Dear AccessWorld readers,

“Extra, extra, read all about it!”

Did you catch the 2019 AccessWorld Holiday Gift Guide for people who are blind or visually impaired? If not, have a read. J.J. Meddaugh did a great job of offering fantastic gift ideas in all price points for people on your list who may experience vision loss. Any of his suggestions would be a welcomed gift this season.

Another article from AccessWorld's back issue archives that may have special importance for you this time of year is Jamie Paul's December 2017 article describing accessible diabetes management strategies. This season is always filled with tempting cakes, pies, cookies, and all sorts of culinary goodness, and it is important to keep moderation in mind, especially if you have elevated blood sugar levels.

If you happen to be doing some cooking this time of year, you may also want to revisit Deborah Kendrick's November 2010 review of the Directions for Me website, Website Evaluation: Directions for Me, a Gift to People Who Can't Read the Box. This site may help take the guesswork out of preparing those holiday meals. Yes, the article is nine years old, but the information is still good, and the website is still active.

We here at AccessWorld have done our best to keep you updated and informed in 2019, and the team certainly hopes you have enjoyed reading the publication and have personally benefited from our coverage of the technology and issues most relevant to people with visual impairments.

If you have benefitted from information presented in AccessWorld, we would like to know about it. We would appreciate you sharing how information in AccessWorld has helped you, your student, or someone you care about. Please send your story to us; we are always excited to receive your feedback, and we sincerely appreciate you reading AccessWorld.

In this season of giving, as the Editor-in-Chief of AccessWorld, I would like to ask for your support. The American Foundation for the Blind and, in turn, AccessWorld, depend in large part on private donations from people just like you.

If you read AccessWorld and can do so, please consider making a gift to the American Foundation for the Blind. Your donation will help us continue our work on behalf of people all over the world who are blind or visually impaired.

Each dollar you donate allows us to continue to:

• Bring you reviews of all types of assistive and mainstream technologies that can enable you to excel at school, at work, or at home
• Cover issues related to employment
• Provide technology resources and support for everyone affected by blindness or visual impairment, from children to senior citizens
• Provide a hub of technology information for professionals in the vision loss field AccessWorld is here for the millions of people living with blindness and low vision because friends like you are here for us. If you would like to donate, please visit the AFB donation page. Please encourage your friends, family, and colleagues to join in our efforts.

I would also like to thank our readers who generously donated last year. Your contributions helped AccessWorld have its most successful year ever, as we published more content, reached more readers, and had a more substantial impact than ever before.

The AccessWorld team wishes you a happy and healthy holiday season. We look forward to bringing you the latest in technology news in the coming year!

Best regards,

Lee Huffman, AccessWorld Editor-in-Chief

American Foundation for the Blind

Deborah Kendrick

When Robert Carter and his twin sister were born, both were dangerously small, and were placed in infant incubators equipped with a flow of oxygen. Robert's sister lived only a few days. Robert remained in the hospital for a few months until he was finally pronounced sufficiently healthy to travel home in his mother's arms. It would be a little while longer before his family realized that all that oxygen administered to help him thrive had also taken all his eyesight.

"I come from a family of do-ers, not be-ers," Dr. Robert Carter says today of his action-oriented parents. His father, a construction worker, and his mother, a homemaker who raised Robert and his younger sister, believed in the capacity of all people to participate in life, including a son who had this blindness thing about which they were learning.

When it came time for kindergarten, Robert and his mother traveled from their small town of Concord, NC to the state capitol, Raleigh, where they visited a residential school for blind children.

"My mother didn't like it very much," Robert says today, "and I didn't like it at all."

It turned out that a resource program was being launched 30 miles away from Concord, in Charlotte, so the family moved in order to enroll Robert in that program. Each day, he spent an hour or so with a teacher who taught him braille and touch-typing. The rest of his time he spent with his sighted classmates. So committed was his mother to her son's education that it was almost as though he had a second school day after school when he arrived home. Each day, she went over lessons with him, making sure that he was always on the same literal and figurative page as his classmates.

His mother modeled advocacy for him at an early age, dedicating herself each spring and summer to ensuring that his books would be transcribed into braille for the next fall term. He recalls overhearing a phone call when he was very young, during which his mother, discussing the readiness of a book, warned someone at the other end: "If this isn't done by Friday, I'm calling the governor."

When not studying, he was enjoying the same outdoor pleasures as his younger sister: riding bikes, roller skating, sometimes water skiing. He was, in other words, learning to do and not just be.

At the age of 12, he began playing the guitar, aspiring to follow in the musical footsteps of heroes like Kris Kristofferson, John Prine, and Hank Williams. Academics still claimed his greatest attention, though, and before long, he was graduating with a BA in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and making plans for graduate school.

Discovering Psychology

While Carter was obtaining a master’s degree in counseling at Western Carolina University, he began working with Upward Bound, a program providing services to minorities. In that particular region, the population served by the program was primarily from the nearby Cherokee reservation. It was during that time that he discovered that his calling was to help people with mental health difficulties and he wanted to be at the top of his credentialed game to continue. He headed for the University of Florida in Gainesville to begin work on a PhD in counseling psychology.

In Gainesville Carter became immersed in braille and audio technology devices and was hired to teach other blind students to use technology in an early program while working on his degree. Apple 2E, 2C, the early VersaBraille, Speech Plus, and other products were soon in the technological tool kit he used daily and taught others, His work ethic has never wavered. One somewhat humorous illustration of that dogged dedication netted him some significant financial assistance during his doctoral program. As he tells it, he applied to Florida’s Department of Educations Division of Blind Services for sponsorship. When assigned a counselor from that program, he explained that he was seeking financial support for tuition, books, etc., to complete the degree that his potential sponsor called “the PH Degree.”

“He asked if I could sign my name,” Robert explains and, in fact, he hadn’t ever acquired that skill. The vocational rehabilitation counselor told him to go home and come back when he could sign his name.

For the next two weeks, Robert’s wife Vicky labored tenaciously with him to learn that pen-in-hand pattern that rarely comes naturally to those who are totally blind. At the end of two weeks, he returned to the vocational rehabilitation office, demonstrated his newfound signature skill, and was granted sponsorship!

In 1989, having added a PhD to his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, Carter was ready to find a job. There were three jobs in Texas that interested him, and he was soon hired as a psychologist to work with students at Texas A&M University in College Station, TX. Thirty years later, he is still there, identified today as a psychologist 4 (the highest designation) and still loves his work.

Texas A&M’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) serves some 68,000 students. Carter typically sees five to six students daily, leads workshops, and provides leadership to interns who come for their final year before becoming certified psychologists themselves. In addition to a demanding full-time professional career, he has maintained a strong hold on other passions as well.

Tech Doctor Podcast

Since the mid 1980s, Carter has loved braille and audio technology, incorporating it into his work and personal activities. He wrote for TACTIC (the forerunner to AccessWorld in the 1990s, and has participated in a variety of email listservs and beta test groups. In 2010, he launched The Tech Doctor podcast, a popular podcast in which he looks at braille and audio products and interviews players in the access technology arena. With some 3,000 subscribers, the podcast continues to grow, appearing whenever The Tech Doctor feels some topic or individual warrants attention.

Preferred Access Technology

Carter's current technology toolbox includes an iPhone, MacBook Pro, Apple Watch, Air Pods Pro, Braille Sense Polaris, Apple TV, and three low-cost braille displays (Braille Me, Orbit 20, and Brailliant 14) that he purchased last year in order to do a comparison evaluation on his Tech Doctor podcast. Although he does not use technology when counseling (employing the innate human skills of listening, responding, and understanding) he accesses the department’s scheduling and storage system constantly for entering notes and scheduling students. The system, he says, was built specifically for the CAPS staff and is completely accessible. Not always so easily accessed are the batches of intern applications he needs to review each year, but Carter is long accustomed to solving problems and finding workarounds. “If something takes longer to do as a blind person, so be it," he says.

Music and Perseverance

Robert’s 50-year commitment to playing guitar is one more example of his unflagging determination. In his early musical explorations, he played guitar to accompany his own singing. About six years ago, he decided to advance his skills and work on becoming an instrumentalist. Since that time, he has practiced daily, for an hour before work (at 4am) and an hour in the evening. He says the hard work is definitely netting results.

In addition to work and music and technology, Robert and his wife make frequent trips to New York to visit their adult son, Graham, a filmmaker who recently featured his parents in a project—his mom tending bar, his dad playing guitar. Graham is, in Robert Carter’s words, "our finest accomplishment.”

That touching remark is typical of this man who defines himself as an existential humanist, whose eclectic interests embrace music, technology, and politics, and who does not hesitate to express gratitude.

Robert Carter's Essential Skills and Tools for Success

Asked about the tools he thinks most supported his success, Carter mentions braille and audio technology, but only after enumerating some less tangible and critical character traits.

“I learned early to advocate for myself,” he explains. “And I’ve never been afraid to go the extra mile.”

When the University of Florida was skeptical about a blind person’s ability to complete the PhD program, he attended provisionally for one semester, agreeing to continue only if the first semester was successful. The summer before beginning his PhD, he pored over writing manuals, teaching himself to be a clearer, stronger writer, after self-identifying that as an academic area requiring attention.

Finally, he says simply, “You don’t do these things by yourself.” Bringing home the point, he expresses profound gratitude to his family, his teachers, his colleagues.

It’s not difficult to imagine how this soft-spoken, perceptive individual has guided countless students to healing from trauma, abuse, anxiety and more with his training and skillswork that has nothing to do with eyesight, but everything to do with insight.

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

Comment on this article.

Related articles:

• A Profile of Dr. Daniel Zingaro, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto by Deborah Kendrick
• An Interview with Michael Hingson, CEO of the Do More Foundation by Deborah Kendrick

More by this author:

• An Interview with Kelly Egan, Customer Relations Manager for the Sprint Corporation
• A Profile of Jeff Bishop, Program Manager, Microsoft Corporation

December 2019 Table of Contents

Janet Ingber

If you are looking for a small accessible microwave, a good choice is the AmazonBasics S9N29R small microwave, an affordable model for $59.99 with free shipping. The microwave can be voice controlled with Amazon Alexa. To use Alexa, you must have an Amazon Alexa device such as the Echo or Echo Dot, located within hearing range of the microwave. Locater dots, tactile markings, and braille labels are not necessary unless you want them.

In The Box

The microwave as shipped weighs approximately 25 pounds including the outer shipping box. When the box is opened, note that the protective packing layer of Styrofoam that sits on top contains two cutouts, one to hold a round glass turntable tray and one for the turntable ring. Remove these from the Styrofoam before continuing. Under the Styrofoam are a product manual and a quick start guide, both in print form.

The round glass tray has three protrusions in the center of the bottom side. The turntable ring, on which the tray will sit, is smaller than the glass tray and has three small roller wheels.

I was able to read the manual and quick start guide with Seeing AI. There is also an online PDF version of the manual. I couldn't open the manual link on my Mac, but didn't have a problem opening it on my iPhone in Safari. I found that the best way to read the PDF version of the manual was with Word. Rotor options such as lines, headings, and tables did not work well. Everything in the Quick Start Guide is also in the manual.

Getting Help

There is an online help page for the AmazonBasics Microwave. You can also call Amazon’s Disability Customer Support Line at 888-283-1678.

Specifications

• Model Number: S9N29R
• Rated Voltage: 120 Volts, 60Hz
• Rated input power (microwave): 1050W
• Rated output power (microwave): 700W
• Oven Capacity: 0.7 cubic feet
• Turntable diameter: 10”
• External dimensions: 17.3” x 14.1” x 10.1”
• Net Weight: 21.9 lbs

Microwave Layout

All controls and the display are located in the right front three inches of the face of the microwave. To the left of the controls and display is the door handle, which opens to the left. There is only one raised control button on the AmazonBasics microwave, the Alexa button. There are small indentations for other controls, so you need to feel around or use locator dots, braille labels or any other system that works for you.

The layout: The digital time readout is top front, a few inches from the top. Next is a row of control buttons: power level, time defrost, and weight defrost. Below that is a standard keypad with numbers 1 through 9. The next row has a popcorn button on the left, the number 0 in the middle, and a kitchen timer on the right. The final row has pause/stop, the Alexa button and a start/+30 sec. button.

Setting Up the Turntable

Open the microwave door and feel the inside bottom for three protrusions that come with protective tape over them. Remove the tape. Loosely center the ring assembly around the floor protrusions. Feel for three similar protrusions on the underside of the glass turntable tray. Center the 3 protrusions of the glass tray so they loosely interlock with the 3 on the microwave floor. Note that the glass tray will sit on top of the rollers of the ring assembly.

Food and beverages do not sit directly on the microwave’s floor. They must go on the glass turntable.

Setting Up Alexa

To use Alexa with the microwave, you must have an Alexa device installed and located within hearing distance of your microwave. Open the Alexa app and make sure it is up to date. Go into Settings and check the WiFi network for your Alexa device. When you pair the microwave, it must be on the same WiFi network as Alexa.

From the app’s Home tab, activate the menu in the upper left corner and select Add Device. A new screen loads with a list of devices. Follow the prompts to pair the microwave with Amazon Alexa.

I initially had some difficulty pairing the microwave with my Echo Dot. After several attempts, the app said to press the number 2 button for four seconds, and the display will flash. Since I was not sure which button was number 2, I needed sighted assistance. Another option would have been to FaceTime a friend, or call Be My Eyes or AIRA.

Initially, this procedure didn't work and the devices wouldn't pair. I rebooted my iPhone, changed the microwave’s location, and tried again. This time it worked. I don’t know whether it was rebooting or changing location that allowed the devices to pair.

The Ask Alexa Button

Once your devices are paired, you have the option of setting up the Ask Alexa button on the microwave. This button is a considerable convenience. It takes only a few seconds to activate the button (you can also do this later). Once paired, the Alexa device can be used for the microwave without the button. If you don’t use the button, the difference is that you have to get Alexa’s attention verbally before you give a command. That is, instead of saying, “Alexa, microwave for one minute,” you push the Ask Alexa button. Do not hold it down. Then say, “One minute.” Activating the Ask Alexa button gets Alexa’s attention and it knows the request is coming from the microwave and not from the Alexa device.

By default, the microwave cooks at level 10. You can have it cook on high, medium, or low. If you want to change the power level, just say the cook time and power level. For example, press the Alexa button and say “five minutes on power six,” or “five minutes on medium.”

When the microwave is finished with a task, it will beep five times, whether or not you use the Ask Alexa button. If you need to stop the microwave while it is running, press the Ask Alexa button and say, “stop.” Alexa will say, “okay.” If not using the Ask Alexa button, say, “Alexa, stop.”

Cooking Presets

The microwave with Alexa has many cooking presets. On the website, there is a link labeled “Quick-Cook Voice Presets.” Activating this link brings you to a PDF document with instructions about different types of foods and how to cook or defrost them. As with the AmazonBasics Microwave’s manual, this document was formatted better on my iPhone than on my Mac.

There is a table of contents containing links including Reheat and Refrigerated Food. When selecting a link, you will not hear a new page reloading. Instead, the new information will be on the screen. If using an iOS device, the vertical scroll bar will change position. For each food item, both commands with and without the Ask Alexa button are given. It is definitely worth spending a few minutes it takes to read this document.

Below are a few examples of how to use the presets using the Ask Alexa button.

Press the button once and it will beep. Do not hold the button down.

Potato

Say the number of potatoes you want to microwave and the word "potato" or “potatoes.” For example, “two potatoes.” The microwave will start and continue cooking until the potatoes are done.

Defrost

Say “defrost” followed by the weight and food you are defrosting. For example, “defrost 3 pounds of salmon.” The microwave will start at the correct power level for defrosting salmon and continue until it is defrosted.

Reheating Coffee

Say, “one cup of coffee”

Plate of Food

Say “dinner plate”

Microwave Performance

Heating Water

I put a cup of water in a mug and placed it in the microwave. I pressed the Ask Alexa button and said, “one cup of water.” The microwave beeped once and Alexa said, “one cup of water” and the length of time to heat it, in this case 1 minute and 35 seconds. The water was hot enough for making tea or hot chocolate.

Potato

I put one medium potato in the microwave and told Alexa, “one potato.” Alexa started the microwave and said “one potato” and the amount of time to cook it. The potato was perfectly done.

Defrosting

I put about 1.5 cups of frozen vegetables in the microwave, pressed the Ask Alexa button, and said, “defrost frozen vegetables.” Alexa asked for the weight. I hadn’t weighed the vegetables. As an approximation, I said 4 ounces. The vegetables were defrosted.

Heating Frozen Food

I put a frozen mini frittata in the microwave. From experience with an older microwave, I know that it takes about 1.5 minutes. I pressed the Ask Alexa button, and said, “one minute 30 seconds.” Alexa started the microwave and repeated the time back to me. The frittata was cooked to the right temperature.

Conclusion

The AmazonBasics microwave functioned as described. Although it is not specifically geared to people who are blind, when paired with an Alexa device the microwave is very accessible. It is an excellent value at $59.99. If you already have an Alexa device that is within hearing range of where you will put the microwave, there is nothing else to buy. If you don't have an Alexa device, there are many different models. My Echo Dot worked perfectly.

Although the printed manual is not initially in an accessible format, it can be accessed and read on an iOS device or read with Seeing AI. The learning curve is not steep.

If you want an accessible small microwave, I would consider the AmazonBasics model. Its accessibility, price, and cooking ability make it an excellent option.

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

Comment on this article.

Related articles:

• Drink Accessibly: A Review of DigitalPour and Untappd, two Beverage Menu Apps by Aaron Preece
• The Hunger Pains: A Review of the DoorDash, Grubhub, Postmates, and Uber Eats Food Delivery Apps by J.J. Meddaugh

More by this author:

• Job Hunting with Your iOS Device: A Review of the Indeed and Monster Job Search Apps
• Amazon and Target Offer One-Stop Shopping Apps for Holiday Gifts

December 2019 Table of Contents

Jamie Pauls

In August of this year, Amazon reached out to AccessWorld to inform us that they were increasing the number of audio-described titles on their Prime Video service and making it more convenient to stream video. The company's statement to AccessWorld reads in part:

Amazon Prime Video has expanded the availability of audio descriptions to hundreds of titles on Prime Video, including Amazon Originals such as Good Omens and The Boys.

To increase the availability and accessibility of audio descriptions, Prime Video has made audio descriptions available in more countries, and on more devices such as Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles and Smart TVs. Customers can also access audio descriptions on Fire TV, the Prime Video website, and the iOS and Android apps.

To enable audio descriptions, select the "Subtitles and Audio" option while playing the content and choose an audio track with "[Audio Description]" in the name.

On the Prime Video app on iOS and Android, customers will see an "AD" badge on content that has audio descriptions. A complete list of Prime Video titles with audio descriptions is available online.

I first took a look at the audio-described content on Amazon Prime in the September 2017 issue. At that time, the American Counsel of the Blind's Audio Description Project listed 117 movies and 10 television series with audio description. Today, almost two thousand titles with audio description tracks are listed on the site, and about seventy new titles are added each month.

Audio Described Content on the Web

In a positive development, the Apple TV is now one of the devices that can play audio-described tracks. Unfortunately, according to the AD project, Amazon's website still requires that a blind user get sighted assistance to enable audio description for the first time. I did not enlist the help of my sighted wife in order to test the ability to watch audio-described content from the web when I reviewed the site for the first AccessWorld article, and I did not do so this time around either. I did, however, attempt to watch two different programs from the website using my Windows 10 laptop. Amazon's Help page on this topic is entitled "Select Alternative Audio Tracks or Audio Descriptions on Prime Video on Web, Amazon Devices and Mobile Devices" and there is a subheading entitled "Mobile devices." I did not find instructions specific to using the website. I was able to successfully rent programs from the web and play the content. I didn't find a way to access the audio and subtitles option of the page in order to select audio description, nor are player controls visible on screen using the Tab or Arrow keys. Fortunately, Amazon has provided some keyboard shortcuts for controlling playback. Pressing the ESC key stops playback of programs. The Spacebar plays and pauses a program. Left and Right Arrow keys rewind and fast forward the program, and the F key enters full screen mode. The M key mutes and unmutes the audio of the program you are watching. More on keyboard shortcuts is available on shortcutworld.com or from Amazon. I primarily watch Amazon Prime content on my iPhone. It had been some time since I watched any Amazon Prime programming, so I decided to take a look and see what had changed.

Audio Described Content on iOS

First, I took a look at the listing of Amazon Prime titles on ACB's AD Project. I chose the 2011 Justin Bieber documentary Never Say Never. The hyperlink on the AD Project's page allowed me to go right to the movie on the web where I could rent and watch it. When I viewed the details of the program on my iPhone using the Prime Video app, I was able to determine that the show contained audio description along with other relevant information. This is a feature Netflix has still not implemented, and I sorely wish it would! While I'm wishing for things, I would be most appreciative if it would someday be possible to purchase or rent titles right from the Amazon Prime app on my iPhone.

Let's briefly discuss how to enable audio description on the iPhone. From the app, select the program you wish to watch and then begin playing the content. Next, swipe to the Audio and Subtitles option and activate it. The program should stop playing at that point. Next, select English (audio description) and the program should continue playing, now with the audio description. You should only need to do this once. All subsequent audio-described titles you watch should begin playing the audio description track without any further work on your part. I have not used my MacBook in a while, so I didn't attempt to watch any Amazon Prime content from that computer. My experience the first time was not good, and you can read about that in the above-mentioned article.

Audio Described Content on Android

The only Android device I could test the service with was my BrailleNote Touch Plus. In my first review, I took a look at the movie 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. Since I never actually finished watching the show, I decided to rent it a second time. I was able to easily find all controls for playing the movie and enabling the audio description track.

I don't have other devices in my home, so I will most likely watch Amazon Prime content on my iPhone. The portability of my phone makes me choose it over the BrailleNote Touch Plus.

The Bottom Line

At $119 per year, an Amazon Prime account is not inexpensive, but you get a lot for your money, and audio-described movies, original shows, and documentaries are great reasons for blind people to consider the service. Amazon should be commended for continuing to add new audio-described titles to its catalog on a regular basis and for increasing the number of devices that can play this content. I do feel, however, that the issues I had playing content online should be addressed as soon as possible. Although most people will probably use mobile devices to watch Amazon Prime movies and other programs, many will want to watch from their computers. It should be possible for a blind person to enable audio description without assistance from a sighted person.

The American Council of the Blind's Audio Description Project is a wonderful resource for learning about all things related to audio described content. The website is updated regularly, and it is possible to easily determine the newest content from a variety of services including, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, PBS, and iTunes. A master list of all titles on the site lets you determine where to find a particular audio-described title. The maintainers of the site do a great job of tweeting new content. ACB should be commended for their work on this project.

I vividly recall the days when the only way to acquire audio-described programs was to either listen to it on the SAP (secondary audio program) channel of a TV, or purchase it on VHS. Today, it is possible to acquire audio-described content from a variety of places, and more titles are being added all the time. AccessWorld continues to keep tabs on the latest developments in audio described content, and we will continue to bring you the latest updates.

You can grab the free Amazon Prime Video app from the Apple app store or the Google play store, but you will need an Amazon Prime account to take advantage of the service.

What are some of your favorite audio-described titles? We'd love to hear your comments!

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

Comment on this article.

Related articles:

• The Insignia Smart TV, Fire TV Edition: an Exploration and Review by Aaron Preece
• An Overview of Braille Support on the Kindle Fire Tablet by Scott Davert

More by this author:

• The BrailleSense Polaris Mini from HIMS: A Big Product in a Small Package
• FreeStyle Libre: An Easier Way to Manage Diabetes As a Blind Person

December 2019 Table of Contents

J.J. Meddaugh

I can remember the days of those obnoxious phone conference lines, often used by nonprofits for meetings, or by companies to talk about a new product. For the time, it was a great technology and made it possible to talk to many people at the same time. But phone conferencing has its drawbacks. Inevitably, someone will forget to mute their phone while a dog barks loudly in the background. Poor and delayed connections and muffled audio were largely the norm. But hey, most of these lines were free, so it was hard to complain.

As someone who is often in front of a computer or mobile phone, I am glad to say that modern tools have made it much easier to offer a presentation, provide a webinar, or hold a meeting with clients. While there are a variety of conferencing apps available, Zoom from Zoom Video Communications has caught the attention of many in the accessibility field over the past couple of years for its dedication to accessible design across its products. I like this quote from a 2017 Zoom blog post that sums up the company's mindset.

Zoom is creating new features for our participants with disabilities not just so we can meet or exceed regulatory standards. We are committed to building these accommodations because we want to ensure universal access to our services, so that all meeting hosts and participants can have the best experiences possible.

We'll break down this overview into two parts: Zoom for a user, and Zoom for a host or administrator. If you are interested in joining a Zoom meeting but are unsure on how to proceed, the first section is for you. If you wish to host meetings of your own, then read on to the second part of the article.

Zoom for Users

Perhaps you have seen an email from a company such as Freedom Scientific or Hadley, two major users of the Zoom platform. Their meeting announcements include information about their regular webinars (web-based seminars), and a link to join. While it is possible to attend these meetings using a phone number and an access code, doing so will negate most of the benefits of joining the meeting using the Zoom software.

Zoom is free to install and use. Zoom meetings can be joined on Windows and Mac computers as well as iOS and Android devices. When you select a meeting link for the first time, Zoom will download to your computer or device a small piece of software that is used to access the meeting room. This may come in the form of a plugin for Chrome or Firefox, or an app for your mobile device. The host needs to be present to start a meeting, so if you get an error that the meeting has not yet started, try waiting a couple of minutes and then select the link again.

If successful, you should now be in the meeting. Though the screen may appear a bit different depending on the platform you are using, you will generally be presented with a variety of options once you have joined. The first thing you may want to check is your microphone. If you plan on just listening to the meeting and not speaking, then you can of course leave the microphone off. But if you wish to speak, it is good to know where the microphone button is located. On mobile devices, there is a button that will say something like "Microphone disconnected," which you would select to start speaking. From here, you can change your microphone input to a speakerphone or headset. The text of the button will update to indicate your currently selected status. If you plan on doing a lot of talking, it's a good idea to use a headset with a microphone, especially if you are also using a screen reader on your phone. This will help to prevent the screen reader from bleeding into the chat room.

I prefer to use the Zoom Windows app because it comes with a variety of keyboard shortcuts. One of these is Alt + A for muting and unmuting audio. If using a screen reader, it will speak the current status of the microphone. You can also press Tab to move through the various options of the application, some of which are described below.

You can also choose to share your video, which can either be a feed from your camera or your device's screen. While it is easy to share video, note that there doesn't currently seem to be an accessible way for someone else to read what is on your screen, so it will be necessary to describe what is on the screen for users who cannot see it. You can, however, share the audio from your screen reader on some platforms, which could be useful for technology demos.

In addition to audio and video, Zoom includes a text chat system that can be used by all participants, regardless of whether or not they have been allowed to speak. This can be a great way to ask smaller questions while the presenter is talking or send website addresses for products or features that are being discussed. Chat messages are automatically spoken by the screen reader, and also can be reviewed using the keyboard. On Windows, use Alt + H to show or hide the chat window.

The Participant List will let you see who else is in the meeting room, including whether or not their microphone or video is on. On Windows, you can press Alt + U to show or hide the participant list.

Some meetings may be presented in a way that allows users to ask questions. This can be accomplished by raising your hand, figuratively speaking. On the computer, use Alt + Y to show that your hand is raised. The option is under the More Options menu on mobile devices. The host will be alerted either visually or through their screen reader and can then choose to take your question via voice or text. Not all hosts use this method, and some will prefer you type your question into the chat window.

The Settings section of the Zoom apps for the computer include a more complete list of keyboard shortcuts, useful to meeting participants and hosts. These can be reassigned and also made global, so they will work even when the application is not focused.

Note that most hosts have the option to record their meetings. You will be informed of this fact if the meeting is going to be recorded.

Zoom for Hosts

Zoom is a rather powerful meeting platform, and can fill a variety of needs for a company or organization. Zoom's free plan allows for hosting one-on-one meetings and group meetings up to 40 minutes long. For some, especially those wishing to host longer webinars, the Pro plan for $14.99 per host per month may be more suitable. This allows for group meetings with up to 100 participants that can last for up to 24 hours, the ability for cloud-based meeting recording, and a personal meeting ID that will remain the same for each hosted meeting if desired.

Again, I prefer to host meetings using Zoom's dedicated Windows app that includes more features and settings. It also allows for local recording of the meeting, including separate tracks for each user if desired. To start a meeting, use the "Starting a New Meeting" button. My button reads "with video off" meaning that my meetings will just include audio. This can be changed using the New Meeting Option button. Once the meeting has been started, other participants can join. From here, there are links to share the meeting with others or send an invitation link. If you are on the Pro or higher plan and use the same meeting link every time, you can easily tell your participants the link ahead of time. Remember they can also dial in using a telephone if they are uncomfortable using a computer or smartphone. It is also possible to schedule meetings ahead of time and integrate Zoom with other apps such as Google Calendar.

The commands for users discussed above work for the host as well. As a host, you have some additional tools at your disposal. Under the Participant List panel, you may want to enable the option to automatically mute the microphone of everyone joining the meeting. Users can still elect to ummute their microphones, but starting with everyone muted by default may be helpful. You can also mute all audio from others when you are ready to start presenting, allowing for users to chat before the meeting begins. The participant list panel will also indicate if a user has raised their hand to ask a question.

As mentioned above, you can choose to record audio either locally or in the cloud. I prefer local recording since the file is saved to my computer as soon as the meeting is done, but cloud recording may be preferred as a more stable option for backing up the meeting. Remember, the users will be informed when recording begins, and it is probably a good idea to also emphasize this fact during the meeting.

Conclusion

While Zoom is not the only accessible conference solution available today, it is one of the most popular and versatile, which is why we chose to review it. Both mainstream and access technology companies have chosen Zoom to host meetings and other events, and whether you are hosting a meeting or just joining one, you will generally have a well-rounded accessibility experience. We would love to see even further improvements to Zoom, including more screen reader notifications and hotkeys and the ability to read screens that are shared. We hope the developers continue their solid commitment to equal access.

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

Comment on this article

Related articles:

• An Introduction to Slack, A Popular Chat App for Teams and Workplaces by J.J. Meddaugh
• Book Review: Windows Keyboard Power User Guide, by Dean Martineau by Bill Holton

More by this author:

• The Hunger Pains: A Review of the DoorDash, Grubhub, Postmates, and Uber Eats Food Delivery Apps
• Making Voice Assistants Smart for Seniors: Tips for Optimizing the Amazon Echo or Google Home

December 2019 Table of Contents

Janet Ingber

Apple recently released two new operating systems: macOS Catalina for the Mac and watchOS 6 for the Apple Watch. Both bring many new features to their respective devices.

Catalina

macOS Catalina has new accessibility and mainstream features. iTunes has been completely replaced with separate apps including Music and TV. Some iOS-only apps are now available on the Mac.

Compatibility: Which Macs Can Run macOS Catalina?

If you currently have macOS Mojave, you can use macOS Catalina.

The following Macs support Catalina:

• MacBook 2015 and later
• MacBook Air 2012 and later
• MacBook Pro 2012 or later
• Mac Mini 2012 or later
• iMac 2012 or later
• iMac Pro 2017 or later
• Mac Pro 2013 or later

Before Installing Catalina, make sure you have a current backup of your Mac’s hard drive. Catalina is very stable but if something goes wrong, you want to have a current backup available so you can restore your data.

The Catalina download is 8.09 Gigabytes (GB) so be sure you have enough hard drive space available.

Apple no longer supports 32-bit apps; all apps must be 64-bit. 32-bit apps will not work on Catalina.

Installing Catalina

You can download Catalina from the App Store or from within the Apple menu. In the App store, select Updates. Catalina should be listed. In the Apple menu, go to About This Mac. VO + Right Arrow to Software Update and select it to begin the download.

Use VO + Right Arrow to check download progress. Use VO + Left Arrow to review what VoiceOver just said. Once Catalina is downloaded, VoiceOver will prompt you to activate the Continue button. You then need to agree to Apple’s software license agreement. Next, you will need to enter your computer’s password. If your Mac supports Touch ID, you can use that instead of the password. The next screen has information about where Catalina will be installed. By default, it is installed on your Mac’s hard drive.

After that screen, my Mac went silent. I didn't know if something crashed or if there was information that I needed to enter. The computer gave no clue what was happening. With sighted assistance, I learned that the computer had restarted and there was a progress indicator. Silence lasted about a half hour. Then VoiceOver finally said that I was on a progress indicator, but it said nothing else. About 20 minutes later, VoiceOver asked if I wanted to share Mac Analytics with Apple and if I wanted to share crash information with app developers. There were check boxes for making a choice and there was a Continue button. The next screen was used for setting up Screen Time. You can do this now or later.

Catalina and Accessibility for People with Visual Impairments

Voice Control

This feature was introduced in iOS 13 and iPadOS 13, and is now available on the Mac. It is not enabled by default. Activate it by going to System Preferences > Accessibility > Voice Control. Select the Enable Voice Control checkbox. By default, your Mac’s internal microphone is selected. Next, you need to download the Voice Control software. This software allows all interactions to be done on the Mac rather than on a server. If you choose not to download this software, Voice Control will not work.

There is a checkbox for having Voice Control play a sound when a command is recognized. This is checked by default. Next is a Commands button. This brings up a very extensive list of commands. Next to each command is a checkbox. Checking the box will allow Voice Command to act on the command. Unchecking the box will have the command ignored. Many boxes are checked by default. You can also create commands.

Next to the Commands button is a Vocabulary button. Here is where you can teach Voice Control new words.

One difficulty with Voice Control is that when it is active and you are in a document, email, message, etc., Voice Control may spontaneously start typing whatever it hears, even if it’s not something you want. It typed words from my TV and it typed an expletive I spoke when my email hot key didn’t work.

There were other problems. When I was dictating, VoiceOver only spoke my last few words. Sometimes VoiceOver would spontaneously say, “Dictation has new window.” Sometimes that happened even when I was not using an app to write text.

Here are some very useful commands for Voice Control:

• "Open Voice Control preferences"
• Open [name of application]; for example, "Open Safari"
• Quit [name of application];for example, "Quit Safari"
• "Close window"
• "Press Return key"
• "Press Escape key"
• "Wake up": turns Voice Control on
• "Go to sleep": turns Voice Control off

There are two additional commands for turning Voice Control on and off:

• "Voice Control on"
• "Turn off Voice Control"

I have found that the "Wake up" and "Go to sleep" commands worked better than "Voice Control on" and "Turn off Voice Control."

If Voice Control is enabled in System Preferences, it will automatically launch when you restart or start your computer after shutdown. This happens even if you turned Voice Control off with a command.

Voice Control is a good option if you want to control your computer with just your voice. Personally, there are so many other available options that I rarely use it. If you decide to use this feature for writing text, make sure to review what Voice Control has written. I prefer the keyboard and trackpad.

Punctuation

There are new customizable options for how VoiceOver handles punctuation. Go to the VoiceOver utility and select Verbosity then select the Text tab. Here is where you can set verbosity for how VoiceOver responds when it encounters punctuation symbols. Use the pop-up menu to make your choice. If you have already done this on your iPhone or iPad, the settings will carry over.

Additional Accessibility Enhancements

As in iOS 13 and iPad, OS 13 Catalina has added new braille tables.

In Apple Mail, typing Command + Shift + D will once again have VoiceOver say the correct action: “Send.”

In the Calendar app, it's now easier to add a new event and tab through events.

When going to the previous webpage in Safari, VoiceOver will now more reliably bring you back to your previous page in a website.

For users with low vision, Apple has added new features including the ability to use two displays at once. For example, you can have one display zoomed in and the other standard size.

Mainstream Features

At Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference last June, Apple announced that iTunes was being discontinued with the release of macOS Catalina. Instead, there would be separate apps. When you initially open apps in Catalina, you may be asked to give permission for the app to access parts of your Mac.

System Preferences

In System Preferences, your Apple ID is at the top of the window. By activating the Apple ID button, you quickly have access to items related to your ID such as iCloud. If you have Family Sharing, activating that button will reveal those settings.

Devices

If you plug an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch into your Mac, it will now appear in the Finder sidebar. You will hear the name of your device and the word “eject” for when you are ready to remove the device. VO + Right Arrow past the vertical splitter and there will be a Trust button. Select it and you will be prompted to select the same button on your device.

Once that operation is complete, there will be a horizontal list of radio buttons including General, Music, and Movies. Once a button is selected, go past the other buttons to check the information being synced. This set-up is much the same as when syncing your device with iTunes.

Music

The first time the Music app is opened, it gives a welcome message. Choose whether to Take a Quick Tour or Start Listening.

If you choose the Start Listening option, Musicwill play a sound and VoiceOver will announce that you are on a vertical splitter. If you interact with it, you will be in a window size-control section. If you do not interact with it and VO + Left Arrow, you will be in a toolbar that contains standard options such as minimize and full screen. If you VO + Right Arrow from the vertical splitter you will encounter the standard Previous, Play, and Next buttons. Continuing to the right, you will find the LCD section. There is a Mute button, a volume control, a Lyrics button, and an Up Next button.

Continuing to the right will bring you to the Sidebar. In addition to standard items such as Artists, Recently Played, and Songs, you will find Browse, For You, and Radio. The Browse and For You buttons only work if you are an Apple Music subscriber. Once you select a sidebar item, go to the right where you find the contents of whichever item you picked. For example, if you chose a playlist, the contents of the playlist will be there along with buttons to play and shuffle. If you have an Apple Music subscription and selected the For You option in the Sidebar, there will be recommendations based on your music preferences.

You can ask Siri to play your music on the Mac. When music is playing there is additional information in the LCD section including song title, artist, time elapsed, and time remaining. There is also a More button that offers the standard options including Add to Library, Add to Playlist, Show in iTunes Store, and Create Station.

TV

As with the Music app, the first time you open the TV app, there are options to start watching or take a tour. Once the tour button is selected, there are five radio buttons: Watch Now, Movies, TV Shows, Kids, and Library. There is a Search box to the right of the radio buttons. No matter whether you select a radio button, use the search box, or ask Siri to search for a specific show or movie, your results will be in the web area on the right side of the screen.

I asked Siri to play the latest episode of a show that I watch from the TV app on my phone. The show is on Animal Planet Go, which is how I play it on my phone via the TV app. The only search result I received from Siri was for me to purchase the show rather than being able to watch it for free.

Mail

There is now an Unsubscribe link at the top of email messages for unsubscribing from email lists, merchants, or other types of group email. Not all emails will have this link but many of the emails I checked had it, which is very useful. This feature first appeared in iOS 12.

When the message is opened, VO + Left Arrow or VO + Right arrow to find the Unsubscribe link. This is much easier than finding the link buried in the email.

You can now block a sender. It’s very difficult for the visually impaired to do this since all instructions involved routing the mouse to the sender’s name and clicking on an arrow. An alternative procedure is to go to Mail’s System Preferences, select the Junk tab and then the Block option. This action is much easier to do on the iPhone than on the Mac.

Email threads can easily be muted. Select the thread and either type Command + Shift + M, or go to the Message option in the menu and select Mute.

WatchOS 6

This new upgrade brings many new features and conveniences to the Apple Watch. There are new health apps, you have the ability to unlock passwords on your Mac, there is a new way to get apps without needing your phone, and more.

Installing watchOS 6

In order to install watchOS6, you will need an iPhone 6S or later running iOS 13. At this time, the update can be used on Apple Watch Series 1 through 5. Some new apps and features do not work or are not available on watches older than Series 4. Since I used my Series 3 and a friend’s Series 4, I will indicate which features did not work on my Series 3.

The update is on your iPhone in the Watch app. Go to General > Software Update. In order to install the update, your watch has to be on its charger and have at least 50 percent battery power.

Once watchOS 6 is installed, you will no longer receive any auditory feedback as you enter your passcode, unlike in previous operating systems.

Accessibility

As with iOS 13 and iPadOS 13, accessibility now has its own category in the first level of settings. There are two new accessibility settings in WatchOS 6.

Taptic Chimes

This new feature gives you a notification on the hour, half hour, or quarter hour. You have the option of bells or birds sounds. On your watch, go to Settings > Accessibility > Chime. There are three buttons: On/Off, Schedule, and Sound. You can do the same procedure through the Watch app on your iPhone. On the Series 3, the watch made a brief sound that did not sound like bells or birds.

Taptic Time Speed

You can adjust the speed of the Taptic vibrations. This adjustment is also in the Accessibility section. Flick up or down on the speed indicator. The higher the number, the faster the vibration.

Mainstream Features

App Store

It is no longer necessary to use your iPhone to purchase apps for your watch. The watch now has its own App Store.

On the Apps screen, select the App Store. The first item is a Search button. Next is a Get Started option and next are some recommended apps. When the Search button is selected, there are two options: Dictation and Scribble. Below these is a list of trending apps. I dictated my query and was presented with a list of apps. Selecting an app’s name loaded a description. I activated the Get button and was prompted to double click the side button to install.

Deleting Apple Pre-Installed Apps

You can now delete some of Apple’s pre-installed apps including Walkie Talkie, Remote, Breathe, and Cycle Tracking.

Locate the app you want to delete and flick up or down to Arrange Apps. Make sure focus is on the app you want to delete and then select Activate. You will be asked whether you want to delete the app.

Siri

It is now possible to change Siri’s voice directly on the Apple Watch. You can also make the Siri voice your VoiceOver Voice. I was able to change Siri’s voice on my Series 3 but I could not make the Siri voice my VoiceOver voice.

Siri can now tell you what song is playing. On my Series 3, I got Taptic feedback when Siri had an answer but Siri did not speak. I tapped the screen and the VoiceOver voice told me the answer.

Health Apps

Apple added two new health apps. Neither is on the Series 3.

Noise There is a new Noise app and a Noise Complication. When the Noise app is opened it will measure the noise around you and alert if the noise level is more than 90 decibels. The Noise complication registers sound level in real time.

Cycle Tracking This app lets women track their menstrual cycle. It can provide very useful health data.

Music

If you are an Apple Music subscriber, you will receive personalized recommendations in the For You tab. This feature is not available on the Series 3.

Complications

Apple has added some new complications: Audiobooks, Calculator, Mobile Data Connectivity, Cycle Tracking, Noise, Wind, Rain, and Voice Memos. Not all are available on Series 3.

Unlocking Safari Passwords

If your Mac supports unlocking with your Apple Watch, you can now use the watch to unlock Safari Passwords. This feature was inconsistent with Series 3. Once the watch makes the same sound as when it unlocks your Mac, you will be prompted to double click the side button.

Conclusion

Both macOS Catalina and watchOS 6 have useful updates and are worth installing. Even if you have an Apple Watch that doesn’t support all the new features of WatchOS 6, it is still a worthwhile update.

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

Comment on this article

Related articles:

• An Overview of iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 by Janet Ingber
• Book Review: iOS Access for All (iOS 12 edition) by Shelly Brisbin by Jamie Pauls

More by this author:

• A Roundup of the 2019 American Foundation for the Blind Leadership Conference
• Job Hunting with Your iOS Device: A Review of the Indeed and Monster Job Search Apps

December 2019 Table of Contents

Jamie Pauls

In the fall of 2018, our church announced that our pastor and his wife would lead a nine-day trip to Israel. In the 20 years that my wife and I have been married, a trip to the Holy Land is the only thing that has been consistently on my bucket list. The cost was not insignificant, but we decided to make it work and promptly signed up for the trip.

Our tour was booked through Maranatha Tours. All arrangements were handled through our church, so I didn’t really need to use Maranatha’s website. When I did visit the site, I found it not to be as screen reader friendly as I would like. There were quite a few unlabeled links to deal with. Fortunately, all calls I made to the company were dealt with by friendly, professional staff who accommodated any needs I had and answered all my questions promptly.

Since my sighted wife and I would be traveling together, I didn’t ask for any special assistance from either of the two airlines I would be flying with or from anyone in Israel. Also, I was not responsible for booking flights either with American Airlines or Turkish Airlines. Since I don’t fly a lot, I tend to pick up the phone and place a call to the airline I will be flying with. I find many of the websites associated with the various companies I’ve flown with to be difficult to use with a screen reader. They all have apps that might be of assistance to the blind traveler, but I still prefer a phone call. I am aware that online ticket purchases can be less expensive than calling, so I generally make an effort to purchase online before calling.

All of our travel information was provided on paper, and some of these documents were large enough to make it difficult for me to fit them on my flatbed scanner for optical character recognition. There are lots of photos with these brochures, so I would imagine that is a reason for the larger size of these documents. I understand that PDF versions of these documents are available online, but I did not successfully locate them. Fortunately, my pastor’s wife provided frequent emails to the 50 of us who were traveling on the trip, so all of my questions were answered satisfactorily.

My wife Stacie and I consider ourselves pros when it comes to packing for a trip. She travels with me when we go to blindness conventions, and we manage to take only two backpacks, making it unnecessary to check bags. For our Israel trip, we packed for nine days using only one suitcase and our two backpacks.

I always remove everything from my pockets when going through airport security, and my wife keeps both of our passports so that she can show them both at the same time. Sometimes agents took my cane from me and scanned it while it was unfolded, and at other times I was asked to fold it up and place it with our other belongings. One American Airlines agent offered me a replacement cane while I went through security. Unfortunately, it was a cane used to support someone who had difficulty walking. The agent mentioned a couple times that she was not familiar with how to assist a blind person and asked for help from a colleague. I had no issues in Istanbul, Turkey, or Tel Aviv.

One interesting incident regarding checking our passports was when we approached a kiosk that required us to scan our passports and then stand in front of a camera. The picture from the camera was used to match the scanned photo on our passport. I can’t imagine trying to do that without sighted assistance.

On our international flight from Chicago to Istanbul and Istanbul to Tel Aviv, Turkish airlines provided me with a braille safety card—a braille book, actuallythat had tactile drawings of the plane’s exits along with uncontracted braille in several languages. The in-flight entertainment system mentioned a safety video for those with disabilities, but I didn’t attempt to make use of the entertainment system nor did I ask my wife to help me access the video. I have since tried to locate the video online, but unfortunately I have been unable to do so. Turkish Airlines does, however, offer a Frequently Asked Questions page on their website for customers with disabilities.

The flight attendants on my international flights were all friendly, but their training in assisting a blind person seemed to go only as far as handing me the safety card. They frequently waved menus in front of me and pointed rather than providing verbal feedback. Fortunately, my wife was either next to me or close by on all the flights we took with Turkish airlines. There was a significant language barrier for me as well on the international flights. At one point, the attendant who gave me the safety card to look at asked, “Do you need dancing?” I was taken aback as to what she was asking. Finally, my wife realized that what she was in fact asking was, “Do you need anything?” We both had a good chuckle about that later. At 56 years old, my hearing may not be as good as it once was. Combined with a soft-spoken attendant who was speaking to me in a language that was not her native tongue, it isn’t surprising that I would have an encounter like that. I actually consider it one of my fonder memories of the trip.

In Israel, elevators did not have braille on the buttons, but floors were generally announced in Hebrew and English in three of the four hotels we stayed in. Our morning and evening meals were furnished buffet style at our hotels, so I had no need to inquire about the existence of braille menus.

If I had language barrier issues outside of Israel, I had none while in the country. I was always with my group, but I was surprised by how many people seemed to not notice or care that a blind person with a long white cane was present. People frequently jostled me and even tripped over my cane. There are many tourists in Israel, so any of the comments in the previous sentences are not in any way directed specifically at the people of that country, but only regarding travel in general.

Walking on our daily tours was strenuous. There were many uneven steps, and places where the limestone was so worn that it was a slippery as ice. I made much use of my cane, and walked with my wife or other members of our group at all times.

It really is true that you can float in the Dead Sea with almost no effort. I simply raised my feet up under me as though I were sitting in a chair. It is a myth that you can’t drown in the Dead Sea, however. Once you are in one position, it can be hard to switch positions so turning yourself over on your stomach might make it hard to right yourself again. The chemicals in the water are potent, and you don’t want it anywhere near your mouth or face. At one point, I floated farther out than I intended and couldn’t touch bottom. Fortunately, I was able to listen to the voices of my companions and easily get back to shallower water.

Except for a quick day trip across the border into Mexico when I was young, I have never traveled outside the United States. My trip to Israel was the trip of a lifetime, and I would gladly do it again. I was with my wife and friends the entire time, so I can’t speak to traveling independently outside the US. Perhaps those of you reading this article who have had experiences with international travel can leave a comment and share some of your more memorable moments.

Turkish Airlines provides assistance for passengers with disabilities. American Airlines also provides information regarding assistance for travelers with disabilities.

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

Comment on this article.

Related articles:

• Getting the Job Done with Assistive Technology: It May Be Easier Than You Think by Jamie Pauls
• Indoor Wayfinding with Access Explorer from American Printing House for the Blind: One Step Forward by Bill Holton

More by this author:

• Thaumistry: A Study in Text Adventure Gaming
• FreshBooks Makes Accounting Accessible for the Blind

December 2019 Table of Contents

Microsoft to Present Webinar on Excel Accessibility in 2020

The next webinar in Microsoft's Accessibility Learning Series will discuss the accessibility of Excel. The program will take place on January 15, 2020. This webinar will provide information on getting started with Excel for users new to the software. If you would like to register or learn more information, visit the webinar page.

Menus4ALL Provides Accessible Menus for People with Vision Loss

The website Menus4ALL has recently launched, providing accessible restaurant menus for those with visual impairments. At launch, the free service provides access to 50,000 menus in 12,000 cities. A launch video demos the service using the VoiceOver screen reader on iOS.

To get started, visit the Menus4ALL webpage. Select your location either by finding your city in the "Cities" link, or by searching for restaurants near to your ZIP code using the "Search" link.

Note that if your city is not displayed, it may still be available using the ZIP code search. Also, it's possible to request that a city be added to the list of cities using a form just below the list of states and cities.

While composing this news piece, we tested the site briefly at AFB's West Virginia location. The site was fully accessible using a screen reader and was also easy to navigate. The site also provided access to several menus near AFB's West Virginia offices that were not available from other sources.

December 2019 Table of Contents