Kestrell

We're getting closer to the guide dog of my dreams

Fri, 06 Jan 2023 13:06:08 GMT

Actually, if this app was accessible, I would consider getting one of these
https://www.cnet.com/tech/we-found-the-most-adorable-new-gizmo-of-ces-2023/

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Deviant Ollam teaches lockpicking to a class of blind people

Tue, 29 Nov 2022 16:13:31 GMT

Kes: As someone who is interested in
infiltration techniques
https://kestrell.dreamwidth.org/418473.html
I posted when Deviant Ollam first taught a blind person to pick locks
https://kestrell.dreamwidth.org/420756.html
so I was excited when I read the following post in the Forbes Wiretap newsletter:

Winner Of The Week
Anyone who's been around the hacking world knows that lock-picking is very much part of the scene. Not long ago, white hat hacker Deviant Ollam taught the art to a class of blind students. A film crew caught it and it's a
remarkable watch,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJVrL8QjG5s&ab_channel=TheModernRogue
especially if you've ever tried picking a lock yourself and know how tricky it is. Hat-tip to Zack Whittaker and
his information security newsletter
https://this.weekinsecurity.com/?
for this one.

Kes: Note that some of Deviant Ollam's lockpicking books are available as Kindle ebooks on Amazon. While the following book does not contain any how tos, it is a fascinating history of similar methods for getting into places where your presence is neither expected nor officially sanctioned
A Burglar's Guide to the City by Geoff Manaugh (2016) (available on NLS BARD)
and here is a nifty talk with the author
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSlgtqxfWkk&ab_channel=TheBerkmanKleinCenterforInternet%26Society

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Virtual Reality Accessibility: 11 Things We Learned from Blind Users

Sat, 12 Nov 2022 13:46:57 GMT

Kes: I want to underscore a twelfth point, which is that it requires a significant cognitive load for a visually impaired person to memorize all the specialized controller actions in addition to building a mental model of the virtual world, and that this usually requires additional time and effort which needs to be taken into account when planning an event, especially as not every blind person is a fast memorizer.

Virtual Reality Accessibility: 11 Things We Learned from Blind Users
November 2, 2022

The current platforms and systems used in virtual reality (VR) technologies cannot be used by people who are blind. Equal Entry believes that VR should be accessible to all people with disabilities.

This is why we created a research environment to evaluate how blind people can navigate through a VR environment on the web. We believe many solutions are straightforward and should be implemented and made available today.

Equal Entry worked with the
XR Access Accessible Development for XR
https://xraccess.org/workstreams/adxr/
(adXR) group, a workstream where academics and corporate professionals work together on research projects. For months, we discussed possibilities on how to test and refine some best practices for accessible extended reality (XR) experiences.
Building a More Social Virtual Reality World
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOnuwpSMs5A&ab_channel=A11yVR-AccessibilityVirtualReality
was our first project exploring this topic.

This project focused on 3D content descriptions. These are text alternatives for objects in XR that can receive focus or contain important information. The research looks at how effective these 3D content descriptions are at communicating vital information and considers what needs to be done differently when moving from 2D to 3D environments.

Research Environment
We created a virtual space with a convenience store, lounge, and conference room. Each room contains selectable items with alternative text that we added. Just like 2D images on a website need alternate text, 3D images in VR do too. You can try it out. Wear your Meta Quest 2 or a compatible headset and open our
VR Research Environment
https://codepen.io/ctyamashita/full/rNdqqWZ
in your headset’s browser.

There were two main tasks we wanted to explore in our research.

1. Can a user navigate from the entrance to a virtual event space and find different rooms and objects?
2. Can a user explore and interrogate information about a set of 3D objects that are displayed on three shelves?

Continued on
https://equalentry.com/virtual-reality-accessibility-things-learned-from-blind-users/

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The 2022 Sight Tech Global Agenda is live!

Sat, 12 Nov 2022 13:18:05 GMT

And posted online at
https://sighttechglobal.com/agenda/?mc_cid=d44666e45e&mc_eid=503bb1e1d9
This virtual conference is free, and you can register here
https://sighttechglobal.com/conference-registration/

Here are some panel highlights:, with just brief descriptions, but I encourage readers to check out the entire agenda because, as usual, the speakers for this conference represent developers and researchers who are investigating the technology concerns which will be impacting blind and visually impaired people--and all disabled people--in the immediate future.

Day 1 (Wed., Dec. 7)

1. Virtual reality and Inclusion: What does non-visual access to the metaverse mean?
People with disabilities and accessibility advocates are working to make sure the metaverse is accessible to everyone. This panel will delve into research on the challenges current virtual and augmented reality tools create for people who are blind or have low vision.The panelists will share their experiences using immersive technologies and explore how these tools can be used to enhance employment opportunities in hybrid and remote workplaces – but only if they are built with inclusion in mind.

2. Inventing the "screenreader" for VR: Owlchemy Lab's Cosmonious High
For developers of virtual reality games, there's every reason to experiment with accessibility from the start, which is what the Owlchemy Labs team did with Cosmonious High, the 2022 release of a fun, first-person game situated in a inter-galactic high school that one reviewer said "has all the charm and cheek of a good Nickelodeon kids show." And it reveals some of the earliest approaches to acessibility in VR.

3. Audio Description the Pixar Way
AI-based, synthetic voice-based audio description may have a place in some forms of accessible video content, but the artistry of the entirely human-produced audio descriptions Pixar produces for its productions, set a creative standard no AI will never attain, and that's all for the good. Meet members of the Pixar team behind excellence in audio descriptions.

4. Accessibility is AI’s Biggest Challenge: How Alexa Aims to Make it Fairer for Everyone
Smart home technology, like Alexa, has been one of the biggest boons in recent years for people who are blind, and for people with disabilities altogether. Voice technology and AI help empower people in many ways, but one obstacle stands in its way: making it equitable. In this session, learn from Amazon about how they’re approaching the challenge ahead.

Day 2 (Thurs. Dec. 8)

1. The Problems with AI
Despite the stunning advances in AI over the past decade, the so-called "deep learning" AI technology prevalent today has under-appreciated limitations and even poses societal dangers. Our speakers are world-renowned AI experts and AI "dissenters" who believe we need an AI that's both more accountable and better able to produce common sense results.

2. Did Computer Vision AI Just Get Worse or Better?
The ability an assistive tech devices to recognize objects, faces, scenes is a type of AI called Computer Vision, which calls for building vast databases on images labeled by humans to train AI algorithms. A new technique called
"one-shot learning"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-shot_learning
learns dramatically faster because the AI trains itself on images across the Internet. No human supervision needed. Is that a good idea?

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Blind and low-vision voters hail Massachusetts’ new statewide online voting option

Sat, 29 Oct 2022 11:10:54 GMT

By Meghan Smith
October 28, 2022

Watertown resident Kim Charlson won’t need to go to her polling place, print out a ballot or sign any forms. Charlson, who is blind, plans to take advantage of a new voting system for people with disabilities that allows them to cast their ballot electronically through a secure web portal.
The option was available in five cities last year: Boston, Cambridge, Quincy, Watertown and Worcester. It is now permanently available statewide, thanks to a lesser-known provision in the
VOTES Act passed in June,
https://www.wgbh.org/news/politics/2022/06/22/mail-in-voting-is-permanent-in-massachusetts
which aimed to make voting in the state overall easier by permanently offering mail-in voting for all Massachusetts voters and expanding early voting. Advocates say, in many ways, it puts Massachusetts at the forefront of accessible voting as one of just a handful of states now allowing the electronic option for disabled voters. Once they apply, voters using the new method can cast their ballot electronically early or before polls close on Election Day at 8 p.m. on Nov. 8.

“I'm just delighted at the ease of voting, and the privacy of being able to do it independently and submit my ballot and know I'm all set,” said Charlson, executive director of the Perkins Library at Perkins School for the Blind, who first used the new system last year. “It makes me feel good about the democratic process.”
Charlson remembers that when she first voted at age 18, her best option was to have a friend or poll worker join her in the voting booth to help fill out a ballot. She and other advocates say having more voting options — from secure web voting, to mail-in ballots, to accessible machines at polling places — are a big step forward for disabled people.
“I think the disability community takes it [voting] very seriously because we had to kind of fight the fights to get to have the opportunity to vote privately and independently,” Charlson said.
In 2020, the Disability Law Center partnered with the Bay State Council of the Blind and the Boston Center for Independent Living to sue the state over lack of accommodations made for disabled people to vote safely and securely during the pandemic. Secretary of State Bill Galvin
settled the lawsuit
https://commonwealthmagazine.org/courts/galvin-settles-lawsuit-over-voting-access-for-people-with-disabilities/
right before the election to allow disabled voters to vote electronically.

But during the 2020 election, voters with disabilities who chose the electronic method still needed a printer and had to physically sign the ballot. Advocates pushed for the option to last beyond that single year and worked with the secretary of state’s office to make it even more accessible.
( continued below cut )

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Searching for a company's customer service number? Check out the Get Human website

Fri, 28 Oct 2022 10:59:49 GMT

Have you ever gone to a company's website and had to click through half a dozen pages just to find the customer service number, or totally failed to find the phone number at all?
This website lists a vast collection of customer services numbers for almost any major company you can think of, and it also provides a search feature.
https://gethuman.com/

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Job Insights: Job Interview Follow-Up and Disclosing a Disability – If, Why, When and How

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 12:30:43 GMT

From the Blind Abilities podcast, this is one episode in their valuable series on job skills:
https://blindabilities.com/?p=7677

And I also wnat to recommend their brilliant iPhone 101 series of podcasts, which range from longer in-depth subjects to brief bites, such as this recent one, which allowed me to finally get rid of that annoying ticking sound:
iPhone101 QuickByte: Safari Ticking Be Gone! You Won’t Miss It!
https://blindabilities.com/?p=7639

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Consumer Brands Are Beginning to Think About Accessibility

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 11:57:42 GMT

Kes: And hey, a squared-off lube bottle that won't roll if you drop it: see how accessibility benefits everybody? Also, the Alt Text as Poetry workshop is *awesome*! I recommend this to everyone.

From Pharrell’s Inclusive Skincare Line To A Lube With Braille Writing, Consumer Brands Are Finally Starting To Think About Blind And Visually Impaired Customers

by Bérénice Magistretti
Oct 13, 2022,06:54am EDT
Full article at
https://www.forbes.com/sites/berenicemagistretti/2022/10/13/from-pharrells-inclusive-skincare-line-to-a-lube-with-braille-writing-consumer-brands-are-finally-starting-to-think-about-blind-and-visually-impaired-customers/?sh=2917ba575e41

Today, consumer health giant Haleon announced a partnership with Microsoft to make its health products more accessible to the blind and visually impaired (the companies shared both a written and audio press release). Microsoft’s
Seeing AI app
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/ai/seeing-ai
now allows users to scan the barcode of Haleon products to get information about ingredients and usage instructions delivered via an audio feature. The free app works on over 1,500 Haleon products across the UK and US, including Sensodyne, Centrum, Panadol and Advil.
....A company that has been instrumental in helping the visually impaired with things like reading product labels is
Be My Eyes.
https://www.bemyeyes.com/
The app connects blind and partially sighted people with volunteers via a live video feature to assist users with daily tasks, such as checking expiry dates, distinguishing colours and reading instructions. There are currently more than 6 million volunteers on the app across 150 countries. In 2019, the company partnered with Clearblue to help visually impaired women regain control over their reproductive health. Users can now access the Clearblue Careline through Be My Eyes and receive their pregnancy or fertility test results right away from a Clearblue Advisor.

While helping the blind and visually impaired with shopping and manual work is vital, there are instances when disabled individuals would rather not seek another pair of eyes – in the bedroom, for example.

An up-and-coming sexual wellness brand that baked inclusivity into its DNA from the start is Roam. The London-based startup makes all-natural products that include condoms and lubricants for both the front and the back. In addition to being sexually inclusive, the brand also made sure that it’s accessible to the disabled community.

“We hear a lot about tokenistic inclusivity,” said Roam co-founder and chief creative officer Alex Griffiths. “It felt disingenuous to say that we want to provide a choice to customers and make them feel visible while ignoring people who are often forgotten.”

The founders thought long and hard about disability inclusivity when creating their products, adding braille writing on the sides and designing square-edged lubes to prevent the bottles from rolling if dropped.

....Artists Shannon Finnegan and Bojana Coklyat (who has low vision) are striving to make alt text more creative and playful through their project
Alt Text as Poetry.
https://alt-text-as-poetry.net/
On the website, they state:

“Alt text is an essential part of web accessibility. It is often disregarded or understood through the lens of compliance, as an unwelcome burden to be met with minimum effort. How can we instead approach alt text thoughtfully and creatively?”

The artists encourage people to think about words and language in an experimental spirit when writing alt text or image descriptions, drawing inspiration from the world of poetry. And that’s really the key when trying to make accessibility edgier: from a lube with braille writing to a poetry-inspired alt text, we all need to think about accessibility creatively in order to normalize it and make it a part of our everyday lives.

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Free webinar on Digital Accessibility in Engineering and Science

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:32:53 GMT

Sponsored by Mathworks, the creator of Matlab and Simulink software

Highlights
Digital accessibility and its importance to engineers and scientists with disabilities
Digital accessibility issues in STEM education and practice
Making data and software tools accessible to all engineers and scientists
Importance of the accessibility of digital documents, including scientific publications and course textbooks
Improving accessibility of data through data sonification, graphical braille displays, and screen readers.

Read the agenda and about the amazing panelists here
https://www.mathworks.com/company/events/seminars/digital-accessibility-engineering-science-3874451.html#skip_link_anchor
Register here
https://www.mathworks.com/company/events/seminars/digital-accessibility-engineering-science-3874451.html

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Google's Guided Frame app assists blind users in taking selfies

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 11:09:16 GMT

Kes: This is a video with audio description which describes a feature on the Pixel 7; there are similar apps for blind people using other brands of smartphones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0I9CF6HZ6o&ab_channel=MadebyGoogle

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Register to help develop accessible space flight for blind astronauts!

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 10:54:09 GMT

Kes: Maybe some of you know Lindsay, who has been involved in many science- and tech-related projects here in the Boston area, including projects at MIT.

Astro Access - Tactile Graphics for Space Flight

From: 'Chancey Fleet' via Technology Programs at Andrew Heiskell Braille & Talking Book Library <heiskelltech@googlegroups.com>

Come help make space travel safer for everyone, including future blind and low vision astronauts.
If you are a disabled person aboard the International space Station, what accommodations do you need to become a trusted part of the working crew?
If you can't see, and you are in zero gravity, how does that change the way you get around?
On Tuesday October 18, from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM Eastern, the library will host representatives of AstroAccess, a nonprofit working to ensure future space travel is accessible to everyone. The program will begin with a short introduction to AstroAccess by Lindsay Yazzolino and Sheri Wells-Jensen, two members of the blind crew who will fly aboard AstroAccess's zero G parabolic flight this December.
We are designing the world's first tactile way finding aids for a zero G environment, and we are are looking for people of all backgrounds to examine our progress and offer feedback.
We will show you the first examples of our tactile graphics system designed to provide
basic zero G orientation information such as which way is 'down' (should gravity return), and direction of emergency supplies and emergency exits. We need your feedback and suggestions.
If we can make space accessible, we can make any space accessible.

Where: Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library
40 West 20th St | NYC
We'll be hands-on with tactile graphics so in-person participation is encouraged, but we'll also have a Zoom for those who want to hear the discussion from afar.
Register here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdquunwFi_CIY88ofZvFLCNbDqtbMr-vfkfO9jn9OQhxkAKeg/viewform

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What goes into making a mainstream game accessible to blind and visually impaired players

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 15:39:52 GMT

An
article by Guide Dev
https://hearthstoneaccess.github.io/under-the-hood-patch-day.html
explaining the process of making
Hearthstone Access
https://hearthstoneaccess.github.io/
accessible.

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MBTA launches online applications for TAP and blind access customers

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 15:43:23 GMT

From a press release by the Mass Commission for the Blind

People with disabilities and people who are legally blind
can now apply for free/reduced MBTA fares online.

BOSTON — Today the MBTA announced that, beginning September 19, 2022, eligible riders can now apply online for a new, renewal, or replacement TAP CharlieCard or Blind Access CharlieCard. People with disabilities (including low vision) and Medicare cardholders are eligible for reduced MBTA fares with a TAP CharlieCard and people who are legally blind are eligible for free MBTA fares with a Blind Access CharlieCard.

With the launch of
these two online applications,
https://login.constantcontact.com/login/
the MBTA now accepts online applications for the following free/reduced fare programs: Blind Access, TAP, Senior, and Youth Pass. Riders will still be able to apply in-person at the
CharlieCard Store
https://www.mbta.com/fares/charliecard-store
for Senior, Blind Access, and TAP as they do now (and can make online reservations to visit the CharlieCard Store), and can also visit the
MBTA Mobility Center
https://www.mbta.com/accessibility/mbta-mobility-center
for online application support. Riders seeking to apply for a TAP CharlieCard by mail or at the CharlieCard Store can download the updated application at mbta.com/transportation-access-pass.
( more info below cut )

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2022 Sight Tech Global virtual conference pre-registration is open

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 12:37:28 GMT

Kes: If anyone wants to know how to run an accessible virtual conference, you should follow this conference, beginning from their pre-registration phase because, as far as accessibility and assistive tech is concerned, this is the most impressive virtual conference going. I’ve attended both of the previous virtual conferences, and I’m always excited to find out who they line up as
Speakers
https://sighttechglobal.com/speakers/
and what the panels are, because they definitely follow through on discussing cutting edge topics in assistive tech. Their main page also has the following statement:
"Nothing about us without us
All sessions will include the guidance and participation by people who are blind or visually impaired."

From the announcement email:

It's time to register for the third annual Sight Tech Global conference, which takes place entirely online in a highly accessible format on
December 7 and 8.
Click here to register
https://sighttechglobal.com/conference-registration/

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Chinese scientists say new device mimics sense of touch in high definition

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 13:45:54 GMT

Here is another device which potentially serves as an assistive tech for blind people, a useful technology for astronautts, and a technology which could add another layer to virtual reality. Seriously, that Venom suit is sounding kind of...spiffy.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3192017/chinese-scientists-say-new-device-mimics-sense-touch-high

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Accessibility tech support phone numbers you should know

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 13:15:58 GMT

From Amazon to Verizon, most of the major tech and media companies are included here.
https://ophthalmicedge.org/patient/accessibility-support-phone-lines-you-should-know/

This and the URL for the preceding post were taken from this week's Top Tech Tidbits: to read this week's newsletter in its entirety, or to subscribe, go to
https://www.toptechtidbits.com/tidbits2022/09152022/

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Harvard Women's Health Watch and Psychology Today added to NLS monthly magazine subscriptions

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 12:08:44 GMT

For your information

from the Library of Congress.

New audio and braille magazines

Two new audio magazines have been added to the NLS collection.

• Title: Harvard Women’s Health Watch
Frequency: Monthly
Description: Harvard Women’s Health Watch offers timely information in the new age of women’s health and medicine. Includes new prevention strategies, new diagnostic techniques, new medications, and treatments.

• Title: Psychology Today
Frequency: Bi-monthly
Description: Psychology Today is an American general-interest psychology magazine. A variety of psychological perspectives and approaches are represented in the magazine’s analyses.

In addition, NLS recently added one new NLS-produced braille magazine:
• Title: Guideposts
Frequency: Monthly
Description: Guideposts shares inspirational stories.

Availability: hardcopy braille and download from BARD

The BARD Support Team
Send comments, questions, or concerns to NLSDownload@loc.gov
Like NLS on Facebook or subscribe to the NLS Music Notes Blog

Home | About | Contact
Subscriber Preferences & Unsubscribe | Subscriber Help

________________________________________
This email was sent to strzal@charter.net using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Library of Congress · 101 Independence Ave, SE · Washington, DC 20540 · 202-707-5000

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NLS seeks Kindle Fire users for BARD testing

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 11:41:57 GMT

From the September-October Talking Book Topics.

NLS is working to develop an improved BARD Mobile app for the Kindle Fire and seeks patron volunteers to help test and provide feedback on experimental features and interfaces. All types of patrons are eligible, including low-vision users, multi-disabled users, digital braille readers, and VoiceView users.

Participating in beta testing requires no special technical expertise, only access to a Kindle Fire and familiarity with basic operation of the device. Supported Kindle Fire tablet device models include:
• Fire 7 (2019 – KFMUWI, 2022 – KFQUWI),
• Fire HD 8 (2018 – KFKAWI, 2020 – KFONWI)
• Fire HD 10 (2019 – KFMAWI, 2021 – KFTRWI)
• Fire HD 10 Plus (2021 – KFTRPWI)

Participants will be required to email feedback regularly to NLS. For more information, please contact Julia Kim (juliakim@loc.gov)

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Discord Table Top Role Playing Gaming Community welcomes visually impaired players

Thu, 11 Aug 2022 18:54:55 GMT

Kes: The following post is from Top Tech Tidbits, but I have no experience with the group, and I am still baffled by Discord, so I can offer no further info.

Have you ever been interested in Table Top Role Play Gaming, such as Dungeons and Dragons, but hesitant to give it a shot or didn't know how? Knights of the Braille is a community of blind, visually impaired, and sighted individuals who welcome everyone. We meet on Discord and the developers are aware of screen reader users, but check us out for yourself:
https://knightsofthebraille.com/

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A new NLS event begins Thursday: The Many Faces of BARD

Wed, 10 Aug 2022 10:40:48 GMT

Join the library for a new monthly event!
Beginning Thursday, August 11, 2022, the Patron Engagement Section of the National Library Service (NLS) will offer a monthly program called The Many Faces of BARD. This program will occur on the second Thursday of every month from 7-8 PM Eastern Time. Each session will start with a brief presentation covering one aspect of the BARD (the Braille and Audio Reading Download) service, followed by an opportunity for questions about the presentation or other aspects of BARD usage. The first presentation will provide an overview of all of the available BARD products. At the end of each program, the topic for the next presentation will be announced.

These sessions are open to all patrons, and can be accessed through
Zoom online
https://loc.zoomgov.com/j/1611161911?pwd=bVh5ejFsWFBlL21KY0VqaHlRMUlSQT09#success
using the
meeting ID 161 116 1911
and
passcode 489758,
or via phone at (669) 254-5252 followed by the meeting ID 161 116 1911.
Upon connecting, participants will be placed in a virtual waiting room until the program begins. When they enter the room, they will be on mute, and they should remain on mute unless the host calls upon them to speak. At that time, they may unmute by using Alt-A from a computer or star 6 if dialing in by phone.

All Many Faces of BARD sessions will be recorded.

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National Library Service launches "Braille On Demand" pilot project

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 10:53:00 GMT

As part of its braille modernization initiative, NLS is launching the Braille-on-Demand pilot project on Monday, June 20, 2022. This project will allow active NLS patrons to request and receive one hard-copy braille title per month, which they can retain for their personal use. If an individual who is not registered as a patron submits an order, NLS will refer the individual to their local network library to begin the process of becoming a patron.
Braille titles will be limited to books that are currently available on BARD, the NLS Braille and Audio Reading Download service. At this time, requests are limited to one book per patron per month. Only complete titles will be distributed. Requests for partial titles (for example, volume one of a three-volume book) will result in receiving the entire book.
The form to request a braille-on-demand book can be found linked from https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NLSbrailleondemand. Patrons may complete the form themselves or contact their network library for assistance. They may also contact NLS Reference at [email protected] for assistance in completing the form.

Article originally posted at https://www.braillists.org/uncategorised/nls-launches-braille-on-demand-pilot-project/

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I would really like to read this article about the blind engineer on the new Star Trek show

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 13:29:11 GMT

but this article is printed with some fancy font that is filled with characters that are unreadable by my screen reader.

My ironies surpass all others.

Here is the article so others can read it and hey, look, he's telepathic, too! So it's as if you rolled Geordie, Counselor Troy, and O'Brien all into one character...cooool....

On 'Strange New Worlds,' Meet The Blind Telepathic Engineer
'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' co-stars Bruce Horak as Hemmer. Bruce Horak is a Visually Impaired Performer Creator, according to his website. He's an actor, playwright, composer, visual artist, and other things, so that sounds about right. He's also legally blind, seeing about 9% of what the average person does. On May 5, 2022, the relatively unknown Canadian co-stars in "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," the latest installment of the venerable franchise. Horak portrays Hemmer, a blind telepathic Aenar who works as an engineer on the USS Enterprise. A company Hemmer is a tyrant at work, but he's also a miracle worker:
https://technotrenz.com/entertainment/on-strange-new-worlds-meet-the-blind-telepathic-engineer-1870634.html

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We're With U: Blind performing artists' Virtual Benefit Concert for blind Ukrainians

Sat, 16 Apr 2022 13:50:24 GMT

Join blind musicians from around the world on April 16th, 2022, at 2 p.m. Eastern time for a very special benefit concert for those who are blind impacted by the conflict in Ukraine.

The American Council of the Blind is proud to be a broadcast partner for the WBU global benefit concert “We’re With You,” which provides direct assistance for those in Ukraine who are blind and visually impaired.

The atrocities in Ukraine have turned life upside down for millions across the impacted region. The stories we have heard from those who are blind and visually impaired are extremely troubling. In response, voices from around the world are stepping up to sing a message of hope and unity for all those struggling during the conflict.

The online streaming platform Mushroom.FM has taken a lead role in organizing the broadcast, and both ACB and NFB are providing ways for individuals in the United States to donate to the cause. All proceeds will be sent directly to the World Blind Union (WBU) Unity Fund, which will provide disaster relief to those impacted by the current conflict taking place in Ukraine.

Click Here to
Donate to the WBU Unity Fund
https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E144393&id=79

How to Listen

The ACB Media Network is one of many broadcast partners across the globe providing coverage of the event. That means in addition to the Mushroom.FM live feed, the concert will be carried over ACB Media Channel 4. You can listen via the ACBMedia.org
https://www.acbmedia.org/
player or ask your Alexa smart speaker to “Open ACB Media and play Media 4.”

How to Join the Conversation

We will be having social rooms set up during the event where people can join in on the conversation as the concert goes live. Follow us on the ACB Community Facebook page for details on accessing the social rooms via Zoom and over our ACB Room on the social audio app Clubhouse. And be sure to check out
MushroomFM.com/WithYou

https://mushroomfm.com/WithYou
for program details and to learn more about the event and live performers.

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Today is Audio Description Awareness Day!

Sat, 16 Apr 2022 13:29:04 GMT

Next week I will begin the final two weeks of training in my web tester course taught by the Carroll Center for the Blind, and my plan for after I finish this course (because *of course* I have a plan) is to learn more about making media accessible, so I'm excited that there is a day dedicated to making people more aware of audio description.

Text taken from an announcement email by the Perkins School for the Blind:

Today, April 16, marks Audio Description Awareness Day.
What is audio description? It's descriptive narration of key visual elements in movies, theatre, and more.

It's also something really important to all of us at Perkins. Audio description, assistive devices, and assistive technology are all ways that we can simply make the world more inclusive for all. It fits right into our mission here that we believe EVERY child can learn.

What can you do? We got you covered.

3 stories on audio description & more

Audio description: Best practices
As experts in the field, Perkins is here to share our best practices for audio description for our community.
Learn more
https://www.perkins.org/resource/audio-description-best-practices-guide/

Communicating with Josias
Josias in Mexico is just one of many children who have grown and thrived with the help of assistive devices.
Meet Josias
https://www.perkins.org/communicating-with-josias/

Assistive technology bracket results
Loving the madness in March, Perkins joined in on bracketology with our very own assistive tech bracket!
Find out the winner!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CcBVeRTuzde/

Children's Day in Mexico

Children's Day, or Día del Niño, is on April 30. Learn about the holiday and meet Tere, a child in Mexico, whose story demonstrates why the holiday is so important to celebrate.
Check it out
https://www.perkins.org/in-mexico-childrens-day-celebrates-kids-like-tere/

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A Look at Programming Languages and Concepts for Blind and Low Vision Coders

Sat, 02 Apr 2022 15:30:00 GMT

Thanks to a generous grant from CDW, The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) is proud to offer introductory coding courses for blind and visually impaired youth and adults. These courses are designed to familiarize blind and low vision young adults and adults with basic coding tools, challenges navigating these tools with assistive technology such as screen readers, and techniques for navigating those challenges. Join Florian Beijers, a blind coder, as he guides you through learning the basics of coding in multiple programming languages. This is the second in a series of four courses.

This second course takes place Tuesdays in April at 1:00 PM Eastern time. Classes will be April 5, 12, 19, and 26 from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM Eastern daylight time, but all sessions will be recorded and available soon after the live class for those who cannot attend at the scheduled time. If you cannot attend at the scheduled time, please be sure to register for the webinar so that you will receive all emails, including links to the recordings. Pre-requisite knowledge: At least intermediate familiarity with a screen reader with speech and/or braille, or intermediate familiarity with a screen magnification program. Ability to use the internet to accomplish tasks such as searching for and reading information, completing forms, and using keyboard shortcuts to navigate, read, and edit. Ability to follow written instructions to independently download and install programs and extensions. Willingness to participate in the entire course consisting of 4 weekly sessions; each session will last 90 minutes. Willingness to spend at least two hours per week on review and homework.

Lesson Plan Goal: Introduce students to multiple coding modalities and how to navigate barriers encountered.
Learning Objectives: 1. Identify three reasons to use ARIA and when not to use it. 2. Explain at least three requirements for web accessibility using ARIA. 3. Successfully apply Python basics to at least three coding tasks. 4. Describe use of Python in web application, data science, and automation. 5. Identify at least two obstacles present in the development field for blind and low vision coders, and two strategies to either join a development team or take a software development-related study.
Materials Needed: screen reader with speech output or Braille display and/or screen magnification program.

Here is the link to register:
https://aph.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_COVPq9ogT96c_X8XbSRPtA

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