Category: Peer Mentoring

GTT Calgary Summary Notes, iDevice Radio Apps, February 27, 2017

GTT Calgary

Summary Notes
Feb 27, 2017

We had 9 people in attendance.
Side notes:

There was mention of something called vocal eyes. According to what information we have, the service is available in the U.S. and Canada, and if you let them know you need sighted assistance at an event such as a movie, sports event, ETC. they will provide it.

*Note: Ted, VocalEye is located in Vancouver and more can be found here:
http://www.vocaleye.ca/

RADIO aps:

 The first ap covered is Tune-in radio. This ap has been a favorite for years. You can browse local stations, search stations for content, and find content from around the world. There is both a free and a paid version of this ap available.
 The next ap covered is Sero. This is the ap that use to be iBlink radio. Blain gave a brief demonstration of the Sero ap.
 Ventage radio is next. This is one of my favorites. CHERRYL briefly showed how the ap workthe. This ap will let you listen to or download old time radio shows.
 The next one covered is OOTUNES radio. This also features an alarm clock, sleep timer, recording functions, including recording scheduling. This is the same service that brings you your radio service on your victor streme. Cherryl briefly showed the layout and some of the features of the ap.
 The last ap covered today was iHeart radio. This ap is a resource for George Naurie who we are fans of. This ap had lots of unlabled buttons but could be delt with if you are willing to work with it, you can find results. You can also search for stations or content by name.
 We also informed people about VIA which is an iphone ap that lists aps for blind and low vision people. This ap lists hundreds of aps to choose from for their iPhones.

Next Meeting Topics:
for the next meeting: Downloading, copying and pasting on the iPhone.
The question of a new day for GTT:
New time and day March 22 at 1:00 P.M. until 3:00 P.M.

Thank you all for your attention
Ted Phillips
GTT Coordinator
CCB Calgary Club

GTT Victoria Summary Notes, How Do You Access The News, March 1, 2017

Get together with Technology (GTT) Victoria

A Chapter of the Canadian Council of the Blind

Summary Notes
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
GVPL Main branch, Community Meeting Room

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

Attendance: Kara, Bruce, Doug, Trever, Karen, Sky, Debra, Brent, Marion, Godwin, Barb S, Joan, Tom, Barbra A, Albert, Corry.

First Hour:
Albert welcomed everyone to the meeting, Nice to see three new faces out this meeting, a special welcome Debra, Goodwin and Barb S.

The meeting started with some discussion about an app that had been seen on the BBC news service similar to the BeMyEyes app. Various apps were discussed and the pros and cons of such apps. The liability involved in having someone identify potentially dangerous situations (like street crossing signals) was discussed. Albert mentioned that Kim had spoken about a new color detector app, being developed at Carlton, that might be available soon.

From there the discussion turned to some description about products that were available for loan from the library. Karen informed the group that tablets were available and that a 30 minute training session was also available to be booked. More training could be booked if the initial session did not suffice. Meeting participants had questions about what was on the tablets and the process involved in reading books on the loaned equipment.

Internet and email security were discussed and the importance of remembering your pass codes and access codes was communicated to all. Often, on sites like FaceBook and even on iDevices, access can not be obtained without this valuable information. Make a point of remembering your codes, Super important. There are smart phone and computer apps and programs available to help you remember like Password Vault and SplashID.

repurposing equipment was discussed. Bruce mentioned that iPhones were often available at Government Surplus. Deb expressed in interest in obtaining a used tablet and or phone. Albert will look into the matter. it was also noted that a original Victor Stream was required and requested by Barb A and Bruce was interested in a repurposed phone. Regarding the latter, Albert mentioned that the Lions of Victoria have a program that helps put an iPhone into the hands of blind and vision impaired users, More information at the Pacific Training Centre for the Blind.

Quick notes, SSD’s were discussed, is there a need to defrag, Sky will test…CELA is testing a new direct to player app, more details to come…CD with MP3 files are still available from the library…KNFB app, still one of the best, but also pricy, the app and what it does was discussed……The bookShare program was discussed.

remember the email address for this group is GTT.Victoria@Gmail.com

Second Hour:
After a break the main meeting topic was discussed, that being NEWS. Where do you get your news, and how has the process evolved over the years based on technology advancements. Facebook and Twitter and other social media outlets were identified as sources, with the cautionary note that all news is not true. Fake news and the attention it has garnered recently was talked about, and how you can best judge it accuracy. The library of congress and the inability of Canadians to access this extensive resource was discussed. Albert mentioned the Newspapers that were available via CELA. How to source news via a web search was discussed.

Before closing the question of when we should hold meeting was raised. Should we attempt an evening meeting? Should we meet more or less then once a month? The consensus was to continue to meet once a month in the daytime.

The meeting was adjourned at 2:50

Next meeting Wednesday April 5, 2017

Meeting notes submitted by Corry Stuive

GTT Edmonton Summary Notes, CSUN Report, Educational Materials, and Training, March 13, 2017

Summary Notes
GTT Edmonton Meeting March 13, 2017

The most recent meeting of the Get Together with Technology (GTT) Edmonton Chapter was held March 13 at 7pm at Ascension Lutheran Church 8405 83 Street in Edmonton.
12 people attended.

March Topics – CSUN Report, Educational Materials, and Training
California State University at Northridge (CSUN) Conference Report
A new GTT member Stu Starkey returned from last week’s CSUN Assistive Technology conference in San Diego California and gave us a rundown on some of the hot products and new technologies he had a chance to see.
OrCam
OrCam Technologies presents the world’s most advanced wearable assistive technology device for people who are blind, visually impaired, or have a reading or other disabilities. OrCam MyEye instantly and discreetly communicates visual information by utilizing a small, intuitive smart camera mounted on the wearer’s eyeglass frame. The breakthrough artificial vision device reads any printed text – from any surface – recognizes faces and identifies products
and money notes. OrCam gives independence.
Website: http://www.orcam.comm

Aira – Visual Interpreter for the Blind
Aira offers an innovative, on-demand service designed to help blind and low-vision users gain mobility and independence via live streaming and wearable technologies. It provides personalized assistance from orientation and mobility experts who can be trained Aira Agents, family members, or friends. Our experts, backed by state-of-the art technology, serve as visual interpreters and navigators for our users, helping them accomplish a wide range of daily tasks and activities.
Website: https:// aira.io/

Second Sight Medical Products
Second Sight Medical Products is the developer and manufacturer of the Argus II® Retinal Prosthesis System – the first and only approved long-term therapy for people living with advanced Retinitis Pigmentosa in the U.S. Argus II is designed to restore some level of vision to people who are profoundly blind and provide them with increases in orientation and mobility skills and is intended to increase their independence and quality of life by restoring their
ability to see objects and motion.
website: http://www.secondsight.com
Video describing one person’s experience with the Argus II https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhYe6REdljw

Orion I
For those who are not suitable candidates for the Argus II, Second Sight has developed a new product called the Orion I. it is described as a wireless Visual Cortical Prosthesis. instead of implanting electrodes on the Retina, this bypasses the optic nerve and directly stimulates the brain’s visual cortex. Here is their press release from their recent successful proof of concept clinical trial:
http://investors.secondsight.com/releasedetail.cfm?releaseid=995211

More About CSUN 2017
most of the above descriptions are taken from the CSUN website, you can find much more information about these, as well as all the products and sessions at their website:
https://www.csun.edu/cod/conference/2017/rebooking/index.php/public/exhibitors/index/page:3

Educational Materials for our Chapter
We thank the Edmonton Blind Curling Club who have generously provided us a grant for training purposes. We used some of the grant to purchase a total of 29 audio tutorials and e-textbooks. These materials have been distributed via download links. The 6 most popular choices were:
• 4 x Mystic Access audio tutorial for Google Suite of products
• 4 x NV Access Basic audio tutorial for NVDA
• 3 x Mystic Access audio tutorial for Victor Reader Stream
• 3 x Access Technology Institute Word 2016 with JAWS textbook
• 3 x Access Technology Institute Excel 2016 with JAWS textbook
• 3 x National Braille Press Getting Started with the iPhone and iOS 10 text book

One-On-One Training
• The donation from the Edmonton Blind Curling Club also allowed us to provide another training session at the Norquest computer lab on March 2. Two people had basic training on Zoomtext and 3 others on JAWS. We are delighted that the 3 JAWS trainees were junior high students!
• At the March 13 meeting, we also provided basic Victor Reader Stream training to two people.

Next Meeting (Monday April 10 at 7pm)
• As usual, we will provide one-on-one training especially iPhone and DAISY players. If you have other training requests email your interests to us so we can try to accommodate you.
• As always, for help with technology bring your devices and/or questions to the meeting.

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

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

GTT New Westminster and Vancouver Summary Notes, Making TV Accessible, February 15 and March 4, 2017

Get Together with Technology (GTT)
New Westminster and Vancouver Meetings

Sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind in partnership with Blind Beginnings

Summary Notes
Feb. 15 and March 4, 2017

Making TV Accessible

Feb 15 in New Westminster:
Present: Albert, Matthew, Ryan, Fay, Carol, John, Bill, Karim, Pat.
March 4 in Vancouver:
Present: Sean H, Ryan, Monty, Rita, Betty, Maria, John

Starting out with TV in general:
• Antenna or cable was the traditional way, but now you can access TV over digital, the internet, or satellite.
• IP TV is internet protocol television.
• Something like YouTube or Netflics uses an application to stream video from the internet.
• IP TV is similar in that it uses an app to access a server that broadcasts traditional live TV channels (CTV, CBC, Global, etc.).
• You need to subscribe to the service, and get some hardware like ChromeCast, Apple TV or the xBox.

How accessible is it:

• AE-BC internet corp is the only one Monty knows of, in terms of IP TV provider
• The are an internet service provider.
• They buy their bandwidth in bulk from bigger companies, so you are using the same infrastructure, but when you phone up customer service, you are talking to AE-BC.
• Internet plans are potentially cheaper, unlimited downloads as well.
• So you need the internet to have IP TV service.

So how do we watch it:

• They can sell you an Android cypher bar, which is a small Android box that plugs into the wall, and into your tv through HDMI, and it has USB inputs and a couple different audio outputs.
• It is about six inches by two inches, almost the size of a small braille display.
• Last year that box was the main option, it cost 200 dollars, and you had to buy it.
• Monty found that he could use talkback, the android accessible screen reader that is built in to the box.
• It did not work one hundred percent, but it was a partially talking set top box.
• The iPhone app was not 100 percent accessible either, but Monty was able to move up and down the navigation menu and choose the channel he was looking for, and he was able to toggle descriptive video on and off (however, the descriptive video was not working on shows he knew it was available on), so that was one drawback. He was also not able to get descriptive video on the iOS app.
• So you get the basic 40 local channels for free, and they allow you to bundle extra channels just like shaw and Telus.
• So that concludes the description of live TV over the internet.
• Participants gave information on Shaw Free Range TV, which is a similar internet TV service that is offered to shaw customers.

Moving on to Apple TV:

• It is a box you hook up to your TV with Voiceover – you can use Netflicks, Show Me, Crave TV, – has its own App store.
• Apple TV can only get info from the Internet – not from your regular cable TV. All cable TV menus are still not accessible.
• There is a device you can use to connect the Apple TV to your stereo to allow you to access the audio of the Apple TV programming.
• Google also makes the ChromeCast – is cheaper and everything is done through your smart phone.
• Shaw cable is starting to offer the ChromeCasts service in the Vancouver and Calgary areas, and are planning to go nationwide with it soon.
• Siri is available on the new Apple TV as well.
• You can ask Siri to go find a movie on NetFlics or iTunes or a song on YouTube.
• You can set triple click to turn off and on Voiceover on the Apple TV.
• You can turn on audio description so that any program you play that has audio-description will play automatically.
• You can use a Bluetooth keyboard instead of the apple TV remote.
• Price ranges from $150 – $250 depending on the amount of storage you want, 32, 64 or 128 GB.

Microsoft Xbox:

• Xbox also allows you to use Narrator to access Netflicks etc.

Tutorial Podcasts:

• Podcast providers like CoolBlindTech.com and David Woodbridge offer many opportunities to learn about the many apps and devices available.

Tell Me More TV:

• Another subscription service that is currently available is Tell Me More – everything is in described TV – like AMI for $7 per month – watch on Internet. They are working on an app
• Use the PromoCode Tellmemore17 and you’ll get $25 percent off

Topic for the next New Westminster meeting, March 15 will be GPS:

• We will play a podcast on Nearby Explorer.

The topic for April Vancouver and New Westminster meetings:

• Dropbox will be the focus, both a lecture component and then a hands on signing up for and installing Dropbox component. Bring your laptop computer or smart phone so you can receive the support you need.

Resource Article: Dictation Commands for Mac OS X & iOS

Dictation Commands for Mac OS X & iOS

Find the text of Dictation Commands for Mac OS X & iOS here:

Additional resources titled, 60+ dictation commands available on your iPhone or iPad by Matt Hopkins:

And finally, follow this additional link to a YouTube video titled, Dictation on the iPad with VoiceOver:

Dictation is a feature of iOS and Mac OS X that lets you speak as you normally would, transforming your speech magically into text. It’s impressively accurate, letting you easily crank out notes, emails, diary entries, or just about anything else with it just by talking. To really get the most out of Dictation though you will want to learn a few extra commands, they will help with things like punctuation, creating paragraphs, jumping to new lines, and setting capitalization.

These commands will work in both OS X and iOS, so long as the Mac, iPad, or iPhone supports Dictation and has the featured turned on (here’s how to enable it in OS X and how to enable it for iOS, though it’s almost always turned on by default in the latest versions of both.)

List of Dictation Commands for iOS & Mac OS X

These are to be spoken when Dictation is active:

• “All Caps” to capitalize all of only the next word (e.g. START)
• “Caps” to capitalize the next word (e.g. Start)
• “Upper Case [letter]” for making a spelling out acronyms (e.g. SAT)
• “Caps On” to turn on caps lock
• “Caps Off” to turn off caps lock
• “No Caps” to use no capitals with the word
• “Numeral [number]” to type the number rather than word
• “New Paragraph” to create a new paragraph
• “New Line” to insert and start a new line
• “No Space” to prevent a space from being between the next word
• “No Space On” to turn off all spaces in the next sequence of words (helpful for passwords)
• “No Space Off” to resume normal spacing between words

Adding things like periods and commas can be done automatically by pausing in speech, or, usually more accurately, by just simply saying aloud the punctuation needed.

Here’s an example of how to use Dictation to write a quick message that looks as if it was typed normally:

“Hey Homer [comma] [new line]
What time do you want to see a movie I think the [numeral 5] showing is the [all caps] best [period] [new line]
Toodles [comma] Bart”

That would come out looking like this:

“Hey Homer,
What time do you want to see a movie? I think the 5 showing is the BEST.
Toodles, Bart”

There are a lot of other punctuation and special commands available, and even though most are common sense, you can find the full list below for convenience.

Punctuation & Special Character Commands for Dictation in Mac OS X & iOS

Most of the punctuation commands are common sense, but here’s the full list of possibilities from Apple:

table with 2 columns and 45 rows
Command
Result
question mark
?
inverted question mark
¿
exclamation point
!
hyphen
–
dash
–
em dash
—
underscore
_
comma
,
open parenthesis
(
close parenthesis
)
open square bracket
[
close square bracket
]
open brace
{
close brace
}
semi colon
;
ellipsis
…
quote
“
end-quote
”
back quote
“
single quote
‘
end single quote
’
double-quote
“
apostrophe
‘
colon
:
slash
/
back slash
\
tilde
~
ampersand
&
percent sign
%
copyright sign
©
registered sign
®
section sign
§
dollar sign
$
cent sign
¢
degree sign
º
caret
^
at sign
@
Pound sterling sign
£
Yen sign
¥
Euro sign
€
pound sign
#
smiley face (or “smiley”)
🙂
frowny face (or “sad face”, “frown”)
😦
winky face (or “winky”)
😉
table end

Many other commands were mentioned on the web page, so follow the link at the top of this document to access those comments.

Resource Article: VIA Rail and the Wallet App on iDevices

VIA Rail Tickets and the Wallet App:

Note: The below steps assume that a VIA Rail profile has been registered on their Web Site.

1. On your iDevice install the VIARail App from the App Store. It’s free.
2. In the VIARail App log in using your user name and password, which then will display your purchased tickets on the main page.
3. At the bottom of the page is a button called, Boarding Pass, double tap on it.
4. Near the top of the page will be a button called, Add to Wallet. Do that for each ticket you have purchased. In my case I had two tickets, my sighted guide’s and mine.
5. Open the Wallet App to confirm that your tickets are listed. If you have more than one ticket they will be stacked under the same item in the list. Double tap on it and near the bottom you will find a number picker that you will flick in order to show the second, or subsequent tickets. This might well be where you’ll find the bar code that the Ticket Agent will need to see when you board the train.
6. To remove the ticket once the event/trip has passed, double tap on the ticket in the Wallet App, then double tap on the More Info button at the bottom of the page, then scroll through the page to find the Remove Button. It will ask you to confirm that you want to remove it. Each ticket will have to be removed individually.

End of article.

GTT National Conference Call Summary Notes: White Canes and other Mobility Aids, February 8, 2017

GTT National Conference Call.

Sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind

Summary Notes

February 8, 2017.

Questions from previous GTT NatConCall:
How do I find an Insert Key on my small PC laptop:
• To have the Caps Lock Key become an Insert Key do the following; Press Alt + the letter H to access the Help menu of jaws, arrow to the Start-up wizzard, Tab through the dialog box and change keyboard layout to Laptop. Press the Enter Key to save the changes. This will have the Caps Lock Key turned into an Insert Key, which means that pressing it twice quickly will toggle the actual Caps Lock on and off.
• Alternatively, from Staples, London Drugs or Best Buy you can purchase a USB Numeric Keypad that will allow you to access JAWS navigation from the Numpad.
• Some people carry a full-sized external keyboard, however Lap top bags are often not able to hold it all. Weight is also a consideration for some. Albert usually travels with a lap top, scanner and MS Ergo keyboard.
• For Mac desktop and laptops there is available a trackpad instead of using the laptop built-in trackpad. It is approximately the same size as an iPhone/iPod and allows the user to use the regular and familiar swiping gestures to do things such as:
1. Start and stop speech
2. Select an item
3. Read continuously
4. Scroll down by page
5. Turn screen curtain or speech on and off
These are done just like on the i devices so people using them will be familiar with the gestures.

GPS for Mobility:
• Another question was related to the use of GPS devices while travelling in our communities: How do you multitask with mobile GPS devices.
• Some indicated they use their stand-alone and iOS GpS apps, but they turn a lot of the POI and other verbosity off. Maybe just approaching streets need to be spoken while walking.
• When you are in unfamiliar areas, you can quickly turn these things on if you wish.
• Albert likes the clip on speaker from the trekker Maestro. The Breeze one doesn’t seem to work with iPhones. Kim uses the aftershokz headphones and likes them very much.
• If anyone knows of any other available clip on speaker please let us know through the comments on the http://www.GTTProgram.WordPress.com web site.

White Canes and Mobility Preferences:
• Several participants indicated they use Dog Guides, with folded white canes used for locating items or for indoor use.
• Cane Tips people like the roller tip that is like a ball.
• Cyramic tip; sharp sound and because it is hard it never wears out.
• What to do with the cane when signing documents at a counter etc; Stick folded cane in a back pocket or handbag.
• One person indicated that she shoves the cane down her sock.

Do you wash the cane tips when entering your home or public buildings:
• Some people wash their canes regularly, and others only when they’ve gotten particularly dirty.
• Instead of setting a dirty cane on counters/tables, try placing the cane on the floor between your feet when sitting at a restaurant.
• Using the elastic, attach the folded cane to your chair.
• Using the elastic, atach the cane to your purse strap or backpack.
• There are holders/pouches/hooks you can buy for folded mobility canes that attach to your purse-strap or belt.
• Ambutech is one place where White Mobility Cane Holsters, Pouches and Hooks can be purchased.
https://ambutech.com/shop-online/accessories/pouches-holsters-and-hooks

Is it wise to have the elastic attached to your wrist when walking with a mobility cane:
• Most recommended that it isn’t wise to do so.
• It is safer to drop your cane than put it around your wrist in the event it gets caught up by a passing bike or motor vehicle.

What styles of canes are most often used:
• Few on the call use the Rigid cane. It is too cumbersome to store on buses, trains and airplanes. Albert prefers the rigid for most excursions, however uses a folding cane when travelling with sighted guides.
• One can carry folding canes in backpacks or purses when using Dog Guides if needed.
• It was thought by some that drivers seem to be better able to see white canes than Dog Guides. Perhaps it’s because of the increased usage of service dogs.
• Some thought the red stripe at the bottom of the cane is to show drivers that you want to cross the street when it is held out in front of the user horizontal to the ground.
• Some believe that the red stripe at the bottom of the cane is for depicting deaf blindness.
• Some have noted that the cane disappears from view when walking on painted street crossings.

Multi-Coloured Canes:
• Some people use them without issue, and the first time Albert used his the Greyhound Driver in Victoria didn’t recognize it.
• Once colour wears off one user said she cannot buy replacement tape.
• Does a coloured cane really show that you are blind?

BuzzClip and Amutech Glasses:
• No one on the call is currently using BuzzClip or Ambutech glasses, however they have been trialled by some.
• BuzzClip or Ambutech glasses are good for staying abreast of the person in front of you in line-ups, for finding open doorways in malls, locating bus stop sign posts, etc.
• One person who tried the Ambutech glasses while using their white cane thought they were receiving too much information and were distracted by it.
• One participant uses the Mowat sensor, which sends out a beam, or beams that causes the device to vibrate when the user approaches a person or thing. This device is no longer manufactured, however operates on the same principal as the BuzzClip and Ambutech Glasses.

Monoculars for low vision mobility:
• Some people use them for reading the names/numbers on the front of buses and menus/signs on the wall when out in public places.
• One person indicated that she uses the iPhone camera and the magnification app instead of a monocular.
• Kim has heard that SuperVision is a great free magnifyer app for the iPhone.

How to be more visible when travelling with a mobility aid:
• Make sure you are visible with reflecters, flashing lights or other high-visibility wearable devices.
• Some ideas of what is available are, collars for guide dogs in red or blue, continuous or flashing.
• Construction worker high-viz vests have stripes and lots of pockets etc.
• Some people wear helmets or other protective gear in the winter.
• One option is the Ice halo head protection Padded head band. Check the bottom of this document for details on how to order.

How to keep hands warm when travelling with a mobiliby aid in winter:
• Hot pockets in gloves, which can be purchased at cosco, London Drugs and many outdoor/sports stores.
• Someone in Vancouver sews battery operated warmers into gloves, socks, shirts and pants that is operated by a battery pack worn by the user.

Appendix 1:

SAFETY WITH STYLE

Several styles and many colours to choose from!

Ice Halo, the Canadian owned and manufacturer of the innovative head band protection for sports or pleasure. Check out the new styles that now include Halo Hats at http://www.icehalo.com. .

Don’t risk losing ice time in your favourite activity – Don’t hold back your best because of that nagging fear of a nasty fall. Its lightweight, closed cell construction doesn’t make your head hot and the Velcro closures make it adjustable and secure. The choice of material and colour make it easy to find the right one for you. It’s available in team colours, and you can customize with your corporate logo. The Ice Halo is a great way to keep you or your friends and loved ones safer on the ice.

PROTECTIVE HATS

All Pro Hats have an inner vinyl lining of nitrile High Density foam (the same foam used in many Hockey Helmets) to help lessen the impact of a fall. All Halo products have been tested to Hockey helmet standards and exceed the requirements for front, sides and back impacts where padded. The toque and knitted caps have padding wrapping all around the head. The baseball and army caps have padding in the back and sides of the cap for added protection.

Lori Fry continues in her role as representative for the Blind in Canada with Ice Halo and is able to provide discounted prices to curlers or others looking for stylish head protection. Many thanks to Barbara Armstrong, President of Ice Halo for her sponsorship of the 100 Mile House Blind Curling Team and such strong support to the vision impaired and blind community of Canada.

In order to receive special reduced pricing on your order, please contact Lori at 250-395-2452 or ODIFRY@shaw.ca

GTT Edmonton Summary Notes, Google Classroom and Computer Training, February 13, 2017

Summary Notes
GTT Edmonton Meeting February 13, 2017

The most recent meeting of the Get Together with Technology (GTT) Edmonton Chapter was held February 13 at 7pm at Ascension Lutheran Church 8405 83 Street in Edmonton.
23 people attended.

February Topics – Google Classroom Demo and Education/Training

Google Classroom Demo
Owais, a junior high school student member of our chapter, demonstrated how he uses the Google Classroom app on his iPhone in conjunction with his BrailleSense. Google Classroom was designed together with teachers to help them save time, keep classes organized, and improve communication with students.
With this tool Owais can keep track of his assignments, post them for teacher review, his teacher can return with edits, and Owais can formally turn in the completed assignment. He can do all the work in braille both creating documents and reviewing them. Owais showed us the remarkable capability of young blind students who are both braille and technology literate.

JAWS Screen Readers and Students
After Owais finished his demo a discussion ensued whether students need to also learn Windows computers with screen readers such as JAWS or whether they can continue their education and employment using only braille notetakers such as the Braillesense or BrailleNote. The consensus from our blind team is that both are needed and students should aim to be familiar with Windows and Microsoft Office during high school and certainly before entering college/university. Also, Windows computers with Office are the most prevalent computers used in business and industry so mastering the Windows environment is essential for future employment.

Funding for JAWS
A question was posed about funding assistance for JAWS. Two possibilities:
1. CNIB. CNIB clients may qualify for the CNIB STEP program funding. If so, the STEP program would pay 75% of the JAWS purchase price which is currently $1185.
2. ASVI. the Alberta Society for the Visually Impaired (ASVI) Northern Alberta Chapter offers funding to provide assistive technology equipment and software for members ages 18 and under, if a qualified professional has recommended it, such as the student’s vision consultant. ASVI is only able to provide this funding through the generous donation of time and effort by its board, parents, and volunteers. Interested parents and individuals are asked to consider helping by volunteering their time by serving on the Executive, or helping at the ASVI fundraisers. More information about the application process can be found here:
http://www.asviedmonton.org/funding.html
P.S. ASVI is seeking volunteers for their upcoming casino fundraiser on March 16-17. Please email info@asviedmonton.org

Educational Materials for our Chapter
We thank the Edmonton Blind Curling Club who have generously provided us a grant that we may use to purchase educational materials and help with training. We will use the grant this year and next to purchase technology related tutorials and text books. Soon we will send a list of possible tutorials and text books to those listed on our email list. You may look through the email and respond to let us know which tutorials or text books might help you. Watch this space!

One-On-One Training
The donation from the Edmonton Blind Curling Club also allows us to provide another training session at the Norquest computer lab. This will happen on March 2. At the February 13 meeting, we registered 3 people for JAWS training and 2 for Zoomtext. We are delighted that the 3 JAWS registrants are all students!

Next Meeting (Monday March 13 at 7pm)
• Currently we have no volunteer demonstrations.
• We will focus on one-on-one training especially iPhone and DAISY players. If you have other training requests email your interests to us so we can try to accommodate you.
• As always, for help with technology bring your devices and/or questions to the meeting.

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

GTT Edmonton Team
• Carrie Anton is visually impaired and is the accessibility specialist for Athabasca University.
carrie.anton@hotmail.com
• Gerry Chevalier is blind. He is retired from HumanWare where he worked as the Product Manager for the Victor Reader line of talking book players.
GTT.Edmonton@gmail.com
• Heather MacDonald is a career and employment specialist with extensive experience helping blind and visually impaired people find employment.
• Russell Solowoniuk is blind and works with alternative formats and assistive technology at Grant MacEwan University.
rsolowoniuk@gmail.com
• Lorne Webber is blind and is the accessibility specialist for Norquest College.
lorne.webber@gmail.com

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

GTT National Conference Call Summary Notes, Web browsing with screen readers, January 11, 2017

GTT National Conference Call.

Sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind

January 11, 2017

Web browsing with screen readers.

Many people just use their arrow keys to browse the web. This can be good for exploring a page initially, but it is slow and there are many more efficient ways of browsing the web more quickly and easily.
The best web browsers for PC are: google chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or the last version of internet explorer. The Edge Browser is becoming more accessible with Narrator, and to some degree with NVDA.

There are some slight differences with key commands between NVDA, jaws, window eyes and system access which all work well for browsing the web. Please check your screen reader help section for these.

When you do a google search, be as specific as you can with your search terms. Example: look for mystery books by a certain author on amazon. The more specific you are, the easier you can get to the web site you need.

To go directly to the address field to type in the web site name or your search press Alt D. Alt is the key just to the left of your space bar. This works on all screen readers and in all of the different PC browsers.

You can move around on your web site by headings, lists, buttons and much more. These commands vary by screen reader so check your screen reader manual for the short cut keys.

NVDA and jaws have a great command called insert f7 The insert key is the big key on the bottom left of the number pad and f7 is in the top row of keys on your PC.

For NVDA this is called the elements list. It lists anything on the page that you can click on. The great thing about this is that you can press the first letter of the link you need to find and you can get to it more quickly.

For JAWS users there is also an insert f 6 command to list the headings on a page, email message or MS Word document.

For the mac computer, the accessible web browsers are safari and google chrome.

To get into the address bar/search field on the mac, type command l. Command is the key just to the left of the space bar where the ALT key is on the PC.

The mac has what is called a web rotor which is a little like the insert f 7.

To get to this, press VO command which is control and option keys plus u. You can right arrow then through the various options like links, headings, buttons, ETC and arrow down to go through each category.

The mac also has first letter navigation. This is also true on the PC. You can press h for headings, v for visited links, l for links ETC on the mac.

Some of the commands are different for different screen readers but they all have first letter navigation commands.

Remember that in addition to using the letter H to navigate Headers you can press the numbers 1-6 above your letters on the keyboard to go to heading level 1 2 3 ETC. This is the case for all major screen readers on the PC or mac.

The mac and the iPhone also have a very useful button which is in the top left hand corner of the screen for I devices and one of the first things you come across when a web page loads on the mac. It is called the reader button. Firefox also has a Reader function that is accessed by holding down Shift and Control while typing the letter R.

It is not always available but when it is, it is most useful. If you double tap that button, it jumps you right to the main content on your screen, (say the contents of an article for example).

Browsing the web on an I device can also be fast and easy.

If you use voiceover, go to settings, general, accessibility, voiceover, and then to rotor. Here you can check and uncheck what you want in your rotor which is like a menu of common settings you use. You can include many web browsing navigation elements such as: Headings, links, search fields, visited links, buttons, and much more.

When on a web page, you can turn your rotor with a gesture like a radio dial to move between these elements. You can also navigate your rotor by using the up and left arrow and up and right arrows together on your Bluetooth keyboard or space with dots 23 and space with dots 56 on your braille display.

Once you are on the element you want, swipe down with one finger to go to the next heading and up with one finger to go to the previous one. Up or down arrows on the Bluetooth keyboard do this as well. So do dots 3 with space bar or dot 6 with space bar on a braille display.

GTT Program Overview
• GTT was founded in Ottawa by Kim Kilpatrick and Ellen Goodman in 2011.
• Many GTT Groups are chapters of the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB).
• GTT Groups/Chapters promote a self-help learning experience by holding monthly meetings to assist participants with assistive technology.
• Each meeting will present a feature technology topic and general question and answer about any other technology.
• Small groups or one on one assistance is possible at the meetings.
• Participants are encouraged to come to each meeting even if they are not interested in the feature topic because questions on any technology are welcome. The more participants the better able we will be equipped with the talent and experience to help each other.
• There are GTT groups in Ottawa, Toronto, Kingston, Northern Ontario, Pembroke, Halifax, Sydney, Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver, and more to come.
• There is also a national GTT monthly toll free teleconference. You may subscribe to the National GTT blog to get email notices of teleconferences and notes from other GTT chapters. Visit:
http://www.GTTProgram.WordPress.com/
There is a “Follow” Link at the bottom of that web page to enter your email in order to register.

Respectfully submitted by Kim Kilpatrick and Albert Ruel

GTT Victoria Summary Notes, White Canes and Mobility, February 1, 2017

Get together with Technology (GTT) Victoria
A Chapter of the Canadian Council of the Blind

Summary Notes, Wednesday February 1, 2017
GVPL Main branch, Coomunity Meeting Room

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

Attendance, Kara, Bruce, Brent, Evett, Karen, Sky, Elizabeth Lalonde, Elizabeth Syringe, Joan, Albert and Corry.

Albert welcomed everyone back for another calendar year of the CCB GTT program in Victoria.

BC Transit, Victoria Trekker Breeze Issue:
The meeting started with some discussion and an update on the Local Transit situation, that being that BC Transit has publicly stated that they will have a fully operational GPS system up and running within the next 18 months. The importance of having a fully inclusive system in place was reinforced by several members including Bruce who stated that the readout of stop locations was a must in his world. The question of whether this new system would include a speaker by the front door identifying the bus route name and number. It was agreed that we should communicate to transit the importance of this specific feature to ensure that it is given high priority and does become a reality.

Transit App:
The Transit app was discussed at great length and highly recommended by both Tom and Corry. Although the service does not feature real time tracking yet in Victoria, the app is great for letting you know when you are approaching your desired stop.

GPS Apps:
From there the discussion centered around the various types of GPS apps available, Albert spoke briefly about some of the differences. Data usage was also discussed and tips on how to minimise data requirements were discussed. Mapmywalk and Runtastic are two apps that seam to use minimal data and can be very helpful if you wish to incorporate a fitness component to your daily activities.

White Cane Week:
After a short break, the White Cane was discussed at length (White Cane Week is Feb 5 – 11, 2017). Elizabeth Lalonde gave us a great overview of the various types of canes available and the great work that is going on at the Pacific Training Center in regards to mobility training and cane usage.

iHabilitation:
Tom Decker spoke about a new initiative going on at Ihabilitation, they have purchased a new program called Screen Flow Recorder and will be producing inclusive “how to” videos in the near future. Tom will keep us posted on the progress.

White Canes:
During the final portion, several types of White Canes were passed out and the members had an opportunity to try different types and lengths.

Meeting adjourned at 3:45 PM
Next meeting, Wednesday March 1, 2015
Submitted by Corry Stuive