Apple Begins Hosting Free Accessibility Workshops

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.apple.com/retail/store/galleries/fifthavenue/images/fifthavenue_gallery_image1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="250" src="http://images.apple.com/retail/store/galleries/fifthavenue/images/fifthavenue_gallery_image1.jpg" title="Apple's 5th Ave. Retail Store" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Recently, select Apple Retail Stores have started hosting free accessibility workshops. The hour long sessions are instructed by Apple Store employees and cover various accessibility features included in <a href="http://bdmtech.blogspot.com/2013/09/new-in-ios-7-detailed-look-at-switch.html">iOS 7</a> and <a href="http://bdmtech.blogspot.com/2013/10/os-x-mavericks-enhanced-dictation.html">OS X Mavericks</a>. Workshops are divided based on the user's needs and include hearing, vision, and physical and motor skills. These workshops will presumably cover features such as <a href="http://bdmtech.blogspot.com/2012/10/ios-6-voiceover-compatiblity-with-maps.html">VoiceOver</a>, <a href="http://bdmtech.blogspot.com/2011/07/what-is-assistive-touch.html">Assistive Touch</a>, <a href="http://bdmtech.blogspot.com/2013/09/new-in-ios-7-detailed-look-at-switch.html">Switch Control</a>, and more.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These workshops are a great way for Apple customers to learn about helpful accessibility features that are already built into their devices. The workshops will also offer u<span style="font-family: inherit;">sers of <a href="http://bdmtech.blogspot.com/2014/04/apple-announces-wwdc-2014-will.html">Apple's</a> accessibility features an opportunity to get their questions answered in person. The training of the workshop instructors will be key to a successful experience. Hopefully, these workshops will be offered in all Apple Stores in the near future.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> While <a href="http://bdmtech.blogspot.com/2013/09/new-in-ios-7-detailed-look-at-switch.html">accessibility</a> specific workshops may not help Apple's bottom line, they demonstrate Apple continued commitment to accessibil</span>ity.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Click read more below to view descriptions of the available sessions.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><a name="more"></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Below are the workshops titles and descriptions reported by <a href="http://accessiq.org/">AccessiQ.org</a>.</div><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.71429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hearing in iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks</strong></span></div></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.71429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Discover the many built-in accessibility features in iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. From enjoying your favourite content with closed captioning to communicating in sign language with FaceTime, you’ll see how easy it is to get the most out of your iPad, iPhone or Mac.</span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Physical and Motor Skills with iOS 7</strong> </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.71429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Come and learn about the innovative technologies in iOS 7 that make the Multi-Touch screen easily accessible to people who find it hard to tap or use gestures. We’ll show you features and shortcuts that let you do everything from control the device with your voice to adapt the screen controls to your unique needs. </span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.71429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Physical and Motor Skills with OS X Mavericks</strong></span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.71429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let us show you the many ways OS X technologies can help you navigate the Mac if you have difficulty using a keyboard, mouse or trackpad. You’ll learn how to navigate using switches with Switch Control and make keyboard and mouse gestures easier with features like Slow Keys, Sticky Keys and Mouse Keys, and even see how to control the computer with your voice.</span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"> <strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Vision with iOS 7</strong></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0.71429em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">In this workshop, you’ll learn about the accessibility features in iOS 7 that help people who are blind or have low vision use iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Find out how VoiceOver — a revolutionary advanced screen reader — and features like Siri and Dictation help you type, launch apps, send messages, read your calendar and so much more.</span> </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Vision with OS X Mavericks</strong></span> </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This workshop will introduce you to the assistive technologies in OS X Mavericks that help people who are blind or have low vision use the Mac. You’ll discover VoiceOver, an advanced screen reader that converts text to speech, and Dictation, which converts your speech to text, as well as other great features like screen magnification and high-contrast settings.</span></blockquote>

Diposting oleh Abdullah Syafii

Apple Announces WWDC 2014: Will Accessibility Enhancements Take Center Stage Once Again?

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://devimages.apple.com.edgekey.net/wwdc/images/wwdc14-home-branding.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="picture of colorful Apple logo made from varying sized rounded squares " border="0" height="244" src="https://devimages.apple.com.edgekey.net/wwdc/images/wwdc14-home-branding.png" title="WWDC 2014" width="500" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://ets.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/images/accessibility.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="75" src="https://ets.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/images/accessibility.jpg" title="Apple Accessibility Icon" width="75" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://bdmtech.blogspot.com/2014/03/apple-releases-ios-71-with-numerous.html">Apple</a> announced that their World Wide Developers Conference (<a href="http://bdmtech.blogspot.com/2013/04/apple-to-update-os-x-and-ios-at-wwdc.html">WWDC</a>) will take place from June 2nd - 6th in San Francisco, California. At the event, Apple will preview the future versions of <a href="http://bdmtech.blogspot.com/2014/02/launch-center-pro-speed-up-common.html">iOS</a> and <a href="http://bdmtech.blogspot.com/2013/10/os-x-mavericks-includes-switch-control.html">OS X</a>. It is unknown what these changes will entail, but if history is any indication Apple will preview iOS 8 and OS X 10.10. Consistently, over the past few years Apple has steadily improved the accessibility features of both iOS, which runs the iPhone, <a href="http://bdmtech.blogspot.com/2014/02/whats-on-my-ipad-assistive-apps-i-use.html">iPad</a>, and iPod Touch and OS X, which runs on <a href="http://bdmtech.blogspot.com/2011/07/mac-os-x-lion-includes-new.html">Mac</a> computers. Last year with OS X 10.9 Mavericks, Apple added <a href="http://bdmtech.blogspot.com/2013/09/new-in-ios-7-detailed-look-at-switch.html">Switch Contro</a>l, <a href="http://bdmtech.blogspot.com/2013/10/new-in-ios-7-system-wide-large-type.html">large text</a>, <a href="http://bdmtech.blogspot.com/2012/10/ios-6-voiceover-compatiblity-with-maps.html">VoiceOver</a> enhancements, customizable closed captioning, and enhanced dictation. iOS 7 added <a href="http://bdmtech.blogspot.com/2013/10/os-x-mavericks-includes-switch-control.html">Switch Control</a>, improved <a href="http://bdmtech.blogspot.com/2013/09/new-in-ios-7-ask-siri-to-turn-on.html">Siri</a>, and ability for developers to utilize system text-to-speech voices.<br /><br />At WWDC 2012, Apple devoted precious time during their Keynote to detail improved accessibility features found in iOS 6. With millions of users any accessibility improvements can have a dramatic impact on many users. Hopefully, Apple can continue to improve their current accessibility options while continuing to insure that any possible future devices are also accessible to people with all abilities. For attendees, the venue is fully ADA compliant.<br /><br />Stay tuned to the <a href="http://bdmtech.blogspot.com/">Assistive Technology Blog</a> to learn all about how the WWDC 2014 announcements impact accessibility.</div>

Diposting oleh Abdullah Syafii