I eagerly await the announcement... Johnnie Apple Seed ----- Original Message ----- From: "Laura Eaves" <leaves1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <program-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <Windows@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; "bp" <Programming@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <nfb-talk@xxxxxxxxxx>; "guispeak" <guispeak@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <BLIND-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Monday, January 17, 2005 11:32 PM Subject: [guispeak] Fw: Microsoft AntiSpyware Inaccessibility Hi all -- the following over another list -- thought you might find it interesting. --le ----- Original Message ----- From: "Curtis Chong" <curtischong@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: <gui-talk@xxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Monday, January 17, 2005 12:38 PM Subject: [gui-talk] Microsoft AntiSpyware Inaccessibility Greetings: Following please find an exchange of correspondence recently completed with Microsoft concerning their AntiSpyware product and its inaccessibility to the blind. Regards, Curtis Chong -------------------- From: Curtis Chong [mailto:curtischong@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] Sent: Sun 1/16/2005 9:16 AM To: Madelyn Bryant McIntire Subject: Windows AntiSpyware Dear Madelyn: I am in receipt of a number of e-mailed messages complaining about the lack of accessibility to the Beta version of Windows AntiSpyware. I am also aware that a fair number of complaints about the product's inability to work with screen access technology for the blind are now being posted on a variety of listservs. While I fully understand that beta code is preliminary and that accessibility features may find their way into the final product, I do think that from an image perspective, the release of a beta release of Windows AntiSpyware without any apparent regard to accessibility does represent a public relations problem for Microsoft. I am writing both to alert you to this perception problem and also to ask what you can and cannot tell me about plans to make Windows AntiSpyware accessible to people with disabilities. If, in fact, the final product will be accessible, then somehow, the community needs to be told about this as soon as possible. If, on the other hand, you know that the first release of the final product will not be accessible but subsequent releases will, then the community should be told about that, too. Ultimately, the more we can hear from Microsoft about this the better. In closing, I would observe that a new release of the beta product was announced on January 14, and I have no information as to whether this is or is not accessible. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Yours sincerely, Curtis Chong, President NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND in Computer Science -------------------- From: Ellen Mosner Sent: Monday, January 17, 2005 9:47 AM To: curtischong@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: RE: Windows AntiSpyware Hi Curtis Thank you for taking the time to write this thoughtful note that outlines the issues . We have been receiving a lot of forwards from our friends and colleagues in the blind community and as you know we share the same concern. Microsoft is aware of the lack of accessibility of the recently acquired GIANT anti-spyware product. The Microsoft product group that is now working on GIANT is aware of its accessibility issues, and has been working closely with the Accessible Technology group on developing a plan to make the product accessible. The current release from Microsoft of GIANT is only a beta release and we intend to fully address the issues by the time the product ships in its final form. Even though the product was a shipping product at the time we acquired it, we decided to remove it from the "shipping" status and make it a beta because of the accessibility problems associated with the product. Microsoft remains fully committed to the accessibility of our products. We also appreciate your concerns about developing an image problem because of the inaccessibility problems of this product. Could I impose upon you to post the response above on each of the listservs that have been discussing this issue? In addition, do you have suggestions for other places that we could alert other members of the blind community to this? Please advise. Thanks Curtis. Best, Ellen _______________________________________________ gui-talk mailing list gui-talk@xxxxxxxxxx http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gui-talk ** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:guispeak-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: ** guispeak-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** and in the Subject line type ** unsubscribe ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the ** immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:guispeak-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] ** or send a message, to ** guispeak-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq ** To leave the list, click on the immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:guispeak-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe] ** If this link doesn't work then send a message to: ** guispeak-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ** and in the Subject line type ** unsubscribe ** For other list commands such as vacation mode, click on the ** immediately-following link:- ** [mailto:guispeak-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=faq] ** or send a message, to ** guispeak-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Subject:- faq