RE: The Juice Receiver is cross-platform

  • From: "Stephen Guerra" <stephen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <blindcasting@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 08:55:48 -0500

Amen--
 
Daryl though I applaud your actions with the petition, I encourage an
open mind as Debbie states will advance the BlindAccess Journal
 
 
 
Stephen A. Guerra
Assistive Technology Specialist
Independent Living Aids
200 Robbins Lane
Jericho, NY 11753
E-Mail: can-do@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.independentliving.com <http://www.independentliving.com/> 
www.annmorris.com <http://www.annmorris.com/> 
www.soundbytes.com <http://www.soundbytes.com/> 
Phone: (516) 937-1848
  Fax: (516) 937-3906
 

-----Original Message-----
From: blindcasting-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blindcasting-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Shelly
Sent: Thursday, January 19, 2006 11:17 PM
To: blindcasting@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: The Juice Receiver is cross-platform


It is inaccurate to say that "almost everyone" uses Windows. To be sure,
Microsoft has the lion's share of the PC operating system market, but
between the sales of new Macs (5% or so of new OS sales) and the current
installed base, the Mac OS is a significant enough platform to warrant
consideration by accessibility advocates. The Mac is particularly widely
installed in educational environments, and the promise of VoiceOver is
that an off-the-shelf system can be made accessible with the press of a
key. We're not there yet, but we never will be If closed-mindedness is
allowed to rule the day. 

Dismissing Mac (and Linux users for that matter) by suggesting that
almost no one uses it is pretty much like suggesting that almost no one
(comparing the population of blind people to the computer using world at
large) needs a screen reader to access a computer, so why bother. At
this time, a tricked out Windows system with Jaws or Window Eyes
provides more complete accessibility than a Mac does. but it costs a lot
more. In the non-accessibility world, cost is often cited as a primary
benefit of Windows-based systems. I'm just sayin... 

Despite my long association with the Mac, I am not ignorant of its
accessibility limitations, or the degree to which some of my fellow Mac
users have gained a reputation for zealotry. I am fortunate that
previous versions of OS X have solved the major portion of my
accessibility needs. I waited many years for that to happen, and I
assure you that I am sensitive to the needs of screen reader users. I
would never suggest anyone move to the Mac prematurely. I only insist
that we deal with the facts, and not close off the potential opportunity
for accessible systems that are both affordable and easy to configure
for our needs, especially on the pretext that "no one uses these systems
anyway". 

I regre


On 1/19/06, Darrell Shandrow <nu7i@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: 

Hi Gabe,

I have indicated that I have mixed feelings about the viability of the
Mac
with respect to accessibility.  I am personally a PC user.  I advocate
for
accessibility regardless of platform, but I have virtually all my
computing 
experience on the PC and virtually no such experience on the Mac.  I
will
thus tend to focus on accessibility related matters pertaining to the
Windows, and to a lesser extent, Linux platforms.  Almost everyone out
in 
the big bad real world uses Windows.  It is already tough enough to
advocate
for better accessibility on that operating system.  Let's be careful not
to
spread our focus too wide.

You are a Mac user.  I think that's excellent!  Please do feel free to 
advocate for Mac related accessibility.  I will even be happy to post
any
well composed and written material concerning the subject.

Juice Receiver is written in a variation of the Python language.  It is
not 
written in Coco, so who knows how well, if at all, it will work with
VoiceOver in its current form.  It is open source so, by all means, feel
free to rewrite it in Coco...  :-)


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "BlindTech of BlindTechs.Net" <blindtech@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <blindcasting@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, January 19, 2006 8:15 PM
Subject: Re: The Juice Receiver is cross-platform


> Darel:
> as I asked in the last message and I haven't reccieved a straight
answer
> from you yet is, as you fight for what you say accessibility  for all,

> will you put in an inquiry to possibly making jiuce  accessible to use
> using the mac and voice over just as you want  everyone on the band
waggon
> on accessibility to windows users, or  Does accessibility only count
with 
> jaws?
> On Jan 19, 2006, at 8:09 PM, Darrell Shandrow wrote:
>
>> Hi Gabe,
>>
>> I have really mixed feelings about the Mac at this time, but I
remain
>> open minded, especially until I see VoiceOver in action.   The
evidence 
>> at my disposal to date would suggest that  accessibility and overall
>> functionality for blind users is still  significantly better on the
>> Windows platform.
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "BlindTech of BlindTechs.Net"
>> <blindtech@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> To: <blindcasting@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> Sent: Thursday, January 19, 2006 7:30 PM 
>> Subject: Re: The Juice Receiver is cross-platform
>>
>>
>>> Are! You! Serious!!!??????
>>> So, your saying righyt now that accessibility is only validly
avaiable
>>> for windows users and that is fine? not the blind that   choose to
use
>>> anything else?
>>> Wow, this is selffish If I ever heard of it. thats just so  amazing,
>>> and sad for all of us as a blind community as a hole. 
>>> On Jan 19, 2006, at 6:08 PM, Chris Skarstad wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hey, if people want alternatives, I believe the answer is most
likely
>>>> yes.
>>>> I have to be honest when I say that I have absolutely no  interest
in 
>>>> using a mac, since Windows and JAWS serve their  purposes just
fine
>>>> for me.  That doesn't necessarily mean I  won't ever try a Mac,
but
>>>> for now, this works.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> At 06:54 PM 1/19/2006, you wrote:
>>>>> and my question is , will the blind community, and the blind
>>>>> advocates for accessibility such as darel shandrow and the blind 
>>>>> access journal fight or request for accessibility for us, or is
>>>>> accessibility only a jaws thing?
>>>>> On Jan 19, 2006, at 7:21 AM, Jeff Bishop wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> There are accessibility issues with the Mac version.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>> From: blindcasting-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>>> [mailto:blindcasting-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jennifer
>>>>>> Sutton
>>>>>> Sent: Thursday, January 19, 2006 6:43 AM
>>>>>> To: blindcasting@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>>> Subject: The Juice Receiver is cross-platform 
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Hello:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I've changed the subject line since this question wasn't
relevant to
>>>>>> my last message, at all. 
>>>>>>
>>>>>> As I understand it, the Juice Receiver can be used on both  Linux
and
>>>>>> the Mac.  It's entirely cross-platform.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> If you get it to work with Voice Over, I'd love to hear that
since,
>>>>>> as far as I can tell, VO's ability to work depends on how
programs
>>>>>> are developed.  But I don't want to turn this list into a
discussion 
>>>>>> of Mac and VO since there are plenty of other places to do that.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Go look for what you want to try by going directly to
sourceforge
>>>>>> at: 
>>>>>> http://juicereceiver.sourceforge.net/index.php
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I found this by using Google and searching on keywords: 
>>>>>> "ipodder for the Mac."  It was right there on the first page.
Don't
>>>>>> forget that Google's your friend.
>>>>>> Best,
>>>>>> Jennifer 
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
>







-- 
Shelly Brisbin, Writer, Editor, Geek for Hire

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