There is no discussion about price, since the app is free. And, I don't understand the concern over an app being made specifically for blind users if the feature set remains the same with both app options. At the point that the general app becomes significantly better than what blind users are being given, then I agree it is time to take to the web with all manner of hell, and I'll be right there with you adding my own fuel to the fire. Yet, I am glad the company chose to provide an alternative rather than leave out blind users altogether. There is no rule commanding all apps to work for all people as a large percentage of apps in the App Store can testify. Perhaps we forget that even with Apple, we are not enjoying 100% of the user experience because we need special accommodations to make as much of the experience usable.
I don't understand the relevance about products we continue to pay thousands of dollars for, except perhaps to remind ourselves that it is nice that these aps generally cost a fraction of those products. If anyone has told us to sit down and be quiet, it is the same manufacturers of those traditional products, and yet, we somehow find it in our hearts to give them a pass because we are a smaller market, because their teams are limited, any number of reasons. HIMS only recently found it appropriate to admit there is a problem with their Braille displays. Never mind the consumers whose products have now gone out of warranty. Contrast this to each mainstream app developer that has fallen victim to the sharp edge of our complaints. They at least have been responsive. Perhaps the unspoken truth is that many of us do not actually pay for those traditionally expensive options. When the money actually comes out of our own pockets, like the few dollars for Tap Tap See, we feel justified in screaming. Welcome to the rest of the world. Believe it or not, this is what it is like to be part of society. At what point did we move from a feeling of entitlement to a feeling of spoiled brats. After all, is it not the point to push for equal access so we can get the job done? Because by the sounds of it, it's more important that we drive the same shiny new car. Let's not be so hasty in forgetting that there was a point in the not so distant past that we didn't even have a technological vehicle to call our own. We're an important segment of the market to be sure. I'd rather work with my peers as a classy and respectable member of that market than a petulant whiner who didn't get their way, right away. Having read this, perhaps it will be your feeling that I am just plum stupid and playing some Uncle Tom to the sighted public. On the contrary, I think our transition to the rest of society is going to be more jarring than some of us may expect, because with all of the special accessibility features and third party manufacturers stripped away, the accountability, including payments, is going to rest solely on us. I don't think some of us are truly ready to be treated equally. -- Twitter: @ScribblingJoe Visit my blog: http://joeorozco.com/blog -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of denise avant Sent: Friday, February 21, 2014 2:52 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: A Bit Surprised That This Hasn't Made It To The List Yet Hello everyone, I am not a Fleksy user. However, each time an app changes or a blind person questions the price of an app, some in the blindness community take the position that blind people don't want to pay for anything or want everything our way. I recall that during Black Friday, many customers at the big box stores complained that they were not getting a deal. A blind person has just as much right to question the validity of a price as a sighted person would. He has as much right to wonder if it is really necessary that an app is being made especially for the blind community. It is true that many of us do not know what it takes to be a developer. We are simply end users of a product. This is true for anyone using technology. Also, we in the blind community have paid thousands of dollars for notetakers (PDAs), while our sighted counterparts paid a couple hundred. and we did this for years, and probably still do it. So, it is a wonder that we in the blind community question the propriety of pricing and app availability. AS A BLIND PERSON, I AM APPRECIATIVE WHEN AN APP IS MADE ACCESSIBLE FOR ME SO THAT I CAN USE IT. But this does not translate into me sitting back and letting people just say, sit down and be quiet. Sent from my iPhone > On Feb 21, 2014, at 11:24 AM, "Joe" <[email protected]> wrote: > > You know what's sad is that sometimes my fellow blind consumers really > piss me off. We get angry when an app starts to charge for something > that was previously free. We get angry when a company provides a > temporary solution to a long-term plan. Honestly, if I were a > developer, I wouldn't bother with such an ungrateful bunch. There are > too many steps involved in making an app accessible, and then I'd be > ridiculed when I had the notion of treating blind people like any > other consumer. Take Google Voice, for example. I went and bought an > OBiTALK to sync up with my Google Voice and eliminate fees for a phone > line. That arrangement is going to end this May, but I don't > anticipate people throwing up their arms and trashing their OBiTALK > devices because what used to work no longer will. Sometimes I think we as blind consumers will never get a fair shake because we are our own worse enemies. > > -- > Twitter: @ScribblingJoe > > Visit my blog: > http://joeorozco.com/blog > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On > Behalf Of Wayne Merritt > Sent: Friday, February 21, 2014 9:07 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: A Bit Surprised That This Hasn't Made It To The List Yet > > Since you bring up the Mosen blog post, allow me to point everyone to > the first Appcessible podcast where Mosen interviews a spokesman from > Fleksy about their decision, the SDK, the behind the scenes > development and related issues, and the reasoning behind the Fleksy VO > app. Listen to the podcast > at: > www.appcessible.net > I don't think they were in the wrong by releasing Fleksy VO, since > they intend to roll both apps into one later this year. Regarding the > initial blog post from Jonathan, be sure to read all the comments. > DeanMartinno and I both make good comments after the first 6 or 7 > people saying that they're going to uninstall Fleksy from their > devices. Which by the way, what does that accomplish? > > Regards, > Wayne Merritt > >> On 2/21/14, Krister Ekstrom <[email protected]> wrote: >> Hi, >> Normally i don't write in these kinds of threads. I've made my >> opinion on blind ghetto solutions clear and i've also found that i'm >> in a minority, so rather than be flamed i usually shut up, however >> since you ask, this is what i have to say: I think that Fleksi VO is >> a lame excuse for not fixing what the developers apparently screwed >> up when they made Fleksi snazzzy. I've looked at fleksi and am >> actually quite impressed about what the app can do, but since it >> isn't available in Swedish i'm not personally interested in it, >> however it's quite good i imagine that it now is available for all >> apps and for everyone who can use it. I don't know if i would use it >> or not even if it was available in Swedish, as i have learned to >> actually use the on-screen keyboards quite well on the Idevices but i >> guess it's good with choices even if sadly enough we tend to go >> towards more and more blind specific solutions which sends signals to >> developers that accessibility of main > stream apps isn't that important. >> Enough of me ranting now. >> /Krister >>> 20 feb 2014 kl. 23:54 skrev Scott Rumery <[email protected]>: >>> >>> Hello everyone, >>> >>> As my subject line says I am quite surprised that the news of Fleksy >>> finally becoming an option for app developers to use for inputing >>> information in their apps has not been talked about on this list yet. >>> Is it because a lot of us have decided that because the makers of >>> Fleksy have sort of turned their backs on the blindness community by >>> abandoning their initial claims of making a revolutionary on screen >>> keyboard solution that the blind can use to speed up their typing on >>> an touch screen device? In my opinion I find this decision >>> deplorable but if there is a solution that is out there such as the >>> one that they offer in Fleksy VO that can make my life easier when >>> it comes to using an on screen keyboard then I will use it, and now >>> that more apps will be updating and making use of the Fleksy SDK >>> that just came out of beta today, I will probably use it even more >>> often than I > have been. >>> >>> I have written a blog post on this subject that I invite you all to >>> read in which you can read the Fleksy press release if you like and >>> I even link to Jonathan' Mosen's blog post on the subject of Fleksy >>> VO as > well. >>> >>> Please if you have a few minutes go give it a read and then let me >>> know what you think. I really do want to get everyone's opinion on >>> this, even the negative ones. It will all help me to understand what >>> it is that iOS users will find interesting and want to read. >>> >>> Here is the link: >>> >>> http://www.fedoraoutlier.com/breaking-news-fleksy-becomes-first-alte >>> r >>> native-keyboard-ios/ >>> >>> >>> Scott Rumery >>> >>> Whatever happens keep your sense of humor >>> >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" >>> Google Group. >>> >>> Post a new message to VIPhone by emailing [email protected]. >>> >>> Search and view the VIPhone archives by visiting >>> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. >>> >>> Reach the VIPhone owner and moderators by emailing >>> [email protected]. >>> >>> Unsubscribe and leave VIPhone by emailing >>> [email protected]. >>> >>> More VIPhone group options can be found by visiting >>> http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en. >>> --- >>> 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]. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" >> Google Group. >> >> Post a new message to VIPhone by emailing [email protected]. >> >> Search and view the VIPhone archives by visiting >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. >> >> Reach the VIPhone owner and moderators by emailing >> [email protected]. >> >> Unsubscribe and leave VIPhone by emailing >> [email protected]. >> >> More VIPhone group options can be found by visiting >> http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en. >> --- >> 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]. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > -- > Follow me on Twitter at: > www.twitter.com/wcmerritt > My websites: > www.wayneism.com > www.whitecaneday.org > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" > Google Group. > > Post a new message to VIPhone by emailing [email protected]. > > Search and view the VIPhone archives by visiting > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. > > Reach the VIPhone owner and moderators by emailing > [email protected]. > > Unsubscribe and leave VIPhone by emailing > [email protected]. > > More VIPhone group options can be found by visiting > http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en. > --- > 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]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google Group. > > Post a new message to VIPhone by emailing [email protected]. > > Search and view the VIPhone archives by visiting http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. > > Reach the VIPhone owner and moderators by emailing [email protected]. > > Unsubscribe and leave VIPhone by emailing [email protected]. > > More VIPhone group options can be found by visiting http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en. > --- > 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]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google Group. Post a new message to VIPhone by emailing [email protected]. Search and view the VIPhone archives by visiting http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. Reach the VIPhone owner and moderators by emailing [email protected]. Unsubscribe and leave VIPhone by emailing [email protected]. More VIPhone group options can be found by visiting http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en. --- 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]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" Google Group. Post a new message to VIPhone by emailing [email protected]. Search and view the VIPhone archives by visiting http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. Reach the VIPhone owner and moderators by emailing [email protected]. Unsubscribe and leave VIPhone by emailing [email protected]. More VIPhone group options can be found by visiting http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en. --- 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]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
