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Apple to Add Free Screen Reader to Mac OS X

Posted by pudge on from the accessibility-good dept.

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."

7 of 284 comments (clear)

  1. Re:On Windows they cost up to $1,295 by myownkidney · · Score: 0, Troll
    (Score:0, Troll)

    Shows how much /. moderators care about blind people, or any people for that matters. Long live herd mentality.

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    Indefinitely Detained US Citizen
  2. Internet Screen Readers are very unfriendly. by ratfynk · · Score: 0, Troll
    The majority of web sites are not exactly "screen reader friendly" I have seen some visually disabled individuals using MS based screen readers. They quickly dump the junk. Not to mention ignorant e-mails that include junk giffs and xml twaddle! .NET inet scripting is the problem. I have seen disabled kids heart broken, because their parents spent thousands on MS software, and .NET garbage.

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    OH THE SHAME I fell off the wagon and use sigs again!
  3. Re:On Windows they cost up to $1,295 by myownkidney · · Score: 0, Troll

    However, most blind people can get assistance from organizations and the government for buying this sort of thing. And the money ends up in the coffers of MS...

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    Indefinitely Detained US Citizen
  4. Re:Beta testing (MOD PARENT UP) by MatrixBandit · · Score: 0, Troll

    hah. I thought the same thing when I read about them offering it to a limited number of beta testers. Damn mods gotta keep the man down! I though Mac programmers coded in the dark anyways so one would think they wouldn't need beta testers

  5. I call BS by thefatz · · Score: 0, Troll

    wtf is a blind person going to care about window managers and enviroments?

    "...Damn this new KDE 3 has some awsome icons, and the AA fonts...omg im going to cream. If only I could see them"

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    http://www.freebsd.org
  6. Geez...your so stupid by MacFury · · Score: 0, Troll
    There aren't any games for the Mac!!!! Why would a blind person buy one??

    dummy...

  7. Re:What is blind? by Fear+the+Clam · · Score: 0, Troll

    In another decade she won't be able to see anything that isn't fuzzy.

    I'll start working on a 12-point caterpillar font.