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Category: AT News

Optelec ClearReader+ now shipping

Published June 14, 2011 by L. Legendary

If you have been looking for a replacement for your antiquated CCTV reading device, Optelec is now shipping their new product, the ClearReader+ advanced.  To characterize this gadget as a CCTV however, would be to fall short of accurate.  The Optelec ClearReader+ offers both magnification and text-to-speech functionality, with the portability demanded by our mobile lifestyle.

 

I’ve had a long history with Optelec, as they were the manufacturer of my very first CCTV back when electricity was first invented.  Okay, not quite that long ago, but back then, CCTV’s were absolutely enormous, as well as enormously heavy.  By comparison, the ClearReader+ is like using a spaceship for transport instead of the covered wagon I had been using.  My old CCTV was about the size of a covered wagon, anyway.

 

Here’s the scoop on features: :

The Optelec ClearReader+ Advanced is a bundle package of the Magnification Feature Pack and ClearReader+  for dual functionality  and multi-purpose. For existing ClearReader+ users, the Magnification Feature Pack is also easily integrated and can be purchased  separately.

Now, low vision and blind users can view and/or listen to scanned or saved newspapers, favorite books, letters or other documents  with quality, convenience, and simplicity in an attractive portable design.

By the simple press of the button to scan any document, the portable and battery-operated ClearReader+ begins reading text aloud  within seconds using high quality, fast OCR and text-to-speech recognition technology.
Low vision users can add the optional Magnification Feature Pack to the ClearReader+ for expanded product functionality, video  magnifier benefits, and document saving capabilities. Blind users can also operate with voice-only menu options.  
Simply connect the ClearReader+ to any VGA monitor, TV or video magnifier (such as the Optelec ClearView+), plug in the  Magnification Feature Pack, select the preferred high contrast color and text magnification, and rediscover a new concept in  reading!
*Special Note: Monitor and VGA cable sold separately.

 

Here are a few more details:
4 Pre-Selected Reading Voices (US English Jill, US English Tom, Mexican Spanish Paulina, Canadian French Julie)
24 Total Different Voices Available, in 12 Languages with 2 in Spanish and 3 in American English.
Photo and Text Mode (Column and Line view)
12 Selectable High Contrast Colors
Up to 16X Magnification of Original Document
3 Menu Options (Advanced, Basic, Voice Only)
2 Font Options (Arial and Verdana)
Save Photo, Text or Book Documents
Expandable Memory on SD Card or USB Drive
3 Saving Options (Save without voice label, Save with voice label, Save book)
2 Word Highlight Options (Block or Box). 
 
Want to see a demo?  This informative video shows off the cool capabilities of the ClearReader+:

 

Video demo on YouTube

 
Want one?  Get it here:
Visit Optelec online at Optelec.com:
 
www.optelec.com/en_US/new-clear-reader-advanced
 
Products are available NOW through Optelec’s Authorized Dealer Distribution Network.
Call Optelec at 800.826.4200 or email info@optelec.com with any questions, pricing, ordering information, and to connect with a  local representative near you.

Optelec’s Authorized Dealer Distribution Network is a group of authorized dealers throughout the U.S. who can offer you local  sales support, provide an in-home demonstration at no obligation, product training and ongoing on-site servicing and customer  care.

Want more?  You can find Optelec at the American Council of the Blind 50th anniversary conference exhibit hall at booth 43.  The ACB event will be held July 8-16, 2011 in Reno, Nevada.  Be sure to stop by and ask for a live demo.  When tweeting about Optelec or the conference, be sure to use hashtag #ACB11.  See you there!

LL

 

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Elegant Insights to debut at ACB Conference July 8-16, 2011

Published June 10, 2011 by L. Legendary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Laura Legendary

Phone: 509-264-2588    

Email: l.legendary@elegantinsightsjewelry.com

elegantinsightsjewelry.com

Date: June 7, 2011

 

Elegant Insights Braille Creations offers jewelry and accessories with a tactile twist

 

Elegant Insights Braille Creations is bringing a tactile element to jewelry by offering designs that are embellished with Braille.

 

Created in the USA, the collection  is designed using contemporary metals such as brass, copper, stainless steel and silver to showcase the beauty of Braille.  This distinctive assortment also includes dog tags, and charms for purses, stemware, mobility canes, and cell phones.  The products are all hand-crafted which will allow personalization on many items. "The product line will take cues from customers," says Laura Legendary, owner and Sole Proprietor of Elegant Insights Braille Creations.  "The flexibility of interchangeable charms, along with our Braille embossing technique, enables us to create just about anything a client can dream up."

 

Although the line was created especially for people who are blind or visually impaired, it will also appeal to jewelry collectors of intriguing conversation pieces.

 

Elegant Insights Braille Creations will be making its debut at the American Council of the Blind 50th Anniversary Conference in Reno, Nevada, from July 8-16, 2011 at booth number 62.   The official launch is planned for August 2011.

 

About Laura Legendary:  Laura Legendary is a speaker, author and entrepreneur specializing in disability awareness, accessibility and assistive technology.  She is the owner and founder of Legendary Insights, a group of online resources including Eloquent Insights, Accessible Insights, and In-Home Insights.  For more information about Elegant Insights Braille Creations, go to: www.elegantinsightsjewelry.com/

 

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LL

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Accessible Twitter changes name to Easy Chirp

Published May 29, 2011 by L. Legendary

Web App "Accessible Twitter" Changes Name to "Easy Chirp"
The web-accessible application empowers users with disabilities and low-end technology to access

Twitter, the popular social micro-blogging web service.

Cupertino, CA (June 1, 2011) – Accessible Twitter, the esteemed web application that empowers

users with disabilities and low-end technology to access Twitter, will now go by the name Easy

Chirp (www.easychirp.com).

The name change is due to several reasons, the foremost is that the Twitter rules of use for

third-party applications does not allow the word "Twitter" in the name of the application. Also,

the word "easy" is simpler to understand than "accessible", especially to those not in the

accessibility or disability communities. And, the new name is considerably shorter, especially

important with the 140-character limit in Twitter statuses, better known as tweets.

Mr. Dennis E. Lembree, owner of the web development company WebOverhauls.com, is the creator of

Easy Chirp, and is dedicated to expanding the accessibility of the web.

"Accessibility is finally becoming much more mainstream, as it needs to be. I think the name

change reflects this, and helps expose the web app to a wider base of users."
-Dennis Lembree of WebOverhauls

The website logo and design remain consistent after the name change. The old domain name

AccessibleTwitter.com will continue to be functional.

In addition to reading and posting tweets in Easy Chirp, features include direct messaging,

URL-shortening, running and saving searches, viewing popular links, and providing full support

for lists.

Mr. Jennison Asuncion works in the IT Accessibility space in Canada, and is himself a screen

reader user. He chooses Easy Chirp for his Twitter application. "I’m an active Twitter user who

prefers an accessible web-based client. Easy Chirp fits the bill perfectly!"

Easy Chirp/Accessible Twitter has been mentioned in numerous articles and books, and received

the American Foundation for the Blind 2011 Access Award.

For more about Easy Chirp, visit: www.easychirp.com.

#####

About Web Overhauls
Web Overhauls is a web development company specializing in web standards, usability, and

accessibility. Web Overhauls develops websites for small to medium-sized businesses with a focus

on improving existing websites for a better user experience. The company is a member of GAWDS

and Refresh Detroit. Mr. Dennis E. Lembree, the President of Web Overhauls, is an established

expert in the field; he is an author and speaker, the creator of Easy Chirp, and the author of

Web Axe, a podcast and blog about web accessibility.

For more information, visit or email: weboverhauls [AT] gmail dot com.

About Easy Chirp
Disabled users typically have significant problems accessing many websites and web services,

including Twitter. Easy Chirp greatly helps the issue through many development techniques

including: ensuring that all links are keyboard accessible; providing consistent navigation and

page structure; providing proper headings. Easy Chirp works with or without JavaScript and is

compatible with all major Internet browsers, including the outdated Internet Explorer 6. Easy

Chirp is used by those with and without disabilities.

For more information, visit www.easychirp.com or email: info [AT] easychirp dot com.

 

###

 

Thanks, Dennis, for a great product, no matter the name.  Readers, go to Easy Chirp and tweet about it to your followers!

 

LL

 

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EyeNote currency identifier app available for U.S. currency

Published May 19, 2011 by L. Legendary

Here is an announcement I received from the White House Disability Group.  If you have tried

this identifier, let us know how well it is working for you.

 

Bureau of Engraving and Printing Launches EyeNote™App

to Help the Blind and Visually Impaired Denominate US Currency

 

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) has developed a free downloadable application (app)

to assist the blind and visually impaired denominate US currency.  The app is called EyeNote™. 

EyeNote™ is a mobile device app designed for Apple iPhone (3G, 3Gs, 4), and the 4th Generation

iPod Touch and iPad2 platforms, and is available through the Apple iTunes App Store.   

EyeNote™ uses image recognition technology to determine a note’s denomination.  The mobile

device’s camera requires 51 percent of a note’s scanned image, front or back, to process.  In a

matter of seconds, EyeNote™ can provide an audible or vibrating response, and can denominate all

Federal Reserve notes issued since 1996.  Free downloads will be available whenever new US

currency designs are introduced.  Research indicates that more than 100,000 blind and visually

impaired individuals could currently own an Apple iPhone.

 

The EyeNoteTM app is one of a variety of measures the government is working to deploy to assist

the visually impaired community to denominate currency, as proposed in a recent Federal Register

notice.  These measures include implementing a Currency Reader Program whereby a United States

resident, who is blind or visually impaired, may obtain a coupon that can be applied toward the

purchase of a device to denominate United States currency; continuing to add large high contrast

numerals and different background colors to redesigned currency; and, raised tactile features

may be added to redesigned currency, which would provide users with a means of identifying each

denomination via touch.

 

More information is available at www.eyenote.gov/ or through email at eyenote@bep.gov.

 

Also, at: www.bep.treas.gov/uscurrency/meaningfulaccess

 

LL

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NFB announces agreement with Ticket Master to improve site accessibility

Published April 26, 2011 by L. Legendary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

CONTACT:

Chris Danielsen                                                                         Linda Bandov Pazin

Director of Public Relations                                                         Live Nation Entertainment

National Federation of the Blind                                                   (310) 867-7000

(410) 659-9314, extension 2330                                                   lindabandov@livenation.com

(410) 262-1281 (Cell)

cdanielsen@nfb.org

 
National Federation of the Blind
Announces Agreement with Ticketmaster
 
Ticketmaster Makes Website Fully Accessible and Fan-Friendly to Blind Users
 

Baltimore, Maryland (April 26, 2011): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the nation’s leading advocate for Internet access by blind Americans, today announced a cooperative agreement with Ticketmaster, the global event ticketing leader and one of the world’s top five eCommerce sites, to make its website fully accessible to the blind.  Under the agreement, Ticketmaster will make its website (www.ticketmaster.com) fully accessible to blind users utilizing screen access technology by December 31, 2011.  Screen access technology converts what is on the computer screen into synthesized speech or Braille.

 

Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “An increasing number of goods and services are now offered primarily over the Internet and Ticketmaster’s extremely popular ticket sales website is a prime example of this trend.  Ticketmaster customers gain many of the company’s valuable benefits and services, including access to special pre-sales and promotions, through its website.  The National Federation of the Blind is pleased that Ticketmaster has recognized the importance of providing equal access to its website for its blind customers, and we look forward to working with the company to achieve that goal.  The National Federation of the Blind will continue to work tirelessly until the blind have equal access to the full range of products and services available to the public through the Internet and other information technologies.”

 

“For Ticketmaster, the future is all about the fans.  We want to participate wherever and however so that fans can have the best possible fan-friendly experience,” said Nathan Hubbard, CEO of Ticketmaster.  “Partnering with the National Federation of the Blind is enabling us to address the needs of our blind fans, so that they can have the same positive experience when purchasing tickets for their favorite artists’ performance or any live event.  We are committed to working with NFB to enhance the Ticketmaster website so that it’s accessible and usable by all of our fans out there.”

 

Pursuant to the agreement, Ticketmaster will develop a comprehensive accessibility program that will include the development of an accessibility guidelines manual, as well as the appointment of both an accessibility coordinator and an accessibility committee.

 

Additionally, Ticketmaster will continue to work with officials of the National Federation of the Blind to ensure that the Ticketmaster services remain accessible to the blind.  Ticketmaster will submit its website to the NFB Nonvisual Accessibility (NFB-NVA) Web Certification program, a rigorous procedure by which websites and applications that have made efforts to be accessible to the blind can be identified and recognized.  The NFB-NVA Web Certification program continuously monitors participating sites to ensure that they remain compliant with certification criteria.  If a site remains accessible, its certification is renewed on an annual or a version basis.  If accessibility issues arise, the National Federation of the Blind will work with the site developers to remedy them.

 

###

 

About the National Federation of the Blind
With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people in the United States.  The NFB improves blind people’s lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging independence and self-confidence.  It is the leading force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation’s blind.  In January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center in the United States for the blind led by the blind.

 

About Live Nation Entertainment

Live Nation Entertainment is the world’s leading live entertainment and eCommerce company, comprised of four market leaders: Ticketmaster.com, Live Nation Concerts, Front Line Management Group and Live Nation Network.  Ticketmaster.com is the global event ticketing leader and one of the world’s top five eCommerce sites, with over 26 million monthly unique visitors.  Live Nation Concerts produces over 20,000 shows annually for more than 2,000 artists globally.  Front Line is the world’s top artist management company, representing over 250 artists.  These businesses power Live Nation Network, the leading provider of entertainment marketing solutions, enabling over 800 advertisers to tap into the 200 million consumers Live Nation delivers annually through its live event and digital platforms.  For additional information, visit www.livenation.com/investors.

 

LL

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Here it is! Official ZoomText Reader release

Published April 6, 2011 by L. Legendary

Since I’ve been hinting around about the release of the Zoomtext Reader product for awhile, I thought I’d post the official release notice from AI Squared:

 

It’s finally here! You have been hearing about ZoomReader for a couple of months now, and we are pleased to officially announce that our ZoomReader app is available for purchase in the iTunes App Store for just $19.99!

So what exactly is ZoomReader? Using your built-in camera on the iPhone 4, you can zoom in on printed text or apply a color filter to make everything easier on your eyes. It’s not just a video magnifier; you can also snap a picture of something and ZoomReader will convert it into text using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology and then read the text back to you!

Many of the features in ZoomReader are available via voice control, too – just say "take picture" and seconds later it’ll appear on screen.

Just think – now you can read the small print on a receipt, box, menu, or pill bottle. Whether you’re on the go or using ZoomReader to help you read a newspaper in the comfort of your living room, this quick and powerful program does everything a dedicated video magnifier can do and then some – from the convenience of your iPhone and at a much lower price.

Get your copy today in the iTunes App Store. If you’d like more information, you can visit our mobile website where you’ll find a bunch of how-to videos. Or, check out our overview video right here:

   
Ai Squared     Manchester Center, VT     (800) 859-0270     www.aisquared.com

 

 

:I’m really interested to know what you think, so if you try it out, comment below and share your experience.. 

 

LL

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Mobile Accessibility is Now Available for Purchase

Published April 1, 2011 by L. Legendary

Making Android Phones Accessible to the Blind
Terrassa (Barcelona), Spain, March 30th, 2011
Mobile Accessibility, our screen-access application that allows people who are blind or have low vision to use an Android phone in an intuitive, easy and simple way, is now on sale.  Mobile Accessibility is the first accessible Android application that permits intuitive touchscreen navigation of Android phones, featuring text readback via natural sounding voices powered by Nuance’s Vocalizer® text-to-speech technology.

You can purchase the application directly from the Market application of your Android phone, or from the web page:

US English: market.android.com/details?id=es.codefactory.android.app.ma.vocalizerenu&feature=search_result
UK English: market.android.com/details?id=es.codefactory.android.app.ma.vocalizereng&feature=search_result
For more information on how to purchase your copy of Mobile Accessibility please go to www.codefactory.es/en/products.asp?id=415#getit

If you still have not tried it, you should do it now. Our 30-day demos are available here:

Mobile Accessibility Demo US: market.android.com/details?id=es.codefactory.android.app.ma.vocalizerenudemo&feature=search_result
Mobile Accessibility Demo UK: market.android.com/details?id=es.codefactory.android.app.ma.vocalizerengdemo&feature=search_result

Mobile Accessibility is only available in English at the moment. Languages to follow soon are:  Spanish, Italian, German, French and Portuguese.

Mobile Accessibility doesn’t support multiple languages at one time. If you buy the English version of Mobile Accessibility you will not be able to use it in another language like French or Spanish. There will be a specific version of Mobile Accessibility for each language and each version will have to be purchased separately. US and UK English are 2 different languages.

Mobile Accessibility is two products in one:
A suite of 10 accessible applications (Phone, Contacts, SMS, Alarm, Calendar, Email, Web, Where am I, Apps and Settings) that have been specially designed for the blind and visually impaired. They all have a simplified interface whose textual information is spoken using Nuance Vocalizer® voice synthesis.
A screen reader that allows users to get out of the suite and navigate the standard interface of their phone.

The major features of Mobile Accessibility are the following:
Touch navigation: You can use Mobile Accessibility not only with the trackball or the physical keyboard of your phone, but also with its touchscreen! Simply move your finger around the screen and the voice synthesis will read the text located under your finger. Or if you prefer, you can also swipe up/down/right/left and tap on the screen to navigate through the interface. And if you wish you can enable sound and vibration feedback.
Easy to input text: In or outside the Mobile Accessibility suite you can use the touch QWERTY keyboard as well as speech recognition to write text quickly and easily. Imagine writing an SMS or an Email using your voice only.
Voice synthesis: Code Factory has been making mobile phones accessible to the blind and visually impaired for many years now, and they know that the voice matters… and a lot! For Mobile Accessibility, Code Factory has partnered with Nuance® to leverage its trusted Vocalizer text-to-speech technology, providing consumers with natural sounding voice readback. 

Inside the Mobile Accessibility suite of accessible applications you can do the following
Phone: Make calls, answer calls, hear the caller ID and manage your call log.
Contacts: Manage your contacts, even those from social networks such as Facebook. 
SMS: Compose and read short messages. Manage conversations.
Alarms: Set your alarms.
Web: Full web browser experience, similar to what you can find on your PC. Jump by the control of your choice (links, paragraphs, headings, forms, etc.) to navigate faster to the information of your interest. Bookmark your favourite webpages.
Calendar: Create, edit and delete a calendar entry. View all events per day, week or month.
Email: Full access to your Gmail account
Where am I? : GPS application that gives you updates on your current location.
Settings: Change ringtone. Configure feedback and notifications (vibration or audio). Configure keyboard echo, punctuation verbosity, speech pitch and rate, etc.
Quick access to date and time, phone status information such as battery level and network coverage, number of missed calls and unread messages, etc.

To hear Mobile Accessibility in action listen to videos and audio demos at www.codefactory.es/en/products.asp?id=415#video

Mobile Accessibility supports all Android phones from version 2.1 and above. Please note that voice recognition is only supported with version 2.2 and above. Note also that if you want to use the screen reader functionality of Mobile Accessibility you will need a phone with physical navigational controls such as a trackball or trackpad. You can find more information about Android phones at www.google.com/phone/#manufacturer=all&category=all&carrier=all&country=all&reset_filters=1

To learn how to use Mobile Accessibility for Android, please consult the user guide at www.codefactory.es/MA/en/ma_1_0_manual.html. For technical assistance, please submit a ticket through Code Factory’s Help Desk at www.codefactory.cat/helpdesk/

For more information, feel free to contact Code Factory S.L.:

Code Factory, S.L., Rambla d’Egara 148 2-2, 08221 Terrassa (Barcelona)
HelpDesk, www.codefactory.es
Code Factory, S.L. – 2011

 

LL

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Accessible Insights rolls out AT Work job board

Published March 17, 2011 by L. Legendary

We’re all doing our part to get the economy rolling again, and whether that means you’re spending, saving, building or hiring, we’re all in this together.  Along with efforts to help others, we’re struggling to help ourselves, too.  My miniscule contribution to the plan is to add a job board to the growing list of offerings here at Accessible Insights.  The AT Work job board focuses, as you might guess, on opportunities related to assistive technology.  I’ve yet to link it up to the home page, but you’ll be able to check out the job board by clicking the category, "AT Work" here on the blog.  Or, just click on the link below.

 

jobs.accessibleinsights.info

 

All search functions are free for job seekers.  All opportunities are located in the U.S. only.  Know someone who needs a job?  Send them to the AT Work job board.

The cost to post an AT Work classified is $20 for a listing lasting thirty days.  Are you a sole proprietor AT consultant looking for an assistant?  Post your requirements on the AT Work job board.  Have a web site build in mind, but you need some help with usability?  Find a specialist here.  Looking for a Universal design guru to add to your architectural firm?  Make the request on the AT Work job board.

           

The AT Work classifieds job board is specifically for people interested in accessibility or assistive technology consulting, accessible web development, Section 508 compliance testing, accessible mobile apps and accessible social media platforms development.  I know there are plenty of job boards out there, most of which seem to focus on Internet technology, but I want to emphasize job opportunities specifically in this one narrow niche.  Please pass this along to any organization you know of, large or small, and encourage them to post their assistive tech specialist opportunities here on the AT Work classifieds.

 

See you AT Work!

 

LL

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RFB and D audio books now available on Apple devices

Published March 8, 2011 by L. Legendary

RFB&D Audiobooks are Now Accessible on Apple iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Devices

New assistive technology application dramatically widens accessibility of educational content for people with learning differences.

Princeton, NJ (Vocus/PRWEB) March 08, 2011

Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic® (RFB&D®) has released a new application enabling its entire library of downloadable DAISY-formatted audiobooks to be played on Apple iOS devices including the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

The new application, known as RFB&D Audio, is available to individuals for $19.99 via the Apple iTunes store. An RFB&D online account is required to use the product, which offers advanced features for accessibility like bookmarking, chapter and page navigation, last position playback, variable speed control and more.

Our members have asked for our content on devices they enjoy using in everyday life and we have delivered,” says Andrew Friedman, RFB&D President and CEO. “This new application is a major milestone, building on the momentum begun a few months ago when we introduced our ReadHear software player making RFB&D books accessible on PC and Mac computers – we will continue to bring leading edge solutions to our users.”

RFB&D Audio is fully compatible with all iPad, iPhone 4 and 3GS models, and iPod touch second generation and above devices. For visually impaired members, the app takes full advantage of Apple’s VoiceOver technology. Members can select from RFB&D’s library of more than 64,000 titlesavailable online and easily download books to their PCs and Macs. From there, they can use iTunes to easily transfer the files to their devices.

More information, frequently asked questions, a quick start guide, and customer service contact information to support the RFB&D Audio app are available at www.rfbd.org/apple/.

About Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic®
Founded in 1948, RFB&D serves more than 300,000 K-12, college and graduate students, as well as veterans and lifelong learners – all of whom cannot read standard print due to blindness, visual impairment, dyslexia, or other disability. RFB&D’s collection of more than 64,000 digitally recorded textbooks and literature titles – delivered through internet downloads, various assistive technology devices, and CD – is the largest of its kind in the world. More than 5,000 volunteers across the U.S. help to record and process the books, which students rely on to achieve educational success and entry into the workforce.

RFB&D, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, is funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Education, state and local education programs, and the generous contributions of individuals, foundations and corporations. For more information, call (866) 732-3585 or visit www.rfbd.org.

# # #

Contact Information

Doug Sprei, Director of Media Relations
Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic
www.rfbd.org
202-684-8915

LL

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Mobile Accessibility by Code Factory goes Android with robust features

Published March 2, 2011 by L. Legendary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Terrassa (Barcelona), Spain, March 2nd, 2011
Today, Code Factory is delighted to introduce Mobile Accessibility, a screen-access application that allows people who are blind or have low vision to use an Android phone in an intuitive, easy and simple way. Mobile Accessibility is the first accessible Android application that permits intuitive touchscreen navigation of Android phones, featuring text readback via natural sounding voices powered by Nuance’s Vocalizer® text-to-speech technology.

Mobile phones have proved to be among the fastest-changing consumer technologies in the world – particularly with the advent of the Android platform. So making mobile phones accessible to the blind and visually impaired is therefore challenging, fascinating, thrilling and totally exciting all at the same time,” explained Eduard Sánchez, Code Factory’s CEO. “There was no doubt that we would target the  Android platform, as we very quickly realized that there was a real need in this specific market for an accessible solution that can provide a user-friendly experience for all blind and low-vision consumers. Mobile Accessibility allows everyone, from beginners to the most tech-savvy, to use an Android phone, no matter if it has physical keys or is touchscreen-only.”

Mobile Accessibility is two products in one:

A suite of 10 accessible applications (Phone, Contacts, SMS, Alarm, Calendar, Email, Web, Where am I, Apps and Settings) that have been specially designed for the blind and visually impaired. They all have a simplified interface whose textual information is spoken using Nuance Vocalizer® voice synthesis.
A screen reader that allows users to get out of the suite and navigate the standard interface of their phone.

“Mobile Accessibility provides both access to the mainstream apps of the phone and access to special apps for blind people. Why? Because our philosophy has always been to allow our users to use the phone the same way as everyone else. However, we also believe that having some special apps for the most common tasks can be extremely useful if it means gaining in productivity,” added Eduard Sánchez.

The major features of Mobile Accessibility are the following:

Touch navigation: You can use Mobile Accessibility not only with the trackball or the physical keyboard of your phone, but also with its touchscreen! Simply move your finger around the screen and the voice synthesis will read the text located under your finger. Or if you prefer, you can also swipe up/down/right/left and tap on the screen to navigate through the interface. And if you wish you can enable sound and vibration feedback.
Easy to input text: In or outside the Mobile Accessibility suite you can use the touch QWERTY keyboard as well as the speech recognition to write text quickly and easily. Imagine writing an SMS or an Email using your voice only.
Voice synthesis: Code Factory has been making mobile phones accessible to the blind and visually impaired for many years now, and they know that the voice matters… and a lot! For Mobile Accessibility, Code Factory has partnered with Nuance® to leverage its trusted Vocalizer text-to-speech technology, providing consumers with natural sounding voice readback. 

“With around 314 million visually impaired persons around the world, we believe that it’s our joint obligation to facilitate access to information and mobile communication to everyone” says Arnd Weil, VP & General Manager Automotive / Consumer Electronics, Nuance Communications. “By offering screen reader functionality for Android phones using Nuance Vocalizer, Code Factory gives blind and visually impaired persons access to one of the most important mobile platforms with the market’s most natural sounding and intelligible voices.”

Inside the Mobile Accessibility suite of accessible applications you can do the following:

Phone: Make calls, answer calls, hear the caller ID and manage your call log.
Contacts: Manage your contacts, even those from social networks such as Facebook. 
SMS: Compose and read short messages. Manage conversations.
Alarms: Set your alarms.
Web: Full web browser experience, similar to what you can find on your PC. Jump by the control of your choice (links, paragraphs, headings, forms, etc.) to navigate faster to the information of your interest. Bookmark your favourite webpages.
Calendar: Create, edit and delete a calendar entry. View all events per day, week or month.
Email: Full access to your Gmail account
Where am I? : GPS application that gives you updates on your current location.
Settings: Change ringtone. Configure feedback and notifications (vibration or audio). Configure keyboard echo, punctuation verbosity, speech pitch and rate, etc.
Quick access to date and time, phone status information such as battery level and network coverage, number of missed calls and unread messages, etc.

To hear Mobile Accessibility in action listen to videos and audio demos at www.codefactory.es/en/products.asp?id=415#video

Mobile Accessibility supports all Android phones from version 2.1 and above. Please note that voice recognition is only supported with version 2.2 and above. Note also that if you want to use the screen reader functionality of Mobile Accessibility you will need a phone with physical navigational controls such as a trackball or trackpad. You can find more information about Android phones at www.google.com/phone/#manufacturer=all&category=all&carrier=all&country=all&reset_filters=1

At the time of this release Mobile Accessibility is only available in English, but soon Code Factory will release other versions of Mobile Accessibility for Spanish, Italian, German, French and Portuguese. Note that Mobile Accessibility doesn’t support multiple languages at one time. If you buy the English version of Mobile Accessibility you will not be able to use it in another language like French or Spanish. There will be a specific version of Mobile Accessibility for each language and each version will have to be purchased separately.

You can now get a Mobile Accessibility Demo from the Android Market and try the product for free for 30 days:

Mobile Accessibility Demo US: market.android.com/details?id=es.codefactory.android.app.ma.vocalizerenudemo&feature=search_result
Mobile Accessibility Demo UK: market.android.com/details?id=es.codefactory.android.app.ma.vocalizerengdemo&feature=search_result

Soon Mobile Accessibility will be available for purchase through the Android Market at the price of 69 EUROS. You can purchase the application directly from the Market application of your Android phone, or from the web page market.android.com . Before buying the app make sure to check out our website at www.codefactory.es/en/products.asp?id=415 to see what carriers offer the product for free to their customers.

To learn how to use Mobile Accessibility for Android, please consult the user guide at www.codefactory.es/MA/en/ma_1_0_manual.html. For technical assistance, please submit a ticket through Code Factory’s Help Desk at www.codefactory.cat/helpdesk/.

For more information about Mobile Accessibility and Code Factory subscribe to the Mobile Accessibility mailing list at www.codefactory.es/en/list.asp?id=88, visit our website at www.codefactory.es or follow the company on Twitter at twitter.com/codefactory and use the hashtag #MA to talk about Mobile Accessibility.

About Code Factory 
Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Terrassa (Barcelona), Spain, Code Factory is the global leader committed to the development of products designed to eliminate barriers to the accessibility of mobile technology for the blind and visually impaired. Today, Code Factory is the leading provider of accessible mobile applications such as screen readers, screen magnifiers, and Braille interfaces. Code Factory’s products are compatible with the widest range of mainstream mobile devices running on Symbian, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry Smartphones, and Android. Among Code Factory’s customers are well known organizations for the blind such as ONCE in Spain, and carriers such as AT&T, Bouygues Telecom, SFR, TIM and Vodafone.

About Nuance Communications, Inc.
Nuance is a leading provider of speech and imaging solutions for businesses and consumers around the world. Its technologies, applications and services make the user experience more compelling by transforming the way people interact with information and how they create, share and use documents. Every day, millions of users and thousands of businesses experience Nuance’s proven applications and professional services. For more information, please visit: nuance.com.

 

For more information, feel free to contact Code Factory S.L.:

Code Factory, S.L., Rambla d’Egara 148 2-2, 08221 Terrassa (Barcelona)
HelpDesk, www.codefactory.es
Code Factory, S.L. – 2011

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