[guispeak] Re: Fw: Microsoft AntiSpyware Inaccessibility

"david poehlman" <david.poehlman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> · Tue, 18 Jan 2005 07:37:47 -0500

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

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