Things I
would like to see - Blind and low vision related
Research
I would like to see more money spent on eye
research so blindness related conditions might become a thing of
the past. It is good to see research into bionic eyes, and
research into how stem cell research can hopefully get the eyes
going again.
Is
captcha really needed on your website?
I would like to see other accessible alternatives
used instead of captcha which is used on websites. These
captchas are either in a text format (which is hard to see even
for the elderly) or in an audio format. If you have a hearing
problem, it makes it quite hard to hear and work out the captcha
when spoken out. Most of these audio captchas are not clear
enough to work out. People who can be affected by these captchas
may be the elderly, dyslexics, people with reading problems or
vision problems (including the visually impaired, blind and deaf
blind). A person using a braille display will not be able to
work out the text captcha or the audio one either. There are
other alternatives that could be used on websites instead of
captcha (for example using an email verification process and so
on). When considering using Captcha on your website, ask
yourself is it really needed or is there a viable alternative
instead (that won’t affect as many people)?
Accessibility
guidelines taught as part of web design and software
design
I would like to see in the education system like
universities etcetera, the importance of why guide lines should be
followed. This is for both software developers as well as website
developers. I would like to see units/papers created where these
standards have to be met. In the units/papers, they should also
cover about screen readers or adaptive devices that someone with a
disability may use to navigate their software or website with.
In the practical part, where the student goes to design a program
or website, they should be shown what happens when these guide
lines are not followed. For example with a screen reader on a
website, if photos, buttons, graphics, formatting of headings
etcetera are not used, then show them the difference that is made
when they are.
There should be universal design standards in education, so a
person who uses a screen reader online to learn is not hindered.
(This can occur where the basic accessibility guide lines have not
been followed when designing these programs or websites and screen
reader users cannot access that same information due to lack of
labelling etcetera).
More
widespread public terminal access
I would like to see more access to public
terminals that the sighted public use. At present if there is a
public terminal where a sighted person can go up and use it (such
as at information centres, libraries etcetera) a person who is
blind or needs magnification to use those terminals cannot use
them without some type of adaptive technology. With Windows 7 and
above, with full screen magnification, this may help some people
that need text enlarged, but it may not help someone who is
blind/visually impaired or dyslexic. A free alternative to the
second problem can be to install the NVDA screen reader. This is
available from www.nvaccess.org
The New Zealand public library network (APNK known as Aotearoa
People’s Network Kaharoa) is leading the way with the installation
of the NVDA screen reader. It is installed on over 750 public
library computers, at over 150 libraries throughout New Zealand.
To find out where your nearest APNK library is please visit http://www.aotearoapeoplesnetwork.org/content/partner-libraries
It would be great to see this installed in polytechnics and
universities etcetera.
As a visually impaired person there are some things I would like
to see both from the perspective of accessibility as well as
adaptive technology. These things may not only help visually
impaired people or blind people, they may also help dyslexics as
well or even the elderly. This may vary from person to person as
to what their needs are at that time.
Ever since Apple incorporated accessibility into their devices
(such as I phones, I pads etcetera) they have been setting a
standard for what should be in a device. You will need to check
under the accessibility section on the device to see what
accessibility options there are (for example a screen reader,
magnification and so on). All aspects of the phone are well
labelled throughout their devices. This may change on third party
applications that don’t come with the devices. These devices
are blind friendly straight out of the box.
I would like to see the same for the Android devices. I
would like to see all parts of these devices labelled. Even though
the operating system is well labelled, sadly not all applications
that come with these devices are. Android devices have
been making leaps and bounds in each new release of the operating
system.
I would like to see in Windows phones the ability to use a screen
reader on those phones. Even though there was screen reader
software you could buy for the phone, the price was on top of the
phone. The only alternative for the blind on a Windows 8/10 phone
is Narrator. Hopefully in the future, other screen readers will be
able to go onto these phones (for example NVDA).
Adaptive
technology
I would like to see the price of adaptive
technologies come down. With the invention of smart phones some of
these things are happening. Some of these things are as follows:
Colour identifier software, so we know what colour clothes we are
wearing; Software that turns your smart phone into a portable
magnifier; Software (OCR) which allows us to take a picture of a
document and have it read out to us; Some GPS software that can
get us from one location to another and give us turn by turn
instructions. (Some of them will even let you know what number of
a house you are at and what street you are on). There are plenty
more apps out there that could help a visually impaired or blind
person at home and abroad. The blind or low vision person
just needs to take the first step and learn a new skill.
Braille
displays
I would like to see the prices on braille
displays come down. At present, they are out of most visually
impaired/blind people’s price range. In these cases, if someone
funds the braille display or they save up for it themselves then
they will gain access to one, however most blind/visually impaired
people will not get to use one - mainly because of the cost
involved.
Having a book in braille takes up a lot of room where an
electronic document in braille doesn’t; But you would need a
braille display for this and the person needs to know braille
first.
I guess if the prices come right down on them, then more blind
(and/or vision impaired people) will use them.
Learning
braille
I would like to see more people (both blind and
with low vision) learn basic braille (that is Grade One braille).
They only need to learn the basics of braille, so it can help them
either at home or in the community. For example marking a light
switch if there are extra switches on them like using the braille
letters S and L to say that switch is for a spot light or braille
H and T or a Heat Transfer switch. This could also be used
for the elements on your stove (RF for right front, and RR for
right rear etcetera).
Maybe the introduction of new displays might do this. These
displays might let you feel the braille letters on a document in
an A4 size document. For example the BliTab.
Movie
theatres
I would like to see more movie theatres around
the world have the technology in them where a person with a visual
impairment or a hearing problem are able to go to a movie theatre
if the movie either has sub titles or audio description as tracks,
meaning the person watching the movie can enjoy it like everyone
else. At present I believe this type of technology is not in New
Zealand, but can be found in other countries.
More text
to speech
I would like to see electronic devices come out
with text to speech technologies built into them. This would be
great if there was a button on the device to enable the text to
speech feature or have it disabled for the sighted when not
required. This type of technology has been put into smart phones,
but could be extended to other devices. For example home phones
where the minimum standard is being able to know what numbers you
have pushed, going through the address book and having names
spoken out and talking caller ID like in the Uniden SEE 25 and
27. Having a home phone that could speak every menu on the
phone would be awesome.
I would like to see more text to speech technology built into TV
sets. The minimum standard is that the TV would speak the title of
the show and time slot, the short description of what that show is
about that night, and also knowing what is on next. Being able to
cycle through the different sources and knowing what they are
should be built into the TV’s. It would be even better if the TV
guide was spoken as well. Panasonic have brought out a range of
TV’s with these standards and this is a selling point to a blind
person. The feature is called voice guidance. I would like to see
this type of technology expanded to other manufacturers who make
TV sets, but increase a lot more of what is spoken out (for
example being able to access other parts of the TV set with voice
guidance. It is great to see that TV sets have the option for
audio description built into them. This allows the visually
impaired or blind person (when the show is audio described) to
know what is happening on the show in the quiet scenes. In New
Zealand this has been happening since March 2011 with TV’s that
have this option, but only on channels 1 and 2 plus 1+1 an hour
later and 2 + 1 an hour later.
There could be different technologies the text to speech software
could be put into (for example a washing machine with text to
speech so that we could use every feature on it). Personal video
recorders, satellite receivers, stereos and so on. What could help
us could also help a dyslexic person as well.
I guess the best places to ask for advice on this type of idea
would be a blind foundation or dyslexic foundation (etcetera) to
get ideas of what products this type of technology could be put
into.
Audio
description
I would like to see more TV channels show audio
described content on them. At present there are only 2 channels
that may air audio described content which is channel 1 and 2 in
New Zealand. I would love to be able to watch other channels like
Channel 3, Prime etcetera with the shows also being audio
described. I guess this is something people in other countries
would like to have happen as well with their TV broadcasters (if
it hasn’t been introduced already).
Online
streaming services with audio description
I would like to see more online streaming
services take on the initiative to have the option to hear certain
shows with audio description. Before April 2015, this was not even
an option in New Zealand (until Netflix came to New Zealand).
Before this, there was no online service in New Zealand that would
provide online streaming with audio description. You would be
breaking the law if you were to watch this type of content with
audio description on a streaming service (for example the BBC I
player).
Apart from Attitude Live, there are no on demand services that do
this in New Zealand. I would like to see it happen so what you saw
on the TV with audio description would also be the same online
with audio description. Also, I would like to see the player
(which is used online to play the content) accessible to a screen
reader as well. Sadly at present (March 2016) the software
to click on to play or pause the movie or show, is not really
accessible to a screen reader user. This is when compared to the
Netflix version or the BBC I player version which are both
accessible.
I would like to see other on demand services (like Channel 3 NZ
etcetera) be able to do the same thing.
Live
theatres increase availability of audio description
I would like to see more live theatres have the
option for audio description also, so that a blind/visually
impaired person can follow what is happening on the stage.
Audio
description as an option in museums
I would like to see maybe an option at museums
where we can pay a guide to audio describe some of the stuff they
are showing off in an exhibition. They would need to know how to
do this correctly. Being able to touch some of the exhibitions
helps the visually impaired/blind person to get a better picture
of what they are looking at. We know this cannot be done in
certain exhibitions, but a good description may help. Not
all of us will have a sighted guide and the person may not know
how to describe properly what he or she is seeing.
More
employment opportunities for blind people
I would like to see more visually impaired and
blind people of working age employed and not be looked at as a
safety hazard in a working environment. We can do the job if only
the employer gives us a chance. We can get funding for
equipment that may be required to help us do the job.
Audio
cues on public transport
I would like to see all trains and buses in the
public sector being able to give audio cues of our next stop / or
stops on our journey. This can be a bit of hit and miss in
different parts of the country - let alone the world.
Text to
speech in banks automatic teller machines
I would like to see more automatic teller
machines be accessible to the visually impaired and blind where
ever these are in the world. At present without text to speech
software put onto them, so the visually impaired or blind person
can hear what he/she is doing, that machine may not be accessible
to them. Even though there are ATM’S (Automatic Teller Machines)
out there that have braille tactile markings, there are only a
very small percentage of us who know braille. The rest of us
don’t.
Large
print menus
I would like to see more large print menus out in
every community, so people with low vision or the elderly are able
to read them. This is in shops where you have a menu to look at to
order your food.
Easy to
see signs and labels
I would like to see labels or signs in shops in
large print, high colour contrast and easy to see. If it is easy
to see then it is more likely to get noticed and the customer is
more likely to know it is there. This applies for not only
blind/vision impaired people, but also for people with dyslexia as
well as the elderly.
OCR your
documents and mailers if they are in a PDF format
I would like to see more businesses that have a
website (where they provide a PDF document to their customers –
for example The Warehouse mailer) make sure that it has been
OCR’ed first. OCR stands for Optical Character Recognition.
Without the PDF being done correctly, when the person goes to read
it with a screen reader, it will say it is a blank document. I
would like to see more documents being accessible and structured
properly. Again, the more accessible your website and its
documents are, the wider your audience and potential customers may
be as well.
Digitise
written material
I would like to see more of the written word be
available in a digital format. At present, there is a vast wealth
of written books that we cannot read unless we scan in and OCR
every page in that book.