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The Mac-cessability Network: resources for Apple accessibility

by Steven Sande Aug 18th 2009 at 12:00PM

Touting another blog or website isn't an everyday occurrence here at TUAW, but a recent press release got our notice. A site called The Mac-cessibility Network is the work of six dedicated individiduals, all of whom are visually impaired, who provide the Apple community with a source of information on accessibility.

Through updated news, the Mac-cessibility Round Table Podcast, and a list of other sites and resources, The Mac-cessibility Network delivers a single source for information for blind and visually impaired Apple fans, as well as providing other useful facts for other disability groups.

One item that I was totally unaware of until I visited The Mac-cessibility Network is that our favorite smartphone, the Apple iPhone 3GS, is also the most useful smartphone for visually impaired people. Why? Going to Settings > General > Accessibility allows you to turn on VoiceOver, which was previously limited to only running on Macs and the iPod shuffle. VoiceOver on the 3GS is amazing, reading your email, helping you to type replies by announcing the keys that are being touched, and otherwise telling you what you're currently touching on the phone.

Hints like this, as well as the other resources on this site, make The Mac-cessibility Network a "must-bookmark" site for the visually impaired and for Apple consultants and resellers. Consider making a donation to support the continued viability of The Mac-cessibility Network.

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Touting another blog or website isn't an everyday occurrence here at TUAW, but a recent press release got our notice. A site called The...
 

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Jack

I am very disappoint, Why I cant use the iPhone as a common mobile Phone.

I hate the 3Gs, as I dont use my phone to receive email, news and so on. I just send note and call my friends, but I want to listen music, Just this. So I bought a Iphone in http://www.laptops-battery.co.uk/

August 20 2009 at 3:25 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jon Kessler

Yes, you can say Apple is greedy here. You want real greed look at some of the speciality companies selling "accessibility" products. Two thousand dollars for a magnifier with OCR software that will never be updated. Yeah, right. Give Apple a more than a little credit here.

Oh, and don't even get me started on the cost of those stairs to help your aging dog get into the car....

August 19 2009 at 11:31 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Duncan

Being a visually impaired person, my vision is 20/500 at close distance and 20/800 at far distances, the screen zoom feature is incredibly important to me. It is the reason I switched to a mac, holding the control button and scrolling in zooms the entire screen in.

Without this feature I would be one of the slowest computer users everywhere, and constantly have to keep my face less than an inch from the screen.

So finally when they offer this, (and voice over) on an iPhone, I would have to upgrade my 3G to a 3GS to be able to use it, and I dont get the subsidized price until next april.

It just seems greedy that apple would hold that feature back from 3.0 for all devices, as it is a quality of use - assistance feature. Anything to make an extra buck I guess.

August 18 2009 at 3:58 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Anthony

Hmmm, this disappoints me.

So I have to have the 3Gs even thought I know that it's just software and the good 'ol regular 3G could do voiceover.

Figures.

You can even invert screen colors on the 3Gs, really?

I hate this.

August 18 2009 at 2:32 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Buran

Not everyone is blind.

What about those of us who are deaf in one ear and want mono output?

"Buy this new phone, sign another new contract, and you can have it."

Pathetic, Apple. Pathetic. Holding back voice control and other features like that are a legitimate reason to try to upsell a new phone. Accessibility for the disabled isn't.

August 18 2009 at 1:04 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to Buran's comment
LDMartin

No kidding, I'm deaf and the best accessibility solution I got was provided by a third party (growl beats the pants out of apple's (and everyone else's - kde does it too, and gnome's accessibility team doesn't do shit about it) solution to flash the screen, which is annoying at best.

And also, not to be a bitch, but for a group called Maccessibility - seriously, transcripts if you're going to do podcasts and claim to be accessible.

August 18 2009 at 2:45 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Buran

Good catch. I hit their Twitter account with a complaint about that. How exactly do they call themselves pro-accessibility if they don't provide access for the disabled? Fail.

August 19 2009 at 2:41 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Alex Anderson

Good catch on the iPhone Shuffle there. You almost got the rumor mills running at full pace. ;P

August 18 2009 at 12:30 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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