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App makes Perth buses info accessible
Transcript
26th January, 2014
Roberta: The availability of public transport information has become a hot topic with stories such as Graeme Innes’ case against RailCorp in New South Wales gaining national attention. Now a new app has been released for residences in Perth, which could make travelling on buses a whole lot easier. Eliza Cussen, online editor for Media Access Australia, is here to tell us more. Welcome Eliza.
Eliza: Hi Roberta.
Roberta: Now, tell us a little bit about Stop Announcer.
Eliza: Well Stop Announcer is an app for Android phones which helps people know which stop they’re up to on the bus and announces when the bus is approaching their destination. It’s incredibly nifty. Currently it’s only available in Perth but there’s nothing stopping the app from being adopted for public transport systems in cities all over the world.
Roberta: Now Eliza, is the app accessible?
Eliza: Yes. It’s been developed specifically for people who are blind and for people who have low vision. It works a treat with Android screen reader and it has a high contrast design, so if you’re vision impaired you can magnify it or adapt it to whatever settings you’re used to. It really couldn’t be easier to use.
Roberta: And how did it all come about?
Eliza: Well this app is made by a developer we’ve talked about on the show before, his name is Voon-Li Chung and he’s the person who brought us PointFinder. Many listeners might remember this. This is the very handy navigation app that helps you find your way between landmarks. I think we talked about this in November. The Stop Announcer is the second app Voon-Li has made, just to help people who are blind and vision impaired get around, which is marvellous I think. This is actually the first app he started working on and the inspiration came from Graeme Innes and his case against RailCorp. Many listeners will find the story familiar. He took RailCorp in New South Wales to court because although the train does announce stops as it approaches them, many people can’t actually hear them because of that terrible crackle over the speakers. So Graeme Innes actually won that and RailCorp did agree to be better. Being located in Sydney I have noticed a difference but Voon Li really got in before all that and when he heard the problems Graeme was experiencing he came up with a very simple way to fix it.
Roberta: So do you think apps like this are the solution?
Eliza: I think apps like this one are a band-aid solution. Ideally we want the information about stops to be made available to everyone in the buses and trains themselves. Everyone who’s been to London will know how easy the Tube is to get around, the stops being announced so clearly. I was in San Francisco over Christmas and I just marvelled at how accessible public transport was. Just on my train trip from the city to the airport I noticed that all the information was communicated visually and audibly so that everyone was being catered for. It’s not just people with sensory impairment who need this, it’s the tourists, it’s residents, it’s everyone.
Roberta: Well that’s true, because I notice it when I take a tram in Melbourne and they tell you when you’re coming up to the main streets in the city of Melbourne, which is really great because I get mixed up which comes first anyway.
Eliza: Yes.
Roberta: So it is an amazing solution to a lot of problems.
Eliza: It really is.
Roberta: Now what kind of phones does this app work on and how can people download it, Eliza?
Eliza: Well Stop Announcer is for Android phones and if you have one of those you can just go to Google Play and search for Stop Announcer. The great thing is it only costs a $1.99, which is a bargain. Unfortunately there aren’t any plans to bring out a version for iPhone. That being said, we have seen some fantastically cheap Android phones come out and the accessibility of them has really improved in recent years. So I would encourage anyone thinking about getting a new phone in 2014 to look into Android, especially the Motorola Moto G that’s just come out. That one is about half the price of the leading Android phones and it’s just as accessible really, so you could save hundreds.
Roberta: Well this is it and not only the money, the one you want is the one that has got the information you require.
Eliza: Exactly.
Roberta: Well for more information about technology that can help you, visit the Media Access Australia website, mediaaccess.org.au. You can also call and speak to Eliza and the rest of the team on 02) 9212 6242. Thank you for all of that today, Eliza, and I know we’ll be talking again soon.
Eliza: Thanks Roberta. We give out our phone number at the end of every episode, but really do just give us a call. No question is too simple, no question is too complicated, we’ll do our best to answer anyone’s question.
Roberta: That’s wonderful. I’ve been speaking with Eliza Cussen, online editor for Media Access Australia and Media Access Australia is a supporter of this program.