AT&T yesterday rolled out a new app for Android to help blind users. The carrier introduced AT&T Mobile Accessibility Lite, a custom version of the screen-access application, Mobile Accessibility, which was developed by Code Factory.

The application features a suite of accessible apps – Phone, Contacts, SMS, Alarm, Calendar, Email, Web, Where Am I, Apps, Music Player and Settings – each designed to be intuitive and easy to use for the blind and visually impaired customer. The app was developed for customers with visual disabilities and is available today as a free download in Android Market.

"AT&T has long been committed to offering wireless products and services that are usable and beneficial to as many people as possible," said Carlton Hill, vice president of consumer devices for AT&T Mobility and consumer markets. "As the first wireless carrier worldwide to offer Mobile Accessibility Lite, we are thrilled to make Android accessible to all of our customers."

Once a customer downloads Mobile Accessibility Lite to their Android smartphone, they have the option of making the suite the device's home screen. From within the suite, they can then navigate among any of the 11 featured apps just by moving their finger across the screen. The Nuance Vocalizer voice synthesis then reads the text under their finger, allowing customers to perform any number of tasks, such as answering a call, managing their contacts, writing an SMS, editing a calendar entry, sending an email, or accessing GPS to get an update on their current location.

Other features include speech recognition, allowing customers to use their voice to write text and email messages quickly and easily. The Music Player app, unique to AT&T Mobile Accessibility Lite, automatically lists all the music files that are installed on the memory card of the phone and sorts them by Artists and Albums.

"I am pleased that AT&T will be offering AT&T Mobile Accessibility Lite to AT&T Android users who are blind or have low vision," said Mitch Pomerantz, president of the American Council of the Blind, in a press release. "Increasingly, providers of cell phones and other portable devices are recognizing that blind and visually impaired persons will purchase off-the-shelf technology if it is fully accessible to us. AT&T's announcement is encouraging and a recognition of our status as consumers."