iPhones as an aid for the Blind

The material on this page is taken from a talk by Daryl Thomas in September 2013.

CONTENTS
Full Disclosure
Background
Mobility problems for the blind
How has iPhone helped
Cost advantages
iPhone Training for the blind

Full Disclosure

I am not blind
I do not own an iPhone (or any smart phone)
I am not paid by Apple in any way :-(
Therefore, I am fully qualified to discuss this subject

Background

Lions Clubs International, the world's largest service organization, has as one of its core missions prevention of blindness and aid to the blind.
- in response to a challenge by helen keller in 1924.
Last year an article was published in the Lions Magazine detailing how iPhones are an aid to the blind, but stating that not all blind care providers are knowledgable about this technology
As a member of a local Lions club, I thought it would be helpful if the club collected this technology information and make it available to the unknowing providers.
- The club did and does not intend to vet blind recipients nor to provide iPhones and training due to expense and lack of expertise.
The club agreed to do this, and I am presenting the results to date so you can help spread the news.

Mobility problems for the blind

Few, if any, mobile devices were available to the blind prior to the iPhone and those that existed were bulky and expensive (thousands of dollars) and had marginal performance.

How has iPhone helped

Comments from blind users:

A godsend
A game changer
Half as blind as I used to be
My life changed forever
I consider the iPhone as the greatest thing to have ever happened to the blind
The things that I am able to do - it's unbelievable

"If you want a smartphone, you want an iPhone," David Flament, manager of adaptive technology services at Chicago's Guild for the Blind, tells his clients. He adds, "It is orders of magnitude better than other smartphones on the market"

No longer quite true, other high-end smart-phones are catching up

The iPhone has built-in Accessibility Features that help the blind including:

VOIP: Text to speech and vice-versa which allows interaction with the device in the same way a sighted user does: by touching the screen
Camera: self explanatory
Siri: voice recognition assistant
Zoom: magnification of screen text
Braille capability: iPhone (3GS or later) support more than 40 Bluetooth wireless braille displays right out of the box. Simply pair one and start using it to navigate the iPhone with VoiceOver — no additional software needed. In addition, iPad, iPhone, and iPod-touch include braille tables for more than 25 languages
Guided Access: allows an individual to set restrictions in apps to eliminate the activation of the Home button to leave an app
Dictation: lets you talk where you would type. Tap the microphone button on the keyboard, say what you want to write, and your iPhone converts your words (and numbers and characters) into text. So, it's easy to construct an email, note, or URL — without typing
Speak Selection: use to read your email, iMessages, web pages, and books. Highlight text in any application, tap Speak, and Speak Selection reads the selected text aloud. You can adjust the voice's dialect and speaking rate, and have words highlighted as they're read.
Large text: Allows text to be resized to as large as 56 for easier visibility.
Invert colors: Allows colors to be inverted for greater contrast allowing easier visibility - Applies system-wide.

Cost advantages

The highest end iPhone not needed. Retina would be of dubious advantage, but is standard on current iPhones. A cellular account is needed for mobility, but can be a lower cost service as the blind are unlikely to take much bandwidth streaming HD video. A pocket-sized iPhone can replace a wheelbarrow full of previous mobile devices at an order of magnitude (a WAG) lower cost.

iPhone Training for the blind

Some blind are given no formal instruction and use trial and error learning which can lead to frustration and a potential miss of helpful features.

Book: Getting Started with the iPhone: An Introduction for Blind Users, by Anna Dresner and Dean Martineau. This book is available in hardcopy braille, on CD, and in downloadable DAISY, eBraille, Word, or ASCII formats. The price is $22. To order, visit National Braille Press or call (888) 965-8965.

Various Government agencies offer training. One of the best is the VA Rehab Center in Tacoma, Wa. They offer a 6 week resident instruction program for iPhone. A MAGIC member's husband is blind and has attended. He and his wife are both highly pleased with the program and the iPhone. She wishes she could have attended the program!

There are numerous service & private organizations - a few listed below:

American Foundation for the Blind
The Hadley School for the Blind
Perkins School for the Blind
Apple stores
etc.

Most offer instructional seminars, meetings, on-line and printed newsletters.

An opportunity exists for Apple to add training for the blind