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Saturday, October 12, 2013

Amazon Improves Accessibility Features of Kindle Fire Tablets


Amazon's newly announced Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Fire HDX include built in accessibility features. Historically, Amazon has been slow to make their Kindle products accessible. With the new accessible Kindle Fire and accessible Kindle app for iOS Amazon maybe turning a new page. That being said, Amazon still doesn't want to make their Kindle eReaders accessible and has requested an exemption from the FCC.

The new Android based Kindle Fire tablets includes accessibility features for the blind, low vision, hearing impaired, and mobility impairments. For the blind and visually impaired the Kindle Fire includes a screen reader that can describe what is taking place on screen. There is also Explore by Touch which allows users to use gestures to navigate items one-by-one. For low vision users the new Kindle Fire tablets include a screen magnifier which is activated by a triple tap on the screen. There are also large font size and high contrast options to benefit low vision users. For users with mobility challenges the Kindle Fire can be controlled with a Bluetooth keyboard. For dyslexic users the Kindle Fire includes Immersion Reading which synchronizes the text and audio version of a book. With Immersion Reading the text is highlighted as a professional reader speaks. It is important to note that to use Immersion Reading you must own both the Audible audio version and the Kindle ebook version which can be costly. While it is very exciting to see Amazon improving their accessibility features other tablets such as the iPad include more robust accessibility features.

The Kindle Fires also include a "Mayday" button that allows you to connect with technical support at anytime. The support person can then help walk you through using different functions of your tablet. This "Mayday" button could be useful especially for new tablet users.

The Kindle Fire is available in 7 and 8.9 inch form factors both sizes are available in HD or more powerful HDX variety. The cost ranges from $139 to $229 depending on the size and features. Click here to purchase from Amazon. Click read more below to view a video about Immersion Reading.



7 comments:

  1. Thanks for this article -- good info! The Kindle HD products also have 'Mayday', a real-time assistanc eon demand service that connects you with a live support person who can see your screen and help you figure out any problems. This might be good for some people with cognitive disabilities.

    Amazon recently hired Peter Korn, an international accessibility expert with loads of experience at Sun and Oracle, so we can probably expect more accessibility improvements. Nice to see the company moving on this front!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Jim,

      Thank you for your comment. I updated the post with information about the Mayday button. Thanks for the suggestion.

      Delete
  2. Here is my review for Coolmomtech.com:
    I first bought the Google The Google Nexus 7 for my 11 year old daughter that has pretty server learning disabilities and is reading at a 1st grade leave. I could not find a good case that would protect the tablet from the abuse of 11 year old. Within 6 months the screen was cracked and we on the search for new one. That was when I heard about the Kindle fire HD. Once I learned about the Whispersync software, I was sold. As soon as set up the tablet up I was not longer mourning the fact that I was out $200 from the Nexus because the Kindle Fire HD was so fitting for my daughter’s needs. The Whispersync software is the best tool for children with a learning disability since the invention if dictation software. The Whipersync links your kindle book to the audio book. When you buy a kindle version book you are offered the ability to buy the audio book from audio.com for a discount. When you download both the book and audio they are synced to each other. The reader can open the book press play the book is read by the HD while the tablet highlights each word that is being read so the reader can follow along. If the reader moves on to another task they can listen to audio without the book on the screen. When the book is opened back up it starts off the where the audio has left off. This is an amazing tool for many, but for a child that can’t read it opens up a whole new world to them. My daughter had never been able to do a book report like her classmates. After getting the Kindle Fire HD she did two. We were able to get her the Box Car Children books. She read three books into weeks. I has been amazing for her. Linking this with the great price, screen, sound, and application store the Kindle Fire HD was an amazing choice for my special needs child.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your comment. It's great to hear when technology works for people with disabilities. If you like the blog check me out on Twitter @bdmtech

      Delete
  3. I first bought the Google The Google Nexus 7 for my 11 year old daughter that has pretty server learning disabilities and is reading at a 1st grade leave. I could not find a good case that would protect the tablet from the abuse of 11 year old. Within 6 months the screen was cracked and we on the search for new one. That was when I heard about the Kindle fire HD. Once I learned about the Whispersync software, I was sold. As soon as set up the tablet up I was not longer mourning the fact that I was out $200 from the Nexus because the Kindle Fire HD was so fitting for my daughter’s needs. The Whispersync software is the best tool for children with a learning disability since the invention if dictation software. The Whipersync links your kindle book to the audio book. When you buy a kindle version book you are offered the ability to buy the audio book from audio.com for a discount. When you download both the book and audio they are synced to each other. The reader can open the book press play the book is read by the HD while the tablet highlights each word that is being read so the reader can follow along. If the reader moves on to another task they can listen to audio without the book on the screen. When the book is opened back up it starts off the where the audio has left off. This is an amazing tool for many, but for a child that can’t read it opens up a whole new world to them. My daughter had never been able to do a book report like her classmates. After getting the Kindle Fire HD she did two. We were able to get her the Box Car Children books. She read three books into weeks. I has been amazing for her. Linking this with the great price, screen, sound, and application store the Kindle Fire HD was an amazing choice for my special needs child.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I glad to hear that you daughter is benefiting from the Kindle. It is a great example of how helpful technology can be for people with disabilities. Thanks so much for the comment, its great to hear success stories.

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  5. I am impressed with is review. The new Kindle White Paper is really an amazing thing offered by Amazon. It is perfect for news or ebook reading and kids can do their learning stuff as well.

    ReplyDelete