Last month, AT&T made its approach to universal design available to the public. Universal design is the practice of designing products that are usable by the widest variety of individuals with varying disabilities. This practice also includes making products work with existing access technology such as screen readers and screen magnification software. This means speech and magnification for the blind, flashing lights and vibration signals for the deaf and voice recognition for persons with speech and other physical disabilities. It also includes features that make products more easily usable for persons with learning disabilities.

Two examples of the application of this concept are Mobile Speak and Mobile Magnifier. Mobile Speak is a screen reader that allows blind persons to use cell phones and personal data assistants. I have personally witnessed blind persons successfully and efficiently using off-the-shelf cell phones and personal data assistants using Mobile Speak. Mobile Magnifier offers screen magnification for cell phones and personal data assistants.

While AT&T has made progress in the implementation of universal design, advocates for the rights of persons with disabilities must remain vigilant in their efforts to hold manufacturers of consumer electronics feet to the fire. Even while trumpeting this step in the right direction, AT&T has not always practiced what it preaches. For example, the announcement, AT&T Releases Universal Design Principles invites the reader to view a detailed document outlining AT&T’s views on universal design. To read this document, go to developer.att.com/universaldesign. But if you’re using a screen reader, this task is not for the faint of heart. We blind users must do a right click on the Universal Design link and select “save target as”. You will then be in a save dialog from which you can save the PDF document to your hard drive. Then you can open the document using your file management program. Sighted users need only to do a regular click on the aforementioned Universal Design link. When I tried that using a screen reader, I was forced to reboot. Isn’t it ironic that an organization such as AT&T would put out a press release championing the concept of universal design, yet the detailed document on universal design is only accessible for advanced users of screen readers?

We have seen too many instances where accessible products come onto the market and are no longer available after a year or so. Similarly, new technologies continue to be released without a thought to accessibility. Especially troubling are databases whose use is required on the job that are not accessible. I have a blind friend who got a job that included use of such a database. The employer decided to hire my friend with the understanding that his database could be made to work with screen readers by rehabilitation engineers. Despite the efforts of top-notch engineers, this database refused to work with screen readers and my friend was laid off.

I have a dream of a world where universal design is a given. In this world, a blind person can buy consumer electronics, get the users guide in accessible formats and use all of the features of the device independently. It will no longer be necessary to install additional software to make computers accessible. In this world, blind persons can buy whichever appliances they like best with the comfort of knowing that accessibility will not be an issue. AT&T has taken one small step toward making this dream a reality, but we still have a long way to go.