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OpenDocument Plans Questioned by Disabled

ComputerWorld is reporting that John Winske, president of the Disability Policy Consortium, is raising some questions about the accessibility of the OpenDocument format. From the article: "Winske, who has muscular dystrophy, said he instantly remembered how Microsoft had to be "prodded and dragged, kicking and screaming" to make its software accessible during the transition from DOS to Windows. None of the prominent desktop applications that can create and save documents in OpenDocument currently work well with screen readers, magnifiers and other assistive technologies -- at least at a level comparable to that of products from Microsoft, whose 40-person Accessibility Technology Group is now widely praised by disabilities advocates."

12 of 375 comments (clear)

  1. Free as in beer by mboverload · · Score: 3, Funny

    As long as you can drink it?

    1. Re:Free as in beer by Ingolfke · · Score: 2, Funny

      Somebody needs to write a dissertation on the regional drinking preferences of poor college students... you sir may be the one. I will stay away from the the Natie Light.

  2. Disabled by mattwarden · · Score: 4, Funny

    As someone without a working soul, I have felt very accommodated by Microsoft's team.

    1. Re:Disabled by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      Disabled (Score:2)
      by mattwarden on Tuesday May 09, @02:36PM
      (http://mattwarden.com/)
      As someone without a working soul, I have felt very accommodated by Microsoft's team.
      --
      mattwarden
      mattwarden.com [mattwarden.com]


      ---

      You aren't, by any chance, Matt Warden, are you?

    2. Re:Disabled by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Technically, he could just as easily be Mattwar Den.
       

  3. Re:Surely there are... by DrSkwid · · Score: 3, Funny

    I think you meant : "you can't hold your cake & eat it", this guy has muscular distrophy !

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    There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
  4. obvious solution by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'm suprised nobody's mentioned the obvious solution to this problem. We just need to make an ODF import/export plugin for The Gimp.

    --
    This guy's the limit!
  5. Re:Surely there are... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?

  6. prodded and dragged by digitaldc · · Score: 3, Funny

    instantly remembered how Microsoft had to be "prodded and dragged, kicking and screaming" to make its software accessible

    That's nothing, you should see the tantrum when you try to ask them to unbundle their media player and internet browser to make that software inaccessible.

    --
    He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
  7. Mod parent! by mypalmike · · Score: 2, Funny

    I think you meant : "you can't hold your cake & eat it", this guy has muscular distrophy !

    If I had mod points, I would definitely use one here. I'm just not sure if it would be +1 or -1.

    --
    There are 0x40000000 types of people: those who understand 32-bit IEEE 754 floating point, and those who don't.
  8. DANGER WILL ROBINSON! by Zaphod2016 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Having read through the first 30 comments, it looks pretty clear to all that this is a misunderstanding.

    However, I expect I will see more "misunderstandings" as the mighty Vista continues to gather bad press. Is this intentional misinformation? Stupid people being too noisy? A typical case of "slow news day causes unnecessary problems"?

    I will suggest that all pro-open format bloggers take a half an hour to write a short post explaining the difference between application and format. I suggest writing as clearly and non-geek as possible. Remember: if it cannot be understood by those great unwashed masses, it serves no purpose besides preaching to the choir.

    In my experience, in the post-Google world, the best way to combat bad information is with VOLUMES and VOLUMES of good information.

  9. Re:They can always use word. by Billosaur · · Score: 2, Funny
    You mean ODF-capable applications, right?

    Yup. Didn't screen it as well as I thought I had, but then my eyes are old, my limbs are weak...

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