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Question 1:
Submitted by Dawn Delgado
I wanted to get some ideas from you and maybe from readers of the Ziegler Magazine, too, about which cell phones were the most accessible to the blind while not costing an arm and a leg either with initial purchase or monthly fees.
Steven’s Response:
This was taken from the American Foundation for the Blind website
http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=4&TopicID=327&DocumentID=3599
Section 3. Access for People Who Are Blind: Off-the-Shelf Phones vs. Third Party Software
There are two ways access to cell phones is currently provided for people with vision loss:
list of 2 items
• off-the-shelf or built-in accessibility, meaning access is incorporated directly into the phone; and
• using third party access software.
list end
Currently, there is a limited selection of off-the-shelf phones which include built-in access to many but not all cell phone features.
Other phones, specifically phones running the Symbian, Windows Mobile and Windows Mobile Pocket PC Operating System platforms are compatible with third party screen reader programs that provide speech output and/or braille output to support nearly every feature and function on the phones. This third party software is similar to running the Window-Eyes or JAWS screen reader software programs on a personal computer.
Off-the-Shelf Phones
LG Phones with Voice Command
LG Electronics’ phones with the “Voice Command” feature are available from several service providers. These phones allow you to use your voice to control many, but not all, aspects of the phones. It is speaker-independent, meaning that it recognizes any voice, so you do not have to train it to understand your voice. The speech recognition quality is robust, even in some noisy situations. These phones also have text-to-speech functionality that provides access to some but not all of the display screen information. This speech output also allows you to use the phone’s control buttons to control the phone, in case you do not wish to speak commands to your phone. It will also speak the various menus as you navigate through them, but the speech doesn’t support many of the underlying applications found in the menus.
To access LG’s Voice Command function, you press the Voice button, and a recorded human voice responds, “Please say a command.” For example, you could say, “Call 800-555-1212,” and the phone will respond “Did you say call 800-555-1212?” You then respond “yes,” and the phone will place your call. Although LG’s Voice Command functions are certainly desirable for blind people, the number and function keys on the phones should be redesigned to be more identifiable by touch, including more consistent use of a “nib” or dot on the 5 key of all models. The amount of functionality supported by speech input and output varies by phone model. Here is a general list of some of the tasks and information you can access using these LG phones.
list of 6 items
• You can dial by voice by speaking a phone number or the name of someone you have entered into your Contacts application.
• The phones will speak the digits as you dial a number.
• You can get a great deal of spoken phone status information, such as battery and signal strength. The phone also tells you how many missed calls, new
voicemails, and new text messages you have.
• You can independently create contacts and look up the numbers for contacts you have entered in the phone’s contacts/phonebook application.
• The phones will speak the number of an incoming caller or the person’s name if you have entered it into your contacts list.
• Some models support composing and reading text messages.
list end
Motorola i355 and i580
Available from Nextel, the Motorola i355 and i580 provide access similar to that of the LG phones, but not to as many features and functions as the LG phones. The buttons on these Motorola phones are more tactilely discernable than the LG phones. After rebates and agreement the i355 is $29.00 while the i580 after rebates and agreement is an expensive $279.00.
Speech output from Motorola’s Text-to-speech engine supports the following features:
list of 10 items
• the number keys you have pressed;
• the names, phone numbers, and types of contacts as you scroll through contacts (However, there is no speech support for adding/creating contacts.);
• the status information on the home screen, including the time and date, if you have voice mail, the battery level, and the signal strength;
• the word “home” when you return to the main screen;
• a prompt indicating that you have started or ended a call;
• the names, phone numbers, and types of contacts as you scroll through recent calls;
• the menu options as you scroll through the main menu only;
• notices, such as “low battery” and “keypad locked”;
• caller ID information;
• pop-ups, such as “new voice mail” and “new text message”.
list end
The text-to-speech is built into the i580, but you have to download and install the software for the i355. This is a simple process for a person with a screen reader and a minimum level of experience using a web browser. However, we discovered a compatibility problem between the software and phone when testing the i355 in the Summer of 2006. Although Motorola fixed the problem in subsequent releases of the i355, you should check with Nextel and/or Motorola to be sure the software is compatible with the current version of the i355. The software performs the same on both phones, but there is one problem we discovered when testing the i580. You have to go through the menus to reach the setting on the i580 to turn on the text-to-speech. You have to first go
to the menu and choose settings, but that is where the speech output stops briefly. You have to then scroll down five times and press OK to activate the voice-playback settings, where the speech support returns.
Samsung A640
Newly available from SprintPCS, the Samsung A640 has speech output functionality similar to the LG phones, but again, not as robust as the LG phones. However, we have not yet been able to completely evaluate this phone, and we could find no information online about this phone’s access features. It was also not available at our local Sprint store.
Service Providers and Off-the-Shelf Phones
Disclaimer: Much of the information below is based on conversations with manufacturers and service providers, and has not been confirmed through our own accessibility testing. We recommend you visit your local cell phone retailer to feel the buttons on the LG phones and verify the availability of the Voice Command feature. The following is a listing by provider of the off-the-shelf phones discussed herein.
The New AT&T
AT&T now carries some LG phones with Voice Command. Check with your local store to see which ones they carry and to see if the tactile nature of the phones and buttons appeal to you.
AT&T now offers Code Factory’s Mobile Speak screen reader and the Mobile Magnifier magnification application at a steeply discounted price for their customers with vision loss. (See the discussion of third-party software for further details about Code Factory and other screen access software.)
Sprint
Sprint offers the LG Lotus with Voice Command.
Verizon
LG VX8350 (speech supports composing text messages)
LG VX9900 (QWERTY keyboard; speech output supports composing and reading text messages). Read AFB TECH’s review of the LG VX8350
Third Party Software
There are three companies that manufacture third-party screen reader software for cellular phones: Code Factory, Dolphin Computer Access, and Nuance. This software provides speech and braille access to nearly every function of the phones with which they are compatible. So far, some games and other software from third-party venders are the only things we have found to not be compatible with the screen readers. This software is available only on selected phones running the Symbian, Windows Mobile, and Windows Pocket operating systems. There are roughly 40 compatible Symbian phones, 20 Pocket PC phones, and 50
Windows Mobile Smartphones
Symbian phones work only with service providers using the GSM network, with AT&T and T-Mobile being the national carriers. Pocket PC and Smartphones are available on both GSM and CDMA carriers with Verizon, Sprint/Nextel and Alltel being the national CDMA carriers. Here is a list of the third-party screen reader products available on the respective operating system platforms:
From AT&T:
Information about Mobile Speak, pricing, supported devices, and more
list of 3 items
• Symbian cell phones: (1) Code Factory’s Mobile Speak screen reader and (2) Nuance’s TALKS screen reader.
• Pocket PC PDAs: (1) Code Factory’s Mobile Speak Pocket screen reader and (2) Dolphin’s Pocket Hal screen reader.
• Smartphones: (1) Code Factory’s Mobile Speak Smartphone screen reader and (2) Dolphin’s Smart Hal screen reader.
list end
How does this Software Work?
These third-party software products provide access to cell phones in a way that is very similar to how JAWS or Window-Eyes provide access to computers. Each has a set of commands used to access information that is displayed on the screen. The Code Factory and Nuance products are also compatible with wireless braille displays, and Dolphin promises this compatibility in a future release.
Pricing
The prices of the phones compatible with third-party screen reader software vary widely, with newer models costing more than models reaching the end of their life cycle. Service contracts also affect the price, with longer contracts resulting in less expensive phones. We have found older phones with long contracts costing as low as $0, and newer phones without contracts costing as much as $399. The Symbian and Smartphone software programs cost $295, and the Pocket PC software costs $495 to $599, making the total cost of phone and software out of the reach of many people with vision loss.
Note: AT&T (formerly Cingular) now offers Code Factory’s Mobile Speak and Mobile Magnifier products at the discounted rate of $89. They are the only service provider offering screen reader or screen magnifier products to their customers with vision loss. They no longer offer the TALKS software.
Documentation
The developers of the access software do provide accessible electronic manuals, but the manuals are fairly limited in scope, providing enough for you to learn the basics with the expectation you can learn the rest on your own. The manuals for the phones themselves, however, come in untagged PDF documents. The accessibility of these manuals varies from nonexistent to very good, but even the best should be tagged to avoid common PDF accessibility barriers, such as unlabelled graphics.
Here are a few other useful links I found below. I hope this helps.
http://www.squidoo.com/blind-cell-phone
http://www.maxiaids.com/store/default.asp
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Question 2:
Submitted by Steve
I’ve just got an iPhone 4, and haven’t got much idea yet as to the strokes to use to operate the iphone. Could you please tell me if there is a simple guide, written by an ordinary user, using simple instructions?
Steve Famiglietti’s Answer:
New owners of the snazzy iPhone 4 are no doubt still in awe over what their new and shiny little device can do for them. Make calls, send emails, look at pictures and videos, and even snap pics with the built-in camera. Oh and the apps! Please, please let’s not forget the apps! But, if you’re completely new to the wonderful world of Apple devices, even something as simple as sending an email might be enough to send you into chaos. Luckily, Apple has now put their iPhone 4 User Guide online. So whatever your question is, you can get the answer to it right away – wherever you are!
The iPhone 4.0 User Guide can be found at
http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/iPhone_iOS4_User_Guide.pdf. The entire PDF document is a whopping 244 pages long, and covers everything from placing photos onto your iPhone, emailing from your device, reading iBooks on your iPhone, and of course, it will tell you how to set it all up from beginning to end, and your very first sync!
The Apple iPhone 4 User Guide is done very well and is laid out in a simple, easy to understand format. It truly does cover everything you could ever possibly want to know about your iPhone 4, and maybe even some things that you didn’t even know you wanted! The user guide probably won’t be needed by many who have previously owned an iPod or iPhone device but it is especially useful for those who have never owned an Apple device before. And, while the user guide does mostly remain specific to the iPhone 4, there are also some sections that deal with the iPhone 3G. If any of the sections only pertain to the iPhone 4 specifically, they state so at the top of the section.
Check out the iPhone 4 user guide and find out just how to make the most out of your iPhone 4!
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Question 3:
Submitted by Penny:
When I am reading my e-mail or reading a document I have found on the net, my computer just suddenly shuts down. What is the reason for this and what can I do to stop this from happening?
Steven Famiglietti’s Answer:
Hi there Penny,
I have seen this issue happen a few times with my own computer and from other computers. In the case of my computer, Windows will automatically restart if a major problem or crash happens while I am working. In many cases, I don’t know what the exact issue was that occurred but, the computer restarts and all seems to be fine from that point. I’ve had this happen on my own computer about 3 times in 3 years.
Here are some things to consider that might help. Make sure that you are getting the Windows updates downloaded and installed. If you are running an antivirus program, make sure that it is running and that the virus definitions are up to date. If you are running out of date virus definitions, your antivirus program can’t protect your machine from the latest viruses. If the problem continues and you are running a screen reader such as JAWS or Window-Eyes, give either GW Micro or Freedom Scientific technical support a call and explain the issue. If you are not running a screen reader or any kind of adaptive software, you may need to bring the computer to someone for repairs. Sometimes a defective power supply can be to blame. The hard part with computers is that it is difficult to know the exact problem because symptoms of problems can often be similar.
I hope this helps.