[IL-Talk] FW: Article from Chicago Sun Times Metro State Section 2023 04 06

dan.tevelde at comcast.net dan.tevelde at comcast.net
Wed Apr 19 15:28:21 UTC 2023 

I heard a demo of the app on a blindness podcast. I was impressed and think it has potential. I share Debbie's concerns about theft. Not everybody has the physical strength to deter crime. Sighted people are having their iPhones stolen. I think it might be challenging for a guide dog user. Sometimes they need both hands free for the harness and leash. I would prefer a hands-free solution where the camera is part of a pair of glasses. Glasses are expensive but I suspect they will become cheaper when mainstream companies produce them. A person could open an app on their phone or glasses and move their head. Buying an older iPhone isn't a good option. IOS 17 is dropping support for some older phones. Any app development would focus on newer phones which could take advantage of operating system updates. Using an older phone would require the user to take multiple phones with them and make sure they are charged. A hands-free solution has the added advantage that a person with hearing loss could operate a phone or glasses using a portable Braille display paired to the phone or glasses using BlueTooth.

I won't be testing wayfinding technology requiring a camera unless I can use a pair of glasses.

Dan


-----Original Message-----
From: IL-Talk <il-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Kelly Pierce via IL-Talk
Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2023 11:12 PM
To: NFB of Illinois Mailing List <il-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Kelly Pierce <kellytalk at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [IL-Talk] FW: Article from Chicago Sun Times Metro State Section 2023 04 06

Denise,

I used an iPhone 13 Mini.  I held it in both hands tightly and the phone was close to my chest so it would be a struggle if someone wanted to snatch it. The late great Mike Cramer advised me long ago as a blind person to be conscious about being flashy in public with money, wallets, and if he were still alive, expensive electronic items. Before reaching the intersection, I had the iPhone in my pocket and I had opened the OKO app before locking the phone. All I needed to do was to discreetly pull the phone out of my pocket, unlock the device with face ID, and point it at the traffic signal. I did this in one smooth motion that lasted less than a minute each time. Granted though I do not live in a high crime neighborhood.  I am also a powerlifter with now a big and long beard, which leads many to leave me alone. Given I felt I had maximum control of the device, I had minimal worries about crime.  If I did and I felt this app was essential, I could just obtain an iPhone 8, which are available for under $100, and use it for this purpose.  The iPhone 8 runs iOS 16 which is also on the latest iPhones.  If someone were to snatch the iPhone 8, the end user would experience minimal loss.

Kelly



On 4/18/23, Robert Hansen via IL-Talk <il-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Actually now that you think about it that would trouble me. I'm real 
> paranoid about even pulling up my cheap phone. I mean it's a great app 
> and that's good it was invented. But you know at the same time a lot 
> of these phones are getting up there in price. I saw one of those 
> fancy pants Samsung folding phones for about $1,700. And you know 
> those iPhones are up in the 1200 1300 $1,400 range nowadays. It's a 
> nice technology but I'm a little shy about pulling out the phone.
>
> Robert Hansen
> hansen.robert70 at gmail.com
>
>
> On Tue, Apr 18, 2023, 7:12 PM Deborah Kent Stein via IL-Talk < 
> il-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> What troubles me about this technology is the idea of standing on a 
>> busy street corner and holding out my phone for all to see. It would 
>> be too easy for a stranger to snatch it and run. Am I just being 
>> paranoid?
>>
>> Debbie S.
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: IL-Talk [mailto:il-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kelly 
>> Pierce via IL-Talk
>> Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2023 6:08 PM
>> To: NFB of Illinois Mailing List <il-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Cc: Kelly Pierce <kellytalk at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [IL-Talk] FW: Article from Chicago Sun Times Metro State 
>> Section 2023 04 06
>>
>> A traffic signal identifier named OKO has just been released for the 
>> iPhone.  The free app makes unique sounds when the traffic signal is 
>> showing the don’t walk signal or the walk signal. I have used it a 
>> few times and the app has worked flawlessly. The app can be a game 
>> changer and travel enhancer for those who want additional support and 
>> confidence crossing streets with traffic lights. All someone needs to 
>> do is to point the back iPhone camera to the traffic signal across 
>> the street and instantly sound is produced, indicating the status of 
>> the signal.  Has anyone else used OKO?  Feel free to share your 
>> experience. This app could easily replace in my trials the need for 
>> feedback from guide dogs or audio traffic signals installed by 
>> municipalities.  OKO is currently under active development so 
>> feedback about signals that do not work with the app will be 
>> investigated and solutions created for the app to function at these 
>> intersections. The app has been used in Europe for a couple of years 
>> and now has just been made available in the United States and Canada.
>>
>> Kelly
>>
>>
>>
>> On 4/9/23, Debbie Pittman via IL-Talk <il-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> > I just hope the signals they put in will not be like the one at 
>> > Jackson and state which seems to only confuse the challenge of crossing.
>> >
>> > Debbie P
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > Sent from my iPhone
>> >
>> >> On Apr 6, 2023, at 6:49 PM, Denise Avant via IL-Talk 
>> >> <il-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> >> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> Hello All,
>> >>
>> >> The court made a ruling yesterday regarding the Accessible 
>> >> Pedestrian Signals. Please see the below article. Also, I will be 
>> >> on CBS 2 News tonight at 10 since there is one near me.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> From: NFB-NEWSLINE Online <publications at nfbnewsline.net>
>> >> Sent: Thursday, April 6, 2023 6:16 PM
>> >> To: Denise Avant <davant1958 at gmail.com>
>> >> Subject: Article from Chicago Sun Times Metro State Section 2023 
>> >> 04
>> >> 06
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Chicago crosswalk signals violate disabilities act, federal judge 
>> >> rules By Catherine Odom A federal judge has ruled Chicago violated 
>> >> the Americans with Disabilities Act by failing to install signals 
>> >> at most crosswalks that help people who are visually impaired 
>> >> navigate streets and reach their destinations safely. U.S. 
>> >> District Judge Elaine Bucklo ruled Friday that the city's lack of 
>> >> accessible pedestrian signals (APS) at crosswalks was 
>> >> discriminatory against people who are visually impaired because it 
>> >> deprives them of "meaningful access" to public benefits guaranteed 
>> >> by the disabilities act. Bucklo's judgement was issued in response 
>> >> to a lawsuit brought in 2019 by the American Council of the Blind 
>> >> of Metropolitan Chicago and several visually impaired individuals. 
>> >> Ann Brash, a plaintiff in the class-action suit, said she was 
>> >> nearly struck by a bus while walking home from work in 2017 
>> >> because the crosswalk lacked accessible signals, according to the 
>> >> complaint. Jelena Kolic, an attorney for Disability Rights 
>> >> Advocates who represented the plaintiffs, said they were "thrilled 
>> >> that the judge recognized that public entities need to account for 
>> >> blind and low-vision pedestrians when signalizing intersections. 
>> >> The city's law department did not respond to a request for comment 
>> >> Thursday. The suit accused the city of upgrading crosswalks 
>> >> without including accessible signals, which can feature audio 
>> >> recordings or tones that communicate information about the 
>> >> crossing's "walk" and "don't walk" intervals. The year the suit 
>> >> was brought, Mayor Lori Lightfoot had promised to install up to
>> >> 100 APS-equipped crosswalk signals to make Chicago "the most 
>> >> inclusive city in the nation. But as of 2021, fewer than 1% of 
>> >> crosswalks in the city had the accessible signals installed, 
>> >> according to justice department, which joined the plaintiffs in 
>> >> the suit. "Federal law offers people with visual disabilities the 
>> >> promise of full participation in community life, and safely 
>> >> navigating city streets is a critical part of that," Assistant 
>> >> Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the justice department's Civil 
>> >> Rights Division said in a statement following the decision. 
>> >> Colleen Wunderlich, who is blind, testified about her experiences 
>> >> in this lawsuit and said she was "very pleased" but "not 
>> >> surprised" by the decision. Wunderlich said crossing the street 
>> >> without the accessible signals is "dangerous and unsettling," and 
>> >> forces her to rely on listening for passing traffic or asking 
>> >> strangers for help. She said she hopes to see APS devices at all 
>> >> crosswalks in the future. Janet Szlyk, president of the Chicago 
>> >> Lighthouse, a social services organization for the visually 
>> >> impaired, said she was "disappointed" it took a lawsuit to push 
>> >> the city to prioritize accessibility. "It should be an absolute priority for the city.
>> >> Accessibility is critically important," Szlyk said. The plaintiffs 
>> >> and the city have yet to reach agreement on a remedial plan. Kolic 
>> >> said she looks forward to negotiating the terms with the city.
>> >> "Chicago is a very walkable city, and it should be walkable for 
>> >> everyone," Kolic said. "I'm hoping that the consequence of this 
>> >> decision will be that the blind residents of this city will be 
>> >> able to enjoy that walkability, just as the rest of us have been 
>> >> able to do.
>> >>
>> >> This article is provided to you as a courtesy of NFB-NEWSLINE???
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>> >> NFB-NEWSLINE??? Team.
>> >>
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