• RT @ppatel Webaim is conducting a screen reader user survey o gather more definitive data on screen reader users: http://tinyurl.com/3rmwte # 2008/12/18
• News: Apple Releases Mac OS X 10.5.6 http://www.lioncourt.com/?p=250 # 2008/12/15
• Retweet: @cookiecrook BusinessWeek: Apple is greener than Greenpeace says. http://tinyurl.com/57v4fp # 2008/12/08
• Retweet: @vmwarefusion : Fusion 50% off today, one day only. Details: http://is.gd/9Gqi Coupon code "CyberMondayDeal" # 2008/12/01
• It's Thanksgiving Day in the United States. We're thankful for Apple's commitment to accessibility in their products. # 2008/11/27

In a lengthy article, ComputerWorld.com discusses access to computers for the blind and visually impaired. Though the article is extensive, covering topics from general computer access to web accessibility issues, there’s no acknowledgement of VoiceOver’s existence or Apple’s work to provide universal access to the visually impaired and other disabled groups. In fact, the article, in its description of free screen readers, seems to imply that "Narrator" the sub-standard offering included in Microsoft Windows, was typical of access solutions that come bundled with operating systems, or were otherwise free of additional cost to the end user.

VoiceOver was not alone, however. Orca, the popular open source screen reading solution for Gnome Linux was also omitted from the article’s coverage.

As more and more usersmove away from Windows, blindness organizations like the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), who were quoted in this article, will be forced to acknowledge the value of noncommercial, and non-WIndows, solutions. Gone are the days when GW Micro and Freedom Scientific enjoyed near total control of access technology for the blind and visually impaired. These days, like our sighted colleagues, we have choices.

We’d like to ask you to join us in lifting a glass of cider…or whatever beverage is your fancy…and toast Apple Inc. on its thirty-second birthday. It was April 1st, 1976, when the company was first founded. A lot has happened in those thirty-two years, and through them Apple has frequently been at the forefront of accessibility, both directly and otherwise. From the Apple II with the Echo Plus and Textalker, to the Mac LC with outSpoken for Mac, to the current generation of MacBooks with VoiceOver, visually impaired computer users have experienced the joys of using Apple products for more than two dozen years. We look forward to many more in the future. Happy birthday!

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 for their efforts.

iPods, QuickTime, and iTunes include support for Closed Captioning for the deaf and hearing impaired. Apple has expanded that to include AppleTV, and now offers movies from the iTunes Store which include Closed Captioning in the video file. Not all movies area available this way yet, but Apple is working with movie studios to add more as quickly as possible. So far, the list of movies is as follows:

• Abandon
• Bratz: Genie Magic
• Charlotte’s Web
• Clock Stoppers
• Domestic Disturbance
• Down to Earth
• Dragon Slayer
• Hey Arnold! The Movie
• I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead
• Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
• Marci X
• Orange County
• Pootie Tang
• The Four Feathers
• The Ghost and the Darkness
• The Italian Job
• The Little Prince
• The Parallax View
• The Presidio
• The Shootist
• The Singing Detective

Check iTunes for more titles. Titles that include Closed Captioning are labeled with "CC".