When I first began to use a smartphone, I found that the most cumbersome aspect was the touchscreen keyboard. Finding the correct key is fairly simple, but the delay as you wait to hear the name of the focused key adds a surprising amount of time to the act of typing. In addition, the keys are quite tiny, so it's fairly easy to accidentally press the key next to your intended key when lifting off the keyboard to enter a character, particularly on smaller devices such as the iPod touch or iPhone SE.

There are several methods for entering text more easily on an iOS device. One of these is the dictation button on the touchscreen keyboard, though there are many circumstances in which this cannot be used, such as when you don't have an Internet connection or when you're in a loud, or quiet, environment. The Speeddots screen overlay provides raised braille-like dots for each keyboard key accept for the "F" and "J" keys. I use this overlay to this day; it has significantly increased my touch-typing speed. The downside to this option is that the tactile markings for the keyboard are always present, which may be distracting to some users. Another third-party option for increasing typing speed on iOS is the FlickType keyboard, an app and system keyboard that uses advanced algorithms to determine what characters you have typed.

The Fleksy keyboard began with a similar concept, but has over recent years become rather complex. When I learned that FlickType was aiming to return to the roots of Fleksy and provide an efficient and focused typing experience for those with vision loss, I was interested in giving it a try. I've been using FlickType as a system-wide keyboard so that I can provide AccessWorld readers information on how FlickType works in everyday, real-world situations. In addition, I will explore both the FlickType app and the mechanics of the keyboard itself.

The FlickType App

FlickType can be used in two ways, as a stand-alone app or as system-wide keyboard. For both methods of access, you will need the FlickType Keyboard app. Like many iOS apps you may be familiar with, the FlickType app uses a tabbed interface with tabs arranged along the bottom of the screen. When you launch the FlickType app, you will be placed in the Welcome tab. Here, you can find information on how to use the keyboard as well as the steps needed for using FlickType as a system keyboard. You also have access to a menu containing help files, frequently asked questions, media appearances, Twitter info, and information about the developers.

The second tab from left to right is Upgrade. This tab provides basic information about upgrading so that you can use FlickType system-wide. Information on pricing is also available here.

The tab to the right of Upgrade is labeled Demo. You use the FlickType keyboard here, and copy or export what you have typed.

Next you will find the Settings tab where you can adjust various aspects of the FlickType keyboard. The final tab is Dictionary and contains all of the words that FlickType has learned from your typing. You can manually add words, which is useful for names and places, or FlickType will automatically learn them if you use manual typing in the FlickType keyboard.

Typing with FlickType

As mentioned previously, FlickType uses an algorithm to determine what you have typed. When typing, you simply tap the screen where you believe a key would be and based on your position and the number of characters you have typed, FlickType will guess what word you intended to enter. To finalize the word, flick right with one finger, whereupon VoiceOver will speak the word entered. You can flick left to delete the word and type again, or flick up and down with one finger to cycle between suggestions. Note that FlickType gestures will supersede VoiceOver gestures, you will need to either touch elsewhere on the screen (if using half screen or minimal mode) or dismiss or change the keyboard (in full screen mode) to use VoiceOver gestures. If you are typing and make a mistake, you can flick left to clear the currently entered taps and start again. To enter punctuation, you can flick right without typing which will enter a ".". From here, you can flick up and down for emojis and other punctuation symbols. In addition, you can flick right and hold for a moment to press the Enter/Return key.

If you need to type something not recognized by FlickType, you can type on the FlickType keyboard as you would when using traditional touch-typing on the default iOS keyboard. To begin touch-typing, touch the screen with one finger without lifting. After a quarter of a second or so, you will hear the name of the letter under your finger. Touch-typing will be in effect until you complete the word you began typing in this way. Take note that if you are typing a word and begin touch-typing in the middle, FlickType will attempt to guess at what you typed using the characters entered to that point and start a new word using touch-typing.

FlickType also includes various gestures for navigating and reading entered content or changing from one keyboard to another. It is possible to navigate a text field by word. To move forward, flick right with two fingers and to move backward, flick left with two fingers. Using three fingers will move by sentence. As before, swiping right moves forward and left backwards. If you would like to capitalize a word, touch the screen once with two fingers (the gesture for pausing VoiceOver feedback) and the first character you type will be capitalized. If you would like to capitalize all characters in a word, you will need to use touch-typing, touching with two fingers to enter upper case for each character entered. If you double-tap with two fingers (VoiceOver's Magic Tap) you can switch from the letter keyboard to the number/symbol keyboard. From my tests, it appears that you must use touch-typing to enter characters from this keyboard instead of the traditional algorithmic typing used when entering letters; this keyboard looks identical to the iOS standard numbers keyboard.

If you would like to listen to everything currently typed in any given edit field, you can touch and hold with two fingers on the screen. If you are using FlickType system-wide, swipe up with one figner and hold for a moment to cycle to the next system keyboard. If you would like to dismiss the keyboard, swipe down and hold using one finger. I found that when using the gesture for cycling keyboards, often iOS thought I was trying to bring up the Control Center. Dismissing the keyboard did not cause this issue with the Notifications Center.

FlickType Demo Tab and System Wide Keyboard

As mentioned, you can use FlickType either through the app or as a system-wide keyboard. Using the Demo tab in the FlickType app is free and includes all features found in the system-wide keyboard. If you would like to use the app for entering text into other apps, you can copy entered text using a Share button at the top of the screen, or activate an option from the Settings tab that will automatically copy and clear text entered in the field when exiting the app. From what I can tell, all methods you could use to exit the app will trigger this function, from using the Home button to cycling with a four-finger flick right to cycle apps.

To use FlickType as a system-wide keyboard, you must first subscribe using the Upgrade tab in the app. When you first upgrade, you will be able to use the keyboard free for 7 days, after this period the charge is $0.99 per month or $11.99 per year. Note that I found that after the 7-day free trial, I needed to return to the Upgrade tab and provide access before I could use the keyboard system-wide.

After upgrading, you will first need to visit the FlickType settings in the native iOS Settings app to grant full access. Once granted, you will be able to use FlickType from the Next Keyboard button. The keyboard can be used anywhere the system keyboard can and from what I can determine, it can be used for all tasks across iOS. For example, if you are in a Web browser's address bar, the Go button will replace the Return button on the touch keyboard and as the function of flicking right and holding.

FlickType Settings

The Settings tab lies to the right of the Demo tab and will allow you to customize various aspects of FlickType. The following are the options that can be altered here. First, you can choose the keyboard size as well as the color theme for the keyboard. Sizes include full screen, half screen, and minimal, which appears to be the size of the traditional iOS keyboard. Themes come in a range of colors from black to magenta to yellow. Following these, you will find a series of switch buttons which will allow you to customize what keys appear on the FlickType keyboard if you are exploring the keyboard manually. You can choose to include the Spacebar, Next Keyboard key, and the Dismiss key. Note that all of these functions are also available using gestures.

Below the keyboard button toggles, you will find an edit field where you can add emojis that you can select from FlickType when typing. A few are already entered, but you can use the Emoji keyboard to add others to the text field and they will be added to the list of emojis available in FlickType. Following, you will find settings related to the feedback that FlickType provides to you. The first several here will apply to the sounds you hear. You can select the sound played when entering a character; the volume of the entered character sound; if you want sounds to be played from the left or right of the stereo field when touching on the left or right of the keyboard; and if you want sounds to play when you touch the keyboard or when you lift your finger. Note that if you have sounds set to Unduckable, they will not play from different points of the stereo field.

After the settings regarding sound feedback, you will be able to choose what spoken feedback FlickType provides to you. You can choose to receive spelling feedback, Phonetic feedback, and to have characters spoken when typed.

After these feedback options, you will have the option to make FlickType sounds unduckable ("ducking" refers to a screen reader lowering other sounds being played when speaking) in case of audio issues. Unduckable is the default selection for this item. I found this necessary as when selecting Customizable, typing feedback only sounded from one side of the audio field. After this option, you will find a toggle for voice feedback as well as visual feedback of what is typed.

Next, you will find a toggle that allows text replacements, such as automatically replacing "TTYL" with "talk to you later." If you allow these in FlickType, you must set up replacements through the iOS Settings app. Next you will find settings relating to the Demo screen. You can toggle the Copy and Clear on Exit item as well as if you want the text entered to be read aloud when you raise your phone to your ear.

Finally, you will find the Other section containing miscellaneous settings. Here, you can select your language, determine if keyboard keys are always visually shown when using the keyboard, toggle the use of the gestures that use multiple fingers, the presence of a blinking cursor, and toggle the use of an almost full screen mode. This option is present as a fix when apps crash while using FlickType in full screen mode.

Real World use of FlickType

Now that we have explored how FlickType operates, let's look at how well it works in practice. As a fairly proficient touch typist, I found getting used to the FlickType keyboard a fairly simple process. I was surprised at the accuracy of the keyboard. To avoid triggering touch-typing mode, I type exaggeratedly and have noticed an accuracy rate around 75 to 80 percent overall. Accuracy is much higher with longer words, and finding the word I wanted as the second or third suggestion brings accuracy up to around 95 percent.

I have also found the other gestures, such as flicking and holding for dismissing the keyboard, fluid and accurate. In addition, the only bug I have encountered is that the keyboard will crash if you attempt to compose a word consisting of over 20 characters. Unless you live in the Welsh village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, most users will most likely not encounter this issue.

I have appreciated the wide range of customization options available as changing certain settings has significantly improved my use of the keyboard. I find that I prefer the full screen mode so that I can type more exaggeratedly; the fact that I can easily dismiss or switch keyboards overrides the possible downside of using this mode. In addition, I found that the more instant feedback provided by "tap feedback on touch down" sped up my typing.

As long as FlickType predicts what I have typed correctly, I find it increases the speed of my typing around 30 percent or so based on a rough estimate. This can decrease significantly if a word is not in the first few suggestions. That being said, FlickType is much more fluid to use than the default keyboard and I have found the gestures becoming second nature. It is important to note that this amount of improvement is when typing on my preferred device size (iPhone SE/5S) and when using a tactile screen protector. Compared to my speed on tablets or devices without a tactile overlay, the increase in speed exceeds 50 percent.

I have been using FlickType on a daily basis for around three weeks at the time of this writing and was able to begin fluidly using FlickType on the first day with improvements in speed following quickly over the first week or two. I still cannot approach the speed that I can achieve with dictation or a physical keyboard but I believe that with regular use, my speed could increase further.

If you are someone who finds typing difficult, I would highly recommend giving FlickType a try. The algorithm is surprisingly forgiving and if you are comfortable with basic gestures, such as single finger flicks, you should find it quite helpful. If you find that your typing is already quite efficient on iOS, FlickType may not provide as much of a benefit. Since using the keyboard in the app is free, I would recommend giving it a try as you may be surprised by how helpful it can be.

Developer Comments

We love to hear from FlickType users, no suggestion or question is too large or small! You can reach us at any time at hello@flicktype.com.

Product Information

Product: FlickType Keyboard
Developer: Kpaw, LLC
Price: Free for in-app keyboard; $0.99 per month for system-wide keyboard

This article is made possible in part by generous funding from the James H. and Alice Teubert Charitable Trust, Huntington, West Virginia.

Comment on this article.

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• Smartphone Apps for People New to Vision Loss, by Bill Holton

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• Highlights from The 2018 American Foundation for the Blind Leadership Conference,
• The UniDescription Project: Seeking to Bring Unity to the World of Audio Description,

Wearable devices have become a very large market within the field of technology. Mainstream products such as the Apple Watch will track fitness, allow you to read and work with notifications, and much more. There are many other wrist-worn devices that attempt to do some or all of these functions as well, and the Apple Watch is certainly not without its limitations. For example, if you are blind with a significant hearing impairment, VoiceOver may not be loud enough for you to hear. If you are completely deaf-blind, the watch would only benefit you through the Taptic Time feature. The Apple Watch also requires that you have an iPhone and enough money to pay for it. The adaptive technology market also has a large number of wearable technologies aimed at solving various issues for individuals with disabilities. Devices such as the smart glasses from Aira allow a user to get sighted assistance through a connected iOS app, the ComPilot can send sounds directly to hearing aids and is worn around the neck, and the BuzzClip, worn on an outer garment, provides vibratory feedback about nearby obstacles. These are just three examples of such products. This review examines another option on the market called the Ditto, which can be clipped to a garment or worn on the wrist.

Description

The Ditto is a small piece of technology that can provide vibratory feedback of alerts from either an iOS or Android device. From my testing, it seems to have a range of about 75 feet. It was designed to offer users the ability to be notified of incoming alerts when their phone vibrating may not be strong enough to grab their attention, or for use in loud environments where the sound of a notification may not be heard or felt.

In the Box

You will find four items in the box: a small battery (known as a coin battery), a wristband, and two oval objects. The thinner of the two ovals is the part of the Ditto that holds the battery and serves as the clip. The thicker is the alerting device. You will notice a small hole in each of the two ovals. To put the Ditto together, first place the battery in the clip with the more narrow part of the battery facing down. Then, put the thicker oval over the thinner one, at a slight right angle, with the hole lining up with the battery compartment. Then twist the clip together until it is even with the alert device itself. I'm describing this because the manual refers to pictures and the video does not have audio.

Once put together, the device becomes a clip that you can affix to an article of clothing. While this works, I did find that the clip kept coming undone. As the Ditto is rather small, this could be a problem depending on where it comes unclipped. As such, I would recommend using the included wristband.

How the Ditto Works

To set up the Ditto, you must first download the app from the iOS App Store or Google Play store. Though I'm told the experience of the Android app is quite similar to that of iOS, I am unable to use Android successfully enough with braille to carry out testing. As such, iOS 12 was used to conduct this evaluation on an iPhone 8. It is important to know that you do not pair the Ditto through the standard Bluetooth menu, but through the app itself.

The iOS App

The Ditto app, when first launched with VoiceOver, will present you with a welcome screen. You can watch an introductory video, get started, or you have the option of purchasing a Ditto. The video simply tells you what you can do with the Ditto, it does not offer anything in the way of explaining how the Ditto works. Lucky for our AccessWorld readers, though, I'm here to give you what the video does not.

Selecting the Get Started button will take you to a series of steps which will assist you in setting up the Ditto. The first step instructs you to install the battery. There is also an unlabeled button here, which will launch a video that will visually show you how to install the battery. There was no audio at all when I played this video, so these instructions are useless for those who can't see the content. As written above, the process itself of putting the Ditto together is rather complex and may pose a significant challenge for someone with any sort of motor impairment. In fact, I struggled to put the device together myself, due to the lack of accessible instructions and the design itself.

The next step is where you pair the Ditto with your phone. If you installed the battery correctly, The Ditto will show up under the list of devices. After selecting the Ditto, you will need to confirm that you wish to pair the two devices by activating the Pair button on your phone. If the Ditto fails to connect, you can retry or scroll back to the first set-up page to start the process over again.

If the Ditto's firmware is not up-to-date, you will then be prompted to update it. The update will download on your mobile device and then transfer to the Ditto. Once this is done, you are congratulated on setting up the Ditto, and can then begin customizing it to your liking.

Main Screen

The main screen of the Ditto contains several options. The first is what VoiceOver calls the "hamburger icon." To the right of this, you will find an unlabeled button followed by the text of what that button is. Activating the unlabeled button or the corresponding text to the right of that button will take you to that option. Separated by an unlabeled button before each labeled text element are the following options: notifications, Apps, Favorites, Tether/Leash, Alarms, Timer, Do Not Disturb, Vibrate Now, Test, and Update. Each of these items will be reviewed briefly below.

The Hamburger Menu

As indicated above, the "Hamburger Icon," as VoiceOver calls it, is in the upper left hand corner of the screen. Activating this will give you a list of FAQs (there is no text description of how to install the battery there, either), videos, an option to contact the company, the option to check your battery level (not useable with VoiceOver), the option to turn on Do Not Disturb, reset the Ditto to factory default, forget the Ditto's pairing, and a few other options related to social media. I found the FAQ section to offer minimal help as a blind user. It would have been helpful if there had been a text description here to help me put the device together.

Notifications

The Ditto can be set up to notify you of certain alerts from your phone. However, not every notification is supported. In the Notifications screen, you have the ability to turn notifications on and off. Beneath the on/off switch, you will find specific options such as for a phone call, text, emails, the Tether, Calendar, and alarms/timer. At the bottom, you will find an option for "other apps," to be discussed in detail further along in this article.

It is possible to configure each notification with a specific vibration pattern, which is accessible with VoiceOver. Whichever alert you choose to modify, the process outlined here is the same. As an example, I'll describe modifying the notification for the Phone to demonstrate how it is done. To the right of the label of the notification, in this case "Phone," you will see a series of bullets. Some patterns may have spaces in between them, which indicate a pause, while other patterns may just have a series of bullets. Each bullet represents one vibration. By default, the phone notification has three bullets with a space between each one. This means that you will have three vibrations for phone calls with a slight pause between each one. Select the Phone option. You will then have the ability to turn that specific notification on or off, or to choose a different vibration pattern. There are seven patterns to choose from. If you are using speech instead of braille, it may be best to use the rotor and navigate by characters to ensure you get the pattern you prefer. Double tapping or hitting a cursor routing button on the braille display will select the desired option. You can then hit the Back button in the upper left corner and you will be returned to the list of possible notifications you can configure.

After setting up the few apps listed, you can then activate the Other Apps button. Around 75 others are included such as Skype, Outlook, Whatsapp, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Lyft, Uber, several news sources, many Google products, and several other miscellaneous options. Missing apps include emergency alerts such as WIA notifications, many banking apps, the iOS Clock app, Sprint IP-Relay, Skype for Business (different from the standard Skype), and many other apps I use regularly. The Apps button from the main screen takes the user directly to the Other Apps section for configuration of the apps we just discussed. Remember, it's important to not only set the vibration pattern, but to also be sure the notifications for that app are turned on. I made this mistake a couple of times, so I figured it was worth mentioning.

Favorites

Continuing to explore the main screen, the next feature we have is Favorites. This notification allows you to not only use your favorites in your list of contacts, but also gives you the option of adding other people. Selecting the person also allows you to set up any one of the seven vibration patterns. For a while, I had the notifications for just my Favorites turned on, so that I would only be notified when those people contacted me.

Tether/Leash

While this will not keep your guide dog in range of you, it will notify you when you have gone out of range of your phone. If you activate the Tether option, the Ditto will vibrate when it is out of range of your phone. The Leash feature, on the other hand, will make your phone vibrate if it is out of range of the Ditto. This was how I realized that the clip had come detached from my shirt collar at one point. It is also possible to set a delay for when you are notified that either device is no longer within range of the other. This is good to have if, for example, you live in a large house and don't want to be notified every time you walk out of range of your charging phone. However, if you set it to a few minutes and walk off without your phone in a public place, you might not be notified in time to prevent someone stealing it.

Alarms and Timer

Within this section, you have the ability to set alarms. Worthy of noting is that this is different from the Clock iOS app, which will not send an alert to the Ditto. The process is fully accessible as a braille/VoiceOver user, and could be handy for people who hear nothing with their adaptive hearing equipment on, or if you sleep with a partner who you wish not to disturb. You also have the ability to repeat the alarm every 60 seconds for a set amount of time. What I do not like about this is that it will send you the custom vibration one time and then not do so for another minute. I prefer to have an alarm that keeps going off until I make it stop, so that I will not just go back to sleep. You can also add a message, so for example, if you have to take medication at a specific time each day, you can set this. However, it is not possible to configure the alarm to go off on a set schedule. You will have to manually set it each day. It is possible to configure multiple alarms. Setting a timer is also accessible and comes with the same limitations as the Alarms feature. Hours, minutes, and seconds are all adjustable via a picker item.

Vibrate Now and Test

The Vibrate Now option allows you to listen for the Ditto if it has fallen or you cannot find it. It will also let you check if you can feel the vibration once you affix it to clothing or put it on the wristband. The Test option allows you to test each of the vibration patterns.

Update

This simply allows you to update the Ditto. It seems that a new update comes out each month or so, though you should also get a notification in the app that an update is available.

Thoughts, Advantages, and Limitations

As I noted during my TCL Pulse review earlier this year, the Bluetooth connection between my iOS devices and the Ditto was not reliable. This was especially true when using a braille display or Bluetooth audio. While these issues still persist for users of the iPhone 6S and earlier, the connection was much more reliable on both an iPhone 7 and 8. This included a test where I listened to a podcast while texting someone and had the Ditto on. While there was a slight delay in notifications arriving on my wrist, it was less than ten seconds.

It would also be very helpful to know the level of my battery, which is currently not accessible with VoiceOver. The instructions say you will get a notification of a low battery within the app, but I'm not sure this is true.

As someone with no useable hearing with my hearing aids out, it was still nice to be connected to the notifications I cared about. While I couldn't read them, I at least knew when they were there. As the Ditto is waterproof, I could have even gone swimming as long as my iPhone was in range. It would be even better if I could use the Ditto to alert me of smart devices such as smoke detectors and other devices that may be important to know are going off while I'm in the shower. Certainly, it would seem imperative that there be an option for Emergency Alerts as well.

I continue to use the TCL Pulse for my alarm needs as I wrote above. It would be nice to have the Ditto's alarm continue to go off until it is stopped via the app or some other means. It would also be nice if I could turn on Do Not Disturb on my iOS Device and still get notifications on the Ditto. This is possible with the Apple Watch and also the Dot Smart Watch. I find the Ditto still fits within my life, though, having it set up to only notify me of when certain people send me text messages. For $39, it may be worth a consideration if all you need is another way of being notified of certain alerts on your phone, but do not wish to pay for an Apple Watch or have an Android phone.

Product Information

Product: Ditto Wearable
Manufacturer: Simple Matters LLC.
Price: $39.95

This article is made possible in part by generous funding from the James H. and Alice Teubert Charitable Trust, Huntington, West Virginia.

Comment on this article.

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If you are looking for a classic example of how networking, in its simplest form, can result in almost magical win-win results for everyone involved, then let me introduce you to James Michaels and Adam Rodenbeck. You might say that their networking experience has led to a brand-new training program for blind and low vision job seekers, preparing people for employment in tens of thousands of companies nationwide, and at salaries currently boasting a mid-range of $85,000.

I wanted to follow this thread, find out if this program and its potential for stimulating employment offering attractive pay was something AccessWorld readers needed to learn more about. This article is the result of my exploration. First, however, let's get back to that chance encounter between two beep ball enthusiasts.

The Power of Networking

Years ago, when James Michaels was a social worker at the Indiana School for the Blind, Adam was one of his stellar students. Fast-forward to two blind guys socializing at a beep baseball tournament in Texas and you have the seeds of what would eventually become BosmaForce.

Adam Rodenbeck was working on a degree in computer science when James Michaels, now Vice President of rehabilitation programs at Bosma, encouraged his former student to consider coming back to Indianapolis to work in the agency's assistive technology department. Bosma is a full-service rehabilitation agency for people with visual impairments. In both residential and community-based programs, Bosma provides training in daily living skills, orientation and mobility, and, of course, computers. Adam did indeed go to work for Bosma, initially as an instructor in its assistive technology program. Before long, however, he moved to the information and technology department. That was when he learned to use Salesforce, cloud-based software used by some 150,000 for-profit and not-for-profit companies. The software was fairly accessible to Adam, an adept user of the JAWS screen-reading software. He loved the software and fell into the role of what he calls an "accidental developer." When he became a Certified Salesforce Developer, Adam eventually went to work for another company, a for-profit consulting firm also based in Indianapolis, and from there, for Salesforce itself. Recently, Adam Rodenbeck, 35, made the move from Indiana to San Francisco, to settle into his new role as accessibility specialist, a member of the accessibility team for Salesforce Inc., the company ranked number one in Fortune's best 100 companies to work for in 2018. Rodenbeck's work station consists of an audio mixer with three channels for audio output from his Windows-based PC with JAWS, a Mac, and an iPad, as well as an Alva braille display. As a certified Salesforce developer, he is working constantly on product usability and accessibility, communicating with designers and engineers. When you consider the high unemployment rate among blind Americans, you might say that Adam Rodenbeck is one blind guy who is defying the odds. And he is fervently hoping to see other blind and visually impaired job seekers follow the Salesforce path.

The Birth of BosmaForce

Bosma Enterprises has an impressive track record with regard to connecting blind and low vision people with jobs. The majority of employees in its industries program, making a variety of consumer products, are blind. More than 50 percent of the entire agency staff at all levels are blind or have low vision. Although some training for employment goes on at Bosma every day, James Michaels has held a long dream of launching a training program that could move blind people directly from training to working. Adam Rodenbeck was well aware of that passion, and due to his own success with Salesforce, had come to share it. When Rodenbeck met TJ McElroy at a Salesforce event, a mere fantasy began to shape itself into a plan.

TJ McElroy and Richard Holleman, both veterans and both visually impaired, had worked for a now defunct organization called Veterans Workshop, for over two years. Their role? Teaching others online to use Salesforce!

Adam Rodenbeck introduced TJ McElroy to James Michaels and before long, BosmaForce was born.

TJ McElroy uses JAWS. Richard Holleman uses ZoomText. Together, on behalf of Veterans Workshop, they had taught several individuals to use Salesforce. Now, they were going to use the same teaching methods to train people who are blind.

First Class

The first class for blind and low vision students learning to use Salesforce began in April 2018. By August, three of the four who had completed the course had passed the exam and become certified (the fourth was scheduled to take her exam at the time of this writing). Just passing that certification exam, say seasoned Salesforce administrators is no small feat. Some people working successfully in Salesforce administrator positions never became certified. "Some people," as Richard Holleman summarizes it, "simply don't test well."

And yet, the first Bosma-sponsored class and first-ever class of blind and low vision Salesforce students are now certified.

The class is entirely online. TJ McElroy happens to live in Indiana, not far from Bosma Enterprises; the other instructor, Richard Holleman, lives in Oklahoma. Although this first batch of students happened to reside mostly in Indiana, students can enroll from anywhere in the country.

The class meets four hours a day, via Adobe Connect. Since Salesforce is cloud-based, students can be working from whatever platform they prefer: Windows, Mac, Linux, using speech, magnification, or braille. In this first class, all access approaches were represented.

Salesforce software helps companies track customers, products, sales contacts, and more. For Bosma Enterprises, it was useful in tracking client assessments. At recent graduate Robert Taylor's internship with a service dog organization, it is useful in tracking all of the skills acquired, medical incidents and records, and behavioral notes recorded for each dog. A rich and robust software, Salesforce is a way of keeping track of any information important and relevant to any given organization. Administrators can generate reports, charts, records, and more.

After School

Following the 18-week course, part of TJ McElroy's role is to find internships. Internships are mostly unpaid but provide experience in a real-world environment to use the skills gained in training.

Brian Clark, 49, who was a system administrator until losing his sight four years ago, says that the Trailhead platform used for learning is a brilliant concept. The training is "gamified", and thus has its own built-in incentives to keep learners moving forward. Trailhead offers 320 modules, with learners earning a badge at completion of each module. Three of the four students who had completed the first class with Bosma had earned more than 100 badges, Clark himself was at 120 as of this writing. When he first lost his sight, Clark says he couldn't imagine using computers any more. Now, as a proficient JAWS user and Certified Salesforce Administrator, he says he can do pretty much everything he could do as a sighted user. Some things take longer and, he says, despite the high usability of Salesforce, there are occasions when a JAWS user meets a roadblock. So far, calling on Adam Rodenbeck at those times has usually led to finding a solution.

Although he has only been blind for four years, Clark is not only a talented computer user and Certified Salesforce Administrator, but also a fine example of someone who has made the successful transition from a sighted to blind perspective. Not only does he need to work to support his family, but he is passionate about finding a job to serve as evidence to other blind people entering the program that a blind person can be competitively employed as a Salesforce administrator.

Robert Taylor, who has had limited vision all his life, took the training in his quest for a new career. For many years, he was co-owner of a company in California, selling and installing complicated phone systems to corporate customers. "The environment has changed," Taylor says, "and there is no longer a market for $70,000 PBX systems." He had been a programmer early in his career, so after relocating to Indiana, he took a course to update his programming skills. When his vocational rehabilitation counselor recommended the BosmaForce training, Taylor agreed.

As one who has sufficient vision to drive a car with a bioptic lens under certain conditions, Taylor says he was especially impressed with his classmates who mastered the skills using JAWS with speech and/or braille. At 66, he believes that both age and vision will add challenge to his job search, but says that taking the BosmaForce training has given him more confidence than he has had in years.

Is BosmaForce For You?

Predictions are that by the year 2022, there will be 3.3 million jobs available for those certified as Salesforce administrators, developers, or other Salesforce categories. Average salaries are reported to be $85,000, beginning in the $40,000 to $60,000 range. Everyone I spoke with for this article who was involved with the cloud-based software was clearly enjoying using it.

With 150,000 companies using Salesforce, jobs can be found just about anywhere in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. While many jobs are onsite, some employers allow Salesforce administrators to work from home.

Since all training is conducted online, students can participate from anywhere, as long as they have a computer and access to the internet. When training is completed with Bosma, students receive BosmaForce certification for having completed 320 hours of training, SalesForce certification when they pass the exam, and assistance in locating an internship. Although vocational rehabilitation typically pays for the training, James Michaels says that there will also be some scholarships available.

Students need to be fairly proficient in using their access technology and navigating websites.

The second BosmaForce class begins in October, so another will assemble sometime in early 2019.

As Adam Rodenbeck sees it, his accidental introduction to Salesforce, becoming its first blind aficionado, ultimately going to work for Salesforce, Inc., and now helping to connect James Michaels with two blind Salesforce instructors, is like the completion of a circle. Everyone involved is fervently hoping that it will be a circle that results in satisfying and well-paying careers for lots of people with visual impairments.

For More Information

Anyone can test drive the Salesforce experience by visiting the Salesforce Trailhead site and working through a training module or two.

If you have questions about enrollment, visit the Bosma Salesforce training site or call 888-567-3422.

This article is made possible in part by generous funding from the James H. and Alice Teubert Charitable Trust, Huntington, West Virginia.

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October is Disability Employment Awareness Month. Each year, we at AccessWorld strive to bring you the most comprehensive and current employment resources and information for people with visual impairments. Whether you are just beginning your employment journey or have been on the job for many years, we hope you will find the resources detailed here useful and informative.

Vocational Rehabilitation

Through the Vocational Rehabilitation Act, each state provides employment resources to those with vision loss through vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies specifically for individuals with blindness or low vision as well as general VR agencies. Services are provided based on a principle titled "Informed Choice" and on an evidenced based assessment of their abilities and desires which is outlined in an Individual Plan for Employment (IPE).

Services provided by a VR agency can vary widely but generally fall into three categories: guidance, training, and resources.

Rehabilitation counselors can provide counseling and guidance as well as case management. Often, a VR agency can also provide daily living, orientation and mobility, and assistive technology skills training either through a traveling/local professional or through a residential training center. Lastly, VR can often provide tangible resources to aid a client in reaching their employment goal. The most common forms of physical resources provide are funding for education or funding for specific assistive technologies needed to accomplish the individual's chosen career.

You can find contact information for your state's VR department in the VisionAware directory of services.

Useful Technology for Employment

The KNFB Reader app offers access at a cost, but it is a useful app for individuals who are blind. The app provides the ability to access print documents, menus, and much more in everyday life and employment settings through a portable OCR solution. People use the KNFB Reader to independently access printed material, and the developers continue to add new features. IT is also possible to import PDF documents or images that contain images of text and have them converted into readable text with the KNFB Reader.

Microsoft's Seeing AI app provides recognition of text, products, and people. Each distinct feature in the app is referred to as a "Channel". The app has two OCR channels. One that could be particularly useful in the workplace is called Short text. This feature uses the camera to constantly scan for legible text and upon detection read it automatically. This feature is useful in many situations from reading error messages on a computer's screen in real time to sorting printed documents. The other OCR channel aims to capture an entire document. More recently, a channel has been added to the app that aims to recognize handwriting, a feature also shared by the very similar Envision AI, also available on Android. These apps were recently compared in AccessWorld.

The Be My Eyes app is a free app that allows people to volunteer to video chat in order to provide visual assistance to people who are blind or visually impaired. You can use this app for access to all kinds of information ranging from captchas to thermostats in hotels. Originally only available on iOS, the app is now available on Android as well.

Aira is a service that allows someone with a visual impairment to request visual assistance from someone who has been professionally trained to provide assistance to people with visual impairments. We have reviewed Aira across two articles. The first article was published in the September 2017 issue of AccessWorld. Part 2 was published in the October 2017 issue. More recently, we have published a review of Aira's new Horizon smart glasses. Aira now also provides free minutes for users when their inquiries relate to job seeking tasks. Further details on this program can be found here.

There are a number of GPS apps specifically for people with visual impairments. These include BlindSquare, Nearby Explorer, Seeing Eye GPS, and Microsoft Soundscape. Beacon technology has revolutionized the development of indoor navigation solutions for people with visual impairments. There are many apps available that take advantage of this technology to provide step-by-step directions or the equivalent of accessible signs indoors. Some of these include BlindSquare, Right-Hear, Aware, and APH Indoor Explorer. No matter what app you use, an app will not replace the use of proper orientation and mobility skills with a white cane or dog guide. Ride sharing apps such as Uber and Lyft have become popular transportation options for those with vision loss due to their relative affordability and convenience. You can find a page describing accessibility at Uber here. I was unable to find a similar page for Lyft but the company is also taking steps to make the use of their service accessible to those with vision. Lyft has partnered with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and Aira as well as insuring that their app is accessible when using assistive technology. We have discussed the benefits of ride sharing apps in this article.

Disability:IN; Formerly USBLN

Disability:IN, formerly the United States Business Leadership Network (USBLN), is a nation wide organization that seeks to assist businesses in improving disability inclusion across the board, from hiring to products. Disability:IN contains a network of businesses across the United States organized into local affiliates that share strategies and best practices for disability inclusion. Membership also serves the purpose of identifying a business as an entity that believes in disability inclusion and seeks to improve it in its organization.

In partnership with the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), Disability:IN has produced the Disability Equality index, a method for quantifying the level of disability inclusion present in a business. The organization also produces monthly webinars on disability with recordings being available to members there afterward. Through the Next Gen Leaders Initiatives, Disability:IN connects college students and college graduates with businesses for mentorships and for assistance advancing their careers.

Career Training and Workplace Experience Resources

In addition to traditional rehabilitation programs, there are several organizations who aim to assist people with vision loss in obtaining a career. Most programs provide a combination of general guidance as well as resources for connecting with employers, gaining work experience, or gaining training for a specific field of work.

The Blind Institute of Technology (BIT) works with job seekers and employers to connect people with vision loss with careers in the field of technology. For job seekers, BIT provides assistance by developing training programs as well as instructional videos regarding access topics. In addition, BIT can provide individuals with guidance regarding the interview process and BIT has also partnered with Uber to provide transportation assistance for those with vision loss. For employers, BIT provides disability inclusion workshops, accessibility consulting, and can connect employers with qualified prospective employees with vision loss.

The organization Project Starfish America aims to work with individuals to launch or relaunch their career if they are from a minority population (such as individuals with vision loss) who may traditionally find it difficult to locate employment. Project Starfish was inspired by the low unemployment rate among those who are blind or have low vision, so the vision loss community is a key population served by the program. The program provides training for individuals to teach skills needed in the workplace while also connecting individuals with short-term work through startup businesses so that they can gain concrete job experience for use on a resume. In addition, the organization has begun to work with students through an internship program that aims to provide experiences geared to entering an ivy-league university.

The Lighthouse of Houston has offered office skills, telecommunications, customer service, and medical transcription training at its campus for many years. Due to the success of the medical transcription program, the organization now offers medical transcription training for those with vision loss online. Courses range in length from 6 months for the office skills course to 18 months for the online or in person medical transcription training program.

The World Services for the Blind, a residential training center for visual impairment skills in Arkansas, partners with the IRS to provide training for various entry-level positions with the IRS. Once trained, individuals are then placed with the agency. The IRS relates a story in which an individual was trained, entered the IRS workforce, and has since been promoted on several occasions after beginning work with the IRS.

Job Search Tools

A key method for finding employment opportunities is the use of job listing websites. The most popular sites currently operating are Indeed, Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter, and Monster. Based on a quick overview of these four sites using the NVDA screen reader, Indeed and ZipRecruiter were the most accessible with Monster following. Glassdoor's job search was usable but significantly less accessible than the other sites assessed. All these sites functioned similarly, a user can search for a job by keyword or location with other filtering options also available such as salary and experience level. Interestingly, Indeed has a link that lists jobs that are listed as remote, which could be particularly useful for someone with visual impairments.

In addition to traditional job listing sites, employers are increasingly listing positions on social media sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook. Both LinkedIn and Facebook have dedicated accessibility teams so can be relied on to be fairly accessible using assistive technology, though due to the frequent changes such sites experience, accessibility may fluctuate. We reviewed LinkedIn in the October 2015 issue of AccessWorld, which may be helpful if you are not familiar with the site (the accessibility of the site may have changed since the article's publication). We briefly detailed navigating Facebook in this 2013 article, though again, due to the rapid evolution of the site much of the navigation details and access claims in that article are outdated. That being said, if you are unfamiliar with Facebook or other social networks, you may find the more broadly applicable aspects of the article helpful.

In addition to social media and mainstream job search sites, organizations that serve the vision loss community also provide job listings. The National Federation of the Blind provides job listings from CareerBuilder and USAJobs on its Newsline service. The Newsline service provides access to newspapers and magazines as well as other information through a standard telephone or in other accessible formats. For information on the service and the job listings feature, visit the Newsline site. The American Council of the Blind offers ACB Job Connection, a site where job openings from across the United States are posted.

Information and Guidance for Job Seekers that are Visually Impaired

Several organizations provide information and guidance for job seekers that are visually impaired. You may be familiar with CareerConnect, a site that provides extensive resources and guidance for job seekers who are visually impaired. In addition to informational resources, CareerConnect also includes interactive career building tools and a database of mentors who are visually impaired employed in many different fields. CareerConnect also has a series of articles profiling successful employed individuals with vision loss which contain extensive information on the individual's career and the accommodations they use. CareerConnect was formerly a program operated by AFB, but after July 1, 2018, the program has been transferred to the American Printing House for the Blind.

The National Federation of the Blind provides a series of profiles of successfully employed blind individuals in their Where the Blind Work Series. The organization also publishes employment related material in its varying publications and information sources across the website. The Perkins School for the Blind has also created a site containing information to assist job seekers who are blind or visually impaired. The site also contains information aimed at employers who wish to provide an optimal work environment for those with vision loss.

Final Thoughts

This summer, I had the privilege of attending the 2018 Disability:IN conference. Thousands of people from numerous corporations attended with the aim of improving the accessibility of their organizations, from their consumer products to the experiences of their disabled employees. Rapid advances in technology in the last decade have made it possible for people with visual impairments to compete at the same level as their sighted counterparts in more career fields than ever, leaving employer attitudes the last major barriers to employment for those with vision loss. It is heartening to see so many businesses earnestly seeking to improve access to their companies. Hopefully, this will signal a shift in how prospective employees with vision loss are perceived, lowering this final major barrier to meaningful employment.

As each October issue is dedicated to employment here at AccessWorld, I highly recommend reviewing past issues as the resources and information provided there can still be pertinent and useful. Also be sure to check the "Related Articles" section at the bottom of this article, as other employment articles will be located there. We hope these resources serve you well on your employment journey.

This article is made possible in part by generous funding from the James H. and Alice Teubert Charitable Trust, Huntington, West Virginia.

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The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) has a bold new mission to create a world of no limits for millions of Americans with visual impairments. That mission includes significantly improving the workforce participation rate among people who are blind or visually impaired, which persistently hovers around 35 percent.

Recently, on the anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act, AFB announced its designation as a Central Nonprofit Agency (CNA) under the AbilityOne Program, one of the nation's largest sources of employment for people who are blind or have significant disabilities. "AFB will have the opportunity to partner with nonprofits, government agencies, and corporations to identify innovative ways to maximize the power of the Javits–Wagner—O'Day Act, the law requiring federal agencies to purchase specified supplies and services from nonprofit agencies employing people who are blind or who have significant disabilities, "said Kirk Adams, AFB President and CEO.

As a CNA, AFB's primary focus will be giving people with visual impairments exceptional new career development opportunities in the fast-growing industries of financial services, healthcare and information technology, and to create pathways to mainstream, integrated employment in the public and private sectors.

"Our first order of business is to launch an 18-month research phase to inform the design of this new model," said Adams. AFB will conduct qualitative and quantitative research, including a literature review and market analysis. In addition, AFB will meet with key stakeholders engaged in procurement, as well as job training and placement.

The three-phase Cooperative Agreement, which outlines the terms and conditions of AFB's designation as a CNA, will be executed in three phases over a total of five years, with specific requirements and deliverables for each phase.

In Phase One, AFB will spend 18 months conducting research and studies to meet a series of objectives including the following:

• Identifying innovative employment opportunities/careers and lines of business for people who are blind or visually impaired.
• Identifying a model for continuous identification of employment opportunities, careers and lines of business.
• Identifying multiple ways to identify blind veterans seeking employment, identify the type of employment they desire and providing them with employment.
• Identifying means or methods that the Commission, a CNA and/or a nonprofit agency (NPA) may consider to increase and foster innovation in the AbilityOne Program.
• During this research and studies phase, AFB will be exempt from regulatory requirements of a CNA in the AbilityOne Program, and it will not be authorized to collect Program Fees from nonprofit agencies in the AbilityOne Program.

During Phase Two, which will last 30 months, AFB will begin to implement recommendations and findings from Phase One research and studies and, pending Commission approval, begin to execute CNA regulatory requirements.

Phase Three is the 12-month period during which AFB will transition to full functionality as a CNA. During this phase, AFB will provide management, labor, supervision, materials, equipment and supplies to furnish CNA program services as outlined in the Cooperative Agreement. These program services include the capability to serve as a CNA for nonprofit agencies.

Adams continued, "It is essential that AFB address the unemployment and underemployment issue now. Technology is changing the way we work at an unprecedented pace, which opens a host of job opportunities for people who are blind, so long as our systems are accessible and inclusive." Sixty-five percent of children entering primary school today will ultimately end up working in jobs that don't yet exist, according to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs report. That means we must stay current and ensure people with vision loss are developing the right skillsets to compete in the workforce today and in the future. Further, there are many private sector companies dedicated to hiring and promoting people with disabilities, recognizing that full inclusion strengthens company culture and improves the bottom line. AFB will connect these companies to qualified employees who are visually impaired.

"We are thrilled about the possibilities to expand career options and increase workforce participation among people who are blind," said Adams.

AFB Planning Employment Summits Across the Country

In addition to working with the AbilityOne commission, AFB is taking even more action to expand employment possibilities for people with vision loss. Later this year and continuing into next, AFB will be hosting a series of employment summits with the goal of fostering collaboration and creating new workplace opportunities.

"AFB isn't satisfied with the status quo, especially when it comes to the employment rate of people who are blind or visually impaired," said Adams. "That's why AFB is taking decisive actions to address this significant challenge."

AFB's employment summits will engage with partners — both national and regional — and develop strategies to encourage collaboration, maximize impact, and track outcomes. The first summit will serve as a model for similar summits across the country. AFB will be convening leaders from the corporate, government, and nonprofit sectors who focus on diversity and inclusion, job readiness, accommodations, and employment policy. The goal is to generate dialogue about employer needs, create solutions, and forge meaningful partnerships that lead to sustainable employment opportunities.

"One of AFB's key strategic objectives is to reduce the unemployment and underemployment rate of people who are blind or visually impaired, and help employers harness the talent that exists in the community," says Kirk Adams. "By the end of each summit, we'll have an action plan for that local community to improve outcomes for people who are blind or visually impaired, which will help them contribute both to the workplace culture and the bottom line."

The employment summits will be invitation-only events that will include about 50 attendees, and each summit will be tailored to the needs of the region where it is held.

AFB is focusing the employment summits on knowledge-based work in four sectors identified as being robust for growth in the U.S. economy: financial services, information and technology, healthcare, and federal contracting. The employment summits will center on three main topic areas:

1. Discussing employer challenges, including hiring initiatives and workplace accommodations.
2. Learning about employee success stories and challenges.
3. Connecting influencers to work out an action agenda that leads to measurable outcomes — specifically increasing employment rates among people who are blind or visually impaired and advancing the careers of those who are already employed.

Employment summit attendees will discuss a variety of issues, such as challenges faced by vocational rehabilitation and job placement professionals. In addition to exploring corporate programs on disability awareness for hiring managers, attendees will hear directly from employees about their experiences on the job. Attendees will also explore the role of government, with an emphasis on how government can best connect with employers and a look at government regulations that stifle hiring initiatives. The summits will address not only employment for new workers, but also for those with experience who are adjusting to vision loss. "AFB is excited about the potential these employment summits hold," Adams says. "By collaborating with partners across sectors, we can create a world of no limits that benefits both people who are blind or visually impaired and the companies where they work."

Please stay tuned to AccessWorld. We'll be keeping you apprised of AFB's research findings as it moves through its upcoming Phase One work with the AbilityOne Commission, and progress on, and outcomes from, AFB's upcoming employment summits.

This article is made possible in part by generous funding from the James H. and Alice Teubert Charitable Trust, Huntington, West Virginia.

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Dear AccessWorld readers,

October is Disability Employment Awareness Month, and AccessWorld is once again taking this opportunity to focus on employment with articles that provide strategies, insider perspectives, and information about employment resources and new employment initiatives.

October is a time to celebrate the skills and accomplishments of American workers with disabilities. Further, it's a time to illuminate and discuss the employment barriers that still exist and, with renewed vigor, pursue their removal.

In historical perspective, the effort to educate the American public about issues related to disability and employment began in 1945, when Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in October as National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week. In 1962, the word "physically" was removed to acknowledge the employment needs and contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities. In 1988, Congress expanded the week to a month and changed the name to National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Things have changed a lot since 1945, but we still have a very long way to go.

When thinking about the unemployment rate of people who are blind or visually impaired, the question often arises, "What is the major factor affecting whether or not a person with vision loss is or is not employed?" Too often, I feel, people want to highlight a single reason as the major cause for the differential between being employed or being unemployed. Instead of offering one reason, I assert that the underlying factor is that there is such inconsistency around the United States in the training and preparation of people with vision loss from an early age through adulthood.

Neither public nor private services are created equally, and, for that matter, no government or private entity offers those services in the same manner. This issue is larger than just vocational rehabilitation. It includes preparation in schools, nonprofits, various state agencies and services, and other important variables, including family involvement. There are a lot of fantastic programs and services available, but any given region may be strong in one service and lacking in another. I know this is obvious, but it needs to be said openly: our field needs to address our weaknesses and diligently work to make improvements. As you will read in this issue, that is exactly what AFB is currently working to do.

Each job seeker with vision loss has his or her own challenges. Unfortunately, I still see a level of learned helplessness among young people with disabilities, even among the brightest. Learned helplessness refers to an individual being taught that things will be done for them, which allows them to not attempt to initiate or do things on their own. Too often, at a young age, family and even teachers, can set the bar too low, expecting too little from young children or students with vision loss.

This type of thinking sometimes develops the perception that, when these students become job seekers, vocational rehabilitation is designed to find them jobs—but that is not its purpose. Vocational rehabilitation specialists can help and guide, but they are not job placement professionals. Job placement is an art; it is a mix of sales, community relations, and having a well-defined pool of applicants.

Job seekers battle the perceptions of employers about vision loss and their own perceptions about navigating the employment process. At the same time, the technology divide between those who have appropriate access and mainstream technology and those who have orientation and mobility training, and those who do not, is apparent. Those with O&M training and technology skills have a significantly greater chance at finding, obtaining, and maintaining successful employment, and being promoted along the way. In addition, job seekers are all individuals with strengths, skills, and weaknesses. All individuals have limitations, and not every job seeker is going to be—or wants to be—a computer programmer, accountant, teacher, mechanic, or maintenance worker. But most people do want to be productive and employed citizens.

This point in our nation's economy, with an estimated 6.9 million vacant job openings, is the best time in years to be looking for employment. So, get out there! Every interview is a learning experience. Even if you don't receive the job offer, learn from the experience. Apply those learnings to the next interview. Don't hope for luck. You make your own luck in this world, and that comes when your hard work and preparation meet the right opportunity.

I encourage everyone with vision loss to pursue every avenue of education and training possible. I encourage you to embrace and learn to skillfully use technology. Take it upon yourself to seek out resources such as AccessWorld to assist you with career readiness. Ultimately, it is your life and your career, and you are responsible for it. Take action! By working hard, obtaining education and skills, and seeking out and using resources available to you, you can find the job that's meant for you!

I hope you enjoy this issue and will join AccessWorld in recognizing and celebrating the inroads individuals with vision loss, and all disabilities, have made in the world of employment.

Sincerely,
AccessWorld Editor-in-Chief
American Foundation for the Blind

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This message is in reference to Janet Ingber's September 2018 article, Envision AI and Seeing AI: Two Multi-Purpose Recognition Apps.

Thanks very much for this article. I am curious why the light detector in Seeing AI was not mentioned.

Personally, I find Seeing AI a much better app overall, but I'm glad there are choices.

Richard

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This message is in reference to Bill Holton's January 2014 article, Three New Techniques for Treating Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

This is great news for everyone diagnosed with wet macular. God bless each and every one involved in this study!

Sharon

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

We are about to start a kitchen remodel which will include the purchase of a new range and dishwasher.?Because of my very poor vision I want an induction stove. We have looked at GE's Cafe line, but they are very expensive. It is hard to find one that does not use a touchscreen, and none seem to be able to be controlled through an app on my iPad. Any suggestions — especially one with control knobs?

Thanks,

Chris Hoffman

Response from AccessWorld Editor, Lee Huffman

Hello Chris,

Thank you for reading AccessWorld and for sending your questions. Currently, we do not have information about induction cooktops or ranges that use knobs. Finding and keeping accurate this kind of information is very difficult. Appliance models and features change often, and all models are not available in all stores or in all geographic locations. I understand your challenge and agree this is an area in need of attention.

I attend the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) each year, and I specifically visit the appliance manufacturers booths, including LG, Samsung, Whirlpool, and GE, to impress upon them the need for inclusive design in their appliances. CES will be held in January, and I will surely be visiting them again to represent our community's needs.

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This message is in reference to Janet Ingber's September 2018 article, Envision AI and Seeing AI: Two Multi-Purpose Recognition Apps.

I was wondering if you would please consider doing a review of scanning stands for these sorts of apps, and the Android version of Envision AI too, which is yet to receive updates to give it the level of functionality of the iOS version? (I use the Kapsys SmartVision 2 phone, made by Kapsys in France.) And also, I have emailed previously with a suggestion for a comprehensive review of flatbed scanners (especially from a blindness perspective), and, similarly, ABBYY FineReader.

Regards

Vivien Palcic

Response from AccessWorld Associate, Aaron Preece

Hello Vivien,

Thank you for writing and being a reader of AccessWorld. As you noted in your previous message, we reviewed ABBYY Fine Reader and Text Cloner Pro in 2013, but there could have been significant changes in accessibility in the intervening years. Currently, there are no definite plans for specific scanner/OCR articles, but the topic is something planned for discussion among the AccessWorld team.

AccessWorld has published several articles evaluating the various scanning stands available for mobile devices often in conjunction with evaluations of various OCR apps. I have listed these articles below:

A Review of the New ScanJig Pro Scanning Stand, By Janet Ingber (May 2015), The Giraffe Reader Scanner Stand and the Prizmo Scanning App for iOS, By Janet Ingber (October 2014), TextGrabber + Translator from ABBYY and the StandScan Pro: A Review of Two Products, By Janet Ingber (June 2013).

Scanning apps and physical scan stands are also discussed in this holiday article.

We have also published an evaluation of the ScanSnap Overhead Scanner which you may find of interest.

Sincerely,

Aaron

My Blind Spot announces QuickBooks Training Program for People with Visual Impairments

The My Blind Spot QuickBooks training program is designed to train individuals who are blind or visually impaired to successfully navigate the QuickBooks desktop accounting program for Windows with JAWS.

The training program has been designed for individuals with strong screen reading skills and a proficiency with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles or GAAP. Candidates shall possess business accounting knowledge, a degree in accounting, or have prior professional experience as accountants or bookkeepers, who have had trouble navigating QuickBooks since losing their eyesight. This training program is not intended to teach accounting, rather it is designed to teach professionals how to implement their knowledge of accounting when navigating this business software program with Jaws.

The MBS QuickBooks Training Program is currently being offered, at no cost, to residents of New York and New Jersey exclusively. All applications will be acknowledged, but only candidates with the small business acumen, accounting/bookkeeping knowledge or financial management expertise will be invited to interview with members of the team. There will be no out of pocket costs to those candidates that qualify for and are invited to participate in the My Blind Spot QuickBooks Training Program.

Individuals who are interested in pursuing careers in accounting or bookkeeping but do not possess the skill set necessary to be selected at this juncture, are encouraged to investigate course offerings available through Hadley Institute for the Blind or through the various state Commissions for the Blind.

The MBS QuickBooks Training Program has been made possible through generous funds provided by the Intuit Financial Freedom Foundation, the Kessler Foundation, the Lavelle Fund for the Blind, the New York Community Trust Foundation and The Reader's Digest Partners for Sight Foundation.

Individuals interested in being considered for participation in the My Blind Spot ? QuickBooks Training Program must complete the QuickBooks Training Application.

Enable Savings Plan Launches New Account Bonus Program

$50 Bonus to Benefit 50 New Account Owners

The First National Bank of Omaha and Nebraska State Treasurer Don Stenberg have announced the kickoff of Enable's $50 New Account Bonus Program.

From September 25 through December 31, a $50 bonus contribution will be awarded to the first 50 eligible individuals who open and contribute a minimum of $50 to a new account. Accounts can be opened online or on paper and mailed to the address on the enrollment form. To claim the bonus, visit this page.

"Watching individuals with disabilities achieve financial independence with the support of the Enable Savings Plan has been truly rewarding. As the positive impact of the Plan grows, we are pleased to be able to offer a bonus to help more qualifying individuals with disabilities open and manage their own Enable accounts," said Treasurer Stenberg, Trustee of Enable.

"Fall is the perfect time to do a financial refresh, which is why we are delighted to announce the launch of this new account bonus," said Deborah Goodkin, Managing Director, Savings Plans, First National Bank of Omaha. "With so many benefits to Enable accounts, including tax-free savings and withdrawals at no risk to public benefits, there is no better time to open an account and begin the journey toward financial independence. I encourage qualifying individuals to take advantage of this offering and to join the strong and thriving Enable community."

Launched June 30, 2016, the Enable Savings Plan was one of the first national ABLE savings plans offered. Enable provides tax-free savings accounts to people with disabilities, allowing them to save without affecting their public benefits like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

About the Enable Savings Plan

Enable is a tax-advantaged savings plan to help make saving simple and affordable for individuals with disabilities. Nebraska State Treasurer Don Stenberg serves as Trustee. First National Bank of Omaha serves as Program Manager, and investments are approved by the Nebraska Investment Council. Visit EnableSavings.com and treasurer.nebraska.gov for more information.

American Printing House to Present Two Prestigious Awards

The American Printing House (APH) presented the Wings of Freedom Award and the Virgil Zickel Award during the opening session at APH's 150th Annual Meeting.

The Wings of Freedom Award — Dr. Michael Bina

This award is the highest honor presented by the American Printing House. The Wings Award recognizes and honors individuals who demonstrate exemplary leadership in the areas of education for rehabilitation of people who are blind or visually impaired.

Dr. Bina began his 52-year career in the field of blindness in 1966, by teaching swimming to students from the South Dakota School for the Visually Impaired while earning his bachelor's degree at Northern State University. Bina earned a Master's degree in Special Education in 1972 from California State University Los Angeles. He went on to teach O & M and coach swimming, track and field, and cross country at the Wisconsin School for the Visually Impaired.? Later he earned a doctorate from the University of Northern Colorado.

Bina has served in leadership positions at the Texas, Indiana, Hadley and Perkins schools for the blind. He has authored numerous professional journal articles, textbook chapters, and coauthored the textbook Looking Good.

In September 2018, Dr. Bina retired from The Maryland School for the Blind where he was the school's President since 2008.

The Virgil Zickel Award — Philippe Claudet

This award recognizes creative individuals whose ideas result in the development of innovative products designed to improve the quality of life for people who are blind or visually impaired.

Philippe Claudet is the founder and director of Les Doigts Qui Rêvent (Fingers That Dream), a small, nonprofit in France that creates tactile books. LDQR began in 1994, with a handful of parents, to address what was termed "a book famine" — the scarcity of tactile books for young children with visual impairments, their families, and parents with visual impairments.

He built partnerships with professionals, artists, and researchers. In 1996, he established a workshop, employing individuals re-integrating into the work force following incarceration.? In 2000, Claudet organized professionals from four countries to conduct the first international tactile book competition: the final level of the 2017 competition included 61 books from 16 countries.

In 2011 Claudet presented to staff at APH. Recognizing the quality of the LDQR books, APH saw the need to offer the books through Quota funds. Seven years later, those efforts resulted in a number of award-winning tactile books. Seven titles have been made available through collaboration between APH and LDQR staff to select, translate, and transcribe books, pass international safety tests, and clear U.S. Customs inspection to be shipped to APH's docks.

Hollywood Comes Together to Support October Event Celebrating People with Different Abilities

Hollywood heavyweights including NBCUniversal, CBS, Walt Disney Studios, 21st Century Fox, SAG — AFTRA and more have joined the impressive list of sponsors for ReelAbilities Film Festival: Los Angeles 2018, taking place October 11-14, 2018 at venues across the city. Additional newly added sponsors include LA City Council President Herb Wesson and Councilmember Gilbert Cedillo, Harvard Westlake School, Familia Unida, and Respectability.

Coming to Los Angeles for the first time, ReelAbilities Film Festival is the largest festival in the United States dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories, and artistic expressions of people with different abilities. Previously announced sponsors include the Writers Guild of America, Laemmle Theatres, The Ruderman Family Foundation, Mindful Capital Group/Jeffrey Pechter Family Foundation,?USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center, Los Angeles LGBT Center, JCC Manhattan, and the Dobkin Family Foundation.

"Hearing stories from people with diverse backgrounds is a privilege that inspires us to broaden our thinking about the world around us," said Mayor Eric Garcetti. "The ReelAbilities Film Festival reminds us that every individual — no matter their ability or circumstance ? has a story worth celebrating."

The four-day festival will showcase new and classic films, conversations, and artistic programs, with 16 shorts and six features celebrating more than 13 different physical and intellectual disabilities and hailing from six different countries.

"Universal is proud to partner with ReelAbilities in their efforts to drive awareness and create access for talent with disabilities in all areas of production," said Janine Jones-Clark, SVP, Global Talent Development & Inclusion, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group.? "There couldn't be a more opportune time for ReelAbilities to bring their film festival to Los Angeles, as our studio, and the industry at large, are looking for exciting opportunities to discover and collaborate with artists from this rich pool of talent."

"CBS Entertainment Diversity & Inclusion is thrilled to be partnering with ReelAbilities to celebrate the important platform they provide for talented artists to showcase their stories to the world. The access and opportunity that this festival offers is vital in ensuring inclusivity for all artists with different abilities," said Tiffany Smith-Anoa'i, Executive Vice President, Entertainment Diversity, Inclusion and Communications, CBS Entertainment.

ReelAbilities Film Festival: Los Angeles 2018 will open with Chlo? Zhao's THE RIDER on October 11, and will close on October 14 with Len Collin's SANCTUARY. The festival will also host an October 12 special screening of HOW SWEET THE SOUND: THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA. Hungary's 2016 Oscar submission for Best Foreign Film and wildly original dark comedy KILLS ON WHEELS will screen on October 13.

Founded more than ten years ago in New York City and now held annually in multiple cities throughout North America, the festival presents international and award-winning films by and about people with disabilities in multiple locations throughout each hosting city. Post-screening discussions and other engaging programs bring together the community to explore, discuss, embrace, and celebrate the diversity of our shared human experience.

Tickets and Passes

Tickets and Passes will go on sale early September. For more information please visit http://reelabilities.org/losangeles or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @ReelAbilitiesLA.

About REELABILITIES

ReelAbilities Film Festival was initiated in New York at the JCC Manhattan in 2007, founded by Anita Altman and Isaac Zablocki. The festival was the first of its kind to present a series of award-winning films by, about and for people with disabilities. As the festival progressed, screenings continued to take place at multiple venues across the city and all films are followed by discussions that engage the community in promoting inclusion and celebrating diversity, while providing accessible conditions to match the different needs of our multi-layered society.

VFO Announces Change of Name and New Headquarters Location

VFO, the parent company of such assistive technology companies as Freedom Scientific and the Paciello Group, announced a change of name to Vispero. The company saught to choose a name that better reflected its work and vision. The name is a combination of two different Latin words, Visio and Spero. Visio means "Vision" and Spero means "Hope".

In addition, the company announced it will be moving its U.S. headquarters to Clearwater Florida. With an increasing number of staff, the company needed a larger space and will now be located in a more modern office which is more conducive to a collaborative, team driven workplace. Full details on these changes can be found here.