Fingerprint-reading touchscreens
Two inaccessible features in one! Take a touchscreen (barrier to blind and low vision users) and make it sensitive enough to detect fingerprints for security (barrier to dexterity impaired users and people without fingers). Sure, there may be other accessibility advantages to touchscreens — if they’re programmable enough to make them the equivalent of large-button devices. But we’re doubting that anyone will be sharp enough to summon the accessibility-savvy to make that happen.
Sharp’s Next Gen Mobiles to Pack Fingerprint Reading Touch-Screens – Gizmodo
on February 26th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
And these devices are likely to be just the first of many with “control surfaces” rather than keys:
Control Surfaces: The End of the Keyboard as we Know It