Dear AccessWorld readers,

Before I begin this month's Editor's Page, I would like to begin with a message from AFB Centennial sponsor, Willis Towers Watson.

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It's that time of year again, when the CSUN Assistive Technology Conference brings us the latest in technology access, both assistive and mainstream. We do not have an article on CSUN this year, but I would like to direct you to the Blind Bargains CSUN conference coverage podcasts sponsored by AccessWorld. Blind Bargains is operated by AccessWorld author J.J. Meddaugh and the conference coverage series brings you an in-depth look at the new developments from the CSUN exhibit hall each year. If you prefer to read instead of listen, each podcast also has a text transcript available.

We would normally also be bringing you details of AFB's annual Leadership Conference around this time, but with the pandemic and AFB reaching its 100th year of operation, we are bringing you a series of virtual events throughout the entire year. Each event is also recorded so you will be able to watch it at your leisure. The next event will be occurring on Thursday, April 22 at 2:00 Eastern and is titled The Inclusive Power of Music. This event features multi-instrumentalist Matthew Whitaker, who is the first person who is blind to be accepted to Juilliard's jazz studies program. Our May event will take place on May 27, 2:00 PM Eastern time. The title of this event is The Power of Gratitude and Joy: A Conversation with Rebecca Alexander. Alexander is a psychotherapist and extreme athlete who also has combined severe hearing and vision loss from Usher Syndrome type III. Remember that you can see the full schedule and watch previous events at the AFB 100 events website.

You may also notice that the AccessWorld homepage is different beginning with this issue. I have remodeled the page so that recent articles are in the first row, popular articles are in the second, and static items, like Back Issues, are in the third. The button to take you to the most recent issue is still present, just located before the rows of content.

As always, I am eager to hear from AccessWorld readers. If you have a thought on a published article, an article idea, want to give your take on an issue or bring our attention to a specific subject, or anything else related to technology or AccessWorld, I am happy to hear it. You can send an email directly to me at apreece@afb.org.

To close, I would like to thank you all for reading AccessWorld. The fact that so many of you find value in the content we produce makes it all worthwhile.

Sincerely,

Aaron Preece

AccessWorld Editor and Chief

American Foundation for the Blind

April 2021 Table of Contents

Bill Holton

These days, when traveling down a city street with cane or harness in hand, people with visual impairments have a variety of smartphone apps offering turn-by-turn directions and street address and upcoming intersection information. You depart. You arrive. And sometimes along the way you get to “stop and smell the roses,” or “hear the children play.” But what about the rest of the scenery, both along the way and once you reach your destination?

That’s the question Cagri Hakan Zaman and Emre Sarbak asked one another. Zaman is an MIT computer vision specialist. Sarbak is a social media entrepreneur focused on underserved communities. The two suspected that Zaman’s work with computer vision could be used to assist the blind during their travels with object recognition and identification. They began researching the possibilities and polling Boston-area blind individuals for their wish lists.

With grants from the MIT Sandbox, the US Department of Veterans Affairs, and the National Science Foundation, Zaman and Sarbak founded Cambridge research nonprofit Mediate.

They released their first smartphone app, Supersense, for Android in February of 2019, and followed up with an iOS version in March of 2020. The apps are free, but the service uses a subscription model to unlock most of its features. Pricing details are provided at the end of this article, along with a special AccessWorld reader offer.

Object Explorer

The duo’s original goal was to use computer vision and machine learning to help blind individuals in unfamiliar environments learn what’s around them. “GPS apps do a great job of getting you from here to there, but there are a lot of things you might wish or even need to know along the way,” says Shane Lowe, Mediate’s Community Operations Manager. “Is there a mailbox on this corner? Where is the bus stop bench? Where is the door to my destination?”

The team used AI to identify over 600 different object types such as trees, chairs, and doorways, and they were able to facilitate the identification in real time. The app’s Object Explorer mode uses streaming video from your smartphone camera. No need to snap photos and wait for images to be uploaded and analyzed.

Likewise if you’re sitting in a room and you want to know what’s around, launch the Supersense app and enable Object Explorer. Slowly pan the phone and the app will identify and speak the names of furnishings: sofas, chairs, lamps, picture frames and such. Again, the identification happens in real time—very handy for a quick look-around to orient yourself in an unfamiliar room or office setting.

The team then turned the Object Explorer concept on its head. Instead of scanning into the void and waiting for the app to pinpoint the nearest chair, the user can decide to look for chairs, and have the app announce the presence of various seating options as you pan the phone.

The Find menu includes a wide range of categories. I offer the entire list, in order, to give you an idea of the breadth of the app’s recognition capabilities.

• Person category: person, human face, hand, and more.
• Seat category: chair, bench, and more
• Door category: door, door handle
• Stairs category: stairs, ladders
• Trashcan category: trash can, waste container
• Vehicle category: car, bicycle, train, and more
• Bathroom category: toilet, sink, toothbrush, and more
• Kitchen category: kettle, microwave, oven, and more
• Cups and bottle category: coffee cup, bottle, and jug
• Utensils category: fork, knife, spoon, and more
• Bags and accessories category: handbag, umbrella, earrings, and more
• Electronics category: TV laptop, keyboard, and more
• Animals category: cat, dog, insect and more
• Bedroom category: wardrobe, chair, pillow, and more
• Buildings and trees category: house, tree, fountain, and more
• Clothes and shoes category: boot, sock, dress, and more
• Food category: food, fruit, tea, and more
• Office items category: whiteboard, stapler, and scissors
• Hobbies category: musical instrument, sports equipment, ball, and more
• Tables category: table, desk, nightstand, and more
• Traffic category: traffic light, parking meter, traffic sign, and more
• Work tools category: hammer, screwdriver, wrench, and more

In Object Explorer mode Supersense searches for and announces items in the above categories. Walking along a sidewalk, for example, the app might announce “car,” “parking meter,” or, even more usefully, “tree branch.” The only direction information you will receive, however, is whatever you can glean from the direction your phone is pointed toward.

By now you are likely listing any number of potential uses for Supersense. Finding that pesky TV remote. Locating an empty seat in the doctor’s waiting room. Navigating your way to the sinks in the arena-size airport restroom. All of these are possible, but with one significant caveat.

For Supersense, camera quality matters. The better your smartphone’s camera, the further Supersense can detect, recognize, and identify.

My own iPhone XR needs to be within five or six feet of a door, window, or chair to recognize it. Users of newer generation smartphones can expect better distance scanning.

Also, when the app did report a door, it did not indicate if it was two or four feet away. These distance limitations may soon be at least partially overcome by the use of LiDAR paired with the company’s newest offering: Super LiDAR. LiDAR stands for light detection and ranging. Basically, LiDAR is similar to RADAR but it uses pulses of infrared light instead of radio waves. Emitted light is bounced off objects, then distance and shape are calculated measuring the time for the reflected light to return to the receiver. It’s the technology behind Google Mapping vehicles and self-driving cars.

LiDAR is currently available on the iPad Pro and iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max only, but other manufacturers are expected to follow suit.

“With LiDAR, objects can currently be detected up to 15 to16 feet away, and the technology is still in early days,” says Lowe. The reflected light pulses enable the app to calculate both distance and moving direction, much the same as RADAR can determine how far away an aircraft is and the direction it’s flying. With Supersense you may discover a person standing ahead. Using Super LiDAR’s more precise infrared pulse reflection you may also receive extra information, such as “a person wearing a mask,” and the distance between you and that person. Rising and falling tones provide feedback as you approach or move away from the detected person or object. Very helpful if, say, you’re standing in a moving line or reaching for a doorknob.

Super LiDAR is available free from the iOS App Store.  There is currently no subscription fee.

Text Explorer

According to Lowe, “When we asked users what features and enhancements they would like us to work on the responses were overwhelming. They wanted accessible, easier-to-use text recognition.” The team set to work, and with a recent update to the Android version and the initial release of Supersense for iOS, the app now includes text, currency, and bar-code scanning.

In the default Smart Scan mode, Supersense searches for brief snatches of text, currency, or bar codes, and when it finds them, the app performs automatic recognition.

If Supersense detects a longer document, it automatically switches to Document Scan mode. There, it offers spoken-English guidance, such as “Rotate to 11 o’clock position,” “Move one inch to the right,” and “Move further away from the document.” Image capture is automatic—no fumbling for a button. Recognition is both swift and accurate.

You can bypass Smart Scan and choose one of the following modes directly.

• Quick Read: Reads brief snatches of text. Recognition and voicing are automatic.
• Document Read: Scan a full page and review or save the text.
• Multipage Scanning: Scan multiple pages and then read them as a single document.
• Currency: Recognizes various denominations of US dollars, Euros, British Pounds, Australian and Canadian dollars.
• Bar Code: Auto-scans for bar codes. Variable speed beeps to help locate the code. Works best with the phone positioned approximately one foot away from the product.
• Magnify: Enables the user to zoom in and read the text either via eText or from a magnified image from the camera. Any text is also recognized.
• Import image or PDF: Recognizes text within images and inaccessible PDF files. This feature is also available through various Share sheets.
• Read History: Lists all of your previous recognitions with the date and time and scan mode used. From here you can review, delete, or share the text.

Evaluation

I enjoyed using Supersense to quick scan my mail and read letters of interest. My only complaint is that currently the read-back does not allow speech interruption. Scan a wordy flier and you’ll have to wait for voicing to finish before the app will scan another. Either that or toggle Quick Scan off and back on.

Currency reading worked as well as Seeing AI, and I didn’t have to use the app’s menu to switch to a specific currency mode to accomplish it. Smart Scan did the job. Bar-code scanning also worked well, achieving better results than with Seeing AI. PDFs scanned well. Photos only scanned for text, not object or scene description. I did not evaluate the Magnify mode.

Object recognition was equally swift, and sometimes surprising. On a recent walk my dog tugged her leash and ventured off the sidewalk. She stopped and began pawing at something. Supersense announced, “Scattering moths and butterflies.” Pretty cool. However, when leaving the park I aimed the camera where I know there is a park sign. Supersense announced “Tree,” but when I switched to Quick Scan mode and pointed to the same spot, the text on the sign was read flawlessly.

I found Supersense quite useful for orienting myself when left alone in a doctor’s exam room. Earlier, however, I’d tried using Furnishings mode to find an empty seat in the waiting room. I launched the app and my phone and began to pan—and that was when I thought about the people already in the waiting room who were undoubtedly wondering, “Why is that stranger aiming his camera at me? Am I going to be on YouTube? I haven’t given my permission.”

Perhaps I am overly cautious, but I can't see myself using Supersense to find a urinal in a crowded bathroom, or the shower in an occupied locker room.

Pricing, Contact Information, and a Special Offer

Supersense’s free plan includes unlimited access to Quick Read, Import Image or PDF Mode, and Read History. All other features require a monthly, yearly, or lifetime subscription. Monthly: $4.99 Yearly: $49.99 Lifetime Subscription: $99.99

Payments are billed to your iOS iTunes or Google Play Store account, depending on which version you are using.

Exclusive Offer

If you'd like to put Supersense’s full version through its paces, request a call through the app’s support option or email.. Mention AccessWorld and you'll receive a free initial month subscription.

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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April 2021 Table of Contents

Janet Ingber

Disney+ is a streaming service from The Walt Disney Company that allows you to access content on your iOS device or desktop computer. Many other devices are also supported. The service goes far beyond animated features to offer a wealth of movies and series with audio description for children and adults.

For this article I used an iPhone X with the latest version of iOS 14 and a 2016 MacBook Pro with macOS Big Sur.

Getting Help

Disney+ has a help page with an extensive list of help topics and FAQs. Further down the page there are links to chat or call. No phone number is displayed. Instead, there is a form to tell them more about the issue. I entered “find content with audio description,” which returned a number for me to call, 888-905-7888. According to the Disney+ website, support is available 24/7.

Finding Described Content

Disney+ does not have a way to sort by audio description. The American Council of the Blind has an excellent website for finding content with audio description. The Disney+ audio description page also contains links for audio-described titles from other streaming services. Other services include Netflix, Hulu, and Apple TV+. The website also has information about audio description not related to streaming services.

Disney+ on an iOS Device

Disney+ works very well on an iOS device. If I am using the app by myself, I usually put the audio through a Bluetooth speaker. If I am watching with people who are sighted, I’ll use an HDMI-to-Lightning cable to play content through the TV.

Disney Plus hosts content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. Titles include recent releases as well as classic movies and TV shows.

Getting Started

To begin, you will need to download the free Disney+ app. At least iOS 12.0 or iPadOS 12.0 is required. In the United States, a subscription to Disney+ costs $7.99 per month or $79.99 per year. Disney+ also offers Premier Access, allowing access to content that is not yet available to all subscribers. It currently costs an additional $29.99 per year.

In addition, there is a Disney Bundle option that includes Disney+, ESPN+, and whichever Hulu plan you choose. The Hulu plan with ads costs $13.99 per month; without ads it costs $19.99 per month.

Creating an Account

Begin the process of creating a Disney+ account by going to the Disney+ website. On the next page is a "Sign Up Now" link. When I activated it, nothing happened. Further down the page are two links for choosing whichever plan you want. The first link is “Get All Three,” which leads to the Disney Bundle: Disney+, ESPN+, and whichever Hulu plan you choose. The second link is “Sign up for Disney+ Only.”

The sign-up form is spread over several pages. Below where you enter your email address is a check box for receiving emails from the Disney Company. It is checked by default.

Using the Disney+ App

When you launch Disney+, VoiceOver says, “Disney+.” Near the top of the screen is a carousel. Next is a list of providers: Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. Selecting one of these options brings up a list of content. For example, when I selected Marvel, I got a list of Marvel Studios productions including “Black Panther,” “Doctor Strange,” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp.”

Next are sections that can be navigated by headings including Recommended for You, New to Disney+, and Continue Watching. This last section contains any movie or episode that you have not completed watching. There are additional headings that are navigated the same way. Each heading has a list of content that fits the heading’s criteria.

At the bottom of the screen are four tabs: Home, Search, Offline Downloads, and More Options. The Home screen is the one that contains all the information listed above.

The Search tab offers a standard search box. As you type in your query, results will be underneath the box.

Below the search form is an extensive list of search categories including Princesses, Disney Animation Studios, Marvel’s Avengers, and National Geographic Animals and Nature. Selecting one of these categories brings up a list of results.

The Offline Downloads section is where downloads are located. To Download content, find and select something you want. There will be three options below the title on the screen: Play, Add the current title to your Watchlist, and Download the current title to your offline Downloads.

The final tab is More Options. In this tab, you can access your Watchlist and settings. You can also modify profiles.

On the new screen, use the first section to access, create, or edit a profile.

Create a profile by selecting the Add Profile button. At the top of the new screen there are options to select an avatar or go back to the home screen. Next is an extensive list of avatars, grouped into headings including Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and Kids. The name of each character within the headings is spoken by VoiceOver. For example, the first two options under the Disney heading were Mickey Mouse and Elsa. VoiceOver said their names.

The next control is an edit box for your name. The next item in the tab is Watchlist. Your saved content will be there.

Next are app settings. Here is where you choose whether to stream over Wi-Fi only or use cellular as well. The same options will be listed for Downloads. The next is Account. Here is where you can choose whether to pay monthly or annually. Toward the bottom of the screen is a Help option. This will bring you to the Disney+ help center. Toward the bottom of the screen are options to chat or call.

Playing Content

Once you have selected a show or movie to play, double tap on it. The next screen will present information about your selection and give you several playing options. At the top of the screen are buttons to play, add the item to your Watchlist, or download the title. Next is information about the show or movie.

Near the bottom of the screen are three tabs: Suggested, Extras, and Details. For series, there is an additional Episodes tab before the Suggested tab. You will need to flick up with three fingers in order to discover the content of each tab. At the very bottom of the screen are the usual Home, Search, Offline Downloads, and More tabs.

When you press the Play button, a new screen will load and VoiceOver will say “Landscape.” You will need to position your iPhone with the charge port on the right. On occasion, the first time I tried to play content, VoiceOver did not speak. Reloading the content solved the problem.

At the far left of the screen is a Back button. Flicking right, the next control is an unlabeled button. It is used for Airplay. Next is the Audio and Subtitles Menu button. Select this button and then flick right until you hear, “English, Audio Description.” Select this option and description will begin. The Close button is in the upper left. When you play other content, if English Audio Description has been selected previously, you will not need to select it again, unless you turned it off.

Next to the Menu button is another unlabeled button. Use it to rewind. Next is the Play/Pause button. The next button is also unlabeled. This is for going forward. Next is how much time has elapsed and how much time remains. Finally, there is a control to advance or move backward through the content. VoiceOver says, “Adjustable.” Flick up or down with one finger to make the adjustment.

Disney+ on the Web

The first time you use your user name and password to log in, the new screen will ask for your email address and that you agree with Disney’s terms. When the new screen loads, enter your password. Right below the edit box is an unlabeled button. Selecting it lets VoiceOver say what you were typing in the edit box.

The main screen starts with “Who’s watching?” Make your selection. There are many headings on the screen including New to Disney+, Trending, and Recommended for You. Select your show or movie.

On the new screen is a Play button. Select it and a video player with labeled controls will be on the screen. To the left of the player is a Settings button. If audio description is not playing, select the Settings button. VO + Right Arrow until you hear, “English Audio Description.” Next, VO + Left Arrow once and you should be on the button to activate audio description.

When done, go left to the Close option. This will put you back on the page with controls. You can also use Command + Left Bracket, It will bring you back to the page preceding the controls.

Conclusion

Disney+ has many described series and movies for people of all ages. Both the iOS and web versions work well, but they are not perfect. Some controls in the iOS version are not labeled. The Disney+ website takes some work to master, but it is useable. I personally prefer the iOS version.

If you’re looking for something great to watch, I loved “Hamilton” when it was on Broadway with live audio description and I loved it on Disney+ with audio description.

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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April 2021 Table of Contents

Steve Kelley

For Google Play Music aficionados, the writing’s been on the wall for a while: there wasn’t enough room in the Google universe for two music services. Now YouTube Music is Google’s only music service. Click on the Google Play Music icon from any Android device and you’ll see, “Google Play Music is no longer available,” with a button inviting you to “Explore YouTube Music.” Ask for a song on the Google Home Assistant, and you hear that it is now playing the song from YouTube Music. So if you live in the Google universe, it’s time to learn a bit more about YouTube Music.

The first thing to learn is that YouTube Music goes well beyond Google devices. You can download a YouTube Music app for Android and iOS devices, use the Web on Windows or Mac, and cast the music from these devices to a speaker or sound system connected to your Wi-Fi network. How’s that for options?

YouTube Music offers a free version and a premium version. The free version includes ads and has fewer features. Some of the biggest features missing on the free version are the ability to download music to play offline, customize playback, and listen in the background.. For YouTube Music Premium service, after a 30-day free trial you’ll pay $9.99 per month, which is coincidentally exactly what you’ll pay for Apple Music or Amazon Music.

For music service newbies, enjoying YouTube Music can be as simple as asking your Google Home Assistant, or other Android device, to play a particular song or genre of music. For example, "OK Google, play ‘Stairway to Heaven’ on YouTube Music,” or “Play classical music on YouTube Music.” The first will play the song by Led Zeppelin, the second will play a classical music station or playlist composed of various selections. If you are not a premium subscriber, you’ll just have to tolerate some ads here and there.

Need more features? The YouTube apps for iOS and Android and on the Web offer or customized playlists, recommendations, downloading, latest music, favorites, and streaming radio stations based on your favorite artists, and a dizzying array of other options. The apps are free, just download them, enter your Google credentials, and start a free trial for the premium service if you’re eligible and want to check it out.

The apps and Web interface have four main areas from which to get started: Home, Explore, Library, and Search. The first three appear as tabs at the bottom of the apps, and at the top on the Web. Search is on the top of the screen in both.

A Quick Search

Search seems the quickest way into the app. Enter the name of a band or song and you'll get a list of results. A set of filters is available to refine the search, including: Songs, Videos, Playlists, Albums, and Artists. Each one of the filters returns a list of items: songs, videos, etc., with brief details, and a menu for that listing. Selecting the item opens the player and begins playing the selection with controls for playback. Selected songs are immediately put into a playlist, so on either side of the Play/Pause button an option to skip to the next song or go back to a previous song appears. Other menu items here included: Share, Download, Add to Playlist, and Radio. Premium subscribers can download music to play offline for up to 30 days. On the Android app, TalkBack identified all the objects on the music player by swiping through from top to bottom with the exception of the slider below the video player. Once in focus, an up or down swipe, or the volume buttons, will adjust the time forward or backward in the song on the slider.

Three tabs appear at the bottom of the player screen: Up Next, Lyrics, and Related. Up Next lists the next selections in the playlist YouTube created for you, presumably based on your past choices, as does Related. For my selection of “Stairway to Heaven,” for example, the related tab suggested Marvin Gaye’s “Got To Give It Up,” and Seal’s, “Stand By Me,” so I am still curious what algorithm provided those related items! The Lyrics tab here is a really great, handy feature. Not all songs have lyrics available, though nearly all the selections I used for the review did.

The Home Tab

At first the Home screen appears to be a lot of mixes and features that have nothing to do with you or your musical preferences. After making a few selections, however, the Home screen becomes a really handy place to quickly listen to some music that matches what you like. At the top of the Home page is a feature called Mixed for You, which includes several playlist mixes that match preferences you’ve made in the past. Below this is Quick Picks, described as a radio station based on a song. It is not clear how this differs from Mixed For You, except that this playlist or radio station begins by selecting a specific song based on your previous preferences.

Continuing down the Home screen, New Releases, provides suggestions for new songs and artists, again based on previous selections. During the review, this included a limited selection, and while the first couple recommendations seemed good matches, the last several were misses. Recommended Music Videos, appeared next, with 10 recommendations that were a much better match for preferences than the previous New Releases.

There were a number of additional categories following this, including Reissue Roundup, Today’s Biggest Hits, Live Performances, and Feel Good Favorites.. If you love music and want to keep up with the latest releases, this is a great section to drill down into. One of the great features here was the ability to just select and listen to a complete album whenever it was one of the recommendations. Additionally, each selection included a menu offering options to rate the selection with a thumbs up or down, change the quality of music, or select audio only for lower bandwidth situations, download the selection for premium subscribers, add the song to a playlist, share the song, and more. These menu features really provide the options to customize both your selections, playlists, and recommendations.

Explore Tab

While there is plenty to explore from the Home screen, the Explore screen puts a slightly different spin on the selections, with less focus on user preferences and more on new music. Sections here included: New Releases, Charts, Moods and Genres, New Albums & Singles, and Top Songs. Digging into any one of these sections offered more about what was trending more generally, rather than the focused offerings in the Home screen.

Library Tab

Library contains collections of music selected while using the other features of YouTube Music. Playlists are stored here, along with songs you've recently listened to, and music, albums, songs, or artists that you downloaded. The Subscription feature here is a great way to search for channels or specific artists. Once subscribed, the artist channel provides a great deal of information about the latest albums, songs, videos, features, playlists, and more. For the user with several favorite artists, this is another great way to get started with YouTube Music—search for several favorite artists, subscribe to their channels, and save a couple of the playlists for these artists in the Library.

Wrapping It Back Up

For this newcomer to YouTube Music, the number of features and the Home, Explore, and Library screens packed with options seemed a bit overwhelming. For the music listener familiar with other apps like iTunes, this will all be second nature. A quick tutorial like Josh Teder’s, “How to use YouTube Music” will help sort out all the features and where to find them. This tutorial moves quickly and doesn’t address screen reader users, but was still useful for sorting it all out.

Both Android and iOS apps worked well with TalkBack and VoiceOver. Of particular note was the ability to shuffle music in the various playlists using a double-tap-and-drag gesture, a feature that didn’t work on the YouTube TV app reviewed last month. For anyone with inconsistent internet access, the download feature on the premium service will be a really great feature, and will guarantee you have the music you want regardless of internet connectivity. Perhaps the best part of YouTube Music is that you can try the free version as long as you want to see if it works for you and your entertainment devices, and you can check out the YouTube Music Premium for 30 days at no cost.

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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April 2021 Table of Contents

Deborah Kendrick

What do snow and technology have in common? Bonnie O’Day, event coordinator for the 2021 Ski for Light International, pointed out somewhat whimsically that for long-time attendees of the 46-year-old tradition, one connection between snow and technology is clear. There is always one key question that determines success or failure.

Since its 1975 debut in Colorado, Ski for Light International has gathered its blind, sighted, and mobility impaired participants in a variety of venues across the country always holding a collective breath in anticipation of cooperative weather.

Whether the event was held in New Hampshire, Minnesota, Alaska, Wyoming, Michigan, or Nevada, in the several weeks leading up to arrival date SFL organizers and participants have asked one question year after year: “Is there snow yet?” On the phone, via email and instant messages, they vigilantly followed reports and sometimes went to extraordinary lengths to make Ski for Light International week happen. In Alaska in 2003, they trucked the snow in. In South Dakota in 1996, there was so much snow that there was a complete whiteout, holding everyone hostage inside the hotel until the weather calmed down.

Snow, of course, has always been the defining condition, determining whether or not a few hundred people would spend a week reveling in the beauty of winter landscapes, perfecting or acquiring their ski skills.

Until the pandemic.

Like so many other events around the world, Ski for Light 2021 was held virtually. On January 27-31, 2021, long-time participants and first-time attendees gathered the way so many groups have been gathering for the last year: from their computers, smartphones, tablets, and landlines. This year the question was: "Will the technology work?" Miraculously, for the most part, it did!

Ski for Light History

Erling Stordahl, a popular pop singer in his native Norway, was blind. He was also an avid cross-country skier, entrepreneur, and apparent believer in the abilities of all people. The program he inspired in Norway to teach other blind people to ski continues to thrive with a national Healthsports center and the weeklong annual race event called the Ridderrenn. In 1975, Stordahl’s friend, Olav Pederson, who had retired and relocated from Norway to Colorado, convinced Stordahl to help him launch a similar program in the United States. Stordahl agreed, with the one condition that it not be a one-time occurrence, but an ongoing national event. Thus, Ski for Light International was born, with its inaugural gathering hosting people from throughout the US and Norway in Summit, Colorado..

The program has been expanding and thriving since that time, typically hosting about 300 people, including skiers with visual and mobility impairments and sighted guide-instructors who teach and facilitate. The magic, however, is in an intangible quality that has been carried around the country from ski site to ski site, a magic that creates an atmosphere of inclusion and equality like no other, and that sends participants new and old home inhaling and believing the Ski for Light motto: If I can do this, I can do anything!

The Virtual Version

The aim of Ski for Light is to teach blind, visually impaired, and mobility impaired people to ski. It is proudly an all-volunteer organization, which means that everyone who participates in the events works together to plan, organize, fund-raise, and keep the momentum of Ski for Light International going.

Part of the energy is always committed to spreading the word, and encouraging participants, both with and without disabilities, to join the fun. Ski instruction is an important piece of the schedule. But there’s much more. Special interest offer participants with a given talent or interest the opportunity to share their expertise with others. There are stretch classes, yoga sessions, and other exercise offerings to help participants ease into the day. Finally, because Ski for Light is just plain fun, there is a lot of time dedicated to hanging out in the lounges and bars sponsored by the resort.

The Ski for Light organizers did a remarkable job of replicating as many of these experiences in a virtual environment as possible. 438 individuals registered for the virtual 2021 Ski for Light International, with more than 100 of them being first time participants.

All events were held on the Zoom platform, thus enabling people to join via computer, mobile phone, or old-fashioned landline phone. For participants who requested a hard copy version, the schedule was mailed in advance in either print or braille. The event schedule was also emailed to all participants, and made available on the Ski for Light website. Each of the four days of the event, a schedule containing Zoom links and information for that particular day was also emailed to everyone.

Each participant who signed up for the virtual event was sent a blue exercise band (with the Ski for Light motto printed on it) and a commemorative 2021 SFL patch. On each of the event days, some kind of fitness exercise session was presented online. Each day, there were special interest sessions presented on a range of topics. Sessions ranged from how to make a perfect loaf of sourdough rye bread to how to live sustainably without the conventions of electric appliances and internet to how one blind athlete trained for the Ironman event. There were panels informing newcomers what the experience is like for a first-time blind skier and a similar panel for guides. Two mountain climbers, one blind and one using a wheelchair, captivated their Zoom audience with their recalled experiences climbing mountains.

As there is every year at the in-person event, there were opening and closing ceremonies and a fundraising auction.

Einar Bergh of Norway, who has been a member of the Ski for Light family since its inception (when he says he was a first “Seeing Eye ski guide”) led one special interest session with a fascinating and compelling account of the life of Erling Stordahl. So much we all owe to the one blind hero and his personal charisma, which attracted so many others, blind and sighted, to build the legacy we enjoy today. He ended his presentation with a recording of one of Stordahl’s hit songs, which was indeed a highly enriching and emotional moment.

Every night, in groups large and small, sometimes going into the wee hours, participants gathered in Zoom rooms with whimsical names like Ski Tips Saloon and Snowplow Snack Bar. You had to bring your own beverage and snacks, but the warmth of conversation among old friends and new was almost like being there.

Of course, there was no skiing, but fitness sessions, combined with a fitness challenge picked up by many, and all of the shared special interest and late-night sessions provided a close semblance to the spirit that has brought so many back to Ski for Light year after year after year.

There is a powerful element in music and storytelling to transport us in time, and my own favorite highlights of the week are evidence of that.

For me, two especially memorable segments of the event were, first, Einar Bergh’s account of Erling Stordahl’s life and work and the recollections of many Ski for Light milestones and, secondly, the musical performance by Jim Salestrom on the final evening. A warm and wonderfully talented singer/songwriter, Jim Salestrom has been with Ski for Light for many years, and hearing him sing the songs he’s written about the magic of Ski for Light had the absolute power to transport me briefly again to Granby, Colorado, where I first heard his voice and guitar more than twenty years ago.

The 47th Annual Ski for Light International

And speaking of Granby, that is exactly where the 47th Ski for Light International is currently planned. Ski for Light participants have a collective optimism and capacity for making things happen that made it possible to have a ski event with no snow and lots of technology. It was special for sure, but the real thing, a whole week with snow and real skiing, is planned to be back next year. While plans are still being formed due to uncertainties regarding health regulations, the event is expected to take place January 30 through February 6, 2022.

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

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April 2021 Table of Contents