Research for my documentary, "36 Seconds that Changed Everything: How the iPhone Learned to Talk" included interviews with two longtime iOS developers, each of whom took an early interest in accessibility.
From the moment it was announced in 2007, anticipation for the first iPhone was off the charts. But if you had a disability, the phone was just a cold, unresponsive rectangle of plastic and glass. This is the story of how that changed in June of 2009.
Apple's Director of Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives, Sarah Herrlinger talks about new and updated accessibility features on the company's platforms, as well as a bit of iOS access history.
Google I/O and Microsoft Build are done, but what did each have to say about accessibility? And which of their sponsors' tent pole technologies are being used to power the next generation of fancy tach for people with a variety of disabilities?
I talked with two iOS developers who have a lot in common. They're independents who produce series of popular apps. And without really meaning to, they have each earned a reputation for thoughtful accessibility.
Each spring, all the accessibility tech nerds go to the CSUN Assistive Technology Conference in Southern California. At the end, a bunch of us do a wrap-up podcast for Blind Bargains, which covers the show from soup to nuts, Braille to navigation.
Last Monday, Apple announced Apple News +. And I'm breaking usual format to give you a first look and demo, complete with extra accessibility sprinkles.
Darcy Burnard, a friend and longtime podcast collaborator, talks with me about making podcasts accessibly. Which tools work, which ones don't, and which can be made to do our bidding?
Every tech-savvy person ends up helping some portion of her or his family get software installed, or spam banished. I wanted to find out how others do it, so I talked to fellow family tech supporters, who have also done this work professionally.
Can you turn an iPad into your primary computer, and if you do that, is it the best choice you can make, or a stunt to talk about on podcasts? I pose these blunt questions to my iPad-dominant guests. And give you a bushel of links, too.