iOS

Google Maps make Sydney public transport directions accessible

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Google and Transport New South Wales have teamed up to introduce Sydney public transport directions to the Google Maps app. After testing, we can safely say that accessibility has been a key consideration in the feature’s development.

Media Access Australia staff tested the public transport option in the Google Maps app for iPhone and found it is accessible via the VoiceOver screen reader. This means people who are blind or vision impaired will now have greater access to information on Sydney’s trains, buses, ferries and light rail services when using the Google Maps app on the Apple iPhone.

Information that can be accessed through the public transport option on the Google Maps app includes:

Taxonomy:

General

Blind or vision impaired

Digital technology

Web

News

Practical web accessibility

Digital media and technology:

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Blind/vision impaired Digital Technology & Online Media news

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Fleksy app improves texting for blind or vision impaired users

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A yet-to-be-released iOS iPhone app called Fleksy has stripped down the traditional touchscreen keyboard to make typing text more accessible to people who are blind or vision impaired.

The app automatically detects words as a user is typing and works with the inbuilt iOS screen reader VoiceOver.

While traditional keyboards offer a tactile experience for blind or vision impaired users, touch screen keyboards often prove challenging without something tangible to guide users while typing. However the Fleksy app will improve this experience for blind or vision impaired users through automatic detection of words as the user types combined with VoiceOver which will announce suggested words.

Taxonomy:

General

Blind or vision impaired

Digital technology

Digital media and technology:

iOS

iPhone

VoiceOver

News alert taxonomy:

Blind/vision impaired Digital Technology & Online Media news

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Siri update boosts accessibility on iOS devices

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The update to Apple’s operating system iOS 6 announced today will provide a boost to the accessibility of Apple’s mobile devices such as the iPhone and iPad.

Improvements made to its voice activation software Siri, which will now also be included on the iPad tablet, will increase the accessibility of apps, particularly those with geolocation features.

One of the biggest announcements made today is the introduction of Apple’s own Maps service. The Maps app will now replace the Google Maps app as the primary maps service on all iDevices and will have integration with Siri.

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Digital media and technology:

iOS

iPhone

News alert taxonomy:

Deaf/hearing impaired Digital Technology & Online Media news

Blind/vision impaired Digital Technology & Online Media news

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US Government sets assistive app challenge

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A challenge announced last week by the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) could see a suite of apps developed to help boost employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

The goal of the app challenge is to increase employment levels for people with disabilities by promoting resources using accessible mobile technology to assist both employers and job seekers.

Each app submitted to the challenge should achieve at least one of the following goals:

Taxonomy:

General

Sensory impairment

Blind or vision impaired

Deaf or hearing impaired

Practical web accessibility

Digital media and technology: