Dear AccessWorld Editor,
As always, J.J. Meddaugh did a great review in his March 2013 article, "A Collection of Accessible Apps for Your Android Device." I would appreciate him writing an article explaining if and how app developers and vendors respond to access issues, and comment on the best way to offer feedback, possibly in the Play Store or by direct e-e-mail.
Thanks,
Lucia
Response from AccessWorld Editor-in-Chief, Lee Huffman:
Hello Lucia,
How ironic you would ask for an article like this! It was already in the works. I hope Bill Holton's article in this issue, "Reaching Out: How You Can Help App Developers Improve Accessibility" answers all your questions. Thanks for reading AccessWorld and for sending in your request.
Sincerely,
Lee Huffman
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
I read with great interest Deborah Kendrick's March 2013 article, "Talking About Accessibility: An Evaluation of the Panasonic KX-TG6591T Cordless Phone."
It is about time that the makers of many other electronic devices such as Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) radios, washing machines, etc., start including Text to Speech (TTS) capabilities. In reality, if they do this on a global production scale, the price of the added feature will be only fractionally higher than [that of providing] dedicated or specialized devices to accommodate particular end users.
I believe the politicians and the world organizations of persons with disabilities, together with the United Nations, must put more pressure on the big companies to produce products with accessibility in mind.
Thanks for publishing AccessWorld. It's a great resource!
Best regards,
Michael
Response from AccessWorld Senior Features Editor, Deborah Kendrick:
Hello Michael,
I was so delighted to see your comment regarding my Panasonic article. I recognized your name immediately, fondly remembering the braille letters you used to send when I was producing TACTIC. It's fabulous to see that you are still interested in access technology and reading our publication.
Incidentally, I concur, it's high time manufacturers of other consumer electronics get on board with adding text-to-speech and other accessible interfaces.
Thanks for reading and thanks for writing!
Sincerely,
Deborah Kendrick
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
I very much enjoyed reading the March 2013 article by Cooper Kendall and Lacey Markel entitled, "USABA and WellPoint Foundation National Fitness Challenge Helps Visually Impaired Athlete Go from Biggest Loser to Biggest Winner." It was very encouraging! I wish there would have been organizations like this when I was a teen. This article is right on the mark.
Thank you,
Lewis
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
I am wondering if any of your tech people have tested the accessibility of all hazard public alert weather radios with SAME technology. These radios can be a lifesaver in case of a disaster, [but they] cannot be programmed by a person who is blind. Even though the radio will sound an alert tone, there is still text on the screen that does not read aloud for a blind person. Some radios will show a color on the screen for watches, warnings, and alerts without sounding a tone. As you can see this does a blind person no good.
Thanks,
Dwayne
Response from AccessWorld Editor-in-Chief, Lee Huffman:
Hello Dwayne,
Thank you for reading AccessWorld, and thank you for writing in with your question concerning the accessibility of hazard public alert radios. AccessWorld has not recently evaluated this technology. In light of recent major storms, I fully understand the concern around this topic. Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. We will definitely take it into consideration when planning future product evaluations.
Sincerely,
Lee Huffman
