[nabs-l] New Technology and Blindness

Sun May 1 16:53:58 UTC 2011

An astute observation.

Mike Freeman
sent from my iPhone

On May 1, 2011, at 0:49, Ignasi Cambra <ignasicambra at gmail.com> wrote:

> We do have the moral right to access all these things, but legally it doesn't work like that yet. Hopefully things will change soon though...
> On Apr 30, 2011, at 9:48 PM, <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
> 
>> Chris,
>> Agree there!  I'm tired of hearing oh we're the minority; true; but we have the right to access like everyone else.  Touch screens are everywhere from airports to now, know where? The doctor's office!  you can now self check in at the doctor's  office via a screen and enter your social security number or something to prove you're that person!  But we have no choice but to wait in line because we can't use the self check in without assistance.
>> I want accessible technology and I want companies to consider nonvisual access at the beginning; not an after thought. IMO remember
>> that most low vision people now are seniors or those adults losing vision from diabetes; so this would help lots of people out.  The access should be audio because most people with vision loss do not know braille.
>> It does us no good to say oh we're the minority so we're just going to have to deal with i t and inconvenience someone to act as a reader. No, no.  They need to make goods and services more accessible to us.
>> 
>> Ashley
>> -----Original Message----- From: Chris Nusbaum
>> Sent: Saturday, April 30, 2011 8:51 PM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] New Technology and Blindness
>> 
>> 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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