VoiceMyMail: One Seamless Web Email Interface For Blind Users

In the heart of Europe, there is a team of very talented and dedicated people that is working on making email easily accessible to blind users by creating one single robust web interface that integrates seamlessly into their lives, and thus narrowing the digital divide between seeing users and visually disabled users.

But what does that mean? And Isn’t email already accessible?

For visually impaired users, a lot has been offered in the last so many years that provide ease of use and communication. However, in the grand scheme of things, the features offered don’t seem seamless and easy – there is usually a software that needs to be installed and then configured for use. This also means that if a user is at a different location or on a different computer, they may find it very difficult or nearly impossible to use their web based email.

The folks behind VoiceMyMail have a very solid philosophy – they don’t want blind users to struggle with installations and configurations; they want users’ web mail interface to be accessible the moment they sign in. Unfortunately, most of the popular email providers do not offer adequate solutions to visually impaired users, as a result of which, they have to resort to obsolete desktop clients that offer features that are clunky and not the greatest.

The team doesn’t want blind users to give up the ease and comfort of web based email interfaces just because they don’t provide accessible features. They don’t want blind users to go through a stressful training of those numerous keyboard combinations just to perform simple operations like sending emails or downloading attachments. It goes without saying that the ideal way to access web mail would be from anywhere, not just from that one computer that has the user’s desktop client installed. Keeping all this in mind, the folks behind VoiceMyMail have created a new web surfing logic called “MyMail Philosophy” which lets the user perform essential operations in not more than three steps! All in all, the idea is to not let visually impaired users think that they are disabled.

The team has been working hard on making this project global – meaning they want the VoiceMyMail interface to work with any and every email provider from across the globe. So essentially, whoever your email provider may be, the VoiceMyMail interface will work with all of them seamlessly and flawlessly. They are currently seeking funding from the happy citizens of the web to make this dream a reality.

“We would like to make the Internet, if not a better place, at least a comfortable place for everybody”, says Salvatore Satta, Campaign Director of VoiceMyMail.

If you are interested in making a web email interface come to life that will work with all the email providers and make essential features easily accessible (without the need of a mouse!), head over to VoiceMyMail’s Indiegogo funding page to donate, or to read more about this campaign and spread the word.

Here’s the VoiceMyMail team and a couple of blind users telling you more about VoiceMyMail.