Sprint Launches Android App for Users Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision
USA based Sprint has launched a free downloadable application providing easier access to an Android smartphone's functionality for customers who are blind or have low vision.
Developed by Code Factory, the full suite of Mobile Accessibility features is being offered by Sprint under the name "Wireless Accessibility," at no charge through the Android Market to Sprint, Boost Mobile, and Virgin Mobile USA customers.
Mobile Accessibility has been specifically designed by Code Factory for people who are blind or visually impaired and for elderly individuals or those who cannot read print on smartphones because of physical, perceptual, developmental, cognitive or learning disabilities. The application features a simplified user interface and textual information that is spoken aloud using voice synthesis to aid navigation of the device.
This Code Factory application typically costs $99 on Android Market, but it is now available for free for postpaid Sprint customers with Android 2.1+ smartphones activated on a monthly service plan that includes data, such as the Everything Data plan starting at $79.99. The app also is free for no-contract customers with Android 2.1+ smartphones on Virgin Mobile USA's Beyond Talk or Boost Mobile's Monthly or Daily Unlimited plans.
"Having the ability to gain greater access to information on smartphones through the use of a free suite of applications is a very positive development in the blind community's quest for more affordable choices," said Mitch Pomerantz, president of the American Council of the Blind (ACB). "The American Council of the Blind commends Sprint for its willingness to take another positive step toward full product accessibility."
The application is available in both English and Spanish.
