Dear AccessWorld Readers,

As noted in the March Editor's page, we have some exciting developments coming to AccessWorld. AccessWorld is now part of AFB's Talent lab program, allowing us to take a greater role in promoting digital inclusion. If you are unfamiliar with our Talent Lab program, you can learn more here. Likewise, if you are unfamiliar with the term Digital inclusion, it refers to efforts to make digital technologies, like apps and the web, accessible to everyone. For many years we have reviewed products and services, both accessible and mainstream, but with our integration with the Talent Lab, we will be able to more directly have an impact on digital accessibility. Beginning in May, expect to see pieces that directly address accessibility in a more concrete way, and provide more direct solutions for access issues. In addition, we will have more details on what these developments will mean for our publication going forward. Stay tuned, and we again thank you for being readers of AccessWorld.

For this issue, Steve Kelley brings us two different articles. His first discusses Computers for the Blind (CFTB), a non-profit which provides low cost laptop and desktop computers for people who are blind or have low vision. We have discussed CFTB previously, but the organization's offerings have changed significantly making this piece quite valuable. Steve takes us through the current offerings from CFTB along with the various upgrades available for each option. In addition, he discusses the help options available and as well as a grant that can significantly lower the cost of a computer for people in specific situations such as those with low income.

Janet Ingber brings us a report of a webinar hosted by Mike May at the Braille Institute in Las Angeles regarding the Good Maps software and service. For this issue, Janet details the contents of the webinar for those who were unable to attend.

Bookshare released an app you may remember many years ago, called Read2Go, allowing a user to read Bookshare books on their iOS device. I had a particular fondness for Read2Go, as it was my first ever review for AccessWorld, and the reason I learned to use an iOS device. Over time Read2Go has become out of date for modern use, so Bookshare has launched an entirely new app for both iOS and Android. In this issue, Steve reviews the new app with a focus on the Android version.

Services for digitally transferring money have become popular with apps such as the Cash App and Venmo being widely used. Compared to other transfer services, the app called Zele is unique in that it transfers money directly between banks and is often integrated into banking apps themselves. Jamie Pauls reviews this app to round out the issue.

We hope you enjoy this issue of AccessWorld.

Sincerely,

Aaron Preece

AccessWorld Editor in Chief

Check out the April 2023 Issue now!

Steve Kelley

"What's the best computer for someone who's blind or has low vision?"

I hear this question a lot, and it's usually from someone with low vision acquired later in life. It's often a question from someone who used a computer before their blindness or low vision and "gave it up" after losing vision because, no one told them computers, tablets, and smartphones are used everyday by people using a screen magnifier or screen reader.

This question usually leads to a conversation about computers and accessibility—how they are used with features like text to speech software like a screen reader, or screen magnification software, like Windows Magnifier. Inevitably, the Texas-based nonprofit Computers for the Blind is mentioned as a resource.

Why Computers for the Blind?

Computers for the Blind (CFTB) refurbishes desktop and laptop PCs and installs some of the most widely used accessibility software for users with blindness or low vision. One of the great features, particularly for someone new to blindness or low vision, or computers for that matter, is the CFTB bundles all the most commonly used software and features together in their PCs. Each computer comes with the Windows 10 operating system and basic productivity and accessibility software for personal and business use (see below). Both laptop and desktop models are available with a variety of additional options, like a larger screen, more RAM memory or larger hard drive, but the price for the basic models is $145 for the desktop PC, and $200 for the laptop PC. All computers are shipped Free Matter for the Blind, so there is no additional charge for shipping.

To make CFTB's computers even more affordable, they recently received a grant that will enable users on a low income, veterans, and students to deduct $150 from the cost of a laptop model, which brings the total price for the basic laptop to $50! Users are limited to only one computer purchase at a time over a period of time. For example, a customer who bought a computer a year a ago and wants to upgrade to another model is able to do so. Computers may also be purchased by organizations or agencies at full price as long as the computer is for client use, and not used for the organization's business.

CFTB Story

CFTB has been refurbishing computers for over two decades, and has shipped well over 16,000 computers to date. Their small army of staff and volunteers has streamlined the process, so computers are usually shipped out within two weeks of ordering and delivered by USPS within a week or two.

Computers for the Blind grew out of the Texas Center for the Physically Handicapped, founded by Dr. Robert Langford in 1995. Bob discovered computers later in life himself and shifted the focus of his nonprofit to providing computers for individuals with blindness or low vision. CFTB began as a collection of donated computers and parts in Bob's garage and has been growing ever since. For more on Bob Langford's story, check out Bill Holton's article from 2014 on Computers for the Blind.

CFTB Computers

The computers for CFTB are donated from a variety of sources, but many come from corporations that are updating their systems. In most cases the hard drives are removed before the computers are donated. Hard drives are then replaced and loaded with a standard set of applications for business and accessibility. Each computer comes with the following software installed:

• Windows 10 Pro Operating System
• Microsoft Office Home and Student 2019, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote
• Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox web browsers
• Various helpful programs: Project Gutenberg, Bard Express, Adobe Acrobat, and a demo version of Typio Typing Tutorial
• Various help files: Computer setup instructions, tutorials, training guides, and FAQ articles
• JAWS 2023 Screen Reader OR ZoomText 2023 Screen Magnifier/Reader. This Includes a one-year license to either program and access to the Home Annual License after the first year. This feature requires an email address to activate and for access to the Freedom Scientific licensing portal.
• The JAWS Training Bundle, which provides in-depth instruction for using JAWS.

Like other Windows computers, programs like the Chrome web browser and NVDA (Non Visual Desktop Access), an open source screen reader, can be downloaded and installed on these computers although they are not shipped with them installed.

Computer Hardware

Most of the computers refurbished from CFTB come from donations in Texas. A quick look at the CFTB Computer Price Sheet provides a list of the many options available to customize computers. The basic desktop model available for $145 comes with 8 GB RAM, 250 GB SSD hard drive, a standard monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers. The low vision user, for example may want to add a larger monitor to this, and this can be added for another $50. Keyboards provided through CFTB are standard keyboards. Some low vision users may benefit from large print, high contrast keyboards, available from retailers like LS&S Products. The desktop model could be upgraded with a 1 TB SSD hard drive for $275, a large monitor for $50, and customized with extras like a Wi-Fi upgrade for $15 and wireless keyboard and mouse for $30. So, at the higher end, a "loaded" desktop could cost as little as $370.

Like the desktop models, the basic laptop comes with 8 GB RAN and a 250 GB SSD hard drive for $200 (or $50 with current grant discount), and can be customized considerably. At the top of the available upgrades, a laptop is available with 16 GB of RAM, with a 1 TB SSD hard drive for $450. Add a larger monitor for $50 and a wireless keyboard and mouse for an additional $30, for a "loaded laptop for $530 ($380 with grant discount).

CFTB Support

Each computer comes with help files and FAQs installed. If a user is new to the computer or accessibility software, there is an audio tutorial available over the phone from the CFTB customer support number at 214-340-6328, by selecting it from the menu tree. In addition, limited technical support is available Monday through Friday, and more extensive customer support can be scheduled as needed. CFTB suggested that for the inexperienced computer user, the best experience will come by adding additional local support from friends, family, rehab services, or private training.

CFTB also provides support for the computer hardware after the purchase as well. If needed the computer can be returned for repair, or replacement if if repair is not possible, by calling customer support to get a return shipping label sent out.

Getting Started

Since Computers for the Blind is a nonprofit specifically for consumers with blindness or low vision, purchasing one of the computers does require some documentation providing proof of loss of vision. In the case of the new grant, proof of low income, veteran or student status is required and this can be provided through medical professionals or rehab agencies. Additionally, individuals enrolled in a rehab program may also be considered to qualify for the grant. For example, CFTB reported that clients working with Lighthouse for the Blind are often encouraged to take advantage of their computers so they're able to practice computer skills at home between training sessions.

For the latest information on pricing and grant availability, check out the Computers for the Blind website or call customer service at 214-340-0870.

Janet Ingber

Recently, Mike May gave a presentation of the GoodMaps software at the Braille Institute in Los Angeles, California. Mike May is a pioneer in the field of using GPS to help people who are blind or visually impaired get from place to place. May lost his vision at age three but did reacquire some vision in later years. The heading on May’s LinkedIn page is, “Chief Evangelist GoodMaps and founder of Sendero Group, the accessible GPS company.” He has more than 20 years in research and development of accessible navigation for the blind and visually impaired.

May began the presentation with one of his principle mottos, “The better you get around, the better you engage in life, whether that’s career or recreation.” He continued, “So what that means is using accessible tools and techniques to accomplish all the things we need to accomplish.” He spoke about what he needed to do to get from his home in Reno, Nevada to Los Angeles, California. This included booking flights, navigating the airport, and getting from the airport to his hotel. He added, “Compared to a sighted person, half of the things I had to deal with they could deal with much easier. We’re in a visual, print world. That’s the way it’s set up, so what are our alternative tools and techniques?”

As part of his trip, May got to ride in a Waymo autonomous vehicle, a self-driving car. He was the only person in the vehicle. He said, “I’m still mind boggled that it actually worked. I wasn’t exactly nervous, I was more thrilled.” He added, “What I encountered was the same thing that we run into with all the GPS apps and a lot of the other tools, which is the first ten feet and the last ten feet.”

May next spoke about life acuity. He explained, “We talk about visual acuity. You can have two people with the same visual impairment and one person can get around really well and the other may be afraid or stay home a lot. I think that’s a function of using those alternative tools and techniques.”

May continued, “One of my principles is, there’s always a way. So when you’re problem solving, which is what we do as blind people all the time, if you have the attitude that there’s a way to do this, if you believe there is a way, you’ll be persistent and figure it out.” He did indicate that sometimes there is no way to fix a problem, but you do not give up right away.

The GoodMaps Outdoors app has turn-by-turn navigation and intersection details. May said, Indoors is the new frontier for navigation, GoodMaps Explore uses lidar (light detection and ranging) mapping. May said that the laser unit GoodMaps uses is about the size of a big flashlight or hand-held vacuum and has a lens on it. May explained, “That laser is carried by our mapper as he walks around the building and he pans it back and forth. It is imaging the space he is in. He’s getting a representation of all the walls and the ceiling and the furniture and everything else in that facility. Every one of those points, every millimeter of space, gets a georeference. It has a point that can later be used for location. Once that 3D cloud image is captured, then it’s processed and turned into a map which now can be accessed from your phone’s camera.”

When using GoodMaps Outside, the app’s search feature will allow you to choose a destination. You will get turn-by-turn directions to get you there.

May explained that the challenges to indoor navigation include making the maps and testing. He said the venue owner pays for the service and the most recent installation was at the Portland, Oregon airport. May then described how he could easily navigate the airport including getting to security and the gate. He said, “The challenge of course is that most buildings don’t have it yet, but the beauty is it’s worth installing. It’s worth the expense because it’s now more affordable. We can get it installed. We’re just on the brink of changing the fact that we can navigate to a building, now how do we get to the destination inside? As you know, the journey isn’t over when you get to the front door.”

GoodMaps Outside and GoodMaps Explore are free and available in the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store.

Mike May can be contacted at info@goodmaps.com.

Steve Kelley

Reading Bookshare titles on a tablet or smartphone has come a long way since the initial release of Read2Go in 2011 for $19.99, which was pricey for an app at the time. It was basic, and when Voice Dream Reader came out the following year, with more features and a lower price, Read2Go gradually became less popular. The new app from Bookshare, the Bookshare Reader may become a bit of a game changer, because it is free for both iOS and Android, and includes more features. For many Android users, like this writer, a newcomer with more features is a welcome addition to the existing Android apps, like Dolphin's Easy Reader-- a free, basic reader for Bookshare, NFB Newsline, and other international libraries. Although Voice Dream Reader has more features than the new Bookshare Reader, it's currently only available for iOS and the Mac, and is now $19.99 in the App Store, so there is plenty of room now for a free reading app for Bookshare titles. The Bookshare Reader is available for download right from the Bookshare website or from either the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

What's Bookshare?

Bookshare is the largest collection of accessible ebooks in the world, with over 1.1 million titles. A subscription to Bookshare requires the subscriber is unable to access print because of blindness or low vision or other physical condition that makes print inaccessible. For students, there is no charge for an annual subscription. This student discount is also available to adults enrolled in some rehab programs or registered with Hadley.edu. Nonstudents will pay an annual subscription rate of $50, but subscribers can download up to 100 ebooks a month at no cost. Bookshare titles are available as digital text, so they can be read as large print on an app, or with a screen reader. It's been this writer's experience that new releases are often more readily available on Bookshare than other sources, like the National Library Service Talking Books program.

Books are available in a number of accessible formats and can also be read from the Bookshare website. Apps like Voice Dream Reader, Easy Reader, and now the Bookshare Reader, connect directly to Bookshare with the subscriber's username and password, and import the electronic text right into the app. Getting a book is as simple as doing a search for a title or author, selecting the title, and downloading to the app. It can take as little as a minute or two to have a new title in your hands, and there's no time limit—the book is yours until you delete it from the app.

Bookshare Reader

Getting started with the Bookshare Reader was pretty simple. From the Google Play Store the Bookshare Reader was easy to find and download to my Android phone. When the app first opened it prompted me for my Bookshare username and password. Once logged in, a page opened with a list of Recent Books downloaded from Bookshare on this writer's other devices. Each title had an arrow which, when selected, downloaded the title to the Bookshare Reader. Once downloaded the title then appeared in the list of downloads, which opened from the tab at the top of the page labeled Downloads. Selecting one of the downloaded books opens it to the page where the reader last left off. It appears that the Bookshare Reader synchs across devices, so whichever device you open your book on, it will open to wherever you left off, regardless of which device you were last reading on.

Readers will find the title of the book across the top of the reading view, and to the right of it the gear icon for the reading settings. At first, on the Android phone, the settings icon was not obvious because the icon blended into the book title. It was not until the app was loaded onto an iPad that the location of the settings icon, shaped like a gear, became apparent, since both the iOS app and Android app are laid out nearly identically. On this writer's Android the text size is increased, and this affected the appearance of some of the app's visible features. Of course, with TalkBack on, the settings icon was announced just to the right of the book title.

Bookshare Reader App Settings

The Bookshare Reader has a wide variety of settings for text size, color, and speech, that really set it apart from an app like Dolphin's Easy Reader. When Settings is first opened the reader is placed into the Quick Set tab, which is a really convenient set of the most popular settings. From here, the audio speed, text size, font, and one of the popular color themes may be adjusted. Each one of these options has its own tab at the top of the display with a broader set of choices. For example, in Quick Set there are three popular font styles, and three presets for color to choose from. When the tab for each one of these options is open, more settings for customization are available.

Although the Quick Set for audio only offers a slider and presets for voice speed, the Audio tab includes more voice settings. Fifteen voices are included for the English version of the app, eight for U.S. English and seven for UK English. In addition, voices can be sampled from this tab, voice rate changed, and check boxes are available to customize whether page numbers and image descriptions are read out loud.

Likewise, the Text tab provides 10 font choices, font sizes up to 48 point, and several settings to widen the text spacing. At the bottom of the page is a handy button to reset all the text settings back to the default.

In the Page tab, settings are available to set the page margins and line spacing. Page margins offers a choice of small, medium, or large for settings, and line spacing includes a slider control for fine-tuning. There is also a checkbox to turn on page numbers.

The last settings tab, labeled Color, provides six preset color themes, including white text on black background, yellow text on blue background, and blue letters on a yellow background to name three of the six. Below these preset options, however, are options to enable any color combination. Separate colors may be selected for the background, text, text highlighting, and sentence highlighting. Both text and sentence highlighting here refers to the text and sentence highlighting as the selection is being read.

Text Highlighting and Note Taking

The Bookshare Reader, like the Easy Reader does not include the ability to highlight text for later review, as readers can do in Voice Dream Reader. Text can be selected by the reader, copied and pasted somewhere or shared, but it can't be highlighted, like readers can do in the Voice Dream Reader and Kindle apps. Also, Voice Dream Reader has a feature so notes can be added to the text. Both features, for this reviewer would be important features for students, or anyone really in the habit of highlighting and making notes in their books.

Overall Impression

Bookshare Reader was easy to get started with, available as an Android app, and is free. Although Easy Reader also can be used for NFB Newsline, when reading something from Bookshare on my Android phone, I'll be using the Bookshare Reader because I have several more voices to choose from and more options to customize the color of the background and text color. Currently, bookmarking is not yet available although the app reports it is coming soon. It would be great to see highlighting coming soon as well because this will make it so much more useful for students.

The app layout was the same across Android, iPad, and iPhone, although on the iPhone X the first install did not include the reader controls when a book was open. At the bottom of the screen, from left to right, buttons appear to Navigate the Book (table of contents), Previous Sentence, Play, and Next Sentence. On the iPhone X, the Play and Previous Sentence buttons did not appear at first. The book's content, however, was readable with VoiceOver. After reinstalling the app from the App Store all the reading buttons appeared.

On the iPad, this writer will stick to the Voice Dream Reader app, because it has the other features, mentioned—highlighting, notes, etc. It also imports other document formats and webpages, which is really handy. Bookshare Reader will stay on the iPad though, if I'm reading a book purely for pleasure, having those extra voices available may come in handy. For newcomers reading on Bookshare, the Bookshare Reader app is a great place to get started and it will be exciting to see what other features will get added in addition to the upcoming Bookmarks feature.