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

GTT Victoria Meeting, January 6, 2016

Summary Notes

The January meeting took place at the Central Library, 735 Broughton Street from 1-3:30 PM. There were 11 people in attendance.

This month’s meeting featured a presentation by Mike Gower from IBM Canada, regarding accessibility of the ribbons that replaced the traditional menus as of Microsoft Office 2007. He explained that Freedom Scientific added a new feature to the JAWS screen reader, enabling users to virtualize the ribbons. Thanks also to Linda Bartram, who experimented with virtualized ribbons after the meeting and producing the notes attached at the end of this report. Thanks also to Mike for offering to do occasional presentations on other topics that may be of interest to the group.

Tom then gave a brief presentation about Q-Seek, another convenient tool from Accessible Apps for Windows PC users. This is the same company that produces Q-cast for podcast management as well as the Chicken Nugget Twitter client, demonstrated at previous meetings.

Q-Seek provides the capability for a very flexible pop-up reference and search facility anywhere in Windows. Simply select text, then Alt-Control-Q to open the Q-seek window with the selected text automatically copied into the search field. Then tab to a list of the search types and use the arrow keys to select from ten choices. These include: word definitions; synonyms; antonyms; calculation; spell check; translate (into English); Wikipedia search; manage lookup (for programmers); stock quotes; and, urban dictionary. Press enter and the search result appears in a text box. Paste the result anywhere by pressing Alt-F4 to close Q-seek, place the cursor in a document and do the usual Control-V to paste.

Note that Accessible apps software is developed by blind programmers, so all of their apps are extremely screen-reader-friendly. All apps are available as free demos for a limited time, so you can try before you buy.

Tom also gave a very brief tour of what it is like to navigate around the screens of a Windows phone, as he has had the chance to use a Nokia Windows phone, running a beta of WindowsPhone 10. It looks like it has the potential to be quite accessible. The worst problem so far is that the on-screen keyboard is extremely sensitive and currently difficult to use, even for someone who has a lot of experience with the iPhone on-screen keyboard. We will provide feedback to Microsoft in this regard and will be watching for improved accessibility in the first public release of WindowsPhone 10.

Linda announced that there will be an open house at Pacific Training Centre for the Blind on Thursday January 21 from 4 PM to 7 PM.

The next VocalEyes described event at the Belfry Theater is “The Valley”, and takes place on Sunday, February 21 at 2 pm. The Belfry Theatre is located at 1291 Gladstone Avenue in Victoria (250-385-6815). Described by Rick Waines and followed by a Touch Tour. Ticket prices vary.

Suggested topics for our next meeting include, a discussion of accessible games and game apps, and music apps. Tom can share his experience with Apple Music. We also hope that members will do some exploring, or share their experience regarding other music apps and accessible games.

We will send out a notice a week or so before the next meeting, which will take place at the Central Library at 1 PM on Wednesday, February 3.

Information on Virtual Ribbons
from Linda Bartram

To turn on virtual ribbons:
1. Go to the Jaws screen
2. Press alt to open the menu bar
3. Right arrow to help
4. Down arrow to Start Up Wizard and press enter
5. Tab to next and press enter.
6. Tab to next again and press enter.
7. Jaws will say “use virtual ribbons” check box unchecked.
8. Press the space bar to check.
9. then tab to next and press enter three more times until you come to the finish button
10. Press the enter key. You will be back on the Jaws screen and the startup wizard will close. Virtual ribbons is now your default.

GTT Nanaimo Summary Notes

December 3, 2015

Attendance: Jean, Donna C, Aedan, Jeff, Art. Regrets were received from Hugh, Shauna and Donna H

Donna C is a new attendee to the Nanaimo group and was there to investigate the potential for using an iPhone as her main means of voice communications with family, reading and writing emails and using the internet. All who attended talked at length about the various ways the iPhone can be used for GPS navigation, reading books, searching the internet, storing contact info for use with the email and telephone apps and for storing appointments. The group spent time showing Donna the many apps and strategies they employ in their daily lives, and she was provided a device to test out some of the gestures required to operate iDevices. A Bluetooth foldable keyboard was also shown as another means of inputting information into iDevices.

Many comparisons were made between the iPad, iPod and iPhone for doing many of the above tasks. Because Donna also wants to be able to make and receive phone calls she decided that the iPhone will be her best choice.

The OrCam was demonstrated as a potential means of reading text, and pocket sized DAISY readers like the VR Stream and Plextalk Linio Pocket were also demonstrated. Computer apps for magnification, screen reading and OCR were discussed as other alternatives should she wish to continue using that device as vision deteriorates.

The group referred her to the Nanaimo and District DRC for lessons on how to gain maximum use of such a device should she opt to make that purchase.

At the meeting’s end it was decided to not hold a meeting in early January, so the next meeting of the GTT Nanaimo group will be on Thursday, February 4, 2016. No topic has yet been selected so email Albert with your suggestions.

GTT Victoria Summary Notes

December 2, 2015

Attendance: David Shrive, Robin Love, Saanich Volunteer Services Society, Tom Dekker, Albert Ruel, Bruce Turner, Lorna Pophum, Skye Mundell, Linda Bartram, Susan Gallagher, Corry Stuive, Annalese Ryan, Susan Stepen, Erin Lacharity, Heidi Propp, Sabine Laubental, Greg Koyl, Trevor Jones and Josie Horsman.

Tom welcomed everyone to the meeting saying that this is GTT Victoria’s first meeting of its second year in existence.

1. Barrier Free BC/ British Columbians with Disabilities Act:
Albert gave a brief presentation on the progress of the Barrier Free BC initiative and how it relates to the AODA in Ontario, the Manitobans with Disabilities Act and the initiative launched for a Canadians with Disabilities Act. The BC Government through its White Paper indicated a willingness to look at such an Act for BC, so the Barrier Free BC group will be using the next 18 months to secure commitments from the Political Parties and MLA candidates toward a BCDA. Organizations and individuals are encouraged to provide Barrier Free BC with letters of support as it moves this initiative forward.

On the website Barrier Freen BC offers a “Just Say Yes” Tool Kit that gives interested parties many suggestions on how to become involved, including a sample resolution that may be passed by any organization board which will provide Barrier Free BC the needed support.

Albert Moved and Tom seconded that GTT Victoria support Barrier Free BC. Passed unanimously.

To contact this organization you can email BarrierFreeBC@Gmail.com, or visit the website at http://www.Barrier FreeBC.org. On Twitter they can be followed @BarrierFreeBC and on Facebook at Barrier Free BC.

Barrier Free Canada is also active and can be contacted through donna@barrierfreecanada.org), and found on the web at, http://barrierfreecanada.org/home/.

Many in attendance offered to contact organizations like IDHH, Victoria DRC and MS Society to encourage their participation in these two initiatives. All are welcomed.

2. Advocacy and the GTT Group:
Tom read a document outlining some of the advocacy initiatives being undertaken by some GTT Victoria members, like BC Transit talking GPS system, Barrier Free BC indoor navigation systems and other access needs of the blind and low vision population. This group is meeting with City Councilors, MLAs and MPs with a view to moving the advocacy agenda forward. For more info please contact Tom Dekker.

This group is attempting to retain the GTT program as a peer mentoring gathering and will report back on progress made on the advocacy front. Please share your ideas for this group and when group participation is required all will be asked to pitch in. For now the size of the group is manageable.

Linda B asked about how this group will fit into the City of Victoria’s Accessibility Committee. Tom D and Greg K will attend their upcoming meeting to see how we can consolidate all efforts toward a more accessible community.

3. Podcasts and the VR Stream DAISY Player:
Tom talked about the last meeting’s podcast app demo he provided and how important he finds them to be as a self-teaching tool. So many podcasts are freely available online for all things technological, so all are urged to learn how to use their specific devices to access podcasts. Albert demonstrated the New Generation VR Stream as another means of getting to all this free learning.

Albert walked through the process of connecting the Stream to his iPhone in order to access the internet for downloading. WIFI connections are the usual way to do this, however for demonstration purposes an iPhone was used today.

The Podcast app was accessed and a search was created to find CBC podcasts. One hundred and twenty were found, so the Stream was navigated through a few of them to show how they are listed and labelled. Some were subscribed to by pressing the Confirm Key, then played by pressing the Play/Pause Key. Once a podcast is subscribed to the 3 newest episodes will automatically download each time your player connects to the WIFI in the same way that it downloads audio books from your CNIB Library subscription.

Tom mentioned how much easier it is to listen to a podcast about the iPhone while listening to it on a separate device like the Stream. It’s too difficult to listen to a tutorial podcast on the same device that you are trying to learn. This goes for any computer related tutorials you might wish to use as well.

Albert also demonstrated how to access the Internet Radio available on the VR Stream. Although there are many stations already pre-programmed in the device, many more can be searched from all around the world. Searches can be done by genre or title.

The other player on the market that costs the same as the VR Stream is the Plextalk Linio Pocket. It boasts the same range of features as the Stream, and one more. Plextalk has a calendar for appointments.

Someone indicated that monthly payments can be arranged through PayPal for the purchase of items like the Stream. Check this out at:
https://www.billmelater.com/cm/paypal/landers/ppbmlsmcore.html

Someone asked if MS Word files can be saved to the Stream. The answer is yes for both the VR Stream and the Plextalk Pocket. In fact, the related desktop units produced by the same manufacturers as the above devices can also use MS Word files. Support in learning how to do this is available through Albert at 1-877-304-0968, Ext. 550.

Some people have been successful in having devices like the Stream funded through Technology@Work as something that supports their paid or volunteer work. Contact Albert Ruel or Tom Dekker if you have questions about how to access Tech@Work and how assistive devices will be evaluated for eligibility.

A tutorial on how to search for and download CNIB books onto the Stream has been produced by Gerry Chevalier, GTT Edmonton, called “CNIB digital library audio tutorial”, and is available as a DAISY download, a DAISY CD, Direct to Player and online streaming from the CELA and CNIB Libraries.
http://www.cniblibrary.ca/iguana/www.main.cls?p=&v=*

Also, Mystic Access has produced a professional tutorial that covers all aspects of the New Gen VR Stream which can be purchased through Humanware/Aroga for approximately $100. Contact Steve@Aroga.com, 1-800-561-6222:
http://www.aroga.com/

If anyone wants one on one instruction on how to access podcasts or internet radio stations on the VR Stream, or with their specific devices please contact Tom or Albert and they’ll attempt to connect you with a peer who can help, or they’ll help you directly.

Someone asked what podcast stands for and while Albert and Tom struggled to sort out what it might be, Corry S was researching it on his iDevice. POD stands for Playable On Demand.

4. Additional Accessible Apps for the Computer:
Other accessible aps for the computer were discussed, like QCast for podcasts, QRead for accessing all manner of audio files and converting them to formats that are compatible with your specific devices, and Chicken Nugget which makes Twitter far more accessible and usable. These are all produced by blind programmers for blind computer users.

Someone asked if texting can be done from the computer, and Lorna P indicated that she does this with her grandchildren. Her husband set up a contact in the email program that allows her to send and receive text messages with specific people.

5. ZoomText Fusion:
ZoomText Fusion was asked about, which is the latest offering from AI-Squared where they have married the ZoomText magnifier with Window Eyes. This now means that a full functioning screen reader is available for ZT users as they transition from using magnification to speech for accessing information on the computer screen. For more info contact Richard or Wanda at AbleTech, Info@AbleTech.ca. For more info on the ZT Fusion app:

Fusion

Sky Mundell is working with it and will be available to teach people who need this tool. A special price exists for ZT users to upgrade for the time being, so if you’re interested contact your local vender like AbleTech.

6. Technology@Work:
Bruce asked if an iPhone can convert text to speech and speech to text? Tom indicated that further conversation can happen around this, and that he might access Technology@Work to request such a range of devices as an iPhone and compatible hearing aids to support his volunteer work with IDHH. It was recommended that he contact Wendy C at the Victoria DRC.

7. Additional Apps and Devices:
Brief discussions on the Fitbit, OrCam and BuzzClip took place. These items have either been demonstrated recently, or will be available in the spring for further trialing.

Tom mentioned a pair of shoes from India that will use Wayfinding technology to deliver information to the wearer through vibration to indicate whether the destination is on the left or right, or if obstacles are standing in the way.

8. Book Clubs:
On the third Thursday of each month the GVPL hosts an Audio Book Club, and the CCB hosts a teleconference Book Club on the forth Saturday of each month. For additional information call Karen at the Greater Victoria Public Library, or Albert for the CCB book club.

9. GTT/CCB Dues Are Due:
Someone offered up some Christmas cake, and Albert indicated that 2016 GTT/CCB membership dues are due. Please contact Albert or Tom if you haven’t yet paid your dues.

The next meeting of the GTT Victoria group will be on January 6, 2016 at the GVPL Community Room from 1:00 until 3:30 PM. The topic will be the Microsoft Ribbons and how to use them, and for the second hours bring your devices and questions for the group to assist with.

Respectfully submitted,

Albert Ruel, GTT West Coordinator

GTT Vancouver Summary Notes

November 18, 2015

Present: Shawn, Rosamunde, Carol, Fay, Louise, Pat, Albert, John, Peg, Mary, Clement, Matthew, Lilo

Clement and Matthew presented a variety of ways that Podcasts and both eBooks and Audiobooks can be accessed with iDevices:

iBooks App:
• iBooks can play both eText and audiobooks
• Some of the more popular places to get audiobooks are; iTunes, Audible.com, Publishing companies and directly through iBooks
• iBooks that you get from I-tunes might be from Amazon or many other places. eBooks will be read by Voice Over whereas audio books are read by a live narrator
• When you open iBooks you get 5 tabs along the bottom; My books, featured books, top charts, search, and purchased
• Once you purchase an audiobook it will show up in my library
• When you click on the title it will start reading the book where you stopped reading last time
• You can skip back 15 seconds by doing a one-finger double tap on the Back Button, or double tap and hold it and it will keep skipping back in 15 second segments providing beeps at each 15 second interval.
• The purchase tab is just for E-books, not for audiobooks
• eBooks are electronic files which are read by your screen reader or Voice Over. Audiobooks are a recording of somebody reading the book.
• In an iBook there will be a table of contents tab

The Sleep timer:
• Once you have selected the number of minutes in sleep timer the user must click the Done Button
The sleep timer can be engaged after a number of minutes or at the end of the current track/chapter

Gestures that work in iBooks:
A Two-finger double tap will pause and resume playing the audio book you’re listening to.
A two-finger single tap will pause and play an eBook you’re listening to

A two-finger swipe down will start reading from where you are in an eBook
If your phone rings while you are listening to music or any type of book a two finger double tap will answer the call, and the same gesture will hang it up again. When your phone starts to ring it will pause your book or music immediately, and it will resume playing as soon as the call is terminated.

The Audible App and Audible.com:
• You must purchase audio books over the internet on a computer or your iDevice
• Once your books are purchased you can open the audible app on your iDevice or the Audible app on a computer to access them
• Tapping the Refresh Button will update all your purchased books on your phone for you to download
• Rate and review – they will recommend other books that are similar to the ones you rate high
• Good Reads is an app that will recommend books
• Mark as finished allows you to search by unfinished books which will make your list shorter
• Once you start downloading a book you can start reading almost immediately
• You can set the sleep timer to turn your book off in a desired number of minutes
• You can change the number of seconds to skip back if you do fall asleep or lose your place in the book for some reason
• The Sleep timer can be found under the more Button
• Make sure you have selected device instead of cloud to ensure you are not using data to listen to your downloaded books.

Audio and Video Podcasts:
• A podcast is a radio show that you can listen to on demand
• Topics range from sports, assistive technology, life skills, religious info, schools, etc.
• You subscribe to a podcast to transfer files to your device – either audio or video
• Once subscribed to a podcast you will automatically receive the latest ones when you connect to WIFI
• Podcasts are free
• You can listen to your favourite internet radio program

Downcast is a good app for listening to podcasts and costs $3.49 on the App Store:
• Once you are in the downcast app you can search through the podcasts you have
• To add a podcast you select Add at the bottom of your screen
• To add a podcast manually you can enter the web address with the internet feed
• Top podcasts are the popular podcasts
• You can go to Search and type something like CBC; You’ll get a list of about 120 CBC podcasts
• Once you select a podcast it will give you options to add the podcast or subscribe
• You can adjust your settings to only download when you are on WIFI
• Look for other adjustable settings within the app
• You can set it only to download the last 5 or 10
• In downcast settings you can set it to only keep the last 5 podcasts you have listened to and it will automatically delete the rest.

Clement and Matthew recommended podcasts:
• AppleVis
• CoolBlindTech
• iFocus – Hadley School for the Blind
• Americas Test Kitchen
• Joe Rogan is a good comedy podcast

Next Meeting will be December 16 and we will not have a set topic planned. Plan to come and bring your technology questions and get some help and answers.

GTT Vancouver Summary Notes

October 21, 2015

Attendees: Clement, Matthew, Shaw, Lilo, Carol, Fay, Louise, Pat, John, Mary, Albert and Bruce.

iTunes on the PC for downloading music:
Matt started the presentation by outlining what iTunes is and what it can do.

• It is an audio and video player
• A means of downloading music, audio books and movies from the iTunes Store
• A means of organizing music into Playlists
• A means of uploading music and Playlists to iDevices
• Select the Radio Button you wish to work with using your Space Bar, IE, Music, Movies, TV Shows, Audio Books, iPhone Etc. and the screen will refresh to provide controls for those actions.
• Once the list of Music is found you can use your Arrow Buttons to locate the one you want and press the Enter Key to play it
• When playing music the Space Bar pauses and resumes playing
• Shift Tab to the Songs Button then pressing the Space Bar will allow the user to show lists of Songs, Albums, Artists Etc. Press the Enter Key then Tab back to the corresponding list
• For JAWS users the add-on program called Leasey helps make iTunes a far easier app to use
• The above assumes that your playable content is already saved on the computer’s hard drive
• When saving music to the iTunes Library it will attempt to organize it for you, and those preferences can be changed if you prefer something else
• To Search for songs, Tab to the Search Edit field then to Search Options and select whether to search for songs, albums or artists

Playlists:
• From all the music saved on the computer’s hard drive the user can select a shorter list of them into a Playlist for uploading to an iDevice
• Tab through the iTunes window to find the Playlist Radio Button and press the Space Bar
• Tab to New Playlist and press the Space Bar
• The user will be asked to name it
• Using the Edit Playlist to Add Songs isn’t a screen reader friendly way to add songs
• Tab to My Music Radio Button and press the Space Bar then Tab to find the list of songs
• Arrow to the song you wish to add then press the Applications Menu Key to find the Add to Playlist Submenu
• Right Arrow into the Submenu then Down Arrow to find the Playlist you wish to insert the song into
• The user can select several songs at once then follow the above steps to add them all at once to a Playlist
Note: It is recommended that you spend time playing with iTunes in order to familiarize yourself. It might be like visiting your friend’s house for the first time where you can’t know where everything is. Each time you visit you’ll become more and more familiar. Also, if you organize the music in folders you create it will become easier to use because the organization of it was of your doing.

Clement presented how to organize and synchronize music to the iPhone:
• Start by organizing the music on the computer into lists and folders you can easily work with
• Once songs are synced to your iDevice you can organize them in ways that work best for your usage, like albums, songs or artists
• In preferences on your iDevice you can choose to unsync songs which will only remove them from the iDevice and not the computer
• When you remove a song from iTunes it will ask if you wish to delete it, which if chosen will then remove it from the iDevice the next time it’s connected to the computer and synchronized
• Synchronizing means that if a song is purchased on the iDevice it will sync to the computer, and if purchased on the computer it will sync to the iDevice when connected. The same goes for the deletion of songs
• The iTunes account will be your central synchronizing point from which all iDevices signed into that account will exchange music, so that Playlists created in iTunes will upload to your iPad, iPod and iPhone when connected
• iCloud is another way to synchronize all iDevices, however it is independent of iTunes. A separate session could be done just on iCloud
• The iTunes interface can be decluttered by turning off things not being used like, Podcasts, Audio Books Etc.
• To download music from iTunes in the computer you will Tab to the iTunes Store and press the Space Bar
• Shift Tab to the Search Edit Field and search for a song, album or artist
• Once a search is done the listing will look like a web page, so Quick Navigation Keys like H for Headings can be used to explore the results
• To explore an album press the Enter Key on the album name link and the songs will be displayed in another web page
• Songs can be previewed, purchased individually or the entire album
• When searching for songs, the album information is also made available in the Search Results Table for previewing
• Once purchased all will be listed in the iTunes Library alphabetically by album, song or artist depending on how you have asked the computer to list them
• To synchronize the music to your iDevice you connect the device to the computer using a USB cable, then select the iDevice in the list of Radio Buttons in iTunes
• Once the iDevice is checked by using the Space Bar you can Tab through the list of controls to an icon labelled Sync and use the Space Bar to activate it
• The user can select to have all music synchronized, or only the items specifically chosen
• There are many controls in iTunes to be explored, so play with it to determine how you wish iTunes to synchronize with your iDevices

Other music playing apps for the computer are, Winamp, Foobar, Windows Media Player and Spotify.

Summary Notes
GTT Edmonton Meeting December 14,, 2015

The most recent meeting of the Get Together With Technology (GTT) Edmonton Chapter was held December 14 at 7pm at Ascension Lutheran Church 8405 83 Street in Edmonton.
40 people attended.

December Feature Topic – Aroga Technologies Exhibit
We thank Aroga, Canada’s premiere retailer of assistive technology, for a very extensive exhibit the likes of which we have not seen in Edmonton for many years. Thanks also to Aroga who treated us all with pizza. Participants met the local Edmonton rep from Aroga, Lisa Boone as well as Aroga’s Chief Operations Officer, Steve Barclay, who joined us from Vancouver. See the Resources section below for their contact details. Steve gave an overview of all the equipment and then participants browsed the technology to ask questions.

Exhibit Included in Part:
• Electronic magnification and OCR scanning systems: Davinci Pro, Prodigi Duo, Prodigi Connect, Pebble Mini, Pebble HD, Amigo HD, Acrobat 27”, Magnilink Student HD, and several hand-held electronic magnifiers.
• Electronic Braille: Braille Edge, Braille Sense, U2, U2 QWERTY, Braillenote Apex, Apex QWERTY, Brailliant, Braille Pen 12T, 6-Dot Brailler, Cyclone Embosser, Trident Embosser, and Phoenix Embosser.
• Digital Book Players: Victor Reader Stream, Victor Reader Stratus, HIMS Blaze EZ, Plextalk Pocket, Plextalk PTX1.
• Other: iGlass, Franklin Anybook.

Resources
• For more information about Aroga technology visit:
http://www.aroga.com/
General Enquiries: sales@aroga.com
Or Toll Free 1-800-561-6222

• Steve Barclay, Chief Operations Officer:
Toll Free 1-800-561-6222 ext. 1102
Email: Steve@aroga.com
• Lisa Boone, Edmonton based Assistive Technology Specialist:
Toll Free 1-800-561-6222
Email: lboone@aroga.com

• CNIB STEP Program
CNIB offers the Specialized Technical Equipment Program (STEP) which provides funding for CNIB clients to purchase assistive technology for home use. To learn more about the STEP program visit:
CNIB Alberta STEP Program
Or call CNIB in Edmonton at 780-488-4871 and ask to speak to someone about the STEP program.

Next Meeting (Monday January 11 at 7pm)
• We are hoping to have a representative from Edmonton Public Library join us to discuss the CELA library service available to print-disabled people including DAISY CD, DAISY download, and DAISY Direct to Player audio books as well as other library services. We will confirm this on the meeting agenda early in 2016.
• In breakout groups we can discuss any other topic you wish. Please bring your technology, your questions and answers.

Meeting Location and Logistics
• Ascension Lutheran Church 8405 – 83 Street NW, Edmonton.
• We meet in the basement hall.
• Enter the church from the back door. There is parking at the back and drop off space for taxis, DATS.
• Meetings are typically every second Monday of the month at 7pm.
Try to arrive between 6:45pm and 7:15pm after which the door will be locked. If you arrive late there is a door bell to the right of the outside door.
• If you have someone helping you your assistant is welcome to remain for the meeting.

GTT Edmonton Team
• Carrie Anton is visually impaired and is the accessibility specialist for Athabasca University.
• Gerry Chevalier is blind. He is retired from HumanWare where he worked as the Product Manager for the Victor Reader line of talking book players.
• Heather MacDonald is the specialist for CNIB career and employment services. She has a wealth of experience helping blind and visually impaired people with the challenges of finding employment.
• Russell Solowoniuk is blind and works with alternative formats and assistive technology at Grant MacEwan University.
• Lorne Webber is blind and is the accessibility specialist for Norquest College.

GTT Edmonton Overview
• GTT Edmonton is a chapter of the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB).
• There are GTT groups in Ottawa, Toronto, Kingston, Northern Ontario, Sydney, Edmonton, Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver, and more to come.
• There is also a national GTT monthly toll free teleconference.
• GTT Edmonton promotes a self-help learning experience by holding monthly meetings to assist participants with assistive technology.
• Each meeting will present a feature technology topic and general question and answer about any other technology.
• Small groups or one on one assistance is possible at the meetings.
• Participants are encouraged to come to each meeting even if they are not interested in the feature topic because questions on any technology are welcome. The more participants the better able we will be equipped with the talent and experience to help each other.
[End of Document]

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.

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.

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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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.

8. Albert reminded members that their annual membership fee of $10 is due by year-end.

9. 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 25^th 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

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

 

 

 

 

Summary Notes
GTT Edmonton Meeting November 9, 2015

The most recent meeting of the Get Together With Technology (GTT) Edmonton group was held November 9at 7pm at Ascension Lutheran Church 8405 83 Street
in Edmonton.
11 people attended.

November Feature Topic – Direct to Player Books
• Gerry demonstrated obtaining a Direct to Player book from CELA/CNIB Library on Victor Reader Stratus and Victor Reader Stream new generation players.
• Russell demonstrated listening to Direct to Player books using the iPhone popular Voice Dream Reader app.
• Lorne demonstrated the CNIB iPhone Direct to Player app which is free from the iTunes app store.
• Our guest, Mike Mcwilliams, demonstrated a new device called After Sight. It is a sensory substitution device. It consists of a web cam mounted on eye
glasses, a pocket-size computer processing unit, and headphones to listen to a generated soundscape. The camera takes pictures once per second and generates
positional sounds of varying tones in the headphones as an interpretation of the camera image. In addition to the sonification of images, the unit also
vibrates if there is an obstacle in front of you. The closer the object the more intense the vibration. It can detect obstacles up to 5 metres. Mike has
a limited number of devices available at no charge for testing or units can be purchased for $300. Testers are welcome. Mike’s contact information is in
the Resource section below. We thank Mike for his demonstration.

Direct to Player Books from CELA/CNIB
• Direct to Player compatible book players include Victor Reader Stream new generation, Victor Reader Stratus12M or Stratus4M, Plextalk PTX1, and Plextalk
Linio Pocket.
• The CNIB/CELA Direct to Player bookshelf resides on the cloud i.e., on the Internet. If you have a compatible Direct to Player device and it is connected
to the Internet then it will periodically check this cloud bookshelf and download books from it until it fills the memory of the player. When you finish
listening to the book simply press the “Return Book” key to free up memory on the player to download additional books.
• To place a book on the cloud bookshelf you can use a computer to find the book or simply have the CELA/CNIB Library computer choose books for you and
place them on the cloud bookshelf at specified times for example, 1 book per week. You can set up this automatic book selection by contacting CNIB/CELA
customer service.
• The process of converting from CDs to Direct to Player books is simple. Once you have a compatible player contact CNIB or CELA with the SSID and password
of your Wi-Fi router and your 6 digit library account number. The library will then create a setup file to configure your player and send you that file
via email attachment or SD card. Simply insert the SD card with the setup file to your player and it will be configured to receive books through the Internet.
No more CDs!

Resources
• The CELA Library web site is
http://www.celalibrary.ca/

• CELA toll free customer service number is 1-855-655-2273
• CNIB Library customer service is still available for existing CNIB Library clients. The toll free number is 1-800-268-8818
• You can learn more about Direct to Player service at:
CELA-CNIB Direct to Player

• For more information about the demonstrated sensory substitution device contact:
Mike Mcwilliams
Cell:403-488-1247
Email:
mike.mcwilliams@after-sight.com
Web:
http://www.after-sight.com

Next Meeting Agenda (Monday December 14, 7pm)
• We are pleased that
Aroga Technologies
has accepted our invitation to bring an exhibit of various assistive technologies to our December meeting. Aroga is Canada’s premiere assistive technology
retailer with 28 years of experience. In accordance with the holiday season, Aroga will also treat us with pizza! We hope to see you all in December to
learn about the latest in technology, meet the folks from Aroga, and enjoy the pizza. More information will be provided in the meeting agenda in early
December.
• In breakout groups we can discuss any other topic you wish. Please bring your technology, your questions and answers.

Meeting Location and Logistics
• Ascension Lutheran Church 8405 – 83 Street NW, Edmonton.
• We meet in the basement hall.
• Please enter the church from the back door only. There is parking at the back and drop off space for taxis, DATS.
• Meetings are typically every second Monday of the month at 7pm.
Try to arrive between 6:45pm and 7:15pm after which the door will be locked. If you arrive late there is a door bell to the right of the outside door.
• If you have someone helping you your assistant is welcome to remain for the meeting.

GTT Edmonton Team
• Gerry Chevalier is blind. He is retired from HumanWare where he worked as the Product Manager for the Victor Reader line of talking book players.
• Heather MacDonald is the specialist for CNIB career and employment services. She has a wealth of experience helping blind and visually impaired people
with the challenges of finding employment.
• Carrie Anton is visually impaired and is the accessibility specialist for Athabasca University.
• Russell Solowoniuk is blind and works with alternative formats and assistive technology at Grant MacEwan University.
• Lorne Weber is blind and is the accessibility specialist for Norquest College.

GTT Edmonton Overview
• GTT is sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB).
• There are GTT groups in Ottawa, Toronto, Kingston, Sydney, Edmonton, Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver, , and more to come.
• There is also a national GTT monthly toll free teleconference.
• GTT Edmonton promotes a self-help learning experience by holding monthly meetings to assist participants with assistive technology.
• Each meeting will present a feature technology topic and general question and answer about any other technology.
• Small groups or even one on one assistance is possible at the meetings.
• Participants are encouraged to come to each meeting even if they are not interested in the feature topic because questions on any technology are welcome.
The more participants the better able we will be equipped with the talent and experience to help each other.

26 Actually Useful Things You Can Do with Siri

http://www.howtogeek.com/229308/26-actually-useful-things-you-can-do-with-siri/

Siri is best known as Apple’s so-called digital personal assistant available on iOS devices like iPhone and iPad.

Some might think Siri is only good for looking stuff up, but it can actually do a great deal more. The thing about Siri is that can be hard to get used to, but once you do, it is incredibly useful. You can do a fairly wide array of tasks on your iOS device beyond simply looking something up. For example, you can have Siri create reminders, take notes, and set alarms. It can even make changes to system settings. Siri will also adapt to your personal language use and as you use it more and more, will tailor results individually to you.

Siri can easily be activated by holding down the home button on your iOS device until it beeps and the Siri interface appears. On iOS 9, Siri can also now be activated by saying “Hey Siri”, which is invaluable when you’re eating or driving or your iPhone is simply out of reach.

In this article, we want to go through and highlight some of the things that Siri can do. You might be surprised at how versatile and useful it is.

Searching for Things
We’ll just get it out of the way because we don’t want to be anti-climatic. Obviously, you can use Siri to search, and in fact that’s one of the things it does very well. That said, Siri will also use a variety of web services to pull data from other sources, so results are more useful than a simple list of websites you can visit.

As you’ll see in the following examples, if you want to find movie times, or know sport scores, then what you’ll see direct results rather than being shown websites you could visit to get more information.

Create Reminders
We all need to remember things, and Siri really shines when setting reminders. Simply say “remind me to …” and Siri will instantly add it to the Reminders app on your device.

If you have other iOS devices or a Mac, your reminders will be replicated to those as well, so no matter what Apple device you’re using, you can always access your reminders. Further, you can have Siri give you more specific timely reminders, for example, “Hey Siri, remind me to go to the gym at 3 PM.”

Additionally you can ask Siri to read you your to-do list, as well as location-oriented reminders like reminding you to perform an action when you leave the house, when you return home, or arrive at a certain place. If you have specific lists, you can tell Siri to add items to it like “add apples to my grocery list” or “add change oil to my to-do list.”

Create Events
Need to add something to your calendar? Siri can do that for you. Just tell Siri to create an event titled “such and such” at this time on this day and she’ll enter all that into your calendar for you.

Once Siri has the details nailed down, she’ll ask you to confirm or cancel. Once confirmed, the event will be replicated across all your devices so you don’t to repeat the effort on your Mac or iPad.

Want to do more? You can, such as moving meetings, rescheduling appointments, adding people to your meetings, and you can also ask about events, like what the rest of your day looks like, when you’re meeting with someone, and when your next appointment occurs.

Set Alarms
Setting alarms is really useful, particularly when you can use it in conjunction with “Hey Siri”.

Simply say something like “set an alarm for 8 AM” or “Hey Siri, wake me up at 6:30 AM” and it will turn the alarm on for that appointed time. You can also change alarms such as “change my 6:30 AM alarm to 7h:00 AM,” turn off all your alarms, or have Siri set an alarm to wake you after a certain duration, i.e. “wake me up in 45 minutes.”

Call People
This one is very useful when trying to operate your device hands-free. You can use Siri to call people by simply telling it who to call.

You can even have it call a person on speaker so you don’t have to look at the phone to turn it on. That way, if you are driving, your eyes never leave the road.

You can also call specific numbers, get your call history, see if you have any missed calls, redial the last number, check your voicemail, and much more.

FaceTime with Your Friends
No need to open FaceTime if you want to chat face-to-face with friends and family, simply ask Siri to do it for you.

You can specify whether you want to make a regular FaceTime call (with video) or a FaceTime call with only audio.

Turn on a Timer
Simple but effective, and also pretty cool when you’re trying to operate hands-free. Use Siri to create a timer so that if you’re cooking something and washing your hands, you don’t need to touch the phone.

Setting timers in this way is actually a lot easier than using the Clock app in our opinion. You can also have Siri stop, pause, resume, and so forth.

Find out What Time it is
You can ask Siri what time it is, either where you live, or somewhere more distant.

Sadly, you can only ask for the time one place at a time. If you try to ask what time it is in several places at once, it will only return a result for the first place you ask about.

Tell You What Song is Playing
While it’s true there are specific apps out there that can do this, simply being able to tell Siri to listen and identify a song is a pretty neat trick.

Results are provided by SHAZAM but Siri will make it a seamless experience.

Play Songs from Your Favorite Artist
You can ask Siri to play songs from your favorite musical artist, or to play songs similar to your favorite artist, or a specific song from your favorite artist, and so on.

If you don’t have any music from them on your iPhone or iPad, then Siri will offer to queue them up on an Apple Music station.

There’s quite a few other things you can have Siri do for you when it comes to music. You can ask it to play music by genre, play specific albums, and basic controls like play, pause, and skip, among many other things.

Make Reservations
If you want to make a reservation at your favorite restaurant, Siri can connect to OpenTable and do that for you.

Once Siri finds out if there’s any available reservations, you’ll be able to tap the time you want and reserve a table. Make sure that if your party includes more than two people that you specify how large it is.

Launch Applications
Hey, we get it, apps are awesome and you probably have a bazillion on your iPhone by now, but don’t you get tired of flipping through your screens to fine that one you only use occasionally?

No problem, just tell Siri to “open Dropbox” or “launch YouTube” and you’ll never have to scroll through your home screens again (unless you really want to).

You can also have Siri go and fetch apps from the app store, such as “download Twitter” or even have it search the app store for new apps, such as if you’re looking for a cooking or some other app.

Find and Read Emails
Don’t want to hunt for a particular email? Simply have Siri find it. You can have it search for email by subject, sender, date, and so forth.

Thereafter, once Siri finds the emails, you can have it read them to you, or you can just tap the one you want to open it in the Mail application.

Beyond this, you can ask Siri to perform other email-related tasks, such as asking it to check your email, replying to an email, and of course, sending new emails.

Perform Calculations
Why use a calculator when you can just ask Siri?

Of course, you don’t have to perform as complicated calculations as pictured above, but it’s nice to know you could if needed.

Perform Quick Conversions
Want to quickly know how many cups are in a gallon or miles per hour to kilometers per hour? Siri can perform quick conversions for you so you don’t have to look it up.

Next time you’re struggling mightily to convert tablespoons to teaspoons, remember Siri can help you out with that.

Check Dates
Siri can do a lot of cool stuff with dates as well, such as telling you what day of the week something is, how many days have elapsed between two dates, what day next Friday will be, and more.

You can play around with this and get a lot of useful information, but if you don’t want a shock, it might be better not to ask Siri how many days ago
you were born!

Change Settings
This one is very useful because changing settings can sometimes be a little tedious. With Siri, you can just ask it to turn off something like Wi-Fi, or turn on Bluetooth.

It’s a great little extra perk, and we’re glad that Apple finally added this to iOS.

Access App Settings
If you have an app open on your iPhone or iPad, you can quickly access that app’s settings by opening Siri and saying “Settings”.

We like this particular trick because it’s so much faster than accessing an app’s settings the traditional way. Also, you don’t have to have the actual app open, you can ask Siri to open that app’s settings by saying “open [app] settings”.

Mapping
Mapping things is one of the most useful things a smartphone can do and luckily Siri makes it even more useful. You can ask Siri to show you how to get from point A to point B, or simply how far away a destination is.

You can do much more of course; you can ask Siri to give you directions home, ask what your ETA is, find the nearest gas station, show you landmarks, and tons of other stuff.

Because Apple Maps has gotten progressively better since it’s haphazard launch several years ago, you may not even need Google, meaning that you can have Siri route you around the country to your heart’s content.

Take Notes
Got a winning idea for the next great American novel, or something occurred to you that you really want to remember? Don’t leave it to your memory, have Siri note it for you.

It’s simple just to ask Siri to take a note, and like reminders and events, it will be synced to iCloud so it will be available across all your devices.

Send Text Messages
Siri really shows her personal assistant chops when it comes to text messages. Ask Siri to “send a text message” to so-and-so, and it will ask you what you want it to say.

Once, Siri has your message ready, you can tell it to send it to the recipient or just cancel.

If you simply want to dictate a message to send, you can just tell Siri to text someone with the message content. For example, “text Mom and tell her I’ll be home for Christmas” or “reply to Kirk that’s fantastic news.”

Read Text Messages
Texting and driving is a huge no-no, which is why you should just have Siri help you out with that. For example, in addition to being able to dictate and send text messages, you can also have it read them to you.

Of course, if someone sends you something personal, it’s probably best not to have Siri read it aloud in front of others, but if you’re in the car driving, and someone sends you a message, you won’t have to pull over to read it, instead you can have it read to you.

Once Siri has read you your new text message, you can have it reply or simply call the sender.

Follow Sports
For those of you who love and follow sports, you can have Siri keep you abreast of what is going on with your favorite (or not so favorite) teams.

You can ask when a team is playing, who they play, or what the score was. Siri can also give you other information such as standings and information about specific teams, as well as what games are on, what channel your favorite team is on, and much, much more.

See Where and When Movies are Playing
Want to go see the latest Hollywood blockbuster but don’t want to play movie roulette? Ask Siri to show you where something is playing nearby.

Being able to just ask Siri where a movie is playing will prove to be a terrific timesaver. Furthermore, the fun doesn’t end there, you can also ask Siri about who starred in a movie, find out which types of movies are playing, what’s playing at a specific theater, and so on.

Give Yourself a Nickname
If you don’t want Siri to refer to you by your name, you can tell it to call you by another.

Of course, if you don’t like the new nickname, or you want a different one, you can change it at anytime by simply asking Siri to call you something else.

Just Ask About What You Can Ask About
If you want to know more, and dig further into all of Siri’s powers, simply activate it say, “what can I ask you?”

Siri will give you a long list of categories, and when you tap on each one, it will give you further examples of all the things you can do with it.

Say Goodbye
Finally, when you’re finished using Siri, you can make it go away by saying something dismissive like “bye” or “see you later.”

Being able to do so much with Siri means that it’s far more likely to become a more routinely used feature instead of an occasional tool for looking stuff up. The ability to set reminders or read text messages gives you powers that you might never thought available to you.

Beyond this, if you want to change Siri’s gender or accent, or have it respond to your voice, then you can do that too.

Summary Notes
GTT Victoria October 7 meeting

The GTT Victoria CCB Chapter met on Wednesday, October 7, 1:00 to 3:30 PM in the community room of Victoria Central Public Library at 735 Broughton Street. There were about a dozen people in attendance, some arrived late, or during the break, so the exact number was not determined.

1. Technology@Work
The first presentation was given by Wendy Cox from the BC Technology@Work program, in conjunction with the Neil Squire Society and Victoria Disability Resource Centre.

Wendy explained that this program is similar to the EATI program with which many are familiar. The differences are: it is tighter in terms of eligibility; there is a cost share requested of employers as well as participants. In addition, there is no income reporting requirement for eligibility.

Basic eligibility requirements are:
• To be 16 years of age or older;
• Must have a disability;
• Must be either working, be verifiably going to work, or starting a verifiable volunteer position within the next few months; and,
• Equipment provided must remove a workplace-related barrier or barrier with work-related safe travel.

Provincial and Federal Government employees are not eligible.

Another priority of Technology@Work is to raise awareness and create opportunity around employment possibilities for people with disabilities. It also works individually with participants to help them develop a whole range of job readiness skills.

The website is http://www.neilsquire.ca/bctechatwork/
You can sign up by completing a paper form, available from the Victoria Disability Resource Centre at 817 Fort Street, or an online version available from the above website link. If you have trouble, you can request assistance by phone at 250-595-0044, or check http://www.drcvictoria.com

2. GTT Update
Albert Ruel, GTT Coordinator for Western Canada, provided an update on GTT activities being carried out around the country. He started by letting us know that the Victoria chapter now has 12 paid members, with three more added at this meeting, and that memberships for 2016 are due in December. He then explained that this GTT group has become a chapter of the Canadian Council of the Blind. GTT originally started in Ottawa, providing blind and visually impaired people with the opportunity to form peer support groups where members could inform each other about training and technology-related experiences.

GTT is trying to diversify itself around the country in ways that match the interests of its members – curling clubs, book clubs, etc. The most recent group formed on September 23, in conjunction with the Blind Beginnings group in Vancouver, as a continuation for young people who have now finished with the Blind Beginnings program. There were 15 people in attendance, and it was a very good session. See the GTT program blog https://gttprogram.wordpress.com for more details, including information about GTT startups in Edmonton, Toronto, Kingston and Sydney, Nova Scotia.

There is a monthly national GTT teleconference in which anyone may participate. Each month features a technology-related presentation and discussion.

Albert also wanted everyone to know about the next Vocal Eye presentation to take place for the 2pm matinee at the Belfry Theater on November 8, entitled “The Leonard Cohen Story”.

3. BC Transit
Trekker Breezes installed on BC Transit buses announce cross-streets and not bus stops. The BC Transit Facebook page contains a number of postings from sighted people complaining about this inadequacy.

Tom clarified that GTT should remain focused on peer support related to effective use of technology, and that the political process to improve the transit situation should be managed by an organization such as Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians (AEBC). Anyone interested in re-establishing an AEBC chapter in Victoria may contact Tom Dekker or Susan Gallagher.

4. Technology – Podcasts
The technology feature for this meeting was a presentation and discussion about podcasts. What is a podcast, why podcasts are important, and how one accesses them. Tom explained that a podcast is essentially an audio recording that can be made available via the internet. Many blind people now produce instructional podcasts about all kinds of assistive technology and can thus be a great source of peer support.

In regard to accessing podcasts, Tom demonstrated a Windows podcast management program called Q-Cast, produced by Accessible Apps, a company owned and operated by two blind programmers. Traditionally, Windows-based podcast management apps have not been particularly screen-reader friendly, but this one is very easy to use, while still offering all features related to podcast management. If you can find the arrow keys, the alt, tab, and enter keys, you can easily learn any app produced by this company. The help documentation is also fully accessible and very clearly written.

The company also produces an excellent app for reading documents and E-books called Q-Read, a news reader called Q-Feed and a Twitter client called Chicken Nugget. Free 30-day trials are available. Find out more at http://www.q-continuum.net

Two sources of great peer support podcast producers include:
CoolBlindTech – http://www.coolblindtech.com and
AppleVis – http://www.applevis.com

Of course, there are thousands of podcasts on all kinds of topics, but Q-Cast makes it very easy to search for and subscribe to podcasts of interest. Almost any informational radio programs are now available as podcasts, especially from networks like CBC, BBC and NPR. Contact us if you wish to have more information.

The next meeting of the GTT Victoria group will be on Wednesday, November 4, 2015 at the Greater Victoria Public Library in the community room, 735 Broughton Street from 1:00 to 3:30 PM.

Submitted on October 23, 2015 by:
Tom Dekker, GTT Victoria Coordinator
T: 250-661-9799
E: Me@TomDekker.ca

Summary Notes
GTT Edmonton Meeting October 19, 2015

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

October Feature Topic – Talking Books
• Gerry summarized the various kinds of talking books available such as DAISY, EPUB, e-text and the sources where you can find them, CELA/CNIB, Bookshare, Audible.com, Amazon Kindle, and Apple iBooks being among the most popular.
• Gerry also commented on how the new national nonprofit organization called CELA started operating in April 2014. CELA is run by public libraries. There are over 600 member libraries across Canada including all Alberta public libraries.
• CELA Mission: To support public libraries in the provision of accessible collections for Canadians with print disabilities and to champion the fundamental right of Canadians with print disabilities to access media and reading materials in the format of their choice, including audio, braille, e-text and described video.
• CELA has contracted CNIB Library to provide books in the form of audio and braille.
• This means you can now access your library books from your local Alberta library just like any other Albertan and that access includes the entire CNIB collection plus any other accessible materials provided by the public library.
• The CELA library search and download pages are identical to the CNIB Library web site and your login credentials for CELA are the same as CNIB.
• Existing CNIB Library clients can continue to use CNIB Library web site if they wish.
• New users who want access to CNIB talking books or braille books will now register through their local public library.
• As a CELA or CNIB Library client you are entitled to download the e-text DAISY books from Bookshare.org. Visit the CELA/CNIB web site or ask your library customer service to sign you up for Bookshare.
• Bob Logue demonstrated the Edmonton Public Library and Overdrive iPhone apps. These apps allow access to recorded books and e-text books that are separate and apart from the CELA public library books. Bob commented and demonstrated that navigating these apps is rather complex and has accessibility challenges when compared with the fully accessible web site interface to the CELA/CNIB library service.
• Lorne circulated various talking book players including Victor Reader Stream, Plextalk Pocket, Plextalk Linio, and HIMS Booksense.

Direct to Player Books from CELA/CNIB
• The CELA Library or (CNIB library for existing clients) Direct to Player service was explained.
• If you have a talking book player capable of playing Direct to Player books then you no longer need to wait for CDs to be delivered in the mail. If you have a wireless Internet connection in your home and configure your DAISY player to connect to your home Internet then your CELA/CNIB library books will be delivered directly to your talking book player without the need to use a computer.
• The process of converting from CDs to Direct to Player books is simple. Once you have a compatible player contact CNIB or CELA with the SSID and password of your Wi-Fi router. The library will then create a setup file to configure your player and send you that file via email attachment or SD card. Simply insert the SD card with the setup file to your player and it will be configured to receive books. No more CDs!
• Direct to Player compatible devices include Victor Reader Stream new generation, Victor Reader Stratus12M or Stratus4M, Plextalk PTX1, and Plextalk Linio Pocket.

Resources
• The CELA Library web site is
http://www.celalibrary.ca/

• CELA toll free customer service number is 1-855-655-2273
• CNIB Library customer service is still available for existing CNIB Library clients. The toll free number is 1-800-268-8818
• You can learn more about registering for Bookshare at:
Get Access to Bookshare From CELA

• You can learn more about Direct to Player service at:
CELA-CNIB Direct to Player

Next Meeting Agenda (Monday November 9, 7pm)
• We will focus on talking book players including Victor Reader Stream/Stratus, Plextalk Linio Pocket, and the iPhone Direct to Player app provided by CELA.
• Bring your DAISY player to learn how to better use it.
• If time permits we will show how to search for books on the CELA/CNIB web site and send these books directly to your player.
• In breakout groups we can discuss any other topic you wish. Please bring your technology, your questions and answers.

Meeting Location and Logistics
• Ascension Lutheran Church 8405 – 83 Street NW, Edmonton.
• We meet in the basement hall.
• Please enter the church from the back door only. There is parking at the back and drop off space for taxis, DATS.
• Meetings are typically every second Monday of the month at 7pm.
Try to arrive between 6:45pm and 7:15pm after which the door will be locked. If you arrive late there is a door bell to the right of the outside door.
• If you have someone helping you your assistant is welcome to remain for the meeting.
GTT Edmonton Team
• Gerry Chevalier is blind. He is retired from HumanWare where he worked as the Product Manager for the Victor Reader line of talking book players.
• Heather MacDonald is the specialist for CNIB career and employment services. She has a wealth of experience helping blind and visually impaired people with the challenges of finding employment.
• Carrie Anton is visually impaired and is the accessibility specialist for Athabasca University.
• Russell Solowoniuk is blind and works with alternative formats and assistive technology at Grant MacEwan University.
• Lorne Weber is blind and is the accessibility specialist for Norquest College.

GTT Edmonton Overview
• GTT is sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB).
• CCB now has GTT chapters in Ottawa, Victoria, Nanaimo, Edmonton, Vancouver, Toronto, and more to come.
• There is also a national GTT monthly teleconference.
• GTT Edmonton promotes a self-help learning experience by holding monthly meetings to assist participants with assistive technology.
• Each meeting will present a feature technology topic and general question and answer about any other technology.
• Small groups or even one on one assistance is possible at the meetings.
• Participants are encouraged to come to each meeting even if they are not interested in the feature topic because questions on any technology are welcome. The more participants the better able we will be equipped with the talent and experience to help each other.
• Participants decide what the feature topic will be for the next meeting.

[End of Document]

The Scotiabank Giller Prize Shortlist Available in Accessible Formats
 NNELS logo Scotiabank Giller Prize logo           
Congratulations to the five shortlist finalists of the Scotiabank Giller Prize! Thanks to the support of The Scotiabank Giller Prize, we are excited to announce the shortlisted titles are available in accessible formats to readers with print disabilities through the National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS), on the same day that they are announced across the country.
“We are proud to support NNELS in their efforts to bring these outstanding authors to a wider audience, particularly those without access to traditional published books,” said Elana Rabinovitch, Executive Director of The Scotiabank Giller Prize. While approximately 10% of Canadians cannot read standard books due to print disabilities related to vision, mobility, or cognitive impairments, less than 5% of printed material is available in accessible formats. “We share a commitment to reading excellent Canadian writing, no matter the format,” said Ben Hyman, Executive Director of the BC Libraries Cooperative, on behalf of NNELS.
The shortlist titles appear below, and are also available through the NNELS Giller Prize 2015 collection. Can you predict which author will win this year’s prize? Find out on November 10th!
About the Scotiabank Giller Prize
The Scotiabank Giller Prize strives to highlight the very best in Canadian fiction year after year. The prize awards $100,000 annually to the author of the best Canadian novel or short story collection published in English and $10,000 to each of the finalists. The award is named in honour of the late literary journalist Doris Giller and was founded in 1994 by her husband, Toronto businessman Jack Rabinovitch. Visit us at http://www.scotiabankgillerprize.ca
About the National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS)
NNELS is a digital public library of downloadable titles for people in Canada with perceptual disabilities. It is also a growing network of provincial and territorial governments, readers, community and advocacy organizations, librarians, publishers, and accessible format producers from across the country, all working together to increase access to Canadian libraries’ collections of print material. NNELS is funded and supported by the provincial governments of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon. Please visit nnels.ca for more information.
Media Inquiries:
Michelle Kadarusman, Scotiabank Giller Prize

michelle@scotiabankgillerprize.ca

T – 647 897 6017
Ben Hyman, BC Libraries Cooperative (on behalf of NNELS)

Ben.hyman@bc.libraries.coop

T – 1 855 383 5761 Extension 1001
The Scotiabank Giller Prize Shortlist Titles, 2015
Arvida, by Samuel Archibald
Fifteen Dogs, by André Alexis 
Outline, by Rachel Cusk (Please note: this title is available commercially. Please check your local library’s collection for the audiobook or ebook. If you have any issues with getting this title in a format that is accessible to you, please contact support@nnels.ca)
Daydreams of Angels, by Heather O’Neill
Martin John: a Footnote to Malarky, by Anakana Schofield
 
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National Network for Equitable Library Service

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Phone: 1-888-848-9250 

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