Dear AccessWorld Editor,
In response to Lyft and Uber Have Changed the Transportation Game for People with Visual Impairments, by Deborah Kendrick:
Just wanted to note that I recently spent a week in Lisbon, Portugal, where I found using Uber particularly gratifying. It was nice not needing to worry about payment in Euros. Perhaps the trickiest part was entering the destination address using unfamiliar, foreign language constructs. Of course the app's history helped get me back to commonly used destinations like my hotel.
All of my drivers spoke English. Though that may not be something one can rely on, one can rely on the familiar app interface just as when using the app in one's home environs.
Janina
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
In response to Lyft and Uber Have Changed the Transportation Game for People with Visual Impairments by Deborah Kendrick:
I think an actual "session" of how you used the app, and how you and the driver found each other, would be helpful. I still feel uneasy taking the plunge with my poor Haring.
Mike Keithley
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
I thought The Nearby Explorer Blindness-Focused Navigation App from APH Comes to iOS by Shelly Brisbin, was well written, and as a user who switched from Sendero GPS to Nearby Explorer, I can say I find this app a big improvement. It's as close as we'll ever get to having the Trekker available to us on iOS.?A new feature readers should know about is the ability to show or hide items on the home screen.?Thanks for your technology reviews, they are detailed and useful!
Angie Staudt
President, Virtual Vision Technologies
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
I thoroughly enjoyed the November AccessWorld article, Lyft and Uber Have Changed the Transportation Game for People with Visual Impairments and very much agree with Deborah Kendrick's perspective and insights!
To her point and for me having once been a driver, these ride-sharing services offer me just about the same ability to walk out my back door, into my garage and hop into my car!
I've never used Lyft, but will download the app, now that you have pointed out they might be a little more competitive around pricing.
However, I have used Uber and can only point to one "bad" experience when we were in Chicago, two Ubers pulled-up and we got into the wrong one, so had to back track and place a second request.
And, to your point even more, I can have access to the ride-sharing service without having to make a car payment, insurance, gas, maintenance, etc.
So, until we finally get to our own self-driving cars, ride-sharing is truly wonderful!
Thanks,
Tom Tobin
Dear AccessWorld Editor,
Love the AccessWorld app. It would be fantastic, though, if you could update it to send a push notification which could let the user know when a new edition of the mag comes out.
Once more, thanks for a fantastic application and keep up the good work.
Kind regards
Martin Roberts
