Amazon Announces Fire Phone with Advanced Image Recognition and Built-in Accessibility

This week, Amazon announced there first smartphone called Fire Phone. The Fire Phone has a number of flashy, maybe even gimmicky, features along with a few features that may have serious accessibility implications. The phone which starts at $200 and starts shipping on July 25th runs Fire OS 3.5.0 similar to Amazon's Kindle Fire tablets. The operating system includes a number of built-in accessibility features including features to help blind, low vision, mobility impaired, and hearing impaired users. For blind and low vision users, the Fire Phone includes a screen reader which allows users to navigate the screen without seeing it. Assuming the Fire Phone uses the same text-to-speech voices as the Kindle Fire tablets, the text-to-speech voice used is very high quality. For low vision users, the Fire Phone includes a zoom mode and high contrast support. Closed captioning, mono audio, and hearing aid compatibility (HAC) are features included for users with hearing impairments.The Fire Phone also includes features for users with mobility challenges including dictation and improved one-handed usability. It is very encouraging to see Amazon include accessibility features in to their Fire Phone. Click here to read a full overview of all the Fire Phone's accessibility features. Amazon, once reluctant to support accessibility, has shown a new dedication to accessibility for users with disabilities. Hopefully, this continues in future updates to the Fire OS as well as to future products.

In addition to dedicated accessibility features, the Fire Phone has a couple of mainstream features that could be potentially beneficial to people with disabilities. The first of these features is called Mayday. Mayday is currently available on newer Kindle Fire tablets allows users to quickly connect and chat with technical support directly from their device. Simply by pressing the easy to access Mayday button users are atomically connected. Technical support staff can access certain device functions to assist users with a variety of questions. Support staff can even virtually draw on the screen to draw your attention to certain buttons. In my testing, I was able to connect with Mayday staff in under a minute and the staff was knowledgeable and friendly. The support personnel were even knowledgeable about accessibility features. This feature could be great for users with cognitive challenges who need assistance using certain features on their phone.

The second feature is called Firefly. By pressing a dedicated button on the side of the device and pointing the camera at an object the Fire Phone can identify that object. Amazon demonstrated this feature at their even and it worked very quickly. Firefly could be used by the blind to identify objects and differentiate objects of similar size and shape. For example, to identify if a can contains chicken soup or sliced peaches. Similar to iOS apps like TapTapSee, Firefly is Amazon's attempt to make buying merchandise through Amazon an easier process.

The Fire Phone seems promising, but it is impossible to determine its true value in terms of accessibility until it is released next month. Until then, click read more to view videos of the Fire Phone in action.

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iPad mini, Nexus 7, or Kindle Fire HDX: Which Tablet is Best for People with Dyslexia?

Over the past couple of weeks I have been lucky enough to review three of the most popular tablets- the iPad mini, the Nexus 7, and the Kindle Fire HXD. Instead of focusing on battery life, pixel density, and processor speed, I took a look at the features that would help people with dyslexia and other disabilities. All three tablets have some features that are perfect for dyslexics. To figure out which one is right for you, think about which features are most important to you as you read the reviews.

Overview:

When looking for a tablet for someone with dyslexia, there are a number of important factors that must be considered to make sure you get the features that are most important to the user, and get the best value for your needs. First, you want to consider what the tablet will be used for. Will it be used primarily for reading books and browsing the web, or will it be used to type documents, read email, and edit movies. Generally, for people with dyslexia, it is important that the tablet have built in text-to-speech with a high quality voice. All three of these tablets have text-to-speech, but the way text-to-speech is implemented is different from tablet to tablet. The iPad allows text-to-speech to be activated in a few taps when reading webpages and text in apps including Safari, Mail and many third party apps including The New York Times. The other tablets require a more time consuming process to activate text-to-speech in all apps.

Next, app quality and quantity is also an important consideration. Currently, the iPad is ahead in terms of app support, but the Nexus 7 is not too shabby in terms of third party app selection either. Apple's lead in terms of third party app selection continues to narrow. See the ecosystem and apps section below for more information about app selection. If the person with dyslexia uses Bookshare or Learning Ally, it is important to make sure that the tablet has apps to support those services. Bookshare is a service that provides accessible e-books for people with print disabilities and Learning Ally provides audio books – some with text - for people with print disabilities. Both the Nexus 7 and iPad mini have Bookshare and Learning Ally apps. The iPad does have better Bookshare support than the Nexus 7.

Design:

The software that runs on the tablet is far more important than the shell on the outside, but you still have to be happy with the way your tablet looks and feels. The iPad mini is the largest of the tablets, but it is still easy to hold in one hand, but not as easy as the smaller Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HDX 7". The iPad mini has an all metal and glass design that makes it feel worthy of its higher price tag. Both the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HDX have plastic backs that feel nice in the hand, but feel slightly less classy then the iPad. The look and feel of the back may not matter much for many users who use cases for protection. The look and feel of the back may not matter much for many users who use cases for protection. All of the tablets are remarkably light, so holding them for long periods of time should not be an issue for most people. For people who plan to use the tablets for text-to-speech and audio books, speaker quality, and where the speaker is positioned are other important considerations. For their size, all three of these tablets have good speakers. They all include dual speakers and have good sound quality. The Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire both have speakers at opposite ends of the device to make it difficult to block the sound with your hands while you are holding it, but the iPad speakers are both at the bottom of the device, making it possible, although not likely that you could block the speakers depending on where you position your hands. While the placement of the speakers may not be an issue for you, the differences are worth noting.

Operating System:

All three tablets have different operating systems meaning their software behaves differently. The iPad mini runs iOS 7 which easy to use and smooth. iOS has the best built in accessibility features of the bunch with a well polished screen reader called VoiceOver that can read almost anything on screen aloud using text-to-speech. iOS also includes Speak Selection which allows users to highlight text and have it read aloud using text-to-speech.

Android 4.4 KitKat which runs the Nexus 7 is another solid operating system. Without getting too much into the iOS vs. Android debate, the Android is a little less intuitive to use, but allows for more customization than iOS. iOS has a simple user interface that is easy to use, while Android allows for home screen widgets which can be useful but can also clutter the home screen and make it more confusing to use. Android also includes a screen reader called TalkBack, but it is not as polished as VoiceOver. One of Apple’s VoiceOver's biggest advantages is that it works with more apps than TalkBack.

The Kindle Fire HDX runs Fire OS 3.0 which includes a screen reader much like Android’s TalkBack and locks you into the Amazon ecosystem. If you buy a Kindle you have to buy books, magazines, and apps from Amazon so your options are somewhat limited. The Kindle Fire has an interface that is easy to use an puts your content at the forefront. Your apps, books, magazines, music, and movies are featured prominently on the home screen for quick access.

Reading Features:

These tablets all have unique reading features that differentiate them from each other, but each of the devices  allow users to highlight and annotate books, and define an unfamiliar word with just a couple of taps.

One of the best and most appealing features is on the Kindle Fire HDX and is called Immersion Reading. Immersion Reading syncs highlighted e Kindle text with professionally narrated audio from Audible for a seamless and elegant reading experience. Immersion Reading gives you the best of both worlds by allowing you to listen to professional narration while following along with the text. The one negative of Immersion Reading is that you must own both the Kindle text version and the Audible audio version of a book. The costs add up quickly if you use Immersion Reading frequently. The Kindle Fire HDX also allows you to read select books using text-to-speech. The text-to-speech voice sounds good - better than the Android and iOS default voice - but you can't speed up the speaking rate.

The Nexus 7 also includes reading features that can benefit people with dyslexia. Google Play Books, which is Google’s e-book store, allows you to read books with text-to-speech with synchronized highlighting. The default voice isn't as good as the Kindle's default voice, but you can download higher quality voices. For users of Bookshare and Learning Ally, the Nexus 7 has Android apps for both of these services. Unfortunately, the Bookshare app for Android (GoRead) is not as good as the Read2Go app for iOS or Voice Dream Reader, another app that can read Bookshare books. The iOS apps generally have more polished user interfaces and more advanced annotations options.

The iPad has the best third party app support for reading. Users of Bookshare and Learning Ally can read their books with great iPad optimized apps. The iPad app Voice Dream Reader lets you read many documents and books, including Bookshare books, using text-to-speech. Voice Dream is the best text-to-speech app for mobile devices right now and is only available for the iPad and iPhone. The iPad can access Kindle books using the Kindle app and they can be read aloud with text-to-speech using VoiceOver. However, VoiceOver does not highlight the words as they are spoken. Apple's own iBooks app underwhelms in terms of accessibility features for people with dyslexia. iBooks can be read with text-to-speech using VoiceOver, but VoiceOver does not highlight as it reads and it takes time to learn how to use it properly.

The iPad's Speak Selection feature makes it easy to read webpages, emails, and documents using text-to-speech. To use Speak Selection, just highlight the words you want read aloud and press speak. Speak Selection can also highlight words as they are spoken so you won’t lose your place in the text.

Other Helpful Features:

All of these tablets have other useful features; both the Kindle Fire HDX and Nexus 7 include comprehensive multi-user support. On the Nexus 7 you can create a separate account for a student or child that only allows them to use certain apps on the device. Even if multiple users use the same apps, each user can set them up the way they prefer.

The Kindle Fire HDX includes Amazon Free Time which allows you to restrict the time your child or student can use the device for certain tasks. For example, you could allow only 30 minutes of video watching, but allow for unlimited reading of a Kindle book. Amazon Free Time also allows adults to limit which apps and content are available for children. The iPad has a similar feature called Guided Access, but you can only allow the child to use one app at a time using the guided access feature.

All three tablets also include speech recognition that allows you to speak into the tablet and then have your words appear as text. The Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HDX allow you dictate even when you are not connected to the internet. The iPad requires an internet connection in order to use dictation.

The Kindle Fire HDX includes a really cool feature called Mayday. If you are having trouble doing anything with your Kindle Fire HDX, you can press the Mayday button to be connected with a live agent in about a minute. You can see the support agent's face and he or she can see your Kindle Fire's screen. They can then walk you through the steps needed to resolve you difficulties. I found the support staff knowledgeable and able to help out quickly. Mayday is how tech support should always work.

Ecosystem and Apps:

It's important to consider the ecosystem of each tablet. The ecosystem determines which apps, books, magazines, and songs are available for your device. The iPad has the best app selection especially for assistive apps. If you want the best apps, the iPad is the way to go. To see a list of the apps I use as a dyslexic student click here.

The Nexus 7 utilizes the Google Play store for apps and its offerings are solid. Currently, you will not find some of the top assistive apps on the Nexus 7, but you will likely be able to find almost all of the big name apps.

The Kindle Fire HDX has good app support, but it falls behind both other tablets. The Kindle is locked into Amazons ecosystem for all apps and books, while the other tablets can download content from multiple sources.

Conclusion:

All of the tablets have solid reading features for people with dyslexia. Which tablet would be best for you, your students, or your child? If using Bookshare or Learning Ally on the tablet is important to you, you should not consider the Kindle Fire HDX. Both the Nexus 7 and iPad support Bookshare and Learning Ally, but the iPad apps offer a better experience for using those services. If you’re not a Bookshare or Learning Ally user and have money to spend of Immersion Reading books, the Kindle Fire may be the best option for you. Just keep in mind that the Kindle does not have quite the app selection of the other tablets. If you want a full-featured tablet and you’re on a budget, the Nexus 7 is a very good option. If you have the money to spend on the iPad, with it unmatched app selection and robust built-in accessibility features, is your best bet.

Pricing and Availability:

The Kindle Fire HDX 7" is available for $229 from Amazon.com. The other Kindle Fire varieties also have Immersion Reading, but only the HDX models have the Mayday support. The iPad mini starts at $399 from Apple and the Nexus 7 costs $229 from Google Play.

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Amazon, Sony, and Kobo Don't Want to Make Their E-Readers Accessible

Some of the top names in the e-reader market are asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to waive the accessibility requirements for their devices. Amazon, Sony, and Kobo have all petitioned the FCC to waive the accessibility requirement for their e-readers. They do not want to have to make their devices "accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities."

The FCC requires advanced communication services (ACS) to be accessible to people with disabilities. The e-reader companies are arguing that their devices do not fall under the ACS classification because they are dedicated to e-book reading. The three companies also claim that adding accessibility features would decrease battery life, increase cost and increase bulk. They claim in the FCC document,

"Rendering ACS accessible on e-readers would require fundamentally altering the devices and it may not be possible to meet that requirement and maintain e-readers as inexpensive mobile reading devices, and yet the necessary changes, if they were made, would not yield a meaningful benefit to individuals with disabilities. It’s not merely cost but the very nature of a specialized e-reader device that is at issue."

Disabilities rights advocates content that because e-readers are not only being used for leisure, but also education the devices should be required to be accessible. Furthermore, Amazon has over a 100 million Kindle-exclusive titles according to the Wall Street Journal. If Kindles are not usable by the blind and people with other disabilities such as dyslexia they are shut out from this content.

It is questionable if adding accessibility features will really slow down and bulk up e-readers as the companies claim. A more realistic possibility is that the companies see adding accessibility features as an unwanted cost and challenge. Instead of requesting waivers from the government these e-reader companies should focus on making devices that are usable to the masses. Adding accessibility feature to devices is important and benefits the consumer as well as the company. With accessibility features e-readers can be purchased in public school, there are more potential customers, and the public will view the company in a better light.

The FCC is requesting the public's input in this matter through Tuesday, September 3. People interested in making a comment can do so by clicking here. The full petition can be read here.

Update: Amazon's newest Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Fire HDX include new accessibility features. Click here to learn more about the new accessibility features.

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