Dear AccessWorld Readers,

AFB is now 100 years old! On September 23rd, 1921, AFB was founded by a group of educators and rehabilitation professionals with the help of a man named M.C. Migel. At the time of its founding, AFB was built around the following core missions:

• provide a national clearinghouse for information about vision loss
• create a forum for blindness service professionals
• generate new directions for research
• represent the needs of people with vision loss in the creation of public policy

These days, the first two items are being spearheaded by other organizations like the American Printing House for the Blind and AER, but AFB has been involved in both policy and research for as long as I have been with the organization. In particular, we have stepped up our research considerably in the past several years and we have produced a good deal of valuable information in that time. If you are interested, you can find information on the research AFB has done here—it is quite fascinating!

Helen Keller began working at AFB in 1924 and would continue to do so until just before her death in 1968. She served as AFB's counselor on national and international relations, but, as you might imagine, she had a much greater impact on the development of rights for people with vision loss.

Helen transferred a massive collection of her personal possessions to AFB, along with other items such as newspaper articles that she collected during her lifetime. The collection itself is now housed with APH, but over the past several years we have produced a fully accessible digital museum that provides online access to the collection. The Helen Keller Digital Archive contains a wealth of information on Helen that you won't find anywhere else, and also provides valuable context for the attitudes and type of world people who were blind or visually impaired experienced in the first half of the 20th century. If you are interested in Helen or on this period in general, you will find the archive fascinating. I know I can easily get lost reading through letters and articles in the archive; the period around World War II and the years proceeding it can be particularly interesting. For example, in this letter from AFB's executive director to Helen in 1939 we learn that a bill regarding the Works Progress Administration (WPA) would have excluded people who were blind from taking part in the employment opportunities available through the administration. Thanks in part to the work of Helen Keller and AFB, this part of the bill was removed.

The archive also sheds light on Helen as a person, outside of the popular image that focuses on her deaf-blindness. For example, did you know that Helen was a socialist? She discusses her support of Russia in this letter. More chilling is a letter from a German man expressing his support for Hitler, written in response to what I believe was this letter. These letters were sent in 1934 and 1933 respectively, and give a picture of Helen's political positions as well as the type of response her often impassioned writing could prompt. The part of the respondent's letter explaining that he didn't believe Germany would attack any of its neighbors is particularly ironic in light of what happened 5 years later.

Most items in the archive, including those that are handwritten, have transcripts that are accessible to people with vision loss. Note that not all transcriptions have been reviewed by a human reader so may have errors, but it is possible to sort by complete transcription if you would like.

If you are interested in the life of Helen Keller, the evolution of rights for people who are blind or visually impaired, the blindness industry, or simply the history of the early to mid-20th century, I encourage you to take a look through the archive.

Sincerely,

Aaron Preece

AccessWorld Editor-in-Chief

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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Deborah Kendrick

With so many job titles attached to his name, you might think that Hoby Wedler is either approaching retirement age or is just a guy who enjoys reinventing himself. Neither is the case. Now in his mid-30s, Wedler is simply a brilliant, energetic, creative guy who started out at a run and just keeps adding new blossoms to the vibrant bouquet that is his life.

Wedler identified a passion for chemistry when he was only a teenager, and thought that would be his chosen career. Born completely blind, he knew getting a PhD in chemistry would have its obstacles, but he is a man who seems to relish obstacles—or the joy in finding the most rewarding path for circumventing them.

He did get that PhD in chemistry, but he knew even before that goal was realized that he probably wasn't meant to stay in that subject for long. As part of his pursuit of that degree, he taught college classes and found that while he has a natural affinity for teaching, doing so in an era where so much relies on visual information just wasn't as satisfying as he believes the work experience should be.

Other kinds of teaching provided even more joy. As opportunities arose, Wedler just kept exploring and growing. His has been the best kind of growth, the kind that enriches plenty of other lives along the way.

Childhood

Hoby Wedler had what might be considered an idyllic childhood, particularly for a child who was born completely blind. When Wedler was born and medical professionals apprised his parents of the news that he was completely blind, they naturally had a moment or two of dismay. Luckily for Wedler's future, however, his mother's longtime friend had grown up in the company of a blind adult who set the tone for blindness being a challenge, but not a catastrophe. His mother set out to give her second child every experience that her first child was given, and to do so without making an unnecessary fuss about blindness.

Already a teacher, Wedler's mother went back to school to learn to be a teacher of visually impaired kids. By the time he was five, his mother was immersed in what would be a 27-year career as a teacher of the visually impaired. She wasn't her son's teacher—although she was his orientation and mobility instructor for a time when he was in middle grades—but the professional knowledge that bridged her home and work life was an immeasurable benefit to her bright young son.

Wedler and his brother, two years older, enjoyed sailing, swimming, hiking, and cycling. And Wedler demonstrated an early flair for creating in the kitchen.

Construction and renovation projects brought the family together and provided a wealth of hands-on experience with building, plumbing, and mechanical skills that some kids, blind or sighted, never learn. From the age of about eight, he says his job was to make meals. He made soups and stews, reveling in interesting combinations of ingredients, and experimenting with techniques for enhancing a variety of flavors. His parents constantly encouraged both him and his sighted brother, he says, and never told them anything was impossible.

Youth Slam and Access Science

Wedler was still a teenager when he participated in an exciting project sponsored by the National Federation of the Blind, in which he and other young blind people, with guidance from scientists both blind and sighted, actually built and launched a rocket. As thrilling as that adventure was, it simply further solidified Wedler's belief that if you believe in yourself, anything is possible.

He worked as a mentor in NFB's Youth Slam, and in 2011, launched his own nonprofit organization, Access Science, which held science camps for blind students for the next five years.

Meanwhile, he was getting that PhD in chemistry, and had been invited to use another of his many talents—his fascination with maximizing and integrating sense experiences—to go to work for Francis Ford Coppola. Growing up in California's wine country, Wedler has always been around wine. As a self-proclaimed foodie, he also loves thinking about flavors. The idea of hosting a wine tasting (dubbed "Tastings in the Dark") for a leading vineyard, and having total license to lead those events in a way that invited participants to employ all their senses was, well, a delicious invitation indeed. He is still holding Tasting in the Dark events and still loving the experience, but perhaps more importantly, that adventure served as a jumping-off place for other endeavors.

Many of his projects are rooted in what Wedler calls "sensory literacy." We have five senses, and those who have all five tend to give more power or credence to the sense of sight. In an exploration of the senses guided by Wedler, participants expand their recognition to examine information brought to the mind by hearing, touch, taste, and smell as well. He has put these ideas into practice consulting in Italy, orchestrating olive oil tastings in New York, and collaborating on ideas with at least one celebrity chef. Exploring the senses from the perspective of a scientist and with a goal as simple as sharing something delicious has proven to be a win-win formula for a growing number of opportunities.

From Science to Senses

The first company Wedler launched was Access Science. In camps from 2011 to 2016, he introduced blind students to a wealth of experiences and experiments, rooted both in science and just ordinary living. "If you want to do something and you believe in yourself," he says, "it will happen." That was the message he wanted to impart to blind students younger than himself, and it was a fantastic journey.

In order to make room for his latest entrepreneurial adventures, Access Science is dormant at the moment, though someone else may eventually take it on.

The wine tastings he led for Coppola, events where the focus is literally on the taste, not the sight, of wine, merged his loves of food, flavor, and science beautifully. Under his company Senspoint, Wedler and his life and business partner Justin Valladingham have consulted with food and flavor experts in the United States and abroad, applying his principles of sensory literacy in a variety of settings.

Since both Wedler and Valladingham love food and love to cook, their latest entrepreneurial venture, Hoby's Essentials, was a logical next step. Hoby's Essentials are spice blends created by Wedler, and will be the first spices to bear braille labels on every product. As of this writing, there are two blends available, Rosemary Salt and Happy Paprika, which can be used to enhance flavors in a variety of foods. The products were launched, of all places, at two Nascar races (in Michigan and Florida respectively), and provided yet another new adventure for this entrepreneurial lover of life.

Making connections is another thing Wedler does exceedingly well. He has connected with astronauts and celebrity chefs, CEOs and educators, farmers and teachers, all in the pursuit of one idea or another. In a Clubhouse chat, he met a marketing expert whose father had been blind. She heard Wedler's story, learned about his new venture, and Hoby's Essentials were soon being advertised on Nascar driver Colin Garrett's vehicle!

Five Mindsets

Consulting on a variety of projects, launching a collection of spices, looking toward launching a line of cocktails (the company will be called Blind Truth), and serving as a volunteer for more than one organization—the sum of all these parts certainly affords Wedler plenty of room for bragging rights. But bragging is not in his quiver of arrows for success.

He likes to talk about what he calls his "five mindsets for overcoming challenges." These principles are simple truths that have worked well for him and that he passionately shares in the hope they will help others raise their own expectations for themselves. Wedler has achieved much and will no doubt achieve much more, but his genuine joy and gratitude for a fulfilling life are readily evident and every bit as responsible for his success as are the rudimentary building blocks piled up along the way. His foundation of braille and orientation and technology and a solid work ethic have all contributed to his entrepreneurial success, but more valuable perhaps and more available to others are the points he stresses in his five mindsets.

My favorites among them are:

• Don't compare yourself to others
• Break challenges into small pieces
• Don't be afraid to fail

These strategies and more have built a dazzling career for Wedler. What he doesn't tell you, but I will, is that also key to his success have been the traits of kindness, gratitude, and a palpable joy in life. One of his goals is to elevate happiness for others through his products, his teaching, and his ideas. Just knowing him elevates mine!

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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Judy Dixon

Over the past several years, the San Francisco LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired has become more and more involved with the creation and production of tactile graphics. At the heart of these efforts is the Media and Accessible Design lab (MAD Lab), a group of highly skilled people who create and produce a variety of tactile graphics and other accessible media with lots of amazing equipment.

They have now launched several ongoing projects featuring their tactile graphics including Touching The News, TMAP, and the tactile graphics sold by Adaptations, the retail store associated with the San Francisco LightHouse.

For blind and visually impaired people who are eager to learn about the images that people who are sighted view regularly, these tactile graphics are nothing short of magical. These virtual eye-openers now give blind people the chance to get a very good idea of what the Mars helicopter that everyone is talking about actually looks like. And where exactly did that ship get stuck in the Suez Canal? They never say on the news, they just show a map.

Touching the News

In the early days of television news, the newscaster sat at a desk and read the news out loud. They did have occasional cutaways to maps or still photographs, but the presentation was, by and large, quite static. In 1941, WNBT, the New York CBS affiliate, interrupted regular programming to announce the bombing of Pearl Harbor. This was the first instance of a newscaster standing in front of a map. In this case, he was showing viewers where the attacks had occurred.

Until the 1990s, graphics on television news continued to be largely static. Graphics were presented with over-the-shoulder overlays. In recent years, these overlaid boxes have been joined by large floor-to-ceiling "video walls," which means that television news has more presentation options to choose from with even more stunning, attention-grabbing graphics.

The straightforward, traditional styles of 30-minute blocks of news-sports-weather have evolved into fast-paced, longer presentations with many more news stories. Today, there is a wide variety of news sources. Some news is still broadcast on television in the evening. But now, we have cable channels devoted entirely to news that air 24 hours a day. Most channels stream their content on their websites and also maintain Facebook and Twitter accounts to share late-breaking news.

Along with all this news comes loads of graphics to maintain visual interest. Maps, stock market graphics, and a wide variety of other graphical content dominate news programming. And, while blind people are beginning to enjoy more and more audio description as part of television series and movies, the news is not described because the newscasters are talking continuously.

In addition, newspapers and magazines are filled with graphical elements to illustrate the points being made. They include photographs of people, places, and objects; maps; charts and graphs; comic strips; cartoons; and even games like crossword puzzles and Sudoku. Occasionally, some of these images may be described on a radio reading service but as more and more of us are reading our newspapers from Newsline or the internet, we don't have the luxury of having any of the rich imagery described.

With all this information being disseminated in the form of graphics in the news, people who could not visually view the news were not able to consume this content. Now, thanks to the San Francisco LightHouse, it is possible for blind people to, literally, touch the news.

In early 2021, the LightHouse began offering a series of downloadable tactile graphics they called "Touching the News." The first tactile graphic available from Touching the News was the Suez Canal. This was at the time that the cargo ship, the Ever Given, was stuck there so its appearance was very much appreciated by blind users. It consisted of two maps. One showed the Canal with the Mediterranean Sea at its north end and the Red Sea at its south end. The location where the Ever Given had been stuck was clearly marked just at the very southern end of the canal.

The other map was titled "Alternative Route for Shipping while Suez Canal blocked." It showed a route from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, to Rotterdam, Netherlands. This map illustrated how a ship would have to go all the way down around the Cape of Good Hope at the bottom of Africa, and how much longer this route would be if the Suez Canal wasn't available.

Since then, the graphics available from Touching the News have included: a map of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, an Antarctic iceberg, the International Space Station, the Mars helicopter, and even the Harriet Tubman $20 bill and an NBA basketball court. Some of the images aren't directly related to current news but are frequently seen by sighted people, like emojis and zodiac signs.

Graphics such as these can be made tactile in either of two ways, depending on the equipment that is available. It is possible to emboss tactile graphics using certain models of braille embossers with manufacturer's software created for this purpose. Alternatively, graphics can be printed or copied onto special paper called microcapsule or swell paper. This paper is then fed through a microcapsule fuser which is a special machine that raises the dark parts of the tactile graphic on the microcapsule paper. The fuser usually has a halogen bulb that supplies the heat needed to raise the gray and black areas on microcapsule paper. Several models of microcapsule fusers are available for purchase. See the Resources section at the end of this article for information on where to obtain these devices.

The Touching the News tactile graphics are downloadable as ZIP files that include file formats suitable for embossing on ViewPlus Columbia/Delta or APH Pixblaster embossers, or for printing on swell paper for use with a microcapsule fuser. Swell paper can be printed with an ordinary printer or copied with a photocopier. An inkjet printer tends to work better than a laser printer because the printing process doesn't heat the paper and start the raising process prematurely.

The graphics are created for 8-1/2 by 11 inch paper and include braille labels, and sometimes print reference information. For individuals and organizations who have access to the necessary equipment, the downloadable files are free.

Every two weeks, the LightHouse publishes a poll of three items they are considering for the next graphic to be created for Touching the News. The winner of this poll becomes the graphic produced the next week. You can receive e-mails telling you when a new poll is available and when new graphics are available for download by signing up on the LightHouse website.

Presently, subscribers to Touching the News are emailed a link to a digital tactile graphic file every two weeks, and they must print the graphic on their own. However, the LightHouse is aware that the average blind person still can't get their hands on these tactile images. Very few people have access to a graphics embosser or swell machine at home. They are exploring how to distribute these images by US Mail as hard copy tactile graphics, embossed on paper. They are conducting a survey to help determine potential funding sources and distribution logistics. Those interested in receiving embossed versions of the Touching the News graphics are encouraged to take the survey. If you would like a free Touching the News tactile graphic sample, send Touching the News an email with an address, and they will get one in the mail to you.

TMAP

In 2018, the LightHouse began offering TMAP, which stands for Tactile Maps Automated Production. These are tactile street maps covering an area of several blocks surrounding a given address. TMAP is a collaborative effort between the LightHouse and the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute.

By supplying a specific street address, you can order an embossed TMAP from Adaptations, phone: 1-888-400-8933. The cost is $26.25. The TMAP package includes: an introductory page, a tactile map key, two maps of the same address, a zoomed-out overview map, and, if the data is available, a zoomed-in detail map showing streets, paths, and buildings. All materials are embossed on 11-by-11.5 inch paper and include large print labels in addition to braille.

If you prefer to create your own TMAP, you can request a free account by sending an e-mail to TMAP. If you create your own, you have a great deal of flexibility as to how much area is covered by your map and how much detail it contains. A TMAP can range from a few blocks to a few miles wide, depending on the map scale and paper size. TMAP can generate maps at six different zoom levels, from 1:1500 to 1:50000.

The LightHouse advises that TMAP works best for maps of North America. It can generate maps of addresses anywhere in the world, but sometimes the results are not as good as what is normally expected. The most frequent problem I have observed for addresses outside North America is that street names are sometimes not available.

When you download your TMAP, you will find a ZIP file with a PDF and 4 (or more) SVG files. The SVG files are Tactile Map page, Print Map page, Tactile Legend page(s), Print Legend page(s). The PDF combines these SVG files. TMAP files are designed to print on ViewPlus embossers, or on capsule paper for raising with a microcapsule fuser. See the Resources section at the end of this article for information on where to obtain these devices.

Other Tactile Graphics

Adaptations sells other tactile graphics products including greeting cards, a book of intersection maps to illustrate the concepts associated with intersecting streets, the movement of cars and pedestrians, and the function of traffic lights. They also offer tactile maps of the San Francisco area, the state of California, and maps of the United States as well as a training book to teach braille readers how to use tactile maps.

MAD Lab also produces custom tactile maps such as campus maps, building floor plans, and the like.

Resources

• Tactile Graphics: A How To Guide Describes methods and equipment for producing tactile graphics.

• Printing Instructions for TTN Graphics Provides detailed information on file formats and supported embossers.

• Pixblaster from the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) Supplier of PixBlaster, a braille and tactile graphics embosser.

• ViewPlus Braille Embossers Suppliers of several models of embossers capable of producing tactile graphics.

• PIAF from HumanWare, Inc. Supplier of Pictures in a Flash (PIAF) microcapsule fuser. Manufactured by Harpo and sold in the U.S. by HumanWare

• Swell Form Graphics Machine from the American Thermoform Corporation (ATC) Supplier of the Swell Form Graphics machine. Manufactured by Zychem and sold in the US by ATC.

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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Judy Dixon

Amazon Prime Video was one of the earliest commercial video streaming services, and today is one of the largest with a lot to offer a blind or visually impaired audience. The service began as Amazon Unbox in September 2006. The current iteration of Prime Video was launched in December 2016 and now has more than 125 million members.

Amazon Prime members have access to thousands of movies and TV series as part of their membership fee, while other content is available for purchase or rent. The selection of included-with-Prime titles changes regularly, and other titles can be played free with ads or rented/purchased without ads. If you are not an Amazon Prime member, you can sign up for Prime Video for $8.99 a month. New members can get a 30-day free trial and college students can get a six-month free trial.

As of August 2021, Amazon Prime Video offered more than 24,000 movies and 2,100 TV series. The content on Amazon Prime Video continues to grow by leaps and bounds. In May 2021, Amazon acquired MGM and in July 2021 it was announced that films from Universal Pictures would be brought to Prime Video. However, content from both of these companies is already available on competing streaming services so it is unclear exactly when this content will be brought to Prime Video as a result of these acquisitions.

One feature that distinguishes Prime Video from similar streaming services is live sports events. These include NFL football, NBA basketball, and PGA golf. In March 2021, the National Football League announced a 10-year deal that gives Prime Video the exclusive rights to air its "Thursday Night Football" games starting in 2022. Prime Video has already aired NFL games for at least two seasons, but they were simulcasts rather than exclusives.

Signing up for Prime Video

The process of signing up for Prime Video varies somewhat from platform to platform.

On an iPhone:

1. Download the Prime Video app from the App Store.

2. Launch the app and sign into Amazon with your e-mail address or phone number and your password, or create an account if you don't have one.

3. If you are a Prime member, then you can accept or decline notifications and you will be on the main screen of the app.

4. If you are not a Prime member, you will be prompted to subscribe to the service.

On an Apple TV:

1. Download and launch the Prime Video app.

2. Select Get Started.

3. You will be instructed to open a web browser on a computer or mobile device and go to www.amazon.com/mytp, and you will be given a code to enter when you get there.

4. Log into your Amazon account or create an account if you don't have one, and enter the provided code. At any time, you can press the Up Arrow on the Apple TV remote to have VoiceOver repeat the code. The code is valid for 10 minutes.

5. Alternatively, you can scan a QR code that is displayed in the corner of the screen.

Other mobile devices, streaming media players, and smart TV's use similar methods.

Supported Platforms

Amazon Prime Video can be accessed on a variety of platforms, including: web browsers; Smart TVs from Sony, LG, Samsung, Sharp, JVC, Panasonic, and others; cable services; mobile devices, including iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Android devices; Apple TV; Amazon devices, including Fire TV/Fire TV Stick, Echo devices with a screen (such as Echo Show, Echo Spot), Fire Tablet; Roku; and Chromecast. Not all devices have the same features.

To use Prime Video on a computer running Windows, MacOS, ChromeOS, or Linux, open a supported web browser, go to www.primevideo.com and log into your Amazon account. Supported web browsers are: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Safari, and Opera. From the browser, you can purchase and play content, access live streams, and access closed captions and audio description.

The service supports several advanced video and audio formats. Dolby Atmos is available on some titles but that number is still quite small. The description page for a title will let you know in which formats the title is offered.

Getting Help with Prime Video

Prime Video has a very extensive help page. Here you can learn about installing Prime Video on your devices, get technical support with any playback issues including live streaming, and cancel subscriptions you no longer want or request a refund for something you purchased by mistake.

If you choose Contact Us, you will be taken to a page with a live chat option. If you want to talk with a human, select the We Can Call You link, choose the reason you want to talk to someone, and if the subject is something they can help with, you will be prompted for a phone number. Many of the topics yield additional help articles.

Amazon Channels

Similar to Apple TV+, Prime Video also offers over 100 channels. This is the Amazon Prime add-on that lets you choose to access other services from within the Prime Video app. Amazon Prime members can add channels such as Showtime, Starz, and Hallmark Movies Now without a cable provider. The cost for most channels is similar to their cost elsewhere. Subscription providers manage the availability of titles that are included with their service.

Some channel subscriptions also feature Watch Live. This feature gives you the option to live stream programming on supported devices at the same time that it's broadcast on TV.

Watch Party

Viewers can use a feature launched in 2020 called Watch Party to enjoy movies and other content virtually with friends and family. There can be up to 100 people in a Watch Party but each person must have a US-based Prime Video subscription. All of the movies and TV shows are available through this feature. If the content requires rent or purchase, each member of the Watch Party must purchase the item.

To get started, using a Fire TV or supported web browser on a computer, locate a title you want to watch with others, choose Watch Party, enter the name you want to use when chatting with others, then choose Create Watch Party. There are several social media options or you can Copy Link for sending via email or text message. By selecting that link, your friends and family can join your Watch Party. The host can play, pause, and control the video, and hosts have a chat feature to talk with all other members of the group. The content can only be viewed on a computer or Fire TV device, but members can simultaneously chat from a mobile device.

Audio Description

In June 2017, Amazon's Prime Video began supporting audio description. They began with more than 133 movies from studios such as Disney, Lionsgate, NBC, Paramount, and Warner Brothers. They continue to add titles and now thousands are available with English audio description, including such titles as The Hunger Games, Inception, Captain America: Civil War, and The Big Short. All Amazon Original titles in the US have audio description. These include many popular TV series such as The Man in the High Castle, The Boys, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Amazon Prime maintains its own list of titles with audio description at Amazon.com: Movies and TV Shows with Audio Descriptions: Movies &TV and the American Council of the Blind's Audio Description Project maintains lists of all known titles with audio description including those on Prime Video.

Amazon Prime Video is now producing much of its described content with synthetic speech. This practice is somewhat controversial among blind viewers. Though Amazon is not the only provider to offer content with text-to-speech descriptions, it is by far the largest producer. Prime Video's goal is to use text-to-speech technology to simplify the process of creating audio descriptions to where they become industry standard for all content, just like closed captions.

Most of its content is produced using the Joanna voice, a high-quality adult female voice. Joanna is one of the six adult English voices available through Amazon Polly, their cloud service that offers text-to-speech technology in many languages.

Two types of text-to-speech are typically used for audio description, concatenative and neural. Concatenative text-to-speech simply assembles words from stored sounds. It is the kind of text-to-speech that is most familiar to screen reader users. Neural text-to-speech is based on machine learning methods that aim to recreate human learning processes. Rather than having to piece together strings of speech fragments that represent a particular expression or emotion, the artificial intelligence behind neural text-to-speech methods "learns," through repetition, how to adjust tone, volume, and other nuanced dimensions of language to recreate natural sounding speech.

Prime Video uses both of these. Here are links to samples of Joanna's voice, both concatenative and neural. Examples of audio description provided with concatenative text-to-speech are the TV series Mad Men and the movies Rear Window and Our Town. Examples of neural text-to-speech are the TV series Psych and the movie Strategic Air Command. They aim to choose the voice that best fits with the content they are describing. This means choosing a voice that is distinct from the voices of actors and actresses in the content, so viewers can easily distinguish the audio descriptions.

Amazon has developed a software package that allows a describer to write descriptive text that will fit in the available pauses and the voice is automatically generated to fill that space. This software allows Amazon to describe thousands of programs, many of which are older titles. As this technology evolves, they have the option to easily change and rerecord scripts with new narrators using either neural or concatenative text-to-speech.

The staff of Prime Video welcomes email feedback from blind viewers on their audio description.

Prime Video on the iPhone and iPad

The Prime Video app on the iPhone and iPad is similar to the apps of other streaming services. On some platforms, such as Apple TV, the Prime Video app is self-voicing, but on the iPhone and iPad it is not.

There are five tabs at the bottom of the main screen: Home, with Continue Watching, Movies and TV Shows We Think You'll Like, and lots of featured categories; Store, with similar sections for movies and TV shows available for rent or purchase; Find, with a search box where you can search by actor, title, or genre as well as lots of categories to browse; Downloads, where all your previous downloads are listed; and My Stuff, which includes your profile, Settings, and your Watch List. It can be very convenient to download content to your mobile device for watching on the go without using your data plan.

The method of activating audio description is also similar. To turn it on, do the following:

1. While content is playing, double tap for video controls.

2. Flick to Audio and Subtitle Options and double tap (you may have to flick through quite a few names of stars in the show).

3. The list of subtitle languages is on the left and the list of audio languages is on the right. Double tap English Audio Description to select it.

4. On the iPhone, double tap the Close button in the upper right corner. On the iPad, double tap "Dismiss popup" outside the list area.

Prime Video on an Android Phone

Turning on audio description for playback in the Prime Video app is a bit different.

1. While content is playing, a two-finger swipe up brings up the playback menu.

2. Flick to the Subtitles and Closed Captions Available button. Even though this button doesn't say anything about audio, this is where you find the control to turn on audio description.

3. The Subtitles list is on the left and the Audio list is on the right. Select the language you want with audio description.

4. Double tap the Close button in the bottom right corner.

Prime Video on the Apple TV

On the Apple TV, the Prime Video app is self-voicing so don't be surprised if the speaking voice changes completely when you launch it. This app also opens with a Who's Watching? screen which lets you choose the preferred viewer profile for this session.

To enable audio description in the Prime Video app on the Apple TV, do the following:

1. While content is playing, flick down on the remote control.

2. Flick right to the Audio tab and click the remote to select it.

3. Flick down and you will hear "Full dynamic range." Flick left once to get to the list of languages.

4. Flick up and down to hear the list of languages. Click the remote on the desired language.

5. The program now resumes playing.

Prime Video on the Fire TV and Fire TV Stick

If you turned on audio description in the device's settings, when you play content in Prime Video, the audio description will most likely just play. If you want to turn it on or off, do the following:

1. Double tap the Menu button on the remote.

2. Press the Down Arrow once to go to Audio and press Select.

3. Arrow Up and Down to view the available audio languages.

4. Press Select to check the box for the language option you want.

5. Press the Back button to leave the menu options.

Conclusion

Amazon Prime Video is a full-featured service with apps that are accessible to users with visual impairments. There is an enormous amount of content available on Amazon, with more being added on a regular basis. Amazon is expending resources to harness the latest technologies to bring a massive amount of high-quality audio description to users with visual impairments. If you already have a subscription to Amazon Prime, then a great deal of this content is now available to you at no additional cost.

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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Steve Kelley

Wouldn't it be great if our smartphones were really just that, smart phones? So you could just have a conversation with the phone to add a contact, choose something to listen to on YouTube, or get a ride from Uber. To be fair, Siri and the Google assistant can often get us part of the way there, and if we know the gestures, maybe we can fill in the gaps in the conversation with the screen reader on the phone.

The Louie Voice Control app for the Android phone is taking this conversation to the next level, literally, by working with some of the most popular apps, like YouTube, What's App, Contacts, Gmail, etc. Louie is different from the other personal assistants we use, because it provides more of a conversational follow-up to complete a specific task. For example, the Google Assistant will open the Contacts app, with the command, "Hey Google, open contacts," and at that point, you need to know how to add a contact or search your contacts. When Louie is asked to open Contacts, Louie asks what you want to do: "Create a new contact," "Read all contacts," "Browse call log," or "Search for an existing contact." By following the questions and responding after the prompts, as you would with the other assistants, you get more and more of the task accomplished using only your voice, from start to finish.

Getting Started

Getting Louie is as simple as going to the Google Play Store and downloading the free Louie Voice Control App. The app installs both the Louie Voice Control and Louie Settings apps and adds a new service to the Accessibility Settings under the menu option Installed Services. Louie is then turned on like any other of the installed accessibility services by turning on the toggle switch with a double tap, if TalkBack is on, or a touch to the switch. From here, you are prompted through permissions for the app you might normally never agree to— "Allow the app to take over control of the phone," and "Allow the app to record audio." Without these permissions, however, the app won't work. With permissions granted, some minimal instruction is provided, including a brief and very useful video on how to get started. You will also be given the option to adjust some of the basic settings in Louie, such as the voice rate, and pitch of the text-to-speech. Settings can also be opened at any time by opening the Louie Settings icon installed on the home screen with the Louie icon when the app is first installed.

When Louie is enabled, a double shake of the phone opens Louie, and you are prompted with a list of apps supported by Louie and asked which you'd like to open. While Louie is on, the only gesture needed is a two-finger single tap to stop or pause the response. At that point, a verbal command may be provided. If TalkBack is on, the gestures are disabled while Louie is in charge. The command, "Stop," will end that session with Louie, and TalkBack gestures will again work.

"Hey Louie"

When Louie is enabled in the accessibility settings it can be summoned in several ways. A quick double shake of the phone got Louie's attention most of the time, although it sometimes took several shakes. In the Louie Settings, a list of the ways to get Louie's attention include a button on the notification panel, tapping the Louie icon on the phone, shaking the phone, saying "Hey Louie," and several others. By default, it appears that the voice command, "Hey Louie," works only when either the Louie Voice Control or Louie Settings apps are open. Louie can also be set as the default personal assistant, so instead of the Google Assistant you could ask for "Hey Louie." While the Louie app is increasing its capabilities, this user found it more practical to leave the Google Assistant in charge, summon Louie from the home screen with either a shake of the phone or asking Google, "Hey Google, open Louie Voice Control," and from there using Louie for the apps or tasks it is designed for.

Putting Louie to Work

Louie works with some of the most popular apps, including YouTube, WhatsApp, Gmail, Uber, and Contacts. It also interfaces with Google search to add text-to-speech to the search results, which could be a really handy feature for the low vision user (more on this below). In all the apps Louie works with, tasks are performed verbally, in response to questions Louie asks. As mentioned above, besides the verbal interaction, the only gesture is a 2-finger touch to the screen to pause the speech when needed.

For example, Louie is started with a quick shake of the phone, and says, "Hello, which app do you want to open?" The user selects one of the apps supported, like Gmail. Louie responds, "Opening Gmail, signed in as your username," and reads the subject line of the latest email, and from whom it was sent. Louie then asks if you want to read the email, search emails, or compose a new email. If you ask to have the email read, it is read with text-to-speech and at any time, touching the screen with 2 fingers prompts a verbal menu that includes such options as reply, Reply All, Forward, Delete, or More Options. More options include, Star, Block, Mark Unread, Go Back or Stop. Go Back returns you to a list of emails, and Stop may be selected for the Louie session, or just the current Gmail session. If Go Back is selected, the email list can be reviewed just by saying "Next," or "Previous," from the list, and responding to the prompt at the end of each preview or stopping Louie with the 2-finger touch to the screen.

Although Louie is not going to set up Gmail or any of the other apps initially, or prompt a user through the various setting, like a signature file in Gmail, the ability to manage most of the basic tasks of reading through the email list, deleting unwanted emails, reading, replying to, and composing emails, is really impressive. During the process, the user is prompted with the basic menu options, and these can be repeated as necessary just by saying, "Repeat that."

In addition to working in a similar way with the other apps, like YouTube, WhatsApp and Uber (check out the YouTube on using Louie with Uber) Louie can be used with a Google search to read the search results. For the screen reader user, this may not be an advantage over reading through the results using TalkBack, but for the low vision user this may be a much easier process. Ask Louie to search for a specific topic or question and follow the prompts. Louie reports getting the results and reads them, much the way it reads the list of emails in Gmail. You can ask it to read a result or go to the next or previous results. When a result is selected, Louie loads the webpage and begins reading the results. A two-finger touch to the screen provides options to go back to the list, search again, or stop the search. This feature really makes a web search much simpler and more accessible for a user not familiar with the screen reader gestures, or who just prefers navigating the search by voice.

Observations

Louie seems to be an app in progress with incredible potential to make using some of the most common apps much easier to use for someone who might find it easier to use verbal commands. Louie appears to be expanding the apps it works with to include the Android Messages app, for example, if you are willing to make Louie the default assistant on your device. As mentioned earlier, this reviewer was not able to nail down the quick shake gesture required to start Louie. Kudos to Louie for having multiple ways to wake up the app. At least once during the review, Louie was unresponsive to commands, and just kept repeating the menu options following my verbal command. In that case, the app was restarted, and the problem resolved itself.

Louie also seemed very flexible in understanding a verbal response. For example, it's not necessary to say, "Repeat that," to hear something again. "Say that again," and even "What's that?" got Louie to repeat menu options.

While the Android phone is not often the easiest device for a new smartphone user, Louie Voice Control can certainly make some of the most used apps, and most commonly performed tasks, like a web search, much easier, using relatively intuitive spoken commands. For more information, check out the Louie Voice Control website.

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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