[real-eyes] Correspondence With Apple About Accessibility
- From: Claudia <cdelreal1973@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: real-eyes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:37:16 -0500
This is just a little something I thought you'd like to see how the NFB is
working with Apple and I think it also shows that the NFB is really
tackling
issues that are relevant to what is going on in the world today.
Everette Bacon
>>> "Curtis Chong" <curtischong@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:curtischong%40earthlink.net>> 9/25/2011 10:12 AM >>>
Greetings:
On September 10, 2011, I sent an email to Apple regarding Resolution
2011-03, passed at this year's National Federation of the Blind Convention.
As you may know, Resolution 2011-03 expresses disappointment with Apple for
permitting applications to be released which contains controls that are not
accessible to VoiceOver users and calls upon Apple to work with the National
Federation of the Blind to develop a set of requirements for accessibility.
The key word here is "requirements." There is little doubt that Apple has
done an excellent job of educating and encouraging app developers to
incorporate accessibility features into their software. Apple is also
making a change, to be released with iOS 5, which allows the end user to
apply custom labels to user interface elements so that VoiceOver can
identify them. It is also evident that many app developers are responding
affirmatively to Apple's efforts and are voluntarily incorporating
accessibility features into their software. There is, however, some
disagreement about whether or not it is appropriate to impose requirements
of any form which compel app developers to do the right thing. What the
resolution says is that Apple is clearly not shy about imposing other
requirements before permitting apps to be released. Why not negotiate with
the blind to come up with a set of requirements for accessibility?
In any case, here is the chain of correspondence, presented in chronological
order, for your information.
Yours sincerely,
Curtis Chong, President
National Federation of the Blind in Computer Science
From: Curtis Chong
Sent: Saturday, September 10, 2011 10:30 AM
To: Chris Becherer; Sarah Herrlinger
Subject: NFB Resolution Regarding the Lack of Accessibility Requirements in
Apple Products
Dear Chris and Sarah:
On July 7, 2011, at its 71st annual convention, the National Federation of
the Blind adopted Resolution 2011-03 (copy attached). In summary, this
resolution express its "frustration and deep disappointment with Apple for
allowing the release of applications that contain icons, buttons, and other
controls that cannot be identified by the blind user of VoiceOver, thereby
rendering them nonvisually inaccessible."
This is a follow up to my correspondence with the two of you earlier this
year in which I indicated that this issue would be considered by the
National Federation of the Blind at its national convention. As you see,
the convention did consider this issue, and did decide to pass the attached
resolution.
I sincerely hope that Apple will consider the points raised in the attached
resolution and take meaningful action to address the concerns it raises.
Thank you kindly for your attention to this matter.
Yours sincerely,
Curtis Chong, President
National Federation of the Blind in Computer Science
Resolution 2011-03
Regarding the Lack of Accessibility Requirements in Apple Products
WHEREAS, Apple has made VoiceOver, a free and powerful screen access
program, an integral part of many of its products, including the Apple
Macintosh, the iPhone, the iPod Touch, Apple TV, and the iPad; and
WHEREAS, VoiceOver has the potential of offering unprecedented
nonvisual access to thousands, if not tens of thousands, of applications
that are today available for these platforms; and
WHEREAS, through presentations at developer conferences, specific
guidance issued through programming guides, and application programming
interfaces that are simple to implement, Apple has made it relatively easy
for application developers to incorporate basic accessibility features in
their programs for VoiceOver users; and
WHEREAS, Apple has clearly stated its desire to provide accessible
products to blind people and has even received an award from the National
Federation of the Blind for its work in making its products accessible to
the blind; and
WHEREAS, despite Apple's efforts to encourage accessibility by such
examples as publishing a wealth of information providing clear and
unambiguous guidance to application developers to help them make their
software accessible to VoiceOver users, too many applications are still not
accessible to the blind because of buttons that are not properly labeled,
icons whose meanings cannot be understood, and images of text which
VoiceOver cannot interpret; and
WHEREAS, one example of an application with controls that are not
accessible to the blind is the AT&T Navigator, which contains several
screens with buttons that VoiceOver identifies only as "Button"; and
WHEREAS, labeling buttons, menus, checkboxes, and other controls so
that VoiceOver can identify them is neither a technological impossibility
nor an unreasonably costly effort, and even the most visually intensive
application should have menus, buttons, and other controls that can be
operated nonvisually; and
WHEREAS, Apple is not shy about placing requirements and
prohibitions on application developers: for example, developers who use
their applications to sell products must turn over a percentage of their
sales to Apple, and application developers cannot display an
application-specific desktop; and
WHEREAS, regrettably Apple does not require application developers
to make their applications accessible to users of its VoiceOver program; and
WHEREAS, accessibility to all users of Apple products should be as
important as the other criteria on which Apple bases its decisions to accept
or reject applications: Now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention
assembled this seventh day of July, 2011, in the city of Orlando, Florida,
that this organization express its frustration and deep disappointment with
Apple for allowing the release of applications that contain icons, buttons,
and other controls that cannot be identified by the blind user of VoiceOver,
thereby rendering them nonvisually inaccessible; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge Apple, in the
strongest possible terms, to work with the National Federation of the Blind
to create and enforce a set of requirements for accessibility that will, at
a minimum, compel application developers to label buttons, menus, icons,
selection lists, checkboxes, and other controls so that VoiceOver users can
identify and operate them.
From: Sarah Herrlinger
Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 12:22 PM
To: Curtis Chong
Cc: Chris Becherer
Subject: Re: NFB Resolution Regarding the Lack of Accessibility Requirements
in Apple Products
Dear Curtis,
Apologies for the delayed response -- I've been on vacation for the last 2
weeks.
Thank you very much for sending this on. As always, we greatly appreciate
the NFB's feedback and will continue to share this with both the App Store
and the Accessibility teams.
We'd like to reiterate some of the previous points made as well as to bring
you up to speed on some recent additions:
1) The iOS SDK has the basic foundation for making apps
VoiceOver-compatible built directly into the source code.
2) Late last year, we sent out an article to every registered iOS
developer on the ease and value of making apps VoiceOver compatible
including links to the Accessibility Programming Guide.
3) For the last three Apple Worldwide Developers Conferences, we've run
multiple sessions and follow-up labs on making applications VoiceOver
compatible for both the Mac and iOS devices that have been very well
attended.
4) Since then, our Developer Relations team has worked one on one with
developers to continually educate them on the importance of accessibility
and provide tips, documentation, links to videos, code examples and examples
of other developers who have had great success with making their apps
accessible all in an effort to make it as easy as possible for them to
ensure their apps are compatible with VoiceOver.
5) We've added a new VoiceOver feature in our upcoming release of iOS 5
that allows users to apply custom labels to UI elements in their favorite
third-party apps. This way, even if the developer has not labeled their
buttons in a VoiceOver-compatible way, users have the ability to do this
directly. This won't slow our efforts encouraging developers to build
compatible apps using all the strategies outlined above, but we think it
will be a really useful feature for VoiceOver users.
We will continue to invest time and resources into educating our developer
community about accessibility in general, and specifically messaging what
they can do to ensure their apps are compatible with VoiceOver.
Thank you again for your continued support,
Sarah
From: Curtis Chong
Sent: Saturday, September 24, 2011 5:41 PM
To: Sarah Herrlinger
Cc: Chris Becherer
Subject: RE: NFB Resolution Regarding the Lack of Accessibility Requirements
in Apple Products
Dear Sarah:
Thank you for your September 23, 2011 response to my email. I very much
appreciate your willingness to keep our lines of communication open.
In your response, you mention some very encouraging aspects of Apple's
efforts to promote accessibility and VoiceOver compatibility, among them:
1. that the iOS SDK has the basic foundation for making apps
VoiceOver-compatible built directly into the source code;
2. that late last year, you sent out an article to every registered iOS
developer on the ease and value of making apps VoiceOver compatible
including links to the Accessibility Programming Guide;
3. that during the last three Apple Worldwide Developers Conferences,
you ran multiple sessions and follow-up labs on making applications
VoiceOver compatible for both the Mac and iOS devices--sessions that were
very well attended; and
4. that since then, your Developer Relations team has worked one on one
with developers to continually educate them on the importance of
accessibility and provide tips, documentation, links to videos, code
examples and examples of other developers who have had great success with
making their apps accessible--all in an effort to make it as easy as
possible for them to ensure their apps are compatible with VoiceOver.
I hope that you understand that we in the National Federation of the Blind
in Computer Science have no doubt whatsoever as to your commitment to
accessibility by the blind to Apple products. In this context, we (like
you) are particularly encouraged by the new VoiceOver feature in your
upcoming release of iOS 5 that will allow users to "apply custom labels to
UI elements in their favorite third-party apps." As you say, this will make
it possible for users to label many buttons and controls for themselves,
thereby alleviating some accessibility problems.
As I have been saying all along, Apple is doing a very good job of
"encouraging" app developers to do the right thing. Our views diverge when
the question of accessibility requirements is raised. If you will go back
to the resolution adopted by the National Federation of the Blind at its
2011 Convention, the last Resolve reads:
"BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge Apple,
in the strongest possible terms, to work with the National Federation of the
Blind to create and enforce a set of requirements for accessibility that
will, at a minimum, compel application developers to label buttons, menus,
icons, selection lists, checkboxes, and other controls so that VoiceOver
users can identify and operate them."
Like you, we believe in the power of education and encouragement--when they
produce the desired result. However, we believe that there are some
instances where encouragement alone is not enough. Some things simply must
be required if they are to be implemented. This is why Apple and the
National Federation of the Blind need to enter into discussions so that we
can come to an agreement as to what extent requirements need to be applied
to the question of accessibility and compatibility with VoiceOver.
Again, thank you for keeping the lines of communication open and for the
encouraging news about upcoming changes in iOS 5 and VoiceOver. I hope that
I have helped you to gain a better understanding of our perspective on this
entire question of accessibility.
Yours sincerely,
Curtis Chong, President
National Federation of the Blind in Computer Science
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