Apps can make the in-accessible accessible – Ofcom accessible apps day

On 17 May 2013, the UK regulator Ofcom brought together a wide range of people with varying degrees of background in accessibility to discuss the status of accessible apps development.

Robin Christopherson from AbilityNet gave a great presentation on the potential that accessible technology constitutes for the disabled as well as the “temporarily bodily abled people” as the American disability community seems to call the non-disabled, because “for a lot of people, there is at least some time in life when everyone has some sort of disability”.  

Himself blind, he demonstrated in an amazing way how skilful he handles his smartphone and tablet, not being any less fast with these devices than any other user. “If you design inclusively, you level the playing field,” he said.

Paul Porter from RNIB, also a blind user, demonstrated how painful and frustrating it is when apps do not provide basic accessibility. However, when accessibility is built in the right way, it can tremendously improve the life of disabled persons. “If people ask the right questions about accessibility, you turn up getting more usable products,” said Peter Abrahams from Bloor Research. Indeed, more and more people regard accessibility as a proof of product quality.

“It is all about choice, about options for input and output technologies,” according to Robin Christopherson. “What are options for abled bodied people, can be life changing for disabled people.” Fortunately, the days of having low-volume, high-cost assistive technologies seem gone, and advances in accessible technologies come on a monthly basis.

Ben Shirley’s presentation on advances in speech recognition of course showed that there are still areas that do need substantial improvement before these technologies can be widely deployed at low cost.

All the same, many important players in the market invest in ensuring their services are accessible. While Gareth Ford Williams and Ian Pouncey from the BBC’s accessibility team explained about their efforts in making the iPlayer truly accessible for as wide a range of people as possible, Michael Day presented British Telecom’s Next Generation Text Service (NGTS) app that is intended to be complementary to text relay services and should enable hearing and speaking impaired users to communicate much more conveniently.

Ben Foster from the UK NGO Patient Services demonstrated the practical aspect of how apps can make the life of patients easier. The organisation offers a variety of apps - from helping people manage their medical conditions to apps that facilitate the setting up of doctors’ appointments and the filing of prescriptions.

The MMF was very happy to have the opportunity during this seminar to present the new GARI and invite all participants to name the accessible apps that they think should be included in GARI’s soon to come new section on accessible apps.

In response to questions from the audience about how accessible apps can best be made known by users, Richard Orme from RNIB replied that “when accessible apps come out, people notice fast and use them and talk about them and tell their friends”.

In this sense, please do let us know when you stumble upon new accessible apps and think that they should be included in GARI’s accessible apps section!

Presentations of the Ofcom accessible apps day will soon be available on the Ofcom website: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/

9 May – Global Accessibility Awareness Day

On 9 May, many events around the world celebrate the Global Accessibility Awareness Day. Jennison Mark Asuncion and Joe Devon, the organisers of the GAAD talked to us about their initiative and accessibility in mobile communications.


What is your background in accessibility and what was your motivation to organise the Global Accessibility Awareness Day? 

Jennison: I’ve been working in the private sector supporting digital accessibility since 2001. Apart from that, I’ve also been researching postsecondary students with disabilities and their ICT use in Canada with the Adaptech Research Network since 1997.

My motivation for helping organize GAAD, outside of Joe, who inspired this event with his famous blog post back in November 2011, is a desire to make the domain of accessibility, “accessible” to the designers, developers and others who are rolling out amazing apps at rapid speed. Rather than seeing accessibility as the killjoy, I think that depending on how digital accessibility is introduced into a discussion, making apps accessible can be seen as an innovation challenge worth pursuing.

Joe: Technology has empowered so many users. And so much effort has been put into making web pages pretty, even if they are on old versions of browsers. Yet something as fundamental as making a web page accessible to someone who cannot use a mouse or see a screen is simply not on the mind of the typical developer. Not because they don’t care about their craft. But because they are unaware that something such as a screen reader even exists, or that someone may actually be using just a keyboard to interact with their site! My motivation is to make accessibility part of the conversation, as it should be. I have no background in digital accessibility. However as someone who works in technology, this matters to me. I saw the gap and wanted to try and do something to address it in some way.

What outcomes do you expect? 

Jennison: If we can get even a few people who know nothing about digital accessibility, asking questions, becoming interested in learning more, having at least one perception change, and walking away with an appreciation for at least one of the digital accessibility issues facing people with different disabilities, we’ve met our goal.

Joe: I agree 100% with Jennison. I’m especially hoping that core developers, involved in work that touches front end products, are among those who are interested to learn more.

Why should we care about accessibility of ICT in general and mobile phones in particular? 

Jennison: I know few who will deny that ICT plays a role in almost every aspect of our lives. As a subset of ICT, smartphone technology, at least for the minute, is the flavor of the day. Who knows what will be the next big thing. I really believe strongly that unless and until we get things right with ICT accessibility, and by extension, mobile phone/app accessibility, the needle regarding such areas as the underemployment of people with disabilities will not move significantly.

Joe: Most of the world is using mobile phones with flashlights to navigate in the dark and membrane keyboards to keep out the dust. Android devices are pushing into many countries now. Access to data means improved living standards.

What are the most important initiatives in accessibility to ICT right now? 

Jennison and Joe: The great news is that there is a lot happening in pockets of digital accessibility. The open source community is doing some amazing things, the continuing evolution of the NVDA screen reader is but one example. Mobile apps are empowering folks with developmental and other disabilities. Social media has definitely opened up new lines of communication between the design/development related technology communities, the community of people who work in digital accessibility, and end-users with disabilities.

These conversations are in themselves helping bring awareness and are making some of the right things happen when it comes to ICT accessibility. Take GAAD as an example. Had it not been for Twitter, I (Jennison) in all likelihood wouldn’t have stumbled upon Joe’s blog post that inspired this global effort we’re driving together.

Finally, while it should not be seen as the primary reason by any means, legislative developments, such as aspects of the AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) in Canada, the Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the accessibility of public sector bodies' websites, and the CVAA (The Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act) in the USA are helping ICT accessibility move forward. The reality is that sometimes people need legislative encouragement to motivate them.

Where do you see regulations in accessibility going? 

Jennison: I believe regulations in accessibility in the digital space will continue evolving and more countries will adopt such regulations, as more consumers with disabilities demand the same opportunities (real or perceived) that ICT promises to us all. All eyes will certainly be on the Americans with Disabilities Act come this summer, as movement to get web accessibility (hopefully digital accessibility to be more inclusive of tomorrow’s technology) much more explicitly referenced.

Will it be easy? Regulatory matters never are.

What developments do you expect to see in accessibility of mobile phones over the coming months?

Jennison: I can tell you what I hope to see, more choice in accessible mobile phones for people with different disabilities, period. Like with anything else, there is always a danger when choice is not an option and when people with specific disabilities are forced to become dependent on any one product/model.

Joe: Agreed.

What advice do you have for designers and developers of mobile apps?

Jennison: The major mobile platforms have developed guidance on how to make apps accessible to people with disabilities, and the W3C is undertaking efforts around mobile accessibility, don’t ignore these authoritative sources. Opt to use toolkits that have taken efforts to make widgets accessible, such as jQuery Mobile. Test your mobile apps for accessibility with actual end-users with disabilities. Finally, for those who opt to use a tool that generates code for multiple mobile platforms, as part of your selection process, ask the vendor what has been done to assure that the code produced will be accessible and usable by people with disabilities, and let their responses guide your vendor decision. Choosing one of these tools that does not generate accessible code ultimately means that developers will have to go back into the code and manually fix things, if that is even possible. This ultimately defeats the purpose of using such tools, namely, saving time and cost.

Joe: User testing prior to putting an app out there is key. It’s really the same whether you are developing an app for mobile or the web. It shouldn’t be left to users with disabilities to have to file bugs after the fact.


Have a look at the GAAD website to find an overview of events organized around this day and to find out how you can get involved too: http://globalaccessibilityawarenessday.org

Expand awareness of your accessibility-related apps

With the rise of smartphones, accessibility of mobile phones is now tackled in a threefold way: you can integrate accessibility features in the hardware, the software or via applications. Hundreds of developers have taken up the challenge to find solutions for making mobile phones more accessible to older people or people with disabilities and contribute to improve their daily lives.

For this reason, we are happy to announce that GARI is being expanded to host a new app section.

We have been working on a major redesign of GARI, intending to make the database more user-friendly and accessible and expanding it to integrate a number of new features. With the relaunch of the new GARI website approaching fast, we are now inviting developers to add their accessibility apps to the GARI database.

The new app section will allow users of GARI to search for mobile phones that accommodate specific apps. Indeed, it can be important to know whether a certain app is compatible with VoiceOver on iOS,  if the same app can be used with TalkBack on Android or if it works also on a Windows phone.

Being involved in GARI is free of charge. Developers can present their accessibility apps, explain their function and availability and link back to the online app store for the actual download.

If you are working on accessibility apps and would be interested in adding them to GARI, please have a look at the brochure for more information and drop us an email – we are looking forward to hearing from you!

And the winner is….. everybody in the long run!

The Vodafone Foundation Smart Accessibility Awards celebrated yesterday in Brussels the winners of accessible mobile apps in four categories: social participation, independent living, mobility and wellbeing. Out of 85 entries, the jury selected 12 finalists that presented a wide range of innovative and sometimes simple ideas of how apps can make mobile phones and societal life more accessible.

Viviane Redding, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, said in her keynote speech that while many accessibility features originally are designed for persons with disabilities, they often end up benefiting all users making mobile phones for everyone more convenient.

A statement beautifully underlined by the four winners:

• Starting Blocks by Gemixin: introduces smartphones to people who are completely new to the world of mobile technology, particularly the elderly. Starting Blocks allows users to learn about, and more importantly, safely practice the key skills that they will need to use their Android device. In a nutshell, it provides them with the “starting blocks” that they will need to progress on their mobile journey.
• Happen by Airsign Technologies: allows users to get information on a range of different topics, including daily news, weather, sports scores or stock quotes. The information is presented in a format adapted to each user's needs, either visually (with big texts and buttons and customizable colour themes), motor based (with different navigation modes) or supporting complete spoken feedback.
• Jaccede by jaccede.com: catalogues places that are accessible to people with a disability. Useful information, such as whether the entrance is step-free, whether toilets are accessible, etc is displayed alongside photos, user comments and other relevant information.
• Ablah by Ablah: an augmentative communication application, using images, text and sounds.The user can communicate with others by making the device speak for them. The backlit display has been found to be particularly successful with autistic children.

Great apps that we will make sure to integrate in the GARI database when we open it in the next months to catalogue accessible apps that make the life and inclusion of persons with disabilities easier.

More information about the Vodafone Foundation Smart Accessibility Awards: http://developer.vodafone.com/smartaccess2012/home/
More information about the 12 finalists: http://developer.vodafone.com/smartaccess2012/saa-2012-finalist/

Removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society for all

… is the theme of the International Day for Persons with Disabilities 2012. Around the world, events and get-togethers are organised on 3 December to raise awareness and discuss openly solutions to better integrating persons with special needs in society. 

We would welcome your thoughts on what barriers you see in relation to mobile phones and tablet devices as well as what accessibility means to you. We would also like to know what are the most important mobile phone features for you  - so join the conversation on Twitter with #a11y #IDPD and let us know!

And what about your favourite accessibility related apps - which have made the most impact to you and why? We are working on a new feature for apps within GARI and we hope that it will help provide an even better picture of the usefulness of a device to you. We'll say more about that shortly, but for now, it would be great to hear your thoughts on apps, what makes them useful and which ones are already helping you.  

In the meantime, join in the actions planned in celebration of 3 December and we look forward to your feedback about what you are looking for in terms of accessibility features.

Personalised ring tones for function as well as fashion

Whether it’s Justin Bieber, Mozart or the Crazy Frog theme song, choosing your own mobile phone ring tone is still one of the most popular ways for people to personalise their phones.

In fact, last year alone mobile phone users around the world spent a whopping US$2.1bn on new ringtones for their phones. To give that figure some context, online music downloads from services like iTunes earned around US$3.6bn in the same year.

The ability to be able to assign your favourite song to alert you to incoming calls or texts is not confined to the latest smartphones – but rather it is a feature that has been available for many years and is offered in a large number of handsets.

Currently 260 phone models in the GARI database have the ability to assign different ring tones to particular phone contacts, and while we can all enjoy the feature, it has additional value for people who have trouble reading the caller ID on their phone screen.

For those with vision impairment, the ability to assign a memorable ring tone to certain contacts in their phone can let them know who is calling before they even take the phone out of their pocket or handbag.

In addition to assigning special ring tones to important contacts, some models also let you assign a personalised tone or alert to the many other functions on your phone including emails, text messages, missed calls and voicemail.

So depending on the alert, someone with impaired vision can recognise which email account just received a new message or whether they have a missed call or voicemail message.

To search for a phone model that has these features check the ‘Ring Tone Variations ‘ box under the vision features section of our online search tool or by clicking on the 'find phones' link at the top of this page.

High contrast phone display’s help those with limited vision

There are many degrees of visual impairment ranging from short sightedness through to complete blindness all of which present unique challenges to using a mobile phone.

Phones that offer the ability to increase the size of text on the screen or “zoom in” may be beneficial to someone who has trouble reading small characters but would obviously be of no use to a person who could not see at all.

Likewise, voice control functions and braille phone attachments would be helpful to a user with complete blindness, but may be a step too far for someone whose vision is only partially limited.

Another option that can benefit people with moderately low vision is to have a phone that has a “High Contrast Mode”. This particular feature is useful to those who have difficulty reading text that does not have sufficient contrast with the background.  Changing to High Contrast Mode changes the background and foreground colours, most commonly by displaying white text on a black background.

The ability to improve a phone display’s contrast can also help users who are viewing the screen in areas where there is a lot of ambient light and where glare off the screen can make reading the display difficult.

On the other hand, many people experience sensitivity to bright displays and can have trouble focusing on a bright screen while maintaining the ability to distinguish between individual characters. These users actually need low contrast settings, as opposed to people with low vision who need high contrast settings. Therefore a phone that has an adjustable contrast control would be of greater benefit.

The GARI database now has both “High Contrast Mode” and “Adjustable Contrast Control” as searchable options to help identify phones that support these features. To find such phones check the ‘High Contrast Mode’ box or the ‘Adjustable Contrast Control’ box under the vision features section of our online search tool or by clicking on the 'find phones' link at the top of this page.