[ossrp-control] Re: TTS engines that use the SAPI interface

With all due respect: you are doing so much to hurt the blind community
right now, that I would take google, microsoft, and IBM anyday over your
current attitude.

I almost never flaim, except that this is actually important, and you are
doing nothing but hurting the blind community by your unfounded accusations
and insanely stupid choice of words.

First of all: Google is not showing a contempt for anything: they are
exhibiting ignorance per hapse, but ignorance is solved through education
not through false accusations. I have personally talked with Google on this
topic, and they are aware what's going on. They showed steps in solving the
gmail problen, and are continuing to do so because no, it is not solved yet.
They are taking steps to solve some other features as well: for example,
having a uniform layout of their search results so that scripts and other
assistive technology based utilities can more easily parse the information.
They are working on the difficulties with Froogle as well to ease online
shopping difficulties, and they have always responded to my emails with
actual people and individuals who are conscious of what's going on, rather
than an automated piece of garbage, except to say that someone will email me
soon, which they always have done. Furthermore, the president of the NFB,
along with a few other people, including myself, have made them very aware
of the graphical verrification issue. I do know that they took their sweet
time in responding to his letter; however, they responded quite readily to
mine.

What really makes me mad is that I have, just recently, been working with
acountless number of companies in the field, and every single time: their
response has been either ... We are working on that, and I make them prove
it, or I'm sorry, we honestly weren't aware our product isn't accessible.
IBM, or example had an accessibility policy a ridiculous amount of time ago,
and they even went so far as to develop assistive technology: some of which
for free on their various research websites. Microsoft is working with Will,
myself, and many others on a host of different accessibility issues. Oricle
implemented all of my suggestions about their Corporate Time application for
enterprise level scheduling, and also changed their online based tool to
meet accessibility guidelines.

I can go on and on ... I have never met the attitude of contempt towards the
blind, or we don't' care, with the exception of Apple. It's always been: how
can we help? It makes sense too ... They get more money ... They pass
inspection for government software lists, and I know it's hard to believe
for you, but some of them are actually nice people.

We have sighted individuals on the blind webbers list I'm on: who are just
there because they actually care. It really upsets me, my friend, that you
have used the word contempt, because I think you are undermining what so
many of us have worked hard to build up.

I am truely appologetic for anything I said that might have upset you, but I
think your message shows a very strong misunderstanding of the intentions of
a lot of those in industry.

Take care,
Sina

________________________________

From: ossrp-control-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:ossrp-control-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Darrell Shandrow
Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2005 8:45 PM
To: ossrp-control@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ossrp-control] Re: TTS engines that use the SAPI interface


Hi Richard,
 
Yeah.  If you want something from Google, then you'd better get it right
now!  Who knows?  Maybe tomorrow we'll all wake up only to find they've
implemented yet another inaccessible CAPTCHA (visual verification) just for
doing simple searches!  Google has shown its contempt for the blind by
simply failing to provide any accessible alternatives, more coverage at
http://www.blindaccessjournal.com on the issue.
 

        ----- Original Message ----- 
        From: Richard Thomas <mailto:rthomas@xxxxxxxxxxx>  
        To: ossrp-control@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
        Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2005 5:09 PM
        Subject: [ossrp-control] TTS engines that use the SAPI interface

        Sorry for the last post;
        But, does anyone have a good book or article on the TTS engines that
use the SAPI interface?
        I'm off to google to accumulate what I can find there and store the
results in a file here on my home pc.  Anyone can have whatever I find by
just posting a request.
        Rick of Farmington Mich. USA
        Rick of Farmington Mich. USA
         
         
        ----- Original Message ----- 

                From: Will Pearson <mailto:will-pearson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>  
                To: ossrp-control@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
                Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2005 3:02 PM
                Subject: [ossrp-control] Features So Far
                
                
                Hi,
                 
                Here's my understanding of the important features that
should be investigated for version 1.  It doesn't feature everything, but
then there'll be versions after 1 in which more things can be brought in.
                 
                Functional requirements:
                * ability to read *windows* login screen
                * ability to work with widely used types of applications,
e.g. word processors, spreadsheets
                * support for TTS engines that use the SAPI interface, as
some of these provide clearer speech than current formant synthesisers
                * ability to use mouse or equivalent functionality
                * must work with User Interface Automation
                * ability to update components over the web
                * support for Braille devices
                 
                Architectural requirements:
                * based on .Net Framework/WinFX
                * component based architecture
                 
                * Research requirements
                * investigate mechanisms to provide more efficient
interaction mechanics
                * investigate techniques to convey all the semantic
information contained within a GUI through auditory and tactual/haptech
transmission media.
                * investigate means for clearer speech
                * investigate perceptual psychology techniques for semantic
conversion of web based graphical turing tests to text
                 
                Project management requirements:
                * risk analysis
                * avoid scope creep
                * requirements management
                * beta 1 to be made publically available April 2006
                 
                These are fairly high level requirements, and if anyone
feels anything is being missed or would like to include anything, then say
now.
                 
                Will


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