Dear AccessWorld readers,

This month, on May 21, AccessWorld will recognize the 9th Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). On the third Thursday in May each year, those of us in the accessibility and inclusion fields recognize the importance of accessibility for all people, regardless of disability. The purpose of GAAD is to inspire people around the world to begin talking, thinking, and learning about Internet, software, mobile, and all digital access and inclusion for people with different disabilities.

GAAD is aimed at the design, development, usability, and related communities who create, shape, fund, inspire, and influence technology and its use. While people may be interested in the idea of making technology accessible and usable by people who live with disabilities, they often do not know how or where to start. Awareness, becoming knowledgeable, is the starting point.

According to the GAAD website:

The idea of a Global Accessibility Awareness Day started with a single blog post written by a Los Angeles-based web developer, Joe Devon. Jennison Asuncion, an accessibility professional from Toronto, discovered Joe’s blog post purely by accident thanks to randomly coming across this tweet from Joe. After reading it, he immediately contacted Joe and they joined forces, leveraging their extensive and respective networks to realize the event.

Watch this interview of GAAD co-founder, Jennison Asuncion, by Dr. Jonathan Hassell.

The world has come a long way since that first Global Accessibility Awareness Day, but there remains a long way to go. Technological specifications and guidelines for developers to follow to create accessible content are more readily available than ever. The challenge is more about educating developers and the general public about the existence of these guidelines and the overall need for, and value of, accessibility and inclusion.

Accessibility and inclusive design create opportunities for two very important building blocks of life, education and employment. Education can lead to employment, employment can lead to financial stability, which can lead to independence, which can lead to the ability to make important life choices and vastly elevate an individual's quality of life.

The AccessWorld team and I encourage you to seek out and participate in GAAD activities this coming May 21. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, these activities will likely be virtual, but they can nonetheless be very impactful. We also encourage you to write to us to share how you, your students, clients, employees, and colleagues celebrated GAAD.

Speaking of the COVID-19 situation, both this month and last month, AccessWorld published virus-related content and resources we hope you found useful. AFB continues to add content to our virtual AFB Leadership Conference page, archiving free webinars that share great information on remote learning and business collaboration technologies, among other topics. Please let us know your thoughts on these resources, because we produce them for you, and we want to make sure we are meeting your needs and expectations.

That's right, we are listening to your comments on all our content and articles, reflecting on your questions about both mainstream and access technology, and hearing your thoughts and opinions on the future of braille and braille technology; video description; conference coverage; television programming access; business and education collaboration tools; accessible gaming; frustrating and inaccessible apps and feature phones; employment-related articles: interviews; and all the good, the bad, and the ugly with all things Windows, Apple, and Android; and much, much more. The AccessWorld staff enjoys and, more importantly, very much appreciates hearing from all of you. Quite often a comment or question from a reader turns into an article that, in turn, provides information to the tens of thousands of readers who visit AccessWorld each month.

As you know, AFB has discontinued support for the AccessWorld app. It has moved to a more mobile-friendly website which, we hope, has provided readers with an improved experience. We have heard both positive and negative comments. I want to make sure readers know that the AccessWorld section of the AFB website remains in transition. While it has transitioned, temporarily, to follow the form of the rest of the AFB website, in the next couple months, AccessWorld will have its own unique look, feel, and features. To accompany these changes, we will be publishing a guide to the new site, describing the changes, and offering tips for efficiently navigating the new layout. We hope you will find an even better user experience, especially when using a mobile device.

My question to each of you is, "How would you like to have AccessWorld’s content expand or change?" Please be thinking about this over the coming weeks and give us your feedback. The best way to provide feedback is to send a letter to the editor.

In addition to thoughts for the future, we are also looking for both quantitative and qualitative feedback on current articles. Right now, I encourage you to use the "Comment on this article" link at the very bottom of each article to provide feedback, positive comments, and, yes, constructive criticism, for our team. You can also use that link to ask specific questions about each article. If you prefer, you can also send an e-mail directly to me.

When you write in, remember that we may choose to publish your letter in the "Letters to the Editor" section of AccessWorld. The staff and I also believe it is important to know who says what. To that end, both first and last names (when available) are published in the "Letters to the Editor" section. If you do not want your name published, just let us know when you write in and we'll refrain from publishing your comments.

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

Sincerely,

Lee Huffman, AccessWorld Editor-in-Chief 

American Foundation for the Blind

May 2020 Table of Contents

Editor's Note: In our April issue, we collected blog posts produced by AccessWorld authors regarding coronavirus resources and information. In this article, we collect those blog posts that were published after the April issue for your convenience. If you would like to read the other content available on AFB's blog, you can find it here.

Tips for Accessing Online Worship During COVID-19, by Jamie Pauls,

For many of us, attending regular religious services is an important part of our lives. Some of us have family or friends who take us to and from church, while others either walk, use public transportation, or avail themselves of transportation provided by their faith community. Some churches, mosques, or synagogues have access to a lot of resources and provide alternative online worship experiences for those who are, for whatever reason, unable to physically attend services. Other smaller institutions, however, have traditionally made much less use of the Internet to provide outreach ministries.

Recent circumstances have caused all places of worship to rethink how they minister to their congregants as well as those who may not engage in regular worship. As blind people, it is important during these times of self-isolation to have the same access to online worship as our sighted counterparts. Below are some considerations that may help.

First, be aware that your church may just be getting their feet wet when it comes to live streaming. My church has posted sermons on Facebook and YouTube for the entire time I've been attending, but they have only started live streaming their services in the past two weeks. I personally find YouTube to be a bit easier to navigate than Facebook, so I have chosen to take advantage of my church's YouTube live stream.

My church also just recently launched a new app. My sighted wife couldn't find the live stream on the church's app, and she confirmed with a friend that it wasn't there at all. Had I tried to use the app first, I might have concluded that there was an accessibility issue with the app when in fact this would not have been the case at all. Don't hesitate to let someone at your church know if you are having trouble accessing their content, but be cognizant of the fact that they may be new to thinking about accessibility. After all, they are not a large company with an engineering staff trained to be aware of the needs of the disabled community.

The church I attend uses Subsplash as the platform for its new online presence, so I will probably want to talk to someone from that company regarding my accessibility concerns rather than my local church staff. Some churches will only use one or two formats such as Facebook and YouTube, while others will offer multiple ways to access their services including their own dedicated app and live stream links on their websites.

There are literally thousands of people providing words of faith and encouragement online during these uncertain times, so a search using words such as "overcoming fear" is bound to provide you with many relevant discussion topics.

Even though you may be physically alone during these tough times, words of encouragement and comfort are only a click away. Remember to share any words of true encouragement with those you care about. They are probably struggling just like you.

Apple Releases COVID-19 App and Website, by Janet Ingber

If you are searching for accurate and accessible information about coronavirus (COVID-19), one option is to use Apple’s new COVID-19 app and website. These were created in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the White House Coronavirus Task Force, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The app and website contain the same information.

The app is free and requires iOS 13.1 or later. At the top of the first screen in the app are logos for Apple and the CDC. Next is a heading, COVID-19 Screening Tool

Under the heading is information about screening. Next is a button labeled Start Screening. Since there is n't a Forms option in the VoiceOver rotor, flick right to get to the button.

The test page has several graphics including a hand and a representation of someone taking their temperature. There is a confusing graphic labeled “checkmark circle fill image.” This is a graphic, not a check box.

Below this graphic is Apple’s disclaimer about using the screening tool. Next are buttons to select whether the test is for you or someone else.

After you make your selection, you are asked a series of questions. For each question, select the button or buttons that best describe your answer. Occasionally, I had to answer a question twice before the app went to the next screen. After the final question, there is a Submit button. A screen with recommendations will load. There is a Done button above the recommendations which will bring you back to the app’s home screen.

The next heading on the home screen is More Information. Under this heading are four categories:

1. About COVID-19: An up-to-date rundown of the virus and its symptoms.
2. What You Can Do: Information about social distancing, isolating from others, and more.
3. COVID-19 Testing: Current guidance on who should be tested and what to expect from test results.
4. Updates from Apple News: Fact-checked resources on the coronavirus.

Each category listing is followed by a button. The button loads a new screen with several sections. For example, the What You Can Do screen has information about washing your hands, social distancing, isolating from others, symptom monitoring, and cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. At the bottom of each section is a Learn More button. The final information on the page is Apple’s Commitment to Privacy.

The Apple COVID-19 website works well when using a screen reader. When using VoiceOver, Forms navigation in the VoiceOver Rotor works here. In addition, the screening test is easily accessible. Find it by either tabbing until you hear “start screening," or use your screen reader's form control command.

Questions and form controls are clearly labeled. As with the app, once the screening test is completed, recommendations are provided.

You will need to scroll down to get to the categories list. After each entry is a Learn More button that when activated, brings up all the information for that category on one screen. Navigate by headings if you do not want to read all the information for the category.

In a time when information overload is common and misinformation is rampant, having an reliable, accessible source for information on the Coronavirus is an invaluable tool.

Using NFB Newsline to Keep up with the latest COVID-19 Information, by Bill Holton

If you are an NFB Newsline subscriber, it’s probably one of your go-to resources for local and international news, TV listings, shopping circulars and weather forecasts and alerts. And if you own an Amazon Echo device, you may have discovered the National Federation Alexa skill. With this skill enabled, you can have Alexa read your favorite newspaper or magazine article by article, add or delete publications from your favorites, change the reading voice and increase or decrease the reading speed.

Now, NFB Newsline has added an additional resource to their “Breaking News” category to help users stay abreast of the latest pandemic news. The "COVID-19 Pandemic Data" is being provided by Johns Hopkins University, one of the leading worldwide resources concerning statistics on this pandemic.

The information is organized into various sections in the COVID-19 data, which you can access by issuing the command: "Alexa, ask National Federation to read favorite 2. The data are broken down by the "Total State Cases," as well as "World Country Data Cases." To further provide specific state or international detail, you can select "States" or "World Regions" in an alphabetical range. According to NFB officials the data is being updated throughout the day with the most recent statistics.

If you are a current Newsline user and wish to start using your Echo to listen to the CPOVID-19 information, or to any of their local, regional, national and international publications, you will need to begin by installing the Alexa skill. Here’s how: Issue these voice commands:

“Alexa open National Federation.” Alexa will start speaking and announce that she does not recognize this device and that you need to log in.

“Alexa ask National Federation to log in.” Now she will walk you through the input of your subscriber codes. You can complete your login using your voice. There is no need to use the smartphone app.

If you are like me, you have stayed auto-logged in to the Newsline app for so long, you’ve lost track of your subscriber number and password. If this is your situation, either call NFB Newsline at 866-504-7300 or send an email to Scott White.

If this is your first time using the Amazon Echo skill, you may wish to start out by listening to a recording of a recent training session. Start playback with the voice command: “Alexa ask National Federation to give me instructions.”

The data is also available through the breaking news “Favorite 1” sections of the NFB Newsline apps and telephone service.

Recently, NFB offered an online training session on using the NFB-NEWSLINE skill with Alexa. During this special event, Scott White shared how to enable the skill and quickly and efficiently read your favorite publications using the Amazon Echo. A replay of the webinar is available here.

NFB Newsline is continuing to accept new subscriber applications, though response time may be slower than usual. Learn more at the NFB Newsline homepage.

Keeping It Clean: Don't Forget Your Technology, by Deborah Kendrick

The Covid19 pandemic has motivated all of us to practice washing our hands and everything around us more than ever, but don’t forget about your technology. The device on which you are reading these words – your smartphone or tablet, braille display or computer – need disinfecting, too.

Phones, in particular, collect all manner of disgusting bacteria because they are with you everywhere. Think about how often You touch your TV remote, magnifiers, pens, desk lamp, scanner, mouse, braille display, and so many other items that are integral parts of your daily work and play routines. All are potential playgrounds for coronavirus droplets or other unwanted germs, and all need habitual disinfecting.

Let’s start with all of the small components of your connected life that have no electronic components. These would be inanimate objects like your pens, magnifiers, slates, styluses, etc. Staying organized was always a good idea, but an even better one now. Keeping all those small items in a box or tray to keep them together will make it easier to find them and clean them, too. Find a box or tray around your home or home office – a bowl or shallow pan from the kitchen will work if you haven’t something trendier. At the end of each work session, grab a few disinfecting wipes. Make sure that the wipes you are using are intended to disinfect.

Wipe each item down carefully, moving it from one side of the box to the other, establishing a system that works for you to be sure all items are cleaned.

If there are other items always on your desk – a lamp, a desk phone, or other equipment – give them a wiping off, too.

Now, let’s talk about those devices you touch constantly and from which you are probably reading these words. These would be your laptop, tablet, smartphone, braille display, mouse, headset, and microphone.

Before you begin, make sure your phone, tablet, braille device, or keyboard is disconnected from all power cords and cables and that the device to be cleaned is turned off.

Do not put any liquid directly on any of your devices.

Isopropyl alcohol is your friend. Disinfecting wipes, such as Clorox or Lysol, that contain alcohol are your friends, too. Spread the wipe out and gently rub the entire surface of your device, taking care to work around the perimeter of any openings. You should not get any moisture whatsoever into any openings such as ports, microphone holes, speaker grills, etc.

If you don’t have wipes, use a cotton swab or lint-free cloth dipped in isopropyl alcohol. Allow the device to dry completely before powering on or connecting to a power source. Isopropyl alcohol dries very rapidly, so a few minutes Is adequate.

If using a cloth, be sure to use one which is lint free,, so that no fiber is left behind. You might also want to consider purchasing a UV sanitizer such as PhoneSoap or similar product. These devices clean your smartphone and other small objects with UV lights; some double as chargers. At this writing, all such products investigated were back—ordered at least six weeks, but you might find it worth the wait.

If these are new habits, consider this: Months from now, chances are that these will be habits we will all embrace and wonder why we waited for the coronavirus to come calling to get cleaning!

Check Out the Food Network’s iOS App for Great Recipes! by Janet Ingber

Now that most are sheltering in place due to the novel coronavirus, our eating and grocery purchasing habbits may have changed, requiring us to learn new recepies. In addition, if you've ever wanted to improve your cooking skills, this time spent at home can be a good time to do so. The Food Network’s iOS app can be a very useful resource, especially if you want to cook some new dishes, cook with your kids, or learn how to bake from scratch. This free app has a wealth of content.

The Food Network Kitchen app is free and Requires iOS 11 or later. The app is compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. It is also compatible with Apple TV.

If you would like to download from the app store directly, enter “Food Network” into the App Store’s search box. The correct result is “Food Network Kitchen.”

When you select the app on your device, VoiceOver will say, “Food Network.” When opened for the first time, there is a welcome screen with a “Get Started” button. This button leads to a new screen where you can create an account. Since the account is free and it lets you save recipes, I recommend signing up. There are several ways to do this including: using your email address, using Facebook credentials, or using Sign in with Apple. Once you sign up, Food Network will ask whether they can send notifications. They do not bombard you but do send a daily recipe.

The app’s home screen has five tabs on the bottom: Explore, Classes, Recipes, Shows, and Profile. It also has a search box labeled, “What are you looking for?” Double tap on the box and enter your query. The Recipes tab also has a search option.

There is a Saves button at the upper left. Activating the button loads a list of recipes, videos, and recipe collections that you have saved. Content can be sorted alphabetically (A to Z) or newest first. There are radio buttons for choosing content you wish to view.

Further down the page are recipes and information about live classes. These classes do require a subscription. The Classes tab has more information about live classes plus an option to start your free trial.

The Recipes tab has an extensive list of recipes including Quick & Easy, Slow Cooker, Chicken, and Cooking with Kids. Below each category is a Save button to save all recipes in the category. Selecting a category will bring up a list of recipes. Double tap on the one you want. I selected the Bread category and got 166 results. Fortunately, there is a Search Filter under the category name.

The Chefs tab has videos of Food Network chefs cooking. The listing includes how many recipes are on the video.

The Profile tab is used to change app settings. The next item on the page is Recently Saved. Next is an All Saves button and below that is the listing of your most recently saved recipes. Activate the All Saves button to bring up a list of all your saved content.

Recipes all appear in a basic format. At the top of the page are buttons to share and save the recipe. Next is the rating and a button to read reviews. This is followed by basic information about the recipe and ingredients. Finally, there are instructions for making the recipe. Some recipes also have accompanying videos.

Considering the number of recipes and other content the Food Network has available, this app should provide plenty of options for the homebound chefs among us.

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

Comment on this article.

May 2020 Table of Contents

Bill Holton

Disclaimer: We offer this and other Vision Tech articles as brief snapshots into the groundbreaking investigations and research currently underway to save, preserve, and restore vision. The information in these articles is not medical advice, and the treatments covered are not endorsed by the author, AccessWorld, or AFB. Whenever possible we offer links so you can further pursue the subject if you like, but such links should not be considered solicitations. AFB is not in the position to offer further information or direction.

If someone asked you, “What is the connection between your eye and your teeth?” you would likely chew things over for a second or two, then reply, “Well, I do have two eyeteeth.” This may be true, albeit no one knows for sure how those teeth, also called canines, received their ocular moniker. Some say it’s because these teeth are positioned directly beneath your eyes. Others insist the reason is that these teeth have extremely long roots, extending nearly all the way to your orbs.

These aren’t the only interesting connections between teeth and eyes. For example, five years ago researchers at the Pittsburgh University School of Medicine demonstrated that it’s possible to turn stem cells obtained from the dental pulp of extracted teeth into the specialized cells that keep corneas healthy and free of blinding scars caused by illness or injury. These preliminary studies anticipate a day when corneal damage can be repaired using the patient’s own body tissue—especially helpful when a transplanted cornea is rejected by the recipient or in places where there is a shortage of donated corneas.

Here are two more connections between teeth and eyes for you to chew on.

A First Bite

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in people age 65 and older. Currently, an estimated13 million people in the US suffer from AMD, and the problem is expected to grow as the population ages. One large study found that people in middle age have about a 2 percent risk of developing AMD but by age 75 this risk increases to nearly 30 percent.

The most common type of macular degeneration is the early or “dry” form of the disease. It occurs when tiny, yellow cholesterol-rich deposits called soft drusen build up between the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells and the underlying layer of blood vessels. Drusen block the retina’s ability to rid itself of waste products and to receive essential nutrients from the underlying blood supply. “In wet AMD there is an over proliferation of blood vessels,” says Graeme Wistow, chief of the National Eye Institute’s Section on Molecular Structure and Functional Genomics. “In dry AMD it seems to be the opposite. There is evidence that blood vessels under the retinal epithelium seem to be withering and shriveling in the same areas where people develop dry AMD.”

Without adequate nourishment from a healthy blood supply over time the rods and cones that enable us to see begin to weaken and die. This is a particular problem in the central part of the retina, the cone-rich macula. As cones die, straight-ahead vision begins to dim and fail. Eventually the disease reaches a tipping point and further vision loss can be both sudden and dramatic. It’s not uncommon for a patient to go from 20-20 to legally blind in less than six months. In 20 percent of cases the disease will progress to the even more damaging “wet” form, which can lead to near total blindness. Recently, researchers discovered a calcium-containing mineral compound called hydroxyapatite (HAP) associated with cholesterol in soft drusen in dry AMD. They theorized that these spherules are produced as a reaction to stress in the RPE cells. To test this theory Wistow and fellow researchers grew human RPE cells in a cell culture. They then stressed the cells by withholding nourishment. After nine days the stressed RPE cells responded by depositing HAP, and expressing a protein called amelotin, which spurred mineralization of the HAP’s calcium. When expression of amelotin was blocked, so was the accumulation of HAP. When they looked at samples from human donor eyes, they found amelotin in drusen from patients with dry AMD, but not in normal eyes or those with wet AMD.

The expression of amelotin in dry AMD was a complete surprise. ”Most of the existing research on amelotin is on teeth,” says Wistow. “It turns out amelotin is responsible for creating the hard, shiny, outermost layer of tooth enamel.”

The gene that prompts the production of amelotin is found in every cell of the body, but it usually only expresses itself in teeth. Which left Wistow and other researchers wondering, “What if we could block amelotin in retinal cells?”

Wistow and others now plan to experiment with compounds that can block production or function of amelotin, either throughout the body or within the eye only. They have created a line of mice that express amelotin in RPE to aid in their research.

“We have a lot of questions,” says Wistow. “At this point we can’t even say for sure if the amelotin, HAP, and cholesterol actually cause dry AMD, or they are merely a symptom. For all we know, it may turn out they are the body’s last ditch defense to battle some other, more elusive mechanism that’s actually causing the disease. Even if that turns out to be the case, at the very least we will be lead to new and exciting, and potentially more productive future lines of research.”

An Eyetooth for an Eye?

Modified Osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis MOOKP for short, is a rare procedure used to treat the most profound cases of corneal burns, scarring, and other damage. The procedure was pioneered by Italian ophthalmic surgeon Professor Benedetto Strampelli in the early 1960s, before the current corneal transplant surgery was widely available. It's still used in rare cases today, however, primarily when standard transplants don’t work.

There are two chief reasons why a donor cornea transplant might fail. The first is because the eye is so damaged it no longer produces the tears necessary to keep the new tissue adequately lubricated. Tissue rejection is also possible, at which time it may be worth making a last ditch effort to restore sight.

The MOOKP surgery is a two-step procedure that takes place over a period of several months. First, a surgeon extracts one of the patient’s teeth. An eyetooth is usually chosen, because it has the longest roots. Root tissue is required for the procedure, along with the periosteum, which is the fibrous layer of collagen and nerve fibers that covers bone tissue. Meanwhile, during the same operation, a second surgery scrapes away the scar tissue from one of the patient’s corneas and often covers the cleaned surface with tissue taken from the inside of the cheek.

Next, the tooth is carved into a smaller, thinner shape and a hole is drilled into the center. The hole is filled with a plastic cylinder, which is destined to be the patient’s new lens. The prosthetic, often called a bio-integrated prosthetic unit, is sewn into the patient’s inner cheek, where it is left for up to four months. During this time the prosthetic becomes surrounded by new blood vessels, providing the circulation it will need to survive the final step.

Finally, the prosthetic is removed from the cheek, a hole is made in the opaque, rebuilt cornea, and the new lens, surrounded by compatible bone tissue, is sewn in place. When the surgery works, partial and even complete vision is restored almost immediately. Long-term success rates approach 70 percent.

The surgery is more commonly performed in Europe than here in the US. Indeed, the only successful case I could find mentioned online was the very first such operation that took place in the US back in 2009. Then 60 year-old Mississippi grandmother Sharon Thornton had been blind for nearly a decade due to Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a rare disease that destroys skin and corneal cells. Her cornea was too scarred for a transplant and stem cell therapy failed. However after receiving MOOKP her vision improved to 20/70.

Meanwhile, also in 2009, British builder Martin Jones regained full 20/20 vision after 12 years of blindness caused by a tub of white hot scrapyard aluminum exploding in his face. "The doctors took the bandages off and it was like looking through water and then I saw this figure and it was her,” he explained to the Telegraph about seeing his wife, whom he had met after he was blinded. “She's wonderful and lovely. It was unbelievable to see her for the first time.”

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

Comment on this article.

Related articles:

• Vision Tech: Corneal Clarity by Bill Holton
• Vision Tech: Several Gene Therapies for Blindness Reach Clinical Trials

More by this author:

• Book Review: Windows Keyboard Power User Guide, by Dean Martineau
• Taking Care of Business with Two Blind Brothers

May 2020 Table of Contents

Deborah Kendrick

An observation I made decades ago was that many people with visual impairments needed to take a patchwork approach to employment. Someone who was good with numbers but hadn't yet been successful finding full-time employment, for example, could tutor some high school kids, complete and file income tax returns for people less inclined to do their own, and maybe pick up a part-time assignment doing the pay roll for a small business. They might even pick up a bit of business providing financial planning advice.

This kind of approach is especially common for artists. If your most notable skill is in writing a poem, playing the clarinet, or making a beautiful ceramic pot, piecing together several small jobs might provide a sustainable path to generating income while still doing the work you love.

What happens then, I wondered in late March 2020, if you are one of those self-employed artists with multiple part-time, seasonal, or inconsistent income streams, and the coronavirus pandemic sends everyone scurrying into isolation?

It just happened that I was wondering about these things when I received an email from AccessWorld reader Audrey Joy Levine.

A self-employed musician, Audrey’s schedule is typical of that hodgepodge approach known to so many self-employed artists, blind or sighted. Through a business she and a friend created over a decade ago, Futura Enterprises, she was working with middle school and high school students with an already established talent to fine-tune their skills and enhance their professional options. She was working with seniors in her community, teaching simple chords and scales and music theory. She was a performing artist, playing piano and singing. All of that, as she wrote to me, “came to a screeching halt two weeks ago.”

That marker in time, of course, was the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US. Audrey lives and works in New York City, currently the very hottest of hotbeds of the pandemic.

As she summed it up in her message to me, just prior to the necessity for all of us to isolate ourselves, “I had a job with the Community Center in the complex where I live; I was teaching music to kids, seniors, running sing-alongs. … I had a night gig at a steakhouse, where I took song requests and got folks dancing in the aisle.”

And then, all of it stopped.

Audrey’s message, of course, prompted two questions: First, how does a blind person establish this combination of employment opportunities and, second, what will she do now that she is unable to go to any of the people and places where she worked?

Always Music?

Raised in her earliest years by a single mom, Audrey Joy Levine describes her childhood as idyllic. Her mother loved her and her extended family did, too. Her grandfather noticed her eyes weren’t following a finger movement when she was only six weeks old, and she was diagnosed early as having retinitis pigmentosa. Her mom was dating someone who made braille blocks when Audrey was only two years old, so her braille instruction began. When she was three, her mom introduced her to those little magnets shaped like the letters of the alphabet, so she learned her print letters as well.

When her grandfather asked for Hanukkah gift ideas, Audrey’s mom suggested a toy piano. Thus, even before she was in school, Audrey’s lifelong love of music began. When it was time for school, she was enrolled in a public school, and learned braille and all the other necessary skills a blind child needs from a teacher who traveled from school to school throughout Nassau County. All of those kids, about 20 of them, were assembled from time to time for field trips and celebrations, so Audrey sometimes had exposure to other blind kids. (One of those kids, incidentally, when she was twelve or thirteen and going to Hebrew School in preparation for her bat mitzvah was AccessWorld’s own Jay Leventhal.) When Audrey was in the second grade, her teacher asked all of the kids what special wish they might have. Audrey's leading wish was not for eyesight, but for a daddy and a piano. She wasn’t talking about the toy on which she could play just about anything by ear, but a real piano with 88 keys!

The newspaper picked up on and published that little girl’s request. It just happened that the editor’s brother owned Jack Kahn’s Music, a renowned music store in New York, and Audrey’s mother received a call from Jack himself. “Don’t take anyone else’s crap,” Jack Kahn told her mother, as the family story goes. He himself was selecting the right piano for little Audrey, he informed her mother, and before long, it was delivered. (Audrey also got her other wish, when her mother eventually remarried and gave Audrey a father she adores.)

Music and Business

Eventually, Audrey took piano lessons at the Lighthouse for the Blind in New York. There she added to her already solid foundation in literary braille by becoming fluent in reading and writing braille music notation. When it came time for college, music was an obvious choice. “But in my family,” she explains, “music wasn’t enough. To be prepared for a career, I needed to find a college that emphasized both music and business.”

Her first college was Hofstra University. After so many weekends of traveling with friends to Greenwich Village, however, she eventually transferred to New York University, and graduated from that school in 1981 as a member of their first music business class. In addition to that undergraduate degree, she ultimately earned a master’s degree in performing arts administration.

Teaching and Performing

For the next several years, Audrey taught in a variety of schools and other programs throughout the New York area. Along the way she became licensed to teach and earned a master's in performance (“just by giving a recital”) in 1997. Some of her teaching was in special education and sometimes it was in nonprofit sectors such as at the Boys and Girls Club. Always, it was about sharing the joy of music with young people.

She and her now business partner, Kalvin Stevens, kept running into one another and ultimately formed their business, Futura Enterprises. They work with young professionals, Audrey coaching them to improve and enhance their musical talent and Kalvin guiding them toward a more marketable visual image. Futura Enterprises also organizes parties and events, for which she says Kalvin does the organizational part and she does the schmoozing!

Essential Tools

Although Audrey’s work and routines had come, as she said, “to a screeching halt” when I spoke with her, she was by no means despondent or distressed. She and Kalvin were hunkering down in her New York apartment, strategizing future plans, researching grant possibilities, and staying busy. Semi-retired since 2008, her financial shift is not dire. Audrey has the same baby grand piano she has had since 1975, and works out new songs every day. She is taking a song-writing course and has obtained an agent for marketing herself as a voiceover talent.

Braille music has been at the center of all her work for almost as long as she can remember, and she is proud that she has built personal relationships with NLS Music Section directors and had the opportunity to influence the choices made there about the braille music to be produced. NLS patrons who find Carole King, Broadway musicals, and Motown hits in the musical literature available in braille from NLS might be feeling some reverberation of the vocal opinions stated without hesitation by Audrey Levine to NLS music staff over the years.

In addition to braille music, other essential tools are her Windows-based PC, her HIMS Braille Sense U2 Mini, MAC laptop, APH Refreshabraille display, her iPhone and, of course, her piano. For her restaurant performances, she uses a Casio keyboard with mic input.

Audrey Joy Levine’s love of music has carried her into a wide variety of work experiences and even though she, like the rest of us, is looking at an uncertain length of time of remaining at home, she is using the same skills she always has to keep generating opportunities. She’s wiping down the banister as she walks up and down eleven flights in her building each morning, and then riding her exercise bike “to nowhere and back for a while.” She doesn’t hesitate to call upon people she knows or those who are, as they say, friends of friends. She is outgoing and confident. She says her musical repertoire is currently about 500 songs and that she can play any song in any key. Her best talent, however, and the one to be noted by those blind people aspiring to assemble similar artistic careers, might arguably be her fervent belief in herself.

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

Comment on this article.

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May 2020 Table of Contents

J.J. Meddaugh

Crossword puzzles have been a staple of American mornings for more than a century, with the first puzzle appearing in a December, 1913 issue of the New York World newspaper. They can be one of the most stimulating mental exercises, stretching the mind to ascertain esoteric answers and rare pop culture references. Until recently, however, these puzzles were largely unreadable by screen readers and other accessibility tools, leaving people with visual impairments to rely on others in order to participate. The American Printing House for the Blind (APH), as a part of their increasing focus on free Web apps and tools, now offers a way to play these timeless puzzles at the same time as everyone else.

APH Crossword is a web-based game that allows users to play the same puzzles found in the largest daily newspapers, as well as many more from a variety of sources. Crossword is a web app, meaning it runs entirely inside your browser of choice, much like Google Docs or Office 365. To start, simply visit the Crossword website in your browser of choice. It's designed to work with screen readers, and many features have been included to make puzzles easier to navigate and explore.

The Basics of Crosswords

For those readers who may have never encountered a crossword puzzle, it may be helpful to explain the basic concepts. A crossword puzzle features a set of spaces on a grid, typically, a 15 by 15 square. Words are formed by filling in letters across (from left to right), and down (from top to bottom). The puzzle gets its name because many of the words cross each other.

In order to determine which words fit in the grid, each puzzle includes a set of clues that you use to guess the word or phrase. A recent Wall Street Journal puzzle, for example, included the clue, "Take flight to unite (5)" as the clue for 1 Across. The 5 tells you the number of letters in the answer, which happens to be "elope." Connected to the first E in "elope" is 1 Down, the clue for which is: "fair (4)." The correct answer is "expo." Other letters in "elope" and "expo" connect to more clues in the puzzle, making it easier to fill in the blanks as you determine possible answers. If you're a bit confused, don't worry, as the concept often becomes clearer after doing your first puzzle.

Starting the Game

After loading the Crossword website, you will be presented with one of the built-in puzzles to solve. APH has created over 90 puzzles intended for middle and high school students in a variety of subjects. Some of these certainly may be a challenge to some, and they can also be a good way to explore and understand the app. If you're using a screen reader, you will want to turn on your browser's mode for interacting with pages, such as Focus Mode in NVDA or Forms Mode in JAWS.

While in the app, you can press Tab to move through the available parts of the game. The first item is an Options menu, which lets you load puzzles and set various game settings. More on that in a second. Pressing Tab again will put you in the list of available puzzles, including the educational puzzles mentioned above and any puzzles you may have loaded previously. Use your Arrow keys to select a puzzle and then press Tab to move to the puzzle itself.

Once you are in the puzzle proper, the first list you will encounter is the Across clues, typically starting with 1 Across. Use your Arrow keys to move between the clues in the puzzle. As explained above, each clue also gives the number of letters in the answer.

There are two ways to move into the puzzle. You can press Tab again from the list of Across clues to move your focus into the puzzle grid. Or, perhaps more intuitively, you can press Enter on any of the clues to move your cursor to the location in the puzzle corresponding to the clue. When in the puzzle itself, pressing Tab one final time will move you to the list of Down clues for the puzzle. So essentially, you will be moving among the two lists of clues (Across and Down) and the puzzle itself in order to solve it.

At this point, it's worth moving focus to the grid to understand how crossword puzzles are laid out and how the app indicates the various items on the grid. Each square where you can type a letter is indicated by either hearing silence from your screen reader, or perhaps a placeholder such as "cell." Spaces where letters cannot be typed are indicated by the text "black space," which is also visually how this looks in the puzzle. By arrowing around the grid, you can hear how the various clues connect to each other in the layout of the puzzle. If you find one of the edges of the puzzle, a short click sound will play.

Let's illustrate this a bit further by giving an example. Follow along if you wish. I moved to the list of puzzles and selected "10th Grade Cooking" from the list. I pressed Tab and was placed on the first clue for the puzzle, which happens to be 1, Across: "An appliance where food is stored and kept cold (12)". Pressing Enter on this clue will put us at the first square of the answer, which we now know is 12 letters. Since I know a bit about food, I'm able to type in the answer, "refrigerator." Crossword plays a short beep when I type in the last letter of the answer so I know the answer is complete. You may notice that Crossword will speak the contents of the boxes as you land on them. There was a box labeled "2" and another labeled "3." These numbers refer to additional clues in the puzzle, in this case, Down clues. I can press Left Arrow to explore adjacent clues. Pressing the Left Arrow key once after typing in "refrigerator," moves the cursor back to the letter O, which also speaks the number "3." Press Enter on this box to hear the clue for 3 Down. This clue is then spoken: "Lets the cook know when the meal is ready (9)". Since this clue is connected to our answer of refrigerator, we now know that the answer is 9 letters and begins with O. As more answers are discovered, you will encounter words with many, or even all of, their letters filled in. Part of the beauty of crossword puzzles is that you don't need to know every answer and can use previous clues to help you solve more of the puzzle. You can move between the grid and the clue lists at will, and it’s recommended you do this to quickly explore the puzzle.

More Features

Most of the additional features for Crossword live in the Options menu. You can find this menu by pressing Tab or Shift + Tab until you hear "Options Menu." Press Enter to browse the various choices in this menu.

The first three options allow you to load puzzles from various sources. Puzzles, many of which are free, are available through the Web, with most using the .PUZ file format, a standard for puzzle makers. The website Crossword Fiend is one such resource for puzzles. Please note that not all puzzles on this page are in the .PUZ format. I have tested and played the Wall Street Journal puzzles, which are published six days a week. You can either download the .PUZ file and open it from your computer, or choose the "Open from Web" option and paste in a website URL of a puzzle that is online. There is another option in the menu for specifically loading New York Times puzzles. These are often seen as some of the toughest in the industry, especially the Saturday puzzle. You will need a subscription to access these puzzles, which includes archives going back over two decades.

Many of the remaining options allow you to check your answers as you type, or check the entire solution of the puzzle. These are also available using keyboard shortcuts, which vary depending on your operating system. For example, Windows users can press Alt + Shift + W to check the current word that has focus in the grid. You can also use Alt + Shift + L to check the current letter, or Alt + Shift + P to check the entire solution. You will either hear a ding or a buzz sound to indicate if the letter, word, or puzzle is correct or incorrect. The program will not give you the correct answer. You can also press Alt + Shift + S to toggle a mode that will let you know of incorrect letters as you arrow around the puzzle. These features are a nice way to check your work, though many purists, including myself, believe that much of the fun of crossword puzzles is to figure out the solution with as little help as possible, so may opt to wait until the very end to check a solution.

The last set of options allows you to reset the puzzle by clearing all of the answers and to view the User Guide and About information. As is typical with APH products, the online manual is very detailed and includes a variety of tips and tricks for using the program. Of particular interest are some tips for working with specific screen readers to optimize the program.

Some Additional Notes

Crossword was initially designed for PC users, but now also works on mobile devices. The interface is streamlined, and will show one clue at a time with options to move between clues and around the grid. I personally find programs like this work best on a computer due to their inclusion of more keyboard shortcuts and the ability to easily move through the clue list. But for those moments where you need to kill some time on the subway or bus, the mobile option is a nice addition.

Some users, especially those using JAWS, have noticed a bit of lag when navigating the app, especially when moving from the grid to the list of Down clues. If you experience this, you may consider trying another screen reader or browser to see if this improves navigation. Screen readers are often still adapting to working with modern and more complex Web apps, so your mileage may vary.

Finally, crossword clues can be tricky beasts, and you can choose to finish puzzles in a variety of ways. For me, I would rather not look up answers as this takes away much of the fun of the puzzles, but will use Google to sometimes verify spellings or to learn about an answer once it has been entered. There are online crossword dictionaries and solvers that are available, and you can choose to use these resources as you see fit.

Suggestions for the Future

I've seen the Crossword app grow quite a bit since the first version in 2018, and find the puzzle-solving experience quite enjoyable. There are naturally some things that would make the program even better. In a typical puzzle, there are often more than 60 or 70 clues to answer. Once most of the clues have been solved, it would be great to press a key to get a list of unsolved clues, or perhaps move to the next or previous unsolved clue. Other navigation features, such as a way to type in a number to jump directly to a clue or a search function for known clue text, would make the game more efficient. Finally, a way to save progress on a game and send it to someone else, or a multiplayer mode would be a dream feature that would bring this program to the next level. It's worth noting that your puzzle progress is saved currently and will be reloaded if you use the same browser in the future. These are all just ideas to make the game even better, and do not detract from the current experience.

The Bottom Line

If you are stuck at home, or are seeking a challenging mental exercise, Crossword may just be the app for you. It's completely free and there are plenty of puzzles to keep you busy. You can even create your own puzzles for others to try out. APH should be commended for a well-thought-out experience and their willingness to incorporate user feedback. Now I'm off to figure out the answer to 19 Across, "Muffin morsel (3)".

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

Comment on this article.

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May 2020 Table of Contents

Jamie Pauls

Several years ago when I was host of ACB Radio’s Main Menu program, I interviewed Philip Bennefall of Blast Bay Studios about a new side-scroller game entitled Q9 Action Game. In this game, an Alien named Q9 has crashed his spaceship on Earth and somehow become separated from it. You must guide Q9 through a series of adventures in order to reunite him with his spacecraft. I recall spending several hours playing this title, but after a while I put it aside and didn’t think much about it again.

More recently, Hartgen Consultancy included Q9 Action Game along with several other games in its Leasey product—a series of JAWS scripts that the company’s founder, Brian Hartgen, has developed that add an incredible amount of power to the JAWS screen reader. At a cost of £50.00/$63 for the Leasey Total package or £35.00/$43 for Leasey Advanced, the inclusion of Q9 is a deal that is hard to argue with. Hartgen Consultancy owns the rights to Q9, so you will not be able to access the game outside the Leasey suite.

Playing Q9

First, you can only play this game on the Windows platform. Second, although the game is basically self-voicing, the JAWS screen reader needs to be running in order for the game to work. It's not possible to play the game using another screen reader such as NVDA or Narrator. That being said, after you have launched the game, you can unload JAWS and the game will still function. Finally, there are no graphics in the game so everything is audio-based. You will need a pair of stereo headphones to take full advantage of the excellent sounds and original orchestral score found within the game.

From the game’s main menu, you are able to start a new game, load your last played game, play the game in survival mode with only one life instead of multiple lives, test your speakers, view your high scores, learn game sounds, and exit. There is a Register option, but I wasn't sure what the point was since I already owned the game. I wasn’t brave enough to test the registration option; I didn’t want to risk messing up my copy of the game.

In Q9, our feisty little alien must traverse various worlds with multiple levels in each world. You guide him through each world using your right and left Arrow keys. Right moves Q9 forward, Left moves him backward. Adding the Control key to either Arrow key allows Q9 to run instead of walk. It's possible to press and hold an Arrow key to walk or run without needing to hit the key multiple times. It's possible to change direction very quickly, thereby spinning around in the game. Pressing the Up Arrow key causes Q9 to jump up for a few seconds. You must then hit your Left or Right Arrow key multiple times to make him jump. Q9 has a club to kill various attackers that get in his way. He also owns a slingshot, and he can collect rocks along the way. Finally, he has a Deus shield, which allows him to both defend himself against enemies and weaken them at the same time. A press of the Spacebar activates Q9’s chosen weapon. Along with extra lives, extra strength, and extra points, you can collect additional Deus shields and rocks throughout the game. These bonus items come in the form of blips that you must catch before they fall to Earth and shatter. The documentation states that there is a fourth weapon, but I have yet to complete the game and find it. Even on the easiest level, this game is delightfully difficult to play! You can switch weapons quickly in the game by either pressing number keys at the top of your keyboard or cycling among weapons with the Alt key.

Hear the amount of ammunition available to your selected weapon by pressing the letter A. The letter H gives you Q9’s current health, and S tells you your current game score. Find out how many lives Q9 has left with the letter L. (I was amused during one round of game play to learn that Q9 had nine lives.) Page Up and Down let you adjust the volume of the background music. P pauses and resumes game play, and Escape ends a current game.

The “Learn Game Sounds" option in Q9 is especially nice, as it plays the game sounds on a loop until you manually stop the playback. This lets you get a real feel for the various sounds you will encounter in game play.

The game has four difficulty levels ranging from Easy to Insane. I especially like the fact that even the easy level provides a true challenge.

Level 1: The Jungle World

The game begins with Q9 walking through a jungle. His footfalls are in what sounds to my ear like tall grass. Birds and other sounds, along with the excellent musical score, give the game a truly immersive feel. As Q9 moves forward through this first world, he will encounter gorillas. They are slow and don’t hurt him much. A good whack or two with his club will take them out. The Leopards Q9 encounters in the Jungle World are a bit harder to take down.

From time to time, Q9 encounters pits that he must jump across. The sound of howling winds and Q9’s feet walking in mud alert you to the presence of these pits. If Q9 falls into a pit, he loses a life. If he loses all his lives, the game is over!

Finally, Q9 will encounter rhinos in the jungle world. If a rhinoceros hits Q9, he loses health. To avoid being hit, he must jump over them.

The sounds of all these animals are quite well done, and it's a joy to encounter and defeat them.

Occasionally, Q9 will encounter “fortune fields.” These distinct-sounding areas of energy will either increase or decrease his strength if he passes through them.Q9 can take his chances or jump the field thereby avoiding it altogether. Other creatures in the game are also affected by the fields, so it's possible to let Q9 stand near one for a bit and see what happens to his enemies.

The end of every level found in the various worlds is signified by a bell sound that indicates a portal. I will describe this as a “sparkling” or “shimmering” sound. You may think of a better descriptor when you play the game.

Between levels 2 and 3 in almost every world are bonus rounds where Q9 can collect ammunition, lives, strength, and everything else available in the game. He has 30 seconds to listen for the blips and run to the various collectible objects before he falls through a waterfall to the next level of his current world.

Level 2: The Cave World

Next, Q9 must make his way through the Cave World. Here it sounds like he walks on a hard surface, and you can hear the echo of the cave. Dripping water adds to the effect. In this world, bats plague Q9 from time to time. If he ignores them, you will have more difficulty hearing approaching enemies. It’s best to have Q9 jump up and club them. Be careful though, because they can hurt him and he will lose health if he gets bitten.

Along with the already familiar gorillas, Q9 will encounter bears in the cave. They are dangerous. Either use a slingshot or Deus shield to kill them.

Level 3: The Mountain World

Q9 walks on snow in this world. Along with bears, Q9 will encounter packs of wolves in the mountains. When wolves surround Q9 it can be difficult to neutralize them without incurring damage. Finally, boars show up in the mountain world. Q9 can kill them with one strike of his club, or he can simply jump over them.

Level 4: The Death World

In the death world, Q9 confronts every enemy he has faced in previous worlds along with one other foe—demons. These demons can teleport to different areas, so Q9 can find himself surrounded by wolves and demons. Add a bear or two along with a charging rhino, and Q9 may just lose a life!

The Boss Level

What is any good game without a “boss” level, right? Who is the Boss in this game and how does it end? Now what would be the point of my giving you too much information? You will need to play the game to find out. To be perfectly honest, so will I. It has been many years since I successfully completed the game, and I haven’t been able to do so during the course of this review. I plan to keep trying!

The Bottom Line

I had a lot of fun traveling down memory lane with my little pal Q9 as I was replaying this game. The voice acting, sound effects, and music are all top quality. Commands are simple, and the plot, while also simple, is engaging.

I found that JAWS occasionally conflicted with game commands, thereby causing some sluggish responsiveness when playing. Setting JAWS to Speech On Demand helped, but I sometimes needed to either restart JAWS or the game to make things right. Using another strategy, once the game was loaded, I completely unloaded JAWS and was able to play the game with no problem. Once I exited the game, I restarted JAWS again. I have alerted Brian Hartgen to these issues and he will take a look at them. Keep in mind that the game is several years old and no longer in active development, so those issues may simply be the price paid for playing a “vintage” game.

Although there are mild instances of profanity, I don’t believe either the language or scenes of violence are sufficient to detract most people from playing the game.

I will review the latest version of Leasey in a future article, but if you have the scripts on your computer and feel like playing some of the games the suite of applications has to offer, I would definitely recommend Q9 Action Game as one of the titles you should consider.

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

Comment on this article.

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May 2020 Table of Contents

AFB Leadership Conference Being Hosted Virtually, First Webinar Available

Due to the Coronavirus, we have moved our AFB Leadership Conference online. Many of the presentations that would have been presented live at the conference, will now be presented online. These virtual sessions are available to everyone, not only those who registered for the physical, in-person conference. To learn more, visit our Virtual AFB Leadership Conference webpage.

The first session from our Virtual AFB Leadership Conference is now available.

We’re so grateful to Dr. Rachael Sessler Trinkowsky for providing our first session, Remote Instruction and Services for Blind and Low Vision Participants, and for sharing her expertise on providing remote instruction to students who are blind or low vision—a critical topic now that so many schools and organizations are moving their classes online.

The webinar, transcript, presentation slides, and related resources are available on the Virtual AFB Leadership Conference website.

Topics include:

• The pros and cons of four different remote software programs for remote instruction and services for people with vision loss.
• Three advantages and three disadvantages of remote instruction for people with vision loss.
• Three recommended tools and methods for implementing remote instruction for people with vision loss.

Subscribe to the AFB YouTube channel to stay up-to-date on webinars as they become available. The second presentation, Inclusive Remote Work Environments, is coming soon.

Also bookmark our Virtual AFB Leadership Conference website, as we are updating it when new content becomes available.

Austin Lighthouse Shifts Production to Support Those Battling COVID-19

Austin Lighthouse for the Blind—a nonprofit that has been assisting people in building or restoring their independence through skills training and employment opportunities since 1934—has responded to the urgent need for products that help combat COVID-19. To answer a surge in demand on products they manufacture, including hand sanitizers and soaps for brands including Purell, the organization has increased production and shipping lines, tripled employee count on those lines, hired 20 additional temporary workers and invested in over $100,000 in additional equipment at their facilities, which total 1 million square feet. Austin Lighthouse has scaled to serve.

“We have a manufacturing and warehousing and distribution center that is making and shipping products people need right now during this global pandemic—an immense point of pride for our workers and the people of Austin,” Jim Meehan, CEO of Austin Lighthouse, said. “At a time when many are being furloughed or are having to seek new careers, we are grateful to be hiring and increasing service of our local and federal governments as well as commercial brands like Purell, which are keeping so many safe in the face of this health crisis.”

Now operating with 50 percent longer days, seven days a week, as an essential business with an essential critical infrastructure workforce as designated by the state and federal governments, Austin Lighthouse has dramatically increased production—which includes products ranging from sanitization to uniforms and body armor. Austin Lighthouse is accomplishing all of this while safeguarding the health and safety of their employees through social distancing, enhanced sanitation protocols, shift changes, and installation of ultraviolet lights among other tactics.

Meehan asserts their workforce is every bit as capable as that of any other high-level manufacturing operation—perhaps more so thanks to their unique skillsets and adaptability. He attributes their ability to adapt and scale to their cross-training program and the commitment of their workers. Over half of their employees are legally blind or have other visual impairments.

Since 1934, Austin Lighthouse for the Blind has helped serve the needs of the blind and visually impaired individuals in Travis County through training, education, and community outreach. More than 53 percent of their employees are visually impaired. In partnership with its statewide and national network of community rehabilitation partners (CRPs)—private, usually nonprofit, programs that provide rehabilitation service to individuals with disabilities—and key investments in technology and training, Austin Lighthouse is employing more Texans with visual impairments than ever at a time when 26 million have sought US jobless aid (1.3 million in Texas since mid-March).

Austin Lighthouse has maintained full employment—and has grown its workforce. One contract has increased over 330 percent in the past eight weeks alone, creating even more jobs for Texans with visual impairments, which is at the heart of their mission.

“At a time when the resilience and adaptability of Austin and our business community are being tested, this manufacturing deal and growth in production demand for Austin Lighthouse is not only symbolic of our resolve to serve but it is also a beacon of hope for us all,” Laura Huffman, president and CEO of Austin Chamber of Commerce, said.

Travis Association for the Blind (aka Austin Lighthouse), headquartered in Austin, Texas, has been serving the needs of the blind and visually impaired community of Travis County and surrounding areas since 1934. The Lighthouse’s mission is to enhance the opportunities for economic and personal independence of people who are blind or visually impaired by creating, sustaining and improving employment.

A 501(c3) nonprofit organization, the Lighthouse does this in several different settings, including warehousing and distribution facilities, manufacturing and repair facilities, assembly operations, bottling operations, custodial, retail, and vending operations. By leveraging technology and automation, the Lighthouse employs over 240 people who are legally blind to make the products and provide the services required by their customers. The Lighthouse also works with area business and community partners to assist with developing vocational and independent living skills.

HIMS is excited to announce the next upgrade for the BrailleSense Polaris.

This upgrade adds direct access to Google Drive via the Word Processor, Notepad, Media Player, and Excel Viewer, and launch access from File Manager.

HIMS has also added an Exchange e-mail program, the Macro Manager from their U2 models, and many more improvements and enhancements.

For more information and to download the latest firmware, visit the Polaris Firmware Page or the Polaris Mini Firmware Page.

The latest version of HIMS proprietary Google Drive integration gives users the ability to open and save documents directly from and to Google Drive within several Polaris applications. This upgrade will help anyone using Google Classroom or who use Google Drive at work, home, or in the classroom.

The latest firmware for the Polaris now includes Exchange email support! The Exchange Email application itself is a complete email client.

Macros allow you to automate function of the Polaris for ease of use and efficiency, especially in cases where you perform a similar action often. This is a beloved feature from the BrailleSense U2 line of notetakers that is now available on the Polaris.

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.

Disability:IN Annual Conference Goes Virtual  

After much consideration, Disability:IN and its Board of Directors have decided the 2020 Disability:IN Annual Conference & Expo will now be a Virtual Event during the same dates, July 13-16th. 

This is an unprecedented situation and the organization appreciates your patience and support as they work through next steps. This was not an easy decision as this would have been the 23rd year of the in-person conference. However, the organization explained that the safety and concern of conference attendees is the highest priority. 

In the coming weeks, Disability:IN will be communicating next steps and any actions you need to take, including:

• Cancelling your hotel room (for reservations in the Disability:IN hotel block at the JW Marriott or Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes).
• If you have already registered – your options for a virtual event registration.
• If you have not registered – how to register for the virtual event.
• If you are an exhibitor, or would like to exhibit, how you can leverage this opportunity.

To learn more, visit the Disability:IN website.

May 2020 Table of Contents