Author: 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.

RNIB: Factsheet for Employers and Employment Professionals; Guidance and good practice for Risk Assessors

Factsheet for employers and employment

professionals

Blind and partially sighted people at work

– Guidance and good practice for Risk

Assessors

About this factsheet

This factsheet is for anyone who needs help with safety management in a place where blind or partially sighted people work. Blind and partially sighted people compete for, perform and succeed in a wide range of jobs. Many need little or no adjustment to their workplace or to working practices, and yet many employers worry about employing blind and partially sighted people, sometimes having concerns for their safety and for the safety of others.

This guidance has been compiled in consultation with: health and safety professionals; people in the workplace who assess the risks to employees; employers; and with blind and partially sighted people. We aim to help risk assessors by providing the information they need to reach decisions, and ensure a safe environment with safe working guidelines.

1. The need for guidance

Carrying out a risk assessment of the workplace or an activity for blind or partially sighted people doesn’t have to be difficult, but it can sometimes be a daunting prospect. If you haven’t worked with blind people before, it can be very easy to over-estimate risks or make assumptions about what blind people can or can’t do.

People who risk assess the workplaces and activities of blind and partially sighted people, looking for advice, often approach RNIB. While we are aware that mistakes can be made, we also know that risks can be managed successfully and we want to share good practice.

This guidance has been produced to highlight some of the things that we’re often asked about, share examples of successful risk management and suggest sources of help.

We are also aware that risk assessment, or health and safety in general, has been used as an excuse not to employ blind and partially sighted people (Hurstfield et al, 2003). We hope that the guidance we have put together will help to overcome unnecessary barriers.

Most importantly, we hope that this guidance helps you to reach informed decisions and, in so doing, ensures that blind and partially sighted people can continue to work effectively and safely.

2. Blind and partially sighted people at work

In the middle of the last century, blind people were encouraged to work in specific occupations. These included jobs as switchboard operators, masseurs, piano tuners and even basket weavers.

Things have changed quite considerably and blind and partially sighted people now succeed in a range of jobs across different sectors. “This IS Working 2” (RNIB, 2009), gave examples of ten people working as: a company director, senior physiotherapist, sales and marketing manager, shop owner, policy officer, development and funding officer, teacher, administrative assistant, and outreach worker. A copy of this document, which includes testimonials from employers, can be fond here: http://www.rnib.org.uk/livingwithsightloss/working/successstories/Pages/success_stories.aspx

Blind people do succeed at work. When safety management works well, we know that all employees, including blind and partially sighted people, can work safely.

3. The process of risk assessment

Employers are required by law to manage health and safety in the workplace. Each organisation will have their own ways of doing this and the roles of individual risk assessors can be different.

This document does not deal with the mechanics of undertaking and recording risk assessments. The principles are the same for everyone, but guidance is already available on dealing with “disability” in relation to safety management. See, for example, ‘Health and Safety for Disabled People and Their Employers (Health and Safety Executive and DRC).

IOSH, the Chartered body for health and safety professionals, offers advice on their website about the responsibilities that the Equality Act imposes on those who manage safety.

They specifically suggest that:

the Equality Act has an effect on the way you
manage safety.
while you may be able to use health and safety issues related to disability as a reason not to employ someone – or to refuse a service to someone – you can only do so if certain conditions are met.
if the safety of a task may be affected by someone’s disability, then a risk assessment should be carried out for everyone, not just for disabled employees.
if you don’t document the steps you’ve taken to consult disabled workers or customers, and to make reasonable adjustments, your organisation could be involved in an expensive tribunal case.

This factsheet will focus on how risk assessment can affect blind and partially sighted people at work.

4. Key points for risk assessment

In general, the following points will help to shape your risk assessments:

4.1 Risk assessments should address a task and everyone

involved

Whilst the legislation requires employers to identify groups that might be at risk of harm, telling someone that “you must be risk assessed” sends out a negative message. In a way, it suggests that the individual is the issue, when this is clearly not the case. It sounds much more positive to tell someone that activities are being assessed.

4.2 The individuals involved must be consulted

The Health and Safety Executive’s “Five Steps to Risk Assessment” recommends that: ‘In all cases, you should make sure that you involve your staff or their representatives in the process. They will have useful information about how the work is done that will make your assessment of the risk more thorough and effective.’

Your blind or partially sighted employee is usually the best person to describe how their sight loss affects them and you should be able to tap in to that knowledge. Risk assessments carried out without the involvement of blind and partially sighted employees are significantly more likely to be inaccurate.

4.3 “Adjustments” must be considered as part of the process

Employers have a responsibility to make “reasonable adjustments” to working practices and physical features. This is likely to include the provision of auxiliary aids. While this might be beyond your area of responsibility as a risk assessor, you must be prepared to take proposed changes into account.

4.4 It is important that you do not make assumptions about

the level of someone’s functional vision

Most blind people have some useful vision. Some people will be able to see fine detail, while some may have very good peripheral vision. Even people with the same eye condition can have widely different levels of useful sight.

Employers often ask for medical guidance to help understand what people can or can’t see. However, this is often presented in medical terms and is usually lacking an occupational focus.

Asking the individual to describe their sight is often the best way to gather information to assess risk. Professionals who work with blind and partially sighted people at work can be another source of information. Making assumptions about what people can and can’t see will produce flawed risk assessments.

5. Common issues

Employers often contact RNIB to ask for advice about specific worries they have about the safety of a blind or partially sighted colleague. Things we have been asked about include:

5.1 Guide Dogs at work

Guide dogs are one example of an aid to mobility. However, it has been estimated that as few as one or two per cent of blind or partially sighted people use guide dogs to get around. It is therefore important that you don’t assume that people either use guide dogs, or choose to bring them to work.

Having said that, if an employee brings a guide dog to work, proper planning is required to ensure that things run smoothly.

We have been asked about accommodating guide dogs at work and, in most cases, working practices can be adopted to ensure a safe and comfortable working environment.

Some of the common questions revolve around:

Toileting – a suitable area must be identified for the guide dog. While in some places there are very obvious locations for this, some companies (particularly in town centres) find this difficult.

Moving around building – the extent to which a blind person uses a guide dog once at their workstation will vary, depending on the person’s other mobility skills and knowledge of the environment. It is important that the guide dog user is aware of his or her responsibilities. Working rules should be established. These could include where the dog goes when not “on harness” or how often breaks are required.

Induction/emergency procedures – it may be necessary to review your evacuation plans. There may already be a structure in place (such as personal emergency evacuation plans) to facilitate this within your organisation. Standard instructions, such as those issued during induction should be available in the correct format for the employee to read.

Colleagues – the extent to which colleagues interact with guide dog users is likely to vary. There are both positive and negatives to this. For example, colleagues can distract a working dog, or alternatively can assist with “walking” the dog. Colleagues may need to be told of their responsibilities. For example, they may need to know when it might be appropriate to play with or to walk the dog, or to know when the dog is working.

Allergy/Fear of dogs/cultural influences – Some thought may need to be given to where guide dogs are based while people are working to allay concerns.

If in any doubt about any aspect of working with Guide Dogs, representatives from the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association will want to help you with this.

5.2 Mobility and travel

When considering potential risks involved in travelling, it is important to bear in mind that most blind or partially sighted people will travel easily with no problems. Some may need support.

Blind and partially sighted people have varying levels of sight and particular eye conditions affect sight in different ways. We can’t assume that people with the same eye condition are affected in the same way, as people with the same eye condition often see the world in entirely different ways. Familiarity with the area and environmental factors, such as lighting, are other things that can affect someone’s mobility.

Additionally, people adjust to sight loss in different ways. It is safe to say that the mobility skills of blind and partially sighted people vary considerably. Some people travel independently, while others use mobility aids or support from others to travel.

It probably goes without saying that an individual should be consulted when considering potential risks with travel. It is also good practice to ensure that any concerns about mobility are kept in perspective – issues should not be allowed to be blown out of proportion.

If an individual is looking for mobility support for specific parts of their travel, two agencies might be able to help.

In each local authority area, there are mobility specialists, sometimes known as rehabilitation workers, who can teach people how to use mobility aids and help them learn to navigate routes. They either work for the local authority social work team, or the organisation that holds the register of blind and partially sighted people.

The Access to Work programme supports people at work and individuals can apply for financial assistance to travel to and from work and within work. The Access to Work programme can only cover the additional costs of travelling to meet disability-related and it is not intended to replace the standard costs involved in business use.

5.3 Lighting

Both the quality and quantity of lighting has a significant impact on all working environments. For some people, it can help to create a comfortable workplace. For others, lighting can pose a barrier to effective working.

Guidance on lighting levels tends to be either general, aimed at a technical audience, or individual, based on one person’s experience. For example, Building Site (1995), suggests that light levels are crucial. It suggests that lux levels (a measure of luminance) for blind and partially sighted people should be 25 per cent to 50 per cent above the “general” level.

The difficulty with such generalised recommendations is that individual blind and partially sighted people have very different needs. Increasing the general “background” lighting levels might not necessarily make a working environment safer or more comfortable.

For some people, increasing background light would be helpful. But it might be more effective to introduce additional light sources, rather than make the existing fittings brighter. This is particularly true if units can be switched on and off to allow more control over lux levels.

Other people find it difficult to work with high levels of lighting and prefer a darker working environment.

As well as the amount of light, the source of light is also an important factor. Many people find that natural light is best. This can mean that making the best of light from windows is preferable to using electric lighting. Similarly, some people find that light fittings emulating natural light (daylight bulbs) are very effective.

The key to resolving lighting issues is to talk to the people involved and call in specialists where necessary. Sometimes simple changes can make a huge difference to a working environment. At other times, more work is required to strike a balance between the needs of one individual among a group of other employees.

5.4 Trip hazards

Research suggests that blind and partially sighted people are more likely to trip than sighted people (Legood et al, 2009). Yet, when we introduce controls to reduce risk, it is very important to keep a sense of perspective. Introducing “no-go” areas, such as stairs or in specific areas you perceive as dangerous, can be discriminatory. It is very unlikely that the only way to manage potential trip hazards is to exclude people from certain areas, as other alternative steps can be taken to reduce risk. Most blind and partially sighted people can navigate around buildings and other workplaces. If you feel strongly that there are parts of a workplace that are not safe, you should seek advice.

5.5 Lone working

Working alone is an integral part of many jobs. Whether this involves visiting customers at home, working from other premises, travelling either locally or more widely or working at home.

Lone working is an area that often raises concerns for employers. But while there may be occasions when a blind or partially sighted person is exposed to risk, these risks are often no greater than a sighted colleague would face.

It is very easy to make assumptions about potential dangers and introduce unnecessary risk controls. And yet, very many blind or partially sighted people work successfully and safely on their own, sometimes in challenging environments.

Considering risks

It is important to consider how an individual is affected by sight loss. Some people travel independently and confidently. Others look for support, particularly in unfamiliar environments.

Some employers have found it helpful to consider the extent of an individual’s sight loss. Having an understanding of what a person can or cannot see can make it easier to discuss risks. Medical “evidence” is not likely to help with this. A diagnosis does not usually describe the extent of functional vision. Most of the time, your blind or partially sighted employee is the best person to describe this to you.

Minimising risk

Your starting point for managing risks should be the systems you already have in place for your lone workers. Your local working practices must be robust and comprehensive, so that the work of all of your lone-working employees is covered. Your blind or partially sighted employee is no different in this respect.

5.6 Evacuating the building

Most blind and partially sighted people will understand the need for plans to deal with unexpected evacuations, for example, in the case of fire. Employers generally deal with evacuation routes, procedures and assembly points during an employee’s induction period.

It is important to ensure that written evacuation procedures are available in different formats during induction. For example, having a Word version of the procedures available will allow most users of access technology to read them.

Some blind or partially sighted people would welcome the chance to familiarise themselves with the main routes and practise leaving the building by emergency exits. This could be arranged with their line manager when starting work.

If a blind or partially sighted person is finding it difficult to learn routes and needs some support, it may be appropriate to allocate a “buddy” to assist with evacuation until routes are learned.

Further information can be found in the publication “Fire Safety Risk Assessment: Means of Escape for Disabled People”, Department of Communities and Local Government, 2007.

5.7 Stairs

While risk assessing the use of stairs, your starting point should be to assume that blind and partially sighted people are subject to the same risks as any other employee. Therefore, any steps you might take to reduce risk apply to all employees.

If you believe that there are risks to stair users, you may want to consider the following extracts form Building Sight:

“Lighting on stairs should be sufficient to highlight any obstructions on the flight of the stairs, but should highlight the treads as opposed to the risers to emphasise each step. It is very important that ceiling-mounted luminaires do not become a glare source – they should be well shielded. Alternatively, large-area, low-brightness sources can be mounted on a side or facing wall.”

“The stair covering should not have a pattern that can cause confusion between tread and riser or between one tread and another.”

It is worth pointing out that making physical changes of this type may be the responsibility of your landlord, but this does not mean that you shouldn’t raise the issues with them.

5.8 Safe use of computer systems

Employers are required to “analyse workstations, and assess and reduce risks. Employers need to look at the whole workstation including equipment, furniture, and the work environment; the job being done; and any special needs of individual staff. The regulations apply where staff habitually use display screen equipment as a significant part of their normal work.” (HSE, 2006).

It is entirely likely, then, that the needs of blind and partially sighted people will be highlighted as part of a general risk assessment of display screen equipment.

In addition to this, employees will often highlight difficulties in using computer systems related to their sight. Unless the individual has a good idea of their requirements, it is usually a good idea to seek specialist advice. RNIB or Action for Blind People offices will be able to recommend ways to make it easier to change the way screens look, or alternative ways of accessing screen content.

5.9 Machinery

Employers often have legitimate concerns about blind or partially sighted people operating power tools, hand tools or other machinery such as grass cutting or gardening power tools.

There will be times when you will need to eliminate risk by specifying tools that should not be used at work.
However, it is very important to discuss with an individual exactly how their sight restricts them and how real the risks are. Bear in mind that some new employees may underplay any difficulties as they may have had negative experiences with past employers.

Another factor to take into account is the environment in which people will be working. If you can control the immediate work area, machinery can be made safe to use. For example, in a factory, machines can be fitted with guards and walkways restricted to improve the safety of the work environment. If you are in doubt, ask for advice.

5.10 Caring for others

Many blind and partially sighted people work in jobs where they provide social care services. This can include working in nurseries, care homes and delivering community services.

As you would expect, the generic risk assessments carried out to cover the working routines of care workers are often sufficient to ensure a safe working environment for blind and partially sighted people.

However, employers sometimes have concerns about certain aspects of working that could be perceived as dangerous. These could include, for example:

Reading facial expressions to predict behaviour:

This is a contentious issue. The vast majority of blind or partially sighted people will be able to read facial expressions, but some will find it difficult or impossible. Logically, this could suggest that a blind person may be at higher risk of sudden changes in behaviour.

However, there is a considerable body of research that shows how people are able to perceive mood or feelings from verbal communication only. So the extent of the risk involved is not at all clear.

Reducing risk in this situation calls for a balanced judgement based on an understanding of an individual’s sight and the requirements of the job.

Missing visual cues, such as evidence of substance misuse or

concealed weapons:

Potential hazards of this kind could be addressed by adopting working practices that apply to all employees. This could include ensuring that thorough background information is obtained with referrals. Additionally, initial assessments of the individual customers should cover the likelihood of issues arising. There may be situations where it is safer for people to work in pairs.

Reading correspondence while visiting customers:

In some jobs, workers may be required to read forms or letters when visiting people in their homes or other settings. Generally, this can be overcome by using access technology, such as portable video magnifiers or scanners.

Perceived difficulties dealing with children:

Nurseries, after school clubs and similar establishments that provide childcare services have well-developed risk management systems in place. If a blind or partially sighted person starts work, the working practices in place are often robust enough to ensure safe working.

Occasionally, parents have concerns about blind or partially sighted people caring for their children. Concerns could include tripping, not seeing children putting things in their mouths, escorting children in the local area or identifying parents when children are collected.

In your role as a risk assessor, you should discuss concerns with the individual to establish whether any of these concerns are genuine and if so how they could be minimised. For example, another worker could check the identity of parents collecting children.

It is really important that the concerns of parents are not confused with actual risk.

6. References

‘Building Sight: A handbook of building and interior design solutions to include the needs of visually impaired people’, P Barker, J Barrick and R Wilson, London HMSO in Association with RNIB, 1995

‘Fire Safety Risk Assessment: Means of Escape for Disabled People’, Department of Communities and Local Government, 2007

‘Five Steps to Risk Assessment’, Health and Safety Executive

‘Health and Safety for Disabled People and Their Employers’, HSE and DRC

J Hurstfield et al, ‘The extent of use of health and safety as a false excuse for not employing sick or disabled persons’, research report 167, HRC/DRC, 2003

JMU Access Partnership, Fact Sheet 24 – Lighting

Legood R, Scuffham PA and Cryer C, “Are we blind to injuries in the visually impaired? A review of the literature”, June 2009

RNIB and Thomas Pocklington Trust, ‘Make the most of your sight, Improve the lighting in your home”, RNIB and Thomas Pocklington Trust, 2009

‘This is Working 2’, RNIB, October 2009

‘Working with VDUs’, HSE leaflet INDG36(rev3), revised 12/06

7. Sources of help and further information

7.1 RNIB and Action for Blind People

Employment services for employers

We can help you retain a current employee who is losing their sight, and we can help you to take on someone who is visually impaired.

Advances in technology mean that visually impaired people can now overcome many of the barriers to work that they faced in the past, and government schemes like Access to Work mean that many of the costs can be met.

We provide a number of services that can be directly commissioned by employers. These include:

Work-based assessments – a visit to a workplace, by one of our specialists, to evaluate the potential for equipment, software, and adjustments that would better allow an employee to fulfil their role.
1 to 1 access technology training. Our technology specialists can visit your workplace and provide training tailored to suit your employee’s needs.
Visual and disability awareness training.

For further information about any of these services, please contact us via our website or directly via our employment services mailbox:

Web site: www.rnib.org.uk/employmentservices

Email: employmentservices@rnib.org.uk

Employment factsheets

We currently produce the following factsheets for employers and employment professionals:

Access to Work
RNIB work-based assessment services
Blind and partially sighted people at work – Guidance and good practice for Risk Assessors
Testing the compatibility of access software and IT applications
Guidelines on meeting the needs of visually impaired delegates on training courses

In addition to this you may like to check out our ‘This IS Working’ documents, which showcase blind and partially sighted people working in a range of occupations, and include testimonials from employers, as well as our ‘Vocational rehabilitation’ document, which sets out the business case for retaining newly disabled staff.

All of these factsheets and documents can be found in the employment professionals section of our website www.rnib.org.uk/employmentservices which also contains the latest research in the field, as well as information on IT and accessibility, the Equality Act, success stories, and more.

We also produce a number of factsheets aimed at blind and partially sighted people, on a range of employment related issues. These can be found at www.rnib.org.uk/employment

RNIB Helpline

The RNIB Helpline can refer you to an employment specialist for further advice and guidance. RNIB Helpline can also help you by providing information and advice on a range of topics, such as eye health, the latest products, leisure opportunities, benefits advice and emotional support.

Call the Helpline team on 0303 123 9999 or email helpline@rnib.org.uk

7.2 Access to Work

Access to Work is a scheme run by Jobcentre Plus. The scheme provides advice, grant funding, and practical support to disabled people and employers to help overcome work related obstacles resulting from a disability. Read our Access to Work factsheet, or visit the Access to Work pages at www.rnib.org.uk/employmentservices to learn more about qualifying for the scheme. Further details are also available at www.directgov.uk

7.3 Guide Dogs

The best place to find out information relating to guide dogs. Visit: www.guidedogs.org.uk

7.4 The Health and Safety Executive

HSE is responsible for enforcing health and safety at workplaces. Visit: www.hse.gov.uk

7.5 Equality and Human Rights Commission

The Equality and Human Rights commission have a statutory remit to promote and monitor human rights; and to protect, enforce and promote equality across the nine “protected” grounds – age, disability, gender, race, religion and belief, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnership, sexual orientation and gender reassignment. The website includes a section on employment.

http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/

http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/advice-and-guidance/your-rights/disability/disability-in-employment/

Factsheet updated: April 2013

GTTSupport: A New Email Discussion List Sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind and Their Get Together with Technology Initiative

GTTSupport Email Discussion List:

Get Together with Technology (GTT)
Sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB)

GTT is an exciting initiative of the Canadian Council of the Blind, founded in 2011 by Kim Kilpatrick and Ellen Goodman. GTT aims to help people who are blind or have low vision in their exploration of low vision and blindness related access technology. Through involvement with GTT participants can learn from and discuss assistive technology with others walking the same path of discovery.

GTT is made up of blindness related assistive technology users, and those who have an interest in using assistive technology designed to help blind and vision impaired people level the playing field. GTT groups interact through social media, and periodically meet in-person or by teleconference to share their passions for assistive technology and to learn what others can offer from their individual perspectives.

The CCB’s Get Together with Technology program now offers an email discussion list for blind, deafblind and partially sighted Canadians. This GTTSupport email list is a good tool through which members can share their assistive technology discoveries, make comments, and ask questions about assistive technology.

To subscribe send an email to the following address.

Gttsupport+subscribe@groups.io

1. Put the word subscribe in the subject line and leave the body of the email message empty.
2. You will get a return email to confirm your subscription. Simply reply to that email to confirm.
3. You will get a second email returned to you that welcomes you as a list member. It will give instructions on how to post messages to the list.

For questions about the list contact its moderators, Brenda Bush, Kim Kilpatrick or Albert Ruel by sending an email to, GTTsupport+owner@groups.io.

For more information please contact your GTT Coordinators:

Albert Ruel or Kim Kilpatrick
1-877-304-0968,550 1-877-304-0968,513
albert.GTT@CCBNational.net GTTProgram@Gmail.com

CCB Backgrounder:
The CCB was founded in 1944 by a coalition of blind war veterans, schools of the blind and local chapters to create a national self-governing organization. The CCB was incorporated by Letters Patent on May 10, 1950 and is a registered charity under the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada).
The purpose of the CCB is to give people with vision loss a distinctive and unique perspective before governments. CCB deals with the ongoing effects of vision loss by encouraging active living and rehabilitation through peer support and social and recreational activities.
CCB promotes measures to conserve sight, create a close relationship with the sighted community and provide employment opportunities.

The CCB recognizes that vision loss has no boundaries with respect to gender, income, ethnicity, culture, other disabilities or age.
The CCB understands in many instances vision loss is preventable and sometimes is symptomatic of other health issues. For the 21st century, the CCB is committed to an integrated proactive health approach for early detection to improve the quality of life for all Canadians.
As the largest membership organization of the blind and partially sighted in Canada the CCB is the “Voice of the Blind™”.

CCB National Office
100-20 James Street Ottawa ON K2P 0T6
Toll Free: 1-877-304-0968 Email: info@ccbnational.net URL: http://www.ccbnational.net

Assistive Device: the new Humanware Victor Reader Trek soon to be released

Fellow GTT members, please find below a message from Gerry Chevalier, coordinator of the GTT Edmonton chapter, and the project manager for the Victor Reader Stream when it was developed originally.

Hi All:

Just rleased is a Blind Bargains podcast interview with HumanWare’s product manager describing the new Victor Reader Trek which combines the GPS former Trekker Breeze orientation device into a new Victor Reader device. The combined unit will provide all VR functionality plus Trekker Breeze functionality and also adds Bluetooth and FM radio. You can hear the podcast on the Stream if you subscribe to the Blind Bargains feed or you can download an MP3 of the interview at:

https://www.blindbargains.com/bargains.php?m=17404

HumanWare said they would ship it in October. Retail is $699US with an intro price of $599. Support and future software upgrades to the existing Stream will continue.

Cheers,Gerry

“About-Face” Training for Facebook with JAWS by Hartgen Consulting

“It’s too difficult to use”. “It’s not accessible”. “All my family use it and I cannot join in”. “I’m trying to access part of it on my phone and it’s not working as I expect it to.” Those are just some of the sentiments a lot of people express about Facebook. But it shouldn’t be like that should it when we as blind people are always striving for inclusion?

The good news is that we are able to access most aspects of Facebook very well when using the JAWS for Windows screen-reader and a web browser. Our new training course for July, “about-Face, JAWS for Windows and Facebook for Beginners”, will show you not only how to work with Facebook, but also gives lots of information about how you can customise JAWS so as to gain the best experience possible.
Facebook has become one of the most popular social networking sites of all time. The site can be accessed from many devices containing a web browser and which is connected to the Internet. It should be about having fun, getting information, sharing content or perhaps using it to promote a service. The course will show you how to do all of these things on a daily basis without thinking too much about the accessibility!
How JAWS Interacts with Facebook.

Ordinarily, JAWS interacts well with both the Facebook Mobile and Facebook Desktop sites. While undoubtedly users of our Leasey product will gain a far better experience when using Facebook, if you do not have this product there is still a lot you can do to customise JAWS to provide a better experience, and to use some of the tools to improve your ability to navigate Facebook so as to gain more from it. While the course will describe the Leasey keystrokes and the experience you will receive when using it, the assumption is that you do not have it installed so as to appeal to the widest possible audience. You will also find that some of the techniques learned in this course when using JAWS will benefit you when working with many internet sites.
What Will I Learn?

The course is divided into three sessions, each of an hour’s duration. The topics will include:
Customising JAWS to be more effective when using Facebook.

Facebook Mobile versus Facebook Desktop.

Creating a Facebook account.

Editing your Facebook profile.

Security and Privacy.

Searching for friends and pages of interest.

Sorting the News Feed.

Reviewing the News Feed.

Liking or reacting to a Facebook post.

Commenting on Facebook posts.

Creating a Facebook post.

Editing a Facebook post.

Attaching images to Facebook posts.

Adding alternative text to images for use with screen-readers.

The Facebook Notifications area.

Accepting Facebook Friend requests and checking them out first.

Viewing Facebook friends.

Sending private messages to friends.

Viewing the Facebook profile of a friend.

Working with Facebook groups.

Viewing Facebook posts on selected pages.

Note that there is scope for a more advanced training course on the management of Facebook pages which is not covered here.
Who is the Course For?

This course is suited to anyone who has always wanted to use Facebook but has been unsure how to begin, through to those who are using it already but would like to gain a better experience when using it.
There will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions regarding the topics under discussion, however this is achieved in a structured manner. This ensures that you can focus on learning the concepts being taught.
If I Purchase the Course, What Will I Receive?

The course will be delivered online via our accessible Talking Communities server. If you have not used this conferencing software before, you will receive instructions prior to the commencement of the course. This software allows for the delivery of the presentation, including the output from the screen-reading software. The audio is of a high quality.
The course will give to you:
Four lessons starting 12 July 2017. Each lesson will begin at 7 PM UK time, (2 PM Eastern), each Wednesday;

An audio recording of each lesson in MP3 format;

Text documentation comprising a list of keystrokes to reinforce topics covered in the lessons.

An email list active prior to (and during) the course so you can ask questions outside tuition time.

The proposed dates for the course sessions are as follows:
12 July.

19 July.

26 July.

2 August.

All recordings, documentation and the Talking Communities chat room are accessed through a secure area of our website which is only available to course participants. If you cannot make those dates, please don’t worry. You can still take advantage of the Email list and the archives of the webinars, which are usually uploaded the following day after editing.
Costing.

The cost of the course is £40 which is currently 52 US dollars.

The course fee can be ppaid at any time between now and 5 July 2017.
Purchase About-Face Online.
Alternatively, anyone can purchase the course by sending an Email to jaws@hartgen.org, whereupon a fully accessible electronic invoice will be sent to you which can be paid through PayPal or any major credit or debit card. Orders can also be placed by telephone:
Call us (from within the UK): 02920-850298.

Call us (from the United States): 415-871-0626.

Call us (from any other country): (+44)2920-850298.

If you would like to read the views from participants of our previous courses, please Visit our Training area.
Course Prerequisites.

It is important that you have:
Good keyboarding skills;

A computer with an internet connection;

A microphone so as to ask questions within the course;

JAWS for Windows screen-reader;

Access to Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome web browser.

Summary.

It is true that Facebook is not as intuitive to use as Twitter, principally because of Desktop programs which have been designed for the purpose of working with tweets which do not require interaction with a web site. However, the Facebook community is huge. If you would like to be part of it, then getting some useful skills to work with Facebook could be just what you need. Jump into the pool, the water’s fine!

Brian Hartgen

Choose Hartgen Consultancy for high quality JAWS Script Writing, training and our products including J-Say, J-Dictate and Leasey.

Telephone (in the UK) 02920-850298.

Telephone (in the United States of America) 1-415-871-0626.

Telephone (from any other country) +44-2920-820598.

Visit our website for more information!

Like our Facebook Page.

JAWS Certified 2016.

_______________________________________________

Leaseylist mailing list

Leaseylist@hartgen.org

http://hartgen.org/mailman/listinfo/leaseylist_hartgen.org

Guest Post: Pacific Training Centre for the Blind Summer 2017 Blind News Victoria Newsletter

Blind News Victoria

A publication of the Pacific Training Centre for the Blind

Summer 2017

Well the warm, or should I say hot, weather is here!! Whether you take in a live performance during Jazz Fest, visit the Inner Harbour for special Canada 150 celebrations and Symphony Splash or a local summer festival in your neighbourhood, there is plenty to do this summer in Victoria and many events are free.

This edition of Blind News Victoria will inform you of some special events that you may not be aware of.

Mark Your Calendar

***
VocalEye presents the first described VICTORIA SKAMPEDE

Date: Sunday July 16, 2017

Tour times: 2:30 and 4:00

Tour starts from: The Hub, 360 Harbour Road, Victoria

Theatre SKAM’s annual summer SKAMpede is an outdoor live performance festival event that is suitable for the whole family. SKAMpede, a series of short plays staged along the Galloping Goose Trail, will be described by Rick Waines, our resident Belfry theatre describer. Described tours are approximately 45 minutes long and use “open description”, which means no equipment required. Seating can be provided on request, just let them know when you book your Tour. VocalEye members will be independently guided along the Galloping Goose Trail to experience 3 short shows, selected by Rick Waines for our first-time description of this event. Help VocalEye make the SKAMpede more accessible to people who are blind and partially sighted by trying it out and giving VocalEye your feedback!

Tickets are FREE for VocalEye users and a companion. Please reserve your spot on the tour by calling 250-386-7526 or email: bridget@skam.ca

***

VIP Singers performance
Date: Thursday August 24 2017
Time: 12 noon
Place: Downtown Library Courtyard (Broughton St.)
Tickets: No tickets are necessary. Just drop by to hear our voices echoing throughout the plaza.

Did You Know?

***
The Butchart Gardens offers free admission to blind persons and their guides who have a Leisure Assistance and Access 2 pass. There is live entertainment most evenings during July and August and of course fireworks set to music on Saturday nights.

Call 250-652-5256
For enquiries and to check that you have the correct pass for free admission for the day you wish to attend.

***
iHabilitation Canada is pleased to announce the launch of The Eyes-Free Academy, providing online multi-media content via a fully accessible Learning Management System. Our first course, offered free of charge, is entitled “iPhone Eyes-Free – Mind’s Eye Navigation on the iPhone Touch-Screen”. You can visit the academy here: ihabilitation.thinkific.com.
This introductory iPhone Eyes-Free course is inclusively designed and provides detailed audio/video real-time demonstration along with PDF documentation to suit a wide range of accessibility needs.
With this approach, almost anyone can become familiar with iPhone touch-screen navigation using the Voiceover screen-reader rather than looking at the phone. The course comprises six sections: introduction, lessons and summary.
We offer this introductory course free of charge because we look forward to your feedback regarding future course content. To join our very low traffic Email list, and receive a pamphlet with a more detailed explanation of Eyes-Free Academy course content and teaching methodology, visit
http://www.ihabilitation.ca/eyesfree/
We have also posted a promotional video on our YouTube channel that describes the course and the philosophy behind iHabilitation Canada. You can find the video here:

https://youtu.be/NRvnj-wkt5E. The channel will also showcase future course material.

What’s New at the Pacific Training Centre for the Blind?

The PTCB is gearing down for a well-earned rest during July and August. There will be no classes during these months but staff will stay in touch with students through home visits and picnics at the beach. Classes will start up again at the VDRC in September.

PTCB plans to offer a “Train the Trainer” course (date to be determined) for anyone who would like to become a volunteer PTCB trainer. The plan is to hire more staff once funds allow and we would like to have a pool of perspective candidates for these positions. If you are interested in taking the “Train the trainer” course or would like to know more about it, contact Linda at:
lbartram@telus.net
or call Elizabeth at:
250-580-4910

About the Pacific Training Centre for the Blind

The Pacific Training Centre for the Blind (PTCB) is a Canadian grassroots nonprofit charitable service organization founded and run by blind people. Its training fosters independence, where blind people empower blind people to be employed, independent and free.

The Blind People in Charge Program, provided by the Pacific Training Centre for the Blind, is the only program of its kind in Western Canada that offers regular, intensive rehabilitation to people who are blind or who are losing their vision; it is also the only program that uses an empowering, problem-solving model of instruction, where blind people are the teachers, planners, directors and administrators.

The program involves a collaborative, positive, and empowering approach to blindness, where blind people learn from and teach each other in a supportive, can-do atmosphere. Instructors and mentors teach the skills of independence such as Braille, adaptive technology, cane travel, cooking and other life skills, and develop strategies for coping with blindness and vision loss in a sighted world.

The Blind People in Charge Program held at the Victoria Disability Resource Centre 817a Fort St., runs two days a week from 10:00 – 4:00 and participants are encouraged to attend as full time students (12 hours a week). Drop in students are also considered. Teaching takes place in group and one-on-one sessions and participants progress at their own pace. Past participants have ranged in age from 24 – 88. Anyone over 18 who is blind or is experiencing significant vision loss may apply including those who are experiencing other challenges. There is no charge to students; however donations are always welcome. For more information, or to participate in our program, please contact us.

Phone: 250-580-4910
Email: info@pacifictrainingcentre.ca

Accessible Devices: Philips offers a line of accessible TV and Video Players for blind and low vision users.

Taken from a CoolBlindTech article:

The entire line of 2017 Philips brand televisions and video players now offers Enhanced Accessibility to allow blind and visually impaired users to control the devices’ functions. Adding Enhanced Accessibility to products entails the addition of voice guide descriptive menus, easy to read user interface, guide dots on remote controls, easy access to closed captioning/subtitles and secondary audio, easy access to support, and an easy way to identify these products with the help of an Enhanced Accessibility logo.

Remote controls on the affected Philips products feature guide dots so that users can easily control key functions, such as power on/off, volume adjustment and mute, channel selection, playback functions, input selection, and other important functions.

Philips groups these new capabilities under its Enhanced Accessibility feature set, which also includes an easy-to-read and navigate user interface, large format support information, and closed captioning, a long-mandated requirement for assisting the hearing impaired.

The user interface voice guide and other features are new requirements established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as part of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA). The new rules mandate that certain built-in functions in TVs, Blu-ray players, and DVD players, among other consumer electronics products, be usable by individuals who are blind or visually impaired. The deadline for meeting the new requirements was December 20, 2016.

The new rules mandate that any key functions available only via an on-screen menu must offer user interface voice guides, with the menu options spoken and user selections audibly confirmed.

“The FCC regulations on Enhanced Accessibility allow us to design our products so they can be enjoyed by more consumers,” said Karl Bearnarth, executive vice president, sales and marketing, P&F USA, Inc., the exclusive North American licensee for Philips consumer televisions and home video products.

“We took this initiative very seriously and were determined to ensure that our entire line of TVs and video players, including basic DVD players, met the requirements and that they were as intuitive as possible to use for those who are visually impaired.”

P&F USA, Inc. is a subsidiary of Funai Electric Co., LTD and is the exclusive licensee for Philips consumer televisions and home video products in North America.

Funai Electric Co., Ltd., established in 1961, is headquartered in Osaka, Japan and is a major original equipment manufacturer supplier for appliance, consumer electronics, computer, and computer peripheral companies.

Advocacy Org Leaves the Scene: Thank you and Farewell ASIC, Access for Sight-Impaired Consumers

At a meeting held the morning of Saturday January 17th, 1998, with 20 members of the blind community present, the concept of a consumer-driven advocacy coalition was discussed and a few short weeks later, Advocates for Sight-Impaired Consumers was born. After
20 years of providing advocacy services for the benefit of British Columbians and other Canadians, after engaging a total of 122 individuals to serve on its volunteer board at different times, and after undergoing a minor amendment to its brand in 2007, the Access for Sight-Impaired Consumers Board has elected to wind down its entire operation effective May 31st, 2017. In doing so, it leaves behind a legacy of independence and access initiatives that will benefit persons who are blind, deafblind or partially sighted for generations to come. The list in part, includes:

* Leading the call for and creating the position paper for accessible pedestrian signals including wayfinding messages, a pedestrian clearance tone and other optional functionalities.
* Successfully advocating for high-contrast tactile platform edging on all Metro Vancouver SkyTrain and Canada Line platforms.
* Successfully advocating for and seeing the initial implementation of descriptive video and closed captioning services in Famous Players theatres that expanded into identical services in Cineplex Entertainment complexes.
* Developing the concept of, and assisting with the implementation of, the “VIP Assistance Line” which provides sighted guide assistance in and around SkyTrain and Canada Line stations.
* Successfully advocating for the installation and implementation of automated stop announcements on all conventional transit and community shuttle routes operated by the Coast Mountain Bus Company in Metro Vancouver.
* Successfully advocating for the installation of audio ATM machines at Vancouver City Savings branches.
* Creating a heightened awareness amongst senior officials at Elections BC of the needs of voters who are blind or partially sighted and working collaboratively with Elections BC to provide braille candidate lists, large-print facsimile posters of the election ballot, rigid plastic voting templates, a pilot telephone voting option for all persons with a disability for the 2017 general election, and participating in the creation of a training/awareness video to educate election officials on how best to assist voters with sight loss.
* Successfully advocating for the expansion of the Taxi Bill of Rights throughout BC which was voluntarily adopted by 33 taxi companies.
* Successfully advocating for the design and implementation of universally accessible bus stops with appropriate features to assist transit users with various disabilities (including blindness) so that they can independently locate a public transit passenger loading zone in the Metro Vancouver area.
* Successfully advocating for a pilot installation of taxi meters with optional audio output by the Vancouver Taxi Association. The success of the pilot project has resulted in the BC Passenger Transportation Board establishing guidelines for the implementation, installation and operation of Soft Meters (tablet-based) with optional audio output.
* Successfully advocating for the availability of accessible prescription medication information in an audio format from 10 pharmacy chains throughout BC.

These are only some examples of the many projects that were the focus of ASIC’s attention over the years.

As the ASIC Board works to tie up all administrative and operational duties by May’s month end, it is their intention to update the Resources section of the ASIC website and to leave the entire website running for as long as feasible. The Community Calendar will be discontinued. Accessible Media Inc began featuring audio promotions of community events throughout BC starting mid-April 2017. Details regarding community events may be sent to amyamantea@hotmail.com

ASIC’s Contact Us web page has been updated and now offers a telephone number which will be manned by former ASIC Board member Reed Poynter going forward. British Columbians who are blind, deafblind or partially sighted may write to our existing email address or call to obtain the name(s) of various resources when tackling a self-advocacy issue. Or, individuals may seek assistance from any one of the many other consumer advocacy organizations listed on our web page at:
http://www.asicbc.ca/resources/ConsumerOrganizations/Pages/default.aspx

At the close of the final meeting of Access for Sight-Impaired Consumers, ASIC’s Chair Rob Sleath summarized the past 20 years by
saying: “The past 20 years has given many caring and compassionate individuals an opportunity to give back to their community by volunteering time and energy toward the goal of improving the independence and access for British Columbians who are blind, deafblind or sight-impaired. It has been an honour and a privilege to work with these individuals, and we hope our efforts will enhance the independence of all British Columbians for years to come. To all those who supported Access with Sight-Impaired Consumers with donations, gifts-in-kind, financial support and/or through their donations of time and energy, I extend a simple but most sincere thank you! We could not have achieved so much without your generous and vvalued support.”

Check out the GARI Web Site to learn more about Accessible Smart Phones, TVs and other Devices

The Global Accessibility Reporting Initiative

The Global Accessibility Reporting Initiative (GARI) is a project created in 2008 by the Mobile & Wireless Forum (MWF) and designed to help consumers learn more about the various accessibility features of wireless devices and to help them identify a device that best suits their needs.

The project website (www.gari.info) includes information on more than 110 accessible features in over 1,100 mobile phone models from around the world, as well as information on accessible tablets, accessibility related mobile applications, and as of late 2016, accessible Smart TVs and Wearables.

As part of the GARI project, the MWF has committed to regular reviews of the features that we report on in light of changes in the technology and customer needs. As a result, we invite all stakeholders to provide any comments or suggestions on the features that they would like to see reported on by manufacturers, as well as comments on the usability of the GARI website.

Comments or suggestions can be made by 31 July 2017 in order to be included in the current review cycle.

How to Download YouTube Videos for Dummies, By Ashley Watters, Abshier House.

How to Download YouTube Videos

By Ashley Watters, Abshier House.

YouTube is a video-sharing website where users post all kinds of media.
YouTube is so popular that it has one billion unique visits every single month. From how-tos to educational cartoons, YouTube has a large selection of videos from every genre.

You’ve likely watched videos on YouTube and seen something that you might want to watch when you don’t have access to the internet. Need a cartoon for your child who watch while on an airplane?
Or, maybe an instructional video to review while actually doing the task later? Downloading YouTube videos is quite simple.

How to download YouTube videos with Savefrom.net.

The easiest way to download YouTube videos involves using savefrom.net. It’s so simple that you don’t even have to visit the website directly.

Follow these simple steps:

Navigate to Youtube and find the video that you want to download.

Once you have found the video, highlight the full address in the navigation bar and add “ss” after the www portion of the URL.For example, if the website address is http://www.youtube.com/watchexample, you would type http://www.ssyoutube.com/watchexample.

Once the address is complete and you have entered “ss” into the appropriate part of the URL address, hit enter on your keyboard.You will be redirected to savefrom.net’s website. A download button will appear on the screen.
Click the download button and save the video to your device.

Your video is now downloaded to your device for viewing at a later time.

How to download YouTube videos with Keepvid

You can also use keepvid.com to download YouTube videos. This website works similarly to savefromnet.com.

Heed these steps to use Keepvid:

Go to YouTube and find the video you’d like to download.

Click the Share button underneath the video on YouTube to copy the link.

Open a new window and navigate to keepvid.com.
Paste the link into the download text box.
Click download and save the video.All done!

Keepvid can also download videos from other websites, including videos posted to social media.

Before you begin downloading videos from YouTube, you need to understand the legal issues that accompany your use of those videos. YouTube content is copyrighted. That means that you absolutely cannot download it for anything other than personal use.

Also, Google (the owner of YouTube) includes terms of service for users.
These terms specifically state: “You shall not download any Content unless you see a ‘download’ or similar link displayed by YouTube on the Service for that Content”
(Section 5 – B). The following is provided for informational purposes only.

There are several methods for downloading YouTube videos. The instructions above discuss two popular ways to complete the task, but other options exist. There are numerous software suites available to download these videos.
If you prefer this method, you can easily find choices by searching the internet for “YouTube downloading software.” The directions you find here discuss the use of websites that are specifically created to download YouTube videos.

CCB-GTT Victoria Summary Notes, Year in Review and Stuff, June 7, 2017

Get together with Technology (GTT) Victoria

A Chapter of the Canadian Council of the Blind

Summary Notes
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
GVPL Main branch, Community Meeting Room

The meeting was called to order at 1:05 pm by chair Albert Ruel

Attendance: 23 people.

Albert welcomed everyone to the meeting, After a one month absence (where we took the meeting to Shaw last month) it was good to be back at the GVPL, for our final meeting before the 2 month summer break. Seeing as this is our last meeting for awhile, no formal agenda was presented, rather a “year in review” and “open discussion” were encouraged.

BlueSky TV:
The meeting started with some discussion about The BlueSky offering from Shaw. Partisipants were asked if they enjoyed the demo and if any members did elect to subscribe to the service. At least 4 participants said they had signed up for BlueSky.

Mike Carpenter gave a complete description and overview of the service. He personally is delighted with BlueSky. Several members had questions pertaining to just how accessible is the service, and it was agreed that it does have it’s limitations in regards to presenting the program grid and/or external app content. Rather then calling it an accessible product, it might better be described as an inclusive product, developed for mainstream consumption that is usable by the blind .

There does not seam to be a lot of print, or even web information available about the service, however Albert has gathered some YouTube videos from the States that describe the ComCast service (same service as blueSky) that he will make available via the blog.

Must remember takeaways, you must have Shaw150 speed internet. Button A on remote turns voice guidance on/off . Shaw FreeRange app works great with Voiceover on iPhone and iPads.

Capital and Nanaimo Region BC Transit Stop Announcement Updates:
Albert reported that plans for a fully accessible transit “stop announcement” and external audible bus identifier system is moving forward. Nanaimo will be one of the first BC Transit cities to realise the Service. They should be fully installed in all 7 announced BC Transit service centers by the end of next year.

Victoria Bicycle Lane Update:
The new Downtown bike lanes were discussed, Linda reported that there were several issues including bus stops located on islands. Major concern for VI transit users whereas the must cross the two way bike lanes to get to and from the transit stop. Also location transit stop not identified on main sidewalk. Linda encouraged everyone with issues in this regard to be vocal, report your concerns, experiences and issues with the city of Victoria.

Music Writing Apps for the computer:
Some general discussion about music writing software like MusScore and Lime took place. Jaws 18 and the issue of upgrading was talked about and Albert spoke about how to create accessible MS Word tables (Albert will share info with those interested).

Access Technology Institute Accessible Textbooks:
Accessible textbooks by CathyAnn Murtha, one of which is called An Immersion Into Word2013-JFW, were discussed by Albert, although expensive they are in his opinion the best out there and worth the money. You will find information on all their textbooks and training sessions at Access Technology Institute (ATI)GTT Blog, Facebook and Email Engagement Streams:
Albert encouraged everyone to sign up for our GTT blog for updates, and to join our facebook group and email discussion list. More information will be distributed to all currently on the GTT Victoria mailing list.

the new GTT FaceBook group for youth was announced and for anyone interested more info is available from the CCB National office or on the Blog. Addressing the tech needs of blind youth was viewed by the group as being an extremely worthwhile and forward thinking initiative.

Eyes-free academy by iHabilitation:
Tom Decker informed the group of a new inclusive learning project that is now available via iHabilitation Canada. It’s called the Eyes-free academy. The first course is being offered free of charge as a beta. For more info visit http://www.ihabilitationcanada.com. Tom is eager to receive feedback on the project and looking forward to offering many more courses. Stay tuned.

iOS Updates Coming to an iDevice Near You:
A brief discussion took place about the new offerings that will be a part of iOS11 (to be released later this fall). many new and exciting changes that will be discussed when the group gathers again in September and beyond.

Special Thanks to Karen and the GVPL for Hosting GTT Victoria for the Past Year:
A special “thank you” went out to Karen for her help and participation in CCB GTT Victoria. The Greater Victoria Public Library has been a strong supporter of the program. Our thanks go out to everyone at the library, we are proud and honoured to call the GVPL our home base for GTT Victoria. Karen informed the group that Scott Minroe, GVPL staff might be joining us in the fall, with Karen dropping in from time to time.

Meeting was adjourned at 3:10pm. HAVE A GREAT SUMMER !!!!!

Next meeting, Wednesday September 6, 2017

Minutes prepared and Submitted by Corry Stuive

CCB-GTT Edmonton Summary Notes, Accessible Library Apps and Bluetooth Devices, June 12, 2017

Summary Notes
GTT Edmonton Meeting June 12, 2017

The most recent meeting of the Get Together with Technology (GTT) Edmonton Chapter was held June 12 at 7pm at Ascension Lutheran Church 8405 83 Street in Edmonton.
21 people attended.
Note: this was the final meeting before summer break. Our next meeting will be September 11, 2017.

June Topic – Library Apps and Blue Tooth Devices

Hoopla App
Lorne demoed the free Hoopla app on his iPhone, also available as a website, which allows members of the Edmonton public library, (and other libraries from across the world), to get access to movies, music, audio, and eBooks. The app is very VoiceOver accessible, and get’s it’s audio books from the same professional publishers as places like Audible, etc. You loan out your book for 21 days, and then it automatically returns if you don’t return it manually. When listening to an audio book, you have controls for skipping forward and back by 30 seconds, 5 minutes, or the standard scrub controls for going 10% at a time. You can also set bookmarks, and there’s a sleep timer.
You can find out more information here:
Edmonton Public Library Hoopla Resource

and here is the link to download the app from iTunes:
iTunes Hoopla App

and here is a list of all the amazing free online resources like Hoopla that you get access to with an Edmonton Public Library card:
Edmonton Public Library Resources

as well as a list of the Edmonton Public Library Assistive Services for clients with disabilities:
Edmonton Public Library Assistive Services

New Dolphin EasyReader App for CELA Library Books
Russell gave a brief introduction to the new Dolphin app, EasyReader on his iPhone. He played a book he downloaded through the CELA library, but explained that it may be several weeks before CELA books are available for everyone to use through the EasyReader app. He encouraged people to go ahead and download the app now as Bookshare materials are available through the same EasyReader app providing you have a Bookshare membership.

Find out more about the EasyReader app at…
Dolphin EasyReader App

Use Blue Tooth to Extend Life of Older Stereo/TV Equipment
Carrie demonstrated two inexpensive Blue Tooth devices to enhance her older TV and stereo systems. Below is Carrie’s summary of how she uses them:
To make my old tech wireless I purchased 2 pieces of Bluetooth equipment.
First an OT Adapt Bluetooth Receiver which I plug my old computer speakers or headphones into and they become wireless.
And second, the Indigo 2 in 1 Bluetooth Transmitter/Receiver which converts my old picture tube television or stereo into a Bluetooth audio sending device. In the end, the combination of these two devices allows me to play music from my old stereo component to my old computer speakers on the deck. Or, listen to the old picture tube TV in private via headphones while I’m in the kitchen making dinner. The OT Adapt receiver by itself can receive audio from a Bluetooth enabled device like my iPhone to listen to audiobooks or if connected to my stereo auxiliary input it can pipe my electric piano through the home speaker system. Both devices plug into the standard 3.5mm audio jack or a digital audio jack and make the devices wireless. This saved me having to buy Bluetooth headphones, Bluetooth speaker system, Bluetooth enabled stereo components or a Smart TV with Bluetooth. Approximately $125 for both from London Drugs. Now I notice they are available on Amazon. You do not need both so if shopping around, have a good idea of what you want to make wireless. A good salesperson will help you out. Remember one device must transmit and one must receive. Most Smartphones, laptops and Smart TVs already transmit a Bluetooth audio signal, it just must be turned on in the device settings.

Next Meeting (Monday September 11 at 7pm)
• As usual, we will provide one-on-one training especially iPhone and DAISY players. If you have other training requests email your interests to us so we can try to accommodate you.
• As always, for help with technology bring your devices and/or questions to the meeting.

Meeting Location and Logistics
• Ascension Lutheran Church 8405 – 83 Street NW, Edmonton.
• We meet in the basement hall. There is elevator access.
• Enter the church from the back door. There is parking at the back and drop off space for taxis, DATS.
• Meetings are every second Monday of the month at 7pm.
• If you have someone helping you your assistant is welcome to remain for the meeting.

GTT Edmonton Overview
• GTT Edmonton is a chapter of the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB).
• GTT Edmonton promotes a self-help learning experience by holding monthly meetings to assist participants with assistive technology.
• Each meeting consists of a feature technology topic, questions and answers about technology, and one-on-one training where possible.
• Participants are encouraged to come to each meeting even if they are not interested in the feature topic because questions on any technology are welcome. The more participants the better able we will be equipped with the talent and experience to help each other.
• There are GTT groups in Ottawa, Toronto, Kingston, Northern Ontario, Pembroke, Halifax, Sydney, Regina, Calgary, Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver, and more to come.
• There is also a national GTT monthly toll free teleconference. You may subscribe to the National GTT blog to get email notices of teleconferences and notes from other GTT chapters. Visit:
http://www.gttprogram.wordpress.com/
There is a form at the bottom of that web page to enter your email.
[End of Document]

Shaw Communications has recently released a “Usable by the blind” TV Service called, BlueSky TV

BlueSky TV by Shaw Communications

Here is what I learned about the base technology that Shaw has imported into Canada and are now calling BlueSky TV. It’s originally a ComCast system called X1 and is licensed by Shaw exclusively in Western Canada and Rogers in Eastern Canada for the next 3 years.

I wouldn’t call it completely accessible, however thanks to the Voice Guidance it is, for the most part, usable by blind folks. This is a service designed for and promoted to the sighted TV viewer, so not necessarily built with blind accessibility in mind.

Check out these videos.

How to use X1 Voice Guidance Talking Guide:

How to learn the X1 Remote Control Layout:

How to Program your X1 Remote Control to your TV and Audio Device:
(Sighted assistance may be needed)

Graphical Layout of the X1 Remote Control:
(Not accessible to blind) computer users)

For the ComCast Support Page in the USA:

Thx, Albert Ruel, GTT Coordinator
The Canadian Council of the Blind
Email: GTTWest@CCBNational.net
Mobile: 250-240-2343

Guest Post: How to Re-Arrange App Icons on your iOS 10 Device

Dear GTT Members,

Thanks goes out to GTT Edmonton member, Owais, who has written a tutorial on arranging iOS app icons that he would like to share with us. See his email below.

Subject: Arranging Apps In Ios 10

Hello Gtt. I have prepared a Tutorial that demonstrates how to Arrange Applications in iOS 10 since Apple has made it very easy to do this. In this tutorial I have prepared all the steps to arrange apps with a Braille Display and without a Braille Display. I hope this helps everyone.

Arranging Apps In iOS 10 With A Braille Display:
Note: This tutorial assumes that the user is already connected to a Braille Display.
Step 1. First locate on your Home Screen of the iOS Device to an app. It will help if your at the very top of the Home Screen.
Step 2. Press Spacebar and Dot 6 to go to your options of your current Rotor Settings. Try to find Arrange Apps.
Step 3. Click or Double-Tap on it with your Rotor Keys. The Braille Display and Voiceover will announce Arranging Apps.
Step 4. Scroll up or down once and then back to the app you were previously on. You will then read the App’s name and the word “Editting” beside it.
Step 5. Be careful here because Double-Tapping on this may Delete the App however you will get an Alert Pop-Up.
Step 6. Locate to the app that you wish to move and swipe up by pressing Spacebar and Dot 3. Look for Move the specific app for example Messages.
When you swipe up your Ios Device should say Move Messages.
Step 7. Double-Tap and a Pop-Up should be seen spoken to choose a Destination.
Step 8. Now anywhere on your phone locate to an app on your phone that you would like the currently moved app to be with.
Step 9. When you have found that app swipe up by pressing Spacebar and Dot 3 again. You will see place Message in this case before or after or the current app. Another option you will have is to Create a folder with the following 2 apps. Select the option you want and press the either of Rotor keys to Double-Tap. Your app will then be mrved.
Step 10. To end the Editting Mode press the Home Button or do the same steps if you wish to mrve other apps.
Step 11. When you create folder with several apps the iPhone may name it randomly according to the Category of apps they fit in. You may change the App’s name by going into the Folder and putting your Ios device in Editting as explained above as you want to move an app.
Step 12. Instead of mrving apps go to the very top of the folder. You will see Clear Text and when your Ios Device has focused the Braille Display on the Folder’s Title, a Pop-Up comes saying “Double-Tap to edit text field.”
Click on it using the Braille Display Rotor keys and simply enter the Title you wish to give this Folder. Press Spacebar and E when your done.
Step 13. End your Editting as described above.
Note: When you have completed formatting your Ios Device’s Layout place your Rotor Setting option to Activate Default since if it’s focused on Arrange Apps, your phone will go back into Editting Mode as soon as you Double-Tap on the app to use it or when you press Enter.

Arranging Apps Without A Braille Display:
Step 1. Swipe Up or Down on your Ios Device’s screen and Double-Tap on Arrange Apps. Swipe to the right/left and then back to your current app you would like to move and Voiceover will announce for example Messages Editting.

Step 2. Be careful here and don’t Double-Tap since that may lead you to Deleting your app. Please note that if you click on this button here as well Voiceogher will alert you telling you that your about to delete an app.
Step 3. Swipe up to find move Messages for example and Double-Tap on it.
Voiceogher should announce Choose A destination.
Step 4. Locate to the app you wish to move the current app before or after.
Step 5. Swipe up or down and you will get options to place Messages after or before or even create a folder with the following 2 apps. Select the one you want.
Step 6. Now your app has been moved and your done. Press the Home Button if your done formatting your Screen Layout or follow the same steps to mrche your other apps.
Step 7. When your folder in a folder and wish to change the folder’s name in which your apps are located do the follow things.
Step 8. Proceed to the very top of the folder and put your Ios Device back into Editting Mode.
Step 9. You will hear Voiceover announce the folder current name in addiy to a Pop-Up saying Double-Tap to edit the Text Field.
Step 10. Double-Tap and use your Touch Screen to enter the Title you wish to give your folder.
Step 11. Double-Tap on done and your all done.
Note: Make sure your screen is focused on Activate Default instead of Arrange Apps when your done since this will do the same thing as described in the note with the Braille Display above.

Best Regards,
Owais

Please send your questions and comments to,
GTT.Edmonton@Gmail.com

Dolphin Releases the EasyReader App for iOS, a new Direct To Player audio book reading app

June 9, 2017

Dear GTT Members,

Earlier this week Dolphin released their latest app that will allow CELA patrons to access Daisy books directly into the app. Below are two helpful links, the first will take you to the Dolphin Web Site where you can access a YouTube video and other sources of information about the Dolphin EasyReader App, and the second one will take you to the App Store where you can download the app into your iDevice for free.

Dolphin EasyReader Direct to Player App for iOS:

Where to purchase EasyReader from the iOS App Store:

Once you have downloaded and installed the app, you may log in to your CELA account by typing the following in front of your six digit CELA ID Number:

CELA_

Follow that with your password in the password field and you should be able to try out this great new app.

Thx, Albert Ruel, GTT Coordinator
The Canadian Council of the Blind
Email: GTTWest@CCBNational.net
Mobile: 250-240-2343

For a Cool Blind Tech article on this app check this link:

Training Opportunity: Eyes-Free Academy Presents, “iPhone Eyes-Free – Mind’s Eye Navigation on the iPhone Touch-Screen” by iHabilitation Canada

Eyes-Free Academy Presents:
“iPhone Eyes-Free – Mind’s Eye Navigation on the iPhone Touch-Screen”

As you may already know, iHabilitation Canada has been busily learning about multimedia recording and online learning management systems. We’ve done this to discover how these technologies can be integrated to create inclusively-designed instruction in Eyes-Free iPhone operation for both teachers and learners.
You can imagine how happy we are to announce the launch of our Eyes-Free Academy, because it does just that! Our first course, “iPhone Eyes-Free – Mind’s Eye Navigation on the iPhone Touch-Screen”, is offered free of charge because we want to encourage feedback regarding future course content.
To find out more, please join our low traffic Email info list at the above URL. You’ll receive a booklet with a more detailed explanation of Eyes-Free Academy course content and teaching methodology.

Our approach promotes the idea that almost anyone can navigate the iPhone touch-screen via the Voiceover screen-reader, rather than looking at the phone.

This introductory iPhone Eyes-Free course, which is inclusively-designed, provides detailed audio/video real-time demonstrations along with PDF documentation to suit various accessibility needs. The course comprises six sections: introduction, lessons and summary.

We have also posted a promotional video on our YouTube channel that describes the course and the philosophy behind iHabilitation Canada. You can find the video at the above URL. The channel will also showcase future course material.

Thank you,
Tom Dekker VRT
Founder, iHabilitation Canada
778-265-2513 or 250-661-9799
Tom@iHabilitation.ca
http://www.iHabilitation.ca

New for Users of Amazon’s Alexa

Thoughts from David Goldfield

What I’m about to share is likely already known to people who keep up with Amazon’s Alexa products.

First, users of Alexa products can use their devices, or even the Alexa app, to make and receive “phone” calls. In order for this feature to work, you need to enable the feature in your Alexa app or, presumably, Alexa’s Web interface by going to http://alexa.amazon.com.

Once this has been done, you can upload your contacts to Alexa. If any of your contacts are also Alexa users and have also uploaded their contacts, you can call them by just saying “Alexa, call John Smith.” Alexa confirms the request and plays a repeating series of tones, to let you know that it is attempting to call John Smith’s Alexa device or app. Once John answers, you can talk with him by using the microphones from your Alexa device or your smartphone or tablet’s…

View original post 262 more words

CCB-GTT Edmonton Summary Notes, iPhone demos and Training, May 8, 2017

Summary Notes
GTT Edmonton Meeting May 8, 2017

The most recent meeting of the Get Together with Technology (GTT) Edmonton Chapter was held May 8 at 7pm at Ascension Lutheran Church 8405 83 Street in Edmonton.
16 people attended.

May Topic – iPhone demos and Training

UBER App
Russell demonstrated how to use the Uber app with VoiceOver on his iPhone. He first showed how to book a trip for pick up right away by tapping on the “Where To” button, and then choosing the pickup and destination addresses, and then tapping on the “Request UberX” button. He talked about how the app shows the ETA as well as the amount the trip will cost.
Russell then demonstrated how to schedule a trip for a later date by tapping on the “Schedule a ride” button, choosing the date and time from a “Picker” list, choosing the button to “set” the date and time, and then tapping a button to schedule the trip.

The Uber app allows you to contact the driver once the trip has been booked either by phone or text message. This is helpful to let the driver know that you are blind and will need assistance to the vehicle. There is a “Menu” button that gives options to change your profile information, change your payment method, and view past or upcoming trips. There is also a button on the main screen that gives access to more content and actions like sharing coupons with friends and ordering food through Uber Eats.

The app is accessible with VoiceOver.

For more information on Uber go to:
https://help.uber.com/h/5a9e5cd6-88f4-4597-b29a-4feb67d407c2

Yellow Cab App
Lorne demonstrated the Yellow Cab Edmonton (Y C Edmonton) app with VoiceOver on his iPhone.
From the main screen, you can start the booking process by tapping on Book a Taxi, or by tapping on one of your frequent addresses (they call them Favorites).
the next screen is where you enter all the details of your trip, such as the pickup address, destination address, type of taxi (regular sedan or van), scheduling the trip for now or some date in the future, as well as giving any info you want the driver to have, such as asking for a call upon arrival, etc.) When choosing your pickup address, you can do so either by using your phone’s GPS (which isn’t always exact), or by typing it in, or choosing one of your phone’s contacts.
All the buttons in this app are labelled with what they do, but some of them don’t say Button, so a VoiceOver user might not know to tap on them, such as when you’ve finished entering all the trip details and you’re ready to send it off. You must tap where it says Book, but it won’t say button.
If you enter a destination address(optional), it will give you an estimate of the cost, however this is just an estimate, and the final price may be more. This is one of the major differences between this app and the Uber one, Uber charges you as soon as the trip starts, based on the calculated distance. If your cab driver gets lost, etc., then your trip might be more expensive.
This app advertises the ability to set up a credit card and pay from within the app, however that feature either has since been removed, or perhaps must be set up through contacting the company.
This app shows a map on screen when the cab is on its way to you, however that part is not accessible with Voiceover, however it does tell you the 3-digit number of your cab, which might be useful if you ever get denied because of your Guide Dog, etc.
One of the biggest advantages of using an app instead of just calling their dispatch centre like in the past, is the app will send you notifications if your cab is late, and you can send and receive updates back and forth to the driver. no more wondering if your cab is still on the way, etc.
Here is more info about the app from the app store:
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/yellow-cab-edmonton/id717512908

Training
Gerry provided training on basic iPhone usage was presented to 2 people who are considering using and iPhone or iPad to help them with everyday tasks.

Next Meeting (Monday June 12at 7pm)
• As usual, we will provide one-on-one training especially iPhone and DAISY players. If you have other training requests email your interests to us so we can try to accommodate you.
• As always, for help with technology bring your devices and/or questions to the meeting.

CCB-GTT New Westminster Summary Notes, Using the Safari Web Browser on iDevices, April 19, 2017

Get Together with Technology (GTT)
New Westminster Meeting

A Chapter of the Canadian Council of the Blind in partnership with Blind Beginnings

Summary Notes
April 19, 2017

Present: Shawn, Albert, Peg, Mary, John, Carol, Pat, Fay, Louise and Kiyo

Safari is the native Web browser on iPhones/iPads/iPods and Mac computers.
A web browser is used for accessing web pages on the Internet.
It is the Apple equivalent to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.
You can download Firefox or Google Chrome on your iDevice but Safari will always be the default browser.
Unlike with the Microsoft Windows platform, you can’t change the default web browser on iDevices.
The Safari icon is usually found in the Doc at the bottom of your phone, however it can be moved to other locations on the Home Screen.
When you open/launch Safari it will open to the last site you visited, not a default homepage like can be established in PC web browsers.
To type/dictate a new web site or a search string you will find the Address bar at the top of the page, and you can conduct a one finger double tap to bring focus to it.
Once you are focussed on the Address Bar you can type/dictate the direct address of the site you want to visit, or you can type/dictate key words to conduct a web search.
Once you type/dictate the relevant text, conduct a one finger double tap on the “Go or Search” icon in the bottom right corner of the device to activate the search.
If you want to copy the URL of the web page you are on, conduct a one finger double tap on the Address Bar and the text contained therein will be highlighted. Activate the Share Button on the Safari Doc and one finger swipe right to find the Copy Button, then one finger double Tap it and a copy of the URL will be moved to the clipboard ready for pasting where ever you need it.

Gestures:

One Finger Double Tap;
The one finger double tap activates/launches/selects/opens items.
To activate the Play Button in any audio player or on YouTube you must conduct a one finger double tap on the button. Once the audio is playing the Magic Tap will pause/resume playing. If ever you find that music or your audio book starts playing without you tapping the relevant button, you may have accidently conducted a Magic Tap, so repeat the action and it will pause the audio again.
To activate an Edit Field you must conduct a one finger double tap, then you will be able to type/dictate.
When VoiceOver says that Actions are available it means you have options and you can flick up and down with one finger to hear the options.

Magic Tap;
The Two finger double tap is called the “Magic Tap” because you can use it for many things including dictating, turning off or on music or audio books, or answering or hanging up a phone.
You must be in the edit field and in edit mode in order for the two finger double tap gesture to open the microphone so that you can dictate.
You must be outside of the edit fields in order to have the two finger double tap answer/hang-up the phone or play/pause audio.

Siri/Dictation;
Siri and dictation are related, but not the same. Siri gives you very little time to dictate your request/instructions before she thinks you are finished, and Dictation allows you time to stop and think during dictation.

Rotor;
Activate the Rotor by placing two fingers on the screen and turning them as if you were turning a radio knob. Ensure your fingers aren’t too close together or it will think it is just one finger.
Use your rotor to select characters, words, lines, headings, links, etc.
Once a Rotor item is selected, the one finger flick up and down moves the focus point forward or back by the selected movement unit, like, characters, words, lines, headings, links, etc.
Once you land on an actionable item the one finger double tap will activate/select the item.
The one finger flick up takes the focus to the beginning of the character/word/line, and the one finger flick down takes the focus to the back of the character/word/line. This is important for Back Spacing over text you want to delete.

Two finger flick up or down;
The Two finger flick down will start VoiceOver reading from where the focus is.
The Two finger flick up will send the cursor to the top of the screen/page and start VoiceOver reading from there.

Google Operators:
Put quotation marks around multiple words that should appear in specific order that you are looking for, for example, “Joe Bloe” so that only Joe Bloe will show up in the results. Otherwise, all the Joe’s and all the Bloe’s will show up.
Add a plus sign after the search string to add two things together in a search term, for example if you are looking for Joe Bloe in Vancouver you would do the following:
“Joe Bloe” +Vancouver
You can also use a minus symbol to exclude something in a search term, for example, if you are looking for Joe Bloe and don’t want the Vancouver one to show up you would replace the above + sign with a minus sign, and all Joe Bloe’s outside of Vancouver should appear.
If your initial search term is too generic you may get too many results, so try to be really specific in your search terms.

Two finger scrub;
At the top left corner is a back button that takes you back to the screen you were at before, including lists of email messages, Contact profiles, web pages or Twitter/Facebook posts.
The Two finger scrub like the print letter Z done quickly is attached to the Back Button and will also usually take you back to the screen you were on before.

Saving Favourites;
You can save a site to your favourites by selecting the Share Button on the Safari Doc at the bottom of all web pages you will visit. It is found just above the home button at the bottom of the screen.
Swiping through the list of options you will find several actionable items including air drop which allows you to share with someone in the room who also has an iDevice, message – allows you to send the link to the site to somebody else through text, mail – allows you to Email somebody the link, notes allows you to save it in a note, Twitter/Facebook – allows you to post to those social media sites, add to favourites – allows you to include that page to a list of your favourites, add bookmark – sets a bookmark in the Bookmarks list, add to reading list – allows you to access it without being on the Internet, add to home screen – allows you to save it to your home screen as an icon.
In the above list you can double tap on Add to Home Screen, and that will allow you to edit the name before flicking left to double tap on the Add/Save Button and it will be saved to your Home Screen for easy access to that web page.

PC Web Browsing:
Hold down the Alt and type the letter D to bring focus to the Address Bar in Firefox or Internet Explorer. When you land there the URL for that web page is selected, so just hold down the Control key and type the letter C to copy it to the clipboard for pasting in a document or email message.

Possible topics for future meetings that resulted from this talk:
Rotor on iDevices,
Tips for searching in a browser,
Gestures with voiceover,
How to set up your home screens,
Text editing – copying, cutting and pasting.

Topic for the May 17 meeting will be rotor and gestures with VoiceOver.
Albert will check if we can designate a donation to our public library for CELA.

Respectfully submitted by Shawn Marsolais and Albert Ruel

Minister Qualtrough introduces National AccessAbility Week to promote accessibility every day, everywhere in Canada

Hello,
As Canada’s Minister responsible for Persons with Disabilities, I believe that our country’s diversity is our strength—and when we include people with disabilities, we create a stronger Canada for everyone.
It is my pleasure to announce that launching this spring, for the first time in many years, an annual national week devoted to inclusion and accessibility.
From May 28 to June 3, 2017, National AccessAbility Week will celebrate, highlight and promote inclusion and accessibility in our communities and workplaces across the country.
We’ve made great strides in promoting inclusion for Canadians with disabilities, but there is still much work to do.
To create a truly inclusive society, we need to change the way we think, talk and act about barriers to participation and accessibility—and we need to do it right from the start, not as an afterthought. An inclusive Canada is one where all Canadians can participate and have an equal opportunity to succeed.
National AccessAbility Week will aim to bring this perspective to the forefront for Canadians, and highlight some of the important initiatives this government and its partners are undertaking to bring about this change.
Please join us in celebrating National AccessAbility Week. I invite you to host events in your own local communities, and participate on social media. More information will be available in the coming weeks on Canada.ca/Accessible-Canada, and I encourage you to follow @AccessibleGC on Twitter, Accessible Canada on Facebook and follow the hashtag #AccessibleCanada and #AccessAbility for the latest information.
Together, let’s continue working towards an Accessible Canada.
The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities

Re-Posted from ASIC: Elections BC Accessible Telephone Voting 2017

Re-posted on behalf of Advocates for Sight Impaired Consumers:
Good afternoon:
Having just completed the process offered by Elections BC for persons with a vision loss and/or a permanent or episodic disability to cast their ballot by phone, I wanted to take this opportunity to share how private, convenient and simple the process was. Although I called at a very busy time which necessitated a request by elections officials to return my call at a mutually convenient time, I had every confidence my identity was protected and my ballot was marked as per my instructions. Verification was provided when my ballot was then passed along to a third election official who was completely unaware of the instructions I had provided earlier. He read to me the name of the candidate for whom my ballot had been marked and the process was complete.
I found this process to be just as secure as had I presented myself at my local polling station and had an election official either assist me in marking my ballot and/or verifying I had marked it correctly.
Access for Sight-Impaired Consumers has worked closely with Elections
BC for over a decade on this particular file, dating back as far as
January 2004. We believe we have been successful in advancing a much improved private and independent process for voters with vision loss in BC. But there is still much to do on this file. The option to vote by phone in this provincial general election is still in the “pilot project” stage in the eyes of Elections BC and the writer will continue to work with Elections BC to enhance voting options and opportunities for all voters in BC. If you made use of the telephone voting option in this election, we would like to receive your feedback. Positive or negative, we will remove all names from feedback received and point to the collective experiences in our future discussions with Elections BC. This is one of four files that will continue to be monitored and overseen after May 31st 2017.
Additional files that will remain open and garner close attention include:
* Accessible prescription medication information – expanding the availability of APMI at pharmacy outlets throughout BC and beyond.
* Accessible pedestrian signals – working closely with APS manufacturers in the area of new technologies and features and also working with municipalities throughout BC promoting the installation of APS to enhance independent accessibility for persons with vision loss.
* Accessible public transit provided by BC Transit and the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority (TransLink) – enhancing access to all modes of public transit for persons with vision loss provided by both these major public transportation providers.

Your feedback regarding the telephone voting option or any election feedback you wish to provide is requested by May 15th via return email to this address. The writer will continue to keep the community well informed on future progress as more election options unfold in BC. However you choose to vote is strictly your choice so please…be sure to exercise your democratic right one way or the other!
Regards,
Rob Sleath
Chair – Access for Sight-Impaired Consumers

Factsheet for employers and employment

professionals

Blind and partially sighted people at work

– Guidance and good practice for Risk

Assessors

About this factsheet

Contents:

1. The need for guidance

2. Blind and partially sighted people at work

3. The process of risk assessment

4. Key points for risk assessment

4.1 Risk assessments should address a task and everyone

involved

4.2 The individuals involved must be consulted

4.3 “Adjustments” must be considered as part of the process

4.4 It is important that you do not make assumptions about

the level of someone’s functional vision

5. Common issues

5.1 Guide Dogs at work

5.2 Mobility and travel

5.3 Lighting

5.4 Trip hazards

5.5 Lone working

Considering risks

Minimising risk

5.6 Evacuating the building

5.7 Stairs

5.8 Safe use of computer systems

5.9 Machinery

5.10 Caring for others

Reading facial expressions to predict behaviour:

Missing visual cues, such as evidence of substance misuse or

concealed weapons:

Reading correspondence while visiting customers:

Perceived difficulties dealing with children:

6. References

7. Sources of help and further information

7.1 RNIB and Action for Blind People

Employment services for employers

Employment factsheets

RNIB Helpline

7.2 Access to Work

7.3 Guide Dogs

7.4 The Health and Safety Executive

7.5 Equality and Human Rights Commission

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