baycitizen.org— For many in the blind and visually impaired community, the absence of physical buttons on most smartphones makes interactions with some devices virtually impossible.
Jun 23, 2010View in Crawl 4
So how much more will everyone have to pay for features that most won't use? (Yes, there is a cost--if nothing else, opportunity costs; how many other apps could you get on your smart phone in the space taken up by code for accessibility?)
The alternative (for the blind) is buying an expensive Nokia phone and paying 400$ for the software. Thats what my friend had to do. He has the iPhone 3GS and is indeed loving it and is looking forward to buying an AppleTV device that will let him use the phone as a remote control for audio and video playback.
You should call Apple and demand they remove this feature!
Why would blind people need a Smart Phone? Are they checking their e-mail? No, Are they going to use an app? No. Do they want to play Angry Birds? No. Then why do they need anything other than a regular phone, or one with a sliding keyboard?
I can see your point with the email and the map directions(though unless their walking directions I don't think they need them. But devices capable of that already exist for blind people. Blackberrys, and GPS units. Not everything that is made MUST be made to be used by disabled people.
You are right crichton - but I was replying to the question "why would blind people need a smart phone", and the assertion that they have no need for e-mail, apps, or (gasp!) games.
What kind of electronic game on a video screen can a blind person play? Seriously? Considering most video games require Hand/Eye coordination, I really can't think of many if any video games on a smart phone or any other device/console that a blind person could even play.
stupid huh? lets get a blind person a touch screen phone with a virtual keyboard! lol some people dont think...
and some people have way too much time on their hands and are always looking for things to bitch about even tho the thing they are bitching about doesnt affect them at all
milkmage.... certain things cant be used by blind people.... the rest of us dont have to shape our lives to fit their disability..... there are plenty of phones out there they can use......
you wouldnt bitch piss and moan that blind people cant drive cars would you?
@arana67 Smartphones provide an advantage especially in the corporate world when it comes to staying in contact. Why shouldn't blind people be able to have that advantage? Or should people with disabilities be excluded from opportunities for success?
My friend, who is blind, uses his phone for email, text messages, checks the bus times, flight departures (he travels alot), restaurant guides, etc, etc.
This would require the reactionary kids on here to read and understand a comment before jumping all over it. You are the only one to understand my point.
“The most amazing thing about the iPhone is you go into the settings and you turn on the screen reader and you can use every part of your phone, every text-based application and you don’t have to pay anything extra,’’ he said.
If I lose my eye sight, I probably wouldn't need a smart phone now would I? It's not like I should expect a phone that can browse the internet and convert everything to braille just because I had the misfortune of becoming blind.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
I agree with a certain level of accessibility for people with physical impairments, but you have to draw a line somewhere.
It can probably be debated by either side forever on where that line should be drawn, but sometimes you just have to accept that certain things are made for a particular audience, and live with it.
Complaining that any touchscreen device isn't tactile enough for blind people is just plain ridiculous. It's just as absurd to me for a double amputee to complain that shoes only come with ankle sized holes and not thigh-sized holes.
I don't think accessibility to these types of products is even an issue if there's a reasonable alternative that exists that fulfills the core functionality. (ex. a blackberry)
The good news is that if a blind man is driving, he will not needlessly endanger other motorists by texting while driving, because he cannot see his smartphone.
There are plenty of phones with keyboards. They run the same operating systems, too. I don't see what the big deal is here - if you're blind, buy a phone with a keyboard.
Upcoming headline: "Spartphones Flunk for Quadriplegics". This article is pointless. Of course the most cutting edge technology is not designed to play nice with every physical disability someone might have. Unfortunately the reality of the world is people with disabilities have to use special equipment. What do people think the alternative is?
I immediately thought the same thing. If they can find a way to have the pin resolution the same as an iPhone screen, and have the tip of each pin be a pixel then everyone could use the same screen, and have tactile feedback on apps and games. Not likely in the immediate future - but it could probably be available in the next five years.
The sad thing is, universal access/UI accessibility is almost as old as the GUIs themselves.
Tons and tons of perception and HCI research, nice to seeing it mostly being ignored.
On the plus side, some of the prospects for deaf users are looking up.
Marlee Matlin commented on her twitter feed that she's pretty excited over the prospect of FaceTime on the iphone for signing.
"The sad thing is, universal access/UI accessibility is almost as old as the GUIs themselves.
Tons and tons of perception and HCI research, nice to seeing it mostly being ignored."
dear blind people, the world doesn't revolve around you. I'm sorry you're blind, but private companies don't need to make every single product available for you unless you're going to pay for R&D.
Ummmm... DUH? You don't exactly hear about paraplegics bitching about how skateboards don't work for them, or deaf people commenting on the fact that Polk Audio speakers aren't accessible for the hearing impaired. Why should a device designed with the key focus being a visual (I'm thinking touch screen) interface be geared towards blind people? Sort of defeats the point.
Huh... I didn't know the iPhone was so useful for blind people, I would have figured the flat face would have made it useless. This article makes me feel better about the world. Thanks for digging this.
They are developing technology where bumps will be able to come up through the screen area, or in a certain area, to create braille to allow blind people to read.
hey blind people, guess what, smartphones, video games, youtube, driving, etcc ARE NOT FOR YOU!
So.....SHUT THE f**k UP!
the world doesn't have to carter to you and make everything blind friendly. So deal with it.
How many blind people are there compared to none-blind people?Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
This sounds harsh, but tough! Why should the phone industry make EVERYTHING so that it works for the blind? There are a lot of phones on the market that the blind can use, so let them use those phones. Leave the iPhone, and other touchscreen phones to the rest of us who can use them. I don't want clunky, ugly buttons all over my phone.
mpenetrabletacoJun 23, 2010
That pic freaked me out a bit.
jejonesJun 23, 2010
So how much more will everyone have to pay for features that most won't use? (Yes, there is a cost--if nothing else, opportunity costs; how many other apps could you get on your smart phone in the space taken up by code for accessibility?)
steviejanowskiJun 23, 2010Submitter
IMO the future for this stuff is voice recognition and navigation which most people will benefit from
spacem00seJun 23, 2010
The alternative (for the blind) is buying an expensive Nokia phone and paying 400$ for the software. Thats what my friend had to do. He has the iPhone 3GS and is indeed loving it and is looking forward to buying an AppleTV device that will let him use the phone as a remote control for audio and video playback.
You should call Apple and demand they remove this feature!
halyardJun 23, 2010
How many people use all of the features of their phones? I don't even use mine to call people.
errdayimhustlinJun 24, 2010
but what does it do that a blind person needs? the whole point of a visual user interface is that it's VISUAL. it has no relevance to the blind.
eluusiveJun 24, 2010
EERDAYIMHUST:
Did you read the f**king article or watch the video? It does lots of things a blind person would want.
spandiaJun 23, 2010
Way to go, Captain assh**e.
kitsuaJun 24, 2010
jejones: winner of "Most Selfish Comment of the Day Award, 24/06/2010".
Congratulations douchebag.
neotechniJun 24, 2010
Um, buttons? We all want those back
timbuc1Jun 23, 2010
This article flunks for blind users
Closed AccountJun 24, 2010
Nice
Closed AccountJun 23, 2010
"Smartphones can be pretty clueless when it comes to blind or visually impaired users."
I see what they did there.
mogebierJun 23, 2010
Why would blind people need a Smart Phone? Are they checking their e-mail? No, Are they going to use an app? No. Do they want to play Angry Birds? No. Then why do they need anything other than a regular phone, or one with a sliding keyboard?
Closed AccountJun 23, 2010
WTF man. Why would a blind person NOT want to check e-mail or use map apps with directions, etc.
shwaavayJun 23, 2010
WTF douche, cause they're blind maybe?!?!
crichton101Jun 23, 2010
I can see your point with the email and the map directions(though unless their walking directions I don't think they need them. But devices capable of that already exist for blind people. Blackberrys, and GPS units. Not everything that is made MUST be made to be used by disabled people.
Closed AccountJun 23, 2010
You are right crichton - but I was replying to the question "why would blind people need a smart phone", and the assertion that they have no need for e-mail, apps, or (gasp!) games.
crichton101Jun 24, 2010
What kind of electronic game on a video screen can a blind person play? Seriously? Considering most video games require Hand/Eye coordination, I really can't think of many if any video games on a smart phone or any other device/console that a blind person could even play.
Closed AccountJun 23, 2010
stupid huh? lets get a blind person a touch screen phone with a virtual keyboard! lol some people dont think...
and some people have way too much time on their hands and are always looking for things to bitch about even tho the thing they are bitching about doesnt affect them at all
milkmageJun 23, 2010
so petition the government to revoke the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Closed AccountJun 24, 2010
milkmage.... certain things cant be used by blind people.... the rest of us dont have to shape our lives to fit their disability..... there are plenty of phones out there they can use......
you wouldnt bitch piss and moan that blind people cant drive cars would you?
eluusiveJun 24, 2010
Did you even read the article or listen/watch the associated video?
therednewtJun 23, 2010
Yes, people with physical limitations should not be able to get the most from life. Maybe we should stop worrying about ramps for buildings too.
arana67Jun 23, 2010
I didn't know you needed a smartphone to get the most out of life. I better get one.
cyborg31Jun 23, 2010
What can a blind person do with a smartphone aside from making calls? In that case, why not just get a regular phone?
therednewtJun 24, 2010
@arana67 Smartphones provide an advantage especially in the corporate world when it comes to staying in contact. Why shouldn't blind people be able to have that advantage? Or should people with disabilities be excluded from opportunities for success?
spacem00seJun 23, 2010
My friend, who is blind, uses his phone for email, text messages, checks the bus times, flight departures (he travels alot), restaurant guides, etc, etc.
ktrbJun 23, 2010
You're an idiot.
neotechniJun 24, 2010
Thank you for not using 'your'. We noticed.
kitsuaJun 24, 2010
http://www.plognark.com/Art/Sketches/Blogsketches/2008/thestupiditburns.jpg
jmp478Jun 24, 2010
This account has been closed by the user
mogebierJun 24, 2010
This would require the reactionary kids on here to read and understand a comment before jumping all over it. You are the only one to understand my point.
yage2006Jun 23, 2010
I heard the iphone with its voice over system was good for blind users. It is probably the only one that does well though.
milkmageJun 23, 2010
..didn't actually read the article did you?
“The most amazing thing about the iPhone is you go into the settings and you turn on the screen reader and you can use every part of your phone, every text-based application and you don’t have to pay anything extra,’’ he said.
yage2006Jun 24, 2010
No I did not :)
asus3000Jun 23, 2010
More like blind users flunk using smartphones.
Closed AccountJun 23, 2010
Blind people use phones?
Closed AccountJun 23, 2010
damn,
that thumbs down button over there must be in braille.
818diggJun 23, 2010
Thats what apps like this are for: http://www.looktel.com/
masterantonioJun 24, 2010
That's one of the coolest things I've seen.
Closed AccountJun 23, 2010
...who cares?
grexeoJun 23, 2010
I hope you lose your eye sight one day and realise what a thoughtless assh**e you are.
Closed AccountJun 23, 2010
If I lose my eye sight, I probably wouldn't need a smart phone now would I? It's not like I should expect a phone that can browse the internet and convert everything to braille just because I had the misfortune of becoming blind.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
Closed AccountJun 23, 2010
P.S. Also, thanks for hoping that I lose my eye sight. Who's the assh**e now?
akaakcJun 24, 2010
P.S.
You're still the assh**e.
kitsuaJun 24, 2010
Nope, it's still you mnemy.
spacem00seJun 23, 2010
If you know someone who is blind, tell them to go to the Apple store and play around with an iPad touch.
kitsuaJun 24, 2010
Blind people and the disabled community, obviously. You dolt.
elmuerte17Jun 23, 2010
In other news, MP3 players are virtually useless for deaf users.
akaakcJun 24, 2010
Actually, they're very decorative paper weights.
Douche...
litespeedJun 24, 2010
That won't stop the deaf community screaming human rights and demanding that all MP3 players come with scrolling lyrics.
waldo686Jun 24, 2010
Haha I know how over abused laugh out loud is but your comment made me chuckle aloud thank you sir!
asus3000Jun 24, 2010
For the win.
maryjanemeJun 23, 2010
uhhhhh der.
nerdenerdJun 23, 2010
So don't buy one.
There are plenty of options that work well for the blind!!
tricky12Jun 23, 2010
Get a different phone then... Its not like they need it. That might be incentive but it is the truth.
satirenineJun 24, 2010
You're an incentive to stay in school.
diggbJun 23, 2010
EPIC BRAILLE!
wussJun 23, 2010
I agree with a certain level of accessibility for people with physical impairments, but you have to draw a line somewhere.
It can probably be debated by either side forever on where that line should be drawn, but sometimes you just have to accept that certain things are made for a particular audience, and live with it.
Complaining that any touchscreen device isn't tactile enough for blind people is just plain ridiculous. It's just as absurd to me for a double amputee to complain that shoes only come with ankle sized holes and not thigh-sized holes.
I don't think accessibility to these types of products is even an issue if there's a reasonable alternative that exists that fulfills the core functionality. (ex. a blackberry)
whatthefuJun 24, 2010
I agree, but we should still encourage more innovation in accessibility.
jmunjrJun 23, 2010
This just in....automobiles flunk for blind users too...
effoffpunkJun 23, 2010
This just in... eyes flunk for blind users too..
akaakcJun 24, 2010
This just in... I had sex with BOTH of your mothers last night.
marciotJun 24, 2010
The good news is that if a blind man is driving, he will not needlessly endanger other motorists by texting while driving, because he cannot see his smartphone.
brokein3Jun 23, 2010
Don't be blind then.
tsothaJun 23, 2010
There are plenty of phones with keyboards. They run the same operating systems, too. I don't see what the big deal is here - if you're blind, buy a phone with a keyboard.
Closed AccountJun 23, 2010
we'd better make it illegal to make virtual buttons.
whodoneitJun 23, 2010
noiphone
crimsonblurJun 23, 2010
Upcoming headline: "Spartphones Flunk for Quadriplegics". This article is pointless. Of course the most cutting edge technology is not designed to play nice with every physical disability someone might have. Unfortunately the reality of the world is people with disabilities have to use special equipment. What do people think the alternative is?
cerebronJun 23, 2010
New idea, (I call dibs), build a tablet/smart phone out of a pin table that, instead of displaying buttons, display braille.
Tada, the iPhone Pin.
shanealeslieJun 24, 2010
I immediately thought the same thing. If they can find a way to have the pin resolution the same as an iPhone screen, and have the tip of each pin be a pixel then everyone could use the same screen, and have tactile feedback on apps and games. Not likely in the immediate future - but it could probably be available in the next five years.
old3fortranJun 23, 2010
The sad thing is, universal access/UI accessibility is almost as old as the GUIs themselves.
Tons and tons of perception and HCI research, nice to seeing it mostly being ignored.
On the plus side, some of the prospects for deaf users are looking up.
Marlee Matlin commented on her twitter feed that she's pretty excited over the prospect of FaceTime on the iphone for signing.
eluusiveJun 24, 2010
Actuallty, if you read the article.... the iPhone's VoiceOver system is pretty nifty.
neotechniJun 24, 2010
"The sad thing is, universal access/UI accessibility is almost as old as the GUIs themselves.
Tons and tons of perception and HCI research, nice to seeing it mostly being ignored."
Yeah, Apple has a tendancy to do that
ericthesalmonJun 23, 2010
Steve Jobs doesn't care about blind people.
jakobrowningJun 23, 2010
uh... duh?
pshoaxbusterJun 23, 2010
Here we go again, blind people making our lives worse with their bitching.
snaxieJun 24, 2010
Right up there with dogs that you're not supposed to pet........
malicoireJun 23, 2010
Wait, a smooth surfaced graphical interface is not good for someone who can't see? I thought Fark did the Ric Romero articles.
wbgoJun 23, 2010
"denied tools their colleagues and competitors enjoy"
Eh? Who are the blinds' competitors? Deaf people?
danj484Jun 24, 2010
While it would be great for all of the devices to work for everyone, the existence of the Blackberry kind of nullifies the problem.
realz1Jun 24, 2010
Based on most of the comments, most you didnt even read the article. LAME!
crossmrJun 24, 2010
dear blind people, the world doesn't revolve around you. I'm sorry you're blind, but private companies don't need to make every single product available for you unless you're going to pay for R&D.
p.S. I hope you find someone to read this to you
kitsuaJun 24, 2010
This comment page has left me with a nasty taste in my brain.
kingharvest00Jun 24, 2010
i hate blind and deaf people
nowherekido3Jun 24, 2010
and in other news on this slow news day. 3D television flunks for the blind, music fails the deaf, and voice recognition defeated by the mute.
errdayimhustlinJun 24, 2010
Why in the name of zeus do smartphones need to be usable by the blind and deaf? I totally fail to see the problem.
eluusiveJun 24, 2010
Maybe you should _READ THE f**kING ARTICLE_ before you bury or digg. You "fokkin" moron.
scottamusJun 24, 2010
They need a seeing eye-Phone?
themacmeisterJun 24, 2010
This article flunks for users with commonsense.
Show me a blind or visually impaired user who could ever hope to use a slide-out keypad!
Even fully sighted users can't press those physical buttons.
Buried for being a pointless article.
fmvorenkampJun 24, 2010
Ummmm... DUH? You don't exactly hear about paraplegics bitching about how skateboards don't work for them, or deaf people commenting on the fact that Polk Audio speakers aren't accessible for the hearing impaired. Why should a device designed with the key focus being a visual (I'm thinking touch screen) interface be geared towards blind people? Sort of defeats the point.
fmvorenkampJun 24, 2010
also... iPhone. Haha, get it? It's like Apple is making fun of them. iPhone... hehehe
satirenineJun 24, 2010
funny...if you're 6.
kotiyaJun 24, 2010
Huh... I didn't know the iPhone was so useful for blind people, I would have figured the flat face would have made it useless. This article makes me feel better about the world. Thanks for digging this.
wateryouthJun 24, 2010
They are developing technology where bumps will be able to come up through the screen area, or in a certain area, to create braille to allow blind people to read.
deviationerJun 24, 2010
hey blind people, guess what, smartphones, video games, youtube, driving, etcc ARE NOT FOR YOU!
So.....SHUT THE f**k UP!
the world doesn't have to carter to you and make everything blind friendly. So deal with it.
How many blind people are there compared to none-blind people?Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
kreatre2007Jun 30, 2010
This sounds harsh, but tough! Why should the phone industry make EVERYTHING so that it works for the blind? There are a lot of phones on the market that the blind can use, so let them use those phones. Leave the iPhone, and other touchscreen phones to the rest of us who can use them. I don't want clunky, ugly buttons all over my phone.