Stevie Wonder goes to CES, appeals to electronics companies to consider the blind

Since the first iPhone was announced two years ago today, manufacturers of pretty much anything and everything electronic have been trying to cash in on the insatiable consumer demand for anything with a touchscreen. They’re definitely convenient, but a lot of times they seem to be more of a hassle than a benefit due to bloated GUIs that give some people, such as the legally blind, great difficulties. It was because of this that music legend Stevie Wonder went to CES yesterday to ask electronics manufacturers to consider those with visual ailments when designing devices. It might seem like a bit of a strange move considering that less that 0.5% of Americas are legally blind, but good ol’ Stevie raised a good point as to why his plea could benefit all. “We don’t want to hold up technological progress. What we’re saying is, think about the interface and set it up in such a way that it’s simple. The simpler you make the user interface of a product, it’s going to reach more people sighted or blind.” Well, it’s hard to argue with logic.

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