Today, we celebrate the 21st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the landmark legislation that made equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities the law of the land. Since its passage over twenty years ago, the increased accessibility wireless innovations have afforded those with disabilities is truly transformational. With the help of wireless devices, the disability community is experiencing quality of life advances and new independence in their everyday lives.
The awe-inspiring progress and profound innovation we’ve seen in the mobile applications market has opened up a new world of possibilities for the 54 million Americans living with disabilities. These innovations are allowing kids with disabilities to bring the technology they need to school on the coolest new smartphones and tablets, and with 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 each day this year, wireless advances will allow them to live their lives the way they always have.
These transformative technologies include:
Having a modern speech synthesizer in the palm of your hand. Instead of relying on computers and cumbersome devices to convert text-to-speech, those with visual impairments can now employ ZoomReader to hear what’s written on everything from menus to medications and e-mails. Using the iPhone’s built-in camera, users are able to convert writing into text which the app can read aloud or magnify so those users with low vision can more easily read. The camera’s LED flash can also be used as a flashlight to make reading in dark places easier with LED Torch Flashlight.
Even US currency can now easily be identified and read aloud with the help of your smartphone and LookTel Money Reader.
Touring local museums. Keen Guides has revolutionized the way those with hearing impairments tour local venues. By combining video tours with closed captioning, Keen Guides lets users experience a variety of locations including cultural sites, colleges and parks all around the country via their mobile device.
Communicating with others. iConverse helps individuals with communicative disabilities express their thoughts and feelings by providing images and icons of various everyday occurrences for the users to select. Not only does the app allow users to develop their own custom images, but users can add text to the pictures which the app reads aloud.
Placing a call with minimal steps. For those with visual and dexterity impairments, navigating an address book and dialing a number can be a hurdle. A Special Phone has eliminated many of these challenges and allows users to place a call by simply shaking the smartphone.
Our mobile device has quickly become one of the most important gadgets we own. For the one in five Americans that has a disability, smartphones have moved far beyond being just a communication tool- they are revolutionizing the way people with disabilities interact with the world around them. As we continue down this road of exciting innovation and jaw-dropping developments, the future advancements in accessibility are endless.
The release of apps and services that aid Americans with disabilities shows no sign of abating and the release of ZoomReader, a new app that reads aloud any text, should have those with visual impairments particularly rejoicing. The app uses the iPhone or iPod touch’s camera to take a picture of text- including nutrition labels, menus, books and e-mails- and converts the image into text which the app reads aloud. Also, the app highlights and magnifies the converted text on the iPhone’s screen as it reads the text aloud so those with low vision can easily follow along.
“Doug Hacker, vice president of business development for the Vermont-based Ai Squared, said it decided to develop the app because of the enormous popularity of the iPhone in the visually impaired community. According to a survey the company conducted, it believes roughly a third of its current 150,000 to 170,000 customers own an iPhone and the majority of the rest want one. “The community tends to be behind the curve as far as technology is concerned, but because of VoiceOver, almost every blind person is buying it,” said Mr. Hacker, adding that it expects a “burgeoning marketplace.”
Wireless technologies have truly opened doors for those with disabilities, offering new opportunities and independence. Adding to the influx of services aiding the visually impaired, LookTel just released their Money Reader App for the iPhone which speaks the denomination of US currency in real-time when the smartphones camera is waved in front of any US bill.
“The iPhone’s software already offers a number of features to assist the visually impaired. Under the phone’s Settings menu, users can navigate to an Accessibility area, which enables them to enlarge the phone’s graphics and text. Apple also offers Voice Over, which speaks text aloud when the phone’s screen is touched.”
To learn more about the impact of wireless innovation for people with disabilities, click here.
President Obama will sign The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act tomorrow- updating the Americans With Disabilities Act while emphasizing the important role new telecom technologies have had on those with disabilities. The act will not only increase the use of closed captioning on the internet, but it will also upgrade the way emergency information is communicated. To read more about how wireless technology can improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities, click here.
Mobile Future headed over to Apps 4 Access last
week to check out the latest in mobile disability applications. The event hosted by Disability Power & Pride in honor of the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Troy Cross from Vlingo demos audio-to-text messaging on his mobile phone:
Larry Lewis from Flying Blind, LLC shows off an alpha braille controller:
David Pohelman shows off an iPhone that speaks back to the user:
Lisa and Jeffrey Johnson from Grembe Inc. show off iCommunicate:
If you're in the area, Mobile Future highly encourages you to stop by Apps 4 Access, an event hosted by Disability Power & Pride in honor of the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Apps 4 Access will showcase a variety of disability applications, and Mobile Future will be in attendance with two booths featuring a mobile demonstration at each. The event is from 9:30AM-11:30AM in the Capitol Visitor Center's Congressional Meeting Room South. Hope to see you there!
"High speed Internet empowers people with disabilities to become more independent. [It] can remove barriers that keep people with disabilities from participating in everyday activities such as employment, education, civic responsibilities and social connection."
From a joint statement by: The American Association of People with Disabilities and The Communications Workers of America
For America's 54 million people with disabilities, two important events happen this summer. First, there's Memorial Day, when disabled veterans will proudly lead ceremonies and officials will emphasize the need to help those injured in conflict.
Second, July 26th is the 20th anniversary of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA was a long time in coming and is probably the single most empowering law during the past generation. But while the ADA has been instrumental in providing legal help for Americans with disabilities, something else is doing an important job in improving basic living standards.
It's your mobile phone.
That's the conclusion of a new research paper that Mobile Future issued today. For all the talk about texting, streaming video, gaming and other apps, one of the most heartening mobile developments involve affordable, life-changing improvements for those with disabilities. The FCC also recognizes this development and hosted a workshop to explore ways in which new technologies can offer opportunities to meet the communications access needs of people with disabilities.
Take the hearing impaired. In 2006, according to the CDC, 37 million adults in the United States had trouble hearing (ranging from a little trouble to being deaf). That's an increase of more than five million since 2000.
As described in Mobile Future's paper, a new wireless system developed at the Georgia Tech Research Institute offers those with hearing difficulties the ability to caption events in real-time. The device translates spoken words into text and displays it on a screen.
Meanwhile, according to Scientific American, researchers at the University of Washington (Seattle) are developing software that lets mobile phone users communicate through sign language and real-time video instead of being limited to text messaging.
But what about those who can't see? Some of the same technology that lets you save money while shopping is also turning the phone into an electronic seeing-eye companion.
As we discovered, mobile apps can use smartphone cameras to scan labels and announce the contents of grocery items, their nutrition labels, and even pill bottles. When merged with GPS technology, these apps can assist the visually impaired by giving them step-by-step directions through their smartphone.
Know someone with a speaking disability? An estimated 6 to 8 million Americans have this challenge. Many, if not most, can now take advantage of low- or no-cost communications apps on their cell phone. There's voice output software that conveys typed messages; downloadable text-to-speech software can be an effective, less-costly alternative to speech devices covered by private insurance and Medicare.
Also, some experts say that children with speech impairments often prefer using "mainstream" technology which is less stigmatizing.
Mobile Future's research paper is meant to be both an assessment and a celebration of the key innovations that are helping those with disabilities. It is also a "look-ahead" at the next phase wireless technologies in the pipeline which promise even more transformational impacts for the one in five Americans who live with disabilities.
This column was originally posted on Huffington Post on May 13, 2010.
Yesterday, Mobile Future released a white paper assessing the role of mobile and wireless technologies in creating opportunities for the 54 million Americans with disabilities.
The white paper, entitled "Mobile Ability: The Transformational Impact of Wireless Innovation for People with Disabilities," examines the advancements in mobile devices and services that enhance quality of life and inclusiveness for Americans with disabilities. For this population especially, the personal customization wireless devices offer unleashes new opportunities in employment, health care, education, and emergency response that can be tailored to meet an individual’s unique needs and preferences.
The paper also explores next generation technologies and the future of mobile innovation in this arena, pointing to several key areas where policymakers can make a difference.
Also happening yesterday, the FCC held a workshop on Expanding Disability Access with Wireless Technologies, demonstrating the pertinence of the white paper in today’s telecommunications landscape. The workshop—which focused on consumer-based components of the National Broadband Plan geared toward maximizing adoption among Americans with disabilities—is one of many laudable examples of the FCC’s commitment to increasing broadband capabilities among the disability community.
We are excited to offer this paper at a time that can complement the FCC’s agenda outlined in the National Broadband Plan, while simultaneously informing beneficial products and meaningful policy moving forward.
At CTIA Wireless 2010 last week, the newest and coolest mobile products and services were on display. There were lots of interesting ones, including many amazing mHealth applications.
Here’s a look at some innovative apps:
PillPhone
A mobile application that helps consumers better manage their medication.
LookTel
An application that helps the visually impaired recognize objects.
MedApps
A mobile outpatient monitoring solution that proactively alerts doctors and nurses to potential health problems.
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Tags: Applications, Consumer Awareness, Consumer Benefits, Innovation, Mobile Applications, Mobile Health, News, Smartphone, Wireless Devices, Wireless Innovation, Mobile Ability