ATIA 2008 Wrap-Up: The User-Centered Movement
February 14, 2008
So the Assistive Technology Industry Association conference has come and gone, leaving memories of sunny days, palm trees, a talking parrot, and, oh yes, lots of new technology. After sifting through the press releases, the interviews, the hype, and the looming credit card bills, we are happy to report of a genuine shift in the market for technology for blind and visually impaired consumers.
There was a day where consumers were handed new technology from their McDonalds-style rehabilitation agency. If you were blind, you received a copy of JAWS, a Braille display in the more financially-endowed states, and perhaps some other talking gear. Low vision? Here's your copy of Zoom-Text, and we'll see you in a few years. This problem was created largely by the cost of the available technology. While sighted computer users were beginning to enter the world of personal computing with a minimal investment of a few hundred dollars, at least another grand was required for a blind person to gain access to just the basics of their machine. In addition, if custom scripts or software were deemed necessary, additional costs were incurred. No wonder the consumer was left powerless in their technology decisions and innovation often came at a snail's pace.
Perhaps the defining announcement of the ATIA conference came from the AIR Foundation, perpetrators of the now-infamous Accessibility is a Right initiative. Any user, blind or sighted, can visit a website and gain access to a functioning screen reader. The only necessary items are a working modern Windows-based computer and an Internet connection. While this doesn't necessary make accessibility free as the foundation suggests, it certainly has the potential to put the blind on an equal playing field when it comes to having the opportunity for access to computers. Perhaps the benefits of this initiative will stretch well past the blind community. Spoken text can be a huge asset for those with learning disabilities. Furthermore, sighted users who wish to rest their eyes could have a book, document, or website read aloud to them. Combine this with some inexpensive voice recognition software such as Nuance's Dragon Naturally Speaking and a very usable hands-free solution exists for those with multiple impairments or people just looking for an alternative to the constant clicking of their mice.
Other developments, some at ATIA and some announced previously, have also helped to shift the purchasing power from a government agency to the actual users of the technology. Serotek's Software as a Service option lets anyone access a computer for less than the cost of a couple of large pizzas per month. Even those who are stuck on a government income could afford this form of access. While it's no JAWS or Window-Eyes, it's certainly a viable option for those looking for their first screen access program or people who can't afford a $900 solution. The KNFB Reader Mobile, perhaps this year's most hyped product, was created largely on user demand and advances in technology. We hope to see the technology expanded to more phone models in the coming months and believe that software such as the reader will change the way blind people think of PDAs. With the introduction of the reader, the real possibility of a phone, OCR package, GPS solution, MP3 player, note taker, color identifier, voice recorder--well you get the idea now exists. Perhaps the era of specialized note takers and hardware appliances for the blind is starting to diminish.
That being said, barriers are also crumbling for consumers of prior technology, helping those users with legacy hardware to join their friends in the technology revolution. One need look no further than Freedom Scientific's generous Pac Mate Omni upgrade offer, starting at less than $300, for proof that prices are finally beginning to fall in line with the buying power of individual consumers.
The user-centered movement has also stretched to the feedback that companies are now, more than ever, soliciting from consumers. Code Factory runs a virtually open public beta program for many of its products. GW Micro will soon launch a similar beta program for version 7 of Window-Eyes, their first release with scripting support. Many companies actively monitor mailing lists and respond to user suggestions and feedback. And need we say more about the updates, improvements, and tweaks that have come from the Humanware Victor Reader Stream, perhaps the most influential new product in a decade.
Does everyone get it? Certainly not. We saw several instances of products or features shown at the exhibit hall floor that obviously weren't field tested beforehand. Guerilla Technologies, for instance, touted the ability for its portable scanning appliance, MobilEyes, to read signs from across the room. When asked how a blind person would locate such a sign to take a picture, however, a sales rep was forced to quickly backtrack and suggest that the feature was perhaps a bit overstated. Despite examples like this, we do see a place for companies like this one and trust that time and more user testing will help improve their products to the level of their competitors. One must remember that companies like Freedom Scientific and Humanware have had decades of experience demonstrating their products at trade shows such as this one and understand what is necessary for a successful product launch.
Sometimes, it's the virtually unknown products that catch the most attention. While admittedly looking for another vendor to record an interview, we ran across a small company called S-Comm, who was showing a prototype of a very useful piece of technology for the deaf-blind. It allows a totally deaf-blind person to communicate with anyone using a Braille display and a computer keyboard. The other person can either read the text on the screen or have it spoken to them. Talk about breaking down barriers. It's companies like this one that remind us that the limits of technology are never set in stone and the innovations we'll see in the coming years could be nothing short of amazing.