TIMB  Anonymous, If we follow that logic, we come up with these questions:

Why should disabled people have to pay for wheelchairs so they can move around like "the rest of us."

Why should disabled people have to pay to get access ramps and other accessible options made for their houses?

So, what this leads us to, is that you must think disabled people shouldn't have to pay for ANYTHING since they are, well, disabled?

Have you even looked at the price of ANY other disability access solutions? For the computer or otherwise?

A quick lesson in economics, shall we? Now, let's assume for a moment the majority of the populous is not disabled. Software and devices for the handicap is what we call a niche market, I'm sure it's a billion dollar a year industry, but it's still niche. Now, Macintosh SOFTWARE for Disabled People is a niche within a niche, see where I'm going with this? The people WRITING this software, and making the HeadMice, and other things have a very small market to sell too, therefor they have to inflate the cost of the devices in order to cover their overhead.

Next time you go to the store, look and see how many handicapped parking spaces there are, compared to regular parking spaces, that should give you an idea of the market size.

-timb  
(Version 2.0)

DAVID NIEMEIJER  This is to once and for all explain why this software is not free or cheap.

In an ideal world this kind of software should perhaps be free, but it is better that someone takes the time to develop it (and thus needs to earn an income by selling it) than that the software does not exist at all. It took two years to develop SwitchXS for Mac OS X and given the small market for these kinds of products (not everyone uses a Mac and those needing this kind of software form an even smaller group), it is not possible to sell it for less. And, it is still cheaper than comparable products for Windows (a much larger market). Also, if someone is short on cash there are all kinds of ways to get software like this funded.

I think that in the long run everyone is better off if the software generates enough income to allow continued investment in further development. Having free or cheap software that is not updated to add new effort-saving features or is made compatible when new OS releases come out does not serve anyone much. SwitchXS as of this writing has been available for 1.5 years and has seen 6 free updates and I am already working on the next one.

SwitchXS is NOT made to gain a quick buck. The price is not set to made profit, just to gain enough income to continue further development and let SwitchXS make a difference in people's lifes.

davidn.  
(Version 1.6)

ANONYMOUS  why should people with disababilities pay over $200 so they can use computers like the rest of us?  
(Version 1.6)