[nabs-l] New iPhone Model Now Accessible to the Blind
Brice Smith
brsmith24 at hotmail.com
Tue Jun 9 04:56:46 UTC 2009
I'm happy with my N82.
I've always resisted Apple; I think it's a bit over rated.
I've always looked down on macs and the masses that buy them; IMO, the only people who really need them are those who do lots of film or digital editing or other high-level processes -- PCs are perfectly fine for basic computing, which is all most people do anyway. Macs are just a popular craze.
I've always thought iPods were nothing special, inferior to other, less popular but more feature-filled products.
But this ...
For what it's worth, I don't think I've been more interested by a press release concerning accessible technology since the KNFB Reader.
Brice
> Date: Mon, 8 Jun 2009 20:58:09 -0500
> To: david.andrews at nfbnet.org
> From: dandrews at visi.com
> Subject: [nabs-l] New iPhone Model Now Accessible to the Blind
>
>
>
> Vision
>
> The revolutionary iPhone also includes an equally
> revolutionary screen reader, and other innovative
> accessibility features that make it easier to use
> for those with impaired vision.
>
>
> VoiceOver
>
> iPhone 3G S displaying VoiceOver settings. The VoiceOver and Sp
>
>
>
> The same VoiceOver screen reader made popular on
> the Mac is now a standard feature on the iPhone
> 3G S. It’s the world’s first gesture-based screen
> reader, enabling you to enjoy the fun and
> simplicity of the iPhone even if you can't see the screen.
>
> What makes VoiceOver on iPhone truly remarkable
> is that you control it using simple gestures that
> let you physically interact with items on screen.
> It’s easy to learn and fun to use. Instead of
> memorizing hundreds of keyboard commands, or
> endlessly pressing tiny arrow keys to find what
> you’re looking for, with VoiceOver, you simply
> touch the screen to hear a description of the
> item under your finger, then gesture with a
> double-tap, drag, or flick to control the phone.
>
> VoiceOver delivers an experience unlike any
> screen reader you've ever used before.
> Traditional screen readers describe individual
> elements on the screen, but struggle to
> communicate where each element is located or
> provide information about adjoining objects. This
> contextual information is very important but
> typically filtered out by other screen readers.
> For example, “off-screen” models used by
> traditional screen readers to represent
> applications and web pages intentionally strip
> away contextual information and describe web
> pages as a list or menu of items. But with
> VoiceOver on iPhone 3G S, you'll experience something entirely new.
>
> Because VoiceOver works with iPhone’s
> touchscreen, you interact directly with objects
> on the screen and can naturally understand their
> location and context. So, when you touch the
> upper-left corner of the screen, you'll hear
> what’s in the upper left corner of a web page,
> and as you drag your finger around the screen,
> you'll learn what’s nearby, providing an amazing
> new sense of context and relationship between the
> items you hear. For many, VoiceOver on iPhone
> will provide, perhaps for the first time, a true
> sense of how things appear on screen, not just descriptions of what they are.
>
> You'll hear descriptions of every item on the
> screen, including status information such as
> battery level, Wi-Fi and cellular network signal
> levels, the cellular network provider, and time
> of day. It even lets you know when the display
> changes to landscape or portrait orientation, and
> when the screen is locked or unlocked.
>
> The speaking rate is adjustable so you can set it
> to a speed that best suits your listening
> ability. VoiceOver uses distinctive sound effects
> to alert you when an application opens, when the
> screen is updated, when a message dialog appears,
> and more. And, when Voiceover is talking, the
> volume of background sounds and music are
> automatically lowered, “ducking” under the voice,
> so you can clearly hear what VoiceOver is telling you.
>
>
> It speaks your language
>
> VoiceOver includes built-in voices that speak 21
> languages including Chinese (Cantonese), Chinese
> (China), Chinese (Taiwan), Dutch, English (US),
> English (UK), Finnish, French (Canada), French
> (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean,
> Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil),
> Portuguese (Portugal), Russian, Spanish (Mexico), Spanish (Spain), and Swedish.
>
>
> Getting started
>
> VoiceOver is built right into the iPhone 3G S.
> There’s nothing extra to purchase or install. All
> you need is the iPhone 3G S, iTunes 8.2 or later,
> and a Mac or PC. You can activate your iPhone and
> enable VoiceOver without sighted assistance using
> iTunes with a compatible screen reader like
> VoiceOver included in Mac OS X and GW-Micro
> Window-Eyes® for Windows XP and Windows Vista
> (sold separately). When you activate iPhone using
> iTunes, you can enable VoiceOver on the iPhone to
> start using it right away. Sighted users can also
> enable VoiceOver for you directly on iPhone using
> the Accessibility menu in the Settings application.
>
>
> How it works
>
> With VoiceOver enabled, you'll use a different,
> but simple set of gestures to control the iPhone.
> For example, instead of tapping to click a button
> or select an item, you tap to hear a description
> of the item you touch and double-tap to click or select it.
>
> When an item on the screen is selected, a black
> rectangle called the VoiceOver cursor appears
> around it. The VoiceOver cursor is displayed for
> the benefit of sighted users with whom you may be
> sharing your phone. When you prefer privacy,
> VoiceOver includes a screen curtain that turns
> off the display so no one can read it without your knowledge.
>
> In addition to touching and dragging around the
> screen, you can also flick left and right to move
> the VoiceOver cursor precisely to the next or
> previous item on the screenno matter how big or
> small it is. By flicking, you have precise
> control of what you hear even when it might
> otherwise be difficult to place your finger on it.
> Two iPhones. The iPhone in the background shows the home screen
>
>
> Entering Text
>
> When you’re typing text, such as an email message
> or a note, VoiceOver echoes each character on the
> keyboard as you touch it, and again to confirm
> when you enter it. You can also have VoiceOver
> speak each completed word instead of and in
> addition to individual characters as you type
> them. A flick up or down while typing moves the
> insertion point cursor left and right within the
> text so you can edit a word just as easily and precisely as typing a new word.
> Two images side by side. The first shows a text-suggestion bubb
>
>
> To help you type more quickly and accurately,
> iPhone features word prediction and suggests the
> correct spelling when you type a word
> incorrectly. With Speak Auto-text enabled, you'll
> hear a sound effect and the suggested word spoken
> automatically. You can just keep typing to ignore
> it, or press the space key to have iPhone type it for you.
>
>
> The Rotor
>
> Two fingers touching a iPhone display and a counter-clockwise a
>
>
>
> VoiceOver features an innovate new virtual
> control called a “rotor.” Turning the rotor by
> rotating two fingers on the screen as if you were
> turning an actual dial changes the way
> VoiceOver moves through a document based on a
> setting you choose. For example, a flick up or
> down might move through text word by word. But
> when you choose the “character” setting, each
> time you flick up or down VoiceOver will move
> through the text character by character perfect
> when you’re proofreading or editing text.
>
> You can also use the rotor to navigate web pages.
> When you’re on a web page, the rotor contains the
> names of common items, such as headers, links,
> tables, images, and more. You select a setting,
> then flick up and down to move to the previous or
> next occurrence of that item on the page, skipping over items in between.
>
>
> Applications
>
> VoiceOver works with all of the built-in
> applications that come with iPhone 3G S, such as
> Phone, iPod, iTunes, Mail, Safari, and Maps. So,
> you can place and receive calls, surf the web,
> text and email your friends, check your stocks
> and the weather, and much, much more. Apple is
> also working with iPhone software developers so
> they can make their applications VoiceOver
> compatible.
> <http://www.apple.com/accessibility/iphone//iphone/iphone-3g-s/>Learn more
> Two iPhones. The iPhone in the foreground is displaying the Voi
>
>
> Voice Control
>
> In addition to gestures, you can use your voice
> to play music and make a phone call. Just press
> and hold the home button, listen for the audio
> prompt, and speak the name of the artist, album,
> or playlist you want to hear. You can pause,
> play, change tracks, even shuffle your music.
>
> When you want to make a call, speak the name or
> telephone number of the person you want to call.
> iPhone 3G S understands 21 different languages.
> <http://www.apple.com/accessibility/iphone//iphone/iphone-3g-s/voice-control.html>Learn
> more
>
>
> Zoom
>
> Two iPhones. The iPhone in the background is displaying the wea
>
>
>
> While many iPhone applications let you zoom in
> and out specific elements such as images in Mail,
> or webpage columns in Safari, Zoom lets you
> magnify the entire screen of any application
> you’re using to help you see what’s on the
> display. Zoom can be enabled on iPhone 3G S using
> iTunes when you’re setting up the iPhone, for
> yourself or someone else, or later, using the
> Accessibility menu in the Settings application on the iPhone.
>
> Zoom works everywhere, including the Home,
> Unlock, and Spotlight screenseven with
> applications you purchase from the App store.
> Two iPhones. The iPhone in the background is displaying the Acc
>
>
> A simple double-tap with three fingers instantly
> zooms in and out 200% and you can double-tap and
> drag three fingers to dynamically adjust the
> magnification between 100% and 500%. Even when
> zoomed, you can continue using all of the
> familiar flick, pinch, tap and other iPhone
> gestures to run your favorite applications. Zoom
> can also be used with white-on-black (reverse video) and speak auto-text.
>
>
> White On Black
>
> For those who need or prefer higher contrast,
> iPhone 3G S provides an option to change the
> display to White On Black. This reverse video
> affect works in all applications including the
> Home, Unlock, and Spotlight screens and can be used with Zoom and VoiceOver.
>
>
> Speak Auto-text
>
> When typing, iPhone suggests a word before you
> finish typing it or a correction when a word is
> misspelled. Speak Auto-text speaks these
> suggestions so you can hear them when they’re
> presented. When zoomed, for example, the
> suggestion might not be visible on screen, but
> you can hear and accept it without seeing it. If
> you’re using VoiceOver, you won't have to
> interrupt your typing and touch the suggestion to
> hear it. Speak Auto-text can be enabled even when
> you’re not using VoiceOver or Zoom.
> Callouts indicate the name and location of the physical buttons
>
>
> Tactile Buttons
>
> iPhone includes a few, easily discernible
> physical buttons used to control the phone: the
> Sleep/Wake button, located on the top edge; the
> Ring/Silent switch and volume-control buttons,
> located on the upper-left edge; and the Home
> button, centered below the display.
>
>
> Giant Fonts For Mail Messages
>
> For improved email readability, you can increase
> the default font size of email text from Medium
> (the default) to Large, Extra-large, or Giant.
> iPhone earbuds with clickable microphone built into the cable
>
>
> iPhone Stereo Headset
>
> iPhone comes with a stereo headset with a
> high-performance microphone built into the cable.
> Plug it into the standard 3.5 mm stereo headphone
> jack and the headset lets you control music
> playback and answer and end calls by clicking the
> built-in remote control button.
>
> Several add-on products are also available to
> work with iPhone that can help those with hearing
> disabilities, including a hearing aid-compatible
> induction ear loop from
> <http://www.tecear.com/Music_Link.htm>TecEar,
> wireless remote headset from <http://oticon.com/>Oticon, and others.
>
>
> Hands-Free Speakerphone
>
> Enjoy hands-free communication using the built-in
> speakerphone, which you can also use to listen to
> Visual Voicemail, music, podcasts, and video.
>
>
> Audible, Visible, And Vibrating Alerts
>
> Turn the ringer on, and iPhone delivers both
> audible and visual alerts. You can activate
> alerts for phone calls, text messages, incoming
> and sent mail, and calendar events. iPhone also
> offers an audio option confirming keyboard
> clicks. You can even set incoming calls to
> display a full-screen image or photo of the caller.
>
> In silent mode, iPhone vibrates instead of
> playing a tone. To ensure that you never miss a
> notification, you can also have iPhone vibrate and play an audio alert.
>
>
> Downloadable, Assignable Ringtones
>
> You can assign distinctive ringtones to
> individuals in your contacts list, using the
> ringtone as an audible caller ID. Visit the
> iTunes Store to create, purchase, and download
> additional ringtones of your favorite songs (sold separately).
> A visual representation of a ringtone sound wave as it might ap
>
>
> User Guide In Accessible HTML
>
> The iPhone User Guide is provided online in HTML
> format designed with accessibility in mind. You
> can read the guide using your favorite screen
> reader and web browser on your Mac and PC, and
> using Safari on the iPhone with VoiceOver.
> <http://www.apple.com/accessibility/iphone//accessibility/iphone/hearing.html>Hearing
>
>
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