kestrell | Entries tagged with accessible google

Help shape the future of Google's products! Google is looking for people who use screen readers to participate in a survey to learn more about how you use assistive technology. This study will help the Google team better understand your needs in order to incorporate them into future product development and updates.
Dates: January 12th - February 5th
Time: 15-20 minutes
Location: online, complete the survey on your own time
Thanks: $25 gift code
To qualify: You must live in the US and be over the age of 18
If you’re interested in participating, please let us know by filling out this short form: https://forms.gle/tKZt7FZQRAGQ39rP8. Note that completing this form is not the survey itself. Once we receive your email, we will reach out with a unique survey link for you to complete the 15-20 minute survey that you can take anytime.
Please feel free to pass this email onto anyone you think might be interested. Email Emma Jackson at pix@google.com with any questions.

Kes: Ironically, I spent this morning talking to a healthcare consumer group about failures in healthcare, and one of the things I mentioned is that actually, yes, health insurance groups do consider smart home tech, including something as inexpensive as an Alexa, a luxury, and are always turning down requests for these technologies, although the companies themselves do not seem to employ assistive technology professionals who are qualified to conduct evaluations of consumers's needs and make appropriate recommendations.

How Smart Home Tech Is Making Tasks Easier, Improving Accessibility
November 17, 2020
https://www.boia.org/blog/how-smart-home-tech-is-making-tasks-easier-improving-accessibility

As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to grow, smart devices keep getting smarter. Consumers can now find affordably priced smart speakers, smart locks, video doorbells, and even smart window coverings — and for the
61 million American adults living with disabilities,
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/infographic-disability-impacts-all.html
smart home devices aren’t mere novelties. IoT tech has significantly improved accessibility by opening up new ways to interact with devices, often at a fraction of the cost of traditional assistive technologies.

And because smart home devices can be programmed to interact and change based on conditions, users have considerable control over the way that they function. Exploring a few real-world applications of smart home technology provides some insight into the way that real people live — and how new technologies can promote accessibility.

Some smart devices tend to follow the principles of accessibility by default
Smart gadgets cut down on labor and make many tasks easier, and because the devices don’t rely on a single set of controls, they can remove some challenges for people with disabilities. People with vision disabilities can use voice commands, while people with speech disabilities can input commands via smartphones, tablets, or other devices
(Google’s Assistant app,
https://www.androidcentral.com/google-assistant-finally-same-phones-and-google-home

...for instance, now provides the same functionality through text as the Google Home, the company’s voice assistant technology).

In the smart home ecosystem, people have options. Tasks can be automated, controlled remotely, or scheduled to the user’s preferences, which opens up thousands of possible accommodations.

That’s important because people don’t follow a script. For a smart home device to be truly "smart," it needs to be adaptive, capable of changing to meet the needs of the consumer. By virtue of their design, smart home devices fulfill many of the
goals of accessibility
https://www.boia.org/blog/what-are-the-four-major-categories-of-accessibility
— they’re operable, adaptive to different types of users, perceivable in their functions, and robust enough to adapt to future technologies.

How to Add Siri Shortcuts to iPhone Home Screen
https://mashtips.com/add-siri-shortcuts-to-iphone-home-screen/

How to Add a Text Caption Directly in a Photo in iOS 14
https://ttjtech.net/2020/11/02/how-to-add-a-text-caption-directly-in-a-photo-in-ios-14/

32 Ways to Record Your Screen
This guide focuses on how to record your screen on Windows, Mac, iPhone/iPad, Android with 32 different screen recorders
https://www.videoproc.com/download-record-video/how-to-record-your-screen.htm

Google Home Audio Tutorial From Mystic Access
This is a 6-hour, $39 audio tutorial that covers all aspects of the Google Home personal assistant from a blindness perspective.
https://www.mysticaccess.com/product/audio-tutorial-for-google-home/

Virtual Technology Fair, The Carroll Center for the Blind
( continued below cut )

Access Academy (formerly #AtHomeWithAPH)
https://www.aph.org/educational-resources/training/access-academy/
is hosting a number of education-related webinars
Access Academy Archives
Missed a chance to attend one of our webinars or just looking for more resources? Many of our past Access Academy webinars are available on our Access Academy YouTube playlist.

Watch Access Academy Webinars
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUj6DcM1nN3ETBrf17n6IKIxSihSU-gx0

Are you new to Google Classroom? Do you want to learn more about using screen reader software to navigate and complete classwork within Google Classroom? Join this webinar to preview the Google Classroom interface, navigate using keyboard commands, and explore other various components using JAWS.
Time
Wednesday, Nov 11, 2020 11:30 AM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register here
https://aph.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1WF5vBG4RKCt-QsVx5XbUw

Promoting Social Connections for Individuals (all ages) with Visual Impairments during Physical Distancing
November 12, 2020, 6:00 – 7:30 PM EST
As widespread social lockdown and physical distancing remain the new norm due to the Coronavirus pandemic, individuals who are blind and visually impaired face more social challenges than ever. This session aims to explore strategies for preventing isolation, boredom, loneliness, and disengagement during these uncertain times. Activities and other opportunities to create and maintain social connections will be explored for people with visual impairments of all ages.
AVCREP Credits will be available only for the live session.
Do you need access to RealTime text interpreting or Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) as an accommodation under the Americans With Disabilities Act? *

Tips and Techniques to Develop Pre-Braille Skills in Toddlers
Monday, November 16, 2020, 2:00 - 3:30 PM EST
It is never too early to start incorporating activities that promote the development of pre-braille skills. Sara and Julia will share a variety of strategies that can be implemented within the home to support future braille readers and writers. Join us to learn more about how household materials or very inexpensive items can be put together to create educational materials that promote growth in different developmental areas with an emphasis on pre-braille skills. Many of the activities shared in the webinar can be adapted to meet learners of all ages needs and interests.
AVCREP Credits will be available only for the live session.
Register Here
https://aph.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_QCp2_Gn9Sgq2tUgOXLyjdA

Kes: If you're searching for more materials and resources for promoting braille skills in children, take a look at the many books and resources available through the National Braille Press
https://www.nbp.org/

Posted to the Tech Juggernaut blog at
https://ttjtech.net/2020/08/13/attention-students-important-information-regarding-upcoming-changes-to-the-itunes-u-learning-management-system/

Apple has announced that they are sun setting their iTunes U offering next year. This means that the app will no longer be available or supported for use after spring 2021, and those who have previously used iTunes U will need to find an alternative solution for their learning management system (LMS). The exact reason for this decision was not disclosed to the public, but we know for certain that Apple maintains an intense focus on, and an incredible passion for, revolutionizing education. Already, they have great offerings for school districts, such as Apple School Manager, Apple Schoolwork, and the Apple Classroom app, the latter of which is available for local, in-person classes. They have stated that they plan to continue support for these products and continue to enhance said products going forward.
What Will TTJ Use Now?
The Tech Juggernaut has elected to use Google Classroom for all future TTJ courses. This change will happen effective immediately. Students who plan to enroll in Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 courses will be using Google Classroom - not iTunes U, for all their class content.

Why Google? Why Not Apple Schoolwork?
At the present time, Apple Schoolwork is only available to accredited educational institutions. While TTJ is made up of certified instructors, we are neither an accredited K-12 district nor a college or university, and are therefore not eligible to use the Schoolwork app at this time. We are fiercely interested in what Apple will offer going forward and certainly do plan to consider it if we should be given such an opportunity, but in the interim, in order to provide an uninterrupted experience for all our students, we needed a solution that was available to us immediately.
Furthermore, we feel that Google Classroom, perhaps more than any other third-party LMS app, provides a powerful yet extremely simple user interface with the right combination of functionality and ease of use for even those students who are completely new to Voiceover and iOS. Finally, if new students are not yet comfortable using their iOS devices, they will be able to access Google Classroom on other platforms, such as Chrome OS and Windows, until they become more confident in using Voiceover and iOS/iPad OS.

For more info, including how to save materials from former classes, go to the blog post listed above.

American Printing House for the Blind will be hosting a webinar on
JAWS and Gmail

Description
Want to know how to access your Gmail from anywhere using Google’s Web Mail option? This presentation outlines optimal accessibility settings, show you how to work with messages, and discuss important features designed to enhance your email experience.
Time
Jul 15, 2020 11:30 AM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register here
https://aph.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hC67ypICRBOKE9YI8u3j9w

Does anyone know if Googlebooks is working to improve accessibility? I am familiar with the message that pops up with a link labelled "Screen reader users click her for accessible viewing," or something to that effect, but I've rarely found any useful results when I do that. I'm sure it all has to do with copyright and such, but an accessibility rate that is close to zero seems almost useless.