Where Are My Buttons?

Where are my buttons?

These days, high end devices have one thing in common: Touch screens. Thanks to the Apple iPhone, ALMOST EVERY high end device has a touch screen. Even Blackberry, which is known for it's keyboard-based devices, has a touch screen device in the form of the Blackberry Storm. This presents a huge problem to those of us who have little or no vision. The Skype Phone I'm looking at is a simple candy bar device with a NON-touch screen, a navigation pad, and a simple numeric keypad. On the left side there is a volume control, and the right contains a 2.5mm headset jack. All this device can do is make calls. Simple, right? Perfect for someone who needs only to make calls. This goes beyond features, though. However, many high end touch screen devices have more features than one knows what to do with, so I thought I'd point that out. The lack of buttons is an accessibility issue. Tactile feedback is a must, and vibrations on the screen, aren't going to cut it. While touch screen devices have been deemed accessible, through Code Factory's Mobile Speak Pocket, and Apple's VoiceOver, there is no substitute for good tactile feedback. Google seems to understand this. With TalkBack for Android, this screen access software is only accessible on a keyboard. While this keyboard is flat, it does represent something. It represents that Google understands touch screens aren't the best for people who are blind. I want more high end touchscreen devices, such as the iPhone, to at least have a tactile keyboard option. Another issue is a technology called Swype. This is a new technology, which is also available in an iPhone App called ShapeWriter. Note that, while ShapeWriter doesn't use the Swype name, the technology is the same. The idea with this technology, is that you slide your hand across the keyboard to type. So if you want to type "hello", you would start on the h, which is entered, and slide to the e. When you stop on the e, the e is entered. From the e, you move to the L. Tap on the L to get the second L. Finally, from the L, slide to the o, and that spells hello. Easy, right? Well, not if you are a person who is blind, or who has low vision. I am such a person, who has low vision. My friends and I can agree with me, when we say that, this swype technology is a nightmare. While many people may say we're headed in the right direction, if you are blind you would agree with me when I say, we are headed in the wrong direction.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Touch
• Screen
• Accessibility
• Keyboard
• Issue
• Wrong
• Way

[gallagher123123]

I think we shood go back to the owaces 22 c screanless talking mobile phone.

[VideoGuyNC]

@Drummertist Well, now that you brought it up - I think it should be illegal to use a cell phone in a public restroom. Who wants to call mommy to report everytime they potty? Back to the point; Voice control needs a lot of refinement, but that's why I said I WISH a movement would start TOWARD better voice control.

[zkrisher]

Part 3

Code Factory claims that Mobile Speak 4 will offer both touch and keypad or keyboard based controls.

Leaving the choice of Windows Mobile or Symbian device (with or without physical keys) to the customer.

Another worrying trend is that even the few physical keys we get, such as the call and end call buttons, now tend to be touch sensitive keys with no tactile feedback. I wonder if they too can be handled like onscreen content with voice feedback.

[AvocadoCake]

people with limited vision ARE a minority, ilove touch screen, when i had a phone that wasnt touch screen i fuond myself tapping the screen A LOT. Although this, i am sure people will have a keybaod that attaches itself to the ipod/iphone but this will be hard (for the makers, but i see this somewhere in the future)

[zkrisher]

Part 2

With voice feedback on a touch screen I can try to hit the character I'm looking for and get voice feedback as to which character I'm on. If I got it wring I can just slide over to the character I want, (the character will be entered only when I let go).

When I think of adapting to a phone sized qwerty keyboard, I think I'll have an easier time learning to use a touch screen keyboard with voice feedback.

This is all theory as I haven't had a chance to play arround with either system.

[zkrisher]

tactile feedback is important, I haven't had much experience with touch screens, but I haven't tried to use those tiny keyboards on phones either.

.

I know how to type on a full size keyboard, but when I think of what kind of keyboard I want on a phone I'm not sure I want the physical one.

With a small physical keyboard I'll need to use one or two fingers to type, I will have to start either at a corner or at the F and J markers and count keys to the character I wish to enter.

[jls1114]

the screen reader works so good with touch screens that it actually works fine

[jls1114]

i know totally blind people who youe all tuch screen and has no problem with it using moble speak

[Lachlant1984]

There's a reason I don't have an iPod, I may have told you this before, but i personally hate touch screens, i also hate the touch sensative scroll wheel on the iPod Classic and Nano units, this is why I have a Victor Reader Stream and willl not be buying an iPod or iPhone. i like the idea that Google and Motorola are doing with TalkBack on their phones, that's good because I have a Nokia N95, I have the demo of TALKS, but I can't be bothered registering it, i wish it was free.

[mthwkln]

Technology should not be held back by the needs of very few. It's like asking Nike to stop making shoes because some people don't have legs. My vision is 20/200 BTW. The ONLY smartphone I can use is the iPhone because they thankfully included some accessibility features.