They say the future is coming at us faster than ever, and this is true even for accessibility. I will be 65 years old this July, and (cue grumpy old man voice here) back in my day, we didn't have any of these dang computers and phones were attached to a wall. I threaded large reel-to-reel tapes to listen to my "Recordings for the Blind" textbooks—when they were available—and turned in many a blank page because I didn't realize the ribbon on my manual typewriter had run out of ink. And we liked it that way (exit grumpy old man voice).
If you are 25 years old or younger, you probably don't even remember a time when there wasn't a computer in your home, and when you didn't have at least rudimentary access to it. But as I said above, the future is coming faster than ever, and one of the best ways to gain perspective is to take a quick look back at some of the technologies that are now utterly out of date, and just how few years have passed since they were first introduced.
Five Years Ago
Let's start just five years ago, in the May 2013 issue of AccessWorld. Besides including my second AccessWorld article, it also includes A First Look at the Accessibility of the Google Chrome Operating System by J.J. Meddaugh. In this article, Meddaugh demonstrated the new ChromeVox screen reader using a Google ChromeBox. Yes, a ChromeBox, not a ChromeBook. The ChromeBox was basically a Chrome OS desktop computer, very small and compact, sort of like a Mac Mini in that you had to provide your own keyboard, display, and other USB devices. Meddaugh experienced difficulties with the ChromeVox screen reader, especially when it came to status screens and typing in Google Docs. Also, ironically, the first screen of the ChromeVox tutorial would not speak. Meddaugh concluded his first look this way: "While the web browser and parts of Chrome are quite usable now, much work still needs to be done. We look forward to the results and possible improvements from this beta program and will closely follow its development."
Ten Years Ago
In this current issue Shelly Brisbin offers us a roundup of the 2018 CSUN adaptive technology conference. Ten years ago Deborah Kendrick filed our CSUN roundup, reporting: "One of the hottest products of interest to blind consumers was the KNFB Mobile, a Nokia N82 mobile phone with the Kurzweil reading software on board. HumanWare introduced the Trekker Breeze, a new GPS product, and announced a new upgrade for the Victor Reader Stream that includes, among other features, compatibility with Serotek's System Access Mobile Network."
Fifteen Years Ago
In 2003, AccessWorld was just a pup, mostly limited to accessibility news, such as: "In February 2003, Bonnie O'Day of Alexandria, VA, filed a formal complaint with the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) against Audiovox Communications Corporation, a manufacturer of wireless products, and Verizon Wireless, a service provider, regarding the lack of accessible features in one of their high-end cell phones. This is the first formal complaint to ask the FCC to enforce the rights provided under Section 255 of the Communications Act (as amended by the Telecommunications Act of 1996), which requires telecommunications equipment and services to be accessible to and usable by people with disabilities, if readily achievable."
I wonder how that worked out. Are you reading this article on your iPhone or Android tablet?
20 Years Ago
The May 1998 issue of AccessWorld included an in-depth look at mobility training. There was not a single mention of GPS, because back then the system was US military only. In 1998 Vice President Al Gore announced a plan to make the GPS satellites transmit two additional signals to be used for civilian (non-military) applications, especially to improve aircraft safety. Congress approved the plan (called "GPS III") in 2000.
The issue also included a report of a survey on the availability of accessible alternatives to print materials on college campuses: "Kwan's study of 18 public universities in California revealed that the majority of universities that were surveyed required 2 to 6 days to provide basic instructional materials in braille or electronic text or on audiotape. Five of the universities stated that the braille production of such materials would require more than seven days, and 11 reported that electronic texts were not available."
Need to read that handout your prof just passed out? Open one of several mobile OCR apps and give it a quick scan. Then start Nearby Explorer and head to the closest coffee shop for a cappuccino.
Then…and Can You Hear Me Now?
Perhaps the most profound change in the past 20 years has been the development of mobile technologies.
iPhone
In 2009 the iPhone 3GS was released with a remarkable new accessibility feature: a built in touchscreen reader based on their OS X VoiceOver screen reader. Darren Burton took AccessWorld's first of dozens of looks at this remarkable breakthrough in September of that same year, and here it is worth a look back at his conclusion:
We do not often use the term 'revolutionary' in AccessWorld, but it does apply here. Apple's unique interface for accessing a flat touch-screen interface is not only important for accessing the seemingly unlimited apps that are available for the iPhone, but it proves the point that it can be done. This gives us hope of finding solutions for the many inaccessible touch screens many of us face in our daily lives. The third-party apps open up a myriad of possibilities, and Apple has done a great deal of work to make it possible for developers to design their apps to be compatible with Voiceover. They have created accessible Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) in iPhone OS 3.0, and the iPhone Software Developer Kit (SDK) costs only $99. You can learn more at the iPhone Dev Center [the link provided in the article is no longer active—Ed.]. Perhaps our community can approach these third-party vendors to work with us on the accessibility of their apps.
This is certainly a brand-new concept in accessibility, and there may be a learning curve for many people. However, most blind people I have spoken with about their use of the new iPhone have reported being up and running quickly. I definitely learned to use it quickly, but it is my job to do so, and I do not think the iPhone left my hands in the first two days. Some people may not get it as easily, so the rehabilitation and education professions may need to develop some training systems for using this new iPhone.
Can you hear me now? Yes, and Apple is still listening.
Android Phones
It was just seven years ago when the best access to an Android phone was Mobile Accessibility for Android from Code Factory. It cost $99, and only offered access to a suite of…
…10 homegrown and completely accessible apps, including a phone dialer, contacts manager, alarms, Web browser, mail client, calendar, and a simple GPS app. Other applications on the phone can be launched from the program as well.
Mobile Accessibility uses Nuance Vocalizer as its speech engine. Currently, there are only two voice options—male voices for U.S. and U.K. English—and you must choose your desired voice upon purchase; there is no way to switch between voices.
Can you hear me now? Yes, and Google's free built-in TalkBack touchscreen reader gets better with each release.
Windows Phones
In June of 2011 we reported: "Beginning with the Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system through version 6.5, Windows-based smartphones supported a compatible version of Mobile Speak and a screen reader from Dolphin called Smart Hal." However, as we reported in our December 2010 issue:
…[T]he 2010 release of Microsoft's new Windows Phone 7 operating system does not support any screen readers, and phones built on that operating system have no built-in accessibility to support people with vision loss. Although Microsoft has promised to remedy that situation, in the meantime our choices are limited by this shortcoming
Can you hear me now? What's a Windows phone?
BlackBerry
In May of 2010 Darren Burton took a look at Oratio, a brand new screen reader for the BlackBerry. He concluded:
Oratio's $449 price tag may give some AccessWorld readers sticker shock. That is understandable when you consider the VoiceOver screen reader is available on the iPhone at no extra cost. Oratio is also 50 percent more expensive than the TALKS and Mobile Speak screen readers that many of us use. We of course would like to see the price of Oratio come down, but at least we do now have an access solution for the BlackBerry devices. That is certainly good news for people whose job or potential job requires that they use a BlackBerry.
Can you hear me now? No.
Looking Ahead
Can you even imagine what my next roundup in the year 2038 will bring? I mean besides an even older, even grumpier old man?
Related articles:
- CSUN 2018 Heralds The Year of Wearables—Unless It Doesn't by Shelly Brisbin
- ATIA at a Glance: What We Saw at the 2018 Assistive Technology Industry Association Conference by J.J. Meddaugh
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