Traditional video formats such as DVDs have been completely outpaced by video-on-demand services such as iTunes, Netflix, Google Play, Telstra Bigbond, Foxtel on Demand, and myriad streaming services. These allow users to purchase TV shows, movies and other content and play them on a mobile device, computer, or smart TV.
Roberta: Both Apple and Google have received a lot of attention about the accessibility of their mobile operating systems, iOS and Android. Today we are joined in the studio by Sarah Pulis, Manager of Digital Media and Technology, from Media Access Australia, who’s going to talk to us about the different approaches that Apple and Google have taken in their mobile operating systems and what this means for you. Welcome, Sarah.
Sarah: Thanks very much, Roberta.
Apple has a long history of including assistive technology in its products as standard features, and at no extra cost. This history started with the inclusion of accessibility features in Mac OS X, and has continued through to their mobile operating system, iOS.
The tablet, called GraVVITAS uses a standard touch screen tablet PC combined with sound, vibration and voice prompts to help guide the user to read the diagram.
PhD candidate Cagatay Goncu who, along with Professor Kim Marriott is working on GraVVITAS said, “The basic idea is to guide the user to find the object by using sound. Touching the object causes the sound to stop and a voice explains what that object is and any other information associated with it.”
