Apps

September 19, 2012— Google claims to have worked to improve accessibility in Google Docs, Sites, Calendar and mobile apps over the past year. In Google Calendar, there were enhancements in focus handling, keyboard access and navigation. Optical Character Recognition technology was added to Google Drive, which allowed screen readers to read the text in scanned PDFs and images. Related to the Google Apps (Gmail for mobile and Google Drive on iOS and Android), improvements were made to explore-by-touch capabilities and keyboard/trackpad navigability.

July 12, 2012 –The American Foundation for the Blind and FloCo Apps, LLC have collaborated to produce AccessNote, a note-taker app for any iOS tablet or smartphone. AccessNote is compatible with the built-in accessibility features of iOS such as Voice Over and the iOS screen reader. It is also compatible with Apple’s wireless keyboard and wireless braille keyboards and displays.  AccessNote is scheduled for release this summer at a price point below $30.    [Source: American Foundation for the Blind]

06.04.2012 – NFB-NEWSLINE, a service sponsored in part by the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), launched a free Apple app allowing users to access the NFB-NEWSLINE free audible newspaper service for the blind and print-disabled.  The app grants NFB-Newsline subscribers access to over three hundred newspapers, forty magazines, and television listings on their iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad.  Director of the NFB-NEWSLINE program Scott White stated, “We are proud to offer our subscribers this new exciting mobile iOS application that allows them access to their favorite publications at home,

05.24.12 – The Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) has launched an app challenge inviting participants to compete for $10,000 in prizes and a chance for their app to be featured on the ODEP website.  The challenge aims to “promote recruitment resources for employers, develop job training and skill-building tools for job seekers, facilitate employment-related transportation options and expand information communication technology accessibility.”  The assistant secretary of labor for disability policy,