Listen to SeroSpectives: This Year in Assistive Tech for 2012
Replay the Accessible Event archive of the show
It took three hours and seven people putting their heads together, but we succeeded in counting down the top ten stories of 2012 as compiled by the Blind Bargains team. We even managed to throw in a few extra stories along the way. Here’s how we did it:
The Panel
Joe Steinkamp is cohost of the SeroTalk Podcast
Jason Meddaugh is a cofounder of BlindBargains.com,
one of the most popular deals and news websites for the blind and visually impaired. He also manages A T Guys,
a website featuring low-cost tech gadgets and accessories. He is also a cohost on That Android Show.
is the President and CEO of EZFire, a firm dedicated to promoting usability and accessibility to devices, web sites, software, and other electronic material. He is the current chair of the Information Access committee for the American Council of the Blind
and serves as the President of ACB’s New York affiliate. His background includes legislation, access to assistive technologies, accessible books and other instructional material as well as many different forms of new devices. His Recent efforts include the implementation of the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, which includes accessibility to videos, interfaces to televisions, DVR’s, and other mobile software and devices.
Producer and host of the SeroTalk Podcast
plays keyboard professionally, and has shared the stage several times with current X Factor winner Tate Stevens. He is a music therapist who has worked with both the elderly and children, and teaches a music Appreciation class one evening a week at a community college. In the current setting, he is best known for his work as Content Director for Serotek
and the SeroTalk Podcast Network.
is host of SeroSpectives
Léonie Watson is Director of Accessibility at Nomensa, and Chair of the British Computer Association of the Blind. She works with companies around the world to create and implement digital inclusion strategies, and she’s a W3C invited expert working on HTML5 accessibility. Léonie is one quarter of the AccessTalk podcast
(which is really just a good excuse to get together and chat about technology). According to her Twitter profile she’s also a screen reader user, book addict and tequila drinker, although you know what they say about things you read on the internet! Follow her on Twitter,
is the Director of Assistive Technology with the INDATA Project at Easter Seals Crossroads
in Indiana, and was instrumental in starting Assistive Technology Radio.
The Stories
10. 10 Windows Phone still with No Access
Link to SeroTalk 129 where we discuss how a Microsoft Surface Phone would fix the issue of Windows Phone 8
9. Amazon Adds Accessibility to some Kindle Models, but falls short
Link to SeroTalk 135 where we revisit this issue on the week that NFB protests amazon.
8. iPad Refreshed Twice, iPad Mini Added
Link to SPN Mobile Special where we talk about the iPad Mini and iPad 4 in depth.
7. Focus 14 Braille Display Released, Focus 40 Refreshed
Link to our interview with Freedom Scientific on the Focus 14, and more, from our coverage of the blinded Veterans Association National Convention
6. GWConnect Updated, causes debate with ad-supported model
5. Panasonic Announces Line of 30 UK Televisions with Text-to-speech Capabilities
4. NVDA Releases Several major Updates
Link to SPN’s Triple Click Home for news on all things Apple
2. Nexus 7 and Android 4.1 include major accessibility changes
Link to That Android Show on the Nexus 7
Exoskeletons for people with spinal cord injuries:
National Association of the Deaf vs Netflix
1. Fleksy Blends Assistive Tech and Mainstream Simplicity
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
I normally do not post to blogs like SeroTalk; however, Joe Steinkamp in This Year in Assistive Tech for 2012 miss represented a question that I had emailed before the show. I do not blame or fault Joe. I understand how my question could have been mangled in an attempt to bring it into a live presentation like This Year in Assistive Tech for 2012. I paste my question and associated comments for NVDA below from my original message. I leave the community to draw its own conclusions.
“How can an employed blind person recommend to his/her employer a screen reader that
has made urgent life or death appeals for support twice within three years and also
fails to announce on its supported applications’ webpage that it supports a key application
like Microsoft PowerPoint? This was the state of affairs that applied to NVDA as
recently as two days ago.”
I had checked the NVDA website two days before I sent my original message to the SeroTalk team. For those that doubt my findings, use your favorite search engine with the following terms: NVDA screen reader support applications.
Hi, I love this technology, just wish i had enough money for
it! excellent article by the way, thanks
Feel free to visit my web blog – http://www.aandstech.com (Cameron)