[Ohio-talk] Here's much more iphone info from a blind user

Fri Feb 4 19:59:48 UTC 2011

I am forwarding this message from another list, written by Dean Martineau, 
which should answer many of your iPhone questions.
Deborah

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dean Martineau" <dean at topdotenterprises.com>
To: <blindad at babel-fish.us>
Sent: Friday, February 04, 2011 12:16 PM
Subject: Re: [Blindad] Kindle Reader app no-go, not too sorry

To try to make this discussion a bit more moderate:  I haven't heard of a
lot of people who have abandoned their iPhones and iPads, but there are
undoubtedly some, and that phenomenon is not unique to the blind.  When this
happens, I believe it is sometimes attributable to lack of training.  Some
people can move to the touch screen on their own or by using e-mail lists,
but others can benefit from a few hours of patient hands-on instruction.
There is a definite learning curve, and there are concepts which must be
grasped.

There have at times been commercial talking devices, and at times there were
not, but none of them equals in functionality what the i-devices can achieve
if one masters them.

Indeed, the iPhone is not instantaneously accessible.  A sighted person has
to click five times, which takes perhaps ten seconds.  But somebody has to
do this, which involves following simple instructions.

It is not only blind people who resist iTunes.  It is now quite usable with
three screen readers, but again, it takes a bit of learning.  In life, the
more you know, the more you can do.

Apple is making these devices accessible for its own reasons, some of which
may be altruistic.  As long as they continue to do so, I will
enthusiastically support them, because at present, the iPhone represents the
most comprehensive accessibility device on the market.  With it, you can,
sometimes imperfectly but often usefully, label personal items, identify
colors, identify objects, follow GPS routes, learn current location and
nearby businesses of interest, and soon the ability to read most DAISY
content and to read print will become available.  All this at no extra cost.
And this excludes all the other, non-blindness-alleviating, things it also
does.  Talking clocks don't quite play in the same league.

Dean

-----Original Message-----
From: blindad-bounces at babel-fish.us [mailto:blindad-bounces at babel-fish.us]
On Behalf Of Laz Mesa
Sent: Friday, February 04, 2011 8:47 AM
To: blindad at babel-fish.us
Subject: Re: [Blindad] Kindle Reader app no-go, not too sorry

Hmm.  It's too bad that "Apple type universal access" doesn't extend
to iTunes as well, otherwise there might not have been too many blind
ex-iUsers.  And, Brian Hartgen might not have been making a bundle on
blind people having to purchase his $75 scripts to make it more usable
with JAWS.  Well, that and the touch-screen UI which some blind folks
just couldn't wrap their minds around and ended up selling off or
returning their iGizmos.  I've heard of a few blind people awaiting
this "Apple type universal access" to come to the iPod Classic too.

Don't get me wrong, I like what Apple has done, but to say it's "Apple
type universal access, and that it should be praised is just over the
top. LOL!  Weren't there talking clocks, VCRs, TV remotes, and
microwaves long before Steve Jobs decided he'd take a step in this
direction?  Those were products which were available in regular stores
for purchase by everyone, not just blind folks.

Also, am I incorrect if I state that the Apple products are not
accessible out of the box?  As far as I know, one has to either get
the salesperson to turn accessibility on, or one has to go through the
less than fully accessible iTunes to turn it on oneself.

Perhaps praise is the wrong word to be used when talking about mundane
companies and should be used in reference to higher more important
subjects instead.

On 2/4/11, Cheree <cheree at dogsc4me.com> wrote:
> Cheree Heppe here:
>
> All I know is that the IReader worked pretty much out of the box, no
> separate, but supposedly equal version for a second string population.  It
> just worked.  And, when I got stuck about how to do something while riding
> on the train, another IUser knew more than I diid and told me how to fix
my
> problem.
> That won't happen with old school disability access thinking and design.
>
> If we are smart, we will praise the Apple type universal access until
access
> becomes universal.
>
> Regards,
> Cheree Heppe
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On 03/02/2011, at 9:24, Laz Mesa <lazaro6 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Well Cheree, I do hope Steve Jobs is paying you decent money for your
>> glowing praise of Apple's products!  Word of mouth advertising like
>> the kind you do is worth a gold mine! LOL!
>>
>> I do however, suggest you inform yourself more completely before
>> trashing another company's product, when they're finally at a point of
>> addressing our needs as avid book readers.
>>
>> Is this the right forum for this post anyway?  I thought this list was
>> for posting ads, not reviews, but I guess your post qualifies as
>> advertising for Apple products.  Hmm.
>>
>> Laz
>>
>> On 2/3/11, Cheree Heppe <cheree at dogsc4me.com> wrote:
>>> Cheree Heppe here:
>>>
>>> Just while I had nothing else to do, I decided to install the Kindle
>>> reader
>>> for PC
>>> on my NetBook.  It's a trusty little computer, even though it is a
>>> Windows
>>> machine.
>>> Well, the NetBook does have my wishful thinking Apple sticker on the
lid.
>>>
>>> The download went without a hitch.
>>>
>>> The installer process barely got going when it offered several edit
>>> boxes,
>>> un-labeled,
>>> as one might expect from a partly, half-done, half-accessible,
>>> catch-up-if-you-can
>>> mainstream device like the Kindle.  And when I tried to exit the
>>> installer,
>>> it sent
>>> me via Mozilla Firefox to Amazon's website.
>>> It wanted me to register my Kindle by in-putting the sixteen digit
number
>>> on
>>> the
>>> first page of the Kindle reader app.....  Sorry, no can detect said
>>> portion
>>> of set-up
>>> details, let alone said sixteen digit number.
>>>
>>> After I alt F4'ed out of there, I went into the Control Panel of my
>>> Windows
>>> NetBook
>>> and, with all deliberate haste, successfully uninstalled the Kindle app.
>>>
>>> Kindle's not there yet.  Maybe it never will be, I don't know.
>>> Disappointing?  Only
>>> a little.
>>>
>>> It just means that Apple has a stronger lead.  I have the Apple IBooks
>>> reader which
>>> I have used pretty much right from the first on I-devices, without
>>> lengthy
>>> tech involvement,
>>> hair-tearing complications or aggravating issues.  If somebody would
have
>>> told me
>>> five years ago that I, a really non-techy person, would be this
impressed
>>> with, and
>>> this facile with using Apple products as I am now, I would have said
they
>>> were nuts.
>>>
>>> It's really amazing to be a part of such game changing, superbly done
>>> Apple-engendered
>>> technological competition, even if only as an end user.  Keep up the
good
>>> work, Apple!
>>> And we'll keep recommending Apple to everybody and throwing dollars
>>> Apple's
>>> way.
>>>
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> Cheree Heppe
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Blindad mailing list
>>> Blindad at babel-fish.us
>>> http://babel-fish.us/mailman/listinfo/blindad_babel-fish.us
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Accessible talking MP3 players! Great features including:  FM radio,
>> voice recording, expandable memory, great bookmarking capabilities,
>> very user configurable, and a lot more! Play MP3, WMA, WAV, OGG, FLAC,
>> MP4, M4A, AIFF, and many others! All our players are priced very
>> affordably, less than $100, plus free shipping & handling in the US!
>> No need to use any annoying music management software either!
>>
>> Join our support mailing list by sending a blank email to:
>> RockboxedSansaTalkingMP3Players-subscribe at yahoogroups.com
>>
>> To hear a short demonstration, download our demo here:
>>
http://www.talkingmp3players.com/uploads/2/0/4/6/2046538/talking_rockboxed_s
ansa_e200_series_player_demo.mp3
>>
>> Visit our home page:
>> http://www.talkingmp3players.com/
>>
>> Contact information:
>> Email:  accessibleelectronics at gmail.com
>> Phone:  727 498-0121
>> Skype name:  lazmesa
>> Facebook:  facebook.com/laz.mesa.
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Blindad mailing list
>> Blindad at babel-fish.us
>> http://babel-fish.us/mailman/listinfo/blindad_babel-fish.us
>
> _______________________________________________
> Blindad mailing list
> Blindad at babel-fish.us
> http://babel-fish.us/mailman/listinfo/blindad_babel-fish.us
>

-- 
Accessible talking MP3 players! Great features including:  FM radio,
voice recording, expandable memory, great bookmarking capabilities,
very user configurable, and a lot more! Play MP3, WMA, WAV, OGG, FLAC,
MP4, M4A, AIFF, and many others! All our players are priced very
affordably, less than $100, plus free shipping & handling in the US!
No need to use any annoying music management software either!

Join our support mailing list by sending a blank email to:
RockboxedSansaTalkingMP3Players-subscribe at yahoogroups.com

To hear a short demonstration, download our demo here:
http://www.talkingmp3players.com/uploads/2/0/4/6/2046538/talking_rockboxed_s
ansa_e200_series_player_demo.mp3

Visit our home page:
http://www.talkingmp3players.com/

Contact information:
Email:  accessibleelectronics at gmail.com
Phone:  727 498-0121
Skype name:  lazmesa
Facebook:  facebook.com/laz.mesa.

_______________________________________________
Blindad mailing list
Blindad at babel-fish.us
http://babel-fish.us/mailman/listinfo/blindad_babel-fish.us

_______________________________________________
Blindad mailing list
Blindad at babel-fish.us
http://babel-fish.us/mailman/listinfo/blindad_babel-fish.us 