Accessibility Solutions in Mobile Devices
This document is a work in progress and compiles information on architectural, built-in and stand-alone accessibility solutions in mobile devices.
Background and General Information
A Comparisson of Mobile Application Development Platforms
Sources:
OS / Platform |
Market Share |
License |
Company |
Supported Handsets |
SDK / price |
Sign-up required |
Primary UI |
Licensing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Symbian OS |
~45% |
Open Source |
Symbian |
Full list |
Symbian-UIQ SDK / free |
Yes |
|
|
Blackberry OS |
~20% |
Proprietary |
RIM |
Most Blackberry devices |
Blackberry JDE / free |
|
Java |
|
Windows Mobile |
~10% |
Proprietary |
Microsoft |
|
|
|
|
|
iPhone OS |
~10% |
Proprietary |
Apple |
iPhone |
iPhone SDK / free |
Yes |
Cocoa Touch/Objective-C |
|
Linux / Motodev |
>10% |
Open Source (kernel proprietary) |
Motorola |
Full list |
Eclipse plugin / community edition free |
Yes |
Qt |
Free (some services cost extra) |
Linux / Android |
>5% |
Open Source |
OHA / Google |
Available in second half of 2008 |
Android SDK / free (Setup Guide) |
No |
Java |
|
Palm OS |
>5% |
Proprietary |
|
|
|
|
|
Free (some services cost extra) |
Linux / OpenMoko |
>2% |
Open Source |
FIC / OE |
Neo1973, Neo FreeRunner |
OpenEmbedded / free |
No |
GTK+ |
Free |
Linux / Maemo |
>2% |
Open Source |
Nokia |
N810 - N800 - 770 |
VistaMax, Laika / (some parts require a device) |
OS requires valid device ID |
GTK+ |
Free (device required for some OS bits) |
Linux / Qtopia |
>2% |
Open Source (for non-commercial applications) |
Trolltech |
Full list |
Qt Tools / community edition free |
|
Qt |
Free (non-commercial only) |
Linux / Access Linux Platform |
>1% |
Open Source |
Access Inc. |
|
ALP Development Tools / free |
No |
GTK+ |
Free |
Linux / LiMo Platform |
>1% |
Proprietary / some open source components |
Limo Foundation |
Full list |
Only available to members |
Yes |
|
Membership required |
Mobile Web
Best Practices
Development Tools
Most of the tools below are either free or require a free account from mobiforge.com"
- Mobile Web Developer's Guide
This is quite a comprehensive guide to mobile web development. It layers on the advice from the W3C's Mobile Web Initiative Mobile Web Best Practices 1.0 document, but takes it further. - Mobile Device Information Database (free for developers)
DeviceAtlas is an on-line resource, you can view the mobile device information by navigating around the site or download an API for use in your application. - ATRC Web Accessibility Checker
This tool checks Web-based HT ML content for conformance with accessibility standards to ensure the content can be accessed by everyone. - W3C mobileOK Checker
This checker performs various tests on a Web Page to determine its level of mobile-friendliness. The tests are defined in the mobileOK Basic Tests 1.0 specification. A Web Page is mobileOK when it passes all the tests. - Mobile Web Industry Best Practices and Standards Checker
The mobiReady testing tool evaluates mobile-readiness using industry best practices & standards.
The free report provides both a score (from 1 to 5) and in-depth analysis of pages to determine how well your site performs on a mobile device. - Mobile Device Web Emulator
To see your site the same way these millions of mobile users do, try the dotMobi mobile phone emulator, which "emulates" a real mobile phone Web browser.
Mobile Accessibility
Applications
- Talks Platform: Symbian
Running on Symbian™ Series 60 phones, Nuance TALKS converts the displayed text on the mobile handset into highly intelligible speech. With Nuance TALKS, blind and low-vision users can take advantage of most features, including contact directories, caller ID, text messages, help files, access to the Nokia web browser, and other screen content, available on their mobile phones.
- iConverse Platform: iPhone/Touch
iConverse is an educational tool designed for young children and individuals with communicative disabilities, and also toddler-aged children who have yet to master language. iConverse is an Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) application for the iPhone and iPod Touch that replaces bulky and expensive communication devices used in the past. iConverse gives users the ability to carry an AAC device in their pocket creating a means of communication that is appropriate, effective and discreet.
- Speech Enabled Eyes-Free Android Applications Platform: Google Android
The Text-To-Speech (TTS) library is allows developers to add speech to their applications. Developers give the TTS object a text string, and the TTS will take care of converting that string to text and speaking it to the user. See the video