On e-readers: don’t take it from me, take it from the Feds.

As you probably noticed, Amazon’s Kindle doesn’t pass the vruz test of proper e-reader device design.

One key element I mentioned in my feature set of 7 items was support for people with low vision and blindness should be a standard feature.  And I cited not just moral reasons why this should be this way, but also marketing and user experience reasons.  It’s quite shocking to me that no know-it-alls have gotten this right, or provided it as an afterthought.

Now the Feds seem to agree with me on this one at least, as reported by Eric Engleman of Seattle’s Tech Flash

Feds to universities: don’t buy Kindles until they work for blind

The U.S. Justice Department today announced agreements with three universities over their use of Amazon’s electronic reader, the Kindle DX. Under the agreements, Case Western Reserve of Cleveland, Pace University of New York City and Reed College of Portland, Ore., will not buy or promote the Kindle DX or other e-readers “unless the devices are fully accessible to students who are blind and have low vision.”

There’s a sore need for human designers who can design for other humans.   I have not lost all hope yet.