Help! Apogee Electronics might want to make their software accessible; they want to know more!

By Bruce Harrell, 19 November, 2021

Forum
Accessibility Advocacy

Hi All,

I have been invited to submit links to web pages and articles on the "how to" of making MacOS apps accessible to VoiceOver users. I know very helpful articles and technical materials are available from Apple and elsewhere, but I have no idea where they are or how to find them without spending a day searching.

Would you please send me links to these articles and sources of technical information for designing and/or redesigning MacOS apps so they can be used by VoiceOver users and low vision folks? I have only just today received the invitation from the person I'm talking to at Apogee Electronics.

Apogee offers many products used in music studios and homes. I have one of their digital audio interfaces in my home studio, which is a great product, except for the fact I can't use their desktop control app. My email to them, asking when they will make their desktop app accessible is what started the ball rolling.

Help! Smile

Thank you,

Bruce Harrell

Options

Comments

By Bruce Harrell on Wednesday, November 24, 2021 - 15:24

I have forwarded your links, plus a couple discussion group links of blind folks directly interested in their products. I appreciate your help.

By shuteye on Wednesday, November 24, 2021 - 15:24

In reply to by Bruce Harrell

I figure I'll weigh in as well: in my experience being part of a digital accessibility team that clawed its way from the back offices of a large enterprise to the forefront of said organization's digital development efforts, all the documentation in the world isn't going to help explain the "why" of making an app accessible: you also need to explain disability, and that it could happen to anyone. Microsoft's inclusive design toolkit has some great infographics that explain that disability can be perminant, temporary or situational, and that something like 15% of the world's population has a disability. That's the biggest untapped market segment the corporate world has had access to since the 1940s onward when women began joining the workplace. You could also leverage videos such as Apple's "sady" video, unveiled for 2016's global accessibility awareness day. Give them documentation, but also convince them that the learning and implementation will return ten fold from a business perspective.

By dog on Wednesday, November 24, 2021 - 15:24

By Matthew Whitaker on Wednesday, November 24, 2021 - 15:24

Hello. Thanks for posting about this. I'm happy that they are willing to make there app accessible. I wish other companies, like MOTU, would do the same. Looking through the comments, it seems like a lot has been posted already. I think what you have here is great.
Hope all goes well. Feel free to keep us updated. :-)