Over the last couple of years, I've come to a conclusion about life as a
blind person: it isn't the physical lack of sight that's the biggest
difficulty I face; but rather, it is attempting to overcome peoples'
negative stereotypes and misconceptions about what I can-and cannot-do that
is the real problem.
When I think of situations where negative stereotypes about blind people
come into play, the use of technology isn't the first thing that comes to
mind. I tend to think about education, or employment, or parenting long
before I think of access to the latest and greatest tech. But, as a recent
Wired article <http://www.wired.com/2015/01/ibrailler-ipad-app/> about a
new Braille-writing app demonstrated, misconceptions still abound about what
technology blind people are able to gainfully use.
The article, published on January 23, 2015, was written about a new iPad app
called iBrailler Notes
<https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ibrailler-notes/id929976332> . The app,
which allows users to type notes on their iPad using Braille, was just
recently released on the App Store. iBrailler's main selling point is a
"Dynamic Keyboard"-a feature which adjusts the position of the Braille
keyboard each and every time you place your fingers on the screen. .
It's always great to see mainstream media outlets reporting on news
impacting the visually impaired, because these stories often educate the
public about just how much empowerment blind people can have through the use
of assistive technology. What isn't so great, however, is when journalists
get very important details wrong and thus inaccurately represent a story-and
therein lies my motivation for writing this post.
In the first paragraph of the Wired article, which was subsequently amended
on 2/3/2015, the author stated that it is "nearly impossible" for blind
people to use devices with touchscreens:
The proliferation of touchscreen technology may have revolutionized mobile
computer input for most everyone, but there's one sector of the population
that isn't exactly feeling the pinch, the tap, or the swipe: the blind. It's
nearly impossible to interact with elements on a totally smooth screen if
you can't see.
Put simply, the author's "facts" are completely inaccurate. Thanks to
Apple's excellent implementation of VoiceOver screen-reading technology,
blind users are able to fully and independently utilize the touchscreens on
their devices.
Need to find a specific app on your home screen? No problem! Either flick
left or right with one finger and listen to VoiceOver read the app names as
you pass them; or you can just move your finger around the screen to get an
idea of the layout.
Want to send an e-mail? You got it! Your options include using the
touchscreen keyboard in three different typing modes; built-in Braille
Screen Input; Handwriting Mode; and of course, dictation. (That's another
thing that gets on my nerves: dictation is not the be-all-and-end-all
solution for text entry on an iOS device if you are blind.)
iOS isn't for you? Have no fear! It's possible to use a touchscreen on an
Android device as well, even if the experience isn't as polished as it is on
iOS.
Oh, and about those gestures that blind people supposedly can't "feel": not
only can blind users tap, pinch, and swipe; we can two-, three-, and
four-finger double-tap; we can write Braille with Apple's built-in Braille
keyboard feature; and we can even use Handwriting Mode if we so desire.
For being "nearly impossible" to use, Apple's touchscreen-equipped devices
are popular with blind people the world over. Android, while not as
accessible
<http://chrishofstader.com/testing-android-accessibility-i-give-up/> as
iOS, also has blind people using touchscreen devices. It's even possible to
use touchscreen Windows 8.1 computers with screen reading software
<http://www.freedomscientific.com/About/News/Article/19> . The only mobile
phone platform blind people don't have access to is BlackBerry, but who
really uses that anymore, anyway?
It is worth noting that not all touchscreen technology is currently
accessible to blind people. As one of my readers pointed out
<http://www.applevis.com/comment/35370#comment-35370> , point-of-sale
systems, ATM machines, and any other touchscreen-equipped devices that do
not have speech output are not useable by blind people without sighted
assistance. However, blind people do have the capability to use touchscreen
devices if appropriate assistive technology solutions are implemented-a
point the author conveniently failed to mention in the article.
Further down in the article, the author contradicts herself by stating,
correctly, that the iPad was completely accessible to blind users from day
one
<http://macdailynews.com/2010/04/15/totally_blind_person_reviews_apple_ipad_
100_accessible_thanks_apple/> -thanks to VoiceOver. And yes, that includes
the "nearly impossible" task of finding elements on that smooth, glass
touchscreen. In fact, that smooth, glass touchscreen was made accessible
when the iPhone 3Gs was released in June 2009
<http://www.applevis.com/blog/advocacy-apple-assistive-technology-ios-iphone
-news/5-years-voiceover-look-how-far-weve-come> -well before the iPad
<https://www.apple.com/pr/library/2010/01/27Apple-Launches-iPad.html> 's
2010 launch.
In today's era of sensational journalism, I guess I shouldn't be too
surprised that Wired got one of the most fundamental details of Apple's
accessibility efforts so horribly wrong. And yet, I still am. Furthermore,
I'm disappointed that a major mainstream news source chose to perpetuate
factually inaccurate information about blind people, even though it's clear
from my reading of the article that some research was done on the topic. I'm
disappointed because the subtle message sent in the article is that blind
people can't use touchscreen technology, even though all the available
evidence suggests just the opposite. And I'm disappointed because, in all
likelihood, there will be people who actually accept the Wired article as
fact-and there is probably very little I can do to change that. If nothing
else, at least I can go to sleep tonight knowing that I did my part to set
the record straight.
