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Re: PDA's

for

From: Prof Norm Coombs
Date: Feb 12, 2002 7:46AM

Dear John:


Thanks for bringing the date discrepancies to my attention. It took a
couple days till I could get them fixed. I believe they are now all
coordinated.

Thanks.

Norm

At 08:51 AM 2/7/02 -0500, you wrote:
>PDA's have major accessibility problems. The PDA's based on the Palm OS
>don't have a voice synthesis capability so it is hard to make them
>accessible to blind users. Even with voice they would be very difficult to
>use since they are based on a touch screen interface. Linear auditory
>navigation as an alternative would be possible but not practical.
>
>Their use would be very difficult for most and impossible for many
>individuals with motor impairments due to the size of the controls and
>accuracy required with the touchscreen.
>
>An alternative for blind users is the talking version of the Nokia 9110 -
>the Talx9110 or 9110i. http://www.talx.de/index_e.htm These are a
>cellphone PDA combinations which have a small keyboard rather than touch
>screen. The Talx program only controls the PDA part of the device and is not
>active when the clam shell case is closed. Stand alone, the Talx uses a
>limited vocabulary of digitized speech. With external synthesizer of
>braille display it can be used to read mail and for PDA functions. These
>are based on the GEOS operating system so special applications design for
>Palm OS or Microsoft Pocket PC would not run on them. There should be an
>equivalent device for Microsoft Pocket PC but I haven't seen one yet.
>Perhaps someone on the list has.
>
>Other alternatives would be a Braille notetaker or talking notetaker such as
>the Braille'n'Speak or Keynote Gold. These have the functions of a PDA and
>can upload and download data to PC's.
>
>For motor impairment, the RERC on Wireless Technology has a group working on
>IR interfaces in which an Augmentative Communications Device controls a cell
>phone, pager or PDA. So far they have just done a pager. However many AAC
>devices are laptop PC's themselves so you could just use PC programs
>instead.
>
>A laptop is probably the most practical alternative for individuals with
>severe motor impairments
>
>-----Original Message-----
>Date: 6 Feb 2002 07:46:53 -0600
>From: Paul Balbi < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
>Subject: PDA's
>
>
>The BBC is considering the use of PDA devices as a standard product item for
>issue to employees where required. I am putting a paper together on the
>accessibility and usability issues and if anyone knows of other inputs I
>would be grateful.
>
>____________________________________________
>
>Paul Balbi | Disability Computing Manager
>
>BBC Technology | Room 525 | 5th Floor Broadcasting House |Portland Place
>London | W1A 1AA
>T: +44 (0)20 776 50650 M: +44 (0)776 4354827
>
>http://www.bbctechnology.com
>
>
>
>---
>To subscribe, unsubscribe, or view list archives,
>visit http://www.webaim.org/discussion/
>
>
Norman Coombs, Ph.D.
Cell (949) 922-5992
Professor Emeritus, Rochester Institute of Technology
http://www.rit.edu/~nrcgsh
CEO, EASI (Equal Access to Software and Information)
http://www.rit.edu/~easi


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