Visual Impairment support for N900

[HumanPenguin]

Ok Both my Brother and Father are legally blind. They both like their Ipods due to the option to speak the menu options as you scan though.

They are planning to see if the iPhone supports such an option.

I am wondering what it would take to add something to the N900 that would support this.

I think the option should work like this.

When you select an icon or menu option etc it reads a tool tip / alt text through flite or some other speach processor. then a second press activates it.

Anyone have any other ideas how this could be implemented.

I think a service like this would have use for sighted people as well. When driving for example. Reading out contact names would also be useful.

[pelago]

I'm not sure if the touchscreen interface on the N900 or iPhone/iPod Touch would be a good match for this. This sounds like the sort of thing that would work better with up/down/OK/back buttons, or a scrollwheel, where you can pick individual menu options easily by feel, without having to see the screen.

[HumanPenguin]

For the completely blind I would agree.

They are not there vision is seriosly impaired but they are able to see the screen and shapes on it.

They could not read any of the menu functions.

My father can read the dialpad on the phone. but has trouble working out how to get it up as he cannot read the lables on the buttons at the top.

It seems likly that changing the interface of the phone to this extent may not be possible. But it would be a useful feature when driving as well. I know I would like it.