Accessible Prescription Label Program Now Free for Americans with Vision Loss
En-Vision America has announced a new program to aid the blind and visually impaired in obtaining accessible prescriptions using ScripTalk Station. ScripTalk Station uses radio-frequency identification (RFID) and text-to-speech (TTS) technologies to provide information access to those who cannot read their prescription labels.
Under the Pharmacy Freedom Program, eligible individuals may obtain a free ScripTalk Station patient reader. Participating pharmacies attach to each prescription a small RFID label that contains all printed information. The ScripTalk Station reads this information aloud to the patient. This system provides a safe, private, and independent way for the blind and visually impaired to manage their medication regimen, and also helps pharmacies comply with ADA regulations in serving their patients.
The ScripTalk Station system is used nationwide by the Veteran's Administration, and is currently the only product on the market to provide full label information in a manner that meets ADA, FDCA, and HIPAA regulations.
Interested individuals may contact En-Vision America to get a free reader and provide pharmacy details. Pharmacies concerned with meeting the needs of their special needs patients may also contact the company for more information about the program.
For additional information contact:
Anna McClure
En-Vision America
1845 Hovey Ave.
Normal, IL 61761
(800) 890-1180
frontdesk@envisionamerica.com
Two AER Regional Conferences Coming Soon in 2011
Two AER Regional Conferences bring learning sessions and networking opportunities for vision professionals to two locations this year: August 12-14 in Boston, MA, and October 28-30 in Cleveland, OH.
Call for Abstracts
Enhance your professional credentials by presenting at an AER conference!
Abstracts are sought in the following areas:
- Adult Rehabilitation
- Assistive Technology
- General Education
- Early Intervention/Multiple Disabilities
- Orientation & Mobility
- Other vision related topics
Submit an abstract to the Boston conference by April 12 to be entered into a drawing for a three-night stay at the Boston Park Plaza while you attend the meeting! If you make the April 12 deadline, you will be notified of your abstract acceptance by April 25 so that you can get an early start on your summer travel plans.
Can't make the April 12 date? No problem: abstract submission for the Boston conference will remain open until May 11 (extended from April 15).
Submit an abstract to the Cleveland conference by June 1 to be entered into a drawing for a three-night stay at the Crowne Plaza Cleveland City Centre! You will receive acceptance notification by July 15.
More Information
Visit the conference website to register and find more information.
Questions? E-mail AER or call (703) 671-4500.
Is Microsoft Moving Toward Increased Accessibility?
Learn about Microsoft's two new beta add-ons for Office 2010 released at the CSUN 2011 conference, by reading David Nagel's article "Microsoft Steps up Accessibility," published in the March 17, 2011 issue of T.H.E. Journal.
Code Factory's Mobile Speak 5.0 for Symbian Now Available
According to a recent announcement from Code Factory, Mobile Speak 5.0, a free update for all users of Mobile Speak 4.0, is now available for download and includes support for Symbian^3 and Nokia e-mail, plus new a review cursor feature.
Support for Symbian^3
The latest version of Symbian includes more than 250 new features and improvements, such as a simplified user interface, enhanced multimedia features, and more customization options. Mobile Speak 5.0 supports all of the Nokia devices that currently use the Symbian^3 operating system: Nokia N8, Nokia E7, Nokia C7 and Nokia C6-01.The Nokia E7, designed primarily with the business user in mind, is the only Symbian^3 smartphone with a slide-out, four-row QWERTY keyboard. All of the Symbian^3 devices have AMOLED capacitive touchscreens: 3.2 inches for the C6-01, 3.5 inches for the C7 and the N8, and 4 inches for the E7. The C6-01 is a compact touchscreen and the most budget-friendly. The C7 is very slim and has a sleek design. The N8 features a 12 megapixel camera and a full metal chassis with anodized scratch-proof paint to give the phone a really high-end feel.
As the Nokia N8 and Nokia E7 do not have physical call and end-call keys, Mobile Speak 5.0 features two new gestures: slide down and left (in the shape of the letter "L" reversed) to dial, and slide down and right (letter "L") to end the call.
Nokia E-mail
Per the request of many users, Code Factory added Mobile Speak support for the new Nokia e-mail application on many 3rd FP2 devices (e.g., N86, E52, E72, E5, C5) and touchscreen devices (e.g., N97 mini, N8, E7). On touch devices, HTML e-mail support is included. The full e-mail will be read by default, so it's not necessary to move down one line at a time. Command shortcuts in reading layout (e.g. read by words, sentences, paragraphs, etc.) are available when reading e-mail. In addition, pressing joystick up/joystick down will speak the previous/next paragraph.
Review Cursor
Mobile Speak 5.0 also features a new review cursor mode (Command + 3 to toggle). This feature is available on both touchscreen and standard keyboard devices. Once the review cursor has been activated, you can navigate around the screen virtually using the joystick. Joystick up/down moves to the previous/next element, joystick left/right moves character by character in the element, and joystick enter will open the currently selected virtual element (where possible).
More
- Touch: Long press of # key in editors now switches between number/text writing modes.
- Touch: Added support for video and photo browser lists.
- Braille: Improved braille cursor mode.
- Apps: Support for the latest version of Tweets60.
- A large number of other improvements and bug fixes, as detailed in the User Manual.
How to Get Mobile Speak 5.0
If you are a new user, download Mobile Speak 5.0 now and try it free for 30 days. If you are use a previous version and wish to upgrade to Mobile Speak 5.0, contact your distributor to purchase an upgrade license. Upgraders will also receive Mobile Magnifier, Mobile DAISY Player, Color Recognizer, and games for free. To find a distributor, consult the complete list of Code Factory's official distributors.
To learn how to install or upgrade to a latest version of Mobile Speak, consult the User Manual.
Learn more on the Mobile Speak website the Mobile Speak website.
Dolphin Guide 6 is Now Available in North America
Dolphin Guide 6 is now available for North American customers and includes new games, new support for popular file formats, and some improvements to make computing even simpler.
Designed for seniors with sight loss and people with blindness or low vision who are new to computers, Dolphin Guide is easy to learn. Dolphin Guide provides step-by-step choices that guide users through e-mailing, surfing the Web, and other computer tasks. Download a trial today.
CTIA-The Wireless Association Redesigns AccessWireless.org
CTIA-The Wireless Association recently announced the redesign of AccessWireless.org, the association's website to help people with disabilities, seniors, and their families find the right accessible wireless products and services. As part of the wireless industry's continued commitment to serving people of all abilities, AccessWireless.org is the initial website that consumers can visit for information about accessible wireless handsets and services. U.S.consumers can find a phone by searching and comparing the accessibility features of a variety of wireless handsets through the Mobile Manufacturer Forum's Global Accessibility Reporting Initiative.
CTIA and its member companies received insights from a diverse working group to help ensure the redesigned website fit the needs of the accessibility community. The group consisted of policymakers from the Federal Communications Commission and consumer representatives including the American Foundation for the Blind, Hearing Loss Association of America, American Association of People with Disabilities, TDI, Inc., the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, the Alzheimer's Association, and the Wireless Research Engineering and Rehabilitation Center.
If you have had the opportunity to check out this website from CTIA, let AccessWorld know how it has worked for you.
New Money Reader App Available for Apple Devices
LookTell's Money Reader is a $1.99 app available from Apple's App Store, and AFB TECH lab rats say it is by far the best currency identification tool they have used. It's certainly a tremendous bargain compared to the dedicated currency identification devices on the market priced in the $100 to $300 range, and our lab rats find it more accurate and much faster and easier to use. You wave your iPhone, iPod, or iPad over the bill, with no need to flatten or straighten out the bill, and a voice announces its denomination. This app works on the iPhone 3G or later, the iPad 2, and the iPod Touch 4th Generation.
This app may also be of interest to the U.S. Treasury's Bureau of Engraving and Printing, which is currently working on ideas for making U.S. paper currency accessible to people with vision loss. An app like this could be one solution. You can read more about their efforts at the Federal Register's website.
Anyone for Coffee?
The e-Braille version of Onward, Howard Schultz's book about Starbucks, is available for free at the National Braille Press.
