Apple to Add Free Screen Reader to Mac OS X

Joe Clark writes "Screen readers for blind Mac users have been nonexistent since 2003 when development was halted on the only one in existence. On Windows they cost up to $1,295. This week, Apple announced the upcoming Spoken Interface for Mac OS X, the long-rumoured Apple screen reader and more, we are told. Apple is looking for beta-testers for this technology preview. Already, a developer muses that IBMs accessible Java software could work with the screen reader. No mention of Braille-display support yet, which many blind and deaf-blind people need and want."

Comments

Cue the jokes

[Anonymous Coward]

The story mentions people who are different from most others. The trolls will feast today.

Hurrah for Apple.

Re:You know what this means, folks...

[Lane.exe]

Forcing blind people to install, configure and maintain a Linux distribution is tantamount to a human rights violation.

And I say this as an avid Linux user.

Braille?

[DanThe1Man]

No mention of Braille-display support yet, which many blind and deaf-blind people need and want

If little glass bumps come shooting out of my monitor, I'm going to be scared.

Beta testing

[Killjoy_NL]

Ok, to become a betatester, do I have to poke my eyes out ??

Re:Beta testing

[SuperBanana]

Ok, to become a betatester, do I have to poke my eyes out ??

No. Push the power button on the monitor ;-)

Or for iMac users and the like, you can buy the iSheet from Dr. Bott...a piece of super-thin semi-opaque fiberous wood material(made from only the best wood, mind you) complete with space-age fasteners(strips of plastic with adhesive on them!)

Re:Macs for the blind

[Hektor_Troy]

In other words - blind-siding the likes of Microsoft?

Re:Curious

[krymsin01]

Yes, and as we learned from that movie, it's OK for the blind to drive vans.

Re:Geez...your so stupid

[zackeller]

The blind are at a slight disadvantage at most video games... though it would explain some of the people online in UT2004.