Blind Bargains: Amazon Kindle 3 Accessibility Improvements Still Unknown, NFB Clarifies Position

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Amazon has announced the pending release of the Kindle 3, a model they are calling more refined and for serious book readers. To be released in August, the new edition includes a battery that will last for up to a month depending on use, and some of the much-wished-for accessibility improvements. These include voice-guided menus and other text-to-speech improvements. A version with wi-fi capabilities will be available for $139, while $189 will get the version with 3G data capabilities. Despite these improvements and a lower price, many in the accessibility field still question Amazon's commitment to full accessibility.

A press release from the National Federation of the Blind lauded Amazon for making a real commitment to accessibility. But the NFB's Director of Public Relations Chris Danielsen remains cautiously optomistic. The press release was published based on Amazon's willingness to improve the Kindle and include voice-guided menus. But testing will still need to be performed on the device to see if it includes real accessibility improvements. Rumors have been floating around online about the lack of some basic functionality. Namely, it is unknown whether blind users can enable accessibility in the Kindle 3 without sighted assistance, browse Amazon's Kindle Store using the device, or experience increased navigational options. As for the NFB's position, Danielsen says the organization plans on withholding further comment until the device can be tested in their lab. This response from Amazon's customer service seems to indicate some work still needs to be done.

This issue remains separate from the lack of TTS support from publishers, according to Danielsen. A post on the NFB_voice Twitter account adds, "We are still urging publishers to enable TTS on more books." Update: ACB President Mitch Pomerantz has added his accolades about the improvements in the Kindle 3 but states there's still more work to be done.

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