So Wired did a major oops on January 23rd by publishing a factually inaccurate article about a new app coming out for the iPad that lets blind people braille notes by adjusting the Braille keypad to their fingers each time the screen is touched. in the 1st paragraph of the Wired article, the author states that it is virtually impossible for blind people to use a touchscreen. Um, wait what? NO its not. Im using one right now and have been since 2009 when Apple released the iPhone 3GS. And last time I checked which was... right now... im blind. Aplevis released a great rebutal statement to the article and corrected facts, but the chance that a website devoted to reaching the blind community will ever circulate to all the people who read Wired and subsequently now think blind people cant use touchscreens is highly unlikely. Authors, journalists, and just general public, hear my plea. Please, please, if you wonder how someone lives with or works with a disability, just ask! I say it over and over and then run into things like this where one piece of information in the wrong brain can do serious damage. What if an app developer read that article and decided he didnt need to make this great app hes working on accessible to blind people because we cant use touchscreens? What if that app hes designing could revolutionize the world of a blind person by giving them access to food labels or picture descriptions or something? Authors, even in fiction, what you say is often believed, so when you give or take away abilities, what the reader reads, if hes never met someone with that disability, is the image he takes away forever of all who have that disability. Thats just how the human mind works. fact checking, its not just good writing/journalism. It impacts lives and can change perceptions. An employer who knows I can do anything on an Apple device is much more likely to give me a fair shot at a job than someone who thinks I cant utilize modern technology. If you ever have questions, ask, do not assume. Somewhere, there are plenty of disabled people just waiting to answer who, trust me, will not be offended that you were thoughtful enough to ask their viewpoint.
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 13:52:44 +0000
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