Posts Tagged tts

The Blind Buzz: First Impressions of the Cobolt Kapten GPS

h2>First Impressions of the Cobolt Kapten GPS

On the face of it, the Kapten GPS looks ike very good value at some £159 – it is a small (matchbox-size) device that includes not only the GPS, but also an FM radio, an MP3 player and various phone connection functions. It can also act as a voice recorder. It responds to voice commands once you know how, and is narrated by voice as you operate it, so is potentially extremely useful for blind people as a navigation aid amongst other things.

This is not a fair review of the unit overall, because I haven’t yet had it long enough to evaluate all its possibilities. In particular, I haven’t yet given the GPS a thorough workout. What I’m doing here is giving you a first impression, which might well put you off or make the device a must-have. It’s going to depend what features you really value.

What’s in the box?

  • The Kapten unit itself.
  • A USB cable, which enables you to exchange files with another device and allow the Kapten to charge up, something that seems painfully slow. It takes about 4 hours when you first unbox it.
  • A cable with ear-buds at the end, and a microphone switch part-way along.
  • CDs containing KapManager software and an audio version of the manual.
  • A paper manual in large print.
  • A rather pointless “Getting Started” guide, and another small leaflet in small print whose contents I forget. They’re harder to read than the manual, and may confuse matters when you start off.

Setting Up

The first thing to do is charge the battery by plugging the USB cable into the Kapten and plugging the other end of the cable into a computer USB port. The battery level is inicated by a row of lights at the top end of the unit, above the circular bit with the K button in the middle. As I didn’t know how many lights to expect, I didn’t know when the job was done. There doesn’t seem to be any sound input or output while this is going on.

When you’re charged up, you can plug in the headphones and get started. Correction – yu can try to get started. Without any audio feedback, the Kapten continues to do something or other that is indicated by the lights again looking like progress bars across the top of the unit. I presume it’s looking for GPS data, but it’s anyone’s guess. This device is being marketed to blind people, some of whom won’t be able to see any lights.

Old reviews mention an external speaker, which is maybe an extra accessory – I don’t have one of those, and I must say it would be a lot easier than wrestling with the headphones.

The headphones are actually a couple of ear-buds, which I hate with a venom. They are perfectly circular, and try as I might, I haven’t got any place in my ear where they will stay put. As this is a GP:S designed for people walking, or even cycling, you can imagine the distraction of having these darn things constantly falling off you when you need information about where you’re going.

It’s bad enough when you’re trying to listen to the manual, listen to the Kapten’s voice feedback and at times a screen reader as well. It’s taken quite a lot of persistence to get through this process.

A word to the wise in any case wehn navigating outdoors – if you have your ears stuffed with headphones, you need to keep the volume down to be safe. On the other hand you might not hear Kapten very well in noisy traffic. It’s a hard one to get right.

OK, I’ll assume we’re ready to go, charged up and have somehow stuck the ear-buds into our ears.

If the Kapten isn’t on, you start it, quite obviously with the Stop button. Silly of me, I was looking for an on-switch. Towards the top of the unit there is a circular area with switches around the edge at points north, east, south and west. The Stop button is the southern one.

The unit says, in a less than cheery tone, “Rise and shine”. Sounds more like an order than a greeting. The voice, called for some obscure reason, Sirina, sounds uncannily like the woman who reads the Macular Disease Society Newsletter.

I’ll start with a relatively simple feture – the radio.

Radio

By the way, the voice keyword to summon up the radio is FM. The Kapten doesn’t appear to know the word radio.

There is a row of buttons below the circular area described above. The right hand button activates the FM radio.

If you press this button twice, you’re invited by the inbuilt voice to dictate the name of a radio station. It will then start reeling off a list of stations

.

If you know what station you want, you can interrupt the flow by pressing the microphone button about a third of the way along the headphone cable. Wait for a beep and then say the name of the station.

In my case, the list of available stations includes Kerrang (which I can’t actually receive), though to be fair if I request it, the unit does say it’s tuned to Kerrang, but reception may be poor.

When I tried dictating “BBC Radio Derby”, I get BBC Radio 3. If I try “BBC Radio Durby” I get BBC Radio 2. What? This station can be received here, though it isn’t strictly local. However it is listed in the Kapten’s list of stations.

When I was trying this, suddenly Kapten told me there were no GPS data, which would be needed to find the stations. Strange, it had just been interrupting everything several times to tell me “GPS is up”.

Where am i?

This is one of many keywords and phrases that you can speak into the microphone and get straight to a function.

I pressed the button on the headphone cord – what this button is called depends on which bit of the documentation you are reading. I don’t know, I’m just the custoemr. I’ll call it the microphone button for the time being.

Anyway, I pressed the button and said “Where am i?” several times, getting a slightly different answer each time.

Kapten got the city right every time, and the street. It told me I was variously at no. 3, no. 7 and no. 13. Actually I was at number 8 on the opposite side of the street to all those. Well, 2 out of 3 isn’t bad. No. 3 is about 50 yards away, which is a bit worrying for someone who is lost. And I deny hotly that I’ve ever consorted with the folks at No. 13!

Calibrate the Compass

I thought maybe this would solve some problems. As it is, I completely and repeatedly failed to get it right. The first stage is easy enough – you just leave the Kapten on the desk and let it sort out the first stage. After that you somehow have to move it in different planes, and if you don’t get it right, whatever right is, it doesn’t work. Fail at one bit, and that ends the process. Goodness knows what it takes to get this right.

If I spoke the word "compass" alone, the Kapten told me that a magnetic source was disturbing the compass. It continued to give me this response wherever I was in my house or outside. The compass seems to be a rather difficult feature.

Points of Interest

Apparently there are no points of interest anywhere near where I live. Thanks for the compliment, guys. So how do you find your way through this desert?

I thought of walking to Tesco’s, but then Kapten asked me for a street name and house number. I’ve no idea what the answers were supposed to be. Tesco’s is in its own shopping centre,and it isn’t a street. It can’t be a point of interest, as there aren’t any. So I’m a little puzzled.

That’s as far as I’ve got with the GPS at this point.

mp3 player

If you have the Kapten plugged into a USB port, you can copy a cross some mp3 files. There is already an audio version of the Kapten manual on there. Use a bit of restraint in copying mp3s, though, because if you use up space on them, you won’t get so much voice recorder time. So it’s best to prioritise.

To select music, you press the leftmost button on the bottom row of buttons. The inbuilt voice asks what selection mode yo you want to use – album, artist and so on.

Well, with most of my music I don’t know what album it comes from, so have done all my selections by artist. Some have succeeded, and some spectacularly not, and it beats me why some slections go fine, and others give me wacky results.

Here are some misfires I had. By the way, I have mp3s by all the artists I asked for copied to the Kapten.

I said George Harrison – I got Joe Jackson.
I said Alannah Myles – I got Tomorrow singing My White Bicycle.
I said Roy Harper – I got Our House by Madness.
I said Oblique – I got Bob Seger singing Main Street.
I said Chicago – I got Jethro Tull.
I said Chicago again and got Sade.
I said Steve Winwood – I got Stevie Wonder. I tried again and got the same.
I said Al Stewart and got Marvin Gaye with “Heard it Through the Grapevine”.
I tried Al Stewart again and got Mike Oldfield’s “Moonlight Shadow”.
I said 10cc and got terje Sonset
I said Oregon – oh, no, it was Tomorrow again with “My White Bicycle”.
I tried pronouncing Oregon Or egon – I got The Who with “Won’t Get Fooled Again”.

Some that it did get right include Barclay James Harvest, Jan Garbarek (I pronounced Jan as Yan), Queen, The Beatles, Beatles without the “The” – got it, same track either way. Traffic, Spencer Davis, Lemon Pipers, Pet shop boys, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Buffalo Springfield, Imagination.All those worked fine. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to all this, unless I’ve got a Martian accent.

Voice Recorder

You might expect the Voice Recorder to have a button of its own on the body of the Kapten. No, you actually start it by voice command. Press the microphone button and say Voice Recorder.

Kapten asks “Do you want to record a voice memo?” If you say yes, you can go ahead and make your voice memo. If you say no, you go on to “Do you want to hear a voice memo?”. If you say yes, you then get a list of existing voice memos, if any. If you say no, you are asked, “Do you want to delete a voice memo?”. Say yes, and you will be presented with a list of voice memos if you have any.

That’s about it for the voice recorder. The mike supplied with the Capten will pick up other voices in the room, too, though I have no idea what it would be like to try to record in a meeting or conference. Still, a dedicated voice recorder would easily cost what the Kapten does, and it’s a nice bonus to have the recorder.

Documentation

The manual is fairly clear, though I wish it could be written more for a complete beginner rather than someone who already knows the unit.

The sort of thing I mean is that a button may be mentioned and the new user might not have remembered yet where they all are. Why not build in the odd aide-memoir such as “Circle – south – Stop button” or “Bottom row, right, radio button”, to help those of us who might have weakened for a second and not caught every point. The CD version is clearly read, and once you’re acquainted with the unit, it will pay to read or listen again.

How tactile is it?

The buttons are not that prominent. However, I have had no trouble finding them, and once you know the layout, it is easy enough to navigate. However, I can imagine people with neuropathy or heavily-used fingers finding it a bit tricky to find everything.

I’ve found I can have the Kapten in my shirt pocket and use the buttons OK so long as the button side of the unit is facing forward.

If you lay the unit in front of you with the circle bit furthest away and the mp3 GPS and radiobuttons nearest to you, you may like to know tha tthe USB port is at the far end, more or less in the middle, and I find I can feel that OK.

The headphone jack socket is on the left nearest end to you if the unit is still facing the same way. It’s a mini-jack so by definition, small, but you should be able to find that OK too. Right hand side, furthest corner, there is the volume control.

Kap Manager software

The software does not appear to be very accessible, at least with the NVDA screen reader. This barrier really did take me by surprise. If I can revise my opinion later, I’ll include it in the next article. This product is being marketed to blind people, and on this point I feel I have a right to expect better.

This means that I can’t assess the software myself. Of course, I do not have armies of sighted people ready to assist me – maybe someone assumed that a sighted person would somehow be there to assist users. Well, of course, life is not like that.

Where to get one

In the UK, the Kapten is available from Cobolt.

Please visit

https://secure.vvhosting.co.uk/cobolt/store/eric_viewItem.asp?idProduct=335

Preliminary Conclusions

I’m not yet convinced that I’m going to be able to navigate my travels using the Kapten. It acts more like a prototype device rather than something that’s been brought to market.

I can use the radio, mp3 player and voice recorder usefully, and that may be worth the asking price for the unit. But I have an idea that I may be looking at a more expensive device to make navigating by GPS a reality.

I know this is fairly harsh, but as a user’s personal safety may be at stake if they get lost, I feel quite justified in sounding off about my initial reservations.

I will be returning to the Kapten in another post, by which time I’ll hope to put the GPS side of it through its paces a great deal more. It is possible that I have not come to entirely fair conclusions here, but hopefully soon I will have a lot more experience of the Kapten to offer.

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The Blind Buzz on Accessibility


Access is a Right and Good Public Policy | Accessibility News International
– May 30 to June 5 is Manitoba Access Awareness Week


Access IT review of SuperNova v11.50 – Dolphin


Accessible book (Open Library)
– read books online.


Accessible Media Project
– ways of presenting media on web sites. Requires Silverlight.


Accessibility for the Disabled – A Design Manual for a Barrier Free Environment
– United Nations Program on Disability.


Accommodating visual impairments or blindness in the workplace – GettingHired.com’s Own, BusyBee’s Blog – Community for Disabled


Accounting Software for Vision Impaired, World First
– Cash Manager, an Australian product.


Adobe Announces eLearning Suite 2 & Captivate 5 – Assistive Technology


AFB AccessWorld: Technology and People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired – May 2010 Issue
– contents include Android Phone Accessibility, Oratio Screen Reader for BlackBerry, Illuminated Magnifiers, the iPad, CSUN 2010 Highlights, Social Networking Accessibility, Home Appliance Update


Another iPhone 4 Prototype Leaks–What Can We Learn From It? [Updated] | Fast Company
– probably one of those controlled Apple leaks…..


AssistiveWare: Accessibility solutions for Mac OS X


Bad Eyes Sees the PDF Light
– PDFs need not be horribly inaccessible.


Barriers to Careers – Fred’s Head
– guess what – not all blind people are musicians, and not all need huge amounts of care…..


BrailleNote Apex BT 32 – HumanWare USA
new 18-cell Braille notetaker. 

Humanware UK


Computer centers for visually impaired open – UzA
– centre in Tashkent, Uzbekistan .


Crosswalk removed after complaints – China Daily
– 2 weeks after being installed to enable blind and deaf children to cross the road, the crossing, in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China, annoyed local people by being too noisy when driven over.


E-Access Bulletin’s sixth annual conference and exhibition
on access to technology by people with disabilities, e-Access ’10, takes place on 13 July 2010 at Olympia 2 Conference Centre, London.


EASI Webinar – Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Section 508
Monday May 24th


eSpeak text to speech
– a speech synthesiser that can handle English and many other languages. Works on Linux and Windows.


Eye Glasses Turns iPhone into Magnifier For Oldies | Gadget Lab | Wired.com


Firefox Accessibility


[Book] Google It! A Guide to the World’s Most Popular Search Engine (2010 Second Edition) (GOOGLE)
– new edition to cover recent developments.


GPS for guide dogs promises greater freedom for the blind


Happy Birthday VoiceOver– The Mac-cessibility Network – News [Lioncourt.com]
– what’s happened to VoiceOver since its launch in April, 2005.


Helpful bus stops are talk of the town – Edinburgh Evening News
– blind passengers can use a fob or smartphone to get timetable and other bus information in this new pilot project.


How Are Seeing Eye Dogs Taught to Interpret Stoplights if Dogs Are Color-Blind?
– short answer – they aren’t, and they don’t.


How to Allow Your Visitors to Switch Between Alternate CSS Styles / Themes (thesitewizard.com)


HTML5, ARIA Roles, and Screen Readers in May 2010 — Research — Accessible Culture
– how the major screen readers measure up in these new environments.


HTML5 & Accessibility – Access U 2010
– slide show without apparently any sound. Humph!


Importance of HTML Headings for Accessibility


Indoor & Outdoor Travel Skills for Adults with Vision Loss | VisionAWARE
– an american site, but could be useful anywhere.


J-Tools? – T & T Consultancy
– enhancements for JAWS version 11.


Bierley Maggie – Hagger Electronics
– a pocket CCTV for £99 (£116 including VAT)


Michigan Students to Develop RFID-enabled Robotic Guide Dog – RFID Journal
– sounds a bit like the Batcane or Ultracane, but this one recognises radio tags in places like supermarkets.


Microsoft Impresses — Really — with TellMe Voice Text and Search – PCWorld
– text messages and web searches look really easy on the Samsung Sprint Intrepid, which responds to voice commands.


MoPix – Motion Picture Access
– Making Movie Theaters Accessible to Disabled Audiences


Mushroom FM Internet radio station. – The home of the Fun guys
– Jonathan Mosen, Brian Hartgen, Jeff Bishop and others have set up this new Internet radio station.


New information system for blind and visually impaired individuals
– Freie Universität Berlin researchers are working on a device that connects wirelessly to the Internet and provides numerous information channels and the ability to handle e-mail. This is aimed primarily at those who are not experienced computer users – the InformA device works a bit like a radio.


Over 1 Million Digital Books Now Available Free from the Internet Archive – Fred’s Head


[DOC] Self-directed support
– What it is and how blind and partially sighted people can benefit. Factsheet from the RNIB in the UK about the new Personal Budgets/Direct Payments system. You may also like to read
[DOC] Personalisation: getting the most from personal budgets and self-directed care


ScreenRuler Suite V3 from Claro Software
– with new features for Windows XP and Windows 7 (including 64-bit). This is a screen tool of most use to those with some sight, though it also has high-quality voices.


SeroTalk Podcast 41 – Latest Tech News, MLB At Bat App for the iPhone and iPad, and Getting Started with System Access and SAMNet


SeroTalk Tech Chat 61 – The iPad, Tool or Toy?


Skype 4 Tutorials


Speech in a Virtual World, Part II – SpeechTechMag.com
– technology assisting in Second Life, etc, including the Virtual Guide Dog and speech recognition.


Tactile voting system for the blind sought – RTÉ News
the current system in Ireland is to ask a trusted friend to help you vote. the National Council for the Blind say this is no longer adequate.


This Free WiFi Network Finder is Easy to Use and Very Powerful


UK Service TextMagic Makes Texting Your Friends as Easy as Sending Email – Fred’s Head


Visually Impaired Person Technology User Conference (Hosted by Vista Center for the Blind) | DAISY Consortium
– May 22nd, 2010 in Mountain View, California. Presentations on smart phone topics.


West Bank invention to help blind – Al Jazeera English – Video
– 3 girls from a Palestinian refugee camp have researched and produced a buzzing and vibrating cane for blind people.

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The Blind Buzz on Accessibility


Accessible Insights Blog
 

Accessible Insights RSS Feed


[Audio] Accessible World Tek Talk presents An Introduction to Social Networking, April 19, by Anna Dresner
– 52 mins. Twitter, Facebook et al. and privacy settings.


Attitudes on Accessibility « Peter Ganza’s Blog
– comparisons between the USA,Canada and Europe.


[PDF] Best Practice in Form Design


Campaigning Peer Blocks Weakening Of Web Access Law – E-Access Bulletin Live » Blog Archive
-


Discover Smartphone Accessibility Webcast « The BAT Channel
– this page will refer you to a web site and a piece of software that won’t be readily accessible if you’re totally blind.


Doctor, I’m Seeing Spots – Fred’s Head
– starting with Braille labels.


“DROP” GPS Braille system | Keol.Net
– hand-held tactile display navigation system with voice commands. This may be a concept device, i.e., not available yet.


e-Access ’10
– "E-Access Bulletin’s sixth annual conference and exhibition on access to technology by people with disabilities, e-Access ’10, takes place on 13 July 2010 at Olympia 2 Conference Centre, London.


Ecommerce Accessibility for High Street Retailers 2010
– how accessible are the web sites of the UK’s most famous retailers?


Facebook and Accessibility – Accessibility Toolkit – Version 3 – 2009 (eGovernment Resource Centre)


Facebook Shuts Down Facebook Lite « AccessTech News


Free JAWS 11 Update Adds Office 2010 Support – Blind Bargains


Free Online Spider Simulator | Summit Media
– find out how a search engine is likely to react to your web pages.


HP Slate Review: Netbook Alternative, Not iPad Killer | Blog | ZiggyTek
-early review is none too enthusiastic. Also note
HP Reportedly Cancels Plans for Windows 7 Tablet – Slashdot Hardware Story


iBooks and the iBookstore: A Walkthrough
– books for the iPad.


Ideas on Coping With Low Vision
by a member of Macular Degeneration Support. (mdsupport.org).


Improve Accessibility With The Power Of Powder | Business Computing World
– POWDER is a certification system for web pages that may come a bit nearer to reassuring readers that the site is accessible.


Inclusive Design Toolkit:
= the what, why and how of inclusive design.


iPad drawing interest as device for disabled-Hardware-Infotech-The Economic Times
– there’s more to the iPad than entertainment.


[Video] iPhone VoiceOver function for people with disabilities


It’s A Wheelchair! It’s A Trike? It’s RoTrike!


LiSeng Vbook: Dual-Screen Tablet (720p Video) | Blog | HTCYou
– the embedded video on this page doesn’t have any meaningful audio (like a commentary!). It’s a dual-screen tablet machine.


LiveScribe – never miss a word
– smart notetaking pen.


Los Angeles creator of TheatreVision for blind people celebrates its 10th year – Media dis&dat


Making sure hidden frames are hidden – The Paciello Group Blog
– they may be hidden gfrom sight, but not from screen readers.


Pilot project allows library to offer more to those with disabilities – ai squared – making accessibility simple
– ZoomText is one of the choices for the New Brunswick Library Service, Canada.


RNIB’s Shaun Leamon Clarifies iPad Points– The Mac-cessibility Network – News [Lioncourt.com]


Salman Khan makes VEER available for blind fans
– this Bollywood film is a love story set in the time of the British Raj. The audio description track is in Hindi.


Second Life Disability Resources


Second Site: Online Accessibility for the Visually Impaired – Linux News: Spotlight Features
– the case for accessibility is getting stronger.


Senator Harkin’s Web Site Recognized as One of the Best in Congress
– Tom HarKin, Senator for Iowa, gets high praise for
his user-friendly web site


Seven Tips To Help Cope With Vision Loss – Fred’s Head
– it’s tough getting to grips with visual impairment, but these may help you through the jungle.


Sidewalks become battlegrounds – USATODAY.com
– disability advoctes in the US are at odds with cash-strapped local authorities over the poor state of sidewalks in many cities.


Some Random Impressions On The iPad – The Ranger Station
– you might get the impression that the Ranger isn’t totally delighted.


Teach Blind Students
– information from (American) National Federation for the Blind.


The Tech Doctor Blog and Podcast
– latest episode – Does Size Matter? iPad vs iPod. 

Tech Doctor RSS Feed


Techshare Mobile 2010
– this UK conference aims to bring people together to encourage the development of accessibility on mobile devices.


Text Email Newsletter (TEN) Standard
– this standard intends to improve the readability of plain text e-mail.


The 4th European eAccessibility Forum | DAISY Consortium
– having trailed the event on this blog, I now bring you the results.


Tips, techniques, and tutorials for the jQuery JavaScript library
– including some accessibility techniques.


Towards A Cooler Focus Caret
– some CSS techniques for making the point of focus more obvious, and possibly even making it prettier if you must.


Trekker Breeze (Support) – HumanWare United Kingdom
– version 1.2 of this navigation system has points of interest, clearer text-to-speech and more languages.


Twitter and Accessibility – Accessibility Toolkit – Version 3 – 2009 (eGovernment Resource Centre)


US Government Helps Job Applicants With Disabilities – E-Access Bulletin Live » Blog Archive


Using Automatic Testing to Predict Accessibility Results « E-Government Assessment


Voice Synthesis for your iPhone
– Speak It! claims to have 4 high-quality voices.


Web Accessibility Tools – UserFocus
– useful selection of accessibility aids for developers.


Webster’s New World Large Print Dictionary – Fred’s Head


[Audio] White House promising more attention to 508 – Federal News Radio 1500 AM

Get the mp3 file
or dig out your old long-wave radio!


With new technology, few blind Canadians read braille – CTV News


woices.com: Location-Based Audioguides – Fred’s Head
– create your own audio walk, including maps and photographs. 

Direct link to woices.com

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The Blind Buzz on Accessibility


3D TV: A proposal on behalf of the stereo-blind | CNET to the Rescue – CNET Blogs


4th European eAccessibility Forum eAccessibility of Public Services in Europe


abilityhub for disability and disabilities
– adaptations and techniques to help those who find operating a computer difficult.


Acapela TTS for iPad: Super Natural Voices From Acapela Add Audible Value to Rich Content, in a Choice of 22 Languages and 44 Voices! | Earth Times News


Accessibility 101: An Introduction | Onextrapixel – Showcasing Web Treats Without A Hitch
– a bewildering array of disabilities: where is a web author to start.


Accessible Podcasts
– making audio and video podcasts accessible.


Accessible Volcano’s! – Peter Ganza’s Blog
– carbon-heavy travel plans ironically distrupted by a natural event! The author promotes a product called
Xenos
, a high-volume document production system. 
Peter Ganza’s Blog RSS Feed


Activists oppose ‘discriminatory’ amendment to Copyright Act – Indian Express
– complaints about restrictive terms of proposed law as it affects disabled people.


Adoption of Accessibility Guidelines for Outdoor Areas Getting Closer in the USA – Access Tourism NZ


Announcing Two Exciting New SamNet Features « SeroTalk
– Bookport support and using a different e-mail client for your SAMNET mail.


Assistance programs to purchase adaptive tech – Living on the frontlines
– sources of funding for assistive technology in the USA.


Best Free Word Processor
– Word may be over the top for some people who just want simple word processing. Some good alternatives are described here.


BlindCrawler
includes a JAWS scripts search engine, and a Mac page that includes software and links that are VoiceOver friendly. While you’re there, you might also like to check out the BlindCrawler Podcast.


Creating Accessibility-aware Silverlight 2 Content – CODE Magazine


Disabled riders protest Rochester, N.Y., bus service – Media dis&dat


Disability groups in NY file class-action lawsuit over proposed elimination of accessible county transportation – Media dis&dat

E-Access Bulletin for April, 2010 is now published, but does not yet seem to be on their web site. To subscribe, please visit
Subscribe to the Bulletin


Evaluating Web Sites for Accessibility with Firefox’, Ariadne Issue 44 – Get Tooled Up


Fangs – the screen reader emulator- Standards Schmandards


Free Online Training with NFB-NEWSLINE®
– Thursday, April 29, 2010, 11 a. m. Eastern. You will be able to learn how to download newspaper and magazine materials to your BookSense or other talking book/mp3 player. This is a free webinar, in partnership with GW Micro. Register by sending your name and email address to drew@gwmicro.com – take part at http://www.gwmicro.com/meeting


Free Screen Readers – Action for Blind People
– covers Windows, MacOS and Linux.


GW Micro BookSense
– portable digital player. New feature: you can get extra software to play materials from NFB Newsline.


History in the Making: The Story of the American Printing House for the Blind, 1858-2008 – Fred’s Head
– a lavish production that includes colour photography and tactile graphics to celebrate APH’s 150th anniversary in 2008.


How to add RSS Autodiscovery to your site
– many sites lack the one line of code that enables auto-discovery.


iBill Money Identifier: A Quick Review | Access4 Us


JAWS 11.0.1430 Update Posted on April 15, 2010 « AccessTech News
– with a list of fixes in the update.


Larry Skutchan: a Blind Cool Tech – Fred’s Head
– meet one of the real innovators in blindness technology.


Learning Braille is Easier than You Think – Fred’s Head


Library offers new device for those with low vision » Local News » The Free Press, Mankato, MN
– mouse magnifier gives large print on TV screens.


Louis Database of Accessible Materials for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired – Fred’s Head


[Video] Low Vision Chef Marking Your Kitchen
– painting on raised marks to help you to identify controls on equipment.


[Audio] Main Menu
– technology topics from ACB Radio. The next episode features Raul A. Gallegos talking about Thunderbird e-mail client. Live at 1:00 UTC Saturday, which is 8pm Friday Eastern. There is a
podcast feed
, which is currently empty.


Manuals and Tutorials – High Tech Center Training Unit
– accessible PDF documents covering such subjects as JAWS, Braille, Windows and Dragon Natrally Speaking.


[Video] Microsoft’s Skinput turns hands, arms into buttons – CNN.com


MobilizeToday.com Announced Release of Mobius WordPress Mobile Theme – StreetInsider.com
– compatible with touch-screen phones.


National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials
– USA site offering resources to educators and learners.


New Audible Pedestrian Signals Tested – Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind
– they’re testing something we’ve had in the UK for 50 years!


Now the home phone goes smart
– one Australian provider has a touch-screen internet ready landline phone.


Nuance Talks & Zooms Product Manager Torsten Brand passes away – Blind Mind News – Unrestricted Access
– the man who first brought us screen readers for mobile phones died recently aged 47.


Ofcom reports on accessibility of UK electronic program guides


Optical Braille Recognition: Read Braille with a standard scanner – Fred’s Head
– software for Windows. 

OBR Web Site


Podcast 39, 6 Cents from Mike, Michael and Ricky, iTunes 9, and 12 New SA Voices « SeroTalk


Programming The iPhone For Accessibility By The Visually Impaired


Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic Launches National Record-A-Thon
– masses of volunteers expected to help record books for students and veterans in the latter half of April, 2010


ROKTalk Text-to-Speech Adds Multi-Language Translation Functionality: GlobeNewswire Business News – MSN Money
– text-to-speech service for web sites can now translate between English, French, German, Spanish and Hindi. Also visit
RokTalk Breaks New Ground In Website Text To Speech Services By Launching Language Translation Capability – eGov Monitor


Sexual health texting service hailed success
– accessible service in Leicestershire and Rutland, UK, advises young people by mobile.


Smith-Kettlewell Wayfinding Survey – Survey of Basic Wayfinding
– if you want to help with this, the survey should take about 20 minutes of your time.


TAFN | The Accessible Friends Network | Welcome
– a well-established social network for blind people, including live chat, events, gardening, Sue’s Kitchen, music,


The new Opera Mini iPhone app disappoints on accessibility
– no surprises there, then!


The Rough Guide to Accessible Britain, new venues & ideas – Motability


Too many objects often confuse me – Donna Jodhan
– the problem of clutter.


Universal Subtitles
– this project seeks to create a free and open system for subtitling every video on the Web.


Using the lang attribute makes a difference | 456 Berea Street
– screen readers that support language switching will sound better.


video accessibility – ginger’s thoughts
– example of using timeine files in HTML5, with code.


Video on the Web – Dive Into HTML5
– not everything works yet, but using videos without a plug-in is on its way.


Vision Australia “Making a Difference Award Winners 2010″ – Blind Mind News – Unrestricted Access


Visiprint Software
– large-print document production, aimed at the educational market.


ZoomNews
– latest edition of the newsletter of AIsquared.

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The Blind Buzz on Accessibility


A selection of VoiceOver keyboard commands | 456 Berea Street
for Mac OS,.


Accessibility features – Windows SharePoint Services – Microsoft Office Online


Actuate Addresses Online Statement Accessibility for the Visually Impaired with Xenos Axess – Mozilla Firefox
– this system can deliver high volumes of accessible PDF files, according to this article.


Advocacy group for visually impaired | guampdn.com | Pacific Daily News
– new group aims to open up life and work opportunities. Meeting on April 17th will include phone accessibility and JAWS demonstrations.


AFB Consulting Webinar on PDF and Assistive Technologies « The BAT Channel


Apple iPhone to soon get long-sought multitasking
– iPhone OS 4 will let you run multiple apps at the same time.


Apple will update iPhones, iPads to run more than one program at once


Apple’s iPad Brings Easy Reading to the Blind « Forbes.com’s Booked
– why the iPad is exciting some blind readers and is way ahead of the Amazon Kindle.


ATTO: Assistive Technology Training Online
to assist elementary school students.


b-f-b Blind Facebook Yahoo! Group

Subscribe by email


BARD Talk
– a mailing list concerning the NLS download service in the US.
Subscribe to BARDTalk by e-mail


BCScan
Scan It, Learn About It, Use It – a new online way to organise your life. For more information, listen to
Accessible World Tek Talk presents A Look at BCScan, April 12, 2010 by J.J. Meddaugh


Blind iPad Review – Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind
– totatlly blind woman reviews the iPad.


Brailect Can Translate Text Into Braille Or Audio
– this concept device is a glove that can be used to read text and convert it to either format.


Breaking news on Digital Image and Graphic Resources for Accessible Materials: DIAGRAM – No Limits to Learning
– this is hoped to improve accessibility to images for students with disabilities, and educators providing for them.


C-Desk by AdaptiveVoice
– free 15 day trial. The program gives a high-contrast, voiced desktop that is meant to simplify computer use for people who are disabled or elderly.


Call for Presentations for the ATIA 2010 Chicago and ATIA 2011 Orlando Conferences. « ConnSENSE Bulletin


Charities merge to aid the blind – Scotsman.com News
– InfoSound news service launched with support from British Wireless for the Blind Fund. 

How to listen to InfoSound


[Audio] Latest briefing (April 12th, 2010)
.


Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology
– "Welcome to COAT, a coalition of over 280 national, regional, state, and community-based disability organizations. We advocate for legislative and regulatory safeguards that will ensure full access by people with disabilities to evolving high speed broadband, wireless and other Internet Protocol (IP) technologies."


computer assistive technology abilityhub for disability and disabilities
– "Assistive Technology for people with a disability who find operating a computer difficult, maybe even impossible. This web site will direct you to adaptive equipment and alternative methods available for accessing computers "


Creative ZEN X-Fi Style PMP, ZEN Style Series Music Player | Blog | ZiggyTek
– news on these affordable audio players.


CTL 2goPC Slate: Windows 7 Tablet (Video) | Blog | ZiggyTek
– the spec is not outstanding, but this device has some things the iPad currently lacks, e.g., webcam and Adobe Flash.


Digital Unite – Computer Training for the Over 50s
– UK based.


Disabled Ontarians still find barriers to voting – thestar.com – Coyle


Document Accessibility Should Begin at the Author Level
– the Web isn’t the whole story – what about other types of document?


Dogs and Islam: The Devil and the Seeing-Eye Dog | Psychology Today
– all may not be as it seems on the subject of "unclean" dogs.


Dogs for the Blind | Dogs Training
who thought of that idea?


E-Readers and technology to assist the Blind | Good E-Reader Blog – Electronic Reader News and Articles


Easy to See Balloons – Fred’s Head
– balloons that light up. Every little helps!


[Audio] EyePod TechnoCast 10
– Larry Lewis of Flying Blind, LLC, talks about optical character recognition (OCR) and introduces AbiSee Products, particularly the EyePal OCR products that use a camera rather than a scanner.


Facebook Works with the Blind on Accessibility | WebProNews


Good50 Low Vision Version
– "Good50 is a user-friendly search engine designed for those who are ages 50+. Because of its user-friendly features, Good50 is also beneficial for the whole family including children."


Grave Concerns about a Ban on Dogs in Nottinghamshire Parks – jady_lady
– ban on dogs in parks in part of Nottinghamshire, could cause guide dog problems.


Group Travel for Persons with Special Needs – Yahoo! Finance
– many opportunities in the USA for people with various disabilities.


HTML5 details element, built-in and bolt-on accessibility – Bruce Lawson’s personal site
– possible advantages of HTML5 over scripting and ARIA.


Ideas on Coping With Low Vision by Sharon Noseworthy
and members of the Macular Degeneration Support Network


Interviews from CSUN 2010 – NFB – Access Technology Blog


iSpeech – Text to Speech Service – Assistive Technology
– online service that can convert text files to speech.


KeySoft 9 0 1 upgrade – HumanWare Canada/English
– update your BrailleNote Apex.


Nissan Adding Noise to Make Silent Electric Cars Safe « Nissan Zone
– USA and Japan could make this mandatory.


[Audio] PDF Document Reading and Strategies with JAWS and MAGic
– 90-minute webinar with instructions for saving.


Registration Mac Academy Workshop – Handy Tech North America
– there is a booking form and description here for the 5-day workshop on using VoiceOver with SnowLeopard being held in June.


Review: VI Scientific’s Currency Identifier (and more) “VisionHunt 2.1″ for S60 3rd & 5th edition
– Blind Mind News – Unrestricted Access: Versatile apps for camera-pones. Currnecy, colour light source and light light level detection. Works on the Nokia N97 and their are planned versions for other types of phone, including the iPhone.


Screen Reader Tutorial
– for users of the Blackboard Learning System.


Self-Expression | Real Coaching Radio Network
– technophobic? well, if a blind middle-aged woman not involved in technology can deal with technology, you can too!


SeroTalk Tech Chat 57 – The Three Most Affordable reading Solutions « SeroTalk


Sweeping Landmark Class Action Settlement Paves the Way for Improved Sidewalk Access for People with Disabilities | Accessibility News International
– success for Californians with disabilities.


Tactile mind
– A book of nude photographs for the blind/vision impaired. ISBN: 978-0-9813431-0-5 produced in toronto,canada. tactilemind@gmail.com, telephone: 416.516.2999. Wrongly described as a magazine in the British Telegraph newspaper, this is a thermoform book of raised erotic images with Braille text. A snip at £150. 

Read the telegraph article ‘Pornographic magazine for the blind launched’


The Mac-cessibility Round Table Podcast – Special Edition #6 – iPhone OS 4.0– The Mac-cessibility Network – News [Lioncourt.com


The Tech Doctor Blog and Podcast
- comparative reviews of similar products.The
first podcast
looks at the Plextalk Pocket and the Bookport Plus. 

The Tech Doctor Blog and Podcast RSS Feed


Videos Created by Ai Squared « AccessTech News
- these promote products such as ZoomText, Victor Reader Stream and Pebble.


Who Wins the Accessibility Election? | S3 Web Design
- a web designer comments on the accessibility of the web sites of the major British political parties.


[Book] Windows 7 and Vista Explained
– A guide for blind and partially sighted users. Intended to work with whatever access technology you have. Can be pre-ordered for delivery late May. Orders from USA and Canada should be made to National Braille Press.

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The Blind Buzz on Accessibility


Accessible Pages Aren’t Automatically Ugly


Check My Colours – Analyse the color contrast of your web pages


Create text-to-speech (TTS) podcast from RSS feed for iPod, iPhone, MP3 player and mobile phone


Google Announces Gmail For iPad « AccessTech News


Happy April Fools Day from Blind Bargains


iPad Launches! Round-up of Major Reviews | Blog | ZiggyTek


iPhone Human Interface Guidelines
for developers.


Nocturne Download – Softpedia
– test your web site for contrast in varying lighting conditions.


OASES –-Assess your Library Accessibility and Inclusion Provision « Chrissie’s Muses
– JISC TechDis have now launched the OASES which is the Online Accessibility Self Evaluation Service.
Go to OASES

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The Blind Buzz on Accessibility

CSUN 2010 Audio

Other CSUN 2010 items


10 Insanely Great iPad Apps We Can’t Wait to Use « AccessTech News


[Video] 2007 Faculty Development Award Winner: Access E-Learning
– Georgia Tech tutorial on many aspects of accessibility.


A Brief Guide to WordPress and Web Accessibility


ABBYY Invites iPhone Users to Try Its Business Card Reader for Free


Accessible JavaScript: Beyond the Mouse


Accessible World Tek Talk Presents Make It Work, Computer Consultants March 29, 2010 by Mr. Daniel Kevorkian
– general computer discussion


Accessibility tips for the casual coder – hope: Nerdy PSA
– Why you should use em and strong tags for italics and bold.


ai squared – making accessibility simple
– ZoomText, Victor reader Stream, Pebble, SenseView Duo and more.


Ajax Accessibility and ARIA – Ajaxian


Apple iPad Helps Businesses Meet Needs of Disabled Employees – Yahoo! News


Bank of America Installs Talking ATMs by Bank Systems & Technology


Best Buy Adds Tactile Keypads to Improve Checkout Experience for Customers with Visual Impairments
– USA story.


Blind Bargains to Begin Charging for Access on April 15


Blind-friendly ipad – Latest Technology News


Browser Zoom Comparison | AlastairC
– several ways of changing the size of things on screen in several browsers.


Choosing To Use A Cane – Fred’s Head


Cinemas apply for exemption to the Disability Discrimination Act of 1992 « AccessTech News
– cinemas in Australia are asking for a delay in the demand for audio description and captioning.


Contributor Robert Kingette – Accessible PDF with WebbIE – Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind
– first-hand experience of Accessible PDF from webbie.org.uk, which on the whole is very good.


Council on e-accessibility « Sköne Oke
– standards are inconsistent across ~European countries.


Costa Rica Zip line Tour at Turu Ba Ri park is almost for any body | Costa Rica Turubari Park – Canopy Tours
– elderly blind woman enjoys the tour.


Digital Talking Book Internet Service Delivers One Millionth Download « AccessTech News
this is the NLS BARD Service in the USA.


eBooks
page on the RNIB web site. On the same subject, you may like to visit
The tale of the accessible eBook – BBC Ouch!


eClipseWriter Student-Teacher
– talking word processor with adjustable fonts and "Save as DAISY" facility.


FAE: Run FAE
– functional accessibility evaluation. Enter a web address for an assessment of the page’s accessibility.


Free AVG Rescue CD Helps Get Unbootable PCs Working


Freedom Scientific Lease-to-Own Petition
– sign the petition if you agree that FS should let people pay by instalments instead of needing the whole purchase price of JAWS up-front.


GNOME 2.30 released – with excellent accessibility support – Peter Korn’s Weblog


Google funds new research to help blind web surfers | Bioscience Technology Online
– work at Manchester University to be supported by a £50,000 grant from Google.


Google Services Optimized for iPad: Gmail, YouTube, Maps and More « AccessTech News


GrabText
– the idea is to take a picture of the whole screen and pick out the text from it using OCR


[GSoC Proposal] N900 as an Accessibility device – maemo.org – Talk


How Perceptual Blindness Works – Simple test shows how Humans (yes, even you) sometimes completely miss things that are in plain sight – Try the test – The Blogs at HowStuffWorks – Mozilla Firefox
– even if you have some sight, you can miss something that’s right in front of your face. Here’s why.


How to Use Bump Dots to Maximize Accessibility – Fred’s Head
– raised dots have uses on keyboards, ATMs and keypads. there are other uses for them in your life.


iPhone HD or iPhone 4G release?
– rumours, no doubt carefully orchestrated by Apple, of the new iPhone release in the summer of 2010.


Is it possible to develop an accessible dynamic menu? – AccessIT


Issues in improving accessibility « H809 Learnings by SkillKick
– some of the barriers.


IVONA Text-To-Speech Makes Mobile Applications More Accessible
– free trial and book available on the site.


Juicy Studio: Image Analyser
– This service examines all images found on a web page to check for any accessibility issues. The width, height, alt, and longdesc attributes are examined for appropriate values.


Kit support scent
– Kit Cosmetics want to support Guide Dogs Australia. They have even sent scented Braille letters to blind people making them aware of their support and their product. 

Support Scent Video Commercial


KPR – Koester Performance Research
– ‘ …enhances the usability and accessibility of information and assistive technologies through research, development, and education. We research the “fit” between users and their technology. We develop software to assess user needs and to enhance computer interfaces. We also consult on usability and research desig’.


Learning the way – Donna Jodhan
– how are you going to find your way about when you can’t see landmarks?


LookTell, Mobile Applications For The Blind – Technology Blog
– mobile application for object recognition.
[Video] LookTel demo
shows how Looktel system recognises objects, including food cans, newspaper items, shop signs, currency notes (at least, American currency notes).


Link Roundup including CSUN – March 2010 – Web Axe – Practical Web Design Accessibility Tips – Podcast and Blog


Mouse by Keyboard « AccessTech News
– Mac tip


Mozilla Thunderbird 3.0.4 Final « AccessTech News


Mozilla Thunderbird, Portable Edition 3.0.4 Released « AccessTech News


Multiple form labels and screen readers | 456 Berea Street
– using an extra label to carry text for users to read seems like a good idea until you try it with a screen reader…..


New Design Opens Door To Full Screen Displays For The Blind
– page display rather than line-by-line.


News Bytes
– latest on Linux.


Nuance Announces TALKS 5.0 for Touchscreen Phones | Business Wire
 

Nuance Talks web site
.


Nuance announces T9 Trace « AccessTech News
– it’s not clear whether Nuance Talks will support this text entry system.


OverDrive Announces New Program for Visually Impaired Readers « ResourceShelf
– download up to 20 ebooks per month.


Podcast: 30 Mar 2010 Software Walk-Through Resco News S60 – Blind Mind News – Unrestricted Access
– RSS reader for symbian 3rd and 5th generation phones.


ReadPal -Free download to read faster with no stress or glare.
– read documents in easy formats.


Set default zoom level in Safari using a CSS file – Mac OS X Hints


Sharp’s New 3D Touch Displays Eliminate Need for Glasses | Blog | ZiggyTek


Software @ ColorJack
– products include a free Sketchpad program, Color Galaxy for color visualization and Color Sphere, which lets you choose color schemes, including colorblind simulators.


Sources of Research Articles on Cognitive Web Accessibility « Clear Helper


[Audio] The very first look at a touch screen phone with Talks 5. | Listen and Learn Recordings


The Web Isn’t for Everyone … Yet
but lessons here try to help web authors make the most of it.


Turn Your iPhone or iPad Into an External Multitouch Monitor for Your Mac [IPad Apps] « AccessTech News


Virtual Ability, Inc.
– offers techniques and training to enable disabled people to enjoy virtual worlds, such as Second Life.


VisionZone Initiates Eye Heath Awareness and Low Vision Community Connectivity
-online arm of Optelec promises education on eye health and support for visually impaired people and their allies across the USA.


What to do with a Guide Dog when entering a Mosque? – www.TurnToIslam.com


Whenever you use :hover, also use :focus | 456 Berea Street
– applying :focus to the CSS state of links.


WinPenPack Gathers Hundreds of Portable Apps in One Package [Downloads] « AccessTech News


YouTube accessible interface alternative now available « AccessTech News
 
Full story
 
Accessible Interface to YouTube

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The Blind Buzz on Accessibility

CSUN2010 Audio

Other CSUN articles


A (Guide Dogs) bus stop inside the House of Commons — Guide dog puppy blog
– talking buses on the agenda for the UK


A reading strategy for low-vision users of SmartView Xtend « Jon Udell
– related video
Reading with the SmartView Xtend magnifier
(no soundtrack)


A Week With the Victor Reader Stream | Access4 Us


Accessible JavaScript Techniques | Sarah Davies


Accessible News Slider: A jQuery Plugin
– there is a myth that jQuery is not accessible. Take a look at this.


Accessible Recreation
– includes adaptive sports, travel and other leisure activities. USA based.


Accessibility for all could be a future business model for some – Technology – livemint.com


Accessibility Testing Software Compared


Accessibility: A Guide for Educators


Accessibility: Why it Matters – Blackboard Blogs:
by a member of Blackboard’s user experience dept.


ADA Standards for Accessible Design


Adapting to accessibility « Boagworld
– short podcast on making the web a better place for disabled and non-disabled people alike.


[Video] Adobe – Flash CS4 Professional Accessibility
– good to note that the controls on the video are accessible.


Adobe Supports Open-Source Screen Reader NVDA – Adobe Accessibility
 
NVDA Web Site


Assistives in Windows 7 « LVATUG blog
– accessibility improvements in Windows 7.


AssistiveWare: Accessibility solutions for Mac OS X


[Video] Audio description version of Decent Work for People with Disabilities Count Us In!


Automated testing – How useful is it? – The Guild of Accessible Web Designers


Chairman Ed Towns Breaks Down Bureaucratic Barriers to Good Paying Jobs for People Who Are Blind
– US Government urged to cut unemployment among blind people.


CMU Sphinx – Speech Recognition Toolkit
– open source toolkit fromCarnegie Mellon University


collective.flowplayer_toolbar: adding accessibility in an unobtrusive way — RedTurtle’s Blog
– a Flash player with accessibility features.


Creating Accessible Forms in MS Word
from Freedom Scientific


Deque Systems Announces New Web Accessibility Plugin for Firefox « Deque Systems Inc
– this add-on understands JavaScript and dynamic updates.


Disabled protest at Safa House – Mail & Guardian Online
– disabled South Africans protest about the lack of facilities at the World Cup.


Disabled travel: Britain’s most accessible attractions win awards – Telegraph


Download TotalFinder for Mac – Adds tabs, hotkeys, and other tweaks to the Finder. MacUpdate Mac Software Downloads


Embedding Valid Flash With The Object Tag – Easy As Pie!


EU accessibility law won’t cover design of goods, says Presidency | Pinsent Masons LLP


Firefox Add-On Adds Text To Voice « The BAT Channel
– the add-on can speak and record the speech to an audio file.


Flash Player and Flex Support for IAccessible2 and WAI-ARIA – Adobe Accessibility
– one of several recent articles by Adobe about improved accessibility in their products. 

Adobe Accessibility RSS Feed


Flex 4 and Flash Builder 4 Released with Accessibility Improvements – Adobe Accessibility


Fliptop makes RSS feeds more accessible | Rafe’s Radar – CNET News
– but you have to get through a CAPTCHA first!!!!


GovHK site revamped
– Hong Kong government has removed accessibility barriers from its web site, in consultation with users.


Guide Dogs launches guide to services for people with sight loss – Guide dog puppy blog
– UK-wide directory. Guide for each country in .DOC format (accessible) can be freely downloaded. 

Guide dog puppy blog RSS Feed


iBooks to Include Project Gutenberg Catalog– The Mac-cessibility Network – News [Lioncourt.com]


ID Mate Portable Barcode Reader « LVATUG blog
– talking device by Envision America


Identification of important cards
– Donna Jodhan


[Video] Importance of HTML Headings for Accessibility


[Video] Inclusive Universe – Wendy Chisholm
– imagine a world that’s accessible to everyone (so long as you’re in Seattle!).


Inference Group: Dasher Project
– Dasher is a text-entry system using gestures, including eye movements, for situations where a keyboard isn’t realistic.


iPhone & iPod touch Apps for (Special) Education « ConnSENSE Bulletin
– very useful list of links by category.


Learning to Navigate Blindness & Hearing Loss
– the author has Usher’s Syndrome, which results in both sight and hearing loss. She is documenting her training at Colorado Center for the Blind. 

RSS Feed


Lexdis – Ideas for e-Learning
– techniques and technology.


LookTel
a Mobile Augmented Reality Solution for the Visually Impaired in partnership with LinkMe Mobile. Contains visual and voice recognition technology.
LookTel – Mobile Object Recognition and Remote Assistance Solutions for Visually Impaired Users


LVATUG blog – Low Vision Assistive Technology Users Group
serving the NC Triangle Low Vision Community. 

LVATUG blog RSS Feed


Online text to speech (TTS) converter – SpokenText.net
– convert text to speech and save in audio files. Demo account is free.


Our top 10 Accessibility tools – AbilityNet


Produce Your own AudioGames with the Blastbay Game Toolkit – Blind Bargains


Quinnipiac University Starts Beta Testing Datatel Mobile Access Application
for smartphones


Rabbis oppose Egged plan for audio-visual aids for deaf and blind
– screens on buses could be used for "unworthy purposes" claim the ultra-orthodox.


School Boards Required To Comply With New Accessibility Standards
– Canada, Litigation, Mediation & Arbitration


Social networking can be an important lifeline for people with disabilities or chronic illnesses – Media dis&dat


Talking Tins – Voice Recorder for Schools and the Visually Impaired
– originally designed to help blind people identify tinned foods, talking tins have their uses in education too.


Underway: Overdrive’s Program for Visually Impaired Readers, LEAP (Library eBook Accessibility Program) « ResourceShelf


University adopts award winning mobile technology / Current news / The University of Newcastle, Australia
– real-time information on phones, programmed by University student.


Vodafone sends Wayfinder on its way, but cuts own throat on the stage of public perception and opinion – Blind Mind News – Unrestricted Access: Blog


VoiceOver – In Depth – Apple – Accessibility


VoicePrint
– the non-profit, 24/7 audio newsstand that broadcasts top stories — international, national, regional and local — from more than 600 Canadian newspapers and magazines into 10 million homes.


WordTalk – free text-to-speech plug-in for Microsoft Word

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The Blind Buzz on Accessibility


Accessibility – Mono
– this allows some Windows applications to run on Linux machines with the same level of accessibility.


Betsie | Get Betsie at SourceForge.net
– "Betsie is a CGI filter script written in Perl that can improve the accessibility of arbitrary websites by creating an intelligently decolumnised text-only version."


Braille Struggles Under Threat From Audio Technologies – E-Access Bulletin Live » Blog Archive
– translated from the Italian newspaper, La Republica. Braille in decline, but still valuable to visually impaired people.


Creating Accessibility-aware Silverlight 2 Content -CODE Magazine


EDeAN: European Design for all eAccessibility Network
– this group of 160 organisations in European countries aims to support accessibility for all.


Google, the largest blind user on the ‘net | Accessibility NZ
– making a site accessible also makes it search-engine friendly.


Hit-a-Hint Bookmarklet Generator
– makes it super easy to select links with keyboard only. This is an add-on for Firefox and Opera.


HTML5 Media and Accessibility presentation – ginger’s thoughts


Large Print Guidelines – Resources – Vision Australia Website


Latest Technology Instant Messenger Now Available For Mobile Phones And PCs From FIXITCHAT
– one interface for all your messaging accounts on mobile phone and PC.


Low Vision Simulation – WebAIM
– simulates what it is like to surf the Web with macular degeneration.


Researchers Plan To Automate Web Image Description – E-Access Bulletin Live » Blog Archive
– UK group aims to develop browser plug-in to decipher graphics.


SpeakingFox Makes Firefox Talk | ATMac
– works with Mac OS X. Not for serious screen reader users.


Visual Impairment Simulator for Microsoft Windows
– this software imposes the effects of visual impairments on to your Windows environment.


Wrestling With the CAPTCHA Arm-Lock – AbilityNet
– the distorted image CAPTCHA, some alternatives, and some of the problems that still exist.

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The Blind Buzz on Accessibility

Students aged 16 to 22 who are braille readers and users of assistive technology are needed for a University of Pittsburgh study. This will explore how you use both Braille and electronic information for classroom work, and how you learned these literacy practices. Write to fmd22@pitt.edu. Source: Top Tech Tidbits


Assistive Technology: a video tour of accessibility | dotjay.co.uk
from Yahoo!


Best Free Disk De-fragmenter


Blind Technologists group | LinkedIn
– this is both for programmers and the rest of us.


Dolphin – Version 11.50 out now – FREE for ALL version 11 users
– the update improves support for Windows 7 32 and 64 bit, and MS Office.


Driftwood – Audio games for the blind and visually impaired. – Entombed
– Driftwood’s first complex role-playing game.

Jamal Mazrui has released JAWS scripts for Firefox and Internet Explorer. Both include support for the Solona CAPTCHA solving service.

FXMax for Firefox


IEMax for Internet Explorer


Main Menu from ACB Radio
will feature Larry Skutchan from American Printing House talking about the Bookport Plus, to be released in March. Live broadcast on Saturday, 27 February, at 01:00, GMT. 

Podcast feed


NFB review of Handy Tech iRead OCR software


Social Media Web App “Accessible Twitter” Enters Beta Status


Universities with the Best Free Online Courses


Victor Reader Stream (Support) – HumanWare United Kingdom
– announcement of firmware version 3.1. This free update offers more shortcut keys and the ability to store books in subfolders.


Viewable with Any Browser: Campaign
in the spirit of freedom of choice for web users.


Vozme – add speech to your web site
– includes plug-ins for WordPress and Blogger.


Windows Secrets: Windows shortcuts can boost your efficiency

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