Access World Takes a Brief Look at the iDentifi iOS Recognition App
If you are blind or visually impaired and own a smartphone, undoubtedly you have at least tried one of the several item recognition apps we have covered here at AccessWorld. One of the latest mentioned was Bespecular, an app that enables you to snap a photo of that mystery box in your pantry, a street sign, or anything else you need help identifying, pose a question, and send it along to a network of human volunteers.
Recently, a new object recognition app was released called iDentifi. As the small "I" suggests, it's available for iOS devices from the App Store, and it's free.
Besides offering yet another choice for remote help, which is always useful, iDentifi has another feature of interest. Whereas Bespecular, TapTapSee, and other such apps have historically required teams of developers and hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce, iDentifi was created by a single individual, a Toronto 12th grade student named Amon Tukrel.
Tukrel spent a summer interning at an advertising company that processes YouTube videos for recognized objects, then uses this data to supply related advertisements. The company used an image recognition system called ImageNet, and Tukrel, who has an aunt who has a visual impairment and lives in India, thought he might be able to adapt this engine to produce an app she and others could use to help them shop and accomplish various household tasks.
The app offers users their choice of 26 different languages, and it's currently being used by visually impaired people in 45 countries around the world. Along with the "Low Accuracy" recognition engine, which returns results almost instantly, users can also select the "High Accuracy," yet slower, CloudSight engine, one of the same resources used by TapTapSee. The iDentifi app can also perform OCR by way of Google's Cloud Vision API. Results are spoken by the device's default voice. Unfortunately, results are not displayed on the screen for review, or for use by braille users.
Users can select an image from their device's photo library, or summon the iOS Photo App to snap a new picture. There is no focusing help, however, and for some reason the camera app always defaults to Flash off, even after repeated resetting.
During testing, the fast, ImageNet engine tended to produce results such as "It is a room," or "It is a yellow…"
The "High Accuracy" CrowdSight option did produce some impressive results, including: "Black metal dog crate," "Green plants in wooden box near white watering hose," "Stainless steel teapot on black induction range top," and "Campbell's Chunky Chili with Beans."
Text mode worked well for sorting and reading mail. It also did a fair job reading a computer screen when speech failed. Of course all of these results are a function of the recognition engine's capabilities, and are thus beyond the developer's control.
Currently, the iDentifi app tends to be a bit buggy. When recognizing text, it is difficult to pause or stop speech. The app crashes occasionally, and the interface is a bit more complicated than it needs to be. For example, to change accuracy settings requires the user to go two menus deep and then return back through the same two levels. Even so, this 18-year-old's app has much to recommend it. The iDentifi app garnered a silver medal at the Canada Wide Science Fair and Tukrel has received scholarship awards from the University of British Columbia, Dalhousie University, University of Ottawa, Western University, and York University.
Here's hoping this young man decides to continue working in the accessibility arena.
The American Foundation for the Blind to Begin 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
Requirements:
- 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
Requirements:
- 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
Requirements:
- 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,
Telephone: 800-232-5463,
Email: afbinfo@afb.net
NHTSA Sets "Quiet Car" Safety Standard to Protect Pedestrians
The US Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that it is adding a sound requirement for all newly manufactured hybrid and electric light-duty vehicles to help protect pedestrians. The new federal safety standard will help pedestrians who are blind, have low vision, and other pedestrians detect the presence, direction and location of these vehicles when they are traveling at low speeds, which will help prevent about 2,400 pedestrian injuries each year once all hybrids in the fleet are properly equipped.
Under the new rule, all hybrid and electric light vehicles with four wheels and a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less will be required to make audible noise when traveling in reverse or forward at speeds up to 20 miles per hour. At higher speeds, the sound alert is not required because other factors, such as tire and wind noise, provide adequate audible warning to pedestrians.
Manufacturers have until September 1, 2019, to equip all new hybrid and electric vehicles with sounds that meet the new federal safety standard. Half of new hybrid and electric vehicles must be in compliance one year before the final deadline.
The new standard, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 141, responds to Congress' mandate in the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act that hybrid and electric vehicles meet minimum sound requirements to provide an audible alert for blind and visually-impaired pedestrians.
2016 Louis Braille Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation?Award of Up to $20,000
The 2016 Louis Braille Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation will be awarded to an individual, group of individuals, or company who has developed innovative, accessible computer software, Android applications, iOS applications, or tactile hardware that promote braille and/or tactile literacy for blind people.
Louis Braille was an innovator–and this award seeks to identify and inspire future innovation. Potentially, the award process will inspire new strategic directions for National Braille Press (NBP).
The Prize can be granted for:
- professional software and apps;
- educational software and apps;
- gaming software or apps that promote tactile and braille learning;
- braille or tactile-related hardware.
In any of these areas, the innovative project must demonstrate some aspect of tactile literacy for blind people and promote braille literacy or access to information. Tactile literacy refers to any product, method, or service that has the effect of increasing access to information through the sense of touch. Braille itself is an example of tactile literacy and will be given special consideration, but eligible innovations are not limited to braille.
The Touch of Genius Prize is provided through support from The Gibney Family Foundation and National Braille Press.
Eligibility
Individuals, groups of individuals, or companies are encouraged to apply.
The Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation may be awarded for a completed project or a concept in the functional prototype stage that shows viability and will improve opportunities for blind people worldwide. Applications in the functional prototype stage will be given stronger consideration. Submissions can be stand-alone products or part of a larger curriculum, program, or hardware package. In the opinion of the judges, the proposed innovation should demonstrate feasibility and have the potential for achieving the following criteria.
Criteria
A priority for awarding the Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation is to foster and reward innovation in the field of tactile and braille literacy for blind people.
For accessible computer, software, tactile hardware, and applications to be competitive for the Prize, they must be clearly innovative, based on a tactile interface, and increase literacy or access to information. Projects must promote the use of braille, braille literacy, tactile literacy, or tactile learning.
Other criteria to be considered include the following:
- Discoveries that demonstrate a remarkable improvement over prior products or methods
- Applications that improve educational opportunities for people who are blind
- Innovations that foster independent and user-friendly access to information
- Creative outcomes that can be applied globally
Selection Process
Applications and nominations will be reviewed by The Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation Adjudication Committee, comprising experts from various, and relevant fields. All decisions relating to the selection of Prize Winners are final, and will be at the sole discretion of the Adjudication Committee.
The Adjudication Committee reserves the right to split the $20,000 prize in order to offer multiple Prizes in any given year, including but not limited to Honorable Mentions.
Application Requirements
The application document is available on NBP's website. Applications will be accepted from individuals, groups of individuals, companies, or someone advocating on behalf of either. Completed applications must include the following:
Signed application form. If the application is being submitted by a third party, the form must be signed by both the applicant and the individual or leading representative of the group of individuals who are being nominated.
A document no more than 10 pages, summarizing the project and showing outcome realization for both potential concepts and fully realized projects:
Describe the project or innovation., Outline how it exhibits innovation. Innovation is defined, in general terms, as a remarkable improvement or discovery that has a direct impact on tactile literacy for blind people and meets the Prize criteria., Explain the potential for an emerging project, including target markets, production costs, if applicable, and prospects to bring the proposed innovation to market., Include measurements of success to date and potential impact on the field., Express challenges and limitations experienced with production or distribution of proposed innovation., Include any other materials that could be helpful to the judges. All materials submitted must be in an accessible format (see Submission Requirements below.).
Functional prototype. Please include simple instructions for testing the prototype. We strongly suggest submitting a functional prototype or accessible video presentation along with your application.
Two letters of recommendation from colleagues, professors, or any other professional in a position to comment on the innovation. Letters of recommendation should be emailed to GeniusPrize@nbp.org as a locked PDF by the author(s). Please reference the application for further recommendation requirements.
Submission Requirements
Applications must be submitted electronically.
Completed applications must be received by January 9, 2017.
PLEASE NOTE: Incomplete applications will not be reviewed by the Adjudication Committee.
Application documents must be clearly labeled either by internal heading or document name (e.g., Form, Summary, Outcomes/Realizations, Supplementary Information)p?
Electronic documents must be in an accessible format, such as Word; any PDFs must be accompanied by another accessible version of the document.
Images and videos included with your application must be described either with captions or audio description, as some members of the Adjudication Committee are blind or visually impaired. Please see this video as an example.
While we encourage international applications, we request that all submissions be in English to ensure accurate translation and comprehension.
National Braille Press welcomes the potential opportunity to partner with the Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation winner to further promote access to information through tactile literacy.
Send your application and all supporting materials to:
Applications and Letters to: GeniusPrize@nbp.org
Prototypes: Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation, National Braille Press,88 Saint Stephen Street Boston, MA 02115
Questions? Please visit our website or contact geniusprize@nbp.org or 617-266-6160, ext. 412.
Gavin and Ninetta Herbert Pursue Vision for Improving Eye Health with $5 Million Estate Gift to Spur Breakthrough Retinal Research
Allergan founder Gavin Herbert and his wife, Ninetta, have pledged $5 million to advance retinal research at UC Irvine Health's Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, the academic eye care center named in his honor.
Groundbreaking research is a hallmark of the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, where physicians and scientists are making steady progress toward eradicating preventable blindness. At any given time, there are 25 to 30 investigations underway. They address diverse aspects of eye health ? from engineering an artificial cornea to preserving sight in patients with retinitis pigmentosa and from improved treatment for blepharospasms, which are uncontrollable eyelid muscle contractions, to a promising solution for dry age-related macular degeneration, or retinal atrophy.
The Herberts? gift is dedicated to expanding the breadth and depth of research into the retina, the part of the eye responsible for converting light into the images that are transmitted to the brain. The retina is associated with such conditions as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and retinal detachment.
Gavin and Ninetta Herbert and his mother, Josephine Herbert Gleis, provided the initial naming gift for the Orange County vision hub in 2007. Herbert went on to inspire many local ophthalmology companies and individuals to contribute to the institute's new home, serving as a major force in funding construction of the $39 million building entirely through private philanthropy. He also introduced founding director Dr. Roger Steinert to the Orange County ophthalmology community, leading to Steinert's eventual move from a Harvard Medical School professorship to chair the UC Irvine Department of Ophthalmology.
Herbert was the first president of the Chancellor's Club, a community of UCI alumni, parents, faculty and friends who have made a commitment to invest in areas that further university excellence in academics, research and service. He has received the campus's highest honor, the UCI Medal, for his bold vision and support.
AFB Press announces the publication of College Bound: A Guide for Students with Visual Impairments, Second Edition, by Ellen Trief, Ed.D.
AFB Press is pleased to announce the publication of College Bound: A Guide for Students with Visual Impairments, Second Edition by Ellen Trief, Ed.D. The revised and updated College Bound helps students who are blind or visually impaired prepare for their new life in college, develop useful skills, and negotiate for and coordinate appropriate services.
This large-print guide also includes strategies for organization, time management, research, studying, and self-advocacy. You?ll also find information about college application procedures, navigating the web, and assistive technology. College Bound is an invaluable resource for students and their parents and teachers, as well as high school counselors, rehabilitation counselors, rehabilitation teachers, and coordinators of college disability services. The large-print paperback is 342 pages long and is priced at $44.95; e-books at $31.95; and online subscription at $26.95.
Submissions are Now Being Accepted for Envision Conference 2017 Presentations in Clinical Education Courses and Research Abstracts.
The deadline for submissions is February 26, 2017.
To start the submissions process it is important that you have an up-to-date My Profile account with Envision University, and that you are logged in to your account. Your My Profile account needs to include a current Curriculum Vitae (CV), a biographical paragraph, and a headshot photo.
Adding additional authors/presenters. Adding multiple co-authors and co-presenters to your submission is easy. Simply add your co-author's email address in the Additional Contributors field of the online submission form. The co-authors and co-presenters you select will need to have an account with Envision University before you can add them as contributors.
On the Envision University website menu, select Submissions.
Submission Category. In the drop-down menu, select either Envision Conference Clinical Education Course or Envision Conference Research Abstract. Multiple submissions, in both categories of Clinical Education and Research Abstracts, by a single author or multiple authors are accepted.
Submit Now!
Justice Department Revises Regulations to Require Closed Movie Captioning and Audio Description for People with Disabilities
On November 22, 2016, The Justice Department today announced an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title III regulation to further clarify a public accommodation's obligation to provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services for people with disabilities. The final rule provides that public accommodations that own, operate or lease movie theaters are required to provide closed movie captioning and audio description whenever showing a digital movie that is produced, distributed or otherwise made available with these features.
Title III of the ADA requires public accommodations to furnish appropriate auxiliary aids and services, where necessary, to ensure effective communication with people with disabilities, and the department has long held the position that captioning and audio description are auxiliary aids required by the ADA. Despite this obligation and the widespread availability of movies with these features, the department received numerous reports from the disability community indicating that neither closed movie captioning nor audio description is universally available at movie theaters across the United States.
The department initiated this rulemaking on June 10, 2010, with the publication of its Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) and then published its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Aug. 1, 2014. In total, the department received over 1,500 comments on the ANPRM and the NPRM, including a comment on the NPRM that was jointly submitted by advocacy groups representing individuals with hearing disabilities and the movie theater industry. The department intends to publish the final rule in the Federal Register in the near future, and the rule will take effect 45 days after publication.
"The disability community and movie theater industry provided comprehensive insight on this important regulation," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "The Justice Department's regulation establishes a nationally consistent standard and ensures that, in theaters across the country, people with hearing and vision disabilities can fully enjoy watching movies with their families and friends."
The final rule requires movie theaters to have available and maintain the equipment necessary to provide closed movie captioning and audio description so that it is delivered to a movie patron's seat and available only to that patron. Movie theaters are also required to notify the public about the availability of these features and have staff available to assist movie patrons with the equipment.
The requirements of this rule do not apply to any movie theater that shows analog movies exclusively. Additionally, the compliance limitations under Title III of the ADA apply to this rulemaking, and thus, the rule makes clear that movie theaters do not have to comply with the rule's requirements if compliance would result in an undue burden or a fundamental alteration.
For more information about this rule or the ADA, please visit the department's ADA website or call the ADA Information Line (1-800-514-0301, 1-800-514-3083, TTY). Once the final rule is published in the Federal Register, a copy will be available on the Federal Register's website.
