Editor's Note: This is the first in a multi-part series of articles that will describe and evaluate the accessibility of streaming entertainment devices and associated services. For these reviews, hardware and software provided by the services was used to access several popular entertainment channels. The evaluation includes the accessibility of the services and devices themselves, as well as audio description offerings for the channels used in the tests.

Roku is a popular streaming service that offers several hardware devices you can connect to a television, and even Roku-branded TVs with the Roku software built in. When the Roku hardware is connected, or a Roku TV turned on, you interact with a Roku interface that features channels for many popular entertainment services. You can use a provided Roku remote, or the Roku mobile app to control the device and some Roku devices support voice search. Roku includes a spoken interface called Audio Guide, which you enable by pressing the remote's star (*) button four times in quick succession.

Roku Hardware

Roku sells streaming sticks that connect directly to an HDMI port on your TV or entertainment system, as well as players (small boxes) that you can connect to a TV via an HDMI cable. All Roku devices include Wi-Fi, or you can connect a Roku player to Ethernet. Some devices support 4K video; you can save some money if you don't need a high-resolution picture. Each device comes with a small remote that has easy-to-use tactile buttons. Most Roku sticks and players support voice search, but the Roku Express and the Express+ (which connect to older TVs via composite cabling) do not. Some Roku-enabled TVs also do not support voice search. Before you choose a Roku device, be sure it includes voice search support if that's important to you. All current Roku devices support the Audio Guide screen reader, though Rokus with older software do not. Roku Streaming Stick, Roku Streaming Stick+, Roku Express, Roku Express+, Roku Premiere, Roku Premiere+, Roku Ultra, and Roku TV all include the Audio Guide.

Roku remotes fit in the palm of your hand. All buttons are fully tactile, and all remotes, though the number of buttons varies slightly by device, are laid out in a similar way. At the top is a Power button. On the next row, you'll find Back and Home buttons. Below is a set of directional controls, with an OK button in the center. Next come buttons for refreshing the device, and the Star button, which is used in channel setup, and to enable/disable the audio guide feature. If your device supports voice search, the button to activate it is located in this area. Below are buttons for Rewind, Play and Fast Forward. At the bottom of the remote are buttons mapped to popular channels like Netflix, Amazon Video, and others. On the side of the remote are up and down Volume buttons, and a Mute button.

Roku Setup and Configuration

I used a Roku Streaming Stick for this review. I also have a TCL Roku television, which I will refer to in cases where its behavior differs from that of the Streaming Stick.

When you unbox a new Roku device, first connected it to your TV or to a receiver or other device with an HDMI input. You can get a free HDMI extender cable from Roku if you need one. You'll also need to connect the device to power.

To configure your device with Audio Guide speech, press the star button on the remote four times in quick succession. Be sure the correct input on your TV or entertainment system is selected, so you will be able to hear Roku's speech through your speakers or TV.

Like most electronics setup interfaces, Roku walks you through the process with a series of screens, each of which includes menus or an onscreen keyboard. You'll first need to set the language you want, which will also set the language used by Audio Guide.

Next, choose your wireless network. When I moved to the Password screen for my Wi-Fi network, Audio Guide stopped speaking, so I wasn't able to use the onscreen keyboard with speech. This seems to have been a glitch, though a very inconvenient one. Next, Roku looked for a software update, analyzed my HDMI connection, and asked me to calibrate the remote by pointing it at the Roku device. The HDMI analysis resulted in a circular process that I couldn't exit by following Audio Guide directions. Sighted assistance was needed to locate the button that exited that screen.

Next, you'll need a computer or mobile device to authenticate the Roku device and to create or log into a Roku account. I created a Roku account using my computer. That's probably the easiest way to get started for a new Roku user. Then, all you have to do is authenticate your device to the account you already have.

When you get to the authentication step, Audio Guide will read the needed URL and the authentication code. The authentication site includes a CAPTCHA with an audio option. I used an iPad with VoiceOver to work in the browser, but when I attempted to use the audio version of the CAPTCHA, it wasn't possible to complete the step until I turned VoiceOver off and back on.

When you've finished setup, Roku presents a grid of channels. The device adds several popular ones to the screen, plus any you have associated with your account already. You can, of course, move and remove channels. Next to the channel grid is a menu of options. You can search for movies or shows, add more channels, and open Settings, among other things. Use the remote's navigation buttons to move through the grid and menu. Audio Guide reads everything on the main Roku screen.

Adding Channels to a Roku Device

With Roku set up, you can search for and add channels using Audio Guide. You can also connect to your Roku account from the company's website and manage your channels from there. Either way, channels you add to one Roku device will be available on any other Rokus associated with your account.

Navigate to a channel and press the OK button to open it. The accessibility of individual channels depends on the content developer, as you'll see later in this article. Same goes for signing into accounts for streaming services. Some channels are accessible, some are not.

You can get around potential issues connecting channels to your accounts by adding accounts via the Roku website. This won't help if the channel itself, like Hulu, is largely inaccessible with Audio Guide.

To remove an unused channel from the device, press the star button on the remote to reach a menu of options.

Roku Navigation and Search

The left side of the Roku screen consists of a menu of options that organize programming not by channel, but by category. You can search (by voice or onscreen) for movies, shows, actors, or directors. A feature called My Feed allows you to add favorite shows and get updates when new episodes come out, or when a program becomes available on a service you use. Everything in the menus is accessible via Audio Guide. If your Roku supports voice search you can press a button on the remote, or in the Roku mobile app, then speak your request. Roku will return the items that match, and you can navigate to the one you want. Audio Guide will read search results. At that point, Roku will show you which service or services offer the program you've chosen, and what it will cost you to buy or rent it. Then Roku takes you to the channel app for the service, and your accessibility experience will be dependent on the app developer.

To search by voice, you'll need to hold the button down as you speak. In my tests, Roku sometimes had difficulty hearing my requests, even though I spoke clearly and held the remote near my face. Activating voice search with Audio Guide turned on also meant that I needed to wait until Audio Guide had finished speaking before issuing my search request, or the device would not hear or understand my speech.

The Roku Audio Guide

As mentioned earlier, Audio Guide is available throughout the Roku interface, by which I mean the home screen, and any features that are not a part of individual channels. Channel vendors have done a varyingly good job of implementing speech within their channel apps. But just being available may not be enough.

Audio Guide itself is quite limited. There's only one voice available (my Roku Streaming Stick has a robotic female voice; my TCL Roku TV has a robotic male voice) and there are four speech rate settings. The voices are indistinct at low or moderate volume, especially when compared with voices supplied by other streaming providers. On the TV, volume for Audio Guide speech can be Low, Medium, or High. And that's it for Audio Guide customization.

Low Vision Considerations

Roku's interface, both during the install process and on the home screen, features light text over a dark background. The background uses gradients, which means that contrast is lower in some areas of the screen than others. That's particularly noticeable during the set-up process. The text is fairly large, but it's not possible to adjust its size.

You can choose one of many themes for your Roku home screen, meaning that the background can feature images or a color. On my Roku TV, the device sometimes overrides my theme choice on holidays. It's festive, but not low-vision friendly.

Popular Services and Roku

In each article in this series, we will evaluate the accessibility of popular entertainment services on the platform being discussed. We'll look at Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and ESPN.

The Netflix app, which has its own shortcut key on the remotes for both the Roku Streaming Stick and TCL TV, fully supports Audio Guide, and you can turn Netflix audio description on or off. Netflix support for the Roku Audio Guide is the best available in any app I tested. Audio Guide reads and counts buttons as well as program synopses. When you're watching a show, navigation controls are fully accessible, too.

Like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video's channel is accessible with Audio Guide. And because the Prime Video channel gives you access to channels from other vendors that are available to Prime Video users, this Roku channel is more like a full-on service than a single source of content. It's possible that you'll find that channels that aren't accessible directly via Roku can be viewed from within the Prime Video app and navigated with Audio Guide.

YouTube has its own Roku channel, from which you can watch videos uploaded to the service or subscribe to YouTube Red, a paid service that includes lots of TV shows. Audio Guide does not speak any navigation or content elements in the YouTube channel.

Our fourth channel spotlight is ESPN, the sports network. ESPN is partially accessible to Audio Guide. You can navigate through features programs and even play them, but you won't hear the channel's menu items or be able to authenticate your device without assistance, since nothing on the authentication screen is spoken.

The Bottom Line

Roku's primary advantages are low cost and variety of content. You can get a Roku stick for as little as $30. In addition to channels for leading services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, HBO, Google Play and others, Roku has its own channel, with lots of movies and TV shows you can stream. This programming includes ads, but it's free to watch. You'll also find channels from lesser-known, and non-commercial services that include Described and Captioned Media Programs (DCMP).

As described earlier, though, Audio Guide is a poor screen reader that isn't supported by all of the apps you might want to use, so Roku is not a great primary entertainment choice for people with blindness or low vision.

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.

Related articles:

• Podcasts to Go: How to Play Podcasts on your iOS Device, by Janet Ingber
• Amazon Echo: Toy or Tool?, by Jamie Pauls

More by this author:

• Connectivity with Compromise: A Review of LVI's MagniLink Zip Portable Video Magnifier
• CSUN 2018 Heralds The Year of Wearables—Unless It Doesn't

The October Windows 10 Update has arrived, and if you've installed it, you may have noticed some significant changes to Narrator, the operating system's built-in screen reader. The changes start with the keystroke used to toggle Narrator off and on. It's now Windows + Control + Enter instead of simply Windows + Enter. Narrator also allows you to use your choice of the previous Caps Lock Narrator modifier key, or the Insert key, which is more in line with other Windows screen readers. Indeed, with this latest version of Narrator Microsoft has taken a giant step forward toward offering a full-function, built-in screen reader. We'll take a look at some of the new features and capabilities later in this article, but first, let's take a quick look back.

Narrator, Yesterday

Narrator first appeared in Windows 2000, and for users, it remained more or less the same through Windows Millennium and XP. Microsoft Sam was the speech engine, and, well, let's just say it left much to be desired. Back then you could not use Narrator to install Windows. Indeed, there was very little productive work you could accomplish using this basic screen reader.

"The initial release of Narrator was intended mostly to aid users to independently install a third-party screen reader, or to get back up and running after the main screen reader crashed," says Brett Humphrey, Senior Program Manager of Microsoft's Accessibility Team.

The first significant changes to Narrator occurred in Windows 7. SAPI 5 voices were included. It was also the first version to begin providing at least some information to Narrator and other screen readers via UI Automation instead of Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA.).

MSAA is an application programming interface (API) designed to help screen readers and other Assistive Technology products access, identify, and manipulate an application's UI elements, such as buttons, checkboxes, and other controls. Unfortunately, over the years MSAA became a technological laggard.

"MSAA could tell a screen reader basic things, like 'Hi, I'm a button,' but not much more," says Humphrey. "These days buttons may expand and collapse, or open a list of options. Nor does MSAA allow you to deeply investigate Rich Text attributes, such as when bold face or underlining begins or ends, or detect those squiggly lines that indicate a spelling or grammar error."

Screen reader developers had to find new and innovative ways to detect these screen elements. But starting with Windows 7 it was also possible to get some of the information using UI Automation—a next-level accessibility API, which was not only more accurate than MSAA, but faster as well."

By Windows 8 Microsoft had more or less rebuilt the entire core of Narrator. It also added Narrator touch commands. You may recall that at this point there was an effort by Microsoft to put Windows on different platforms, including ARM-based tablets, so they needed a functioning screen reader since most third-party offerings were not Windows Store capable. Remember Surface RT, anyone?

Narrator, Today

Now, with Windows 10, and most specifically the October 2018 Update, Narrator has taken a large step toward becoming a full-fledged screen reader. We've already mentioned the new hotkey on/off toggle (Windows + Control + Enter)—apparently this change came about because too many people were pressing Windows + Enter by accident and then panicking when they couldn't get their computers to stop speaking—as well as the addition of the Insert key as a Narrator modifier. A few of the other basic improvements include the following:

• An interactive quick start tutorial that launches automatically the first time you run Narrator.
• A built-in user guide you can access anytime via the General Narrator settings tab.
• The ability to set faster possible speeds for the Microsoft David, Mark, and Zira SAPI 5 voices.
• The ability to issue Narrator commands using the numerical keypad.

Narrator also includes a revamped keyboard layout and some new voice commands. Of course you can always choose to continue using the legacy keyboard layout, and you can change any of the speech or screen navigation hotkeys to suit your individual needs.

Narrator's scan mode, which is similar to the JAWS and NVDA Browse mode, has been updated. "Along with the ability to run voices at a faster rate, one of our number one feature requests was for fast navigation keys, such as 'h' for headings and 'I' for next item," says Humphrey. (Note: You can see a full list of quick navigation and other Narrator commands by starting Narrator and pressing the Narrator modifier key and F1.)

To Humphrey, improvements to Narrator's scan mode are among the most significant changes in this release of Narrator. "With scan mode turned on, it's possible for a brand new accessible computer user to use the Tab and Arrow keys to accomplish nearly everything he or she wishes to do on a website, or in most other Windows applications."

One last feature of the current Narrator was actually released a year ago—the ability to recognize images. Microsoft used what it learned from its iPhone app, Seeing AI, and its AI Cognitive Services team to identify and describe as many graphics as possible as you move down a webpage or document. It's not perfect yet, and you need to be running Narrator for it to work. This is another reason to learn more about Narrator, even if it isn't your primary screen reader.

Narrator, Tomorrow

There is still a lot of work to be done to make Narrator a better screen reader, and the work begins with the Edge browser. "We needed to create a secure browser, and unfortunately, a lot of things we did caused not only Narrator, but other screen readers as well to break," says Humphrey. "Much of our API appear as viruses to the Edge browser. So did a lot of the workarounds screen reader developers used to report information not available in our APIs."

UI Automation enables Narrator to offer a much-improved Edge experience, and according to Humphrey, "Microsoft is working hand in-hand with third party developers to share and improve these tools."

Finer grained verbosity controls are also on the agenda. Excel, for example, is so verbose many users report they cannot use Narrator to work with it productively. Placing the formula to offer the time in Cell A1, for example, results in Narrator speaking: "A1 selected, editable, eleven forty nine, column header capital A, column 2 of 9, contains formula, cell." The "column 2 of 9" is a complete mystery since no block of cells was selected.

"It's a balancing act," notes Humphrey. "Right now we're working on stability, speed and accuracy. Also, at least for now our primary focus is on the brand new speech user, since those who are already using speech are likely well-practiced with one of the current third-party offerings. That is, however, one of the reasons we've changed our keyboard layout—so long time users can more easily transfer their many years of keyboard command muscle memory to Narrator."

Under the leadership of CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft's stated mission is "to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more." These new improvements to Narrator seem to be a substantial step in that direction. And now that Windows is on a twice yearly update schedule, it won't take long to learn just how committed it is to the journey.

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.

Related Articles:

• The Current State of Windows Narrator: One User's Perspective, by Jamie Pauls
• Feel This: The Current State of Braille with the Windows Narrator Screen Reader, by Scott Davert

More by this author:

• Accessible Dictation with Open Source DictationBridge
• Project Ray: It's a Feature Phone—No, It's a Smartphone!

It's that time of year again, the time when even though your friends and family might say that no gifts are necessary, you find you are just hard-wired to think about giving gifts to those closest to you—and sometimes even to yourself. My goal this year was to find unique gift ideas to share with AccessWorld readers, while also paying special attention to a few small business owners who are themselves blind or visually impaired. What follows is an eclectic mix of items and services offering something of interest to everyone on your list.

Headphones

My Favorite Thing: SleepPhones

If I have one favorite item in this year's gift guide it would have to be the SleepPhones from AcousticSheep.

When you want to listen to your book, your music, your podcast or even a favorite movie or TV show while falling asleep and without disturbing anyone else, traditional earbuds and headphones aren't ideal. They dig into your ear or your head and fall far short of bringing you to dreamland. The latest iteration of SleepPhones from AcousticSheep, the Effortless, have flat Bluetooth speakers inside a soft headband that allows you to listen or sleep in comfort.

SleepPhones are available in a variety of colors in either lightweight "breeze" fabric or, for added warmth, fleece. They come housed in an attractive tin, along with easy to follow printed instructions and AC adapter. Inside the headband are the two flat speakers and the controller, also flat, with just three buttons: power,, volume up, and volume down. To charge the unit, simply place it on the provided charger with cords aligned.

In addition to a comfortable night's rest, SleepPhones will also be welcomed by those who meditate or travel.

The SleepPhones Effortless retails for $149.95 and can be purchased directly here. Until December 31, apply discount code ACCESSWORLD10 for a 10 percent discount on all SleepPhones products found here.

Flips Headphones and Speakers

Another set of headphones that will have special appeal for AccessWorld readers are the Flips Audio Bluetooth Headphones that transform into speakers. Worn on your head, these stereo headphones deliver superb sound to you and you alone. Flip the headphone cups up and rest them on your shoulders (or a nearby table) for an instant boombox delivering sound to everyone around you. $39.95 from Amazon at the time of writing.

Listening and Learning

Alexa-equipped Devices

The smart speaker craze has spread far and wide and continues to be a welcome gift. Buy a new Echo Dot for $50, an older version for $40, or taller, more resonant versions with or without video capabilities ranging from $129 to $249. With any of the Amazon Echo products, you can ask voice assistant Alexa for the weather, the TV schedule, the age of your favorite author, encyclopedic information on just about any given topic, and countless other bits of information. You can play music, listen to podcasts, or listen to thousands of radio stations. And those Alexa capabilities are available in other products as well. For example, the new Bose QC35 headset, $349, delivers that Bose quality sound with hands-free Alexa built in.

For those who love streaming TV shows and movies, the Fire Cube combines such Alexa skills as playing radio stations and podcasts along with shows through subscription-based streaming TV services, all with just your voice. Fire tablets, starting at $50, are also now equipped with the popular voice assistant as well as the ability to play your favorite music, audio books, podcasts, and more.

Other Voice Assistants

Of course, Amazon isn't the only maker of a popular voice assistant. Google and Apple are in the game as well, with one of the best deals around being the Google Home Mini. With arguably better sound than its Echo Dot competitor, the Google Mini speaks in a clear male voice, and is offered as a premium for a variety of other purchases. At this writing, for example, Best Buy is offering a four-pack of Tile Bluetooth trackers for $34.99 with a Google Home Mini thrown in for free.

Reading and Writing

Adaptive Information Systems has some high-end blindness products available for discounted prices. Sales include the Victor Reader Trek at $559, the second generation Victor Reader Stream at $349, the Brailliant BI-14 braille display at $875, and the Prodigi portable CCTV at $2,700. All products include free shipping and braille or print documentation upon request. Order from Adaptive Information Systems, Inc., email the company, or call 608-758-0933.

Getting Organized

Tile Trackers

Speaking of those Tile trackers, they make a fabulous gift for anyone who ever has a moment's hesitation locating items. Attach a Tile to your car keys, white cane, smart phone, brief case, or guide dog, and use the accompanying app to locate the desired item anywhere. Once you or your loved one is out the door, here are some other gift ideas.

Organizing Your Gear

For carrying smaller tech items such as smart phones, GPS devices, or even non-tech items like credit cards and cash, Guidelights and Gadgets offers affordable and lovely leather pouches with multiple zip pockets. Choose the Leather Four Pocket Adjustable Neck Pouch, perfect for smart phones and other small items at $16, or the Leather Carry-all 6 inch by 9 inch organizer with 8 separate compartments, to hold even a braille display along with phone, wallet, and other items, with two straps, $42. (Get 10 percent off with code AW18.) Order by email or by calling 617-969-7500.

Charging Solutions

I'm not talking about credit card charging, but the constant need to keep all those portable devices we carry with us everywhere powered up and running. Blind or sighted, most people have portable devices that need charging. Smart phones, headsets, portable speakers, GPS devices, and even hearing aid accessories and glucose monitors—if we are on the move, keeping essential tools happily fueled matters. We all know the experience of one of these essential tools losing power when needed most.

Power Banks

The Accessible 15,000 mAH power bank from the Harbolt Company, is a sleek device with a single button and two USB charging ports. Press the button to receive vibrations, tones, or both to indicate the level of power remaining in the unit. Available from the Harbolt Company, $74.99 (10 percent discount with code Access10 till January 1, 2019). Order by email or call 405-633-2572.

With a bit less power, 10,000 mAH, but half the size, is the iWalk Talking Power Bank, from Guidelights and Gadgets. The Talking Power Bank is especially compact and has its own built-in tiny cables, one lightning connector and one micro USB. Its entertaining messages, delivered in a clear female voice, indicate that the unit is ready and/or how long recharging the unit itself will require.

A quick charge chip makes getting your smartphone or other device back up to power a snap. $70 (use code AW18 for free shipping and a 10 percent discount). Order by emailing the company or by calling 617-969-7500.

Magnetic Cables

Using a magnetic cable can save the wear and tear on frequently accessed lightning or USB ports. Buy a 5-foot magnetic cable, used for powering lightning or micro USB devices, and plug its accompanying tips permanently into the ports of the two devices you charge most frequently. $29.99 (10 percent off with code Access10 until January 1, 2019) from Harbolt Company.

Gifts for Kids and Pets

Amazon has an Echo for Kids, $69, that includes 300 books from Audible, Disney Radio, and the usual assortment of trivia and games.

For popular children's books featuring both print and braille, visit the bookstore at National Braille Press. From board books like Dr. Seuss's Hop On Pop to a bilingual (English and Spanish) edition of Are You My Mother? and dozens of other titles for children of all ages, books are fun for blind children or for their braille-reading grown-ups to read to them. Also great gifts from NBP are the braille magnetic alphabet and numbers sets ($9.95), and the book of tactile mazes (Amazing Mazes, $17). Order online or call 800-548-7323 Ext. 520.

And for those canine children, Guidelights and Gadgets has dog toys ranging in price from $6 to $35 and useful items for travel. Every dog owner will appreciate a collapsible water bowl, 2-cup, 3-cup, or 5-cup capacity ($12 to $20), or a handy Furlifter for removing dog hair from those hard to reach places, $15. (Remember code AW18 for ten percent discount and free shipping.)

We hope this guide gets you moving in the right direction for this holiday season, and remember that the gift of your own time is appreciated by everyone within your personal circle and beyond!

Websites for Sources

Adaptive Information Systems, Inc.,
Amazon,
Best Buy,
Guidelights and Gadgets,
Harbolt Company,
National Braille Press,
SleepPhones.

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.

Related articles:

• AccessWorld's 2017 Online Shopping Guide, by Janet Ingber
• More Holiday Gift Ideas for People with Visual Impairments, by Deborah Kendrick

More by this author:

• Holiday Gift Guide: Unique and Affordable Gifts for People with Visual Impairments
• Not Yet the Holy Grail: A Review of the ElBraille from VFO

Dear AccessWorld readers,

Last month, AccessWorld celebrated Disability Employment Awareness Month by providing information about employment resources, strategies, and insider perspectives. We also told you about AFB's major upcoming initiatives to positively impact employment opportunities for people with vision loss. Good job search strategies and resources are important all year long, so I encourage you to look back at the October issue by visiting the AccessWorld Back Issues page, and review for yourself, or forward information to anyone you know who may be looking for employment or for better employment opportunities in the coming year.

As you know, there is now a chill in the air, and the days of fall are well upon us. It's time to start thinking about the holiday gift-giving season. Ready or not, the shopping season is just around the corner. I know some of you have already started shopping, and the AccessWorld team wants you to be ready with information about accessible shopping options and gift ideas for yourself or those in your life who experience vision loss.

In this November's issue, Deborah Kendrick unveils this season's top gift ideas in the 2018 AccessWorld Gift Guide, which contains promotional discount codes for AccessWorld readers. To continue the gift-buying, holiday theme, next month, Janet Ingber will provide information, advice, and tips to get the most from holiday shopping using the Target and Amazon mobile apps. Be sure to check back in December for Janet's article. As Janet will relay in her article, apps can, at times, provide a more streamlined, less cluttered, and therefore more accessible shopping experience than can be found on a retailer's full website.

While this is an exciting time of year, shopping can be especially challenging for people who are blind or visually impaired. As readers of AccessWorld can fully understand, with every update to a website or app, accessibility and usability can be greatly improved or hampered.

Despite the huge increase in the overall awareness of accessibility issues, despite the efforts of all blindness groups, despite legislation, and despite lawsuits that have been filed and won against retailers, many still fail to offer fully accessible electronic shopping options for people with vision loss.

Today there are many companies and organizations, including the American Foundation for the Blind, who have consulting services solely dedicated to assisting companies of all types and sizes develop and maintain accessible websites and apps. These consulting services also lend themselves to the remediation of inaccessible sites and apps, which can help them become more compliant with accessible design principles and best practices.

I am not sure how multimillion dollar and multibillion dollar retailers continue to justify the inaccessibility of their electronic presences. Is it just too difficult? Is it just too time consuming? Is it just too expensive? Brick and mortar stores are built to stringent, complex, plumbing, electrical, and structural codes, and architects design for access by people who use wheelchairs, scooters, and strollers. Ramps, elevators and escalators are installed to accommodate people who are not easily able to climb stairs, yet the same stores often turn a blind eye, so to speak, on the designs needed by people who experience vision loss and want to shop online and by app.

An estimated 25 million Americans experience vision loss to the point where they find it difficult to read standard-size print, even with best correction from surgery, glasses, or contact lenses. These 25 million Americans purchase goods and services, and more would likely purchase them electronically if that choice were more readily available.

The obviously available choice is for retailers to design with full inclusion in mind. There is no reason for retail websites or apps to be inaccessible to people who use access technology. Design guidelines and consultants with expertise are available and ready to make accessibility a reality, if retailers choose to take the initiative.

If you have a favorite accessible online shopping website or mobile app you would like to share with fellow AccessWorld readers, please write to us and let us know. We may share your suggestions in the December Letters to the Editor section of AccessWorld.

The AccessWorld team hopes this issue and December's issue help you find just the right holiday gifts for you and your family and friends with vision loss.

We wish you and yours health, happiness, peace, and prosperity as we enter the holiday season.

As Helen Keller once said, "Peace and prosperity will come when we realize, and incorporate into our lives, the truth that we live by each other and for each other and not unto ourselves."

Sincerely,

Lee Huffman
AccessWorld Editor-in-Chief
American Foundation for the Blind

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This message is in response to Jamie Pauls' August 2018 article, An Evaluation of OrCam MyEye 2.0.

Wonderful—now rationalize to me how a retired, blind woman could possibly afford the ridiculously inflated price. Millions of disabled will get left in the dark, as usual.

Greedy!

Kerry

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This message is in reference to Scott Davert's January 2018 article, A Big Compromise in Price with a Small Compromise in Features: a Review of the Orbit Reader 20 from American Printing House for the Blind.

I found this article very interesting. One suggestion I'd like to offer is that some explanation of terminology be given. For example, what does the term "panning" mean? Not everyone who reads articles in this magazine will have the knowledge base you and others do about the use of braille devices.

Agnes Ferris

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This message is in reference to Aaron Preece's October 2018 article, Faster Typing on iOS with the FlickType Keyboard: An Evaluation and Overview.

First, all the writers for AccessWorld deserve much credit, because writing how to use something like a keyboard must be among the hardest kind of writing to perform. I can't tell you how many times I have to repeat sentences, because my old brain says, "what?" with quite an extended question mark. It's me, I know it is, but I'm still wondering, within the app versus what? Versus system-wide? The advantage of paying I'm afraid I don't get. It's okay, I'll read the article some more and it does sound like a promising way to input to the phone. You know what though, I really need to wood shed with braille input; I think that holds the key to my being able to leave my Bluetooth QWERTY keyboard at home.

Mike Cole

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

My name is Carey McWilliams, and I am the author of "A Shooting Guide for the Blind," out now on Amazon and other online venues. It is available in print and eBook formats. I have been completely blind since age ten due to domestic violence. Despite this, I have obtained over 30 years of documented firearms training from some of the most recognized authorities in the field, namely The National Rifle Association, law enforcement, and, incredibly, even the United States Army.

I see gun rights for blind Americans as an issue of civil rights. I have volunteered to mentor several shooters, both blind and sighted, for hunting, target shooting, and even self-defense at home or on the street. In so doing, I have found a great deal of misinformation out there about blind Americans and their access to the Second Amendment, with public safety being used as a club to beat down the rights of the blind, even though there isn't really any verifiable data to support such a prohibition.

For over 18 years, I have carried [a firearm] in most of the nation with my current crop of five state-issued concealed carry permits. In fact, my most recent North Dakota concealed carry permit is an upgrade, which is currently recognized in 40 states, the maximum allowed with reciprocity. The story behind that advanced license is that, last spring, I passed new testing requirements put in place in 2005 by my state's government after I made national and international news by passing the old system like everyone else in October 2000. Those government officials then claimed that the old system was too easy if a blind person could pass it. The new permit even allows me to carry my loaded gun in Minnesota where my completed application for a gun permit was denied by a sheriff under reelection.

The judge up held the denial, stating the American's with Disabilities Act, a federal law, did not apply. I guess Minnesota can tell Washington DC its laws aren't good, although I always thought federal superseded state law. In that 2006 case, I was forced to represent myself in court due to the unwillingness of different organizations to aid me in contesting the clearly discriminatory denial of my completed permit application. This however is not new, as the judge in his ruling acknowledged that I could carry anyway with a second permit I obtained during the class for Minnesota. Since then, I have carried in that state for over a decade now between two different permits with no problems, proving the issue was one of equal rights under the Constitution and not a matter of public safety, as some thought.

And so I have taken this knowledge along with photocopies of long disputed firearms training certification and I am attempting to bridge the gap and promote safety through my work. Gaining and maintaining the public's trust requires education and that is what my book and work is all about. Like I say, I know what it is like to have your freedoms under fire. Only by confronting the subject and turning words into deeds can we hope to keep our rights.

Carey McWilliams

Announcing the 2019 AFB Leadership Conference

February 28–March 1, Crystal Gateway Marriott

The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is pleased to present the 2019 Leadership Conference, which will cover the most pressing and relevant topics in the field of blindness and offer many opportunities to learn from the best and brightest minds in our field, make new connections, and reunite with old friends.

Held annually, AFBLC attracts established and emerging leaders in the blindness field. Conference attendees include technology experts, corporate representatives, university professors, and researchers. They come from diverse organizations and institutions spanning the public and private sectors.

The conference will have five primary areas of focus, including leadership, aging and visual impairment, education, technology, and employment. We are pleased that the National Rehabilitation and Training Center on blindness and Low Vision at Mississippi State University will hold its State-of-the-Science conference during AFBLC, presenting research findings on important aspects of employment and visual impairment. An exciting program is being finalized and will be released soon, so please check back with the conference page for updates.

The 2018 AFBLC attracted approximately 400 attendees from 40 states and four countries.

Attendees will receive a special group rate of $195/night at the Crystal Gateway Marriott. Reserve online through our dedicated reservations page. If you prefer to speak with a reservations specialist, please call 888-236-2427 and reference our conference to get the group rate.

If you are interested in sponsorship, advertising, or exhibiting opportunities, please contact Amanda Kolling directly.

Deadline Approaching to Submit for Envision Conference East

Submissions are now being accepted for Envision Conference East and West 2019, presentations in Clinical Education courses and Research Abstracts.

First, select a conference: Choose Envision Conference East, Envision Conference West, or if you want to be considered to present at both locations, choose All Conferences

The deadline to submit for Envision Conference East is November 30, 2018.

The deadline to submit for Envision Conference West is June 30, 2019.

Help address current practice gaps in standards of low vision rehabilitation patient care, through clinical education or breaking research. Envision wants to hear the challenges you've faced, solutions that have worked for you or innovative research proposals.

The program committee is placing an emphasis on Intermediate and Advanced instruction level submissions.

The Envision Conference planning committee is looking for Submissions in multidisciplinary educational programming and research, including the following:

• Opportunities to build collaborations between low vision researchers, practitioners, educators and health care organizations.
• Co-management models of interdisciplinary care.
• Pediatric vision loss and rehabilitation.
• Neuro-visual deficits.
• Applied research in areas of assistive technology, clinical practice outcomes measures and vocational accessibility and outcomes.
• Facilitating national and international exchanges of vision rehabilitation information among individuals, groups and institutions.
• Patient communication and dual sensory loss.
• Developing strategies for strengthening the role of low vision on the public health agenda.
• Addressing disparities in access to low vision care.
• Identifying practice gaps in low vision care delivery methods.
• Providing opportunities and training to address national eye health epidemics (e.g. diabetes and diabetic retinopathy; glaucoma; macular degeneration).

Multiple submissions, in both categories of Clinical Education and Research Abstracts, by a single author or multiple authors are accepted. For more information visit the Submissions page.

Envision Conference East will be held March 22–23, 2019, at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama:

Envision Conference West will be held October 5–6, 2019, at Western University of Health Sciences' College of Optometry, Pomona, California.

National Braille Press Announces Opening of Submissions for Touch of Genius Prize

The National Braille Press's Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation is now accepting entries. The Touch of Genius Prize was developed to inspire entrepreneurs, educators, or inventors to continue the promotion of braille and tactile literacy for blind and deafblind people worldwide. This prize can be granted for innovative and accessible computer software, Android applications, iOS applications, or tactile hardware that promotes braille and/or tactile literacy. NBP encourages all applicants to think outside the box to what can be used to help improve the lives of blind people.

The winner of this prize will receive up to $20,000, which will help them to continue to innovate in the fields of technology and education for blind people. Frank Gibney and the Gibney Family Foundation, helped fund and establish this award in 2007, inspiring people to go beyond what was thought possible.

The deadline to apply is January 11, 2019. Full application details and more information can be found at the National Braille Press website.

Flying Blind Newsletter Changes Format, Improves Navigation

Flying Blind, the weekly access technology publication, recently changed its format to make navigation more efficient for screen reader users. If you haven't read Flying Blind or haven't read it for a while, check out Flying Blind's new format and sign up on its mailing list.

Dolphin Announces Guide Reader Pod and Software

Dolphin has announced Guide Reader, a more simple system used for downloading and reading digital books, newspapers, and magazines for people with visual impairments. Guide reader is produced in two forms: Guide Reader Pod, which is a stand-alone device and Guide Reader Software, which operates on a Windows computer. The Guide Reader Pod is a small cube, four inches on a side, and can be connected to either a television or to computer speakers alone. In the U.S., material from Bookshare, the National Library Service (NLS), and NFB Newsline are available. The Guide Reader Pod and Software use a TV-like remote for navigating the interface. The product has been designed to be easy to use and a help button is available to assist users if they need guidance. It is also possible to adjust color/contrast as well as make adjustments to the voice used to read menus and materials. Guide Reader Pod retails for $465 while Guide Reader Software retails for $280. Visit the Guide Reader site for more information.

Every year Apple releases a new version of its mobile operating system for iPhones and iPads. For the last six years, Jonathan Mosen has published a series of books entitled iOS Without the Eye that highlights the new features and changes to the iOS operating system. With this year's release of iOS 12, Mosen once again delivers by releasing a new title to coincide with the latest operating system from Apple.

Unlike previous releases of iOS, Apple did not introduce a ton of new features with iOS12, but rather focused on stability improvements and evolutionary changes to the user experience. I took a look at iOS 12 Without the Eye to see what I could learn about this year's OS release.

Getting Up and Running with iOS 12

At the beginning of this year, I purchased an iPhone 8 Plus, a phone which I really enjoy. This means that my phone still has a physical Home button and I do not need to use Face ID to unlock the device. For me, updating to iOS 12 was a breeze. The over the air (OTA) update was flawless. In fact, it happened while I was sleeping. I woke up, had some coffee, and went through the few steps needed to finish setting up the operating system. Had I purchased a new phone such as the iPhone XS that does not have a Home button and does use Face ID, Mosen's latest book would have given me all the information I needed to get VoiceOver talking and my handsome face recognized by my phone.

If you don't want to perform a major operating system upgrade over the air, iTunes is still an option. This can be a good choice if you want feedback throughout the entire backup, setup, and restore process, since OTA updates render the phone silent for some time. Mosen gives clear, step-by-step instructions for using iTunes on a Windows PC or the Mac.

Once everything is up and talking, the book walks you through the various settings that will need your immediate attention, and those you can put off tweaking until later.

Accessibility Changes in iOS 12

Any person who is blind who is presented with a new version of iOS is going to want to know how VoiceOver, Apple's built-in screen reading software, has changed. This year the changes are minor, but still worth mentioning. Are you tired of being told that an action such as deleting a mail message has occurred? You can change that. Would you like some new Siri voices that can be used with VoiceOver? Mosen shows you how to locate and install them. Perhaps you are frustrated with the way the Misspelled Words option works with your current version of VoiceOver. Mosen goes through all the tweaks and enhancements to VoiceOver, giving clear instructions for performing tasks along the way.

Changes to Notifications in iOS 12

The Notifications area of iOS has been reworked, and Mosen devotes a chapter to the subject. I personally like the fact that notifications can be grouped together, and Mosen helped me understand this process better.

Changes to Do Not Disturb in iOS 12

I find myself using Do Not Disturb on a regular basis, and I was not aware of any changes to this part of the operating system before I began reading Mosen's book. There is now more configurability for Do Not Disturb. Your calendar can now suggest turning on this feature depending on what is on your schedule, and Bedtime mode can be found in Do Not Disturb settings as well as the Clock app.

A Few Changes to Control Center in iOS 12

There aren't a lot of changes to Control Center. One area of particular interest is the ability to scan QR codes. If you add this feature to Control Center, you might find QR codes that will let you call a phone number or add someone's contact info to your phone.

Screen Time in iOS 12

One new feature of iOS 12 is Screen Time. People are becoming increasingly concerned about how much time they are spending on their mobile devices each day. Now you can monitor your daily usage and find out what apps are taking up the majority of your time. Also, you can set limits to when and how long you use your mobile device. If you are a parent, you can control your children's use as well. Mosen devotes a chapter to this new feature of iOS 12.

Siri and Shortcuts in iOS 12

Mosen gives a concise history of Apple's development of Siri, and how it continues to evolve in light of stiff competition from Amazon and Google. You can now use Siri shortcuts to perform tasks more quickly. In conjunction with the new Shortcuts app, you can create some very complex workflow scenarios that can greatly increase productivity. Did I say workflow? That is the name of an award-winning app that Apple acquired and turned into its own Shortcuts app.

Mosen demonstrates creating a shortcut, as well as gives practical applications for creating your own.

Privacy and Security in iOS 12

Apple takes the privacy of its users very seriously, and Safari continues to become increasingly intelligent when it comes to managing passwords and cookies, just to name two examples. You can continue to use a third-party password manager with iOS 12, or take advantage of the operating system's expanded capabilities, including the ability to have Siri retrieve a password stored in Keychain and show it to you.

Voice Memos and Books in iOS 12

The Voice Memos app has been completely rewritten in iOS 12, and Mosen takes you through the app in detail. Similarly, Apple's iBook app has been reworked, and is now simply called Books. Mosen walks you through this app as well. I often use Kindle, Audible, and Bookshare for my reading, but it is nice to be able to purchase and begin reading content from Books all from within a single app.

Messages and FaceTime in iOS 12

At the time of the book's writing, it was not yet possible to FaceTime up to 32 people in a single group chat, but it may very well be possible by the time you read this article. You can also take photos from inside a message, and Mosen does a great job of describing things like animation that can be added to messages.

The Bottom Line

Mosen covers everything you might want to know about iOS 12 including changes to the Podcast and Stocks apps, battery management, and the ability to switch between cellular providers, especially beneficial if you travel the world as he does.

As always, Mosen has done his research and presents the information in an engaging style sprinkled throughout with humor.

I set out to learn more about iOS 12, and this book provided me the information I was looking for.

Product Information

iOS 12 Without the Eye is available from Mosen Consulting for $19.95 in EPUB and PDF formats. You can download one or both versions, and you can re-download the book later as long as you have your PayPal transaction number handy. I strongly advise you to hang onto the email you receive immediately after your purchase has been completed.

Mosen recently announced that he has accepted a job with Aira, so the writing of future books may be limited. He hopes to continue the iOS Without the Eye series into the future, however.

We wish Mosen the best with his new job, and congratulate him on a job well done with the latest in his series.

Here is a link to the first of two articles by AccessWorld author Janet Ingber discussing the Aira service. Here is a link to the second article.

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.

Related articles:

• Book Review: Writing Your Way: Composing and Editing on an iPhone or iPad, by Judy Dixon, by Deborah Kendrick
• A Review of "Stress Less, Browse Happy: Your Guide to More Easily and Effectively Navigating the Internet with a Screen Reader," an audio tutorial from Mystic Access, by Jamie Pauls

More by this author:

• BrailleSense Polaris: Ready for the Road
• Accessible Diabetes Management Strategies for Enjoying the Holidays

Any frequent readers of AccessWorld will recognize me as one of the magazine contributors who often reviews games. I have played many different types of games over the years on my Windows PC, Mac, and, though less often, my iPhone. I have generally found audio games on my phone to be less responsive than I would like, and often game play gestures do not seem as intuitive as I would prefer. Throw in cheap sounds and cheesy voice acting, and you have an experience that is usually not what I had hoped for, and occasionally just plain disappointing.

There have been exceptions over the years with games such as Papa Sangre, but some of those games are no longer in development. If games are not produced specifically for the blind community, developers must be educated on the needs of the blind when it comes to playing their games. Sometimes developers step up and make games such as DiceWorld fully accessible to blind gamers, but more often it is necessary for a blind person to work around accessibility challenges to enjoy the same game that their sighted counterparts can enjoy with ease.

Recently, a new game has come on the scene that has caught my interest in a way that games seldom do. FEER is a game developed for iOS and Android known as an "endless runner" game. Designed primarily as an audio game that is fully functional with a smartphone's screen reader, it has some graphics that make it playable by sighted people as well.

FEER is based on the simplest of plots. You are running through a forest and must avoid zombies and ravens in order to stay alive. Catching white fairies along the way will not only provide light so that your screen doesn't go dark if you are using vision to play, but allows you to obtain lights that can be used for various purposes through the game including saving your life if you get killed.

When you start playing the game, you are running in the center lane of three—one on your left, and one on your right. Each time you begin playing the game, you are running fairly slowly. If you hear a musical tone, you can swipe left or right to change lanes in order to place the sound in the center of your stereo field. You must, therefore, use headphones or earbuds to play this game successfully. Simply running toward the musical tone will allow you to collect lights from the white fairies mentioned earlier. Of course, there are times when the musical tone is already in the center of your stereo field, so it isn't necessary to do anything other than to stay on course in order to collect lights.

As you run, you will hear zombies to your left, right, and in front of you. If the zombies are in front of you, you must swipe left or right to change lanes and avoid them so that you will not be eaten. In addition to environmental sounds around you, you will hear the sound of your own footsteps running. If you switch to the left lane, your footsteps will come from your left earbud, even though all other sounds are still present in the stereo field. I find this to be a particularly appealing aspect of game play, since there are no abrupt shifts in sound as I play.

In addition to musical tones and growling zombies, you will sometimes hear ravens overhead. When this happens, you must swipe down to duck under them and avoid death. There is no switching lanes to avoid these bad boys.

Finally, as you run, you will hear the sound of crackling leaves as a hand reaches from the grave to grab you. You must swipe up in order to jump over the hand. Switching lanes doesn't let you avoid these death traps either.

As you run along collecting lights and avoiding death, you will become aware that the sounds of your heartbeat and running footfalls are getting faster. So too does the rate at which lights and evil creatures approach you. Eventually, you won't be able to keep up with the pace of oncoming creatures and you will die, thus ending that particular round of game play. You can review your high score and see how many lights you have collected at the end of each round.

Wouldn't it be nice if you could get some help along the way when it came to dealing with evil? Fortunately, you can. As you play through the game, you will hear sounds that let you know of the presence of a power-up object that will assist you. If necessary, switch lanes to place these sounds in the center of your hearing, and collect them as you would lights.

Boosters simply let you relax for a bit as game play accelerates for a time. You are invincible, so there is nothing that you need to do, or in fact can do, until this power-up item wears off.

You can also collect light doublers, which double the number of lights collected with each fairy you encounter. As with all other power-up items, this effect is only temporary.

Another useful power-up is a weapon that will let you kill zombies with a one-finger tap on the screen. The weapon does not kill ravens or hands.

The shield power-up allows you to encounter any of the creatures in the game one time without dying. Either coming in contact with any of the killer creatures or exhausting the allotted time will disable this power-up.

Once you have collected enough lights, you can spend them on upgrades that will lengthen the effectiveness of each of these power-ups.

You are able to level up in FEER by completing three quests per level. Quests can be a simple as dying two times by zombie or as hard as changing lanes75 times in a single run. If a quest is too difficult to complete, you can skip it for, say 1,500 lights. As the levels increase, it costs more lights to skip quests.

I found moving around in the game to be pretty responsive. I have had difficulty jumping over hands with a swipe up gesture, and I have seen others on social media mention the same problem. I'm still not sure whether this is a bug in the game, or an imprecise gesture on my part.

It is possible to invite friends to share statistics with you as you play the game, and you can post high scores to social media if you like. You can easily access help and a full user guide from the main menu of the game, as well as links to contact the game developers.

I have watched my sighted wife enjoy games on her phone that I knew I would probably never be able to play. She has mentioned struggling with levels, and I have heard her exasperated sighs as she failed to complete a particularly tough one. I feel that FEER gives me an experience approaching that of my wife's. The game commands are easy to learn, and the unlimited levels make for endless replay value. For $3.99, I don't believe you can ask for more from this game.

In case you have been wondering, the name FEER comes from an old Swedish word for "fairy," as well as an old Scottish word that means ploughing a furrow. Therefore, the name 1) is a play on the word "fairy," 2) implies ploughing new territory when it comes to an audio game with graphics that can be enjoyed with people who have vision and 3) is a play on the English word "fear."

Product Information

Visit the game developer's website to read the user guide, press releases, and game reviews. You can also find links to FEER on the App Store as well as Google Play.

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.

Related articles:

• A Review of A Hero'7s Call, an Accessible Role Playing Game from Out of Sight Games, by Aaron Preece
• Game Review: Titles from Spoonbill Software, by Jamie Pauls

More by this author:

• Pinterest Takes Steps Toward Accessibility
• A Review of "Stress Less, Browse Happy: Your Guide to More Easily and Effectively Navigating the Internet with a Screen Reader," an audio tutorial from Mystic Access