[Electronics-talk] Fwd: Free Software for Sprint

Thu Jan 12 16:32:33 UTC 2012

All Android screen readers use the Google accessibility API, so to that extent, TalkBack, Spiel, and Mobile Accessibility work equally well as screen readers.  As far as how well they work in practice, it's kind of like using a PC.  Some programs are more accessible than others.  It has to do with how much work the developer does to make his app accessible.  All developers have access to the API, but there is no law that regulates the extent to which they have to  use it. The thing that sets Mobile Accessibility apart is the fact that they developed a suite of apps that are designed to be accessible, but as a screen reader outside the suite, it is no better than the others.   Actually, it's the same with the iPhone.  Apple strongly urges developers to work to make their apps accessible, and they provide developers with the tools to do so, but they do not require that developers do so.  Even with the iPhone, it's somewhat hit and miss as to how well 3rd party apps work with Voiceover.  With the iPhone, there are some great resources like applevis.com, that are run by visually impaired iPhone and Mac users, and they do a pretty good job of evaluating apps for accessibility, but with over a half a million apps available, they can't cover them all.  The good thing is that for the most part, apps are very inexpensive, so if you try one, and find that it is not accessible, it's no great loss.  Some users have actually contacted a developer and gotten a refund because an app wasn't accessible.  Also, the latest IOS software allows you to label graphics like you can with a PC screen reader, so in some cases, you can make an app usable that might not be so at outset.

Andy

-----Original Message-----
From: electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:electronics-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Chris Nusbaum
Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2012 4:03 PM
To: Discussion of accessible electronics andappliances
Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] Fwd: Free Software for Sprint

So do you need to retro-fit the Android phones with a screen reader, like MobileSpeak or Talks? I've heard about a free screen reader called TalkBack that comes with the Android phones (you can download the app from the Market,) but a lot of users have told me that it does not read a lot of things on the apps, and isn't as good as the iPhone's Voiceover.

Chris

"The real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight.  The real problem is the misunderstanding and lack of education that exists.  If a blind person has the proper training and opportunity, blindness can be reduced to a mere physical nuisance."
-- Kenneth Jernigan

 ----- Original Message -----
From: Mad <madbiz68 at yahoo.com
To: Discussion of accessible electronics and appliances<electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Wed, 11 Jan 2012 02:21:28 -0500
Subject: Re: [Electronics-talk] Fwd: Free Software for Sprint

It works well for those of us that use it on our android phnes.  
We can do just about anything everyone else can.  If you don't know about it don't knock it!
--
Sent from my Android phone with K-9 Mail.  Please excuse my brevity.

fred olver <goodfolks at charter.net> wrote:

Well, the software might be free, and I will work with maybe eight or ten pieces of software, but how many other available pieces of software will it work with, I'm betting very few.

Fred Olver

----- Original Message -----
From: "David Andrews" <dandrews at visi.com
To: <david.andrews at nfbnet.org
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2012 3:42 AM
Subject: [Electronics-talk] Fwd: Free Software for Sprint

Sprint to Offer Mobile Accessibility Application, Developed by Code Factory, for Free to Customers Who are Blind or Have L Tools
占? <http://www.fiercetelecom.com/forward?path=node/43538>Email
占? <http://www.fiercetelecom.com/print/node/43538>Print
Posted January 9, 2012
Mobile Accessibility application and new Accessibility Sprint ID packs make smartphone usage more accessible for Sprint customers OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(<http://www.businesswire.com>BUSINESS
WIRE)-- Sprint
(NYSE: S) is offering customers who are blind or visually impaired, as well as elderly individuals or those who cannot read print on smartphones because of physical, perceptual, developmental, cognitive or learning disabilities, free solutions that will provide them easier access to their Android-powered smartphone's functionality.  The solutions include five new Accessibility Sprint ID packs - bundles of applications available on select Android-powered smartphones - and the Mobile Accessibility suite of applications.
Mobile Accessibility, developed by Code Factory, is a suite of accessible applications that have been specifically designed for people who are blind or visually impaired.  Mobile Accessibility, which features a simplified user interface and textual information that is spoken aloud using voice synthesis to aid navigation of the device, will be offered to Sprint postpaid and Boost Mobile prepaid customers through the Android Market for free starting this quarter.
The application is available for free for postpaid Sprint customers with Android-powered smartphones activated on a monthly service plan that includes data, such as the Everything Data plan starting at $79.99.  The app is also free for no-contract customers with Android-powered smartphones on Boost Mobile's Monthly or Daily Unlimited plans.
The application, which typically costs $99, will be available in English and Spanish in the Android Market under the names Sprint Mobile Accessibility EN & ES and Boost Mobile Accessibility EN & ES.
"Sprint strives to satisfy all our customers' wireless needs, and with solutions such as these, we're helping our customers with disabilities realize the full potential of their smartphones," said Fared Adib, Sprint vice president-Product Development.  "That is why we're offering the Mobile Accessibility app and Accessibility ID packs free of charge."
"Code Factory is delighted that one of the most important carriers in the world decided to subsidize Mobile Accessibility for their customers and is helping to assure that the product reaches as many people as possible at no cost for them," said Eduard Sanchez, Code Factory CEO.  "We are proud to be a new partner with Sprint and hope this is the start of a longtime relationship for accessibility for blind and visually impaired Sprint customers."
The main features of Mobile Accessibility:
 * Touch navigation: Users can simply move their finger around the  screen and the voice synthesis will read the text located under their  finger.  They can swipe up/down/right/left and tap on the screen to  navigate through the interface, and they can enable sound and vibration  feedback.
 * Easy to input text: In or outside the Mobile Accessibility suite  users can use the touch QWERTY keyboard or speech recognition to write  text quickly and easily - making it possible to write an SMS or email  using their voice only.
 * Voice synthesis: Provides customers natural sounding voice read back.
With Mobile Accessibility, users can do the following:
 * Phone: Make calls, answer calls, hear the caller ID and manage their  call log.
 * Contacts: App tells user how many contacts they have and speaks the  contact's name they selected.
 * SMS: Virtual keyboard is larger and fills the entire screen.  
When the
 user clicks a letter on the keyboard, the app reads the letter to them.
 This makes it easier for them to compose emails or SMS messages.  
It also
 reads SMS messages to the user.
 * Alarms: Set their alarms.
 * Web: Full Web browser experience; also reads text from Web page to  the user.
 * Calendar: Create, edit and delete a calendar entry.  View all events  per day, week or month.
 * Email: Full access to Gmail accounts; reads emails to the user.
 * Where am I?: GPS application that gives the user an update about  their current location.
 * Access to basic phone functions, such as date and time, missed calls,  etc.  User can click on the function and it speaks to them.
"Having the ability to gain greater access to information on smartphones through the use of a free suite of applications is a very positive development in the blind community's quest for more affordable choices,"
said Mitch Pomerantz, president of the American Council of the Blind (ACB).
"The American Council of the Blind commends Sprint for its willingness to take another positive step toward full product accessibility."
Accessibility Sprint ID packs:
Today Sprint is launching five accessibility-themed Sprint ID packs, developed by Apps4Android, which are bundles of applications designed to accommodate the access needs of Sprint subscribers with print disabilities - people who are unable to read standard printed material, including text on their smartphone, because of blindness, visual disability, physical limitations, organic dysfunction or dyslexia.  For more information about the Accessibility ID packs, read <http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2F
www.businesswire.com%2Fnews%2Fhome%2F20120109006634%2Fen&esheet=5
0125434&lan=en-US&anchor=today%27s+press+release&index=1&md5=6c41
6915d9284f77111ef97d7c80a47f>today's
press release.
About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users.  Sprint Nextel served more than
53 million
customers at the end of 3Q 2011 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone.  The 2011 American Customer Satisfaction Index showed Sprint is the #1 most improved company in customer satisfaction, across all industries, over the last three years.  Newsweek ranked Sprint No.  3 in its
2011 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation's greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company.  You can learn more and visit Sprint at <http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2F
www.sprint.com&esheet=50125434&lan=en-US&anchor=www.sprint.com&in
dex=2&md5=de9659d58f17dc113e8cbff7ffa6c144>www.sprint.com
or
<http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2F
www.facebook.com%2Fsprint&esheet=50125434&lan=en-US&anchor=www.fa
cebook.com%2Fsprint&index=3&md5=843e523a31b78b8bf59c1ad4ecb258e9>
www.facebook.com/sprint
and
<http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2F
www.twitter.com%2Fsprint&esheet=50125434&lan=en-US&anchor=www.twi
tter.com%2Fsprint&index=4&md5=40adca48a4642e7af7b468ea6d51db86>ww
w.twitter.com/sprint.
About Code Factory
Founded in 1998 with headquarters in Terrassa (Barcelona), Spain, Code Factory is the global leader committed to the development of products designed to eliminate barriers to the accessibility of mobile technology for the blind and visually impaired.  Today, Code Factory is the leading provider of accessible mobile applications such as screen readers, screen magnifiers, and Braille interfaces.  Code Factory's products are compatible with the widest range of mainstream mobile devices running on Symbian, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry Smartphones, and Android.  Among Code Factory's customers are well-known organizations for the blind such as ONCE in Spain, and carriers Sprint, AT&T, Bouygues Telecom, SFR, TIM and Vodafone.

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