Author: Kim Kilpatrick

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

Notes for the GTT National Conference Call on NNELS March 11 2015.

Notes from our national conference call on the NNELS service for libraries.

March 11, 2015.

Posted by Kim Kilpatrick

GTT Coordinator.

More than 15 people were joined on the call by Sabina from NNELS.

NNELS stands for National Network for equitable library service.

Sabina works on the support side of NNELS.  She assists people who have difficulties with the web site.  She also provides training for public libraries about what NNELS is and what it does.  

NNELS is for anyone who cannot read a physical book.

You can access their services yourself from their web site or ask your local library staff to assist you in getting materials.

The web site for NNELS is 

http://www.nnels.ca

NNELS is currently available in the following provinces.

British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia. and 3 territories.

If you live in Ontario, New Brunswick, PEI or Newfoundland you cannot access NNELS.  

if y ou do want to get in touch with Sabina, you can always reach her by e-mailing support@nnels.ca

You can e-mail her and tell her that you wish to get into NNELS.  She can keep these e-mails when they pitch the service to other provinces or groups..

To be eligible for NNELS, you have to have some disability which prevents you from reading regular text.

When you go to the NNELS site for the first time, you can type in home library and your home community name.  

People in the provinces that are not covered yet, you can access the service but only public domain books.

You can ask your provincial libraries to open up to NNELS. 

NNELS is just a year old.

They currently have around 10 thousand books.  They ask publishers if they can share books.  These books are usually shared in pub or rich text formats.  NNELS does pay some narrators to read some books.  These are mostly Canadian fiction.

The Crane library from UBC will also record books for NNELS and has given NNELS access to many of the books they have recorded.

Some people have volunteered to read books for NNELS.  

Sabina told us about the librevox collection of recorded audio books.  This started in Montreal  The books are recorded by volunteers.  There is also an app for the iPhone for Librevox.  These books are mostly in the public domain as are books from project gutenberg.

You can belong to both CELA and NNELS.  You can request books you cannot find from NNELS.  They try to get the books for you as quickly as they can but they are a very small staff..

Someone pointed out that NNELS has excellent video tutorials on youtube.

You can open books in the iPhone app voice dream reader.

NNELS also has tutorials on their web site.

If your library staff do not know about NNELS and want to know more about the services, tell them to contact Sabina.

If you aren’t sure what formats the books come in and how to play them on your computer or device, contact Sabina.

There are only four staff working for NNELS. 

NNELS does not have a relationship with BOOKSHARE.

They do not produce BRF files.

Would they scan a print book for you?  Possibly.

Is NNELS a charity?  No publicly funded.

They do not at the present time accept donations.

If you have a rush request for a NNELS book, let Sabina know.

They have very few books in French.

We discussed the Merikesh treaty.  This would enable people who are blind or have low vision all over the world, all be able to access materials from all libraries and publishers.  This treaty is through the World Intellectual, property organization.

Here are some links to  youtube videos about this.

 

http://www.worldblindunion.org/English/resources/Documents/MARRAKESH%20TREATY%20for%20Blind%20-WBU%20FAQ%20sheet%20-eng.doc/

http://youtu.be/_82iqYZ7cuU

Our next conference call will be held on Wednesday April 8 and the topic will be BOOKSHARE.

Notes: GTT Victoria Meeting Summary, March 4, 2015

GTT Victoria Meeting Summary, March 4, 2015

Notes for ottawa GTT meeting Monday Feb 23 2015 (all about Ottawa Public Library Services) 

Here are the meeting notes from our GTT  Ottawa meeting on Monday February 23.  

Thanks very much to Shelley Morris for providing the notes. 

There were 23 people in attendence.  

We had two special guest presenters, Matt and Tristene from the Ottawa Public library. 

Announcements 

Kim reminded everyone to subscribe to the GTT blog to get up to date notes, resources, meeting announcements for both local and national groups, and more. 

If anyone is having trouble subscribing, let Kim know and she can help you. National conference calls will take place on the second wed of every month.

Next conference:  Wed Mar 11 7:00 p.m.

Daytime  Ottawa GTT group is going well.  It is a smaller group with more individualized attention.  This group takes place on

the third Thursday of each month from 10 AM to noon.

Next Daytime GTT–Thursday March 19 at the CCB national offices, 20 James street.

News, updates and announcements:

Kim said that the VoiceDream  Writer app works well for editing and writing documents on your idevices.  The IOS app for Google Chrome is now accessible.  It  is not crashing and may work better for those having problems with Safari. 

MS Word and Outlook apps now also seem to be accessible on Idevices.  There is no indication that MS office is accessible on the mac. 

The CNIB–direct to player app is a bit buggy but does allow you to download their books directly on to your I device.  it has many great and easy to use features.  They are going to fix bugs in it.  For now, Kim can  help those who are interested in trying it out. this app can take books from your downloaded shelf. It is currently available in iOS only and not available on iPad yet.

Steve Sleigh (CRA) has been meeting with some GTT members  to determine the accessibility of tax preparation software.  We have been trying out some of the programs endorsed by CRA and will have more reports and updates in the coming months. 

Richard Updated on Ballroom Dancing Program:

Richard Marsolais said CCB, CNIB and GTT have been partnering to have a ballroom dancing program.  Feb 26 is the last Thursday for the first session, which has been very successful.  Another session should be starting in March. Interested, contact Richard at 613-563-4021 ext 5029 or at 

richard.marsolais@cnib.ca 

Kim announced that

Blind yoga still a drop in on Saturdays here at CCB 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. If anyone is interested in finding out more about yoga, contact Kim at 613-567-0311 or 

gttprogram@gmail.com 

Ana Zurita   invited everyone to a digital communication seminar on Saturday March 21at Algonquin College.  www.digicomottawa.com  There will be 4 speakers related to digital communications; analytics, strategies, design thinking, how to develop user-friendly websites, storytelling, and UX (user experience). Richard Marsolais  announced that he is already working on the 4th annual

CNIB Tech Show to take place on Sept 22 2015. –asked the group to contact him if  we have any new ideas for displays/workshops.

Presentation from Matt and Tristene. 

CELA is the new CNIB library.  

CELA started with the belief that Blind people and people with print disabilities have rights to the same print material as everyone else.

Those who were registered with the CNIB library service before April 2014 can still use the CNIB library web site and service as they have been doing.. CELA stands for Centre for equitable library access. http://www.cela.ca

CNIB and CELA clients can receive in the mail hard copy braille, print/braille, or daisy books on cd.  Alternatively, if they feel comfortable doing so, they can  go online and download books from CELA.

  The web site for CELA is very similar to the CNIB library, the mailing envelopes are different.

If you are new to this service, you have to go through your public library to register for it.  You can also let CNIB know that you are interested in library service. 

 your info goes to the public library and you need a library card. You will have access to everything in the public library.

If you are new to Canada, you may have a longer wait time. There is an annual non-residence fee of $50.00.  to belong to the library if you are not an Ottawa resident. 

You need to show ID to get a library card.  The ID needs to have your address on it.  If you are new to the city and don’t have ID, even a utility bill with your name and address on it will work. 

You will have access to CNIB library plus the collection of the public library.

CELA has access to CNIB library books.

CELA is national and public libraries are local.  

Some public libraries may include the option to search the CELA site when you visit their web sites. 

  

Public libraries also have a collection of daisy books

CELA uses the CNIB existing framework including their recording studio and volunteers–CELA contracts CNIB

CELA not only serves those who are blind/vision-impaired, they help those who have print disabilities such as dyslexia and those who would have trouble holding books.

In order to use the service, you will not be asked for a doctor’s certificate–it runs on self-disclosure.

Access to  content–bookshare–CNIB will continue under CELA  there is an international exchange of materials put into an accessible format.  For international languages we can request and link to other international libraries.  We should encourage our governments to ratify the Merikesh treaty so that we can have free access to all international  content. 

To find out more about this treaty, visit the world blind union site. 

Charles Mossop is the canadian  representative for World Blind Union and Jim Tokus from CCB is also involved with this  initiative. 

If you would like one of them to present on this, please let Kim know. 

It has been suggested that Kim find more information about this and post it here so that people can find out more about it. 

Canada has signed this agreement but not ratified it.  

OPL services

Overdrive–audio books and ebooks.  If there is a book you would like the OPL to get for you, you can make a suggestion to the OPL to purchase it. these requests are reviewed and responded to.

you can suggest 5 books per month for purchase.

Matt Abbott–selects most of the audio visual items that you see in the library including the CDs.  Some items are available in a described video format.

One of the new services offered by OPL is a streaming video service.  Currently it does not include blockbuster movies just yet–kind of like netfliix–videos and music hoopla

Hoopla is a streaming service.

accessibility features are slowly becoming more and more available.

Freegal is another streaming service available through OPL.

agreements with freegal is a music streaming service.  It is a database which has an agreement with Sony music.  You can download and stream the music in the database. 

you can  build a collection.  

Freegal can be very unfriendly for those with low vision. 

we have been asked to try it and let the OPL staff know what we find in terms of accessibility with Freegal and Hopla (the video streaming service). 

freegal and other companies provide these services for all libraries–we should give the feedback and we could ask for improvements when they renegotiate the contracts with Freegal and Hoopla.

 

Hoopla–has agreements with Warner and Universal

videos and music are streaming on a desktop

there are apps for these too which can be found in the App Store.

you will need a library card from OPL to access these services. 

Hoopla asks you to create an account. 

The provision of descriptive video is up to freegal and hoopla to negotiate with the studios–the descriptive video exists which is very frustrating as it isn’t always made available to us. Libraries are not responsible for making the third parties compliant with the AODA.

If GTT members lobbied we should say that we want access to it.  We need DVS. Most libraries now have the video and music streaming.  

Hoopla also has classic tv shows.  

Accessible status.  Those of us with (all) disabilities have a 6-week loan period as opposed to three weeks for non disabled library patrons.  Unfortunately, our status needs to be confirmed and a form filled out by a health care professional to get the OPL card that says we have a disability. Hopefully, a CNIB card may suffice in the future.  

We discussed the Access to Entertainment card available through the Easter Seals Ontario–for more information about this, contact them directly.  This card would allow you to bring a guide to a movie.  The cost of the card is $20.00 five years.  

Overdrive and screen readers

Overdrive has been accessible in the past but is less accessible now.  Please point this out to them. 

When using the overdrive app or overdrive on your computer, the  book disappears after 2 weeks.   Could this be extended?  

They are considering extending the loan period.  

Overdrive does not work with the  Booksense digital talking book player.   

it was hard to know within the  IOS app where you were in the book when you were  reading it.  Some apps let you navigate through a book much more easily.  These would include voicedream reader and audible.  Also the new CNIB Direct to player app is very good. 

  

Audible is good if you don’t mind paying for books. 

 

Assistive technology is available at all branches of the OPL. 

They have Kurzweil 3000, (this does not work well for totally blind people.  It is more designed for people with learning disabilities.) We pointed out that they should get Kurzweil 1000 for scanning and OCR. They also have  Jaws, Dragon Naturally Speaking, Zoomtext, BrowseAloud. accessible keyboards, wide screen monitors and accessible tables. Please make sure that they have the Kurzweil version most appropriate for blind/vision-impaired users (version 1000).

you can book a time  to use this accessible equipment. 

 reserved–can be booked online or call.  

Some GTT members have used it and needed some help signing into the computer initially. 

  you can ask when you go in the branch.

Could you scan library material and put it onto a memory stick  and take it away with you?  

Yes.  There are no macs at the library. They use Windows.  

They are not planning on getting macs.

There are work stations that have the adaptive equipment.  

Homebound services are for those who want to use the library but can’t visit.  You need to get a 3 months registration  at the least. 

They can be great if you are injurred or  great for winteritme. The materials are delivered to participants’ homes.

Daisy books collection works side by side with homebound services.  Call homebound and register–you give them your library card for the time which you are registered. .  This is used so that they can sign the books out for you. 

They work very hard. 

There are 3 people serving 500 clients.  

There is no limits as to what you can have access to with the home bound service.   It is request based and you can place holds–you complete a form so that they will know what  you would like to borrow.  

At the front of the library, there are shelves called express. 

Express copies are those that you cannot place a hold on-usually new items — based on feedback from different branches and popularity of books.  the popular DVDs are on express for 6 months.  There are 33 library branches.  Express shelves are usually in a prominent place in the library and include things like best sellers.  

checking out books:

how accessible is this?  there is always staff to help people to check out.  We cannot use touch screens–the staff will help you if you are having difficulty.  All branches are at different stages of automation–the staff are trained to help.  There are  always information desks and that’s where you should go if you need help. 

When we walk into a library we don’t know what the layout is.  Could this be explained online so that we can know before we visit?    

All branches are different.  It might be a good idea of their individual  layout be put on the webpage as an MP3 and text file.   The city is doing this with community centres and should be done at libraries too. 

City of Ottawa has a wayfinding app that they are implementing.  

Bookshare

you can now get it free if you are a member of CELA/CNIB library. 

This service is great  and has lots of titles.  download them onto your device or your phone.  Some of the new digital talking book players (the  victor stream, plextalk linio)  With these players you can search and download directly Voice dream reader is a great app to use with bookshare.  

using Voicedream reader–you can not  select the format in bookshare that you want to use. It just downloads it in one format. 

Voicedream reader has many voices–one comes for free but you can download different voices in many different languages.   

Some suggestions for  using Voicedream Reader:

Voicedream reader

You can create a folder for books or other materials and name it whatever you like. 

Go to that folder, under the add button, go to web browser to add Cnib library books. 

Go to bookshare to add those books. 

Go Read is the Android version.

many people put things into MP3 when using bookshare.  You can choose from text, text with graphics or audio–it takes a few minutes to produce but the quality is better than daisy. This is for use from the web site using your computer. 

  

It was suggested that we have a workshop on voicedream writer. 

Voicedream reader is a book reading app for IOS.  The writer can be used with a braille display–has a built-in spell checker and dictionary.  It can also use dictate.  It uses this markdown language for formatting.  Could you print from voicedream writer?  you would have to export the file first.

Access note is another notetaking app that has gone free and is quite easy to use.

Voicedream writer is very user friendly and costs $10.00.  You can select text and when you double tap it lets you cut, copy, paste ETC.  

a tip for voiceover–when you are on the status bar at the top of your screen swipe up with 3 fingers and it will say control centre.  In that centre you can easily turn on and off, bluetooth, wifi, do not disturb, orientation lock, ETC. 

To get out of the centre, press the home button. 

  

Next GTT 

Monday March 16

6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

20 James Street. 

Some suggested topics are:

taxes;  how people can do them and how we may find people to help us if we are unable to do them ourselves.

Another suggested topic, online banking

A third suggested topic:  Internet providers–some examples–

ACANAC Techsavvy etc.

how to find service providers 

Does an iPhone cost the same everywhere.

We have decided on the topic of service providers. 

Come with ideas and tips and we will discuss this and share resources. 

Resources from Top TEch Tidbits and CSUN conference 2015.

Here are a list of resources for those interested in the CSUN conference, exhibits, and new products.

At CSUN in California every year, new products are showcased and discussed.  I have never been to one of these conferences.  I would love to go to one some time.

Thanks to the wonderful folks at top tech tidbits, here are a set of podcasts and blog posts about this year’s conference and highlights.

For those who wish to keep up with what went on at the recent CSUN conference, we open this week with a wealth of means by which you can do so:

1A) Blind Bargains has the most usable audio coverage, with more than 20 interviews with exhibitors, provided individually so that one can easily listen to those of interest:
http://blindbargains.com/audio/

1B) Serotalk offers four packages of CSUN interviews, with each recording containing several interviews, making it more difficult to zero in on a particular interview, but their packages contain interviews with exhibitors not included within the Blind Bargains listing:
http://serotalk.com/

Meanwhile, AFB’s Crista Earl authored two informative blog posts:

1C) “Cameras for Everybody”
http://www.afb.org/blog/afb-blog/csun-2015-cameras-for-everybody/12

1D) And “3D Printing Is Coming to People Who Are Blind”:
http://www.afb.org/blog/afb-blog/csun-2015-exhibit-hall-3d-printing-is-coming-to-people-who-are-blind/12

Posted by Kim Kilpatrick GTT Coordinator

Reminder of the national teleconference call for GTT on Wednesday March 11 at 7 PM Eastern. 

This is just a reminder of our national teleconference call on Wednesday March 11 at 7 PM eastern.  4 Pacific.  The topic will be a continuation of various services to help us read and access books.  In February, we discussed  CELA and this month we will talk about NELS. 

For notes on CELA, see earlier blog posts. 

If you want to be part of this call, we still have spaces. 

Call or email Kim at 

1-877-304-0968 

gttprogram@gmail.com 

Kim will be sending out call in info to those registered on the day of the call. 

Using microsoft word with I Devices. 

As usual on a Thursday morning, I am reading the latest edition of Top Tech Tidbits.  If you have not subscribed to it, it is a most valuable resource.  Recently, microsoft has made some of their products more accessible for I Devices.  They used to be totally inaccessible.  I have been playing with microsoft outlook and now microsoft word.  You will find the following link helpful especially if you are using word with an ipad and/or bluetooth keyboard.  I have not played with it using a braille display yet but plan to do that. http://support.office.microsoft.com/client/Use-VoiceOver-in-Word-1387428a-5eaf-4eb3-a2a9-230b60462654

Article: Accessible Voting in Canada

A recent Town Hall Meeting was hosted in Toronto by Accessible Media Inc and the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians (AEBC) that featured Elections Canada talking about what we can expect during the upcoming Federal election.  Please check out the summary by following the below link, or visiting http://www.blindcanadians.ca:

http://www.blindcanadians.ca/participate/blog/2015/03/election-accessibility-town-hall-report-what-expect-2015-federal-elections

Article on a new navigation tool.

Tools that help with navigation.

See below article

Posted by Kim Kilpatrick

GTT coordinator

 

It seems that very regularly thee days, products are tested and developed to help people who are blind or have low vision to get around.

However, sometimes these products are developed without consulting people who are blind to know what they exactly need and would like in a product.

I find this happens most with navigation apps and tools.

What is it we want to know when traveling outside?

How much is too much distraction?

How much information do we need?

What format do we want it in?

This project seems to be testing many people who are blind or have low vision.  This is always a good sign.

They also seem to be testing travelers who use canes, guide dogs, some with less and some with more vision.

Also, they seem to be asking the testers what else they might use the device to do.

This is very interesting reading.

 

See below.

Posted by Kim Kilpatrick 

GTT Coordinator

Putting SUNU to the test
Perkins students, staff take award-winning navigation tool for a spin

Rob, a Perkins student, uses the navigational wristband SUNU to locate 
doorways during a testing session for the device.
December 30, 2014
Byline: Alix Hackett
No one likes waiting in line at the bank, least of all Perkins teacher Kate 
Katulak. Because she is visually impaired, Katulak sometimes has trouble 
keeping tabs on the person in front of her, which can lead to some awkward 
moments.

“With a guide dog you have to constantly ask people, ‘Excuse me, are you 
moving up?’” she explained. “And if I say ‘forward’ to my dog she’s going to 
lead me right around people… so I cut a lot of lines.”

Enter SUNU (formerly known as Ustraap), a wristband that uses an ultrasonic 
sensor to detect obstacles and vibrate as they come closer. Someone wearing 
SUNU while waiting in line can feel the vibrations lessening as the person 
in front of them advances, prompting them to move forward themselves.

Katulak was able to try the product for herself during a recent two-day 
testing session run by SUNU and Perkins Products to gather feedback on the 
wristband, which is still in the prototype phase. Perkins Products staff 
formed a makeshift line, and Katulak practiced moving forward an appropriate 
distance behind them. On the first try, she was able to mirror the movement 
of the person in front of her.

“The band pulsated, and the pulsation kept getting lighter and lighter so I 
moved toward you,” she said. “That’s pretty cool.”

SUNU touts itself primarily as a navigational device, designed to help 
people who are blind avoid low-hanging tree branches or find doorways in a 
room. But during testing, SUNU’s chief strategy officer Fernando Albertorio 
was interested in hearing what other uses people came up with after wearing 
the wristband for the first time.

“To be honest with you, this is a use we hadn’t even thought of,” he said, 
referring to standing in line. “These two days are really about learning as 
much as we can in order to make improvements to the product and inform our 
launch and how we market it.”

SUNU and Perkins have been working together ever since SUNU (then known as 
Ustraap) won the Perkins Technology Sidecar Prize as part of MassChallenge, 
a Boston-based competition for entrepreneurs. Once a prototype of the band 
was developed, Albertorio tapped Perkins Products Director Joe Martini to 
recruit testers for the device who might use it in different ways.

“It hadn’t been tested with people who use guide dogs, individuals with low 
vision, or people who are deafblind,” said Martini.

During testing, each user donned a SUNU band and practiced using the 
vibration feedback to gauge distances, avoid obstacles and locate doorways. 
In one exercise, Albertorio held a plastic tree branch out at eye level, and 
asked testers to stop before walking into it. Perkins Products technology 
specialist Joann Becker, who uses a cane to navigate, said walking into 
stray branches is one of her biggest pet peeves. During the test, she strode 
quickly toward the branch, but stopped just inches away from it.

“Wow,” she said. “I could feel that it was there all of a sudden. I knew if 
I kept going, I would hit it.”

Perkins trainer Milissa Garside, another tester, wasn’t as worried about 
hitting things at eye level. “I’m short, so I don’t run into a lot of that,” 
she said, but like most people who tried SUNU, she had ideas for other uses.

“I would love to use this to locate a (traffic) light pole when I want to 
press the ‘walk’ button,” she said. “This would be so helpful, you have no 
idea.”

Article on Braille. Is it becoming outdated?

Is braille less relevant now?  I really hope not.

Posted by Kim Kilpatrick

GTT Coordinator

I learned braille when I was six years old.

I could not wait to do that!

Having others read to me was interesting but not totally satisfying as I wanted to read for myself.

Braille was wonderful.

I could read and write by myself.

I could read in the dark and not get caught.

I could read in moving vehicles and not get sick.

But, braille was bulky.

Huge books, braille machines that were noisy and heavy to carry.

For GTT, I have been able to play with several braille displays.

I’d like to thank the people from Aroga Technologies and from canadialog who have been letting me play with braille displays.

I have tried out the focus displays, braille note from humanware, braille edge, and braille sense.

It is such a pleasure to be able to read and write braille any time with my I devices.

I prefer it to anything else.

 

I have also started playing with the braille screen input mode built into IOS 8.

I am getting more used to it.

If any of you are using it or other braille displays and products, I would love to hear all about it.

So, I was delighted to read this article.

it is from June 2014 and I share it with you.

 

Braille isn’t [quote] embattled–we’re on the cusp of a golden age for blind
people

Far from heralding the death of a great medium, technology may be ushering
in a new era of access and greater independence

Ian Macrae, The Guardian (UK)
Thursday, May 22, 2014.

[photo caption:]  A cash machine keypad with Braille: ‘Braille has gone
digital.’

Imagine a situation where you walk into your favourite restaurant and ask
for the menu, only to be told it isn’t available. Chances are it wouldn’t
stay your favourite for very long.

As a braillist–someone who uses braille–the dream for me is when the
opposite happens. A small number of chain restaurants offer menus in
braille; sometimes, they’re even up to date.

It is difficult to over-express the sense of liberation at being able to
browse and choose your preferred pizza independently. And in Co-op
supermarkets, where some of the own-brand labels feature braille, there is
pride in being able to identify a bottle of wine from a label that few if
any other people in the store are able to read.

All too often, though, finding anything in shops is a matter of random
selection, peering in earnest, or asking for help. And just when it seemed
the situation couldn’t get any worse for braillists, along come headlines
suggesting the end is nigh for braille, that this communication lifeline is
about to be cut off.

This week, Dr Matthew Rubery, curator of an exhibition on alternative
methods of reading for blind people, described braille as [quote] embattled.
He went on to say its biggest threat [quote] is computer technology, which
makes it much easier not to have to learn it. A lot of people fear braille
won’t survive because it will be read by so few people. The use has declined
and there are concerns about funding to keep it going.

This seems to me a rather glass-half-empty view, although there is some
evidence to support his argument. Anecdotally, it is claimed blind children
are no longer being taught braille. This is said to be owing to sighted
teachers who believe computer technology, and in particular synthesised
speech, has rendered it redundant. Therefore, the teachers don’t need to
learn braille either.

If this is true, and no other factors were to come into play, then the
outlook might really look bad. But, like print, braille has gone through a
process of evolution. It started out in classrooms as the equivalent of the
slate – my five-year-old hands punched out each dot individually through a
sheet of thick manilla paper. We learned to write it backwards and read it
forwards.

Then Harold Wilson’s [quote] white heat  age of technology ushered in the
mechanical era. Classrooms echoed to the deafening collective rattle of 15
or more braille machines – the Stainsby, the Perkins, the Lavender –
pounding away at dictation or composition.

And now, like print with its tablets, Kindles and touch screens, braille has
gone digital. And it is my belief that this could well mean it becomes more
widely available and infinitely more useful. This is important because it
means all children in future will be able to enjoy the same degree of
literacy, not to mention the same levels of liberation and pleasure, as I do
now.

Think of this: I am writing and editing this piece on an Apple computer
using braille from an electronic display that drives pins into the correct
shapes to form a line of braille text. Once the piece is published I will be
able to go to the Guardian website on my iPhone or iPad, use Bluetooth to
connect up a portable braille device, and read it along with you. The main
problem currently is the cost of the braille-reading equipment: the cheapest
is 900 [pounds].

But, fellow reader, we are now in the age of the app and of haptic
technology, which communicates through vibration and touch. It is already
possible for me to download an app that will create on my touch screen a
virtual braille keyboard on which I can compose texts, emails, tweets and
Facebook updates in braille.

Meanwhile, the search is already on for the holy grail of braille–a means
of creating dots without using expensive mechanical cells that make the
shape of braille characters using pins. Then the world would truly be at our
fingertips.

What is needed is an app that would turn digital text on your device into
electronic impulses in the shape of braille characters, transmitted by the
screen of your iPad or other tablet, to be read by touch. To go back to my
restaurant quandary, all I would need to do would be to call up the menu
online, put it through my haptic braille app, and read it on my screen.

Add into that mix a scanning app, and I could point my device at what was on
the supermarket shelf and have the haptic braille app produce the package
information.

And if you think this is hopelessly optimistic pie in the sky, it’s worth
remembering that less than five years ago 96% of all books produced would
never be turned into forms accessible to blind people. But with the advent
of e-books and existing technology, I am now able to read pretty much any
book I want to in electronic braille.

So rather than seeing the end of braille, we could be entering a golden age
of access and communication. Here’s to more pizza, more wine, and more
braille.


from:
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/22/braille-golden-age-blin
d-people-technology

CCB Newsletters: CCB BC-Yukon Division Spring Newsletter is now available

Hi Blog followers.  Please access this link to read the Spring Division Newsletter as an MS Word file.  If you can’t access the file and still want to read it please contact me with your preference.  I can be reached at;; GTTWest2015@Gmail.com

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/26343363/ccb%20bc-yukon%20division%20newsletter%20spring%202015.docx

Fascinating article and video on possibilities for travel in the future.

This is a fascinating article and video.

If some of these things happen, travel for people who are blind or have low vision could be very different and enhanced.

I think we are already noticing this.

With apps like blindsquare for I devices, near by explorer for android, and more, travel even in new locations is getting much easier..

Any device that enhances the tools in our tool box is always welcome.

 

See article and video below..

Posted by Kim Kilpatrick

GTT Coordinator

Visionary – International Guide Dogs Federation magazine February 2015.

Cities Unlocked 

exploring the world using 3D Soundscapes 

John Shelton, – Cities Unlocked Program, Manager , Guide Dogs UK 

Background
In 2013 Guide Dogs and Microsoft created a film called A Family Day Out to
demonstrate technology concepts that could greatly enhance the quality of
life for blind and visually impaired people. 
Following the launch of the film, Guide Dogs and Microsoft teamed up with
Future Cities Catapult to research and pilot some of the concepts; the
programmed of work is called Cities Unlocked.

To bring the concepts imagined in the film to life, we conducted an in-depth
analysis of current technology and transport issues affecting intermodal
journeys made by people who are blind or partially sighted. This research
identified the key stress points in their journeys and possible solutions to
alleviate them. We then set about designing and developing prototype
technologies that, with a little training and practice, dissolve into the
background of the user experience to enhance but not hinder cognitive
ability. The pilot technologies are moving us closer to Social Computing –
whereby places, points of interest and objects are aware of each other, and
are contextually aware of us and our social interactions.

How the technology works
Crudely speaking, there are three aspects to the technology:

A ‘Cities Unlocked’ smartphone app that can be used with just one hand ..A
bone-conducting headset containing a Gyro, GPS and Accelerometer to place
information in 3D space relative to the direction the user is facing ..A
boosted environment using GPS, WiFi and Bluetooth Low Energy beacons to aid
orientation, navigation, transport and retail experiences Once user
preferences have been set and a route selected, the phone can be stowed in a
pocket or bag, leaving the user free to go about their business whilst
receiving useful information through the headset in a unique 3D Soundscape.
Additional buttons mounted on the headset, allow the user to access more
information on the move without needing to take the phone out of their bag
or pocket.

Here are examples of some of the features:

If the user is facing in the wrong direction they hear a clip-clop sound
coming from the direction that they should be facing ..The user rotates
towards the clipclop sound, and when they are facing in the right direction
they will hear a gentle ping sound ..The ping sound plots the route, so the
user simply follows the ping whilst using their guide dog or cane ..Along
the route the user receives navigation information e.g. “turn left in
20 metres”

They also receive contextual information e.g. “dropped curb approximately 3
meres” or “caution, this street regularly has cars parked on the pavement”

Points of interest, shops and street furniture are also announced in 3D
Soundscape – it sounds as though the announcement is coming from the
direction of the point of interest. If the user changes direction the
announcement automatically changes direction accordingly.

Bus stops, bus timetables, and when the next bus is approaching are
announced. On the bus journey the technology continues to announce
approaching stops and points of interest that the bus is passing. It also
works in a similar fashion on train journeys.

Results from our user trials We conducted a trial with 8 participants and
used data collection tools to assess mobility and quality of life factors
while the participants undertook a long, complex and unfamiliar intermodal
journey without the technology. This provided a baseline measure against
which to measure any positive or negative effects when traveling the same
journey some weeks later using the technology.

The illustration shows the improvements across 17 wellbeing measures in six
areas; physiology, orientation skills, cognitive/conceptual skills, mobility
skills, safety skills, and use of residual vision (for those that had some).
The pink area shows results using their normal mobility aid, the blue area
shows the improvement when the technology is used alongside the mobility
aid.

The results show that the concept is a success in helping VI people’s
mobility. Importantly, none of the markers showed a negative impact, and the
results indicate that the technology is a complement to traditional mobility
aids.

Next steps
Recognising that the solutions need to be sustainable on their own merit,
otherwise they will raise expectations and lead to disappointment, we have
now started planning for Phase 2 to incorporate the lessons learned into a
bigger and more ambitious project.

We know that what we are doing is important globally – but we must all
remember that what we are doing isn’t really about the technology; it is
about people and the user experience.

Watch the Cities Unlocked film with audio description:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=949D1IhKKYs

Notes: Nanaimo GTT Meeting Summary, February 7, 2015

GTT Nanaimo Summary of the February 7, 2015 Meeting:

On February 7 about six Nanaimo GTT members attended with one new person checking us out for the first time. Amber has recently moved to Nanaimo from Alberta to attend VIU. Welcome Amber.

The gathered group started out discussing the new gadgets found under the Xmas Tree, like blue tooth keyboards for the iPhone, talking book machines with wireless capabilities and battery packs to keep all those things running when away from a plug-in. Also discussed at length were some of the strategies we individually use for GPS navigation, audio and electronic book enjoyment and generally how to get the most out of the iPhones we currently use.

The Blind Square GPS app was talked about, as was Voice Dream Reader to the point that some of the group have since purchased these iPhone applications based on these discussions.

The next GTT Nanaimo Meeting will be moved to Saturday, March 14, 2015 so that Albert can attend.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact Donna or Albert as indicated below:

Albert Ruel

250-240-2343

albertruel@gmail.com

Donna Hudon

250-618-0010

iamdonnahudon@gmail.com

Finding the blog posts of interest to you.

Finding the posts you are interested in
Posted by Kim Kilpatrick
GTT Coordinator
This blog is a very convenient place to list all of the things that are going on with GTT.
We are growing across the country and holding meetings in more places.
We are also starting to hold national conference calls on the 2nd Wednesday of each month.
Because of all of this great activity, you will probably see more varied posts on this blog.
Note, that in the title of each post, we will be clear about what the post is.
The city name or national conference call will be listed first.
Example: National GTT conference call on March 11 on…
Or Ottawa GTT meeting o January 23.
If we are putting up notes and articles of interest, the words notes, articles, reviews Etc will be first.
This way, even if you don’t live where you can attend a meeting, you can read the notes.
It will also be clearly indicated in the title what the article or topic for notes is.
Example,
Article on screen magnification
Or notes on the GTT Victoria meeting about direct to player downloads.
This way, even though you may get more emails from the blog as we get busier, you will easily be able to know what you would like to read and what you would like to delete.
Thank you for your support of this blog and GTT.
We have over 100 subscribers now and that number keeps growing.
Before the blog, I was having to send out mass emails which took a lot of time and people did not always receive them as they were considered spam.
Thank you again.
If you have ideas for conference calls, if you want to set up a small conference call to learn more about GTT or to get started, if you have articles of interest or topics you would like researched, please let us know.
Also, remember we are here for individual training support and assistence by phone, by email or even by facetime and other means.
If you live near us, we are also available in person of course.
Kim’s contact info is
613-567-0311
or 1-877-304-0968
gttprogram@gmail.com
I will let Albert share his contact information with you in another blog post.
Kim Kilpatrick

NOtes on CELA from our national teleconference on February 11, 2015.

More than 20 people attended this conference call.

We welcomed Margaret and Lindsay to tell us about the CELA service.

Margaret told us about the history of cela.

CNIB had been lobbying for many years to have accessible library service delivered through public libraries.

Other organizations of canadians who are blind or have low vision have also wanted this to happen.

It is a right for all Canadians to access library services in their communities..

Coming to a charity to obtain library services was inappropriate.  

Many studies were conducted.

 

In the end, the federal government asked CNIB to organize this service.

A report was produced called Reading Reimagined.

The report said that this service that should come through local public libraries.

In April of 2014, CELA (Centre for equitable library access) was launched.

As of February 2015, this service is available through over 600 public libraries in 1600 service points.

Most of these libraries are in Ontario, Alberta, and PEI.

There are also libraries in Saskatchewan and Manitoba and some in BC.

Libraries contribute funding to help the CELA service.

The list of participating libraries has been growing.

There were 25 thousand CNIB library clients prior to April 2014.  they are still able to use the service through 

http://www.cniblibrary.ca

They are encouraged to join CELA if they wish to do so.

They would then benefit also from services from their local public libraries.

The aim of CELA is to meet the needs of users across the spectrum of technical abilities and interests.  They can get Cd’s in the mail, download their own books, choose their own books, or get help choosing and selecting books.

There are currently 300 thousand titles in the collection.

90 thousand are from CELA.

200 thousand are through bookshare.

When you join CELA, you get an automatic membership to bookshare.

To find out more about bookshare itself, go to 

http://www.bookshare.org

 

5000 titles were added to CELA in the last fiscal year.

The formats offered through CELA and bookshare include:

human narrated audio

 

hard copy braille

electronic braille

print/braille

described video

electronic text

bookshare offers books in:

synthetic speech

electronic braille

and text 

Delivery options available

direct to player (this will allow books to go directly from the library to supported players.

At the time of this blog entry, (February 2015) the players include:

plextalk players

sold in CAnada by aroga technologies

http://www.aroga.ca

 

Victor stratus and victor stream second generation (sold by Humanware)

http://www.humanware.ca

Braille electronic (you must download these to a device or computer with braille display or talking book player that can support the brf format

hard copy braille

books on CD delivered through the mail

Download from a web site.

How to sign up for CELA

CELA is available to Canadians with a broad range of disabilities.

Any disability (learning, or physical) that makes it difficult for someone to read print can be eligible.

You would sign up through your local public library.

The books you access through CNIB and CELA are the same collections.

Local library staff have had some training about CELA.

If the library has questions or does not know about CELA, they should visit the CELA web site at 

http://www.celalibrary.ca

To register for CELA, you need a public library card, proof of your address, fill out a registration form, and declare that you have trouble accessing or reading regular print.  You do not need a doctor’s form.  

CNIB staff can also assist you with finding out about CELA.

CAnnot search books from public library, CELA, or bookshare all in one place.

You must go to each site for their collections.

Some libraries are starting to enter CELA records into their catalogs.

In future, they might integrate all services into one place.

Every existing CNIB library client before april 2014 is also now a CELA client.

How can people advocate for their libraries to come to CELA?

Someone mentioned there is a good presentation about CELA on youtube.

In Ontario and Alberta, CELA funding is provided provincially for all of its municipal libraries.

CNIB will still be creating books in braille and audio formats.  CELA will not do that.

Here are some apps for I devices and android that work well with bookshare and CNIB library books.

For Iphone, the app voicedream reader which costs about $10 CAnadian is excellent and allows you to search and download bookshare books directly into the app.

It also works well with CNIB library books.

If people want, Kim could do a conference call on how to download these books to your iphone.

There is also an app called read2go which is about $20 and works with bookshare books.

On androi there is a free app called goread which allows you to download bookshare books directly onto  your device..

Posted by Kim Kilpatrick

GTT Coordinator

CELA contact info.

Contact info for CELA from our national conference call last week.

Posted by Kim Kilpatrick

GTT Coordinator

 

We had a very successful conference call on February 11 2015.

I will be posting more detailed notes to this blog about the call very soon.

Lindsay provided contact information below and I know some of you on the call were very interested in getting it.

Stay tuned for more.

Hello Kim,

 

Thank you for the opportunity to speak with your group last night. It was a pleasure to speak with such an engaged group of readers and technology enthusiasts.

 

I’m following up to provide my contact details and summary of CELA as we discussed yesterday. The CELA website address is www.celalibrary.ca. My contact information is in the signature block below.

 

Here’s the text from the bookmark that Margaret mentioned which summarizes CELA services nicely:

 

Do you or someone you know have difficulty reading print?

 

Your public library offers a collection of over 230,000 books and more for people who have trouble reading print due to a learning, physical or visual disability.

 

•        A choice of formats including audio, braille or accessible e-book

•        Bestsellers, award-winners, classics, self-help, business and more

•        Books for kids, teens and adults

•        Download books or receive home delivery by mail

 

Ask at your public library

 

Best regards,

 

Lindsay Tyler

Manager, CELA Member Services

Centre for Equitable Library Access

T: (416) 486-2500, ext. 7746 or 1-855-655-2273 press 2

F: (416) 480-7700

GTT Victoria Meeting Summary, February 4, 2015

 

 

*Note: The March, April, May and June meetings will be at a new location, 777 Fort Street between Douglas and Blanshard.  See below for more details.

 

On February 4 The Victoria GTT group saw another great day in the Capital Regional District that had about 28 blind and partially sighted turn up to share their skills, passions and inquiries about assistive technology.  Thank you to all who braved the elements to attend this meeting.

 

We started with self-introductions of all who attended, then rolled into a presentation by Wendy Cox about the Neil Squire Society Employ-Ability online program.  Wendy is the local Victoria Coordinator/Facilitator for this program, so she gave the group a taste of what the program offers, who it serves and how accessibility is viewed where blind and partially sighted participants are concerned.  You can learn more about the program by following the below link, or by contacting Wendy directly.

 

Wendy Cox – Career Facilitator

Neil Squire Society’s Employ-Ability Program

Victoria Disability Resource Centre

817-A Fort Street Victoria BC  V8W 1H6

Phone: 250-595-0044 ext. 108

Email: employment@drcvictoria.com

http://www.neilsquire.ca/individual-programs-services/employ-ability/

 

As this meeting was taking place during White Cane Week we then embarked on a discussion of the many tools used for mobility as blind and partially sighted travelers.  Danielle gave an overview and history of the white cane, along with some of her own experiences as she trialled Dog Guides and canes before settling on her current long white cane.  The members shared some ideas, frustrations, benefits and the devices they employ.

 

Tom allowed us a glimpse into life with a Dog Guide as his chosen mobility tool, and although Abe would have loved to be handed around the crowd, Tom managed to keep him at his feet for the duration of the presentation.  Following a brief coffee break Tom took us through a demonstration of the Blind Square app on his iPhone.  This is a very user friendly talking GPS app that provides great navigation as the user travels through his/her community.  It however doesn’t provide turn by turn instructions to pre-programmed addresses.  Where Am I and Look Around features exist to help the traveler along the way, as well as street announcements and other helpful information.

 

Other talking GPS devices such as the Trekker Breeze were talked about from the perspective of the different features they all have.  Check with a Mobility Specialist and/or other blind travelers if you have questions about the type of cane that will best serve your needs.  Elizabeth Lalonde, the founding Executive Director of the Pacific Training Center for the Blind was there to also offer her knowledge and the Center’s support for those who need mobility services.  Elizabeth can be contacted through a Contact Form on their web site:

http://pacifictrainingcentre.ca/

 

The break had us enjoying coffee and tea from Tim Horton’s following the first public performance of the newly formed Pawsitive Performers choir who sang three songs.  One of which was the Terry Kelly classic, Power of the Dream.  If anyone has an interest in joining the Pawsitive Performers please contact Linda Bartram at (250) 595-5888 or lbartram@telus.net.

 

A brief discussion was undertaken regarding formalizing a GTT Victoria Chapter of the Canadian Council of the Blind.  More information will be provided during the next meeting about the CCB and the GTT Program.  A Membership Form will be found attached to this announcement.  If you wish to join the GTT Victoria Chapter please complete the form and bring it to the March 4th meeting.  To learn more about the CCB check out our web site at:

http://www.ccbnational.net/Wuzzy/index.php

 

On February 5, 2015 four GTT members, Tom, Ken, Corry and Albert met with Devan in downtown Victoria to look at a potential new meeting site.  It was checked over quite carefully and believed to be ideal for GTT, and a wonderful match in terms of relationship between the building’s owners and our program.  The accessibility of the building seems to match our needs, and it boasts the highest internet speeds in Victoria.  It’s called Fort Tectoria and is operated by VIATeC.  Please follow the links below and thank them for their generosity each time you post on Facebook or Twitter.  That’s all they’re asking us for at this point, and their Twitter and Facebook contacts can be found at the Link below.

 

Upon entering the building you will walk through a Coffee Shop with a very friendly staff.  The counter will be on your right with a few small tables across the aisle on your left.  Once you’ve purchased your favourite cup of java you will return to your original line of travel when entering the building, which will have you moving straight through that portion of the building to a set of double doors into a larger work lounge with many tables and chairs.  We found this room to be quiet with several people working on laptops or talking in low tones.  As you move through that room keeping a straight line you will encounter the door into the Shaw Conference Room where we will meet.  The room will be laid out with one large conference table in the center with chairs all around it.  Upon entering the room you will find the table stretching out to your left and right, with the head of the room to your left.

 

Washrooms are found to your right just before entering the Shaw Conference Room. There are three, with one of them equipped for wheelchairs.  They are not gender specific.

 

VIATeC is the building’s owner, and the service/initiative is called, Fort Tectoria

777 Fort Street Victoria BC  V8W 1G9

http://forttectoria.ca/

 

The building is about 4 doors west of Blanshard Street on the South side of Fort Street. If you favourite this location on your GPS iPhone app, Blind Square you will be notified very near its doors according to Tom.

 

Upcoming GTT Victoria meetings will be held at Fort Tectoria on these dates:

March 4, 2015 from 1:30 until 3:30 PM

April 1, 2015 from 1:30 until 3:30 PM

*May 4, 2015 from 1:30 until 3:30 PM *(Note this is a Monday)

June 3, 2015 from 1:30 until 3:30 PM

 

 

GTT Victoria, NNELS Support Contact Info

National Network for Equitable Library Sservice (NNELS) Support

As a follow up to our January presentation on the above noted accessible Library service I offer you the following contact person.  Sabina was very helpful when I struggled to get connected. 

Sabina Iseli-Otto / NNELS Support

support@nnels.ca

Direct line: 1-855-383-5761 Ext. 1031

General help: 1-888-848-9250 (option 5

The Amazing Voicedream Writer app

Voicedream Writer Is An Amazing App

Posted By Kim Kilpatrick
GTT Coordinator

I have had many issues selecting and editing text on I devices. I know that there are ways to select and de-select text using pinch gestures. I have not yet been able to work these gestures successfully. I have written the post for this blog using the amazing new app, voicedream writer. I was able to quickly select blocks of text, move them, copy them, and put them where they needed to be. It was fast and amazing. I also spell checked the document easily. I have not played with formatting yet but this app is so great. I can export and import documents into it and work on them. voicedream reader and writer apps are about 10 dollars each but are so worth the price. I’m sure I will use this app more and more.

Thanks again to the people at Blind Bargains, developing a full page braille display.

A full page braille display?

Is it really approaching?

Posted by Kim Kilpatrick

Thanks again to the people at Blind Bargains for this article.

Many of us (if we are lucky enough to be able to afford one) have used refreshable braille displays with our computers and smart phones.

These displays are wonderful.

They allow me to read in braille what is on my computer or device.

If anyone wants help learning to use their displays, I am able to provide training with the following displays and notetakers.

Braille note

Braille sense

Focus braille displays

braille edge

Although these displays are wonderful, they only display one line of braille at a time.

For some things, this works well.

However, for math, for times when you need to touch the whole page at once to feel the lay out, skim over a schedule, etc, having more than one line of braille would be wonderfully helpful.

The refreshable braille cells are extremely expensive.

See the article below for a possible new development in this field.

Austrian Researchers Tackling Full Page Braille Display Challenge with BLITAB

A team of researchers has recently raised over $10,000 to create an alpha prototype for BLITAB, a full-page braille display project which has been in development for three years. The claim on the project’s page as the “world’s first tablet for blind people” is perhaps a bit misleading, but the project itself has some lofty goals. The BLITAB would include braille translation features as well as a GPS and support for obtaining information from NFC tags.

The project’s Indiegogo crowdfunding page describes the technology like this:

BLITAB is a next curve Braille device for reading and writing that displays one whole page Braille text, without mechanical elements. It is like an e-book which instead of using a screen displays small physical bubbles. They rise and fall on demand, composing a whole page in Braille code without any mechanical elements.
The project has received support from some major corporations including T-Mobile, Volkswagen, and 3M. The full-page braille display is a challenge that many have tackled, but to this point, no devices are available for retail. Perhaps the BLITAB will be the one to buck the trend.

Source: BLITAB
Category: News

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Thanks to the people at Blind Bargains. New voices for NVDA screen reader.

New voices for NVDA screen reader

Posted by Kim Kilpatrick

I really love what the people at blind bargains are doing.

They have many interesting podcasts and interviews from technology exhibits for people who are blind and have low vision.

They also have a great app and very interesting articles.

Below is a great one I found from them about NVDa and some new voices you can get for it.

 

For those who don’t know NVDA, it is a free screen reader for windows computers.

Their web site is 

http://www.nvda.org

Here is the article.

Acapela Adds its Voice to the NVDA Screen Reader, Available Starting at 59 Euros

Acapela Adds its Voice to the NVDA Screen Reader, Available Starting at 59 Euros – Blind Bargains

Blind Bargains

Users of the free NVDA screen reader now have another option for obtaining enhanced voices. Acapela Group is now offering two voice packages, which both include a variety of voice styles and languages and work on up to three computers.

The basic package, which costs 59 Euros or about $67 in U.S. Dollars as of this post, includes what Acapela calls the Colibri voices, which are slightly more robotic but better at higher speech rates. Upgrading to the 99 Euro package ($112 USD) adds higher quality voices which may be more suited for reading books and longer passages.

The voices are available for a 15-day free trial and delivered as an NVDA ad-on.

Source: Acapela TTS Voices for NVDA
Category: News

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Copyright 2006-2015, A T Guys, LLC.

http://www.blindbargains.com/b/12311

http://www.blindbargains.com/b/12311

 Using Voiceover screen reader and braille display.
Sent from my iPhone