Category: Repost

BC May 9th Election and CELA/NNELS Library Funding Talking Points

Dear CCB/GTT participants,

Here are the “Talking Points” circulated by CNIB following a conference call with their CEO, John Rafferty on Wednesday, May 3, 2017 where blind, deaf-blind and partially sighted Canadians were invited to learn more about the state of CELA Library funding in BC specifically, and in other parts of Canada. Please use these talking points if you intend to contact candidates running for office in your community, and if you live in other parts of Canada, use them when you meet with your elected Provincial representative.

Quoted text:
Key Messages – Accessible BC Library Services

Access to alternate format materials has been a long-standing barrier for Canadians with print disabilities. Today, Canada’s answer to this challenge has manifested through two very different models of service – CELA (Centre for Equitable Library Access) and NNELS (National Network for Equitable Library Services).

Accessible alternate format materials include many different medium given an individuals reading or literary preferences. This could include high quality natural voice audio books, literary or braille books or braille music and access to current electronic and news papers/magazines. This content, as with that provided through Canada’s public libraries must be easy to access, either through a library service point, through Canada Post delivery or via direct to player download.

For a system to be considered truly equitable and accessible, the unique needs and individual preferences of patrons must be at the forefront of the delivery model. A one-size fits all approach, will further marginalize those who do not fit into a uniform service delivery model.

In order for access to CELA services to continue, we are asking that you contact candidates running in next weeks’ election and ask them to commit to fully funding CELA as your library service provider. Currently, the Government of BC has fully funded NNELS and CELA receives very limited financial support. This is both wrong and cannot be sustained.

To continue CELA services, $135,000 is required. This will ensure that the residents of British Columbia who have downloaded or received over 38,000 items via Canada Post last year can continue to do so in the future.
End of quoted text.

Thx, Albert Ruel, GTT Coordinator
The Canadian Council of the Blind
Western Canada

Tutorial Resource: How To Connect a Refreshable Braille Display to iDevices

Hello GTT members across Canada:

For those of you who are blind and may be thinking of connecting an electronic braille display to your iPhone or iPad the following are tips from one of our GTT Edmonton student members, Owais Patel.

Thanks to Owais for sharing his experience.

 

Hi Gerry.

Here are the important things that I would like you to share with all of our Gtt members regarding using a Braille Display with your iOS device. Finally I have completed them now. Thanks for sharing them for me.

 

Note: These instructions apply to the iPhone but for most of the part are same for all iOS devices and the following instructions apply to the Braille Sense U2, however make sure with the Tech Team of your Braille Display that these instructions also apply to you. Most likely they should be the same.

 

How To Connect a Braille Display to iDevices:

  1. Locate to Utilities and Terminal For Screen Reader on the Braille Sense and select Bluetooth Serial Port, press F1 and then F4 which will put you in a mode where all of your display will be blank.
    1. Now on the phone locate to Settings, General, Accessibility, VoiceOver and then Braille. Find the Heading labeled Choose A Braille Display and scroll down once. Here your Braille Display’s name should appear. Double-tap and you will be placed in the Text field of entering a 4 Digit Pin Code. If you want to remember it easily try to keep one number repeated 4 ts. Quickly
  2. do this and click on Pair Button. Now on your Braille display you will have a Pop-up saying Pin Code. Here enter the code which you entered on the phone quickly and press enter. You should be now connected.

 

Keystrokes To Use With The Braille Display:

  1. When you are connected to a Braille Display you don’t need to touch the screen of your phone and everything becomes even faster but everything you do also changes.
  2. In the situation of a Braille Sense your Home Button is the Function Key 2.
  3. To scroll up and down you may use the Scroll keys on the sides of the U2/.play. If these keys don’t appear there, use Space bar and Dot Dot 1 to go up or to the previous item and Space bar and Dot 4 to go Down or to the next item.
  4. Press Space bar and Dots 1 2 4 5 to toggle between the Braille codes in which the stuff from your iPhone is displayed on your Braille Display.
  5. Although this is different when you write because this code doesn’t apply to the Output of the phone onto your Braille Display.
  6. To manage this code press Space Bar and Dots 2 3 and 6. To swipe up poess space and dot 3 and to swipe down press space and Dot 6.
  7. To Delete something in a Text Field press Space and D.
  8. To write something from the Writing field of the Braille Sense into the real iPhone field press Space and E. For example when you trying something in search field and you you write “Weather Today”
  9. to paste this into the Search field press space and E. This can also be used to insert a blank line in a document. It works like the enter key on your Qwerty keyboard.
  10. To go to the very top of the screen press space and Dots 1, 2 and 3. To go to the very bottom of the screen press Space and dots 4, 5 and 6.
  11. To Double-Tap using the Braille Sense use the Cursor Keys.
  12. To open the help menu to see what each keystroke does press Space and K, or a 4 finger Double-Tap. When you’re here you can do any keystroke to see what each does for you. Don’t worry because Voiceover will speak each keystroke’s action or the the spoken words will pop up text on the display. Although the real keystroke in this section will perform its action.
  13. Once you would like to close this don’t press space bar and K, instead you will have to do the 4 Finger Double Tap on the iPhone screen.
  14. To activate Rotor options press Space bar and Dots 5:6 to go forwards and Space bar and dots 2 and 3 to go back. Then swipe up and down to select and deselect text.
  15. Press Space bar and S to see all of your bars Battery Remaining Etc.
  16. When your done with this do the keystroke to go to the top of the screen and this will take you back to the home screen or where you were before you activated this Status Bar Screen.
  17. To go out of a Window on your Phone or go back to something press space and letter B.

 

Voiceover Braille Display Short Forms:

When you just use Voiceover to use the phone you will not notice the short forms which Voiceover uses to label things in several places on the iPhone, because Voiceover just speaks the original phrase or words directly.

  • Firstly the short form used for Heading is Hd. The short form of Button is B.T.N. These are the main ones only. Hope they help.

 

Important Notices:

  1. There are several places on iOS devices where Pop-ups happen. As a result if your a slow reader you may not be able to read what was on your screen before the pop-up happened. A tip for this is to wait for the pop-up to disappear and then read without moving up or down what’s on the Braille Display. To refer back to the Pop-up scroll down-up and go back to where the pop-up appeared.
  2. You can adjust all the Braille Settings based on your opinion in the Settings and this will really help.
  3. Sometimes the doesn’t connect to the Braille Displays we use. It’s a great idea to reset both devices and then retry. If it still doesn’t work try turning your Bluetooth on your iPhone off and retry. Hopefully this will help.
  4. Sometimes when entering a password or a Username it may be a problem to enter it because of the Braille Code translation. However if this happens. Use your screen to type for this time only and you should be all right.
  5. It’s a great idea to turn the Speech Off when you’re using a Braille Display with your Ios device because the speech slows everything down. For example if you on an app title, Voiceover will still speak the title even though your at the next app on your Braille Display.
  6. Whenever you’re in any Text Field it is a great idea to do the keystroke Space bar and Dots 2, 3 and 6. It’s a great idea because it might mess up your writing in my experience.

 

Contact Info:

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you face any problems. I will try my very best to help. My email address is written below.

Email:

owaisipatel@gmail.com

Also using a Braille Display with all of the MacBooks is extremely accessible as well. To get all the keystrokes regarding the use of Braille Displays with the Mac please contact Kim the Gtt Coordinator in Ottawa.

Email:

gttprogram@gmail.com

 

Kind Regards,

Owais

 

 

 

 

Step-By-Step Resource: How to Rip CDs in Windows 10

How to Rip CDs in Windows 10

 

Related Book

Windows 10 For Dummies

 

By Andy Rathbone.

 

In a process known as ripping, Windows Media Player in Windows 10 can copy your CDs to your PC as MP3 files, the industry standard for digital music.

But until you tell the player that you want MP3 files, it creates WMA files

– a format that won’t play on iPads, most smartphones, nor many other music players.

 

To make Windows Media Player create songs with the more versatile MP3 format instead of WMA, click the Organize button in the top-left corner, choose Options, and click the Rip Music tab. Choose

MP3 instead of WMA from the Format drop-down menu and nudge the audio quality over a tad from 128 to 256 or even 320 for better sound.

 

To copy CDs to your PC’s hard drive, follow these instructions:

 

Open Windows Media Player, insert a music CD, and click the Rip CD button.

 

You may need to push a button on the front or side of your computer’s disc drive to make the tray eject.

 

Windows Media Player connects to the Internet; identifies your CD; and fills in the album’s name, artist, and song titles. Then the program begins copying the CD’s songs to your PC and listing their titles in the Windows Media Player Library.

You’re through.

 

If Windows Media Player can’t find the songs’ titles automatically, however, move ahead to Step 2.

Right-click the first track and choose Find Album Info, if necessary.

 

If Windows Media Player comes up empty-handed, right-click the first track and choose Find Album Info.

 

If you’re connected to the Internet, type the album’s name into the Search box and then click Search. If the Search box finds your album, click its name, choose Next, and click Finish.

 

If you’re not connected to the Internet, or if the Search box comes up empty, right-click the first song, click Edit, and manually fill in the song title.

Repeat for the other titles, as well as the album, artist, genre, and year tags.

 

Here are some tips for ripping CDs to your computer:

 

Normally Windows Media Player copies every song on the CD. To leave Tiny Tim

 

off your ukulele music compilation, however, remove the check mark from Tiny Tim’s name. If Windows Media Player has already copied the song to your PC, feel free to delete it from within Windows Media Player. Click the Library button, right-click the song sung by the offending yodeler, and choose Delete.

 

Windows Media Player automatically places your ripped CDs into your Music folder. You can also find your newly ripped music there as well as in the Windows Media Player Library.

 

end of article.

 

GTT British Columbia: Promote Your GTT Groups on AMI Audio Monthly Through Amy Amantea

Hi GTT friends and colleagues.  See below, and let me know if you have any questions.

 

Amy has been offered an exciting opportunity to present on AMI Audio Once a month to showcase upcoming events in British Columbia that are relevant to those living with sight loss and their networks. Please consider providing her with your May activities during the first week of April.

 

What, the name of your event and organization; When, the date; Where, the location address; What, Who, How, A quick summary; For more information about your event contact:

Person’s name;

phone number;

email;

website;

 

Please provide the info to Amy Amantea by April 7 at the end of the business day:

604-763-2695

amyamantea@hotmail.com

 

Hello friends and supporters of people with sight loss.

 

I’ve been offered an exciting opportunity to present on AMI audio Once a month to showcase upcoming events in British Columbia that are relevant to those of us living with sight loss and our networks.

 

As you can well imagine this is a great opportunity but a large research task.

 

Here is where I ask for all of your help. You are all well connected and a part of many organizations with their finger on the pulse of activity in our community.

>

> I want to know everything! Every social gathering that people can attend, AGM’s, workshops, fundraisers, raffles and 50-50 draws, sporting events, arts and culture… You name it.

>

> Don’t assume that I already know about your event or activity.

>

> During this first week of April I will be collecting data on activities and events happening in May 2017. But please, if you have calendars with other dates already secured please send me those in advance and I can archive them.

>

> There’s really only two qualifications… It must be relatable to British Columbia it must be relatable to people living with sight loss.

>

> So, let me know what you have going on in your respective community… No event is too small.

> If there’s an exciting triumph in accessibility related to people with the sight loss I may be able to work some of that into the piece as well.

>

> I will also be posting on Facebook but I have one request, please send me your event details via email. I must admit, I’m not a great Social media user but I think this new project might be A reason to stretch my boundaries.

>

> This opportunitythis opportunity can be great for securing new membership, ticket sales and so many other things.

>

> The details I would need: the name of your event, the date, the location and address A quick summary and a contact phone number/email/website.

>

> I am very excited to have been asked to participate in this way with AMI And I hope I can count on our community to help me source what’s going on.

>

> Remember, no idea it’s too small…

>

> Thank you in advance to you all. Please feel free to circulate my contact information

>

> I want to make sure we get representation from the corners of British Columbia that don’t often get focus, So please pitch in and let me know what’s happening in your area.

>

> You can reach me at anytime.

>

> Kindest regards, Amy

> 604-763-2695

>

>

>

> Sent from my iPhone

> Message has been dictated with the use of Apple dictation software. This message may not have been checked for dictation errors.

>

>

> Sent from my iPhone

> Message has been dictated with the use of Apple dictation software. This message may not have been checked for dictation errors.

 

Tribute Post: RIP Natasha Achter, CCB White Cane Club and Get Together with Technology Regina

The GTT community would like to honour the loss of a quiet leader, supporter and genuine Canadian.  Natasha Achter, President of the Regina White Cane Club and Get Together with Technology Coordinator passed away peacefully on March 28, 2017, and she will be sadly missed by all she came into contact with.  A celebration of her life will be held on April 1, 2017 in Regina, click on this link for details. 

 

On March 28th the CCB and the blind community lost a vibrant young soul, a kind Canadian and a dedicated friend and family member.  We also lost a leading peer mentor and assistive technology advocate and supporter.  Rest In Peace Natasha.

 

Below is a reprint of an article featuring Natasha that was published in the March edition of the CCB National Newsletter.

 

CCB National Newsletter March 2017

 

Member Spotlight++:

 

We would like to take a moment to recognize an up and coming member in CCB: Natasha Achter, from Regina, SK.

Natasha has taken the initiative to start up a GTT group in her area, is a strong advocate for the blind and also happens to be a great curler!

 

She was the featured curling athlete for Curling Canada, and the following is the article that accompanied the accolade.

 

Since 2005, when she started blind curling in Regina, Natasha Achter has been accumulating trophies and titles.

 

That first season, her team made it to the Blind Curling National Championship in Ottawa, finishing third, and Natasha’s performance earned her recognition as Athlete of the Year for the Saskatchewan Blind Sports Association (SBSA).

 

Originally a lead, Natasha began skipping in 2007. Although her team finished at the bottom of a three-team league that first season, they rose to the challenge and took home the league’s Grand Aggregate Trophy twice, in 2009 and 2011, as well as the City Championship Trophy for playoffs in 2009-2010.

 

Natasha’s on-ice accolades include MVP status at the 2008 and 2009 Western Blind Curling Championship, an event she attended in 2011 with a team made up of players under the age of 30.

 

“I was very proud of them,” she says about her most recent trip to the event. “This was only our second Western Championship as a team.”

 

Birthplace:  Regina, SK

Hometown:  Regina, SK

Curling Club:  Caledonia (Callie) Curling Club and Highland Curling Club

Current Team:  SBSA Team Achter

Position:  Skip

Delivery: Right

Nickname:  Nash

 

Quick Hits with Natasha Achter

Do you have any superstitions?

“Yes I almost always have to wear my lucky pink toque. I just seem to win more with it than without it.”

 

Three people, living or not, whom you would invite to a dinner party.

“Kevin Martin, Abe Lincoln, and Rachel Ray to cook the food.”

 

If you could be a star in any other sport, what would it be, and why?

“Hockey, because I used to skate but was never that capable to play other than with my brothers.”

 

If you could change any rule in curling, which one would it be, and why?

“If I could change one rule it would be that we would be able to hit the boards, so that almost every rock is in play and this would make it so much easier for two reasons. One is that it would be easy to learn and two it would keep more of the totally blind curlers’ rocks in play.”

 

What music do you like to listen to before a game?

“Usually it’s just country on the radio in the car on the way to the rink, but last year at Westerns we had to listen to “I Got a Feeling” by the Black-Eyed Peas before every game to get us pumped up.”

 

Favourite:

… Website?  “Facebook I guess it’s not my fave, just the one I visit most.”

… Order from Tim Hortons?  “Iced coffee in the summer and hot chocolate in the winter”

… Vacation destination?  “Maui, Hawaii. Aloha”

… Junk food?  “Cheesies!”

Do you have any pet peeves?

“My third trying to change my mind (lol)! And when they say “Oh!” when the shot I called works. Just kidding. I don’t really have any.”

 

Three things you always travel with?

“My iPod touch, money, and good people to accompany me.”

 

First thing on your Bucket List?

“To go to Hawaii – but crossed it off the list February 2011.”

 

Favourite pastime between draws?

“Listening to music and visiting with people. Also we usually spend some time talking about our pros and cons of the previous game, i.e. what we did well and what we could improve on.”

 

One thing most people don’t know about you?

“That I love most water sports. I like fishing, kneeboarding, surfing; love snorkeling, rowing; would love to try kite boarding. I am not a big fan of tubing or wakeboarding. I have tried water skiing but failed miserably.”

 

What is the biggest misconception about curlers?

“That curlers are all old.”

 

Your ideal shot to win an Olympic gold medal:

“Guard raise takeout to win the game by two.”

 

Canada Revenue Agency Post: Why claim medical expenses

Your association or organization has been identified as a key stakeholder of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). We hope you will share the following information with your membership.

English version ***La version française suit***

The below text can be found at the CRA Web Site:

Did you have medical expenses? You may be able to claim them on your income tax and benefit return

Why claim medical expenses

You can reduce the amount of federal tax you pay by claiming a non-refundable tax credit on a wide variety of medical expenses, including hospital services, nursing home fees, and medical supplies.

You may be able to claim medical expenses for yourself, your spouse or common-law partner, your dependent children (under 18 years of age), and other dependants.

Conditions for claiming medical expenses

To claim medical expenses, the expenses must:
* be eligible
* have been paid by you or your spouse or common-law partner
* have been paid within a 12-month period ending in 2016 and not claimed for 2015

Before filing your return, make sure you are claiming eligible medical expenses. If you claim expenses that are not eligible (for example, athletic or fitness-club fees or over-the-counter medications), the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) may reassess your return accordingly.

Claiming travel expenses

Did you travel at least 40 kilometres (one way) from your home to get medical services? If so, you may be able to claim the public transportation (for example, taxi, bus, or train) expenses you paid. Where public transportation is not readily available, you may be able to claim vehicle expenses instead.

Did you travel at least 80 kilometres (one way) from your home to get medical services? If so, you may be able to claim accommodation, meal, and parking expenses in addition to your transportation expenses.

Did someone accompany you? If so, you may be able to claim that person’s transportation and travel expenses. To make that claim, a medical practitioner must certify in writing that you were not capable of travelling alone to get medical services.

Refundable medical expense supplement
If you have a low income and high medical expenses, you may be able to claim a refundable credit of up to $1,187.

Visit the CRA’s website for more information on eligible medical expenses you can claim on your return or watch Segment 3: Medical Expenses in the CRA’s video series on Tax Measures for Persons with Disabilities.
Stay connected
To receive updates on what is new at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), you can:

· Follow the CRA on Twitter – @CanRevAgency.
· Follow the CRA on LinkedIn.
· Subscribe to a CRA electronic mailing list.
· Add our RSS feeds to your feed reader.
· Watch our tax-related videos on YouTube.

Votre association ou organisation a été désignée comme intervenant clé de l’Agence du revenu du Canada (ARC). Nous espérons que vous partagerez les renseignements suivants avec vos membres.
Version française ***The English version precedes***
Avez-vous engagé des frais médicaux? Vous pourriez être admissible à demander leur remboursement dans votre déclaration de revenus et de prestations.

Pourquoi demander des frais médicaux

Vous pouvez réduire le montant de votre impôt fédéral en demandant un crédit d’impôt non remboursable pour une vaste gamme de frais médicaux, dont des services hospitaliers, des soins à domicile et des fournitures médicales.

Vous pourriez demander des frais médicaux pour vous ou votre époux ou conjoint de fait, vos enfants à charge (enfants de moins de 18 ans) ou toute autre personne à charge.

Les conditions pour demander des frais médicaux

Les frais médicaux que vous pouvez demander doivent :
* être admissibles;
* avoir été payés par vous ou votre époux ou conjoint de fait;
* doivent avoir été payées dans une période de 12 mois se terminant en 2016 et aucun remboursement ne doit avoir été demandé pour celles-ci en 2015.

Avant de produire votre déclaration, assurez-vous de demander des frais médicaux admissibles. Si vous demandez des frais non admissibles (par exemple, des frais d’adhésion à un club d’athlétisme ou à un centre de conditionnement physique ou l’achat de médicaments en vente libre), l’Agence du revenu du Canada pourrait établir une nouvelle cotisation de votre déclaration en conséquence.

Réclamer des frais de déplacement

Vous êtes-vous déplacé à au moins 40 kilomètres (en une direction) de votre domicile pour obtenir des services médicaux? Si oui, il se peut que vous soyez admissible à demander le remboursement des frais de transport en commun (par exemple, taxi, autobus et train) que vous avez payés. Lorsque le transport en commun n’est pas facilement accessible, vous pourriez plutôt demander les frais d’utilisation d’un véhicule.

Vous êtes-vous déplacé à au moins 80 kilomètres (en une direction) de votre domicile pour obtenir des services médicaux? Si oui, il se peut que vous soyez en mesure de demander le remboursement des frais d’hébergement, de repas et de stationnement, en plus de vos frais de transport.

Est-ce que quelqu’un vous a accompagné? Si oui, il se peut que vous soyez en mesure de demander le remboursement des frais de transport et de déplacement de cette personne. Pour présenter cette demande, un médecin praticien doit attester par écrit que vous étiez incapable de vous déplacer seul pour obtenir des services médicaux.

Supplément remboursable pour frais médicaux
Si vous êtes un travailleur à faible revenu qui a des frais médicaux élevés, il se peut que vous soyez en mesure de demander un crédit remboursable maximal de 1 187 $.

Pour plus de renseignements sur les frais médicaux admissibles que vous pouvez demander dans votre déclaration, consultez le site Web de l’ARC ou visionnez le Segment 3 : Frais médicaux dans la série de vidéos de l’ARC sur les mesures fiscales pour les personnes handicapées.
Restez branché
Pour recevoir des mises à jour sur ce qu’il y a de nouveau à l’Agence du revenu du Canada (ARC), vous pouvez :

* Suivre l’ARC sur Twitter – @AgenceRevCan.
* Suivre l’ARC sur LinkedIn.
* Vous abonner à une liste d’envoi électronique de l’ARC.
* Ajouter nos fils RSS à votre lecteur de nouvelles.
· Regarder nos vidéos sur l’impôt sur YouTube.

Community News: Aroga Technologies is going out of business, and a new organization is born

The Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB) through it’s Get Together with Technology (GTT) initiative is pleased to circulate information regarding the status of Aroga Technologies at the request of Steve Barclay. Please direct any inquiries to Steve Barclay at sales@canasstech.com

Steve Barclay said:
As some of you may have heard, Aroga Technologies is going out of business. We are in the process right now of wrapping up Aroga’s business and closing the doors. The Vancouver crew isn’t done yet however and we have no intention of leaving our friends and past customers in a lurch. Myself, Ryan and Rob will be able to be found at my new company, Canadian Assistive Technologies. available by email at sales@canasstech.com or by phone at 604-367-9480. Rick Chant, our service manager will continue to do repairs under his new company name, Chaos Technical Services. chaostech@shaw.ca or phone 778-847-6840. It’s a sad day for Aroga but we look forward to moving ahead with our new organizations and continuing to serve the community we have known and loved for the past 26 years.

Guest Post: VocalEye Newsletter, Spring 2017, Specializing in Audio Description of Live Performances in Vancouver and Victoria

** VOCALEYE NEWS – SPRING 2017
————————————————————
IN THIS ISSUE:
1) SPRING LOADED!
2) Described Performances in March and April:
3) Bittergirl at the Surrey Arts Centre
4) Angels in America at the Arts Club Stanley
5) Mom’s the Word 3 at the Arts Club Granville Island
6) Community:
7) Audio Subtitles
8) Coming Up:
Plex Talk Raffle
Alice Munro Stories at the Belfry
Comedy on Wheels for Realwheels
9) Support
10) Reminders

** 1) SPRING LOADED!
————————————————————
[This month’s opening image is a photo of a yawning bunny rabbit.]

This spring’s schedule is so loaded that I’m doubling up this issue! I’ve been invited to lead a describer training at the new Tangled Art Gallery in Toronto at the end of March. Tangled is the first art gallery in Canada dedicated to showcasing the work of artists with disabilities. I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to work with them to make their gallery more accessible to visitors with vision loss. (http://tangledarts.org)

I will get back in time to meet a grant deadline at the beginning of April… This tight squeeze means I won’t be able to send you an April newsletter, so I’m loading you with all the info I have on our upcoming shows. Please visit the VocalEye website for updates and support materials and keep in touch through Facebook and Twitter.

March will be a bit quiet for described performances, with Bittergirl at the Surrey Arts Centre and the launch of our “audio subtitle” project this weekend. If you’re craving even more comedy and drama this month, check out PlayMe, an innovative audio podcast that celebrates the work of Canadian playwrights and performers. (http://www.playmepodcast.com/listen-to-playme/)

If you’re looking for more podcasts, check out Aroga’s ATBanter and their most recent interview with Master Chef, Christine Ha. (https://soundcloud.com/user-639785526/at-banter-podcast-episode-39-christine-ha)

Or try A History of the World in 100 Objects, a look at human history through 100 objects from the British Museum. (https://soundcloud.com/a-history-of-the-world)

In case you missed it, this AMI video highlights VocalEye’s partnership with the Push Festival, Ingrid’s description and our first pre-show Touch Tour of Concord Floral last month. Big thanks to Erin Brubacher, Anika Vervecken, Grant Hardy and everyone who attended the show! (http://bit.ly/2lhRjQ4)

Rick Waines is busy describing his second season at the Belfry in Victoria and he sent us some lovely photos from the Touch Tour of last month’s show, Gracie. Our thanks to everyone who attended and to Jenn Swan and Erin Macklem for sharing some of the production’s backstage secrets!

In April, Rick returns to Vancouver to describe two performances of the award-winning Angels in America, Part 1 at the Arts Club Stanley. The Arts Club will produce Part 2 next season, so don’t miss it!

PAWS Trivia night is always so much fun and it turned out to be my lucky day as I won the coveted 50/50 draw for the second year in a row! More fuel for VocalEye! I want to thank our awesome Faux Paws team: Jeff and Meagan, Eileen Barrett, Rick Lin, Brian Nicol, Teri Snelgrove and Anika Vervecken for your impressive smarty pants. Big thanks to Wendy, Rosamund and Moose’s Down Under for hosting another great evening that supports PAWS for Independence! (http://pawsforindependence.ca)

I’ve received a number of inquiries about describing shows at the Queen Elizabeth and these take the most time to negotiate. Once again, I encourage you to let the producers know you’re interested in having shows described.
I’ve also been talking to several dance companies about describing dance. This would involve some special training and workshops with describers, choreographers, dancers and members of the blind community. Our resources are limited and we want to make the best use of them. Please let me know if you would be interested in having dance described, what kind of dance interests you and if you would like to participate in a development workshop (you can reply to this newsletter). If there is enough interest, we will pursue some funding for this project.

Time to get hopping!

Wishing you a happy spring with loads of chocolate bunny eggs!

Steph

** 2) DESCRIBED PERFORMANCES IN MARCH/APRIL…
————————————————————

** 3) BITTERGIRL, THE MUSICAL
————————————————————
BITTERGIRL, a new musical featuring the best breaking up and making up songs of the 60’s (on tour). Described on Saturday March 4, 2017 at 4 pm at the Surrey Arts Centre, 13750 88 Avenue, Surrey. Tickets are $25 for VocalEye users, while they last. Please call the Box Office to purchase at 604-501-5566.
(http://www.vocaleye.ca/shows/bittergirl/)

** 4) ANGELS IN AMERICA, PART 1
————————————————————
ANGELS IN AMERICA, PART ONE: MILLENIUM APPROACHES, an award-winning modern epic that tackles life, death, love, sex, heaven, hell, AIDS, Reaganism and redemption in 1980’s New York. Described on Sunday April 16, 2017 at 2 pm and on Wednesday April 19, 2017 at 7:30 pm at the Arts Club Stanley, 2750 Granville Street. Tickets are $29 for VocalEye users, while they last. Please call 604-687-1644 to purchase.
(http://www.vocaleye.ca/shows/angels-america-part-one-millenium-approaches/)

** 5) MOM’S THE WORD 3: NEST HALF EMPTY
————————————————————
MOM’S THE WORD 3: NEST HALF EMPTY, a touching and hilarious new chapter in the lives of Vancouver’s favourite Moms. Described on Tuesday April 25, 2017 at 7:30 pm at the Arts Club Granville Island, 1585 Johnston Street. Tickets are $29 for VocalEye users, while they last. Please call 604-687-1644 to purchase. This performance will be followed by a Talk Back with the cast.
(http://www.vocaleye.ca/shows/moms-word-3/)

** THEATRE BUDDIES
————————————————————
Theatre Buddies are available to guide VocalEye Members 18 years of age and over from a designated meet up location to and from selected theatres in the lower mainland. Reserve your Theatre Buddy by calling 604-364-5949 or send us an email (mailto:buddies@vocaleye.ca?subject=Theatre%20Buddy%20reservation) (48 hours notice is required). In Victoria, please contact Linda Bartram at 250-595-5888.

** 6) COMMUNITY…
————————————————————

** 7) AUDIO SUBTITLES
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Audio subtitling is a new program VocalEye is offering in partnership with the Kids Culture Film Series and Reel2Real International Film Festival for Youth to make foreign language films with English subtitles more accessible to young children and to others who have difficulty reading print materials. The English subtitles will be read aloud and transmitted through VocalEye equipment. Headsets are limited. Please reserve when booking your tickets.

ANINA is an animated film from Uruguay suitable for children age 5 and up. This film is in Spanish with English subtitles and will be screened on Sunday, March 5 at 1 pm at The Rio, 1660 East Broadway at Commercial Drive. Advisory: some scenes of child nightmares. Kids $7 and Adults $10 in advance or $8 and $12 at the door. (http://kidscultureanina.brownpapertickets.com)

Anina Yatay Salas is a ten-year-old whose name spells trouble: those three palindromes in a row are an ongoing source of teasing at school. When a playground fight results in mysterious punishment, Anina will learn to put her problems in perspective and empathize with others in this sweet little daydream of a tale.

HEIDI is a Swiss-German film with English subtitles suitable for children age 9 and up. Screening on Saturday, April 8 at 2 pm at the Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour Street, Vancouver. Tickets are Kids $7 and Adults $10. (http://www.2017.r2rfestival.org/content/heidi)

Heidi is one of the most beloved and best-selling books ever written. Director Alain Gsponer’s fresh take on this classic tale conjures everything that is magical about the precocious orphan girl who is sent to live with her mysterious grandfather (Bruno Ganz, Downfall) in the Swiss Alps. When Heidi is whisked away by her aunt to a posh house in the city, her worldview expands rapidly. A term of Heidi’s lodging and education is that she is expected to provide companionship to Clara, the lonely, wheelchair-bound daughter of this well-to-do family. This is hardly a chore since goofing around with her new friend is decidedly fun, and Heidi is up for adventure. Ultimately, she finds herself caught between her friendship with Clara, and longing for the freedom of mountain life. Heidi is an epic tale of friendship, family, and following your instincts.

** 8) COMING UP…
————————————————————

We’ll launch our third raffle of a Plex Talk Mini, generously donated by Aroga Technologies, on May 1! (http://aroga.com)

ALICE MUNRO STORIES, the sublime words and blessed humanity of Canada’s celebrated author come to life.. Described on Sunday May 7, 2017 at 2 pm at the Belfry Theatre, 1291 Gladstone Avenue in Victoria. Tickets are $24.68 for VocalEye users plus a 25% discount for a companion, while they last. Please call 250-385-6815 to purchase. This performance will be followed by a Touch Tour.
(http://www.vocaleye.ca/shows/alice-munro-stories/)

VocalEye will also describe COMEDY ON WHEELS for Realwheels on May 18, 19 and 20.
(http://realwheels.ca/wheel-voices/comedy-on-wheels/)

In June, we’ll offer training workshops in sighted guiding, Fingerworks for Fireworks and introductory description. Filmmaker Sarah Race will begin shooting her documentary short about our fireworks project this summer as well. Dates and details still to be confirmed.

In July, we’ll be back at Bard on the Beach for two shows in the main stage tent with Touch Tours. Plus summer musicals at the Arts Club, Theatre Under the Stars, the Vancouver Pride Parade and more!

** 9) SUPPORT…
————————————————————
VocalEye will describe more than 40 performances and events this season for people who are blind and partially sighted, thanks to the generous contributions of our funders and supporters (http://www.vocaleye.ca/support-us/sponsors/)

We gratefully acknowledge the Canada Council for the Arts, the BC Arts Council, the Province of British Columbia, the City of Vancouver, Metro Vancouver, our Community Donors and Individual Donors for their critical financial and in-kind support. VocalEye is currently in the process of becoming a registered charity and will not be able to issue tax receipts for donations until our application is approved. In the meantime, donations are greatly appreciated from anyone not requiring a tax receipt.

We thank you for helping us provide people with vision loss greater access to arts and culture.

GIVE NOW
(https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=W6ZXMTEJ9MSGC)

** 10) REMINDERS…
————————————————————
* VocalEye’s complete season of described performances can be found on our website (http://vocaleye.ca/shows/) .
* Tickets and headsets must be reserved by calling the theatre, unless instructed otherwise.
* Be sure to mention VocalEye when booking your tickets to receive any discounts offered and indicate whether you have partial vision, a guide dog or other seating preferences. Seating options may be limited.
* Arrive early to pick up your equipment so you can be seated in time for a sound check and to listen to our pre-show introduction that includes brief descriptions of the set, characters and costumes. These begin 10 minutes before curtain.
* Our handheld receivers come with a single earpiece that can be worn on the left or right ear, or you can use your own earbuds or headphones. The audio signal is mono, so it will come through on only one side.
* VocalEye Memberships are FREE for people with vision loss.
* VocalEye Members are eligible for Theatre Buddy assistance, ticket discounts and equipment pickup without a deposit.
* VocalEye newsletters are available in your choice of formats: Plain Text or HTML with images. Both include a link at the top to a simple Word Doc format.
* VocalEye respects your right to privacy. We will not rent, sell or trade our list. Our mailings are intended to inform you of our events, programs, services and fundraising activities. You may unsubscribe at any time.
* You can help us spread the word about described performances and arts access for people with vision loss by sharing this newsletter with those in your network.

Thank you for reading through. See you at the theatre!

https://www.facebook.com/vocaleye/

http://vocaleye.ca
mailto:info@vocaleye.ca
http://www.youtube.com/vocaleyeful

Guest Post: Wal-Mart pharmacies in BC now offering accessible prescription medication information, Re-posted for Access for Sight-Impaired Consumers (ASIC)

The Canadian Council of the Blind, GTT is re-posting this information on behalf of Access for Sight-Impaired Consumers (ASIC). If you have any questions or comments please direct them to Rob Sleath at, info@asicbc.ca.

Wal-Mart pharmacies in BC now offering accessible prescription medication information

In addition to the eight pharmacy chains (listed below) which currently offer accessible prescription medication information (APMI), Wal-Mart Canada is now offering this service at no charge to its pharmacy customers in British Columbia effective February 2017. Wal-Mart pharmacies in BC join a growing number of pharmacy chains offering APMI at no additional cost to the consumer. These pharmacies include:

* Bulkley Valley Wholesale
* Coopers Foods
* London Drugs
* Overwaitea Foods
* Peoples Drug Mart
* PriceSmart Foods
* Save-On Foods
* Urban Fare

These pharmacies provide prescription information through an audio label affixed to the prescription bottle. Accessing the audio information is as simple as placing the prescription bottle atop a ScripTalk Reader and pressing a single button. The Reader will then announce the critical prescription information that your pharmacist has encoded into an RFID label, which will include:

• Patient’s name
• Name and strength of medication
• Dosage instructions
• Prescribing doctor’s name
• Refills remaining
• Dispensing date
• Prescription number
• Dispensing pharmacy name and telephone number
• Potential side effects and warnings

Readers can be acquired by contacting En-Vision America directly at 800-890-1180. They will ship one directly to your home at no cost provided you have a prescription pending and/or an established patient profile at one of the participating pharmacies listed above.

Access for Sight-Impaired Consumers is pleased that British Columbians who are blind or sight-impaired have several different choices when it comes to fulfilling their prescription needs with APMI. We intend to maintain close relationships with senior management from each of these participating pharmacy chains in order to work on further expanding these choices. We would appreciate receiving feedback regarding your experience with any of the pharmacies who provide APMI so that we can assist in ensuring consumers receive efficient and effective service.

Helpful Tips Regarding APMI Service
We offer the following tips for those interested in acquiring the APMI service:

1. For those who already obtain prescriptions from any participating pharmacy and wish to have all future prescriptions dispensed with APMI, contact En-Vision America today at 800 890-1180 and request they send you a ScripTalk Reader.
Delivery time takes approximately seven business days so requesting the Reader today will ensure you have the device when you next fill your prescription.
2. Ask your pharmacist to update your “Patient Profile” to indicate an encoded RFID label is required on all future prescriptions. This should eliminate the need for you to ask for it each time you present a new prescription or request a refill of an existing prescription.
3. Wherever possible, and before you conclude your appointment, ask your prescribing doctor to fax your new prescription to your pharmacy. Many pharmacies offering APMI require up to 48 hours turnaround time to dispense medications with APMI. Having your prescribing doctor fax the prescription in advance will save you a second trip to the pharmacy. And, when you pick up your medication, ask the pharmacist what turnaround time is required to encode the label as some pharmacy outlets are equipped to produce APMI labels in-store.
4. Also ask your prescribing doctor to add “requires accessible audio label” to your prescriptions. This will serve as a backup to ensure the pharmacist does not overlook this important requirement.

What You can Expect from Wal-Mart Pharmacies Wal-Mart Canada has committed to providing APMI service, with the following features, through its BC pharmacy outlets:

1. The prescription medication information to be contained in the auditory label is currently the default information programmed within the ScripTalk technology. This includes: patient name, name and strength of the medication, dosage, quantity, prescription date, use by date, refills remaining (if any), prescriber, name/telephone number of dispensing pharmacy, prescription number and warnings.
2. Patients or their personal representatives (with appropriate consent) may request ScripTalk encoded prescriptions in person at a Wal-Mart pharmacy or, in the case of an authorized prescriptions refill, by telephone call to a Wal-Mart pharmacy.
3. Physicians or other legally authorized health care professionals may request ScripTalk encoded prescriptions by telephone, electronically or by other authorized method when submitting a prescription to a Wal-Mart pharmacy.
4. If a ScripTalk encoded prescription request is submitted to a Wal-Mart BC pharmacy, Wal-Mart will make every effort to have the ScripTalk encoded prescription ready for patient pick-up within 48 hours from the time the ScripTalk encoded prescription request was submitted.
Wal-Mart will contact the patient to confirm that the ScripTalk encoded prescription is available for pick-up.
5. At the professional discretion of the Wal-Mart pharmacist, a 48- to 72-hour interim supply of the prescription medication will be dispensed to the patient and, if requested, the Wal-Mart pharmacy will take reasonable steps to mark the prescription container for easier identification by the patient. If the Wal-Mart pharmacist exercises his/her professional discretion against providing an interim supply, the patient will be entitled to choose either to fill the entire prescription at that time in the regular manner or to have the entire prescription filled as a ScripTalk prescription.
6. If a patient wishes to have a ScripTalk prescription delivered to his/her home, delivery will be free of charge for those Wal-Mart BC pharmacies that provide delivery service (currently, Penticton, Burnaby, New Westminster, Surrey West, Langley) and for the remaining Wal-Mart BC pharmacies if the patient lives within 10 km of the pharmacy. Otherwise, delivery charges will be borne by the patient. The provision of free delivery service for the remaining Wal-Mart BC pharmacies within 10 km of the patient’s home does not apply to prescription refills.

One of the many goals for Access for
Sight-Impaired Consumers is to expand sources where British Columbians who are blind or sight-impaired can acquire accessible prescription medication information. APMI enables those affected by significant sight loss to independently manage their medical prescriptions safely, confidently and independently. Please take a moment and share your APMI experience with us by emailing info@asicbc.ca so that we can work to further improve the service offered by participating pharmacies.

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.