GTT/Tech-Ease Regina Summary Notes, Ways To Get There, February 24, 2018

Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB), GTT-TechEase Regina, Peer Mentoring 7 Minutes

Tech-Ease/ Get Together with Technology

Regina Drop-In Meeting

Summary Notes

February 24, 2018

 

Sponsored by Vision Impaired Resource Network (VIRN),

Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB)

And the

Regina Public Library

 

Assistive Technology Peer Support by and for people who are blind/low vision

 

In Attendance Feb 24, 2018: 18 participants, Amber, Michelle, Camille, Lori, Donna, Darlene, Anna, Barry, Wes, Jerome, Tracy & Mitch, Kari, Linda & Blaine

 

Today we Talked about Ways to Get There

 

BlindSquare:

An app, paid or non-paid, for iPhone. It works off FourSquare (Swarm) maps as well as Apple maps. It helps people with no or partial sight navigate their environment by announcing places nearby as you walk, the places are announced within feet of your location so it is very well triangulated.

There are beacons that can be set up in building that have specific to BlindSquare information loaded on them by the building owner that provide the BlindSquare user additional information. For example, when you walk into the CNIB in Regina the beacon tells you have entered CNIB and the reception desk is to your left and seating is to your right. You can have multiple beacons in a space.

There are also BlindSquare specific QR codes you can put on doors to tell you about who or what is in that room. These can be scanned with the reader installed within the app.

 

BlindSquare has a free and paid version, the free version works with BlindSquare Events, the paid version works with maps and announces businesses, points of interest, etc as you walk. With Events it just announces information from beacons and lets you scan QR codes. The CNIB in Regina is set up as an event so you can go there and see how beacons work in real life.

 

The library is hoping to get beacons soon. Other places that often have beacons are places like malls, stadiums, downtowns, government buildings, etc.

 

Example of how it works:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU8geoiMF8g

 

Download BlindSquare here:

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/blindsquare/id500557255?mt=8

 

Google Maps:

Google maps comes installed on all Android devices, it can be downloaded on iPhones. It is a map program. It can help you navigate your environment by driving, walking, cycling or taking transit. It is rather accurate in it’s routes and finds the best routes for pedestrians or the fastest transit routes when those are chosen.

 

It is a very visual map but it does work well with Talk Back (Voice Over for Android). It shows locations and puts pins on the map to identify them. You can switch the view to satellite or street view for more information if you are partially sighted.

 

It does have voice navigation as a built-in option.

 

It works with Regina Transit and is very accurate.

 

Google Maps Tutorial (this is a sighted person explaining so apologies for no DVS):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPzuz1x839k

 

Google Maps explained:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Spel7vfkpNc

 

Download Google Maps for iPhone here;

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/google-maps-gps-navigation/id585027354?mt=8

 

Moovit:

An app for transit, it shows you the best routes for buses, it tells you when your bus will arrive (not GPS enabled so pretty accurate but not perfect). It will tell you how many stops until your stop and will tell you when to get off the bus. It also tells you how to walk to the place you are going from the bus stops or from where you are to the bus stops. It gives you multiple route options if multiple option exist.  Works well with Voice Over & Talk Back.

 

Moovit Tutorial (sighted person explaining so apologies for no DVS):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH_nJW-64Xc

 

Download Moovit for iOS:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/moovit-public-transit-app/id498477945?mt=8

 

Download Moovit for Android:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tranzmate&hl=en_CA

 

Nearby Explorer:

(literally copied from description in app store as I have never used it)

 

Nearby Explorer is a full featured GPS app designed for use by people who are blind. Instead of just providing directions, it describes the environment in ways comparable to reading signage or observing road characteristics.

It uses onboard maps, so a data connection is not required, but if you have one, Nearby Explorer supplements the on board map data with crowd collected locations from Foursquare or Google Places. It includes complete maps for the United States and Canada which contain millions of points of interest. The onboard maps are over 4GB in size, so be sure the device you plan to use has enough available space before purchasing.

Nearby Explorer works with any device running iOS version 9 or later, but if the device does not contain its own GPS receiver, like most iPads and iPods, you must use an external GPS receiver. All iPhones contain GPS receivers.

Nearby Explorer works by letting you select from several different location related options about what to announce as you move. These include both typical items like street name and address and specialized options like approaching streets, intersection configurations, and nearby places and the distance and direction to them. (All announcements are optional.) All of this information is shown on the home screen and is available at any time, but typical use is to adjust the level of announcements, then lock the screen and put the device away. This keeps both hands free and let’s your preferred voice speak the characteristics of the environment as you move.

You may also use the devices position and orientation to obtain additional targeted details such as pointing the end of the device to scan for businesses, even in a moving vehicle, or tilting it vertically to function as a compass, including a listing of streets in the indicated direction. This all works with the device locked, so one need not fuss with the touch screen while moving. You may even mark a point, then use the position of the device to get haptic feedback about that point’s location.
Nearby Explorer includes a transit feature that provides detailed mass transit schedules for over 60 metropolitan areas in the U. S. and Canada. It treats transit stops just like favorites and points of interest by announcing their name and relative position as you move, but in addition, transit stops add next vehicle stop time, direction of travel, and route name to the announcements. You can use the transit schedules to look up times or even follow a route.

You may virtually move to any area in the U.S. or Canada and explore the road network, search, or use the transit maps for that area.

For complete details about Nearby Explorer, see http://tech.aph.org/ne

 

Download Nearby Explorer:

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/nearby-explorer/id1095698497?mt=8

 

City of Regina has a transit line at 306-777-RIDE you can call to find out what bus to take or when your bus it going to arrive.

 

Trekker Breeze/Victor Trek:

Jerome was explaining how his Trekker Breeze works.

There is a device that goes on your shoulder (speaker) and another that clips to you belt (GPS & controller). You program in where you wan to go using the alpha-numeric keypad on the controller and it lets you plan a route. You can save favourite routes.

 

It announces streets/intersections as you get to them, 25 feet before. When you plan a route is saved it rings bell 25 feet before you reach your location.

 

You program in by addresses, not by GPS coordinates. You can put in waypoints and name them for future use. Once your route is entered you can preview in simulation mode so you have an idea of where you are going.

 

The city had an install of all the bus routes that added them as waypoints to the Trekker, but it hasn’t been updated in a few years.

 

It uses NavTech maps.

 

The new Trek can program in virtual routes. It knows the names of places. It can look around you and tell you points of interest around. It uses TomTom maps

 

The new Trek is also a Victor Stream so you can get your podcasts, e-books, internet radio, streaming things on it as well.

 

Cab Companies in Regina:

People have had varying degrees of luck with all these companies for accessibility, guide dog access and ease of use.

  • Co-OP Cabs & Regina Cabs are run by the same company apparently
  • Capital Cabs
  • Premiere Cabs, which also may be part of Regina Cabs

 

Advocacy with Cab Companies’ – It is always important that you report troubles with any of the companies to dispatch and if you don’t feel you are being heard take your complaints higher up to managers or owners of companies and if you still don’t feel heard to go Human Rights and file a complaint.

 

ParaTransit:

Very hard for a partially sighted or blind person to get permission to use unless they have another disability.

 

Your doctor needs to fill out a form to try to get access. The form is available on the City of Regina Website as well as the rules and conditions of use:

https://www.regina.ca/residents/transit-services/regina-paratransit/

 

There are some people who have seasonal or special circumstance passes to ParaTransit.

 

Uber/Lyft:

Will be coming to Regina in the future. It is a ride share program. You can pay to have a ride by yourself or pay less to ride share with others going to similar destinations. It is all controlled by an app.

 

CNIB is working with the government across Canada to ensure that Uber & Lyft are accessible for guide dog users and person who are blind or partially sighted.

 

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/techeasesk

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Published by Albert Ruel

The Albert A. Ruel Road to Blindness A 21 year old man stood on the beach at the Sproat Lake Provincial Park with friends early in May of 1977, and upon gazing across the lake found the Gulf Oil sign missing from the dock-side filling station there. When this fact was shared with his companions they glanced at him with puzzled looks and said, “No Albert, the sign is still there”. That was the beginning of a road through confusion, anger, isolation, loneliness and discovery for me. It all began with a visit to a local Optometrist who could see that my vision wasn’t right, but that corrective lenses wouldn’t help. He then referred me to a General Practitioner, where I received a clean bill of health and an additional referral. This time to an Ophthalmologist. Immediately upon peering through the dilated pupils, Dr. McKerricher was able to see the problem, Retinal Vasculitis. Now, you would think that all would start to improve at this point, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. You see, CNIB, from 1918 until 1985 only served the needs of people who were “Legally Blind”, a level of vision loss I wouldn’t reach until November of 1979. The words of Dr. McKerricher still echo in my mind today, “Albert, I don’t know what has caused this and nothing we’ve tried is helping to stop it, and you’re not blind enough for me to refer you to CNIB”! In the middle of this transition from 20/20 vision to “Legally Blind” came the Motor Vehicle Branch and it’s rules of the road. On August 3, 1978 I drove a car for the last time as my vision had reached the level at which operating a motor vehicle became too dangerous, further intensifying feelings of fear, isolation and anger. Sadly, through this period the only available guidance and support was through family and friends, but not the experienced professionals I needed at the time. Although these support systems are critically important they can often be smothering and facilitating, rather than encouraging and supportive. With gratitude, and some trepidation I finally was able to access CNIB services in November of 1979, and the world opened up then. There I was able to meet other blind people and receive the daily living and mobility skills required to live independently in this sighted world. I learned elementary braille and began to discover technology as necessary tools of independence. Thankfully, in 1985 CNIB’s National Board altered the course of service to visually impaired Canadians forever. They added a third prong to their Mission Statement, “To promote sight enhancement services”. This opened the door to all Canadians who were beginning to lose sight, as well as those who had a fear of vision loss to access the full range of CNIB Support and Rehabilitation Services. So now, whether it’s someone’s Mother who is experiencing Macular Degeneration, or an Uncle experiencing the affects of Glaucoma, all have the ability to seek information, guidance and support as all involved deal with the fear and anxiety that accompanies such life altering experiences. With the help of professional Rehabilitation Workers and Employment Counselors I was able to continue traveling independently within my own community, and even more remarkably anywhere in the world I desired to go. I managed to attend College in Nanaimo and New Westminster, as well as traveling to the Mayo Clinic and to doctor’s appointments in Nanaimo and Vancouver without assistance. All of this while living with some usable vision, but not yet needing a white cane for travel. During the mid 1980’s I was a stay-at-home Dad and did all that was required of that challenging work, from changing diapers to preparing meals, and from cutting the grass to maintaining our home. I even took a woodworking course through Alberni’s Adult Education program and built and restored several pieces of furniture. Of course the 1958 Chevy Impala in the garage was my pride and joy, and I devised ways to do much of the work it required. I also joined and participated in many community activities, like the local Car Club, and a disability support group that catered to the needs of people with many different disabilities. Of course, continued participation in family life remained of critical importance through this period. In 1989 a secondary condition began to extinguish the vision that remained, which set into motion a new stream of professional rehabilitation services and supports. By the spring of 1990 Glaucoma had turned out the lights completely, and the darkness I had feared so desperately was upon me. Strangely though, I found this to be a great relief rather than the tragedy I had imagined it would be. Through several professional rehabilitation sessions, and by joining peer mentoring and advocacy groups I was able to come to terms with this strange feeling, and to learn additional skills and strategies for living with no visual cues of the world around me. This is also about the time that I decided to explore CNIB as an employer, and to see if I could provide the sort of guidance and support to others that had been my pleasure to receive. Those 14 years were a wonderful experience of ongoing discovery for me, as teaching may be the best way to solidify one’s own learning. In other words, those we assist through this transition in turn help us all as we develop best practices and improved service. Following a 14 year career with CNIB I also served the blind community as the first National Equality Director employed by the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians (AEBC), and as a Basic Computer Literacy Trainer with the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB). Most recently I have enjoyed coordinating the CCB’s newly launched Get Together with Technology Program in Western Canada, which brings to the fore my passion for assistive technology and the power of peer mentoring. Without sight I have continued to travel far and wide, with trips to Conventions of and for the Blind in Anaheim California and Melbourne Australia, as well as to many events and activities in Toronto and Vancouver. Of course my work has taken me to many communities throughout Western Canada, and most particularly nearly all regions of BC and on Vancouver Island. None of which would have been possible without the services and support of organizations like CCB, AEBC and CNIB. For most people blindness generates a fear of extended movement, both within one’s home and community, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Independence comes from personal desire and increased skill. Many community organizations can assist with both through their mentoring and skill development programs. I remember always that life has little to do with what happens to me and 100% what I do about/with it. There is a quote I like to use from the National Federation of the Blind in the USA, “With adequate skill development and opportunity blindness can be reduced to the level of a nuisance”, and nothing could be closer to the truth. Helen Keller said many years ago, “There is nothing more tragic than someone who has sight, but no vision”. She also challenged the Lions Clubs of the world to become the “Knights of the Blind, and to take up the crusade against darkness”. I too joined a Lions Club in 1992 and continue to work on the crusade that Helen Keller began in the 1920-s.

Published