Video gram
The New York Times found a growing application for Webcams: increased opportunities for communication between far-off grandparents and grandkids. While the article mostly focuses on the implications for the kids we can imagine a lot of accessibility benefits for the other side. These could include better comprehension by hard-of-hearing elders as well as a greater possibility of cognitive linkage for people with Alzheimer’s between the child they see everyday onscreen and the one that’s running up to them in person.
Emote control
Bajca is a USB keypad with no letters, no numbers, no function keys…just shortcuts for emoticons. Since the use of smileys is still ubiquitous, we could see this keypad being helpful for people with dexterity disabilities who would prefer to rave or vent via one keystroke instead of three, or people with cognitive disabilities who may understand the meaning of a labeled key more intuitively than they would a colon-hyphen-P combination. The keys can also be removed and worn as jewelry, which we assume also means they can be ordered on their base however the user prefers. 8-)
You’re so square
We’ve been woefully remiss for the last several months in tracking the exploits of Art Lebedev, developer of the world’s most customizable keyboards. To make it up to him, we’ll note that he’s now turning his attention to building a better traffic light; his design uses extra-bright diodes and a square shape to provide a more visible signal. Given the increasing number of older drivers, this can only be a good thing.
Electronista: Art Lebedev shows Luxofor traffic light design
Launch pad
The Roll-Up Mouse Pad does more than keep your mouse clean. If you lay it flat and look down at it, multiple RCA, USB, and interminable-by-us-from-the-photo ports look back. We’re thinking this would be very welcome by people who can’t reach up or around their CPU to plug stuff in.
Engadget: Roll-up mouse pad encloses a hub, speakers, and our hearts
Pen pal
The Ultimate 5-in-1 is the Swiss Army Knife of pens. It can switch capabilities between being a ballpoint and a stylus–the latter likely more graspable than standard models. It also has its own teensy gooseneck light, which will be appreciated by people with low vision.
Flash news
Looks like the iPhone will support Flash about the same time the Cubs win the pennant. In the former situation, though, it has less to do with century-old curses than with politics: prohibition of Flash support is written into the Terms of Service agreement for iPhone developers. So, it looks like website developers who comply with screen reader-compatibility guidelines by providing an alternative to Flash content are going to have a leg up in the iPhone world. Hey hey!
iPhone by photo
For $3 you can buy FaceCall, an iPhone app that lets you use any image as an icon, to call your contacts by photo. Perfect for those with a cognitive disability. No truth to the rumor that only stylish, attractive contacts will be permitted.
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