Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of being a guest on Robert Carter’s Tech Doctor Podcast. It’s a weekly show focused on technology and blindness. I’ve corresponded with Robert before. Turns out he is a listener to Shelly’s Podcast, and a fellow Texan. It was nice to finally meet him. Along with his co-host, Allison Hartley, Robert and I had a wide-ranging discussion of my career, low vision, the Macintosh/iOS, and the book I’m writing. I was surprised how much ground we covered. And on reflection, I realize that I’ve never discussed many of these topics before on a…
Category: Access and Disability
Introducing iOS Access for All
Posted in Access and Disability, and Announcements
I am very excited to announce my new book, iOS Access for All: Your Comprehensive Guide to Accessibility for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. I feel a little strange announcing something that is not yet finished and available for you to read, but the fast pace of this social-media-driven world makes it important to begin talking about it while I’m writing it, and while I’m gathering ideas and feedback from potential readers. Here’s the “elevator pitch” for iOS Access for All. Apple’s iDevices include many features that make them accessible to people with disabilities. Most books and Web sites that…
Apple Versus Samsung, My Take
Posted in Access and Disability, Announcements, and New Media and Tech
Here is a story I wrote for Stabley Times about the latest Samsung lawsuit against Apple. This one is all about a subject that’s near and dear to my heart, the accessibility of iOS.
I’ve had the good fortune to appear on several podcasts lately, discussing iPhone accessibility. I’ve also recorded and written some stuff of my own on that topic. So I thought: why not just post all of those links in one place, for those of you considering the development of a 24/7 Shelly channel in your head? Chuck Joiner graciously invited me to join him on MacVoices for a little explainer on iPhone 3GS accessibility. It was a lot of fun, and I felt like we covered the bases pretty well. I also had the pleasure of joining Josh and Shane…
Random IPhone 3G S Thoughts
Posted in Access and Disability, and New Media and Tech
I’ve had lots of nice linkage since my post about iPhone 3G S accessibility. I don’t have enough new information for another proper post, but here are a couple of things I’ve been thinking about. The iPod Touch, my beloved iPhone substitute, was released, and updated to version 2.0 in conjunction with other iPod announcements, not during iPhone launches. So even if we are to see a hardware-updated iPod Touch, it will most likely be a few months. This makes me sad, but I’m going to check out the iPhone 3.0 software update; hoping against hope that some accessibility features…
I’ll get right to the point: the iPhone 3G S includes several features that should make Apple’s smartphone accessible to many blind and visually impaired people for the first time. And rejoicing was heard in the land? We’ll see what we’ll see. The new phone, debuted at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference, and due for release on June 19, includes a version of Apple’s VoiceOver, the screen reader built into Mac OS X. Since we learned at its launch two years ago that the iPhone is an OS X-adjacent device, lots of accessibility advocates, including me, have suggested that lighting…
Healthy and Doing Fine
Posted in Access and Disability, and Random Personal Nonsense
Birth announcements almost always end the same way. Baby is healthy and doing fine. That’s what we all hope for, right? And mostly, it’s what parents in the United States can expect to get. But seeing those words once again on a birth announcement made me wonder. What’s the best ending line for the announcement of the birth of a disabled child? Should parents be less giddy and thankful when they learn their new son or daughter can’t see, won’t be able to walk, etc? Should they equate disability with unhealthfulness? I don’t think so. No parent wants their child…
Susan Boyle and the Idolatry of Perfection
Posted in Access and Disability, and Politics and Public Affairs
I avoided what’s being called the Susan Boyle Phenomenon as long as I could. I first learned about it from distant acquaintances on Twitter, then from some fellow book club members. More links followed, all pointing to a video of a woman appearing on an American Idol-like TV show called Britain’s Got Talent. Words like “amazing”, “inspiring” and “it gave me chills” accompanied each link, along with an admonition that I “must watch this!” The trouble with “amazing” and “inspiring” is that they are most often applied to disabled people by their non-disabled observers. You’ll have to trust me on…
AccessCamp: From A Distance
Posted in Access and Disability, and New Media and Tech
A couple days ago, I saw a Twitter message advertising AccessCamp, an unconference focusing on digital accessibility. At first,my response was a bit sarcastic: camps seem to proliferate like weeds, I observed. But the more I thought about it, the more an AccessCamp seemed like a brilliant idea, and one I wish I had been aware of earlier. Having fought and defeated inaccessibility in various ways all my life, I have a few thoughts. The camp environment, where people choose the topics they want to address and learn about, and in which interaction is prized, is especially exciting in a…
I spent last weekend with friends who use their matching iPhones to great effect. Though new in town, they were able to zoom in on (well, close) to my house with Google street view, and find a store we wanted to visit before I could complete my call to directory assistance. They also kept up with emails from home, and conducted searches just because they could, all while holding up their end of the conversation. Tap, tap, tap. I’m past the angry part. No iPhone for me. OK. I don’t really feel the need for a Google IV on a…