Editor's Note: In our April issue, we collected blog posts produced by AccessWorld authors regarding coronavirus resources and information. In this article, we collect those blog posts that were published after the April issue for your convenience. If you would like to read the other content available on AFB's blog, you can find it here.
Tips for Accessing Online Worship During COVID-19, by Jamie Pauls,
For many of us, attending regular religious services is an important part of our lives. Some of us have family or friends who take us to and from church, while others either walk, use public transportation, or avail themselves of transportation provided by their faith community. Some churches, mosques, or synagogues have access to a lot of resources and provide alternative online worship experiences for those who are, for whatever reason, unable to physically attend services. Other smaller institutions, however, have traditionally made much less use of the Internet to provide outreach ministries.
Recent circumstances have caused all places of worship to rethink how they minister to their congregants as well as those who may not engage in regular worship. As blind people, it is important during these times of self-isolation to have the same access to online worship as our sighted counterparts. Below are some considerations that may help.
First, be aware that your church may just be getting their feet wet when it comes to live streaming. My church has posted sermons on Facebook and YouTube for the entire time I've been attending, but they have only started live streaming their services in the past two weeks. I personally find YouTube to be a bit easier to navigate than Facebook, so I have chosen to take advantage of my church's YouTube live stream.
My church also just recently launched a new app. My sighted wife couldn't find the live stream on the church's app, and she confirmed with a friend that it wasn't there at all. Had I tried to use the app first, I might have concluded that there was an accessibility issue with the app when in fact this would not have been the case at all. Don't hesitate to let someone at your church know if you are having trouble accessing their content, but be cognizant of the fact that they may be new to thinking about accessibility. After all, they are not a large company with an engineering staff trained to be aware of the needs of the disabled community.
The church I attend uses Subsplash as the platform for its new online presence, so I will probably want to talk to someone from that company regarding my accessibility concerns rather than my local church staff. Some churches will only use one or two formats such as Facebook and YouTube, while others will offer multiple ways to access their services including their own dedicated app and live stream links on their websites.
There are literally thousands of people providing words of faith and encouragement online during these uncertain times, so a search using words such as "overcoming fear" is bound to provide you with many relevant discussion topics.
Even though you may be physically alone during these tough times, words of encouragement and comfort are only a click away. Remember to share any words of true encouragement with those you care about. They are probably struggling just like you.
Apple Releases COVID-19 App and Website, by Janet Ingber
If you are searching for accurate and accessible information about coronavirus (COVID-19), one option is to use Apple’s new COVID-19 app and website. These were created in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the White House Coronavirus Task Force, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The app and website contain the same information.
The app is free and requires iOS 13.1 or later. At the top of the first screen in the app are logos for Apple and the CDC. Next is a heading, COVID-19 Screening Tool
Under the heading is information about screening. Next is a button labeled Start Screening. Since there is n't a Forms option in the VoiceOver rotor, flick right to get to the button.
The test page has several graphics including a hand and a representation of someone taking their temperature. There is a confusing graphic labeled “checkmark circle fill image.” This is a graphic, not a check box.
Below this graphic is Apple’s disclaimer about using the screening tool. Next are buttons to select whether the test is for you or someone else.
After you make your selection, you are asked a series of questions. For each question, select the button or buttons that best describe your answer. Occasionally, I had to answer a question twice before the app went to the next screen. After the final question, there is a Submit button. A screen with recommendations will load. There is a Done button above the recommendations which will bring you back to the app’s home screen.
The next heading on the home screen is More Information. Under this heading are four categories:
- About COVID-19: An up-to-date rundown of the virus and its symptoms.
- What You Can Do: Information about social distancing, isolating from others, and more.
- COVID-19 Testing: Current guidance on who should be tested and what to expect from test results.
- Updates from Apple News: Fact-checked resources on the coronavirus.
Each category listing is followed by a button. The button loads a new screen with several sections. For example, the What You Can Do screen has information about washing your hands, social distancing, isolating from others, symptom monitoring, and cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. At the bottom of each section is a Learn More button. The final information on the page is Apple’s Commitment to Privacy.
The Apple COVID-19 website works well when using a screen reader. When using VoiceOver, Forms navigation in the VoiceOver Rotor works here. In addition, the screening test is easily accessible. Find it by either tabbing until you hear “start screening," or use your screen reader's form control command.
Questions and form controls are clearly labeled. As with the app, once the screening test is completed, recommendations are provided.
You will need to scroll down to get to the categories list. After each entry is a Learn More button that when activated, brings up all the information for that category on one screen. Navigate by headings if you do not want to read all the information for the category.
In a time when information overload is common and misinformation is rampant, having an reliable, accessible source for information on the Coronavirus is an invaluable tool.
Using NFB Newsline to Keep up with the latest COVID-19 Information, by Bill Holton
If you are an NFB Newsline subscriber, it’s probably one of your go-to resources for local and international news, TV listings, shopping circulars and weather forecasts and alerts. And if you own an Amazon Echo device, you may have discovered the National Federation Alexa skill. With this skill enabled, you can have Alexa read your favorite newspaper or magazine article by article, add or delete publications from your favorites, change the reading voice and increase or decrease the reading speed.
Now, NFB Newsline has added an additional resource to their “Breaking News” category to help users stay abreast of the latest pandemic news. The "COVID-19 Pandemic Data" is being provided by Johns Hopkins University, one of the leading worldwide resources concerning statistics on this pandemic.
The information is organized into various sections in the COVID-19 data, which you can access by issuing the command: "Alexa, ask National Federation to read favorite 2. The data are broken down by the "Total State Cases," as well as "World Country Data Cases." To further provide specific state or international detail, you can select "States" or "World Regions" in an alphabetical range. According to NFB officials the data is being updated throughout the day with the most recent statistics.
If you are a current Newsline user and wish to start using your Echo to listen to the CPOVID-19 information, or to any of their local, regional, national and international publications, you will need to begin by installing the Alexa skill. Here’s how: Issue these voice commands:
“Alexa open National Federation.” Alexa will start speaking and announce that she does not recognize this device and that you need to log in.
“Alexa ask National Federation to log in.” Now she will walk you through the input of your subscriber codes. You can complete your login using your voice. There is no need to use the smartphone app.
If you are like me, you have stayed auto-logged in to the Newsline app for so long, you’ve lost track of your subscriber number and password. If this is your situation, either call NFB Newsline at 866-504-7300 or send an email to Scott White.
If this is your first time using the Amazon Echo skill, you may wish to start out by listening to a recording of a recent training session. Start playback with the voice command: “Alexa ask National Federation to give me instructions.”
The data is also available through the breaking news “Favorite 1” sections of the NFB Newsline apps and telephone service.
Recently, NFB offered an online training session on using the NFB-NEWSLINE skill with Alexa. During this special event, Scott White shared how to enable the skill and quickly and efficiently read your favorite publications using the Amazon Echo. A replay of the webinar is available here.
NFB Newsline is continuing to accept new subscriber applications, though response time may be slower than usual. Learn more at the NFB Newsline homepage.
Keeping It Clean: Don't Forget Your Technology, by Deborah Kendrick
The Covid19 pandemic has motivated all of us to practice washing our hands and everything around us more than ever, but don’t forget about your technology. The device on which you are reading these words – your smartphone or tablet, braille display or computer – need disinfecting, too.
Phones, in particular, collect all manner of disgusting bacteria because they are with you everywhere. Think about how often You touch your TV remote, magnifiers, pens, desk lamp, scanner, mouse, braille display, and so many other items that are integral parts of your daily work and play routines. All are potential playgrounds for coronavirus droplets or other unwanted germs, and all need habitual disinfecting.
Let’s start with all of the small components of your connected life that have no electronic components. These would be inanimate objects like your pens, magnifiers, slates, styluses, etc. Staying organized was always a good idea, but an even better one now. Keeping all those small items in a box or tray to keep them together will make it easier to find them and clean them, too. Find a box or tray around your home or home office – a bowl or shallow pan from the kitchen will work if you haven’t something trendier. At the end of each work session, grab a few disinfecting wipes. Make sure that the wipes you are using are intended to disinfect.
Wipe each item down carefully, moving it from one side of the box to the other, establishing a system that works for you to be sure all items are cleaned.
If there are other items always on your desk – a lamp, a desk phone, or other equipment – give them a wiping off, too.
Now, let’s talk about those devices you touch constantly and from which you are probably reading these words. These would be your laptop, tablet, smartphone, braille display, mouse, headset, and microphone.
Before you begin, make sure your phone, tablet, braille device, or keyboard is disconnected from all power cords and cables and that the device to be cleaned is turned off.
Do not put any liquid directly on any of your devices.
Isopropyl alcohol is your friend. Disinfecting wipes, such as Clorox or Lysol, that contain alcohol are your friends, too. Spread the wipe out and gently rub the entire surface of your device, taking care to work around the perimeter of any openings. You should not get any moisture whatsoever into any openings such as ports, microphone holes, speaker grills, etc.
If you don’t have wipes, use a cotton swab or lint-free cloth dipped in isopropyl alcohol. Allow the device to dry completely before powering on or connecting to a power source. Isopropyl alcohol dries very rapidly, so a few minutes Is adequate.
If using a cloth, be sure to use one which is lint free,, so that no fiber is left behind. You might also want to consider purchasing a UV sanitizer such as PhoneSoap or similar product. These devices clean your smartphone and other small objects with UV lights; some double as chargers. At this writing, all such products investigated were back—ordered at least six weeks, but you might find it worth the wait.
If these are new habits, consider this: Months from now, chances are that these will be habits we will all embrace and wonder why we waited for the coronavirus to come calling to get cleaning!
Check Out the Food Network’s iOS App for Great Recipes! by Janet Ingber
Now that most are sheltering in place due to the novel coronavirus, our eating and grocery purchasing habbits may have changed, requiring us to learn new recepies. In addition, if you've ever wanted to improve your cooking skills, this time spent at home can be a good time to do so. The Food Network’s iOS app can be a very useful resource, especially if you want to cook some new dishes, cook with your kids, or learn how to bake from scratch. This free app has a wealth of content.
The Food Network Kitchen app is free and Requires iOS 11 or later. The app is compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. It is also compatible with Apple TV.
If you would like to download from the app store directly, enter “Food Network” into the App Store’s search box. The correct result is “Food Network Kitchen.”
When you select the app on your device, VoiceOver will say, “Food Network.” When opened for the first time, there is a welcome screen with a “Get Started” button. This button leads to a new screen where you can create an account. Since the account is free and it lets you save recipes, I recommend signing up. There are several ways to do this including: using your email address, using Facebook credentials, or using Sign in with Apple. Once you sign up, Food Network will ask whether they can send notifications. They do not bombard you but do send a daily recipe.
The app’s home screen has five tabs on the bottom: Explore, Classes, Recipes, Shows, and Profile. It also has a search box labeled, “What are you looking for?” Double tap on the box and enter your query. The Recipes tab also has a search option.
There is a Saves button at the upper left. Activating the button loads a list of recipes, videos, and recipe collections that you have saved. Content can be sorted alphabetically (A to Z) or newest first. There are radio buttons for choosing content you wish to view.
Further down the page are recipes and information about live classes. These classes do require a subscription. The Classes tab has more information about live classes plus an option to start your free trial.
The Recipes tab has an extensive list of recipes including Quick & Easy, Slow Cooker, Chicken, and Cooking with Kids. Below each category is a Save button to save all recipes in the category. Selecting a category will bring up a list of recipes. Double tap on the one you want. I selected the Bread category and got 166 results. Fortunately, there is a Search Filter under the category name.
The Chefs tab has videos of Food Network chefs cooking. The listing includes how many recipes are on the video.
The Profile tab is used to change app settings. The next item on the page is Recently Saved. Next is an All Saves button and below that is the listing of your most recently saved recipes. Activate the All Saves button to bring up a list of all your saved content.
Recipes all appear in a basic format. At the top of the page are buttons to share and save the recipe. Next is the rating and a button to read reviews. This is followed by basic information about the recipe and ingredients. Finally, there are instructions for making the recipe. Some recipes also have accompanying videos.
Considering the number of recipes and other content the Food Network has available, this app should provide plenty of options for the homebound chefs among us.
This article is made possible in part by generous funding from the James H. and Alice Teubert Charitable Trust, Huntington, West Virginia.
