Have you ever tried to
send a text message from a dark room? Listen to a voice mail message during
a loud concert? Or perhaps even had your hands full with groceries when the
phone rings? If so, then you have some experience, however temporary, of
what it's like to be in a situation of physical limitation. Whether the
limitation is short-term or long-term or related to vision, hearing,
speech, cognitive or dexterity, there is a universal need for mobile
products and applications to be designed in such a way that they are
accessible by all.
In an effort to encourage application developers and handset
manufacturers to consider the needs of seniors or customers who have
disabilities when designing products and services, AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T [1])
announced today that the company's approach to Universal Design will be
made publicly available for the first time.
Universal Design is the practice of designing products and applications
that are usable by the broadest possible range of consumers. AT&T embraces
the concept of Universal Design and has urged its handset and software
partners to consider this methodology as they are developing wireless
products and applications. AT&T's recently launched Mobile Speak and Mobile
Magnifier applications are examples of accessible products and services
that result from innovative collaboration and design.
-- Mobile Speak is a powerful, full-fledged screen-reader with an
easy-to-learn command structure, intuitive speech feedback in several
languages and Braille support, which can be used with or without
speech. Unlike other screen-readers for mobile phones, Mobile Speak
automatically detects information that the blind user should know, just
as a user with sight would easily find highlighted items or key areas
of the screen at a glance.
-- Mobile Magnifier is a flexible, full-screen magnification application
that supports low- and high-resolution screens and can be used with or
without speech feedback. Magnification software is compatible with a
wide variety of mobile devices.
In creating its Universal Design methodology, AT&T consulted with many
leading experts, such as the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for
Wireless Technologies at Georgia Tech. By making AT&T's Universal Design
methodology available on its Web site, the company is hoping all developers
of wireless products and applications will consider how future designs can
create products, like Mobile Magnifier and Mobile Speak, that are both
innovative and accessible.
"It is our goal that the concept of 'design for all' is not viewed as a
constraint but as a catalyst for innovation across the industry," said
Carlton Hill, vice president of Marketing for AT&T's mobile unit. "We
believe that, by making our methodology on Universal Design available for
all to see, we can show the importance and value of creating wireless
products and services that are usable and beneficial to as many people as
possible. The end result will be more choices for more consumers."
"Integration of Universal Design into business practice is fundamental
to our mission of equitable access to wireless technologies for people of
all ages and abilities," said Jim Mueller, project director, User-Centered
Research, Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless
Technologies at Georgia Tech. "We're glad that AT&T shares our commitment
and is making its Universal Design methodology publicly available."
AT&T's methodology not only defines and explains the benefits of
Universal Design, it also provides several scenarios to further illustrate
the relevance of this approach in the context of mobile handset and
software design. For example, to meet the needs of someone who may have
difficulty hearing, the document recommends that manufacturers consider
text and picture messaging, vibration and LED displays in their design to
alert the user to a call. Or, for someone who may have limited use of his
or her hands, the document suggests such features as speech recognition and
voice commands.
To view AT&T's document on Universal Design, visit
http://developer.att.com/universaldesign [2] .
For more information on AT&T's resources or products that are designed
to meet the various needs of people with disabilities, visit
http://www.wireless.att.com/about/disability-resources/disability-resources.jsp [3]
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T [4]) is a premier communications holding company. Its
subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of
AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their
offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications
services and the nation's leading wireless, high speed Internet access and
voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory
publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and
YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators
in such fields as communications equipment. As part of its three-screen
integration strategy, AT&T is expanding its TV entertainment offerings.
Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services
provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at
http://www.att.com [5].
(C) 2008 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the
AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T
Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.
This AT&T news release and other announcements are available as part of
an RSS feed at http://www.att.com/rss [6]. For more information, please review
this announcement in the AT&T newsroom at http://www.att.com/newsroom [7].