ADAPTECHGBC: 07/06/09

Monday, July 6, 2009

The Accessible iPhone 3GS

When the iPhone 3GS was announced on the 8th of June there was much excitement in the accessibility world. The new iPhone would sport significant accessibility features, including a built in screen reader, and these features were announced on stage at MacWorld alongside the “regular” features. That’s a great boost for the profile of accessibility in general, which is always a good thing.

Accessibility features for the iPhone 3GS include:

VoiceOver screen reader localised in 21 different languages.
Voice Control offering spoken commands, also in 21 different languages.
Zoom on iPhone lets you magnify the entire screen up to 5 times normal size, and move around to view any portion of the screen close up. All the usual gestures such as pinch, flick, etc. will still work when the screen is zoomed.
White On Black offers a high contrast reverse video screen display.
Mono Audio will route both audio channels into both earbuds, for those with hearing problems.
Speak Auto-text voices the iPhone’s automatic correction and completion options so you don’t have to look away from the keyboard to use them. This can be used with or without VoiceOver and Zoom.
Assignable Ringtones let you use ringtones as an audible form of Caller ID for selected contacts.

There’s also an Accessible HTML User Guide available but it’s limited so you can only view it using the iPhone - any other web browser is automatically re-routed to the download location for the PDF user guide. I can’t see any reason that Apple would make the HTML guide unusable for the rest of us, but it’s a pity.

So the iPhone 3GS has now been in people’s possession for a little while - what are the reactions?

Mozilla guru Marco Zehe wrote My first experience using an accessible touch screen device. He was only trying out the iPhone at his local Apple store so he didn’t have a huge amount of time, but I get the impression he was sad to have to leave it there!
Mike Calvo of Serotek wrote Why is it that Apple always seems to get to the future first? which is more philosophical, but also about his new iPhone.
Josh de Lioncourt has a great article, The Accessible iPhone 3GS, which includes lots of suggestions and tips for other users.
The Mac-cessibility Podcast team have produced a special edition podcast: More Than Meets the iPhone
Shane Jackson of Blind World Blog and Podcast has written three blog posts with accompanying podcasts about his iPhone excitement and adventures:

I can’t find much written on the net yet by people using the Zoom, Voice Control, or other iPhone accessibility functions but what I did find seems realistically positive.

Resources for iPhone VoiceOver users are already appearing at a great rate. Holly Anderson has produced a list of VoiceOver Compatible iPhone Applications, and there’s a Google Group/Mailing list for iPhone VoiceOver users which is very active.

Still wondering if the iPhone is for you? CNet’s iPhone Review includes all the features, even touching on accessibility. They awarded it 4 out of a possible 5 stars, with the comment “Excellent”.

Now I’ve written all that I’m coveting an iPhone 3GS of my own, even though I have my perfectly functional iPod Touch and don’t need a mobile phone. It’s tough writing blog posts, I tell you!

Here is an audio podcast about the new accessibly features of the iPhone 3GS:

iPhone 3GS Accessibility

WHAT IS ADAPTIVE TECHNOLOGY?

“Adaptive Technology refers to any item, piece of equipment, or product system, modified or customized, that is used to increase or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities to achieve greater independence. (29 U.S.C. Sec 22202).”

Adaptive Technology truly "opens the door" to life for people with disabilities. Moreover, it helps to compensate for the effects of disability such as loss of speech, paralysis, and visual impairment, cognitive problems, in an active and positive manner. It places the focus not on what is lost but on what is possible...what is constructive...what can be done! (Buning, 2008).”

Individuals with learning disabilities often have difficulty with skills that others take for granted. Reading, listening, organizing information or writing skills may improve significantly from the use of assistive technology.