MOSCOW, Oct 25. A new section dedicated to the accessibility of Android-based mobile devices has been opened on the website of an online course on digital literacy for children and adolescents with visual impairments, prepared by experts from the inclusive project Everland (Everland) and Beeline, the press service of the mobile operator reports.
Experts tested and evaluated five smartphones from leading manufacturers of different price segments, popular among blind users: Realme 10 (Realmi), Xiaomi 11T (Xiaomi), Poco F5 (Poco), Samsung Galaxy S22 (Samsung Galaxy) ), Samsung Galaxy A53. The following indicators were assessed: ergonomics, initial launch of the device and initial setup, ease of launching and configuring a speech synthesizer and other applications, screen response to gestures, and the ability for a novice user to configure it independently.
«Test results showed that all smartphones participating in the review are complex for self-configuration by blind users. Further operation of the devices depends on the individual settings of the user — it is possible to make them convenient for users with visual impairments,» the message says.
An online course on the use of digital technologies for children and adolescents with visual impairments was launched in June 2023. The objective of the course is to help blind children and adolescents master digital programs and assistive devices that will allow them to freely use a computer and smartphone for study, communication, moving around the city and a variety of everyday tasks; teach safety in the digital environment, and also talk about the prospects of digital professions for people with visual impairments.
During the 6 months of the platform’s operation, more than 400 children and adults with visual impairments were trained in the course programs, 150 people received the help of professional curators, and In total, almost 4 thousand people used the course materials.
«Digital technologies are an important component of modern childhood. We are convinced that children with disabilities should not experience restrictions in access to important components of life — these are games, communication, and study, and opportunities for self-realization,” the message quotes the comment of Beeline Vice President for Communications and Sustainable Development Sofia Ivanova.