IMO we are seeing that form sells more than function. MAC and Win 8 are a prime suspect.
I am seeing UIs that look nice but are difficult to use for a fully able user, let alone a user with some kind of disability.
I am seeing UIs that look nice but are difficult to use for a fully able user, let alone a user with some kind of disability.
I don't use Windows so I can't comment on that, but OS X has a lot of support for disabled users. First, VoiceOver is a built-in screen reader and there are a variety of other options to adjust the contrast, cursor size, amongst other things. There's support for visual alerts, mono audio, and subtitles. One can also use switches to control the system if you have them connected.
Basically, Apple spends a lot of effort to make their products accessible. I know that iPhones are popular in the blind community as the VoiceOver support makes it easy to use.
I've found that OS X is far more usable now than the 10.1-10.4 years. So, while the form has improved, so has the function.