[access-uk] FW: Exert: Apple Presents at CSUN Conference

From: "Ray's Home" <rays-home@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Access-Uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 15 Mar 2008 12:09:33 -0000
This is forwarded from a post on Gordon Smith's Mac Access list.

From Ray
I can be contacted off-list at:
mailto:ray-48@xxxxxxxx

  -----Original Message-----
  Subject: Exert: Apple Presents at CSUN Conference


    The following exert was taken from the web site http://www.lioncourt.com 
and I
suggest you go there if you wish to follow any of this information up.



    Apple Presents at CSUN Conference

    14 March, 2008 @ 4:08 pm by Lioncourt
    Apple made its presence felt at the CSUN Technology and Persons with
Disabilities Conference 2008. On Wednesday, Apple gave two presentations to a 
full
room equipped with dozens of 20- and 24-inch iMacs at the Los Angeles
International Airport Marriott Hotel.

    The sessions, presented by Mike Shebanek, Apple’s Senior Product Manager for
Worldwide Product Marketing, in charge of Mac OS X and VoiceOver, focussed on
general use of VoiceOver with the Macintosh operating system, and use of 
VoiceOver
with the iTunes media management and playback software. Mary-Beth James, whose
name will be familiar to many Voiceover users, was also present to assist during
the sessions.

    Both sessions were geared toward users who were unfamiliar with VoiceOver, 
and
were very informative for many of those in attendance. Mr. Shebanek stressed 
Apple
’s ongoing commitment to accessibility, noting particularly the extensive tools
available to third-party developers to make their applications accessible with
VoiceOver, and the positive results of their efforts.

    During the afternoon session on iTunes, Mr. Shebanek also mentioned that 
Apple
is aware of and working on the features of the iTunes store that are still
inaccessible. These include the ability to purchase albums in their entirety, 
view
one’s account, etc. He mentioned that accessibility for Apple’s line of iPod 
music
players is also being worked out, and asked those in attendance whether APple
should continue to release accessibility improvements as they become available, 
or
waiting until they are fully realized in products. Overwhelmingly, it seemed, 
the
attendees were in favor of Apple releasing incremental updates that improve
accessibility over time.

    We here at Lioncourt.com would like to point out that Apple has received
criticism from some when they’ve taken the approach of incremental accessibility
enhancements, and would like to encourage those of you who would like to see the
improvements as they become available to contact Apple Accessibility and let 
them
know. Specifically, Mr. Shebanek asked if partial access to iPod menus would be
something users would like while problems with deeper menu levels were being
ironed out.

    Overall, the number of Mac users seems to have increased at the annual
conference, and Apple’s presence was felt beyond the presentations put on by the
company. For example, MacSpeech Dictate was being demonstrated, and developers 
for
OpenOffice.org also discussed their efforts to provide accessibility in their 
open
source office suite with VoiceOver on the Mac platform.

    Apple has once again demonstrated a commitment to accessibility that extends
far beyond that of rival companies, and we thank them f

  ******************************
  Dane Trethowan
  From Melton Victoria Australia
[access-uk] FW: Exert: Apple Presents at CSUN Conference

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