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Google disables 'Hold for Me' feature on the Pixel 6 following buggy update
Google's Duplex AI-powered "Hold for Me" feature has been temporarily disabled on Pixel 6 features due to a bug in the latest update.
DOJ sues Uber for allegedly discriminating against passengers with disabilities
The US Department of Justice has sued Uber for allegedly discriminating against passengers with disabilities.
Twitch is adding over 350 tags to help make streams more inclusive
Twitch has added over 350 stream tags to foster inclusiveness, including for the LGBTQIA+ community and people with disabilities.
Google Disability Support is more accessible with sign language specialists
Google is now ready to offer live help for accessibility features regardless of your hearing. The search firm now offers Disability Support through American Sign Language, letting you troubleshoot through video chat if you're deaf or hard-of-hearing. Google reps can walk you through setting up Live Caption on your Pixel, for example.
Nike puts an accessibility twist on its iconic Air Jordan 1
The Air Jordan 1, which NBA legend Michael Jordan debuted in 1985, continues to be one of Nike's most popular sneakers to this day. Throughout the years, the company has launched hundreds of different iterations of its iconic model, and now it's putting another twist on it that has the potential to help athletes and other people with disabilities. The AJI High FlyEase features Nike's FlyEase technology, one that was introduced in 2015 and is designed to make it easy for anyone to get their sneakers on and off quickly and easily.
Instagram will notify you before it disables your account
Instagram is making a few changes to the way it disables accounts. Currently, the platform removes accounts with a certain percentage of violating content. But it's rolling out a new policy that will also allow it to disable accounts with a certain number of violations in a given timeframe.
Jaguar's automatic door could make cars more accessible
Amputees and others with accessibility needs might soon have an easier time hopping into cars. Jaguar Land Rover has created a 'mobility door' that uses a mix of current keyless entry tech and motion sensors to automatically open when you approach. You might only have to swing in when you're ready to drive. You can press buttons both overhead and on the infotainment system to open or close doors, and there's radar to prevent the door from smacking another car or a lamp post.
How a blind 'Call of Duty' player is racking up thousands of kills
Some folks love video games so much, they find ways to play despite prohibitive disabilities. One such gamer took to Reddit last week to boast about scoring more than 7,500 lifetime kills in the first-person shooter Call of Duty: WWII -- entirely without eyesight. He goes by the handle 'tj_the_blind_gamer' and uploads gameplay to his YouTube channel, which he created after discovering there weren't any other sightless Call of Duty streamers. He plays for his own enjoyment -- but streams it to show the world that blind gamers are out there, racking up kills.
How Engadget's parent company is making sites like ours easier to use
Today, May 17th, is Global Accessibility Awareness Day, but in fact, this entire month has been an eventful one for people with disabilities. Two weeks ago, Google and Microsoft pledged to commit $20 and $25 million to the cause, respectively, to accessibility tech. Today, Microsoft revealed the Xbox Adaptive Controller while Apple unveiled a coding curriculum that can also be used by students who are deaf and/or blind. Meanwhile, Oath, Engadget's parent company, which also owns Yahoo, rang in the day by holding an open house at its accessibility lab, where, among other things, it works to make sites like ours easier for everyone to use. And that includes sites and services outside Oath too: The accessibility-tech community is a small one, with researchers at Oath, Apple, Microsoft, Google and other tech companies regularly collaborating with one another. (Microsoft Chief Accessibility Officer Jennie-Lay Flurrie made the same point in an interview with Engadget two weeks ago.) What Oath is working on might show up in another company's products, and vice versa.
Innovative wheelchair design isn’t for all wheelchair users
You'll often see positive news stories coming out of the tech press involving robotics projects that are designed to help people with mobility issues. Exoskeletons, like Toyota's WelWalk, ReWalk, and Ekso Bionics' eponymous walking frame, help people regain the use of their legs. Sit-stand wheelchairs are currently gaining lots of attention, and they do offer, for many people, much greater freedom and independence than standard chairs. But more often than not, they're designed for people with specific disability requirements -- and that means not everyone will get to use them.
Microsoft may launch an accessibility-focused Xbox One controller
Microsoft has a long-running history of courting gamers with accessibility needs, and it now looks like that might include a gamepad built with those players in mind. Well-known leaker WalkingCat has obtained an image of what looks to be an Xbox One controller designed with accessibility in mind. The peripheral appears to revolve around two giant buttons that would be easy to use without the precise finger dexterity you usually need. There's also a row of grooved icons (potentially touch-sensitive buttons) that reflect common Xbox functions, suggesting that gamers won't have to wade through menus that might be difficult to navigate.
Uber faces lawsuit for denying rides to woman with service animal
Uber is facing still more legal trouble over its accessibility issues. Texas resident D'Edra Steele has sued the ridesharing company for allegedly denying her 25 rides due to the service dog she needs for her cerebral palsy. Reportedly, drivers would either give excuses (such as a lack of blankets or dog allergies) or would even speed off the moment they saw Steele's companion animal. Steele also had to deal with "disparaging" remarks some of the times she did get rides.
Airbnb makes it easier to find accessible rentals
Airbnb is making quick use of the travel accessibility startup it bought a few months ago. The rental service has introduced 21 filters that help you find disability-friendly listings that meet your exact needs. You can look for ramps, wide hallways, roll-in showers and other features that can help if you use a wheelchair or otherwise have special mobility requirements. Previously, Airbnb had a simple "wheelchair accessible" filter that frequently left glaring omissions.
Airbnb buys startup to help you find disability-friendly rentals
Airbnb knows its hosts haven't always been kind to people with disabilities, and it's taking some definitive steps to fix that weakness. The company just bought Accomable, a startup that helps you embark on disability-friendly travel. While Accomable is winding down over the months ahead, its accommodation listings will find their way into Airbnb's entries for over 60 countries. You'll know if a host really does have accommodations for disabled guests throughout the home, not just wheelchair access at the entry. Also, Airbnb is pursuing its own improvements to help you make more informed choices.
Xbox Elite controller opens up games to people with disabilities
AbleGamers program director Craig Kaufman knows he's done his job when a kid comes running up to him on a busy convention show floor and screams, "I can stab people now!" "And I'm like, you shouldn't yell that in public -- but it's exciting," Kaufman says. "All the kid wanted to do was stab people and we helped him." Kaufman is talking about stabbing people in Call of Duty, not real life. The AbleGamers Charity's core mission is to open up gaming to people with disabilities, which often means giving away specialized controllers that respond to breathing, can be mounted on wheelchairs, or offer single-click solutions for more complicated actions like using analog sticks. However, AbleGamers is always looking for simpler and more accessible options, and this year they found one: the $150 Xbox Elite controller.
Uber brings wheelchair-accessible rides to London
In its bid to provide more services for disabled passengers, Uber finally brought UberASSIST to the capital at the end of last year. The service provides passengers with a "top rated" Uber driver who has passed an equality course. Today, it's expanding its platform with the launch of UberWAV (Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle), a new option in the Uber app that was developed with help from Scope, Whizz-Kidz and Transport for All that goes live at 4pm today.
Mind-controlled robot gives the disabled a taste of home
Brain-controlled robot limbs have already helped the disabled gain some mobility, but full-fledged robots have proven elusive: how do you use thoughts to steer a free-roaming machine? Swiss researchers think they have the answer. They've developed a mind-controlled telepresence robot that lets those with motor disabilities travel when it would otherwise be impractical. It's ultimately a laptop on a pedestal, but it uses clever semi-autonomous software to take the hard work out of controlling where the robot goes. You only have to don an EEG-based cap and imagine moving your hands or feet -- the robot plots a path based on your commands, and avoids obstacles all on its own.
ICYMI: Translation megaphone, live-caption headwear and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-819626{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-819626, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-819626{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-819626").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A crowdfunding campaign to help the hearing impaired pairs a Google Glass-like head display with a mini-computer to create real-time closed captioning. International travelers who are impaired after a 14-hour flight will get some love at Japan's Narita International Airport with a megaphone that can translate Japanese messages into Chinese and English. Finally, gym rats will probably be into this Kickstarter for a towel (The Towell) which will give you a towel with a pocket and a magnet and that's about it, all for about $40 US.
Steam Controller gives disabled player one-handed 'Skyrim' controls
Valve's Steam Controller, like PC gaming in general, is highly customizable. Whether you think its large, circular trackpads are an annoyance or a revolution, there are plenty of ways to tweak how they perform in-game. One thoughtful user, Chris Hepburn, has remapped the buttons in Skyrim to help a disabled player fully control their adventurer one-handed. The right haptic pad controls the camera, while tilting the controller up, down, left and right handles character movement. The right trigger is used both to attack and defend, depending on whether you tap or hold with your finger. The A, B, X and Y buttons have been left untouched, while tapping the left analog stick changes your immediate weapons. Hepburn says the control scheme works best with a cushion for support -- reaching for the analog stick and waggling the controller can get a little tiresome otherwise. The Reddit community has suggested he make a left-handed alternative too -- anything that makes games more accessible is a worthwhile endeavour in our books. Top work, Hepburn.
Uber improves its service for disabled passengers in London
After recently seeing off a challenge from the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA) at London's High Court, Uber is wasting no time in its attempt to broaden its appeal across the capital. The company today announced the launch of uberASSIST, a new service that will offer additional assistance to disabled users. It works like this: when a rider requests a car using the ASSISTUK code, a "top rated" Uber driver, who has passed an equality course developed by Transport for All and Inclusion London, will be told that their passenger may require additional assistance and be invited to contact them ahead of their pick-up.
