[the-facts-machine] Re: Overview of Accessibility in IS 8 from MacStories
- From: Richard McKinley <mcfurbie@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "the-facts-machine@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <the-facts-machine@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2014 18:24:57 -0500
Thanks. We got the RIVO keyboard today and she's been playing with my iPhone.
I'll let ya know if she gets another haven or an iPhone. LOL.
> On Sep 16, 2014, at 5:26 PM, "Vickie" <happytraveler1972@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> I have a Haven which I’m not using any more. but it sounds like Marcia is
> taking care of your issue or rather Linda's issue with the battery cover.
> Let me know if I can help.
> Vickie
>
>
> From: Richard McKinley
> Sent: Monday, September 15, 2014 7:08 AM
> To: the-facts-machine@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [the-facts-machine] Re: Overview of Accessibility in IOS 8 from
> MacStories
>
> Linda has the haven. She lost the battery cover so has a rubberband holding
> the battery in. LOL. I told her they don't make the haven anymore so she'll
> probably have to go to a smart phone at some point. She played with my
> iPhone for about 5 minutes one day and gave up. All the flicking, swipeing
> and tapping just frostrated her. So I'm thinking this keyboard will at least
> show her there is an easier way. Some people just don't care for touch
> screens. But it's the way things are going. So, have to find ways to work
> around it.Linda has the haven. She lost the battery cover so has a
> rubberband holding the battery in. LOL. I told her they don't make the
> haven anymore so she'll probably have to go to a smart phone at some point.
> She played with my iPhone for about 5 minutes one day and gave up. All the
> flicking, swipeing and tapping just frostrated her. So I'm thinking this
> keyboard will at least show her there is an easier way. Some people just
> don't care for touch screens. But it's the way things are going. So, have
> to find ways to work around it.Linda has the haven. She lost the battery
> cover so has a rubber band holding the battery in. LOL. I told her they
> don't make the haven anymore so she'll probably have to go to a smart phone
> at some point. She played with my iPhone for about 5 minutes one day and
> gave up. All the flicking, swipeing and tapping just frustrated her. So I'm
> thinking this keyboard will at least show her there is an easier way. Some
> people just don't care for touch screens. But it's the way things are going.
> So, have to find ways to work around it.
>
>> On Sep 15, 2014, at 12:49 AM, "Vickie" <happytraveler1972@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>> Seems like with the bigger screen, there is more distance between letters
>> and other touch screen attributes. So, maybe Linda and others could use the
>> 6 better than the other models. Duane likes his bigger screen for the
>> Galaxy S4, which is 4.5 inches. Tony has said he has trouble properly
>> fingering letters on his screen. I hit the wrong one sometimes, but as long
>> as you don’t lift your finger, there’s no problem. Tony hasn’t even changed
>> his from double tapping to touch screen typing yet because of this problem.
>> Vickie
>>
>>
>> From: Richard McKinley
>> Sent: Sunday, September 14, 2014 7:04 AM
>> To: the-facts-machine@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Subject: [the-facts-machine] Re: Overview of Accessibility in IOS 8 from
>> MacStories
>>
>> Marcia, I ordered the RIVO keyboard. Not that I need it but there are times
>> I'd use it. I got it to show Linda there is a way she could use the iPhone.
>> Touch screens and her arent friends. LOL. The cost for the keyboard is
>> $129.00 and $15.00 for shipping. I have a podcast if you'd like it.
>>
>>> On Sep 13, 2014, at 10:17 PM, "Marcia Moses" <mgmoses@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>
>>> Maybe I’ll get an I-phone six, who knows.
>>> Marcia
>>>
>>> From: Toni
>>> Sent: Saturday, September 13, 2014 1:15 PM
>>> To: the-facts-machine@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> Subject: [the-facts-machine] Re: Overview of Accessibility in IOS 8 from
>>> MacStories
>>>
>>> Thanks Steve. I am a little overwhelmed but I'm sure I'll get there.
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>
>>> On Sep 13, 2014, at 12:24 PM, Steve <pipeguy920@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>
>>> An Overview of iOS 8′s New Accessibility Features
>>>
>>> By Steven Aquino
>>>
>>> Since this year’s WWDC keynote ended, the focus of any analysis on iOS 8
>>> has been its features — things like Continuity, Extensions, and iCloud
>>> Drive. This is, of course, expected: iOS is the operating system that
>>> drives Apple’s most important (and most profitable) products, so it’s
>>> natural that the limelight be shone on the new features for the mass market.
>>>
>>> As I’ve written, however, the Accessibility features that Apple includes in
>>> iOS are nonetheless just as important and innovative as the A-list features
>>> that Craig Federighi demoed on stage at Moscone. Indeed, Apple is to be
>>> lauded for their year-over-year commitment to improving iOS’s Accessibility
>>> feature set, and they continue that trend with iOS 8.
>>>
>>> Here, I run down what’s new in Accessibility in iOS 8, and explain briefly
>>> how each feature works.
>>>
>>>
>>> Alex. Apple is bringing Alex, its natural-sounding voice on the Mac, to
>>> iOS. Alex will work with all of iOS’s spoken audio technologies (Siri
>>> excepted), including VoiceOver, Speak Selection, and another new
>>> Accessibility feature to iOS 8, Speak Screen (see below). In essence, Alex
>>> is a replacement for the robotic-sounding voice that controls VoiceOver, et
>>> al, in iOS today.
>>>
>>> Speak Screen. With Speak Screen, a simple gesture will prompt the
>>> aforementioned Alex to read anything on screen, including queries asked of
>>> Siri. This feature will be a godsend to visually impaired users who may
>>> have issues reading what is on their iPhone and/or iPad. It should be noted
>>> that Speak Screen is fundamentally different from Speak Selection, which
>>> only reads aloud selected text. By contrast, Speak Screen will read aloud
>>> everything on the screen — text, button labels, etc.
>>>
>>> Zoom. Apple has made some welcome tweaks to its Zoom functionality in iOS
>>> 8. The hallmark feature is users now have the ability to specify which part
>>> of the screen is zoomed in, as well as adjust the level of the zoom. In
>>> particular, it’s now possible to have the virtual keyboard on screen at
>>> normal size underneath a zoomed-in window. What this does is makes it easy
>>> to both type and see what you’re typing without having to battle the
>>> entirety of the user interface being zoomed in.
>>>
>>> Grayscale. iOS in and of itself doesn’t have “themes” like so many
>>> third-party apps support — and even like OS X Yosemite’s new “dark mode”.
>>> iOS does, however, support a pseudo-theme by way of Invert Colors
>>> (white-on-black). In iOS 8, Apple is adding a second pseudo-theme to the
>>> system with Grayscale. With this option turned on, the entirety of iOS’s UI
>>> is turned, as the name would imply, gray. The addition of a Grayscale is
>>> notable because it gives those users who have issues with colorized display
>>> — or who simply view darker displays better — another way to alter the
>>> contrast of their device(s).
>>>
>>> Guided Access. The big addition to Guided Access is that Apple is
>>> leveraging its own new-to-iOS-8 Touch ID developer API to enable users to
>>> be able to exit Guided Access using their scanned fingerprint. This is a
>>> noteworthy feature because it effectively guarantees that students (or
>>> test-takers or museum visitors) can’t leave Guided Access to access the
>>> Home screen or other parts of iOS.
>>>
>>> As well, Apple has added a time limit feature to Guided Access, thereby
>>> allowing teachers, parents, and the like to specify the length of time
>>> Guided Access is to be used. Especially in special education classrooms,
>>> features such as Touch ID to exit and the timer can be extremely powerful
>>> in ensuring an uninterrupted learning experience, keeping students on task
>>> yet still set the expectation that a transition (i.e., “You can play games
>>> now”, for instance) will take place in X minutes. In terms of behavior
>>> modification, Guided Access’s new features are potentially game-changing,
>>> indispensable tools for educators.
>>>
>>> Enhanced Braille Keyboard. iOS 8 adds support for 6-dot Braille input
>>> system-wide. This feature involves a dedicated Braille keyboard that will
>>> translate 6-dot chords into text.
>>>
>>> “Made for iPhone” Hearing Aids. Apple in iOS 8 has improved its Made for
>>> iPhone Hearing Aids software so that now users who use hearing aids and
>>> have multiple devices now can easily switch between them. Moreover, if a
>>> hearing aid is paired with more than one device, users will now be able to
>>> pick which device they’d like to use.
>>>
>>> Third Party Keyboard API. This topic (as well as QuickType) is worthy of
>>> its own standalone article, but the accessibility ramifications of iOS 8’s
>>> third party keyboard API are potentially huge for those with special needs.
>>>
>>>
>>> A third-party keyboard on iOS 8. (Source: Apple.com)
>>>
>>> Anecdotally speaking, I hear from several low vision iOS-using friends who
>>> lament the default system keyboard, which is essentially the same keyboard
>>> that shipped with the original iPhone in 2007. The problem, my friends say,
>>> is that the key caps are too small and the glyphs too hard to read. With
>>> the new API, though, third party developers such as the team at Fleksy can
>>> create entirely customized keyboards that users can use instead of the
>>> stock one. This means developers can control key spacing and size, color,
>>> and so forth in an effort to create keyboards that accommodate for a wide
>>> array of visual — and motor — needs.
>>>
>>> In fact, at WWDC I had a chance to speak with Fleksy co-founder and COO,
>>> Ioannis Verdelis, about the keyboard API and his company’s product. While I
>>> won’t divulge anything that was said at our meeting, suffice it to say that
>>> Ioannis and his team were stoked at the news of the new API, and are really
>>> excited for what they have in the works for iOS 8. They really believe the
>>> new Fleksy will benefit a lot of people with special needs.
>>>
>>> Miscellany. iOS 8 brings with it a few housekeeping changes to
>>> Settings.app, where the Accessibility options are located. For example, the
>>> Subtitles & Captioning option — which previously was found under Hearing —
>>> has been moved to a new Media section, right next to a new Video
>>> Descriptions toggle. Furthermore, the Physical & Motor pane — home to such
>>> features as Switch Control and AssistiveTouch — has been rechristened
>>> Interaction.
>>>
>>> As stated above, Apple’s steadfast commitment to improving Accessibility
>>> year after year deserves the utmost praise, and 2014 is no different. As
>>> someone who relies on some of iOS’s Accessibility technologies in order to
>>> use my devices, the breadth and depth of these features never cease to
>>> amaze me.
>>>
>>> Without any tinge of hyperbole, I often marvel at how truly Accessibility
>>> reflects Apple’s ethos of designing products for everyone, regardless of
>>> cognitive or physical impairment. (A sentiment I have expressed numerous
>>> times elsewhere.) Again, these are signs of real innovation, although they
>>> (unfortunately) go largely unheralded. It’s my strong opinion that Apple is
>>> leading the industry in this regard, and iOS 8 takes another step forward
>>> in extending their lead.
>>>
>>> Tags: iOS 8
>>>
>>> Steven Aquino
>>>
>>> Steven is a freelance tech writer and iOS Accessibility expert, based in
>>> the San Francisco Bay Area. His work has appeared in The Magazine,
>>> Macworld, TidBITS, and more.
>>>
>>>
>>> Steve
>>> Lansing, MI
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