Dear AccessWorld readers,

To close out the month of February, we at AccessWorld are celebrating Low Vision Awareness Month. For many years, we have focused our February issue on a combination of low vision and seniors, but the content is generally meant to be of use to anyone with recent vision loss, no matter their age.

This month, we primarily focus on low vision. My predecessor, Lee Huffman, once defined low vision as

"Low vision" is a term commonly used to mean partial sight, or sight that isn't fully correctable with surgery, medications, contact lenses, or glasses. In the United States, the most common causes of low vision are age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy. Some people are born with conditions such as albinism or optic nerve damage that can result in low vision. People of all ages, from infants to seniors, can experience low vision, most often due to eye disease, but also due to eye injury

People who lose their vision later in life have a very different path from those who lost their vision in childhood. Outside the issues of having vision for a while before coping with its loss, the way that the public school system trains students with vision loss to function in life and society during their education is a major boon. That being said, there are many resources available for the person new to vision loss who is seeking to learn the skills to thrive in their daily life. Organizations such as Hadley have a wealth of content to assist someone with newly onset vision loss, there are often local resources of which you can also take advantage. I personally find the VisionAware directory of services incredibly useful in finding both local and national organizations that can be of help to people new to vision loss. Anecdotally, I have heard from others/seen for myself that the local chapters of both the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and the American Council of the Blind (ACB) are extremely helpful and welcoming to people who have recently experienced a loss of vision. I'm not sure if it is currently up to date, but I stumbled across the E.A.R.S. for Eyes low vision support group directory and found it to be extremely comprehensive, listing low vision support groups down to the county level.

I would also suggest trying all of the access tools you have available to you; you never know what you will find useful. Even if something doesn't seem that it will be relevant to you, for example a screen reader for someone with high functioning low vision, you might find yourself surprised. When I was young, I had relatively high functioning low vision. Even so, I found that I preferred to use speech and braille instead of magnification since I found it more efficient and less strain on my eyes. I could never use magnification with the vision I have now so I'm very thankful that I learned the use of a screen reader early. I'm also aware of people with high functioning low vision who use a number of tools to be most efficient. For example, someone might not need to use a cane to travel but chooses to use VoiceOver on their iPhone instead of magnification.

I hope you enjoy this issue of AccessWorld and thank you for being readers of our magazine.

Sincerely,
Aaron Preece, AccessWorld Editor and Chief
American Foundation for the Blind

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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Bill Holton

Did you once use an iPhone, only now your vision has faded and you fear you'll have to return to your old clamshell model because you simply won't get the hang of pressing buttons and issuing commands on a flat slab of glass? Perhaps family members have been urging you to get a mobile device so they can reach you more easily? Or maybe you are that family member and you want to learn to use the iPhone's built-in accessibility features so you can tutor your loved one and help him or her become more independent. No matter the reason, begin your journey with the iOS Settings app. There you'll find the Accessibility, menu, which includes a number of built-in features for users who are blind or low vision. Low vision settings include the ability to magnify what's on the screen and adjust display brightness and contrast. Blind and other print-disabled users will also be able to use the device with VoiceOver, the built-in touchscreen reader that speaks text, buttons, and other information in the voice, speed, and volume of your choice.

An accessible smartphone has arguably offered the visually impaired community more independence and opportunity than any other 21st Century device. It can literally enhance your quality of life. If you don't believe this, check out this morning-to-bedtime guide detailing just some of the things you can accomplish with an iPhone or iPad: A Day in the Life: Technology that Assists a Visually Impaired Person Throughout the Day. In this article I hope to offer a bit of encouragement and inspiration to the first-time iOS accessibility user, or to those who wish to teach them. Along the way I'll tap the shared knowledge of several experts, including members of the dedicated team of AccessWorld authors. Along the way you'll also find links to various resources that can help you learn more about iOS accessibility.

Don't Give Up

The learning curve for screen magnification users isn't quite as steep as it is for new VoiceOver users. You've likely used other magnifiers in the past, even if it's just a pair of reading glasses and a large print cookbook or two. But a touchscreen that starts chattering every time you touch it can be rather disconcerting.

"An accessible, gesture-based device can be intimidating at first, but remember, your goal isn't to learn everything at once," says Michael Hanson, editorial team member of AppleVis, one of the premier resources for users of Apple products. "If you expect to know everything about using VoiceOver the first day, you are going to be disappointed. Instead, take it one step at a time," recommends Hanson, who also teaches seniors to use iPhones and other touch devices at the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind.

"Whether it's simply making and receiving phone calls, sending and receiving text messages or checking emails, focus on one or two tasks and practice them. Don't learn the technology—learn to use the technology to accomplish what you want to do." Getting Started With iOS and iPadOS is a helpful guide from AppleVis.

Former AccessWorld editor Lee Huffman agrees. "A lot of beginning iPhone users get confused because there are simply too many icons on their screen. It makes it more challenging to find the app you want." Most beginning iPhone users make do with just a few apps. "If all you want to do is make phone calls, send text messages, and browse Facebook, why not simply delete other unneeded apps?" To delete an app using VoiceOver, perform a one-finger swipe left or right until the app name is spoken, and follow with a one-finger swipe down. Double tap on "Delete" and then select "Remove app from home screen." Your screen will be that much less cluttered, and the apps you remove will be stored invisibly in your app library where they can easily be reinstalled when you're ready to give them a try.

The Trouble with Touch

Most new touchscreen reader users feel a bit out of control when they first try swiping, scrubbing or double tapping a flat screen. Many press too hard, or swipe from side to side with a follow-through any professional golfer would envy. Remember that old manual typewriter you once used and how hard it was to switch to a computer keyboard because you tended to pound the keys? Going from physical buttons to touch is a lot like that. "It takes time and practice to develop a light and gentle touch," says Hanson, who offers this useful tip: "One of the best ways to think about swiping is to pretend you're stroking a cat with one finger. A gentle touch is all you need. Press too hard and the cat's out of there."

Another handy way to improve your VoiceOver touch skills is by accessing VoiceOver Practice in the device's Accessibility menu. You can also tap the screen twice in rapid succession with all four fingers to begin a practice session. In practice mode, your device will describes the function of any tap or swipe you perform. End the session with a second four finger double tap. A "double tap" gesture is when you tap the screen with one, two, three or even four fingers twice in quick succession—by default a quarter second or less. If you find this skill difficult to master you can lengthen the timespan your device will recognize your gesture as a double tap. Open your device's Accessibility settings and choose the VoiceOver option. Scroll down to the bottom and choose the "Double tap time out" option. Enter a new, longer time length here, then give it a try and make further adjustments if necessary. More details can be found on AppleVis: How to slow down the double tap speed on iOS.

"Entering emails or other text using the touch keyboard can take some time to get used to," says Janet Ingber, AccessWorld contributor and author of the book Mac Basics for the Beginning User: macOS 11 Big Sur Update. "Consider purchasing a Bluetooth keyboard and using it to enter large blocks of texts, or even to enter gestures while you're learning," she says. For a full list of iOS keyboard commands check out: VoiceOver iOS Gesture/Keyboard Commands & Apple Accessibility Resources.

When Your Fingers Refuse to Cooperate

For some there are medical or motor control issues that limit the ability to perform touch gestures, or even to type on a Bluetooth keyboard. Apple has you covered here, too, with an accessibility feature called Voice Control.

"With Voice Control you can navigate and interact with your device using your voice to tap, swipe, and even dictate text," says Shelly Brisbin, author of iOS Access for All: Your Comprehensive Guide to Accessibility for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch.

The feature requires a quick download, and is available for devices running iOS 13 or later, or iPadOS. "With Voice Control enabled, you can speak commands the same as though you were actually touching the screen," notes Brisbin. "Say 'One finger swipe left,' for example, to move the highlighted icon to the next app on your home screen. Or 'Compose mail,' in the Mail app to begin a new email." Speaking "Show me what to say," will list all available commands for your current screen."

Low vision users with motor issues can also set the Voice Control screen to create a command overlay, using either control names or numbers to help simplify a too-busy screen. Touch commands can then be issued by speaking an iOS command such as "Tap," followed by either the control name or number, depending on which overlay you have selected. More information on Voice Control can be found at this Apple Support page: Use Voice Control on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

Another useful iOS accessibility feature for low vision users with limited motor control is AssistiveTouch. This feature allows you to substitute taps and swipes to accommodate your individual needs and abilities. You can also create custom gestures to perform commands, even multiple commands, such as drawing a smiley face to initiate a Facetime call with your spouse.

We've already mentioned using a Bluetooth keyboard to make using your device easier. With AssistiveTouch you can also connect your iOS device using Bluetooth and USB trackpads, joysticks, and mouse devices. More information on Assistive Touch is available through Apple Support: Use AssistiveTouch on iPhone.

Low Vision Help

As stated above, the iPhone and iPad include a wealth of low vision accessibility features. "This doesn't mean that a bit of speech won't also come in handy when you're eyes get tired or the print turns too small to read comfortably," says Steven Kelly, AccessWorld author and Learning Expert at Hadley, which offers this series of workshops on the topic: iPhone/iPad: Low Vision Features Series. Kelly advises:

In the Accessibility Settings look for the Spoken Content option. Two great features are Speak Selection, and Speak Screen. Both options provide "text to speech lite" for users who might benefit from having some text read out loud. With Speak Screen turned on, a two-finger swipe down the screen will read whatever's on the screen. This is perfect for emails, long texts, or documents in a font size that's too small to read. When Speak screen starts, it displays a dialog box that offers options for changing the speaking rate, pausing the speech and stopping the reading. Speak Selection works in a similar way. Instead of reading the page from top to bottom, the user selects the text to be read, and "Speak" appears in as one of the context menu items.

While VoiceOver requires a bit more of a learning curve, remember, it can be turned on and off with Siri—just say "Turn VoiceOver on/off." VoiceOver will offer more options for reading text than either Speak Screen, or Speak Selection, so the low vision user may want to turn it on for reading longer text, then turn it back off. More information on spoken content is available through Apple Support: Hear iPhone speak the screen, selected text, and typing feedback.

When You Have Trouble Hearing

"If you have even minor hearing loss, instead of using your device's speaker consider using the included headphones," advises Deborah Kendrick, AccessWorld contributor and author of When Your Ears Can't Help You See: Strategies for Blind or Low Vision Individuals with Hearing Loss. "At the same volume you will hear the content much clearer if you have the audio sent directly into the middle of your head," she says.

Many models of hearing aids will connect via Bluetooth to your iPhone or iPad and send the audio directly through your aid. If you are not yet using hearing aids Kendrick recommends a Control Center app called Live Listen. Connect either wired or Bluetooth headphones and your iPhone or iPad will route nearby sound through the built-in microphones and into the headphones. "This can be particularly handy in a noisy restaurant," Kendrick says. "Place the phone in the middle of the table and it will be much easier to keep up with the conversation." You can also place your Live Listen enabled iPhone in front of the TV for quick and easy amplification. Of course unless you plan to sit very close to the set you will need a pair of Bluetooth headphones.

To access Live Listen, slide one finger down from the top of the screen until you hear and feel the second "click." Swipe until you find the Hearing devices choice, then double tap and choose Live Listen. Apple Support offers more information on using iOS with a hearing impairment: Hearing accessibility features in iOS.

Getting help

Still can't figure things out? Apple maintains a special Accessibility Hotline, which you can reach by calling 877-204-3930. Technicians can answer questions regarding Apple's accessibility features, problem solve, and even—with your permission—connect to your phone for a screen sharing session. For more, visit the Apple Accessibility Support page.

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

"See the bright side. Everyone with poor eyesight must be a bit adventurous to do the same things routinely done by people with normal eyesight. If you are not there yet, you might be in the future. Many people's eyesight deteriorates as they age, pushing them into this adventure zone. Clearly good eyesight is better than bed sight, however, in my experience, there are some positives to having poor vision." Ken Brandt

The adventure zone? It may not be fair to begin a book review with a quote from the last chapter, "Final Thoughts," but this quote sums up Brandt's perspective throughout his book, Positive Vision, as he shares one vignette after another with readers, and introduces his own positive look on the life he lives with low vision.

Brandt's book is autobiographical. He incorporates many of his own experiences, as a young elementary school student who sat close to the blackboard and played sports, a college student working at a summer camp and learning to sky dive, an accomplished businessman working in New York City and traveling internationally, a musician, and a person with low vision that fluctuated over his life. His narratives always point to the open window he discovered when the proverbial door closed.

Anyone approaching partial sight or blindness with unbridled positivism runs the risk of sounding like a Pollyanna. This is particularly true for readers who might have acquired vision loss later in life, after living with relatively good sight for decades. Brandt avoids this trap by acknowledging the benefits of good sight and the importance of managing conditions that contribute to vision loss, while maintaining a positive attitude.

In our interview, Brandt reported that the book started out recounting some of the adventures he'd had over the years, such as parachuting, scuba diving, traveling, and in business. The draft began to take a turn toward how his vision played a role in these adventures—finding out he'd not seen some rocks in a parachute he'd packed when they showered him as the chute opened, chasing a thief on foot and tripping over a mattress left on the sidewalk and landing in a pile of garbage cans, reaching out to take his wife's hand during an outing, only to discover it was another woman's, and so on. As these adventures come to life in the book,  the author always shares something he learned during the experience or an unforeseen silver lining. In "Curiosity and Suggestions," he recounts the many ways other people, upon learning of your vision loss, may suggest a new pair of glasses, or ask if you can see the number of fingers they're holding up. To this, Brandt writes:

When people with good vision figure out you can't see very well…a few of them ask a bunch of ridiculous, intrusive or impolite questions. None of your answers will help them in their lives, they just don't know any better, so they ask…Thanks to these questions, suggestions, and sometimes accusations, you eventually develop a greater degree of tolerance and better social skills. After all, they are almost always based on bone-headed curiosity and misplaced sympathy, or a genuine desire to be helpful, rather than meanness. Dealing with these questions isn't fun or easy but it does have an advantage, it forces you to develop a socially acceptable, polite, or humorous way to answer, change the subject, or walk away.

In our interview, Brandt elaborated on the possibility of maintaining a positive approach to poor vision, or to a loss of vision later in life. He mentioned research that demonstrated that when individuals experienced either a positive event, such as winning the lottery, or a negative event, such as a disabling health condition, these circumstances are shown to alter a person's attitude for about six months, after which, he reported, they return to their attitude before the incident—seeing the glass as half empty, or half full. He explained that he didn't think his book was going to change people's minds if they saw their circumstances in a negative way, but it may offer some humor or levity.

To that end, each of the 10 chapters in Positive Vision opens with a quote such as this one, by Mark Twain, that opens Chapter 5: "You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." In the Audible version of the book, this quote is read by a female narrator, Joyce Agee. The author himself reads the body of the chapter, and at the end of each chapter, another male narrator, Gil Tucker, who has an Australian accent, finishes the chapter with one or more jokes, related to vision. For example, "What do you call a vegetable optometrist? A sea cucumber," of course! While some readers may find the addition of jokes a bit corny, they keep the focus of the book light-hearted. Unlike many other books on the subject, this one is written plainly and doesn't contain a lot of professional or medical jargon. One of the great sections of the book is found in the Appendix, "Understanding the Eye Chart." The term "legally blind" is used in several places in the book, and Brandt does a terrific job of explaining what the numbers on the doctor's eye chart really mean, and how the term "legally blind" is understood internationally.

As the author explains in the book, his vision at times exceeded legal blindness, and has always prevented him from driving. He's never used a white cane to travel, and for the most part was able to work without obvious accommodations beyond glasses or contacts. In fact, he writes that only in retirement has he felt comfortable writing about his low vision. While employed, he avoided the subject for fear it might have a negative consequence on how others perceived his abilities or job performance. Indeed, Brandt shares this advice from Soledad O'Brien, which opens Chapter 2:

I've learned that fear limits you and your vision. It serves as blinders to what might be just a few steps down the road from you. The journey is valuable, but believing in your talents, your abilities, and your self-worth can empower you to walk down an even brighter path. Transforming fear into freedom, how great is that?

Brandt says he already has several ideas for his next book "floating around in the background." Readers of Positive Vision will see the author's request to hear from readers who have a story to share about their own adventures with low vision. Brandt suggested that if he receives enough of these, he'd be interested in compiling them into another book. In addition, he is also considering how Positive Vision might translate into a book for children, that he describes this way: "[It would be for children] ages 5 to 7. A big book, the kind of book parents read to their children. The kind of book you read when you're just learning to read."

Positive Vision is a quick read, about two and half hours in the audio format, and a really refreshing approach to the subject of low vision. Brandt's positive outlook throughout the telling of his adventures is a bit infectious and leaves the reader feeling as though there is another side of vision loss than the dread so often associated with it. This may not be a good selection to cheer up someone with recent vision loss, or to dismiss the very real challenges created by vision loss later in life. It is, however, a recounting of some of the author's challenges as someone with low vision, in a way that really normalizes these experiences.

Positive Vision is available at Amazon as a paperback or hardcover, Kindle download, or on Audible. The author is donating 10% of the book royalties to both the Mass Eye and Ear for research and the Fred Hollow Foundation for Fighting Avoidable Blindness (5% each). For more information about Brandt, links to interviews and reviews, or to share your own adventure, check out Ken Brandt's 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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Deborah Kendrick

Tammy Roussell doesn’t remember a time when her mom wasn’t sewing. She does know that needle, thread, and fabric were in her mother’s hands and heart while growing up in Japan, and later, while a young woman in Korea. And, when her mother met and married Roussell’s father and traveled from Korea to the United States, she naturally found work that took advantage of her ability to sew. Her first US job was with a children’s clothing manufacturer. Of course, when Roussell was growing up, it was a natural progression for her mother to begin teaching her daughter to sew as well. For Tammy, as it has always been for her mother, making beautiful things with her hands seems to be a part of her DNA. That inclination has evolved not only into a successful company, but to a passion that is enriching the lives of people of all abilities, stretching around the country and beyond, and, perhaps best of all, Roussell says it is a pursuit that gives her more satisfaction than any work she has ever done.

When the gradual loss of eyesight due to retinitis pigmentosa eventually rendered her mom completely blind, sewing was her deepest concern. For 80 years, she had used her eyes to guide her stitches and the possibility of no longer being able to do that presented a profound loss.

Sewing Without Sight

Roussell knew there must be a way, an alternative way, to keep her mom in the world of sewing. As a retired IT professional, Roussell was accustomed to examining a problem and designing a solution, so she applied that talent now to the problem so close to home. Her creative solution was a tactile sewing system, which provided tactile, rather than visual, guidelines to maintain a consistent line when stitching together pieces of fabric. That solution took wings. Roussell’s mom, at 96, is still sewing every day and Roussell secured a patent and trademark for her tactile sewing system and now has a life centered on her work as founder and CEO of the company she named for the woman who inspired it, Mitsy Kit.

If her mom derived joy from the tactile sewing system, it made sense that other people who were blind would, too. Roussell began assembling kits and marketing them to people with visual impairments, as well as working with seniors in nursing homes and memory care facilities, parents of kids with autism and other cognitive difficulties, and people with limited dexterity. She joined two popular groups of blind and low vision crafters, one associated with the American Council of the Blind, the other with the National Federation of the Blind, and regularly teaches online classes for both groups. Today, Roussell frequently teaches classes online to blind and low vision crafters, and says that she considers them her extended family. She is constantly developing new ideas for these classes and to add to her catalog in general. Roussell's patented tactile sewing system provides a simple tactile guide, rather than a visual road map, to ensure sewer is staying the course on the fabric. Her no-sew products feature that tactile line for following by touch, as well as pre-punched holes for lacing, rather than stitching, pieces together.

Her first and most popular product is a simple pillow, designed to ensure success for any crafter. The kit includes two pieces of fabric, available in a seemingly endless array of colors and themes, fleece ribbons for lacing, the pillow form insert, and a plastic needle with a large eye to get the job done. Although her first customers were blind and low vision crafters, Roussell has taken her products and taught individuals and groups in a variety of settings. Children and adults with cognitive difficulties, vision loss, dexterity limitations, and more have completed products that began as Mitsy Kits and display them with pride.

Although the pillow continues to be the flagship product of Mitsy Kit, the catalog is constantly growing. The finished results are all charming. In a wide variety of colors and prints, Mitsy Kit offers kits to make pillows, tote bags, blankets, wall hangings, table runners, scarves, and more. Projects range from simple to more advanced, “no sew” lacing to more intricate stitching, from tiny mug rugs to full-sized quilted or patchwork blankets. Each kit is carefully assembled to include all necessary components, exactly what is needed to complete the project.

Every kit also includes instructions, available in print, online, as an emailed text file and, for many projects, as a YouTube tutorial in which Roussell herself verbally and visually demonstrates all steps.

Job for Blind People

Not only does Mitsy Kit make available craft kits that are trendy, visually appealing, and completely accessible to customers who are blind, but the company has provided gainful employment for some blind people as well. All Mitsy Kit products are assembled by employees of the LightHouse Works of Central Florida, and negotiations are under way to expand the business of packaging the kits to another manufacturing member of National Industries for the Blind.

It warrants pointing out, however, that while employees are paid for their work, Roussell is not. 100 percent of the profit from Mitsy Kit sales goes to charity.

How can she do that? Well, Roussell says that she feels blessed to have had a successful career as a systems manager in technology and, now that she is retired and has been fortunate enough to launch such a productive and successful venture, she is committed to giving 100 percent of her profit to charity. Roussell’s personal commitment to crafting for good has spread throughout her customer base. Many of her blind customers enjoy using Mitsy Kit products to make items specifically intended for donation. Recipients have included the Veterans Administration in Orlando, Soldiers and Angels, Project Linus, and other groups. Many blind customers who have become Roussell’s friends are given kits specifically to complete projects for one or more of these organizations. In these instances, Roussell donates the kit, sends it to one of her blind customers who turns it into a blanket or other finished gift, and ships it back to Mitsy Kit for distribution.

A new organization has formed, in fact, as an outgrowth of the friendships established in the blind community and the commitment to giving. That organization is called Blind Stitchers for Charity, and is comprised of blind women and men who are interested in using their skills in a variety of crafts to make needed items for people in need. While some are making Mitsy Kits provided by Roussell, others are using their skills in other crafts, including loom knitting, crochet, and traditional knitting with needles to make items. Homeless organizations, hospice groups, nursing homes, and others are target recipients for the work of Blind Stitchers for Charity.

Launching a brand-new company and patenting your own creativity is thrilling by any measure. To launch a company that is enabling others to develop skills, make handmade gifts to be proud of, and provide employment for people with disabilities adds multiple layers of joy and satisfaction to the success. Roussell says she always wanted to do work that had purpose, to make a difference in the world. She is definitely living that goal!

For more information about Mitsy Kit products and ordering, visit the Misty Kits website, email, or call 978-419-1824.

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

In May 2020, the parent company of HBO (Home Box Office), AT&T's WarnerMedia, launched HBO Max, a new subscription-based streaming service. Initially only available in the United States, it has expanded to much of the rest of the world in slightly varying forms. This stand-alone service allows subscribers to stream everything that HBO offers, as well as HBO Max originals and other series such as Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Looney Tunes, Sesame Street, Doctor Who, Rick and Morty, and more. By the end of 2021, HBO Max had 73.8 million subscribers.

HBO as been around since cable television became widely available. It was founded in 1972 as a paid service offering hit movies, sports events, and concerts. By 1980, HBO was available in all 50 states with 3 million subscribers.

There have been other services with names that start with HBO. Both launched in 2015, HBO Go came with the standard subscription to HBO via cable companies. HBO Now, initially only available on Apple devices, was a stand-alone streaming service that gave people access to most of the same content as HBO Go, but it didn't rely on a cable TV subscription. Both services were officially ended in late 2020 and have been replaced by HBO Max.

Signing up for HBO Max

HBO Max has two available subscription options. Accessing the service with ads costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year and does not include access to Warner Brothers movie premiers the same day as they are shown in theaters. The ad-free version of the service is $14.99 per month or $149.99 per year and does include same-day Warner Brothers movie premiers. The ad-free service also allows subscribers to download their favorites to watch on the go and to stream in 4K UHD, when available. HBO Max offers an option to watch episodes of the latest and most popular series. Free trials of the service are available through some of their distribution points. You can subscribe by visiting the HBO Max website and selecting Sign Up Now. On Apple devices, you can subscribe directly through Apple. Bundled subscriptions are also available for AT&T subscribers as well as from other cable services.

Supported Platforms

HBO Max is available on a wide array of platforms. Apps are available for Amazon, Apple, Google, and Roku devices. HBO Max is also available from AT&T, Cox, DIRECTV, Hulu, Optimum, Spectrum, Verizon Fios, Xfinity, and YouTube TV, and for the following connected devices: Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, LG Smart TVs, Roku, Samsung TV, and VIZIO SmartCast TV. You can also access HBO Max via a web browser from computers running Chrome OS, macOS, or Windows, and PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One game consoles.

Beginning in December 2020 Wonder Woman 1984 was the first movie on HBO Max to be offered with Dolby Atmos. Since then, a select list of movies and shows is available with higher-quality audio and/or video features.

Getting Help with HBO Max

The HBO Max Help Center has informative articles on topicssuch as signing up for the service, getting started, supported devices, browsing and searching, and changing languages. If the available information doesn't solve your problem you can Contact HBO online or call them at 855-442-6629.

Audio Description on HBO Max

HBO Max began providing audio description for some of their content in March 2021. In a settlement with the American Council of the Blind, Warner Media Direct, LLC agreed to offer 1,500 hours of described new and existing content on their HBO Max service by the end of March 2021 and that number will increase to 3,000 hours by March 2022, and at least 6,000 hours by the end of March 2023. Initially their offerings included popular movies such as Dunkirk, popular series such as Sex in the City, and major Warner Brothers "same day as theater" releases. Other notable titles available with audio description include all of the Harry Potter movies as well as classics including Casablanca, Fatal Attraction, the Great Gatsby, In the Heat of the Night, Wonder Woman, Jurassic Park, and King Kong; and series such as Friends, Chernobyl, Game of Thrones, and The Sopranos. The HBO Max Help Center maintains a page with details about HBO Max accessibility features. Audio description is only available in English. This page also states that audio description is not available on all supported devices, but the company is continuing to work toward this.

To find titles with audio description, HBO Max maintains a page at HBO Max Audio Described Titles. The American Council of the Blind's Audio Description Project lists HBO Max titles in its Master AD list and maintains an HBO Max page that lists all audio-described titles available on the service. Titles can be viewed by Movies Only, Series Only, By Year, By Genre, By Rating, and Recent Additions.

In the iOS and Android apps, there is a Browse Menu button in the top left corner. Double tapping the button reveals a list of categories. At the very bottom, after the alphabetical list of genres, is Audio Description. Once opened, the audio description category is divided into nine subsections: series, movies, Originals, action, comedy, documentaries, drama, kids and family, and fantasy and sci-fi. Each month, HBO Max removes dozens of titles. In the apps, these titles are listed in a category called "Catch These Hits Before they Leave This Month." On the ACB website, the audio-described titles slated for removal are tagged with "pull date" followed by their date of removal. Even if you download a title that is on the removal list, once its pull date arrives, you will find that the downloaded title has expired and cannot be played.

HBO Max on an iPhone

The main screen of the HBO Max app has three tabs: Home, Search, and My Profile. After logging in or when you first open the HBO Max app, you're on the Home tab with the Browse Menu button in the upper left corner. It will take you to a list of program genres. At the very bottom of the list is Audio Description. On the main portion of the Home tab is where you'll find featured series and movies, as well as your Continue Watching list, For You (recommendations), and My List. For You is a row on the Home screen with show and movie recommendations based on what you've watched in the past. You can start watching something from this row or you can add a show or movie recommendation to My List to watch later.

The Search tab has links to Explore Collections, and Popular Searches. At the very bottom of the page it asks: What are you looking for? with a search field to enter your own search text.

The My Profile tab has three tabs at the top of the screen. They are: My Lists, where you have added items of interest to you; Downloads, containing items you have downloaded for viewing offline; and Continue Watching, containing items that you have started to watch but haven't finished.

To enable audio description for a title, do the following:

1.  While content is playing, double tap to bring up the player controls. 2.  Flick to Audio and Subtitles and double tap it. 3.  The list of audio languages is on the left and subtitle languages is on the right. If the title is described, English—Audio Description will be listed as one of the available audio languages. Double tap it. 4.  Double tap the Close Audio and Subtitles Options button in the upper right corner. 5.  The program now resumes playing.

Once you have selected audio description for a title, it will be on for each title that contains it.

HBO Max on an Apple TV

The main tabs on the Apple TV app are Home, Movies, Series, Browse, and Hubs. There is a Search button above the tabs list, and a Profile button above that where you can select/create the profile of another family member. The Home tab is similar to that found on the iPhone. Movies and Series list Just Added, Most Popular, and many genres. Browse lists genres with Audio Description at the very bottom. Hubs lists movies and series organized by brand such as HBO, Max Originals, DC, Classics curated by TCM, Adult Swim, and Cartoon Network.

You can turn on audio description by doing the following:

1.  While content is playing, flick down once 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. If the title is described, English—Audio Description will be listed as one of the available audio languages. Click the remote on it. 5.  The program now resumes playing.

Once you have enabled audio description for a title, it will be on for all subsequent titles that include it.

HBO Max on an Android Phone

The Android version of the HBO Max app is very similar to the one on the iPhone. It has the same three tabs at the bottom of the screen—Home, Search and My Profile—with similar content. The process for turning on audio description is exactly the same as it is for the iPhone.

HBO Max on an Amazon Fire TV Stick and Fire TV

Audio description is now available on the Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick. The app is similar to the one found on the Apple TV. It has five tabs arranged vertically: Home, Movies, Series, Browse, and Hubs. The Audio Description category is below the list of genres in the Browse tab. It is divided into the same nine subsections as in the iPhone app, but, in this case, the screen content changes as you arrow to each subsection.

The HBO Max app on these devices has some accessibility problems. Many menu items speak inconsistently or not at all making it very difficult to enable audio description independently. But the audio description setting persists across titles, so once it is turned on for one title, it will play wherever it is available in the app.

HBO Max on a Roku Device

The HBO Max app on Roku devices has major accessibility problems. Many buttons speak inconsistently or do not speak at all. At the moment, audio description is not available for HBO Max on Roku devices.

Conclusion

While HBO Max is a relatively new service, it brings with it much of the older content accrued by HBO over many years. The service is supported on virtually all platforms and has a wide variety of content. Their apps are accessible on the most popular Apple and Android devices, but Amazon and others still have major accessibility limitations. They have continued to add audio described titles on a regular basis and have stated their intension to improve the accessibility across all of their supported platforms.

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

Imagine a device that scans and reads printed text quickly, is easy to use, and is portable, weighing less than the average laptop computer, at about three pounds. Just put a book, magazine, or sheet of paper beneath the camera and within seconds it's being read out loud. You’re imagining the LyriQ Reader by Zyrlo, LLC.

The LyriQ’s base takes up about as much room on a desk as a standard size magazine. It is made up of a flat base, about three-fourths of an inch thick, with a triangular camera stand that folds up from the base. There is a removable keypad in the triangle, with menu controls. This keypad is connected using the included USB cable and operates some of the more advanced functions on the LyriQ.

The basic controls for operating the LyriQ are located around the base of the device. On the left side of the base, the Power button is positioned between the charger input and an earphone jack. In the front center, there is a volume slider. To the left of the volume slider is a Back button, which will take the reader back a sentence each time it is pressed while the LyriQ is reading. To the right of the volume slider is a Pause button. On the right side of the base is a reading rate toggle to increase or decrease the reading rate, a USB port, and HDMI port.

It’s Easy to Use, Really!

With the base unit charged or plugged in, the LyriQ Reader can be started by lifting the camera arm, and pressing the power button until a beep is heard. Thirty seconds later the device is ready for a document with the announcement, “Please place your document.” Place a book, magazine, or document on the base and a picture is automatically taken. Seconds later the LyriQ begins reading. By default, the LyriQ detects and reads pages column by column.

The basic controls are located around the base. The volume and reading speed can be adjusted to the user’s preference, reading can be paused and resumed, and reading can be repeated by using the Back button to go back sentence by sentence, as needed. Otherwise, the document is read from top to bottom.

During the review, books were centered on the base with both pages open, magazines were scanned one page at a time, and documents up to ledger-size paper were scanned (Note: Zyrlo reports that the scanning area is 8.5 by 11, or a standard sheet of paper). The camera did not seem to capture the full image of a standard magazine when opened on the base with two opposing pages facing up. Scanning and text recognition was much better using a single page at a time with magazines.

It’s worth noting that reading stops if the document is removed from the base. Once reading is completed, and the document removed, LyriQ again prompts, “Please place your document,” for the next document to be scanned.

Two speakers are located on the inside of the triangular camera stand, so when it is raised for scanning, the speakers are facing forward and the volume can be turned up quite a bit. In addition to the audio jack for headphone or earbuds, the user guide provides directions for connecting an external speaker or hearing aids if the optional Bluetooth module is installed.

LyriQ also recognizes hand gestures if this feature is enabled. Pressing and holding the Pause button on the base unit turns on hand gestures to pause reading with a hand movement beneath the camera from left to right, or to go back a sentence with a hand movement from right to left.

For more advanced reading options the Keyboard Controls provide the option to change reading granularity so that documents can be read by paragraph, sentence, word, or character. The top portion of the Keyboard Controls contains Up, Down, Right, andLeft Arrow keys with a round button in the middle. The Up and Down keys are used to select how the document is read, and the Left and Right Arrow keys will navigate forward or backward through the document in the selected mode. Below and to the right of these navigation keys is the Spell button, which when pressed will spell the last word read. This featured was most easily used when navigating by word. 

Saving Documents

LyriQ offers two ways to save documents for later review. Using the Keyboard Controls, four pages may be saved and assigned to the navigation arrows using the two buttons at the bottom of the Keyboard Controls. The bottom left square button is the Save button, and the bottom right button is the Recall button. When saving a document, the reader presses the Save button, followed by one of the navigation keys, which is then assigned to it. To listen to this saved document later, the Recall button and the navigation key assigned to it are pressed and the document is read. This is really handy to keep several frequently used documents immediately ready to open and review.

LyriQ also includes a feature to save longer documents, like books or magazine articles, by processing them on a USB flash drive. When a flash drive is connected to the USB port, it automatically switches to Book Scan Mode with the prompt, “USB storage detected, entering Book Scan mode.” In this mode, as pages are scanned, they are not read out loud after the page is scanned. LyriQ prompts, “Page saved,” after the scan, and the next page can be positioned for scan. Once the pages are scanned, pressing the Pause button initiates saving the pages onto the USB drive. This process seems to take several minutes per page. On one of the book scans during the review, it was observed that the processing seemed to start in the background, before the Pause button was pressed and a verbal prompt announced the completion of a page. Also during one book scan of numerous pages, several pages did not provide the “Page saved,” response after scanning, and it was unclear if these pages would be processed in the USB drive, or it they needed to be scanned again.

When complete, the USB drive contains a folder named, “Zyrlo Books,” containing subfolders for the books created. Each individual book folder contains the folders: Images, Text, and Audio. The Images folder contains the picture of the scanned page. Text contains a text file of the text recognition processed from the image. Audio contains an MP3 file of the text-to-speech of the text. The audio is recorded in both the voice and voice rate selected at the time the files were processed.

Overall Impression

The LyriQ is really quite easy and quick to use for reading. The Quick Start guide is in large print on a single sheet of paper and contains five short steps. Once started, the User Guide can be quickly read using the LyriQ. There is a Help button on the Keyboard Controls, and when that is held down and followed by pressing a second button, it will describe the second button. It would be great to have the User Guide accessible using this button, perhaps with a long press or double press. Although the User Guide is only 10 pages long, it might still be more convenient as an audio file available with a key press on the Keyboard Controls.

Text recognition was quite accurate on the printed material used during the review, which included newspaper print, a small font size on a book, and magazine print. One of three voices may be selected from the Voice button (on the left, below the navigation keys), a male or female English voice or a female Spanish voice, which, when selected, also changes the instructions provided in the prompts into Spanish. Additional voices are available in most European languages according to Zyrlo and can be installed with a USB flash drive.

The Book Saving Mode was such a handy way to get a magazine or book that might not otherwise be quickly available in electronic text or text-to-speech. The USB drive may be readable using a NLS Talking Book Player or the files transferred to another reading device, like a Victor Reader Stream. The LyriQ, however, will not open and read the document saved on the USB drive. 

The LyriQ Reader makes a great option for anyone wanting quick, easy access to print, without depending on a computer or smartphone. Overall, the text conversion is fast and accurate. For those looking for a convenient way to convert longer documents, like a book or magazine, into electronic text or audio files, the Book Saving Mode is really a handy, convenient option. For more information about the LyriQ Reader, check out the Zyrlo website for a video and brochure or call 800-600-8569. In the US, the LyriQ sells for $1,850 at retailers selling low vision products.

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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