[AI] Advocates for Blind, Deaf Want More From Apple
Advocates for Blind, Deaf Want More From Apple Reuters, July 09, 2014 Source: http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/advocates-for-blind-deaf-want-more-from-apple-555727 Advocates for the blind are debating whether to use a carrot or a stick to persuade one of their oldest allies, Apple Inc, to close an emerging digital divide in mobile technology. As digital life increasingly moves to the world of smartphones and tablets, some disabled people with visual, hearing and other impairments are feeling more left out than ever. As baby boomers retire and age, the number of people needing help is multiplying. Many disabled advocates believe federal law requires that apps be accessible, but courts have not ruled on the issue. Few disabled want to risk alienating Apple, considered a friend, by fighting it. Mobile apps that work well can transform a blind person's life, reading email on the go or speaking directions to a new restaurant. Some young blind people no longer feel the need to learn Braille to read with their fingers, when Siri and other computer voices can do the reading instead. Captions on videos and special hearing aids bring hearing impaired into the digital fold. But when apps don't work, life can grind to a stop. Jonathan Lyens, a San Francisco city employee, who is legally blind, has a hard time browsing jobs on professional networking site LinkedIn. "The app is insane. Buttons aren't labeled. It's difficult to navigate," said Lyens. When it comes to social media apps, new problems arise with every release, he said. "I get nervous every time I hit the update button." LinkedIn has hired an accessibility chief, Jennison Asuncion, who himself is blind, and says it is working to improve the app. Still, advocates of the disabled want the problem solved by the company at the center of the app world Apple. Rival Google Inc, whose Android operating system drives more phones than Apple, is also under pressure, but as the creator of the modern smartphone and a long-time champion for the blind, Apple is feeling the most heat. Apple hasn't been a steady champion: the National Federation of the Blind sued it in 2008 over accessibility of iTunes. Apple settled, agreeing to pay $250,000 and adding captions and other accessibility improvements to iTunes. Since then it has added more such features to its iPhone, iPod, iPad and Apple TV products. Now, Apple and Google both have developer guidelines on how to make features accessible, such as labeling buttons that can be read by Apple's VoiceOver software. But they don't require accessibility, in contrast to other strictly enforced rules, such as a ban on apps that present crude or objectionable content. Nor do they offer an accessibility rating system, which some disabled advocates say would be a big help. That is where the new debate starts: should the blind return to court for protection they believe is guaranteed by law, or nudge their old ally to work harder? Should they pursue app makers, as some lawyers have, or Apple and Google? Attorney Daniel Goldstein, who brought the suit against Apple in 2008 as counsel for the National Federation of the Blind, said the 2008 action could provide a model for a suit focused on apps, but the Federation says no lawsuit is being considered. At last week's National Federation of the Blind convention, members approved a resolution to press Apple to create and enforce accessibility standards. In the halls there was some debate about whether or when to play hard ball over requirements that apps be accessible. "It's time for Apple to step up or we will take the next step," said Michael Hingson, board member for the National Association of the Blind's California chapter, describing litigation as "the only resort" if Apple did not bring accessibility requirements to the app store. To be sure, Apple, Google, Twitter and other technology companies have increasingly accommodated users with impairments in recent years. Many developers are ready to help when they learn there is a problem, said Chris Maury, whose Conversant Labs builds apps for the visually impaired. "I try to lead with the carrot and not the stick. It's better to inform developers that accessibility is the right thing to do and an opportunity to reach a whole new base of users. It shouldn't just be about compliance or avoiding legal risks," he said. man_using_iphone_in_front_of_apple_store_ap.jpg There is a worldwide market of 1.1 billion people with disabilities, according to research firm Fifth Quadrant Analytics. Nearly 21 million U.S. adults experience vision loss, according to the 2012 National Health Interview Survey, and approximately 28 million have a hearing impairment, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook in a 2013 speech at Auburn University described people with disabilities "in a struggle to have their human dignity acknowledged." He said, "They're frequently left in the shado
Re: [AI] Advocates for Blind, Deaf Want More From Apple
Excelent post. Thanks-Original message- From: Rahul Gambhir Sent: 12-07-2014, 10.04 pm To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: [AI] Advocates for Blind, Deaf Want More From Apple Advocates for Blind, Deaf Want More From Apple Reuters, July 09, 2014 Source: http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/advocates-for-blind-deaf-want-more-from-apple-555727 Advocates for the blind are debating whether to use a carrot or a stick to persuade one of their oldest allies, Apple Inc, to close an emerging digital divide in mobile technology. As digital life increasingly moves to the world of smartphones and tablets, some disabled people with visual, hearing and other impairments are feeling more left out than ever. As baby boomers retire and age, the number of people needing help is multiplying. Many disabled advocates believe federal law requires that apps be accessible, but courts have not ruled on the issue. Few disabled want to risk alienating Apple, considered a friend, by fighting it. Mobile apps that work well can transform a blind person's life, reading email on the go or speaking directions to a new restaurant. Some young blind people no longer feel the need to learn Braille to read with their fingers, when Siri and other computer voices can do the reading instead. Captions on videos and special hearing aids bring hearing impaired into the digital fold. But when apps don't work, life can grind to a stop. Jonathan Lyens, a San Francisco city employee, who is legally blind, has a hard time browsing jobs on professional networking site LinkedIn. "The app is insane. Buttons aren't labeled. It's difficult to navigate," said Lyens. When it comes to social media apps, new problems arise with every release, he said. "I get nervous every time I hit the update button." LinkedIn has hired an accessibility chief, Jennison Asuncion, who himself is blind, and says it is working to improve the app. Still, advocates of the disabled want the problem solved by the company at the center of the app world Apple. Rival Google Inc, whose Android operating system drives more phones than Apple, is also under pressure, but as the creator of the modern smartphone and a long-time champion for the blind, Apple is feeling the most heat. Apple hasn't been a steady champion: the National Federation of the Blind sued it in 2008 over accessibility of iTunes. Apple settled, agreeing to pay $250,000 and adding captions and other accessibility improvements to iTunes. Since then it has added more such features to its iPhone, iPod, iPad and Apple TV products. Now, Apple and Google both have developer guidelines on how to make features accessible, such as labeling buttons that can be read by Apple's VoiceOver software. But they don't require accessibility, in contrast to other strictly enforced rules, such as a ban on apps that present crude or objectionable content. Nor do they offer an accessibility rating system, which some disabled advocates say would be a big help. That is where the new debate starts: should the blind return to court for protection they believe is guaranteed by law, or nudge their old ally to work harder? Should they pursue app makers, as some lawyers have, or Apple and Google? Attorney Daniel Goldstein, who brought the suit against Apple in 2008 as counsel for the National Federation of the Blind, said the 2008 action could provide a model for a suit focused on apps, but the Federation says no lawsuit is being considered. At last week's National Federation of the Blind convention, members approved a resolution to press Apple to create and enforce accessibility standards. In the halls there was some debate about whether or when to play hard ball over requirements that apps be accessible. "It's time for Apple to step up or we will take the next step," said Michael Hingson, board member for the National Association of the Blind's California chapter, describing litigation as "the only resort" if Apple did not bring accessibility requirements to the app store. To be sure, Apple, Google, Twitter and other technology companies have increasingly accommodated users with impairments in recent years. Many developers are ready to help when they learn there is a problem, said Chris Maury, whose Conversant Labs builds apps for the visually impaired. "I try to lead with the carrot and not the stick. It's better to inform developers that accessibility is the right thing to do and an opportunity to reach a whole new base of users. It shouldn't just be about compliance or avoiding legal risks," he said. man_using_iphone_in_front_of_apple_store_ap.jpg There is a worldwide market of 1.1 billion people with disabilities, according to research firm Fifth Quadrant Analytics. Nearly 21 million U.S. adults experience vision loss, according to the 2012 National Health Interview Survey, and approximately 28
Re: [AI] Advocates for Blind, Deaf Want More From Apple
Excelent post. Thanks-Original message- From: Rahul Gambhir Sent: 12-07-2014, 10.04 pm To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: [AI] Advocates for Blind, Deaf Want More From Apple Advocates for Blind, Deaf Want More From Apple Reuters, July 09, 2014 Source: http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/advocates-for-blind-deaf-want-more-from-apple-555727 Advocates for the blind are debating whether to use a carrot or a stick to persuade one of their oldest allies, Apple Inc, to close an emerging digital divide in mobile technology. As digital life increasingly moves to the world of smartphones and tablets, some disabled people with visual, hearing and other impairments are feeling more left out than ever. As baby boomers retire and age, the number of people needing help is multiplying. Many disabled advocates believe federal law requires that apps be accessible, but courts have not ruled on the issue. Few disabled want to risk alienating Apple, considered a friend, by fighting it. Mobile apps that work well can transform a blind person's life, reading email on the go or speaking directions to a new restaurant. Some young blind people no longer feel the need to learn Braille to read with their fingers, when Siri and other computer voices can do the reading instead. Captions on videos and special hearing aids bring hearing impaired into the digital fold. But when apps don't work, life can grind to a stop. Jonathan Lyens, a San Francisco city employee, who is legally blind, has a hard time browsing jobs on professional networking site LinkedIn. "The app is insane. Buttons aren't labeled. It's difficult to navigate," said Lyens. When it comes to social media apps, new problems arise with every release, he said. "I get nervous every time I hit the update button." LinkedIn has hired an accessibility chief, Jennison Asuncion, who himself is blind, and says it is working to improve the app. Still, advocates of the disabled want the problem solved by the company at the center of the app world Apple. Rival Google Inc, whose Android operating system drives more phones than Apple, is also under pressure, but as the creator of the modern smartphone and a long-time champion for the blind, Apple is feeling the most heat. Apple hasn't been a steady champion: the National Federation of the Blind sued it in 2008 over accessibility of iTunes. Apple settled, agreeing to pay $250,000 and adding captions and other accessibility improvements to iTunes. Since then it has added more such features to its iPhone, iPod, iPad and Apple TV products. Now, Apple and Google both have developer guidelines on how to make features accessible, such as labeling buttons that can be read by Apple's VoiceOver software. But they don't require accessibility, in contrast to other strictly enforced rules, such as a ban on apps that present crude or objectionable content. Nor do they offer an accessibility rating system, which some disabled advocates say would be a big help. That is where the new debate starts: should the blind return to court for protection they believe is guaranteed by law, or nudge their old ally to work harder? Should they pursue app makers, as some lawyers have, or Apple and Google? Attorney Daniel Goldstein, who brought the suit against Apple in 2008 as counsel for the National Federation of the Blind, said the 2008 action could provide a model for a suit focused on apps, but the Federation says no lawsuit is being considered. At last week's National Federation of the Blind convention, members approved a resolution to press Apple to create and enforce accessibility standards. In the halls there was some debate about whether or when to play hard ball over requirements that apps be accessible. "It's time for Apple to step up or we will take the next step," said Michael Hingson, board member for the National Association of the Blind's California chapter, describing litigation as "the only resort" if Apple did not bring accessibility requirements to the app store. To be sure, Apple, Google, Twitter and other technology companies have increasingly accommodated users with impairments in recent years. Many developers are ready to help when they learn there is a problem, said Chris Maury, whose Conversant Labs builds apps for the visually impaired. "I try to lead with the carrot and not the stick. It's better to inform developers that accessibility is the right thing to do and an opportunity to reach a whole new base of users. It shouldn't just be about compliance or avoiding legal risks," he said. man_using_iphone_in_front_of_apple_store_ap.jpg There is a worldwide market of 1.1 billion people with disabilities, according to research firm Fifth Quadrant Analytics. Nearly 21 million U.S. adults experience vision loss, according to the 2012 National Health Interview Survey, and approximately 28
