For years, I have tracked the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). This year, the experience felt different, a change I attribute to the creation by CES of an accessibility stage. Previously, accessibility products were simply integrated into the main show. While major journalists often misunderstood them, they were at least present and got a good share of the coverage. This year’s accessibility coverage was abysmal and incredibly hard to find.
Why Accessibility Vanished
Accessibility had not disappeared, but it was segregated into its own corner with a dedicated “Accessibility Stage.” This separation made finding these products incredibly difficult, and mainstream media largely ignored both disability-specific items and the accessibility of mainstream technology.
I strongly disagree with the many accessibility leaders who celebrated this separate stage. Creating a separate space risks reverting to “accessibility ghettos”—a term for products designed only for people with disabilities that often use inferior components, lack mainstream utility, and cost exponentially more. For example, specialized, limited-feature note-takers can exceed $6,000. My own experience with a student whose outdated note-taker could not securely connect to university systems illustrates the inherent security and compatibility issues of these segregated devices. The student’s device was ultimately barred from secure HR systems because it couldn’t accept necessary security certificates.
A Hope for Integration
One major note-taker manufacturer is soon releasing an updated product running a modern, standardized operating system. I strongly support this development because a modern OS inherently addresses the security and connectivity issues prevalent in older devices. Instead of a modified word processor, users will benefit from installing standard, secure web browsers. For the first time, the convenience of a note-taker and Braille access will not be undermined by shoddy quality or lack of security. A blind person using this new device will have instant Braille access while running a fully patched and secure standard operating system. I plan to evaluate this new device at a major accessibility trade show in March.
The Disadvantage of Isolation
I believe separating accessibility programs was a huge disservice. Innovative products, like dynamically focusing glasses for aging eyes, were either overlooked or poorly covered by mainstream media. This device literally changes the shape of the lens depending on whether the person is looking near or far—an incredible innovation for a common affliction. Most media comments I heard were negative, focusing on unlikely risks (“What if it changes focus when you’re trying to drive?”). I believe the media would have better grasped the product’s value if it had been in the main hall, forced to justify itself to a general audience, not just the disability community.
A Call for Mainstream Inclusion
To those who pushed for a separate CES accessibility stage, I believe the effort failed. I found less accessibility coverage this year than I did during a single day last year.
Next year, CES must integrate disability and accessibility back into the mainstream to prevent it from being ignored or lost. Accessibility should be a baseline feature demonstrated by every manufacturer at every booth, forcing all companies to address the accessibility of their designs. The separation undeniably resulted in less accessibility news this year than in the coverage last year.