http://www.headstar.com/eablive/?p=1510 Access to technology for all Sun, 01 Apr 2018 16:32:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.1 http://www.headstar.com/eablive/?p=1510&cpage=1#comment-7085 Sun, 01 Apr 2018 16:32:15 +0000 http://www.headstar.com/eablive/?p=1510#comment-7085 I would like to comment on “Understanding screen-reader navigation – a tale of two rooms“ By Ryan Jones.
Amazon Echo has, potentially, heralded a paradigm change in the way someone not able to see a screen can get to hear stuff and its mainstream – a best seller in the seeing world. Unfortunately, you still really need your smartphone to sort subscriptions and Alexa skills which can remain a frustration and a reason why the platform might not be usable by the mass of non-techy blind and low vision people.
A Start-up has gone one further in developing an advanced smartphone AI and Search product called “In Your Pocket”. Backed and supported by RNIB and O2, Pocket IVR platform technology allows the user to click just one button, speak a request, sit back and enjoy books, podcasts and magazines. There is a useful travellers’ “Where Am I” function and the simplest way to phone, manage contacts and listen to messages.
I think the product is exciting because, instead of adapting visually presented information, from the ground up it takes responsibility for deliverying that information thus relieving the blind user of the need to cultivate a painstakingly frustrating and generally slow accessibility strategy as so well described in the article “Understanding screen-reader navigation – a tale of two rooms” by Ryan Jones in the same issue.
There are now masses of great apps for blind and low vision. There is also the prospect of making desired content available on the Pocket platform. If only the Alexa/Pocket platform could be better understood and supported, Our lives would be the richer.)
Roger Wilson-Hinds is a retired disability technology trainer and an avid user of technologies).

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