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Reply to ScribeMe’s removal from App Store
I am writing as a blind user who relied on ScribeMe every single day, and I want to make something absolutely clear: removing this app was not a business decision — it was a decision that directly harmed thousands of disabled people without warning, without alternatives, and without any apparent consideration for the consequences. ScribeMe was not a convenience for me. It was how I accessed visual information that the sighted world takes for granted — documents, photos, charts, unfamiliar environments. Its sudden disappearance left a void that no other app has yet filled. What makes this even more painful is the broader pattern we are witnessing. Apple has long positioned itself as a champion of accessibility. VoiceOver, Switch Control, and many other features have genuinely changed lives. But actions speak louder than marketing. When accessibility-critical apps are terminated without human review, without appeal, without even basic communication to the affected developers — that is not a company that takes accessibility seriously. That is a company that treats it as a checkbox. I am calling on Apple to do three things: First, conduct an immediate manual review of this case with the involvement of the Accessibility team, not just the standard App Review process. Second, establish a clear and protected process for accessibility-focused apps — one that recognizes their unique impact and ensures that developers receive proper warnings, explanations, and the opportunity to resolve issues before termination. Third, acknowledge publicly that this removal harmed real users and commit to preventing similar situations in the future. Blind and visually impaired users are not a niche audience to be accommodated. We are customers, developers, students, and professionals who deserve the same stability and reliability from the App Store as anyone else. The developer of ScribeMe clearly built something that genuinely mattered. Apple should be supporting that mission, not ending it without notice.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
May ’26
Reply to ScribeMe’s removal from App Store
I am writing as a blind user who relied on ScribeMe every single day, and I want to make something absolutely clear: removing this app was not a business decision — it was a decision that directly harmed thousands of disabled people without warning, without alternatives, and without any apparent consideration for the consequences. ScribeMe was not a convenience for me. It was how I accessed visual information that the sighted world takes for granted — documents, photos, charts, unfamiliar environments. Its sudden disappearance left a void that no other app has yet filled. What makes this even more painful is the broader pattern we are witnessing. Apple has long positioned itself as a champion of accessibility. VoiceOver, Switch Control, and many other features have genuinely changed lives. But actions speak louder than marketing. When accessibility-critical apps are terminated without human review, without appeal, without even basic communication to the affected developers — that is not a company that takes accessibility seriously. That is a company that treats it as a checkbox. I am calling on Apple to do three things: First, conduct an immediate manual review of this case with the involvement of the Accessibility team, not just the standard App Review process. Second, establish a clear and protected process for accessibility-focused apps — one that recognizes their unique impact and ensures that developers receive proper warnings, explanations, and the opportunity to resolve issues before termination. Third, acknowledge publicly that this removal harmed real users and commit to preventing similar situations in the future. Blind and visually impaired users are not a niche audience to be accommodated. We are customers, developers, students, and professionals who deserve the same stability and reliability from the App Store as anyone else. The developer of ScribeMe clearly built something that genuinely mattered. Apple should be supporting that mission, not ending it without notice.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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May ’26