Hope for iPhone Access!?

Posted by Carl Augusto on 7/27/2007 2:51:18 PM

Guest Blogger, Jay Leventhal, Editor in Chief, AccessWorld®

The media has been filled with stories about Apple's iPhone since its debut on June 29. AFB TECH has examined the iPhone and confirmed that it includes no accessibility features for people who are totally blind.

It also has no meaningful access for people with low vision. While the iPhone does allow modest enlargement of certain images and text—like maps, web pages, and e-mails—it does not allow for icons to be enlarged or rearranged in a more accessible manner. We also do not believe that contrast is adjustable, or at least not significantly. Some fonts are especially small—when typing in text, for example. The screen is flat and reflective, and causes glare. Apple acknowledges that the iPhone doesn't work for blind people in their accessibility report.

Several AFB staff met with a representative from Apple this week. He indicated that Apple would consider adding accessibility into subsequent releases of the iPhone. The Apple representative stressed that the whole point of the iPhone is to allow innovation. However, the nature of this phone, a perfectly flat screen with only one button, makes it hard for us to imagine how it could be accessed by someone needing tactile feedback and tactually identifiable controls. We wonder how a company that says it prides itself on cutting-edge innovation can create something that is so completely unusable for people with vision loss. We strongly encourage Apple to work with the blindness community to create a truly innovative and accessible iPhone. And while they're at it, why not do the same for the iPod?

You can e-mail Apple's accessibility staff at accessibility@apple.com. Also, I encourage you to read Apple's take on accessibility in the iPhone.

Re: Hope for iPhone Access!?
Posted by Mac Jeaves on 8/20/2009 10:23:24 AM

The problem is that access is not on the table when new devices or software is being planned - albeit Apple, MS, or Google. It is always an after-thought. I think we'll have much better luck with an open platform such as Android - which will allow an open playingfield for various competitors. With Apple, the underlying architecture makes it hard for developers. While we wait for something to happen on Android though, the Blackberry with Orator seems a decent prospect.

Re: Hope for iPhone Access!?
Posted by Serina Gilbert on 6/9/2009 11:55:15 PM

Tom (and everyone else reading this post), your wish has come true!!! The new iphone 3gs set to release June 19 will have Voice Over as a standard accessibility feature and there will be voice activation for dialing contacts, phone numbers and controling the ipod. Take a look at www.apple.com/accessibility.

And hopefully Access World will be able to give us a review soon?

Re: Hope for iPhone Access!?
Posted by Tom Coburn on 4/11/2009 12:07:15 PM

yeah, and the same with the iTouch.. Really I think they could make it alot more accessible and still keep the general idea. They could always put a version of VoiceOver on the phone, which would help alot of people. Another thing they could add is voice activation, so that input to the phone would be voice activated, instead of using tactile buttons. A company who prides themselves on innovation should have thought of that idea a long time ago, since that would benefit drivers as well so they can dial and talk on their phones while driving, since that seems to be the "in" thing to do now on phones. That mode would help us blind people a great deal. There is alot they could do, they just don't.

Re: Hope for iPhone Access!?
Posted by John I. [http://obliterations.bolgspot.com] on 3/5/2009 6:34:38 PM

Everyone should e mail Apple directly.

Re: Hope for iPhone Access!?
Posted by Ryan Eversole on 12/21/2008 4:30:14 PM

I just picked up the new iPhone, still nothing. I've been scouring the web and app store and haven't found much of anything that will help either. Apple is really behind the times on access tech since they've always been a bit picky about their focus market groups. Windows based phones are where it's at for me, I'm going to go back and trade the iPhone in - I am very sad to say it but it really isn't very low vision friendly at all. Plust that dagnabbed keyboard really just does what it wants, not what you tell it to do! It takes me 15 minutes to text 5 words, everyone thinks I'm mad at them all the time now LoL.

Re: Hope for iPhone Access!?
Posted by Chris Zobrist on 7/14/2008 12:52:16 AM

Has anyone tried the new version of the iPhone? If so, any improvements for people with low-vision?

Re: Hope for iPhone Access!?
Posted by Maria on 8/1/2007 10:03:06 AM

Excellent article. I agree with all statements therein.

Re: Hope for iPhone Access!?
Posted by John on 7/29/2007 8:13:26 AM

I agree with Darrell Shandrow regarding his post concerning the IPhone and other hardware products. From a corporate perspective Apple knows better. Waiting for the next generation is not an adequate solution. Thank you.

Re: Hope for iPhone Access!?
Posted by Darrell [http://www.blindaccessjournal.com] on 7/27/2007 5:25:47 PM

Absolutely amazing! While Apple is gradually moving forward with a level of accessibility on the Macintosh, and now iTunes is apparently usable with VoiceOver on the Mac, it also continues to disregard accessibility on the Windows platform, as well as in its hardware devices like the iPhone and iPod.

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