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Re: Windows 10 screen reader info

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From: Chagnon | PubCom
Date: Jul 31, 2015 1:57PM

As a professional beta tester for countless companies for the past 35 years, there are many reasons why our software isn't as accessible as it should be. Here are some reasons that might have come into play for Windows 10.

1. Most programming teams are now centered overseas with only programming oversight and management possibly still in the US or a developed country. Possibly. Some major software companies have moved everything overseas.

The concept of accessibility isn't even known in those overseas countries—there are no curb cuts, wheelchair ramps or other basic accessible features in their built environment, let alone in their software. And their western corporate bosses haven't told the programming teams that accessibility is required.

So accessibility isn't on the programming teams' radar screens, or, at best, it's an afterthought.

2. In most companies, the Marketing Department makes the decision of what features to build into the software. I haven't found one marketing director at any of the companies I've tested for know anything about accessibility. So again, accessibility isn't on the programmers' to-do list.

3. When I've had the chance to talk directly with a programmer, a director of programming, or a director of marketing, none have known about the accessibility laws passed by our countries (I'm in the US with Sec. 508, but they don't know about the national accessibility laws of Canada, Australia, United Kingdom and other countries that mandate accessibility). They have no idea that one of their largest customer bases — national governments worldwide — are mandated to make their government information accessible.

4. Developers who create 3rd-party plug-ins for major software are allowed to join the beta testing groups. But so far I've seen only 1 or 2 on the beta teams and they haven't been strong advocates for accessibility.

And FYI, I've never seen NVDA nor Freedom Scientific on any of the major software beta teams. They might be there lurking and keeping quiet, but if so, that's not what they should be doing.

So how do we turn around this problem?

—Bevi Chagnon