What is the mobile accessibility feature you are missing today?

Mobile accessibility is an evolving concept that continuously changes with technological advancements of new models of mobile phones and tablets coming to the market. For this reason, the MMF is carrying out its second stakeholder review of the accessibility features listed on GARI. The review process has been started this week, and we invite you to give us your feedback on the relevance of currently listed features and which new features you would suggest we include. 

When looking at the features listed in GARI, it has to be kept in mind that GARI serves also as reporting tool for manufacturers in countries where accessibility regulations are in place. Some features such as the capability of receiving/sending SMS might seem unnecessary to mention but for the sake of satisfying regulations, it is still listed as an explicit accessibility feature on GARI. 

Also important to consider is the global character of GARI. When suggesting new features, ask yourself whether they are relevant only in your country or across borders as well.

The current list of 110 features is easily accessible via www.gari.info. Under advanced search, you find all the features listed for mobile phones and tablets:  http://www.gari.info/findphones-advanced.cfm

Some of the features that we are already considering are:

• HD Audio: Device offers high-quality audio sound
• Head and/or Eyes Recognition: Can the user give commands via head and/or eye movements? 
• Copy and Paste: Does the device support a copy and paste functionality?
• Assistive Touch: Is there assistive touch capability on the device, such as tap on screen controls requiring only one finger, for tasks that would typically require more complicated handling? 
• Response to Prosthetic Device, Pointing Device or Stylus: Do buttons and screen respond to a prosthetic device, pointing device or stylus? A prosthetic device is an artificial device that serves as a replacement for a body part.
• Braille Display: Does the device support a braille display?
• Screen View Enlargement: Does the screen enlarger work with all the views, including the web?

Deadline for comments is 29 November 2013. 

Please do consider that the more concrete you are in your suggestions the more likely it is that we can integrate your input. A perfect way to provide your suggestions would be to specify: 

• The Proposed Feature
• A Proposed Description of the Feature
• The Type of Response Required (Yes/No or other response)
• Any Technical Note or Reference

Examples and use cases are very welcome!

More details on background and objective of the GARI feature review as well on how to submit your comments can be found here.

GARI participating in the workshop "Integrating Apps so that they apply to you and me", 12 November, Birmingham

Smartphone apps are primed to open new dimensions of accessibility and of helping people to customise mainstream devices to their needs - at relatively little cost and time effort. But concrete information on user numbers and user patterns are amiss. According to a recent survey only 28% of European and only 17% of North American mobile phone users would be actively using apps. A market research report published two weeks ago on the other hand, talks about 95 million adults in the US alone that are using their mobile phone to gather health information or use health tools on the phone. However, neither in the survey nor the market research report can there be found any indication about how many of the users are older or effected by any kind of disability.

For this reason, the workshop "Integrating Apps so that they apply to you and me" that is taking place at the 2013 International Telecare and Telehealth Conference (11-13 November, Birmingham, UK) invites participants to reflect on how to make the access to apps easier for senior citizens and disabled users, how to remove barriers and how to ensure basic accessibility of these apps. 

We will be part of the panelists and discuss with the participants of the workshop how GARI can be used to provide broad information on and access to accessibility apps.

If you would like to participate in the workshop or have ideas that you would like to share, let us know!

Here is the link to the workshop registration. 

Accessibility for people with cognitive disabilities

While it is fairly straight forward to understand what accessibility means for the vision or hearing impaired as well as people with restricted mobility, it is less evident what it means for people with cognitive disabilities. Generally speaking, cognitive disabilities are defined as "…any sort of cognitive disorder that impairs understanding and functioning". In this category fall autism, dyslexia, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, attention deficit disorder and many more. The severity can range from mild impairments such as bad memory and trouble focusing to profound comprehension difficulties. 

In this respect, mobile apps can be a great help to assist in every day tasks, as well as in training and learning. Functional training provided by apps can centre around memory, problem solving, attention, math comprehension, verbal comprehension, visual comprehension etc. Important points of references for users of these apps are clear indication of progress, explanatory failure messages that help recovery from errors, automated reminders, consistent navigation and simple, clean design. 

The CapturaTalk app for example helps people who have difficulties in reading and/or note-taking as well as supports those that suffer from poor file management and organisation. MyTalkTools can be used in speech therapy and supports the communication of needs and desires for those that have a hard time expressing themselves. And the Way of Life app can support the maintenance of structure by allowing to follow a detailed daily schedule and keeping track of the person's habits. 

These are just a handful of examples for mobile apps that can help people with cognitive disabilities to train and improve as well as to structure their days and communicate with their entourage. 

For more details on accessible apps, have a look at the new GARI accessible apps section: http://www.gari.info/findapps-results.cfm

Communicating in sign language via the mobile phone

While communication via telephone was made possible through relay services, and the first generations of mobile phones enabled communication via text messages, the advent of video telephony revolutionised telecommunications for sign language users. It is amazing to see how skilful sign language users minimise their gestures to fit the small screen and in which speed they communicate. 

Smartphones furthermore now offer a panoply of apps that range from sign language dictionaries to sign language study apps and access to content in sign language. Then there are the instantaneous sign language interpretation services that allow us to include a sign language interpreter in the telephone communication and enables communication between deaf and hearing people. 

Seen all together, these developments, suggest that we have come a long way for making telecommunications more usable for deaf and hard of hearing persons, however there is still much to do. 

Here at the GARI project, we are also very interested to learn how deaf and hard of hearing utilise mobile phones in every day life. Particularly what features or apps are most important for you. So if you are deaf and would like to share your story, please get in touch!

Why do we need sign language videos?

With the revamp of the GARI website, we wanted to make the database itself as accessible as possible. In this vein, we added to the number of written national languages our first sign language translation: ASL - American Sign Language. You can see it online at http://www.gari.info/sign-language.cfm, where Heather Dowdy, the chair of our Accessibility Working Group is explaining the GARI site and project.

Perhaps not surprisingly for those that don't sign, we often heard the question: "Why do you need sign language videos? Can't deaf people just simply read the written text?" 

To answer this question, one needs to know that for persons who are born deaf or hard of hearing, or who experienced hearing loss in early childhood, sign language is the mother tongue and the written national language is their second language. 

So one global language for the deaf then? Unfortunately it is not this simple either. There are at least as many sign languages as there are written national languages. There is American Sign Language for the United States overall, Auslan in Australia, JSL in Japan, ISL in India, BSL in the UK, DGS in Germany…. with many local varieties and dialects. Estimates are that there are about 200 sign languages used around the world today (not counting the local varieties).

To cover at least some of the most used sign languages and make GARI's content accessible to as many deaf and hard of hearing persons as possible, we are looking for national and local deaf communities that could help us provide more sign language videos on GARI. 

If you are a proficient sign language user and would like to help us in this respect, please drop us a line at sabine.lobnig (at) mmfai.info - we are looking forward to hearing from you!

Pushing accessibility in app development

August has been a busy month for mobile accessibility: an international conference, a new accessible app challenge and the pre-launch of the new GARI website in Australia all have worked towards raising awareness of the issues and encouraging the development and uptake of more accessible devices and apps. 

On 14-15 August, the M-Enabling Australasia 2013 conference brought together local and international experts on accessible technologies, mobile service providers, developers, manufacturers, retail and business groups, regulators, policymakers, and civil society. The focus was on access to mobile technology for persons with disabilities and senior citizens. 

At the conference, MMF Secretary General Michael Milligan presented the new GARI website, which now features an expanded search feature covering mobile phones, tablets and apps. The new GARI can be found at http://www.gari.info and is already available in 5 written languages  and 1 sign language for starters, with other written languages being completed.

Just one day before the event, the  Australian Human Rights Commission and the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) announced their new accessible app challenge called "Apps For All". The aim of the challenge is to create better access to mobile technology for the millions of persons with disabilities as well as senior citizens that are still missing out on the mobile digital revolution. 

The issue is that many developers do not know about or do not follow the accessibility guidelines provided by mobile platform owners including Apple, Google and Microsoft. It is important that accessibility is built into the app from the very beginning. It starts with properly labelling buttons so they can be read by screen reading software used by people who are blind or vision impaired, to innovative apps specifically designed to improve the lives of people with disability or the elderly, ACCAN writes. 

The challenge will award apps for mobile phones and tablets in the following categories:

• Most accessible mainstream app

• Most innovative app designed for people with disability

• Most accessible children's app

• Most accessible game app

Prizes and entry deadlines will be announced at a later date with the winners to be revealed at ACCAN's annual conference next year.

Similar competitions furthering accessible and accessibility app development are the US FCC's Chairman's Awards for Advancement in Accessibility and Vodafone Foundation's Mobile for Good Europe Awards 2013.

M-Enabling Summit: GARI being presented in Sydney

From 14-15 August 2013, the M-Enabling Australasia 2013 Conference and Showcase will take place in Sydney. This first Australasian edition of the M-Enabling initiative follows events in Washington D.C., San Francisco and Milan and looks at mobile technology as potential game changer for people with disability and senior citizens. 

The M-Enabling initiative wants to encourage access and inclusion through usable, accessible and affordable mobile equipment and services - the perfect stage to present the new GARI. 

On Thursday, Michael Milligan, Secretary General of the MMF, will showcase the new GARI website in the session "Mobile accessibility: The manufacturers’ perspective" (11:30-12:45) and explain about the new sections of the database that in this version also includes information on accessible tablets and apps. 

We hope to give people a first feel for the new site and motivate them to use GARI as soon as it is officially launched. We also hope to get honest feedback and to understand what people need when they come to GARI. 

If you are in Sydney next week, please come and talk to Michael, have a look at the new site and let us know what you think!

And of course, do let us know which accessibility apps you like and use and want to see in GARI's brand new app section!