My journey with Apple started in like 2011, when I got my first iPod. I was in 9th grade, just learning about technology, and excited about all that the iPod could do, even back then. I remember getting an iTunes gift card, and buying books from the iBooks store, and actually read one during a weekend at my Aunt's house. Years after that, I got an iPhone 7, the year that the 8 and 10 came out, because I just couldn't live with the Google Pixel anymore. Just like with Linux, I couldn't live with the dirty implementation of what Google calls "accessibility" on Android. So, I gave that Pixel back to Verizon, and got the iPhone 7.
For me, I judge an operating system accessibility on its braille support. You know Google don't give a crap because BrailleBack isn't even *included* in the accessibility suite in Android, you have to get it from the play store. No Android user can justify this, except to say that some users don't need braille and its somehow good that Google not "clutter" up their phone with accessibility, lol. Linux has a good enough braille system, I suppose, but like everything else regarding accessibility, it can be not even packaged for your distribution of choice, or not enabled, or not set up correctly, or have its system-d service disabled, or have its BRLAPI group not set up with the one you're assigned to, and so much more. Yeah, Linux is made of so many small parts, and its an absolute pain to get all of them working nicely together. iOS, however, is just about the gold standard for braille access. Its not perfect, of course, since you never see formatting symbols in braille, and sometimes when you type, braille restarts itself, but my goodness for the most part, it works well. I'm not saying Apple doesn't have to keep improving, but Google and Linux don't give a crap, and Microsoft is still fumbling a little with braille, but iOS 13 will be a great time for Apple to show that they still care about their blind users, and braille users in particular, by fixing bugs and adding features, like showing formatting if the user wants, like italics, bold, and such when reading books and articles, or allowing the user to set up cells which, if they're not working anymore, should be skipped in showing braille, so that the user doesn't get unreliable information. Yes, both of these have been suggested to Apple by me. So, I've gone through just about all operating systems. Apple is ruggid and reliable, but doesn't change much. Microsoft is shiny & interesting, but can be rather flimsy sometimes. Linux is large and hard to wield, and easy to break. Android is easily customized, but its looseness also allows in malware. Chromebook doesn't really do much, but that's great for education, and ironically, its braille support is what Android should have, when you plug in a braille display, Chromevox automatically comes on, if its not already on, and drives the display. But like every other screen reader, for some reason, it doesn't show formatting! Sent from my iPhone > On May 25, 2019, at 9:18 PM, Mary Jo Partyka <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hi, > > Since I started receiving Apple products in 2011, I have become more > independent and knowledgeable about what they do. I use my phone with the > screen only most of the time and like the idea of being able to text to > people like everyone else. I enjoy exploring apps and the calendar is a > godsend because my events appear on my phone and my computer at the same > time. I have broadened my music repertoire with the Apple music service and > like the idea that news items are at our disposal the same time other people > receive them. Also trying to acquaint myself with apps that use GPS. > > > Mary Jo Partyka > [email protected] > > >> On May 25, 2019, at 8:28 PM, M. Taylor <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Hello Gordon, >> >> While I appreciate your sentiment, because I do not want your post to >> discourage others from contributing to this thread, I will offer a brief >> rebuttal to your comments. >> >> First, my question was not meant to suggest that the visually impaired did >> not have accessible options prior to the modern version of iOS, Mac OS, etc. >> >> >> Consider, Even though mankind had harnessed the power of fire, thousands of >> years ago, few would argue that the invention of modern matches or a >> handheld lighter did not increase personal independence. >> >> Second, in my opinion, the learning curve of the legacy OS systems was >> tremendously more difficult to master than modern access technology. >> >> Third, many of the members in our community did not use any of the old >> legacy technology so arguing their existence, in my opinion, is pointless as >> my question was meant to share our Apple product experiences; not to compare >> Apple products to other technologies, modern or otherwise. >> >> Finally, I want to reiterate that I am only posting this rebuttal because I >> want everyone to continue to contribute to this thread and not to be, in >> anyway, discouraged by Gordon's comments. I am not posting this in order to >> engage in a debate. >> >> I hope that more of you will contribute to this thread, keeping with its >> intended purpose which is to simply share how Apple products have increased >> your personal independence. >> >> Mark >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf >> Of Gordan Radic >> Sent: Saturday, May 25, 2019 3:43 PM >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: Re: Theme Question: In What Ways Have Apple Products, or Their >> Related Third-Party Apps, Increased Your Level of Personal Independence? >> >> Hi to all! >> >> I hope i won't be a party breaker but I read some emails on the subjectt and >> I can't agree with most mentioned. >> >> Just to refresh your memory, before iPhone got Voice Over there was a tiny >> little thing called Symbian, it was used on the Nokia smartphones and there >> were two screen readers called Talks and Mobile Speak. >> >> So, basic things such as calling, keeping up with the contacts, messaging, >> mailing, calendar, alarms, reading caller ID and even web browsing was >> available to the blind community times before first iOS with voice over. >> >> There wee also music and book players on those old Nokia phones. There were >> also social media apps and some other things but they weren't accessible >> with screen readers but, it's not Nokia or Symbian fault, it's the >> developers thing. We hame the same problems on iOS acasionally. >> >> Things we couldn't do on the phone we could do on our PCs. I don't know when >> exactly Mac got usable Voice Over support but Jaws, Window Eyes, Hal and >> NVDA are on Windows based PCs for ages. Almost everything mentioned in >> previous mails was possible for us allthe time and if you ask me, even more >> than on the iProducts. With all dued respect, I still regularly use my >> Windows PC for tones of tasks I can do on my phone. >> >> So, I can't say that iOS and iDevices in general are not great, they really >> are but we can't say we didn't live before them. Apple took us to the next >> level with mobility because we don't need to carry our laptops or whatever >> with us and we can do things on our iPhones on the go but we were able to do >> things before iOS with Voice over. >> >> >> S poštovanjem >> >> Gordan Radić >> >> 25.05.2019 u 19:49, Paul and Paula Jordan je napisao/la: >>> I was the one who swore I didn't want an IPhone no matter what. That was >>> when the 4S had just come out. I have had a 7 for the last 2-1/2 years so >>> that in itself says something. Hard to narrow down to 5 things even with >>> some honorable mentions, but I'll give it a try. In no particular order: >>> >>> 1. the ability to do some things that would otherwise require sighted >>> help: BE MY EYES, and VOICE DREAM SCANNER to name just two. >>> 2. The ability to send text messages to keep in touch with others when I'm >>> not sure they are able to take a phone call, or when I just want to leave a >>> brief message. >>> 3. Ability to schedule appointments on a calendar immediately. >>> 4. Keeping track of where I am either walking or riding a bus or >>> paratransit: BLIND SQUARE OR NEARBY EXPLORER. >>> 5. Playing games on my phone just for fun. >>> >>> Honorable mentions: 1. Shopping with the SHIPT app and perusing websites >>> like Chewy at my leisure. >>> 2. Watching TV using the spectrum app even when I don't have a TV right >>> where I am whether outside or in a different room from the set. >>> 3. Quickly finding business phone numbers or addresses. >>> 4. Using UBER instead of a taxi since they are quicker, I can contact the >>> driver directly whether than a dispatcher, and they are often cheaper. >>> God bless! >>> >>> I'm sure there are more, but that's a good start. Paula and Garçon >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On >>> Behalf Of M. Taylor >>> Sent: Friday, May 24, 2019 1:49 PM >>> To: [email protected] >>> Subject: Theme Question: In What Ways Have Apple Products, or Their Related >>> Third-Party Apps, Increased Your Level of Personal Independence? >>> >>> Hello Everyone, >>> >>> What are the 5 most significant ways that iOS, Watch OS, Mac OS, TV OS >>> and/or any of their third-party apps increased your level of personal >>> independence. >>> >>> As for me:. >>> >>> 1. >>> The ability to manage and pay my bills via all of the financial apps such >>> as Capital One, Bank of America, Apple Pay, etc. >>> >>> 2. >>> The ability to navigate with infinitely more confidence with apps like >>> Seeing Eye GPS Xt, Apple Maps, Uber, Nearby Explorer, etc. >>> >>> 3. >>> The ability to read printed documents and acquire product information, on >>> the fly, with apps such as K.N.F.B. Reader, Money Reader, the native iOS >>> camera app, Seeing A.I., etc. >>> >>> 4. >>> The ability to quickly and easily access social media and news with apps >>> such as Twitter, the native Apple News app, NFB Newsline, Lire Full Text >>> RSS news reader, Good Reads, Yelp, You Tube, etc. >>> >>> 5. >>> The ability to quickly and easily access books with apps such as BARD >>> Mobile, Kindle, Apple Books, and of course, my beloved Over Drive. >>> >>> Honorable Memtions: >>> 1. >>> TV Guide Mobile. >>> >>> 2. >>> CA Lottery app. >>> >>> 3. >>> The Parcel Track package tracking app. >>> >>> 4. >>> Digit Eyes Bar Code reader. >>> >>> 5. >>> The My Chart medical App. >>> >>> I look forward to all of your replies, >>> >>> Mark >>> >>> >>> -- >>> The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list. >>> >>> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if >>> you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners >>> or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. >>> >>> Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached at: >>> [email protected]. Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at >>> [email protected] >>> >>> The archives for this list can be searched at: >>> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "VIPhone" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>> email to [email protected]. >>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/viphone. >>> To view this discussion on the web visit >>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/viphone/000301d51258%24f7783550%24e6689ff0%24%40edu. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>> >> >> -- >> The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list. >> >> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if >> you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or >> moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. >> >> Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached at: >> [email protected]. Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at >> [email protected] >> >> The archives for this list can be searched at: >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "VIPhone" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/viphone. >> To view this discussion on the web visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/viphone/27b1caa5-5e08-bdb7-6404-7fd7f4b4a6dc%40gmail.com. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> >> -- >> The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list. >> >> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if >> you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or >> moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. >> >> Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached at: >> [email protected]. Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at >> [email protected] >> >> The archives for this list can be searched at: >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "VIPhone" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/viphone. >> To view this discussion on the web visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/viphone/000001d51359%24fd111570%24f7334050%24%40edu. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > -- > The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list. > > If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if > you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or > moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. > > Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached at: > [email protected]. Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at > [email protected] > > The archives for this list can be searched at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "VIPhone" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/viphone. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/viphone/E7A67B35-F73B-4CBB-A29D-E941AC1956F8%40gmail.com. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- The following information is important for all members of the V iPhone list. If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. Your V iPhone list moderator is Mark Taylor. Mark can be reached at: [email protected]. Your list owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at [email protected] The archives for this list can be searched at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "VIPhone" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/viphone. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/viphone/F780E00A-06E6-4875-9D0C-A5AE1187DB8D%40gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
