[nfbwatlk] FW: [List] NFB Affiliate and Sidecar Initiative

[Mary ellen]

Have any of you in Seattle used SIDECAR?  The idea sounds intriguing; I
wonder how practical it truly is.  Rather than cluttering up the list,
perhaps it would be best for you to write to me privately at
president at cfb.ca.  I'll compile comments I receive within the next week and
forward them to the list in a single message.

Thanks for the help.  If Sidecar turns out to be effective, we may try to
encourage its developers to work here.  (No doubt there will be a lot of
international regulations to plow through, but Groupon managed.  Grin!)



-----Original Message-----
From: Oriano [mailto:oriano at shaw.ca] 
Sent: Saturday, February 15, 2014 8:18 PM
To: list at cfb.ca
Subject: [List] NFB Affiliate and Sidecar Initiative

I found this ride-share related press release interesting.  So far Seattle
may be the nearest city to BC featuring this transportation option.  It's a
new transportation thing, only available in a few US major cities.  Price
seems to be approximately half that of a taxi ride.

Oriano

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Release Date:
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Category:
Affiliate and Chapter
Kyle Shachmut
President
National Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts
(617) 902-0632
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
kshachmut at nfbma.org
Sidecar Technologies, Inc.
press at side.cr
NFB of MA and Sidecar, Inc. to Collaborate on Accessibility Enhancements to
Sidecar Apps for iOS and Android Boston, Massachusetts (January 8, 2014):
The National Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts  (NFB of MA), an
affiliate of the largest nationwide organization of blind people in America
, along with two of its members, Mika Pyyhkala and Kia Yang, are working
with ride-sharing application developer Sidecar Technologies, Inc. on an
initiative that will enhance the accessibility of its applications for blind
users. Sidecar's applications allow passengers to request rides from
available drivers through Sidecar's information and ride-matching platform.
Certain mobile devices, such as Apple iPhones and iPads, have built-in
technology for the blind that speaks what is on the screen aloud or displays
it in Braille, and allows blind users to control their mobile devices with
gestures and keystrokes by nonvisual means.
Kyle Shachmut, president of the National Federation of the Blind of
Massachusetts,
said: "Transportation is sometimes a challenge for blind individuals, and
applications like Sidecar give us more control, independence, and choice
than ever before. We commend Sidecar for its commitment to ensuring that its
innovative mobile apps can be accessed by all individuals, including those
who are blind, and we are particularly thrilled that Sidecar is the first
ride-sharing service to make a public commitment to accessibility."
"One of the guiding principles for Sidecar is to build a transportation
network accessible to everyone," said Sunil Paul, CEO of Sidecar.  "We are
excited to work with blind users to develop a ridesharing platform that
provides a valuable service to this community."
Timothy Elder, co-counsel for the National Federation of the Blind of
Massachusetts, Pyyhkala, and Yang, said: "Developers should follow Sidecar's
lead and adopt the published accessibility design standards for Apple iOS
and Android.
Conformance
with these design standards helps to ensure that disabled persons are not
locked out of the mobile marketplace."
Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said:
"We commend
Sidecar's leadership in recognizing the needs of blind consumers in our
increasingly technology-dependent society, and we applaud this
forward-thinking company for its cooperation with our Massachusetts
affiliate. We hope that other app developers providing innovative
transportation solutions will follow Sidecar's example in proactively
engaging with blind Americans to address accessibility issues."
Timothy Elder of the TRE Legal Practice, and William Hunt and Jeremy Weltman
of the Cambridge firm Clark, Hunt, Ahern & Embry, represented the NFB of MA,
Pyyhkala, and Yang in the development of this accessibility initiative.

https://www.side.cr/



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