When the iPad debuted two years ago,
there was lots of talk about whether people beyond the iPhone and Mac
faithful would use such a thing.
But it became very clear to a
particular group of people — advocates for those with autism spectrum
disorders — that the device could be a new tool for communication and
education in that community, something perhaps even Apple didn't
foresee. Some autism-related apps aid conversation between parents and
children, while others help with learning words or social skills.
In
fact, there are now so many autism-related apps for the iPad and other
iOS devices that there's "Autism Apps," an app that provides a
comprehensive list.
Kel Smith, a blogger, consultant and founder
of the Philadelphia-based technology accessibility company Anikto LLC,
has been studying technology shifts like this one for a book he's
working on, "Digital Outcasts: Moving Technology Forward Without Leaving
People Behind."
It revolves around "accessibility," the idea that
websites, apps, hardware and other technology should be designed in
ways that do not shut them out to those with disabilities including
blindness, hearing loss and other physical limitations.
But the concept of the book is changing as Smith works on it.
"I
went in with the premise that there's entire populations of people who
are being left behind; they're not being considered. Then I realized,
they're the ones driving the innovation and moving it forward. They're
forming their own solutions at this very grassroots level."
Smith's
company Anikto (the word is Greek for "Open") has for years been
advocating more accessible web design, hardware and software. In recent
years, he says, tech companies are realizing that they're leaving money
on the table by not making their sites or products accessible.
"Ten
years ago, I was being laughed out of boardrooms for bringing up that
we should make things accessible," Smith says. "Now, there's a
greater recognition that there's a market for this type of stuff and it's not just what we do on a secular level."The
idea is that designers should think about accessibility because it's in
their own best interests — in addition to being altruistic.
For
companies selling products online, for instance, "You have to understand
that people who have a disability that prevents them from leaving the
home will be shopping from home. You don't want to have barriers (to)
that purchasing decision," he says.
What's more, the cost for
individuals and nonprofits to create their own web design tools and apps
is falling, making it easier than ever for technology for the disabled
to be distributed and for communities online to get the word out about
them.
Another big shift is that for years, accessibility was
largely focused on how the web is viewed on computers, how the online
world interacts with computers, and mice and text-to-speech devices.
But
now, much of people's web browsing is moving to mobile devices like
smart phones, which have much smaller screens. We're also being
introduced to personal tech like Microsoft's Xbox 360 Kinect, which
relies on gestures and movement.
These new interfaces can be a
double-edged sword. They provide "a whole new array of possibilities,"
Smith says, "and a whole new array of problems... We're almost back to
square one in terms of web accessibility."
Improvements in tech
accessibility are likely to benefit an increasing number of people as
aging baby boomers will soon dictate the demand for devices suitable for
people with limited motor skills, hand-eye coordination, poor vision
and hearing.
This article comes from:http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_20657523/access-required?source=rss
It's not clear whether Apple plans to offer a free weekly app the way
Amazon promotes a daily freebie on the Appstore. Typically, discounted
app promotions on Apple's App Store are initiated by the app developer, not Apple, and that may be the case with Cut the Rope:Experiments.
