[nabs-l] New Technology and Blindness

[Nicole B. Torcolini at Home]

And it's not just with technology. It's with so many other things, such as 
books.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
To: "National Association of Blind Students mailing list" 
<nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, April 30, 2011 7:51 PM
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] New Technology and Blindness


> 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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