Cell phones have revolutionized the way we communicate with each other. With cameras, mp3 players, and personal data assistants being added as functions, these handy devices aren't just phones anymore. Few people these days can afford to be without them. However, the visual display is too small for many people experiencing vision loss to see, and many cell phones are all but impossible to use for those who are totally blind. The problem is becoming increasingly severe as more and more functionality is being added to cell phones each year. The good news is, cell phones can be made 100% accessible with a few minor design adjustments, including speech output. Some companies have already produced cell phones that are fully accessible.
Product Evaluations
Can an Android Make Your Mobile Phone Accessible?, AccessWorld®, Vol. 11, No 2, May 2010.
A Review of Oratio: A Screen Reader for BlackBerry, AccessWorld®, Vol. 11, No 2, May 2010.
The Revolutionary New iPhone, AccessWorld®, Vol 10, No. 5, September 2009.
Focusing on Cell Phones: A Review of the Coupe and breEZe for People with Low Vision, AccessWorld®, Vol. 10, No. 1, January 2009.
A Thorny Problem: Accessing the BlackBerry Device, AccessWorld®, Vol. 8, No. 6, November 2007.
Making Your Smartphone Smarter, Part 2: A Review of Smart Hal, AccessWorld®, Vol 8., No. 5, September 2007.
A Pocket Full of Access: A Review of Mobile Speak Pocket and Pocket Hal, AccessWorld®, Vol. 8, No. 5, September, 2007.
Making Your Smartphone Smarter, Part 1: A Review of Mobile Speak Smartphone, AccessWorld®, Vol. 8, No. 4, July 2007.
Expanding the View: A Review of Mobile Magnifier and ZOOMS Screen Magnifiers for Cell Phones, AccessWorld®, Vol. 8., No. 4, July 2007.
An Accessible Phone Comes Calling: A Review of the Jitterbug Cell Phone, AccessWorld®, Vol. 8, No. 2, March 2007.
Dial Me In: The Latest on Off-the-Shelf Cell Phone Accessibility, AccessWorld®, Vol. 7, No. 5, September 2006.
A Nonrocker from Motorola: A Review of the Rokr E1 Cell Phone with iTunes, AccessWorld®, Vol. 7, No. 1, January 2006.
Dialing Up the Magnification: A Review of Mobile Magnifier, AccessWorld®, Vol. 6, No. 6, November 2005.
Two More Approaches: A Review of the LG VX 4500 Cell Phone from Verizon Wireless and Microsoft's Voice Command Software, AccessWorld®, Vol. 6, No. 3, May 2005.
Now They Are Talking: a Review of Two Cell Phone-Based Screen Readers, AccessWorld®, Vol. 5, No. 6, November 2004.
The Signal Gets Stronger: Three Cell Phones with Speech Output, AccessWorld®, Vol. 5, No. 4, July 2004.
We Think They Hear Us Now: Cell Phones with Speech, AccessWorld®, Vol. 5, No. 3, May 2004.
Do Cell Phones Plus Software Equal Access? Part 2, AccessWorld®, Vol. 5, No. 1, January 2004.
Do Cell Phones Plus Software Equal Access? Part 1, AccessWorld®, Vol. 4, No. 6, November 2003.
Answering the Call: Top-of-the-Line Cell Phones, Part 2, AccessWorld®, Vol. 4, No. 4, July 2003.
Answering the Call: Reviews of Top-of-the-Line Cell Phones, Part 1, AccessWorld®, Vol. 4, No. 3, May 2003.
