Full Issue: AccessWorld February 2017

Letters to the Editor

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

My comments are in response to VizLens and HALOS: Making Touch Screen Appliances and Other Devices More Blind Friendly, by Bill Holton

As a visually impaired individual, I completely agree that VizLens and HALOS may be the next step in better independent living for anyone who is sight impaired. Thank you for not only sharing this article but opening up a new world of independence for those like myself. I would love for this app to be brought into my life as well as the lives of others. Please keep me informed of any updates. Thanks!

Sincerely,

Brittany Wolfe

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

I enjoyed the article, The Quest for "The Holy Braille" Full-Page Refreshable Braille Display: An Interview with Alex Russomanno, by Francesca Crozier-Fitzgerald. Thank you very much for sharing this information.? We just got a Braille Note Touch in the office last fall and I like it a lot. A multiline braille display would be totally awesome, especially if it could be affordable.

Gary Olson

Consumer Electronics Show 2017 Highlights

Paul Schroeder

Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the incomparable gathering of consumer electronics developers, distributors and enthusiasts, hit a milestone when it turned 50 years old in 2017. Perhaps it is fitting that attention at this year's conference, held in Las Vegas, seemed to focus on how developments in technology can better serve people, especially as they age. The show prominently featured self-driving vehicles, home automation, and health and fitness products of all sorts, even a tech-infused walking cane and a personal airbag. Of course drones, virtual reality, 3D printing, and all manner of audio were also much in evidence.

"CES 2017 shifted to a new level as large and small companies from around the globe gathered to reveal solutions for many of our world's most challenging problems," said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). Though some lamented the lack of new amazing gadgets and gizmos, CES 2017 set attendance records and did indeed show off the potential of connected technologies for vehicles, homes, health, fun, and everything in between. More than 3,800 companies, including over 600 start-ups, jammed into 2.6 million square feet of exhibition space. The throngs were there too, with more than 175,000 industry professionals, including 55,000 from outside the U.S. in attendance.

Thanks, once again, to CTA, the disability community was well represented, with Lee Huffman, AccessWorldEditor-in-Chief, joining me, an AFB-alumnus and the Founding Editor of AccessWorld, at the conference this year.

The Smart and "Responsive" Home

At the outset of CES, I set a goal to get a handle on the smart home. As it turns out, four days in Vegas may not be enough time to achieve that goal, particularly because there are oh-so-many distractions at CES, and that's not even taking into account gambling. Nevertheless, here are observations from the show and some further study.

"Alexa," turn on my home. Yes, Amazon's Echo, powered by Alexa, was seemingly implemented in all manner of devices for the home. Holiday purchasing was terrific for Amazon's Echo products, so perhaps we're seeing a tipping point for home control. But, hold on, what about the cost and value of smart home devices?

Remote controlled lighting, thermostats, smoke alarms, and automatic locks have now been around for several years. The growth in usage of smart phones and apps connects more home devices and possibly brings about improvements in independent living for people with disabilities, to boot.

Besides the cost of devices that connect to smart phones or Alexa, there is also the question of which company or standard will serve as the brain and nerve center for all this connectivity.

At CES, I decided to spend some time learning about some perhaps lesser-known companies and platforms in the smart home sector. For example, I was surprised to learn about the breadth of devices supported by Nexia, a brand of Ingersoll Rand. The goal, according to George Land, General Manager of Nexia, is to "create a wise and intelligent home where everything works well together as a system."

The Colorado-based company was showing off Amazon Echo-controlled devices, starting with lighting, thermostats, and plug-in wall modules. Nexia primarily uses secure Z-Wave and Wi-Fi technology for connectivity. The company said that Nexia bridges now control more than 500 different devices from more than 80 manufacturers, including Schlage, General Electric, Samsung, First Alert, Trane, American Standard, Heating and Air Conditioning, FIBARO, Andersen, and Pella.

I was impressed with how well controllers from FIBARO launched Nexia automations with a single tap of the button or a simple swipe gesture. The interface to Samsung's Wi-Fi enabled smart appliances provided an alert when the laundry is complete, though full control over appliance settings is not yet included. A connected power strip from Aeotec allowed independent control of each outlet on the strip so you can manage multiple devices.

For more information, visit the Nexia website.

I had not heard of the ULE Alliance and its smart home platform, so I stopped by for a visit. ULE (ultra-low energy) grew out of the standard used for cordless telephones, and its adherents claim it allows transmission of voice, data, and video with very good energy efficiency over a longer communication range, with interference-free operation. Advocates also said that many Internet service provider routers and common home devices already have chipsets built in that can work with ULE. The ULE Alliance introduced a certification program for ULE-based devices last year to help advance the use of the standards. The ULE Alliance has 100 members, including DECT Forum, Dialog Semiconductor, Gigaset, Intel, Panasonic, and Vtech Telecommunication Ltd.,

At CES, ULE exhibited a number of products that work with its single hub. ULE representatives also stressed that the protocol, with its roots in telecommunications technology, is very strong with regard to two-way voice transmission and control.

For more information, visit the ULE Alliance website.

An interesting smart home hub device was announced by SmartBeings, Inc., a Silicon Valley based Internet of Things startup, which unveiled the WooHoo, an interactive smart home hub with facial recognition and voice control. The somewhat cylindrical, 10-inch tall unit features a 360-degree HD camera, and a 360-degree spatial sound system. It has built in Wi-Fi BLE, Zigbee, Zwave, and 4G LTE. The WooHoo was priced at $49 through a Kickstarter campaign (which includes the first year of monthly subscription), and will retail for $89, with a $9 monthly subscription. Although it was a bit hard to see exactly what one would do with WooHoo, it was striking that the SmartBeings team showed real enthusiasm about accessibility. Although a lead developer admitted he hadn't considered accessibility, he grew visibly excited about the prospects of meeting the needs of people with disabilities. More info at the SmartBeings website.

Whirlpool created some excitement with its announcement of a new line-up of Whirlpool® smart kitchen and laundry appliances that can be controlled with the Whirlpool mobile app. An expanding collaboration with Amazon will bring Alexa voice-control capability with a far-field Alexa to several Whirlpool appliances. It seemed like the app- and Alexa-enabled appliances might start at the higher end of the price range, but hopefully connectivity will find its way into lower cost appliances as well. If you're in the market for home appliances, you might want to check to see what Whirlpool can offer.

Finally, for a different view, I visited Brooklyn-based kitchen appliance maker Gourmia. Several of its specialized appliances are either app-driven or controlled via Amazon Echo. Most of the devices also seemed to have a few tactile buttons, though some were menu function buttons with screen-based menus. We weren't able to test the app (which appears to still be in development), but the Alexa controlled devices appeared to work well. Some of the devices they were showing were the Sous Vide Pod (GSV140), the Supreme 8-in-1 Digital Multi-Function Cooker (GCM700), the 10-Cup Automatic Drip Coffee Maker with Built-In Grinder (GCM4500), the 9-in-1 Air Fryer & Multicooker, and the Halogen Powered Vertical Rotisserie Oven Stir Fry & Grill (GMF 2600).

Of course, this only scratches the surface of this large and growing area of consumer technology. Please let AccessWorld know if you'd like more smart home and appliance coverage.

Navigation and Wayfinding

Aira, the "visual interpreter for the blind," made a strong showing at CES, picking up a Best New Technology award from PC Magazine and garnering recognition from Engadget in the Accessibility and Start-Up categories. The San Diego-based company has been operating for nearly two years and has now launched its service. The Aira platform deploys wearable devices such as Google Glass that can be paired with iOS or Android smartphones. Using the camera mounted on the wearable device (or via the phone) the user connects to a remote sighted assistant (an agent) who can provide instant feedback for navigation assistance, read documents, and even help recognize people. When connected through Aira, the agent sees a live video feed and the location of the person on Google Maps, alongside a dashboard of other tools to help the agent provide useful information.

Aira has launched the "Explorer Program," through which the company seeks people with vision loss who are prepared to use the service and provide feedback designed to improve it. According to the Aira website, monthly subscriptions for the program currently range from $39 to $199, plus a $99 refundable deposit.

At CES, Aira also announced a partnership with AT&T to provide Aira users with a reliable connection, especially in times of network congestion.

Aira showed off the capability of the service at CES by encouraging booth visitors (blind and sighted alike), to wander the busy exhibit hall using remote guidance from an agent. It was great to be able to independently explore the show floor with an agent providing information about exhibits.

Audio

As with every other category of consumer technology, CES is loaded with companies boasting all kinds of audio gear. Below are a few of the products we were able to examine and try.

Headphone manufacturers continue to try to find ways to innovate and find something to differentiate themselves in this crowded sector. Something new is the use of filters to customize earbuds. Both RHA (a British company) and Echobox Audio, a new company from Bellevue, Washington, showed off in-ear headphones with filters to boost bass or treble in their mid-range and higher product line. The filters are tiny rings that screw into the post on which the tip is placed. RHA and Echobox also are trying to attract audiophiles and those who like a well-made product. The RHA line runs from $25-$250, while Echobox has three devices starting with the Traveler at $99 and topping out with the Nomad at $299.

AfterShokz, the bone-conduction headphones that many blind consumers love as they allow ears to remain open, is always worth a visit at CES. This year they were pleased to promote their new sport wired headphone product. If you have previously found AfterShokz headphones to be too heavy, you might like this one. The frame is lighter and the battery is now moved down near the plug to further reduce weight at the headphone.

JLab Audio, which was hard to find at CES, was happy to share information and a listening opportunity for their flex Bluetooth ANC, an over-the-ear, noise-cancelling headphone, $150. The sound was great and the product seemed to be made for the kind of bag shoving and jostling we all put our headphones through (plus they come with a carrying case. JLab was also showing the brand-new, sweat-proof, Epic Air True Wireless Earbuds. A nice feature is the ear hooks that both keep the buds from falling out of your ears and serve as an antenna to direct the Bluetooth signal around the back of the head, making a better bud-to-bud pairing. Each earbud has a mic so they can be used independently. The controls on the earbuds are tap-based, which might be a drawback. By the time you read this, they may be taking orders at around $150.

Audio-Technica invited attendees to experience its commitment to high-resolution audio with its new releases, the ATH-DSR9BT ($549) and ATH-DSR7BT ($299) Bluetooth wireless headphones. These use the company's proprietary Pure Digital Drive technology. Pure Digital Drive is designed to keep the audio signal entirely digital from source to headphones to deliver a superior sound. The company says the technology will be particularly effective at reducing interference in Bluetooth headphones. The headphones do not use audio indicators to assist with pairing or to indicate battery status, and the controls are handled through a series of taps.

Finally, one other product in the high-resolution digital audio category at CES 2017 was the Echobox Explorer. We got a chance to have a listen and check out this attractive, hardwood-bodied, flask-shaped player. An Echobox rep proudly mentioned to us that the Explorer runs on open-source Android OS, accessible through Talkback. Along with support for high-res lossless audio, it features 264 GB of memory.

For more information on CES, including the Best of CES honorees, check out: the Consumer Electronics Association website, Best of CES 2017 Awards | Engadget, and PC Magazine "The Best of CES 2017"

Comment on this article.

AccessWorld News

The American Foundation for the Blind Now Accepting Applications for its 2017 Scholarship Program

The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) administers three post-secondary education scholarships for up to 7 deserving students who are legally blind. The available scholarships for 2017 are detailed below.

The Rudolph Dillman Memorial Scholarship: Four scholarships of $2,500

  • Full-time undergraduate or graduate student
  • Studying rehabilitation or education of persons who are blind and/or visually impaired

The Paul and Ellen Ruckes Scholarship: Two scholarships of $2,000

  • Full time undergraduate or graduate student
  • Studying engineering or computer, physical, or life sciences

The R.L. Gillette, Gladys C. Anderson, and Karen D. Carsel Memorial Scholarship: One scholarship of $3,500

  • Female
  • Undergraduate student
  • Studying music

Visit the AFB scholarships website for further information and to fill out the application

Please direct questions and comments to: American Foundation for the Blind Information Center, 800-232-5463, afbinfo@afb.net

AFB-AIRA Partnership Helps Deliver Independence and Mobility for People with Vision Loss

New Tech Company Develops Live Camera & Sensor Feed that Allows Real-Time, One-on-One Access to Video Description

Inspired by a shared commitment to providing individuals with vision loss with innovative ways of experiencing the world and mastering their environments, the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) recently announced a partnership with the emerging technology startup, Aira, to mainstream a new visual descriptor service.

The system, developed by San Diego-based Aira, utilizes a small camera and a series of sensors that are mounted on a pair of smart eyeglasses. Once activated, the device streams images directly to a trained staff of remote human agents who then describe for the user what the camera lens sees in real time. Essentially, the system allows those who are blind or visually impaired to immediately access at will another set of eyes. This direct access to live descriptors allows users to take in the surrounding environment, making everyday tasks easier.

Backed by venture capital financing and technical partners like AT&T, Google, Uber, and others, Aira was founded by entrepreneur Suman Kanuganti in 2015. Kanuganti was inspired to start the service after his conversations with blind professionals around how wearable technology could be used to enhance information access and help the blind and visually impaired "become more mobile and independent". Today, their first 200 users (called Aira Explorers) utilize agents via smart devices to navigate city streets, transportation, shopping, easing social interactions, participating in new adventures such as sports and entertainment and literally traveling the globe.

With AFB's assistance, Aira hopes to expand its service to people who are blind or visually impaired across the United States. It is currently accepting new signups for its Pioneer program and more information can be found at www.aira.io

AFBLC: Access Award Winners Announced

The 2017 Access Award winners are Bridge Multimedia, Computers for the Blind, and United Airlines. We are also thrilled to recognize Bernadette Kappen, Ph.D., executive director of the New York Institute for Special Education, with the Irving P. Schloss Advocacy Award.

The Access Awards honor individuals, corporations, and organizations that eliminate or substantially reduce inequities faced by people with vision loss. The Irving P. Schloss Award is given to recognize a tremendous legacy of advocacy work on behalf of individuals with vision loss. The awards will be presented to the recipients during a reception on March 3, from 4:30-6 p.m., at the AFB Leadership Conference in Arlington, Va. To read more, please see the press release.

**Hotel rooms are almost sold out!** If you haven't done so already, please book your room today at the Crystal Gateway Marriott—the special event rate of $190/night is available on a first-come, first-served basis 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. Rooms available for this rate are limited, so reserve early for the best availability. If you are unable to reserve a room at the Crystal Gateway Marriott, there are many options at a number of price points close to the conference hotel (hotels listed here are for your reference and convenience; such listing does not constitute endorsement). All hotels listed offer a free airport shuttle.

Register today for the 2017 Joint AFB Leadership and Virginia AER Conference! **If you are a member of OIB, AVRT, or VA AER, please use the registration link that was sent to you in a previous e-mail.**

Exhibit spaces are nearly sold out. If you are interested in hosting an exhibit booth, contact Anne Durham at adurham@afb.net.

Our thanks to these generous conference sponsors:

AFB and the 21st Century Agenda on Aging and Vision Loss Present:

Aging, Low Vision, and Technology — Tools for Independence, Strategizing for Change

A National TeleseminarFeaturing AFB's AccessWorld Staff and Authors

Wednesday, February 15, 2017, 3pm Eastern

To join the call:

Dial: 1-866-866-1333
Enter Confirmation Code: 44280167

Please join AFB and the 21st Century Agenda on Aging and Vision Loss for our next agenda-wide call on Wednesday afternoon, February 15, from 3pm to 4:30pm Eastern. February is recognized as Low Vision Awareness Month, so this is a perfect time to consider how older Americans living with vision loss can take advantage of a wide range of technologies designed for people with low vision.

We are excited to announce that this teleseminar will feature a lively discussion with editorial staff and popular authors who regularly contribute to AccessWorld, the monthly online technology magazine of the American Foundation for the Blind [link: http://www.afb.org/aw/main.asp]. The February edition of AccessWorld is focusing on low vision and technology, a subject especially of interest to seniors. Drawing on recent articles that focus on aging, low vision, and technology, AccessWorld contributors will present on the state of technology for older adults with vision loss. These authors regularly evaluate technology from across the spectrum of consumer tools and products to identify achievements and failures of innovation, usability, and accessibility.

Bill Holton, Janet Ingber, Deborah Kendrick, Jamie Pauls, and Shelly Brisbin are long-time AccessWorld contributors and have written many relevant evaluations and guides, including Bill's "A Day in the Life: Technology that Assists a Visually Impaired Person Throughout the Day," Shelly's "Using Your Phone's Low-Vision Features," and Deborah's "Out of Sight or Out of Sound: There Is Always a Way—Living with a Secondary Hearing Impairment." We will also hear from Lee Huffman, AccessWorld Editor and Manager of Technology Information, and Aaron Preece, AccessWorld and Information and Referral Associate at AFB.

Hear directly from these regular AccessWorld contributors, ask questions, and pick up practical information about low- and high-tech solutions that are particularly relevant to seniors living with low vision.

In addition, we will be hearing from the champions of each of the four goals that comprise the 21st Century Agenda on Aging and Vision Loss who will update our field on progress made concerning funding for services to seniors with vision loss, the quality and availability of services, coordination and collaboration of services to maximize resources, and the availability of low vision devices.

This unique national conversation will be of particular relevance to individuals who live with low vision; public and private service providers interested in learning more about the intersection of aging, low vision and technology; and advocates for high quality national services leading to independent living for older Americans living with vision loss. We hope you will join us for this call on Wednesday, February 15, from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm Eastern time as we advance the Agenda across the field and promote technology for older adults with vision loss.

To join the call, simply dial the numbers above approximately five minutes before the teleseminar's 3 pm Eastern start time.

Finally, please do share this announcement and invitation far and wide through your networks. Thank you!

A Quick Look at the Latest Update to Shelly Brisbin's iOS Access for All

It's been more than two years since I first reviewed Shelly Brisbin's eBook, iOS Access for All: Your Comprehensive Guide to Accessibility for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. As I noted then, "The first thing you will notice when perusing the book's table of contents is that Brisbin was serious when she concluded her book title with the words 'For All.' Along with chapters covering VoiceOver (the iOS built-in screen reader) and low vision accessibility, this 339-page book also covers iOS accessibility tools for the hearing impaired, and the physical and learning disabled. The book is also all-inclusive in that it can be read and enjoyed by accessibility users of all levels, from the absolute novice to access tech instructors who are interested in discovering a hidden gem or two of which they were not previously aware."

When the book was published, Apple had just released their new Version 7 of the iOS operating system. There were many changes from prior versions, and Brisbin did an excellent job helping previous users navigate these significant changes and leading new users step by step from setting up their first iPhone to using many advanced features and third party apps. Subsequent to this review Ms. Brisbin was invited to become an AccessWorld contributor, and at the end of this article you will find links to several of her recent contributions.

I am delighted to say Ms. Brisbin—Shelly, as we and many others know her—has also continued to revise and update iOS Access for All , producing updated editions for iOS Versions 8, 9, and now, iOS Version 10.

As before, Brisbin aims her book at both novice and experienced iOS users who rely on any and all accessibility features, with separate sections directed specifically toward blind users, low vision users, hearing impaired users, physically disabled users and users with cognitive learning disabilities. This content has been polished and streamlined over the past several editions, but with iOS 10 there are so many changes, the book is forty percent larger than the original edition, clocking in at nearly 150,000 words.

Here's a quick look at what's new in iOS 10 and thus covered in this latest edition.

A concise "Quick Look" guide to what's new in iOS 10, covering both mainstream features and accessibility enhancements.

In-depth Coverage of changes and enhancements to VoiceOver, low-vision options, hearing features, Siri, and Switch Control, with detailed descriptions of how to make them work for you.

An updated and enhanced guide to Apple-supplied apps, including those such as the Notification Center which sport a new look and feel.

An updated and expanded third-party app directory describing how to find and use the ever-growing number of apps which are either designed specifically for accessibility or which work well with VoiceOver and other built-in accessibility features.

iOS Access for All is available from iosaccessbook.com for $20 in either ePub or PDF format. As before, a complete table of contents can be viewed, and you can download a full sample chapter "Siri and voice input so you can "try before you buy."

For a more complete look at iOS Access for All I encourage you to check out my review of the original iOS 7 edition, which you can find in the July, 2014 issue of AccessWorld.

Dr. Mark S. Humayun, 2015 Presidential Honoree for Technological Innovation, Named Keynote Speaker for Envision Conference 2017

Envision announced that Mark S. Humayun, MD, PhD, a Los Angeles-based ophthalmologist, engineer, professor, scientist and inventor who was named a 2015 recipient of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by President Barack Obama, will deliver the keynote address at the 12th annual Envision Conference. The conference will take place July 26-29 at the Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel & Spa in Glendale, Ariz., providing unprecedented opportunities for low vision professionals in multidisciplinary fields to exchange ideas and information. The 2017 event is made possible through the support of Visionary Sponsor, LC Industries in Durham, N.C.

Dr. Humayun has more than 100 patents and patent applications to his name and co-invented the Argus Series retina implant — a "bionic eye" manufactured by Second Sight that is intended to induce visual perception. Time Magazine named the implant among the top 10 inventions of 2013. His presentation at Envision Conference 2017 will discuss the genesis of the Argus II and address the importance of innovation in addressing vision loss.

Dr. Humayun is co-director of the University of Southern California (USC) Roski Eye Institute, director of the USC Institute for Biomedical Therapeutics, the Cornelius J. Pings Chair in Biomedical Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and a professor of ophthalmology, biomedical engineering, cell and neurobiology and director of sensory science initiatives at USC.

Envision Conference offers vision care professionals 90 hours of clinical education and research sessions and is the only multidisciplinary conference where ophthalmologists, optometrists, occupational therapists, rehabilitation therapists, vision researchers, nurses, special education teachers, government policy makers, assistive technology practitioners and suppliers and others can receive updates and collaborate on the latest advancements in low vision rehabilitation, research, practice and technology. Attendees can also view exhibits of the latest low vision products and services and share knowledge from around the globe in an effort to improve approaches to minimizing the adverse impact of vision loss.

As an added incentive, attendees can earn continuing education accreditation at many sessions through agencies including:

  • The Council on Optometric Practitioner Education (COPE);
  • Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME);
  • American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA);
  • Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation & Education Professionals (ACVREP);
  • Commission on Paraoptometric Certification (CPC);
  • Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC); and
  • Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO).

Registration is now open and submissions are currently being accepted for prospective clinical education and research abstract presentations. Visit envisionconference.org for more details.

FDA Grants VisionCare Inc. Approval to Initiate Clinical Study of the Telescope Implant in Post-Cataract Patients

VisionCare, Inc., a developer of advanced visual prosthetic devices for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the company's investigational device exemption for a new U.S. clinical study. The study will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the telescope implant in patients who were previously implanted with an intraocular lens (IOL). In the study the IOL will be exchanged for the Implantable Miniature Telescope (by Dr. Isaac Lipshitz).

Under current indications the telescope implant is proven to improve visual acuity and quality of life for patients with End-Stage macular degeneration whose sight is permanently obstructed by a blind spot in their central vision (in both eyes), making it difficult or impossible to see faces, read, and perform everyday activities such as watching TV, preparing meals, and self-care.1 It is the only FDA approved surgical device for End-Stage macular degeneration and is Medicare eligible.

According to current labeling, the telescope implant is contraindicated in patients with previous intraocular or corneal surgery of any kind in the operative eye, including any type of surgery for either refractive or therapeutic purposes. Specifically, the new study will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the telescope implant in patients who were previously implanted with an intraocular lens.

Selected CentraSight providers across the country are now seeking End-Stage macular degeneration patients with previous cataract surgery to determine if they might be candidates as study subjects for the telescope implant.

Unmet Macular Degeneration Treatment Needs

Macular degeneration is the leading cause of permanent vision loss in Americans aged 60 and older, affecting an estimated 15 million people.1Of those, 2 million Americans are living with End-Stage AMD2 and that number will increase as the Baby Boomer cohort ages.1 End-Stage macular degeneration cannot be corrected by any other treatment including glasses, vitamins, drugs or cataract surgery and is associated with increased stress and depression as vision diminishes.3

Patients and physicians can learn more about the telescope implant by visiting www.CentraSight.com or calling 1-877-99-SIGHT.

1 What is AMD? Macular Degeneration Partnership. Accessed on Nov 3, 2016 at http://www.amd.org/what-is-macular-degeneration/

2 Vision Problems in the United States. Prevent Blindness America. Accessed on November 3, 2016 at http://www.visionproblemsus.org/amd/amd-map.html

3 Bennion, AE, Shaw, RL, Gibson, JM "What do we know about the experience of age related macular degeneration? A systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative research?" Social Science & Medicine. 75 (2012) 976-985.

New Business Idea You're Trying to Get Off the Ground? Enter the New Venture Competition!

Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Forsythe Center for Employment and Entrepreneurship (FCE), is launching its 2nd annual New Venture Business Competition, with cash awards totaling $30,000.

Did you know Hadley offers courses that could help build a business? It's not too late to take a module or two. Through its FCE program, you can learn such practical business building skills as how to write a marketing plan or do market research.

Anyone who has taken an FCE module is eligible to submit their business plan for a chance to win. Last year we awarded over $27,000 to three businesses that are continuing to grow. We look forward to once again helping entrepreneurs turn great ideas into great business ventures.

The deadline for entry is 11:59 pm CST on March 15, 2017. Awards will be given out on June 8, 2017.

Participation and submission rules can be found at hadley.edu/nvc. To enroll in the FCE, please visit Hadley.edu/FCE or call Student Services at 800-526-9909.

Holman Prize for Blind Ambition to Award $25,000

What would you do with $25,000? This year the LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired is asking blind people worldwide that very question. It's not just an exercise, but a new set of awards designed to fund the international projects of legally blind individuals: this is The Holman Prize for Blind Ambition.

"The Holman Prize is not meant to save the world or congratulate someone for leaving the house," says LightHouse CEO Bryan Bashin, "This prize will spark unanticipated accomplishments. You will see blind people doing things that surprise and perhaps even confuse you."

The Holman Prize website, now accepting applications from blind individuals around the world, already reflects a diversity of faces and ideas: blind podcasters from Brooklyn, blind skateboarders from the Midwest, and blind technologists, educators and scholars passionate about taking on their own projects anywhere from Canada to Kyrgyzstan. In March, the LightHouse's hand-picked Holman Committee will select a group of semifinalists to go through a formal application process, ultimately resulting in a few large awards to be given this summer. Applicants must be 18 or older and able to produce proof of legal blindness upon request.

For the LightHouse, putting "blind ambition" on display across social media is as much a goal as the projects themselves. Contestants are encouraged to promote their videos widely to their friends, family and followers, with the promise that the most popular pitch on social media will be guaranteed consideration in the Holman Prize's final round.

Facebook Live Q&A:

The Holman Prize is unprecedented in scope and size, and as such, the LightHouse would like to give prospective applicants a chance to ask questions and feel confident in their emerging proposals. On February 15 at 4 PM Pacific Time, Holman Committee members will host a live Q&A session on the LightHouse's Facebook.

Prospective applicants can send questions ahead of time toholman@lighthouse-sf.org, or via Facebook during the Q&A itself. To tune in to the Q&A, just head over to our Facebook page, LightHouse for the Blind — San Francisco Bay Area, at 4 PM PST on February 15.

AccessWorld Recognizes February as Low Vision Awareness Month and Encourages Seniors to Adopt Access Technology

Lee Huffman

Dear AccessWorld readers,

Last month AccessWorld celebrated the birthday and life's work of Louis Braille. I hope everyone had a chance to visit The Louis Braille Museum on the AFB website, and read The Reading Fingers, the full text of Jean Roblin's classic 1952 biography of Louis Braille, and Braille, the Magic Wand of the Blind, Helen Keller's essay on Louis Braille. If not, I encourage you to take a look at these great works.

As we move from celebrating the achievements of Louis Braille to recognizing February as Low Vision Awareness Month, valid questions are "Who experiences low vision?" and "What exactly is low vision?" "Low vision" is a term commonly used to mean partial sight, or sight that isn't fully correctable with surgery, medications, contact lenses, or glasses. In the United States, the most common causes of low vision are age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy. Some people are born with conditions such as albinism or optic nerve damage that can result in low vision. People of all ages, from infants to seniors, can experience low vision, most often due to eye disease, but also due to eye injury.

The largest population of Americans who experience low vision is seniors over the age of 65. This is why, for the month of February, AccessWorld is focusing, so to speak, on topics and technologies that may be especially relevant to seniors. At times, seniors may be hesitant to adopt the use of technology, especially access technology, and in this issue of AccessWorld, we want to help break down barriers, remove the uncertainty of what technology and access technology can do, and demonstrate how access technology can help improve independence and daily life.

People with low vision can use magnification devices, electronic devices, computer-access software, and other access and mainstream technologies to maximize their remaining vision, or they can learn alternative ways of doing things, such as using their senses of touch and/or hearing. As our regular readers know, AccessWorld regularly reports on many technologies used by people with low vision. For additional information on living with low vision, please visit the AFB VisionAware Low Vision resources page.

We at AFB are partnering with the National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision (NRTC) at Mississippi State University to bring you this special AccessWorld issue on aging. The NRTC recently received a grant from the Rehabilitation Services Administration to provide training and technical assistance to programs serving older adults with blindness and low vision. This aging issue is part of our joint emphasis to encourage and prepare service providers to introduce seniors to technology they can utilize in their everyday lives. We also intend for information in this issue to be useful to persons who are themselves aging with vision loss.

In observance of Low Vision Awareness Month, I encourage everyone to have a complete eye exam from a licensed ophthalmologist or optometrist. Getting a yearly exam increases the chances of early detection and diagnosis of conditions that may lead to vision loss. If you or someone you know has experienced significant vision loss, I encourage you to have a low vision examination.

A low vision examination is quite different from the basic examination routinely performed by primary care optometrists and ophthalmologists. A low vision examination includes a review of your visual and medical history, and places an emphasis on the vision needed to read, cook, work, study, travel, and perform and enjoy other common activities. The goals of a low vision exam include assessing the functional needs, capabilities, and limitations of your vision; assessing ocular and systemic diseases; and evaluating and prescribing low vision therapies. Education and counseling of family and other care providers; providing an understanding of your visual functioning to aid educators, vocational counselors, employers and care givers; directing further evaluations and treatments by other vision rehabilitation professionals; and making appropriate referrals for medical intervention are all a part of a low vision evaluation.

The low vision examination takes much longer than a typical eye exam, but the information gained can be invaluable. No matter what your visual acuity, it is important to understand any diagnosis you may receive and to keep your eyes as healthy as you possibly can.

In this issue, we also report on two recently held conferences: the Consumer Electronics Show and ATIA 2017. Attending national conferences is a great opportunity and privilege for us at AccessWorld, and we do our best to bring the most relevant information back to our readers. I encourage all readers who have the opportunity to attend these or other mainstream and access technology oriented conferences to learn first-hand how empowering and life changing the right technology can be for you, your family member, customer, or client. In upcoming issues, AccessWorld will also provide conference coverage for the AFB Leadership Conference and CSUN.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind readers of the "Comment on this article" link at the bottom of each article. This link allows you to provide direct feedback on an article to the author and me; we want to hear your thoughts, questions, comments, or concerns. As a publication, being responsive to you, our readers, is our priority.

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

Stay Safe and Independent: Get Help in an Emergency with Mobile Apps and Services

Shelly Brisbin

If disaster strikes, or you encounter any kind of emergency situation that threatens your safety, you need the most current and complete information available. It's also critical that you have a way to communicate your situation to authorities, or to family and friends. People with vision loss may face particular challenges in an emergency, when resources and assistance may be scarce. Armed with your smartphone, and the right apps, you can take the learning role in guarding your own safety, alert others to your situation, and gather knowledge you need to take action. In this article, we'll take a look at tools you can use to enhance your personal safety, or prepare for and deal with emergency situations all while remaining as independent as possible.

Personal Safety

The first principle of protecting yourself from harm, especially in an unfamiliar situation or location, is being aware of your surroundings. Even if you experience vision loss, it's possible to be observant and vigilant. Of course, you should always know how to contact emergency services, and be ready to do so, whether at home, or away. Some smartphones, and wearable devices like the Apple Watch, have quick access buttons that dial 911, or offer other safety alert options. It's a good idea to understand and set up these features ahead of time, and know how to activate them in an emergency. You can also download a number of apps and services that can help you manage an emergency situation, or prepare for one, before it occurs. Many personal safety apps use your phone's communication capabilities to make calls, send text messages, and send and receive alerts. You can even use video and photos to help others find you, if necessary. Some apps allow you to give select people permission to track your location. Because these tools depend on others being able to find you, there are privacy implications associated with them. You can protect both your safety and your privacy by thinking carefully about what information you share, and who you share it with.

One way to protect yourself as you travel in unfamiliar or potentially dangerous surroundings, is to allow friends and family to know where you are, and/or receive alerts if you don't arrive at a time or place you've specified. If necessary, your trusted friend can attempt to make contact with you, or emergency services, letting authorities know when and where you were last heard from. To use these services, you will probably need to set up an account, and include contact info for your friend or family member. Read the terms of service, and privacy policies for the app you choose, to be sure that you understand who has access to information about you, and how it can be used. Here are some personal safety apps, and what they do:

  • bSafe (Android or iOS): bSafe is a subscription service, though the app is free. You and your chosen contact must create accounts, and install the app on your phone. From there, bSafe can automatically send alerts to a contact that you have safely reached your destination. GPS tracking is supported. You can set the app to "call" you, enabling you to escape a date that's not going well, or other awkward situation. Initiate an audible alarm, or broadcast video from your phone, to aid friends or authorities in finding or assisting you.
  • Kitestring (Android or iOS): Kitestring is actually a Web service, not an app. Tell Kitestring that you're, say, walking home at night. Tell it how long to wait, then check in when you arrive safely. If you don't, Kitestring notifies your chosen emergency contacts. You can use Kitestring free to track up to three trips per month. Unlimited trips cost $3 per month.
  • Bugle (iOS): If you like to run or walk without having to carry the bulk of a cell phone, leave the phone at home, and let Bugle notify a contact if you don't, check in by a specified time.
  • HikerAlert (Web): Similar in function to Bugle, HikersAlert is a $4.95 Web service you can use to alert contacts if you don't return to a specified location. Leave your cell phone at home or at a camp sight, and check in when you return.
  • Guardian Circle (Android or iOS): Guardian Circle focuses more on building a network of people that can help in an emergency than on specific tools. As a member of a circle, you can give or receive help, when contacted by another member. You can include an unlimited number of contacts in your circle. The company suggests using the service for situations ranging from being locked out of your house, or needing to get out of an uncomfortable date, to life-threatening situations. When you request help, using one of four alert levels, members of your circle can locate you on a map, and you can find them, too.
  • SafeTrek (Android or iOS): For real-time safety, hold your finger on the SafeTrek button when walking in an unfamiliar, or dangerous area. If you let go, and don't respond to a query from the app, SafeTrek alerts authorities to your location.
  • Circle of 6 (Android or iOS): Create a "circle" of up to six people from your contacts, to be notified in case of emergency. You can send a request for help, request that a contact call you, to get you out of a difficult situation. The app also includes contact info for national help hotlines.

Preparing for and Dealing with Disasters

When a natural, or human-caused disaster strikes, it's crucial to know what's happening around you, and whether authorities recommend or require that you leave your current location. And even if you must move, you may require assistance to do so quickly and safely. Because disasters and emergencies can affect many people at once, it is critical that you have as much information as possible, so that you can stay safe until help is available.

The first step is to understand what's going on. Municipalities and news organizations often offer apps that deliver emergency information, and your phone carrier, in cooperation with authorities, may send you weather alerts. It's tempting to disable these, but one might just save your life in the event of storm, earthquake, or other weather event that you're not aware of. You can also follow police, government, or news outlets on social media. In many cities, Twitter can be a source of useful, actionable information, in the event of a storm or other emergency. Begin by learning about emergency resources in your community. Does your city or county offer an emergency app? It might even include information about where to go in case of a crisis, or the ability to enable alerts on your phone. Even non-emergency apps can help you, for example, if you need to contact utilities about a power or water outage.

Preparedness apps can also give you quick access to information and contacts you'll need in case of emergency. You may think you know what to do if a tornado strikes, or a child consumes a toxic substance, for example, but an app or service can help, when the stress of a crisis takes over.

Let's take a look at some apps you can use to prepare for, or respond to emergencies:

  • FEMA mobile apps: (Android or iOS): The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) can provide National Weather Service alerts for your area, information about shelters and available FEMA contacts, and tips for disaster preparedness. Content is available in English or Spanish.
  • American Red Cross Mobile Apps (Android or iOS): The Red Cross offers a lot of apps, each tailored for a specific emergency or disaster situation. They include: Emergency, Tornado, Flood, Hurricane, Wildfire, and Earthquake, along with apps that provide information on blood donation, and pet first aid.
  • First Aid (Android or iOS): Among the most useful of the American Red Cross suite of apps, First Aid organizes health and safety information into useful categories, like Asthma Attack, Broken Bones, Burns, and more. Each topic features step-by-step first aid guidance. Using your current location, the app can even locate the nearest hospital. Content is available in English or Spanish.
  • Disaster Alert (Web, Android or iOS): This Website, whose information is also available in app form, provides a large collection of information about hazards around the globe. The site specializes in earthquake and weather-related information.
  • Know Your Plan (Android or iOS): Created by the Insurance Information Institute, Know Your Plan aims to help you build a checklist of things to do and have, in case of an emergency, such as flood, fire, or earthquake. Add the app's suggested items to your own emergency checklist, along with your own. The app is accessible. but screen reader users may encounter a few unlabeled buttons.
  • Disasterassistance.gov (Web): Designed as a clearinghouse for disaster information aimed at the needs of citizens with disabilities, this Web site allows you to enter your address, to determine whether your area is currently a declared individual assistance disaster area. From the site, you can also locate local and federal emergency services resources.
  • Emergency Readiness for People with Disabilities (Web): This Website, from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers tips and links for disaster preparedness.

Conclusion

Installing an app on your phone does not guarantee that you'll be safe in a threatening situation, or an emergency, but being prepared is the first step to safety, whether you need to protect yourself in a dangerous neighborhood, or in case of natural disaster. Let information and support from family, friends and authorities be your first line of defense, and increase your chances of surviving and thriving when danger strikes.

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When Hearing Loss Causes More Vision Loss

Deborah Kendrick

Maybe you have always been blind or had low vision and you are now gradually noticing that certain voices and sounds are a struggle to hear. Or maybe you have been deaf or hearing impaired most of your life, and seeing facial expressions is no longer available as the "boost" cue that once was the case.

Or, maybe you have drawn the card in life that dictates a diminishing of both sight and hearing at around the same time. The resulting life changes that any of these scenarios can conjure can result in something very much akin to panic.

Vision and hearing both play a very significant role in enabling us to form and maintain social connections. Both also lend themselves to a gigantic array of adaptations, alternative techniques, and work-arounds. No matter how many degrees remain in your visual field or how many decibels your ears can catch, the obstacles that are thrown your way by the combination of vision and hearing loss, can, with practice and resourcefulness, be circumvented. There is, in short, always a way.

Since most AccessWorld readers are familiar with vision loss as a primary concern, I will focus more here on the addition of compromised hearing. Similarly, although our vision and hearing are used to accomplish millions of tasks, the primary focus here will be in the context of social interactions.

Although the senses themselves provide entirely separate input, methods for adapting to decreased sight or hearing are often quite similar. Let's get started in looking at some of the tools and techniques that can work to keep you in the game when you can't see the faces or hear every single consonant.

Hard of Seeing

If you have been blind or had low vision for a long enough time to have developed solid adaptive skills, then you know that there is another way to do just about everything that you once thought required 20/20 vision. The first tremendously successful step is to give up faking it! Carry a white cane or braille note taker or magnification device — any tool that enables you to do what you want to do and, of equal or greater importance, identifies you to others as a person who simply does not see very well. Your other senses can be called into action to pick up information that your eyes are not able to grasp or grasp fully for you. Ears can tell you where people, traffic, machinery, and other sound-generating objects, alive or inanimate, are located. Your sense of smell can help you navigate to the coffee shop, recognize some people, or determine when the lasagna is ready to come out of the oven. Your sense of touch — literally from your head to your feet — can see random objects on the carpet, the particular jacket you plan to wear, or your dog's satisfyingly fluffy coat after a visit to the pet groomer! Elaboration on any of these topics can be beneficial at another time, but the purpose here is to focus on incorporating hearing loss into the life of an individual who has more or less already mastered the alternative techniques of blindness. Many people describe hearing loss as a kind of additional vision loss. You have learned to "see" certain aspects of your environment by using your ears; when that method fails or begins to fail, the impact is something like more vision loss.

"Near Hearinged"

We say that a person is near-sighted or hard of hearing. The conditions imposed on the person experiencing the diminished sense are pretty much the same, so I have mused more than once over the inconsistencies in our language that settled on these particular phrases. I like to say that some people are also hard of seeing and I, for one, am rather "near hearinged".

That is, if I am close enough to the person or machine I want to hear, I can usually manage pretty well, just as a friend of mine with low vision can see pretty much of the action on the movie screen if we sit in the front row at the theater.

Whimsical phrases are fun, but in explaining to others, I usually use the expression "hearing loss" or "hearing impairment."

Again, the very first vital principle in managing hearing loss successfully is to forget about faking it! For years, I pretended to hear things I did not hear or that I was distracted when I had missed something. The energy involved in this kind of charade is reason in itself to let it go. I made mistakes in conversation or, worse, allowed people to conclude that I was not interested in what they had to say.

Today, my approach is totally proactive.

Meeting a group of friends at a restaurant, I might circle the table before choosing a seat. Or, if I can hear that there is a wall on one side, I'll ask if I can sit with my back to that wall. This serves as a kind of sound shield, protecting your ears from all the extraneous sound that is not at your own table. Whether there is a wall or not, try to sit as much in the center of the group as possible. This will balance the voices of your own group and give you a better chance for hearing them in particular.

If you have a choice of venues before gathering with friends or colleagues, try to avoid cavernous rooms with high ceiling and hard surfaces. A converted bank or factory might make a charming dining spot visually, but it is social suicide for a person with both low vision and a hearing impairment. Smaller establishments are often better, although extremely popular spots with elbow-to-elbow dining will produce just as much of a disharmony of sound as the large echo-laden place, so there are no absolutes.

In a friend's home or professional meeting, some of the same guidelines for choosing your location apply. Central location, as much as possible, or next to the person or person who will be doing most of the talking is where you want to be.

And this brings us back to the "forget about faking it" rule. In any situation where hearing might be challenging, speak up about it proactively. Directly and simply. Try: "I have difficulty hearing," or "I wear hearing aids, so I will need to sit in the front row, or ride near the front of the tour bus…" or whatever the situation might be.

Explaining your situation up front nets such markedly more pleasant results than suffering in silence. When you explain your hearing situation, you will find that people are consistently accommodating. They trade seats. They speak more clearly. If a microphone is available, then turn it on. And, best of all, there is almost always at least one other person in the group who thanks you for expressing the need.

The Magic of Technology

Just like every category of technology known to us today, hearing aids are by no means the cumbersome and often inadequate boxes you may recall your grandfather using.

Today's hearing aids come in a variety of configurations, are mostly digital, and often offer multiple programs for varying hearing environments. And, if you are still stuck on that nonsense of not wanting people to know that you have a hearing disability, not to worry. Most hearing aids today are so small that they are rarely visible.

For people who also have vision loss, hearing aids that block the ear canal are not a good idea. These also block the ambient sounds so essential to awareness of one's surroundings. Audiologists are trained to help you figure out what's best, but be prepared to be your own advocate when it comes to having the ear available to the ambient sounds. Many of us find that we are educating audiologists about vision loss while they are teaching us to use our hearing devices.

There are as many hearing aid options as there are automobiles these days, but I'll describe the pair I currently use. Each consists of a small wire in my ear, extending from a molded curved piece that "hooks" behind my ear. One is called "open fit" and the other "closed fit." To the untrained eye, with both in my hand, they look pretty similar, except that one has a slightly larger piece that fits in the ear canal. This is called the t-point and it allows some ambient sounds to enter the ear while also amplifying voices and other sounds.

A button on the curved piece behind the ear cycles among six programs, fine-tuned by the audiologist for a variety of hearing situations. For example, you might want to ?zoom? in on the person's voice in front of you, exclude some of the background noise in a crowded venue, or pair with an FM or Bluetooth device.

This latter brings us to an entirely other category of outstanding hearing devices. When paired with your hearing aids, an FM or Bluetooth might deliver, for example, the sound of the professor at the front of your classroom, the TV in your living room, or the audio book or music on your smart phone directly into your hearing aids. Others in the room can still hear that sound source in the usual way, but your device paired with your hearing aids delivers it up close and personal.

Listen Up

The sense of hearing begins to decline in the mid-20s for most people, but it takes time for most to notice that there is a problem. Already having vision loss means we often notice the change sooner. There is no shame in having a hearing impairment. There is no shame in having a visual impairment. The only shame is in letting life go by rather than stepping up, learning some fascinating new tips and techniques, and moving blissfully forward with your multisensory (sometimes technologically induced) adventure.

There is never a good reason to fake it!

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What Is it and Where Did it Go?: Object Identification Solutions

Bill Holton

If you are a person, possibly a senior, adjusting to recent vision loss, you have doubtless learned that two of the most common questions asked by the sight-impaired are "What is it?" and "Where did it go?" In this special AccessWorld article, we will try to point you in the right direction—if you will excuse the wordplay—and offer up some tips to help you identify unfamiliar items and keep track of the ones you have.

Going Low Tech

Here at AccessWorld we offer reviews, guides, and tips for using access technology to increase your independence and quality of life. That is our goal in this article, but first, there are a lot of simple, low-tech solutions to aid in identification and organization. Here are just a few:

A Place for Everything and Everything In its Place

It's not just an old saying, it's a way of life for any person who is blind and wants to remain independent. You probably know right where to go to fetch a dinner fork in your kitchen. Do you also know where you keep the roll of masking tape, the salt and pepper shakers, or the TV remote? Place-keeping is more than simply finding a place for your things—you need to keep up with the plan. Don't leave that screwdriver on the table after you tighten that doorknob. The time it takes you to put it where it belongs will be significantly less than it will take you to find it the next time. If you live with a spouse or other family members, they will need to become involved. You will never find that TV remote if other members of the household insist on dropping it wherever.

Special Places for Special Items

Do you have different medications you take in the morning and at night? Consider stowing your morning meds in your bathroom and your nighttime prescriptions in a kitchen cabinet. Can't find the mustard? No problem, if it's always on the top door shelf, right beside the relish. Keep the shampoo at one end of the tub, the conditioner at the other, and by all means leave that depilatory cream outside the shower or somewhere else where you won't confuse it for either.

You can read a lot more about Household Organization at our sister website VisionAware.

Marking and Labeling

Many people with visual impairments will put a rubber band around one bottle of medication while leaving the second untouched. Upon request, your pharmacist will also likely be willing to dispense individual medications in bottles of different sizes.

Braille labels are a popular way to label items. And you don't have to be a proficient braille reader to use these techniques. Spend a few hours learning and practicing the basic braille alphabet, and you're well on your way to using a braille labeler to individualize your spice rack using the first few letters of each jar's contents.

Another popular way of distinguishing items is by placing tiny adhesive dots on them. One dot on your bottle of Vitamin A, three dots on your vitamin C. Adhesive dots not only enable you to mark individual items, they can also be used to mark important buttons on various gadgets and touch-panel appliances. For example, a dot on the Start, 30-Second, and Stop buttons may be all you need to successfully handle most of your daily microwave usage.

For greater operative control, consider a braille touch appliance overlay. Also be sure to check out New Developments in Appliance Access in the January 2017 issue of AccessWorld, where we inform readers about a new project called VizLens, which will soon lead to new universal touch panel access, and HALOS, a low-tech solution available right now that offers unique touchpad overlays and adhesive icons that use cleverly-shaped raised images to enhance your ability to navigate appliance touch controls. You can also read a lot more about Labeling and Marking at our sister AFB website VisionAware.

Going High-Tech with Smartphones and Devices

At AccessWorld we encourage the sight-impaired to obtain and learn to use an accessible smartphone. Indeed, if you scan the archives of AccessWorld and the VisionAware. you will find dozens of articles and guides describing techniques for using the iPhone's built-in screen reader, called VoiceOver, and Talkback, which comes preinstalled on Android phones. We have also published dozens of articles on stand-alone devices that can help with organization and identification, such as the various stand-alone currency readers that can help sort your cash; color identifiers that can help with your wardrobe; accessible bar code readers to help you find that can of hash in your stocked-to-overflowing pantry; and voice labelers, such as the Pen Friend 2.

Voice Labeling

The Pen Friend 2 is produced by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIFB), and is sold here in the US by various dealers, including MaxiAids and Future Aids. Point the device at a Pen Friend label and record a voice message, such as "heartworm medication," or "green and white blouse." Affix the label to the item, and then, whenever you point the Pen Friend toward that item, your message will be played.

The Pen Friend costs $150 at MaxiAids and $160 from Future Aids. But keep in mind that a smartphone can perform the same "talking label" function using a pad of Envision ELI labels and the Envision ELI app, available free from either the iOS App Store or from Google Play.

The ELI labels cost $20 for a pad of 100. Each peel-and-stick label displays a unique QR code. Peel one off and point your smartphone's camera at it, and a friendly Eli will prompt you to record a message, such as "Tylenol Extra Strength," "Toy Story 3 DVD," or "Navy blue thread."

Each time you point your smartphone toward the label, Envision ELI plays your message, then offers you the opportunity to record over it. Perhaps you're not happy with your message, or maybe you decided to store your brown rice in that canister instead of basmati. Envision ELI will record messages up to a full minute long, so feel free to include cooking instructions on that rice label, as well as its contents.

Envision ELI labels can be purchased at the company's web site.

Object Identification

So far we've discussed several ways to organize everyday items and even to enhance your ability to find them by labeling them with braille, dots, or voice labels. Of course all of these methods assume you have someone immediately at hand to tell you what that item is in the first place. What if you live alone or simply wish to enhance your personal independence?

Medication

Taking the wrong prescription is one of the leading causes of preventable accidents. We've already shown you a few ways to separate and label your prescriptions, but did you know there are also technologies to have your prescriptions audio labeled directly from the pharmacy?

For years many pharmacies have offered to attach either large-print or braille labels to medication bottles and other packaging, but these days there are ways to make that same pill bottle talk.

The ScripTalk Station from En Vision America. is free to qualified users, and all you need to do to read a prescription label with the device is place a specially-tagged prescription bottle or box atop the device. ScripTalk Station ScripTalk Station will then speak the medication name, dosage size and timing, doctor's name, refill date, and even the drug's possible side effects. You can read more about this device in the June 2013 AccessWorld.

Many major brick-and-mortar and mail-order pharmacy chains, including Walmart, offer ScripTalk labeled prescriptions. Check here to see if your pharmacy participates.

A second popular method your pharmacist can use to create accessible prescription labels is by using Audio Digital Labels from AccessaMed. These gum-packsize devices are programmed by the pharmacist with the prescription name, dosage, doctor's name, refill date, and other critical information. Press the device's single button and the information is spoken in clear, easy-to-understand synthesized speech.

One last technology we will describe here is Talking Pill Reminders, which are used by Walgreens. These talking reminders attach to a prescription bottle and include a beeping reminder alert, along with the ability to record and replay an audio message describing the container's contents and proper dosage.

VisionAware offers a Guide to Accessible Medications, where you can see how your pharmacist stacks up. If yours does not offer accessible prescriptions, consider changing pharmacies,if you can. If not, ask to be connected to someone who can make this happen.

Reading Labels

It's called pantry roulette. You take a can of what you think is green beans out of your cupboard to go along with your meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Only it turns out to be a can of bean sprouts. You are mystified because you thought you had the green beans all the way to the right on the top shelf. Somebody must have moved them.

It's not always possible to label everything you bring home from the supermarket and pharmacy. And if there's no one around, you can indeed be left wondering.

There is a standalone device that can help. It's called the I.D. Mate, and it is produced by En-Vision America, the same company that also provides free ScripTalk Stations. This handheld device uses the same bar codes used by store cashiers to determine and announce the name of a product, along with other information such as size, weight, even some cooking instructions. To learn more start with the August 2016 issue of AccessWorld.

There are also several smartphone-based solutions that can help you determine what's in that can or jar. Perhaps the most popular is TapTapSee, which is available for both iPhones and Android smartphones.

TapTapSee is a mobile camera application designed specifically for the blind and visually impaired. Snap a photo of that can or box, automatically upload it to the TapTapSee servers, and in just a few seconds receive a description of the item which is spoken using your smartphone's built-in screen reader. Give it a try. You'll be amazed at its usefulness.

Some Reading Required

Of course not every item can be identified by TapTapSee. What about the address label on that package you just received? Or, now that you know you have that frozen dinner you want, how long do you need to heat it in your microwave?

This is where an optical character recognition (OCR) mobile app called KNFB Reader comes in quite handy. It's available for both iPhones and Android phones, and you can use it to snap a picture of text you can't see and have it read to you.

KNFB Reader includes several features that make it easy to use your phone's camera to snap a high quality image. The app will sound beeps to help you position the phone over the text you wish to have recognized and spoken aloud. You can also snap a test pic to make sure you have all four corners of your page in view. KNFB Reader doesn't care if your text is a bit off-center—even if it's upside-down. You can even use KNFB Reader to go through your own mail—a real boost to personal independence. Read more about this groundbreaking app in the November, 2014 issue of AccessWorld.

Also check out the article on the OrCam devices in this special issue, which introduce you to a pair of glasses that can read text—and all you have to do is point your finger!

"Borrow" a Pair of Eyes

Sometimes you simply need sighted help. Perhaps you are confused about which is the 1/3-cup and which is the ½-cup kitchen measure. Or maybe you can't remember which TV remote button changes the set from satellite to DVD player. These are times when it's nice to have a sighted companion around, but that's not always possible…or is it?

BeSpecular is a new app that enables you to not only snap a picture of an item and upload it to the Cloud for description, but you can also ask a question and receive multiple responses from BeSpecular volunteers who are available around the world, 24-hours a day. BeSpecular is available for both iPhones and Android phones, and if you want to learn more, read BeSpecular: A New Remote Assistant Service from the July 2016 issue of AccessWorld.

Sometimes what you need to know to get organized simply cannot be accomplished in a single picture. BeSpecular allows you to send multiple images, but for times such as these, there may be a better solution.

Be My Eyes is an app currently available for iPhone, and soon to be released for Android. Be My Eyes matches one of nearly one-half million volunteers with people with visual impairments who need a few minutes of remote sighted assistance. The app uses your phone's camera and microphone to conduct two-way audio, one-way video interaction. The volunteer can see what you need seen, answer your questions, and offer guidance such as "There are three ripe tomatoes on your vine. Reach out your left hand and go down about four inches for the first," or, "Looks like you got it all. I don't see any more broken shards of glass on the floor."

Like most of the other technology solutions we have mentioned in this article, Be My Eyes was also covered in greater detail in a previous February 2015 issue of AccessWorld.

As you can see, regular AccessWorld readers are treated to detailed looks at both new and emerging access technologies on a regular basis. Indeed, below you will find links to just a few articles that may prove invaluable as you strive to enhance your independence and quality of life. We also invite you to return next month to enjoy more of our ongoing coverage of all things accessible.

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Diabetes Management Devices and Technology for People with Visual Impairments

Jamie Pauls

For most of my 53 years on this planet, I have had very little reason to visit a doctor for anything other than the occasional required checkup that generally consisted of a cursory examination by my physician, a few minutes of filling out information on a form, and my happily going on my way. Even though I was born totally blind, my condition could not be aided by medical intervention, and I had no problems with my eyes that required treatment. When my mother and sister were both diagnosed with diabetes several years ago, I didn't take a lot of time to contemplate whether I should be more diligent in having my own medical condition thoroughly evaluated. My wife had a glucose meter—a device used to measure blood sugar levels—around because of some medical issues she was dealing with, and I thought about asking her to check my blood sugar, but I always found excuses to put it off for another time.

The first signal from my brain to my body indicating that there might be trouble was a chronic, nagging thirst that was especially evident when I drank sweet beverages. I reduced the amount of sweets, drank a bit more water, and felt better, so I figured all was well. When the nagging thirst became almost intolerable, and wasn't even quench by drinking water, I began to Google my symptoms. No matter how many searches I conducted, and no matter how much I read, I came back to the same conclusion. One evening when I was feeling lethargic, achy, and, of course, thirsty, I asked my wife to check my blood sugar. Although several readings yielded different results, they were all high enough that, at her insistence, I took a trip to the emergency room. I was evaluated, my glucose level was brought down to a reading that wasn't quite as dangerously high as it had been, and I ran headlong into a brick wall of reality—I was a type 2 diabetic.

A few days later, a trip to my family physician's office started me on a journey that I will be on for the rest of my life. In this article, I will tell you a bit about my journey, give you some tips about how you or a loved one who is blind can manage this disease as a blind person, and explore the possibilities that lie just around the corner.

Managing Diabetes as a Person with a Visual Impairment

My doctor immediately placed me on oral medication to help reduce my glucose (blood sugar) levels, protect my kidneys, and lower my blood pressure. Later, I began to take medication to assist with lowering cholesterol—all important elements in the proper treatment of diabetes. Although I could have used braille or some other tactile method to label my pill bottles, I chose to keep them in separate locations in order not to mix them up. Whatever method you choose, the important thing is to keep your medications straight. For me, injections have not yet been necessary, but we will discuss them later in this article.

I have always been a reader, so I began doing as much research on diabetes management as I possibly could. For anyone who is comfortable with technology, electronic books on the subject are in abundance, and there are titles available from the National Library Service (NLS) program for those who have specialized players or smartphone apps for reading this content. I will not recommend one specific title, since a book that speaks directly to one person might not be as helpful to another, and new research is taking place on a regular basis.

As important as proper medication is to the successful management of diabetes, healthy eating is vital. A nutritionist with whom I spoke stated it this way: "Everyone should eat like a diabetic." I became intensely interested in how many grams of carbohydrates (carbs) were in my food, as well as other key ingredients. The My Fitness Pal app on my iPhone became my best friend, giving me instant access to all of this information no matter where I was. The service can be accessed from the web and other mobile platforms as well. Later, I began using the I.D. mate Galaxy from En-Vision America to read the information found on the bar codes of the foods I was preparing for myself. I later wrote about this bar code scanner in the August 2016 issue of AccessWorld.

Monitoring Blood Sugar as a Person with a Visual Impairment

For the first few days of my diagnosis, my sighted wife checked my blood sugar regularly, since I had no way of doing so independently. My pharmacy told me that they had access to a talking glucose meter—a device that shows the glucose level on a digital screen and, in some cases, announces it audibly. The glucose meter obtained by my pharmacy was the AutoCode from Prodigy Diabetes Care, LLC. I later learned that this is the oldest product from that company, and it didn't quite meet my needs. It is not possible to fully set up the unit without sighted assistance, it does not allow for 90 day averages of glucose levels—something that we will discuss later—and the use of one button to do most actions made the device inconvenient for me to use.

The Prodigy Voice is fully audible from setup to test results, has a button to repeat the last message spoken, has buttons that are easy to distinguish from one another, has a screen that is easier to read for those with low vision, provides 7, 14, 21, 30, 60, and 90 day averages, and has a headphone jack that will afford privacy for those who don't want their glucose levels announced to the entire world. Quoting from the company's website, "The Prodigy Voice is the only meter to receive an Access Award from the?American Foundation for the Blind?(AFB) and an Access Plus Award from the?National Federation of the Blind (NFB). The Access Plus Award is given to products that afford blind patients the same?convenience and features available to everybody else."

My first attempts at checking my own blood sugar were spectacularly unsuccessful. I was stressed, my motions were clumsy, and I managed to smear any drop of blood that I successfully acquired before I could get it to the test strip. Six months after my diagnosis of diabetes, I still find that I sometimes need to stick myself three or four times before I am able to get a drop of blood onto the test strip. I do not have dexterity issues, but the test strips are fairly small. They come in a bottle that resembles a pill bottle with a hinged lid. When the container is full of strips, it can be a challenge to remove only one strip without bringing several of its friends along. There are times when I am able to perform a glucose level check on the first try. Sometimes a finger is particularly easy for me to use, until, that is, a callous forms on the place where I inevitably stick myself several tests in a row. I then have to find a new spot, and the process of getting comfortable with sticking myself in that spot starts all over again.

Lancets, the needles used to stick yourself in order to acquire blood for the test, are small, and some may have difficulty handling them. I use a lancet holder, and change the lancets regularly. You are supposed to change them every single time. I have discovered that, if I decide to re-use a lancet, a stick will become increasingly painful the duller the lancet becomes. It is possible to obtain disposable lancets that are only used one time, and do not require the use of a lancet holder. I am told that disposable lancets, which have a preset penetration level when performing a stick, are more painful than using a lancet holder, where the depth of skin penetration can be adjusted.

I have a high pain tolerance, so others may disagree with the following statement, but I would not say that sticking my finger to perform a glucose level check is particularly painful. The lancet is retracted into the lancet holder. Placing the holder on your finger and depressing a button will cause the lancet to spring forward and administer the stick. For a while, I tried using a lower penetration setting, but found that, with a fresh lancet, setting the level to the maximum penetration depth was more likely to produce a good drop of blood, and did not cause me significantly more discomfort than a lower penetration level. Sticking the sides of the finger seems to cause less pain than the pads, and certainly the tip of the finger, which has the most nerve endings.

I find that washing my hands in warm water helps with blood flow, as well as providing a clean environment for performing the test. Milking—gently massaging—the finger can also help to bring blood to the area before performing a stick. I find that having a plastic container that contains all my supplies—glucose meter, test strips, lancet holder, lancets, alcohol wipes, and tissues to help ensure that blood flow has stopped after the test has been performed—is invaluable to my success since it helps me stay organized.

Any talking glucose meter should tell you if there is not enough blood on your test strip, if the strip is wet or has been used, if the glucose reading is out of range, and certainly, what the actual glucose reading is at the time of the test. It should be possible to cycle through a history of past readings, and be able to look at averages over a period of time. When I went back to my family physician for a three-month checkup, the average reading obtained from my doctor's lab was very close to that given by the glucose meter I was using at the time. These readings are known as your a1c, which is a marker found in your body that allows your doctor to know what your average glucose level has been over the past two or three months. While your glucose meter will give you an average reading of, for example, 154 milligrams per deciliter, your a1c will be read as 8.0. It is possible to find a1c converters using a smartphone app, or looking on the Web.

It used to be necessary to manually calibrate glucose meters when a new bottle of test strips was opened, but this is no longer the case with any of the current meters on the market, so far as I am aware. Each test strip has a notch on the end that needs to fit into the meter, and a good talking glucose meter will tell you when the unit is ready for testing. Finally, meters allow for alternate site testing—taking glucose readings from your arm, for example, but from what I have read, results are often less accurate than those obtained from the finger, so I have never attempted alternate site testing.

Because I was not happy with the glucose meter I first tried, a friend recommended the Solus V2 from Biosense Medical Devices. The meter is currently available from Amazon for $13.99. However, in researching prices for this article, it appears that the test strips for the Solus V2 are no longer available. If I can't find them again, I will need to consider purchasing the Prodigy Voice, available for $39.99 from Amazon. Amazon also sells a 50-count box of Prodigy test strips for $8.80.

In the February, 2012 issue of AccessWorld, an article by Darren Burton, John Lilly, Matthew Enigk, and Ricky Kirkendall entitled Diabetes and Visual Impairment: An Update on Accessible Blood Glucose Meters discusses what to look for in a glucose meter that is accessible both from a totally blind, and a low-vision perspective. In that article, four glucose meters were considered fully accessible. They were:

  • The Prodigy Voice from Prodigy Diabetes Care
  • The Solo V2 from BioSense Medical Devices (Also known as the Solus V2)
  • The Fora V20 from Fora Care, Inc
  • The Fora V22 from Fora Care, Inc

Of the first two, it appears as of this writing that the Prodigy Voice may be the only meter still available whose test strips can be easily purchased. The Fora Care V20 and Fora Care V22 appear to have been replaced by the Fora Care V30a, although I have been unable to find any reviews of this product from a blind person's perspective.

There are currently glucose meters that connect with a smartphone via an app, but I have yet to find a review or audio demonstration from a blind person who can recommend one of these units.

When Pills Aren't Enough: Administering Diabetes Injections as a Person with a Visual Impairment

As I stated earlier in this article, I have not needed to give myself injections of insulin or other medications thus far in the treatment of my diabetes. In the July, 2006 issue of AccessWorld, Darren Burton and Mark Uslan wrote an article entitled Diabetes and Visual Impairment: Are Insulin Pens Accessible? Although 10 years old, this article gives some excellent tips on deciding whether to use re-useable or disposable insulin pens. It appears that the pens recommended in this article are still available today.

Independent Blood Pressure Monitoring for People with Visual Impairments

My blood pressure has been stable every time I have visited my doctor, and I have not been told to regularly keep track of blood pressure readings. If I ever decide to do so, however, there are talking options available to me. A search for talking blood pressure monitors from Independent Living Aids yielded two results, with prices of $59.95 and $79.95. Maxi Aids lists one for $79.95.

A search on the AppleVis website yielded a review of the QardioArm wireless blood pressure monitor written by Elena Brescacin. Rob Armstrong has recorded a podcast of the Review and Demonstration of the QardioArm Wireless Blood Pressure Monitor and its Companion iOS App, also on AppleVis. I am confident that, should I need to monitor my blood pressure, I could do so independently, thanks to these talking devices.

Looking Toward the Future of Accessible Diabetes Management

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) using such technology solutions as Dexcom incorporate a sensor placed under the skin, a receiver that fits onto the sensor, and an app that sends the data to your mobile device. According to a friend who uses this technology but wishes to remain anonymous for privacy reasons, the system is a bit tricky to set up, but can be used by a blind person.

Researchers in South Korea are working on a wearable patch that can use sweat to monitor glucose levels,and deliver medication through microneedles. In conjunction with an accessible app, imagine how convenient this could be for blind people who need to regularly monitor their glucose levels.

The Bottom Line

This article from the American Foundation for the Blind gives some excellent guidelines that will help you determine what your blood glucose levels should be at various times of the day, along with information previously discussed in this article. This YouTube video walks you through setup and use of the Prodigy Voice glucose meter.

For anyone, whether blind or sighted, a diagnosis of diabetes is a life-changing, and likely stressful experience. For someone who is losing their vision, or is totally blind, the experience can be even more daunting. The good news is that, with the right monitoring tools and techniques along with patience, no matter whether you are young or old, it is possible to manage your diabetes independently, or with minimal assistance from others.

Although diabetes is a serious disease, there is no reason to let it keep you from living your life to the fullest extent possible. Whether you are a young person who is just finding out who and what you want to be, or an older adult who wants to enjoy their retirement years, you can take control of diabetes starting today!

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Using Your Phone's Low-Vision Features

Shelly Brisbin

As people of all ages rely more on smartphones to complete a variety of tasks, the need for options that support a wide range of visual acuities has increased, too. Whether vision loss is related to age or an eye condition, everyone wants to maximize the usefulness of the vision they have, when working with mobile technology. As no two low-vision experiences are identical, it's important to understand all of the accessibility tools your phone provides, and how to create a visual environment that enhances your productivity.

Low vision means vastly different things to different users: some people require high levels of magnification, while others choose high contrast between the screen and its contents. For others, it's both. Many people also find that while a screen reader offers more spoken feedback than they want, some access to speech, especially for reading books or other longform text, provides a great compliment to other features. Finally, differences among app interfaces often play a significant role in making a smartphone easier or more difficult to use. In short, the best way to customize your phone for your visual needs is to understand how each available option works, alone or in combination with others. In this article, I'll walk you through accessibility features on smartphones that use the Apple iOS and Google Android operating systems, and show you how to choose and activate them.

I want to note a couple of things before we begin. First, though our focus will be on phones, many tablets use iOS and Android operating systems, so what you learn here applies to larger mobile devices, too. In addition, options available on Android-based devices vary, sometimes a lot. Some vendors, including Samsung, which makes the Galaxy line of phones and tablets, have accessibility features in addition to stock Android. Amazon's Fire tablets run software that's based on Android, but the names and locations of settings are a bit different. Finally, several versions of Android exist in the wild, even on recent devices, and there are subtle differences in the way each version of the operating system identifies accessibility features. So it's possible that the name or location of a setting I mention will be slightly different on your phone. But only slightly. Unless otherwise noted, I'll refer to the standard Android platform. Since iPhone users typically upgrade to the most recent version of iOS, I'll always address iOS 10 when mentioning Apple devices.

Screen Magnification

All smartphones provide at least one, and usually multiple, methods of magnifying your view of the screen. You can use zoom continuously, or use a gesture to enable it for specific tasks. Choose a magnification level that seems comfortable for you, and adjust it from there based on what you're doing. Then pan around to see parts of the screen that are hidden when you're zoomed in. In some cases, you'll even be able to use and pan a zoomed window, magnifying part of the screen, while the rest remains at standard size.

On both Android and iOS phones, begin by turning Zoom on, in Accessibility settings. On an iPhone, open the Settings app, then select General > Accessibility > Zoom. On an Android device, open Settings, and go to Accessibility > Screen Magnification. Turn Zoom or Screen Magnification on. Your screen won't be magnified immediately. Instead, your phone can now respond to a command or gesture, when you're ready to zoom. This arrangement means you won't need to dig through your phone's settings every time you want to magnify the screen, you'll just need to learn and use zoom gestures. Note that the gestures I'm about to describe assume that you're not using your phone's TalkBack or VoiceOver screen reader. We'll talk about how to use zoom with speech later.

With Screen Magnification on, triple-tap the screen of your Android device. Now, your screen view is zoomed. To see a different part of the screen, drag two fingers in the direction you want to move. Think of panning as moving a magnifying glass. You can change the zoom level by pinching in and out; place one finger of each hand on the screen and "pull" them away from one another. The magnification level increases. Pinch the fingers together to zoom out. (You can also triple-tap the screen again to zoom out all the way.) To zoom the screen briefly, do the triple-tap gesture, but continue to hold your finger onscreen. You're zoomed in. Now drag your finger to a different part of the screen to see it magnified. When you release your hold, the standard screen view returns.

iOS uses the same basic method, but employs different gestures. With Zoom enabled in Accessibility settings, here's how to magnify your iPhone screen. Place three fingers together on the screen, and double-tap. If you drag upward as you double-tap, the zoom level increases. You can pan the screen by dragging one finger.

Notice a couple of things about what happens when you zoom the screen. With Android, the navigation bar does not zoom, and if the screen contains a keyboard, it doesn't zoom either. This allows you to view the full keyboard as you type, with a magnified view of characters as you enter them. If you're zoomed in while working in an app, your device will zoom out when you leave the app.

In iOS, everything zooms by default, but you can customize the zoom experience in several ways. To zoom what you're typing while keeping the full keyboard in view, turn on Smart Typing in Zoom settings. iOS lets you choose to zoom the full screen, as described previously, or to apply magnification to a window whose borders appear when you perform the zoom gesture. If you choose Window Zoom, you can adjust the size of the zoomed window, or drag it around the screen. Finally, the Zoom Controller is a pop-up menu that gives you quick access to all zoom settings. When the controller is enabled in Zoom settings, a small circle will appear on all screens. Tap it once to view the controller menu, or double-tap and drag to zoom in, and pan around the screen.

Pinch-to-Zoom and Display Zoom

Pinching in and out, the way you do to change zoom level on an Android device, is an important option for zooming your view of apps, especially Web browsers. Most browsers, whether pre-installed on your phone or downloaded from an app store, support pinch-to-zoom. You don't need to enable Zoom first. Just open a webpage and pull out with two fingers to zoom in, pinch in to zoom out. Pinch-to-zoom is actually available in lots of apps, and it is worth checking to see whether one you're using supports it. In iOS, you can pinch within an email message (be sure to place your fingers in the message body, not the header.) In the next section, I'll describe how you can magnify text, rather than the screen, which provides a more universal, and easier reading experience than pinch-to-zoom.

When Apple released its first large phones (iPhone 6 and 6 Plus) in 2015, the company added a feature that was aimed at making the contents of the screen easier to see. It's now available on all iPhone 6 and 7 models, and it's called Display Zoom. Though it's not a replacement for screen magnification, it can help some users avoid getting "lost" on a large screen. Display Zoom does two things: it reduces the number and increases the size of Home screen icons, and it enlarges the size of objects and text in apps. To use Display Zoom on an iPhone 6 or 7 model, open Settings, and choose Display & Brightness. Under the Display Zoom heading, choose View. You next see a sample Home Screen. Tap the Zoomed tab to see how it will look if you activate Display Zoom. Flick right on the sample screen to see how Display Zoom affects a text message, and flick again to see a sample email. To try Display Zoom, tap Set, in the upper-right corner of the screen. After you confirm the change, iOS enables Display Zoom. Note that if your Home screen's bottom row of icons has apps on it, they will be moved to a new page. Just flick left to find them. Now open a few apps to see how Display Zoom affects your view.

Magnify and Enhance Text

All smartphones include options for changing the size and appearance of text onscreen. These settings typically affect the text you see within apps, but sometimes extend to the labels in the Settings app, or, in the case of Android, some of the text you see on the Home screen. Even within apps, not all of the text you see is magnified. That depends on whether the developer follows Google (Android) or Apple guidelines for dealing with fonts. Some apps, as we'll discuss later, include their own text size settings.

Typically, controlling font size means adjusting a slider in Accessibility Settings. The actual size of text you see depends on the app you are in. Text size is relative to the standard size specified by the operating system or, in some cases, by the app. In iOS, there are two text size sliders: one under Display & Brightness, and one in Accessibility settings. The latter, specifically intended for low-vision users, provides substantially larger text sizes. Let's get acquainted with text size options, which will help you decide which setting to use. If you have enabled any Zoom settings discussed earlier, turn them off so that you'll have a better idea how text size settings work alone. You can re-activate Zoom settings later, if you wish.

In Settings, tap Display & Brightness, then Text Size. Use the slider to select a larger text size. The preview text above changes as you move the slider. Press the Home button to leave Settings, and open the Messages app. You should notice that the text on the list of messages is larger than before. The difference is even more noticeable when you open an individual message thread. Try some other apps to see how your new text size looks. To use the largest text sizes available, return to Settings, and go to General > Accessibility > Larger Text. Turn on the Larger Accessibility Sizes toggle to activate the slider. Now you can select a larger text size. When you have, open Messages or Mail, to see the effects of your changes.

Android text size settings vary a bit. I'll describe the Android 7.0 (Nougat) option, and then describe some variations. Just as in iOS, begin by opening Settings from the Home screen, or from the Notification drawer, then choose Accessibility. Select Font Size, then use the slider to enlarge text. Return to the Home screen and open an app to see the impact of your changes. Some Android devices lack a Text Size slider, but allow you to choose among Small, Medium, Large, and Huge sizes. Amazon Fire tablets, which uses a version of the Android OS that has been modified by Amazon, are similar: open Settings, then choose Accessibility > Font Size. You can now pick from three options: Normal, Large, and Huge. Text size changes in Android affect fonts on the Home screen, and in the Settings app, so you can see your changes right away.

You'll find a few other text style options on mobile devices: iOS has a Bold Text toggle in Accessibility settings, which makes any supported text thicker. The High Contrast Text option in some versions of Android, including the Amazon Fire tablet, is a toggle that makes text ?pop? onscreen. On some Android devices, including those from Samsung, you can even change the typeface. In Settings, open Display, then choose Font Style, if available, and pick a font that you find easy to read. The font will then appear throughout your phone's interface.

Brightness, Contrast, and Background

Something as simple as adjusting the appearance of a phone's screen can make the device much easier to see and use. You can also adjust the contrast between backgrounds and objects and text onscreen, or even use color filters to make more precise adjustments.

You can set the brightness of Android and iOS phones from the Home screen. In Android flick down from the top of the screen to reveal the Notification Drawer. Use the Brightness slider to find a comfortable level, keeping in mind that you might need more light to focus on text or photos, less if you're photophobic. In iOS, flick up from the bottom of the screen to open Control Center. There's a Brightness slider there. Keep in mind that brightness needs are also affected by lighting conditions. If you're outside, you may be unable to make your screen as bright as you want it to be, while a medium brightness level might work well in an office environment. Finally, if your device has a night mode, which is designed to make it easier to see the device in the evening and to support sleep, turn it off while adjusting brightness. In fact, night mode can sometimes interfere with contrast and color settings, so consider disabling it, at least while you work to create the best environment on your phone. Then try turning it back on to see how it affects your view.

Unlike computer monitors, smartphones don't include a contrast adjustment slider, per se. Instead, you can change the relationship between the background (home screen or in apps) and text or objects. At its most complete, contrast adjustment in the smartphone world provides a true "dark mode," which dims backgrounds, and makes text lighter and crisper. Right now, neither iOS or Android offer a fully realized dark mode, but both environments let you get close.

iPhone users have two options for improving contrast: tweak display settings, or use color filtering to fundamentally change the appearance of the screen. To see how you can tweak the screen, open Settings, and go to General > Accessibility > Increase Contrast. Select the Reduce Transparency toggle to "harden" the backgrounds of some screens in iOS. To see how Reduce Transparency changes your view, turn it on, return to the Home screen, and flick left to open the Notification Center. The background will be more opaque. To see how Darken Colors works, activate it and open the Safari Web browser, then tap the Bookmarks button. You'll notice that tab colors are darker than before. You'll find one more contrast tweak in Display Accommodation settings, also in Accessibility settings. (If you're on the Increase Contrast settings screen, use the Back button to move up one level, then choose Display Accommodation.) Now turn on Reduce White Point. An intensity slider appears, allowing you to reduce the impact of bright screens in iOS, to make them less of a distraction, if you're sensitive to them. You'll notice the change to the settings screen as soon as you turn the toggle on. Another place in iOS where you'll notice all of these display tweaks is the onscreen keyboard. iOS uses light and dark versions of the keyboard, depending on what app you are using. Reduce Transparency and Bold Text are particularly helpful in making keyboards easier to use.

Let's take a look at contrast options in the Android world. They vary, based on the device and Android version you're using. As is usually the case, newer versions (KitKat/Android 4.4 or later, for low-vision options) are better. And Samsung devices add their own accessibility settings to stock Android, providing the largest number of choices for users with low-vision. Samsung devices, for example, were the first to provide an invert colors option.

You can use color filtering and adjustment options to make a more substantial change in screen contrast, available in either platform. Think of Invert Colors as a photographic negative of your screen. In fact, the feature is sometimes called Negative Colors, or Reverse Video. Typically, light backgrounds become dark, while black text becomes light. Of course, since everything inverts, photos and other images on your screen look like negatives, too, and an app with a dark background will be rendered light, instead. For this reason, many who use Invert Colors find themselves enabling and disabling the feature throughout the day to see content that looks odd when inverted. If your phone (all iOS devices do) includes an accessibility shortcut, you may be able to switch Invert Colors on and off quickly.

Color filters and grayscale provide a different kind of screen color change. As the name implies, a grayscale view removes all color from the screen, using a range of grays to indicate interface items. It's not a typical Android feature, but you will find it on some Samsung phones, including the Galaxy S5. In Settings, choose Power Saving Mode and choose Grayscale mode. In iOS, you'll find this option in Settings > General > Accessibility > Display Accommodations > Color Filters. Then turn on the Color Filters toggle to view options, including Grayscale. You can also choose color filters that correspond to the needs of users with specific eye conditions. They are Red/Green Filter, Green/Red Filter, and Blue/Yellow Filter. When you choose one, an Intensity slider appears. To determine whether your Android device offers filtering, go to Accessibility settings. On the Amazon Fire tablet, for example, you'll find three color filters under Color Correction.

Speech

You can use speech with your phone, even if you don't use the TalkBack or VoiceOver screen reader. You can hear an ebook or a webpage, or get spoken feedback as you type. Both Google and Apple include a speech engine that can be customized with downloadable voices, and configured to speak at a speed that's comfortable. Many Android devices actually include (or allow you to download) multiple speech engines: the Google default, speech provided by the device manufacturer, and sometimes even the ability to download one from the Google Play Store. We won't delve into the finer points of these engines, but be aware that you may have access to several. To set up speech, go to Settings > Accessibility > Text-to-Speech Output. If you have multiple speech engines installed, they're listed here. If Google Text-to-Speech is available, choose it, or select the one from your phone's manufacturer. You can adjust settings for the speech engine, and hear examples of the language and voice you choose. You can now use speech in apps that support it. These include Google Play Books, Instapaper, Pocket, Voice Dream Reader, and Easy Text Speech, which will speak the contents of the Clipboard. If you have an Amazon device, you can use text-to-speech options built into the Kindle app, and you can download compatible Android apps that support it.

iOS offers robust speech options for non-VoiceOver users. First, you'll want to choose voices and settings. In the Settings app, go to General > Accessibility > Speech. The options in the upper portion of the screen control what you do with speech. In the lower portion of the screen, you can choose a voice and a speaking rate if you like. Let's take a look at the speech features included in iOS. Speak Selection enables your phone to read selected text aloud, when you choose that option from a popup menu. Speak Screen, the most powerful of the features, uses a gesture to read what's on the screen. Enable the feature, locate a webpage, book, or other screen containing text you want to read. Doing a two-finger downward flick from the top of the screen begins speech. If you're reading a book in iBooks or the iOS Kindle app, Speak Screen will advance from page to page, reading until you stop it. Typing Feedback makes speech available as you enter text. Choose options that tell iOS how verbose speech should be, and whether and when to speak auto-correct suggestions aloud. Finally, the Highlight Content setting provides visual cues as text is spoken.

Tips for a Better Low-Vision Phone Experience

Whether you use some or all of the low-vision phone features described in this article, there are still more things you can do to improve phone usability that don't require a trip to Accessibility settings. Some involve choosing hardware and software, others are simple, and cost nothing.

  • Right-size your phone: How much magnification you need depends on your vision, of course, but also on the size of the phone you choose. If you need a high level of zoom, or larger text, you might want to pick a phone with a larger screen, which will allow more of the screen contents to remain visible when you zoom or crank up the font size. You'll find Android and iOS phones with screens up to 5.5 inches. Tablets are bigger. The challenge of a large phone for some low-vision users is the need to hold the device close to your eyes to view it. This may be hard on your wrists. Some users may also "get lost" on a too-large screen. Before you choose a phone, be sure to handle and use the model you're planning to buy.
  • Launchers: If you have an Android phone, you can replace the default look and feel of your Home screen with a launcher from the Google Play Store. I covered launchers in my roundup of Android low-vision apps. You'll find launchers with large icons, high-contrast text, and even simplified interfaces that are ideal for some seniors, or folks who use a limited number of apps on their phones.
  • High-contrast wallpaper: You can change the background of your Home screen by turning any photo into wallpaper, or picking from wallpapers already available on the device. Using a solid color, rather than a busy photo that obscures your app icons and the text on the Home screen can make it much easier to locate text and icons. If a solid background seems boring, try a starry sky or snowy scene, for a dark or light look, respectively.
  • Apps with dark mode and/or font size options: Apps that focus on reading and navigation often have their own accessibility-enhancing options. Apple's iBooks and Amazon's Kindle app allow you to change font size, and even typeface, as well as changing the background or text color of what you're reading. Seek out apps that compensate for what might be missing in your phone's operating system, or that simply offer a better experience.

Get the Most from your Phone

The good news about modern smartphones is that they all provide features to support those with low-vision or whose eyesight has simply changed due to age. Your challenge is to try out as many of these features as possible, and decide which ones are right for you.

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Easier-to-Use Cell Phone Options for People with Vision Loss

Jamie Pauls

Most everyone reading this issue of AccessWorld can think back to a time when the majority of phone calls were placed from a stationary location—your home, office, a hotel room, or even a pay phone. Cell phones, when they could be found in the wild, were big, bulky affairs whose cost was more than most people were willing to justify. And besides, who wanted to be tethered to a phone 24/7, anyway? It is now possible to surf the Web, track your daily exercise goals, read the newspaper, and listen to music all from one device, and many people are willing to pay for the privilege of doing so.

With the increased power that cell phones now possess comes an increase in both complexity and cost. Not everyone wants to pay for a data plan that will allow them to watch Netflix, run a business, and shop, all from their phone. Not everyone is comfortable with typing on a smooth sheet of glass, updating apps, and installing the newest version of an operating system. For anyone with a visual impairment, the need to work with low-vision settings or a screen reader that is built into the device only adds more complexity to the situation.

Is it possible for a person to still find a phone that has basic features, doesn't cost an arm and a leg, and is relatively easy to use? In this article, we will take a look at five providers—Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and GreatCall—to see what offerings they provide for someone with a visual impairment, and does not want to leap head-first into the world of smartphone technology. We will not go into detail about specific phones in this article, although plenty of links will be provided should you wish to examine the specifications of a particular phone in more detail. Rather, we will discuss guidelines that you can consider when looking for a basic feature phone that might meet your needs. Since phone offerings change regularly, a phone mentioned in this article might not be available by the time you try to purchase it, and three more excellent choices may have taken its place.

Easier-to Use Cell Phone Options for People with Visual Impairments from Verizon

In doing research for this article, I tried to take an approach that I thought the average person might take. Perhaps an older person who is beginning to lose their vision might have a son or daughter to help them locate an easy-to-use phone—one that requires only a minimal data plan, has talking menus and readouts, and possibly a large font that makes the display easier to see. Although some might choose to visit a brick-and-mortar store in order to put their hands on the phone they are considering, others would logically start by visiting the Web. Since my cell phone provider is Verizon, I started there. I went to Verizon's home page, and found an accessibility link on the site.

Upon arriving at Verizon's accessibility page, I learned that they are committed to meeting the needs of everyone who has a disability. This general statement is something I would find on all of the cell phone provider sites I visited. Regardless of whether you have a visual impairment, a hearing impairment, or have any other disabilities, Verizon claims to have you covered. But what about someone who specifically has visual impairment? Is it possible to easily find an easy-to-use phone, known as a feature phone, that addresses the needs of someone who has low vision, or no vision at all?

I found that Verizon addresses this question in a way that only one other provider did, but in a way that was unique to Verizon.

By following a link labeled "accessibility device features and apps," I was able to locate a table with 14 features down the left side, and ten phones across the columns to the right of the features. By finding the features I was looking for—which included voice-activated dialing, caller ID with speech, one-touch speed dial, voice command, phone status with speech, readable command, ringtones, adjustable large font, text message readout (incoming), text message readout (incoming / outgoing), limited menu readout, full menu readout, qwerty keyboard, and digit dial—I was able to then move across the columns in order to see which phones had the features I wanted. By using the table navigation commands in Jaws 18—the screen reader I used for my research—I heard the words "heavy checkmark" spoken as I came across a feature that was available in Verizon's list of feature phones. The list of phones included the LG Cosmos 3, LG Revere 2 / 3, LG Exalt / 2, LG Terra, LG Extravert, LG Extravert 2, Samsung Gusto 2, Samsung Gusto III, Kyocera Dura XV, and the Samsung Convoy 3 / 4.

I then placed a call to Verizon's accessibility number (888-262-1999) and received prompt and courteous service. The customer service representative with whom I spoke knew exactly what I was looking for when I asked her about a feature phone for someone who was blind, and recommended the Samsung Gusto III.

In a blog post found on the National Federation of the Blind's website, author Clara Van Gerven favorably reviews this phone, which apparently is a much-needed improvement over the Gusto 2.

I was very pleased with how easily I was able to locate the exact information I was looking for on Verizon's website, and I was even more impressed with the phone support I received. Had I wanted to do so, I could have easily purchased the phone—99 cents with a two-year contract, according to the NFB blog post sited above—and I could have had the phone in my hands in very short order.

Even if someone is not a Verizon customer, the list of features presented above are an excellent guideline for anyone who wants to find cell phone features that meet the needs of specific disabilities.

Easier-to-Use Cell Phone Options for People with Visual Impairments from AT&T

I next decided to take a look at AT&T, a household name when it comes to providers of phone and Internet services. I went to AT&T's main home page and found a link labeled "Accessibility Resources for Customers with Disabilities." There I learned about AT&T's commitment to meeting the needs of everyone with a disability. I also found another table of features, but this one was much more generalized, giving guidelines for what to look for in a phone if you have a specific disability, but with no phone suggestions provided. I found plenty of references to smartphones on the site, but no mention of feature phones. I found a phone number for AT&T's National Center for Customers with Disabilities. To reach them, dial 866-241-6568, press option 2, and option 2 again. The customer representative with whom I spoke was very friendly, but was soon struggling to assist me when I told her I was not interested in a smartphone such as an iPhone or Android phone. The only phone she was able to recommend was the AT&T Z223 prepaid goPhone for $17.99. Although she assured me that it was possible to turn on accessibility features from within the phone's menus, she was unable to tell me what those features were. Try as I might, I have been unable to verify that this phone actually has any accessibility features at all such as talking menus, the ability to hear text messages spoken aloud, etc. These features may in fact exist, but you will probably need to visit a brick and mortar store in order to examine the phone for yourself.

I didn't find AT&T's website as easy to navigate using my screen reader as Verizon's and I was unable to find a basic feature phone whose accessibility features I could verify.

Easier-to-Use Cell Phone Options for People with Visual Impairments from T-Mobile

I next turned to T-Mobile, a cell phone provider I have used in the past. Back in the day, I used a phone with an installed screen reader. Since iPhones, Android phones, and Blackberry and Windows phones now come with various degrees of built-in accessibility, third-party screen readers for phones are a thing of the past. If you don't want to use a full-fledged smartphone, touch screen and all, you will need to find a basic feature phone with some sort of accessibility built in.

From the company's home page, I found a link simply labeled "Accessibility." While there was plenty of information for those with hearing impairment, including a list of suggested phones, I didn't find a lot for people with visual impairment other than references to smartphones such as Apple's iPhone. I did find an accessibility customer support phone number (844-375-8107).

I have always been impressed with T-Mobile's customer support, and this call was no different. The customer representative was courteous and attentive, but struggled to find phones that met my needs—talking readouts and menus, and a large display for low vision users. She was aware that the LG 450 had some of the features I was requesting, because her grandfather had recently gotten one. It wasn't until I asked her for the price of the phone that she realized the product was no longer in stock. She told me that, in all likelihood, the phone was no longer being distributed by T-Mobile.

While I did find information regarding accessibility on T-Mobile's website, I was unable to find a basic feature phone that met the criteria I was looking for.

Easier-to-Use Cell Phone Options for People with Visual Impairments from Sprint

When I visited Sprint's website, I again found a link simply labeled "Accessibility." Here is where I found a pleasant surprise. Not only did I find a link for customers with visual impairments, but also a link with information for customers who are seniors.

By visiting these pages, I was able to find clear recommendations for phones that would fit the criteria I was looking for. One of these phones—the Kyocera Verve—was reviewed by Bill Holton in the May, 2011 issue of AccessWorld. Bill gives a thorough description of the phone, discusses its accessibility features, and even guides the reader through turning on the accessibility features without sighted assistance if that is desired. Priced at $19.95, this phone is reasonably priced, as is the case with most all other feature phones I know anything about. That is, after all, part of their appeal.

I spoke with two Sprint representatives who, unfortunately, had no idea how to help me find a basic, feature phone with accessibility options, and did not seem aware of the fact that the very phones I was looking for were listed on the company's Website.

Easier-to-Use Cell Phone Options for People with Visual Impairments from GreatCall

Perhaps not everyone has heard of GreatCall, but the name Jitterbug is most likely familiar to everyone reading this article. While this phone may not have all of the features necessary for someone who is blind, a low-vision user might find it a good option. In fact, the website mentions seniors specifically, and touts safety and security as reasons why the Jitterbug might be a good phone for the senior population. Among other things, it is possible to speak with a human if assistance is needed in dialing a number, or modifying your phone's address book. A search of the American Foundation for the Blind's website brought up a May, 2011 review of the Jitterbug J.

Today, GreatCall is selling the Jitterbug Flip for $74.99, and phone plans start at $14.99 for 200 minutes per month. To order, call 800-650-5918.

The Bottom Line

There is no question that smartphones have taken the place of basic, feature devices for most cell phone users. That said, it is still possible to purchase a low-cost, basic phone and cell plan with most, if not all of the major cell phone providers available today. For me, Verizon and Sprint tie for first place when it comes to easily finding, on their respective websites, phones that meet specific needs, and these will vary from person to person. It is for this reason that I recommend visiting a store and personally test driving a phone before you buy it, if it all possible. Even if a phone has talking menus, and reads incoming text messages out loud, the buttons may be too close together for someone with dexterity issues. Perhaps the speech output on any given phone might be easily understood by one person, but very difficult to understand by another. One user might have no problem opening a flip phone—a phone whose keypad has a covering over it—while someone else may do better with a candy bar phone—one whose keypad is exposed at all times. Even a phone that has a slide-out keyboard may present difficulties for someone who has trouble manipulating the very small keys available on that keyboard. That said, I realize that it might not be possible for everyone to easily get to a store in order to look at various phone options.

I did not have as much success in finding accessible phones by visiting the websites of AT&T, or T-Mobile. Of all the sites I visited, only Verizon gave me the telephone support I was looking for.

The Jitterbug is in a category of its own, since it is dedicated to meeting the needs of seniors, and possibly those with disabilities. I did not call and visit with anyone from GreatCall about the Jitterbug.

After doing research for this article, I am convinced that, although the options are fewer than they once were, it is still possible to find a basic, low-cost, easy-to-use phone that will meet the needs of someone who is totally blind, or has low vision. Should you decide to speak with a sales representative on the phone, be prepared to be very specific about exactly what features you are looking for in a phone. Unfortunately, there are no general terms that you can use in order to ensure that you and the representative are on the same page when it comes to your needs. Keep in mind that the person with whom you are speaking may have never before encountered a person with a disability. Although cell phone providers are certainly aware at a corporate level of the needs of those who have disabilities, more needs to be done in order to get that information to the sales representatives who actually take calls on a daily basis.

Is there anything I missed? Feel free to comment on this article with any tips you have for navigating the world of purchasing a cell phone as a person who is blind or who has low vision.

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MyReader and MyEye from OrCam: Text and Item Recognition at the Touch of a Finger

Bill Holton

In a recent AccessWorld article, Choice Finds from the ATIA 2016 Conference Exhibit Hall, we took a first look at the OrCam from Israeli-based OrCam Technologies. The OrCam is a wearable device that detects what you are looking at, recognizes the presence of text, and speaks the text aloud. The OrCam can also identify various products, US currency, credit cards, and even faces.

While many individuals with visual impairments use smartphones and other mobile devices to accomplish most of these tasks, there is a growing population of people who are newly blind for whom such a device might enable a significant step toward personal independence. People who are newly blind and who do not have substantial technology experience and training may find this device of particular benefit.

At the time of the previous AccessWorld mention, OrCam was not yet available for purchase. It is now available with training via a network of dealers. Recently I had a chance to put the device through its paces in an extended training session. Here's what I found.

A quick Tour of OrCam

The OrCam has two components. The first is the processor unit, which is 5.5 inches by 2.25 inches by .8 inches, and weighs just over 5.5 ounces. It fits easily in the palm of the hand, and is designed to fit into a standard-size hip pocket. A belt clip is also provided, but using a handbag might be problematic. A shoulder bag carried on the right shoulder might work, or a backpack, since there is a 32-inch cable connecting the processor unit to the OrCam. Hopefully, the company will soon be able to offer the option of either Bluetooth or other wireless connectivity.

The processor unit has an audio jack, a charging port, and three buttons: a Power button and Volume Up/Down rocker on one edge, and on the opposite edge the Trigger button, which the user can press to initiate a scan or hold down for two seconds with either of the Volume buttons to open the Settings menu. As you will soon see, however, you can access most essential OrCam features without using the physical Trigger button.

The second component is the camera/speaker head unit, which is connected to the other end of the cable. This component snaps on to the right arm of nearly any standard-size pair of eyeglasses or sunglasses. (Note: wire frame glasses cannot currently be used with the OrCam.) When attached properly, the OrCam 8-megapixel camera is positioned at the very front of the glasses, and the speaker is positioned toward the rear. Weighing in at just over 1 ounce, the head unit does not feel awkward at all to wear. Some prerelease versions of OrCam Eye used bone conduction earphones, but for the release version these have been replaced by a single speaker with sound output directed toward the user's right ear. Those who have hearing deficits in this ear may have a problem using OrCam out of the box. Such users may need to connect their own headphones, external speaker, or hearing aid using the processor unit's audio jack.

The non-swappable battery is rated for 4.5 hours of continuous use. It can be recharged in four hours using a USB power adapter, computer port, or car charger. At the beginning of my two-hour training session the battery was at 100 percent. It ended at 50 percent, so at first glance these numbers do seem fair.

The Two Flavors of OrCam

OrCam comes in two versions: OrCam MyEye, which is priced at $3,500, and OrCam MyReader, which costs $2,500. Let's take these configurations one by one, describing what they can and can't do. Keep in mind that, as is the case with most camera-based accessibility devices and apps, there is a certain learning curve involved. I only had one training session, so I also sought out feedback from an OrCam veteran, which you will find later in this article.

OrCam MyReader

OrCam MyReader focuses on text recognition. There are two ways to instruct the device to identify and speak recognized text. First, look directly at the page or label of text. This can be a bit tricky, at least at first. I tended to look higher and a bit to the right of my intended target. With practice I quickly improved my aim. Now, with the target text directly ahead, press the Trigger button on the processor unit. You will hear a shutter sound as the image is taken. A second or two later the text will begin speaking.

Alternatively, place a finger near the top center of the page or block of text you wish to have read. You will need to place your finger so that the fingernail is facing up. OrCam recognizes the fingernail, and uses it to set the camera's focus. After hearing a confirmation chirp, remove your finger from the text. This action "triggers" OrCam to auto-snap the picture. If you do not hear a chirp, remove your finger from view and then try again.

The developers of OrCam have built their own, proprietary text recognition engine from the ground up. I found the recognition equal to or better than other OCR products, including the KNFB Reader. OrCam prompts you if the text is upside down or too blurry to recognize, and seems to do a good job cleaning up off-center images. It's also quick, and again, there is no data connection needed. You do need adequate lighting, however. OrCam tended to fail in poor light conditions, and there was way to know if the failure was caused by text not being included in the view or because the light was inadequate. This lead to several instances where I kept trying to get the text in view, when my problem was actually poor lighting. Perhaps an inadequate lighting message should be added.

The text is read using either the Ivona, Brian, or Kendra voice. I found the results clear and easy to understand, even with the small built-in speaker. You can change voices, speed, and volume via the Settings menu.

If you wish to stop text reading, simply place your hand in front of the object you're reading. To scan the text: after speech begins, place your finger against the text and slide it down toward where you'd like to skip to. This was a bit tricky, and my attempts resulted in many recognition stops and restarts. With practice I was able to perform the gesture about half the time. I suspect that with further practice I could improve this gesture even more, but I'm not sure it is a feature I would use enough to warrant the effort.

Using OrCam I was able to scan the left page and the right page of a book with high speed and accuracy. OrCam does not save your recognized text after it has been read. You cannot scan ahead in a book as you listen to previous pages, or save your scanned text to a computer or other device. And speaking of computers, when I pointed OrCam at my computer screen it detected I has an Excel spreadsheet open and began reading the data one row at a time.

Taking OrCam to my pantry, I could touch my finger to a can of corned beef hash, for instance, or a box of crackers, and OrCam would speak most visible text. This text tended to be cooking instructions, or nutritional information, from which I could often as not determine what was in the package. Product names were problematic, because they are usually printed in unusual fonts OrCam can't recognize. There is a way to more consistently identify products, which I will describe in the next section. For now, it was time to hit the road.

On the Go with OrCam MyEye

Heading outdoors on the day of my training session I was startled to learn that, even though I have lived in my current house for eight years, I never knew that the street number was printed on top of my garage door. As the instructor and I headed out, the UPS man arrived with two Amazon packages. I was easily able to tell that one of the boxes was for me and one for my wife by simply touching the label with my fingertips, then moving my finger away for the picture to snap. On one of the packages it took me a while to find the label, since it felt so much like the packing tape. Assuming the daylight was sufficient, when OrCam did not chirp I knew I had to pull my finger away and try again.

Corner street signs were also readable, but I cannot say this feature is particularly useful. I had to be in precisely the right spot, and know at which of the four corners the sign was located. Trees and other branches typically interfered, and I had no way to tell if I was even close to being on target.

Heading to a nearby fast food restaurant/gas station/convenience store, I was delighted when OrCam read many of the outdoor signs. I do not think it will be able to distinguish different stores in a strip mall, as most signs use unusual fonts, and OrCam does not do well with lighted neon.

At the order counter, I could pick up snatches of the menu board overhead. I could not read it all, so I had to rely on a printed menu.

By happenstance, the previous occupier of the table I selected had left a newspaper, so between bites of burger I tried reading a few articles. OrCam did an excellent job columizing and only reading down one column at a time. I had to start the text recognition again for the next column. I also needed to have some sense of where things were on the page. OrCam doesn't identify when you're pointing at graphic or picture; it simply doesn't recognize these elements on a target.

When using the Trigger button, as opposed to the point gesture, for reading a newspaper, OrCam reads the text on the entire page, starting at the top-left corner to the bottom-right corner. OrCam announces "reading next text block" to distinguish between headlines and different articles.

Our final stop was inside the convenience store, where I was blown away by OrCam's capabilities. Walking up to a shelf, I touched a finger to an item. It read the item name and the price. It was a bag of dog food. I moved on to another unknown item in a blister pack. OrCam informed me it was a tire gauge, and also provided the price. Last stop—the refrigerator case, where I pulled the door open and began touching beverage bottles. Nearly every time it read what it was and the price tag. It was much easier than my own pantry or refrigerator, since stores always display items with their labels front and center.

OrCam MyEye

Along with all the features described above, OrCam MyEye can recognize currency, credit cards, household or work items you have previously identified and placed into OrCam's memory using voice memos/audio tags, and the faces of friends, family, and coworkers.

Currency must be touched or viewed using the trigger button in order to have it recognized. The various denominations have been pre-added to the OrCam's memory. Other items you will need to add manually.

OrCam MyEye will store and recognize up to 150 credit cards, pantry items, household cleaners, and other objects from the size of a pack of playing cards to a box of cereal. To add an item to the device's memory, press and hold the Trigger button until OrCam prompts you with "Start new product learning. Please point at the product three times at different positions." It's best to take one photo with the item at arm's length, a second closer up, and the third using a different background.

After snapping the photos you are prompted to add an audio name or description of the item. Multiple image sets can be taken, if, say, you want to add the front and back sides of a box, but this will count as two items toward your maximum of 150. Note: You must still have the item in order to clear it from memory.

Now, when you wish to identify that box of teabags or distinguish your sugar canister from your flour canister, touch the item and then pull away your finger, as though you were identifying text. OrCam will speak your audio message.

Identifying faces works similarly to object identification. A person only needs to be photographed and entered into OrCam one time. Press and hold the trigger button for about two seconds. The OrCam device will ask you to please name the person in front of you after the beep. Then you confirm the person by pressing on the trigger button again to complete the facial recognition entry process.

Now, whenever that person comes into view, OrCam MyEye will play your audio tag. Remember, it's playing through a speaker, and though the volume is fairly low, you should probably avoid names such as "My stupid boss," or "The guy who owes me money."

My trainer had pre-entered his facial image into OrCam MyEye. At the fast food restaurant when he wandered away I tried to locate him. It took a while, but finally he came into view and I knew in which direction to look and speak.

One last feature I discovered on my own was when OrCam MyEye abruptly announced, "One person is in front of you." OrCam can recognize that there are up to eight faces in front of you—a handy feature if you're standing in a line, or if you're at a party wondering if you're speaking to a person or a floor lamp.

An OrCam MyEye User Story

As mentioned above, since I only had one OrCam training session I thought it prudent to check in with another, more experienced user. So I spoke with Dorothy Boyd, 80, who lives in Titusville, Florida. Boyd has retinitis pigmentosa, and her vision is limited to four degrees. Her granddaughter is an optician who followed the progress of OrCam as it was being developed and obtained a device for Boyd as soon as one was available.

Boyd uses a speech-enabled iPad and Kindle, but she usually prefers to use her OrCam MyEye to review the screens. "I don't have to worry about accidentally touching something I didn't mean to and changing things," she says.

Boyd also uses her OrCam to read her print Bible and daily devotional. Her husband teaches Sunday school, and she was amazed when she could follow along with his PowerPoint presentations. "OrCam actually helps me orient my scans," she says. "If my finger isn't pointing directly at the PowerPoint display it tells me, 'There's more text to the right.'"

Boyd doesn't have many household items in her object recognition database. She doesn't need to. "I can usually tell what I'm looking at just by the snatches of text I hear," she says. "It's very handy when I'm looking for something in the refrigerator—especially when you have a husband who never puts the mustard back where it belongs."

Boyd does use the facial recognition. Besides her husband, she's also programed her OrCam with images of a number of neighbors and church friends, her two daughters, four grandchildren, and their spouses, along with her four great-grandchildren. "My husband can't sneak up on me anymore," she laughs.

Recently, the family threw a big celebration for Boyd's 80th birthday. "They gave me eight slips of paper with printed messages like, 'Today you're having your nails done,' and 'You're going on a shopping trip with your daughters.'"

Final Thoughts

OrCam MyReader and OrCam MyEye definitely work as advertised. For the newly blind or individuals with physical or cognitive limitations that prevent them from using a touch screen mobile device, the MyReader and MyEye are excellent ways to answer the question: "What is this?" Office workers and others who frequently socialize in groups may also enjoy the OrCam MyEye.

If I have any hesitation about the OrCam it is because of the two different models. Many years ago when IBM started selling printers under the Lexmark name they offered two models of laser printers: a 4-page-per-minute and an 8-page-per-minute. The printers were identical, other than the fact that the company had disabled the higher speed on the low-end model. IBM doesn't sell printers anymore. Similarly, OrCam MyReader and MyEye seem identical other than the preloaded software. MyReader is upgradable to the MyEye, but I think the company would have been better served by setting a single price for the full-featured model. I also wonder how long it will be until someone designs a similar headset unit and connects it wirelessly to an Android smartphone.

Who knows? Perhaps the company is already hard at work on that very thing.

Product Information

Products: OrCam MyReader and OrCam MyEye
Available from: OrCam Technologies
1-800-713-3741 (US)

OrCam is available in English, French, German, and Hebrew in the following countries: United States, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, UK, and Israel. OrCam will soon be released in Spanish.

Manufacturer's Comments

OrCam's mission is to empower the lives of people who are blind or visually impaired by harnessing artificial vision innovation.

The wearable OrCam assistive technology device provides independence by effectively, discreetly, and instantly reading printed text from any surface, recognizing faces and identifying products and money notes.

Powered by leading minds in the computer vision and machine learning fields, OrCam's team includes dedicated software, computer, and electrical engineers; hardware design experts; and a passionate customer service team—including sighted, low vision and blind members—to provide a visual aid through a discreet, mobile and easy-to-use interface.

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BARD Express: NLS Talking Books and Magazines When and Where You Want Them

Bill Holton

As we have described in many past issues of AccessWorld, just because you've lost your sight, it definitely does not mean you have lost your desire and ability to read books, magazines, and newspapers. In the February 2016 issue, I described how to use the National Federation of the Blind's NFB Newsline service to listen to local and national newspapers, magazines, and other materials on the phone; read them on your accessible computer; or download them to your mobile device. In the July issue I reported some exciting new accessibility features on the Amazon Kindle, which enables you to listen to nearly any book in Amazon's massive catalog. Smartphone and tablet users will also be familiar with the Amazon Kindle apps for iOS and Android, which are also extremely accessible.

The very first accessible books and magazines were produced by the Library of Congress National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS). These recordings are more familiarly known as Talking Books. Perhaps you are already familiar with this excellent service because you regularly receive NLS book cartridges, which you play using the free on-loan NLS player.

Recently, NLS made its extensive catalog even more convenient and accessible. "Our regional librarians report that many more of their patrons would use downloadable BARD books if there weren't so many steps involved in finding a book online, downloading the files, and then adding them to a Talking Book player," says NLS Consumer Relations Officer Judith Dixon. The result is a free new Windows PC app called BARD Express. For many newly blind individuals who have not yet leveled up to expert mode on their accessible computers, the app will significantly improve the Talking Book experience, solving problems you may not have even realized existed. Longtime users of the BARD website and the various smartphone apps may wish to skip ahead to the section of this article titled "Introducing BARD Express," where we will take a guided tour of this Windows app and its myriad functionality.

A Far Smoother Talking Book Experience

Currently, there are several ways to obtain Talking Book titles. You can contact your NLS regional library and request a book, or enjoy one of the occasional selections that match your reading history that your librarian may periodically send your way. You can also subscribe to a supported magazine, such as People or Sports Illustrated, and each new issue will be sent out on an NLS cartridge for you to listen to and then return. Additionally, you can download NLS titles directly, either by visiting the BARD website, or by using your mobile app to download the DAISY audio files directly to your device.

All of these methods have their drawbacks. If you use an NLS player and rely on your regional library, the time between requesting a book and receiving the NLS cartridge can run several days, at best. Cartridges arrive labeled in braille, but as a newly blind individual, perhaps you do not read braille yet. Each book or magazine arrives on its own cartridge, so if you wish to read several books at once you have to keep track of each cartridge so you won't return a book in the wrong shipping container. The best way to do this is to store titles you are not currently reading in their cases. This can make travel difficult. Bringing a half-dozen books with you to read on your beach vacation can fill a good portion of your carryon. Not to mention your NLS player, which can be a bit unwieldy at times.

The BARD website offers patrons significantly more control over their reading. Once an account has been created through your regional library, you can browse books by title, author, subject, popularity, or date added. When you find a book or magazine you'd like to read, you can download it directly or add it to your wish list so you can grab it the next time you log on.

As an NLS patron you certainly have a lot more freedom when it comes to books and magazines you have downloaded. For one thing, cartridges can hold multiple books, which can be deleted when you're finished so you'll have room for even more. However, before you can listen to a downloaded title, you must first transfer it to a blank NLS cartridge, an action that takes some basic browser and file management skills. BARD downloadable titles arrive in archived .zip files. To read a title, you must first locate it in your Downloads folder, unzip the file, then copy the file to the blank cartridge. New accessible computer users may find this task daunting enough to feel it's not worth the effort.

Android, iOS, and Fire tablet users have an easier time of things. They can download titles directly to their devices. Other third-party DAISY book players also offer direct title search and book downloads. The most popular are the Victor Reader Stream and the Book Port Plus, but you can find a complete list on the BARD resource page website. Imagine, a palm-size device that can hold dozens of books and that will save your place in each as you switch among them. Plus, the titles you borrow never need to be dropped in the mailbox for return.

The BARD website also has its limitations. For example, you can run searches for Westerns, and then for Science Fiction on the site, but you aren't able to scan recent titles for all subjects except Westerns and Science Fiction. If you're finally ready to read the Harry Potter series, it's difficult to find the books in their proper order.

Introducing BARD Express

BARD Express runs on any Windows 7, 8.1, or 10 computer. You will need a BARD account and password to use the app, and after logging in you will hear an announcement as the app downloads a list of recent library additions.

The app makes excellent use of the Tab key, but also offers many shortcut keys, such as Ctrl + J to "Browse by subjects," and Ctrl + B to access your bookshelf.

Pressing Ctrl + R summons a list of recently added titles. Use your cursor keys to quickly scan the list, which by default displays both the author and title for 50 books per page. Pressing Alt + N summons the next 50 titles, Alt + P returns you to the previous 50.

When you find a title that interests you, press the Tab key to add the book to your Wish List, download the book onto your computer, or access the book details, such as the book category and the book's annotation. You can also use the keyboard shortcuts Alt + W, Alt + D, and Alt + B to accomplish the same tasks respectively.

Now that you have a book downloaded, it's time to add it to a blank cartridge. Some regional libraries will supply blank book cartridges. Others will have to purchase them from a third party vendor, such as APH or Perkins Solutions. These cartridges are identical to the ones you have been receiving from your regional library, except they do not have braille labels, and they use a USB cable to connect to your PC.

Tabbing to your Library, or using CTRL + B, you can locate your book and have the app automatically place all the proper files onto your blank cartridge. The average book requires 140 megabytes of storage space, and the most popular size of cartridge holds a full four gigabytes, which means you can likely store 24 books or more—nearly 400 hours of audio—on a single cartridge. How's that for convenience?

To access multiple books and magazines you've added to a cartridge, press and hold your player's Play/Pause button with the machine turned on. You will hear a tone, and the player will announce "Bookshelf" and the number of books on the cartridge. Press the right and left Arrow keys to move through the bookshelf. Press Enter on the book you wish to read.

Searches and Filters

The place where BARD Express truly outshines the web interface is when you wish to perform a search or filter the results of a search. We've already mentioned the Harry Potter series, and indeed, it turns up as one of about 4,100 designated series. Type in an "H" and you reduce this to a mere 1,604. Type in "Harry" and it becomes a manageable 8 entries, including Harry and Emily Adventure, Harry Bosche series, Horrible Harry, and the Harry Potter books, which you can view and download in the order they were released.

Search filtering is also enhanced using the BARD Express app. On the website, or using the search BARD website option on the mobile apps, you can filter your results to a single subject category. You can search for "Romance," for example, or books categorized as "Family." Using the Express app, you can check and uncheck multiple categories at once. So, say you want to browse all the new books but don't want to view titles tagged as "For Very Young Readers." Simply uncheck that category and those titles will not show up in any search results or recent addition lists until you access the subject filter menu again and recheck it.

Help and Options

BARD Express offers context-sensitive help via the F1 key. You can also access various help topics, including a complete list of keyboard shortcuts, by pressing the Alt + H Help hotkey.

Press the ALT + V View menu hotkey to set program defaults, such as the number of books shown on each page, which can be left at the default 50, or increased to 100, 500, or 1,000.

By default, search results display the title and author only. Feel free to use the app's Alt + V "Column Configuration" setting to add several other fields, such as Narrator, Book Length, and even the Book Annotation to the display list. I have added annotations to my results display so I don't have to press a second key to hear what the book is about. Since this information is at the end of the spoken line, I can always press the Down Arrow key to interrupt speech if I know from the title alone it doesn't interest me.

Patrons with low vision can also use the View menu to increase the program's font size up to four times. Note: There is currently no keyboard shortcut to do this.

Final Chapter

Along with a hotkey that would quickly change the font size, there are a few other features I would love to see implemented in BARD Express. First, I think many people would benefit from the ability to listen to Talking Books on their computers. I think even more people would appreciate the ability to start a book on the computer, then resume where they left off on a mobile app, perhaps even using an Amazon Echo.

I do enjoy the ability to quickly scan newly added titles. I do this frequently. However, if I miss a few days I can't always remember which day it was when I last searched, so I wind up scanning down a lot further than necessary. How much easier frequent scanning would be if BARD Express remembered the last day I performed a scan of recently added titles and offered a "From your last visit to today" option.

That said, I already find BARD Express a far more elegant way to search for books than my iPhone. I can quickly find the books I want and add them to my Wish list, then access this list from my iPhone and download them from there.

Let me conclude this article with a personal note of encouragement to the newly blind reader. I am a lifetime avid reader, but throughout the 70s, 80s, and on into the 90s I found my reading list greatly limited by the lack of availability of works covering arcane topics, or access to best sellers when they were still popular, which meant I couldn't join in on the discussion. Today, thanks to a growing list of accessible resources, I can read nearly any book I want, often on the very day it's published.

Want to increase your reading options even further? Check out AFB's web primer: Using Technology for Reading: Solutions for People with Visual Impairments and Blindness.

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ATIA Exhibitors Deliver Product Updates and a Few New Tools

Shelly Brisbin, Janet Ingber, Lee Huffman

The Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) held its annual conference January 18 through 21, 2017, in Orlando, Florida, at the Caribe Royal Hotel and Convention Center. For those who watch developments in assistive technology, the annual ATIA conference usually provides an early look at what's to come in the new year. In the past, the event often showcased products and trends that were then more fully explored at later gatherings like the California State University at Northridge conference (CSUN). The 2017 installment of ATIA was less about showing new products or previewing what's next, and more about updating existing tools based on progress in the mainstream technology world.

Accessible Conference Planning and Navigation

Two excellent free products were offered by the ATIA conference committee which increased the overall accessibility of the conference for people with vision loss: the conference app and strategically placed iBeacons.

Everyone who registered for the conference automatically received his or her own user name and password for the accessible ATIA iOS app. The app's Home tab showed various categories on the screen including Session List, Speaker List, and Exhibitor List.

The Session List option had a search box, the ability to locate sessions within a particular strand, and type of session. Activaiting a session strand loaded a list of those sessions. Activating the name of a specific session loaded a new page with a description of the session, presenter information, and the option to bookmark the session.

Since there were scores of booths in the exhibit hall, this app also was designed to let users pick specific exhibit categories. The resulting lengthy list could be sorted in several ways, including by company or by product. Activating the name of a company loaded a new page with information about its specific products and offered an option to bookmark the exhibitor.

A conference accessibility partner, ClickAndGo Wayfinding, installed over 50 iBeacons throughout the conference venue. The iBeacon is a Bluetooth device that transmits a signal to an app that speaks your current location. After downloading the ClickAndGo Wayfinding app, when attendees launched the app and walked near an iBeacon, VoiceOver announced their location. Routes could be planned by telling the app starting and ending locations. The app also allowed attendees to take virtual tours. It would be great for more venues to install this type of technology to help increase independence for people with vision loss.

ATIA Exhibit Hall Highlights

In the paragraphs that follow, we offer our opinions on the products we feel would be of most interest to people with visual impairments.

Enhanced Vision released a pair of new products for low-vision users: MoJo is a handheld, electronic monocular that can also be docked to create a full-sized desktop magnifier. The 6-ounce MoJo features a 13-megapixel camera with auto-focus and up to 16x digital zoom, and a tethered telephoto lens which adds optical zoom. The unit provides multiple color modes, a 30-degree viewing field, and a rechargeable battery, providing up to 2.5 hours of continuous use. When paired with the optional desktop docking station, the MoJo acts as a traditional electronic video magnifier camera. The desktop unit includes a 24-inch LCD display, and an x-y table. The MoJo monocular sells for $1,595, plus $1,200 for the docking stand.

The Transformer HD with Wi-Fi, also from Enhanced Vision, is a desktop unit that folds to become portable. The unit features a 24-inch Sony LCD display, and a 3-in-1 HD camera, along with Wi-Fi, HDMI, and USB 3.0 connectivity. It works in full- or split-screen mode when connected to a computer. Enhanced versions of the unit also include an OCR camera for full-page scanning. The Transformer HD weighs a diminutive 3.45 pounds, and can magnify up to 30x. Enhanced Vision says the included battery provides up to 2 hours of continuous use. Transformer HD costs $2,595, with an additional $400 for OCR support.

In the VFO booth, Freedom Scientific, Optelec, and AI Squared were united under their new corporate parent. Each brand showed off existing products, and talked up the benefits of the combination. The company announced ZoomText 11, a redesigned update to its PC magnification software developed by AI Squared. ZoomText 11 features a consolidated interface that now folds App Reader, Doc Reader, and Speak It into a single tool. ZoomText keyboard shortcuts have been completely revamped, and the toolbar has been redesigned to streamline the application's controls, and provide access to options that formerly required the use of menus. ZoomText now features geometric font smoothing, and using inverted text and background colors now preserves the normal appearance of photos and other images. VFO says the help system has also been rewritten to ease the transition to the overhauled application.

In 2016, braille seemed to be revitalized. Products like the BrailleNote Touch became available, while the Orbit Reader and NeoBraille, among others, were eagerly anticipated, but didn't ship. At ATIA, HumanWare announced that the BrailleNote Touch software will get an upgrade to version 3.0 in February, adding the ability to update individual applications within KeySoft. Orbit Reader and NeoBraille were on display, but aren't yet available. Orbit's US distributor, American Printing House for the Blind, says the device will ship this spring. Irie-AT, which showed off Neo Access' NeoBraille, has not yet provided a ship date.

Scanning Pens showed off a pen scanner called the C-Pen Reader. A bit bigger than a USB thumb drive, the C-Pen scans as you drag it across a line of text. Results appear on a small display, and/or can be spoken, using the device's built-in voice. ScanPens says the product, which has been available for some time, was developed for people with dyslexia and other reading disabilities, but has attracted attention among low-vision users. C-Pen Reader includes 1 GB of storage for scans, and supports a number of languages, depending on the configuration you choose.

Aira | Visual Interpreter for the Blind was one of the more exciting products in the exhibit hall. In addition to the hardware, it requires a monthly subscription which as of this writing (February 2017) is quite expensive. The developer indicated that the company is working to get more sponsors to bring the subscription price down.

The user of Aira wears bone-conduction headphones and smart glasses with a small camera mounted on the glasses. The Aira app must be on the user's smart phone. When in need of assistance, the user contacts a trained agent who uses the camera to see exactly where the person is and provides assistance. The user can be anywhere, whether walking outside, in a store, at home or anywhere else. The agent can help read a menu, find a particular store, navigate a crowded area, tell the color of a shirt, read information on a can, and much more.

It is like having someone walking right next to you. The agent can describe your surroundings which can greatly increase independence when traveling in an unfamiliar area. This product has great potential, but it does not take the place of a cane or guide dog.

Cydalion, by Float, is an assistive navigation app that can help people with visual impairments detect objects. You hold up the phone and the app informs the user, through audio and haptic feedback, if there is an obstacle in their way. Cydalion not only alerts the user to an object, but through sounds lets the user know whether the object is high or low.

The user wears bone-conduction headphones and has the Cydalion app installed on a Tango device. Tango is a new platform from Google. It enables apps made for the platform to track a device's position and orientation in a 3D environment. The device should be positioned so it can detect objects from head to toe. The feedback the user receives is customizable, and the biggest expense is the Tango device.

ATIA Conference Extras

In addition to the many pre-conference activities, educational sessions, and hands-on and demonstration prospects in the exhibit hall, there are also great opportunities at ATIA for networking and meeting others in the vision loss field for new collaborations.

In that vein, the American Foundation for the Blind held its second annual AccessWorld "Tech Talk" event at ATIA on January 19. Attendance to our event was open to all conference attendees. At our event, attendees had easy access to and could speak with AFB staff and AccessWorld contributors. We had the opportunity to answer technology questions for product manufacturers, teachers of the visually impaired, O & M professionals, and people with vision loss. We also announced the upcoming new homepage coming soon to AccessWorld.

That's right, AccessWorld will soon have a new look and feel on its homepage. There will be a new layout, new ways to present additional technology content, and new advertising opportunities for technology companies and product manufacturers. Stay tuned to AccessWorld for details!

ATIA 2017 was full of great experiences for us, and if you have the chance to attend ATIA next year, we encourage you to do so. This is one of the premiere conferences related to assistive technology and you will definitely come away with information and connections that will help you and your organization better support and serve your students, patients, consumers, or clients.

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