New Mobile Accessibility Mode

[SwimSwim]

I think the point of the app is for someone who can't completely see, thus using swipe and tap gestures to move around the UI, it isn't much use to people who aren't visually impaired.

Exactly my point, this app is designed for those who have little to no vision. The OS can be hard to read and/or difficult to use under normal circumstances should you suffer from such conditions, but this apps reads out what's on screen to you, and lets you accurately select stuff by means of having to double tap your selection.

It's worthless to anyone who can see normally (unless you want it to read some text for you).

 

[SwimSwim]

No. This is awful design. Double-tap isn't the issue. The issue is that you have to slowly triple tap, and there is ZERO opportunities to learn how to use it before you get hosed up.

That is design flaw, pure and simple.

When you first install that app seems like a good time to explore the app and figure out the gestures, no? It's not like installing it immediately cause it to activate, you manually decided to navigate to the settings and enable it without any background as to what it is or with any regard as to what it might do.

This is all on you, Microsoft can't hold your hand on everything.

 

[GoodThings2Life]

Good point, and I did open the app and explore. But guess what? No tutorial is given! When was that given? AFTER I finally unlocked.

Here's an idea... Before you criticize and judge us, maybe play with it yourself.

And btw, I'm quite familiar with testing things out. I didn't blindly do anything. I did exactly what other users here did, which is find the setting, install app, try it out, and it said restart required. OK. Oh crap, can't unlock. Only by playing did I figure it out... At the expense of an hour figuring it out.

Good design would have been putting the tutorial on first app launch AND a tutorial on turning the setting on before rebooting.

First job of a tester is to try and break it, and report it for fixing. Well guess what, that's pretty easy here.

And one final comment, the point of the forums is to share experiences. We did, and you just judge instead of offering a fix. You even blindly echoed me. So put the sword down and realize that we aren't idiots. We did what any user and tester should do, and a great product and company can make design mistakes.

 

[SwimSwim]

Nothing is really broken with it though. I used it for reals this time, as in I enabled it in the settings, instead of just exploring the app. I will agree that it does seem kind of odd to have a tutorial, but not to have it usable until right after it's initially necessary (lockscreen). That seems worthy of change. But other than that, this is a solid app and makes sense, while you're calling for it's head and saying the navigation is awful. Well, of course it's awful for someone who can see, isn't it?

So the tutorial being more accessible (the irony) would be my one concern. However, I still maintain you jumped right into this without any aforethought, which I feel is a mistake on your part. You're calling for this app's whole core to be changed to accommodate you (someone who doesn't need it) because you screwed up, which isn't fair to anyone who actually needs such an app.

 

[GoodThings2Life]

Nothing is really broken with it though. I used it for reals this time, as in I enabled it in the settings, instead of just exploring the app. I will agree that it does seem kind of odd to have a tutorial, but not to have it usable until right after it's initially necessary (lockscreen). That seems worthy of change. But other than that, this is a solid app and makes sense, while you're calling for it's head and saying the navigation is awful. Well, of course it's awful for someone who can see, isn't it?

So the tutorial being more accessible (the irony) would be my one concern. However, I still maintain you jumped right into this without any aforethought, which I feel is a mistake on your part. You're calling for this app's whole core to be changed to accommodate you (someone who doesn't need it) because you screwed up, which isn't fair to anyone who actually needs such an app.

Actually, that's my problem with your remarks. Who are you to judge what a person wants/needs? People aren't using Driving Mode exclusively for driving. Not everyone wants a screen reader for being visually impaired.

I didn't conclude it was buggy. I said it's bad design if you let a user enable it without instructions. No tutorial is given on first app launch, let alone enabling the setting. That's just plain wrong. I'm sorry if it bursts your bubble.

As for me, I accepted risk of testing. I was prepared to lose stuff, but I read and I played until I solved it. Then I reported the issue... like a good tester should.

Calling me a fool and an ***** for not RTFM is wrong. You don't know me. You don't know my experience. This will be a huge usability issue for many. Telling them the experience helps them fix it, so others don't suffer.

 

[David Lolohea]

Calm down guys its an app.

 

[Bhanu Prasad]

any one found why some firmwares don't have this option ?

 

[Tallin32]

Speaking as a completely blind (i.e. eyesight = 0) user of mobile technology since 2004, software developer since 2003, and computer programmer since the old Apple //e in 1986, I have to wonder why basic functionality available in the accessibility tools isn't available here. I can't use third party Windows Phone apps with this solution--hell, I can't even check my work email (ironically enough, I work as a contractor at Microsoft, where we use Exchange), because the accessibility "solution" provided here only works with IMAP. Instant messaging is right out and, if I'm reading this thread correctly, in order to type, I have to find the key I want, then double tap to confirm. With accessibility significantly better on iPhone, Android, iPad, Surface, Surface II, Surface Pro, and Surface Pro II, I'm hoping for an actual accessibility tool that works in-box, can be enabled without sighted help, and works with Microsoft's core applications to show up in Windows Phone Blue. While I'm sure this is a fabulous toy for people who want to think they can get an idea of how blind people can use a phone, it does rather effectively reduce the Lumia 1020 to the functionality of a KYOCERA Kona. Possibly less.

 

[Shiva Kumar7]

New accessbility mode

Does any one let me know where do i find the new password for this app and is there any predefined default password for this app.

 

[maiaaa]

thanks, i was able to enter my password, now how do i enable this setting. how do i go to setting?

 

[bilal saleem2]

Unfortunately i install this app and now my phone is not acceping paswrd..any solution you have?

 

[Jarvan]

sir is this effective? coz i bugged my phone right now with this (

 

[Jarvan]

Yes it worked! I had unlocked it whatta relief