Full Issue: AccessWorld April 2020

<i>AccessWorld</i> is Here for You During the COVID-19 Health Crisis

Dear AccessWorld Readers,

On behalf of the entire AccessWorld team, we hope this message finds you in good health. As the world adapts to the unusual circumstances brought about by the coronavirus, I wanted to share what we are doing to support the blind and visually impaired community during this turbulent time.

AFB and AccessWorld staff are safe and continuing to work to bring you the most current technology information. AFB has temporarily closed its two brick-and-mortar offices, our headquarters in the Washington DC metro area and our West Virginia location. Our in-office staff has joined the majority of AFB’s staff in the virtual world of telecommuting, and we are making every effort to make that temporary shift as seamless as possible for ourselves, and completely unnoticeable to our community.

In order to bring AccessWorld readers and other AFB audiences coronavirus resources in the most timely method possible, AccessWorld authors have been drafting COVID-19 AFB Blog posts on diverse topics, sharing information on accessible education resources for students of all ages, accessible neighborhood networking platforms, accessible food and grocery delivery services, and best practices for caring for your dog guide if you happen to be ill, and more. We have been using AFB’s blog to bring you this information and links to additional resources we believe will be valuable to you during this time, and we have captured all those posts and published them as one article in this issue.

AFB staff and AccessWorld team members will continue to regularly update the AFB Blog with COVID-19 information resources throughout the coming weeks. Our team is working hard to provide as many resources to our community as possible. Please check back daily, as AFB’s Blog page is continually updated. I encourage you to be a helpful resource to your family, friends, students, employees, and community by sharing the AFB Blog and AccessWorld with them.

Above all, stay well, and take an abundance of caution to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.

Please know, in addition to COVID-19 information, AccessWorld will continue to bring you its regular access technology content throughout the coming months.

Sincerely,

Lee Huffman, AccessWorld Editor-in-Chief

American Foundation for the Blind

April 2020 Table of Contents

Tips and Resources for Coronavirus Quarantine

Editor's note: This article compiles suggestions and information from AccessWorld authors for managing your daily life during the COVID-19 crisis. The information in this article first appeared as separate blog posts on AFB's blog, but have been compiled here for your convenience.

Have it Delivered! Grocery and Food Delivery during Coronavirus Quarantine, by Bill Holton

You’re following advice and staying home. But you still need food, medicines, and other essentials. It’s time to start thinking about delivery. And of course, when it comes to delivery, most people start with Amazon.com.

If you haven't subscribed to Amazon Prime, now might be a good time to get started. Most readily available items are delivered in two business days. Some items are delivered in one business day and, in larger cities, there's even a possibility of same-day delivery. A Prime membership also includes Prime Video, a streaming service with tens of thousands of movies and TV shows, new and old, to get you through the long days. You also have streaming access to upwards of two million (yes, two million) songs on Amazon Music.

Membership to Amazon Prime costs $119 per year, but you can also get it for $12.99 per month. Students can get Prime for $6.49 monthly. Prime members can share certain benefits with another adult in their Amazon Household, including free Prime Shipping, Prime Video, Amazon Photos, Twitch Prime , and exclusive offers.

For grocery delivery, check out Instacart and Shipt. These services will shop for your groceries and deliver them to your door. You can find a review of Shipt in AccessWorld. Many grocery stores, such as Walmart and Kroger, also offer both grocery delivery and pickup. Be sure to also check the website of your favorite local market. They may have recently begun offering delivery or curbside pickup.

If your local store only offers curb pickup be sure to check out my other post regarding Nextdoor. This is a localized social network where you are matched with people who live nearby. Many are posting offers to shop for individuals who do not feel it’s safe to venture out.

You may want to also give your pharmacy a call. They may offer delivery, either locally or by transferring your prescriptions to their mail-order division.

Many bars and restaurants have had to close their dining areas, but can still offer pickup and delivery. Read the AccessWorld article, The Hunger Pains: A Review of the DoorDash, Grubhub, Postmates, and Uber Eats Food Delivery Apps to see which app or apps will best fill your appetite. If you already checked out the apps and weren’t satisfied with the offerings, check again. Many restaurants have recently joined one or more of these services in order to offer delivery during the Coronavirus crisis.

All of these services offer apps for both iOS and Android. Most are offering “contact free” delivery, and for many eateries all service charges have been temporarily waived. You can pay and even tip online, and the apps are quite accessible.

Stay Active During the Coronavirus Pandemic with Accessible Fitness Tools, by Steve Kelley

On the one hand, we want to stay healthy, and adhere to the suggestions that we limit our exposure to groups of people, and maintain a social distance, in the new world of coronavirus. But with gyms closing down to comply with stay-at-home orders, staying healthy might be looking a little more challenging. What are the options, short of retrofitting our homes with gym equipment?

Audio-described fitness routines might be the answer! The Hadley discussion group Get Up and Go recently had fitness experts Mel Scott and Tyler Merren join in with some of their suggestions on getting started with a fitness routine. Mel Scott produced the audio-described Eyes Free Fitness recordings originally hosted on BlindAlive.com. Although Scott discontinued work on BlindAlive to make room for new projects, in her goodbye blog post, she provided links to download audio files for her many fitness routines from Dropbox, at no cost. You’ll find routines that match whatever level you’re currently at, from beginner to more advanced. You’ll also find many of these routines on YouTube under the Eyes Free Fitness Channel.

Tyler Merren, a Paralympic athlete and personal trainer, will soon be releasing the Revision Fitness App, an audio fitness app specifically designed for users who are blind or visually impaired. The app will include fitness routines that can be done from home, and will also provide information about using gym equipment, proper form, and workout sessions designed for everyone from beginners to experts. In addition, we recently reviewed the Aaptiv audio fitness app, which provides audio- only workouts.

If you’re wondering how to maintain the progress you’ve made at the gym, or actually get started on that fitness resolution you committed to, check out the Hadley Get Up and Go archive of audio-described exercises with Tyler Merrin and Mel Scott. You can stay motivated and check in with others on the first Tuesday of each month with Get Up and Go by phone or Zoom at 7 PM CST.

Additional Resources

United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) will be posting a series of free "Staying Fit While Staying Put" videos on their Facebook page. They write, "We have recruited several world-class Paralympic athletes to conduct the workout videos to create a sense of community with the blind, as well as show everyone how they can stay fit within the confines of their own homes. Also, every person who shares and/or comments on each video will be entered into a drawing for a $25 Dick's Sporting Goods gift card."

Dr. Sila Bal writes, "When I was in medical school I developed a yoga series with my local chapter of the Associated Services for the Blind. I taught the class there for years and have now converted it to audio files that can be listened to from home. I am making them accessible completely for free. for anyone who would like to use them."

Guide Dogs, Pets, and the Coronavirus, by Janet Ingber

As we all deal with the Coronavirus (COVID-19), we need to consider the safety of our guide dogs and companion animals. New York City's Animal Medical Center, the largest non-profit animal hospital in the world, provides answers to many questions about COVID-19 and companion animals. Below is a summary of information the Animal Medical Center published on its website:

Author’s note: The terms “companion animals” and “pets” are used throughout these excerpts. Since guide dogs are dogs, this information automatically applies to them even if not specifically mentioned.

Can Companion Animals Get COVID-19?

According to the Animal Medical Center, it is possible, but rare for COVID-19 to affect companion animals. Two dogs in China tested weak positive for the virus. However, neither dog showed signs of infection. At present, it is believed that the dogs got the virus from their infected owners.

After these diagnoses, IDEXX Laboratories tested thousands of dog and cat specimens with no positive results.

At this time, there is no evidence that an infected animal can transmit the virus to a human. Even if your dog or cat is touched by an infected person, it is very unlikely the animal can get the virus or give it to you.

How Can I Protect My Pet?

The Animal Medical Center recommends that you take the following precautions:

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds and be sure to get the back of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
  • Wash your hands after touching or playing with your pets. While there is no evidence at this time that pets can spread the coronavirus, washing hands after interacting with animals is always a good idea.
  • When you don’t have access to soap and water, use a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.

How Can I Prepare for My Pet in the Case of An Emergency?

  • Have a two-week supply of your guide dog’s or pet’s food and medication.
  • Make a list of all medications your guide dog or pet takes. Include the name of the medication, dose, and how the medication is administered. * Have a friend or relative available if you become sick and cannot take care of your guide dog or pet.
  • Make sure your dog is microchipped and is wearing an ID tag.

What If I Get Sick?

If you contract COVID-19, the Animal Medical Center recommends the following guidelines:

  • Restrict contact with your pet, just as you would other people.
  • Avoid direct contact with pets, including petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked, and sharing food.”
  • Avoid sneezing or coughing on or near your pet.
  • If you must care for your pet while you are sick, wash your hands before and after you interact and wear a face mask.

Additional Resources

The below pages are updated as new information becomes available.

Coronavirus and Your Dog: No Need to Panic Yet Animal Medical Center (AMC) Centers for Disease Control (CDC) World Health Organization (WHO)

Combat the Tedium of COVID-19 Quarantine with Accessible Games, by Jamie Pauls

In 2003, I was in a motorcycle accident with my dad and found myself instantly going from a really busy summer schedule to having absolutely nothing on my agenda at all. While the COVID-19 quarantine isn’t exactly the same, I do see some similarities. While watching the news is important, I find that I need to limit my exposure so as not to become overwhelmed with too much unpleasant information. There are many things one can do to combat the stress and boredom of self- isolation, and one of them is playing games. Sighted people have thousands of games to choose from, but the options for blind people are a bit limited. Here are some suggestions that may help get you on the right track.

There are a number of games designed for the sighted population that have been made accessible to blind people using screen reading technology. One of the most notable is DiceWorld which is playable on Apple and Android mobile devices. I play the game on my iPhone and can confirm that it is accessible. The great thing about this game is that my wife and I can spend hours playing Farkle and Yahtzee together. There are other games available from within the app, but those two are my favorites.

Another game that has given me many hours of pleasure is iAssociate 2. In this word association game, you must figure out what words are associated with a given topic. In the breakfast category, you might identify words such as "coffee" and "eggs." Eggs, however, might be associated with chicken, which might be associated with a number of dishes. You can unlock dozens of puzzles as you play. While this game isn’t played against another player, I have found that asking my wife for help adds an element of social interaction to the game that it might not otherwise have. This game is also played on my iPhone.

In last month’s issue of AccessWorld, I reviewed Super Egg Hunt Plus, a PC game developed by Liam Erven who is a talented blind programmer. In this game, you move around a grid collecting as many eggs as possible while trying to avoid being pecked by Mr. McChicken. There’s a bit more to this $15 game that makes it quite addictive, but I’ll let you read my review to learn more.

If you own an Amazon Echo, this CNET article suggests 25 games you can play on that device. By its very nature, the Amazon Echo presents games in an accessible format for people with vision loss. You can play trivia games, text adventure games, or takeoffs from games such as “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.”

Sadly, a few very popular games including Words with Friends aren’t as accessible to blind people as they might be. The developers of these titles should be encouraged by as many people as possible to make their games playable by everyone regardless of whether or not they have vision loss.

If you crave social interaction, sites like RS Games and QuentinC’s Playroom allow you to text and even voice chat with other players. These sites offer a number of card games as well as the aforementioned Farkle and Yahtzee.

Over the years, we have also reviewed several different games in AFB's AccessWorld magazine. Below, I have listed several of these reviews:

If you are looking for even more games, remember that the website Applevis has a listing of games with accessibility ratings in their iOS app database. In addition, the website Audiogames.net has a database of over 700 accessible games on various platforms. If that seems daunting, you can narrow the list here.

Social distancing doesn’t have to lead to social isolation, and gaming is a great way to reduce stress, occupy your time, and perhaps even sharpen your brain. What games are you finding enjoyable right now?

Maintaining Connection with Digital and Telephone Support Groups During the Time of the Coronavirus, by Steve Kelley

Social distancing may be just what the doctor ordered to minimize the spread of the coronavirus, but this same distancing may contribute to the social isolation many people experience with vision loss. For those that look forward to a low vision support group that meets face-to-face, this loss of support may be particularly difficult. There’s nothing like getting together in person with people you know, who share a common experience, and supporting one another.

Rather than put these support groups on hold, it’s time to explore one of the many options we have for conference calling—that is, getting a group of people together on one phone call. No, it’s not the same, but we don’t need to be isolated because we are physically distancing!

There are a number of video-conferencing alternatives that can be used with the computer, smartphone, or tablet, but not everyone is comfortable with that technology. The simplest solution may be just picking up the phone and dialing in to the group.

Is someone in your support group an iPhone or Android user? If so, both phones can be used to put together a conference call with a small group of 5 participants or less. The idea is the same for both. Call the first person on the list, and after the greeting, add the next person on the list by pushing the “+” or "Add Call" button and dialing their number. The first caller is briefly put on hold. Greet caller 2, then join the callers with the “merge” button. Just repeat the process for everyone you want to include on the conference call.

For a larger group, one of the most popular alternatives is FreeConferenceCall.com. You can sign up at no cost online or call them at 844- 844-1322. Even with the free service you can have up to 1,000 participants at a time. You don’t need to schedule a time with the service, either; you just pick it up and use it when you get together with your group. Each caller calls in, puts in a passcode for the conference, and your support group is back together again, with the social distance the doctor prescribed! To compare other free conference call options, check out Top 6 Free Conference Call Services 2019 .

If you aren’t connected to a support group yet, there’s no need to wait for the social distancing to pass to get connected. Here are several great no-cost alternatives:

  • Hadley Discussion Groups offer 8 monthly and 2 weekly discussion groups you can join by phone or computer. Topics include: Spanish; travel; writing; exercise; crafting; gardening; tech; cooking; resources; and braille. Check the schedule online or just call Hadley at 800-323-4238 for more information.
  • Well Connected offers support groups for older adults on a wide range of topics. Groups are accessed at scheduled times by phone. Some offer the option of connecting by computer. Their schedule is online, or you can request a printed copy by calling 877-797-7299.
  • The International Low Vision Support Group (ILVSG) offers monthly meetings by phone, moderated by founder Dan Roberts. For more information, check out their website or call 888-866-6148.

Social distancing is certainly disruptive to our community and support groups, but it doesn’t have to be socially isolating. In fact, by checking into some of these resources you might discover you can be even more connected!

Using Downtime to Improve Your Windows Screen Access Skills, by Bill Holton

Do you use JAWS, ZoomText, or Fusion for work or school. but now that you’re sheltering in place you no longer have use of these screen access software packages? Or perhaps you just want to make use of the enforced downtime to try one of these screen access platforms? In either case, you’re in luck.

Freedom Scientific has announced a plan to help students and employees with visual impairments in the US and Canada affected by COVID-19 while working and studying from home.

“As we continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19, we want to do our part to lessen the burden for users who are impacted by the sudden need to work and study from home,” said Tom Tiernan, CEO of Vispero. “Providing equal access during this time is more important than ever.”

Users can access JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion software free of charge until June 30, 2020 by visiting the Freedom Scientific software portal. If you do not have a college email, simply enter your personal email.

For users outside the US and Canada, the company is working with their international team to provide a home solution and recommends contacting your local distributor for assistance.

Not familiar with these screen access products? Each offers a multitude of help and training resources in the Help menu. Also check out the Freedom Scientific YouTube channel here.

If you already own and use JAWS, this downtime may be an excellent opportunity to expand your screen access horizons. AFB offers “Learn to Use NVDA" an easy-to-follow introduction to using Microsoft Windows with Nonvisual Desktop Access (NVDA), a free and full-featured screen reader, along with a two-part tutorial on video magnifiers.

And don’t forget the Windows built-in screen reader, Narrator. If it’s been a few years since you last checked in on Narrator we promise you’ll be amazed by Microsoft’s progress in turning what used to be a screen reader of last resort into a full-featured player. Here’s a great video introduction from Microsoft Helps.

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

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April 2020 Table of Contents

COVID-19: Confessions from a Blind Germaphobe

Deborah Kendrick

Some fifteen years ago, I was in another city for some training needed for a contract assignment. After lunch, another woman came into the women’s room and saw me putting away my toothbrush. “Awwww, that’s cute,” she opined.

People had commented on my not-quite-obsession with hygiene and germs before, but no one had ever called it "cute."

For decades, I have carried those little foil-wrapped wipes in my purse and briefcase, kept them in my desk, and figured out ways to “see” what I need to see without contaminating myself.

Now, with this hideous worldwide scare, maybe some of my minuscule work-arounds can benefit you. People with visual impairments are, by default, in more constant contact with people and things than the average person in possession of 20/20 eyesight. We have to touch walls and doors and objects and other people’s hands and elbows. Here are some ideas to lessen the risk.

Public Bathrooms

I’m starting here because, even if you are staying in your home, you still might need to use one and, well, I’ve always wanted to share these ideas with other blind people.

We are told that the best way to keep away the coronavirus is to wash our hands. But when you wash your hands, you aren’t guaranteed a clean flight from start to finish.

Here are the methods used by me, a blind germaphobe, for years:

  • Entering the unfamiliar space, use ears and feet to find open stall.
  • If touching is necessary, use the back of your forearm to see if the door is open.
  • When you close the door from the inside, try to hook that latch with the back of your hand or with only a finger or two.
  • Use backs of hands or forearms to locate tissue holder and such.
  • If you’re able, stand on one foot and use the other to stretch behind you and locate the flush handle.
  • At the sink, wash your hands following the CDC recommended thorough scrub of front, back, nails, and wrists for 20 to 30 seconds of washing.
  • If the faucet is not the automatic kind, grab a paper towel to turn it off.
  • Use your feet to find the trash can and use another paper towel to locate the door handle on your way out.

Phew. One bathroom adventure fully executed without touching anything!

Going Places

We are all staying at home as much as we can. If you do have to go somewhere, many public transit systems have cut back on their service. You’re probably safer in a paratransit vehicle (fewer passengers) or rideshare car anyway.

When your magic chariot of choice arrives, don a pair of latex gloves for finding your way to the vehicle and inside. (Put an extra pair of latex gloves and a plastic or ziplock bag for stashing the soiled ones in your carry bag of choice.)

If it’s a car, you are going to touch, at the very least: the outside handle, inside handle, seat belt, and seat. If it’s a van, like a paratransit van for wheelchairs, you will touch the hand rail and a few seatbacks.

Use those gloves when you arrive at your destination too. Even if your aim Is spot on for grabbing the handle of the building’s door and internal office doors, the gloves will keep any germs living there from direct contact with your skin.

Just be sure that while you wear those gloves that your hands NEVER touch any part of your face!

Getting Around

As people with visual impairments, we often need to be close to another human for wayfinding. If you need to take an elbow, pop one of those gloves on your hand again or clean your hands with sanitizer as soon as you reach your destination. Did your guide sneeze into that elbow? Or did he/she use the elbow to open a bathroom door?

If you are low vision and just need to stay close, be mindful of the six-foot distance recommendation if you can.

Remember to wipe down your mobility tools, too. Your white cane and guide dog harness can collect lots of disgusting droplets without your knowledge.

Food At Your Door

If you have decided that you are just going to avoid going anywhere, including the grocery store, you do have options.

Delivery services such as Instacart and Shipt enable you to order groceries and supplies from your smartphone or computer and have them delivered to your door. If the shopper brings them in for you, keep the six-foot distance rule if you can. The shopper may want you to sign the tablet and, if you ordered wine with your groceries, show your ID. Try getting the ID out ahead of time and placing it on a table near the door. Some might be willing to leave items by your door if you are comfortable carrying them in.

If you just want to order a hot meal or your favorite fast food to help keep a restaurant in business, Uber Eats, Door Dash, and others are still working. Again, if you feel more comfortable having food left outside your door, indicate that in your special instructions. National Braille Press sells a whole book on food delivery services and how to use them. (Go to the National Braille Press website to find Dinner Delivered by Chris Grabowski and Kim Loftis. At this writing, National Braille Press has announced that this book, along with two others providing content relevant to the current health crisis, will be available for free download until April 30, 2020.

Precautions At Home

Even if cleaning has never been your sport, now is the time to practice it at home. Soap and water work wonders on all those surfaces touched by everyone – sinks, faucets, appliances, door handles, light switches, and thermostats, just to name a few. If there are children in your family get them involved in the keep-it-clean effort. Disinfecting wipes, if you have them, are great for many of these surfaces. Speaking of wipes, please don’t put any of them down your toilet – even the ones for babies that say they are flushable. They aren’t.

Getting Tested

You wash your hands incessantly. You wear gloves. You wipe down every conceivable surface you have touched and disinfect your white cane and then suddenly, you are running a temperature, sneezing, and feel like you can’t get out of bed.

Getting tested is no piece of cake for anyone, but again, this poses more challenges for people who are blind or low vision.

If you’re sick you don’t want to take the train or the bus to a medical facility. A Lyft or Uber driver probably won’t be crazy about taking you to a drive-through test site.

If you have a young and healthy family member or neighbor who can drive, you might ask that person to take you. Still, while young people are lower risk for developing the virus, they can share it.

Best solution would be to call your own primary care physician for advice. Call them before you are sick at all to ask how they are handling medical advice during this health crisis. I called my own primary care physician with that question, just to be prepared. I was immediately given his email address and mobile phone number with the assurance that he is open to handling medical concerns via email and facetime.

Remember that only those exhibiting distinct symptoms should even consider testing, so don’t seek it if you are not sick. And of course, we hope you won’t need it.

Finally, the nastiest, most germ-laden items in your universe might well be the device you are using to read these words. Keep following AccessWorld and the AFB website for more safety information, including tips on how to disinfect your keyboard, smartphone, tablet, and more. Wishing health and wellness to all.

Note: In addition to Dinner Delivered, mentioned above, National Braille Press is making two other books free for download in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Visit the National Braille Press website to find Getting Visual Assistance with an iPhone, by Judy Dixon, and Navigating Healthcare When All They Can See Is That You Can’t, by Deborah Kendrick. All three free books have been reviewed in previous issues of AccessWorld.

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

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April 2020 Table of Contents

Assistance May be Right Next Door: A Review of Nextdoor.com

Bill Holton

You are doubtless familiar with the two major online social networks: Facebook and Twitter. Using them you can stay in touch with friends and make new friends around the world. Today, with the spread of COVID-19 and the prevailing advice regarding social distancing, these networks are even more essential to maintaining friendships and staying connected.

In these difficult times, however, it may be prudent to make some new friends a bit closer to home, such as people who can pitch in during an emergency, or someone to share the latest neighborhood gossip with.

But how? At the moment, the Welcome Wagon is less likely to show up at your front door if you move into a new apartment. And meeting and striking up a conversation with a new friend-to-be in the park is also problematic, at best.

So how do you introduce yourself to that new neighbor, or learn about the family around the corner you always meant to introduce yourself to? One way is to participate in a free social network called Nextdoor, which connects you with neighbors who share your zip code, subdivision, and/or neighborhood. There are also Nextdoor apps for both iOS and Android.

I first joined Nextdoor when a neighbor sent me an e-mail invitation, but you can join directly, as well. Registration is accessible. During your initial visit you are asked to input your name, along with your physical and e-mail addresses. The software will try to determine your subdivision and/or neighborhood. On the next screen, you'll provide more information, including a password and your phone number for verification purposes—a minor hassle, but it keeps spammers to a bare minimum.

Your initial Nextdoor area will be wide. My own included 38 different developments and neighborhoods in my small town and over 4,000 members. I can edit which neighborhood I wish to show up in my feeds, though, and direct my posts to only people living in my subdivision or in others, or all other neighborhoods as well.

Why Join Nextdoor?

You will be amazed at just how helpful your neighbors can be, if they are aware help is needed. For example, when a power switch on my leaf shredder died it wasn’t worth sending it in for a factory repair. I posted a message on Nextdoor hoping to find someone who was enough of an electrician to help me get it fixed. I offered to pay, but the gentleman who wound up helping me out refused payment. So, I took him to lunch, and we have now become friends. I have also used the network to find referrals for reliable handymen and other local professionals.

During a recent check-in, I discovered a number of people in my community who were already offering to help individuals who didn’t feel safe venturing out with grocery and pharmacy trips due to the current COVID-19 outbreak. I’m also receiving updates of which local eateries are open for curbside pickup and/or delivery. Using Nextdoor I can also keep up with what’s been going on in town. For example, did anyone get hurt in that screeching auto crash I heard the other night? Happily, the answer was no. Is there anyone in my small town who does guitar repair? Yes, and he did an exceptional job, and even offered me free pickup and delivery. And I cannot count the number of dogs and cats that have been reunited with their owners thanks to a “Lost and Found” post on Nextdoor.

If you are a Facebook user, the Nextdoor format will already be familiar. Instead of your individual news feed gathering and displaying posts from your friends, you will encounter a neighborhood news feed with posts offering event announcements, merchant recommendations, requests for help, Homeowners Association information, and more. You can react to these messages, thank the writer, “Like” the post, or offer a public or private reply. Smartphone and email alerts are also available to notify you of popular posts and to let you know when someone has reacted or responded to your post.

The service is supported by mostly local ads that are not overly intrusive.

Overall, I found Nextdoor extremely screen-reader friendly, both on the Web and using an app. The news feed is well tagged with heading markers, and all of the buttons are labeled. About the only issue I had was an occasional difficultly posting messages I had created using dictation. The Done button refused to work, even if I deleted a few characters and retyped them using the on-screen keyboard. I had to enlist my wife to turn off VoiceOver and have her press the Done button, which worked fine for her. I have experienced this same issue when posting to other apps via dictation, however. I suspect this is a VoiceOver bug, which I have reported, so this is an issue you may or may not experience. I have never had any trouble at all posting via the website.

How many of your neighbors do you know? Want to double that number? There’s no better time than today to join Nextdoor.

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

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April 2020 Table of Contents

Highlights From the Much Smaller CSUN 2020 Assistive Technology Conference

By Shelly Brisbin & J.J. Meddaugh

The article we publish each year following the CSUN Assistive Technology Conference typically focuses on the most interesting new products for people with visual impairments that we see on the exhibit hall floor. We will do so again this year, too, but we are, as they say, living in unusual times. So, in addition to the customary product highlights, we want to share a few things about the experience of attending CSUN as COVID-19 was becoming a reality in the United States.

Getting There: Shelly's Story

For those of us who ventured to CSUN in early March, it was a venture, even the decision to make the trip was a cause for apprehension. A week before the conference was to open, response to the threat of the coronavirus had begun ramping up, with reductions to international flights and instructions in my workplace to clean work surfaces regularly with disinfectant wipes. CSUN organizers had initially been quiet, eventually issuing a statement in late February that the conference would go on as usual, but with social distancing practices encouraged, and hand sanitizing stations provided on-site. During that week, people and companies I expected to interact with in Anaheim announced they would not make the trip, including some of my fellow Blind Bargains correspondents, who typically spend the conference interviewing exhibitors and company representatives about their accessible technology.

I looked into canceling my flight, and expected to do so if CSUN canceled the conference. I wasn't sure until the day before I was to leave for California whether I was going or not. And because California had already announced more cases of COVID-19 than my home state of Texas had, I was concerned that if things got worse travel restrictions might keep me there longer than planned.

When I woke up at the Anaheim Hilton on March 11, COVID-19 had been declared a pandemic.

And yet, CSUN, with half its sessions canceled, most large sponsors absent from the ballrooms they'd reserved, and a huge percentage of exhibitors not present in the hall, was going on. The only information I, as an exhibit pass holder, received from the conference organizers was a post on their website. No one I interacted with at the event suggested I practice social distancing or indicated to me where I could sanitize my hands or that doing so was important. I located a hand sanitizer stand several hours into my first day at CSUN.

In the exhibit hall, a table full of fruit and salad makings sat in an open space that would have been occupied by exhibitors. No sneeze guards, sanitizer, or suggestions for consuming the food in a safe way were to be found. Nor were volunteers available to offer assistance, which would have been a somewhat safer option for a person with low-vision or blindness. I chose to avoid this buffet in the interest of my safety and that of my fellow attendees.

I returned safely from CSUN, having interviewed a number of exhibitors, and hearing their stories of how they were making the best of an event with less traffic in the exhibit hall, and fewer colleagues with whom to network.

I understand the difficulties faced by California State University-Northridge, which sponsors the event we know as CSUN.

Canceling such an important event has many financial, logistical, and human implications. My greatest wish is that the organizers, having chosen to go ahead, would have communicated more clearly and broadly what they were doing to enhance the safety of all who were attending, including those with visual impairments. That would have included tips on effective social distancing techniques, and a listing of hand sanitizer locations. And volunteers and conference staff should have interacted with all attendees, including those visiting the exhibit hall and sponsor areas, to remind them of the safety protocols that had been put in place.

Now, let's take a look at the most interesting products we saw in the exhibit hall. Once again, Blind Bargains and AFB partnered to provide audio coverage of the event, and links to our interviews are included below.

Orbit Research Increases Product Range

While the low attendance put a damper on the amount of new product announcements at the conference, Orbit Research was one company who seized the moment and arrived with several new items to show. First was the Orbit Reader 20 Plus, an update of the company's initial Braille display offering, was demoed with several new features, providing more functionality for only a small bump in price. The $699 Plus includes several new built-in apps including a calculator, alarm clock, and calendar. It also features on-board Braille translation with support for over 40 languages. Previously, it was not possible to translate between print and Braille without using a computer or another device. Now you could load a book or another file and read it in your preferred Braille format. The previous Orbit Reader 20 is still available for $599.

Those who would like a bit more braille real estate may appreciate the newly-announced Orbit Reader 40. It includes all of the features of the 20 Plus and adds cursor routing buttons. These buttons allow the user to move the cursor to a particular cell or letter by pressing a button above the cell, which makes it easier to edit documents on the display. The 40-cell unit also includes panning keys at each end of the display, USBC charging, and a headphone jack for potential future use. The refresh rate for the braille cells is similar to the 20, taking about a half-second to generate a new line of text. Look for the Orbit Reader 40 this summer for $1,399.

As if that wasn't enough to catch people's attention, a third product will make it easy for people to type in braille using a mobile device. The Orbit Writer is essentially a Bluetooth braille keyboard, and features a similar layout to the keys on the Orbit Reader 20. The Writer is barely one-quarter inch thick and could easily fit in a purse or mid-sized pocket. When connected to a phone or computer, you can type in braille using your screen reader of choice, or control your phone or computer using supported braille commands. Haptic feedback is also included, alerting you when the unit is turned on or off or conveying the current battery level. The Orbit Writer will also be available this summer for $99. You can learn a lot more about all of these devices and the return of the Graphiti Braille graphics tablet with J.J.'s interview with Orbit Research CEO Venkatesh Chari.

A Laptop and Braille All-in-One

The HIMS booth featured the company's own products, including the BrailleSense Polaris notetaker and QBraille XL 40-cell braille display. But perhaps the most unique item in their booth was a new entry from South Korean company Nattiq Technologies. While COVID-19 meant that none of the company's own staff was in Anaheim, the Nattiq Note laptop did make an appearance. The unit combines a traditional 40-cell display with a high-powered modern laptop, which can be customized to include all of the latest bells and whistles. The product page claims the ability to customize the machine to a variety of specifications, and lists a variety of available configurations ranging from a 16-cell unit with a mobile processor and 64GB of storage for $2,700 to a 40-cell machine with a robust Core I7 processor and 1TB of storage for $5,200. The usual array of modern ports, 802.11AC Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.2 were also included. I found the unit a bit thicker than I would have liked, but appreciate the use of modern hardware and ports, which will help lengthen the usefulness of the device. HIMS did not indicate if they would sell the computer in the United States, so perhaps this was a test run to gauge interest. Others have tried to combine a laptop and a braille display in the past, but these efforts often lack traction. Perhaps Nattiq will be the one to buck this trend.

Hey Google, Read my Library Books

Imagine being able to instruct your Google Home to play you the latest bestseller available from the National Library Service. If you live in Finland, this may soon be a reality thanks to Pratsam, a company offering a suite of reading apps for DAISY titles. In an audio demo, Pratsam Sales Manager Daniel Ainasoja showed how you can use your voice to read audiobooks, adjust the reading speed, or save bookmarks. It's being piloted at the Celia library in Finland and Pratsam hopes that other libraries will get on board.

The thinking is that cost-conscious libraries would be able to save money by not developing their own set of apps. The Pratsam Reader app also is available for iOS and Android devices.

Exploring a New Reality with Smith-Kettlewell

It's always interesting to catch up with creators outside of the exhibit hall to hear about exciting projects that are in the pipeline. Brandon Biggs, a researcher at the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute is involved with several innovative projects that aim to create increased access to objects and indoor spaces. One such project is Audiom, a Web app that allows you to virtually explore a room or building using sound cues. If you've played just about any audio game that allows you to move around on a map, the design choices will be very familiar. Interface cues are borrowed from popular games, for instance, the wind sounds of Shades of Doom are used to indicate a hallway and the grid system found in A Hero's Call is used as a way to navigate your surroundings. Biggs based Audiom on audio games because many of these elements are familiar to a wide variety of users, and he hopes to transfer that knowledge to enable easier navigation of complex spaces. Listen to this extended interview to learn more about this and other forward-thinking ideas being researched at SKERI.

WeWalk Adds Technology to the Most Analog of Devices: The White Cane

WeWalk, made by a company of the same name, adds a smart app and audible guidance to a standard Ambutech white cane. The device fits atop the cane, and is outfitted with Bluetooth, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a microphone, and a speaker. When connected to an Android or iOS smartphone, the WeWalk can deliver navigation guidance from an app. It also detects obstacles at eye level.

When the WeWalk detects obstacles at head level, the device vibrates. You can adjust the range at which WeWalk will identify what it perceives as an obstacle.

Once connected to a smartphone, the WeWalk app uses the phone's screen reader to provide speech that can be heard on the cane's speaker as well. It can identify nearby points of interest, including businesses and bus stops. At a transit stop, the app provides timeline information. WeWalk uses data from Microsoft for navigation and transit information.

You can use a WeWalk cane to find your connected phone with the press of a button, and there's an LED light on the cane, which could be helpful for those with some vision, or to provide added safety as you travel at night.

The included cane is foldable. WeWalk says the device's battery will last 20 hours. WeWalk is available now for $500. Listen to Shelly's interview with WeWalk.

Google Glass becomes a Tool for People with Vision Loss

The initial release of Google Glass, a wearable computer from Google, met with quite a bit of derision, several years ago. Complaints ranged from the price tag and limited functionality, to how it made wearers look in places where people were unaccustomed to computer eyewear. But Google Glass is back, both as a product for people with typical vision, and for users with vision loss. Envision AI, which has been offering a smartphone app that does a variety of AI-based identification tasks, has now added its software to Google Glass spectacles, allowing a person with blindness to control Envision AI with touch gestures, and hear information provided by software in the glasses.

Google Glass consists of a lightweight pair of wire-framed glasses without lenses. On the right arm of the glasses is a flat surface on which you gesture to control the functions of Envision AI. A camera at the front of this assembly gathers information from your surroundings, and earpieces provide spoken feedback to the wearer.

Like the Envision AI app, the Glass-mounted version is organized into functional categories, including: describe scene, scan document, and read text. Choose one with a swipe of your finger on the side panel, and you'll hear the feature named. Then Envision AI will analyze what it sees through the camera, or take a photo, then do the analysis. Scanned text can be read aloud by the device, or saved for reading elsewhere.

Envision AI-enabled Google Glass can be paired with a smartphone, or operated independently.

The company is working to port the software to other devices, and to environments including the Aira system.

Envision AI-equipped Google Glasses are available now for 1,500 euros ($1628) from Envision AI. Delivery is expected this summer. You can hear a demo recorded at the conference by Shelly.

Zoommax Enters the VR Wearables Market

In 2019, Zoomax released the Acesight, a head-mounted magnification device for people with low vision. Now, the company has announced the Acesight VR, also a wearable, but this time based on a virtual-reality headset, rather than a pair of glasses with a camera mounted in one lens.

Zoomax says the Acesight VR is meant for part-time applications, like watching television or a movie, not constant use, and not while walking around. The company says that this, along with limiting its applications to magnification, rather than displaying smartphone-style apps inside the headset, differentiates the Acesight VR from similar products offered by other companies.

To interact with the Acesight, you use a tethered controller that allows you to adjust zoom level, change visual modes, or take a picture of what the camera sees.

According to Zoomax, advantages of the Acesight VR include its ability to compensate for low-light environments, and a bigger field of view than the previous Acesight model. The unit includes a 48-megapixel camera.

The Acesight VR headset includes a smartphone that acts as the device's computer. It's not accessible to the user as a phone, and can't be removed from the unit, as phones that operate other VR headsets can.

Learn more about Acesight VR at the Zoomax America Web site. or Shelly's podcast interview.. The cost is $2,495.

Optelec Releases a Large Portable Magnifier

Vispero, under the Optelec Electronics brand, offers a range of compact magnifiers, including the Compact 6, a unit with a 6-inch screen. Now, the company has released the Compact 10 HD Speech, a larger unit that's based on the Compact 6, with a 10-inch screen, and three cameras.

The Compact 10's screen sits at a 45-degree angle and can display text placed under its camera. It has a touch screen, so you can pinch in and out, or use a finger to pan around the image onscreen. The unit includes OCR and speech, and, integrated into the unit on an arm, another camera that can be used for distance viewing. Like most compact magnifiers, the Compact 10 provides a wide array of color themes, and you can even apply one to the onscreen menu.

The Compact 10 HD Speech is $1,595. A version without speech costs $1,295. Yes, there's a podcast for this one as well, and you can go here to hear Shelly's interview with Vispero.

What Can Be Learned from CSUN?

The 35th edition of CSUN was unlike any other, due in large part to a pandemic event beyond the control of anyone involved. That being said, there are some takeaways that could be applied to CSUN or other conferences in the future.

There were a lot of moving parts and last-minute changes that occurred before and during the event. Roughly half of the sessions were canceled while others were moved to a different room. While these were announced on a disorganized webpage, there were also several exhibitors who moved their booths to more desirable locations after others canceled. Unfortunately, there an updated list of exhibitors was not available, sometimes making it difficult to locate a company that moved mid-show. The ATIA conference in Orlando has a companion app that attendees can use for exactly this purpose, and it seems to work well.

Speaking of last-minute changes, the importance of active social media cannot be understated. Ideally, someone should monitor the official conference Twitter and other feeds to field questions and help maintain a level of sanity. The official CSUN Twitter feed was mostly limited to scheduled tweets, and a couple of acknowledgements about the COVID-19 situation. A decision to end Friday's events at noon was not announced until late Thursday evening. While information on the coronavirus was circulated on the conference website, some people felt that important details were left out. In the post, there was an official mention of hand-sanitizer stations throughout the conference. But it would have been much more helpful to note the locations of these stations so everyone could easily locate them. Due to the dynamic nature of large events and the need to disseminate information to everyone as quickly as possible, an improved social media presence and greater access to information would greatly benefit this and other events.

The two of us recorded roughly 15 interviews from the exhibit hall floor and beyond. We've linked to several of these above, but you can go to the Blind Bargains audio page for much more.

It remains to be seen if COVID-19 will further affect the assistive technology industry or delay the shipment of new products. Companies will need to be agile and flexible by holding remote sales meetings and answering technical support calls from their couch. But with a bit of luck and effort, the stream of new products and innovations will not be dampened. As the volume of new technology heats up, stay with AccessWorld for reviews on new products as they are released.

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

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April 2020 Table of Contents

Employment Matters: David Van Der Molen, Member Services Associate and Audio Book Narrator

Deborah Kendrick

When I learned that David Van Der Molen was a professional audio book narrator, I knew he belonged in the Employment Matters series. As it turns out, that was only part of a genuinely fascinating and unique picture of employment. When we began our interview, Van Der Molen clarified that his audio book narration is a job for evenings and weekends, but that his day job, Monday through Friday, 9 to 5, is something entirely different. That day job is as a member services associate for the Canadian Council of Christian Charities, and he has been doing it since 1994. I found the story of how he got that job 26 years ago as compelling as any actual job itself. It also provides a shining example, a road map of sorts, that other job seekers with visual impairments can follow.

Building a Network

When he graduated from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1992 with emphasizing BA in English and journalism, Van Der Molen initially went back to Ontario. He lived with his parents, gathering eggs and milking cows on their dairy farm, and getting some work as a freelance writer. He took a correspondence course in broadcasting, and another at his local office of CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind) on marketing oneself to find employment. The course focused on building a professional network and Van Der Molen committed himself to doing precisely that. Employment experts will tell you to treat looking for a job as if it were a job itself, and that is exactly what Van Der Molen did.

He made appointments with people and asked their advice.

“I never asked for a job,” he explains. Instead, he asked for feedback on his resume, suggestions of careers he might pursue, and recommendations for other people with whom he could confer. When he began the process, he reached out to Lions Club and church for potential drivers, and had a pool of about ten people willing to ferry him to and from his network-building appointments. He met with business leaders, two members of his provincial parliament, the premier secretary (similar in status to a US governor) and others. All gave him feedback and connected him with others. Eventually, one referral led him to an appointment with the CEO of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities (CCCC), who offered him a job. The CCCC, advises some 3,000 member charities on best practices. The organization provides information, insurance, and certification to charities throughout Canada. They guide members through understanding legislation and regulations affecting charities, as well as afford charities who have met certain standards the opportunity to display the 4C’s seal on their own websites. Van Der Molen’s job is multi-faceted. He develops insurance quotes for charities with a staff of 25 or less. He monitors all incoming email and directs it to the appropriate colleague. And he manages the company phone system, directing all incoming phone calls. He uses JAWS, two QBraille XL displays, and a system called Accessaphone. The latter, he was quick to tell me, is a wonderful solution that he learned about in an article by Aaron Preece in the October 2015 AccessWorld.

Elmira, Ontario, is a small town. From his home there, where he lives with his wife and three children, Van Der Molen can walk to such nearby services as the library, bank, medical offices, and more. Typically, he walks about a mile to and from work each day with his standard poodle dog guide. At the time of this interview, Canada’s lockdown response to COVID-19 was new, and the staff of CCCC had had their first virtual meeting by way of Google Hangouts just the day before. His job, albeit now performed from his home office, will proceed pretty much as it has for 25 years. Even while he and all coworkers are working remotely, he can direct phone calls to any of his coworkers, develop insurance quotes, and manage incoming inquiries from any of CCCC’s 3,000 members. His second job—the vocation that, you might say, sprang from an avocation—found him with an already well-established home set-up for work when COVID-19 forced CCCC and everyone else to move work from office to home.

Narrator in the Attic

About ten years ago, the pastor at Van Der Molen’s church asked him to do a scripture reading. People responded so positively that he was soon invited to participate in a performance of Charles Dickens’ "A Christmas Carol." That reading, too, met with favorable “reviews” from his fellow parishioners. Those experiences prompted a “what if” kind of internal dialogue and Van Der Molen was soon contacting authors, offering his skills as an audio book narrator.

Today, he has a comfortable studio in his attic. Foam egg cartons line the walls and his desk holds a laptop, braille display, and his Matias keyboard for controlling the recording program Audacity. Other than locating and landing assignments, probably the biggest challenge early on was figuring out how to read braille without the act of reading being heard! Back in 1993 when he took the correspondence course in broadcasting, he recalls the instructor’s puzzlement at hearing an unidentifiable sound in one of Van Der Molen’s submitted recordings. That sound, of course, was the sound of hands moving across the words on braille pages.

Today, there are no paper pages in Van Der Molen’s attic studio. Authors send him files in either Microsoft Word or .pdf files. He loads them on to his 40-cell QBraille XL, and records on his laptop using Audacity. He has used a variety of braille displays over the years, but he says the QBraille XL is particularly quiet. His microphone is lifted slightly above his desktop on a stand, which also helps distance it from the sound of his hands moving over refreshable braille.

In nine or ten years of work as an audio book narrator, Van Der Molen has recorded some 100 titles. He has narrated books on the keto diet, alcoholism, the Mormon faith, emotional intelligence, and more. He has recorded works of fiction, including one seven-book series. A lot of the books he reads are self-help. These are easier to narrate, he says, because you don’t have to look ahead to make sure you are interpreting the tone and character correctly. The largest book he has recorded to date was 21 hours long, although many are in the 3-hour range. He recorded his first book, a 13-hour novel, in its entirety twice, simply because he was dissatisfied with the first recording.

He does a fair amount of work for the British Columbia Libraries Cooperative.  They have a project called the National Network for Equitable Library Service.

When working for individual authors, Van Der Molen negotiates rates, but says a narrator can make from $30 to $200 for finished hour. If that sounds like easy money, consider some of the factors that are included in those negotiations. Van Der Molen explains, “Some books have a lot of words for which I need to research word pronunciations. Some books even have whole paragraphs or several lines of poetry in foreign languages, which requires even more research.”

Do the authors who hire him know that Van Der Molen is blind? Sometimes. It’s not relevant at the auditioning stage. (He uses the ACX website to browse narration opportunities, downloads the audition file, and uploads his audition.) On the other hand, if authors want to know more about him and locate his promotional YouTube video, they will see him reading braille. While it isn’t relevant as an up-front factor, Van Der Molen does passionately believe that it is a good thing for his authors to know that he is blind at some point.

“It is good for them to know that a blind person can do this,” he says, “because that will help them understand that a blind person can do all kinds of things. … If they learn that I am blind and are happy with the job I’ve done with their book, then maybe they will hire another blind person to do something else.”

Tools for Success

Van Der Molen emphasizes that he has had plenty of input from others to be where he is with his doubly employed status. He has studied a variety of braille displays (he is currently studying a newly acquired BrailleNote Touch Plus) and credits the many lists of blind users for helping him master such tools. From lists, he learned about Audacity. From Jonathan Mosen, a popular blind technology expert and podcaster, he learned to connect his microphone and laptop with an audio interface box. In that interim almost 30 years ago now between college and career he learned the power of networking and continues to exercise that skill.

“Build a network,” is his leading piece of advice for aspiring blind job seekers. Join groups. Research all the technology available to blind people and learn from other blind people how to use it.

“Be willing to try new things,” he says. “Research and educate yourself about technology,” so that when a question comes up regarding how you can accomplish a task, you already have the answer.

He is an avid reader of AccessWorld, and read TACTIC and VersaNews before it. He used a Braille Lite when he began his work with CCCC and has explored and learned many braille displays in the intervening years.

“At first, when people find out that you’re blind,” Van Der Molen reflects, “they might be fearful and think that you’re hopeless. You need to make the right choices technologically, so you will be as successful as possible. And you need to present blindness in the positive light it deserves." He is a powerful example of how such strategies can work.

To learn more about the Canadian Council of Christian Charities, visit their website. Visit Audible and search for "Van Der Molen" to find the books he has narrated.

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

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April 2020 Table of Contents

Exploring and Using Apple AirPods Pro

Janet Ingber

Despite having a perfectly good pair of the original Apple AirPods, after hearing lots of good things about the AirPods Pro, I decided to purchase a pair. I was very happy with the original AirPods from 2017, despite the fact that they would fall out occasionally. The new design addresses that problem and much more.

AirPods Pro: Specifications and Supported Devices

Visit this page for technical specifications, battery life, operating system requirements, supported devices, and more. All of the information is presented in a series of tables, and headings also are provided for easier navigation.

In the Box

AirPods Pro come in a box that is 3.9-inches square by 1.8-inches tall and weighs 8.44 ounces. On the top of the box is a tactile representation of the AirPods Pro. "AirPods Pro" is printed on the top and in smaller letters it says "Wireless Charging Case." Open the box by lifting the cover.

The first item in the box is a cardboard sleeve containing paperwork including a Getting Started Guide and warranty information.

Underneath the cardboard sleeve and paperwork in the shipping box, with some plastic wrapped around it, is the AirPods Pro case with the AirPods inside. This case is larger than previous AirPods cases:

  • Height: 1.78 inches (45.2 mm)
  • Width: 2.39 inches (60.6 mm)
  • Depth: 0.85 inch (21.7 mm)
  • Weight: 1.61 ounces (45.6 grams)

On the bottom of the case is a Lightning port for charging. The case also can be charged wirelessly with a Qi-certified charger. The case has a hinged lid for opening, similar to the lid on a dental floss container. On the back is a small button for pairing. On the inside of the case are two holes where the Pros are inserted. Both the holes and the lid are magnetic.

Open the case so the AirPods are directly in front of you. It may be a little difficult to remove them from their places. Try putting your index finger behind an AirPod, then gently push forward to get it to come out. I tend to keep my thumb on the front of the AirPod while pushing it with my index finger because the first time I tried to get the Pro out, it almost fell on the floor. Having the thumb in front gives more control when the AirPod comes out. The AirPod for the right ear is on the right and the left one is on the left.

AirPods Pro have silicone ear tips that help them fit better in the ear. The top part of the AirPod is larger and this is where the ear tips are. As in previous versions, there is a stem coming out and down from the AirPod. The stem is shorter than in previous versions.

Each AirPod Pro measures:

  • Height: 1.22 inches (30.9 mm)
  • Width: 0.86 inch (21.8 mm)
  • Depth: 0.94 inch (24.0 mm)
  • Weight: 0.19 ounce (5.4 grams)

The next item in the box, underneath the hard plastic that held the charging case, is a small fold-up container with more ear tips. The AirPods ship with the medium ear tips already installed. The ear-tips container holds a small and a large pair. Each ear tip has a round connector that fits onto the AirPod. The ear tips pull off the AirPods.

The final item in the box is the Lightning-to-USB3 cable. You can also use a Lightning-to-USB cable, which is not included. An AC adaptor is also not included.

Pairing AirPods Pro with your iPhone

  1. Make sure both AirPods are in the charging case and you are on your iPhone’s home screen.
  2. Bring the case next to your iPhone.
  3. Open the case’s lid.
  4. A dialogue box will come up asking if you want to pair the AirPods. Make your selection. Information about AirPods Pro gestures will be on the screen. The gestures will be discussed below.

Once your AirPods are paired, they will show up in the Bluetooth list in Settings. Go to Settings/Bluetooth and flick right until you hear “AirPods Pro.” If nothing happens when you bring your AirPods case near your iPhone, first check to make sure the case is charged.

The first time I started to pair my new AirPods Pro, I opened the case near my iPhone, and a dialogue box came up telling me the charge level on the AirPods and the case. I checked under Settings/Bluetooth, and found my AirPods Pro had automatically been paired. They were labeled, “Janet’s AirPods Pro.” If you are using iCloud and have other devices on the same Apple ID, the AirPods Pro will automatically be in these devices’ Bluetooth section. For example, my AirPods Pro were listed in the Bluetooth section of my Apple Watch and Mac.

The first time I put the AirPods Pro in my ears, I got the one-note tone that indicated they were connected, but they were not. I checked the Bluetooth setting and was told they were connected. I tried disconnecting and reconnecting, but that did not help. Then I rebooted my phone and that fixed the problem.

Checking Battery Level

Bring the AirPods Pro case, with the AirPods Pro in it, next to the iPhone. Open the lid. The screen will indicate the charges of the AirPods Pro and the case. With the AirPods in your ears, you can ask Siri to tell you the battery level of your AirPods.

More Info

Just below the name of your AirPods in the Bluetooth section of Settings is a More Info button. In order to make changes and selections to your AirPods from the More Info section, the AirPods must be in your ears. Otherwise, you will not have access to all options.

Ear Tip Fit Test

Once your AirPods Pro have been paired, it's a good idea to check if you are using the correct size of ear tips for your ears. Go to Settings/Bluetooth and find your AirPods. Flick again to More Info and select it. Flick right until you hear “Ear Tip Fit Test” and select the button.

The next screen will give information about the benefits of using the correct ear tips. Activate the Continue button at the bottom of the screen. The next screen will have a Play button. You will hear some music and a new screen will load with your results. Under your results it says, “You should use the air tips that are most comfortable in each ear.”

I tried the small and medium sizes and according to the test, I was not getting good results for either. I did not try the large because they fell out of my ears easily. The small tips felt better and more secure so I am using them. If I physically pressed the small ear tips into my ears and held them there during the test, my test result indicated a good fit. I’m using the small ear tips without pressing them into my ears and the AirPods work very well.

Renaming Your AirPods Pro

If you want to change the name that Apple has given to your AirPods Pro, go to Settings > Bluetooth and find your AirPods in the list of devices. Flick right to More Info. Flick right, past the heading to the word “name” and the name of your AirPods. This is right under the Disconnect option. Double tap and an edit box will open and you can enter a new name.

Listening with Your AirPods

AirPods have three listening modes, Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency, and Off. When in Active Noise Cancellation mode, external noise is blocked by one external and one internal microphone. The external microphone blocks background noise before it reaches your ears. The internal microphone blocks any remaining noise. According to Apple, the signal is adapted 200 times per second.

In Transparency mode, you will hear what your AirPods are playing plus external sounds. AirPods use the vent system described above that allows external noise and internal sounds to be heard simultaneously.

The Off option means neither Active Noise Cancellation nor Transparency are in use. In other words, the AirPods are like regular Bluetooth wireless headphones.

On your iPhone, go to Settings > Bluetooth, and locate the More Info section below your AirPod’s name. Then flick right to Noise Control. Below this heading are the three options: Noise Cancellation, Off, and Transparency. Spend some time experimenting with these options. Remember, Noise Control uses more battery power.

AirPods Controls

You can control playback and listening mode directly on your AirPods. With the AirPods in your ears, run your fingers along the front facing part of the AirPods stems. Feel for an indentation on each stem. This is where you will press to control various functions on the AirPods. You will only need to press one stem at a time.

Setting Controls

Go to Settings > Bluetooth and go back to the dialogue box you were in. Under Bluetooth, find the name of your AirPods Pro and flick right to More Info. Move down the dialogue box until your hear “Press and Hold AirPods.” Flick right once more and you will hear “Left” plus whatever the left AirPod is set to. In My case, VoiceOver said, “Noise Control.” Flicking right once more will give you information for the right AirPod. My right AirPod also said, “Noise Control.” With the AirPods set this way, I can easily switch between Noise Cancellation and Transparency. Do this by pressing and holding one of the stems. When the AirPods go from Noise Cancellation to Transparency, you will hear a higher pitched tone. When you go from Transparency to Noise Cancellation, you will hear a lower pitch.

In addition to the three modes describe above, you can set your AirPod to summon Siri. Double tap on either AirPod Pro in the dialogue box and you will have several choices. Make a selection and then use the button in the upper left of the screen to get back to the dialogue box.

Siri

You can summon Siri by setting up one of your AirPods to do it, or you can just say “Hey Siri.” You will not hear the usual chime sound when Siri is listening, but audio will be ducked. If you do not say anything for a couple of seconds, Siri will let you know that it is listening.

Siri can perform many functions including switching between modes, playing audio content, changing volume, answering questions and much more. In particular, Siri works extremely well with Apple Music.

Playing Music and Answering Phone Calls

The following actions can be taken using the AirPods:

  • Play/Pause: This control is a toggle. Press and release either stem once and you will hear a click.
  • Go to next track: Press twice to perform this gesture.
  • Go to beginning of track or previous track: Press three times to go back to the beginning of a track, Repeat again to go to previous track.

If you are having difficulty with pressing the stems, go to Settings>Accessibility>AirPods where you can adjust the rate required to press the AirPods two or three times. The next control in this section is for duration of the press and hold command. The final option in this section is for allowing Noise Cancellation to be active when only wearing one AirPod. By default, this is not selected.

If wearing both AirPods Pro, removing one will pause audio. Reinserting it will cause audio to start playing again. Taking both out will cause audio to stop playing.

If listening with only one AirPod pro, removing it will pause audio. Inserting it back into your ear within 15 seconds will start audio playing.

If you have an incoming phone call, you can press the AirPods once to answer. Press again to end the call.

Using Find My

If you have misplaced your AirPods Pro, the Find My app can be used to locate them as long as the AirPods are charged and outside of their case.

Open the Find My app and select the Devices tab. Select your AirPods Pro and then select Play Sound. If your AirPods are nearby, you will hear a chirping sound. If they are in the case, Find My will show where they were last connected.

Conclusion

The difference between the AirPods Pro and the original AirPods is very noticeable. The sound of the AirPods Pro is significantly better and noise cancellation works very well. Transparency mode is a great feature and the AirPods Pro are much more comfortable than the original AirPods. For me, the improvements were well worth the additional cost.

Product Information

Product: Apple AirPods Pro

Manufacturer: Apple

Price: $249

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

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April 2020 Table of Contents

Accessibility Features in Windows Web Browsers for Low Vision Users

Steve Kelley

For many years, Web browsers have had varying degrees of built-in accessibility, but it’s been a pretty bumpy road for the user with low vision. By 2006 Internet Explorer 7 added magnification to Web browsing, but this first version often changed the page formatting so that users would need to use the horizontal scroll bar as they read the page. At the same time, Firefox 2 had a free add-in that didn’t require the horizontal scrolling, but didn’t enlarge the page images. As a result some of us just gave up and used a commercial screen magnifier, like ZoomText, that provided screen magnification to everything, including the Web browser.

Built-in Web browser accessibility—magnification, contrast, colors, and text-to-speech has improved since those original webpage magnifiers. The browser landscape has certainly changed in recent years and there are some great built-in accessibility features available on popular Windows-based web browsers like Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Microsoft Edge.

Mozilla Firefox

Firefox offers several ways to increase the size of webpages. At the most basic level, Ctrl plus + increases zoom, Ctrl plus – decreases zoom, and Ctrl plus 0 restores the webpage view to the default view. Using these commands increases the text and images proportionally. In fact, these shortcuts can be used for webpage magnification or zoom in all three browsers. Magnification can also be applied to the text alone from the Settings menu. To do this, first press Alt + V to open the View menu, then select Zoom > Zoom Text Only. With Zoom Text Only selected the Ctrl plus +, -, or 0 commands now only affect the text size. This setting may work well for certain pages or applications, but when using it on a webpage with text and images, at higher magnification, the horizontal menus on some pages overlapped the text and appeared jumbled.

Another method of changing the text size can be found in the Main Menu under Select Options > General > Language and Appearance. There are several settings here for changing font size and style. Changing the Default Font setting will only change pages where the webpage developer hasn’t specified a font. Opening the Advanced tab allows you to select a Minimum Font Size, which will override the font set by the webpage style.

Changing the font sizes in both these settings sometimes altered the page’s appearance so that text or menus overlapped. One of the advantages of these settings, however, was that the text wrapped within the browser window, making it easier to read without scrolling. If, for example, you are using a full screen magnifier like ZoomText or Windows Magnifier, as the magnification increases, more scrolling is required for reading. By changing the minimum font size in this setting to one that is large enough to read, this may reduce the magnification needed and the amount of scrolling to read.

For the low vision user who requires text magnification, relying solely on the screen magnification from the browser will be a bit of a challenge. Zooming in within the browser only increases the size of the content inside the browser window—the text size in the other elements of the browser, like the menu settings, tabs, address bar, etc., remain unchanged unless a full screen magnifier is being used.

Firefox, like Chrome, has additional features that can be added as extensions or add-ons. In the Add-Ons menu, Firefox has two additional themes that may be enabled for additional contrast. In addition to the color Default theme there are Light and Dark themes. The Dark theme provides lighter foreground and font colors on dark background colors, and the Light theme offers darker foreground and font colors on a lighter background. A search for High Contrast add-ons turned up an additional 160 theme options that could be installed as extensions.

Firefox has a number of text-to-speech extensions that can be added to the browser. These can be managed from the Main Menu, under Add-Ons. Select Extensions from the Add-Ons menu and search for extensions to add them to your browser. The Read Aloud extension works consistently well and has several handy features. Specific text can be selected and read, or the whole webpage can be read. By selecting the extension icon in the top right corner of the window, text is copied into a window and highlighted as it’s read. Playback can be managed using the icons in this window or with keyboard shortcuts. Reading can be started or paused with the shortcut keys, Alt + P, and stopped with Alt + O. Read Aloud has additional settings including alternative voices, reading rate, pitch, and text highlighting.

One of the best low vision features in Firefox is the Reader View, which strips out most of the graphics and menus on a webpage, reducing it to plain text. When Reader View is available, there is an icon to the right of the address bar that looks like a rectangle with horizontal lines on it. Clicking the icon or pressing F9 toggles the Reader View on and off. In Reader View, there are four icons, on the left side of the windows, including Type Controls, and Narrate. Type Controls provides options for increasing and decreasing type size and style, line margins and line spacing. Text wraps within the window and makes for a much better reading experience. Narrate provides text-to-speech using one of the installed Windows voices. When Narrate is open, a dialog box provides a slider for volume and speed, and a dropdown menu for voice selection, and play/pause, forward, and rewind buttons. The Reader View offers the best integrated accessible reading options but is not available on all webpages.

Google Chrome

Chrome, like Firefox offers full screen magnification using the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl plus +, -, and 0 to increase, decrease and return the browser window contents to actual size. Font sizes may be changed in much the same way as the Firefox font settings, although there is no option for magnifying just the text, like the Zoom Text Only setting in Firefox. To change font settings, start from Chrome’s Main Menu, and select Settings > Appearance. The Font Size setting offers five selections ranging from Very Small to Very Large. This can be fine-tuned even further by selecting Customize Fonts. Here, a minimum font size and style can be selected as well as standard font sizes and styles.

Like Firefox, there are many theme variations that may be selected and installed as extensions. To explore themes, from the Main Menu, select Settings > Appearance > Themes, to open the Chrome Web Store. Chrome does not have built-in alternatives like the Light and Dark Theme in Firefox, so additional themes must be added from the Chrome Web Store. Selections available include Chrome High Contrast Colorful, as well as both a Dark theme and Light theme.

For screen reader options, you will again need to go to the Chrome Web Store to select and install an extension. Read Aloud is also available as a Chrome extension and works on the Chrome browser just like Firefox. Read Aloud can also be started, after installation, by right clicking the mouse and selecting it from the menu, or by clicking the icon installed to the left of the menu icon to the right of the address bar. When opened from the icon, text is copied into a window and highlighted as it’s read.

Select and Speak, appeared as another text-to-speech extension and reported more overall installs than Read Aloud. With Select and Speak, a blank window is opened, where copied text can be manually pasted. Once pasted the text is read out loud. It lacks many of the settings found in Read Aloud including the text highlighting. It does have one very interesting download feature on the menu at the bottom of the reading window. Download will create and save a copy of the audio of the text being read, as a MP3 file. This can be a handy feature for many users.

Lastly, the Google screen reader, ChromeVox Classic, is available as an extension. ChromeVox is a full-featured screen reader that is enabled as soon as it is installed as an extension. Using this extension makes the entire browser application more accessible. For the user familiar with ChromeVox this is a great feature, but for the rest of us, just looking for that simple, as-needed screen reader, this may involve more of a learning curve than remembering the few keyboard shortcuts on Read Aloud.

Chrome does not have a built in Reader View like Firefox, but there are a number of extensions for it. The Reader View extension offered by fredericagolden2071 had the highest rating at the time this article was written and was installed for the review. It has similar features to the Firefox Reader View, plus several more. The text controls include font style, size, margin width, and line spacing. It also contains a setting for basic colors—Light, Dark, and Sepia. The Dark setting inverts the colors to a light font on a dark background.

In addition, the text-to-speech menu option, called Read This Article, provided more voice options and a pitch control, in addition to the reading speed, volume, play/pause, forward and reverse controls found on the Firefox Reader View.

If all webpages offered the option of a Reader View there might not be a need for any of the other extensions, because this one does a great job of making pages more accessible. Like Firefox, the Chrome Reader View is available on certain webpages.

Microsoft Edge (Version 80.0.361.69)

The latest version of Microsoft Edge also offers a Zoom feature using the familiar keyboard shortcuts Ctrl plus +, Ctrl plus-, and Ctrl plus 0 to increase, decrease, and remove magnification from the browser window. Font size and style can be managed from the Main Menu in Settings > Appearance > Fonts. Options for Font Size and Customize Fonts can be managed here. An overall font size may be selected by choosing one of five sizes from Very Small to Very Large. Customizing Fonts provides more options for font styles. For example, Arial might be selected as the San Serif font of choice. The Font Size and Minimum Font Size each have a slider to select between Tiny (9 pt.) and Large (72 pt.). Also, in the Settings > Appearance menu, Edge has a Theme option. Theme offers a dropdown with Light, Dark, and System Default.

Edge also offers extensions to add to the browser’s functionality. Select Extensions from the main menu to see which extensions are installed. From the Extensions menu select Get Extensions from the Microsoft Store, to search for and add extensions.  Several extensions appear with a search on “text-to-speech,” including Read Aloud. It worked the same on Edge as it did with Chrome and Firefox, including the basic keyboard shortcuts.

Of the three browsers, Edge incorporates more accessibility integration into the browser before the need for extensions. For starters, Edge has a built-in screen reader accessed with a right mouse click or the Windows application menu (Shift+F10). Select Read Aloud (not to be confused with the extension Read Aloud) and the webpage will be read starting from the current focus. When Edge’s Read Aloud is selected, a Play/Pause, Forward, and Rewind control appears at the top of the webpage content window, with Voice Options to the right. The dialog box for Voice Options contains a slider for voice speed selection, and a dropdown to choose and add voices.

Immersive Reader also has a tab for Text Preferences. A slider increases or decreases text size. Presumably the text style follows that set in the Font Customization Settings in the Font settings. Edge offers 22 themes in Text Preferences, for foreground and background colors. Regardless of which theme is chosen, when Read Aloud is started, the background color dims, and the text is highlighted as it’s read.

Of all the browser reading views, Immersive Reader offers the most accessibility options. Like the reading views in Firefox and Chrome, it is not available on all webpages. In fact, when using Edge on two websites where Reading View in both Chrome and Firefox was available, Immersive View was not available.

Wrap Up

Like many tools and applications in the world of low vision, one solution rarely works in all situations. At one time, a system-wide screen magnifier with speech, like ZoomText, worked well enough with Firefox that there was no need to use any of the accessibility features or extensions that Firefox offered. With the improved accessibility features and extensions in these browsers it’s sometimes easier to use the Reader View with text-to-speech from Read Aloud for various applications. You may also find that for some Web browsing tasks, certain browser/extension combinations are better. One thing is for certain, regardless of the browser you choose, or the extensions you customize it with, the number of out-of-the-box accessibility options on these popular browsers is most welcome!

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

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April 2020 Table of Contents

<i> AccessWorld</i> News

US Department of Labor Announces Recipients of Excellence in Disability Inclusion Awards

The US Department of Labor announced that CVS Health and PepsiCo have received Gold Awards in the department’s inaugural Excellence in Disability Inclusion (EDI) Awards program, which recognizes federal contractors that demonstrate excellence in making their workforce inclusive for people with disabilities.

Sponsored jointly by the department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) and Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), the awards recognize employers that make exemplary efforts in the recruitment, hiring, retention and advancement of individuals with disabilities.

“The US Department of Labor is committed to ensuring America’s workforce is driven by the skills and talents of all people, including people with disabilities,” said US Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia. “During this inaugural year of the Excellence in Disability Inclusion Awards, we celebrate businesses that excel in meeting their responsibilities and exemplify the spirit of inclusion.”

In its review of award nominations, the EDI Awards’ Executive Review Committee recognized CVS Health’s many efforts, including its “Abilities in Abundance” program, which provides training to people with disabilities to compete for a wide range of positions with the organization. Similarly, the committee found “Pepsi Achieving Change Together (PepsiACT),” a formal partnership between Pepsi and Disability Solutions @ Ability Beyond, a US non-profit specializing in corporate disability recruiting programs, to be worthy of top honors.

“America’s employers have the responsibility to treat all qualified job applicants and workers equally and fairly, regardless of disability. Federal contractors are also required to take proactive steps to be disability inclusive,” said Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs Director Craig E. Leen. “The winners of this year’s Excellence in Disability Inclusion Awards make it clear that including people with disabilities is more than a matter of compliance, it is a wise business imperative.”

“CVS Health and PepsiCo have taken proactive and creative steps to optimize the talent in their organizations by addressing common employment barriers people with disabilities face,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy Jennifer Sheehy. “These organizations have made inclusion a core part of their brand and business goals, and provide models for others to emulate.”

In the year ahead, CVS Health and PepsiCo will participate in a “Year of Engagement” program to share their best practices and encourage other employers to adopt them.

ObjectiveEd Announces Free Access for Teachers

ObjectiveEd announced that the company will provide free access to its digital curriculum to schools and teachers to use with their students with vision impairments through the end of the current 2019/2020 school year.

ObjectiveEd’s distance learning help students practice much of the Expanded Core Curriculum, with skill-building games for Orientation and Mobility, Assistive Technology, and Braille Literacy.

For example, students can improve their early braille literacy skills using ObjectiveEd’s Braille Sheets, where you place a sheet of braille on an iPad, and the iPad knows what’s on that sheet, and students play a game that improves their braille skills. ObjectiveEd won the Louis Braille Touch of Genius award for Braille Sheets, as well as awards from the American Council of the Blind.

For advanced braille literacy skills, ObjectiveEd provides Braille AI Tutor, funded by a Microsoft AI for Accessibility grant. As a child reads from their refreshable braille display, they speak as they read. Using speech recognition, Braille AI Tutor listens to their speech, converts it into text, and compares that text to the original sentence sent to the braille display. If they are the same, the child has decoded and read the sentence correctly. This enables a child to practice their braille literacy remotely, between sessions with their itinerant teacher.

ObjectiveEd’s Orientation and Mobility games include building directionality skills, wayfinding skills, audio location and timing skills, sequencing, categorization, identification, and memory.

IAAP Makes Changes to Exams Due to COVID-19

In the interest of the health and safety of everyone IAAP is adjusting its proctor requirements. If you are now working from home and would like to use the privately proctored exam option, IAAP has adjusted who can proctor for Privately Proctored exams. Family members and managers/direct reports can now act as a proctor. Read more on the IAAP Exam Locations and Format webpage.

Due to test center closures, the IAAP is working with Kryterion and with participants to offer Kryterion Online Remote Proctoring from home. IAAP now accepts any installed Web camera and has posted the requirements for Kryterion Online Remote Proctoring and how to test your camera and microphone details.

M-Enabling Conference Postponed to September due to Coronavirus

The M-Enabling Summit leadership team, organizers E.J. Krause & Associates and G3ict, have been monitoring the COVID-19 situation very closely as it has affected many conferences and major events. While the M-Enabling team believes conferences and business events are critical to the development of the accessibility industry, the health and wellness of conference participants is the organization's top priority. After consulting with key stakeholders, the organizers have decided to postpone the M-Enabling Summit to September 14-16, 2020. The organization believes moving the M-Enabling Summit to September is in the best interest of all participants. The summit will proceed as planned with all conference and event activities during the new dates. The venue for the Summit, with the theme of “Digital Inclusion Strategies: A Catalyst for Action,” remains the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel in Arlington, VA.

The 2020 M-Enabling Summit will highlight how organizations can successfully leverage innovative enabling technologies to make their digital workplaces, learning environments and products and services accessible to users of all abilities.

Registration is currently open. Registration will be honored in September for any currently registered participants.

April 2020 Table of Contents

Letters to the Editor

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This message is in reference to Deborah Kendrick's February 2020 article, Simple Sounds: A Review of the Sangean PR-D17 Radio.

Thank you very much for this review, it was very useful. I was unaware of the existence of this radio. I would like to read a comparison between this accessible radio and the MaxiAIDS accessible radio. Is that possible? It would be interesting. I would also like to hear a brief audio demonstration of the settings, navigability, and TTS voice of both radios, if possible in Spanish.

Thanks,

Marcus

April 2020 Table of Contents