Introducing The Android Access Framework

Video: Introducing The Android Accessibility Framework

1 Video: Introducing The Android Accessibility Framework

Device Used: MotoRola Droid on Verizon

Starting with Android 1.6 --- fondly known as Donut --- theplatform includes an Accessibility API that makes it easy toimplement adaptive technology such as screenreaders. Android 1.6comes with a built-in screenreader called TalkBack that providesspoken feedback when using Android applications written in Java.

The next few videos will progressively introduce TalkBack,SoundBack and KickBack, a suite of programs that augment theAndroid user interface with alternative output.

All of these special utilities are available through optionAccessibility in the Android Settings menu. Once activated, theaccessibility settings are persistent across reboots, i.e., youneed enable these tools only once.

Notice that because I have accessibility enabled on my phone,all user actions produce relevant auditory feedback. Thus, eachitem is spoken as Imove through the various options in the settings menu. The spokenfeedback also indicates the state of an item as appropriate.

Activating SoundBack produces non-spoken auditory feedback;KickBack produces haptic feedback.

Author: T.V Raman<raman@google.com>