Nuance Introduces Next Generation of Swype

Nuance announced the newest generation of its popular Swype keyboard for mobile devices. The latest version of this keyboard combines touch and voice input with adaptive capabilities that adjust to a person's preferences over time. New features include the ability to predict the next word you intend to type, a personal dictionary for speech and text, support for over 55 languages, and four input options (traditional Swype, typing with XT9, spoken text, and writing with one's finger.) The next-generation Swype keyboard is available to OEMs or you can pick up Swype Beta for Android today from beta.swype.com.


Here are some of its features:

Next Word Prediction: Swype’s next word prediction is amazingly intelligent as Nuance has integrated capabilities from its renowned XT9 portfolio. Swype gets smarter based on historical usage, so prediction becomes more accurate with each use.

Voice-Text Dictionary Syncing: Swype now includes a personal dictionary. Every new word a user enters on the keyboard gets added to their personal dictionary for speech and text, and you can even have Swype learn from emails, texts and posts. These updates are then mapped into Swype’s unified language model, so people can immediately speak or write that same word no matter how unique or specialized.

Language Downloads: Swypers everywhere can communicate in any language they speak, as Swype now supports the download of over 55 languages right from the device.

Four-in-One Keyboard: Swype now delivers a four input modalities in one keyboard. People can swype from letter to letter; type rapidly with predictive text input powered by XT9; speak their text naturally through a fully integrated Dragon button; or, simply write letters, words and symbols using their fingertip. Further, users can switch back and forth between modalities on the fly – providing the ultimate in keyboard personalization.

Go to beta.swype.com to download the Swype Beta for Android today.

Guided Access in iOS6

The new iOS 6 was announced recently at Apple’s Worldwide Developers conference, and the updated operating system looks to have gotten tons of new integrated features. One new feature that might be overlooked, but certainly deserves some attention, is the new Guided Access mode for iOS devices.

Guided Access is a form of accessibility software for iOS. Apple has always been at the forefront of technologies dedicated to helping people with disabilities interact with Apple products. Guided Access will allow a parent or teacher the ability to have full control of how an iOS device can be used. For example, the home button and all other hardware buttons can be locked, motion sensitivity can be disabled, or a certain portion of the screen can be made inactive toward touch. In addition, the device can be locked into a single app. This means that iOS device can now reliably be used to test students or give reading assignments, without fear that they will lose focus and end up playing Angry Birds. Apple also mentioned that the devices could be locked-down in this manner and used for museum information apps.

It will be interesting to see what parents and teachers use Guided Access for, since the best uses for such technology are often found by the users rather than the designers.

Sources: http://www.webpronews.com

              http://www.globalaccessibilitynews.com/

Government Websites Must Be Accessible, Court Finds

The Federal Court of Appeal has ordered Ottawa to make its websites accessible to blind people.

The decision is a second victory for plaintiff Donna Jodhan. The blind Toronto woman launched her lawsuit after discovering she could neither complete the 2006 census nor apply for a government job online.

The problem was that federal websites weren’t programmed to operate with screen reading software that converts text into speech. Ms. Jodhan, who is an accessibility consultant, claimed her right to equality under Section 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms was denied as a result. The government’s defence was that the same information was available by other means such as mail, telephone or in person.

The Federal Court agreed that Ms. Jodhan had been discriminated against and ruled the government is obliged to ensure websites are fully accessible. The three-judge panel noted that the Internet is “one of the most, if not the most important tools ever designed for accessing not only government information and services, but all types of information and services.”

Advocacy groups for the visually impaired welcome the decision.

“It’s unfortunate that someone had to go to these ends to attain what is a fundamental right,” says CNIB president and CEO John Rafferty, “However, we are pleased by the court ruling that upholds the constitutional obligation of the government to ensure Canadians who are blind or partially sighted have equal access to information, enabling them to be independent, productive members of society.”

John Rae, past president of the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians says “It’s now time for the government to stop fighting against the Blind community and comply with their obligations to make all of its websites fully accessible.”

A spokesperson for the federal minister responsible, Treasury Board president Tony Clement, says Ottawa is committed to web accessibility and to date over 100 government institutions are converting their content in line with the web content accessibility guidelines.

Sources: http://life.nationalpost.com/

              http://www.globalaccessibilitynews.com/ 

Disaster Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities

Persons with disabilities need to be prepared to quickly escape their homes in the event of emergencies such as fires, floods, tornadoes and hurricanes, a Mayo Clinic expert says.

Preparations for persons with disabilities are more complicated than people without disabilities.

“As we learned during Hurricane Katrina and other natural disasters, persons with disabilities need to consider a number of different factors, such as identifying who is in their support system, special transportation needs and what supplies to include in their emergency-preparedness kits,” clinical nurse specialist Lisa Beck said in a Mayo news release.

Beck worked with patients with disabilities to design patient-education materials, and she offers the following tips for people with disabilities:

• Practice getting out of the house quickly at least twice a year.
• Discuss any special needs with a local emergency-medical-services provider.
• Plan where to go for shelter and how to get there, and who may need to provide you with assistance.
• Compile an emergency-preparedness kit that can last 24 to 48 hours. It should include items such as medication lists, contact numbers, medications, catheter supplies and a first-aid kit.
• Think about shelter and supplies for your service animal.

More information

The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency has more about emergency planning and preparedness for people with disabilities.

SOURCES: Mayo Clinic

                    GAATES

Online Text-to-Speech

Inclusive Planet has a great list of 10 online text-to-speech services -- you enter text, and it is spoken right then and there.


Source: AT Coalition

Secure Social Network for Special Educators, Families, Others

Parlerai is a customized social network for special education, linking school, therapy, and home environments to foster better communication. Parents are the customers -- they select who gets what information, and can manage all the interactions. It looks like an interesting way to stay on top of classroom performance, therapy progress, and scheduling.


Source: AT Coalition

Blindsquare: App Uses Foursquare Data to Help the Blind Navigate Streets

The 20 million+ people on Foursquare have created an incredibly detailed crowdsourced directory. BlindSquare is a new app that’s making use of Foursquare’s 2 billion check-ins worldwide to help blind pedestrians find locations on foot or while using public transportation.

BlindSquare integrates Foursquare data with Apple’s nativeVoiceOver technology to create a location-based virtual map through sound. When the app is enabled, it reads addresses, street names and surrounding locations aloud. Directions are available on demand.

“Basically it speaks what’s around you and if you want to go somewhere it will give guidance,” Finland-based app creator Ilkka Pirttimaa tells Mashable. ”When they travel on a bus, they don’t normally know where to get of. Now, they can hear surroundings and even street crossings when [the] bus is making a turn.”

The app is available in the Apple iTunes store for $14.99. The high cost covers the right to use Acapela’s speech synthesis technology that turns text into speech on different devices, according to developers.

BlindSquare was conceptualized and created in six months. Pirttimaa calls it a mashup of GPS technology, speech synthesis, crowdsourced data through Foursquare and augmented reality with audio.

“You launch the app whenever you need assistance,” he says. “If blind person is in the area, which she doesn’t know, BlindSquare will help to ‘draw a map’ with information about streets and crossings and services around you.”

The technology was built to help blind individuals in unfamiliar areas. BlindSquare draws a map of information about surrounding streets, crossings and services nearby. Categories within the app include arts and entertainment, colleges, food, great outdoors, nightlife spots, residences, shops and travel.

Foursquare map points show up ranked by number of check-ins.

“BlindSquare reports the most popular restaurants, cafes, etc.,” he says. ”So, it’s not just listing places around. BlindSquare helps you to make sense what’s around you.”

Pirttimaa tested the app with blind individuals in Finland, the U.S. and Australia. One of the volunteers who tested the app used an iControlPad bluetooth gaming control to navigate within the app. The BlindSquare user attached the control to a guide dog’s harness.

Users can enhance the application with recommended accessories. Pirttimaa suggests using a bone conduction head set, “which leaves users’ ears open” to natural sounds. Any bluetooth-based remote can be used to control the system.

The application is available for global use or wherever Foursquare data is available. The app also utilizes data from OpenStreetMap — an wiki-map of the world that anyone can edit. The app with speech synthesis technology supports 26 languages including English, Finnish and Swedish.

The app even lets individuals who can’t see the screen check in to Foursquare. Pirttimaa says: “Blind people love Foursquare, too. It’s simple. Just shake the device and you hear where you are [at] an address, or nearest crossing. If you are at some Foursquare place, you can re-shake to check in.”

For more about the BlindSquare app, here’s the user guide provided by Pirttimaa.

Images courtesy of BlindSquare

Source: http://mashable.com/