Amazon’s Kindle tablets, e-readers and apps have been criticized in the past for a lack of accessibility for users with blindness or low vision – particularly, Kindle has lagged behind in built-in accessibility features in its own devices and the ability of Kindle apps to take advantage of the accessibility features of other devices like iPads. Last May, the Kindle app for iOS finally got an upgrade that allowed it to use iOS features like VoiceOver. And now, at last, Amazon is finally turning some serious attention to the built-in accessibility of their own tablets and readers after being faced with legal action.
 
The latest versions of the Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HDX have many new features that will make it easier for readers with visual impairments to get the most out of the tablet, including the Voice Guide screen reader and more customizability of fonts and colors. While some shortcomings remain, this is a pretty good step forward. This post from Media Access Australia takes you through some of the basics and includes helpful demo videos: Demonstrations of Kindle Fire accessibility features
 
Image: A hand holding up the new Kindle Fire HDX tablet, which displays book and movie titles on its screen (via Amazon)