Category: Accessibility

Amazon Improves Accessibility Features of Kindle Fire Tablets

The Assistive Technology Blog reports that Amazon’s newly announced Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Fire HDX include built in accessibility features. Historically, Amazon has been slow to make their Kindle products accessible. With the new accessible Kindle Fire and accessible Kindle app for iOS Amazon maybe turning a new page.

A useful feature of the Kindle HD products is is the the “Mayday” feature, a real-time assistance on demand service that connects you with a live support person who can see your screen and help you figure out any problems. This might be good for some people with cognitive disabilities.

The post also notes that Amazon still doesn’t want to make their Kindle eReaders accessible and has requested an exemption from the FCC.

To read the full post:Amazon Improves Accessibility Features of Kindle Fire Tablets

WebAIM’s Hierarchy for Motivating Accessibility Change

Today, in every aspect of the post-secondary experience, institutions are employing technology.   Although innovation and equal access can go hand in hand,  designing  technology accessibly has not been commonplace.  Consequently, higher education has struggled with how to address issues of access for students with disabilities  while making use of the best of technology to provide effective and innovative instruction as well as access to an institution’s programs and services.

OCR has made it clear that using technology, especially emerging technology in a classroom environment when the technology is inaccessible to an entire population of individuals with disabilities is discriminatory.

More recently, the Resolution Agreement with  UC-Berkley, the compliance review of the  South Carolina Technical College System and the settlement  agreement with Louisiana Tech University, have each highlighted the obligation to ensure access. The message is inescapable — accessibility must be considered when selecting, implementing and  using technology in the classroom and elsewhere in the institution.
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