There is precious little in the way of written documentation about the following, but iTunes 7.1 is now reasonably accessible under VoiceOver on Mac. (There are a couple of sources, but very little in the way of actual user testimonial on the MacVisionaries list [example].)

The best way to learn about it is to listen to Episode 10 of the Screenless Switchers podcast (also subscribable at iT(M)S), where our hosts pretty much do a tutorial of how to use iTunes under VoiceOver. A few small things are still impossible, and a lot of things seem inconvenient, and there hasn’t been enough work done on how to read data on the iTunes Store properly (“3:00” alongside a song title means “three minutes,” not “three o’clock”), but for a V1.0 product, things are coming along well.

(And on the other hand, VoiceOver pronounces “Gnarls Barkley” perfectly.)

To my knowledge, Windows screen readers can barely do anything with iTunes. And iPods are hopeless save for the iPod for Losers™, the Shufflé. (Curiously, there seems to be an entire list on the subject, Blind iPod.)

In broad terms, you cannot make little bits of your service accessible and call the whole service accessible. We know this for a fact now because of last week’s ruling by the Supremes. Via Rail contended that, since some of its lines were accessible and a few other provisions were made, such an arrangement should be good enough. No, it isn’t (emphasis added):

The fact that there are accessible trains travelling along only some routes does not justify inaccessible trains on others. It is the global network of rail services that should be accessible. The ad hoc provision of services does not satisfy Parliament’s continuing goal of ensuring accessible rail services. To permit Via to point to its existing cars, which were to be phased out, and special service‑based accommodations as a defence would be to overlook the fact that while human rights law includes an acknowledgment that not every barrier can be eliminated, it also includes a duty to prevent new ones, or at least not knowingly to perpetuate old ones where preventable.

By extension, that means you can’t caption “everything” on your public broadcaster but not caption your specialty channels, your commercials, or your subtitled shows, or not audio-describe all or nearly all your programming, or produce inaccessible Web sites, or run video online without accessibility features. Sorry: It is the global network that should be accessible.

Test the Nation was a one-time quiz show CBC Television ran last week, hosted by Wendy Mesley and Brent Bambury, the still-remarkably-well-preserved “bachelor.” I tuned in late and got nearly all the word and number answers right, but face-planted completely on many others. Fun in a sort of Omni magazine/faux-Mensa kind of way.

Anyway, the companion site is something the CBC is so proud of it got coverage on the official blog. As it was created in Flash by nonexpert developers, without even bothering to open it up I know it wouldn’t be usable by a blind person, and probably not by a low-vision person. Really, I don’t have to check.

Was this a problem? Well, yes, because the TV show was inaccessible too. As several people wrote on the Blind Canadians mailing list:

• So, did anybody else attempt CBC’s Test the Nation program, a national IQ test?

  Luckily I had sighted family around to at least read the choices to the non-visual questions. I realize some of the standard IQ test is visual, but Wendy Mesley could have at least read out the choices for the non-visual questions, not just the initial question or, in some instances, only part of the question.

• I tried to answer a few, but since the person didn’t read all the questions out I had more trouble, even though I have some usable vision. I would have failed miserably.

• I turned it on and was very disappointed with the CBC, again, on being so inaccessible to the visually impared. I realize the visuals would have been tough, but why not described audio[? Because it was a live show.] Pretty poor when the supposed Canadian Broadcasting [Corporation] ignores disabled.

Other facts gleaned from handouts at the 2007.03.21 TTC meeting:

• In 2006, there were 9,194,000 rides using day passes and 1,025,000 using “blind/War Amps” passes. Premium Express buses carried 259,000 riders. (“Toronto Transit Commission Analysis of Ridership: 2006 Year to Date End of Period 12”)
• “Transit shelters and loops” came in $400,000 under budget at $400,000. Wheelchair-access renovations to subway stations were $600,000 over budget at $8.7 million. They spent $8.4 million on computer equipment and software, a full $2.5 million under budget. What kind of a Web site could you make for that much money? (“Toronto Transit Commission 2006–2010 Capital Program”) A later report (“Project Status Report: 6280 – IT Security Business Plan”) states they spend $3 million a year on computer equipment and software, rising to $4 million by 2010.
• “Platform Video Screens” have cost $56,200 to date in 2006, mostly in labour. Yes, that means video ads cost money, but there is no listing of offsetting income, if any. (“Departmental Progress Report: Engineering”)
• “Conceptual design” of Warden/Victoria Park and Kipling/Islington is projected for April.
• Subway concession stands brought in $3,247,200 in 2006. (“Departmental Progress Report: Revenue Operations”)
• “Signage upgrades/misc. paint material less than planned” (copy-errors corrected): $90,900 saving. (“Departmental Progress Report: Plant Maintenance”)
• “Monitor re Human Rights Tribunal ruling” – the one they stubbornly fought, and immediately lost, concerning audible announcements of subway stops – cost $10,400. (“Departmental Progress Report: Subway Transportation”)
• Debit and credit-card readers: “90% design of… packages of 14 stations each completed and design review in progress…. Project put on hold on August 4, 2006. No activity planned. On hold pending results of feasibility study…. Work deferred for better scope definition” at a saving of $341,000. (“Project Status Report: 2.2 Power Distribution/Electric Systems”)
• “Lower Bay station safety upgrades”: $65,000 “slippage from 2005,” $14,000 “construction cost increase,”, $24,000 “full project.” (“Project Status Report: 2.3 Communications”)
• There’s a whole cryptic section on new designs for pass- and token-vending machines (“Project Status Report: 5.2 Revenue & Fare-Handling Equipment”). And, as part of that, a “budgeted site visit to Hong Kong did not occur” for a saving of $23,000. That’s, what, two people flying business?
• There’s a plan to “implement security Web site” in the next three months. (“Project Status Report: 6280 – IT Security Business Plan”) Incidentally, they have an intranet located at INT.TTC.CA, but you can’t reach it from outside their IP subnet. There are a couple of other inconclusive mentions of an internal Web site.
• A report entitled “Geospatial Technology Review” mentions its use for “next bus/train arrival” (“October 2007/August 2007” [sic]), “Internet trip planning” (August 2007), and “automated customer notification for service disruptions” (August 2007). The whole budget is $500,000.
• Adam Giambrone wrote a letter (2007.03.13) asking that Vic Park and Kipling/Islington redevelopments be updated to include the Toronto Green Development Standard, especially a green roof at Vic Park. (Signage, anyone?)

This is going to be another of those postings filled to the brim with original reporting – something that old media alleges blogs scarcely have, but also something you would expect from a former daily-newspaper and magazine journalist and nonfiction-book author. It’s way more than the Spacers would bother with, even as the head Spacer earns actual money, however modest, from the TTC. It also represents much too much of a time commitment for what I, or anyone, will get out of it.

Latterly, I complained that the TTC ignored a request from its own commissioners to produce a report on its lousy signage. It didn’t even include that uncompleted report on a list of uncompleted reports. But, with lightning speed, it turned around a response to TTC chair Adam Giambrone to beautify (“modernize”) the entrances of eight downtown stations, “Museum, Queen’s Park, St. Patrick, Osgoode, St. Andrew, King, Dundas[,] and College.” Signage was to be included in this apparently pointless charette, to which I objected. [continue with: Erecting a façade →]

One of my snobberies concerns true and accurate Palatinos.

But really, Zapf has drawn or authorized so many variations that trueness and accuracy are relative terms. This does not mean I have to like the default versions installed on computers.