App Helps Blind Photographers take the Perfect Snap
Blind and partially sighted people can now boost their photography skills, thanks to a smartphone camera app that bypasses the visual cues sighted people take for granted. Dustin Adams and colleagues at the University of California at Santa Cruz noted that people with impaired vision want to be able to snap pictures and show them to friends – just like anybody else does. But little research existed on what helps people with vision problems take better pictures.
From http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23516-app-helps-blind-photographers-take-the-perfect-snap.html, May 10, 2013
Sprint’s Dan Hesse, First Fortune 500 CEO to Address the Future of Mobile Technology at M-Enabling Summit
Sprint CEO Dan Hesse will deliver the keynote address at the 2nd annual M-Enabling Summit, taking place June 6-7 in Washington, D.C. He will join Commissioner Mignon L. Clyburn of the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) in opening the Summit which is focused on promoting and implementing accessible mobile communications and services for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, a growing population of more than
one billion persons worldwide.
From http://m-enabling.com/press%20releases/Dan%20Hesse%20to%20Address%20Future%20of%20Mobile%20Technology.pdf, May 09, 2013
Serbian Telecom Operator to Provide Information in Sign Language
To meet the demands of all its customers, including people with hearing disabilities, Serbian operator Telekom Srbija has begun training their employees in Serbian sign language. The first of two groups of staff has begun a course in cooperation with the Association of Deaf Interpreters of Serbia.
From http://globalaccessibilitynews.com/2013/04/24/serbian-telecom-operator-to-provide-information-in-sign-language/, May 09, 2013
USA: Pearson Higher Education Commits to 100% Accessible Math by 2014
Rick Clinton, Accessibility Advocate and Leader at Pearson Higher Education, recently blogged in Accessible Mathematics: HTML eBooks about Pearson\'s work to create \"screen-readable\" eBook versions of their mathematics and statistics textbooks which are formatted in HTML and MathML. They have been gradually adding to this collection for a while, which now numbers 70 titles.
From http://accessiblemath.dessci.com/2013/04/pearson-higher-education-commits-to-100-accessible-math-by-2014.html, May 09, 2013
Cellphones Set to Outnumber People this Year
There will be more cellphone subscriptions than people in the world by the end of 2013 if the current rate of growth continues, according to a United Nations report. The report from the United Nations’ International Telecommunications Union found that there were 6.8 billion cellphone subscriptions in the world, shared between 7.1 billion people. In 2005 there were some 2.2 billion subscriptions for 6.5 billion people.
From http://www.textually.org/textually/archives/2013/05/031946.htm, May 09, 2013
ITU ICT Facts and Figures 2013 Report
As the number of subscriptions approaches global population figures mobile-cellular growth slows. Every day we are moving closer to having almost as
many mobile - cellular subscriptions as people on earth. The mobile revolution is m-powering people in developing countries by delivering ICT applications in education, health, government, banking, environment and business.
From http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Documents/facts/ICTFactsFigures2013.pdf, May 09, 2013
New Guide Offers Best Practices for Choosing Mobile Health Apps
The American Health Information Management Association has released a best practices guide to help consumers evaluate mobile health applications. The guide focuses in part on ensuring the privacy and security of personal health data.
From http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2013/5/8/new-guide-offers-best-practices-for-choosing-mobile-health-apps.aspx, May 09, 2013
USA: Berkeley Accelerating Access to Course Materials for Disabled Students
As part of a settlement with Disability Rights Advocates, UC Berkeley will provide disabled students with more timely access to printed materials in alternative formats such as Braille, large print and audio.
From http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-college-disabled-20130508,0,4063276.story, May 08, 2013
The Glass Promise: Google’s Look into an Inclusive Future
Google Glass promises a sea change in the way people can shop, navigate streets, store data, and capture the everyday moments of their lives with photos, videos and conversations. David Fazio delves into the potential – and soon to be real – benefits for persons living with disabilities.
From http://g3ict.org/resource_center/newsletter/news/p/newsletterId_/id_411, May 08, 2013
USA: Helping Seniors Learn New Technology
Several years ago Garrison Phillips, a retired actor, bought himself a Dell computer. He soon recognized that he didn’t know what to do with it. “I needed instruction,” he told me in an interview conducted — perhaps surprisingly — by e-mail. “The technology of the Internet, cell and iPhones was like a foreign language.”
From http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/03/helping-seniors-learn-new-technology/, May 07, 2013
