[Promotion-technology] New iPhone Model Now Accessibletothe Blind

Wed Jun 10 14:16:58 UTC 2009

Sam,

You raise some good points here that sometimes what appears to be a lack of accessibility may be design compromises that affect everyone.  I think we have to be 
careful to recognize the difference.  However, I also don't think that I am asking for better access when talking about typing.  We may be able to learn to handle this 
interface better than I expect, but there is no getting around the fact, from what I see, that we will require one extra touch for each letter we type if I understand the 
apple press release.  I also don't think you are taking into account that we will be aiming at objects that are not tactually defined but are visually defined, meaning 
that we are basing our aim on an approximation.  This is going to be more difficult for some people because it depends some on some degree of spacial relationships, 
where visually it is simply resolving one's visual recognition with one's finger.  

While some of this is speculation on my part, it is also based upon opportunities I have had to experience various touch screen solutions, some of which work pretty 
well.  However, as I have already stated, I think we need to investigate and experience this thoroughly, and I also agree that we need to see what changes Apple is 
willing to make if any are required before judging too harshly.  If I were faced with making a one-time purchase, though, I would want to wait for more feedback 
before putting my money down.

Best regards,

Steve Jacobson

On Wed, 10 Jun 2009 06:20:29 -0700 (PDT), Sam Joehl wrote:

>Remember that the touch screen approach for the blind has already  been
>developed and implemented successfully.  Code Factory has made touch
>screens usable on pocket PC PDAs using their Mobile Speak screen reader.
>For those who actually took the time to read the entire documentation from
>Apple, they would already know instead of making unsubstantiated
>speculations that Apple has taken this one step further by creating a
>"gesture-based" interface for a screen reader.  This is a new approach
>that has never been implemented in the screen reading field before, and I
>think blind folks would be wise to hold their criticism until they've
>actually tried it and until Apple has had a reasonable amount of time to
>work out the kinks.  Second, typing on the iPhone is slower than using a
>keyboard whether you can see the screen or not.  Sighted folks will admit
>to you that typing on the iPhone is slow because Apple doesn't offer an
>optional keyboard.  If Apple provides a means to access the controls at
>the same rate as they could be accessed with sight, would this not be
>considered equal access?  Do we have a right to demand greater
>productivity than our sighted counterparts using a device because we
>require an alternate method of interacting with it?

>Sam

>-----Original Message-----
>From: promotion-technology-bounces at nfbnet.org
>[mailto:promotion-technology-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Mike Freeman
>Sent: Wednesday, June 10, 2009 12:04 AM
>To: Committee on the Promotion, Evaluation and Advancement of Technology
>Subject: Re: [Promotion-technology] New iPhone Model Now Accessibletothe
>Blind

>I hate one-liners but ... I concur.

>Mike

>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Steve Jacobson" <steve.jacobson at visi.com>
>To: "Committee on the Promotion, Evaluation and Advancement of Technology"
><promotion-technology at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Tuesday, June 09, 2009 1:35 PM
>Subject: Re: [Promotion-technology] New iPhone Model Now Accessible tothe
>Blind

>I am skeptical for the following reason although I would like to be
>convinced otherwise.  The fact is that one major reason that touch screens
>and the mouse work for sighted people is that they are able to move the
>mouse pointer or touch the screen directly where they intend because of
>the location information they get via vision.  In the case of the touch
>screen, we have to touch the screen to first get information and then
>touch it repeatedly until we locate what we wanted to touch in the first
>place and finally touch that location. 
>This is inevitably going to take us longer.  Even if we remember the
>location of, say, a battery status indicator and can touch it reliably
>from memory, it does not change the fact that we are locating it either by
>an extra touch or by a memory of how we believe the screen to look, our
>own off- screen model.  I do not say that we should not investigate this
>nor should we jump on Apple for trying to use a touch screen.  It needs to
>be part of the learning process.  But we need to be aware of this basic
>difference and observe whether or not it is significant.  It is difficult
>for me to imagine dialing or typing on a touch screen without a lot of
>practice in locating the buttons, something sighted persons do not have to
>do.

>There have been some innovative things done with touch screens by the
>TRACE Center and others, so this is an area that we should not just reject
>based upon what we believe to be true, but I do think some skepticism is
>in order as to how efficient one can be.  I for one, want to be able to
>effectively manually dial a number.  I'm not going to sit there and
>pronounce numbers in public places, for example.  Perhaps dialing isn't a
>big problem, but there is the sort of implication that speaking the
>numbers is the solution, and that makes me nervous. 
>Some sort of extrnal keypad might be an
>approach if this proves to not be as easy as one might figure, and having
>the voice feedback built in is nice.  Also, maybe we will learn something
>about touch screens in the process.

>Best regards,

>Steve Jacobson

>On Tue, 9 Jun 2009 14:10:32 -0500, Robert Jaquiss wrote:

>>Hello List:

>>     If the Apple system for controling an Iphone works, perhaps this  
>>would be a good way to handle other touch screen devices. A Google 
>>search with the terms "touch screen Apple mac" (without quotes) reveals 
>>that Apple holds a patent for controling a Mac with a touch screen.

>>Regards,

>>Robert Jaquiss

>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "David Andrews" <dandrews at visi.com>
>>To: <david.andrews at nfbnet.org>
>>Sent: Monday, June 08, 2009 8:58 PM
>>Subject: [Promotion-technology] New iPhone Model Now Accessible to the 
>>Blind

>>Vision

>>The revolutionary iPhone also includes an equally
>>revolutionary screen reader, and other innovative
>>accessibility features that make it easier to use
>>for those with impaired vision.

>>VoiceOver

>>iPhone 3G S displaying VoiceOver settings. The VoiceOver and Sp

>>The same VoiceOver screen reader made popular on
>>the Mac is now a standard feature on the iPhone
>>3G S. It's the world's first gesture-based screen
>>reader, enabling you to enjoy the fun and
>>simplicity of the iPhone even if you can't see the screen.

>>What makes VoiceOver on iPhone truly remarkable
>>is that you control it using simple gestures that
>>let you physically interact with items on screen.
>>It's easy to learn and fun to use. Instead of
>>memorizing hundreds of keyboard commands, or
>>endlessly pressing tiny arrow keys to find what
>>you're looking for, with VoiceOver, you simply
>>touch the screen to hear a description of the
>>item under your finger, then gesture with a
>>double-tap, drag, or flick to control the phone.

>>VoiceOver delivers an experience unlike any
>>screen reader you've ever used before.
>>Traditional screen readers describe individual
>>elements on the screen, but struggle to
>>communicate where each element is located or
>>provide information about adjoining objects. This
>>contextual information is very important but
>>typically filtered out by other screen readers.
>>For example, "off-screen" models used by
>>traditional screen readers to represent
>>applications and web pages intentionally strip
>>away contextual information and describe web
>>pages as a list or menu of items. But with
>>VoiceOver on iPhone 3G S, you'll experience something entirely new.

>>Because VoiceOver works with iPhone's
>>touchscreen, you interact directly with objects
>>on the screen and can naturally understand their
>>location and context. So, when you touch the
>>upper-left corner of the screen, you'll hear
>>what's in the upper left corner of a web page,
>>and as you drag your finger around the screen,
>>you'll learn what's nearby, providing an amazing
>>new sense of context and relationship between the
>>items you hear. For many, VoiceOver on iPhone
>>will provide, perhaps for the first time, a true
>>sense of how things appear on screen, not just descriptions of what 
>>they
>>are.

>>You'll hear descriptions of every item on the
>>screen, including status information such as
>>battery level, Wi-Fi and cellular network signal
>>levels, the cellular network provider, and time
>>of day. It even lets you know when the display
>>changes to landscape or portrait orientation, and
>>when the screen is locked or unlocked.

>>The speaking rate is adjustable so you can set it
>>to a speed that best suits your listening
>>ability. VoiceOver uses distinctive sound effects
>>to alert you when an application opens, when the
>>screen is updated, when a message dialog appears,
>>and more. And, when Voiceover is talking, the
>>volume of background sounds and music are
>>automatically lowered, "ducking" under the voice,
>>so you can clearly hear what VoiceOver is telling you.

>>It speaks your language

>>VoiceOver includes built-in voices that speak 21
>>languages including Chinese (Cantonese), Chinese
>>(China), Chinese (Taiwan), Dutch, English (US),
>>English (UK), Finnish, French (Canada), French
>>(France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean,
>>Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil),
>>Portuguese (Portugal), Russian, Spanish (Mexico), Spanish (Spain), and
>>Swedish.

>>Getting started

>>VoiceOver is built right into the iPhone 3G S.
>>There's nothing extra to purchase or install. All
>>you need is the iPhone 3G S, iTunes 8.2 or later,
>>and a Mac or PC. You can activate your iPhone and
>>enable VoiceOver without sighted assistance using
>>iTunes with a compatible screen reader like
>>VoiceOver included in Mac OS X and GW-Micro
>>Window-EyesR for Windows XP and Windows Vista
>>(sold separately). When you activate iPhone using
>>iTunes, you can enable VoiceOver on the iPhone to
>>start using it right away. Sighted users can also
>>enable VoiceOver for you directly on iPhone using
>>the Accessibility menu in the Settings application.

>>How it works

>>With VoiceOver enabled, you'll use a different,
>>but simple set of gestures to control the iPhone.
>>For example, instead of tapping to click a button
>>or select an item, you tap to hear a description
>>of the item you touch and double-tap to click or select it.

>>When an item on the screen is selected, a black
>>rectangle called the VoiceOver cursor appears
>>around it. The VoiceOver cursor is displayed for
>>the benefit of sighted users with whom you may be
>>sharing your phone. When you prefer privacy,
>>VoiceOver includes a screen curtain that turns
>>off the display so no one can read it without your knowledge.

>>In addition to touching and dragging around the
>>screen, you can also flick left and right to move
>>the VoiceOver cursor precisely to the next or
>>previous item on the screen-no matter how big or
>>small it is. By flicking, you have precise
>>control of what you hear even when it might
>>otherwise be difficult to place your finger on it.
>>Two iPhones. The iPhone in the background shows the home screen

>>Entering Text

>>When you're typing text, such as an email message
>>or a note, VoiceOver echoes each character on the
>>keyboard as you touch it, and again to confirm
>>when you enter it. You can also have VoiceOver
>>speak each completed word instead of and in
>>addition to individual characters as you type
>>them. A flick up or down while typing moves the
>>insertion point cursor left and right within the
>>text so you can edit a word just as easily and precisely as typing a 
>>new
>>word.
>>Two images side by side. The first shows a text-suggestion bubb

>>To help you type more quickly and accurately,
>>iPhone features word prediction and suggests the
>>correct spelling when you type a word
>>incorrectly. With Speak Auto-text enabled, you'll
>>hear a sound effect and the suggested word spoken
>>automatically. You can just keep typing to ignore
>>it, or press the space key to have iPhone type it for you.

>>The Rotor

>>Two fingers touching a iPhone display and a counter-clockwise a

>>VoiceOver features an innovate new virtual
>>control called a "rotor." Turning the rotor- by
>>rotating two fingers on the screen as if you were
>>turning an actual dial - changes the way
>>VoiceOver moves through a document based on a
>>setting you choose. For example, a flick up or
>>down might move through text word by word. But
>>when you choose the "character" setting, each
>>time you flick up or down VoiceOver will move
>>through the text character by character - perfect
>>when you're proofreading or editing text.

>>You can also use the rotor to navigate web pages.
>>When you're on a web page, the rotor contains the
>>names of common items, such as headers, links,
>>tables, images, and more. You select a setting,
>>then flick up and down to move to the previous or
>>next occurrence of that item on the page, skipping over items in 
>>between.

>>Applications

>>VoiceOver works with all of the built-in
>>applications that come with iPhone 3G S, such as
>>Phone, iPod, iTunes, Mail, Safari, and Maps. So,
>>you can place and receive calls, surf the web,
>>text and email your friends, check your stocks
>>and the weather, and much, much more. Apple is
>>also working with iPhone software developers so
>>they can make their applications VoiceOver
>>compatible.
>><http://www.apple.com/accessibility/iphone//iphone/iphone-3g-s/>Learn 
>>more
>>Two iPhones. The iPhone in the foreground is displaying the Voi

>>Voice Control

>>In addition to gestures, you can use your voice
>>to play music and make a phone call. Just press
>>and hold the home button, listen for the audio
>>prompt, and speak the name of the artist, album,
>>or playlist you want to hear. You can pause,
>>play, change tracks, even shuffle your music.

>>When you want to make a call, speak the name or
>>telephone number of the person you want to call.
>>iPhone 3G S understands 21 different languages.
>><http://www.apple.com/accessibility/iphone//iphone/iphone-3g-s/voice-cont
>rol.html>Learn
>>more

>>Zoom

>>Two iPhones. The iPhone in the background is displaying the wea

>>While many iPhone applications let you zoom in
>>and out specific elements such as images in Mail,
>>or webpage columns in Safari, Zoom lets you
>>magnify the entire screen of any application
>>you're using to help you see what's on the
>>display. Zoom can be enabled on iPhone 3G S using
>>iTunes when you're setting up the iPhone, for
>>yourself or someone else, or later, using the
>>Accessibility menu in the Settings application on the iPhone.

>>Zoom works everywhere, including the Home,
>>Unlock, and Spotlight screens-even with
>>applications you purchase from the App store.
>>Two iPhones. The iPhone in the background is displaying the Acc

>>A simple double-tap with three fingers instantly
>>zooms in and out 200% and you can double-tap and
>>drag three fingers to dynamically adjust the
>>magnification between 100% and 500%. Even when
>>zoomed, you can continue using all of the
>>familiar flick, pinch, tap and other iPhone
>>gestures to run your favorite applications. Zoom
>>can also be used with white-on-black (reverse video) and speak 
>>auto-text.

>>White On Black

>>For those who need or prefer higher contrast,
>>iPhone 3G S provides an option to change the
>>display to White On Black. This reverse video
>>affect works in all applications including the
>>Home, Unlock, and Spotlight screens and can be used with Zoom and 
>>VoiceOver.

>>Speak Auto-text

>>When typing, iPhone suggests a word before you
>>finish typing it or a correction when a word is
>>misspelled. Speak Auto-text speaks these
>>suggestions so you can hear them when they're
>>presented. When zoomed, for example, the
>>suggestion might not be visible on screen, but
>>you can hear and accept it without seeing it. If
>>you're using VoiceOver, you won't have to
>>interrupt your typing and touch the suggestion to
>>hear it. Speak Auto-text can be enabled even when
>>you're not using VoiceOver or Zoom.
>>Callouts indicate the name and location of the physical buttons

>>Tactile Buttons

>>iPhone includes a few, easily discernible
>>physical buttons used to control the phone: the
>>Sleep/Wake button, located on the top edge; the
>>Ring/Silent switch and volume-control buttons,
>>located on the upper-left edge; and the Home
>>button, centered below the display.

>>Giant Fonts For Mail Messages

>>For improved email readability, you can increase
>>the default font size of email text from Medium
>>(the default) to Large, Extra-large, or Giant.
>>iPhone earbuds with clickable microphone built into the cable

>>iPhone Stereo Headset

>>iPhone comes with a stereo headset with a
>>high-performance microphone built into the cable.
>>Plug it into the standard 3.5 mm stereo headphone
>>jack and the headset lets you control music
>>playback and answer and end calls by clicking the
>>built-in remote control button.

>>Several add-on products are also available to
>>work with iPhone that can help those with hearing
>>disabilities, including a hearing aid-compatible
>>induction ear loop from
>><http://www.tecear.com/Music_Link.htm>TecEar,
>>wireless remote headset from <http://oticon.com/>Oticon, and others.

>>Hands-Free Speakerphone

>>Enjoy hands-free communication using the built-in
>>speakerphone, which you can also use to listen to
>>Visual Voicemail, music, podcasts, and video.

>>Audible, Visible, And Vibrating Alerts

>>Turn the ringer on, and iPhone delivers both
>>audible and visual alerts. You can activate
>>alerts for phone calls, text messages, incoming
>>and sent mail, and calendar events. iPhone also
>>offers an audio option confirming keyboard
>>clicks. You can even set incoming calls to
>>display a full-screen image or photo of the caller.

>>In silent mode, iPhone vibrates instead of
>>playing a tone. To ensure that you never miss a
>>notification, you can also have iPhone vibrate and play an audio alert.

>>Downloadable, Assignable Ringtones

>>You can assign distinctive ringtones to
>>individuals in your contacts list, using the
>>ringtone as an audible caller ID. Visit the
>>iTunes Store to create, purchase, and download
>>additional ringtones of your favorite songs (sold separately).
>>A visual representation of a ringtone sound wave as it might ap

>>User Guide In Accessible HTML

>>The iPhone User Guide is provided online in HTML
>>format designed with accessibility in mind. You
>>can read the guide using your favorite screen
>>reader and web browser on your Mac and PC, and
>>using Safari on the iPhone with VoiceOver.
>><http://www.apple.com/accessibility/iphone//accessibility/iphone/hearing.
>html>Hearing

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