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Wow what a weird take. I think it's the same attitude that leads to modern technology being inaccessible to people with disabilities - after all why plan our sy

Wow what a weird take. I think it's the same attitude that leads to modern technology being inaccessible to people with disabilities - after all why plan our systems for anything other than "readily accessible technology". If you refuse to use it you're just an asshole, that's your problem, right? If you physically can't use a smartphone because you're blind that's your problem, and not the problem of the idiotic system built so that it can't be accessed in any other way, obviously.

scarface_74 3y ago
A modern iPhone has all sorts of affordances for people with disabilities - including blind people. Do you also complain that you can’t use Uber without a cellphone? Most people in society are more than willing to help those who for whatever reason can’t do for themselves. But are less forgiving for those who won’t
- cornholio 3y ago
  That's beyond ridiculous. A smartphone is by definition a usability nightmare, it's a purely visual design that presents as a featureless slab to a visually impaired user. It's great it has some accessibility features to enable such users access to some smartphone specific functions, that they can't have in other ways, such as audio directions. But that doesn't mean we should be actively push this audience to smartphones and destroy actual accesibile designs for things that haven't required a smartphone in the past. let alone berate people for failing to get on with the times and embrace the clearly inferior "evolution".
  - scarface_74 3y ago
    Have you ever used a cell phone the same way blind people do? Do you think the washers and dryers have brail on them? Do you think cash is easier for blind people?
- gambiting 3y ago
  Ah yes, an iPhone works so the problem is solved, despite the fact that iPhones are a minority of devices out there and in most places they are luxury devices. Android is nowhere near as good when it comes to accessibility and that's what majority of devices are. >>Do you also complain that you can’t use Uber without a cellphone? I do actually, it's one of the major problems with Uber in my opinion, and that's why a lot of people still stick to local taxi companies that you can just call. But Uber is generally completely shit for accessibility, where law forces local taxis to be accessible Uber usually does their usual bullshit of skirting these regulations and saying absolutely crazy things like "if there is demand for wheelchair accessible taxis then the market will respond". >>But are less forgiving for those who won’t Who won't what? I don't understand what you're alluding to.
  - scarface_74 3y ago
    I’m in NYC right this second at the US Tennis Open. You can order Uber WAV - Wheelchair Accessibility Vehicle. If you choose to use much less convenient taxis instead of an Uber because of a refusal to use cellphones that’s on you. > despite the fact that iPhones are a minority of devices out there and in most places they are luxury devices iPhones are big a minority in the US - where the college is located. And Google not having accessibility options as good as the iPhone sounds like someone needs to be suing Google under the ADA. But do you really think blind people are not buying devices that actually work for them?
    - mplanchard 3y ago
      I think taxis in NYC are much more convenient than ubers. No wait, no need to fiddle with my phone or worry about whether it’s going to die, can pay in cash or card. I always laugh when I see people standing on the side of the road staring first at their phone and then out into traffic as they wait for an uber to show up, and meanwhile at least five taxis have gone by that they could have hailed on the spot.
      - scarface_74 3y ago
        I’m just leaving NYC right now. We went between the boroughs and everywhere else using public transit. I’ve never used public transit in my life. But even I could navigate public transit using the Apple Maps app. I had no need for Uber. We were here for the US Tennis open.
- onetokeoverthe 3y ago
  [dead]
- cxr 3y ago
  > Do you also complain that you can’t use Uber without a cellphone? I don't hear it (the harshness of responses like yours it would engender might have something to do with it), but I don't see anything wrong with the complaint. I can make HTTP requests from my laptop. Uber's smartphone requirement is an unnecessary one.
  - cge 3y ago
    As an illustration of the requirement not being necessary, you can use Lyft (for cars only, I think) via a browser at ride.lyft.com. Outside of questions of accessibility, having web-based access is also very useful for unexpected problems: I think people often have many ways of accessing the web, but usually only one smartphone. My partner recently needed to get to a train station when an OS bug suddenly stopped most apps from working on her phone; being able to use her laptop to call a car was extremely helpful.

scarface_74 3y ago

A modern iPhone has all sorts of affordances for people with disabilities - including blind people. Do you also complain that you can’t use Uber without a cellphone? Most people in society are more than willing to help those who for whatever reason can’t do for themselves. But are less forgiving for those who won’t

cornholio 3y ago
That's beyond ridiculous. A smartphone is by definition a usability nightmare, it's a purely visual design that presents as a featureless slab to a visually impaired user. It's great it has some accessibility features to enable such users access to some smartphone specific functions, that they can't have in other ways, such as audio directions. But that doesn't mean we should be actively push this audience to smartphones and destroy actual accesibile designs for things that haven't required a smartphone in the past. let alone berate people for failing to get on with the times and embrace the clearly inferior "evolution".
- scarface_74 3y ago
  Have you ever used a cell phone the same way blind people do? Do you think the washers and dryers have brail on them? Do you think cash is easier for blind people?
gambiting 3y ago
Ah yes, an iPhone works so the problem is solved, despite the fact that iPhones are a minority of devices out there and in most places they are luxury devices. Android is nowhere near as good when it comes to accessibility and that's what majority of devices are. >>Do you also complain that you can’t use Uber without a cellphone? I do actually, it's one of the major problems with Uber in my opinion, and that's why a lot of people still stick to local taxi companies that you can just call. But Uber is generally completely shit for accessibility, where law forces local taxis to be accessible Uber usually does their usual bullshit of skirting these regulations and saying absolutely crazy things like "if there is demand for wheelchair accessible taxis then the market will respond". >>But are less forgiving for those who won’t Who won't what? I don't understand what you're alluding to.
- scarface_74 3y ago
  I’m in NYC right this second at the US Tennis Open. You can order Uber WAV - Wheelchair Accessibility Vehicle. If you choose to use much less convenient taxis instead of an Uber because of a refusal to use cellphones that’s on you. > despite the fact that iPhones are a minority of devices out there and in most places they are luxury devices iPhones are big a minority in the US - where the college is located. And Google not having accessibility options as good as the iPhone sounds like someone needs to be suing Google under the ADA. But do you really think blind people are not buying devices that actually work for them?
  - mplanchard 3y ago
    I think taxis in NYC are much more convenient than ubers. No wait, no need to fiddle with my phone or worry about whether it’s going to die, can pay in cash or card. I always laugh when I see people standing on the side of the road staring first at their phone and then out into traffic as they wait for an uber to show up, and meanwhile at least five taxis have gone by that they could have hailed on the spot.
    - scarface_74 3y ago
      I’m just leaving NYC right now. We went between the boroughs and everywhere else using public transit. I’ve never used public transit in my life. But even I could navigate public transit using the Apple Maps app. I had no need for Uber. We were here for the US Tennis open.
onetokeoverthe 3y ago
[dead]
cxr 3y ago
> Do you also complain that you can’t use Uber without a cellphone? I don't hear it (the harshness of responses like yours it would engender might have something to do with it), but I don't see anything wrong with the complaint. I can make HTTP requests from my laptop. Uber's smartphone requirement is an unnecessary one.
- cge 3y ago
  As an illustration of the requirement not being necessary, you can use Lyft (for cars only, I think) via a browser at ride.lyft.com. Outside of questions of accessibility, having web-based access is also very useful for unexpected problems: I think people often have many ways of accessing the web, but usually only one smartphone. My partner recently needed to get to a train station when an OS bug suddenly stopped most apps from working on her phone; being able to use her laptop to call a car was extremely helpful.