tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318043112024-03-08T04:45:02.144-06:00Access AbilityA blog serving higher education professionals in the Disability Support Service (DSS) field. A public forum where professionals can find resources and news, air concerns, brainstorm solutions, and find like-minded individuals to share thoughts. We also invite students with disabilities and their family members to share in the discussions.Ron Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09183453197257493485noreply@blogger.comBlogger356125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31804311.post-43089547739257091292010-05-29T19:12:00.004-05:002010-05-29T19:29:23.854-05:00Get your news how you want it from NFB NewslineFifteen years ago, I was still pretty newly blinded, and going to college, but this was before I was using a computer, much less understanding all the wonders of this fabulously interconnected world wide web. At that time, my options for getting news were the television and radio, or having somebody read the newspaper to me. Then, the<br /><a href="http://www.nfb.org/">National Federation of the Blind (NFB)</a><br />Came along with a nifty, dial-up feature for getting news over the phone called <br /><a href="http://www.nfb.org/nfb/Newspapers_by_Phone.asp?SnID=728045634">NFB Newsline.</a><br /><br />The concept for NFB Newsline was simple—have the text of the latest and current issues of some newspapers available to be read by a screen reader over the phone. I believe there were initially only four newspapers available as options. The NFB sought out co-sponsors in the various states, and had people who were blind submit documentation verifying their visual disability to become enrolled into the program. Approved users wer issued an identification number and password. With that, the user could then call the nearest number they offered and, by using phone button presses as commands, have any of the newspapers read with a screen over the phone. Navigation and personal options, such as reading speed and voices, were easy to learn and manage. They presented the news like you would normally read the newspaper— first by section, then by headlines, and you enter on the story whose headline interested you. Just like a sighted person does with a newspaper. It was an ideal way to get news and I loved it.<br /><br />Than along came my first computer with a screen reader, and the internet, and more news and information than I ever got over the phone on NFB Newsline. To be honest, I pretty much forgot about this fine service that had filled the news void in my life for a period.<br /><br />Time moves on and along the way, I’ve kept up with different technologies, including portable digital talking book players. And, leave it to NFB Newsline to figure more ways to make news relevant. They have continued to evolve what they offer.<br /><br />Today, for those who prefer to listen to news over the phone, there is still NFB Newsline. If interested in this, you can call 1-866-504-7300 for more information.<br /><br />One really neat feature is that you can find the television listings for your area.<br /><br />However, there is also<br /><a href="http://nfbnewslineonline.org/">NFB Newsline Online,</a><br />A more robust, richer service than ever before. Users can log in and read the news online. No, I’m not running for office with the NFB, but what they have become today is a much more inclusive service, setting out to meet the changing needs of their consumers.<br /><br /><br />What’s more, users today have access to not just the small handful of newspapers they initially began with. Far from it. There are more than 300 newspapers available to read. And, if that’s not enough information for you, there are also magazines, both state and national, there, too. For me, Texas Monthly was a great find to discover.<br /><br />And, if you prefer, they will also email your newspapers and magazines to you.<br /><br />However, understanding that we are in a mobile society with access to these great digital book players, they have also further adapted NFB Newsline to go with you. You can download the newspapers and magazines with a quick transfer to your device. I was really impressed at how fast and well the NFB Newsline software connected and transferred my subscriptions.<br /><br />From the NFB Newsline Online web site:<br /><br /><Blockquote> Would you like a newspaper with your morning cup of coffee? NFB-NEWSLINE® just added its 300th publication AND it's still growing. Five Spanish-language newspapers are now available to all subscribers. The service handles thousands of phone calls each day for individuals across the country who now access daily newspapers and magazines as never before. The toll-free centralized call-in center provides service on demand to any subscriber. This also enables those who cannot read conventional print to have access to all content offered on NFB-NEWSLINE® when traveling throughout the United States twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.<br /><br />Every day, a subscriber can choose that day's, the previous day's, or the previous Sunday's issue of any newspaper in the service. On NFB-NEWSLINE®, the user can easily choose which newspaper, section, and article to read using a standard touch-tone telephone. The menu provided allows the user to change the speed and voice settings, spell out words, or search for a particular word or subject.<br /><br />THE NEW YORKER, THE ECONOMIST, AARP the MAGAZINE, DIABETES SELF-MANAGEMENT, MATILDA ZIEGLER, MEN'S JOURNAL, NARFE MAGAZINE, PARADE, POETS and WRITERS, POPULAR SCIENCE, ROLLING STONE, SCIENCE NEWS, SMITHSONIAN, THE NEW REPUBLIC, TIME, USA WEEKEND and US WEEKLY are on NFB-NEWSLINE®. <br />Arts and culture, science, health, national and international news are available on NFB-NEWSLINE® through magazines. Just press Option 7.<br /><br /></Blockquote><br /><br />So, if you want your news, you can get it. It doesn’t matter if you can’t see it. Also, you don’t have to be able to use a computer to get it, nor a digital book player, but if you do use either of these, they are additional ways to get your news with NFB Newsline.<br /><br />Kudos to NFB Newsline for adapting with changing technologies.Ron Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09183453197257493485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31804311.post-90822318942095553712010-04-03T15:08:00.008-05:002010-04-03T15:39:42.613-05:002010 TAER conference: Presenting and being presented toLast week, I was in San Antonio to attend the annual conference of the<br /><a href="http://txaer.org/">Texas Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired,</a><br />Or TAER. I was there to present with the VI professionals from the school district where I do assistive technology training with the blind and visually impaired students.<br /><br />Being I didn’t arrive until Thursday evening, I missed hearing the keynote by Jonathan Mosen. Thanks to his lovely wife Julia, I was able to get a digital copy of his brilliant speech on Twitter.<br /><br />Our presentation was simple, but robust. We discussed how I had come to the district with expertise in various assistive technologies 18 months ago, what we have done in that time with four students in particular, and how this training has been tied into other aspects of the students’ education. We highlighted this with a slide show of the students using the mix of technologies to execute a scavenger hunt.<br /><br />The scavenger hunt was different for each student, with the design of an O&M lesson focused on their individuality. One student who is an aspiring singer and guitarist, was given the task of making a trip to a music store in a local strip mall, comparing prices of different items, and, finally, executing a purchase. Another young man, whose goal in life is to pursue adventure, had his outing presented in a Mission Impossible theme. He was given a clue by his VI teacher of where to go for his next clue. It was on a particular computer in the library, where he was to find a document with his name on it, and read it using his<br /><a href="http://serotek.com/">Serotek</a><br />Jump drive version of the System Access screen reader. That clue then directed him to locate an assistant principal who handed him a Victor Reader Stream, which was loaded with one audio note directing him where to go next. His later escapades involved him using his magnifier, telescope, and Braille, all culminating in a trip to a local toy store, where he also finished off the excursion with a purchase.<br /><br />Our presentation was received by an overflow crowd which exceeded the seating capacity of the room. Our worst critiques were that there weren’t enough chairs, but many others were asking for us to make this presentation again at next year’s conference.<br /><br />When we finished our presentation, we took questions from the audience. One of the most requested items was information about Serotek’s<br /><a href="http://serotek.com/kk-main">Keys for K-12 program.</a><br /><br />We happily directed the interested parties to the proper web site and I expect that there will be an uptick in requests from Texas. It is such a service to our youth that Serotek is providing and I will continue to shout this from the hilltops until I go hoarse.<br /><br />Following the workshop, we went to the luncheon in the hotel’s ballroom. The food was very good, but took a second place to the activities that went on during the meal. The packed room exploded with applause each time an award was presented to a small cast of award recipients. I was very impressed with the various recipients for the student scholarship, the parents award, and educators who were recognized. These were all very noteworthy people who had accomplished much.<br /><br />During the awards presentation, one moment made me take pause. One of my group was called up as a presenter and two of the others stood up behind me. Then the words flowed out, describing things I’ve achieved and I was called up to receive the <br /><a href="http://txaer.org/Scholarships_Awards/scholaraward.htm">Julia L. Young award.</a><br /><br /><blockquote>This award is in honor of Julia L. Young, who provided leadership in the development of the visually handicapped children's program of the Texas Commission for the Blind and gave direction and guidance to that program for many years. The award is presented to an individual who has done outstanding work with children who are visually impaired in Texas. Examples include: special education teachers, regular classroom teachers, caseworkers, therapists, volunteer workers, and other individuals providing direct services to children with visual impairments.<br /><br /></blockquote><br /><br />I am a man who is very quick witted and can speak off the cuff on most occasions, but they really surprised me on this one and left me speechless. Given the recipients of the other honors that day, I am definitely humbled and felt myself to be in rare company. Thank you for finding what I do worthy of this recognition.<br /><br />But, this post is not about me. It is about the dedicated professionals in TAER and the kids they serve. Thank you for inviting me to be part of the program this year and sharing of yourselves with me. The bottom line is like I said when accepting my award, “Its all about the kids.” These children are the future and it is in our best interest to teach them the best that we can.Ron Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09183453197257493485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31804311.post-88367470726471101982010-02-26T14:58:00.005-06:002010-02-26T19:49:24.888-06:00Review of Tom Sullivan's Adventures in DarkenessI’m at aloss for finding the right superlative to describe last night.<br /><br />It seems like “great,” “awesome,” or even “fantastic” just seem like overused modifiers in today’s digital world where everybody’s favorite web-connected device is their means of sharing thoughts with the world, and people toss those words about like so many handfuls of Tic Tacs. Those words also don’t begin to grasp the powerful, slap you in the face directness of what<br /><a href="http://www.sullivanspeaks.com/profile.asp">Tom Sullivan</a><br />had to say during his presentation of Adventures in Darkness to the gathered group at the <br /><a href="http://www.uh.edu/"><br />University of Houston’s</a><br />Cullen Performance Center.<br /><br />If you are unfamiliar with Tom Sullivan, click the link above and learn who he is.<br /><br />I can tell you he is an author, actor, producer, entertainer, Olympic athlete, Harvard graduate, Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee, recipient of the Will Rogers Lifetime Achievement Memorial Award, and so many other accomplishments and honors. I can also tell you he is a man who happens to be blind. That last bit of information is just the punctuation mark on the previous listing of awards and acknowledgements.<br /><br />The presentation was sponsored by the UH School of Optometry and the women of the Delta Gamma sorority, so Sullivan targeted his comments to future vision specialists and the sorority of his wife. However, he always made sure to include others who might be in the audience, but he tried to ensure that his words had the most impact for the future vision professionals.<br /><br />First, let me toss out the only statistic I recall Sullivan mentioning. I want to put it here, because its significant. Granted, I don't know the source of his information, but am trusting it to be accurate.<br /><br />43%<br />The divorce rate among married couples in the United States<br /><br />87%<br />The divorce rate of married couples in the United States when they are parents of a blind child<br /><br />Whoa! I told you it was significant.<br /><br />Sullivan built his presentation around a few scenes from his most recent book, Adventures in Darkness: Memoirs of an 11 year old blind boy. If you were smart like me, and bought the commercial audio version of this book on CD, you already have an idea what this presentation was about, because Sullivan read the book on that version. And, then you also know how he did the voices of his dad, “Porky,” as well as Helen Keller, who he met at the Perkins School for the Blind, and his childhood tormentor, Eddie Mullins, when he taunted the fenced-in 11 year old by calling him “Blindy, Blindy.” He brought these same voices with him last night to give a lively emphasis to his presentation.<br /><br />In last night’s audio smorgasbord, not only did the audience get to feel the emotional ride of Sullivan’s lifetime, it was also augmented by additional audio and video. The introduction from the Dean of the School of Optometry was followed by a video of Sullivan engaging in some of his favorite past times including him playing golf. Sullivan took the stage during that point and began playing the baby grand piano, serenading the audience with one of his inspirational original tunes. As he finished that song, he delved into his first story about the Perkins school. He played a few more songs through the presentation, scattering them about as he spoke.<br /><br />His first story was about the last of eleven times he was kicked out of the Perkins school. It involved an escapade when he and his two best friends climbed out of their rooms, shimmying down a rope made of tied bedsheets, to go make off with one of the boats the school had. They made good on their escape, managing to go boating for more than seven hours until they were in Boston Harbor. Unbeknownst to those three lads, this was the busiest shipping port on the East Coast at that time. He gave a very gripping account of how they were nearly capsized by a passing freighter and their final safe boarding by the U.S. Coast Guard.<br /><br />Through it all, Sullivan instilled a message of courage and daring, with an added soundtrack of sound effects to accompany his narrative. I personally loved it when he described how he played baseball by himself, and he added in the audio of a big league ballpark. Later, as he told the story about the boxing match his dad arranged between he and Eddie Mullins, the audio accompaniment had the sounds of punches hitting as he told the story. These were also emphasized by a bright light flashing in perfect time with each loud and distinctive punch.<br /><br />His words drove home some basic messages. There were two that I took away. Don’t build fences to keep blind people safe, a point of discussion we just had at work earlier that day. Sullivan highlighted this when telling about his next-door neighbor inviting him to his yard with three simple words, “Want to play?” Also, dream big and don’t place false limitations on yourself. That last thought is a personal credo of mine, so I did a personal, internal “Whoop” when that was really hammered home.<br /><br />I first heard of Tom Sullivan in the 1980s when I watched the movie If You Could See What I Hear, based on his autobiography of the same name. Little did I know at that time that I’d later share that same punctuation mark of being a man who happened to be blind in identifying my life.<br /><br />I loved the movie, and there were a few memorable moments I’ll never forget. One is the scene mostpeople recall when you mention Sullivan. It’s the scene where, although he’s blind, he’s driving a car with some drunken friends in it, and he tells the police officer who pulls him over, that he had to drive, because “I was the only one who was sober.”<br /><br />The other memborable scene in the film was given a brief showing during last night’s presentation. It is near the end of the film where Sullivan is home alone, watching the children. When he gets distracted by a phone call from Johnny Carson, who is calling to invite Sullivan to appear on The Tonight Show, and the girl slips out unnoticed, then falls in the pool. While Sullivan told this story to us, the screen onstage behind him showed the actor Mark Singer diving into the pool and searching for his daughter. He drove the point home to the audience about how scary and futile it felt searching for her, and the importance of listening for the faintest of sounds.<br /><br />As last night’s presentation drew to a close, there were flashes of that same daughter on the video screen, now grown and skiing with Sullivan. Of course, the man skis! What did you think; blind people don’t ski?<br /><br />In conclusion, let me share my heartfelt recommendation to see Tom Sullivan if you ever get the chance. If you see he’s speaking somewhere near you, it will be worth your trip to go see him. Also, if you’re looking for an engaging and entertaining speaker with a message, there is information for arranging bookings on his web page linked above.Ron Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09183453197257493485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31804311.post-9113631533740933632010-01-08T15:04:00.007-06:002010-01-08T20:02:19.859-06:00Inclusion: 2010 Consumer Electronics Show featuring off the shelf accessibilityI’m a little geeky and get excited each year when the annual Consumer Electronics Show , or CES, starts. However, I’m more excited by two announcements from this year’s CES, currently going on in Las Vegas. Usually, we see technology for people with disabilities launched at annual conferences for that specific market, but this year, two companies are using the CES to announce and demonstrate their products. This fact makes the point that the needs of today’s consumers with disabilities are getting more of an intentional focus. After the paragraphs sharing about these two innovations, I will share why these announcements are so landmark.<br />(The links are courtesy of<br /><a href="http://blindbargains.com/">BlindBargains.com.</a><br /><br />The first product I will share is the<br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/y9tpvq9/">Ocean Blue</a><br />set top cable box which features fully accessible menus and on-screen information for the blind. This information of video programming has been available to sattelite and cable users for many years, and developed into some monstrous remotes, most of whose functions were lost on those who could not see the screen. Not any more, though. (The above link has a Flash video which will launch upon opening, which will give you a full working demonstration of their product.)<br /><br />In the past, have cable providers thought their customers who are blind didn’t need the same information that their sighted customers had full access to? It doesn’t have to be that way any longer. Ocean Blue collaborated with the UK’s Royal National Institute of Blind People to develop this fine, workable solution that means access for all without people who are blind having to find some other solution to find access to the otherwise freely disseminated on-screen information. And, for the cable companies, they can offer more actual information to their customers, as well.<br /><br />And, the second product I’ll offer up is the<br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/yz4uwqb/">Blio e-reader.</a><br />(This CNET web interview features both text and a Flash video you can launch, which will let you hear or see a demo of the Blio actually in use.)<br /><br />The Blio is the latest innovation from Ray Kurzweil, a name very familiar in the various disability circles as he is associated with many reading innovations over the past 35 years. Now, Kurzweil is taking the knowledge base he’s accumulated over the years and integrating this into one of the latest technology trends, e-books.<br /><br />There was quite a buzz at the CES about the many different e-book readers from the various book sellers and tech companies. What sets the Blio apart, though, is that it does what all those others can’t—it makes e-books accessible to all readers, including the blind. And, to top it off, the Blio does for sighted readers what the others also do not—gives them full color presentation and web-integrated abilities. <br />There are a few facets that set Blio apart from the other e-readers.<br /><br />First, the Blio is not another hardware device like the other book sellers are hawking, which will almost always be exclusively tied to that one bookseller’s service. Instead, the Blio is computer software. Initially, Blio can be installed on Windows-based computers, as well as the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch, and Kurzweil is wanting to make it available on other operating systems. <br /><br />Secondly, Blio also comes with more than a million books available for free when you install it.<br /><br />And, finally, is a feature the other e-readers can’t match, the price. The Blio is free.<br /><br />Now, let me tell you why these two products mentioned above are big announcements for assistive technology, specifically, but, more importantly, in regards to off the shelf accessibility. Why is this off the shelf experience important, one might ask. It is important because nobody should have to pay an additional cost to use the products that he purchased for the same price as everybody else. It would be like selling a bicycle to people, then saying, you have to pay an additional cost to make the wheels unlock and let them roll for you. That bicycle analogy is the way it has been for people with disabilities in the past when they have had to purchase additional software or hardware just to use the off the shelf computer, which they purchased for the same price paid by everybody else. However, because this population has a disability and has an additional need not addressed by the computer, this segment of the population had to pay what basically amounts to a disability tax to purchase the access devices.<br /><br />Only recently, have companies begun to embrace the idea of off the shelf accessibility. One of the first products I found this way was the Olympus DS 30, DS 40, and DS 50 models of its digital recorders and music players. These voice recorders came out of the box with talking menus already installed, which were activated on startup. The user could turn these off if he didn’t want them. And, one of the biggest leaps into accessibility was the one that Apple made last year when they included Voice Over, their built-in, fully functioning screen reader, in many products from their line of Mac computers, the iPhone, and various models of their, now ubiquitous, iPods.<br /><br />Now, with the launch of Ocean Blue’s set top box and the Blio, you might hear a loud rumble taking place in thepopulation of people with disabilities. That rumble is chanting, “Hurrah! The digital revolution is here!”Ron Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09183453197257493485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31804311.post-9575256887731537872009-12-28T20:00:00.007-06:002009-12-28T21:12:21.372-06:00Final thoughts on the iBill by Orbit ResearchI must have been a really nice boy this year, because Santa was really good to me. I got a portable USB hard drive and the latest Jimmy Buffett CD, and I wanted both of these, but he also made sure I got one thing I really wanted…the iBill, the new talking banknote identifier by Orbit Research.<br /><br />Now that I have the true iBill, I can compare it with the pre-production unit I had, and also make comparisons with what the manufacturer promised on the<br /><a href="http://orbitresearch.com/23328.html">Official iBill web page.</a><br /><br />The very first thing I checked out was the battery compartment door. I had been told about the existence of this problem by the company and, as they promised, had problems trying to get the darn thing open. As a matter of fact, I never got the door open on the review unit. I was told that if I wanted to open it, they could give me assistance, but I decided that I’d pass and see how the next gen model developed.<br /><br />Well, all I can say is that they’ve got this fixed very nicely. That door is a problem no longer. With a simple intentional push, I can easily get to the single AAA battery contained inside the iBill.<br /><br />Opening that door also let me see how well they’ve got the door secured, too. The user’s manual said that this door was secured with rubber strings so that it didn’t accidently separate from the unit and get misplaced. That door just hangs in place and lets you do your work with the battery. Nice.<br /><br />And, speaking of the user’s manual, I hadn’t thought about how the company gets this to the user. It comes on a mini-CD, packaged inside a protective, plastic sleeve. The mini-CD has five items on it. There are two folders, one contains the audio version of the user’s manual, and the other is a folder of pictures of the product, which has 8 files inside. The remaining items are the iBill Quick Start Guide text document, and the iBill User’s Manual as both a pdf and text document. Additionally, there are large print copies of the two documents in the iBill’s package as well. All of these versions are promised to the user by Orbit Research.<br /><br />Note: The file inside the first folder with the audio version of the user’s manual is a file extension .CDP and I was initially puzzled why this file type, which I’ve not heard of previously, wouldn’t play in my computer’s CD/DVD drive. After reading up on the file extension, it is related to something called the Sony CD Architect Project. (I should’ve been tipped off by the mini-disc, a Sony brainchild.) Anyhow, after reading up on the file extension online, I found that if I just put the minidisk into a regular CD player, it would play.<br /><br />With all that said, the audio version of the manual is done very well, presented in a professionl manner by a female reader.<br /><br />So, what else do I have to add to my initial review of the iBill? Nothing. My initial review posted just prior to this is on target with the exception of what I note here. They fixed what they said they would do and offer everything they promise in the multi-item list on the company web page. Great job, Orbit Research.<br /><br />And, thanks, Santa!Ron Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09183453197257493485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31804311.post-57375476667928751802009-12-17T12:52:00.005-06:002009-12-20T17:48:12.603-06:00Review of the iBill talking banknote identifierI previously posted the news announcing the introduction of the iBill electronic banknote identifier, and now, I offer my review of this latest piece of assistive technology for the blind and visually impaired.<br /><br />I’ll admit that when I first read that <br /><a href="http://orbitresearch.com/">Orbit Research</a><br />was offering this tool at size, weight, speed, and price thresholds that I have never heard of previously, I was skeptical. I thought to myself that this must be a bit of exaggeration on some part. Surely, this device couldn’t do everything they advertise and they can still sell the unit for only $99.<br /><br />Well, the people at Orbit Research were right.<br /><br />If you want to listen to my podcast of the review and hear a demonstration of the iBill in action, its on<br /><a href="http://media.libsyn.com/media/bct/bct1414iBillDemo.mp3">www.blindcooltech.com</a><br /><br />I’ll boil the iBill down to a few words: Compact, lightweight, fast, accurate, easy to use, and, most importantly, in the realm of assistive technology, affordable.<br /><br />The iBill is small enough to carry in your pocket. Measuring 3 inches wide (just wide enough to insert the end of a bill) by 1.6 inches long, and less than ¾ of an inch thick, it fits easily in your pocket or purse among your keys and USB jump drives. When you hold it, the iBill fits handily in your palm.<br /><br />And, being lightweight is another one of its feature facets. At just 1.5 ounces, you hardly even realize the iBill is present until you need it.<br /><br />The iBill has only two buttons on it to operate the unit and change between the five output settings, the iBill is very simple to use. It comes with both a quick start guide and a user’s manual, both of which are well written with clearly defined directions, and easily explaining the unit’s design and operation.<br /><br />I tried the iBill with bills in denominations or $1, 5, 10, and 20. I’ll give the iBill the benefit of the doubt and figure it will do as well on the $2, 50, and 100 denominations that I didn’t use.<br /><br />I intentionally tried to test the limits of the iBill. I first inserted each bill correctly, making sure the corners and edges were smooth and flat. It correctly identified each bill I gave it in about one second. The iBill literature claims a recognition speed of one second. Check.<br /><br />I tried to see if the product would give incorrect readings if the bills had folded or wrinkled corners. When it couldn’t identify a bill, it beeped to let me know it was trying to figure it out, but after about 3-5 seconds, it gave me an “Error” message. It never misidentified a bill. If it couldn’t recognize a bill, it announced, “Error.” The iBill brochure says it is 99.9% accurate. Check.<br /><br />The output settings on the iBill include low, medium and loud spoken audio, a vibration mode, and a tone mode. The spoken audio modes were very acceptable for different settings and announced clear, easy to understand spoken denominations in a female voice.<br /><br />The tone mode worked very well to identify the bills, too. There is a low tone in sequences of 1, 2, and 3, tones for $1, 2, and 5 bills, and a high tone in that same sequence for $10, 20, and 50 bills, all respectively, as well as a low-high, low-high sequence for $100.<br /><br />However, Where I see this as a powerful tool, besides as a quality bill identifier for those of us who are totally blind, is as an equally great product for anybody who is deafblind. With the vibration mode, there are sequences of short or long pulses in identical sequences of the tone mode to quickly identify the different denominations. There’s even a very long pulse for an error message.<br /><br />The iBill I tested was a pre-production review unit. I was told that there was a design change to the battery compartment cover, as the pre-production model’s cover was difficult to open. I didn’t need to change the battery, as they had a brand new one installed, but was curious to see how difficult it would be to open. After trying several times, I never did get it open, so I hope the new model is easier to open.<br /><br />I also demonstrated this product to several visually impaired students and professional staff members who work with these students. With a brief introduction, all but one of the students was able to quickly make the iBill work. The one who had the most difficulty was the only one who was totally blind. All were impressed with the design speed, and accuracy of the iBill.<br /><br />The only constructive feedback anybody offered was a suggestion that there might be an inset on one of the rear corners where a key ring might be attached. This was suggested as possibly aiding in orienting the user to the iBill. There were no complaints about how the iBill operated.<br /><br />To conclude, let me compare the iBill to previous models of similar products. In the past, I’ve handled a bill identifier that was probably three times the size of the iBill and several times the weight. That device was bulky and not easily carried in one’s pockets. Additionally, the lowest price I’ve ever seen for one of those units was $189. On those three fronts the iBill charges to the front of the pack, and it does so with a hard to beat accuracy rate and identification speeds faster than the KNFB Reader Mobile. For giving independence to people who are blind and visually impaired, this is a product that should find its way to one’s toolbox of assistive technology.<br /><br />If you're interested in this product, the first shipments of the iBill are going out next week, just in time for Christmas. Those who have already contacted the company are being processed first. There will also be an online order form on the company's web site in the near future, so that you can order the product directly. I've told Santa to grab me one and even he had to leave his name and phone number. Even jolly old Saint Nick has to wait to get one of these.Ron Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09183453197257493485noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31804311.post-36951640856258256112009-12-07T14:30:00.002-06:002009-12-07T14:34:18.141-06:00Amazon working on Kindle accessible for blind and visually impairedWell, its finally happening.<br /><br />Amazon is working to make an<br /><a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Blind-and-VisionImpaired-bw-2422175966.html?x=0&.v=1">accessible Kindle book reader </a><br />for blind users. Its not happening overnight, but is projected to be out by summer 2010.<br /><br />This is indeed good news. Those of us in the blind community have seen the potential that was there ever since Amazon announced text-to-speech capabilities in the latest version of this affordable, digital book reader. Granted, there were no usable menus which were being read and the web interface wasn’t accessible, but the books could be made to play for blind users with some sighted assistance. <br /><br />Having accessibility built-in seems to be a new concept and it shook up the Author’s Guild to think that there might be ways of reading their works in this fashion without them getting a slice of revenue for audio formats of their book. When they protested, Amazon backed off and allowed publishers to say whether their works can be played on the current text-to-speech solution, further crippling possible access by blind users. <br /><br />However, this is all set to change as what Amazon is working on is more of a functioning screen reader that wil handle menus and such, giving unprecedented access to blind users on the Kindle.<br /><br />This product should serve Amazon well, because there was a recent announcement where two colleges said they would not be able to use the Kindle as a platform for digital textbooks, because the current Kindle was inaccessible to blind and visually impaired students. The colleges paired with the <br /><a href="http://nfb.org/">National Federation of the Blind</a><br />To say that this inaccessibility discriminated against these students by not allowing them access to course material. This would be a big hurdle for Amazon to overcome and allow a broader rollout as an accessible digital textbook reader at college campuses across America.<br /><br />I’m anxious to see what grows from this project and am subscribed to their email list for updates. If you’d also like to stay informed on progress on this front, sign up by email at<br /><a href="mailto:blind-interest@amazon.com">blind-interest@amazon.com</a><br /><br />I don’t know if it will happen, but I’ve requested a review unit of the accessible Kindle. If I can get one, I’ll share my thoughts here on Access Ability. Stay tuned.Ron Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09183453197257493485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31804311.post-11404754934778787402009-11-30T14:37:00.005-06:002009-11-30T14:51:48.584-06:00Mom Not Otherwise Specified, a blog worth your timeI've been meaning to write this for a couple of weeks, but a painful oral surgery whose effects lasted through the Thanksgiving weekend had me slowed down. Sorry about the delay in getting this here.<br /><br />A couple of weeks ago, I was reading my tweets and was told about a very worthwhile blog post. I'd never heard of the blog, but relied on the credibility of the person I was following and went to check it out. Man, was I floored!<br /><br />The blog was one called<br /><a href="http://momnos.blogspot.com/">Mom - Not Otherwise Specified</a><br />and is written by, well, a mom who writes <br />"On raising a son on the autism spectrum, progressive politics, pop culture, and coffee addiction."<br /><br />But, it is so much more than that. The writer grasps the different emotional perspectives of her son, as filtered through his autism, and relates them so vividly in her writing. This blog is very well written and I would encourage the mom to keep on writing. After some period of time when you've gathered enough material, I believe it would make an awesome book. Yes, you write that well.<br /><br /><br />If you've not read her blog before, do go there on the link above. Just read the latest post (Nov. 7, 2009) about her son meeting country singer Dierks Bentley, and I think you'll understand why I'm such a fan of her writing.<br /><br />Additionally, if you've never heard of Dierks or his music, I think you'll be a big fan of his after reading this. Dierks totally rocks for how well he took on his job.Ron Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09183453197257493485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31804311.post-70308279285375282522009-11-16T14:32:00.004-06:002009-11-16T19:03:52.316-06:00Why I've not been blogging as much: hint-- "tweet, tweet"I've not blogged as much lately as I'd like to and have noticed a downward trend in the number of posts among blogs I follow. I also follow many of the same bloggers on Twitter, where I notice many of these folks actively tweeting. Yesterday, there was a tweet asking where all the assistive technology bloggers have gone. I echoed that sentiment to myself, but then sheepishly answered myself, "Well Access Ability isn't really just about assistive tehcnology." Still, I know I've been blogging less since I started using Twitter.<br /><br />Okay, a lot less.<br /><br />I must tip my hat to one blogger, who covers assistive technology and so much more, and hasn't quit blogging, despite being very busy on Twitter as well. Michael McCarty at<br /><a href="http://www.fredshead.info/">Fred's Head Companion</a><br />still gets the job done. (Great work there, Mike, because I follow both Fred's Head and your personal tweets, and, as a result, I know how busy you are.<br /><br />Okay, so what shifted me into high gear on Twitter. Let me share an insight that people who don't tweet don't know. Many tweeters use a client, which means a software program like we use a program for downloading our email or listening to music. The problem for blind computer users are that out of the many Twitter clients out there, most aren't accessible to screen readers. But, with necessity being the mother of invention, along come some blind computer programmers and now there are some.<br /><br />The Twitter client I use is<br /><a href="http://qwitter-client.net/">Qwitter,</a><br />which, I must say, is one awesome program.<br /><br />I use this very similarly to how I use my email client. I often get into and follow other conversations, just like in email. The tweets post on my Twitter profile, but I download them in my Tweets" buffer. With a keystroke, I move to my Direct Message," "Sent," or "Replies" buffer." It is a very seamless transition to begin using this and I've found it easy to learn.<br /><br />One really sharp feature is that it doesn't have a user interface, or UI. This means it runs in the background and has no window open while its operating. Every four minutes, Qwitter will check my page and see if there are any new tweets, automatically download them, and chime to notify me what just came in. It is customizable, with different soundpacks available to signal the different messages one can get. I'm showing my playful side when I tell you I've got the Super Mario Brothers soundpack running.<br /><br />It is freeware, but the designer does take Paypal donations. After using Qwitter for less than two weeks, I felt this was definitely a product I'd pay for and sent him some money. After all, designing and tweaking this software is worth something, and there is an actual cost for the webspace to host this great program.<br /><br />There are other accessible Twitter clients out there. Two others I'm aware of are<br /><a href="http://www.accessibletwitter.com/">Accessible Twitter</a><br />and<br /><a href="http://mctwit.com/">McTwit.</a><br />While I don't use these two products, I know other keyboard users who do and seem to like them just as much as I do Qwitter.<br /><br />So, the answer is yes, tweeting has taken me away from blogging as much as I used to. I'm still connected to many of the same, fine sources as before, only now we're communicating 140 characters at a time.<br /><br />How about you, are you you on Twitter? Follow me at:<br /><a href="http://twitter.com/aablog">Twitter.com/AAblog</a>Ron Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09183453197257493485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31804311.post-82916921046085016542009-10-20T14:47:00.004-05:002009-10-20T15:01:01.655-05:00New iBill electronic banknote identifier hits the mark on many frontsOne of the first questions I had after realizing that I was blind was, "How will I be able to tell my dollar bills apart?" I soon learned about electronic bill identifiers, but they seemed large and cumbersome, not to mention still rather expensive. As a matter of fact, I used to say that I've not found a note teller for the blind which I thought was both practical and affordable.<br /><br />However, that's all changed, if what I read is to be believed.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.orbitresearch.com/23328.html">Orbit Research</a><br />has introduced the iBill talking banknote identifier<br /><br />The iBill is built on a key-fob design, measuring only 3.0 x 1.6 x 0.7 inches and weighs 1.5 oz. It runs on a single AAA battery which should last more than a year, according to Orbit Research. The unit should be easy enough to operate as it has only two buttons. And, the brochure claims most bills are recognized in less than 1 second, with an accuracy rate of better than 99.9%.<br /><br />That takes care of the logistics, size and speed. So, what about the price for this electronic wizardry?<br /><br />Get this, its only $99. That's right, less than a hundred bucks.<br /><br />I felt that Humanware found the correct pricing threshold when they introduced the Victor Reader Stream. At the introductory price they delivered a quality assistive technology product for an affordable cost in what is all too often an over-priced market, one where the consumers are often on limited incomes. If the iBill is as good as advertised, then Orbit Research might have done the same here.<br /><br />I'm just writing this based on the literature and haven't actually tried one out. I'd love to take one of these for a test spin and introduce it to some of my peers and colleagues, and see what their thoughts are. Perhaps, I might be able to get a review unit from Orbit Research. Stay tuned and I'll let you know of any future interaction with one of these units.Ron Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09183453197257493485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31804311.post-21766292734230422882009-09-19T22:54:00.005-05:002009-09-19T23:10:12.785-05:00DePaul program innovates hope for students with chronic illnessesThe School for New Learning might share the same initials with Saturday Night Live, but there's nothing funny about what they're doing at DePaul University.<br /><br />This interesting and innovative<br /><a href="http://www.snl.depaul.edu/">program</a><br />is targeting students with chronic illnesses, giving them opportunities to work through episodic, debilitating outbreaks of their disabilities, which, in any other circumstance, would have been the end of the students' class, semester, or, quite possibly, their entire academic career.<br /><br />In this<br /><a href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/6626886.html">Associated Press article,</a><br />you can read about some of the students who are achieving through this opportunity when they would have been otherwise academically frustrated and stymied.<br /><br />I've had several friends who were classmates that appeared to have no disability on most days, but when their days turned gray and their recurring disability, like severe chronic fatigue syndrome or rheumatoid arthritis, flared up, it was totally incapacitating and caused them to miss class and assignments. Thanks to patient professors granting extensions, they were able to keep up with most classes. However, there were some times when these missed classes and assignments would force them to drop the class or take an incomplete, just because they weren't physically able to keep up with the pace due to their disability.<br /><br />If more colleges and universities had programs like SNL, the occurrence of academic failure due to a disability would become a footnote in history, much like other disability related access problems prior to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.<br /><br /><blockquote>"I'm a person with a disability. I'm not less of a person because of that. I can DO less because of it, but coming to that acknowledgment was painful<br /><br />Patrick Holaday , SNL student with severe chronic fatigue syndrome.<br /><br /></blockquote><br /><br /><br />As with the student cited above, there are aspects in the different student stories highlighted in the news article which have a common theme of working through denial and, finally, acceptance. I've been a big fan of applying Elizabeth Kubler-Ross's grief theory to disability and feel encouraged to see others are like minded.<br /><br />Congratulations to DePaul for putting their faith in their students' abilities and seeing beyond their disabilities.Ron Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09183453197257493485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31804311.post-13140397941772719182009-08-26T13:24:00.003-05:002009-08-26T14:44:40.887-05:00New resources for accessible college textbooksIts been crazy with summer vacation and all that fun stuff, but school’s back in now and that means back to some more regular blogging here.<br /><br />As a former blind college student, I know the value of, and appreciate, having accessible textbooks. If my books were not available in an accessible format from RFB&D, which was often the case with each progressive year of college, , I would scanned my texts into accessible documents myself using Kurzweil. It meant several hours per book, but once scanned in, I could access and read the book just as well as any other student. It took extra time and effort for me, but at that time, getting something in an accessible format from the publishers was akin to squeezing blood from a stone. It wasn’t happening.<br /><br />With this in mind, I’m glad to share the latest news regarding accessible textbooks. With the two new services, its good to see the options for gaining accessible textbooks vastly improving.<br /><br /><br />First,<br /><a href="http://www.accesstext.org/">The AccessText Network</a><br />Is now running in beta mode.<br /> <blockquote> The AccessText Network facilitates and supports the national delivery of alternative electronic textbooks to higher education institutions for students with documented disabilities.<br /><br /></blockquote><br /><br /><br />That statement is a short and concise definition, but perhaps a little clearer version of the program’s mission is offered in an August 19, 2009 article in<br /><a href="http://chronicle.com/blogPost/New-Program-Seeks-to-Make/7742">The Wired Campus.</a><br /><br /><blockquote> While the program is in its beta stage until next year, 367 offices are testing it free of charge, and eight publishers that are part of the association are footing the bill. When AccessText goes live in July 2010, members will pay between $375 and $500, on a sliding scale based on the institution’s size. At that point, Mr. Hildebrand hopes that colleges will be able to share materials with other approved institutions, with permission, instead of several schools duplicating efforts by scanning books that another member may already have.<br /><br /></blockquote><br /><br />This is similar to the service which has already been offered for several years by the<br /><a href="http://tte.tamu.edu/">Texas Text Exchange (TTE),</a><br />Hosted by Texas A&M University.<br /><br />While the TTE is similar to AccessText, as it is open to all colleges and universities, it is different in that there is no interaction from the TTE site with textbook publishers. The e-texts hosted on the TTE servers are scanned and produced by participating consortium members and shared with other participating entities.<br /><br />And, one more big difference is that the TTE does not charge schools to participate. You might want to go back and see what AccessText is proposing once it out of beta.<br /><br />As for the AccessText Network making texts available directly from publishers, I don’t see that as quite the big plus its made out to be, except perhaps for the largest universities. In my experience, direct interaction with the textbook publishers from the campus Disability Service Office was usually quite quick and easy using the online request forms provided by publishers such as Pearson and the like. They were very happy to overnight the CDs with accessible files to my office, too.<br /><br />Those two are not a school’s only options for accessible textbooks, though.<br />The other new method I want to share with you is that<br /><a href="http://www.unitedspinal.org/publications/action/2009/07/16/publishing-partnerships-to-benefit-students-with-print-disabilities">Bookshare</a><br />Has also created an alliance with the textbook publishers to make their works accessible.<br /><br /><blockquote> Bookshare is a web-based digital library that gives people with print disabilities the same ease of access to books and periodicals enjoyed by those without disabilities. Bookshare allows a book to be scanned once and then shared with many qualified individuals who require digital formats that are easy to download, search and navigate. <br /><br />Fruchterman told the attending members of the press about how the new Bookshare University Partnership Program is uniting universities throughout the country to increase the number of accessible post-secondary textbooks to students with print disabilities. These disabilities include blindness, low vision, physical disabilities and severe learning disabilities. <br /><br /></blockquote><br /><br />The final decision for which method to use is up to the various colleges and universities in need of accessible textbooks. My job is just to share the latest news here. Good luck on your decision making.Ron Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09183453197257493485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31804311.post-67133038875756988732009-08-01T19:26:00.005-05:002009-08-01T19:47:46.370-05:00Cars for the blind? The proof of concept is already hereI've previously thought about a world where cars were all fully computer-driven and fully interactive. Wouldn't it be easy if cars were automated, completely taking the human factor out of driving. Cars could communicate with signs and markers along the roadways, making turns to arrive at their destination, as well as communicating with other cars so that all cars stay proper distances from one another. It might make driving boring for sighted drivers who want to prove they can handle the challenges of the road, but it would be a much safer road for all. I truly believe this could be achieved with today's technology.<br /><br />Apparently, according to this<br /><a href="http://ideas.theatlantic.com/2009/07/cars_for_the_blind.php">article in The Atlantic,</a><br />I'm not alone in that idea. As a matter of fact, the article takes this idea to the next level where a driver can be blind using today's technology. Better yet, the other cars on the road don't have to be automated!<br /><br />Don't laugh; apparently its already been proven if what is reported there is true.<br /><br />The only problem with the whole idea is the other drivers on the road. If one of them suddenly cuts in front of the automated vehicle, requiring a quick, evasive action, one has to wonder what will happen. Again, it is that human interaction that makes driving dangerous, not the automated car, even when the driver was blind. If all the cars were automated, then the poor decisions of the other drivers wouldn't be a factor.<br /><br />Then again, what if the computer of the automated vehicle failed in the middle of a trip, while motoring down the road. That would result in a real crash, not just a system crash. How do you reboot from one of those?Ron Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09183453197257493485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31804311.post-75334159071142838932009-07-08T08:48:00.003-05:002009-07-08T08:59:55.990-05:00One-armed golfer has powerful drive, even better deliveryWhat if you were an up and coming golfer, good enough to hang with some peer named Tiger, and then something happened that changes how you look at life, much less your swing and game?<br /><br />Perhaps, the bigger question is what does a golfer do when he loses an arm?<br /><br />And, then what does that golfer do when he realizes the bigger lesson and message in his personal loss?<br /><br />To find out the answers to these questions, check out the Houston Chronicle article about<br /><a href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/glf/6518575.html">Larry Alford.</a><br /><br />I can personally relate to the painful details of Alford’s story, although the specifics are different, much of his story and mine are the same. Except, I don’t take my message to the golf course. I once read that there are no mistakes in life, only lessons, and that the only mistakes occur when we fail to learn the lessons. It sounds like Alford is taking the lessons and paying them forward, one powerful stroke at a time.Ron Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09183453197257493485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31804311.post-35361934552105311882009-07-03T08:32:00.005-05:002009-07-03T20:20:33.795-05:00GW Micro comes out swinging-- announces BookSense pricing, enters NLS digital book player arenaI’ve been using and loving my Victor Reader Stream since late February of last year. I’ve been hooked on it since day one. The reason I believe this quickly became Humanware’s best-selling product of all time is that they provided a tool that was needed at a time when it was needed most. And, they did it, and kept the price where this was the most bang for one’s assistive technology dollars, by including the most necessary features while leaving off those which were peripheral and/or overly costly. In that process, they created a product which I believe ranks amongst the most revolutionary of assistive technology products for blind people.<br /><br />All that said, I knew Humanware wasn’t going to be the only maker of products that could read books from the National Library Service. I knew of at least two more products coming down the pipe, but the Stream was here almost a year and a half ago, and it was ready to change lives. Also, nobody knew the exact pricing of these alternatives, either.<br /><br />The reason I’m writing about this today is that another of these products, which is aiming for a similar launch and reception by the blind community, has hit the ground, and released pricing that can make them a competitor with the Stream.<br /><br />The product I’m speaking about is the <br /><a href="http://www.gwmicro.com/BookSense">BookSense </a><br />manufactured by <br /><a href="http://www.gwmicro.com/">GW Micro.</a><br /><br /><br />At $499, the pricing of this product is higher than that of the Stream, but it isn’t out of the stratosphere, especially for a solid assistive technology product. It also comes with features the Stream doesn’t.<br /><br />If you’re interested in looking at how this digital book player compares to the Stream, you might want to check out <br /><a href="http://wayneism.blogspot.com/2009/07/book-sense-makes-sense.html">Wayne Merritt’s comparison.</a><br />Wayne keeps his overview brief, but he does offer a link for a fuller comparison of the competing products.<br /><br />Personally, I'll be keeping my Stream. It is still going strong and appears that it will continue to do so for a long time. However, if something were to happen where it broke and I was facing the need to invest in another player, though, I'd have to look both ways before crossing the digital book player street. What GW Micro is sending down the street sounds pretty inviting.Ron Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09183453197257493485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31804311.post-50865830447921057322009-06-24T09:56:00.004-05:002009-06-24T10:11:23.633-05:00Accessible Event makes meetings and seminars open to all participants, no matter their disabilityI’ve been waiting on the following unveiling for a while and am impressed by the results, not to mention, the potential this offers for the future.<br /><br />The folks at <br /><a href="http://serotek.com/">Serotek</a><br />Have rolled out their latest accessibility tool.<br /><br />As its name implies,<br /><a href="http://accessibleevent.com/">Accessible Event</a><br />Makes meetings, seminars, conferences, and other events where participation is contingent on the accessibility to all the participants, truly open to everybody.<br /><br />You can check out the June 23 <br /><a href="http://accessibleevent.com/media/pressconf">press Conference ,</a><br />which is, of course, presented as an Accessible Event.<br /><br /><br />And, if that isn’t enough and you’d like another demonstration of how this neat tool works, check out the Serotek demo of a <br /><a href="http://accessibleevent.com/media/demo">staff meeting.</a><br /><br />This is a service Serotek is offering to people who have a need to make their program accessible. It is something that I can see a distinct need for for at colleges, universities, and even public schools. There are also the distinct commercial applications at trade shows and conventions. If you’re a presenter and want to sure accessibility, check out Accessible Event. It will provide the ultimate delivery of your message to all audience members.Ron Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09183453197257493485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31804311.post-44120658807197939932009-06-19T10:55:00.001-05:002009-06-19T11:02:47.780-05:00Access Ability is now on TwitterOkay, call me slow, or whatever, but I’ve finally caught up to the latest hot thing on the web. Well, sort of.<br /><br />I’m talking about getting on the tweet train. That’s right, Access Ability is now on Twitter. You can follow me at:<br /><a href="http://twitter.com/AAblog/">http://twitter.com/AAblog</a><br /><br />Be patient, please. Give me time to figure out what I’m doing here, but I want to keep what I tweet pertinent to what Access Ability is about. I don’t figure you really want to know what kind of sandwich I’m eating right now, so I’ll be trying to focus on the content.<br /><br />Its crazy, but I’ve already got people following me and I’ve not even posted anything there yet.<br /><br />See you on Twitter!Ron Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09183453197257493485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31804311.post-68963377532166553752009-06-19T10:47:00.003-05:002009-06-19T10:54:07.123-05:00Thoughts on more access spinning off of iPhone 3.0's accessibilityI’ve still not even checked out the iPhone, with its new, whizbang 3.0 OS offering out-of-the-box accessibility, but I’m here to tell you that there is a lot more than buzz going on about this in the blind community. There is thought and reflection on where this can go from here. To wit, I share two recent blog posts.<br /><br />First, an intelligent thought is offered by T. Reid in his cleverly titled piece<br /><a href="http://reidmymind.com/?p=152">Accessibility, There’s An App For That!</a><br /><br />T. begins by looking at the idea of reading Amazon’s Kindle books on the iPhone, using the already available Kindle app with Voice Over, which would beat the Kindle’s own, now-neutered text-to-speech potential. He also looks at other possible apps that might come from innovation. Read his post to see his thoughts.<br /><br />And, my good friend Marcus Engel has also stepped into the reality of technology and finally claimed some geekiness wherein he proposes the idea of an<br /><a href="http://marcusengel.blogspot.com/2009/06/pardon-my-geekiness.html">App to run NLS books on the iPhone.</a><br /><br />Now, that idea Marc is proposing isn’t just an idle thought. He’s already stepped up to the plate and initiated communications that might get something going here. Read his post to see what I mean. Also, make sure to write an email of your own, encouraging the development of this possible app <br /><br /><a href="mailto:accessibility@apple.com">accessibility@apple.com</a><br /><br />Good work, guys!Ron Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09183453197257493485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31804311.post-11924968715626708332009-06-10T22:21:00.006-05:002009-06-11T06:30:34.005-05:00Apple gives iPhone accessibility for the blind and does it the right wayIn case you missed the groundbreaking news this week, the Apple Corporation has pounded the table and slammed its fist down, announcing heretofore unimagined accessibility for blind people to the iPhone and its popular touchscreen display. I’ve ragged on Apple enough in previous postings about not including accessibility for the blind amongst the many features that it offered on this chic and trendy device, so I feel obligated to give my props to the home of the Mighty Mac for doing it right.<br /><br />Not only does Apple include accessibility to the iPhone with the upgrade to the 3.0 operating system, but they do it for free. It is built-into the software. That means that there is no additional “accessibility charge,” a price blind people have been subjected to in the past to gain access to information that sighted folks get for the original price of a product. This fee has come in the form of screen readers and service maintenance agreements that hit wallets that are very often already strained. So, a tip of the hat to Apple for not only providing accessibility, but just making it part of doing business.<br /><br />I have heard that somebody questioned whether the Nokia N82, which is the phone I and several of my friends are using, has become obsolete with the advent of an accessible iPhone. I don't buy that. I think the N82 is a greatly accessible phone, in my own experience the most accessible phone I’ve ever had, and its already bought and paid for. There are aspects of it that nothing on the market can touch, at least not yet, so it is not obsolete. However, it is expensive in itself, just under $300 at best pricing, and also requires an expensive, third party screen reader for nearly $300 to be accessible. With a screen reader, at best prices, one will spend close to $600 and up to $900 from vendors to get an N82 with a screen reader on it.<br /><br />Now, along comes Apple offering an iPhone for $199 with a built in screen reader. What Apple has done here is put pressure on the market to, not only ante up, but to matche their raise.<br /><br />As they say, only time will tell. Let’s see what happens. It is indeed an interesting time to be a blind person and experience the wonders of advancing technology.<br /> <br />With all that said, below I offer a roundup of some of the writings on the web about the iPhone’s accessibility.<br /> <br />Here’s the official Apple iPhone Accessibility page where they spell out the use of Voice Over:<br /> <br /><a href="http://www.apple.com/accessibility/iphone/vision.html">http://www.apple.com/accessibility/iphone/vision.html</a> <br /> <br />Also, here’s the Apple guide on how to use different features on your iPhone.<br /> <br /><a href="http://www.apple.com/iphone/how-to/#basics.introduction">http://www.apple.com/iphone/how-to/#basics.introduction</a> <br /> <br />Here’s the Serotek blog where Mike Calvo shares his thoughts on Apple doing it right. Also, make sure to read the first comment on that post<br /><br /><a href="http://blog.serotek.com/2009/06/why-is-it-that-apple-always-seems-to.html">http://blog.serotek.com/2009/06/why-is-it-that-apple-always-seems-to.html</a><br /><br />Here’s the Ranger Station’s Post announcing the news. Ranger 1138 is a knowledgeable and experienced “dude in the assistive technology industry” whose insight I truly appreciate and trust. <br /><br /><a href="http://therangerstation.blogspot.com/2009/06/voiceover-comes-to-iphones.html">http://therangerstation.blogspot.com/2009/06/voiceover-comes-to-iphones.html</a><br /> <br />Here is the Fred’s Head article from the American Printing House for the Blind. It is drawing its information from Apple, but seems to add some personal thoughts as well. The writer of this blog is a savvy writer named Mike McCarty and I personally dig his thoughts on technology and seemingly endless resources of information related to blindness and low vision.<br /> <br /><a href="http://www.fredshead.info/2009/06/true-accessibility-for-blind-and.html">http://www.fredshead.info/2009/06/true-accessibility-for-blind-and.html</a> <br /> <br />And, finally, here’s Darrell Shandrow’s Blind Access Journal post, where he’s collected a few people’s reactions—some in awe and others basically taking a "wait and see" stance, as it sounds like his first couple of commenters are as well.<br /> <br /><a href="http://blog.blindaccessjournal.com/2009/06/apple-announces-iphone-accessibility.html">http://blog.blindaccessjournal.com/2009/06/apple-announces-iphone-accessibility.html</a><br /> <br />Like I said, only time will tell what evolves from Apple’s investment in accessibility.<br /><br />Update 06/11/09<br /><br />Here’s one more post from Mark Taylor’s Candleshore blog. It is not the original work of the blogger, but contains commentary from one person on an email list. However, these are the thoughtful reflections of a person, whom Mark leaves unidentified, but pledges is “one of the most respected names in the field of assistive technology for the visually impaired.” The comments are a good starting point for a discussion of what the pros and cons are of the iPhone versus other tactile smart phones.<br /><br /><a href="http://mark.candleshoreblog.com/2009/06/11/the-accessible-iphone-3g-s-for-the-blind-and-low-vision-a-reality-check">http://mark.candleshoreblog.com/2009/06/11/the-accessible-iphone-3g-s-for-the-blind-and-low-vision-a-reality-check</a>Ron Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09183453197257493485noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31804311.post-17285092509009814012009-05-23T07:24:00.004-05:002009-05-23T08:05:39.441-05:00The latest happenings on the Disability 411 podcastI want to catch you up on the latest happenings at one of my favorite podcasts,<br /><a href="http://disability411.jinkle.com/#main/">Disability 411,</a><br />Hosted by Beth Case.<br /><br />On the home page, the first posting you will see is a Adobe Flash file of the new D411 promo. I like it. The dialogue features an interaction between a man and woman and is created with synthesized speech. Like everything else Beth puts herself into, it is very professionally produced. I also like that she mentiones three of my favorite people-- Marcus Engel, Mark Zupan, and Sarah Whitlock --in her list of featured guests.<br /><br />On the most recent D411 episode, <br /><a href="http://disability411.jinkle.com/?q=node/114">Show 63,</a><br />Beth interviews Daniel Berkowitz of DigiLife Media on the subject of eText production.<br /> The title of the show says it all, What is eText?” It is the first of a three parter, so check back for more soon.<br /><br />If you read much about accessible texts, you might already recognize Dan's name. He is also a contributing member to the <br /><a href="http://athenpro.blogspot.com/">Access Technologists Higher Education Network,</a><br />so it should come to no surprise that he is knowledgeable of eTexts.<br /><br />When I worked as a college disability service coordinator, one of the hallmarks of my time there was that I implemented a push into eTexts for our college. It was beyond me why, in this digital age, a school was not getting material in the most accessible format for its students. Before I arrived there, they were paying readers to record the students’ texts onto cassette. That was a good method for providing access to texts in earlier decades, but this was 2006 and I could see no excuse for that to still be happening in this day and age when more accessible solutions were omnipresent. When I began researching for the push into a digital change for our students, Dan was one of the names I was regularly finding as a resource.<br /><br />And, as always, there are transcripts available for every audio file Beth posts, even the new promo.<br /><br />So, go catch up with the latest on D411 and stay tuned for more with Dan Berkowitz.Ron Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09183453197257493485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31804311.post-30541061476565485322009-05-09T22:36:00.004-05:002009-05-10T16:10:02.016-05:00Security fix in Windows 7 may negatively impact computer accessibility for all Windows usersI’ve known about the following matter for almost two weeks, but have taken a wait and see attitude about writing it up here, to see if anything came out about it on the assistive technology front. I know the subject has trickled out some in A T circles, but I have still yet not heard anything mentioned anywhere about the impact of this change on accessibility products such as screen readers that run off portable, USB thumb drives. <br /><br />Also, one has to wonder how will the use of Serotek’s wonderful, U3 Smart drive accessibility tool, System Access Mobile, be impacted?<br /><br />The information I’m worried about is from the Technet blog Security Research & Defense, which touts itself as, “Information from Microsoft about vulnerabilities, mitigations and workarounds, active attacks, security research, tools and guidance,” so I give it some credibility. The subject is a new security fix in the latest release candidate of Windows 7, in a post titled<br /><a href="http://blogs.technet.com/srd/archive/2009/04/28/autorun-changes-in-windows-7.aspx">AutoRun changes in Windows 7</a><br /><br />In a nutshell, the post cites that the Conficker virus, and other types of malware, have been spreading via the autorun function in Microsoft Windows. To remedy this from occurring, they have instituted a security fix in Windows 7 that will no longer allow the autorun function to come up when USB devices are plugged in.<br /><br />That wouldn’t bother me, except that this includes thumb drives that give portability to screen readers and allow users to use virtually any computer. The post does share the difference in autorun and autoplay, which makes sense, but it is pretty clear that this will keep the latest version of Windows from running portable applications from a jump drive, but still allow them to run when launched from a CD or DVD.<br /><br />And, if you’re sitting there grinning, saying that you just won’t upgrade to Windows 7, the post also states that this fix will be made available to Windows Vista and XP as well. I don’t see how we’re going to avoid this change. I don’t know when this will happen, but figure it will come as one of those Windows automatic updates.<br /><br />I’m not a total geek, so some of the language in the article is not always clear to me. It does raise the issue of U3 smart drives, which I use in training students on using System Access, but I’m not totally clear how that will be affected. I’m happy to append this post with more information if anybody would care to enlighten me.<br /><br />I know that there are other options, such as System Access’s ability to burn a CD to run the program, but I have liked the portability of just popping in a thumb drive.<br /><br />I’ve been using thumb drives for access for a couple of years for my own use when away from home. When training, I’ve actually begun to carry around three drives in my pocket. On one, I have System Access; on another, I have JAWS, which I use with a couple of students; and, on my most recent addition, I’ve got NVDA, the open source, screen reading program, which I demo as a free alternative.<br /><br />I hope I’m not coming across as some Chicken Little on this subject. Its just that I know there are many applications which run on thumb drives, including many assistive technology programs and I’m just trying to either get some answers or discussion going on a matter that I’m afraid is going to negatively impact computer accessibility for many.Ron Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09183453197257493485noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31804311.post-71277324283859101822009-04-21T13:16:00.002-05:002009-04-21T13:30:03.846-05:00The future is near: NLS pilot digital talking book program to become Braille and Audio Reading DownloadHere’s an update on the digital talking book program from the<br /><a href="http://loc.gov/nls/"><br />National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.</a><br /><br />I’ve posted here before, talking about the great benefits of the program and also sharing that the digital talking book program was in a pilot phase. Also, that some time in the future, that this would transition away from being a pilot program.<br /><br />Well, the future is now, or it will be as of April 30, 2009.<br /><br />The <br /><a href="https://nlsbard.loc.gov/">Braille and Audio Reading Download</a><br />Or BARD, (the acronym it will be heralded by,) will be operational as of April 30, 2009<br /><br />For your information, the BARD’s URL is:<br /><a href="https://nlsbard.loc.gov/">https://nlsbard.loc.gov</a><br /><br />Here are the details from the informational email sent out by the NLS:<br /><br />Users who know their passwords will be able to log on to the new site; users who rely on their browsers to remember their passwords will need new ones (follow instructions in Section II). All user accounts will be migrated to the new system, so you do not need to reapply. All materials previously downloaded will remain usable, so you will not need to redownload your reading material.<br /><br /><br />1. Unlimited downloading. The BARD service will no longer limit the number of books and magazines that you may download. Any account holder may download any item at any time. During heavy demand, however, NLS may limit the number of simultaneous downloads for each account.<br /><br /><br />2. New logon page. The site login will now use a form rather than a dialog box. It is the same type of logon found on most internet pages and should be immediately familiar to users of other sites. This is an important note for screen-reader users.<br /><br /><br />3. New search functionality. BARD searches will yield more effective results. The use of multiple search terms will return only results containing all of the terms.<br /><br /><br />4. New "Most Popular Books" list. By selecting the "Most Popular Book" link from the home page, users may access a list of the top twenty most downloaded books on the BARD service in the last ninety days. Fiction and nonfiction titles will be listed separately.<br /><br /><br />5. Redesigned magazine section. The "Recently Added Magazines" link will now display links to only the most recent issue of each magazine. Magazines older than one year may be accessed from each title's magazine archive. Links to the archive are at the bottom of each magazine's page.<br /><br /><br /> Section II. Take the following steps to access the new site:<br /><br /><br />1. You must know your login ID and password to log on to the new site. For all users, your login ID is your e-mail address. <br /><br /><br />2. If you know your login ID and password, you will not need to do anything. Simply access the new site, <br /><a href="https://nlsbard.loc.gov/">https://nlsbard.loc.gov, </a><br />starting Thursday, April 30. <br /><br /><br />3. If you have forgotten your password, you must obtain a new one before you can log on to the new site. Since the new site has a different address from the pilot site, you cannot rely on your web browser to automatically log in to BARD.<br /><br /><br />4. If you do not know your password but you are able to automatically log on to the pilot site because your browser knows your password, you must choose a new password. To do so, select the link "Update My Settings" from the site home page. From the settings page, select the first link, "Change Your Password." Enter your new password twice, and then select the "Change Password" button. Remember this new password to access BARD.<br /><br /><br />5. If you cannot log on to the site because you do not know your password, you may have a new one sent to you. Access the password recovery page at <br /><a href="https://www.nlstalkingbooks.org/cgi-bin/public/dtbscripts_v2/recoverpw.cgi">https://www.nlstalkingbooks.org/cgi-bin/public/dtbscripts_v2/recoverpw.cgi.</a><br />Enter your e-mail address and then select the "Send Me a New Password" button. A new temporary password will be generated and sent to your e-mail address. Once you retrieve the password, log on to the site and choose your new password. Remember this new password to access BARD.<br /><br /><br />6. If for some reason you are not able to use any of these options, please send a request for a new password to <br /><a href="mailto:NLSDownload@loc.gov/">NLSDownload@loc.gov.</a><br />Because of the anticipated large number of requests, please expect your new password within two business days.<br /><br /><br />The last day of availability of the pilot site will be Tuesday, April 28. The service will not be available at all on Wednesday, April 29, to allow user accounts to be migrated to the new site, which will be available on Thursday, April 30.<br /><br />NLS appreciates all who have participated in the pilot test. Your feedback has allowed us to continuously improve the site and to plan future expansions, such as the inclusion of braille books. Though the pilot phase is ending, we remain open to your feedback about the BARD service. Please send your comments to <br /><a href="mailto:NLSDownload@loc.gov/">NLSDownload@loc.gov.</a> <br /><br />Send questions or requests about the book and magazine collection to your library.Ron Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09183453197257493485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31804311.post-47479478592754999642009-04-17T20:08:00.004-05:002009-04-19T10:25:11.661-05:00A web site especially for college-bound teens with disabilitiesOne of the issues I try to stress most to high school students I work with is how different college will be for them, as opposed to their K-12 experience. So, you can imagine the smile I got when I found a web site designed specifically for college-bound teens with disabilities.<br /><br />Aptly titled,<br /><a href="http://www.going-to-college.org/">Going to College,</a><br />The web site (developed by<br /><a href="http://www.vcu.edu/ ">Virginia Commonwealth University)</a><br />proclaims itself “A resource for teens with disabilities.”<br /><br />The site breaks down into three primary areas of focus:<br /><br />My Place – where the student will do some self analysis to identify strengths and learning styles to help in goal setting.<br /><br />Campus Life – describing what the student can expect at the college and what professors will expect, as well as accommodations and assistive technology.<br /><br />Planning for college – how to proactively prepare today for college tomorrow.<br /><br />Its great to see something so unique as this put together. Now, all we have to do is spread the word about it.<br /><br />(A special thanks to the<br /><a href="http://disstud.blogspot.com/">Disability Studies, Temple U.</a><br />blog for this valuable information.)Ron Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09183453197257493485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31804311.post-85435696122089316572009-04-17T14:42:00.003-05:002009-04-17T19:28:19.419-05:00Carlo Lingiardi offers insight to adjustment process following onset disabilityas a result of writing this blog,I’ve met several people, and today, I want to share one of these people with you, as he’s also begun his own blog. I feel his writings reflect a good and honest perspective of what it is like for somebody going through the dynamic process of adjustment to life after a traumatic, onset disability.<br /><br />While pursuing one of his interests, competetive bicycling,<br /><a href="http://hbot4carlo.blogspot.com/">Carlo Lingiardi,</a><br />Had an accident which forever changed his life.<br /><br />Previous to the accident, Carlo had been an executive with an international shoe company. However, the October, 2005 accident resulted in Carlo being in a coma for two months. The traumatic brain injury he received has left him using a wheelchair, unable to walk by himself, and he is also now blind to some extent.<br /><br />One of the treatments Carlo is most optimistic about is hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). He writes about this regularly and his hope and faith in this treatment can’t be overlooked.<br /><br />You will also notice that his family is one of the constant subjects in Carlo’s writings. He echoes one of the earliest understandings I had about an onset disability – we don’t function in a vacuum; what happens to an individual impacts the lives of all those who are around him.<br /><br />I wish Carlo well in his pursuits and pray that his recovery delivers what he is hoping for. I’ll be following his progress as he writes about them in the future.Ron Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09183453197257493485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31804311.post-19013557012329227742009-04-14T11:04:00.006-05:002009-04-14T11:20:56.866-05:00Two scholarship resources for students with disabilitiesThis is just a brief post to share scholarship information I recently learned about.<br /><br />First,<br /><a href="http://www.disaboom.com/Resources/Default.aspx">Disaboom </a><br />has a irectory with over 125 scholarships for students with disabilities. Check it out and see if there are some that fit your needs.<br /><br />Secondly, there is also the<br /><a href="http://www.blindmicemart.com/assets/product_images/Scholarship.htm">Mouse Hole Scholarships sponsored by Blind Mice Mart .</a><br />This scholarship Is essay-based and is limited to visually impaired students, or sighted students of visually impaired parents. <br /><br /><Blockquote> Awards for the 2008 Mouse Hole Scholarship Essay Contest -- This year we have $4,198.00 available in the Mouse Hole Scholarship Fund! The two top essays, as selected by our panel of judges, will receive a $1,250.00 Mouse Hole Scholarship! The four top essays, as selected by our panel of judges, will receive a ASUS 1000 H E Net Book Computer from the Mouse Hole Scholarship Program!<br /><br /></Blockquote><br /><br />I’m sure there are other scholarship resources around for students with disabilities, and will be happy to post about them here, just send me the information. I’ve learned about these two posting in the last week and wanted to share them as soon as I could.Ron Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09183453197257493485noreply@blogger.com0