[il-talk] Apple's Accessability Emoji

[Kelly Pierce]

Thanks again Patti for the contact info. When I called Mark’s office
this morning, I learned he is out of the office all week. However, he
and other members of national leadership were sent copies of my
original e-mail from the blind iPhone mailing list and my post to
AppleVis. They at the national office fully understand the issue and
are on top of it. I am so pleased the national staff are deeply
connected to emerging blindness issues and understand the intersection
between public perception and digital culture.

Kelly



On 3/25/18, Leslie Hamric <lhamric930 at comcast.net> wrote:
> for a company that supposed to have our backs concerning accessibility, I am
> surprised that they did look into this a little further. On the bright side,
> however, at least they consulted with one blind this organization. They
> could’ve not consulted with any of us at all. I do agree that these images
> need to be refined.Leslie
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Mar 25, 2018, at 9:04 AM, Kelly Pierce via IL-Talk <il-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Thanks Patti. I will follow up directly with Mark.
>>
>>
>> Kelly
>>
>>> On 3/25/18, Patti Chang via IL-Talk <il-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> 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
>>>
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>>>
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>>
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>
>