iPod & iTunes Accessibility

Some RTs working with clients with visual problems may be interested in this item from Lighthouse International:

Apple Takes on iPod and iTunes Accessibility

In late 2001, the computer giant,Apple released a product that would eventually change the way the world listened to music: the iPod. In the following 7 years, Apple has continued to improve on its original iPod, creating products such as the iPod Nano and Touch, revolutionizing portable music players.

However, up to this point, Apple had been missing a key component to its tech-savvy designs: accessibility for people who were visually impaired.

"Before the release of the new iPod Nano, people with visual impairments either had to randomly shuffle through their music collections, memorize every menu and playlist, or simply not use iPods at all," said Dr. Tara Cortes, President and CEO of Lighthouse International.

But with the new iPod Nano, and an accompanying announcement of future iTunes accessibility improvements, that's all changed. The new iPod includes spoken menus, large font options, and high contrast settings.