Hello all,
My name is Adi Kushnir, I am studying at the 10th grade, I am a 16-year old blind computer user from Israel.
I'm writing you because you may help me to make my dream come true.
During my free time, after I do my school activities, meat with friends and so on, I am working for free on technology access projects in Israel to help my blind community. Right now, I am localizing for free to Hebrew a screen reader called JAWS, which is the best for Windows in my opinion, and helping people by training on lots of things – Apple devices, pc's, phones, and what not…
By saying Apple devices I mean iOS because this is what I can afford.
When I first herd about VoiceOver screen reader in 2008, I have begun dreaming about this free and perfect option to be available in Israel, and I promised myself, that I will do everything I can to make it happen.
Right now, we have to pay 4000 US dollars for a screen reading solution in Hebrew for Windows, and that is just craisy! And what about each year upgrades? Sma's? support?
So, I have decided to take a look of what Apple has to offer.
I was the first in Israel to let the blind and low vision community know that the iPhone 3GS was accessible in 2009, and the first to make a public presentation of it.
The community always trusts me of the things I do, both on PC and other platforms. I'm even helping huge places such as the ministry of education in everything related to tech access for the blind.
But, enough is being said about me, now lets get to the real thing I want to do:
I actualy need 2 things:
1. I am not a person that loves asking for donations. But:
I want to have a Mac computer. This is my dream. I want to have a portable computer that I can develop on, learn xCode, and demonstrate how powerfull the Macintosh is all together. My dream is the MacBookPro 13 with retina/I5-2.6/8GB/512GB flash. But, I can't afford it and my family can not help me with this do to other expenses. If someone knows of a way that I can get a Mac, please help me. I am interested for Apple's success here and I am ready to sit for hours and hours, developing, training, helping people to buy Apple products, beta testing, and what not… I thank any help that will come.
2. Now, to another big dream:
in iOS 7 and OS X 10.9, Apple switched using a new TTS generation from Nuance. Called Vocalizer Expressive. This TTS includes a fenominal Hebrew voice, called Carmit. I am trying to push Apple over a year now to integrate this voice, at least into iOS, because they have it from Nuance already, so why not? But, my request always gets ignored. And people here, not me, are starting to do bad things with their iPhones, jailbreaking and what not to replace one of the voices and adding Carmit by themselves. I don't want them to do these e-legal things. So, can someone guide me, who should I really talk to at Apple to make it better? Believe me guies, this is my dream to make Apple accessible here, and again, I am planning and I am able to sit hours and hours on this.
CC to this email someone from the Apple Israeli dealer, she tries to help me as best as she can, but you know… She is limited as well by what she can/can not do…
Guies,
Can you make these 2 dreams come true for me? Can you guide me at least to who should I talk?
When Apple is going to be accessible here, I am going to relax. That day I will feel I have done everything I can possibly do. I don't want people to go to other platforms.
I thank you so much for reading this, and I hope to get a response from somebody.
Thank you,
Adi Kushnir.