| LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Is Apple’s iPad worth all the words spilled over it since it was first revealed earlier this year and put on the market in April? I don’t know. I haven’t gotten near one. But I do have an iPhone, and I have to say, if the iPad is anything like it, it probably is a big deal, maybe especially for people with disabilities.
I used my iPhone to report on United Spinal’s Disability Leadership and Policy Summit in Philadelphia on April 15. I took a photo on the scene and e-mailed it from my phone to our Jackson Heights, New York, office, where my colleague Tom Scott posted it on our Facebook page.
This humble experiment might mark the very beginning of our organization’s ability to make a close-to real-time connection with its members across the country via the internet at important events like the Summit. One day our members will participate in these conferences and summits via their phones and computers. You will be able to ask our Summit panelists questions from your home, just as those fortunate enough to attend in person can. You might even “tweet” your question or comment in 140 characters or fewer via Twitter.com.
The amazing thing to me is that all of this interconnectivity will very likely be accomplished in the not too distant future via wireless connections (a.k.a. WiFi) on a single device like the iPad or iPhone. Several colleagues of mine at United Spinal who have cervical-level spinal cord injuries have switched from more conventional cell phones to the iPhone because they find its touch-screen interface more congenial to users with limited dexterity. The larger screen of the iPad is no doubt even more quad user friendly than the standard button-loaded keyboard.
I know many of our members don’t have computers, some on antitechnological principle and others for financial or other more down to earth reasons. I don’t know how all this iPad hype sits with you. It is worrisome that the technological divide may grow wider, creating another rift between haves and have-nots. And yet, if past trends are any indication, all-in-one devices like the iPhone and iPad do seem to be an inevitable part of the tech future, and they will be more affordable. More and more of us will be connected, and this could be a very good thing for an association as spread-out geographically as ours, to enable us to connect with each other.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on technology. Please share them with me via e-mail , or just leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you.
Christofer D. Pierson
Managing Editor
It’s good to hear that things are moving along. The technological divide to some extent will always be there and is largely dependent on how much bucks you have or are willing to spend. As you state, new product generations bring the prices down on previous generations as does competition.
It’s also important that third party funders recognize these devices (when supported by the appropriate apps and features) as assistive technology and fund them. For instance- An iPhone, iPod or iPad that serves as a communications device for a non-verbal person or with voice recognition a writing device for a quadriplegic, those are indeed assistive technology and not just iToys or iGadgets.
Check this out- http://www.usatechguide.org/blog/the-ipad-disability-connection/