In late 2016, Apple released its long awaited TV app, which lets users access both movies and television shows from a range of content providers. Instead of having to go to different apps to access different programs, just go into the TV app. (Not all content can be accessed through the TV app. For example, Netflix, Amazon, and NatGeo Wild are not available. As of this writing, the TV app is only available in the United States.)

The TV app does not need to be downloaded, but will come pre-installed on new phones and will replace the Videos app on older phones as of iOS 10.2. Therefore, your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch must be running iOS 10.2 or later and your Apple TV must be 4th generation using tvOS 10.1 or later. It is assumed for this article that you are familiar with basic VoiceOver commands for selecting items, moving around the screen, and using the Rotor. Furthermore, if using the TV app on the Apple TV, you must be familiar with navigating around the TV screen and making selections.

Using the TV App on an iOS Device

The first time the app is opened, there will be a Welcome screen. The next time, the app will open with four tabs at the bottom of the screen: Library, Watch Now, Store, and Search.

Library

The Library tab contains a list of movies and television shows already purchased from iTunes. There are buttons labeled "TV Shows" and "Movies." Activating either of these buttons will display a list of what's in that category. Using heading navigation quickly brings you to Recently Purchased Shows and Recently Purchased Movies. Directly under each heading is a button labeled "See All."

Once you select a TV show or movie, a new screen will load with information about it. There will be an option to download that selection. This will allow you to watch without an Internet connection and without using data. Once any content is downloaded, a "Downloaded" button will appear below the Movies button. Activating this button brings up a list of titles downloaded to your device.

Watch Now

The Watch Now tab has two major headings, Up Next and Browse by Genre. The Up Next section lets you pick up where you left off in a movie or TV show. For example, I like the program "Dr. Jeff: Rocky Mountain Vet" on Animal Planet. If I don't watch the most recent episode when it airs, it appears the next day in the Watch Now section. All I have to do is double tap on it and in a few seconds, the episode starts playing in the Animal Planet Go app. (If I didn't have the Animal Planet Go app on my phone, the TV app would send me to the App Store to get it.) If I did not have Animal Planet as part of my cable subscription, I would not have access to it. Since I do, I can watch it for free. If I wanted to watch the show and I didn't have the Animal Planet Go app, I could still purchase the episode from the iTunes store for $2.99. Which apps you can get depends on your cable or satellite subscription plan. See the section on the Store tab for more details.

Also in this section are movies and TV shows that I haven't finished watching, listed from newest to oldest.

The Browse by Genre section contains recommendations from Apple based on your apps and content history. Categories include Comedy, Documentary, and Action. Activating any of these genres brings up a list of suggested content. Double tapping on a suggestion will load information about the selected movie or show along with a "Play" button. If you've selected a TV program, you may be given a selection of seasons.

Store

The Store tab is another way to get apps and content. This is where you select individual apps to link with the TV app. Not all apps are free. Some have both a free and paid version or require in-app purchases. If you select a free trial such as with HBO Now, make sure you read the trial terms carefully before getting the app.

At the top of the Store screen are some recommendations. Selecting a recommendation will load a page in the iTunes store for getting the associated app. If you already have the associated app, the content will start playing.

The first heading on the Store page is "Start Watching Now." Directly under this section is another heading called "Get instant access to hit TV shows and movies." Under this heading are some subscription apps including Hulu, HBO Now, and CBS. The basic CBS app is free, but an "All Access" option gives subscribers access to more content.

The next heading is "Watch with your TV provider." The next heading is "Sign in to find TV shows and movies you'll love." Apps in this section include ABC, NBC, ID Go, History and Food Network. A limited number of TV providers support Apple's single sign-on feature. If your provider does not support this feature, you will need to sign into each app that you download.

Below the app listing is a list of new releases on iTunes. Access this area quickly with headings navigation.

Search

The final tab is Search. At the top of the page is an edit box for entering search criteria. You can also search with Siri. Also in this tab are headings for trending movies and trending TV shows.

Using the TV App on Apple TV

With a few exceptions, the TV app works similarly on an Apple TV.

With tvOS 10.1, the TV app has automatically been added to the Apple TV 3rd and 4th Generation. By default, it is placed at the top left of all your apps. You can set the Home button on the Siri remote to open the TV app instead of the Home screen. By default, the button is set to the app. You can change this by going to Settings > Remotes > Devices > Home Button.

Tabs on the TV app have a slightly different layout than in the iOS version. The Watch Now tab is first, followed by the Library, Store, and Search tabs.

Watch Now

The Watch Now tab contains the same information regarding shows or movies you haven't finished watching. If you want to play content from an app that is on your iOS device but not on your Apple TV, you will need to download the TV version of the app from the App Store. For example, I have had the iOS version of Animal Planet Go on my phone, but I needed to get the Apple TV version in order to watch their shows. As soon as I selected the program on my Apple TV, I was brought to the page to get the app.

If your content is from iTunes, there is nothing else you need to do before playing. Activate the "Play" button and within a few seconds, content should begin playing.

Library

All purchased content from iTunes will be in your iTunes library. Once you find content to play, activate the "Play" button.

Control Your Apple TV with an iOS Device or Apple Watch

If you are tired of keeping track of the Apple TV remote or just want other options, try controlling the TV with your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple Watch.

Using an iOS Device

The Apple TV Remote requires iOS 9.3.2 or later. Download the remote app here. It might take practice to get the feel of how iOS and Apple Watch react when used as remotes. Review the app's information to learn about using the app with older Apple TVs.

The first time you launch the Remote app, you will be prompted to pair your iOS device with an Apple TV. Use the Remote app to do this. Both the TV and the iOS device must be on the same Wi-Fi network. You can use the iOS remote and the remote that comes with the TV interchangeably.

Once the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch is paired, the main screen will load. At the top left of the screen is the Devices button. Choosing it brings you back to the pairing screen.

At the top part of the screen, flicking right from the Devices button brings you to the gesture area, where gestures are performed. The bottom part of the screen has controls for Menu, Play/Pause, Home, and Siri.

Just above the device's "Home" button is the remote's "Home" button. Above that is the "Menu" button. The "Play/Pause" button is to the left and the "Siri" button is to the right.

The "Siri" button, which is near the bottom right of the screen, works a little differently with the Remote app. Double tap and hold the button. After hearing Siri's double chime, remove your finger and start speaking.

When content is playing, media controls are accessible. Rewind is to the left of the "Menu" button and Forward is to the right.

Using an Apple Watch as a Remote

The Remote app is pre-installed on your watch. Open it and select "Add Device."

Pairing your Apple Watch is more complicated than pairing your iOS device. Your watch and TV must be on the same Wi-Fi network. How you pair the watch depends on which generation of Apple TV you have:

Fourth Generation: Settings > Remotes and Devices > Remote app, then select your Apple Watch

Second or Third Generation: Settings > General > Remotes, then select your Apple Watch

On your Apple TV, with either the TV remote or your iPhone remote, enter the four-digit code that appears on the watch.

Use the Watch as a remote by first opening the Remote app. Once the Watch is connected, flicking right brings you to the gesture area. Activate the gesture area by double tapping the button. VoiceOver will start speaking commands; double-tap to start using the gesture area. Tap once to make a selection and swipe to move. Each time you want to use the gesture area after using either the "Menu" or "Play/Pause" buttons, you will need to double tap on the gesture area button.

Flicking right past the gesture area brings you to the "Menu" button. Flicking right again brings you to the "Play/Pause" button.

The Bottom Line

The TV app is an easy way to organize and have quick access to your movies and TV shows. The iOS device Remote app and the Apple Watch Remote app provide good options if you don't like the TV's included remote. It is not an either/or decision. Any combination of remotes can be used at the same time.

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In Shelly Brisbin's excellent CSUN 2017 coverage roundup she mentions that the Windows Kindle E-Reader is now completely accessible using the NVDA (Non Visual Desktop Access) screen reader. Since you may not have used NVDA yet, we thought we would point you to a few excellent "getting started" guides, and another potentially useful screen reader resource. After that we'll return to Amazon, and fill you in on a few of the company's other recent accessibility improvements and initiatives, including a new Accessibility Phone Hotline.

Resources for People New to the NVDA Screen Reader

NVDA is a free full-featured screen reader that can be downloaded directly from the NV Access developer website. You can install NVDA on as many computers as you like, and also onto a USB thumb drive so you can use it on friends', school, and library computers as well.

If you have never used NVDA before, you will definitely want to check out AFB's video series, Learn NVDA. This set of tutorials is aimed at the new NVDA user, and has been designed to allow a person who is blind or visually impaired, and entirely new to NVDA, to independently install the program and learn how to use it. Learn NVDA will teach you how to do the following:

• Install NVDA on your computer
• Navigate Microsoft Windows with NVDA
• Use NVDA Hotkeys
• Install and use the Firefox internet browser

Each tutorial contains step-by-step instructions with audio of a presenter using NVDA and video of the computer screen. The videos are fully transcribed and captioned, and even experienced NVDA users will learn a new trick or two.

If you prefer to learn from books, an excellent resource comes from NV Access itself, which offers the eBook Basic Training for NVDA, for $30. MS Office users may also be interested in their second offering, Microsoft Word with NVDA, which we reviewed in last December's AccessWorld.

Changing Speech Options in NVDA

Narrator Voices

NVDA comes with the eSpeak speech synthesizer preinstalled. eSpeak is an extremely responsive speech engine, but some users find it too robotic and artificial sounding to listen to for any length of time. If you find this to be the case, there are two ways to switch to other, more human-sounding voices you may already be using with your other screen readers or mobile devices.

If you are using a Windows PC you are probably aware that it includes a built-in screen reader called Narrator. You can toggle it on and off anytime by holding down the Windows key and then pressing Enter. (Note: in the Creators Edition of Windows 10 this hotkey will change to Windows + CTRL + Enter) Narrator offers three high quality English voices: David, Zira, and Hazel. The voices come preinstalled with Windows, and they can also be selected and used with NVDA.

To use any of these Microsoft voices with NVDA follow these steps:

1. Access the NVDA Menu by holding down the Insert key while pressing the N key.
2. Press the Down Arrow key once to "Preferences."
3. Press the Right Arrow once, followed by a single Down Arrow. You are now placed on NVDA's synthesizer menu.
4. Press Enter, then use your Arrow keys to locate the "Microsoft Speech API version 5" option.
5. Press Enter. Your NVDA voice will now be changed to Microsoft David, which is an extremely easy to understand voice.

If you wish to use the UK English Hazel or US English Zira Microsoft voice:

1. Repeat the above steps through Step 3
2. Press Down Arrow twice to "Voice Settings."
3. Select from other voices (note that you can also change voice speed, volume, pitch, and other settings here).

Using Eloquence and Vocalizer Voices with NVDA

Many blind users still consider the Eloquence speech engine the gold standard among synthesized speech, mostly because it's relatively easy to understand at very high speeds. Others prefer the more natural voices they hear on iPhone commercials when Siri speaks up.

You can get both of these voices to run with NVDA, along with dozens of others, with the Code Factory Eloquence and Vocalizer Expressive Add-on for NVDA.

The voice pack costs $69, and one convenient place to find it is at AT Guys.

You will need to be running the NVDA screen reader in order to install this package. When you're done, follow the steps outlined above, and you will find two new synthesizer entries: Code Factory Eloquence and Code Factory Vocalizer. The first time you activate either of these, the software will ask for your purchase serial code. You can purchase the package now, but there is also a "Try" option that will allow you to test drive the voices for seven days.

The above package only works with NVDA. You can install the voices on up to three computers at a time. Code Factory also offers Vocalizer SAPI Voices for Any Screen Reader for $115. These voices will work with any screen reader, including NVDA and Windows Narrator. JAWS users already have these Vocalizer voices available to them.

Amazon Accessibility Improvements

Along with the ability to read Kindle books with a Windows PC and NVDA, Amazon has made a few other significant accessibility improvements to their devices and services. Let's cover them one at a time.

An Even More Accessible Kindle E-Reader

In the July 2016 issue of AccessWorld we offered a first look at the Amazon Kindle Audio Adapter, which plugs into the USB port of a Kindle Paperwhite dedicated E-Reader to enable voice access with the VoiceView screen reader. Amazon has now taken voice access a significant step further. Their newest 8^th Generation Kindle E-Reader, referred to simply as Kindle, includes Bluetooth capabilities. You no longer need a special dongle to have your Kindle content read aloud to you. All you need is a Bluetooth speaker or pair of Bluetooth earbuds. You can even use your favorite pair of wired earbuds with a portable Bluetooth transmitter.

Here's how to make a Bluetooth VoiceView connection.

(Note: microphones, microphone-enabled headsets, and low energy devices are not supported.)

To use VoiceView over Bluetooth:

1. Turn on your Bluetooth device and set it to pairing mode.
2. Press and hold the power button on your Kindle for 7 seconds, and then press 2 fingers spaced apart on the screen for 1 second.
3. Wait up to 2 minutes to hear audio VoiceView instructions to "Hold two fingers on the screen to use this audio device with VoiceView screen reader on Kindle." (Note: VoiceView will be disabled after 10 seconds if devices aren't detected or if you chose not to connect to a located device.)
4. After pairing to a Bluetooth audio device, VoiceView will save the connection.

There are a few ways to turn off or suspend VoiceView on your Kindle:

1. Turn off your Bluetooth audio device.
2. On your Kindle (8th Generation) select the Quick Actions menu at the top of the screen, and then double tap to open the menu. Select VoiceView Settings, and then select and double-tap Off.
3. To suspend VoiceView, press the power button on your Kindle. VoiceView will resume when you wake the Kindle. To wake, press the Kindle power button once, and then double-tap on the screen.

The Kindle E-Reader VoiceView software now includes much-welcomed granularity controls. Swipe a finger vertically in a single motion to switch between word and character reading. Then Swipe left or right to move in that direction. In character mode you can also pause after a character and it will be pronounced phonetically.

The Fire TV with VoiceView

Last September, I took a first look at the Fire TV with VoiceView. At the time, I noted that none of the third-party apps had yet to be made accessible, including two of the majors: Netflix and Hulu. I am happy to report that both of these services are now accessible using Amazon TV, and that the Amazon accessibility team is working with several other content providers to make their offerings equally speech friendly.

The VoiceView screen reader is now out of preview and it includes two powerful new enhancements. First, when scrolling through a list of titles, most mobile screen readers will announce the title name but ignore changes elsewhere on the screen where information such as movie description, rating, run time, and other information is displayed. VoiceView now captures this information, and when you move your way through a list of titles, a brief pause will cause this information to be spoken. You can also review this information one clip at a time using the Fast Forward and Rewind transport control keys.

VoiceView for Fire TV now also includes a complete screen review mode. Access this mode by pressing and holding down the Menu key for two seconds. Once activated, you can use the Arrow keys to review the screen without making changes. Currently, most of the screen review is confined to the direction keys and the "Select" button, which works as expected, even in review mode. A long press of the "Previous" or "Next" button will jump the screen review to the top left and bottom right respectively. Short presses of "Previous" and "Next" move backward or forward in the selected reading granularity, which can be toggled between character, word, control, and window by pressing Up and Down. The entire remote keypad is now available for VoiceView features, and I look forward to future updates, especially the long awaited addition of audio description.

A Shopping Surprise

With all that's going on at Amazon, sometimes it's hard to remember that the company is first and foremost a retailer of everything from applesauce to toy zeppelins. The company has historically gone to great lengths to make the shopping experience accessible to their customers with visual impairments. Their main site makes excellent use of all the standard Windows controls that make screen reader navigation possible, but the page can admittedly be a bit busy with special sales and personalized recommendations, which is one of the reasons Amazon created an alternate "screen reader friendly" site. The company's various accessibility initiatives are detailed and described on the Amazon Accessibility site.

Amazon Accessibility Hotline

Amazon, like Apple and Microsoft before them, has taken accessibility one step further with the launch of a dedicated hotline for customers with disabilities. The desktop site features a click-to-call link to the access hotline on its Help pages. You are asked for your phone number, and an agent familiar with screen readers returns your call. The iOS and Android apps do not yet include this link, but you can reach the hotline directly by calling 1-888-283-1678, 3 am-10 pm PST, 7 days a week.

Hotline agents have been trained in screen reader basics and can help support (or escalate, if needed) technical issues. Agents can also help customers find products, add items to a customer's shopping cart, and provide support for the check-out process. They cannot perform the actual checkout, however.

The accessibility hotline is primarily focused on supporting retail-related issues, including orders, returns, and delivery. They may also be able to help with device-related questions, or refer you to reps in other departments who work with accessibility.

My own very first call to the hotline proved completely successful. A six-pack of lightweight cotton pants I had bought before showed available for repurchase, but the combo box to choose size seemed stuck on extra-large, and I needed medium. Thinking maybe the combo box wasn't working correctly, I called the hotline and was told the other sizes were no longer available.

"Hold on a minute," the rep continued, and in less than a minute he'd found the same pants from the same manufacturer, only packaged in packs of three pair instead of six. He placed two sets in my cart, and offered to stay on the line while I checked out.

How many times have you put something in your Amazon cart and then removed it because you couldn't see the product image and didn't know if those cereal bowls were bright or light green, or whether the blouse had a high or low neckline? These are just a few of the reasons I can imagine why you might want to put the Amazon Accessibility Hotline in your contacts list.

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If you'd like to learn how to use the Apple iOS mobile operating system with its VoiceOver built-in screen reader, there are a plethora of audio, video, and text resources for doing so. Educational resources for learning how to use Android with its built-in screen reader, TalkBack, are also available. Inclusive Android, the Eyes Free Google Group, and the TalkBack help pages are good examples. Even so, resources for using Android with TalkBack are still less common than those for iOS, and with TalkBack's recent rapid advancement in features and functionality, some older resources are falling out of date.

Now, Ana Garza and JJ Meddaugh have written Getting Started with Android, an extensive guide to Android and the TalkBack screen reader. The book is published by National Braille press and can be purchased for $24 in plain text, EPUB, DAISY, BRF, hardcopy braille, and Word format and for $26.50 in TXT, DAISY, BRF, and Word formats on a physical USB drive. I have worked briefly on and off with Android since the modern iteration of TalkBack was released with Android 4.1, but with the release of this book, I thought it was high time that I dove in and thoroughly explored what Android and TalkBack had to offer.

In this article, I will first detail what is covered in the book and follow with my thoughts and impressions. I used a Motorola G4 Play running Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow for this review. I don't have a SIM card, so I wasn't able to test receiving and making calls, but with a few additional exceptions, I tested all the aspects of Android and TalkBack discussed in the book.

Getting Started with TalkBack and Android

The first four chapters of the book introduce the reader to TalkBack and the Android operating system, and provide information on setting up the device. The authors note that they considered common questions that are asked on the Eyes Free Google group when determining what to include in the book.

The first chapter provides a general overview of Android and TalkBack. The chapter includes information on the current state of Android accessibility, noting, for example, that the Android operating system as released by Google is highly accessible, but that the changes that manufacturers make to devices can cause issues with accessibility. They explain that this has been an issue in the past, and recommend finding a device as close to "stock Android"— the operating system as released by Google, without third-party changes—as possible for the best experience. They also explain differences in experience based on which Android version is installed on your device.

The authors also discuss the great deal of variety and customization that can take place in the Android ecosystem, the benefits of this, and how it may cause some details stated in the book to be different depending on differences in the reader's Android device and operating system.

The second chapter describes setup, including how to activate speech feedback without sighted assistance as well as how to navigate through the various setup screens. The authors make helpful suggestions, such as keeping a set of headphones on hand as in some circumstances TalkBack will not read the contents of the keyboard when entering passwords when using the phone's speaker, though it will when headphones are connected.

At this point in the book TalkBack gestures have not been described in depth. The authors give some brief information that can get the user through these screens, but you may find it beneficial to review Chapters 3 and 4 for more details on TalkBack before setting up your device.

Chapters 3 and 4 introduce the Lock screen and provide a general overview of how most Android screens are arranged. They provide information on adjusting volume in Chapter 3 while providing information on various settings in Chapter 4. These two chapters introduce you to TalkBack gestures in depth, provide suggestions and steps for changing some recommended settings, and provide a framework that will be built upon in the upcoming function-specific chapters.

Learning More About Android and TalkBack Features and Functions

Chapters 5 and 6 discuss various apps and aspects of the Android operating system while also introducing other functions of the screen reader and methods of interaction and manipulation. Chapter 5 describes using the Phone app while also introducing the reader to the basics of entering information. The authors use the Telephone keypad to avoid jumping directly into entering text with the more complicated QWERTY keyboard. This chapter covers a range of methods available for making a call and information on receiving a call.

Chapter 6 describes the App Drawer and the Home screen in detail. The authors describe the "long press" in this chapter as well as how to make changes to the Home screen. Chapter 7 describes the Messaging app in detail and also provides more information regarding the long press. Chapter 8 details working with Contacts while also describing some more TalkBack gestures and Android design features. This chapter describes two-part vertical and horizontal gestures as well as introducing the reader to tabs in Android.

Chapter 9 describes several Android functions. In addition, the authors detail the differences among the gestures used by sighted Android users and how to modify these so that they will work with TalkBack. The Notification Bar is discussed in more detail and the authors also describe working with the Notification Shade as well as Quick Settings. The authors also detail working with OK Google and Now on Tap. This chapter finishes with a discussion of the Overview/Recent Apps function and working with Multi-Window mode in Android Nougat.

Chapter 10 describes working with the Clock app in depth. This chapter also introduces the Slider and Spin controls, describing the methods that can be used to change them, and also discusses volume in more detail.

Chapter 11 describes working with the Calendar, introducing the reader to the various methods available for selecting dates and times. Chapter 12 is primarily about using your voice to perform various actions. The chapter describes asking questions of OK Google and also details dictating text into a text field. The authors provide some information on Google Keep here as well, as it is used as the example for dictating text into an edit field. Also covered is how to edit text, something that is often necessary when doing dictations. This topic is covered in more depth later in the book.

Chapter 13 is dedicated to TalkBack's right-angle gestures. By association, this chapter also describes working with both the Local and Global context menus, as they are assigned to two of these gestures. Chapter 14 details working with the Web using TalkBack. The chapter discusses using both the Google app and the Chrome browser app for searching. The chapter discusses the other aspects of Chrome as well. The authors go into detail about working with the Clipboard both through the Global context menu and through third party apps such as Universal Copy.

Chapter 15 describes working with text in more detail. The authors provide more information about the default Google Keyboard as well as describe options for editing through TalkBack's context menus. Google Keep is used to showcase these features and the authors go into more detail about this app as well. Chapter 16 is an in-depth discussion of the Gmail app. The authors describe reading and managing mail as well as describing how to set up other accounts and adjust mail settings.

Chapter 17 describes apps and the Play Store. The authors detail working with the Play Store to find apps through searches or through the various lists of apps provided by the store as well as how to change settings. They provide an overview of what you may find when downloading apps and working with them, keeping the discussion somewhat broad, but also going into as much detail as possible regarding similarities among apps. They also describe methods for managing your apps, including updating and uninstalling them.

Chapter 18 describes working with Google Goggles and Keep to recognize text. It also discusses accessibility problems you may encounter in apps and possible methods for fixing these yourself through labeling buttons. If this solution isn't possible, the authors explore methods for contacting developers about accessibility and methods for sending feedback that gives the developers the information they would need to correct the issue.

Book Structure and Layout

The book uses a combination of numbered and bulleted lists as well as prose sections for conveying information. The authors first describe the app or function in question and then provide numbered lists for items where the reader will be taking action. For example, when discussing System Settings in Chapter 3, the authors describe what the settings are and follow the description with a list of actions that the reader can take to open the settings.

You can read this book linearly or jump from chapter to chapter depending on the information you need. Some sections may be useful to come back to and these are often identified in the text. For example, when the authors describe adding and switching among accounts on your device, they note that you do not have to do so at that moment but that it was a good place in the text to include those instructions.

The section that details setting up your device comes a chapter before you are truly introduced to TalkBack gestures. During this section the authors provide information on gestures you can use to access the screen and work your way through the setup process, but the details provided later may be helpful before you start the setup process.

Similarly, the book often briefly details a feature or command that is discussed in more detail later. You may need to perform an action for an app or process and a full discussion of that action may not fit well in the context of the chapter. In these cases, the authors provide a quick description of the action so you can complete the current task and will go into further details on the action later where it fits better with the Android app or function being described.

Overall, I found the use of numbered lists whenever a reader needs to perform a specific series of steps useful and efficient. I think reading the book from cover to cover can work for some, but would recommend keeping the Table of Contents on hand for easy reference in case you run into trouble.

The Table of Contents in general is quite well done. It provides both the chapters and subsections for the book. From the Table of Contents, you can get a solid feel for what the book contains before purchase and it will also provide a clear idea of where certain information is conveyed in the book.

Text Accuracy and Thoughts on Content

Android's many variations can pose a challenge when writing a book like Getting Started with Android. The book manages to be clear but concise and the authors are able to cover a good deal of material. Even with this conciseness, the authors make a point of discussing the variations that can occur in gestures, location of elements, and the like, both across devices and across different Android versions. The authors also frequently give a quick description of where elements are on screen so that a reader can find them directly without needing to hunt around the screen or swipe to the item.

When reading the book, I used a device running Android Marshmallow and found that I could always find the items discussed. The only discrepancies that I noticed were in the names of items: often items would perform the same function as the element being described and be in the same location, but they would have a different label that communicated similar information. Since the elements were in the same place and performed the same function, I came to the conclusion that this was something specific to my device.

When beginning this book, I was interested to see how the authors would instruct readers to perform various gestures as it seemed that these may be difficult to convey in text. Reader understanding may vary, but I found the gesture descriptions accurate and the techniques the authors' used for conveying the gestures was useful to me. For example, when describing how to perform a double-tap gesture to activate items, the authors suggest tapping once for each syllable when saying the word "Android" which seemed to mirror the gesture well.

Many of the metaphors used in this book use computer technology as examples and the assumption seems to be that a reader will be familiar with some sort of accessible electronic technology, whether that be a braille notetaker, personal computer, tablet or other smartphone or digital device. Because of this I came to the conclusion that the book would be quite helpful and easily understood for someone familiar with some sort of assistive technology. If this is your first encounter with accessible computers you should still be able to use the book successfully, though it may be more difficult if you do not understand the underlying concepts or metaphors.

The Bottom Line

Getting Started with Android is a great introduction to the Android operating system, especially for those who are familiar with some sort of computer technology. Even though I was fairly familiar with the operating system and TalkBack beforehand, I still learned quite a bit while working through the book. The details provided for adjusting TalkBack and ring tone volume on the fly (by placing a finger on the screen for TalkBack volume and keeping all fingers off of the display for adjusting the ringer volume) were quite helpful. The description of the layout of screens was also helpful. I found the description of the circular controls particularly useful as I hadn't exactly determined that the hour and minute pickers for the clock were in the shape of a clock face; after learning this I am much more successful at manipulating these controls.

If you are someone with a visual impairment who is either looking to change smartphone platforms or begin using a smartphone all together you may find this book quite helpful. Likewise, if you are aiming to teach the use of Android to someone with a visual impairment this may be a worthwhile text to add to your library.

Book Information

Title: Getting Started with Android by Ana Garza and J.J. Meddaugh (National Braille Press)

Publisher: National Braille Press

Available Formats: Plain text, EPUB, DAISY, BRF, Hardcopy braille, and Word

Price: $24 for Hardcopy braille, and digital download of Plain text, EPUB, DAISY, BRF, and Word; $26.50 for TXT, DAISY, BRF, and Word on USB drive.

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As we at AccessWorld have emphasized over the past several years, there are a myriad of ways for an individual with a visual impairment to enjoy accessible books, magazines, newspapers, and other printed material. Nearly every title is available in at least one accessible format, often on the very same day it is released in standard print.

With so many options, it can be confusing to decide which book to read using which platform—especially for people who are newly blind and who have not used voice and braille access long enough to have witnessed the initial introduction of each new platform. For readers such as these, a comprehensive guide annotating each of these various options would be helpful indeed, and that's exactly what National Library Service Consumer Relations Officer Judith Dixon has compiled in her new eBook, The Abundant Bookshelf: Reading Books on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch.

In this article I will take a look at this eBook, available from National Braille Press. Then, I will introduce you to a brand new player in the commercial audiobook arena: Downpour.

The Abundant Bookshelf

The Abundant Bookshelf is available from the National Braille press for $12 in various accessible formats including braille, DAISY download, eBraille, and Word, with an extra $2 added for delivery on a USB drive.

With over 30 years of experience with the National Library Service, Dixon is a recognized authority in the field of accessible reading. Her credentials are also impeccable, having written Get the Picture! Viewing the World with the iPhone Camera, Label It! Braille & Audio Strategies for Identifying Items at Home & Work; edited Anyone Can Play: Accessible Games for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch; and coauthored with Doug Wakefield Out and About: Our Favorite Travel Apps.

In The Abundant Bookshelf Dixon divides the accessible reading landscape into two broad categories: books narrated by humans and books that can be read with either synthetic speech or braille. Dixon subdivides these sections further, beginning with sources that are available to the general public, and continuing with sources of reading materials produced specifically for those with visual impairments

Audible

Naturally, Dixon begins our audiobook tour with the acknowledged 500-pound gorilla: Audible. She assumes you have opened an Audible account and have purchased at least one book through the store. She then offers an excellent touch tour of the Audible app and its large menu of useful features, such as speed control and the sleep timer, mentioning any differences between the iPhone/iPod touch and iPad versions. In my opinion Dixon should not have given such short shrift to the actual account setup and purchasing processes. Dixon reviews the Audible app as though the user has not encountered it to this date. Likely as not someone who has never opened this app does not have an account, or would benefit from a walk-through of the process and how it differs using the desktop and mobile Audible sites. I also think a discussion of purchasing Audible books on iTunes is in order here.

Most audible plans offer a free month-long trial, but if you are interested in giving Audible a test run and have a friend who is an Audible member you can ask her to share a book with you. Audible now allows members to send and share an entire book with a friend—the first book is absolutely free.

Another detail left out of the Audible section is a deeper dive into the Discover tab. Here you can not only see recommended books, but also popular books, and you can search for a book by title, author, or topic. As Dixon states, "you cannot make a purchase through the iOS app," but you can add titles to your Wish List, which makes purchasing books much easier once you reach the Audible website.

Overdrive

The Overdrive service is available through your local library, so find that library card you haven't used in years. Each library purchases titles they feel meet the needs of their patrons. So a book available in one city may or may not be available in another. Overdrive patrons check out and return/renew downloadable titles, just like regular print books. For popular titles you may find yourself on a waiting list, also like using your local library.

After a step-by-step description of how to set up an Overdrive account, Dixon offers her usual excellent touch tour of the Overdrive app. She includes it in this section, despite the fact that eBook titles are also available. But fear not, most titles can be easily read using your device's touch screen reader or connected braille display, as described below.

BARD Mobile

Dixon is a long-time staff member of the NLS Talking Book Service, which produces the BARD Mobile app for reading NLS Digital titles. Need I say more about the quality of this section?

As for the service itself, since you are not making purchases, Apple's licensing rules allow for in-app downloads. Dixon demonstrates how to search, download, and play books and magazines produced by the Library Service. You can also read braille titles using this app, a feature Dixon describes in depth in Chapter 3: Reading Books in Braille.

Learning Ally

Unlike the professionally narrated titles produced by the services described above, Learning Ally relies on a network of volunteer readers to produce their titles, which are aimed toward students, as well as lifetime learners. Dixon introduces readers to their latest app, Learning Ally Link, and demonstrates how to search, download and listen to titles. Some titles can be configured to display text on the screen synced with the narrator's reading, a feature aimed at dyslexic readers, but which may be useful for some partially sighted readers as well.

Reading with Synthetic Speech

One of the most profound leaps in accessible reading has come with the near universal use of synthetic speech to read the products of the text and eBook industry, beginning with the simple text file versions of classic writings from Project Gutenberg and Bookshare, and commercialized for public use with the Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, and Apple iBooks. Most of these apps can read using your choice of the various voices available with VoiceOver. Voice Dream Reader also offers in-app purchases of other high-quality voices.

I won't describe Dixon's coverage of each of these apps individually, other than to say I feel that any novice touch screen reader user will learn just about everything he needs to know in order to jump into that latest bestseller.

Incidentally, since this book focuses on accessible reading using iOS, Dixon does not mention the great strides in accessibility Amazon has made lately. Did you know that now you can have Alexa read your Kindle books on the newest Kindle eReader using a Bluetooth speaker or earbuds, or using an Amazon Echo, Tap, or Dot?

Last in the commercially available eBook reading apps mentioned in this chapter is my personal absolute favorite to read eText: Voice Dream Reader. While not originally designed for accessibility, the developer has made offering a touch screen reader user an increasingly excellent way to read ePub and other text-based materials. Most can even be downloaded directly through the app.

The book includes only one iOS text-to-speech reading app designed specifically for the blind, Read2Go. The app is developed by Bookshare, a repository of over a half-million eText books. In my opinion, this app has been made more or less redundant by Voice Dream Reader, which offers considerably more functionality at a much lower price.

Reading Braille on Your iOS Device

Most eBook iOS apps work with braille displays, but each takes a slightly different approach, so your settings may need to be changed to get the output you desire. Dixon devotes an entire chapter to using a braille display with each of the apps mentioned above. She also describes how to search and download .BRF books from the National Library Service and read them using the BARD Mobile app, which was optimized to offer an excellent braille reading experience.

A Reading Roundup

The final chapter of The Abundant Bookshelf offers a list of other sources of both audiobooks and eText books. Notable among these are Blio, Project Gutenberg, and Google Books. For each she offers tips on downloading books, many of which are free, and working with the app interface.

Of course with so many sources of accessible books, you're going to need help deciding what to read next. Which is why Dixon includes a section on Amazon's Goodreads, where readers share their literary opinions and receive personalized recommendations on books they might enjoy.

Lastly, Dixon mentions one of my own favorite apps: TellMeWhen. If you have an author or 12 whose next books you can't wait to read, enter the authors' names into this app and you will learn the name of their next offering and its projected release date. You can also search for upcoming books by topic. I find this app incredibly useful; it's a must-have for any devoted bookworm.

Turning the Page

All in all, I believe Dixon has done a commendable job covering the various ways to enjoy reading using VoiceOver on an iOS device. If you're a long-time VoiceOver reader, there probably isn't a lot in this book that you don't already know. However I would highly encourage any new iOS user—especially those who are newly blind—to purchase this eBook so they can start enjoying the world of accessible books as soon as possible. Braille readers may also learn a new trick or two about using their braille displays to read.

One thing I do wish is that Dixon had included touch-tours of the Android versions of these apps and services. I do acknowledge that she states quite clearly right there in the book's title that it is a guide for iOS readers, but she could at least have included availability of Android versions of these apps. For example, Bookshare does not offer an Android version of Read2Go. Instead they offer Go Read, which includes slightly different navigation and a modified feature set.

Downpour: Where Content Reigns

I don't know what Dixon's plans are for maintaining and updating her book but if there is a future edition, I do have one new offering she may wish to explore. It's a new player in the audiobook arena called Downpour.

If you are an Audible member, or if you have purchased audiobooks from other sources, you are likely familiar with the name Blackstone Audio. They are one of the largest producers of narrated books, and now you can purchase their audiobook titles, and those from other producers, directly from Downpour.

Downpour offers two features not available from Audible or most other sources of downloadable titles. First, Downpour titles are available in non-DRM (digital rights management) MP3 formats. This means you can listen to these books using the player app and device of your choice. Second, you not only can purchase titles using a membership or subscription plan, but you can also rent titles for at least 30 days.

I recently rented How the Other Half Banks by Mehrsa Baradaran. The retail price is $19.95, and on Audible it's listed at $14.95. Both services discount the book to just over $12 with memberships. However I was able to rent the book from Downpour for just $6.95.

So now the bad news: Downpour is a relatively new service, and though accessibility is on their radar, they have a long way to go to become completely accessible. On the website, considerable mousing is required to located category lists and to select from the various purchase/rental options. And once a book is in your library, the "Download" button calls up an inaccessible window where you choose whether you wish to download the title in its DRM format or unlocked MP3.

Happily, I could download books using either the iOS or Android app, which are both about 70 percent accessible. I did often have trouble locating the unlabeled "Play" button, especially on the iOS version when I recalled the app from the running apps list. The app does sync between devices, so I was able to read part of a book on my iPhone and the rest on an Android phone. Do not check "verify synching," or you will frequently be returned to the very beginning of the book and have to relocate your last reading position manually. Another current bug of which the company is already aware is the inability to continue play when the device is locked—a definite downer when I wanted to read during my daily walk.

All of this said, I believe Downpour is a worthy addition to the accessible book reading roster, if only for the fact that they sell and rent non-DRM titles from authors such as Cory Doctorow, who refuse to allow DRM versions of their titles to be sold. Book rentals are also handy if you don't need to keep a copy of the book.

The Downpour support team has assured me that a new version of the website and mobile apps are forthcoming with accessibility fixes. In the meantime, if you want to put the service through its paces yourself, simply open an account—Tom Sawyer will automatically be added to your book library. I am sure they will welcome feedback from any new potential customers.

Comment on this article.

Dear AccessWorld readers,

That's right, we are listening to your comments on articles, reflecting on your questions about both mainstream and access technology, and hearing your thoughts and opinions on everything from the future of braille and braille technology, to video description, to television programming access, to frustrating and inaccessible apps and feature phones, to all the good, the bad, and the ugly with all things Windows, Apple, and Android.

We are also listening to your comments on the newly redesigned AccessWorld home page. We understand there are some areas in need of improvement and tweaking, and the AccessWorld team is working on it for you. You may notice in this May issue that some changes have already been implemented, and there are more to come. Stay with us. The new design will be a work in progress for a little while, and with your continued feedback, it will be better than ever. The best way to provide feedback is to send a letter to the editor.

The AccessWorld staff enjoys and, more importantly, very much appreciates hearing from all of you. Quite often a comment or question from a reader turns into an article that, in turn, provides information to the tens of thousands of readers who visit AccessWorld each and every month. In the coming months, the staff and I will be increasingly looking to your feedback to drive content decisions we make for AccessWorld. In addition, we are always seeking feedback on the AccessWorld app, which is available free in the Apple App Store. If you haven't yet tried it out, I encourage you to download it today. So, lay it on us!

We are looking for both quantitative and qualitative feedback. Right now, I encourage you to use the "comment on this article" link at the very bottom of each article to provide feedback, positive comments, and, yes, constructive criticism, for me and the AccessWorld authors. You can also use that link to ask specific questions about each article. If you prefer, you can also send an e-mail directly to me. When you write in, remember that we may choose to publish your letter in the Letters to the Editor section of AccessWorld. The staff and I also believe it is important to know who says what. To that end, both first and last names (when available) are published in the Letters to the Editor section. If you do not want your name published, just let us know when you write in and we'll refrain from publishing your comments.

This is your opportunity to have your voice heard, so speak up! The AccessWorld staff is listening!

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

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

I have been closely following developments in the areas of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). In fact, I recently wrote a paper on the topic for one of my Master's courses. I'm curious what AccessWorld's perspective and opinion are in how blind and visually impaired individuals may be able to gain access to this rapidly developing technology and how they might benefit. Might we see an article from AccessWorld on this topic? The prospect of VR and AR becoming a primary means for computer access, communications, social interactions, and entertainment is a real possibility and raises the importance of accessibility for blind and visually impaired individuals. Developments in spatial audio, haptic technology, and AI (artificial intelligence) have tremendous potential in helping our community gain access.

Best regards,
Michael Guajardo

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

My comment is regarding the new AccessWorld homepage layout. Pictures and videos for blind and visually impaired are a particularly unwelcome "improvement." This is just another additional frustration in our lives. What were you thinking?

Sincerely,
Marvin Eisenberg

Virgin Australia Introduces Vision Impaired User Interface for In-flight Entertainment

Virgin Australia has become the first airline in the Asia Pacific and the second airline in the world to introduce an in-flight entertainment (IFE) user interface for passengers who are blind or have low vision.

Designed to make the customer experience more accessible for visually impaired passengers, the new interface increases accessibility to IFE content through simplified screen layouts, larger icons, and voice prompts.

Developed by globally recognized IFE innovator CoKinetic Systems, the interface is available on Virgin Australia's entire fleet of Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, which feature a seatback entertainment system, and will be rolled out on the Airbus A330 fleet in the first half of 2017. The Boeing 777-300ER aircraft fly from Australia's east coast to Los Angeles, while the Airbus A330 primarily fly between Australia's east coast and Perth.

Virgin Australia General Manager, In Flight Experience, Tash Tobias said:

"We are determined to ensure travel with Virgin Australia is enjoyable for all of our guests and we are delighted to introduce this new user interface for guests who are blind or have low vision.

"Throughout the development process we consulted with disability advocate, Phillip Chalker, to create a system that enables more passengers to enjoy movies, music, audiobooks and TV shows and we thank him for his invaluable assistance.

"This new technology also allows vision impaired guests to access important flight information such as the time and distance to their destination," Ms Tobias said.

Vision Australia General Manager for Advocacy and Engagement, Karen Knight said, "We congratulate Phillip on the outcome his advocacy efforts have helped achieve. In addition, we commend Virgin Australia for taking steps to improve the accessibility of their IFE system. Many people who are blind or have low vision enjoy travel and travel widely, and by Virgin Australia continuing to improve the accessibility of its IFE technology guests have the opportunity to enjoy the latest entertainment."

This feature is the latest addition in an ever-increasing focus on accessible entertainment for all guests. Virgin Australia recently introduced a broader variety of assets suitable for hearing impaired guests with subtitled and closed-captioned movies and TV, a growing range of non-narrative documentaries and a handpicked collection of reading materials.

Virgin Australia's wireless IFE system is available on its Boeing 737-800 and Embraer E190 fleets, and is accessible to vision impaired guests via screen reader software available on guests' own devices.

2017 M-Enabling Summit

Register today for the 6th annual M-Enabling Summit, one of the leading global conference and showcases on the East Coast dedicated to technological innovations that enable seniors and persons with disabilities to access digital content and services in new ways.

With its 2017 theme, "Making Connected Things and Services Accessible for All," the M-Enabling Summit sets the stage to promote accessible products, services, and assistive technologies. It also offers an ideal platform to network with accessibility professionals, organizations, and decision makers seeking to address compliance challenges and market development opportunities.

In the spotlight: accessibility for better branding, consumer marketing, innovation in robotics, wearables, virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, IoT, smart homes, Section 508 and WCAG 2.1, as well as scaling-up accessibility in higher education, businesses, government, and smart cities.

New to the M-Enabling Summit is the addition of the IAAP Pre Conference Session taking place June 12.

Register today at the registration page.

The ATIA 2018 Call for Presentations Is Open!

January 30—February 3, 2018

Caribe Royale All-Suite Hotel & Convention Center, Orlando, Florida

The ATIA 2018 Call for Presentations is open for a period of two months from April 17—June 16, 2017.

ATIA is looking for dynamic, innovative speakers for its 2018 conference—presenters who teach proven practices and cutting-edge technology for children and adults with disabilities and who can motivate others.

You are invited to contribute your expertise to the conversation and education happening around assistive technology at ATIA 2018.

ATIA conference coordinators are looking for presentations from:

• Accessibility professionals
• Administrators
• Advocates
• AT specialists
• AT Act Programs
• Communication specialists
• Consumers/individuals with disabilities
• Disability services staff
• Educators
• Government/non-profit agency staff
• IT professionals
• Occupational therapists
• Physical therapists
• Paraprofessionals
• Professional development/training staff
• Rehab therapists
• Social workers
• Speech-language pathologists
• Special Education educators
• Visual impairment specialists
• Vocational rehab specialists

Preparing Your Abstract

Abstracts should cover the use of assistive technology from a practitioner or user perspective and may be in the form of a case study, demonstration, implementation study, panel discussion, poster session, research paper or a tips and techniques workshop.

ATIA 2018 is planned around 11 Session Strands exploring the newest technologies and the most important questions and issues in the AT field today. Its Strand Advisors are international content leaders and representatives from strategic professional organizations such as AOTA, ASHA, IAAP, JAN and RESNA.

Submit Your Presentation

Please submit your best, well-written abstracts for consideration for ATIA 2018. All submissions will be considered during the Strand Advisor Blind Peer Review Process. Based on the Strand Advisors recommendations, the two highest ranked sessions that contribute to a well-rounded and balanced educational program are eligible for inclusion*. From an individual speaker perspective, this includes submissions where you are listed as primary or co-speaker.

* Invited speaker sessions are exempt and may be included, for example, Pre-conferences Seminars, MTSS & Town Hall Sessions, QIAT Conversations, Smackdowns, Strand Spotlight Panels, and/or approved session moderators.

After ensuring all sections are complete, submit your presentation online by June 16. You can submit a draft and revise it later but all drafts MUST be completed by June 16 to be considered for review and selection.

Download the accessible Call for Presentations form to organize your thoughts before you submit your presentation online.

Learn More During the Call for Presentations Webinar

The ATIA Headquarters team will host an informational webinar orientation about the ATIA 2017 Call for Presentations on May 3, 2017 at 3—4 pm EDT. This webinar will walk through the online Call for Presentations form with tips on how to complete it successfully. Useful information will be presented for new and returning speakers with background on some new features in the form for this year.

To join the meeting: http://atia.adobeconnect.com/atia2018cfp/

Audio Conference Details: Conference Number: +1 8775272344; Conference Code: 3073468090

The webinar will be recorded and available for viewing for those unable to attend the live broadcast.

Please contact the ATIA Education Team at education@atia.org with questions.