Using Apple hardware and apps as an effective tool in the toolbox
Address delivered to the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind at its conference in Greenville, South Carolina, 17 November 2017
It’s an honour to have been asked to speak with you today. By way of background, I have a foot in two distinct camps that handily co-exist on this occasion. I’ve been a senior manager in, and ultimately Chairman of, New Zealand’s blindness agency. Our situation is a little different, in that it’s a charitable organisation receiving some Government funding, but also with many services dependent on public giving. So I know what it’s like to identify enormous need, while having to live within budgetary constraints. I know what it’s like to have to make those difficult calls about programmes, resources and staffing.
In the other camp, I’m also a shameless geek. I share the enthusiasm your tech people have for the power this technology has to change the lives of blind people for the better. I live it, and through Mosen Consulting, I write about it, train in it, talk to mainstream developers about it, and advocate for it. I suspect I’m also here because, while I own a lot of technology and enjoy geeking out, I have a reputation for not mincing my words, and am no one’s fan boy. I’ve been a consumer leader and advocate, and I know that the benefits we now enjoy didn’t fall out of the sky by magic. They’ve been hard-won, and they must be safeguarded with vigilance. So, here I am, a geek who can do a bit of public speaking and identify with some of your challenges. Today, I want to give you some straight talk about the many exciting, game-changing aspects of Apple technology, while making it clear that there are challenges. I may send you away with some homework, because I believe that those of you here today may be uniquely placed to assist the community to overcome some of those challenges.
As the old cliché goes, the only constant in the world is change. And there’s no better, more dramatic example of this than technology. For those who make decisions about resource allocation, it’s not just that the technology itself is being updated at a frenetic pace, it’s also that the rules of the game have changed.
I’ve been asked to address Apple hardware and apps as an effective tool in the toolbox. It’s an important topic, because a smartphone, based on the current state of accessibility, isn’t always the right tool. Just as you wouldn’t use a chainsaw to hammer in a nail, it’s important that we set realistic expectations about when a tool like an iPhone is the right one, and what risks may exist when using one.