Hey Denny, have you heard of a t and t having such accessibility?
BC
----- Original Message -----
*From:* Denny Huff <mailto:dh...@moblind.org>
*To:* Adaptive technology information and support.
<mailto:ati@moblind.org>
*Sent:* Monday, January 09, 2012 3:21 PM
*Subject:* [ATI] Sprint to Offer Mobile Accessibility
Application,Developed by Code Factory,for Free to Customers Who
are Blind or Have Low Vision
Posted January 9, 2012
Mobile Accessibility application and new Accessibility Sprint ID
packs make smartphone usage more accessible for Sprint customers
OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Sprint (NYSE: S) is
offering customers who are blind or visually impaired, as well as
elderly individuals or those who cannot read print on smartphones
because of physical, perceptual, developmental, cognitive or
learning disabilities, free solutions that will provide them
easier access to their Android-powered smartphone’s functionality.
The solutions include five new Accessibility Sprint ID packs –
bundles of applications available on select Android-powered
smartphones – and the Mobile Accessibility suite of applications.
Mobile Accessibility, developed by Code Factory, is a suite of
accessible applications that have been specifically designed for
people who are blind or visually impaired. Mobile Accessibility,
which features a simplified user interface and textual information
that is spoken aloud using voice synthesis to aid navigation of
the device, will be offered to Sprint postpaid and Boost Mobile
prepaid customers through the Android Market for free starting
this quarter.
The application is available for free for postpaid Sprint
customers with Android-powered smartphones activated on a monthly
service plan that includes data, such as the Everything Data plan
starting at $79.99. The app is also free for no-contract customers
with Android-powered smartphones on Boost Mobile’s Monthly or
Daily Unlimited plans.
The application, which typically costs $99, will be available in
English and Spanish in the Android Market under the names Sprint
Mobile Accessibility EN & ES and Boost Mobile Accessibility EN & ES.
“Sprint strives to satisfy all our customers’ wireless needs, and
with solutions such as these, we’re helping our customers with
disabilities realize the full potential of their smartphones,”
said Fared Adib, Sprint vice president-Product Development. “That
is why we’re offering the Mobile Accessibility app and
Accessibility ID packs free of charge.”
“Code Factory is delighted that one of the most important carriers
in the world decided to subsidize Mobile Accessibility for their
customers and is helping to assure that the product reaches as
many people as possible at no cost for them,” said Eduard Sanchez,
Code Factory CEO. “We are proud to be a new partner with Sprint
and hope this is the start of a longtime relationship for
accessibility for blind and visually impaired Sprint customers.”
The main features of Mobile Accessibility:
•Touch navigation: Users can simply move their finger around the
screen and the voice synthesis will read the text located under
their finger. They can swipe up/down/right/left and tap on the
screen to navigate through the interface, and they can enable
sound and vibration feedback.
•Easy to input text: In or outside the Mobile Accessibility suite
users can use the touch QWERTY keyboard or speech recognition to
write text quickly and easily – making it possible to write an SMS
or email using their voice only.
•Voice synthesis: Provides customers natural sounding voice read
back.
With Mobile Accessibility, users can do the following:
•Phone: Make calls, answer calls, hear the caller ID and manage
their call log.
•Contacts: App tells user how many contacts they have and speaks
the contact’s name they selected.
•SMS: Virtual keyboard is larger and fills the entire screen. When
the user clicks a letter on the keyboard, the app reads the letter
to them. This makes it easier for them to compose emails or SMS
messages. It also reads SMS messages to the user.
•Alarms: Set their alarms.
•Web: Full Web browser experience; also reads text from Web page
to the user.
•Calendar: Create, edit and delete a calendar entry. View all
events per day, week or month.
•Email: Full access to Gmail accounts; reads emails to the user.
•Where am I?: GPS application that gives the user an update about
their current location.
•Access to basic phone functions, such as date and time, missed
calls, etc. User can click on the function and it speaks to them.
“Having the ability to gain greater access to information on
smartphones through the use of a free suite of applications is a
very positive development in the blind community’s quest for more
affordable choices,” said Mitch Pomerantz, president of the
American Council of the Blind (ACB). “The American Council of the
Blind commends Sprint for its willingness to take another positive
step toward full product accessibility.”
Accessibility Sprint ID packs:
Today Sprint is launching five accessibility-themed Sprint ID
packs, developed by Apps4Android, which are bundles of
applications designed to accommodate the access needs of Sprint
subscribers with print disabilities – people who are unable to
read standard printed material, including text on their
smartphone, because of blindness, visual disability, physical
limitations, organic dysfunction or dyslexia. For more information
about the Accessibility ID packs, read today’s press release.
About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and
wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility
to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel
served more than 53 million customers at the end of 3Q 2011 and is
widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying
innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service
from a national carrier in the United States; offering
industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands
including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless;
instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and
a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The 2011 American Customer
Satisfaction Index showed Sprint is the #1 most improved company
in customer satisfaction, across all industries, over the last
three years. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 3 in its 2011 Green
Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest companies,
the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more
and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com <http://www.sprint.com> or
www.facebook.com/sprint <http://www.facebook.com/sprint> and
www.twitter.com/sprint <http://www.twitter.com/sprint>.
About Code Factory
Founded in 1998 with headquarters in Terrassa (Barcelona), Spain,
Code Factory is the global leader committed to the development of
products designed to eliminate barriers to the accessibility of
mobile technology for the blind and visually impaired. Today, Code
Factory is the leading provider of accessible mobile applications
such as screen readers, screen magnifiers, and Braille interfaces.
Code Factory’s products are compatible with the widest range of
mainstream mobile devices running on Symbian, Windows Mobile,
BlackBerry Smartphones, and Android. Among Code Factory's
customers are well-known organizations for the blind such as ONCE
in Spain, and carriers Sprint, AT&T, Bouygues Telecom, SFR, TIM
and Vodafone.
_______________________________________________
ATI (Adaptive Technology Inc.)
A special interest affiliate of the Missouri Council of the Blind
http://moblind.org/membership/affiliates/adaptive_technology
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________
ATI (Adaptive Technology Inc.)
A special interest affiliate of the Missouri Council of the Blind
http://moblind.org/membership/affiliates/adaptive_technology
