Hi
It seems that while Apple and recently Google, have gone to great lengths to make their mobile devices accessible to all users, including the blind and visually impaired through the use of a screen reader app. RIM has done nothing to address these users. A screen reader app would fit in on a BlackBerry more than any other device because screen readers work best with text and text menus and BB have plenty of both. There is no reason why such a function could not be built into the new OS7 devices which have plenty of power under hood to handle such a task. Enabling such a feature would enable users to navigate using the track pad. It would read out menu items and would allow for read out of email, sms, and bbm, as well as calendar events, etc. Basically anything that had text and could be reached by track pad would be read out loud to the user.
In case RIM doesn’t do this, I would be interested in developing such an application. I believe that people should have equal access to devices and information as much as possible. Technology is the great equalizer. If totally blind people can interact with touch screen by touch and read and compose email, sms, and even browse the web on their phones, then it can be done, whether or not it gets implemented is another story.
I know many visually impaired students whose first choice would be a BB due to its superior keyboards and reliability but opt for iPhones and Android devices because they offer these features that RIM does not.
Enabling read out options for incoming email, sms and bbm would also assist those of us who are not blind but rather are driving and receive a message. There are 3rd party apps that try to accomplish email and sms read outs but having it built in as an option in the OS is the better way to go. Nuance software is already being used on BlackBerries through voice command features, just extend that read out options. That is the biggest selling point of SIRI thatApple is marketing the hell out of.
In terms of app development of this screen reader app, is this something that I can do ordoes RIM have to do it? Where can I find the source code to build from for OS ?
Thanks
Harold
