- Accessibility Changes Lives
- Juergen Manthey – Locked-In Syndrome
- Ellie’s iPad Provides New Opportunities
Coming from a Windows background and being fortunate to have relatively good vision for a “partially sighted” person, I never gave much thought to screen readers and speech programs. My home computer was a standard issue off-the-shelf model with no adaptive features. My partner, however, is legally blind and has cerebral palsy, she is also a non-typist. She had little interest in the machine outside of casino games like blackjack – her computing sessions often ended with the blue screen message “you have performed an illegal function”, causing her to believe the constabulary may soon be at our door. Despite this, there was always an interest, on her part, to understand how computers worked.
The computing landscape changed overnight when the iPad was released: now those interested in computing but in fear of keyboards could join the party. Being a touch-screen device, the iPad offered internet access with the touch of a finger. My partner, once limited to playing blackjack, was now able to explore a world that until now had been hidden from her. Apps, music downloads, iBooks, twitter and face book were just a finger tap away.
Ellie tests out her new iPad
Surfing the internet has now became part of daily life for her. Now instead of watching TV or listening to local radio, my partner is keeping up with world events, following her favourite sports teams, and reconnecting with friends located thousands of miles away.
She has gathered a long list of followers on both twitter and an app reviewing site called chomp, here she has rated better than 7,200 apps in 9 months!
The future can only bring more into her life as the products she uses are improved and her skills grow.
The iPad has changed the lives of countless individuals and I have been privileged to have a grandstand seat as one disabled user went from a person in complete fear to someone who considers their Apple devices more useful than shoes.
- Charlie Doremus
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