Posts Tagged vodafone
Wayfinder Access Campaign
Posted by nystagmite in Uncategorized on April 23, 2010
Sorry I’ve been so slow in carrying this item. I’m sure any support you can give will still be appreciated.
nystagmite.
Wayfinder Access Campaign Update
Saturday, 27 March, 2010 17:52
From:
“Wayfinder Access Protest Petition”
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Dear all,
You recently signed the Wayfinder Access Protest petition, expressing your support for our campaign to save or provide a comparable alternative to this GPS navigation solution which enables thousands of blind pedestrians to find their way and was unexpectedly discontinued by Vodafone.
Firstly we would like to thank you for your signature. Thanks to your efforts in signing and promoting our campaignwe are at over 2000 signatures, a great accomplishment! Vodafone acknowledged our campaign and negotiations are ongoing, more on that below.
To strengthen the voice of blind GPS users and ensure Wayfinder Access remains usable by it’s current users for some time, we need your ongoing help to increase the number of signatures more than ever! So if you haven’t done so, please send the link to our site, http://www.talknav.com/protest, to your family, friends and other acquaintances! It’s also very important that media and blindness related organisations in all countries learn about our campaign, so please send them the link as well!
In the international signature number competition it’s getting really interesting… most signers are from the UK, congratulations you’ve passed the US! But don’t sit back… I’m sure you Americans will make sure you get it bigger again! Below the US Germany has finally passed the Netherlands, congratulations but just as on the football field the Dutch will no doubt score a lot of signatures soon to beat Germany! 5 South Africa / 7 India, you are hit hardest by WFA’s discontinuation because there is absolutely no alternative in your countries, so please make sure to show this in your signature count – you’re both under 100, I’m sure you can do better! 6 France is also under 100… alors montez votre grandeur! And in all those countries below 7th place there’s a lot more potential as well… please get signatures and get your country in the top 7 signature sources next time!
Future of the campaign
Due to the nature of the campaign and the progress that has been made to date, a number of changes need to be made to our cause and what exactly we are seeking from Vodafone. We originally set out with three key goals:
1. To ask Vodafone why they cancelled Access without warning
2. To ask them for an assurance concerning existing license holders rights
3. To enquire as to the possibilities of a third party developer taking over Access.
As we have been informed directly and through media releases by Vodafone we now are able to answer some of these points and thus change our strategy as follows.
Vodafone are pulling out of the Wayfinder service completely as a result of market forces, with the advent of free vehicular navigation solutions from the likes of Google and Nokia. Wayfinder which needs considerable investment, just isn’t a viable product range for Vodafone.
So this is why Access has been discontinued and is facing complete shut down in the coming months. Vodafone cannot make a profit on the overall Wayfinder platform that it runs on. So Access, to coin the phrase, is the baby being thrown out with the bath water.
So this answers our point one, as to our other specific goals here is where we now stand.
Wayfinder and Vodafone through direct conversation with us and media discussions on BBC radio etc have confirmed their intentions to shelve the entire Wayfinder product range. They stress that they are sympathetic to our needs and concerns and state that they are working towards potentially offering some sort of resolution package for Wayfinder Access users.
What this translates into nearer to the time we cannot say for certain. What we can tell you is that what is being discussed is;
A) A full or prorated refund to existing Wayfinder Access life-time license holders,
B) To enter into some sort of exchange program, where Vodafone exchanges Access licenses for an alternative accessible GPS product. The details of this are very much up in the air and no commitment to this has been given yet.
C) The possibility of providing a third party with the source code and necessary information to take over the Access project.
D) Other options to which they’ll not at this time discuss.
So we have now our goals 1 and 3 answered; Vodafone cannot make money out of Wayfinder so it’s being shut down, and they are considering at this time permitting a third party organization to take over Access.
So what about goal 2; Vodafone have used plenty of lip service towards this one, we’ve had assurances and more assurances, but what this translates into down the road no-one knows. In today’s commercial environment phrases like “Social Responsibility” have significant measure and with license holders having life-time rights to Access Vodafone surely have both an ethical and legal obligation towards Access users, but quite how far this translates into a helpful resolution is yet to be seen.
So where does this leave our campaign?
Now more than ever it’s essential that we keep signatures coming to our campaign petition, we need to show Vodafone that this is a real and believed in cause, and that by not acting there is a significant risk of damage to their corporate image as well as legal ramifications.
We also want them to be certain that whatever solution they are considering that we, the users, are kept informed and have a say. We are aware, as Vodafone have informed us that they are talking with multiple parties. We ask Vodafone to consider, as we are not told who these parties are, please be sure to consider our views, the users. If the other parties to whom they are discussing our product with get to make a choice on our behalf this may prove not to be in our best interests.
For now the only thing we can do is keep the pressure on, so please keep signing, ask all who you know to review our campaign and sign in favour of accessible technology for all.
Regards,
the campaign team Neil Barnfather
Tim in ‘t Veld
Paul Hopkins
The Blind Buzz on Accessibility
Posted by nystagmite in Uncategorized on March 21, 2010
12 Useful and Free Downloadable Web Design Books – Speckyboy Design Magazine
14 great computing aids for the disabled News – PC Advisor
A primer on Microsoft’s IE9 browser – a bit previous, maybe?
ABiSee is the leading worldwide developer and provider of easy to use electronic readers for the blind and visually challenged – USA company
Accessible Design for Homes – Fred’s Head – source:Vision Australia.
Accessible Multimedia – University of Wisconsin.
Accessibility Change Proposal Status, HTML5 – HTML accessibility task force Wiki
Action on cinema access in Australia
AFB Consulting and Adobe Present Free Webinar: Debunking the Myth of PDF Inaccessibility – American Foundation for the Blind -Monday, April 5, 2010 from 1:00-2:30 EDT/5:00-6:30 UTC.
[Video] An Introduction to Screen Magnification Software” on Yahoo! Video – Karo Caran:
APH Cranmer Abacus: Prime Factorization, Part 1 from Texas School for the Blind
Apps for visually impaired go portable | Desktop Apps | ZDNet UK – Serotek portable apps on U3 portable drives can be used on most Windows PCs.
Arab architect calls for universal design in Dubai – Media dis&dat
Are All Video Captions Equally Accessible? – Do It Myself Blog – Glenda Watson Hyatt
Arts program in India gives disabled people confidence – Media dis&dat
Australia approves country-wide disability access law – Media dis&dat
BBC Projects – HTML 5 – "This is a proof of concept demonstration of HTML pluginless Video and Audio playback, showing AV content synchronised to chapters, allowing direct access to specific sections of the show." And maybe it’s a proof on concept that you don’t include accessibility features until you’re pinned against a wall and flogged. Doesn’t work in Internet Explorer.
Better Living Through Technology Homepage – stand by for the new revamped version.
Blind Scientist – Fred’s Head – science may not be the first thing that comes to mind as a career for blind people, but ask your local marine biologist!
Cab driver in Australia fined for refusing to pick up man and his guide dog – Media dis&dat – unfortunately for that cabbie, the blind man was a disability discrimination commissioner!
Chicago theaters aim for barrier-free experiences for disabled audience members – wide range of services for disabled patrons – Media dis&dat
Council Websites: Better Than They Seem? – E-Access Bulletin Live » Blog Archive – UK council web sites may not be perfect, but they’re better than they were.
Count a Dose – Fred’s Head – this will enable blind people with diabetes to fill a syringe independently.
Disability News & Views Radio Show
Don’t Run Away from this Mouse – Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind – a new type of mouse is designed for the use of blind people.
Dolphin releases Version 11.51 of their screen access products « AccessTech News – hot on the heels of the last update comes another update…..
Download Fire Vox – Firefox extension that works like a screen reader, translating text into speech. Works on Mac OS, Linux and Windows.
Driving Blind? We May Live to See the Day – AOL News – NFB (the American one) and Virginia Tech develop the self-driving car. Do you want to cross the road in front of one?
e-Access ’10 – the E-Access Bulletin Conference, 2010, on 24th June, 2010 at Earls Court Conference Centre, London.
E-Access Bulletin Live
E-Access Bulletin Live RSS Feed
Equality Bill makes Britain’s web accessibility law harder to access | Pinsent Masons LLP – despite promises of clarity, this British anti-discrimination law is impenetrable, according to this author.
Esha – The Braille Place – People who believe that being blind should not mean being unemployed.
EU Set To Ditch Rules On Accessible Goods – E-Access Bulletin Live » Blog Archive – if this amendment is passed, it will put Europe a long way behind the U.S. in accessibility provision in consumer goods.
Feature: Which Smartphone is smart for me? – Unrestricted Access
Friday Fun: Find Your Blind Spot – One Cuckoo Short of a Nest
html5media – Project Hosting on Google Code – find out how to include media on web pages without plug-ins.
Humanware admits spoke too soon on screen reader for Blackberry – Unrestricted Access – reasons users are angry about the long delay in the Oratio screen reader.
Innovative teaching tools to aid visually impaired students learn math through sculpture!
J&R Assistive Technology Boutique – Ubergizmo
Juicy Studio Accessibility Toolbar :: Add-ons for Firefox – at the moment, this add-on is experimental.
Just Ask: Integrating Accessibility Throughout Design
Legacy Plan for Disabled People to improve the lives of 10 million in the UK – opportunities to open up for disabled sport and other things.
Making the Mobile Internet Accessible for All | Accessibility News International – the difficulties in viewing web sites on mobile devices and TV need to be addressed.
Mississippi police vehicle ticketed for parking in accessible spot – Media dis&dat
New Assistive Technology DVD and Reference Guide Great Resources for Educators – No Limits to Learning – author of this new book and DVD is also the author of the
Assistive Technology Blog
Opinion: 3 (Vodafone/Hutchison) pulls a fast one on Skype users, beware! – Unrestricted Access – careful where you get those downloads!
[Video] PAC Mate Braille Display with NVDA-001 – getting it to work, selecting Grade 2 Braille and more.
Podcast: 20 Mar 2010 Software Walk-Through Blackballer Pro from Killer Mobile – Unrestricted Access
Podcast: 20 Mar 2010 Software Walk-Through RAMblow 1.0 from CellPhoneSoft – Unrestricted Access
Podcast: HTC Ozone and Mobile Speak 4 demonstrated – Unrestricted Access
Skype releases beta Symbian client for 10 handsets – Unrestricted Access
Social worker denied Australian work visa due to blindness – Immigration News – Global Visas
SpeakingFox: Add-ons for Firefox – Firefox speech add-on for Mac OS.
Technology Trust To Launch Online Hub For Social Good – E-Access Bulletin Live » Blog Archive – UK’s Nominet Trust, to support vulnerable groups.
Thunder screen reader – downloads and help files.
[Video] Thunder Screenreader – demonstration pt1
Part 2 – the assumption is that you’re a volunteer helping a blind person.
WebAIM: Microsoft Word – creating accessible documents, including structure, alt-text and conversion to HTML.
Web Accessibility for Older Users: A Literature Review
WebbIE, the free web browser for blind people with little or no sight
WebFormator-Download – this free add-on for Internet Explorer puts up a text version of a web page.
The Blind Buzz on Accessibility
Posted by nystagmite in Uncategorized on March 5, 2010
Accessible World Tek Talk presents A Tutorial on Computer Utilities March 8, 2010
Accessibility – webpublishing.agimo.gov.au – over the next 4 years, the Australian Government wants everyone to graduate from WCAG 1.0 to WCAG 2.0, announced the Minister for Finance and – um – de-regulation.
AccessWorld: Technology and People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired – March 2010 Issue
Apple Briefly Mentions Accessibility At Annual Shareholders Meeting « The BAT Channel
Blogger/Blogspot has an inaccessible comment mode – the author finds it easy to access Blogger using the iPod Touch, but then runs into several accessibility barriers.
Change the Background Color in Adobe Reader for Eye-Friendly Contrast – Ergonomics – Lifehacker
DAISY Books of the DAISY2009 Technical Conference Now Available for Download | DAISY Consortium
Don’t Forget Webvisum, Another captcha solving solution – Blind Bargains – Webvisum works with Firefox.
Don’t say “click here”; not everyone will be clicking – Quality Web Tips – please remember that ‘click here’ will be meaningless in a links list.
Free PDF Reader | nuance.com – smaller than Adobe Reader, supposedly more secure, and can convert PDFs to other file formats.
Freeware outdoes Windows’ built-in system tools – Wkindows Secrets
FSCast Episode 39, February 2010 – JTools, JTunes, creatingan account with the iTunes Store.
How Blind People Identify Paper Money – Aging and Disability in America
How Screen Magnification Systems Work
[PDF] Migrating from WCAG 1.0 to WCAG 2.0
Mobile Speak 4 – updated review – NFB – Access Technology Blog
Skype on TV: Will the videophone finally be reality? – CNN.com – Samsung are releasing a Skype-enabled TV.
Some Tips For Dragon Dictation — Just Another iPhone Blog – a quick reference.
The Incredible, Accessible Presentation – Crafting PowerPointâ Presentations That Work With Assistive Technology.
The Serotek Ultimatum – Serotek Blog – Serotek launches a polemic against the ‘traditional’ access tech industry.
HerdictWeb – test web sites for accessibility.
Vodafone… get blind pedestrians back on track! –
sign the petition about Vodafone dropping Wayfinder Access.
[Audio] Audio promotion of the petition
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