Amazon extends Alexa accessibility features to Fire tablets for users with speech disabilities
Amazon has extended its Tap to Alexa function, which allows users to interact with Alexa via touch instead of voice, to Fire tablets, helping make Alexa more accessible for customers with speech disabilities.
According to the internet giant, its accessibility design team, Alexa for Everyone, works to build experiences to help people with disabilities live more independent lives and stay connected with their loved ones.
Tap to Alexa, previously only available on Echo Show devices, provides on-screen tiles to allow quick access to common requests, like setting an alarm or playing music.
With its new availability on Fire tablets, this can be especially useful for users with speech and/or mobility disabilities, also, those who prefer using devices with more portability, including users who mount a tablet to their wheelchair. Additionally, the feature can be helpful for customers who prefer to interact with Alexa without speaking.
For the first time, customers can use Tap to Alexa with a compatible Bluetooth switch to navigate and interact with their Fire tablet, which can be helpful for individuals with limited mobility.
Customers can also use a new Text to Speech function, where they can type a phrase and then tap an icon to have it spoken aloud. This can be helpful for customers with speech disabilities or unique voice patterns, or who are nonverbal or nonspeaking.
According to the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT), up to 14 million people in the UK, 20 percent of the population, will experience communication difficulty at some point in their lives, with more than ten percent of children having a long-term communication need.
The Alexa for Everyone team collaborated with members of the United Spinal Association based in Atlanta, Georgia. Members of the non-profit with speech and mobility disabilities, provided feedback on the feature during development.
Juliana Tarpey, Senior Product Manager for Alexa for Everyone, said: “We brought Tap to Alexa to Fire tablets, along with offerings like Text to Speech, to make it easier for more people to access smart home technology.
“After setting up their devices, customers can directly ask Alexa, with just a tap, to play their favourite TV show, turn on the lights, or help them communicate with friends and loved ones. It may seem simple, and it is—it provides simpler access to Alexa’s benefits to help support all our customers.”
Recently, as a part of its continuous accessibility development, Amazon launched a ‘Call RNIB helpline’ calling feature to its Alexa functions to assist people with visual impairments following on from a collaboration with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).
