[nabs-l] New Technology and Blindness

[Chris Nusbaum]

I'll say this again.  So, we're a minority.  Who cares? Should 
that discourage us from at least trying to get all technology to 
be accessible? My answer is a resounding, "No!" We have as much 
of a right as anybody to have access to technology.  We just need 
a few adaptations.  Come on, guys, where's the NFB philosophy 
here? I can't be the only one on an NFB-NET list who believes 
that we deserve the right of access to technology and we need to 
fight for it!

Chris Nusbaum

"A loss of sight, never a loss of vision!" (Camp Abilities motto)

 ----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com
To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Fri, 29 Apr 2011 19:24:46 -0700
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] New Technology and Blindness

Patrick et al:

I wouldn't count on increased numbers of visually impaired people 
to drive
technology development.  Even if the number were to double, 
visually
impaired people would still constitute a minority of the 
population.  Short
of legal requirements, development of technology is 
market-driven.  And
although *we* don't like touch-screens and complaints of senior 
citizens
about them strike a chord with us, most people tend to like them 
and they
are far easier to maintain than are devices with buttons and 
dials that,
being mechanical devices, wear out easily.

I agree that we should strive to educate technology vendors about 
our needs
but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for them to respond short 
of legal
sanctions.  In this connection, while not the whole answer, our 
Technology
Bill of Rights would go a long way toward solving the problem.  
Even then,
however, we will still face some technology barriers in that 
innovation goes
on and, like it or not, it is geared toward the needs of the 
majority so we,
the blind, are and probably always will be playing catch-up.

Mike Freeman


-----Original Message-----
From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org 
[mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Patrick Molloy
Sent: Friday, April 29, 2011 5:20 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] New Technology and Blindness

Nicole,
I agree with you.  New technology continues to be a stumbling 
block, at
least in part.  However, I think the answer is twofold: First, we
should strive to educate the people in charge of leading 
technology
companies with regards to blindness.  Second, there really should 
be a
law mandating all touch screens be accessible.  However, I feel 
that
progress will come.  As the number of Americans with vision
impairment/vision loss increases, technology will HAVE to be made
accessible.
Just my thoughts,
Patrick

On 4/29/11, Nicole B.  Torcolini at Home 
<ntorcolini at wavecable.com> wrote:
 It continues to amaze me in how inaccessible new technologies 
can be.  I
 don't think that the people who design them are purposefully 
making them
 inaccessible, but it is still very frustrating.  For example, I 
just read a
 paper about a virtual nurse agent that is designed to help 
patients
 understand medical information before being discharged from the 
hospital.
 Although the system does talk, it has several other features, 
including a
 touchscreen and pointing at places in a print booklet, which 
would be
 completely inaccessible to the blind.  My question then is, 
besides
educating
 people about blindness, is there something else that could be 
done? For
 example, should there be a law that all touch screen devices 
have to be
 accessible or have an option for accessibility?
 The paper can be found at:
 http://relationalagents.com/publications/CHI09.VirtualNurse.pdf

 Nicole
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