Anyone who knows me knows I’m anything but a mark for Apple. To this day, I think Steve Jobs’s “the iPhone is perfect; there’s no need to add anything to it” line is one of the most arrogant statements in the history of tech (it’s not perfect, by the way. Not by a long shot, but I digress).
Having said that, I’m extremely grateful that Apple offers a toll-free customer support line for Voiceover users (iOS software for the low visioned). That is an ENORMOUS help to people like me, and something neither Google nor Microsoft has ever seen fit to invest in. You have no idea how frustrating it is to hit a snag with a device, then be forced to bounce from forum to forum in search of answers that may not even exist, using a screen magnifier at 900X. It’s beyond maddening.
With Apple, I can simply pick up the phone, call the number reserved exclusively for me, and ask a flesh-and-blood human being for assistance.
Jobs wasn’t perfect, and neither is his company. Apple is still king for accessibility, though, and until Google/MS figure that out, disabled users will continue spending money hand-over-fist with the fruit guys.
Cheers, Steve. I find you less of a tool today.
Sincerely,
IJM and Blind Folk Everywhere