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Thread: Window Eyes for Free!
Number of posts in this thread: 6 (In chronological order)
From: Jim Allan
Date: Tue, Jan 14 2014 12:33PM
Subject: Window Eyes for Free!
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Wow.
http://www.gwmicro.com/News_&;_Events/Latest_News/?newsNo=299
Jan-14-2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fort Wayne, Indiana (January 14, 2014) - GW Micro, Inc. (www.gwmicro.com)
is proud to make a revolutionary announcement. GW Micro and Microsoft Corp.
have partnered to make Window-Eyes available to users of Microsoft Office
at no cost. Window-Eyes is a screen reader that enables people who are
blind, visually impaired, or print disabled to have full access to Windows
PCs and makes the computer accessible via speech and/or Braille.
To better deliver Window-Eyes to the people who need it most, GW Micro and
Microsoft have collaborated on this global initiative, available in over 15
languages, to enable anyone using Microsoft Office 2010 or later to also
use Window-Eyes for free. Access to technology is critical to people who
are blind or visually impaired in order to have the same opportunity to
compete in the workplace. As such, this initiative between GW Micro and
Microsoft has the potential to reduce barriers for millions of people who
are blind or visually impaired around the world.
As the population ages, technologies like Window-Eyes will become more and
more important as the number of people with age-related macular
degeneration and other retinal degenerative diseases increases. "This
significant change in the way we are doing business reflects the changing
perception of accessibility and also technology in general. Rather than
wait for the world to change, Microsoft and GW Micro are leading the way,"
said Dan Weirich, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for GW Micro. Weirich
believes this technology can help millions of people gain access to their
PC, and that providing it free of charge will open a whole new world of
assistive technology to many people.
In light of the rapidly changing face of technology and specifically, the
changing face of assistive technology, the combined efforts of GW Micro and
Microsoft have the goal of providing accessibility to people who are blind
and visually impaired for the long term.
Microsoft continues to take accessibility seriously. By partnering with
GW Micro in this endeavor we are demonstrating Microsofts ongoing
commitment to provide all of our customers with the technology and tools to
help each person be productive in both their work and personal lives. said
Rob Sinclair, Chief Accessibility Officer for Microsoft.
Eligible customers, using Microsoft Office 2010 or higher, will be able to
download a full version of Window-Eyes starting today at
www.WindowEyesForOffice.com. The website provides download instructions as
well as additional details about this offer.
GW Micro, Inc. (www.gwmicro.com) has been a trusted pioneer in the adaptive
technology industry since 1990, and continues to lead with innovative,
customer driven solutions.
Contact:
Dan Weirich, VP of Sales and Marketing
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
(260) 489-3671
--
Jim Allan, Accessibility Coordinator & Webmaster
Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
1100 W. 45th St., Austin, Texas 78756
voice 512.206.9315 fax: 512.206.9264 http://www.tsbvi.edu/
"We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us." McLuhan, 1964
From: Lucy Greco
Date: Tue, Jan 14 2014 12:42PM
Subject: Re: Window Eyes for Free!
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Wow is write I wonder if it carries through to our block ms purchases
Lucia Greco
Web Access Analyst
IST-Campus Technology Services
University of California, Berkeley
(510) 289-6008 skype: lucia1-greco
http://webaccess.berkeley.edu
From: Dave Merrill
Date: Wed, Jan 15 2014 4:33AM
Subject: Re: Window Eyes for Free!
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Do I understand correctly that this version of Window-Eyes works with
Windows itself and other programs, not just the ones in Office? The only
link to Office is that an Office 2010 or later license is required?
Does anyone have any quick thoughts on Window-Eyes vs NVDA?
Thanks,
Dave Merrill
On Tue, Jan 14, 2014 at 2:42 PM, Lucy Greco < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Wow is write I wonder if it carries through to our block ms purchases
>
> Lucia Greco
> Web Access Analyst
> IST-Campus Technology Services
> University of California, Berkeley
> (510) 289-6008 skype: lucia1-greco
> http://webaccess.berkeley.edu
>
>
>
From: J. B-Vincent
Date: Wed, Jan 15 2014 4:38AM
Subject: Re: Window Eyes for Free!
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Dave: Quick thought is that NVDA deliberately uses a key command set similar to JAWS. If someone is stuck because JAWS doesn't work with Office, they may be able to get back up to speed faster with NVDA than with Window-Eyes. We have installed NVDA on our networked PCs and so far it's working well.
--Jane Vincent, Assistive Technology Manager, University of Michigan
From: Dave Merrill < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2014 6:33 AM
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Window Eyes for Free!
Do I understand correctly that this version of Window-Eyes works with
Windows itself and other programs, not just the ones in Office? The only
link to Office is that an Office 2010 or later license is required?
Does anyone have any quick thoughts on Window-Eyes vs NVDA?
Thanks,
Dave Merrill
On Tue, Jan 14, 2014 at 2:42 PM, Lucy Greco < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Wow is write I wonder if it carries through to our block ms purchases
>
> Lucia Greco
> Web Access Analyst
> IST-Campus Technology Services
> University of California, Berkeley
> (510) 289-6008 skype: lucia1-greco
> http://webaccess.berkeley.edu
>
>
>
From: Dejan Kozina
Date: Wed, Jan 15 2014 6:18AM
Subject: Re: Window Eyes for Free!
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The fine print at the bottom of the download page:
"Without a valid version of Microsoft Office installed, Window-Eyes will
run in a restricted, 30-minute demonstration mode."
djn
On 15/01/2014 12:38, J. B-Vincent wrote:
> Dave: Quick thought is that NVDA deliberately uses a key command set similar to JAWS. If someone is stuck because JAWS doesn't work with Office, they may be able to get back up to speed faster with NVDA than with Window-Eyes. We have installed NVDA on our networked PCs and so far it's working well.
>
> --Jane Vincent, Assistive Technology Manager, University of Michigan
>
>
>
>
> > From: Dave Merrill < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> To: WebAIM Discussion List < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2014 6:33 AM
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Window Eyes for Free!
>
>
> Do I understand correctly that this version of Window-Eyes works with
> Windows itself and other programs, not just the ones in Office? The only
> link to Office is that an Office 2010 or later license is required?
>
> Does anyone have any quick thoughts on Window-Eyes vs NVDA?
>
> Thanks,
> Dave Merrill
>
>
> On Tue, Jan 14, 2014 at 2:42 PM, Lucy Greco < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>
>> Wow is write I wonder if it carries through to our block ms purchases
>>
>> Lucia Greco
>> Web Access Analyst
>> IST-Campus Technology Services
>> University of California, Berkeley
>> (510) 289-6008 skype: lucia1-greco
>> http://webaccess.berkeley.edu
>>
>>
>>
From: Bourne, Sarah (ITD)
Date: Wed, Jan 15 2014 7:24AM
Subject: Re: Window Eyes for Free!
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If you follow the link from the press release to http://www.windoweyesforoffice.com/ it says that they are offering "a completely functional* and free license". The asterisk indicates there is an additional fee for Arabic or Hebrew speech. See the FAQ page of that site, http://www.windoweyesforoffice.com/FAQ/, for other things you don't get, such as support calls. Support could be a big issue for many.
sb
Sarah E. Bourne
Director of Assistive Technology &
Mass.Gov Chief Technology Strategist
Information Technology Division
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
1 Ashburton Pl. rm 1601 Boston MA 02108
617-626-4502
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
http://www.mass.gov/itd