Dear AccessWorld readers,

It is once again time for AccessWorld's annual senior/low vision/anyone new to vision loss issue. Originally this issue focused on low vision and seniors specifically, but the topics covered have expanded to focus on articles of interest to people new to vision loss, whatever their age may be. During my time operating AFB's former Information and Referral line, I discovered that many people who are new to vision loss aren't given any sort of direction when it comes to learning how to function successfully with vision loss. Based on my experience in the Information Center, I would like to provide resources and information aimed at helping the person who is new to blindness or low vision in getting started. If you are new to vision loss, I hope this information helps you. In addition, for those readers who are veterans of vision loss, I hope that the next time you find yourself helping someone new to vision loss, you find this information a helpful resource.

I find that people who have sudden onset vision loss are often cut off from their usual sources of information. Some of the quickest ways of regaining access to information and entertainment is to sign up for both the National Library Service and NFB-Newsline. Both of these programs have low barriers to entry for someone new to vision loss; the NLS talking book player has been designed to be very easy to operate and use and NFB-Newsline can be accessed directly from a traditional telephone. In addition, ACB Radio has several streams available through a traditional telephone. To access them, call 518-906-1820. In particular, the ACB Community stream might be of use to someone new to vision loss as it contains pre-recorded and live events regarding vision loss topics. For example, at the time of writing, a demonstration of the Kindle Fire's accessibility features was being presented.

Each state has different services, but it is generally helpful to connect to your state's commission for the blind and visually impaired. Some states may only provide services that aid someone who is working or seeking work, but others have more extensive services. I find that the most efficient way to locate your state's department of services is to use the APH directory of services Under each state, there is a listing for key agencies. This will include the state's commission for the blind, no matter the specific name given to the agency in that state. The directory is a great resource in general, with organizations arranged within an extensive list of categories. Each organization has a detailed profile with information on the services they provide. In addition, each state's directory page lists organizations throughout the country that also provide services in that state.

Another useful resource if you are seeking specific, and expensive, assistive technology is your state's Assistive Technology Project. Again, like the commissions for the blind, each project will have different services available, but often they will have a library of devices that can be borrowed so a user can determine if a device is useful to them before buying. Many also have either a used equipment list or low/no interest loans for assistive technology. You can find a list of all state Assistive Technology projects here. On the topic of financial support for assistive technology, the Association for Blind Citizens operates an assistive technology scholarship fund that can cover up to half the cost of a piece of assistive technology.

Over the years, we have published many articles in our February issues that still contain evergreen information for someone new to vision loss. I've listed several of these below, but remember that you can always use our back issues page to explore any AccessWorld issue published since 2000.

• Making Voice Assistants Smart for Seniors: Tips for Optimizing the Amazon Echo or Google Home - 2019
• Basic VoiceOver Gestures For the New iPhone User - 2019
• A Senior's Buying Guide for Your First Accessible Computer, Smartphone, and Tablet - 2019
• What Is it and Where Did it Go?: Object Identification Solutions - 2017
• Easier-to-Use Cell Phone Options for People with Vision Loss - 2017

As I mentioned last month, this year marks AFB's 100 year anniversary! To celebrate, we will be hosting several virtual events throughout the year. The first event took place on Thursday, February 11. The first event, Dinner and Music for a Historic Celebration, includes a set of dinner recipes by master chef Christine Ha, wine suggestions by Dr. Hoby Wedler, and a music playlist curated by jazz pianist and composer Marcus Roberts. All of these individuals are themselves blind. The event was streamed on Youtube and the event recording can be viewed from the event’s page linked previously. If you are interested in being notified of our future centennial events, you can sign up for AFB centennial event reminders.

As part of our centennial celebration, we are creating an AFB timeline of our history. Looking through the draft timeline, I discovered some interesting tidbits regarding AFB's role in technology advances over the years. You may know that AFB was a key player in the development of the first talking books in the 30s, but did you know that AFB also began research on currency recognition as far back as 1978? A prototype currency identifier was developed that year and marketed several years later in 1983. AFB also developed a precursor to the video magnifier all the way back in 1953. This device was called a Megascope. Based on the information I found in The Unseen Minority by Frances Koestler, it was similar to a desktop video magnifier, but the user placed the document to be magnified face down.

You may notice that we have a new article section in this month’s AccessWorld called “Sponsored Content.” We have begun to partner with various companies and organizations who will be composing content to be published in AccessWorld. Sponsored content will present information on a technology topic that would be of interest to the AccessWorld audience. Product announcements, recent technology updates, and tips or tricks for using technology are examples of what may be published in this space. Even though we will be publishing this content, it will not have any impact on our reviews of a given company’s products or services.

I’m happy to announce that Google will be our first partner, and they have brought you information on their LookOut recognition app in this issue. Stay tuned for more from Google, and others, in the coming months.

As usual, I love to hear from readers. What was it like for you when you first lost your vision? Are there resources or information that you believe every person with vision loss should know? Send us your thoughts and comments!

Sincerely,

Aaron Preece

AccessWorld Editor and Chief

American Foundation for the Blind

February 2021 Table of Contents

Editor’s Note: This piece was provided to AccessWorld directly by Google Accessibility and was not composed by AFB or an AccessWorld author. In addition, the presence of this sponsored content will not have an effect on the results of any future reviews of Google products or services in AccessWorld.

At the American Foundation for the Blind we believe technology can help bring more independence to people who are blind or have low vision. We strive to bring our community the most helpful and relevant information available.

In an effort to continue this mission, we’re excited to announce our partnership with the Google Accessibility team. Google is one of the leaders in the accessibility space, with a number of products and services helping people with disabilities live a life of greater independence.

The Google Accessibility team will be providing quarterly updates and product information spotlighting relevant accessible technologies for the community. Today, the team highlights the Lookout 2.0 app.

Lookout 2.0

Since its release in 2019, the Lookout app on Android has helped people who are blind and low vision discover their surroundings with the help of computer vision. Lookout uses the camera on your device to translate your surroundings such as objects, people, products, text and more into spoken feedback, earcons, and other signals. Since the initial launch, Lookout has had ongoing improvements in quality and performance and we’re excited to announce the Lookout 2.0 app.

There are a number of improvements to Lookout 2.0, including two new modes, a more accessible design, and support for more devices.

The two new modes in Lookout are called Food Label and Scan Document. Food Label allows you to quickly identify packaged foods by pointing your phone’s camera at the packaging or barcode. You can use Scan Document to easily go through letters and mail by taking a snapshot of the document and hearing its contents read aloud.

Caption: Lookout on Pixel scanning a mustard label, happy birthday card and printed letter

We’ve also introduced a redesigned look based on feedback from the blind and low vision community. The new design should make Lookout easier to use with a screen reader such as TalkBack, our Android screen reader.

Finally, with this update, Lookout is now available on all devices with more than 2GB of RAM running Android 6.0 or later, and now supports English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish. Expanding this app to more people and devices is part of our commitment to make the world’s information universally accessible and to build helpful products with and for people with disabilities.

To learn more, read about Lookout on The Google Keyword and visit the Google Play Store to download the app.

Caption: Watch: "Lookout: an assistive app for people with vision impairments"

We want to hear from you: become a Google Accessibility Trusted Tester

Google’s Accessibility Trusted Tester program is one way we gather feedback about Google products. Testers try new Google products before the general public, then provide feedback directly to Google engineering teams.

The Accessibility Trusted Tester program is currently available within the United States and Canada. If you're passionate about providing feedback and improving accessibility, learn more and apply for the Accessibility Trusted Tester program. Find additional ways to connect with our team and provide feedback below.

Google Accessibility Resources

• Contact the Google Disability Support team for 1:1 support
• Get help from the Google Accessibility Help Center
• Learn more about Google Accessibility products
• Watch Google Accessibility videos on YouTube
• Stay updated by following the Google Accessibility team on Twitter

Comment on this article.

February 2021 Table of Contents

Bill Holton

In the February 2018 AccessWorld special senior's issue we offered a roster of smartphone apps that we feel are "must downloads" for any person with a new visual impairment hoping to get the most out of their new iPhone or iPad. These apps can assist with everything from navigating from here to there to carrying dozens of Talking Books on your phone so you can listen along the way. Most of these apps are also available for Android smartphones and tablets. In this update, we'll take a second look at our long-time favorite access essentials, then turn you on to some exciting new offerings that can further enhance your enjoyment and independence. Along the way we'll link to past AccessWorld articles that take deeper dives into many of these accessible tools. Some of these apps were developed specifically for the user with a visual impairment. Others are mainstream apps that are accessible and can also assist the visually impaired person with some of blind life's challenges.

An Extra Pair of Eyes

We all need sighted help from time to time. But what if there's no one around?

Be My Eyes

Be My Eyes is an absolute must-have app that uses your phone's camera to connect to one of hundreds of thousands of volunteers around the world eager to lend their eyes to help you with anything from setting the temperature on your oven to color-coordinating your outfit before you leave the house. Microsoft, Google, and several other businesses have also signed on to offer expert tech assistance to the blind and low vision community using the app's one-way video connection. Computer won't talk? They can help you get through that silent error message and be on your way. More from AccessWorld: A Review of the Be My Eyes Remote Sighted Helper App for Apple iOS

Seeing AI from Microsoft

This free app from Microsoft uses machine intelligence to recognize text, identify currency, offer a light meter and color identifier, and describe the scene before you or in a photograph. It's literally the Swiss Army knife of vision assistance.

More from AccessWorld: Microsoft Seeing AI: A Quick First Look at this Groundbreaking iOS App

Getting from Here to There

Apple and Google Maps (also available for iOS) have come a long way, offering enhanced accessibility, spoken prompts, and turn-byturn directions. For example, ask Siri, "Where am I?" and Siri will respond with the nearest address. Ask "Where's the nearest bus stop?" and Siri will tell you where it is and then offer turn-by-turn walking directions with distance markers and estimated arrival times. For even more blind-friendly navigation, you may also want to try…

Nearby Explorer Online

Nearby Explorer Online includes a number of blindness-friendly features, such as turn-by-turn walking directions with upcoming intersection announcements, and virtual maps you can use to explore another neighborhood, or even a distant city, before you travel. The original Nearby Explorer app included a set of proprietary maps and cost nearly $100. This newer version relies on open source map data, and it's free. The app was originally developed by the American Printing House for the Blind, but recently they handed the technologies and other assets off to a new company, Access Explorer. The focus of this new company is to facilitate indoor navigation at airports, municipal facilities, and other large venues.

More from AccessWorld: Getting Around with Nearby Explorer for Android from APH; The Nearby Explorer Blindness-Focused Navigation App from APH Comes to iOS; Indoor Wayfinding with Access Explorer from American Printing House for the Blind: One Step Forward Note that Access Explorer is now called Good Maps. The Good Maps website has the most current information on this project.

A Library in Your Pocket

You may still be able to read large print books, but you've likely noticed that unlike the books themselves, the selection of titles is rather slim. Kindle users can enlarge the display text both on the physical Kindle devices and when using the iOS Kindle app. You can also use the iPhone's built in screen reader, VoiceOver, to read Kindle books. Or you can choose to purchase and listen to books from (Audible](http://www.audible.com)—their app is also extremely accessible. Overdrive offers both e-books and audio titles you check out of your local public library. But your choices don't end there.

Bard Mobile

Are you a patron of the Library of Congress's Talking Book Library? If so, you have likely been given a digital player and receive your books on digital cartridges you have to wait for and mail back when you're done. You can avoid all these delays and the back-and-forth by installing the BARD Mobile app. It's a virtual full-feature Talking Book player with the same familiar controls. You can search for titles and download them using the app, and build your own library you can carry with you everywhere you have your phone.

More from AccessWorld: An In-depth Evaluation of the BARD Mobile App from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped

Bookshare

Bookshare is a non-profit repository of reading material produced in text formats for the blind. Their collection ranges from elementary school textbooks to popular novels and esoteric works of science, history, philosophy and literature. Certification of blindness or other print disability is required for Bookshare and the next service we cover, NFB-Newsline.

The easiest way to search, download and read Bookshare titles is with an app. Red2Go is the recommended app, but many blind individuals prefer Voice Dream Reader, a third-party app developed with a number of special features for the print impaired.

More from AccessWorld: A Guide to the Read2Go App for Apple iOS, from Bookshare; A Review of the Voice Dream Reader for iOS: A One-Stop Solution

NFB-Newsline

The National Federation of the Blind offers the Newsline service, which provides electronic version of hundreds of local, regional, and national newspapers, and a growing catalog of popular magazines—including AccessWorld! You may be familiar with the telephone access to this service—call a local number and use your touch-tone controls to navigate the library and have various articles read to you. If you own an Amazon Echo you can also ask Alexa to read your favorite newspapers and magazines aloud. However the best way to access Newsline content is by installing the NFB-Newsline app. You can also access your local weather, TV listings and a selection of store sale circulars. The latest app version also includes KNFB Reader Light text recognition software!

More from AccessWorld: Reading Remains Fundamental with the Help of NFB-Newsline

Text Recognition

As far as we've come using computers and mobile devices to read emails, books, and other text-based information, there are still times when you really need to read actual print. Trying to sort your mail or reading the directions on a box of cake mix can be problematic. You can always use Be My Eyes (see above), but for the sake of personal independence you may wish to use one of the many optical character recognition apps that can turn print text into machine-readable text.

NFB-Newsline

As mentioned above, the latest version of this news reader app includes a free copy of KNFB Reader Light. The original full version is still available for $95. This app works best for small blocks of text—again, reading your mail or cooking instructions on a box or package.

Microsoft Seeing AI

If you've already followed our recommendation to install Microsoft Seeing AI then you've discovered it includes three different text recognition settings—four-, if you count currency recognition. Short text, document, and handwriting. The first mode is real time: point your phone toward a mail envelope, for example, and the app will do its best to speak what text it can find. The document setting requires you to frame the page and snap a picture before recognition takes place. The handwriting feature is rudimentary, but feel free to try it on that hand-addressed birthday card. It just may impress.

Voice Dream Scanner

For heavy-duty text recognition, such as a multi-page report or a complete hardback book, we recommend either the full version of KNFB Reader or Voice Dream Scanner, from the same blind-friendly developer as Voice Dream Reader. Both apps allow you to scan multiple pages and save them as a complete document.

More from AccessWorld: Voice Dream Scanner: A New Kind of OCR; KNFB Reader for iOS: Does This App Live up to All the Hype?

Getting There and Back

As described above, your smartphone can do a great job of offering walking and public transportation directions. But what if you need a ride? The past few years have seen the emergence of at least two major "ride share" services: Uber and Lyft. Some larger communities may also offer other ride share options. You use the app to pinpoint your location and indicate your destination. A driver is summoned, and the app alerts you when your Uber or Lyft will arrive, along with the car model and license. Upon arrival at your destination, the fare is automatically charged to your registered credit card, so no more fumbling with currency and trusting the driver is giving you the correct change. You can add a tip later using the Uber or Lyft app. Many drivers drive for both services. Consider registering with both, however, as they tend to send out various discounts. Frequent riders may also be interested in one of their subscription plans.

More from AccessWorld: Lyft and Uber Have Changed the Transportation Game for People with Visual Impairments.

Grocery Shopping

How many of your trips out are to pick up groceries? These days it's easier than ever to have them delivered. Some smaller grocers and large chains offer their own delivery services. This includes Walmart Superstores which we reviewed in a recent AccessWorld. The app is quite accessible. Prices are the same as in store. Delivery charges vary, depending on the time of day you wish to receive your groceries. They also offer free delivery with paid monthly or annual memberships.

Other grocery stores and chains use either Instacart or Shipt to provide home delivery. The apps are fairly accessible, but be warned, along with delivery fees the prices may be slightly higher when shopping using either of these apps.

More from AccessWorld: Shop Independently with Shipt: an Accessible App that Brings the "Store to your Door"; A Review of Dinner Delivered: Accessible and Easy Ways to Receive Meals Direct to Your Door, by Kim Loftis and Chris Grabowski

Eating Out, In

Times were, if you wanted prepared food delivered, unless you lived in a big city your choices were basically pizza or Chinese. With the gig economy in full bloom, your in-home dining options have expanded exponentially. In fact, there are now four different home dining delivery services in heated competition for your dining dollar: Grubhub, Postmates, Uber Eats, and DoorDash. Their apps are all accessible. They offer online menus, and online payment and tipping, so again, no front door fumbling with currency.

You may wish to add all four apps to your device. First, because each offers a slightly different menu of delivery options, and second, because you may be able to take advantage of the current battle for market share. Each of the services offers frequent promotions, sometimes up to half off your next order.

More from AccessWorld: The Hunger Pains: A Review of the DoorDash, Grubhub, Postmates, and Uber Eats Food Delivery Apps

More Access Goodness

Regular readers of AccessWorld will recognize that the apps mentioned here are only a small percentage of the services, devices, and apps that we've introduced our readers to over the years. Check back every month for more access goodness. Even better, subscribe to the AccessWorld Announcement list!

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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• AccessWorld 2020 Holiday Gift Guide by Deborah Kendrick.

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February 2021 Table of Contents

J.J. Meddaugh

Assistive technology conferences have traditionally been planned from the inside, with their roots often steeped in the specialized technology companies we've worked with for decades. But when a mainstream industry group, which included members from the startup-focused website TechCrunch among many others, tackled the overarching topics involved with visual impairment and technology, a much different perspective was shared.

Sight Tech Global, owned by the Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired in California, presented its first conference virtually this past December. The conference focused on the macro trends in technology and artificial intelligence, and their intersection with assistive technology. Attendance was free. Panels included a discussion of autonomous vehicles, which included both leaders of blindness nonprofits and automobile manufacturers, and a discussion on AI bias, which tackled some of the pitfalls of using technology to make assumptions about people or objects. Where other events have recently focused on the now, Sight Tech Global focused on the future, both near and far, and frankly, this was a refreshing change.

The attention to detail given to making the event accessible often exceeded that provided by traditional conferences in this space. First, the entire event was made available online for no cost, using YouTube to deliver the main content. All main stage and breakout sessions were live captioned, and it was evident that speakers were given training on best practices. For instance, many panelists would identify themselves whenever they spoke, to help listeners associate voices with names. Transcripts for all main stage sessions were also made available, making it easier to more quickly peruse or pinpoint content after the event.

But beyond all of this, the level of content and depth of conversation exceeded what many other events have provided in the past. Instead of just giving a simple demo of a new app, designers were asked about the fine details and the tools used to create the leading technologies of today. Discussions were sometimes developer-focused, and sometimes big-picture focused, but presented in a way that allowed participants both inside and outside of the industry to learn from the content. People who are blind or visually impaired were generally portrayed as sophisticated individuals with a wide variety of needs and expectations. I encourage you to delve into the conference sessions, but here are a few moments that caught my attention.

A Conversation with Saqib Shaikh

Day 1 began with an interview with Microsoft's Saqib Shaikh, Co-Founder of Seeing AI. The Seeing AI app is one of the most popular tools for reading text, identifying food labels, and sorting currency. Shaikh spoke about the early days of the app, which was developed as an experiment at a 2014 hackathon. Through a lot of persistence and research and development, the app came to fruition a couple years later.

Seeing AI's development is based largely on user feedback. For example, developers learned that some people used the face recognition feature to identify the faces of United States presidents on paper money. This helped lead to the current currency recognition channel. The latest major update includes support for LiDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging. Available on the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max, it uses augmented reality to place objects and landmarks in a 3-dimensional field that can be heard while using headphones. This innovation could provide additional assistance while navigating, or serve as a better way to understand the layout of a room. Much further off in the future, the identification of a sequence of frames—in other words, describing streaming video—is something that the app may try to convey.

Shaikh sees a fundamental change in how Microsoft and its employees view disability, saying:

It's much more just something that every team does by default. It's no longer this thing we ought to do. It's a thing that is our responsibility and that we do do. So, there's definitely a long way still to go. And I'm not going to say that things are perfect. But as I look across such a huge company, I've definitely seen big strides over the years.

Game-Changing Technology

In the next panel, more technology leaders spoke of plans for enhanced or future products, often giving much more insight than would normally be shared publicly.

Greg Stilson, Head of Global Innovation for the American Printing House for the Blind, spoke of early research into a dynamic tactile display, designed to act as a full-page braille reader and graphics tablet. Most braille displays available today include a single line of fixed-width braille cells, with many 40-cell units costing $3,000 or more. A full-page display would overcome many of these limitations.

As Stilson explains, "the idea with this display is to basically utilize a lot of the mainstream capabilities for AI object recognition, scene detection, image filtering, and be able to really focus to bring that paper textbook into an e-textbook kind of concept for blind or low vision students." This would allow students to tactually follow a book in real-time along with their peers.

It's what he calls the "impromptu learning process." The eventual goal is to allow someone such as a teacher to connect to this tablet using a standard HDMI video cable or via a wireless technology and then the graphic or information could immediately be felt on the tablet.

Humanware Founder and CEO Gilles Pepin highlighted his vision for the Victor Reader Trek, a portable book player and GPS, which is often used without a smartphone. Its utility may expand dramatically with some of the new features in development. These include using built-in cameras to provide an audible view of your surroundings using computer vision, and including indoor navigation support provided by the emerging GoodMaps platform. These and similar features can help someone find their exact destination down to the foot, since GPS alone often is less accurate.

A Wearable that Gives Directions

In a panel of inventors, Keith Kirkland, Co-Founder for WearWorks, described a new wearable designed to help people get from point A to point B using haptic or vibration feedback. Unlike other wearables, which focus on detecting objects in the user's path, the Wayband uses map data to provide directions and guidance while walking. When facing the correct direction, the band will not give any feedback, indicating the correct direction of travel. Turning away from this direction will increase the amount of haptic feedback, such that turning 180 degrees would provide the most feedback because you are facing the wrong way. Simon Wheatcroft used a prototype version of the band to run 15 miles of the New York City marathon independently as a blind person. The company is aiming for a June 2021 launch for the Wayband, which is expected to retail for $249.

The Future of Computer Vision

Computer vision, according to panel moderator Roberto Manduchi, is "the art of teaching computers how to interpret images and details." It's a big part of the technology behind apps like Seeing AI or Facebook's image tagging features. Panelists explored what they felt were some of the next frontiers for this ever-changing technology.

For Danna Gurari, Director of the Image and Video Computing Group at the University of Texas at Austin, advancements in the near future will improve how images are described in context. If coming across a picture of a shirt on a shopping website, one may be interested in specific characteristics, such as if the shirt has a pocket. But at home, the interest may be focused on whether a shirt matches a particular pair of pants. Improvements also need to account for poor lighting situations or bad camera angles, sometimes-inevitable circumstances when pictures are taken in a nonvisual manner.

The ORBIT (Object Recognition for Blind Image Training) Dataset is a project spearheaded by the University of London and Microsoft AI. It is collecting thousands of videos from users to build a set of data that will help to both recognize common objects of interest to the blind and visually impaired as well as potentially provide a means for recognition of personal objects. The project has gone through two phases of data collection and hopes to release its set of data publicly in the future.

For Cecily Morrison, Principal Researcher in Human Experience & Design at Microsoft, a user-centered, hands-on approach is pivotal to realizing these futuristic-sounding ideas;

Many of the people that we work with, they've built their lives up, they're successful in doing what they're doing. And all of a sudden, you drop this technology and say, how would you use it? And it's like, I've got strategies. I've got my way of being. But we've also found that these early adopters are also people who can push the vision the furthest once they have the technology in their hands.

Indeed, it's often the edge, or unimagined use, cases that drive the growth and development of emerging technologies.

Conclusion

Some may wonder why so many major organizations chose this time to launch a mainstream conference focused on technology for people who are blind or visually impaired. Saqib Shaikh puts it eloquently:

I often think that disability can be a driver for innovation. And we can look back at so many of the innovations that we're depending on today, from speech assistance, speech recognition, text messages, on-screen keyboards, or the touch screen—they all have their origins in these challenging problems of someone with disability and someone, an innovator, coming together in a partnership.

When the power and leverage of large mainstream companies is combined with the knowledge and experience of users of their products, huge advancements in technology can quickly occur. Sight Tech Global shows us a glimpse of what is possible, and also how a truly inclusive conference should be run and managed. You can pre-register now](https://sighttechglobal.com/conference-registration/) for the 2021 conference, which will be held December 1-2 and presented at least in part virtually. And why not? It's absolutely free to attend.

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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• ATIA 2020 Wrap-Up: What's New and Noteworthy at the Assistive Technology Industry Association Conference by Aaron Preece

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February 2021 Table of Contents

Steve Kelley

This may sound like heresy to readers of a tech magazine, but smartphones aren't for everyone! True, some may relish the thought of embracing a shiny piece of glass and learning the many gestures required to make it work, but many users simply prefer the simplicity of a phone that does a few things really well, like making a phone call, sending and receiving a text message—just the basics—with simple accessibility. For those of you who have been looking for such a device in the world of flicks and swipes, you may have a new best friend in the BlindShell Classic Lite.

Like its older sibling, the BlindShell Classic, the BlindShell Lite is a candy-bar style phone with the display and touchpad on one side of a straight, non-folding phone. The phone is about 5.5 inches long (nearly 3 inches of that dimension is display), 2.5 inches wide, and weighs about 4 ounces. The BlindShell Lite's dimensions are very similar to the BlindShell Classic—it simply has fewer features.

While the BlindShell Lite is certainly not what you might consider a smartphone, it has one elegant feature that's quite smart: spoken menus from the moment the phone is turned on. Power on the phone to a spoken status update, and navigate through the menu with a large, centrally located directional pad, with each menu item spoken. You can feel the navigational buttons with your fingertips and you don't need to turn on a screen reader.

In addition to the text-to-speech, the BlindShell Lite offers a large-print display with high contrast and a dialing pad with a well-spaced number pad and navigation keys. On the side opposite the keypad there is even an SOS button that can be preset to an emergency number of 'your choice for one-touch speed dialing.

Getting Around the Phone

The basic navigation of the BlindShell Lite uses the keys above the standard dial pad. In the center, just below the display is a large, square directional pad used for moving through the menus. Press Down to go to the next item, and Up to go to the previous menu item. Press the center of the directional pad to confirm or select an item. On either side of this pad are two smaller, rectangular buttons. The top buttons on either side control the volume—left to decrease, and right to increase. There are eight volume levels and the highest offers decent amplification with clear sound through the headset speaker (this can also be changed to the loudspeaker in the back of the phone during a call, by pressing the Confirm button). Just below these are the Control buttons. On the left, the button has a green phone icon, and on the right, a red phone icon. Like the icon suggests, the right control button hangs up a phone call, and it also powers the phone on with a long press. With the phone on, this same long press takes you back to the top of the menus. A shorter press of the right control button takes you back up one level in a menu or deletes the last entry in an edit field. This is really handy if you get a bit lost in a menu. The control button on the left will both answer an incoming call and work as a confirmation key.

The Menus

Pressing the Down button on the directional pad takes you through the main menu items: Call,, Messages,, Contacts,, Tools,, Settings,, and Turn Off the Phone. Continuing to press Down just takes you back through the menu items. As each item is spoken, it also indicates its position in the menu. For example, when Messages is selected, the phone speaks, "Messages, two of six," so you know that it's the second option in a menu with six items.

While the BlindShell Lite is a basic phone, it has a number of really handy features. Here's a closer look at some of the menu options.

Call

The Call menu has three options: Dial Contact,, Dial Number, and Call History. Dial Contact opens the Contacts address book and allows you to select a contact. Dial Number prompts for a number to be entered, followed by the Confirm key. You can dial a number without being in this menu, however—just punch in a number and press Confirm.

Messages

The BlindShell Lite will send and receive text messages, also called SMS (Short Message Service) messages. Menu options include: Write SMS to Contact, Write SMS to number, Conversations. Like making a call, you can send a text to a contact or just put in a number. There is no dictation on this phone, so text input is done by using the dial pad.

Contacts

This menu provides access to a basic address book with the following options: Contacts List, Add New Contact, Single Button Dialing, and Sort Contacts. The Contacts list has the basics, with fields for name, phone numbers and postal address, and can be sorted by first or last name. A single number can be assigned to a contact for speed dialing that contact.

Tools

Six productivity tools appear in this menu: Alarm, Minute Timer, Stopwatch, Calculator, Notes, and Calendar. The calendar in this menu simply allows you to check a date, there isn't an option for setting an appointment or reminder here. The Notes option opens a basic notes app, which uses the dial pad for creating and editing notes. In Notes, the directional pad can change how the screen reader reads the notes in the edit mode, by character or word. This is a great feature for a shopping list or recording a phone number. Another handy option here is the ability to send a note as a text message.

Settings

The settings menu options really enable some flexibility in the accessibility features. Options here include: Sounds, Display, Time and Date, Keypad Lock, Menu Navigation, About Phone. In the Sounds submenu, selecting Profile gives you the choice to silence the phone, use the default or Normal setting, or use vibrations. Volume provides separate settings for Alarms, Feedback Sounds, and Ringtones. The last submenu here, Voice Output, provided some pretty serious customization to the speech settings on the phone. Speech rate contains five settings, including a slower than normal setting and several that were incrementally faster than normal. Seven voices are available in the Voice Variant menu: four female voices and three male voices. For users wanting further voice customization, the menu option called Level of Intonation provides modifications to the voices that include: Robotic, Neutral, Natural, and Theatrical. There is a noticeable amount of difference between these intonations and the Theatrical setting sounds more like a conversational voice.

Like Sounds, the Display settings offer features other basic phones may not have at all. Six brightness settings enable the ability to reduce glare from the screen or really brighten it up. The Color Schemes menu provides four high-contrast choices: white on black, black on white, white on blue, and black on yellow. Only two text sizes are available, Normal and Huge. With Huge selected, only three lines of text appear on the screen, and words longer than six characters wrapped to another line. For many low vision users, these settings will enable them to leave the pocket magnifier in their pocket while using the phone.

The last submenu under Settings is About Phone. While this provides some information about the software and product information, it lacks the onboard user manual found in the BlindShell Classic. Granted, the Lite version has fewer features, most of which can be quickly understood by dubbing around the various menus, for many users it would be a welcome addition. Many users choosing such a basic phone may also not be experienced computer users or have access to the BlindShell Lite User Guide from their website.

Turn Off the Phone

The last menu item in the top-level menu is Turn Off the Phone. Simply press the confirm button or the center of the directional pad to select this, confirm, and the phone shuts down.

Conclusion

Although the BlindShell Lite is a basic phone with a tactile dialing pad, it has some terrific accessibility features that are on when the phone powers up and that are very customizable. The keys and tactile dialing pad are large, well-spaced, and have large, high-contrast print. Although the phone offers 4Gs of memory, an audio record feature, something you'll find on many other basic phones, is not offered on the BlindShell Lite. It would also be great to have the option of dictation included for Notes, Contacts, and to place a call.

Nonetheless, the BlindShell Lite cell phone keeps it simple and will be a delight to use for those who don't want or need the more complicated bells and whistles on a smartphone.

Product Information

The BlindShell Lite is $249 and is available online from the BlindShell E-Shop, or partners: A T Guys, The Low Vision Shop, or LS&S in the U.S. The BlindShell Lite ships with a USB charging cable and charging AC adapter, a set of earbuds, and a printed Quick Start Guide. In addition to the User Guide mentioned earlier, several tutorials are available from the BlindShell YouTube Channel. To take a closer look at a BlindShell model with more features, be sure to check out the AccessWorld review of the BlindShell Classic.

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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• The BlindShell Classic Accessible Feature Cell Phone, a Smart Alternative by Steve Kelley
• Maximizing your Efficiency as a Student Using Leasey Tools for the JAWS Screen Reader by Jamie Pauls

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• GuideConnect by Dolphin, Part 1: Getting Started
• Dolphin GuideConnect: Accessible Computing Made Simpler

February 2021 Table of Contents

Janet Ingber

Netflix is an online streaming service with a huge amount of content, much of it with audio description. Netflix produces its own content, such as "The Queen's Gambit,""Stranger Things," and "Bridgerton." They have their own movies, stand-up comedy specials, and documentaries. Netflix also streams TV shows and movies from other sources.

Netflix was the 2017 recipient of the prestigious Helen Keller Achievement award from the American Foundation for the Blind, which is given to those who have made extraordinary contributions to improving the quality of life of people with vision loss.

Getting Help

Netflix offers phone support at 844-505-2993. Live chat is available through their Help Center. Help can be accessed through Account Settings on whichever device you are using to stream content.

Finding Audio Described TV Shows and Movies

Netflix does not have a dedicated page for audio-described content. Tech support suggested putting the words "audio description" in the search form, but that still did not give me a complete list. The American Council of the Blind has an extensive list of audio-described Netflix content at their Audio Description Project.

On the iOS app and Apple TV app, there is a setting to have Netflix display audio-described content. Enabling Audio Description will be discussed below.

Supported Devices

Netflix requires a subscription and an Internet connection. Many devices can play Netflix, , including Apple, Android and Windows phones and tablets, Mac and Windows computers, and portable players like Roku, Apple TV and Fire TV.

You can also connect your device to your TV via Bluetooth or cable. For example, I can play Netflix on my TV by connecting my iOS device with a Lightning to HDMI cable. Netflix tech support can help you with this. Some carriers, such as Verizon, offer Netflix directly on your TV. You still must have a Netflix subscription and an Internet connection. You may need to activate text-to-speech on your TV to hear menus and controls.

Getting Started

The sign-up process for Netflix is not complicated. You will be asked to enter your name, a password, an email address, and payment information.

Next to each device type is a button. Activate the button and underneath the device’s name will be specific sign-up information.

Pricing

Netflix has three pricing plans: Basic, Standard, and Premium. No matter which plan you choose, you have unlimited access to Netflix content. Prices listed are per month.

The Basic plan costs $8.99 per month. Only one device can be used at a time and only one device can download content in addition to streaming it. Content can only be played in standard definition with this plan.

The Standard plan costs $13.99 per month. Two devices can be used at a time and two devices can download content in addition to streaming it. In addition, content is available in high definition with this plan.

The Premium plan costs $17.99 per month. Up to four separate devices can be used at the same time and four devices can download content. Also, content is available in 4K Ultra HD with this plan

Profiles

All Netflix plans allow up to five profiles per account. For example, on my Netflix account I have my profile plus profiles for my husband and daughter.

Make a profile by first going to the screen for creating profiles. On the iPhone, select Account Settings and then Add Profile. An edit box opens where you enter the name. Activate the Save button. The main benefit of profiles is that Netflix will send recommendations for a particular profile based on that person’s viewing habits. You can also set parental controls for specific profiles. Once Audio Description is activated for your profile, it will transfer to other Apple devices running Netflix. I have my profile selected on my iPhone, Mac, and Apple TV. When the Netflix screen first loads, the list of profiles will be on the home screen. Select the profile for whoever is using Netflix.

Netflix on the iPhone

Overall, Netflix works very well on the iPhone. At the top of the screen, Netflix asks who is watching. Below this heading is a list of profiles in the account. The one you select will load that person’s profile. Under the last profile is a button to add another profile. You can have up to five on your account. In the top right corner of the screen is an Edit button. Selecting it loads a screen to manage profiles. Activate the Done button in the upper left corner when finished.

Note that even if VoiceOver says that a profile is selected, you will need to double tap on it to get to the next screen.

At the bottom of the next screen are four tabs: Home, Coming Soon, Search, and Downloads. The Coming Soon tab has a list of TV shows and movies that will be on Netflix. Each listing has the name and date available. Since Netflix releases all episodes for a season at the same time, the season number will be listed. Flicking up or down on any listing offers options including Full Description, Remind Me, and More Info.

The Search form is self-explanatory. Any content that you have downloaded is accessed via the Downloads tab. The advantage of downloading content is that you don't need an Internet connection to watch it. Netflix has a feature called Smart Downloads. If you start watching a series, episodes you have already played will be removed automatically and Netflix will download upcoming episodes. Turn Smart Downloads on or off in the Downloads tab.

At the top of the screen are four buttons: Home, Target Selector, Account Settings, and Filter Bar. The Home button brings you back to the Home screen. The Target Selector button does not work. At this time, Apple Airplay does not work with Netflix.

The next button is Account Settings. The first part of this screen has a list of profiles on your account, followed by options to add or manage profiles. Next is a My List button. As you explore Netflix and get suggestions from Netflix, you can add content to your list. The list is a convenient way to keep shows and movies you are interested in watching in one place. The next option is App Settings. This section contains information about downloads such as whether to allow them only on Wi-Fi.

The final control is labeled Filter Bar. Flick up or down on it. There are three sorting choices: Movies, TV Shows, and Categories. Selecting Categories brings up more sorting options including Audio Description. VoiceOver will say "Audio Description button." When you select this option, a list of content with audio description will be on the screen.

Playing Content

Once you have found a title you want, double tap on it. The next screen will contain information about your choice including description, buttons to download or play, an option to add it to your list, number of seasons (if applicable) and much more.

Once content is playing, flick right until you hear the controls to play/pause, rewind 10 seconds, and fast-forward 10 seconds. Flick right a few more times to Audio and Subtitle Options. If audio description is available, it will be in this section. Controls on the screen disappear quickly. When you navigate the screen and controls are not available, VoiceOver says, "Show Controls." Double tap and controls will be on the screen.

Netflix on the Mac

The Netflix website has a lot of information but not a lot of clutter. The web rotor works well with links, headings, and forms. A specific option for audio description is not available.

When the website first loads, if there is more than one profile on your account, you will be asked who is watching. Links on the page include TV Shows, Movies, New and Popular, and My List.

Netflix on the Apple TV

Once the app loads, choose a profile. Flicking down on the Apple TV remote brings up various options including Search, Home, TV Shows, and My List. Be aware that the remote is extremely sensitive to touch. The categories filter in this version of Netflix has audio description as number 24 of 24. Once audio description is selected for any one program, it will be activated for other programs if it's available.

Flick around the screen to get an idea of how the app is arranged. For example, if you select the Home option, flicking right brings you to a list header. Flicking right again moves you into the list for that header. Flicking up or down in the headers list moves through the names of the lists. When you find one you want to explore, flick right to learn what content is available. Items within a list are numbered. As with the iOS app, the Apple TV version has lists of popular and trending shows and movies.

When content is playing, three tabs are available: More Info, Subtitles, and Audio. Audio description is labeled "English AD."

Netflix on Fire TV

Aaron Preece, AccessWorld Editor-in-Chief, has contributed the following information on Fire TV, Fire OS, and Android:

Netflix on Fire TV does not use the Fire TV screen reader, VoiceView, but uses its own screen reader. I find that this means that it lags considerably, which makes for a painfully slow experience when trying to navigate. That being said, you can always launch shows using the Alexa function of the Fire's remote, and everything I have tried in the app is accessible. In addition, Netflix will give you context for every screen you are on, with detailed layout information. This is useful as the layouts of screens can change. Note, to turn on audio description on supported titles, pause the program, press "Up" to open the options menu, navigate to the audio options, and select "English, Audio Description."

There isn't much to say about the Fire OS and Android versions of Netflix. From a quick look, the apps seem fully accessible on Fire OS with VoiceView and on Android with TalkBack. The apps have the same features as the iOS version, though the layouts are somewhat different with the various aspects rearranged. Overall, they should not be any less accessible or usable for someone using one of these other mobile platforms. The only access issue I noticed is that the log-in fields aren't labeled on the Fire OS version of the app. As usual, going into subtitles and audio will allow you to select audio description. When you select it for a show, it seems to persist when you then go to watch that show on another device. It seemed like the video player aspect of these apps was the closest to the iOS app in layout. Note that on Android it is possible to move by other elements, e.g., headings, when available.

Netflix from a Low Vision Perspective

AccessWorld author Steve Kelley provided the following information about using Netflix for people who have low vision:

One of the great features of Netflix is that even with the basic subscription, it’s available on virtually any device you can think of—desktop or laptop computer, tablet, smartphone, TV—you name it. While the screen may be smaller on my iPad or 22-inch computer monitor, being close to the screen makes a huge difference and using the magnification features on these devices is also a great addition. On the iPad, for example, during an intro to the video or when there is print on the screen I might not see while watching on the TV, I just zoom in or pause the play for a moment, zoom in, then continue playing. To watch on your tablet or smartphone up close while the rest of the family watches the big screen from the couch across the room, you’ll need at least the $13.99 plan. [Because the Basic plan allows only one screen at a time.]

Overall, the flexibility of the Netflix apps and web interface really adds a new dimension to "move closer" to the screen for a viewer with low vision. The best way to see the TV or video is not the same for any of us, and sometimes it’s easier on a smaller screen held close to our face, with some magnification when needed, and even a screen reader or audio description at times. The Netflix app worked really well across the various platforms and with the accessibility features each offered.

Conclusion

If you are looking for an accessible streaming app with a great deal of audio-described content, Netflix is an excellent choice. Netflix includes audio description in their original programming and often offers audio description on content from other sources. All their platforms are accessible. In the last few months, I have watched a great deal of content from Netflix.

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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• Vintage Games Series, Part 4: Immerse Yourself in the World of Shades of Doom by Jamie Pauls

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February 2021 Table of Contents

Deborah Kendrick

Back in the 1980s, when having a personal computer in your very own home was a brand-new reality, having a printer was an essential part of the equipment. If you had a computer, you had a printer. How else could you share those brilliant documents or spreadsheets you were creating? You needed a way to transfer information from computer to paper to share with others. School assignments, work reports, letters to family and friends—everything was sent from your computer to your ink printer. As a blind professional, I've used a variety of printers over the years. As the use of email and the Internet evolved, however, many of us found the need for ink printing to be shrinking.

Over the last decade, here has been a typical scenario in my home office: I suddenly need to print something, just one thing, and I need it immediately. Maybe it is a signed copy of a legal agreement. Maybe it is the envelope to a friend’s birthday card. Maybe it is the notice I need to tape to my front door for the FedEx driver so they know where to leave my package. And, of course, because I haven’t needed a printer for weeks or maybe months, my attempt to print gets an "out of ink" error message. The one time in two months I need to print, and the printer fails. The problem isn't that the ink is gone, it's that the ink has dried up from lack of use and a new cartridge is required. This is the scenario with ink jet printers—affordable machines with less affordable ink cartridges, made even less so when they need to be replaced even before being spent.

If this scenario is familiar, and I suspect that it is for many readers, this article holds good news. For far too long, I neglected to update my own awareness of the printer market. Laser printers, long recognized for their ability to produce high quality text and graphics, historically have been priced significantly higher than ink jet printers. Happily, that is yesterday’s news. Laser printers are no longer expensive, they still print high quality text and graphics, and they do not have the downfall of dried-up ink for those of us with only occasional printing needs.

For the first time in many years, I have a printer that is ready whenever I need it, a printer that is on my wireless network so that it can print documents from my computer, my phone, or any other device that logs into my wireless network and, perhaps, best of all, takes up a fraction of the desk space required by its inkjet predecessors.

Meet the HP LaserJet M15W

There are plenty of affordable and reliable laser printers on the market. I’m particularly pleased with the HP LaserJet M15W because it fit my personal criteria: - It’s small, measuring just 7.5 by 13.6 by 6.3 inches and weighing just eight pounds. - It can connect either via USB or wirelessly - It prints from any device that is on my wireless network - I was able to set it up myself! I ordered the HP LaserJet M15W from Amazon. It cost $108 and was here in three or four days. Lifting it out of its protective Styrofoam shields, it appears to be a single piece, with abundant ribbons of tape holding things together. Also in the box are two cords (a power cord and a USB printer cable), and a fairly small amount of printed documentation. Secured to the front of the machine is one small piece of paper. I took a picture of that paper with a few recognition apps on my iPhone (Voice Dream Scanner, Seeing AI) and realized that it must be graphic. Sure enough, when I called AIRA, the agent was easily able to recognize that the page was assembly instructions. (If you don’t happen to have a subscription to AIRA, you could get similar input from Be My Eyes. If you don’t have that app either, but are reasonably mechanically and spatially aware, you could probably figure it out for yourself.) Getting set up requires that you first remove several ribbons of tape, which hold components in place during shipping, from various points on the printer. Removing the tape frees the toner cartridge, which runs the length from left to right of the unit, but is not yet engaged. Once all the tape is removed, you then insert the toner cartridge in its correct position for operation. The only difficulty, and it was a minor difficulty, in setup was orienting that toner cartridge correctly. The rounded bar that runs the length of the cartridge should be positioned toward the back of the machine. When I finally positioned it correctly, it dropped into place like the most satisfying of clicked-in puzzle pieces. On the top left of the machine are three buttons. These are mostly flush with the surface of the machine, but are detectable by touch. The one closest to the front edge is Power, the one nearest the back is for turning wireless capabilities on and off, and the middle one is for canceling a print job or error.

All About The HP SmartApp

Once I dropped the toner cartridge into place and attached the power cord, the printer was ready—but I did not power it on until I installed the iPhone app. The HP Smart app is free. With it, you can perform a variety of functions with a variety of HP products. I downloaded the app, opened it, turned on the printer, and waited for my iPhone to recognize the printer. From there, the app guided me through adding the printer to my wireless network. That’s all there was to it. I can now print anything from my phone from anywhere within range of the printer. Because the printer is now on my home wireless network, I can print to it from any computer able to see that network. If anyone else is visiting and has a printing need, I only need provide them with logon credentials for my wireless network to enable printing from any smartphone or tablet.

Final Thoughts

The paper tray on this printer is the most easily adjusted I have ever seen. Just slide the left and right guides to fit the paper or envelope being inserted. I have printed on full size paper, greeting card envelopes, standard #10 envelopes, and small notepaper, adjusting the paper guides easily to accommodate the varying widths. The printer has occasionally given an "out of paper" error for no reason, but powering it off and then on again seems to solve the problem. The PDF version of the user’s guide I downloaded is for HP LaserJet M14-17W, so there are obviously other models of this printer. This particular model is small, lightweight, and prints only in black. There are no ink cartridges to dry out, and it doesn’t seem to mind being neglected for days at a time. For basic print jobs and the convenience of printing from any or all of your devices, the HP LaserJet M15W printer is an affordable and accessible step forward from an inkjet printer.

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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February 2021 Table of Contents

In this section, we publish letters submitted by AccessWorld readers on a range of topics. If you would like to submit a letter to the editor, you can do so by sending an email to the Editor, Aaron Preece, or by activating the "Comment on this article" link at the bottom of any article.

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This message is in response to Jamie Pauls's January 2020 article, Braille in the 21st Century: How Far Have We Come?

If you are looking for accessible electronic Bibles, you should check out Optasia Ministry. You can get electronic versions of a ton of Bibles and more. Some are in BRL and BRF, mostly not UEB, but there are HTML and RTF versions as well that he can send you on multiple DVDs or a USB drive. But be prepared for a huge amount of information— all for free or a small or large donation. The article, by the way, was excellent.

Richard

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This message is in response to Jamie Pauls's January 2020 article, Braille in the 21st Century: How Far Have We Come?

Optasia Ministry has a variety of Bibles available as well as concordances and other resources. Their phone number is 641-750-2070. I hope this helps. I am reading the English standard version from them and it's great. Totally downloadable stuff.

Alco Canfield

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This message is in response to Jamie Pauls's January 2020 article, Braille in the 21st Century: How Far Have We Come?

Jamey Paul’s excellent article personalizes the fun of our braille books, the way they feel and smell.

When I was a kid learning to read, I knew the books required extraordinary resources to make. The bindings from APH were expensive just by the feel of them. We would never, I knew, have access to written material the way our sighted friends and siblings did.

I think braille is great, extremely helpful, and sadly limited. I look at commercially produced braille with all that junk that says virtually nothing to me, it only tells me that sighted people are being dazzled on their pages. That is, there are almost no comparable pictures and icons, graphics, diagrams, not just because it took a long time to get the technology together to produce them, but because we all have different receptivity levels. A graphical presentation can be meaningful, but only when we understand what it is trying to convey. Iconographically, we’re in trouble, y’all.

Braille displays are finally painstakingly becoming more affordable, but I fear it means hard copy braille is losing funding support even though jiffy braille and soft covers have worked to get the price and time of production down. UEB addresses real issues, but I have to say the argument about redundancy leaves me cold; I don’t buy it. Helen Keller’s famous fifth grader is said to be confused by contracted braille’s redundancy, but it’s really the adults learning braille from scratch with that particular struggle. My being an older person works against my ever fully mastering technology, and now I’m looking at meaningless markings on a page and thinking, I liked it when the transcriber had editorial power. Ah, but now robots and iron clad rules make the judgment calls. Yes, but what is this word with its syllables disregarded? I complain about UEB, but I’m living with it and if it really does widen the circle of access to literacy, then I’ll put up with my small grievances.

What do we actually read in braille? What do we write? Do you know that over the years I have done a lot more braille writing using a slate and stylus than with my Perkins Braille Writer? These days I find I write notes, email addresses, phone numbers, names of musical selections I might wish to download, passwords, bank account numbers, not stuff requiring an eight and a half sheet of braille paper. What do we read? Why do I read magazines when I’m really not that fast at it? Well, because I like to. So of course I wonder, in a public policy way of thinking, if budget busters ever heard me talk about braille in my life, that the fact that I like it would not carry much weight. How about that I need it? Oh boy, what with synthetic speech that can go real fast, my love of braille might not cut it politically.

Braille is a wonderful and very clever system. If I can get someone to sit still for it, the cycles of braille are fascinating, a complete code. Now it’s true that my phone talks, but I can’t always understand the words, and the speech is really quite good, so I’m thinking seriously about a braille display. It’s like I’m going backwards against what has been thought of as progress, braille to speech and back to braille. I’m losing hearing and websites and apps make more sense when their layout contributes to understanding what is presented. We get it with braille, even when it’s presented a line at a time. I type more smoothly than I braille, so Scott Davert’s article in this same issue about the Mantis is compelling for me. I will always use braille. Thank you Access World for keeping braille in our awareness. May braille remain essential and may braille always be embraced by young people.

Mike Cole

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This message is in response to Jamie Pauls's January 2020 article, Braille in the 21st Century: How Far Have We Come?

I echo all that has been written. I would not be without braille. I am privileged to own a braille embosser and use it frequently, preparing documents on the PC and printing them out. I also use braille to label CDs and print books, etc. I also read books on a braille notetaker, but there is something magic about reading a real book!

Long live braille and Louis the inventor remains my all time hero!

Lynita Conradie

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This message is in response to Steve Kelley's January 2021 article, Braille by Sight: A Guide to Online Braille Workshops from Hadley.

My name is Roanna Bacchus, and I am visually impaired. I have enjoyed completing courses from the Hadley Institute For The Blind and Visually Impaired. I completed the Transitioning to UEB and Every Day Reading in UEB courses. Both of my instructors were friendly and efficient.

Roanna

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This message is in response to Jamie Pauls's January 2020 article, Braille in the 21st Century: How Far Have We Come?

I like your perspective on braille, but I’d like to point out that you can use the Kindle app for iOS or Windows and read braille this way.

I prefer to download books to read on my Orbit Reader 20, but you can get even more books at the same time as a sighted person if you are able and willing to use third- party apps.

You should be able to get more versions of the Bible from Bookshare.

I look forward to seeing the Canute evolve to the point where it can be used with IOS, Windows, and the Mac.

While I enjoy reading braille, I actually prefer to type with a QWERTY keyboard to avoid all of the potential translation errors.

Translating math to print is still a challenge in my view, particularly when it comes to producing and editing math independently as a blind person and sending it to a sighted peer or colleague.

Rebecca Skipper

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This message is in response to Jamie Pauls's September 2020 article, Victor Reader Stream, a Product Worth Considering (Or Reconsidering).

Very true about your pros and cons of the Stream, of which I've a 2nd generation that was given to me several years ago. I too love it! But if I were to have to buy one, I'd rather buy a mainstream device (iPod or iPad) here in Mexico, because of the Stream not having distributors here. If, God forbid, the Stream has a mishap in Mexico, you're out of luck unless you figure out the logistics to have someone travel to the States, do you the favor of sending it to Humanware, pick it up for you in the States, and bring it back upon its repair.

With the iOS13 incorporation of certain Bluetooth speakers (including the Amazon Alexa suite), in which the iPhone and VoiceOver come out of the phone itself, leaving the Bluetooth speaker to work as expected, I'm using my iPhone more and more, as an all-in-one device. The gripe I have about the Stream is, for instance, BARD Mobile has features like being able to flip between the three recently added books. I wish the Stream would be able to implement such a feature. Right now I'm having to, via the Voice Notes feature in the Stream, record what number book I'm reading so as to switch with the number associated with it— between the latest "Reader's Digest" and "48 Hours," for instance.

Lastly, as I recently emailed Humanware Support, it would be great to have more voice packs to choose from in reading text-based documents or Bookshare! For instance, the only dual-language voice pack to choose from is Heather and Rosa! I'd like, for instance, a combo of Sharon and Rosa.

I feel that if people went out of their way to buy their Streams, they should be able to have the most pleasant reading experiences possible!

Keep up the great work in your articles!

Gera

This message is in response to Jamie Pauls's January 2020 article, Braille in the 21st Century: How Far Have We Come?

Indeed! I resisted reading books with a braille display! I just can't figure out how to transition from physical/paper braille to just be able to flow with the reading when using a braille display. An article giving tips/tricks on the subject would be awesome! Even more with the NLS eReader Pilot Program beginning to roll out, of which I'm proud to say I'm a member. I recently got via FedEx, yesterday morning, a Humanware model, and am loving it! A piece presenting ideas on how to transition from reading physical braille all through one's life, to using a display, would be an interesting article for the magazine.

Lastly, I'm loving the new interactive experience of interacting with you guys and your articles!

Gera

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This message is in response to Jamie Pauls's January 2020 article, Braille in the 21st Century: How Far Have We Come?

I've been reading AccessWorld ever since its inception.

This month's issue was phenomenal. I am someone who cannot live without braille. I read braille magazines (I subscribe to about 30 a month), braille books (some hard-copy, and some on my notetakers—from Bookshare), and everything else on my computer braille display. If I don't read it in braille, the info doesn't stick.

I am a professional musician (pianist-singer-songwriter), and I read braille music from the NLS Music Section, and I also make my own lead sheets.

Keep up the great work you are doing, and I wish you a happy, healthy New Year.

Audrey

Dear AccessWorld Editor,

This message is in response to Jamie Pauls's January 2020 article, Braille in the 21st Century: How Far Have We Come?

I have these thoughts on braille: I have always used it, like that I have it to read books and label with. The new Unified English Braille is growing slowly on me. But I write in the old way that I was taught. Old dogs, new tricks; not necessarily.

David

February 2021 Table of Contents