintenance, walkway repairs, tree maintenance, marketing, promotions and special events. The Silver Spring Urban District sponsors a summer concert series, the Silver Spring Jazz Festival, the Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade, and other events to attract people to downtown Silver Spring.
Sincerely Yours,
Stephen A. Sutherland
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
Thank you for this review. I had just created an account last night with My Fitness Pal, but had not yet checked to see if the food and exercise diaries were accessible. I was getting ready to try them out today, when I opened my Access World e-mail and found the link to Janet Ingber's My Fitness Pal: A Guide to an Accessible Fitness Tool article. Now I have some idea of what to expect when I log on to fill in my information.
Thank you,
Paula Muysenberg
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
I really was impressed with Deborah Armstrong's thoughts in the Letters to the Editor section of the May issue. She has made very cogent points that are not always addressed. Financing models would make some of this technology affordable. We all can't get Mama Rehab to underwrite our tech needs and sometimes, Mama doesn't understand our needs and will believe any sighted tech vendor's bologna about how you really don't need quite so uch RAM or this brand is really just as good as that one and when your system crashes, somehow, it's your fault. Not enough best practices of Rehab centers, a national database of best practices in other areas as well. Clients never get interviewed to learn which providers are good and which are in it for the money.
Best,
David F.
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
I am a screen magnification user, and I can happily say the Chromecast app is accessible on the Android platform in response to Aaron Preece's A Review of the Cromecast: A Google Device for Streaming Media to Your TV article.
Also, it is easy to identify whether you are "casting" something onto the TV because the Cast icon within apps, such as YouTube, has a blue outline [that] contrasts against the other white icons. It may be a little unfair to say it's completely inaccessible for all visually impaired people. I do agree with the article that the Chromecast doesn't sync very well with the app as you are trying to connect the two. The app kept telling me it can't connect to the Chromecast, but the TV said it had and also installed updates.
Overall, I found the iOS version to be accessible similarly to the Android version.
As for Windows, I tried Chromecast on the PC and found it quite tricky to set up, because of having to download the plug in. Although, once I had downloaded it, I found the Cast button to be accessible in the bottom right hand corner of the video player. You do have to make sure that you click on the button to reveal a menu [that] asks you whether you want to "cast" to your TV or computer.
The price is quite reasonable, although I wonder if it offers a similar purpose to an HDMI cable except that the Cast is wireless and offers more freedom to isplay content anywhere in the home quickly. I would recommend the Chromecast to screen magnification users, but I hope that the Chromecast supports more apps in the near future as it's limited to a few at the moment.
Sincerely,
Sarah Bailey
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
Bill Holton's Evaluating the Accessibility of Microsoft Office for the iPad was a great review. I'm not holding my breath though. When it comes to accessibility and productivity Apple has miles to go. Maybe its Microsoft's duty to make this app accessible, which is fine, but Apple needs to do its part, too. Why isn't iWorks fully accessible? Better yet, why [doesn't anybody] in the blind community talk about the elephant in the room: […] that Voiceover has never been tested and proven in a work environment? I'll never understand why the blind community keeps giving Apple free passes just because it has come up with a few portable ad glorified jukeboxes with a few extra features.
Regards,
George Nellas
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
The article An In-depth Evaluation of the BARD Mobile App from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped by Aaron Prece was very well written. This is a wonderful app and I'm so glad it is as accessible as it is for us in the visually impaired community.
Sincerely,
Donna Miller
