++Section One: News.
+01: RNIB Team Welcomes Off-The-Shelf iPhone Accessibility.
An advanced screen-reader and other accessibility features on a new
version of Apple's iPhone represent an "extremely significant
development" for a previously inaccessible technology, according to
the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).
'Off-the-shelf' features built into the iPhone 3GS allow blind and
visually impaired users to send and receive text messages and emails,
browse the internet, play music and make and receive phone calls.
The 'VoiceOver' screen-reader on the new phone also claims to be the
world's first "gesture-based screen-reader", working with the iPhone's
touch-screen to describe or read out whatever function or piece of text
the user moves their finger over, in any of 21 different languages. This
allows users to read emails or text messages, and a 'Speak Auto-text'
function will speak out letters or words being typed on the phone,
suggesting possible corrections as it proceeds.
A further gesture-based 'rotor' system activated with a circular motion
of the fingers switches the screen-reader mode backwards and forwards
between word-by-word speech and reading out individual characters.
Additionally, a voice control function allows users to make and receive
calls, play and control music through voice commands.
The RNIB says Apple has taken "a positive step" by building-in these
features for free. "All too often, blind and partially sighted people have
to rely on third-party assistive technology software and hardware in
order to make mainstream devices such as mobile phones accessible",
said Kiran Kaja, from the RNIB's digital accessibility team. "This
involves an additional cost for the user. But with Apple providing a
free VoiceOver screen-reader on all iPhone 3GS devices, blind and
partially sighted customers can now benefit from an off-the-shelf
accessible mobile phone at the same price as their sighted
counterparts."
Other accessibility features on the 3GS include a zoom function that
can dramatically magnify the entire screen of any application; an
option to change the screen display to white on black, offering higher
contrast; easily discernible tactile buttons to perform basic phone
operations; and an option to use giant font sizes when reading emails.
While praising these features, Kaja said there were one or two areas
where further improvements could yet be made. "While the iPhone
3GS includes very good accessibility features, RNIB would like Apple
to continue to look at making the iPhone usable by those who may not
be as technically savvy. They also have a role to encourage third-party
application developers to make their applications compatible with
VoiceOver."
On its website, Apple states that it is "working with iPhone software
developers so they can make their applications VoiceOver
compatible."
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