Apples and Lemons

I was helping a friend recently at an Apple store. The problem? An iPad mini that reports the headphones are always plugged in even when they're not and won't play sound through the speaker. This has been an ongoing issue for 6 months which I attempted to fix by updating the iPad to the newer iOS 7....

The problem itself started after plugging in a set of headphones into the headphone jack on the iPad which were then removed an hour later and this issue has occurred ever since.  Headphones were purchased through the Apple store, were plugged in by a sighted person, used for this period of time to listen to music by a child and then removed again by the adult. We finally find out now that the issue is that part of the headphone jack has snapped off in the socket.

And you guessed it...
That VOIDS the warranty. So it would be $250 to repair (outrageous).
The basic story from Apple is that this issue has been caused by a third party product (even though Apple sold this product) and therefore it is not their responsibility, they will not even follow up with the manufacturer of the Headphones to determine if there is an issue that is known by the company about the Headphone jacks being faulty.

This makes me wonder how Blind people feel when they are required to plug cords, cables and all other manner of items into their i-devices? Especially when a lot of people in the Disability sector are using non-standard equipment, or at least equipment that Apple does not even remotely endorse. I guess we all must line up now to get someone "Officially Endorsed" by Apple to plug our equipment in, just in case.....

It's Your Technology, But is it Your Choice?

As Australians get ready for nation wide reforms in the shape of DisabilityCare Australia I want to take a look at it's primary promise (Your Life, Your Way, Your Choice) and how this relates to the Disability Technology Sector.

Wander through any major technology retailer today and you will find a respectable choice in most categories at varying price points to suit most people's budget.  But how much of that actual technology willl meet the customer with accessibility needs?  For some this is not an issue as they can make simple modifications such as utilising a laptop and activating the magnifier.  But what if you need a braille display?  Gesture Recognition?  Sreen Reading Software?  Special adjustment to your desk....?

Chances are your stuck..... for choice.

Due to lack of demand most Disability Technology is either not mass produced or there is not a competitive market (unless heavily subsidised) to foster a great level of choice.  Let's take a look at Vibrating Baby Cry Alerts for the Deaf as an example.

At the moment in Australia you can purchase 2 different systems.  They both hook into various notification devices and are part of a notification system that provides doorbell, fire alarm and telephone notifications.  Alerts are either via a vibrating pager/watch or a strobe light.  Problems?  Neither of these are particularly effective.  One is a hyperactive general sound detector which goes off every 5 minutes regardless of what noise it is.  The other is apparently "Cry activated" but never worked properly with y own child's cry (rarely a sustained scream).  but there's no other choice....

On the other hand baby monitors for hearing people are a dime a dozen at your local baby store.  Some will now even sync with your phone or broadcast over the internet (not advisable).  The ability to make a choice is based on the presumption that the choice actually exists.

Which all leaves us where we started....
With little choice, or in some cases none at all, and generally quite expensive proprietary solutions.