Just us chickens. we need to generate interest in examining applications and reporting findings to developpers mainly in the cases of iwork and office to apple and microsoft respectively. On Sep 1, 2011, at 11:26 AM, Gaylen Floy wrote: What course of action is available to us? Is there an affiliate of the two consumer organizations that tackles this kind of problem? Gaylen Floy, Federal Way, Washington spreadsheets and documents and presentations, oh my! Many blind folk are successfully employed for performing tasks which involve the above and have been for many years. Few if any though are using the mac for many reasons but I want to focus on moving forward in areas in which we can move forward and to focus your attention and seek your assistance with those. We need gallant folk to step up to Microsoft and shout out that office needs to be made accessible in order that the market for blind employees will be wider. To do this, folk must provide concrete detailed and factual information about the issues of using Microsoft office on the mac. You can even find some good stuff that is already written and submit it to them. I don't have a handle on the Microsoft stream and cannot purchase the product so cannot help directly but am willing to help in any other way I can. We need to provide solid feedback to apple on issues related to IWork from a productivity standpoint. Some employers will be willing to accept a blind person with a mac since we can export office formats and they would be willing to mix systems if they are able. We need to locate employers willing to work with us and rehab or other agencies who are willing to take on the challenge if for nothing less than the potential cost savings. I know that there are a myriad of issues which we face with regard to this ultimate goal of prominent positioning of mac in the work place of the blind, but if we work together, perhaps we can move forward and provide assistance in this important effort. I know that there are efforts ongoing at apple and lots of feedback coming to them which they are paying attention to and which is helping to guide them toward better accessibility. I'd like though to discuss experiences and desires and perhaps translate some of those into meaningful dialog with apple and microsoft. I hope you will attend to this important topic with me and I hope I've not overstepped any bounds as an unintended consequence of this letter. All the best. -- Jonnie Appleseed with his Hands-On Technolog(eye)s reducing technology's disabilities one byte at a time ************ You are subscribed to the mac4theblind mailing list. The url for this list, where one can unsubscribe or make any changes to their list subscription is: //www.freelists.org/list/mac4theblind The list archive is located at //www.freelists.org/archive/mac4theblind/ All emails intended for the list owner can be sent to: john@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ************ You are subscribed to the mac4theblind mailing list. The url for this list, where one can unsubscribe or make any changes to their list subscription is: //www.freelists.org/list/mac4theblind The list archive is located at //www.freelists.org/archive/mac4theblind/ All emails intended for the list owner can be sent to: john@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx -- Jonnie Appleseed with his Hands-On Technolog(eye)s reducing technology's disabilities one byte at a time ************ You are subscribed to the mac4theblind mailing list. The url for this list, where one can unsubscribe or make any changes to their list subscription is: //www.freelists.org/list/mac4theblind The list archive is located at //www.freelists.org/archive/mac4theblind/ All emails intended for the list owner can be sent to: john@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx