[nabs-l] New Technology and Blindness

[Mike Freeman]

We don't have that right; that's what we are trying to establish.

Mike Freeman
sent from my iPhone


On Apr 30, 2011, at 17:51, Chris Nusbaum <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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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