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

Hi Sina,

Yes.  I will admit that Google may have done a few things for us, but this
issue with visual verification without accessible alternatives certainly
isn't one of them.  Further, many of us have been asking Google to provide
accessible alternatives to visual verification for almost six months now.
How are we rewarded for our efforts?  Visual verification on Google is being
expanded while it continues without any accessible alternatives.  Google
isn't ignorant about the need for accessible alternatives to the visual
CAPTCHA; after more than five months of constant advocacy it is clear it
simply doesn't care.  I have worked on this issue for more than five months
before drawing to my current conclusion that Google is now discriminating
and showing contempt toward the blind.  If Google once had a policy of
working with us, there's absolutely no evidence of it in recent times.
Unfortunately, your note below also provides no real specific evidence to
counter my assertions regarding Google's current behavior.

Check out http://www.blindaccessjournal.com and http://blog.carrolltech.org
if you want to see how we have been trying to get Google to do something
about its inaccessible visual verification.  After so much energy and time
spent without no sign of positive results on such a critical issue, I am
perfectly within my rights to be extremely angry and frustrated!




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sina Bahram" <sbahram@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <ossrp-control@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, April 29, 2005 5:31 PM
Subject: [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
>
>
> To post to the list, send a message to:
> ossrp-control@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> To unsubscribe, send a message to:
> ossrp-control-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> and set the subject field of the message to "unsubscribe" (without the
quotes
>
>

To post to the list, send a message to:
ossrp-control@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To unsubscribe, send a message to:
ossrp-control-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
and set the subject field of the message to "unsubscribe" (without the quotes

Other related posts: