[Nfbf-l] Barnes and Noble Steps Up and Makes Their Nook App Accessible

[Alan Dicey]

Feature Writer Alena Roberts -
Barnes and Noble Steps Up and Makes Their Nook App Accessible

As a child, going to the library or a bookstore was one of my favorite
things--I love to read. But as my vision declined, these two places became
much less appealing. When I moved to audio books exclusively, I remember
being really frustrated about how many books were no longer available to me.
Over the years, access to print material has improved dramatically thanks to
companies like Bookshare and Blio, but there are still many titles that
people with print disabilities don't have access to.  But just over a week
ago, Barnes and Noble became another place that people with print
disabilities can turn to by making their Nook app on iOS and Android
accessible.

The Nook is Barnes and Noble's popular ebook reader. The Nook tablet itself
is not usable for the blind and visually impaired, but like many other
companies, they have an app that gives you access to their ebook library on
other devices. The nook store has thousands of titles to choose from and
many of them are free.

After learning that the Nook app had been updated to work with Voiceover, I
immediately downloaded it to test it out. I quickly realized, though, that I
had missed a step. When using an iPhone, any book that is not from iBooks
has to be purchased from the company's website rather than inside the app
itself. Remembering this, I then went to Barnes and Noble's website to set
up my account.  I was then able to go back to the Nook app and sign in.

Not only has Barnes and Noble made their app accessible, but they also
include a tutorial for voiceover users on which gestures to use in the app.
This shows not only that they want our business, but that they want to be
sure we understand how to use their software. The app allows you to choose
from continuous reading or reading by word or character, as well as
navigational choices like choosing a page number or moving by chapter.
Reading in this app is very similar to using iBooks.

I recommend trying out the app and adding it to your list of accessible
ebook apps. Here is a link to the app description in iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nook/id373582546?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Maybe Amazon will finally get the message that the blind community matters
now that Barnes and Noble has come through.  But until then, you can always
ask for Barnes and Noble gift cards. Happy reading!