[il-talk] Apple's Accessability Emoji

[Patti Chang]

Dear Kelly, 

I suggest you reach out to OUR national office to speak with our President about this issue. Since you are a member of the National Federation of the Blind I stress OUR national office. Our president is very approachable. His extension is 2368. Thank you for sharing this information. I agree that it is unfortunate that Apple did not look a little further and is perpetuating many notions we do not benefit from with these new images. 



Patti Chang Esq.
Treasurer
National Federation of the Blind of Illinois
(773) 307-6440 
www.nfbofillinois.org

Find us on twitter: “NFBI”
Search for “National Federation of the Blind of Illinois” on facebook.

-----Original Message-----
From: IL-Talk [mailto:il-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kelly Pierce via IL-Talk
Sent: Saturday, March 24, 2018 9:16 PM
To: NFB of Illinois Mailing List <il-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Kelly Pierce <kellytalk at gmail.com>
Subject: [il-talk] Apple's Accessability Emoji

In the last few days, Apple proposed new emoji to the worldwide standards body of images that reflect accessibility. Two of these images show a male and a female figure with white canes. I became suspicious when I noticed that the only blindness organization consulted by Apple in press reports was the American Council of the Blind. A sighted friend examined the emoji’s and found the canes appear to only extend to the elbows of the blind people, who appear to be age 12. This cane length is below the sternum, which is the minimum cane length advocated by the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired. ACB regularly affiliates with AER.  The National Federation of the Blind recommends that white canes extend past the chin.  It is sad Apple has brazenly picked a political side in the white canes and travel debate rather than develop an image representative of independent blind travel. The blind people in the emoji’s are holding really short white canes with red tips and a black golf grip with the nylon cord around their wrists, which can often be a safety hazard. If blind people have their canes caught in the doors of rapid transit or light rail trains, they could be dragged to their deaths when the train rapidly accelerates rather than having the cane just knocked out of their hand if a strap is not wrapped around their wrist. It sets a poor example of cane use to the public and blind people everywhere. I will ask Apple to withdraw its submission and create new emoji that actually demonstrates safe independent travel.  I hope the national office will examine the emoji and follow up with Apple about this imagery.

Kelly

_______________________________________________
IL-Talk mailing list
IL-Talk at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/il-talk_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for IL-Talk:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/il-talk_nfbnet.org/pattischang%40gmail.com