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.

GTT National Conference Call Summary Notes: All About Windows 10 and Screen Readers, November 9, 2016

GTT National Conference Call
Summary Notes

November 9, 2016.

Screen Readers:
Screen readers being used by people on the call.

• JAWS, ranging from Version 13 to 17, paid only with time limited trials available.
• Window Eyes, free, trial and paid versions available.
• System Access, free, trial and paid versions available.
• NVDA, free with a suggested $30 donation.
• Dolphin Guide, paid only with a free 30-day trial.
• Many people are using windows 7, a few windows 8.1 and some windows 10 with one person still on xp but looking to change.
• One person is using ZoomText Magnifier/Reader but changing to NVDA.

Brainstorming specific questions:

PDF’s
Someone was trying to convert PDFs received by email into word documents without a scan and read program.
There are three main blindness specific scanning programs, and one that isn’t specific to blindness. There are also free web sites available to convert PDF files to text documents, and two of the screen readers discussed this night are able to convert PDF files to text on the fly.
• ABBYY FineReader, which is not a blindness specific program, however that is being used successfully by screen reader and magnification users.

• Kurzweil 1000, which is aimed at the blind market has been around a long time, and is used almost exclusively in the school and post-secondary systems. This program is available for the PC, and its sister program, Kurzweil 3000 is aimed at the Learning Disability sector on both the Mac and PC platforms.

• Openbook is also blindness specific and is a product of Freedom Scientific. It is only available for the PC platform.

• DocuScan plus is a blindness specific program and is created by Serotek, the makers of System Access. It is a stand-alone scan and read program that is self-voicing, and available for both the PC and Mac platforms.

DocuScan plus by Serotek appears to be the least expensive of the known scan and read software and is very easy to use.

Someone said that they try to read a PDF using Acrobat Reader and it says converting but then the screen reader says empty document.

This may be because the file has been scanned as an image and not converted for OCR. OCR stands for Optical Character Recognition, and you can learn more here. When someone is setting up their scanner they need to check the box which says check OCR so that it creates PDF files that will be readable by screen readers.

When a document has been scanned as an image file or when PDF files are received by email, programs like ABBYY FineReader, Kurzweil, Openbook and DocuScan can convert them to text based files electronically.

Also, sometimes iDevices read pdf’s that computers can’t access easily.
• The VoiceDreamReader app is good at converting and reading PDFs.
• The KNFB Reader iPhone app can also convert PDF files to text.

There is an OCR add-on that you can download from Freedom Scientific called, Convenient OCR. It is built into the latest versions of JAWS.

To OCR a document with JAWS, do the following:
1. Press jaws key plus the space bar
2. Press O for OCR then D for entire document.
3. Once converted to readable text one may select all or some of the text for pasting into an MS Word document. See more details by accessing the above link.

NVDA also has an OCR Add-on for converting PDFs to readable text. Download it by accessing the above link.

There are web sites that are free to convert PDF and other formatted files too many text based editable formats. One of them is, PDF to Text, and it can be found here. Narrator.
• In Windows 10 you can do more with narrator. You can move around your screen with it. It is not as robust as the above noted screen readers, however you can use narrator for the built in Live Mail and Edge Browser programs for Windows 10.
• You can use narrator to get to a website say to set up NVDA. Edge and Windows Live Mail are very inaccessible with any other screen reader.
• Narrator is not a full-fledged screen reader yet but people are encouraged to try it with Windows 10.
• It is free.

Google Searches:
It was pointed out that if you’re looking for download links to free software like NVDA, try typing in your Google Search NVDA Screen Reader Download or Thunderbird Download and it will usually take you right to the downloads page. Also, Google searches that start with “How do I…” will almost always get you good and helpful results.

General Questions:
Someone asked what version of JAWS is needed in order to run Windows 10? It is JAWS 16 or higher.

NVDA updates are always free and the software is free unless you buy the Eloquence Synthesizer voices which is around 80 dollars Canadian.

Once you have purchased the System Access screen reader, all updates are free, and it does work with Windows 10.

*Note: if your needs are being met with Windows 7 or 8.1 you don’t have to move to Windows 10. Those two operating systems will be supported by Microsoft for several years yet. However, if you are upgrading from Windows XP or Vista it might be worth your while to embark on a Windows 10 upgrade as you will be entering a significant learning curve anyway.

NVDA is a great screen reader developed by two people who are blind and they are updating all the time. This program is open source so some workplaces may not let you install or use it.

Many of the key strokes are very similar between NVDA and JAWS.

Trouble-shooting and training apps:
• JAWS offers a built-in training and trouble-shooting utility called Tandem which allows someone helping you to access your computer provided both are running JAWS.

• NVDA has a similar program called NVDA Remote.• TeamViewer is another utility that can be used for trouble-shooting and training that is not screen reader specific. Difference between screen readers on the PC and mac?
• The Mac has only one choice for screen reader. It is called VoiceOver and is built-in. It is available on all Macs and you do not need to buy it separately.
• All the native Mac apps, (Mail, Web Browser, Spreadsheet, iTunes, Notes, Word Processing work well with VoiceOver.
• It has good high quality voices.
• The way you use this screen reader is very different than on the PC so there is a learning curve.
• There are good books through National braille press, as well as guides and podcasts through AppleVis.com and many resources to help you with the Mac and other iDevices.
• If you use other iDevices, your content will sync well between them and the Mac.
• The Track Pad on the Mac lets you do many gestures which are the same as those you use with your iPhone.
• If you have a friend with a mac and you want to try it out, hold down the Command Key and type F5 to toggle it on and off. The Command Key is known as the Alt Key on a PC, and is found to the left and right of the Space Bar.
• When you launch VoiceOver on the Mac, you are asked if you want to run the VoiceOver Tutorial, which helps you learn the basic keyboard commands.
• One other advantage is that you can run a copy of Windows on your Mac with NVDA. So, you can have both systems running on one computer. You might only want to do this if you love technology however.
• If you have questions about the Mac, Kim Kilpatrick uses it almost exclusively and can talk to you about the pros and cons.
• Mac computers are more expensive than many laptops but they are good quality.

What resources are out there for learning screen readers?
There are many good free and paid resources for learning to use your products and screen readers.
Often if users are having trouble, it is because they have not taken the time to set up the machine for maximum benefit from screen readers, or they haven’t learned enough about how to access the computer with their screen reading software.

• CathyAnne Murtha textbooks are very good and highly recommended.• NVDA has put out a very good manual for learning how to use it and someone said it is one of the best manuals he has seen. The cost for it is 30 dollars Australian and it can be found on the NVDA web site.

• There are many other useful things on the NVDA Web Site including some tutorials, downloads of the software etc.
• Serotek also has good materials for learning the screen reader and the programs it supports.Disability Answer/Support Desk:
The below free technical support hotlines are reserved for screen reader, magnification, hearing or physical disability software users. All reports are that the people working these hotlines are quick, respectful, expert and friendly.

Someone was having an issue getting iCloud Mail running on the PC or on Android. No answers came out of the group gathered this night, so it was suggested that he call the Apple Accessibility Support number:
1-877-204-3930

For all troublesome matters related to screen reader or magnification users and the Microsoft Operating System or MS Office products, the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk number is:
1-800-936-5900

It was suggested you could use two different email programs on the PC. Say Outlook for Gmail and Thunderbird for iCloud.

It was pointed out that Thunderbird is a good email program and is recommended by those developing NVDA, but there can be a few problems such as not landing directly in your inbox.

The Edge Web Browser does not work well in Windows 10 but you can use Google Chrome, Firefox or Internet Explorer.

Next meeting, December 14, all about Streaming Services.

Respectfully submitted,
Kim Kilpatrick and Albert Ruel

GTT Vancouver and New Westminster Summary Notes, GPS and OrCam, September and October Meetings, 2016

GTT Vancouver
Summary Notes

Topic: GPS and the OrCam

Session 1, GPS and the OrCam
Date: Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Present: 16 participants; Shawn, Corey, Lilo, Nora, John, Louise, Fay, Carol, Pat, Mary, Lynn, Peg, Ryan, Albert, Clement, and Barry from OrCam

Session 2, GPS
Date: Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Present: 8 participants; Shawn, Albert, Geri, John, Fay, Carol, Louise, Kari-Lyn

First Saturday Meeting which dealt with GPS,
Date: Saturday, October 22, 2016 at VCC
Present: 24 participants; John, Jeremy, Nora, Rita, Tammy, John, Peg, Bev, Pat, Bridget, Mary, Mo, Richard, Perry, Icy, Tracey, Shawn, Sean, Matthew, Monty, Cathy, Becky, Owen and Anna

What is GPS – Global Positioning System?
• What is it and how does it work?
• -type of technology that tells someone or something where it is on planet earth
• relies on a series of satellites in the sky
• there used to be 24, now there are many more
• your technology communicates, gets a message to tell you where you are in relation to the satellite
• The accuracy ranges from 1 metre in military technology to 2-3 metres, or as bad as five, depending on the service provider

History and Evolution
• Satellites were used initially for GPS
• GPS is used for anything that does long distance travel
• Nowadays everybody has GPS – it now is enhanced by Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cell towers, and satellites.
• Some store maps so you can look at them even when there is no satellite signal or data connection.
• Portable GPS started in the late 90’s and were the size of back-packs and Laptops.
• The trekker was a PDA with special software added which was very expensive. Came with many components and wires to connect everything.
• It was full featured, would tell you points of interest, could browse a route, and was a very handy device. It had no Internet connection and relied on satellites. So, if it was rainy or cloudy it’s difficult to reach the satellites and would not work.
• Trekker Breeze had some improvements but was harder to relabel points of interest.
• At this point they started integrating GPS into note takers you could carry your one device.
• Freedom Scientific included it in the Pacmate which no longer exists. They used infrared for the receiver which meant you had to line it up perfectly in order to work.
• Then there was the BrailleNote which included GPS. You could add additional software for another $1500 which came with maps and a receiver. They used Bluetooth – Wi-Fi___33 without Internet – good for about 30 feet. This was more stable connection.
• Then BrrailleSense added GPS. Worked reasonably well.
• At the same time GPS were starting to be integrated into cars
• Then we started integrating into phones.
• Using 3G and cell networks.
• Apple came up with Maps on the IPhone so you did not need to purchase additional software.
• Google came up with google maps
• Now there is location tracking with phones.
• The more things you have transmitting on your phone the easier it will be for the GPS to work.
• Blue tooth will suck your battery life faster when turned on.

GPS apps – BlindSquare, Apple Maps, Navacon, Smartphone GPS, Seeing Eye, Nearby Explorer, AuTour.
• Google Maps, Apple Maps, and AuTour are free
• You do need data on your phone to use GPS on the go
• You may want an external battery pack or a phone case that charges it twice
• When you ask Siri to take you somewhere the phone will automatically use Apple Maps. Whenever you choose Get Directions uses Apple Maps
• Tell it to find a place and get directions or ask Siri to take you somewhere – tracking isn’t bad and directions usually will get you there.
• Apple maps will tell you when to switch lanes so it can be helpful if you are trying to help navigate for your driver
• Google Maps is more refined, better control, and you can do more stuff with it.
• You can find it in the app store, it’s free, and includes transit stops locally but not for every system.
• Five options driving walking, transit, biking, and ride services
• When you open google maps it opens a menu with an edit field. You can dictate as long as you have good service and your environment isn’t too loud.
• Menu will get you into settings, save your location
• When you click query you get a search field, recent history will give you the last places you’ve searched for, explore food and drinks, gas stations, pharmacy’s, nearby.
• Maps on the Trekker could be 2 years old but Google Maps are updated regularly.
• Not every business will show up but if you enter an address it will be able to find those smaller businesses
• You need location services on for GPS to work.

Seeing Eye has a look around arm that will tell you what is in each direction. It updates every 15 seconds which is why it sucks the battery so fast.
• Once it catches where you are it will tell you what is to your southeast or northwest. It will tell you what street is running from your left to right, or behind to forward.
• Seeing Eye uses worldwide maps. It pulls from foursquare or google maps.
• You can pay $13 per month, $60 per year, or buy it outright for $300.
• You can create routes, mark points of interest.

BlindSquare won’t give you turn by turn instruction
• It has a “look around” arm to see what is nearby
• It has a 15 minute sleep timer

Nearby Explorer is less than a third of the money but does pretty much the same as Seeing Eye.
• Both give route options, virtual walk abouts, include buses
• It also has a “look around” arm
• Nearby Explorer is $109. Covers North America. Downloads 4 gigs of maps into your phone and uses google maps and apple maps. It requires a lot of storage.

AuTour is a new free app
• You can point your phone at something and it will tell you what you are pointed at
• Radar will scan what’s around you 360 degrees. Beam tells you what you are pointed at.

Seeing assistant move, Lite and paid versions available
• -has a suite of applications, colour detector, light detector
• -it is an app, somewhere around nine or ten dollars
• -reason it is ten and not one hundred, is because it does not pay map companies to license expensive maps from third parties
• -instead it makes use of a project called OpenStreet Map, a project where people all over the world, have designed the map for the company
• anywhere people go, they log their current location, and open street map shares it with the rest of the users
• takes advantage of free mapping from countries
• -not as good as the ones that use really detailed third party maps, but probably about 90% as good, and much more affordable
• -don’t always need a data connection, but will need to download maps at some point
• -the presenter demonstrates the app to the group
• the presenter shows a point close to our location that he added to the open map
• the presenter hits the where am I button, gives a slightly different address, but that is probably the closest address to this classroom
• This app can also identify cross streets
• now giving an example of a route
• the presenter goes to all categories, clicks entertainment, to see what is around, and looks for close by restaurants
• clicks actions, hits add to track
• the app also tells you by clock face where your destination is, so as you approach it will say the place is at 11 clock, 10 o’clock, and so on, orienting you to the building
• calculate a turn by turn route
• start point, my location, end point, restaurant, route type, fastest
• designate and track route
• -drawbacks
• the simulate location feature
• tell your phone where you will be in the future, choose a place, and it can simulate that location, and then you can explore that area in the same way you would with the app if you were actually there
• this feature stopped working in parts of the app, however when the presenter contacted the developers, they were receptive and thanked him for pointing out the error

Which is the best GPS App:

Blind Square is inexpensive
• Accessible overlay that uses the compass, apple maps, transit app and makes it accessible
• Tells you where you are in relation to your destination but no turn by turn directions

• Ask your I-phone to find directions to an address
• Choose whether you are driving, walking and then it will talk you through the directions
• I-Beacon technology requires Bluetooth which will work indoors
• GPS doesn’t work in a mall
• Tap with 4 fingers at the bottom of the screen brings cursor to bottom or at top of the screen brings you to the top
• Four Square – you can pull up the restaurant where you are and rate your meal. The more places you check in at, the more places end up on Four Square
• Blind Square uses four square
• You can search for arts and entertainment, food, residences, shops, outdoor and recreation, colleges and universities, etc
• Sometimes it will tell you about a restaurant that is now closed

Nearby Explorer – need more than a 16 gig phone – a bit more expensive but does give turn by turn directions
• Costs more than Blind Square but less than Seeing Eye.
• Increase or decrease radius to hear what is closer or father away
• You can turn on a setting to tell you every street you cross, city boundaries, addresses, etc. You can choose as little or as much as you want
• Guidance can be turned on to give you guidance to get to your location
• Nearby Explorer was developed by American Printing House and it has been running on Android for 4 years.
• Once you have maps loaded on the app and you use only onboard apps, you don’t need data

Seeing Eye requires data for maps which is why it doesn’t require as much space.

OrCam demo from Barry Underwood
• Comes with glasses with a small camera attached. The camera can attach to any set of glasses
• Once the device is turned on, you hit the single button which is a trigger to take a photo of what you are looking at.
• You can also use your finger and point to the document and it will also take a picture and start reading

The next meeting topic is to be determined

November 23 will be the next Daytime GTT Vancouver Meeting at Blind Beginnings.
December 3 will be the next Saturday GTT Vancouver Meeting at VCC

GTT Victoria: Summary Notes, Identifi and OrCam, November 2, 2016

Get together with Technology (GTT)
Victoria Meeting – GVPL Main branch, Meeting Room
Summary Notes

Wednesday November 2, 2016

The meeting was called to order at 1:15 pm by chair Albert Ruel

Attendance, Karis, Bruce, Tom, Sabena, Karen, John, Sky, Shelly, Jenna, Evette, Steve, Corry and Albert. As well Barry Underwood, representing OrCam was in attendance for a second half presentation.

The group welcomed Shelly and Jenna from Salt Spring Island, who were both first time participants within the group and had made the trip over specifically for the GTT meeting.

During the first half, various topics were discussed. Albert started things off by introducing the group to a new app called identifi, Developed byAnmol Tukrel, a young Canadian residing in Toronto. Currently only available for iOS, the app lets one take pictures via the device camera and will provide an audio description of the item photographed. Albert demoed the app. Results took about 10 seconds. The app will not retain the photo and you can identify pictures from your camera roll. You must have iOS9 or higher on your iPhone, more info at the Apple Apps store.

John spoke in regards to needing an audible signal at the corner of Government and Humbolt/Warf, right by the tourist center. Extremely busy corner and an odd one for pedestrians to cross based on it’s configuration. Unanimous agreement.

Tom, communicated to the group that he is now featured as a regular guest on the Kelly and Company show on AMI Audio, more info at ami.ca. Tom also continues with his weekly world music program on Mushroom FM, more info at mushroomfm.com

Tom spoke of a new kitchen appliance he had purchased called the Onepot. The appliance can be controlled via an iPhone app, is Bluetooth enabled and to date Tom has no accessibility issues. Information on one such device can be found at https://applevis.com/podcast/episodes/demonstration-instant-pot-electric-pressure-cooker-and-its-companion-ios-app

A discussion ensued about other appliance and home security apps and programs. The group also discussed driverless cars, and the rapid growth of technology in this regard.

Question, what is Bluetooth, summation, short range wireless, seamed to be the best description. The discussion continued around Bluetooth settings on one’s phone, on or off if not in use and how much battery does Bluetooth take. Off and very little were the verdicts. The “find my iPhone” feature was also discussed.

Tom spoke of a luggage identifier that is now available and is accessible tracking one luggage when away from the carrier. more info at mosen.org.

Tom informed the group how pleased he is with the iOS10 on screen braille keyboard. Perfect was his description,

After a short break Barry Underwood made his presentation.
He placed in front of 6 participants an OrCam device then walked them through the unboxing and activation process. OrCam has undergone an upgrade in 2016 and now includes the ability to pause and resume reading, and guidance on whether or not the text is centered in the camera view. There are two versions of the device, the OrCam Reader and the OrCam MyEye. Many questions were asked and answered, and if anyone has additional need for information about the OrCam Barry can be reached at the below contact info.
http://www.orcam.com/
Barry.Underwood@OrCam.com
250-498-6515

Next meeting, Wednesday, December 7th, 2016
Time 1:00pm
Topic: Open Discussion about Assistive Technology, and Santa’s Wish List. LOL

NNELS Library Resource: Governor General’s Literary Awards in Accessible Formats

Find this article on the web by clicking here.

Dear readers,

As many of you know, the winners of the Governor General’s Literary Awards were announced early this morning by the Canada Council for the Arts. Congratulations to all the winning writers and publishers!

We are so happy to have worked with the Canada Council. As in 2015, they trusted us with advance access to their list of winners so that we could have some of them ready for you today. We continue to produce additional winners in accessible formats and we’re adding them to our list as they’re done: https://nnels.ca/news/ggbooks2016

Over time, you’ll be able to find more nominees and winners in our full collection of 2016 GG Books: https://nnels.ca/relations/GGBooks-2016

A number of these titles are only available in print formats at this time, which means they will take a little longer to arrive in accessible digital formats than some of the other titles we are producing.

If you’re interested in finding out when more books are ready, please follow us on Twitter (@nnelsca) or Facebook (@nnels.ca), and if you have any questions about these books, or how to make them work with a particular device, please contact us: https://nnels.ca/contact.

Happy reading!

Sincerely yours,
The NNELS Team

GTT Edmonton: Summary Notes, Dolphin Guide, October 17, 2016

Summary Notes
GTT Edmonton Meeting October 17, 2016

The most recent meeting of the Get Together With Technology (GTT) Edmonton Chapter was held October 17at 7pm at Ascension Lutheran Church 8405 83 Street in Edmonton.
16 people attended.

2017 Membership Dues
Thank you to those who paid their CCB 2017 $10 membership. We would appreciate if new or existing members can pay in November as we are required to submit our dues by the end of November to qualify for a 50% refund back to our chapter.

Research Project
Dean Kozak joined us briefly to explain his Master’s degree project to research the activity levels of blind and visually impaired people. Dean needs volunteers to survey for his research. We agreed Dean will construct a letter about the research which we will email to our members so those who wish to participate can contact him directly.

October Feature Topic – Your Needs and Dolphin Guide Software

Your Feedback
Carrie surveyed attendees so we could all hear what technology they use and what topics they would like to learn more about. Members wish to continue the demos of technology but they also want more one on one help with the basics including:
• Using computers especially Windows PCs with both JAWS and Zoomtext.
• Using DAISY players and downloading books to them.
• Basics of iPhone including iCloud and useful apps.

Several people would like a home visit by a technician to deal with computer issues. One person could benefit from a volunteer to take him on errands to acquire or repair technology. Most people have desktops they can’t bring to the meeting so we will look into whether some laptops could be borrowed for use at our meetings or we could rent a computer lab to teach people one on one. We will continue the discussion regarding your needs in the next meeting.

Guide Software from Dolphin
Lorne demonstrated the Guide software program from Dolphin that can be purchased and installed on your Windows PC.
• Guide replaces Windows for many basic computer functions such as writing letters/documents, email, finding/downloading/listening to audio books including those from CELA and Bookshare, listening to radio and podcasts, managing appointments and contacts, browsing the Internet, making Skype calls, even playing games, and more.
• Guide is self-voicing and has built-in high contrast magnification so you do not need a talking screen reader or screen magnifier.
• Guide reduces everyday tasks to simple menus that direct you to press 1 for this, press 2 for that etc. much like using an interactive telephone system.
• When you select a function such as sending an email it leads you through the process with simple spoken directions such as “type the email address you wish to send to”, “now type the subject line”, “now type the email body”.
• It has its own file format for documents so you don’t need to learn a program like MS Word or know how to manage document files. However, it can produce or read MS Word if needed.
• All functions work the same way so unlike Windows programs there is no need to memorize keyboard shortcuts or different interfaces for different programs.
• It could be a viable solution for people using a Windows computer for the first time or those who have difficulty remembering the steps to follow or keys to press for different programs.
• Cost is $1169 CDN.
• Dolphin is a UK company but the Guide program is available in Canada from Frontier Computing. For more information contact Frontier Computing at this link. A free 30 day trial is available. On the above web page there are additional links for product reviews and YouTube demos.

Next Meeting (Monday November 14at 7pm)
• We will try to identify the next steps to provide more one on one assistance especially with respect to using computers, DAISY players, and iPhones.
• No demo is yet planned. We will confirm on the agenda.
• Send your meeting topic ideas to GTT.Edmonton@gmail.com.
• 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 Team
• Carrie Anton is visually impaired and is the accessibility specialist for Athabasca University.
carrie.anton@hotmail.com
• Gerry Chevalier is blind. He is retired from HumanWare where he worked as the Product Manager for the Victor Reader line of talking book players.
GTT.Edmonton@gmail.com
• Heather MacDonald is a career and employment specialist with extensive experience helping blind and visually impaired people find employment.
• Russell Solowoniuk is blind and works with alternative formats and assistive technology at Grant MacEwan University.
rsolowoniuk@gmail.com
• Lorne Webber is blind and is the accessibility specialist for Norquest College.
lorne.webber@gmail.com

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 will present a feature technology topic and general question and answer about any other technology.
• Small groups or one on one assistance is possible at the meetings.
• 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, 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]

GTT Calgary: Summary Notes, Open Discussion, September 19, 2016

Summary Notes
Get Together with Technology (GTT) Calgary
A Chapter of the Canadian Council of the Blind

The most recent meeting of the Get Together With Technology (GTT) Calgary Chapter was held September 19 at 10:00 AM at the CCB Office in the basement of the Calgary CNIB Service Center, 15 Colonel Baker Place NE.

Attendance- 4 members, Karen, Cherryl, Ted, Anthony.

As discussed, here are the desired topics for the coming months:
• Lots of people wanted to know more about the new features in iOS 10.
• AuTour was also mentioned as well.
• Priority for next month will be GPS aps, weather permitting.
• Since we have a couple of Android users, it was mentioned that we need to get somebody to come from Android to speak.
• We also said it might be good to have someone to come from Aroga and talk about what they have to offer.
• Some people less technically advanced also said they would like to go back to basics since some of what was and is covered is above their heads or too complicated.

If you have any questions, comments, or if there are any ommissions, please contact me or Cherryl McNab and we will be happy to assist you.

Next Meeting (Monday October 17 at 10:00 AM )
• Send your meeting topic ideas to Tedsmusicom@telus.net.
• As always, for help with technology bring your devices and/or questions to the meeting.

Meeting Location and Logistics:
• We meet in the CCB Office in the basement of the Calgary CNIB Service Center, 15 Colonel Baker Place NE.
• Meetings are held on the third Monday of each month at 10:00 AM.
• If you have someone helping you your assistant is welcome to remain for the meeting.

GTT Calgary Team:
Cherryl McNab, CCB Calgary Chapter and Alberta Division President
Ted Phillips, CCB Calgary Club Secretary
(403)801-2294 Tedsmusicom@telus.net

GTT Calgary Overview
• GTT Calgary is a chapter of the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB).
• GTT Calgary promotes a self-help learning experience by holding monthly meetings to assist participants with assistive technology.
• Each meeting will present a feature technology topic and general question and answer about any other technology.
• Small groups or one on one assistance is possible at the meetings.
• 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, 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]

GTT Victoria Summary Notes, Accessible GPS, October 5, 2016

Get together with Technology (GTT) Victoria

Canadians with Disabilities Act Consultations: Barrier-Free Canada Resource for Participation

Dear BFC-CSB supporter: We are delighted to share our October newsletter with you and we again thank you for your continuing support of our initiative.
With best wishes
The BFC-CSB team

The Barrier Free Canada – Canada sans Barrières October 2016 newsletter

Table of contents
1. Summary of Recent Events
2. News coverage
3. From around the country
4. Question for consideration
5. Next steps
6. We need your feedback
7. Contact info

*****
Summary of Recent Events
The month of September was a busy one for us as BFC-CSB created and posted two articles on its website which are designed to help you as you get ready
to attend Minister Qualtrough’s public hearing engagements across Canada and you can read these two documents at
http://barrierfreecanada.org/two-resources-for-canadians-with-disabilities-act/
They were both written by David Lepofsky of our steering committee.
The first document is a Canadians with Disabilities Act Consultation Tip Sheet: Detailed Points to Present to the Federal Government’s Public Consultation
on What To Include in the Promised Federal Accessibility Law.
The second document What Should the Promised New Federal Disability Accessibility Law Include? – At a Glance

In September Donna Jodhan met with officials from the Canadian Transportation Agency and the purpose of the meeting was for her to share her views with
them on the CTA’s accessible transportation discussion paper. Donna has submitted a written response to the CTA and will be posting this shortly to the
bfc-csb website.

We will note here that in its response to the CTA’s accessible transportation discussion paper, the Greater Toronto Airport Authority has stated the following.
“Toronto Pearson terminals meet all federal regulations regarding accessibility standards, and the CTA has advised us that the GTAA is fully compliant.”
We would like to know where may we find any public information to support this statement? Additionally; the GTAA does not want the CTA to have any role
in new construction and assessment of plans for accessibility.

On September 23 Donna Jodhan made a presentation to members of a cross section of disabilities persons groups in Halifax Nova Scotia and the presentation
centered on advocacy and seeking support for Barrier Free Canada – Canada sans Barrières.
This trip was sponsored by CNIB and organized by Pat Gates and Louise Gillis president of CCB.

Among those attending were: CCB, CNIB, Canadian Paraplegic Association Nova Scotia, Muscular Dystrophy Atlantic, March of Dimes, CARP or the Canadian Association
of Retired Persons,Mt. St. Vincent University, MS Society, NS Health Authority, Municipal Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and a number of individuals
representing themselves.

Earlier in the Day Donna along with Pat and Louise met with Mike Savage; Mayor of Halifax and the Mayor has since written a letter in support of BFC-CSB.

*****
News coverage
Taken from
New legislation to give more options for people with disabilities and employers, minister says
New legislation to give more options for people with disabilities and employers, minister says Jonathan Charlton, Saskatoon StarPhoenix Published on: September
28, 2016 | Last Updated: September 28, 2016 9:15 PM CST Carla Qualtrough, minister of sport and persons with disabilities, says upcoming disabilities legislation
is important.
Wayne
Cuddington / Ottawa Citizen
The federal government is creating legislation to protect people with disabilities, and Saskatchewan residents will be able to participate in consultations
this week. A public meeting was held in Regina on Wednesday, followed by a private round table in Saskatoon Friday. Carla Qualtrough, minister of sport
and persons with disabilities, spoke with reporter Jonathan Charlton about why the legislation is important. This interview has been condensed and edited.
What are you trying to accomplish with this legislation?
“In short, we’re trying to create a law that proactively requires businesses, services providers, program deliverers within federal jurisdiction to remove
barriers for people with disabilities,” she said. Instead of waiting until someone is discriminated against and human rights law kicks in, the legislation
will create a systemic approach to dealing with inclusion. It would cover the government itself as well as federally regulated businesses such as banks,
telecommunications and Via Rail.
Why is legislation required, as opposed to something like a code of conduct or a mission statement?
“First of all it shows federal leadership in this area. It sends a clear message to Canadians that disability issues, disability policy, accessibility,
are priorities for our government,” she said. Legislation also tends to survive through successive governments, she said. “More than 50 per cent of the
complaints to the Human Rights Commission of Canada are on the grounds of disability. So there is a gap there. A lot of people with disabilities are being
denied jobs and services and so we felt a legislative response was warranted. And quite frankly Canadians with disabilities and their advocates have been
calling for this legislation for a decade.”
Advertisement
What sort of situation would the legislation prevent?
Qualtrough gives the example of a person who applies for a job, then in the interview it’s realized they have a disability, and they don’t get the job.
“That person, at that point of denial, the only recourse they have is to file a complaint with the Human Rights Commission. With our law in place, that
employer would have been advised well before the denial happened, here’s how you include someone with a disability in your application process, here’s
how you make the interview accessible, here’s the benefit of hiring someone with a disability, the unique perspective they will bring to that job. There
will be opportunities systemically to avoid that denial from even happening in the first place.
Might some businesses simply might not know how to accommodate, or see accommodation as time or resource intensive?
“I think that’s happening everywhere. A lot of what we’re seeing is people having a genuine interest in being inclusive but not knowing how, so again a
lot of the work we’re doing is around educating and giving employers and businesses the tools to be more inclusive. And it’s also dispelling a lot of myths
about the costs of hiring someone with a disability, explaining the business case for hiring someone with a disability, to be frank. About the untapped
labour market aspect, about the creativity and innovation, the employee loyalty.”
jcharlton@postmedia.com

If you would like to see how security personnel interact with travelers with disabilities at Pearson International Airport then we invite you to visit
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/catsa-airport-travellers-complaints-security-1.3779312
Here you will get a flavour for some of the types of challenges being faced by the passengers with disabilities public.

*****
From around the country
From British Columbia comes the following from the Barrier-Free BC Steering Committee.
At the annual convention of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) held in Victoria this year from September 26 – 30, Resolution B62 containing
the following text, passed unanimously:
Whereas British Columbians with disabilities encounter a variety of physical, sensory and technological barriers as well as ones related to communication,
education, employment, attitudes and many others on a daily basis; And whereas the Government of British Columbia launched a non-mandatory, non-legislated
initiative entitled “Accessibility 2024” in 2014 with the goal of making BC the most progressive province in Canada for people with disabilities by the
year 2024; And whereas both the Province of Ontario and the Province of Manitoba have enacted disability legislation with the Province of Nova Scotia working
toward the introduction and enactment of disability legislation in 2016:
Therefore be it resolved that UBCM believes it is important to achieve a barrier-free province for all persons with disabilities and calls upon BC’s Legislative
Assembly to enact a strong and effective British Columbians with Disabilities Act.
The passing of this Resolution is a giant leap forward for the supporters of the Barrier-Free BC campaign in that it now captures the support of every
city, municipality, district, town and village in the province. But the road ahead is still one we must travel and with the provincial general election
just over 7 months away, we must all pick up the pace to achieve our goal. Now, more than ever is the time to make contact with your MLA through a letter
or email telling your personal stories about the barriers you still face despite the Government’s ‘Accessibility 2024’ initiative. Personal stories get
the most attention and greater response from politicians. Telephone your MLA and relay your story or better still, pay him or her a visit. And social media
such as Twitter or Facebook are yet additional methods of letting your MLA know of the need to support disability legislation in BC. Visit
http://www.barrierfreebc.org
for additional information and write to
info@barrierfreebc.org
if you need assistance or direction. Our Steering Committee is here to help!
Rob Sleath
On behalf of the Barrier-Free BC Steering Committee

*****
Question for consideration
We at Barrier free Canada – Canada sans Barrières have a question for you today.
At the present time there are several Federal Government departments that do not offer accessible and user friendly online complaints systems and mechanisms.
Most of them are extremely difficult to work with, navigate, and there is not enough support from said departments. Accordingly, Canadians with disabilities
are at a tremendous disadvantage when it comes to being able to lodge complaints.
Do you think that a Canadians with disabilities Act could help to remedy this in any way?
If you do then please speak up and speak out now as it is the best time for you to do this and why? Because Minister Qualtrough has started her public
engagements to hear from Canadians to give input into this very important piece of legislation.

*****
Next steps
In the coming weeks BFC-CSB will be continuing its efforts to be a part of the public engagement process and to this end our committee is planning to play
a more active role. We will be working more closely with our founding organizations and supporting organizations to speak up and speak out and we will
be attending round table engagements when invited to do so.

*****
We need your feedback

If you are an individual wishing to speak up and speak out then by all means; send your thoughts and comments to your MP, your MPP, and to us at
info@barrierfreecanada.org.

If you are a supporting organization then we would like to hear from you too. Let us work more closely together to ensure that a Canadians with disabilities
Act is passed in a timely way.

*****
Contact info
We would love to hear from you; via email, via twitter, via Facebook.

To contact us, please send an email to
info@barrierfreecanada.org.
To keep abreast of our updates visit
http://www.barrierfreecanada.org/category/general

Visit us at
http://www.barrierfreecanada.org
and sign up to be a yes supporter or use the form provided to write to us with your organization’s letter of support.
Follow us on Twitter @barrierfreeca
And like us on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/barrierfreeca

Signed,

Donna Jodhan founder and chair
On behalf of the BFC-CSB steering committee

The Barrier Free Canada – Canada sans Barrières steering committee includes:
David Lepofsky, Steven Christianson, Chris O’Brien, Marc Workman, Jutta Treviranus.

Our five initial founding organizations are:
CNIB, March of Dimes, the MS Society of Canada, the Canadian Hearing Society, and Accessible Media Inc. A list of our supporting organizations is listed
below.
The Low Vision Self-Help Association
West Island, Montreal Quebec
The Coalition of Persons with Disabilities – NL Guide Dog Users of Canada (GDUC) Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB) Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians
(AEBC) SPH Planning & Consulting Limited The Rick Hansen Foundation Quebec Federation of the blind Communication Disabilities Access Canada (CDAC) Community
Living Toronto Deaf Blind Ontario Services Unifor StopGap Foundation Citizens with Disabilities Ontario Spinal Cord Injury Alberta Easter seals canada
Access for Sight-Impaired consumers Every Canadian Counts Coalition Québec Accessible Centre for Equitable Library Access / Centre d’accès équitable aux
bibliothèques Deaf & Hear Alberta Autism Canada Mayor of Halifax Novascotia

VR Stream New Gen Step by Step Instructions for Organizing Playlists

With the Victor Reader Stream it is easy to search for radio stations and add them to the favorites playlist by pressing the bookmark key. However, the favorites playlist can quickly grow to a large number of stations and become rather unwieldly. Let�s say your Favorites playlist had many stations consisting of music, old-time radio, sports, news or other categories. You can easily separate these stations into separate playlists for each category.
Below are step-by-step instructions for doing that. For example, to create a playlist of only the sports stations from your Favorites follow these steps:
list of 14 items
1. Press key 1 multiple times to reach the Stream’s Radio bookshelf.
2. Press key 4 or 6 multiple times to reach the Favorites playlist.
3. Press key 3 followed by the Pound (Confirm) key to export the Favorites playlist to the SD card.
4. Remove the SD card and access it on your computer.
5. You will find a file on the SD card named, Exported Favorites Playlist.xspf.
6. Rename this file to Sports.xspf.
7. Put the SD card back into your Stream.
8. Press the menu key 7 multiple times to reach the Internet Radio menu.
9. Press key 8 until you reach the menu item named, Import Internet Radio playlist from File.
10. Press the Confirm key to import the new sports playlist from the SD. Then press the Cancel key to exit from the Stream menu.
11. Press key 1 to reach the Radio bookshelf and then key 6 multiple times until you find the new Sports playlist.
12. Press Confirm to open the Sports playlist. It will be a duplicate of your Favorites playlist.
13. However, you can now use the 4 or 6 keys to navigate through the stations and press key 3 followed by Confirm key to delete all stations that are not
sports related.
14. Finally, use key 1 then keys 4 or 6 to return to the Favorites playlist, press Confirm to open it, and then use keys 4 or 6 to navigate your original
favorites and use key 3 to delete all the sports stations since they are now in your new Sports playlist.
list end
You can repeat the above steps for each new playlist you wish to extract from your Favorites.

Free Tutorial Resource, American Foundation for the Blind

View this Blog Post in your browserLearn Tech,
collage of people working on computers and closeup of hands on a keyboard

The American Foundation for the Blind is pleased to announce Learn Tech, a technology access initiative that features free online tutorials to help people who are blind or visually impaired learn how to improve their computer and technology skills. The tutorials can be accessed here. The newest tutorial offering for Learn Tech is a 10-part series on Using Google Docs and Google Drive with NVDA. Google Docs is a free, web-based application in which documents can be created, edited, and stored online. Google Drive is a file storage and synchronization service that allows users to store files in the cloud, and share files with people who are working on the same project. NVDA (Non-Visual Desktop Access) is a free screen reader for people who are blind or visually impaired.

When these tools are used together, computer users who are blind or visually impaired are able to use the computer for work or school without any additional, expensive software. These tools also allow for easy project collaboration with others at school or in the workplace, leveling the playing field.

Also available from Learn Tech are the previously released Learn NVDA free video tutorials that describe how to use the NVDA free and fully featured screen reader.

Additional tutorials will be added to Learn Tech over time. To learn more, or to share information with people who may be interested in using the tutorials, go to this web site.

Users are encouraged to provide feedback on the tutorials and other training topics of interest in the feedback links.

Learn Tech tutorials were made possible with support from the Lions Club International Foundation, the Jessie Ball DuPont Fund, and the Consumer Technology Association Foundation. AFB is pleased to partner with these organizations to support technology literacy. Together, we are working to create a more accessible, inclusive world for people with vision loss.

Follow-up Resource, CELA Library Article from their Openbook Publication, September 2016

Hello Everyone,

In July 2016 CCB/GTT and the Accessible Information and Copyright Committee of the AEBC jointly hosted a teleconference call, then followed up by posting the summary notes from that call in order to provide members with information about existing CELA and NNELS services.

We want to share one important update from the CELA September “OpenBook Newsletter”.

Read on!

Service tip: Say goodbye to the CNIB Library website

It’s time to update your bookmarks! If you are still using the CNIB Library website to access CELA services, please note that as of October 15, 2016 that site will no longer be active and all library services will be fully transitioned to the CELA website.
Please make sure you update your bookmarks today to use
celalibrary.ca
instead of
cniblibrary.ca.
Your account number and password remain the same as for the CNIB Library. Your search preferences, reading history, holds and reading lists will all be identical on the CELA site. The CELA system of book selections based on your interests and preferred categories will be the same as the CNIB system and you will not experience any changes to your delivery schedule.
For any questions regarding the move to
celalibrary.ca,
please call us at 1-855-655-2273 or email us at
help@celalibrary.ca

Student Resource: Apps and Web Pages for Accessing Printed Material for Living and Learning

INTRODUCTION

Back to school means lots of reading, as all students know! The purpose of this blog post is to provide you with info on programs, app,s and resources that will enable you to do the reading you have to do for courses and assignments, or for life in general.

The list of resources, found below, is the result of the collective work of:
Kim Kilpatrick, GTT Coordinator
Rebecca Jackson, GTT, Summer Student Project
Albert Ruel, GTT Coordinator
Leo Bissonnette, AEBC National Board Member,

Our compiled list is not exhaustive. Indeed, it’s a start and we would welcome comments about our suggestions, along with other apps that you may have found helpful.

LIST OF RESOURCES

Apps Available in Both the iOS Apple App Store and the Google Playstore

Kindle
The amazon Kindle app allows you to read books that you have purchased from amazon. You can download the kindle app by searching for it in the iOS app store. It is also available on android by searching the play store for kindle.

Voice Dream Reader
This app allows you to read documents and play media from a wide range of formats. This app is available for both iOS and android. It should be noted that at this time more features are available in the iOS app than in the Android app. More info can be found at, VoiceDream.com

KNFB Reader
This app performs OCR, optical character recognition. This means that you can scan printed material such as a printed handout and the text will be spoken on your phone. This app is available on both iOS and android. Just search for knfb on the Apple Store or the play store. more info at, KNFBReader.com

You can purchase stands that make scanning with the KNFB Reader app easier.
Here are links to two of them.

Giraffe reader, a stand for KNFB Reader at, Giraffe Reader

Fopydo scanning stand, link to purchase on amazon at, Fopydo Stand on Amazon

Capti Narrator
This app allows you to listen to documents with a text to speech voice. It is available on iOS and windows via Firefox. You can also use it on a Chromebook. More info at, Capti Narrator

iBooks
This app comes by default on your iOS device and is an online store that allows you to purchase and
read books.

Windows PC

Adobe Acrobat Reader
This program allows you to read accessible PDFs. To find out more about the accessibility of it go to, Accessible Adobe Reader

spokenText.net
This is a website that converts written electronic documents to synthesized speech output.
The website is, SpokenText.net

Codex
This application allows you to convert eBooks to a format of your choice. More info can be found at, Codex on the Web

Libre Office
This is a free alternative to Microsoft office.

Macbook2speech
Another service that converts text to speech, also available on windows.

Read Hear Pro
This app is a talking book player on mac and windows.

Scanning Systems Software/Hardware Combinations:

The systems, described below, work with both software and flatbed scanners and cameras.

Two Solutions from Kurzweil Educational Systems
Kurzweil 1000 for blind users, and Kurzweil 3000 for LV and LD users:
The Kurzweil 3000 is available on both the Mac and Windows platforms
The Kurzweil 1000 program has a number of useful features, including the ability to use a wide range of dictionaries and perform OCR, more info at, Kurzweil Systems

DocuScan Plus:
A self-voicing online scan and read app that works in Windows and on the Mac from any online computer connected to a scanner. It will allow documents to be scanned to the user’s folders in the Cloud for retrieval and use at the time, or later. It also converts PDF to text based files.

OpenBook:
A resident self-voicing scan and read app for the Windows environment that also converts electronic PDF files to text for reading or editing.

Abbyy FineReader:
A resident scan and read app and PDF conversion tool for both the Mac and Windows environments.

CourseSmart:
A new player in the field of textbook sellers that offers all students with a new option to either buy or rent their course textbooks. Accessibility to materials is available on all platforms and technical support is available to help users of JAWS, Android and iOS devices as well as Mac users. In order to use the CourseSmart service, you must create an account.

CONCLUSION
As you can see, there is a multitude of tools you can use to access printed materials and assist you in your studies. However due to the very individual nature of your post-secondary institution, it is very important that you contact your center for students with disabilities. The people who work there know your school inside out and will be able to advise you on your specific technological needs.

GTT Victoria: Summary Notes, Voice Dream Reader and 3M Cloud, September 7, 2016

Get together with Technology (GTT)
Victoria Meeting – GVPL Main branch, Meeting Room
Summary Notes
Wednesday September 7, 2016

The meeting was called to order at 1:10 pm by acting chair Corry Stuive

Attendance, 13;
The recording secretary was absent, Corry Stuive agreed to take notes.

The first portion of the meeting was devoted to “catch up” after the summer months. Corry informed the group of the GTT expansion in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, as well as the British Columbia expansion plans during the final quarter of 2016 that might include a group on the North Shore, Kamloops and Kelowna.

John suggested setting up a provincial GTT Facebook page.

Some discussion took place about Barrier Free Canada, and well as BFBC.

Members were reminded that the National GTT conference call is open to all individuals….”our participation is encouraged and welcome” Info available on the GTT Blog.

Several personal device specific questions were asked and answered.

In the second portion of the meeting Albert Ruel gave a presentation on the differances between NNELS, CELA and Bookshare. The process of Downloading content was communicated to the group. The VoiceDream app was explained and highly recommended.

Tom Decker followed with a demo and discussion on the 3M cloud app that the Victoria Public Library is now using to store and distribute there audio book collection. Tom informed the group that he will meet with a rep from Victoria Public Library staff next week to review, critique and make recommendations about the app to ensure it’s accessibility. Any and all input welcome prior to that session.

The final 30 minutes of the meeting were open to discussion and information sharing.

Corry asked the group to give some serious consideration pertaining to topic matter for future meetings. “it’s your group, tell us what you want”. A new email address has been set up for communication directly to the Victoria GTT organizers. gtt.victoria@gmail.com

Some discussion took place in regards to the BC Transit, Trekker Breeze situation. Consensus is still that the service is not consistent and not inclusive. A working group of both GTT and non GTT members is working on the matter and will present at a future meeting, date TBA.

Linda Bartram had the following announcements.

The Pacific Training Centre for the Blind (PTCB) is now holding training
sessions on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the Disability Resource Centre 817a
Fort St. between 10 and 4. Enquiries: 250-580-4910.

The PTCB is also looking for members to join the Society. Annual dues
are $5. Call 250-580-4910.

There will be described VocalEye performances at the Belfry again this
year. The Victoria Society for Blind Arts and Culture has negotiated a
reduced ticket price for VocalEye patrons; $24.68 (regular price $39 – $45)
and a 25% discount for one companion. For more information call Linda at
250-595-5888.

Linda (250-595-5888) has two free assistive devices (new) available.
Trekker Breeze and a talking caller ID telephone device. Just pay shipping
costs. Note, in between the meeting and the distribution of these notes, both items have been spoken for.

Meeting adjourned at 3:45pm, Next meeting, Wednesday October 5, 2016

Respectfully submitted,

Corry Stuive,

GTT Edmonton: Summary Notes, Chromecast Device and Typeability Software, September 12, 2016

Summary Notes
GTT Edmonton Meeting September 12, 2016

The most recent meeting of the Get Together With Technology (GTT) Edmonton Chapter was held September 12 at 7pm at Ascension Lutheran Church 8405 83 Street in Edmonton.
19 people attended.

2017 Membership Dues
Thank you to those who paid their CCB 2017 membership. Membership of $10 will continue to be collected in the October and November meetings. We would appreciate if new or existing members can pay in the next 2 meetings.

September Feature Topic – Chromecast Device and Typeability Software

Steve Cardy demonstrated his Chromecast
What is Chromecast?
• Chromecast is a media streaming device for your digital TV.
• Chromecast is a competing product to the Apple TV.
• It is a wifi enabled device that is oval shaped about 2 inches in diameter and a quarter inch thick. It has a 3 inch pigtail cable to attach to the HDMI port of your TV.
• It allows your TV to be connected to your home network router so that any other device that is also connected to your router will be able to transmit video and audio to your TV.
• Chromecast is controlled by the device you are using to transmit video/audio content. Thus it is as accessible as the device you choose to control it. That device can be your iPhone, Android or iOS tablet, PC or MAC. For a PC you need to install the Google Chrome browser. For iOS or Android you need to install the Chromecast app which is accessible.
• You find the desired content on your tablet, phone, computer, or Internet (e.g. YouTube videos, Netflix, music, pictures) that you wish to watch on your TV and then use the relevant Chromecast app to send that content to the TV.
• Cost is $45 considerably less than Apple TV
• Available from electronic stores such as Best Buy or Amazon.
• For more Information:
https://www.google.ca/chromecast/tv/

Steve Cardy is happy to answer any questions. You may email him at:
cardula@gmail.com

Typeability Software from Freedom Scientific
• Lorne demonstrated the Typeability software program that can be purchased and installed on your Windows PC.
• This program works only with JAWS screen reader or Magic screen magnification both from Freedom Scientific.
• It has 99 self-paced lessons to teach touch typing and other basic computer skills essential for blind and low vision learners to master.
• It is very interactive coaching and prompting you through each progressive lesson
• As well as teaching typing it instructs on other basic computer skills such as filling out forms and navigating windows dialogs using the keyboard instead of the mouse.
• IT has built-in tests for measuring typing accuracy and speed.
• IT is ideal for those who are new to computers or those who have deteriorating vision that requires transitioning to the JAWS talking screen reader.
• Cost is about $120.
• For more information:
http://www.canadialog.com/en/node/254

Next Meeting (Monday October 10 at 7pm)
This will be a meeting completely devoted to you and your questions. Discussions on anything and everything for example: JAWS, Zoomtext, iPhone, library, talking book players etc.
• Send your meeting topic ideas to GTT.Edmonton@gmail.com.
• As always, for help with technology bring your devices and/or questions to the meeting.

GTT Vancouver Summary Notes, The JAWS Screen Reader, August 17, 2016

Summary Notes
GTT Vancouver

Date: August 17, 2016

Present: Seven members attended;

Screen Reading technology is a way of converting text on the screen into synthesized voices. Screen readers only read pure text. Images, or text embedded into a photo will not be read.

JAWS is one of the 3 competitive PC screen readers on the market. Window Eyes and NVDA are the other two. Window Eyes is now owned by the same company that owns JAWS, and NVDA is a free, open source screen reader.

JAWS has been around since the early 90’ and is currently developed by Freedom Scientific.

It was designed primarily for the work environment – Word, Excel, Outlook – the Microsoft Office Suite.
• JAWS comes in two versions – home and professional.
• It is the screen reader that is most recommended and where the most support is available

Firefox is better than Internet Explorer with JAWS, and possibly even in general.

Many of the keyboard commands you use with JAWS are not specific to JAWS, as they are native to the Windows Operating System:
• Not all keyboard commands use the JAWS/Insert key.
• Control alt page up or page down will temporarily speed or slow down speech in JAWS but not globally across the computer. When you exit the program it will reset to the original speed.
• Some keys do different things when you have Navigation Quick Keys turned on when browsing the internet.

Forms mode on the Internet:
• You have to hit enter or the Space Bar before you can start typing in the edit boxes. When you hit the Enter key after typing your search string it will activate the Search Button and conduct the search.
• The second type of edit field is a multi-line edit box. You can use the Enter key to add a new line. You have to tab to the Search/Next button to move things forward.

Quick Navigation keys – single letters that will move your cursor to different places on the screen. To turn Navigation Quick KEYS ON OR OFF HOLD DOWN THE JAWS KEY AND PRESS THE LETTER Z. :
• H is for all Headings, and the first 6 numbers on the number row will access Level 1 through 6 Headings.
• L is for list.
• I is for items within a list.
• U is for unvisited links.
• V is for visited links.
• T is for tables.
• F is for form fields, but for clarification a form field is a button, edit box, check box, radio button, etc. so it’s not as specific as the other keys listed.
• E is for edit boxes.
• B is for button.
• X is for checkbox – use space bar to select the item you want to check.
• C is for combo boxes.
• M is for frames – skips past ad frames.
• K is for markers, and Control shift K will set a marker in a specific spot. They may not remain when Web-sites are updated or changed.
• Control f – Jaws find – type a phrase you are looking for and it will bring you there

Also, three more useful keys:
• Jaws Key + f7 brings up a list of links.
• Jaws key + f5 brings up a list box of form controls.
• Jaws key + f6 brings up a list of headings

Other JAWS resources:
• FS Reader is a DAISY Player that installs when JAWS is installed on your computer, and that can be used to play the JAWS Tutorial/Help files.
• Had is a Text Editor that installs when JAWS is installed on your computer. It has a Spellchecker built-in, so if you don’t have MS Word this can be used to create documents, or to read RTF and TXT files.
• JAWS key plus F1 will show you things dependent on where you are. If you are on a Web page it will list all the quick Navigation keys. Escape key will get you out of this mode.
• JAWS Key plus Number Row 1 will turn on and off Keyboard Help, it is a toggle. You can then press any key or key combination to find out what the keys are and JAWS will explain their function.
• JAWS key plus the letter H will give you a list of keys you can use where you are – Type Escape to exit this window.

JAWS key plus the letter J will launch the Jaws Menu, Options, utilities, languages, about, and help:
• Press the Alt Key to open the Menu Bar, then down arrow through the Options Menu to Basics, there you will find the following adjustable items;
Tutor messages helps by telling you your jaws command options and how to activate them. You can turn this on or off.
Access keys – you can turn this off if you know all your commands and don’t need a reminder
• Tutorials are in the Jaws menu under help – You will find Training audio files that will play in FS Reader.
• The PC cursor is your regular cursor on the screen, or the curser that types letters in your documents, web pages etc.
• Jaws cursor doesn’t show up it’s just where you are on the screen, and is otherwise known as your Mouse Curser.
• JAWS Key plus Escape refreshes the screen visually to show them where you are.

Topic for next time – GPS Technology
September 21, 2016

Other ideas that were suggested:
• Overview of Safari on the IPhone.
• Cover the GTT Facebook Group.
• Backing Up along with storage options such as One Drive or Dropbox – Cloud storage

GTT/AEBC National Conference Call: CELA Detailed Notes, July 27, 2016

August 31, 2016

(The following are detailed notes from the CCB and AEBC National Call which took place on July 27, 2016)

Dear program supporters,

On July 27, 2016, we held the national conference call regarding library services. The national call was sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind’s Get Together with Technology Program (GTT) and AEBC’s Accessible Information and Copyright Committee

The topic was “Canadian Library Services: Who provides it, what do they provide, how does it work and what does the future look like?” Leo Bissonnette, AEBC National Board Member and Albert Ruel, GTT Coordinator, acted as moderators and Kim Kilpatrick, GTT Coordinator, assisted with the question and answer sessions and other logistical details.

Approximately 30 Participating callers heard presentations from representatives of the Center for Equitable Library Access’, Michael Ciccone and Margaret Williams, and from the National Network for Equitable Library Services’ we had Sabina Iseli-Otto presenting.

This document contains the CELA notes from the presenters and the notes from the questions asked by callers. A separate document lists the NNELS presentation and responses.

We thank all those who presented and participated on the call. We hope you will find this document helpful.

##Canadian Library Services: Who provides it, what do they provide, how does it work and what does the future look like?
Wednesday, July 27, 2016, 7:00 until 8:30 PM

##CELA Presentation Related to Committee Questions
Presenting on behalf of CELA, Michael Ciccone, Executive Director
michael.ciccone@celalibrary.ca, 905-320-5144, and
Margaret Williams, Director of Content & Access
margaret.williams@celalibrary.ca, 416-486-2500, X7632
If you are interested in joining our Consumer Advisory group, please email Karen McKay, CELA Communications Manager at karen.mckay@celalibrary.ca
CELA Contact Information
Phone: 1-855-655-2273
Helpline email: help@celalibrary.ca

What is CELA?
CELA is a national not-for-profit organization run by public libraries for public libraries. Its mission is to support public libraries in providing accessible collections for Canadians with print disabilities and to champion the fundamental right of Canadians with print disabilities to access media and reading materials in the format of their choice.
How and why was CELA created, and what are its operating and funding structures?
In 2008, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) was asked to develop a strategy for implementing nation-wide partnerships, activities and services to meet the long-term library and information access needs of Canadians with print disabilities. It became known as the Initiative for Equitable Library Access (IELA).
Recommendations were put forth, including the creation of an arm’s-length “hub,” seen by the majority of stakeholders as the preferred means of providing alternative format content for delivery to end-users through Canada’s public libraries. In mid-2011, LAC announced that it would not be directly involved in the implementation process. Instead, LAC tasked CNIB to continue multi-stakeholder consultation, funded by a federal grant. CNIB completed this work with its presentation of a proposal for a publicly funded National Digital Hub in its March 2012 report, Reading Re-Imagined.
CNIB began discussing Reading Re-Imagined with stakeholders across the country in the spring of 2012, including representatives from the Canadian Urban Libraries Council or CULC. CULC member libraries represent communities or regions with a population of 100,000 or more. They represent libraries in large cities such as Toronto and Vancouver, and regional library systems that represent a collection of smaller libraries, such as the Wood Buffalo Region in Alberta and the New Brunswick Public Library Service.
In the ensuing discussions, CULC members found the Hub model to be in line with the original vision for IELA and reaffirmed that the provision of these services be the responsibility of the public sector and not a charitable organization. In the Spring of 2013, the joint CULC-CNIB Working Group published a paper that proposed a national not-for-profit organization governed by public libraries that, in partnership with CNIB and other organizations, would acquire, produce and distribute alternative format materials through public libraries. The result was the establishment of CELA as an independent, federally incorporated not-for-profit organization in the late fall of 2013. In essence, CELA was designed to leverage both the existing and growing CNIB Library collection and its supporting infrastructure, and the existing public library infrastructure to engage the print-disabled community and facilitate the delivery of accessible materials.
CELA services were officially launched on April 1, 2014, inheriting services previously provided by CNIB Library and expanding it to include those with physical or learning disabilities. To cause as little disruption as possible to existing CNIB Library clients, some CNIB Library functionality continued in parallel to CELA, but all CNIB Library services related to the delivery of accessible materials were discontinued last year. All former CNIB Library clients who signed up for service before the launch of CELA are considered patrons of CELA. No action is required on their part. The transfer is automatic.
Where does CELA stop and CNIB begin in the CELA Library model?
CNIB continues as CELA’s partner in the production and distribution of accessible materials and as a trusted intermediary for the sharing of materials across borders. They provide other contracted support services, such as IT, but progress is being made in shifting these responsibilities to CELA.
Does it have its own Board of Directors, and to whom does it report?
CELA is an independent, federally incorporated not-for-profit, governed by a 9-member board comprising staff from public libraries or provincial organizations that represent public libraries. Representation ranges geographically from New Brunswick to British Columbia and organizationally from CEOs to front-line staff.
How is CELA’s distribution service funded?
Funding for CELA service is provided by the governments of Ontario, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Northwest Territories, and by CULC member libraries and other libraries that subscribe to our service with their own funds. We are very grateful for the support of these organizations.
Tasks performed by CNIB on behalf of CELA are supported by a combination of government funding and private donations. The cost of distribution is covered by the “Literature for the Blind” service though Canada Post.
In addition, we have an in-kind agreement with the BAnQ (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec) to provide CELA service to patrons in Quebec in exchange for making their materials in French from SQLA (Service Québecois du livre adapté) available to CELA users across Canada. We will be making an announcement that includes information on how to access these materials soon.
Who produces the end product?
CNIB has produced the majority of our original content to date. It also prepares content from other sources such as commercial audio publishers and other libraries serving people with print disabilities for distribution. The rest comes from Bookshare.
How is the production of accessible Library products funded?
A combination of government funding and private donations.
Who owns the collection?
CNIB owns the collection prior to April 1, 2014. Any material produced after is jointly owned by CELA and CNIB.
Can CELA Library users become voting members?
We do not have an open membership structure at this time, but we receive input and guidance from several operational advisory committees comprising front line staff at member libraries and chaired by CELA Board Members. We also actively seek input from both library staff and patrons in our webinars and at tradeshows, and we are currently in the process of building our consumer advisory group. All of these inputs feed the Board in its decision-making.
What are the range of CELA services, and to whom are they targeted?
With their account, patrons have access to:
• The CELA Collection of close to 100,000 books and major magazines, available in the accessible format of the patron’s choice
• Our newsstand, providing access to 50 local and national newspapers in a fully accessible HTML format
• Free access to Bookshare, a US-based accessible online library for people with print disabilities offering over 280,000 titles
• An elaborate profiling system to allow for automatic delivery of materials. Patrons select reading genres and CELA’s library system automatically selects titles and distributes them to patrons on a patron-selected schedule
• CELA Helpline Reader’s Advisory Services and support for library patrons
• A Monthly Bilingual newsletter “Open Book”, which contains sections on
• New & Notable Books
• Kids & Teens
• Focus On segment
• Top Five for the month
• Support for participating in library programs – this year CELA offered an accessible version of the TD Summer Reading Club activity notebook through the 2,000 libraries across Canada that participate in the club, including non-member libraries
Who does CELA serve, children, young adults, post-secondary students, working adults, seniors?
The CELA collection is similar in scope to a public library with a full range of subjects and genres to reach all ages. As a national organization, we are especially proud to focus on Canadian titles in English and French and First Nations literature. We also have a substantive disabilities collection. By working with CNIB we have access to a collection developed over many years, which means – just as an example – we can instantly provide a reading list of works on topics in the news or titles by an author who passes away. We also have thousands of books from other producers, including commercial audio publishers and libraries serving people with print disabilities around the world.
Since taking stewardship of CNIB’s collection, CELA has put new emphasis on:
• Expanding access to bestsellers from audio publishers
• Making books available more quickly by working with the organizers of awards and reading programs
• The DAISY text format, to better support the needs of people with learning disabilities, people using braille displays or people who simply appreciate access to the full text to interpret themselves rather than through the eyes of a narrator
• Shortening production times overall for materials from CNIB.
What is the future of current CELA delivery options including, home delivery, and computer and Direct to Player downloads?
CELA offers materials in audio, braille and e-text. Almost the entire collection is digital and available for download and use with popular reading devices such as the Victor Stream as well as apps for iOS and Android. We also offer physical materials, including DAISY audio on CD, braille and printbraille books and described videos.
At this time, DAISY CDs represent almost 70% of use, and we strongly believe that CELA service should be inclusive. We will not leave people behind because they don’t have the necessary Internet access, equipment or comfort level to use online services. At the same time, we’re looking for ways to move users to our Direct to Player service, as the CD format itself is becoming obsolete and costs are rising despite a remarkably efficient system for distributing CDs on demand (we send and receive 3,000 to 5,000 a day).
How do I start using my public library’s CELA service?
To start, you need a library card and then to register with CELA. The process for registering with CELA is relatively straightforward. The patron is either referred to the local library, actively pursued by the library through outreach initiatives, or the patron simply drops in to or calls their local library. Some libraries may require you to visit in person to obtain a library card, but if that isn’t possible we advocate with the library to revisit this policy. If services for those with print disabilities are requested, CELA is mentioned as an option. The library issues a card to the patron and, if need be, assists the patron in registering for CELA. There is a self-registration option as well. The patron is then notified by CELA when their account is ready to be used.
What services and supports can CELA Library users expect when attending their local public libraries?
Our ultimate goal is to provide excellent public library service to Canadians with print disabilities. CELA may fill a patron’s service need or the patron could very well discover that their local library offers any number of available collections, programs or services. We encourage libraries to think locally when they engage with a patron with a print disability. We’d love it if all qualified patrons joined and used CELA, but first and foremost, we’re ecstatic that they’re using a public library. We are a public library-run organization and nothing makes a public librarian happier than a contented patron.
How do I return a book/magazine when I’m done, and when does it expire?
If you download materials from the website, you don’t need to return them. We ask you to delete the files when you have finished reading them to help control the risk of misuse. If you use our Direct to Player service, you can return an item at any time through your DAISY player or our Direct to Player app. For physical materials, all books and described videos need to be returned through Canada Post. Magazine CDs do not. Special arrangements have been made with Canada Post so that any materials returned in our yellow CD envelopes or braille bags are handled at no cost to you. Just ensure that you return CDs with the silver side and tactile ridge showing through the plastic window so Canada Post knows to return it to our distribution centre rather than deliver it back to you. Braille and described movies are similar – flip the address card in the plastic pocket of the braille bag over (the hole in the card should be in the lower right corner) so it comes back to us.
What are the main print disabilities besides vision loss?
Print disabilities are defined as visual, physical or learning disabilities that make holding and reading conventional books a challenge.
Where is CELA’s library service available in Canada, and where is it not available?
CELA is available to all qualified residents of Northwest Territories, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. In addition, through individual library subscriptions (libraries that opted to subscribe to CELA, although their province did not fund it), we cover 62% of British Columbia and 60% of Manitoba. We are not available in Yukon, Nunavut, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador, although we continue to support former CNIB Library clients in all areas, regardless of funding.
Our member libraries serve 90% of the total population of Canada.
How can people living in Quebec and other unserved regions of Canada take advantage of CELA services?
We will work with any qualified patron to get them a library card so that they can use the service.
What is the current state of the Direct to Player smart phone app, and what development plans exist going forward?
Will Direct to Player services be developed for other devices, and will the known bugs be fixed in the near future?
Our Direct to Player service, for anyone who isn’t familiar with it, is a simple-to-use option that lets you stream or download books on your DAISY player, iOS or Android device without having to use a computer and transfer files. A fully integrated version of Direct to Player, that responds to user requests for greater stability, search integration and full text support, is one of our highest priorities. However, the current app will not be developed further, as the vendor has decided to no longer support and enhance it. We’re looking at options currently on the market.
Why can’t I backup Direct to Player books to my SD Card on the VR and Plextalk devices?
This is one method of managing the risk of someone sharing files produced under the copyright exception with non-eligible persons, advertently or inadvertently (e.g. sharing a computer or memory stick with family members). For now, this approach is an affordable compromise for publishers who have signed content agreements and who have concerns about the lack of Digital Rights Management on files we provide to patrons. We appreciate that this restriction may cause inconvenience for our users and we are keeping an open mind to alternatives that would meet both security and user needs.

What is BookShare and how does it fit into the CELA range of services?
How can users take advantage of BookShare?
Once you’ve registered for CELA service, you’re eligible for a free Bookshare membership (normally $50 US a year). Educators and their students with print disabilities are also eligible for free access to Bookshare through CELA. Because of its agreements with publishers, Bookshare has a separate and stricter sign up process to CELA that requires you to submit written proof of disability. We are working with Bookshare on trying to simplify the registration process for our users. If you need assistance, please contact our Helpline.
What are the copyright access limitations when accessing non-Canadian titles?
Limitations are set by the publishers. Some non-Canadian publishers allow access to their titles and some do not. Canadian users will see only the titles available in Canada.
How will the Marrakesh treaty and Canada’s altered Copyright Laws affect our access to alternate Library products?
As you may know, on June 30 Canada became the 20th country to ratify the Marrakesh Treaty, the magic number required for the treaty to be put into force. The official date for enactment is September 30, 2016.
The Treaty will have an enormous impact on providing access to a greater number and broader range of titles – particularly titles in languages that reflect Canada’s diversity. However, it will take time. Canada’s copyright laws already permitted the import and export of alternate formats prior to signing the Marrakesh Treaty. The pertinent questions for Canadians are when will other countries ratify and how will the Treaty be implemented in each country.
CELA already obtains materials from international producers that participate in the Book Exchange of the Accessible Books Consortium (ABC) – including the National Library Service in the U.S. The Book Exchange is an integrated catalogue and file exchange system of works available through major alternate format producers in 14 countries, and rapidly expanding in response to Marrakesh. The system handles both free exchange between ratified countries and a permissions clearance process between countries that haven’t yet ratified. The Book Exchange catalogue isn’t available publicly yet. We ran a small pilot with users and determined that more work is required to support searching and turn-around time for requests. For now, the Book Exchange is one source we automatically check when someone requests a book we don’t have.

##QUESTIONS FROM CALLERS FOR Michael/Margret and CELA:
The questioner described his experience where had problems getting a book. It pertained to BC. He described how he had called the Vancouver Library and was told that the book he wanted was available through CELA, but was then told that because he lived in the Fraser Valley he was told that he was not eligible to borrow that book. This was because the Fraser Valley Regional Library is not a member of CELA. The caller went on to indicate that he has been a lifetime member of CNIB Library. So the caller asked: As a member of the CNIB Library would I be able to join CELA, even though I don’t live in CELA’s coverage area here in the Phraser Valley?
ANSWER:
Michael answered that he should have been served and Michael urged the caller to give and they will follow up on that specific matter….
QUESTION:
Can I go to a public library in Toronto and use both CELA and CNIB services?
ANSWER:
There is no CNIB Library any more. When you go to your local public library, ask about CELA service. You may also want to ask about other services for those with disabilities that your local library offers.
QUESTION:
Asking about Quebec services and CNIB clients, are CNIB Quebec clients automatically registered with CELA?
ANSWER:
That will indeed be the case moving forward.
QUESTION:
As a follow up regarding Quebec, is there a specific contact person at CNIB Offices in Montreal to help people become registered with the Quebec National Library?
ANSWER:
We will be announcing shortly how this will work and we will also be communicating with the offices of CNIB in Quebec about how to offer support to their clients. We will not include it in our set of notes that we will send you, but will follow up when we have the announcement ready to go out.

QUESTION :
With reference to the Direct to Player APP and the comment that there will no longer be support for the APP in the future, will there be notification given or will the APP be updated? Will we see that on our iOS devices in the APP?
ANSWER:
Yes you will. Just to clarify, the vendor of the APP, which is a not-for-profit organization, has decided that the APP is no longer part of their core business. They have agreed to maintain the APP for a certain time until we find a solution. So, you may very well see updates in the app moving forward. We will not be adding any new features.
Several callers made comments: Callers reported problems on the iOS side and many are deciding not to use it at this time. The APP works very efficiently on devices such as the Victor Stream Second Generation and PlexTalk devices.
A comment was made about the promising APP coming out of Vision Australia. The hope is that a similar APP will be developed to provide good access for both iOS and Android users in the future….
We are looking at products currently on the market, including developments by our international partners. Availability for both iOS and Android is a requirement.
QUESTION:
Can you talk about the efforts to coordinate all these various libraries in the country?
And following up on the earlier question about access in the Fraser Valley issue—where you are a CNIB client living in an area where your library is not a member of CELA, what are your options?
ANSWER:
We have a system for non-member referrals because we still get many referrals from CNIB. We still let people know about the various library services available, including NNELS. We try—especially in BC and Manitoba—to get people services within the framework of our funding.
In terms of leadership, the two most prominant national organizations are Library Archives Canada and the Canadian Library Association. Several years ago, Library and Archives led consultations but announced that it would not be involved in implementing a solution. The Canadian Library Association recently folded. It officially dissolved in June of 2016. In its place is something called the Canadian Federation of for Library Associations and we are really hoping that that organization will be able to provide some leadership on a national level.

In terms of the funding question, we are funded by New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta. We have an agreement in place with Quebec. We are also funded by large public libraries and regional systems such as the Winnipeg Public Library, the Edmonton Public Library, the Calgary Public Library and 14 libraries in BC. Altogether, our member libraries serve 90% of the Canadian population.
QUESTION:
The caller starts his question by indicating that he is still having difficulty understanding the CELA structure. The caller says that CNIB is a private charity. Is CELA also a private charity funded by the provinces and libraries?
ANSWER:
We are a publicly funded not-for-profit organization. We are essentially taking on the role that CNIB Library had in the past and we have expanded it to include all persons with print disabilities. We are supported by provinces and public libraries.
QUESTION:
Where do you see accessible formats going and where will they be in five years from now?
ANSWER:
Really, we should always be in a temporary stage. Alternative format production should not really have to exist with the exception of some very specialized requirements for things that mainstream publishers realistically are never able to afford to do. It’s not realistic and affordable to describe every illustration in detail and so on in a book. The Accessible Books Consortium is actually much larger than a Book Exchange. One of its main initiatives is working with publishers on an inclusive publishing movement. What is being worked on right now is actually some baseline discussions for publishers to say “what is an accessible book?” We all talk about it. How does, for example, Random House know that what they produce is going to be at an acceptable level. And once those guidelines are out—which are coming out quite soon—that will be when we have a baseline and that will also help determine when is it that alternative format production is required over and above something that a mainstream publisher can do.. So, really you should be able to go to your public library and just access the services that that are there.
The other thing that is always very much of a challenge gets into dealing with materials in services like OverDrive. They tend to be accessible with help from people. We want to have these products fully accessible or at least an alternative offered that a user can handle independently. That’s one of the keys to have for fully accessible library services moving forward. If you are able to access the resources just as anyone else would—that is, find them on your own and use them on your own—that’s the goal.
The reality is that products like OverDrive for our clients is really not the main focus for these vendors. They do sometimes employ people who understand access, but there’s no consistency here. So, products evolve and accessibility is good sometimes and not good at other times.QUESTION:
QUESTION:
For clients who have the Stratus Players, going back to the days when they signed up under CNIB, what do they have to do—if anything at all?
ANSWER:
The simple answer is nothing. Everything is done for those who are using older players.. The only thing that clients have to do is instead of going to the CNIB Library website they need to go to the CELA Library Website. And even very soon, it will be an automatic redirect. Any books in your CNIB bookshelf will automatically be there under CELA. So there is nothing to do or be concerned about.
One of the things that really helped in the transition is that CELA started with what CNIB had in place so for users the switchover was easier to accomplish.
QUESTION:
The caller started his question by saying that it was his understanding that CELA is still housed in the CNIB building. Is there an openness to changing your location? and also, when the caller talked about his use of the website last winter, it would say CELA on the main screen and then when on a book screen it would say “CNIB”. What’s going to happen there?
ANSWER:
This issue of CELA and CNIB titles on screens is being worked on and will be soon all CELA in terms of branding.
The CDS will also be rebranded….so the process is under way.
In terms of housing, we are presently in the CNIB building on Bayview—along with other organizations that support those with print disabilities. Will we move out? Probably eventually. There is some disentangling to do and that will take some time to do. Both CNIB and CELA want that and we are working towards that.
QUESTION:
About Braille books, A caller indicated that he still receives quarterly notifications about braille books acquired. Will this continue in the future?
ANSWER:
This will continue. There will be rebranding happening here as well.
QUESTION:
With the Orbit coming out, will there be a possibility to receive books on SD cards? And, also on any APP that you develop, will there be the possibility to download and read books in braille
ANSWER:
At this time there is no plan to send SD cards but we’ve taken note of the service implications of the Orbit. For the APP, we are looking at products that support more formats than the current one does, including output to a braille display.
QUESTION:
Back to the structure of CELA, it was mentioned that CELA is a not-for-profit independent hub that is built upon various organizations providing library services. Does it have a fundraising arm like some university and public libraries have?
ANSWER:
CELA has put in one funding request for DAISY players in libraries which was denied. We are not there yet. It’s a not-for-profit. There are some questions about how to deal with fund raising and CELA is not there yet in terms of doing public fund raising as some do. We don’t want to rely on charitable donations for our service model, because that would defeat the premise of library services for those with print disabilities being publicly funded . So we need to be careful moving forward that we are in the right position around funding. If we seek private funding, it would be for peripheral projects to help augment the experience for our users (e.g. purchasing devices for libraries to circulate).
CNIB still does exist for its clients and may choose to fundraise for services that its clients find beneficial. That is a decision for CNIB and its clients.
##Using Voice Dream Reader with Bookshare.
Prepared by: Kim Kilpatrick
As a CELA library client, you are eligible to receive Bookshare services.
Once you have a Bookshare account and the app Voice Dream Reader, here is how to get Bookshare books into Voice Dream and how to read them.
In the app Voice Dream Reader, go to Settings, Content Sources, and make sure you have logged in with your Bookshare account.
Now go back to your File list. Under Add, go to Bookshare.
You will then be placed in a list of ways to search Bookshare. Title, author, ISBN, or Full Text.
Select one of these and type in a search term or go to the list below that to find most recent, most popular, and books by subject, or your browsing history with Bookshare.
When you find a book you want, press Download.
It should load it into Voice Dream and you can find it in your list.
Once you open a book, you can listen to it with the app. If you have an electronic braille display, you can read it in braille. To do this find the text in the middle of the screen and start scrolling.
If you decide to continue reading using audio, you can press play and it will begin being read in audio.
##Presenter CONTACTS
##Center for Equitable Library Access
• CELA Contact Information:
Phone: 1-855-655-2273
Helpline email: help@celalibrary.ca
Michael Ciccone, Executive Director
michael.ciccone@celalibrary.ca, 905-320-5144
Margaret Williams, Director of Content & Access
margaret.williams@celalibrary.ca, 416-486-2500, X7632
If you are interested in joining our Consumer Advisory group, please email Karen McKay, CELA Communications Manager at karen.mckay@celalibrary.ca
##What is CCB and GTT?
##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 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.
The CCB recognizes that vision loss has no boundaries with respect to gender, income, ethnicity, culture, other disabilities or age.
As the largest membership organization for the blind and partially sighted in Canada the CCB is the “Voice of the Blind™”.

GTT was started in Ottawa in 2011 by Kim Kilpatrick and Ellen Goodman to give people a chance to share low and high-tech solutions, tips, and resources, and was soon brought under the CCB National umbrella as another consumer driven service and participation initiative. Through GTT you can learn from and discuss assistive technology with others walking the same path of discovery.
The group 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. The GTT group meets monthly to share their passions for assistive technology and to learn what others can offer from their individual perspectives.
For more information about GTT contact: Kim Kilpatrick at GTTProgram@Gmail.com, 1-613-567-0311,513, or Albert A. Ruel at GTTWest@CCBNational.net 1-613-567-0311,550.
##What is AEBC?
AEBC is a national grassroots, peer support organization that is comprised of Canadians who are blind, deaf-blind or partially sighted and our supporters from the public at large. Our membership is comprised of a diverse range of socioeconomic backgrounds, educational achievements, life experiences, professional and nonprofessional occupations. These members work to ensure AEBC has a voice on all matters affecting participation in Canada’s mainstream society.  
AEBC’s individual and collective advocacy efforts have been successful across Canada for almost twenty-five years and have spurred innovation in the private sector. This advocacy has resulted in many advancements and opportunities now available to blind Canadians in the mainstream of our society. In fact, most of the successful innovations with respect to information, communication and technology have taken place as a direct result of our members. They have acted individually and collectively, identifying and challenging Governments and other regulated organizations to make websites, banking machines, personal financial and healthcare information available in accessible formats for people unable to read standard print independently, confidentially and securely. 
For more information about AEBC contact: Marcia Yale, National Secretary at Info@BlindCanadians.ca, or 1-800-561-4774.

GTT/AEBC National Conference Call: NNELS Detailed Notes, July 27, 2016

August 31, 2016

(The following are detailed notes from the CCB and AEBC National Call which took place on July 27, 2016)

Dear program supporters,

On July 27, 2016, we held the national conference call regarding library services. The national conference call was sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind’s Get Together with Technology Program (GTT) and AEBC’s Accessible Information and Copyright Committee

The topic of the call was “Canadian Library Services: Who provides it, what do they provide, how does it work and what does the future look like?” Mr. Leo Bissonnette, AEBC National Board Member, and Mr. Albert Ruel, GTT Coordinator, acted as moderators and Kim Kilpatrick, GTT Coordinator, assisted with the question and answer sessions and other logistical details.

During the call, approximately 30 participating listeners heard presentations from representatives of the Center for Equitable Library Access’, Michael Ciccone and Margaret Williams, as well as from the National Network for Equitable Library Services’ we had Sabina Iseli-Otto presenting.

This document contains the NNELS notes from the presenters and the notes from the questions asked by callers. A separate document exists listing the CELA presentation and responses.

We thank all of those who presented and participated on the call.
We hope you will find this document helpful.

##Canadian Library Services: Who provides it, what do they provide, how does it work and what does the future look like?
Wednesday, July 27, 2016, 7:00 until 8:30 PM

##NNELS Presentation Related to Committee Questions
Presenting on behalf of NNELS: Sabina Iseli-Otto, Public Services Librarian. Sabina can be reached at NNELS by e-mail at:
support@nnels.ca or by phone at: 1-888-848-9250, option 5. This information is also on every page of the website at http://www.NNELS.CA.

Questions/ Answers

What is NNELS?

There are two ways we generally talk about what we do:

First off, that we are a team of sharing people who build and maintain an online collection of books in accessible formats that are available through public libraries in participating provinces and territories.

Secondly, we are a service of public libraries. We complement existing library collections and work with library staff to make all library services more accessible.

More officially, NNELS supports independent readers and equitable library service for all Canadians. Lead by eight provincial and territorial governments and their departments responsible for public library service, NNELS and libraries leverage both existing expertise in Canadian accessible format production and public technology infrastructure. NNELS also recognizes regional variations in capacity and consumer service needs to ensure every participating community can make the most of the shared resources and collection.

How and why was NNELS created, and what are its operating and funding structures?

Arguably, NNELS began with IELA, the Initiative for Equitable Library Access, which was a Library and Archives Canada attempt to address the needs for (a) an internet portal, (b) library standards and training, and (c) an electronic clearinghouse, or collection.

In 2010, provinces that participated in the CNIB’s Partners program were, without warning, invoiced large amounts of money for access to that program. In one province, the bill was $1000 one year, and then $350,000 the next. Provinces that didn’t pay were cut off from access to the CNIB collection. Consequently, the CNIB was seen as an unreliable partner by some of the directors of the Provincial and Territorial Public Library Council.

As for the “how”, those provincial and territorial library directors decided to test a precursor to NNELS as a proof of concept — to see if the technology could work. They wanted to test book storage and the online delivery of books to valid library cardholders. The idea was that almost all Canadians have access to a public library, and public libraries have a provincial and territorial mandate to be open to all. These ideas were underscored by a growing understanding (and sometimes legislation) that accessible information was a responsibility that public libraries needed to take seriously, and not offload onto a third party.

Now for the operating and funding structures.

NNELS is funded entirely by participating provincial and territorial governments. NNELS is not a separate organization. We take direction from the provincial and territorial Funding Partners, and every year funding from those partners goes to the BC Libraries Co-op, the service partner (which actually has members from across Canada despite having BC in its name).

When it comes to decision-making, input comes from many places: public libraries, readers like yourself, our staff, even readers’ friends and family members. Ultimately, the Funding Partners make the decisions, but because everyone is clear on the vision, which is making public library services and collections accessible to everyone, we are all working together and moving in the same direction.

How is NNELS’s distribution service funded?

It depends on what a reader needs. For some, the distribution is the download and that does not require anything beyond the download itself. For readers who need discs, provinces and libraries decide what to do. Some provinces fund libraries to perform tasks such as burning DAISY discs for the libraries in a region. There is one very small, rural library in Alberta that downloads dozens of books a month for a few people.

Basically, if a reader needs a book, and that book is in NNELS, most libraries can get it to the reader on the same day, so long as the library’s open, at no charge to the reader – same as any other library books.

How is the end product produced and acquired?

Assuming that the end product is an accessible-format book, we purchase them, we produce them, we convert them from older formats such as reels and cassettes, we have volunteers who record them, and we obtain them through exchange from other accessible format producers, including the Crane Library’s collection from UBC and through the Commonwealth Braille and Talking Book Cooperative.

Furthermore, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia have both negotiated e-book deals that include copies coming to NNELS. This past April, Alberta announced that they had purchased 1,000 books for NNELS through an agreement with the Book Publishers Association of Alberta.

How is the production and acquisition of accessible Library products funded?

Production and acquisition are part of the provincial and territorial funding. A portion of every province and territory’s contribution goes into a content budget every year, and that budget is managed by our Content Coordinator. Reader requests are given highest priority. Sometimes provinces contribute additional funds for specific projects — for example, Saskatchewan has helped with the production of many Summer Reading Club titles, as well as many Saskatchewan Book Award winners and nominees, and more.

Who owns the collection?

The provinces and territories that are building it. If any of the participating jurisdictions withdraw from NNELS, or if the lights go out on the service altogether, those provinces and territories would still have access to the collection they helped build. The books themselves are housed on servers owned by the Co-op, which is made up of libraries, most of which have boards made up of community members.

Can NNELS Library users become decision makers, and if so how?

I’m going to interpret this question as being about how people can contribute to NNELS:

We’re very receptive and responsive to feedback, and are always looking for more. You can contribute directly to the collection by producing or recording books, for example, or, if you’re an author, sending us a copy of your book. It’s helpful when people report books that have problems – that’s true for any library. Letters of support, to us, to your library, or to provincial governments, are always welcome.

One specific way you can be decision-makers is by speaking with staff at your library, and, depending on your community, joining a library board and helping shape library service locally. This can sometimes have a huge impact.

Lastly, a number of people and organizations have done things that have helped themselves become decision-makers along the way. CCB and AEBC are two such organizations. We have seen some extraordinary leadership on public policy and access from the Canadian Federation of the Blind, and the Vision Impaired Resource Network’s pioneering work with peer mentorship programs have become the model to emulate in many libraries.

When it comes to accessible library service, becoming a decision-maker is relatively easy. Find some people you would like to work with, pitch in where you see a need, and stand up for access wherever you live.

Who does NNELS serve? Children, young adults, post-secondary students, working adults, seniors?

Anyone with a print disability as defined by the Copyright Act which includes people of all ages with impairments related to vision, mobility, and cognition that prevent them from being able to read a book in standard print format is our target demographic. At this time, we only accept production requests from public library patrons; we cannot accept requests from academic institutions or schools at this time. Collections for all audiences are growing constantly. For example, we recently received a grant to purchase books for older children and young adults.

What are the current NNELS delivery options: home delivery, computer, and Direct to Player downloads?

Any eligible user (or friends or family) can download books directly from NNELS with a valid library card. Direct-to-Player downloads are not enabled yet, but we are working on an API which would make that possible for those who rely on getting books that way.

For now, people or libraries can download books to computer, burn discs, use flash drives or SD cards, or download directly to an iOS or Android device using the Voice Dream app. If you do not know how to get books onto your device, we can almost certainly help. There is almost always a way.

In-person delivery depends on the services offered by local libraries. Most public libraries do a lot for people, especially for those who read books.

How do I start using my public library’s NNELS service?

If you live in a participating province or territory, talk to someone at your library. If the staff there do not know about NNELS, please ask them to contact us. Training for libraries is free and unlimited. All you need, as a reader, is a library card and a “print disability”.

What services and supports can NNELS library users expect when attending their local public libraries?

We hope everyone can expect to use all of the library’s services. One thing that people often do not know is how much they can do with a library card, and that most libraries already have huge collections of accessible content and library staff who are happy people access it.

For example, if your library subscribes to OverDrive which is a library platform for borrowing downloadable books and audiobooks, you have access to those books. There is an iOS and Android app for OverDrive and for most other products your library licenses. Furthermore, if you are one of the millions of Canadians who does not have a smartphone or tablet, and either does not have a computer or cannot use one, the library is allowed to burn MP3 audio CDs with OverDrive books for readers.

Libraries also offer meeting space. If you are hosting some kind of public event or meeting, libraries are often open to letting people use the library’s space for free or little expense.

Librarians are also very helpful if you need a reading recommendation. Remember, just because a book does not exist in an accessible format now, does not mean it will not after you request it.

Every province has its own legislation for public libraries, and every library is unique based on its history, environment, and staff. At minimum, expect from your library respect, curiosity, and a commitment to public service. And if you are not getting those things, we are among the people you can call.

How do I return a book when I’m done, and when does it expire?

That depends on what your local library is doing — whether they are circulating discs or not – but the digital NNELS files themselves neither expire nor self-destruct. Our Terms of Use require that our books are only for eligible readers. Please do not share copyright-protected books with people who are not qualified to access them.

To date, 54 Canadian publishers and 23 international ones have sent us books, and we want those relationships to stay healthy. That is why we keep our Terms of Use short and clear, and kindly request that both libraries and users follow them to the letter. You can find them at nnels.ca/terms.

What are the main print disabilities served by NNELS besides vision loss?

I am not sure because this is not information we collect. We explicitly avoid collecting personal information about our users.

Where is NNELS’s library service available in Canada, and where is it not available?

It is presently available in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and the three territories. It is not available, officially, in Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, or PEI.

If readers in a non-participating area are desperate for a book in NNELS that cannot be found elsewhere, we can send that book to the reader’s local public library. The same goes for other accessible format providers in Canada, if they have a reader who wants a book we have, we will send that book and we will happily cooperate further with any organization that also shares reciprocally. Ultimately, the door to NNELS is open to all Canadian jurisdictions through the provincial department responsible for public libraries.

How can people living in Ontario and other unserved regions of Canada take advantage of NNELS services?

Again, the door to NNELS is open to all Canadian jurisdictions through the provincial department responsible for public libraries. You can discuss access with your library or write a letter to your provincial government explaining why you want access to NNELS.

Also, we have a number of books that are open content, which anyone can download without an account. For example, we are working on producing all of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Reports. Those are in the public domain and anyone can download them from our website. English and French.

Does NNELS currently offer a Direct to Player app, and if not are there any plans to do so?

We don’t have an app yet, and it is not a priority given that the Voice Dream app works so well.

Does NNELS offer a free subscription to BookShare, and if not why not, and is there a plan to do so?

We do not offer access to BooksShare for several reasons. First, because we were excluded from early negotiations to participate in Canadian arrangements with BookShare. Second, its costs exceed our budget. Third, there are privacy problems we would need to resolve associated with public libraries and sending personal information to the US. Fourth, we’d pay for access to Bookshare but never own the content. We aim to invest primarily in content we own.

If there were an opportunity to collaborate nationally, we might be able to revisit that decision.

What copyright access limitations does NNELS face when acquiring or producing accessible library products produced in other countries?

This year’s amendments to the Copyright Act changed the requirements for author nationality (formerly, authors of works exchanged between countries either had to be from Canada or the country with which the exchange was taking place), removed limitations on producing large print books, and changed the language around international commercial availability (changing “commercially available” to “reasonable time and for a reasonable price”).

How will the Marrakesh Treaty and Canada’s altered copyright laws affect our access to alternate Library products?

I hope by increasing access to them tremendously! We may have missed a collective opportunity to push forward federally on a couple of policy pieces, but I hope that doesn’t affect what we’re going to be able to do. There’s a blind, Spanish-speaking refugee who recently arrived in Winnipeg. I suspect the Marrakesh Treaty will make a world of difference for him.

##QUESTIONS FROM CALLERS FOR SABINA and NNELS:

QUESTION:

Regarding online books, is that different from audio books found in the CNIB collection?

ANSWER:

Yes, it is different.

QUESTION:

What is your contact information?

ANSWER:

You can contact NNELS by e-mail at:

support@nnels.ca or by phone at: 1-888-848-9250, option 5. This information is also on every page of the website at NNELS.CA.

QUESTION:

Asking for a clarification regarding the OverDrive system, the questioner asked, am I correct in understanding that one can take a book text from the OverDrive system and burn it on to a CD in MP3 format?

ANSWER:

Correct. Any local library that subscribes to OverDrive can do that with MP3 audiobooks if the app is inaccessible or a library patron is not able to use a computer to borrow OverDrive books.

QUESTION:

Does NNELS have any books in braille and large print? If not, have you considered providing books in braille and/or large print?

ANSWER:

There is already a lot of large print available through interlibrary loan. With the advent of tablets these days, there is a great deal that people can do to adjust print and fonts with e-text files on these devices. NNELS has a large collection of etext books in RTF format so they will open in Word or any text program, and will also work with braille displays.

In terms of braille, NNELS does have some BRF files. But we have learned that there no Apple or Android APPs that read them. We are not actually printing braille, but there is a move among the provinces to build a shared braille collection. Here we are talking about sharing physical braille books that could be shared and moved around to where they are needed/requested.

QUESTION:

How are you funded? Please clarify again.

ANSWER:

NNELS is not a separate organization. We are funded completely by the participating provinces and territories. They contribute annually.

QUESTION:

**A question about VoiceDream Reader. To confirm, is it a direct link as BookShare is in VoiceDream Reader to get to the NNELS collection—that is, you login on VoiceDream Reader and then you have access to the book?

ANSWER:

Yes.

QUESTION:

Can you search for a book from within the APP?

ANSWER:

Yes. It opens the NNELS website and you do a search from there.

QUESTION:

Can you download both text and audio?

ANSWER:

Yes.

COMMENT FROM KIM:

VoiceDream Reader is very powerful because it allows you to work the APP with a braille display. You can read braille from within the VoiceDream APP. And, if you press PLAY, it starts where you left off reading. In other words, you can read braille for a while and then you can switch over to audio if you wish. It’s the “Swiss Army Knife” of reading APPs! So that is one way to get at braille easily.

This switching back and forth between braille and audio is doable in BookShare or with any text file being read in VoiceDream Reader.

QUESTION:

Does NNELS produce textbooks and how do you get textbooks for students?

ANSWER:

NNELS does not produce textbooks for students. Our mandate is to serve public libraries. So we don’t produce textbooks for the public education system or the post-secondary systems right now because we are funded by the ministries that oversee public libraries. But we have a number of books in the collection that are textbooks—in part because of UBC’s Crane Library Collection. Looking to the future it is the hope that is that accessible format producers across Canada will get better at sharing the books that they have. Right now this is quite locked down for a number of reasons that are political and also have to do with relationships that publishers demand from post-secondary institutions. But to come back to the question, NNELS does not produce textbooks for students at this time.

QUESTION:

Could you clarify the audio formats that your books are in? Do you read them with a reader and put them in DAISY format or are they only in etext?

ANSWER:

There is a mix. We have MP3s that are only audio and those are all recorded by narrators/by people. We have DAISY books that are recorded by computers and some that are recorded by people. If you are searching the NNELS catalog and you find Apple Alex, Apple Samantha, or Apple anyone in the Narrator field that will mean synthetic/computer speech narration. Just to round this out, as was noted previous the etext books are in RTF format. We also have EPUB and PDF formats.

QUESTION:

It was mentioned that Ontario, Quebec and some of the Atlantic provinces—with the exception of Nova Scotia—are not part of NNELS. What the non-participating provinces saying is their reason for not joining NNELS?

ANSWER:

Sabina indicated that she was not privy to this information.

QUESTION:

You briefly mentioned that you could help us access books if we couldn’t find them in a collection or if we found something in your collection (living in a province where NNELS was not offering their service. Am I correct in understanding that your tech support could help individuals get the books?

ANSWER:

Sabina indicated carefully that she is offering this unofficially. As a librarian, Sabina helps where she can. NNELS will collaborate reciprocally with any other accessible-format producers or distributors. In participating provinces and territories, NNELS provides tech support, especially to library staff.

QUESTION:

Starting with a comment, the questioner said: Recently the Copyright Act was amended through Bill C11. The questioner noted that the way he had read it several things that the NNELS presenter said were still in the Act had in fact been eliminated. The restriction that the author had to be Canadian or a citizen of the country to which you were sending the work. His reading was that these restrictions were now gone. The large print limitation is gone. The questioner was suggesting that further investigation is needed here….

ANSWER:

You are right, but at this time the actual ability to exchange books cannot be done until September 30, 2016 cross borders when the Marrakesh Treaty is ratified. You are right that the large print provision and language around commercially availablility have also changed, but we still cannot produce or distribute books if they’re commercially available.

QUESTION:

Going back to the BookShare comments, and BookShare not being available because of not being affordable and not wanting to pay for something that you cannot own, the question is: Are we not charging provinces enough so that we can afford to get services such as BookShare and put more money into production?

ANSWER:

The focus on the quantity of money might not be the most effective or interesting way to think about expanded access. When looking longterm, the ideal might be to have a national, non-partisan institution such as Library and Archives Canada have a digital repository and allow any accessible format producer to convert those items into other formats. The collection would be there and public libraries would be responsible for public library services. That’s one idea, and at this point it seems unlikely to be something that becomes a reality in the near future, given the orientation of Library and Archives Canada. Another question is about what we can do to encourage publishers to produce books that are born-accessible, so that the resources needed to convert them are increasingly less expensive. How do we support even small publishers, producing epub formats, for example, so that they are part of the system in the future? Where is leadership on these issues coming from? It needs to come from everywhere, and it needs to advocate for a sustainable model, as well as for options and choice for readers. We want everyone to have access to everything but I would hazard to say that the barriers readers are experiencing at this time have less to do with insufficient funding than with issues of power and control.

##To add NNELS to your Voice Dream Reader app do the following:
If you don’t have an NNELS Account please contact Sabina Iseli-Otto directly, or ask your local Librarian.
Adding Your Existing NNELS Account to Voice Dream Reader (VDR):
Prepared by: Albert Ruel:
1. Double Tap the Settings Button on the VDR Home Screen.
2. Scroll to Content Sources and Double Tap to open it.
3. Scroll to the bottem of the page and Double Tap on Add Web Site Button.
4. Scroll to the Popular Web Sites section of the page and locate NNELS, then Double Tap on it. This should populate the User Name and URL Fields.
5. After checking the page content to see that the User Name and URL Fields are correctly filled in Scroll to the top of the page to find the Save Button and Double Tap on it.
6. NNELS should appear at the bottom of the list of sources you have registered on your device. Be sure the switch is turned On, then scroll to the top of the page and find the Close Button and Double Tap it. .
To add an NNELS book to your VDR reading list do the following:
1. At the top of the VDR Home Page Double Tap the Add Button.
2. Scroll the list of available sources and Double Tap on NNELS.
3. The above will have taken you to the NNELS Web Site, and if this is your first time accessing NNELS from VDR you will have to Log In. This happens when you turn your Router to the Headings movement unit, then Flick Down until you find the Log In Heading, then Flick Right to find the Log In Button and Double Tap it.
4. Scroll to the Edit Fields and type your User Name/Library Card Number and Password for your NNELS Account.
5. During the Log In procedure you can opt to have the Web Site remember your Log In credentials for future access by Double Tapping the Remember Me Check Box, Then scroll to the Log In Button and Double Tap it.
6. Now you’re ready to scroll to the Browse Heading and begin your search, or you can access the list of suggested reading found on this page.
7. Once a book is found, Double Tap the Download MP3 or RTF Link and the book will be loaded to VDR’s list of available titles.
8. Scroll to the top of the page and find the Close Button and Double Tap it. This should land you on the VDR Home Page where you will find your available titles, along with the latest one.

##Presenter CONTACTS
National Network for Equitable Library Service:
Sabina Iseli-Otto can be reached at NNELS by e-mail at: support@nnels.ca or by phone at: 1-888-848-9250, option 5. This information is also on every page of the website at http://www.NNELS.CA.

##What is CCB and GTT?
##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 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.
The CCB recognizes that vision loss has no boundaries with respect to gender, income, ethnicity, culture, other disabilities or age. As the largest membership organization for the blind and partially sighted in Canada the CCB is the “Voice of the Blind™”.
GTT was started in Ottawa in 2011 by Kim Kilpatrick and Ellen Goodman to give people a chance to share low and high-tech solutions, tips, and resources, and was soon brought under the CCB National umbrella as another consumer driven service and participation initiative. Through GTT you can learn from and discuss assistive technology with others walking the same path of discovery.
The group is made up of blindness and low vision 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. The GTT group meets monthly to share their passions for assistive technology and to learn what others can offer from their individual perspectives.
For more information about GTT contact: Kim Kilpatrick at GTTProgram@Gmail.com, 1-613-567-0311,513, or Albert A. Ruel at GTTWest@CCBNational.net 1-613-567-0311,550.

##What is AEBC?
AEBC is a national grassroots, peer support organization that is comprised of Canadians who are blind, deaf-blind or partially sighted and our supporters from the public at large. Our membership is comprised of a diverse range of socioeconomic backgrounds, educational achievements, life experiences, professional and nonprofessional occupations. These members work to ensure AEBC has a voice on all matters affecting participation in Canada’s mainstream society.  
AEBC’s individual and collective advocacy efforts have been successful across Canada for almost twenty-five years and have spurred innovation in the private sector. This advocacy has resulted in many advancements and opportunities now available to blind Canadians in the mainstream of our society. In fact, most of the successful innovations with respect to information, communication and technology have taken place as a direct result of our members. They have acted individually and collectively, identifying and challenging Governments and other regulated organizations to make websites, banking machines, personal financial and healthcare information available in accessible formats for people unable to read standard print independently, confidentially and securely.
For more information about AEBC contact: Marcia Yale, National Secretary at Info@BlindCanadians.ca, or 1-800-561-4774.

GPS App Podcast Revised: Nearby Explorer for Android Comparison with Sendero Seeing Eye GPS

Recently the American Printing House for the Blind released the Nearby Explorer GPS app for iOS, so GTT posted Mike Arrigo’s podcast showing us how it works, so, it’s only fair that we also post Mike’s thoughts on the Android version as he compares it to the Sendero Seeing Eye GPS on iOS. Here is that post again with a working link I hope. Podcast Comparing Nearby Explorer GPS on Android with Sendero Seeing Eye GPS on iOS

GPS App Podcast: Nearby Explorer for Android Comparison with Sendero Seeing Eye GPS

Recently the American Printing House for the Blind released the Nearby Explorer GPS app for iOS, so GTT posted Mike Arrigo’s podcast showing us how it works, so, it’s only fair that we also post Mike’s thoughts on the Android version as he compares it to the Sendero Seeing Eye GPS on iOS. Here is that post from some time ago
target=”_blank”>Podcast Comparing Nearby Explorer GPS on Android with Sendero Seeing Eye GPS on iOS

New app podcast: nearby explorer for the iPhone

I have recently purchased this newly released iPhone app called Nearby Explorer, which our friends using android smartphones have had access to for quite some time. I will let you know how I like it once I have run it around the block a few times. In the meantime, if you are interested in what appears to be a very good iPhone GPS app, here is a podcast telling you all about it.

http://media.blubrry.com/blindgeekzone/p/www.blind-geek-zone.net/wp-content/uploads/gravity_forms/3-98839556b66feeea5fbbaaad6c392a4c/2016/08/nearby-explorer-IOS.mp3 Nearby explorer for iPhone podcast

@GTTProgram

@GTTProgram

@GTTProgram

@GTTProgram

@GTTProgram

@GTTProgram

@GTTProgram

@GTTProgram

@GTTProgram

@GTTProgram

@GTTProgram

@GTTProgram

@GTTProgram

@GTTProgram

@GTTProgram

@GTTProgram

@GTTProgram

@GTTProgram

@GTTProgram

@GTTProgram