Amazon Extends Alexa Accessibility Feature to Fire Tablets
‘Tap to Alexa’ is now available on Fire tablets (8th generation and later).
B.A. in Journalism & Public Relations with minor in Communications Media from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP)
(Credit: Amazon)
For most, setting a timer, checking the weather, and ordering groceries is as easy as saying, "Alexa." But those who can’t speak to the virtual assistant can tap it instead.
Amazon’s "Tap to Alexa" accessibility feature—launched in 2018 on Echo Show devices—lets folks control the technology without making a sound. And it’s available now (Opens in a new window) for Fire tablets.
Visit the gadget’s settings to toggle on Tap to Alexa, then select from a menu of preset options for popular commands (like playing music or setting an alarm) or type in personalized requests. A text-to-speech feature also lets users type a phrase to be read aloud.
The function is useful for people with speech and/or mobility challenges, or who prefer to interact with Alexa silently. "We brought Tap to Alexa to Fire tablets, along with offerings like Text to Speech, to make it easier for more people to access smart home technology," Juliana Tarpey, senior product manager for Alexa for Everyone, said in a statement. The team collaborated with members of the United Spinal Association during development.
"After setting up their devices, customers can directly ask Alexa, with just a tap, to play their favorite TV show, turn on the lights, or help them communicate with friends and loved ones," Tarpey said. "It may seem simple, and it is—it provides simpler access to Alexa’s benefits to help support all our customers."
Uber Pays Millions to Settle Lawsuit Over Wait-Time Fees for Riders With Disabilities
Uber charges customers who make their drivers wait more than two minutes, but that policy fails to consider those with mobility issues who need extra time to get to their cars, the DOJ says.
B.A. in Journalism & Public Relations with minor in Communications Media from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP)
(Credit: Getty Images/Nathan Stirk)
Uber this week agreed to pay millions to settle a lawsuit that accused the rideshare firm of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by charging wait-time fees to riders with disabilities who needed extra time to get to their cars.
More than 65,000 users will receive compensation (Opens in a new window) after being charged wait-time fees for taking more than two minutes to enter an Uber car, despite needing additional time for, say, https://jiji.ng/ breaking down and storing a wheelchair or walker.
Uber in 2016 began charging customers in certain locations a per-minute penalty if the driver was left waiting for more than two minutes at the pick-up location. But the complaint (Opens in a new window) , filed in November by the Department of Justice, claims Uber violated the ADA by failing to "reasonably" modify its wait-time fee—even when it was aware of a passenger’s need for additional time.
"People with disabilities should not be made to feel like second-class citizens or punished because of their disability, which is exactly what Uber’s wait-time fee policy did," Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said in a statement. "This agreement sends a strong message that Uber and other ridesharing companies will be held accountable if their services discriminate against people with disabilities."
As part of the two-year agreement, Uber will waive wait-time fees for all riders who certify that they, or someone they frequently travel with, require more time to get into a car because of a disability. The company also plans to advertise the waiver program, train customer service representatives, and refund users who are illegally charged.
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Additionally, the accounts of more than 65,000 eligible riders who signed up for the waiver program will be credited double the sum of the wait-time fees they were ever charged—which could total millions of dollars, according to the Justice Department. Another $1.7 million will go to more than 1,000 riders who complained to Uber about additional fees because of their disability, while an additional $500,000 will go to harmed individuals identified by the DOJ.
"Ensuring equal access to transportation for those with disabilities is an important goal of the ADA," according to US Attorney Stephanie Hinds for the Northern District of California, home of Uber HQ. "People with disabilities must have access to ridesharing services provided by Uber and similar companies without enduring discriminatory wait-time fees. This agreement removes that barrier to equal access for passengers with disabilities and provides a mechanism to compensate those harmed by Uber’s past wait-time fee policy."
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