CES Stevie Wonder has popped into the Consumer Electronics Show to urge touchscreen gadget manufacturers to give more consideration to blind users.

The Motown legend acknowledged that some firms have already taken steps in the right direction. But he stressed that “if you can take those few steps further, you can give us the excitement, the pleasure and the freedom of being a part of it”.

Wonder already uses a BlackBerry and iPod, but didn’t suggest how touchscreen gadget makers could cater more to the requirements of blind users.

Instead, Chris Danielsen, a spokesman for the National Federation For The Blind, said that simple start-over buttons, different sounds for different menus and haptic feedback all make touchscreen gadgets easier to use for blind people.

Many touchscreen devices already include such features, but the suggestion is that they must be included more frequently to give blind users fair consideration. ®

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