Author: Kim Kilpatrick

I am the coordinator of the Get Together with Technology (GTT) program sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind

GTT Toronto Meeting Notes All about accessible kitchen gadget. 

Here are the meeting notes from the last GTT Toronto meeting. If anyone else on the blog has other gadgets to share with where you got them, please email 

gttprogram@gmail.com 

Here are the notes for our February 18 meeting. Thanks to Chris Malec for preparing these.

Jason Fayre opened the meeting with a welcome. A new announcement list has been set up to keep information flowing to members. The purpose of making a new list is to improve the usability of the list for those running it. Use will be seamless during the transition. Subscribing to the list will allow you to receive notes from each meeting. If you’re not on the list already, send an email to gtt-toronto-announce-request@lists.fayretech.com with the word subscribe in the subject line or message body. If you’re already on the list you’ve been moved over. Gtt..toronto@gmail.com will get you in touch with the group organizers.

 

The meetings should be driven by the members, so if there are topics you’d like to see covered, let us know. Bring ideas up now, or email them to the organizers.

 

Next month the topic will be iPhone aps, presented by Martin Courcelles, who’s been in the accessibility industry for a long time. In April we may cover screen magnification, but the floor is open for other ideas. Other ideas we’re considering are: how to get audio described content, Android aps. Meetings will run till June, we’ll take the summer off, then start again in September.

 

Jason then introduced Donna Jodhan to present on low tech gadgets for the kitchen. Jason added that he also brought an iGrill and a talking kitchen scale, which are higher tech gadgets.

 

Donna began by identifying http://www.speaktome.com as a website from the U.S. where many of these gadgets come from.

The first item is a doorbell. It has 6 different chimes: it’s $29 U.S. It’s something you can set up yourself as a blind person.

The second item is a popcorn popper. It’s for the microwave. It takes 2 minutes to pop the corn with no additives. Donna has used it and likes it. The cost is $27.25 U.S.

The next item is the beep egg indicator. You drop it into a pot of water with your eggs. There are 3 distinct melodies that play, one for each level of doneness. The soft boiled melody is Oh Suzanna, medium is Take Me Out to the Ball Game, and hard boild is Hail Hail the gang’s all here. You set it to your desired doneness. $19.95 U.S.

The next item is a cooker that plays the sound of a clucking chicken when your eggs are boild, but we’re not sure what level of doneness the clucking chicken indicates. $30.

The next item is an electric hotdog cooker. It holds between 6 to 10 hotdogs, and the sound of a barking dog plays when the dogs are done. $30.95.

The next item is talking measuring cups. It measures up to 3 cups, and takes 3 double A batteries. It measures dry or wet ingredients, and costs $59.95. There’s probably a cheaper equivalent in Toronto. The next item for fun, is cups with varying sounds that chime when the cup is lifted off its dedicated platform. The sound unit detaches for washing. Each cup is 12 ounces and a set is $11.95 U.S.

The next item is a salt shaker that makes the sound of a slot machine when picked up.

Next is a liquid level indicator. You place it on the side of a glass or container. One sound tells you when you’re getting close to the top, and another sound tells you when you’ve overflowed. This one isn’t new, $12.95 U.S.

There’s a talking coffee maker, the buttons are easy to find, and it talks to you during the set up process to instruct you. Donna didn’t know the make, but will get back to gtt with that information. The speech is very clear, and tells you when your coffee is ready, and guides you through the steps of making the coffee. The last item is a timer. Many of us have timers already. Donna’s favourite timer is available from the Braille Superstore in Vancouver by mail. It’s a small unit you can attach to your belt. The timer will count down by minutes then seconds, and there are 6 different alarm sounds to choose from.

 

Jason opened the floor for anyone to describe favourite kitchen gadgets. Ian raised the Hamilton Beech talking microwave, and many agreed it’s a great unit. Ian said it’s one of the best devices for blind people. Some said it’s no longer available, but a member said it’s available through Blind Mice Mart. A member who works with Regal said that they sell talking scales, and the popcorn popper Donna described. Donna said one of her favourites is the knife with a guide to help slice things.

 

Jason described his iGrill. It’s a thermometer that has a probe that sticks into the meet, there’s another attachment that sits outside the stove and communicates with your smart phone to tell you the temperature. The cheapest model is about $60, and the most expensive is maybe $90. You can set alarms for it to go off when your desired temperature is reached. It’s not low tech, but is extremely useful. He also brought a talking kitchen scale. This is useful for precise measuring of ingredients. This is available in the CNIB store. Many devices may not be designed for blind people, but are still very useful. He found a microwave in a mainstream store that has proper buttons rather than a touch pad. He described a one cup measure that had a very distinct tactile line inside for measuring smaller amounts. A few people said that the Forman Grill is very easy to use. It has a simple tactile temperature control, only one lever.

 

Donna asked about accessible stoves. Is there such a thing? Jason answered that he recently got a stove that’s usable, if not entirely accessible. It’s flat top, but there is some texture to help centre a pot. It requires help initially to mark the touch screen, but starting the stove automatically sets it at 350, which is helpful. Once the buttons are labelled it’s easy to use. It’s a Whirlpool.

Someone may win a free version of KNFB reader app for android or I device.

Hello everyone.

This message came to us through Lorne Webber of the Edmonton GTT group.

Sorry for the short notice but we just received this.

I am not familiar with this news letter listed below but it sounds like a great contest.

If you have an android or I device and do not have this app, it is a really great one and the cost usually is around $100.

People who subscribe (it’s free) to the Blind Perspective newsletter by visiting:

http://www.theblindperspective.com/

and jump by heading  down to the heading called “How to Subscribe”

Then click on February’s newsletter at: 

http://www.theblindperspective.com/current.htm

and move down to the heading called “Movers & Shakers”. Near the end of that article about KNFB Reader is the following directions:

“I would like to conclude this article with some great news. Sensotec has graciously offered to give one of our readers the KNFB Reader app, for either

an iOS or Android device user.

So readers if you are interested here is what you need to do:

-Answer the following question, in 300 words or less; How would a KNFB Reader make you more independent?

-Email your answer to: 

contest@theblindperspective.com

-All entries must be received by February 20 in order to qualify”

 

Reminder next GTT national conference call all about talking to your Iphone, Ipad, or Ipod touch. Our next GTT national conference call will take place on Wednesday February 10 at 7 PM Eastern, 4 PM Pacific time. Our topic for this call is how to talk to your phone. Ever wondered how to use Siri on an Iphone, Ipad, or Ipod touch? What can you ask of her? Also what is the difference between Siri and Dictation? What about the google voice app? Join us learn together as we share our tips and tricks and even outrageous and funny things you can ask siri. Please RSVP to Kim so she has an idea of numbers. You can email her at gttprogram@gmail.com Or call her at 1-877-304-0968 X 513. Call in info is 1-866-740-1260 Passcode 5670311 

Next GTT national conference call Wednesday February 10 7 PM Eastern 4 Pacific.  Talking to your I Device:  how can you best work with siri? 

Our next GTT national conference call will take place on Wednesday February 10 at 7 PM Eastern, 4 PM Pacific time. Our topic for this call is how to talk to your phone. 

Ever wondered how to use Siri on an Iphone, Ipad, or Ipod touch? 

What can you ask of her? 

Also what is the difference between Siri and Dictation? 

What about the google voice app? 

Join us learn together as we share our tips and tricks and even outrageous and funny things you can ask siri. 

Please RSVP to Kim so she has an idea of numbers. 

You can email her at 

gttprogram@gmail.com 

Or call her at 1-877-304-0968 X 513. 

Call in info is 

1-866-740-1260 Passcode 5670311 

Excellent resource for anyone in Ontario. Very exciting development about accessing prescription information. 

With great thanks to Chris and Marie Stark who have asked me to publish on the blog.This is great and exciting news. 

Would love someone to demonstrate one of these at GTT meetings. 

If anyone else has obtained one, we’d love to hear about it. 

“New Service to Access Information on Prescription Medication Labels

Dispensed by Shoppers Drug Mart in Ontario

Reading or understanding the contents and instructions of labels on

prescription medications is a source of problems and frustration for many

people, particularly for persons who are blind and others who have

difficulty reading print material. The small print and look-alike packaging

of medicine vials can lead to confusion, non-compliance, and mistakes. A

solution to this serious issue, the ScripTalk Station prescription reading

device, developed by EnVision America, is now available at Shoppers Drug

Marts in Ontario. 

The ScripTalk works by simply pressing a button on the device and placing

the special talking label over the reader, which then speaks all the

information printed on the label including drug name, dosage & instructions;

warnings and contraindications; pharmacy information; doctor name;

prescription number and date; warnings etc. More information on the

ScripTalk technology can be found at

<https://www.envisionamerica.com/products/scripability/scriptalk/&gt; ScripTalk

| En-Vision America – Assistive Technology for the Blind and Low-vision

Community. You can also view an

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLSkkFXDWV0&gt; overview video of the

ScripTalk for Pharmacies on YouTube and an

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLRe0Z6wnzk&gt; overview video of the

ScripTalk system for customers on YouTube. 
The first step to obtain a ScripTalk prescription reader is to contact your

Shoppers Drug Mart owner/pharmacist who is responsible for initiating the

process. Information on the ScripTalk was sent, a while ago, to all

Shoppers Drug Mart stores in Ontario. Customers who are blind should

discuss their needs with their pharmacist, who can then contact their field

support teams with any inquiries regarding available options. 

Once you have decided to get the ScripTalk reader, you will be asked to sign

a program registration document required by EnVision America, who will then

send a reader directly to you. There is no cost to the customer who is

blind. 

There is, at present, a 48 hour lag time between requesting a medication at

your pharmacy, and the pharmacist sending the information to Shoppers Drug

Mart Head Office who then prepare the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

lables required by the ScripTalk device. New prescriptions requiring

immediate use will be a problem for the customers initially. Hopefully, this

lag time issue will soon be resolved, so that customers can access their

prescription information at the same time as the print ones are dispensed.

For medications that are being refilled on a regular basis, it is a matter

of planning for this lag time when renewing your supply.  

I have received my free ScripTalk prescription reader. It is very easy to

use. An instruction CD is included to help with set up and operation. The

ScripTalk labels are on each one of my medications, which enables me to read

all the pertinent information for all my medications, for the first time. 

If your Shoppers Drug Mart Store is totally unwilling or unresponsive to

your drug prescription information needs, tell them to contact Ashesh Desai,

who is the senior manager responsible for this service. If that does not

work, then contact him directly at the coordinates below. He was very

helpful to me.  

Ashesh Desai Bsc. Phm |
Senior Vice-President, Pharmacy Operations and Transformation | 
Shoppers Drug Mart HQ
243 Consumers Road, Toronto ON M2J 4W8 
Tel. 416-490-2769 
Toll free: 1800-746-7737 Open until 8:00 PM and ask for him. 
Email: adesai@shoppersdrugmart.ca <mailto:adesai@shoppersdrugmart.ca> 

At present, there is no link for information regarding the ScripTalk on the

Shoppers Drug Mart website. However, Shoppers Drug Mart’s Accessible

Customer Service Practice document for Ontario can be accessed at:

<http://files.shoppersdrugmart.ca/stores/Accessibility-Standards.pdf&gt;

http://files.shoppersdrugmart.ca/stores/Accessibility-Standards.pdf&nbsp;

The ScripTalk Mobile app is also available in the Google Play Store. It

provides another way to read the ScripTalk labels prescription information

on some, but not all, Android devices. ScripTalk is not available at present

for iPhones and other Apple devices, because Apple does not allow the use of

Near Field Communication (NFC), which is required in order to read the RFID

labels being affixed on medication containers for the ScripTalk. 

I would like to thank Rob Sleath and Access for Sight-Impaired Consumers

(ASIC) for all their work on this issue in B.C. and for their help and

advice to me as I worked with my local Shoppers Drug Mart. More information

on ASIC and other drug store chains in B.C. offering the ScripTalk is

available at <http://www.asicbc.ca&gt; http://www.asicbc.ca .” 

GTT Toronto Meeting Notes January 21, 2016 about social media

Here are the notes from the GTT Toronto meeting which took place on Thursday January 21, 2016. The topic was social media. 
Hello everyone,

Here are the notes from last night’s meeting.

Jason Fayre opened the meeting with a welcome, and said that next month’s meeting would have as its focus low tech kitchen gadgets presented by Donna Jodhan. He introduced Rylan Vroom, assistive technology instructor at Balance for Blind Adults, to talk about social media.

 

Rylan began by saying he’d be discussing Facebook, twitter and LinkedIn.

There are two main ways to access Facebook on the computer. There’s Facebook mobile, and regular Facebook. Facebook mobile is good because it doesn’t show graphics, is low bandwidth, and more blind friendly. M.facebook.com. He did a demo starting at the top of the page. Near the top is an edit field to search for a person. Facebook supports hot keys. If you have new messages, you’ll see it indicated near the top. Chat is the cool section where you can chat with anyone you know who’s on line. The pages link allows you to administrate any pages you manage. He talked about how you can choose who you share your posts with, friends, friends of friends, or public. Below this is an edit field where you can enter the text of your post, photos etc.. Below this are birthday notifications of your friends. Below this are all the posts of people you follow. They are displayed as heading level 3, so you can use H to move through them. Lots of people use hashtags, which are best viewed on a Braille display. Posts will show you when a post was posted, and who it was posted to. Using H is generally a good way to navigate through the home page. At the bottom of the main page is a “see more stories” link. Entering on the profile link takes you to your profile. Using H here will display your most recent posts. On the message page, you can use B for button or E for edit field, to move through your messages.

 

He next went to the regular Facebook page. It allows you to access your privacy settings, which is harder to do on the mobile page. Ian raised the concern that sometimes Facebook system updates can set security settings back to default. Brian M offered the adage that if you post something you should probably be prepared for the entire world to see it. Rylan added, “If you wouldn’t send it to your grandmother, don’t post it.” Brian added that Facebook has gotten better at emailing when they change their security protocols.

 

Poking is a strange form of Facebook flirting. It allows a temporary exchange of profiles.

You’ll also get a list of updates from Facebook groups you’ve joined. In general, the full site has much more stuff than the mobile site. Debbie asked if uploaded photos get automatically rotated to appear correctly. Rylan answered that he didn’t know, but that he suspects Facebook will correct mistakes in uploading. He warned that if you forget your Facebook password, the process for verifying yourself involves having to identify photos of your friends, so as a blind person, this is a problem. Neila raised the idea of using the ap on a mobile device. Rylan said the down side of this is that the mobile ap often malfunctions, and that entering posts on a touch pad can be tiresome. In general though it is workable, and can do things like geotag your photos. Brian M added that the mobile ap can deal with the password problem by sending you a text for verification. Ian proposed that you can hook up a blue tooth keyboard to your mobile device to make it easier to post. Judith wondered why she gets so many emails telling her about things on Facebook. Rylan replied that it’s because she’s not logging in enough, and that there’s a link in Facebook emails to change your subscription preferences, i.e. what kinds of emails you get from Facebook. Debbie asked for clarification, with a phone, are you using the ap, or the Facebook mobile site. Rylan replied that this is a matter of preference. The ap is different in how you interact with it, and special things may need to happen if you’re using a Braille display.

 

Twitter is completely different, it’s a micro-blogging site. Twitter is evolving, but at its base it’s a micro-blogging platform. One of its most powerful features is the ability to index specific topics, i.e. hashtags. You can search for a hashtag and find any tweets using this hashtag, i.e. talking about the same thing. Hashtags are ever-changing and time and context related, so you have to watch what you’re doing. Under windows there are a couple of twitter clients, which are ways to use twitter. TWBlue and Chicken Nugget are two that blind people use. You can also access twitter directly from the twitter website. Night Owl is a client for Macs. Twitterific is a good ap for the iPhone. Jason said Tweetings is a useful android ap. The twitter ap for iPhone is sort of accessible, but not entirely.

 

He did a demo of Chicken Nugget. He did a search for the hashtag A11Y which is a short form for accessibility. This opens a buffer with a vertical list of tweets about A11Y. He showed some of the menu functions, example search, either for a person or a hashtag, updating your profile, how to manage audio that might come attached to a tweet, managing the audio cues that Chicken Nugget uses to convey information…. You can directly message someone on twitter if they’re following you. There are hot keys for most functions, and you can hide the visual window, meaning that you can operate twitter without it showing on your screen. You can directly access links included in tweets. If you choose to follow someone on twitter, this means you see everything they post publicly. There’s some twitter etiquette that they’ll follow you back, unless they’re a celebrity. He demonstrated looking up someone’s profile. This displays information about them such as a bio, and where they are in the world. Debbie asked how to shorten a URL to put into a tweet. Rylan answered that some twitter clients will do it automatically, or you can look up a good URL shortener. The @ at symbol relates to users, the # number symbol relates to hashtags. Debbie made the point that lists can be a really helpful way to categorize the information or topics you follow. She asked if you can add an account to a list without actually following it. A few people answered that you can. Neila asked if there’s any user guides. Rylan answered that each twitter client has their own. Brian commented that the twitter website is completely usable, but twitter clients are much faster, especially if you’re very active on twitter. He also added that twitter isn’t mere fluff. You can get lots of information that’s relevant to you, network, ask for tips or help with something specific, and get really quick answers. It’s an extremely useful tool. Rylan said this is true, and the trick is taking the time and effort to curate it all.

 

LinkedIn is more of a business networking site. You can find jobs, connect with fellow professionals, and find articles on profession related topics. It’s entirely different from Facebook, because it’s very profession oriented. He did a demo of the site. Never use LinkedIn with internet explorer, because the LinkedIn site has useful tags with key strokes and accessibility information, and older versions of IE can’t handle them. LinkedIn is good at making connections between you and people you might know. The main page looks somewhat like facebook’s, with profile and update options. Neila raised the point that you can join groups in LinkedIn, and endorse the skills of people you know. Debbie asked if the mobile site is easier, and also is there an easier way to follow conversations on LinkedIn. Brian M said he finds the iPhone ap significantly easier when following and interacting with conversations.

Braille braille refreshable braille.  Will it ever come down in price? 

Braille braille refreshable braille 
By Kim Kilpatrick 
I have been reading braille since I was six. It has always been extremely important and crucial for me to use braille whenever and wherever I can. 
Refreshable braille brought braille back into my life again after many years of little braille for me.

This was because I had a screen reader and audio books and was told I could not have braille text books and also that the screen reader on my computer would be enough for me to get things done.  
When I got braille back and could use it with a computer, I cried! 

The braille display hooked to my computer meant that I could turn speech off and just read and write in braille. 

The way I always wanted. 

 I was so moved to be reading and writing again. 
Apple has made it very easy to read and write braille with their I Devices and macs. They support most of the refreshable braille displays on the market. You can read and write braille (as I am doing now to create this post) with my Iphone and braille display. 
You can also use their braille screen input to type braille with your fingers directly on to the screen of your device. 
Exciting yes! If only android phones and devices would improve the program Braille Back so you could use contracted braille. But refreshable braille has been always very very expensive. 
Well out of the range of many people who would love to use it. 
Several projects are always in the works to bring down the price of braille displays. 
The expensive part at the moment is the technology of the braille cells. 
People are working on this. 
One example is a group in the article below. 
I would love to have a multi line, inexpensive braille display in the hands of all who would love to use it. 
Thanks also to braille literacy Canada for your great conference call about braille last weekend. 
http://www.brailleliteracy.ca&nbsp;

 More about that in another post. 
Here is the link to the article. 
http://www.engin.umich.edu/college/about/news/stories/2015/december/bringing-braille-back-with-a-better-display-technology

Call for volunteer accessibility testers. 

Call for Reading System Accessibility Testing ModeratorsQualified, enthusiastic testers are needed to make sure all reading systems used for presentation of digital publishing of books, journals, magazines, coursework, and all other types of digital publications are fully accessible to persons with disabilities.

 

Visit: http://www.epubtest.org to review the work being done by the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF), the Book Industry Study Group (BISG), and the DAISY Consortium. The column titled “accessibility” is the focus of this call for moderators.

 

A moderator will be identified for each reading system on a specific platform (OS) and that moderator will help other volunteer evaluators to test and report findings using the Assistive Technology (AT) at their disposal.

Individuals should be independent, have accessibility experience including familiarity and knowledge of assistive technology and should understand the Daisy Reading System standards http://www.daisy.org/accessibility-screening-methodology-guidelines-and-checklist.html This will be a demanding volunteer job that requires doing 1-2 tests first and then supervising the completion of several tests per week. Initial responsibilities include recruiting evaluators, coordinating credentials and evaluating the evaluators, monitoring progress and being willing to verify results.

 

Example: Reading system HappyReader (fictional name) running on Windows 7 will have a moderator that manages volunteers to test Happy reader with the wide range of AT used on Windows 7. The screen reader JFW using TTS as output would be one evaluation performed; another volunteer evaluator would test HappyReader with NVDA using braille output; another tester would use screen magnification ZoomText and report the results, etc. Because of the wide range of AT used by persons with disabilities, a crowd source approach is going to be used. We encourage organizations to sponsor the testing by having people assigned to specific reading systems and technology, e.g. a university using specific AT and specific reading systems should assign people to work on the testing and share their findings with the world.

Qualifications of moderators:

Independent, self-motivated person

Experience with testing of the accessibility of software, websites, or reading systems.

Good knowledge of assistive technology

Duties of Moderators

Identify documentation for Reading Systems, e.g. user manual, getting started, use with Assistive Technology (AT)

Verify the qualification of evaluators

Approve or assign the reading system configuration to the evaluators.

Get the test forms completed by evaluators

Facilitate the crowd sourcing for recruiting evaluators

Coordinate with Reading system developer

Review and approve the test results submitted by the evaluator

Resolve the conflicts if the same reading system configuration yield different results when tested by different evaluators.

 

Teresa Johnson

Moderator, Accessible Collections and Services Network

accessible@cla.ca

Transferring CNIB/CELA library books on your IOS Device into voice dream reader. 

Several people have asked me for this information. 

By Kim Kilpatrick 

Putting a book from CNIB/CELA library into voice dream reader. 

Some people have found that the direct to player app which CNIB created for I Devices, is not working well and consistently. I have had many problems with it myself. 

It often suddenly declares a service error. And sometimes will only read part of a book. 

So, I still use voice dream reader to read CNIB/CELA library books. 

It has more features in my opinion and is much more stable. 

Voicedream reader can also do many other things. 

With it, you can link it directly to your dropbox and bookshare accounts and pocket or instipaper if you use those services. 

Voice dream reader also allows you to have very high quality text to speech voices. 

It is not a free app, usually costing about 10 dollars. 

Here is its link in the app store. 

Voice Dream Reader by Voice Dream LLC

https://appsto.re/ca/kiXKD.i

There is also an app now called voice dream suite which gives you voice dream reader, voice dream writer (a word processing app) and two very high quality voices for 22 dollars. 

Several people have asked me how you get books directly into voice dream reader. 

I have tried several ways but, so far, this is the easiest one I have found. 

In your IOS app store, download the voice dream reader app listed above and also download the google chrome web browser. 

 Chrome – web browser by Google by Google, Inc.

https://appsto.re/ca/NVp8F.i

Open chrome and in the address field put in the cnib or cela library address. 

http://www.cniblibrary.ca&nbsp;

or 

http://www.celalibrary.ca

Sign in to your library account. 

Search for the book you wish and make sure the format is daisy zip. 

Double tap on the get it link. 

Double tap on the download link. 

You will then see a page telling you the download size. 

Double tap on the download button and your download will start. 

Near the top of your screen just to the right of a button saying menu, it will tell you the percentage of download completed. 

When it is finished, you will find there download complete. 

It may not beep or make a noise so you need to keep checking that field. 

Now, near the bottom of your screen, you will notice install google drive. 

Just to the left of that is something that says open in. 

Double tap that and choose voice dream reader. 

Note: voice dream reader needs to be installed on your device before you try this. 

Now double tap that and it will open voice dream and put your book there. 

If anyone has other ways in which they move daisy books from cnib or cela library to voice dream, I’d love to know them. 

A few more tips about voice dream and daisy books, you can add bookmarks, you can also move around by headings or percentage. 

To turn on the sleep timer double tap and hold the play button and it will open. 

If you would like me to help you with this, call me at 1-877-304-0968 

Or email 

gttprogram@gmail.com 

Reminder: National GTT Conference Call tonight 7 PM Eastern An Introduction To The Mac Computer

This is just a reminder about our GTT national conference call. It will take place tonight, January 13 2016. The topic is All about the mac computer. 

 The call in time is 7 PM Eastern time, 4 Pacific time. 

We will talk about the different Mac computers available. What you need to ask when you buy one so that it can be accessible.  

Ali Moosa will talk about the basic commands needed to get you started on the mac using voiceover.  

Kim Kilpatrick will talk about using the mac from a totally blind person’s perspective. 

Lorne neufeldt will discuss the mac from a low vision perspective. 

Bring your questions and expertise. 

 

Here is the call in info. 
1-866-740-1260 

Passcode 5670311

GTT national Conference Call Notes for December 9 2015 on GPS Solutions for people who are blind or have low vision. 

Summary Notes
 

GTT National Conference Call

Get Together with Technology

December 9 2015. 

GPS Solutions 
 

 

Presenters: 

 Tom Dekker Donna Hudon Albert Ruel (facilitator and presenter),

 

 

1. Blind Square GPS App:
Tom started out the presentation on BlindSquare. Blind square has its own voice, and works well with Voice over as well. The buttons and tabs you will find on the app include:

Search, Add Place, Tools, 4Square, Other Button and Filter Announcements. 

Tom reviewed the options available in the Filter Announcements and recommends the use of Streets and My Places. That will announce all streets as they are crossed and the locations you have favorited. 

2-finger double tab turns on and off the Blind Square voice, and a 3-finger double tap turns on and off the Voiceover voice. The Blind Square voice mute is at the top right corner of the screen and is a toggle meaning that if you double tap it once, it mutes speech and if you double tap with one finger again, it unmutes speech.  

Add Places: allows the operator to add Points of Interest by categories, address and while one is standing near it. 

Tools: the Look Around is a valuable feature in the Tools Tab and will announce intersections and Points of interest in the area and in the direction the operator is pointing the iPhone. Limits can be set for the range within which Blind Square will announce what it finds. 

Search: uses a variety of categories from which to suggest places one might be interested in, and once located the operator can double tap the Favourite toggle and have Blind Square announce each time it gets within range of the device. When a location is selected more info can be read for that place or business. 

Blind Square does not give you turn by turn directions. The Tracking feature can be invoked which will tell the operator how far away and at which direction the specified location will be found. Blind square can be asked for nearby addresses to that location as well. Check it out at:

http://blindsquare.com/

 

Q: Can plan a route be used if a location is not favourited?

A: Yes. As long as you can select it you can start to track toward it. Addresses can be taken from the iPhones’ Contact List and tracked from there as well. 

Q: Does it only give directions by the clock or compass? 

A: You can set it to give direction using Cardinal Directions as well. 

Q: Does it matter which direction you hold the phone?

A: Just having the phone in your pocket it will determine your direction of travel. Some bone conducting headphones will allow you to operate the app using the in-line buttons. Pointing the phone in various directions will allow you to determinpoints of interest (POIs) and other info in that direction. Also, shaking the phone will invoke the Look Around feature providing next intersection and travel direction info. Lots of features can be turned on or off in the Other Button menu. 

Q: If I were walking to a corner in my City will Blind Square tell me about the building and the businesses therein? 

A: Not yet, however Apple has available something called iBeacons that will provide access to interior spaces. Tim Horton’s in Ontario has started a pilot project of making iBeacons in some of their stores. 

As you walk along the street, Blind Square will announce the stores or buildings you pass in many cases. Sometimes they even announce bus stops if they have been marked by someone. 

Irene indicated that she uses blind square when riding her horse. She sets up Way-Tags in the Add Places Tab for places like the mailbox, ditches and so on. Blind square then warns her as she approaches them allowing her the time to steer the horse around them without injuring her shins. 

Tom indicated that BlindSquare is the app that has helped him to learn the Victoria downtown area since moving there about 2 years ago. 

 

 

2. Trekker Breeze Stand-alone GPS Device:
Donna started out the demo on the Trekker Breeze by turning on the Key Describer feature, hold down the button 3, so that each time a button is pressed Trekker will announce what each key will do. The new Breeze is smaller than the original. There are 9 buttons in a number keypad configuration. 

 

Trekker will announce how far you’ve travelled, your altitude and many other helpful bits of info. Trekker can also reverse routes once you have reached your destination, and addresses can be inserted for turn by turn instructions to your favourite places. Points of interest in many categories can also be used to receive turn by turn instructions, and landmarks can be set and labelled as Points of interest along the way. It ships with all Canadian maps, and additional world maps can be purchased for trips abroad. 

 

The Explorer feature allows the user to virtually walk a neighbourhood anywhere on the installed maps from the comfort of their living room. 

 

Note: that blind squarevery has a simulation mode which allows you to find out what is around a location you may be travelling too. 

Kim used this when travelling to the braille conference in Toronto to find out what was around the hotel.  

Donna offered to take questions rather than work through each item that can be done with the Trekker. A question was asked about the battery, which is thought to be about 15 hours of constant use. The Trekker shifts from vehicle mode to pedestrian mode automatically, and offers different levels of info depending on those modes. More intersection info is available in pedestrian mode. 

 

Donna reiterated that because Trekker is separate from her phone she finds it more convenient. 

 

Addresses can be typed in with the number keypad, and landmarks can be marked for future use, like garbage cans, park benches etc.   

 

Donna indicated that her recent upgrade didn’t seem to add functionality, and others indicated that the battery life is since increased as a result. James indicated that his works better in the downtown concrete canyons, and Donna hasn’t found that to be the case with her upgraded Trekker. The old Trekker Breeze often lost contact with satellites, which was to be remedied with the 2015 $200 upgrade. It was suggested that the Trekker be turned on a few minutes before leaving so that connection can be secured before the trip begins. Trekker seems to connect better than trying it once movement has started. 

 

Maps are upgraded on regular bases so new places of business and new neighbourhoods become available quite quickly. Map updates are free. 

 

Trekker gives intersection info like, 3-way, 4-way and 5-way intersections, city boundaries for larger metropolitan areas, and name changes of streets as one travels by vehicle or pedestrian. Without inserting an address one can merely walk while Trekker announces the streets as they are approached. It will also announce your points of interest as you pass them, which offers a means of familiarizing oneself with a community. 

 

An external speaker is available that clips to a collar so that it can be heard without blocking ones ears for safety. Bone conducting headphones can also be attached to this device for the same reason.

Note: You cannot use the bluetooth bone conduction head phones with the trekker. You must get wired headphones for this.

The bluetooth bone conduction headphones will work with blind square. 

The most common bone conduction headphones are made by afshokz. 

Many of the access technology companies in Canada sell them but they can also be purchased on amazon and now even in the apple store online.  

 

For more info check out:

http://www.humanware.com/en-usa/products/blindness/talking_gps

 

 

3. iMove GPS App:
A question was asked about iMove by Everywhere Technologies, an app for the iPhone which seems to be free, and available for iPhone, iPad and iPod. You can learn more at:

http://www.everywaretechnologies.com/apps/imove

 

 

4. Seeing Eye GPS App:
Albert then gave an overview of the Sendero Seeing Eye GPS app for the iPhone. It is currently being used as a subscription app that appears to fetch a price of $79 USD for an additional year, and $6.99 for additional months. Albert indicated that it cannot be purchased outright, which has since been determined to be incorrect. The outright purchase of the app is $399 USD. A similar app is available for the BrailleNote and BrrailleSense note takers. 

 

The main front screen offers many helpful items like the nearest intersection, nearest address, direction of travel, location accuracy and altitude. The menus are, Routes, POIs, Location, Maps and Settings. Other than the Maps Menu all are very accessible. Maps takes you to Google maps which appears to require vision to use effectively.

Note: You can use google maps but it does take some learning. Kim is able to use it on the iphone after much practice. If anyone wants some help with it, let her know. 

 

 

The Look Around Wand in Seeing Eye is very similar to that which Tom demonstrated with Blind Square. It allows you to see in different directions all that is in your vicinity. I have also purchased a $5 Sendero app called Look Around that will give me that info by merely shaking the phone. 

 

The Route Creation Menu offers several ways to get to where I want to go. The first is a Route to Home button which will give me turn by turn instructions back to the address I’ve labelled as “Home”. The POI Button will offer many categories of businesses, schools, churches and other types of places I might wish to find and be directed to. The Address Button allows me to insert any address and have Seeing Eye take me there. The History Button takes the user back to previously accessed addresses or Points of Interest.  

 

The POI Menu allows me to type the name of a business I want, and Seeing Eye will search for and list the findings from my area. Double tapping on the desired one provides the options of being directed as a pedestrian, driver, transit user or bicyclist. 

 

One of the drawbacks to the app is how quickly it drains the battery. For daily use of this app to get to and from work one will be wise to secure an additional battery pack. Albert has noticed that Blind Square uses less battery power than Seeing Eye. 

 

For more info check out:

https://www.senderogroup.com/products/shopseeingeyegps.htm

 

A question was asked as to whether Blind Square and Seeing Eye would be used together, and which might be preferred. They are not used together and they don’t necessarily do the same things. Granted, all three GPS devices presented today will tell you where you are and they will announce streets as you travel, however Blind Square doesn’t give turn by turn instructions and both Trekker and Seeing Eye do. All three use POIs as a means of locating and alerting the user to their having arrived. 

 

What’s the difference between the free Sendero Look Around and the Seeing Eye app? The Look Around app merely gives the user nearby intersection, POI and address locations, whereas Seeing Eye will guide the user to selected locations with turn by turn instructions. I also use the Seeing Eye to keep an eye on the driver’s speed of travel, altitude and direction of travel while on route. 

 

5. Nearby Explorer for Android Smart Phones:
A question was asked about accessible GPS apps for Android. There is one called Nearby Explorer which was produced by the American Printing House for the Blind. 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.aph.avigenie&hl=en

 

A question was asked about the data usage for these iPhone apps. Lorne Webber indicated that Seeing Eye uses data to load the map when a search for an address is done, and that no further data will be used once the map is loaded. If another search is conducted then it will access data once again. No firm answer was available regarding Blind Square and data usage though, however it isn’t believed to be large as no pictures or other large items are being accessed by the apps. Donna indicated that Sendero Look Around requires data in order to function. 

 

6. MyWay Lite and Classic:
Another app mentioned is My Way Lite, which is free, and My Way Classic which costs about $20. They both use data in order to download the maps to your iPhone, then don’t require data to do the actual navigation. 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/myway-lite/id494516234?mt=8

 

Irene indicated that with the screen locked she uses Blind Square with little in the way of battery drainage and hardly any data provided the wayfinding tags are saved. Data will be required for the saving of any additional wayfinding tags though. 

 

7. Kapten Plus GPS and App:
Irene asked about the Kapten Plus GPS device. Leader Dogs in Michigan used to provide these devices for their graduates, however they have since stopped doing so. She used it for about 4 years and found that it worked fairly well, however that it didn’t give her as much info as Blind Square or Trekker. Irene further suggested that the Kapten Plus app for the iPhone was impossible for her to manage so she is recommending that it be avoided. It is available through Canadialog:

http://www.canadialog.com/en/node/250

 

8. Ariadne GPS App:
Donna mentioned Ariadne GPS which she also uses on her iPhone. It can be found at:

https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/ariadne-gps/id441063072?mt=8

 

9. Google and Apple Map Apps for the iPhone:
Lorne suggested that Google Maps when he’s travelling with a sighted driver offers him good info regarding the lane to be in when accessing needed off-ramps. Although blind travelers don’t always need such info, it can be helpful when he’s navigating for the driver, and his experience is that it’s very accessible with Voice Over. Apple Maps are also good, however Lorne prefers Google Maps. 

10. Bad Elf GPS Antenna:
Lorne further suggested that separate GPS antenna can be purchased for use with iPhone GPS apps. One such example is the Bad Elf GPS Antenna. Visit http://www.bad-elf.com to learn more about the Bad Elf GPS, GPS Pro/Pro+, and the GNSS Surveyor accessories, which add a high performance GPS receiver to the iPod touch, iPhone, and iPad via the 30-pin dock connector, Lighting connector, or Bluetooth. The GPS data is usable by ALL location-based iOS applications in the App Store. 

 

 

If anyone has any more GPS solutions for people who are blind or have low vision, please let us know at 

Gttprogram@gmail.com 

Or call Kim at 1-877-304-0968 X. 513. 

Or Albert at 1-877-304-0968 X. 550. 

Notes for GTT Toronto December Meeting all about screen readers for PC’s. 

Here are the notes for the December meeting.

Jason Fayre, the Adaptive technology specialist at CNIB, opened the meeting. He began by letting the group know that the next meeting, on January 21, will be on social media with Chelsey Mollar.
There was a go round to introduce ourselves.
 
Jason began his presentation on comparing screen readers by inviting questions at any time. He said that in the second half, there would be time for small group question and answer. Jason gave some background on his experience with access technology. He worked for Arkenstone, who did early OCR, worked as a tech support representative for Freedom Scientific who makes Jaws, and now works for CNIB.
 
His concentration will be on Jaws, NVDA and Window Eyes, which are the 3 major screen readers. The intention is to give a clear idea of what each one does, why one might choose one over the other, and what’s good and bad about each one.
 
Job Access with Speech, or Jaws, has been around as long as DOS in the 80’s. In the mid 90’s they released the first versions for Windows with Windows 3.1 the latest version is Jaws 17. It’s a good product. One deterrent can be cost: around $1100. Moving up from one version to another is about $250, up two versions will be more. If you buy a copy, you can buy an SMA, about $300, which gives you the next 2 upgrades for free. You’re allowed to install Jaws on up to 3 different systems. One of its strengths is efficiency on the internet. Another is the variety of voices available. He demonstrated the default Eloquence voice, then pointed out that the newer voices have greatly improved responsiveness. Insert control S is the keystroke to switch voices. He demonstrated Vocalizer Expressive Ava, a female voice, and pointed out its clarity. You have to have the voice installed before the keystroke will work. Go to help, web resources, then vocalizer expressive if you’re on a version before Jaws 17.
 
Another place where Jaws really shines is with using Braille. If you want or need to use Jaws without speech, you can do so with a Braille display effectively after some initial configuration. The other area where it excels is training. You get about 16 hours of training materials when you buy the product. Web Aim does a survey each year to rank screen readers. When they started in 2010 or so, Jaws was at 75% use among blind people. It’s now at 30% because more options are available.
 
A group member asked if Windows 10 is compatible with Jaws 16. Jason answered that as of July this year, Jaws released a version of 16 that does work, so get the latest version of 16.
 
Another question was what makes Jaws better with the Internet. Jason replied that it’s mostly because they’ve been doing it for a long time, and are constantly updating. Also, a new feature called smart navigation improves access to complex websites. 
 
Another question was about PDF documents. Jason said that Jaws now has a feature that allows you to scan a document and run it through OCR. This is in Jaws 17. With any version of Jaws, go to the help menu where you’ll find an option for What’s New.
 
Someone asked whether it’s possible to use voice input rather than the keyboard. Jason said that it’s always advisable to know the keyboard, but there are two products called JSay and Dragon Dictate that, used together, will allow you to use speech input. This option is very expensive however, so if you don’t actually need to dictate, you’re better off learning to type if you can. A group member noted that ADP will pay for these products if they’re necessary.
 
Jason continued with NVDA. He said that NVDA nonvisual desktop access, is what he uses himself. NV access out of Australia produces it. It’s free, and it’s very good. A couple of blind guys started developing it in 2006 to level the playing field. In many countries access technology is prohibitively expensive. Currently NVDA is available in 40 languages and run in 120 countries. It has about 20% of the screen reader market. NVDA is totally free. They do ask for donations, because its development is run on grants and donations. Jason said he donates regularly. Because it’s free, the voice used has to be free. The voices Jaws uses are owned by Nuance Communications Jaws pays them for their voices. NVDA has to use a free voice; the one they use is called ESpeak. Newcomers to synthetic voices can be easily turned off by it. There are options. One is to use voices that come built into Windows. They’re free but not very responsive. There are also companies who have made better voices available for NVDA. About $90 will buy you a range of voices to choose from. These are the same voices you can get on the IPhone. A good thing about NVDA is that it’s snappy and responsive, even more so than Jaws. It’s as good as Jaws or better on the internet, particularly with firefox. Jason said he liked to use NVDA partly because he likes to support an organization run by blind people. One of its drawbacks is working in corporate environments. PowerPoint and Microsoft Excel are difficult or undoable. For most things people do at home, NVDA is perfectly functional. NVDA made a point of making its interface similar to what Jaws uses. ESpeak can go very very fast if you like high speed speech. Microsoft Office support is getting better, but it’s not there yet. Braille support is coming along too. It can support Braille input in grade 1. Output is sketchy, it depends what display you’re using. It’s still not seamless. NVDA on the internet uses very much like Jaws, headings is H, buttons is B, they made an effort so that there would be less of a learning curve. NVDA works quite well with Windows 10, maybe a bit better than Jaws. He advises not to upgrade to Windows 10 if you can help it. You have 30 days to back out if you do upgrade.
 
A group member asked for a demo of NVDA on a web page. He did a Google search. He demonstrated using H to move between headings, and showed using F7 to get a links list. The links list is called an elements list, because you can get lists of other elements like headings, not just a list of links. The best experience with NVDA on the internet will be with Firefox. It also works with Crone. Chrome is generally not good for accessibility. One drawback of NVDA is the lack of technical support, because it’s a free utility. They’re working on some paid options for support, but there are many online groups for peer support. Their website has resources to link you to paid training, remote or in person. The question was asked whether NVDA has remote access capability. Jason replied that there’s an add on called NVDA remote, which allows someone to remote into your system, or visa versa, for training or troubleshooting purposes. Jaws has a version of this too.
 
Jaws, http://www.freedomscientific.com
NVDA, http://www.nvaccewss.org
 
The third option for screen readers is Window Eyes. It is produced by A I Squared, which used to be called GW Micro. It’s been around since about 1998. In the last few years they made an agreement with Microsoft such that, if you own a copy of Microsoft Office, you can get Window Eyes for free. http://www.windoweyesforoffice.com. It will make sure you have a licensed copy of Office, then you can download Window Eyes. Their web support has improved significantly lately so that it’s on par with Jaws and NVDA. Many companies are moving to a model of subscribing rather than downright ownership. For example, a $7 per month fee will get you access to Microsoft Office. This can be a more financially accessible option. Window Eyes comes with training materials available online. There were stability issues with Window Eyes in the past, but that’s mostly ironed out now. There’s a new product called Zoomtext fusion, Zoomtext combined and integrated with a functional screen reader. Someone transitioning from large print to speech would find this useful. It’s new in the past few months. The agreement with Microsoft Office doesn’t apply to the fusion product. The cost might be somewhere around $1000 U.S.. Window Eyes is used in corporate environments, but not as commonly as Jaws.
 
Each of these 3 products has in common that they’re supported by scripting. This means that if you have to use a product that isn’t compatible by default, it’s possible to write code to make the screen reader interact properly. A group member pointed out that Apple endorses the use of Window Eyes over any other screen reader for using ITunes.
You can find some podcasts about using Jaws with various products at
http://www.freedomscientific.com/fscast
The group broke up into informal conversation.
 
Yin gave a report of a phone meeting with gtt people from around the country.
Monthly there’s a phone call between the leaders of the various gtt groups. In the last one, Kim gave a history, in 2012 the first meeting in Ottawa took place. Kim got a grant to expand the gtt groups. This is how groups in various provinces and cities started. The latest Ontario gtt group is in Northern Ontario. Communities are pretty spread out, so they host phone meetings.
 
The needs identified for groups as a whole at the moment are: how to use an Android phone, magnifying devices. How can we accumulate all this information in one place that’s accessible, and how to keep this data base up to date. They mentioned there’s an IPhone 1-800 number, and a Microsoft accessibility line. This information will be made available soon. Apple accessibility and Microsoft answer accessibility desk. The group in Ottawa sometimes breaks up into small groups, or sometimes just operates informally.
 
Ian asked our group at large how people would like to structure the second half of meetings. Are we happy with informal, or do we want more structure? The trend seemed to be toward less formality. A suggestion was made that during introductions, people might give their name, plus what they are hoping to get out of the meeting as a way to identify themselves to the group. Also, there might be meetings without pre-defined topics to allow people to get specific things addressed. The third idea was for a phone meeting.
 
Tom Decker was the minute taker for the phone meeting of group leaders from across the country, so information about that phone meeting will show up on Facebook. Kim is a faithful blog writer. Contact her to subscribe, we will post her email address. Gtt.toronto@gmail.com is how our information gets distributed. Subscribing there will get you access to all information. There’s a monthly open conference call for any participants.

Next GTT national conference call all about the mac computer.  Wednesday January 13 7 PM Eastern time, 4 PM Pacific. 

Next National GTT Conference Call January 13 2016. All about the mac. Happy 2016 to you all. 

Our first national conference call of 2016 will take place on Wednesday January 13 at 7 PM Eastern time, 4 Pacific time. 

Our topic will be the mac computer. 

Ali Moosa will talk about the basics of the mac. 

Kim Kilpatrick will talk about using the mac from a totally blind person’s perspective. 

Lorne neufeldt will discuss the mac from a low vision perspective. 

Bring your questions along. 

We are also going to send out some new procedures for the calls. This will hopefully make things go more smoothly with fewer conversation diversions. 

We will send this out in the next few days and thank those who suggested ways of making the call run more smoothly. 

Here is the call in info. 

You can RSVP to Kim at 1-877-304-0968 Extension 513 or 

Gttprogram@gmail.com 

1-866-740-1260 

Passcode 5670311

You are invited to a teleconference hosted by Braille Literacy Canada on January 9 2016. 

You are invited  Teleconference – Braille In The 21st Century
Join Braille Literacy Canada for a teleconference on Braille in the 21st Century!

 

Are you currently learning, or thinking about learning braille? Are you an avid braille reader, or perhaps you use braille for specific tasks such as labelling household items? This workshop is for you! Listen to a panel of braille users discuss different themes related to “Braille in the 21st Century”, and learn what is new and exciting in the world of braille.

 

When: Saturday, January 9th, 2016 at 10 AM (Pacific), 1 PM (Eastern). The workshop will run for one hour.

Who: Both braille users and those learning braille

Where: By telephone. To register, write to info@blc-lbc.ca before January 4th, 2016, and we will send you the information to join us.

 

This workshop will be moderated by Betty Nobel, Past President and current board member of Braille Literacy Canada. Speakers will cover the following topics:

1. “A Toolbox of Solutions: Braille and Low Vision” (Jennifer Jesso): Do

you

have low vision and are wondering how braille can complement print, what braille might offer to someone with low vision, and how to use braille alongside magnification and other tools? Jennifer Jesso, a braille user with low vision who also uses magnification and a screen reader, will be discussing how braille fits into her toolbox of solutions and her experience as a braille user with low vision.

 

2. “What Braille Means to Me: Ideas for Braille in Daily Living”

(Marilyn Rushton): Listen to one longtime braille user (and teacher of students with visual impairments) talk about the role braille continues to play in her life, and why she says it is not obsolete, even in an ever-increasing technological world. As a user and educator, Marilyn will draw on her own experiences to provide tips and examples of how you can use braille in your daily life. Whether you are an avid reader of books, simply require a way to identify household items, or are thinking about learning braille, you’ll love the experiences and resources she has to share!

 

3. “Where We’ve Been and Where We Are: Evolution of Braille

Technologies” (Diana Brent): The ways in which we access and interact with braille have, in some cases, drastically changed over the past few decades

alone: from a time when the slate and stylus and Perkins brailler were the only tools available to those who use braille, to the present when technologies can provide instant access to braille on both your computer and mobile devices. Diana, a braille user and technology expert, will draw on her own experience to discuss how braille and technology can work together, and will give us a tour of braille technologies over the years. Join Diana to hear all about it!

 

4. “Looking Ahead: Future Innovations in Braille Technology” (Natalie Martiniello):

The future for those who read braille is limitless. In the past two years alone, numerous new technologies currently in development or at the prototype stage are gaining greater attention, and will revolutionize the ways in which we access braille. From smart braille watches to affordable multiline braille displays – you won’t believe what is coming in the future of braille! Join Natalie as she discusses all the new and exciting tools that you will want to keep a finger on in the world of braille! Both a braille user and educator, Natalie will discuss how such new technologies can enhance both the ways in which we learn and use braille.

 

To register, write to info@blc-lbc.ca by January 4th, 2016 

special holiday deals from canadialog

Holiday Deals

Canadialog would like to thank our loyal customers with a big sale for this Holiday Season. We are pleased to offer discounted pricing during December on our most popular products.

These offers are valid from the December 1st to December 31st 2015.
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Ruby (Standard) – Handheld Video Magnifier 
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Toll-free : (888) 730-0003
Email: info@canadialog.com
 

GTT and GTT coordinators win awards.

Some exciting news.

GTT and GTT coordinators have won awards.

Gerry Chevalier who is a leader of GTT Edmonton was recently honoured with an award from CNIB.

Read about it here.

http://www.cnib.ca/en/news/Pages/20151023Gerry-Chevalier-Receives-Arthur-Napier-Magill-Distinguished-Service-Award.aspx?__utma=100096449.1245364700.1409350071.1445790280.1446574897.13&__utmb=100096449.4.9.1446574917785&__utmc=100096449&__utmx=-&__utmz=100096449.1443195795.11.6.utmcsr=links.govdelivery.com|utmccn=(referral)|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/track&__utmv=-&__utmk=5055155

 

Congratulations Gerry and your contributions to GTT are invaluable!

On December 3 (international day of person’s with disabilities) GTT program in Ottawa was nominated at the Celebration of People awards dinner for the education award.

This is the 15th annual celebration of people awards ceremony.  

You can read about the finalists in all categories here.

http://celebrationofpeople.com/2015-finalists/

And I am delighted to tell you that we won the award.

Kim Kilpatrick and Ellen Goodman (founders of GTT) accepted the award.

I want to thank everyone who makes GTT great, who makes it a great pleasure for me to work on GTT every day!  I am so happy doing what I do and expanding GTT and learning from everyone.

Thanks to our partners all of you for making GTT what it is.

 

Useful resource for Iphone users for the GTT national teleconference calls.

Lorne Webber (one of the leaders in the Edmonton GTT) has sent us these very useful resources.

Thank you Lorne.

If you are unable to access the files, send an e-mail to 

 

gttprogram@gmail.com

and I will send you the direct e-mail.

Thank you Lorne.

 

The main reason GTT works so beautifully is that we all share and help each other with resources, links, tips and tricks, and more.

First is a contact card that can be downloaded or emailed to someone’s
iPhone which will allow someone to go straight into the conference
room, without entering the passcode, which can be frustrating for some
iPhone users.

Second is a calendar file which will put an entry on the correct day
each month as to when the teleconference is happening.
I’ve included instructions below for how to enter these into someone’s
iPhone. Feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.



Adding GTT contact to your phone’s list of contacts

•Open your email on your iPhone.
•Down near the bottom, you’ll find GTT National Teleconference line
vcf, double tap on that.
•Then it will show the contact details, the name GTT National
Teleconference line, it’ll tell you it’s missing a photo, and the
phone number. if you keep swiping you’ll find 2 buttons, create new
contact or add to existing contact, choose the first one, create new
contact.
•Then it will open up a new contact form just like when you go to
create one for yourself, but with the name and phone number already
filled out, just tap the done button near the top right corner.
•That’s it, you’ll now have a new contact in your contacts called GTT
National Teleconference Line that will take you right into the GTT
teleconference meeting.
•Final tip, Tell Siri to call GTT and it will now put you through
without ever having to use the iPhone’s keypad.

Adding reminder to Calendar
•Open your Email on your iPhone.
•Down near the bottom, you’ll find GTT National Teleconference call
reminder ics, double tap on that.
•Then it will show the event details. Do not tap on the done button
at the top right corner on this screen, rather you have to go down to
the very bottom, it will say add to calendar, double tap on that.
•It will then ask you to choose a calendar, you can just tap the done
button in the top right corner at this point if you’re ok with the
default calendar being used, probably your iCloud calendar.
•That’s it, you’re finished.

 
 

Useful resource for those using I phones and wanting to call in to GTT conference calls.

My great thanks to Lorne Webber from Edmonton GTT for these wonderful resources and instructions.

This is why GTT is so amazing.  We all work together to assist each other.

If any of you need me to e-mail you the specific files, send an e-mail to 

gttprogram@gmail.com

And I will send them along.

First is a contact card that can be downloaded or emailed to someone’s
iPhone which will allow someone to go straight into the conference
room, without entering the passcode, which can be frustrating for some
iPhone users.

Second is a calendar file which will put an entry on the correct day
each month as to when the teleconference is happening.
I’ve included instructions below for how to enter these into someone’s
iPhone. Feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.



Adding GTT contact to your phone’s list of contacts

•Open your email on your iPhone.
•Down near the bottom, you’ll find GTT National Teleconference line
vcf, double tap on that.
•Then it will show the contact details, the name GTT National
Teleconference line, it’ll tell you it’s missing a photo, and the
phone number. if you keep swiping you’ll find 2 buttons, create new
contact or add to existing contact, choose the first one, create new
contact.
•Then it will open up a new contact form just like when you go to
create one for yourself, but with the name and phone number already
filled out, just tap the done button near the top right corner.
•That’s it, you’ll now have a new contact in your contacts called GTT
National Teleconference Line that will take you right into the GTT
teleconference meeting.
•Final tip, Tell Siri to call GTT and it will now put you through
without ever having to use the iPhone’s keypad.

Adding reminder to Calendar
•Open your Email on your iPhone.
•Down near the bottom, you’ll find GTT National Teleconference call
reminder ics, double tap on that.
•Then it will show the event details. Do not tap on the done button
at the top right corner on this screen, rather you have to go down to
the very bottom, it will say add to calendar, double tap on that.
•It will then ask you to choose a calendar, you can just tap the done
button in the top right corner at this point if you’re ok with the
default calendar being used, probably your iCloud calendar.
•That’s it, you’re finished.

 

GTT Toronto Meeting notes all about GPs Solutions.

GTT Toronto 

Meeting #3, November 19, 2015. 

GPS solutions: Brian Moore  

 

Brian began by noting that conventional GPS tools omit critical information for those with vision loss – names of intersections, passing points of interest, etc. – so he would not focus on these devices/systems, except insofar as they interface with systems specifically designed for the blind.  As such, there are really only a couple of options remaining in the marketplace.

Trekker Breeze is a dedicated *single function), hand-held device designed for use by the vision impaired.  It has no screen (the user interface is audio).  It has raised buttons.  It has limited route planning capability, allows you to mark points of interest, and will indicate streets as you come to them.

 

The other major class of GPS systems is smart-phone based, both for i-phone and android.  In Brian’s opinion, the accessibility features on android phones are not quite as good as those for i-phone.  He will focus on, and demonstrate an IOS-based app called ‘Blind Square’, designed for blind and partially sighted users.

Some general notes on pricing:  I-phones, tablets, etc are relatively expensive but are multi-purpose tools combining many different functions.  Once past the initial hurdle of buying the hardware, many of the applications are free or very inexpensive.  Blind Square currently retails online for about CAD$39. 

The Breeze stand-alone GPS retails for about $800.

Q: are there android options?

A: Brian uses a free public transport app, available for both android and IOS, called ‘Transit’ to find out when the next bus or streetcar is coming to a stop location.  Google maps is also available for android, and is particularly good for planning a route or finding a location you haven’t been to before.  There may soon be an android version of Blind Square but, on a recent check of the Blind Square website, there was no indication of this. 

 

Aside from the Breeze, there are a couple of other stand-alone GPS units, some with built-in DAISy players and other functions but, in Brian’s view, many of these have problems with satellite signal acquisition, or more complicated interfaces, etc.

 

Demonstrating GPS devices from inside a building is challenging.  But there are many u-tube videos available on using GPS devices.  Blind Square has a number of excellent demonstration videos in real-world situations on its website at www.blindsquare.com 

 

Comment from participant:  There is an upgrade available now for the Trekker Breeze which costs about $200 but which significantly improves the functionality of the unit.

Q: Is there a difference in the level of accuracy between the Breeze and a phone-based system?

A: Although satellites are more accurate, the practical limit of all GPS systems is to within 10 metres.  This means you might use your GPS device to check your location and be told the address across the street.   

Q: Can I use voice commands to pick a destination and get walking directions?

A: Yes, using Apple Maps, a function that is built in to I-phones.  But Apple Maps presumes you can see where you are.  You can check your location from time to time, but Apple Maps will not automatically tell you when you’re crossing an intersection or passing a point of interest, as Blind Square will.

 

Brian demonstrated the Blind Square app (selecting a pre-programmed address because the phone was not picking up satellite signal indoors).  Locations can be logged as “Favorites”, to make them easy to find again.  “Start Tracking” gives compass directions, in clock face or degrees, as you start moving toward your destination.  Because Brian has an Uber (taxi alternative) app on his phone, Blind Square can tell how quickly a car could pick him up and roughly what the cost of the fair would be.  “Share This Place” allows you to send the destination as a link on Google Maps, to someone else via email.  

“Plan a Route”, when activated, will ask what app you’d like to use, listing as options any route-planning app installed on the phone.  One option is Navigon North America.  This app costs about $80 but, unlike most apps, allows you to download maps and routes and work offline.  This means that if you can’t get a data signal, or want to avoid expensive roaming charges, you can still find your destination.

From within Blind Square, Brian selects Google Maps to plan his route and can get step-by-step instructions on how to get there, including cues about current location, nearby intersections, points of interest, etc.

 

If planning a route via transit, Brian uses Google Maps on its own without Blind Square, as Google Maps is very accessible using the most current version of Voice Over.   Past versions of Voice Over have not worked as well.  Double tap the Google Maps icon, select travel mode (driving, transit, walking or bicycling) and then input the destination.  You can set parameters on your trip, allowing you to travel at a different time of day, or on a date in the future, etc.  But for travel directions right now, you can skip the parameters and just press “Start navigation”, and begin your trip.  If you swipe to the right and double tap, it will give you spoken step-by-step instructions.  

Although you can plan a route using Blind Square, Blind Square  does not do the actual route planning.  It feeds your destination and current location to another route-planning app, like Google maps or Apple maps, which does the route planning.  As well, Blind Square does not give ‘turn-by-turn’ directions.

  Q: If I don’t have a street address, can I use an intersection as my destination?

A: Yes.  Intersections, landmarks, and other kinds of locations can be used as destinations.  Even subway stations should be available as destinations.  As well, Google Maps will allow you to save histories of places you have been and will “make suggestions” about similar places.  Google Maps will also scan content in your g-mail inbox and suggest directions on how to get to a location listed there. 

 

Toronto transit information can come from a number of different sources.  The

Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has a text service tied to the four- or five-digit number codes which identify  every bus stop and subway platform.  If you text the number code to “TEXT TTC” (416-839-8882 the service will text you back with the times the next 3 buses or trains will arrive at that stop.

As these are just text messages, you don’t need to use any data. You can save this number in your contacts instead of having to decode the name each time you want the number.

 

Other public transit apps include “Pocket Rocket”, “Rocket man”, and “Next Bus”.  Each of these have slightly different features and interfaces, so it’s a matter of personal preference which one to use.

GTT Victoria November 4 Meeting Notes

Roll Call: Tom, Albert, Bruce, Douglas, Kristine, Peter, Greg, Alan Perry, Cory, Colin, Lorna, Josette, Linda, Trevor, Jackeline, Oscar, Andrea, Darcy, Wendy Cox (Neil Squire Society), Barbara, Judy, Mike, Tom, Allen, Hanna.

  1. Tom Dekker welcomed everyone to the first-anniversary meeting of the GTT Victoria Chapter. Some 31 people were in attendance at the first meeting in 2014, and Tom was pleased to announce we had a full house for today’s meeting as well.
  1. Tom shared that Prime Minister Trudeau had announced his new cabinet and that we now have a minister responsible for disabled people in Canada. Her name is Carla Qualtrough, a lawyer who is vision impaired.
  1. There was a general discussion as to whether members felt the need for a Victoria chapter of the AEBC or whether GTT could serve the same function. Tom explained that CCB President, Jim Prouse, has given us the go-ahead to take on any issues that may be important to Victorians i.e., lobby for a fully inclusive announcement and information system on our public transit.
  1. Further to the latter issue, Tom reported that real headway is being made with BC Transit regarding improvements to services for people with disabilities. The Mayor of Victoria has struck a working group to address these and other concerns and since she also sits on the BC Transit Board, she is in a great position to convey our concerns directly to the Board.
  1. Tom introduced Albert Ruel who presented on the OrCam, an Israeli piece of technology designed for persons with vision disabilities.

Albert explained that the OrCam device Is an intuitive portable device which harnesses the power of Artificial Vision to assist people who are visually disabled. The unit consists of a smart camera which is mounted to the frame of a pair of glasses, a mini earpiece and a hand-held trigger unit for the camera. Albert demonstrated the use of the unit. The camera must be facing the object you want interpreted. Push the button on the trigger unit and the camera takes a picture. Within seconds, it provides feedback.

Albert demonstrated that with the OrCam, he is able to read printed text, identify people’s faces, shop and recognize products. He can also read newspapers, signs, receipts and text on a computer or smartphone screen. The user can also point to an area on the printed page, activate the camera and it will read the document from the indicated area onwards. Printed material must be right-side up in order for the OrCam to read it. If it isn’t, the unit will tell the user it is upside down. The company is planning to add colour recognition capability as well.

Members asked how the OrCam compared with the KNFB Reader. Tom reported that it is quicker than the KNFB Reader but has far fewer features.

The unit is just now being marketed in Canada at a cost of between $3,500 and $4,000.00. Barry Underwood is the West Coast representative for OrCam.

For more information about the OrCam: http://www.orcam.com/

1-800-713-3741

  1. Tom announced a new iPhone app called NavCog, a combination navigation and environmental info program, not unlike the OrCam in what it can do but it runs on the iPhone. He said this technology is exploding so don’t rush out to buy the OrCam just yet.

Check out the video for the NavCog unit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w17iS0AJHjU

  1. Tom introduced Alan Perry from CFAX Radio and Greg Koyl who uses a new program called Talk and Send.

Greg shared that he has lost 95% of his vision in the last year due to aggressive glaucoma. He felt very isolated and depressed during this adjustment period. He mostly missed being able to electronically communicate with family, friends and former colleagues. Alan Perry and Peter Young, of Priority 1 Computers, approached Greg to beta-test some new communications software. It is called Talk and Send and is a modified for the blind version of a program called Voice on the Go. Greg agreed to try it out and within minutes, he was able to send text messages and emails. It also can access Twitter, Facebook and Calendars.

The service functions through the user’s home-phone system. It is set up using a computer but once it’s set up, a computer is no longer necessary. The user phones a central number, enters the PIN code and is in the system. Talk and Send uses an easy-to-follow voice-menu system and the user simply responds by choosing an option. The software leads you through the process, one option at a time until the action is complete. Emails and texts are easily sent and retrieved using the system.

Alan and Greg demonstrated how the system works and with its voice-prompts and it was easy for those present to follow along. Text and email can be listened to with synthetic or human voice.

Alan graciously offered to set it up for free for anyone who is interested in trying it. It costs $9 per month, with no contract. All you need is a telephone. You can call in from anywhere in the world. It does German, English, Italian and French.

Members were informed that neither Greg, Alan nor Peter from Priority 1 are making any money from this product or service. If you have any questions, Greg is happy to speak with you about it.

Greg Koyl, GKOYL@islandnet.com, Phone: 778-265-8828.

  1. Albert reminded members that their annual membership fee of $10 is due by year-end.
  1. Tom also let everyone know about the inaugural meeting of the new Barrier-Free BC organization founded to promote the implementation of a British Columbians with Disabilities Act. The meeting took place on October 28 at CNIB in Vancouver. The next meeting is November 25th from 1 to 4 pm. Those who cannot attend in person may participate by teleconference as follows: dial 1-866-783-7393. After the tone, enter security code 13634920. For more information and to receive ongoing updates, contact: barrierfreebc@gmail.com. You can also follow on Twitter @barrierfreebc
  1. Skye Mundell has been contracted by the Neil Squire Society to provide tutoring for screenreader users looking to improve their skills. There is no fee for the service. Contact Skye at: 250-812-4307 or email at: skyt@shaw.ca.
  1. Albert announced a described-theatre event at the Belfry on Sunday, November 8 from 2 pm to 4 pm. VocalEye will be providing descriptive-audio services. Please register beforehand to ensure availability of headsets.
  1. Tom announced that he will be on the TechTalk program on CFAX 1070 radio the last Saturday of every month to promote and talk about the GTT Program and to inform listeners about helpful technological innovations.
  1. Tom thanked everyone for coming and invited them to check out the OrCam and connect with other guests, and the presentation segment of the meeting was adjourned.

The December meeting will take place on Wednesday, December 2, in the same location. Stay tuned for the agenda, and we hope to see everyone there.