I am very excited to announce my new book, iOS Access for All: Your Comprehensive Guide to Accessibility for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. I feel a little strange announcing something that is not yet finished and available for you to read, but the fast pace of this social-media-driven world makes it important to begin talking about it while I’m writing it, and while I’m gathering ideas and feedback from potential readers.
Here’s the “elevator pitch” for iOS Access for All. Apple’s iDevices include many features that make them accessible to people with disabilities. Most books and Web sites that cover iOS do not address accessibility at all, or fail to do so in any depth. The fine folks who create these resources simply do not use or understand this rich suite of features. I do. The “accessibility Web” for lack of a better term, provides lots of information about accessibility in iOS, but it’s often focused on a single feature, like VoiceOver, or lacks updated content. iOS Access for All is a comprehensive guide because it covers the full range of iOS accessibility features, plus chapters describing the best and most important accessible apps. My experience as author of 12 how-to oriented books about the Macintosh, wireless networking, and Web development qualifies me to write the most thorough and informed guide to iOS accessibility available. I’m also visually impaired, and a daily user of accessibility tools.
OK, that’s the high-rise elevator pitch. If your building isn’t so tall, try this:
iOS Access for All is your comprehensive guide to accessibility for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. You’ll learn how to use all accessibility tools, as well as which apps are must-haves for those who depend on accessibility features. I’ll update the book and its online presence frequently. I’ve written 12 technology books, and worked as a journalist for 25 years. This will be a good book!
For the full scoop on the book, please go to the iOS Access for All Web site. Right now, it’s your basic WordPress blog. I’ll be posting lots of updates in the next few weeks, Read the FAQ and sign up for the mailing list.
I’m thrilled to be working on this project, and judging by the feedback I’ve gotten from my friends in the Mac/iOS community, as well as the accessibility experts I know, there is a need out there.
