[gui-talk] accessibility gaps in Android

[Wayne Merritt]

Hi. Android is not where the iPhone is, but it's getting there. The
big areas that are not accessible as of yet with Android are the
browser, the calendar, and built in email. There is  a gesture based
app that can be used for web browsing and many blind people have used
this and found it helpful. The big catch with this app is that you are
limited to strictly gestures, no keyboard use. I hope this is added in
a future update to this software. There is also an app you can get for
accessible email that I've heard works quite well. The calendar is
usable at parts, such as in scheduling a new appointment on the same
day or in looking at the appointments you already have scheduled,
however there are some definite access issues with it. For a growing
list of documentation refer to the Accessible Android blog at:

http://accessibleandroid.blogspot.com

And the Eyes Free Google Group email list, which you can probably find
by doing a search for eyes-free. There should be a link to this list
on the blog mentioned above.

The great thing about Android is that there are apps to do just about
everything that you want to do, and more, such as GPS navigation,
spoken directions, streaming music, podcasts, texting, and many more.
The built in texting (messaging) and contacts applications are quite
accessible. I don't believe there's any apps yet for OCR or barcode
scanning, but it's only a matter of time. The other great thing about
Android is that it's changing all the time. So if the access is not
there yet for a particular application, then just wait awhile. I'd
really recommend anyone interested to join the Eyes Free Google Group.
There's a large collection of folk on that list with a mix of
beginners and intermediate users. That would be the place to start as
far as specific features of Android or Android and access with certain
phones.

Good luck,
Wayne



On 11/1/10, Hoffman, Allen <Allen.Hoffman at dhs.gov> wrote:
> I'm looking at the Android platform for access.
> Can anyone with current experience list any accessibility gaps you feel
> are critical to successfully using the phone to:
>                 Browse the web
>                 Read and send text messages quickly
>                 Read and send emails quickly
>                 Access and follow navigation directions quickly
>                 Get information on current location
>                 Get information on nearby locations while moving
>                 Send your location  to someone else to pick you up
>                 Get someone else's location to meet them
>                 Read office, open-office, and PDF attachments as needed
>                 Use flash-based applications (given they are coded
> correctly)
>                 Scan bar codes in stores to find lowest product pricing
>
> Optional:
>                 OCR printed content and read aloud and allow saving of
> content
>
>
>
>
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