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Accessibility added to Kindle Fire as blind group plans protest

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Amazon has announced it will add accessibility features to its Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD tablets, increasing access to content on the tablets for blind and vision impaired users. This comes after the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) in the US announced it would stage a protest against Amazon's plan to push the use of its Kindle devices and eBooks at schools.

Running on a version of Google's Android operating system, the Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD (both 7 and 8.9) tablets will include text-to-speech technology, a voice guide, and the ability to change text size and colour. These accessibility features will be available on the tablets in early 2013.

The tablets allow users to access content on Amazon such as music, games, apps, magazines and eBooks, as well as browse the web through a WiFi connection. Kindle Fire uses standard definition while Kindle Fire HD uses high definition.

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Blind or vision impaired

Education

Digital technology

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Rival to Siri could enhance app accessibility

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A voice-activated virtual assistant tool called Nina could improve the accessibility of smartphone apps. Developed by Nuance Communications, the rival to Apple’s Siri will give users the option to use their voice to perform tasks on their phones, increasing usability for people with a disability.

This week, Nuance released the software development kit so developers can begin to integrate Nina into their apps. The virtual assistant technology can be used across both Android and Apple iOS apps.

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Blind/vision impaired Digital Technology & Online Media news

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Meet Georgie, the app enhancing Android phones for blind users

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A vision impaired couple from the UK have come up with an app that improves the way blind or vision impaired people use phones. The app for Android smartphones, called Georgie, combines screen reader technology and add-on features that make it easier to use.

Designed by Roger and Margaret Wilson-Hinds, the app comes with core features as well as add-on packs that can be purchased according to user needs. The core features include screen reader and speech-to-text technology. Users can navigate the app menu and receive audio feedback, according to where their fingers are on the screen. Users can also dictate text messages which will then be read out by the screen reader before it is sent to another user.

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Digital technology

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Android smartphones

Android

Smartphones

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US Government sets assistive app challenge

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A challenge announced last week by the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) could see a suite of apps developed to help boost employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

The goal of the app challenge is to increase employment levels for people with disabilities by promoting resources using accessible mobile technology to assist both employers and job seekers.

Each app submitted to the challenge should achieve at least one of the following goals:

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Sensory impairment

Blind or vision impaired

Deaf or hearing impaired

Practical web accessibility

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