I forwarded Brian's message about Windows 98 to Microsoft and below is
the response I got back.
David Andrews
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 2 Apr 1996 07:19:23 -0800
From: Alec Saunders <alecs@MICROSOFT.com>
To: "'dandrews@winternet.com'" <dandrews@winternet.com>
Subject: RE: NEW WINDOWS RELEASE? (fwd)
David - Luanne points out that my use of the term "disabled community"
is offensive to many persons with disabilities. If you can change what
I wrote to "disability community" before / if you forward this message
to anyone else, I would be very grateful. I've recently become Gary and
Luanne's manager from elsewhere inside the Microsoft organization, and
I'm afraid that I still haven't mastered all the correct terminology.
Thanks - Alec.
>----------
>From: Alec Saunders
>Sent: Monday, April 01, 1996 6:19 PM
>To: 'dandrews@winternet.com'
>Cc: Gary Moulton; Luanne LaLonde; Greg Lowney; Charles (Chuck)
>Oppermann
>Subject: RE: NEW WINDOWS RELEASE? (fwd)
>
>
>
>David - we haven't show anyone anything which is called Windows 98, nor
>will we be showing anything under that name at anytime within the
>foreseeable future. Frankly, this smells like a cheap attempt to sell
>a seminar. We don't ever invite third parties to give advance previews
>of our technology -- we give the previews ourselves.
>
>You can rest assured that we will make the same effort to keep the
>disabled community aware of our operating systems directions as
>everyone else.
>
>Alec Saunders,
>Lead Product Manager
>Microsoft Corp.
>
>----------
>From: David Andrews[SMTP:dandrews@winternet.com]
>Sent: Sunday, March 31, 1996 1:36 PM
>To: Accessibility Inquiries
>Subject: NEW WINDOWS RELEASE? (fwd)
>
>If you have any comments, etc., I would be happy to pass them back.
>
>David Andrews
>
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Sun, 31 Mar 1996 04:38:24 -0800
>From: Brian Buhrow <buhrow@lothlorien.nfbcal.org>
>To: Multiple recipients of list <nfb-rd@lothlorien.nfbcal.org>
>Subject: NEW WINDOWS RELEASE?
>
> Hello folks. I received a call last week at work from a salesman type
>who said that I should come and see the preview of Windows 98 at the
>end of
>May at some conference, whose name I don't remember. He said that his
>company had the only access to the pre-release code, and that we could
>come
>and see, first hand, the direction Microsoft was taking in the software
>development arena.
> My first thoughts, of course, turned to accessibility, and the level
>of
>awareness in the disabled community about this alleged development.
>How
>much, for example, has Microsoft said to the disabled community about
>these
>activities? And, to the extent of that awareness, what steps has the
>disabled community taken to insure that it is intimately involved in
>the
>accessible evolution of this bergeoning operating system?
> If this salesman is right, then we, as blind consumers, need to make
>sure
>that we're tapping on Microsoft's door saying that now that you have
>committed to making your products accessible, how about letting us help
>you
>design efficiency and ease of use for the disabled into your products
>as
>well. If we step up to the task early enough, we'll be able to help
>you
>make the basic system more accessible at relatively low cost, when
>compared
>with the task of retrofitting it later.
>
> I don't have anymore news at the moment, but I'd be pleased if anyone
>either from Microsoft, or from without Microsoft, wanted to coment on
>what
>they know of this situation.
>-Brian
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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