Software Update Makes iTunes Accessible To Blind Users 148
rickthewizkid writes "Recent updates to the iTunes software allow blind users to access the program without assistance. From the article: 'The new software — which transforms the written information on an iTunes-linked computer screen into speech or Braille — stemmed from an agreement between Apple, the Cupertino, Calif.-based computer company, the National Federation of the Blind and Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley.'" It's not just the actual iTunes app, though; the article notes that this update makes iTunes U useable as well.
iPod Nano speaks navigation and song titles too (Score:2, Informative)
Part of the same effort. User may turn on larger text, or enable spoken items from within iTunes.
Awesome! (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Good start Apple (Score:5, Informative)
http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Accessibility/Reference/AccessibilityLowlevel/index.html [apple.com]
The problem was largely with the Windows version of iTunes, as well as the Music Store, which uses non-standard windows. But basic accessibility is built into OS X (they tell me its a little more clunky than the screen-readers for Windows, but it is free and built-in)
Turn it on in the Universal Access pane. Try using it; you'll probably give up in frustration after about five minutes. Makes you appreciate having good eyesight.
Re:Braille? (Score:2, Informative)
Yeah, blind people can see dots but not text =)
Seriously, I think it requires specialized hardware that can somewhat mold some surface into Braille. Or text-to-speech etc (but that doesn't seem to be the case of the article)
I have though seldom seen semi-blind people use specialized (big!) monitors and software that output text "really clearly" (size, contrast) so they can see it.
Re:Braille? (Score:5, Informative)
Pray tell, how does a software upgrade convert text into Braille? Does it just display a series of dots on the screen?
Yes, if by "display" you mean "raise and lower a set of pins". On Wikipedia, see Braille display [wikipedia.org].
Re:Braille? (Score:3, Informative)
Sort of. The interface is rather remarkable. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refreshable_Braille_display [wikipedia.org]
Re:Awesome! (Score:5, Informative)
Safari and the many other application on the Mac are accessible to the blind. The Mac has a built in screen reader, VoiceOver, that permit the blind as well as the print disabled to have the screen read to them and to navigate to onscreen controls.
Most Cocoa application are, by default, accessible to VoiceOver and there are simple and well documented steps a programmer can do to insure there Macintosh applications are accessible.
Because VoiceOver is built into the OS and not an added services the blind users literally saves $1000s of dollars over the cost of a Windows PC.
Re:Welcome to the 80's Apple (Score:5, Informative)
Windows has always had superior accessibility because it was designed to support full keyboard navigation from its inception. It's impossible to create an application using standard controls that doesn't support the keyboard. Why Apple didn't make their OS work right in this regard with the move to OSX escapes me to this day.
You mean like this [apple.com]:
Full Keyboard Navigation
In Mac OS X, you can use the keyboard to navigate through a document. The Tab key lets you navigate to lists, text boxes, and other controls, and the space bar and Return key let you interact with them.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Using keyboard shortcuts (or key combinations), you can quickly perform a wide range of tasks. In addition to the large number of predefined keyboard shortcuts included with Mac OS X, the Mac lets you customize existing shortcuts, create your own, or remove shortcuts you don't use. Shortcuts can be systemwide or made to work only in specific applications. Use the Keyboard Shortcuts tab in the Keyboard & Mouse pane of System Preferences to add or modify shortcuts.
Slow Keys
If you have motor-skills disabilities, you can use Slow Keys to avoid typing errors and unintended multiple keystrokes.
Adjustable Key Repeat and Delay
If you want to change the Key Repeat or Delay Until Repeat rate to suit your needs, you can do so using the Keyboard & Mouse settings in System Preferences. Used in conjunction with Slow Keys, these settings let you adapt the keyboard to match your abilities and use it more effectively.
Sticky Keys
Using Sticky Keys, you can enter key combinations (called "chords") -- such as Command-Q (for Quit) or Shift-Option-8 (to enter the symbol) -- by pressing them in sequence instead of simultaneously.
When Sticky Keys is active, Mac OS X visually displays each key in the sequence in the upper-right corner of the screen, accompanied by a sound effect, so you can verify the sequence and correct it (if needed) before it's entered. When you press the last key in the sequence, Mac OS X enters the keys as a chord and the visual representation disappears.
Mouse Keys
If you have difficulty controlling the mouse, you can use Mouse Keys to control the mouse pointer using the keys on a numeric keypad. With Mouse Keys, you can navigate menus, the Dock, windows, toolbars, palettes, and other controls by pressing keys.
Re:Welcome to the 80's Apple (Score:3, Informative)
And, well, sorry, but the Windows universe has long been better for blind and near-blind users than the OS X universe. Though Apple has made some serious strides in the past few years, they're still behind.
Simple things, like not tab-stopping commit/cancel buttons, make the process significantly harder for usability programmers and users alike.
Applause should be given for making strides on this front, but Apple is still playing catch-up.
Re:Awesome! (Score:3, Informative)
In XP, just look under Start | All Programs | Accessories | Accessibility... You'll find a number of accessibility programs, including a screen reader, magnifier, and programs to configure manage these features (Vista has these too, of course). What added services are you thinking of that cost $1000s?
There's plenty to knock Microsoft for, but I don't think accessibility support in their OS's is one of them. And honestly, are you seriously trying to tell me that buying a Mac is ever cheaper than a roughly equivalent Windows PC? Macs are great computers, don't get me wrong. But they're also *premium* devices, and cost more than PCs.
Re:iPod Nano speaks navigation and song titles too (Score:3, Informative)
Interesting.
I use Rockbox and I've noticed that a large number of Rockbox users are blind (I am not). Rockbox has supported voice prompts for quite a long time now - obviously the word has gotten out since many of these users are not the sorts of people who would be flashing custom firmware onto an mp3 player otherwise. A fair amount of effort has been devoted to accessibility on the project, and I don't think that many other mp3 players can make that claim.
Re:Welcome to the 80's Apple (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Awesome! (Score:2, Informative)
In all due respect Narrator is not a screen reader and Microsoft never claimed it was. To gain access to the OS in Windows you will need to buy a Windows screen reader which will add a thousand dollars to the cost of what ever computer you will buy. Or put another way you can buy a entry level Mac for less than the cost of a Windows screen reader itself.
While many here have said that VoiceOver is not as capable as it commercial Windows counterpart I would beg to differ. VoiceOver is fundimentaly different from Windows screen readers in several ways:
VoiceOver is a integrated part of the OS. Therefor it does not attempt to step in an do tasks that the OS does. So it does not need commands to close a window, for example, as the OS provides that already.
Second in Macintosh it is the applications that are changed to become accessible with the screen reader and not the other way around. So we gain accessibility each time a developer follows the rules and improves his applications (Microsoft did you hear that? Microsoft Office for Mac is not accessible but OpenOffice 3 is.)
I would also point out that VoiceOver support most USB braille displays without having to install drivers for them. Anyone who has ever tried to get a braille display running under Windows will see the improvement in that.
Now I'm not one of these Mac fanboys who will urge a Mac where it is not appropriate but for many blind users, and for most dyslexics who require a screen reader, who have usual computer need and who do not need a Windows computer for some specific task a Mac should be considered. It will perform the basic tasks, will cost less at the outset and will cost far less to upgrade over time as there will be not screen reader updates to buy. They support braille. They are less prone to spyware and such and the out of the box voice quality is hard to match on any platform at any price