However visual the TV commercials make it look, the iPhone is immediately accessible to the blind and visually impaired thanks to a wealth of apps that leverage Apple's built-in accessibility features.
When not texting or making calls, blind iPhone users can Tweet, check email, listen to books, music, and radio programs, navigate with GPS, scan barcodes, pay bills, check the weather, time recipes, set an alarm clock, and play games like everyone else.
The possibilities for blind users were sufficient for the National Braille Press to release Getting Started with the iPhone: An Introduction for Blind Users by Anna Dresner and Dean Martineau this spring.
The book has four parts:Part 1 covers how to buy, register, configure, and sync the iPhone, enabling the device for accessibility, and how to load it with apps.
Part 2 covers home screen orientation and phone use, including accessibility settings; how to type, place, and receive calls; working with documents, navigating via keyboard, and using the braille display.
Part 3 covers using the rest of the iPhone's built-in apps (Calendar, Clock, Email, Maps, YouTube, etc.) and how to search for, buy, and download accessible apps.
Part 4 is a journal co-author Anna Dresner wrote as she learned how to use the iPhone. The section is intended to offer blind people practical approaches to getting the most from the iPhone.
The books appendices include a compendium of screen navigation gestures, an FAQ, and resource list. Most of the book's information applies to Apple's other iOS X products, including the iPad and iPod touch.
Co-author Anna Dresner has been a writer and editor at National Braille Press since 1999. She has written books on many subjects, including assistive technology and independent living. She edits NBP's Book Updates blog. She previously taught computers at the Carroll Center for the Blind in Newton, Mass.
Getting Started with the iPhone: An Introduction for Blind Users
By Anna Dresner and Dean Martineau
National Braille Press, $18.00
Formats: Braille (3 volumes); eBraille; ASCII text/Word; and DAISY.
