Greetings:
The following letter was sent on November 14, 1997, to Bill Gates
by the National Federation of the Blind.
Regards,
Curtis Chong
chong99@concentric.net
=================================================================
November 14, 1997
Sent by facsimile and United States mail
Mr. William H. Gates III
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, Washington 98052
Dear Mr. Gates:
A number of individuals and organizations have written to you and
other officials at Microsoft concerning Internet Explorer 4.0 and
its lack of accessibility to persons who are blind. Furthermore,
you (or others at Microsoft) may have received some specific
recommendations from an ad hoc group of organizations in the
blindness field in furtherance of the goal of full accessibility to
Microsoft software by the blind.
The National Federation of the Blind, the nation's largest
organization of the blind, has always believed in communicating
directly with the companies and individuals whom we wish to
influence. Although we may agree in principle with statements made
by other organizations and individuals within the blindness field,
it is our belief that the Federation should present its own message
and recommendations to you in particular and to Microsoft in
general. By the same token, we expect to receive the same courtesy
from large corporations such as Microsoft, which should be aware of
how things are in the blindness field today.
Having said all of that, here are our recommendations:
1. Microsoft must assign responsibility for product accessibility
to a top management official so that accessibility concerns
are given a high priority during the product development
phase.
Microsoft currently makes much of its corporate policy on
accessibility. Yet, there are no clearly defined lines of
responsibility nor are there any specific outcome requirements
that must be met pursuant to that policy. Moreover, it is
clear from discussions with various Microsoft developers that
various product groups are free to do as they wish with
respect to accessibility, with no strong leadership from the
top.
2. By December, 1997, Microsoft should deliver a version of
Internet Explorer which either meets or exceeds the
accessibility (from the viewpoint of the blind computer user)
of Internet Explorer Version 3.02. This release should
include full implementation of Microsoft Active Accessibility
(MSAA) and keyboard access to all Internet Explorer features
and functions.
3. Microsoft Active Accessibility should be an integral component
of all current and future Microsoft operating systems,
including Windows 98, Windows/NT, and Windows/CE.
With regard to Windows/CE, there has been an argument made
that the platforms on which this operating system is likely to
operate have neither the memory nor the processing power to
run screen access technology for the blind. We regard this as
a short-sighted position and do not accept the argument.
4. MSAA should be implemented fully in the next release of
Microsoft Office. In addition, it should be possible to
invoke all critical Office features and functions from the
keyboard.
5. All future releases and upgrades of Microsoft products must
include full keyboard access to all major functions and
features. Moreover, we prefer to have Microsoft products use
standard Windows classes and controls. If this is not
possible, then it is vital that Microsoft products fully
implement MSAA, which is an interface that screen access
vendors have already adopted.
6. Microsoft's developer tools must encourage the creation of
accessible applications containing full MSAA implementation,
keyboard access, and other accessibility features. Also, the
tools themselves must be accessible to the blind.
7. Microsoft should hasten and strengthen the implementation of
the Windows Logo program insofar as it relates to
accessibility. Support of MSAA, keyboard access, and other
accessibility features should be mandatory for any application
seeking certification as Windows-Compliant software.
8. Microsoft should use its vast marketing capability and
expertise to promote MSAA and other accessibility concerns.
Currently, we have noticed a striking lack of energy on the
part of Microsoft in this regard. In short, accessibility to
Microsoft products does not seem to be as important to
Microsoft marketers as pushing the latest edition of Windows
or Office.
9. Microsoft should incorporate a formal testing process into its
development cycle to ensure that the products it produces will
work with screen access technology for the blind.
Exchanging information with screen access vendors (the
so-called ISVs) is simply not enough. Before the
shrink-wrapped version of a new Microsoft product hits the
street, its compatibility and usability with screen access
technology for the blind need to be tested, using a formal and
structured process. Today, such testing does not take place
at Microsoft. It is high time for this kind of testing to
start.
Finally, Microsoft must come to understand the value of
dealing directly with the National Federation of the Blind. The
National Federation of the Blind is the most powerful force in the
field of work with the blind today. If you have serious doubts
about this, simply ask anyone in the field of blindness who it was
who saved the rehabilitation system when it was about to be closed
down by Congress. They will tell you that it was the National
Federation of the Blind. In the area of technology, the Federation
has in its National Headquarters in Baltimore the International
Braille and Technology Center, the largest technology center for
the blind in the world. No one else in the field of blindness has
made as large a commitment as the Federation, both financially and
in terms of physical plant, to have in-house every Braille
embosser, every speech synthesizer, every English-speaking Windows
screen reading program, every refreshable Braille display. We have
the necessary expertise and, more importantly, the political will
and expertise to serve as a collective force on behalf of the
blind. We regard Microsoft as a major player in the computer
field; Microsoft should understand that the Federation is a major
player in the blindness field and act accordingly.
Yours sincerely,
Curtis Chong
Director of Technology
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
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