Apple adds accessibility features to iPod, iTunes

The American Foundation for the Blind praises the more accessible iPod:

New York, NY (September 18, 2008)—The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is applauding Apple's recent move to make iTunes and iPods accessible to blind and visually impaired people. The iPod Nano, which was virtually unusable for people with vision loss, is now equipped with talking menus and large font options. Apple has also made improvements to the accessibility of iTunes.

"This news is music to the ears of the 20 million Americans with significant vision loss," said Carl R. Augusto, President and CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind, and an avid music fan. "I can't tell you how great it will be to find my Timbaland and Madonna songs without having to shuffle through every song in my music collection."

In addition to adding talking menus to the new iPod Nano, Apple has expanded the accessibility section of its web site, www.apple.com/accessibility. According to Apple, screen reader users will also be able to access many more iTunes features, such as creating and managing an account and shopping for albums and songs in the iTunes store.

AFB is testing Apple's new accessibility features, and will release a report on the findings.

For decades audio technology has transformed life for people with vision loss and Apple's new commitment to accessibility continues this tradition. For more information and thoughts from AFB staff members, visit AFB's blog at www.afb.org/blog.