Re: BrailleBack Now
Okay, you want more than just the simple explanation of it being crap? I'll explain to you then, since I've *used* Braille Back. I've wanted to *love* Android. I spent close to a year with Android, so stop assuming crap!
First, the supported devices. Imagine this. You're a person who is deaf-blind, and you have a braille display that you like, but it's not exactly the top 10 most common ones, but it works for you. You don't have that much money, so you decide to get an Android phone. So you get a Google Pixel because updates and gotta have labels accessibility API's so your screen reader is worth using. So you then look into Braille Back, because if it's anything like JAWS or even NVDA, it should support your braille display.
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APH Refreshabraille
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APH Orbit Reader 20
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Baum VarioUltra
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Baum VarioConnect
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Esys EuroBraille
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Freedom Scientific Focus Blue (14 and 40 cell models)
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HandyTech (Basic Braille, Active Braille, Braille Star, Braille Wave, Braillino, Easy Braille)
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Harpo Braillepen 12
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HIMS (BrailleSense, Braille EDGE, Smart Beetle)
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Humanware Brailliant (1st generation and BI models)
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Optelec Alva (BC640, BC680)
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Optelec EasyLink 12 Touch
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Papenmeier Braillex Trio
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Seika (notetaker and 40 cell display)
Meanwhile, the iOS list contains many more commands, the full list is here: https://support.google.com/accessibilit … 5226?hl=en
Now, after you even get the phone, you have to *install* the app! Yes, it doesn't come with TalkBack! For us who are blind but not deaf, that's fine. But for those who are deaf-blind, that means using an assistant that much more. This is a huge slap in the face for people who are deaf-blind, and thera re more that I'll get into. So you have to have TalkBack enabled, and install BrailleBack, set up the display through Bluetooth, and then set it up to be used in Brailleack settings. At least in iOS, there's just one place you go to set up braille, and it just takes that one setup process.
next, there's no way of muting just TalkBack speech or sounds. Yes, you can *work around this* by turning down the volume. Sure. But that's a sorry excuse for bad user experience and design. I don't give a freaking crap what anyone else says, what excuses they give to all-mighty Google who can do no wrong, that is very poor and very unprofessional. This means that a deaf-blind user will have to keep their phone muted, or, as told to me by a Google employee, "just plug a pair of headphones in." That's stupid. That's another slap in the face. And that's why i believe that no blind people should use Android because of their mistreatment of braille users.
Next, the commands. I'll put forth here that I used BrailleBack with a Vario Ultra 20 braille display. This *is* supported by BrailleBack. The commands are very non-standard. It's like they didn't look at any previous system for braille entry besides BRLTTY, which is just as non-standard. Space with L goes to the top of the screen in just about every other system, even in iOS. What does it do in BrailleBack? It opens Learn Mode. Okay, I could get used to that I suppose. But there are commands like pressing up on the navigation stick and pressing a dot that's rather awkward to press.
Next we have the fact that you cannot read Google Books with it. I don't think you can even read Kindle books with it. Even if you can read Kindle books, Google books is the thing you'll look at first probably, as it's the thing installed. All you can do is have Google TTS read the book to you. You can't even read the thing with TalkBack. I may be wrong here, but for Deaf-blind people, who cannot hear, text matters, a lot, and not having access to a built-in service is just another nail in the coffin. Even for me, as a blind person with mild hearing loss only, when I have headaches, I can't stand hearing much of anything, but I can read a bit. So being able to just sit in my rocking chair with a book reading on the braille display, it's very freeing. Also, I can concentrate on materials far better with braille. So if I'm reading a book on programming, I *need* to have the ability to read that in braille. Also again, there's the fact that you can't mute speech. So, if I want to listen to music and read silently, nope. The accessibility volume helps, yes, definitely. But what if I then want to check text messages with speech? i'd have to turn the volume back up again.
Now, typing. Reading Braille is wonderful, but typing it is even more freeing when using a touch screen device. You have to set BrailleBack's keyboard as default, as it can't just interact with the text field itself through system methods or anything, it needs its own keyboard. That's just one more step you have to go through to set it up. Compare that to iOS, where it acts just like any other modern screen reader. Just pair and go!
Now, listen. I *want* to be proven wrong, on **all** of my points. I would ***love*** to be able to go to my boss Monday and say "You know, I was wrong about android. We can recommend this to braille users and deaf-blind people! I'm gonna save up some money and buy the newest midrange Samsung phone, or Pixel 4A!" Come then, prove me wrong!
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