The American Foundation for the Blind's annual Leadership Conference was held March 3-5 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia. The conference included the AccessWorld Technology Summit, sessions for professionals in the blindness and low vision fields, plus an exhibit area. There was a broad selection of concurrent sessions, so it was easy to focus on one's area of interest.
Opening Session
The conference began with a welcome from AFB's current President and CEO, Carl Augusto. The Stephen Garff Marriott award was presented to Susan Mazzrui, Director of Public Policy for AT&T. The Stephen Garff Marriott Award honors a blind or visually impaired individual who has served as an extraordinary mentor or who has had a remarkably successful career.
The guest speaker at this opening session was Gary O'Donoghue, BBC News Washington Political Correspondent. He spoke about how he became a successful reporter even though he has been blind since eight years of age. His presentation, which included discussion of American politics, was timely and very well received by attendees.
AccessWorld Magazine Tech Summit and Showcase
Lee Huffman, Editor-in-Chief of AccessWorld and Manager of Technology Information at AFB, facilitated this all-day event. There were discussions about accessibility and new technology—both mainstream and products specifically geared for people who are visually impaired.
Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA)
Speaker: Matt Gerst, Director of Regulatory Affairs, CTIA
Mr. Gerst explained that about 40 percent of cell phone users pick up their phone within five minutes of waking up. More and more people are using their cell phones as primary phones and many people who use voice and text are now turning to apps such as Messenger and WhatsApp. CTIA's research has found that the visually impaired use cell phones for the same reasons and to the same frequency as do sighted individuals.
There are many options for people who are blind or low vision. Verizon and AT&T have trained tech support staff to assist customers with disabilities. Some companies offer special plans for people with disabilities. Mr. Gerst spoke about the CTIA website, which contains a wealth of information about wireless communication and picking the right wireless device. Mr. Gerst stressed the importance of letting people know that these resources are available.
Yahoo
Speakers: Mike Shebanek, Senior Director of Accessibility at Yahoo, and Darren Burton, Yahoo Accessibility Specialist
Mr. Shebanek and Mr. Burton discussed going "Beyond Productivity." This involves apps that people use for pleasure instead of work, such as Yahoo News and fantasy sports. They discussed and demonstrated Yahoo's free and completely accessible Video Guide, which lets you search for movies and TV shows to watch on your iOS or Android device. You can tell the app which streaming services to use. These include Netflix and Hulu plus stations from your carrier. There is a search feature and a picker that offers selections based on your mood. Once a movie or TV show is selected, it will play from the appropriate streaming service app. In other words, if a movie is selected through Netflix it will play through the Netflix app, not Yahoo.
Yahoo and Facebook
Speakers: Larry Goldberg, Director of Accessible Media at Yahoo, and Jeff Weiland, Head of Accessibility at Facebook
Mr. Goldberg and Mr. Weiland discussed the Teach Access initiative that was developed in 2015. A group of tech companies, including Yahoo and Facebook, plus a number of universities and advocates, launched this initiative to create teaching models. Students receive training about accessibility and how to create accessible web content.
National Federation of the Blind (NFB)
Speaker: Anil Lewis, Executive Director, National Federation of the Blind, Jernigan Institute
Mr. Lewis spoke about two products from NFB, the NFB Newsline and the KNFB Reader.
NFB's free Newsline lets a user listen to content from numerous magazines and newspapers over the telephone. The service also provides access to job listings. You must be registered with NFB to use the Newsline (different than becoming an NFB member). The user creates a profile and can then easily access content. There is also an iOS app for NFB's Newsline.
The second product Mr. Lewis demonstrated was the KNFB Reader app. This easy-to-use OCR app is available for iOS and Android platforms for $99. During his presentation, Mr. Lewis scanned documents and had the app read them aloud. One excellent feature which he described is the app's ability to read scanned PDF files.
Intuit
Speaker: Ted Drake, Senior Accessibility Engineer, Intuit
Intuit makes mainstream products such as QuickBooks and TurboTax and has worked hard to make its products accessible to people with visual impairments.
Mr. Drake spent most of his presentation discussing how many major tech companies, including Yahoo, Google, and Intuit, confer and help each other with accessibility. Drake said, "We compete with each other in business, but we cooperate in the area of accessibility."
Yahoo has been a leader in accessibility collaboration, inviting other companies to visit and learn from the work of its Accessibility Lab.
Facebook created a new platform called React. They built accessibility into it and into the documentation. Intuit was building something similar but now they too use Facebook's React platform. Intuit also improved accessibility by using the same user login information for all of its products.
HIMS
HIMS makes products for people who are blind and for people who have low vision. Products include braille notetakers and magnifiers.
Envision America
This company makes the ID Mate Galaxy, a talking bar code scanner that can easily find a bar code. It also makes ScripTalk, a device that reads special prescription labels. The reading device is free. Pharmacies including Rite-Aid and OptumRx can provide audible labels. Envision America has also worked with pharmacies to have braille and large print labels.
Enhanced Vision
Enhanced Vision has a variety of magnification products for people with low vision.
NuEyes
NuEyes sells ODG Smart Glasses, which can be used by people with low vision. The glasses magnify images and television can be streamed directly to the glasses. Sound can be transmitted either via a Bluetooth speaker or a hearing aid.
OrCam
The OrCam is a small camera that fits on a pair of glasses and a small control unit. It can read print and US currency and recognize faces.
Reinecker
This company makes a range of electronic video magnifiers for people with low vision.
Humanware
Speaker: Greg Stilson, Blindness Product Manager, Humanware
Mr. Stilson spoke about assistive and mainstream technologies working together. Twenty years ago they were separate, but today there is universal design—the idea that some mainstream technology manufacturers incorporate accessibility while they are creating a product. Stilson emphasizes that, "Technology needs to be efficient for the visually impaired person's workflow."
Freedom Scientific and Optelec
Speaker: Matt Ater, Vice President, Services, Freedom Scientific and Optelec
Mr. Ater began his session by assuring attendees that all Freedom Scientific and Optelec products will be supported even though the two companies have merged. He described several products and updates.
Speaker: Eve Andersson, Senior Manager, Accessibility Engineering, Google
Google is continuing its commitment to accessibility. Ms. ANdersson described the process of how all new Google engineers go through accessibility training. She also spoke about accessibility improvements in Google products including the Android platform, the Chrome operating system, Google's productivity apps, and YouTube.
Google has Android accessibility documents that developers can use for testing their apps. Android Studio has been improved to allow blind developers to use it. Google is always looking for user feedback.
Apple
Speaker: Sarah Herrlinger, Senior Manager, Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives, Apple
Ms. Herrlinger spoke about how accessibility is built into the core of Apple products. All iOS products use the same system. Many iOS gestures can be used on the Mac's trackpad. She added that the Apple watch is the first consumer wearable that is accessible to the blind right out of the box.
pple has put together three app collections: accessibility apps, apps that work well with VoiceOver, and special education apps.
Comcast
Speaker: Thomas Wlodkowski, Vice President, Accessibility, Comcast
Mr. Wlodkowski spoke about Comcast's X1 cable box. With this box, all screen menus speak and video description is accessed independently from the menus. Comcast also has a new voice remote.
Conference Concurrent Session
There were many concurrent sessions in areas including technology, mobility, education, and Senior Citizens with vision loss. Below are summaries of some of those presentations.
Today's Access Technology, the Accompanying Concerns, and What Should Tomorrow Bring for Blind Professionals
Presenters: Dominic Gagliano, Vice President of Sales, Americas, HumanWare, and Greg Stilson, Product Manager, Blindness Products, HumanWare
Mr. Gagliano and Mr. Stilson discussed trends in assistive and mainstream technology. Especially in mainstream, the trend is to make products thinner and lighter. However, some benefits, such as a longer battery life, might need to be sacrificed with smaller products.
Consumers have more options today. For example, they can put an accessible GPS app on their smartphone or they can purchase a Trekker Breeze, a GPS device specifically created for blind and visually impaired users. There are people who have chosen to use a mainstream laptop or Mac while others choose to use notetakers made specifically for people with visual impairments.
Assistive technology and mainstream technology can be used together. For example, someone can use a mainstream computer with a braille display. The presenters indicated that the goal is to make you more efficient in the workplace.
In the classroom, technology needs to foster independence. Students need to be able to access mainstream materials. Mr. Gagliano and Mr. Stilson also discussed the importance of students learning braille. Braille can be used on tablets and touch screens. It works with both iOS and Android.
Mr. Stilson and Mr. Gagliano asked the audience about their favorite assistive technology apps. Answers included KNFB Reader, Read to Go, and BARD Mobile. They asked the audience for some of their favorite mainstream apps. Answers included Starbucks, Amazon, and Waze. There are over a million apps in the App Store and in the Google Play store. The presenters encouraged session attendees to contact app developers if an app they encounter is not accessible.
The Google team presented three demonstrations on March 4: Android Accessibility Features, Chrome Accessibility Features, and Google Apps with a Screen Reader.
Android Accessibility Features
Android accessibility features, including TalkBack, magnification, and contrast, were explained.
Chrome Accessibility Features
This was a presentation about using the Chrome OS on a Chromebook. Chromebooks store most data in the cloud. Chrome's accessibility features include the ChromeVox screen reader, the ability to enlarge the mouse or cursor, the ability to invert colors, and a new voice dictation feature. Chromebook is also compatible with most braille displays.
Google Apps
For this demonstration, the only screen readers used were JAWS and NVDA (Non Visual Desktop Access), with JAWS used primarily. The presenter demonstrated how various Google apps, such as Google Drive and Google Docs, work with a screen reader. Specific screen reader commands were discussed. The presenter demonstrated features in Google Docs such as the choice between allowing only comment rights for a document versus authorizing edit permission. Google Docs can convert a scanned PDF. If the Google Drive client is installed, it will behave like a Windows folder.
Panel: Encouraging Seniors to Adopt Technology for Independence, Communication, and Daily Living
Moderator: Lee Huffman
Panelists: Neva Fairchild, National Independent Living Associate, American Foundation for the Blind; Steve Kelley, MA, CVRT, Vision Rehabilitation Therapist, The Iris Network; and Ike Presley, National Project Manager, American Foundation for the Blind
This presentation demonstrated high- and low-tech devices that can help seniors adjust to vision loss. Many families do not know what resources and equipment are available.
Low-tech solutions included a cutting board that was black on one side and white on the other. This will let the user pick the best side for contrast depending on what is on the cutting board. Another option is a lettuce knife. Although the knife is designed to cut lettuce, it can also cut many other foods. It will not cut the user. Inexpensive or low cost tech items can also be helpful such as a color identifier and the ScripTalk device described earlier in this article.
If a senior has some useable vision, there are many magnification options. The senior should get a magnifier that suits their needs and not pay for features they do not want. It is important to insure that the senior can operate the unit independently.
Smart phones and tablets can perform many tasks with accessible apps such as online shopping, banking, and reading. Stores like Amazon and Target have their own apps. Many banks offer online banking. There are many reading options on a smart phone including Read to Go and BARD. If the user wants to listen to books, but does not want to use a computer or smart phone, they can get a free book player from NLS.
Let Your Fingers Do the Walking: Integrating Nonvisual, Mobile GPS Strategies into Independent Travel
Presenter: Larry L. Lewis, Jr., President and Founder, Flying Blind, LLC
This presentation focused on different GPS navigation strategies used by people who are blind or visually impaired. Global positioning satellites send information back to the Earth, to be picked up by receivers on the ground. GPS identifies the position where a person is located when the signal is received. The user may need to know where they are, what's around them and how they get to where they want to go.
Mr. Lewis discussed several GPS options: the Trekker Breeze, a notetaker, and touchscreen devices. The first option, the Trekker Breeze, is a standalone GPS unit and is especially good for someone who doesn't use a computer. It can be worn around the neck and operated with one or two hands. It will announce streets and give turn-by-turn travel directions. A route can be created, saved, and flipped to get back to the original location.
The second option is a notetaker. These devices are not just for writing. They incorporate other features, including their own apps and GPS. This lets the user virtually explore the route. The notetaker is a good option for a student who is taking the unit with them anyway.
The third option is a touchscreen device. In addition to GPS, the device receives data from cell towers and networks. Location services must be enabled for this to work.
There are many different GPS options for touchscreen devices. Mr. Lewis mentioned three: Maps for iOS, Seeing Eye GPS, and BlindSquare. Maps for iOS integrates with other apps on your iOS device. It works well with VoiceOver and Zoom. He added that Maps for iOS works best for the car and bus.
The Sendero Group's Seeing Eye GPS app is a subscription service. Routes can be planned but if the user wanders off a route, a new route will be recalculated automatically. It gives street names and intersection descriptions as well as points of interest.
The final option was BlindSquare, which costs $29. This app uses other third-party apps to locate restaurants, shops, etc. It announces intersections. BlindSquare has filters so you can choose what you want to hear.
American Foundation for the Blind Access Awards
As stated in the awards ceremony program: "The Access Awards honor individuals, corporations, and organizations that are eliminating or substantially reducing inequities faced by people who are blind or visually impaired."
Award Winners
Avid Technology received an award for listening to feedback from blind and visually impaired users of Pro Tools and making it accessible. Pro Tools is the main audio production program used in recording studios and many schools. The award was accepted by Ed Gray, Director of Partnering Programs.
Glinda Foster Hill, an Education Specialist in the US Department of Education, won an award for working tirelessly to insure that children who are blind or visually impaired receive equal access to education.
ITNAmerica won an Access Award for their work as a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing safe and low-cost transportation for seniors and people with visual impairments. Katherine Freud, Founder and President, accepted the award.
The National Federation of the Blind received an Access Award for development of the KNFB Reader app. This app lets people who are blind or low vision read print independently. Mark Riccobono, President, accepted this award.
Netflix received an award for expanding its number of video described movies and television shows. Tracy Wright, Director of Global Content, accepted the award.
Final Thoughts
The 2016 AFB Leadership Conference had over 400 attendees, which includes several international attendees. Attendees had many sessions from which to choose. There were enthusiastic comments. There was a wide variety of vendors in the exhibit area with educational information and exciting new technologies. It was definitely an excellent learning opportunity for all.
