We’ve just received word that Microsoft has acknowledge that Microsoft Office for Mac 2008 does not meet Mac accessibility standards as outlined by Apple. This is a real tragedy, given that Microsoft has had four years to work on this product, developed it with the Mac native XCode and Cocoa tools, and had all the tools at their disposal to make this product accessible.

Fortunately, visually impaired Mac users have alternative applications that will work with Microsoft Office formatted documents from Word and Excel in an accessible way. Still, it is a pity to see Microsoft, who claims a commitment to accessibility, choosing not to implement it in a flagship product.

We encourage you to contact Microsoft and voice your opinions.