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All the exciting news from the programs and personalities of the Canadian Council of the Blind
Episodes
Friday May 22, 2020
Friday May 22, 2020
Friday May 08, 2020
Friday May 08, 2020
Get Together with Technology (GTT)
Sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB)
GTT is an exciting initiative of the Canadian Council of the Blind, founded in Ottawa in 2011 by Kim Kilpatrick and Ellen Goodman. GTT aims to help people who are blind or have low vision in their exploration of low vision and blindness related access technology. Through involvement with GTT participants can learn from and discuss assistive technology with others walking the same path of discovery.
GTT is made up of blindness related assistive technology users, and those who have an interest in using assistive technology designed to help blind and vision impaired people level the playing field. GTT groups interact through social media, and periodically meet in-person or by teleconference to share their passions for assistive technology and to learn what others can offer from their individual perspectives.
Show Notes:
13 GTT New Westminster Meeting Show Notes, JAWS and NVDA OCR, November 28, 2018
Presenters: Matthew Alvernaz, matalvernaz@me.com and Albert Ruel, Albert.GTT@CCBNational.net
This is an older recording from November 2018 that we thought could still assist those who are struggling to access PDF and other graphical images from their PCs.
Matthew Alvernaz and Albert Ruel demonstrated the use of the JAWS Layered Keystrokes to scan and read printed documents, convert PDF files to text, and how to access some graphics on the computer screen. These features have been available to JAWS users since version 14.
NVDA OCR features were also discussed and demonstrated by Matthew. NVDA may work better at this task with the OCR Add-on installed in order to provide access to PDF files with the keystroke NVDA/Insert R.
NVDA OCR Download Page: Important: if you are using NVDA 2017.3 or later on Windows 10, please consider using buit-in Windows 10 OCR.
Performs optical character recognition (OCR) to extract text from an object which is inaccessible. The Tesseract OCR engine is used. To perform OCR, move to the object in question using object navigation and press NVDA+r. You can set the OCR recognition language by going to the NVDA settings panel and selecting
JAWS For Windows Download Page:
JAWS Layered Keystrokes for OCR: Layered keystrokes are keystrokes that require you to first press and release INSERT+SPACEBAR, and then press a different key to perform a function in JAWS. Layered keystrokes are easy to use and remember, and they do not interfere with native keystrokes within applications.
Kurzweil Scan and Read for PDF Conversion: Kurzweil 1000 combines traditional reading machine technologies such as scanning, image processing, and text-to-speech with communication and productivity tools.
Openbook Scan and Read for PDF Conversion: OpenBook converts printed documents or graphic-based text into an electronic text format on your PC, using high-quality speech and the latest optical character recognition (OCR) technology. OpenBook is innovative software designed to enhance success for people who are blind or have low vision who need access to printed and electronic materials. OpenBook and the PEARL document camera create a complete scanning and reading system for work, home, and school.
For more information please contact your GTT Coordinators/Trainers:
Kim Kilpatrick 1-877-304-0968 Ext. 513
Albert Ruel 1-877-304-0968 Ext. 550
David Green 1-877-304-0968 Ext. 509
AccessibilityTraining7@Gmail.com
CCB Backgrounder:
The CCB was founded in 1944 by a coalition of blind war veterans, schools of the blind and local chapters to create a national self-governing organization. The CCB was incorporated by Letters Patent on May 10, 1950 and is a registered charity under the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada).
The purpose of the CCB is to give people with vision loss a distinctive and unique perspective before governments. CCB deals with the ongoing effects of vision loss by encouraging active living and rehabilitation through peer support and social and recreational activities.
CCB promotes measures to conserve sight, create a close relationship with the sighted community and provide employment opportunities.
The CCB recognizes that vision loss has no boundaries with respect to gender, income, ethnicity, culture, other disabilities or age.
The CCB understands in many instances vision loss is preventable and sometimes is symptomatic of other health issues. For the 21st century, the CCB is committed to an integrated proactive health approach for early detection to improve the quality of life for all Canadians.
As the largest membership organization of the blind and partially sighted in Canada the CCB is the "Voice of the Blind™".
CCB National Office
100-20 James Street Ottawa ON K2P 0T6
Toll Free: 1-877-304-0968 Email: info@ccbnational.net URL: www.ccbnational.net
Sunday May 03, 2020
Sunday May 03, 2020
Get Together with Technology (GTT)
Sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB)
GTT is an exciting initiative of the Canadian Council of the Blind, founded in Ottawa in 2011 by Kim Kilpatrick and Ellen Goodman. GTT aims to help people who are blind or have low vision in their exploration of low vision and blindness related access technology. Through involvement with GTT participants can learn from and discuss assistive technology with others walking the same path of discovery.
GTT is made up of blindness related assistive technology users, and those who have an interest in using assistive technology designed to help blind and vision impaired people level the playing field. GTT groups interact through social media, and periodically meet in-person or by teleconference to share their passions for assistive technology and to learn what others can offer from their individual perspectives.
Show Notes:
November 27, 2019
Theme: Library and Reading Apps for iOS
Presenters: Ryan Fleury, Ryan@CanAssTech.com and Albert Ruel, Albert.GTT@CCBNational.net
Apps Demonstrated and Discussed:
Voice Dream Reader/Writer Download from the AppStore.
4 Apps in This Bundle
Voice Dream Reader: demonstrated how to download audiobooks from Dropbox, the Files App and CELA Library.
Voice Dream Writer: demonstrated how to create documents and save them to VDR and how to use it for following an agenda during meetings.
Voice Dream Scanner: not demonstrated, however mentioned in terms of scanning on the fly or downloading from previously scanned documents.
Voice Pack: US English
Safari Browser, CELA Search and Favourites: demonstrated how to search for and download audiobooks to iOS devices, and how to set the CELA Library to the Favourites list.
CELA Library, Daisy Zipped and Direct To Player: demonstrated how to search for and send audiobooks to the Direct To Player bookshelf.
Dolphin EasyReader, CELA Library Direct To Player Download from the AppStore: demonstrated how to download Direct To Player audiobooks to this app from the CELA Library website.
Reading app for Dyslexia & VI by Dolphin Computer Access Ltd
Audible.ca/com: demonstrated how to use the app to listen to purchased audiobooks from the user’s Library.
Google Play Books download from the AppStore: demonstrated how to use the app to listen to purchased audiobooks from the user’s Library.
Other Audiobook Listening Apps Mentioned:
Amazon Speakers
Google Speakers
Overdrive
Cloud Library
Hoopla
Libby
Kindle
iBooks/Apple Books App
For more information please contact your GTT Coordinators/Trainers:
Kim Kilpatrick 1-877-304-0968 Ext. 513
Albert Ruel 1-877-304-0968 Ext. 550
David Green 1-877-304-0968 Ext. 509
AccessibilityTraining7@Gmail.com
CCB Backgrounder:
The CCB was founded in 1944 by a coalition of blind war veterans, schools of the blind and local chapters to create a national self-governing organization. The CCB was incorporated by Letters Patent on May 10, 1950 and is a registered charity under the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada).
The purpose of the CCB is to give people with vision loss a distinctive and unique perspective before governments. CCB deals with the ongoing effects of vision loss by encouraging active living and rehabilitation through peer support and social and recreational activities.
CCB promotes measures to conserve sight, create a close relationship with the sighted community and provide employment opportunities.
The CCB recognizes that vision loss has no boundaries with respect to gender, income, ethnicity, culture, other disabilities or age.
The CCB understands in many instances vision loss is preventable and sometimes is symptomatic of other health issues. For the 21st century, the CCB is committed to an integrated proactive health approach for early detection to improve the quality of life for all Canadians.
As the largest membership organization of the blind and partially sighted in Canada the CCB is the "Voice of the Blind™".
CCB National Office
100-20 James Street Ottawa ON K2P 0T6
Toll Free: 1-877-304-0968 Email: info@ccbnational.net URL: www.ccbnational.net
Friday May 01, 2020
Friday May 01, 2020
Get Together with Technology (GTT)
Sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB)
GTT is an exciting initiative of the Canadian Council of the Blind, founded in Ottawa in 2011 by Kim Kilpatrick and Ellen Goodman. GTT aims to help people who are blind or have low vision in their exploration of low vision and blindness related access technology. Through involvement with GTT participants can learn from and discuss assistive technology with others walking the same path of discovery.
GTT is made up of blindness related assistive technology users, and those who have an interest in using assistive technology designed to help blind and vision impaired people level the playing field. GTT groups interact through social media, and periodically meet in-person or by teleconference to share their passions for assistive technology and to learn what others can offer from their individual perspectives.
Show Notes:
GTT Beginners National Conference Call, iOS 13 New Gestures, November 26, 2019
Elmer Thiesen
Adding The 2-Finger Swipe for Rotor Gesture
The following are instructions for adding the 2-finger swipe right/left to turn the Rotor in iOS 13X.
- Scroll to Settings, One finger double tap.
- Scroll to Accessibility, one finger double tap.
- Scroll to Voiceover, one finger double tap.
- Scroll to Commands, one finger double tap.
- Scroll to All Commands, one finger double tap
- Scroll to rotor, one finger double tap.
- Scroll to Next Rotor, one finger double tap.
- scroll to Two Finger Swipe Right, one finger double tap to add.
- Go back two pages by one finger double tapping the Back Button at the top left corner of the screen twice.
- scroll down to previous rotor. One finger double tap.
- Scroll to add gesture, one finger double tap.
- scroll to Two Finger Swipe Left, one finger double tap to add.
- Go back two pages by one finger double tapping the Back Button at the top left corner of the screen twice, or just close the whole Settings page, your newly added actions are now available with a two finger swipe left or right to rotate your rotor.
Adding the 4-finger Swipe Up/Down Gesture to Open the Voiceover Settings Page
To those interested, the following is instructions on setting up a gesture that will take you directly to the Voiceover Settings Page.
- Go to settings one finger double tap.
- Go to accessibility, one finger double tap.
- go to VoiceOver, one finger double tap.
- scroll down to commands, one finger double tap.
- scroll down to all commands, one finger double tap.
- scroll down to voiceover, one finger double tap.
- Scroll to open voice settings, one finger double tap.
- Scroll to add gesture, one finger double tap.
- Scroll down to whatever gesture you wish to choose, one finger double tap.
I chose a four finger swipe down.
For more information please contact your GTT Coordinators/Trainers:
Kim Kilpatrick 1-877-304-0968 Ext. 513
Albert Ruel 1-877-304-0968 Ext. 550
David Green 1-877-304-0968 Ext. 509
AccessibilityTraining7@Gmail.com
CCB Backgrounder:
The CCB was founded in 1944 by a coalition of blind war veterans, schools of the blind and local chapters to create a national self-governing organization. The CCB was incorporated by Letters Patent on May 10, 1950 and is a registered charity under the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada).
The purpose of the CCB is to give people with vision loss a distinctive and unique perspective before governments. CCB deals with the ongoing effects of vision loss by encouraging active living and rehabilitation through peer support and social and recreational activities.
CCB promotes measures to conserve sight, create a close relationship with the sighted community and provide employment opportunities.
The CCB recognizes that vision loss has no boundaries with respect to gender, income, ethnicity, culture, other disabilities or age.
The CCB understands in many instances vision loss is preventable and sometimes is symptomatic of other health issues. For the 21st century, the CCB is committed to an integrated proactive health approach for early detection to improve the quality of life for all Canadians.
As the largest membership organization of the blind and partially sighted in Canada the CCB is the "Voice of the Blind™".
CCB National Office
100-20 James Street Ottawa ON K2P 0T6
Toll Free: 1-877-304-0968 Email: info@ccbnational.net URL: www.ccbnational.net
Friday Nov 01, 2019
Friday Nov 01, 2019
Get Together with Technology (GTT)
Sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB)
Show Notes:
October 9, 2019
On October 9, 2019 the GTT National Conference Call discussed the above topic with the help of the below presenters, which was followed by a number of spirited questions from the floor. The presenters were asked to talk about 3 of the things they like and don’t like about the version being used on that date, namely iOS 13.1.2. Since then additional updates have been released so depending on the date you read these Summary Notes your experience may be different.
To learn more about iOS 13 visit this Apple Website:
To access many fantastic iOS 13 AppleVis Podcasts follow this link:
Presenters: Michael Feir, Elmer Thiesen, Tom Dekker, Kim Kilpatrick, Brian Bibeault and David Green.
Michael Feir:
- Michael expressed frustration over the hang-up bug, and suggested that in iOS 13.1.2 users can use triple click on the home button three times to turn off Voice Over, which always resolves the freeze being experienced.
- To set the triple tap on the Home or Side buttons to Voice Over do the following: Go to Settings, Accessibility and select the Accessibility Shortcut to launch Voice Over.
- Be careful not to accidently click the button five times in a row without sufficient pause or you can activate the SOS call to 911.
- Custom Controls Can Be used to limit or expand the haptic feedback and sounds given off by iOS 13 devices. The user can also re-define existing gestures, and define undefined gestures to functions that are difficult to manage, like the turning of the Rotor dial.
- The Reminders app is another area where iOS 13 has made great strides. It is far more customizable and configurable to the needs of the end user. It now boasts some project management features that make it really good to use.
Elmer Thiesen:
- Elmer indicated that for him the ability to customize gestures is a really big deal, and the first one he changed was the Rotor gesture to use two fingers sliding across the screen left or right to turn it in those directions.
- He also expressed that the Vertical Scroll Bar is a great addition to iOS 13. It allows the user to scroll pages of information far more easily and efficiently.
- Elmer likes the ability to establish Activities with desired features like, having a specific voice read emails with no punctuation, and another voice work on word processing apps with all punctuation turned on. These can now be customized to the user’s preference.
- One of the bugs Elmer has struggled with is that Siri would get lost in what she was asked to access and keep repeating the same irrelevant thing over and over again until he re-set the Network Settings. Apple Support assisted in getting this sorted out.
Tom Dekker:
- Screen Recording is the thing Tom likes most about the upgrade to iOS 13. it never quite worked well before iOS 13, and now works very well with good quality sound.
- Commands and the ability to customize them is another of Tom’s favourite things about iOS 13.
- On Screen Braille keyboard is better than ever. He can now type more quickly and with more accuracy than before.
- Tom thinks that a weird thing is the iPhone User Guide downloaded to the iOS Books app. It only reads the first line or two of each paragraph. It doesn’t track anything correctly. Older Guides work well, but not this one.
Kim Kilpatrick:
- Kim agreed that the iOS 13 User Guide doesn’t work well.
- As for the hang-up bug, her experience seems to be that it only happens when she uses the microphone button on the wired earbuds. She also indicated that this bug didn’t come up during the beta testing phase, which she has been on since the beginning.
- Kim expressed that a great feature of iOS 13 is that Accessibility is not buried in General and that it has its own spot in Settings.
- Kim has heard that Low Vision users are liking the Dark Mode offered in iOS 13.
- She indicated that there are some good things added to Braille support that allows Voice Over to have more things read back to the user as they type, however a bug seems to have been introduced that creates a disconnect when back spacing to delete errors. Kim also agrees that Braille Screen Input has improved dramatically.
- Voice Control is another item Kim appreciates about iOS 13. Although it isn’t a Voice Over specific feature, it never-the-less works well with it, and it will really help those with limited hand function to access even more functions of their iOS devices. Voice Over users must use earbuds when accessing Voice Controls otherwise the Voice Over speech will interfere. The strong point about using Voice Control when dictating in an edit field is that Voice Over will read back what is being dictated periodically. It functions more like Dragon Naturally Speaking in that regard. this should only be used in quiet places otherwise it makes many errors.
- Kim told the group that in Activities you can also adjust punctuation for different apps and activities according to your personal preferences, the voice, rate and punctuation can all be set for different apps and tasks.
David Green:
- David told the assembled that when inserting passwords and code numbers for voicemail iOS 13 seems to be far faster in echoing the touch screen presses, which leads to increased accuracy in typing those characters. This is especially noticeable in voicemail entry codes.
- One bug David noticed is in the Native Mail app. When he tries to move from one account to another focus seems to go into Edit Mode instead of activating the new account. It will also do this in the Messages app sometimes.
- David found that after the upgrade to iOS 13 the speaking voice was changed from his favourite American voice to a British one. The only way to fix this was to set the Location to America in order to get those voices back.
- Slide to Type is one feature that David will have to practice a lot before it will become comfortable, if it ever does.
- Many of the new features and functions of iOS 13 are not of interest to David, so he will likely give them a pass.
Brian Bibeault:
- Brian wasn’t going to upgrade yet, however having forgotten to shut off his phone one evening he woke up to an upgraded iPhone. Since this event he has worked at trying to learn its new features and is getting comfortable with them. The first day was a nightmare, but he recommended that anyone intending to make the move go to AppleVis and listen to the many Thomas Domville podcasts about iOS 13. He provides a great set of tutorials and guides to the important features and upgrades.
- One glitch Brian found is when using the Bluetooth Keyboard, the focus jumps all over the place unexpectedly.
- Brian suggested that if one is going to use Voice Control, turn it off after using it, otherwise it’ll drive you nuts if you answer a phone call with it still turned on. It’ll keep repeating text not relevant to the conversation.
- He found that his recent move to Bell Fib Cablevision has improved since iOS 13, whereas the app was not accessible with iOS 12.4.
For more information please contact your GTT Coordinators:
Albert Ruel or Kim Kilpatrick
1-877-304-0968,550 1-877-304-0968,513
albert.GTT@CCBNational.net GTTProgram@Gmail.com
GTT is an exciting initiative of the Canadian Council of the Blind, founded in Ottawa in 2011 by Kim Kilpatrick and Ellen Goodman. GTT aims to help people who are blind or have low vision in their exploration of low vision and blindness related access technology. Through involvement with GTT participants can learn from and discuss assistive technology with others walking the same path of discovery.
GTT is made up of blindness related assistive technology users, and those who have an interest in using assistive technology designed to help blind and vision impaired people level the playing field. GTT groups interact through social media, and periodically meet in-person or by teleconference to share their passions for assistive technology and to learn what others can offer from their individual perspectives.
CCB Backgrounder:
The CCB was founded in 1944 by a coalition of blind war veterans, schools of the blind and local chapters to create a national self-governing organization. The CCB was incorporated by Letters Patent on May 10, 1950 and is a registered charity under the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada).
The purpose of the CCB is to give people with vision loss a distinctive and unique perspective before governments. CCB deals with the ongoing effects of vision loss by encouraging active living and rehabilitation through peer support and social and recreational activities.
CCB promotes measures to conserve sight, create a close relationship with the sighted community and provide employment opportunities.
The CCB recognizes that vision loss has no boundaries with respect to gender, income, ethnicity, culture, other disabilities or age.
The CCB understands in many instances vision loss is preventable and sometimes is symptomatic of other health issues. For the 21st century, the CCB is committed to an integrated proactive health approach for early detection to improve the quality of life for all Canadians.
As the largest membership organization of the blind and partially sighted in Canada the CCB is the "Voice of the Blind™".
CCB National Office
100-20 James Street Ottawa ON K2P 0T6
Toll Free: 1-877-304-0968 Email: info@ccbnational.net URL: www.ccbnational.net
Friday Oct 25, 2019
Friday Oct 25, 2019
Get Together with Technology (GTT)
Sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB)
GTT is an exciting initiative of the Canadian Council of the Blind, founded in Ottawa in 2011 by Kim Kilpatrick and Ellen Goodman. GTT aims to help people who are blind or have low vision in their exploration of low vision and blindness related access technology. Through involvement with GTT participants can learn from and discuss assistive technology with others walking the same path of discovery.
GTT is made up of blindness related assistive technology users, and those who have an interest in using assistive technology designed to help blind and vision impaired people level the playing field. GTT groups interact through social media, and periodically meet in-person or by teleconference to share their passions for assistive technology and to learn what others can offer from their individual perspectives.
Show Notes:
September 25, 2019
How to use Reader View on the Mac, PC, iOS and Android Browsers
What is Reader/Simplified View, and why does anyone want to explore it? Here’s an article that might explain it, followed by instructions on how to activate it in your favourite, or soon to be favourite browser.
Reader View
First posted on July 12, 2018 by Rob Tomlinson
“Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s dictum that “Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away” can be re-deployed most helpfully when discussing Reader View, a topic that touches on web page design and browser behaviour.”…
PC Browsers:
Simplified View for Google Chrome on the PC:
- type this into a new tab in Google Chrome
chrome://flags/#enable-reader-mode
press enter.
- A Chrome settings page comes up that you can navigate using headings.
- Press the letter H until you get to reading mode.
- There is a combo box that shows that reader mode is disabled.
- Press enter to go into forms mode if using Jaws.
- Press the down arrow to get to enabled and press enter.
- Go to the bottom of the page with control end and there is a restart chrome button, and Press enter.
- Now visit a page that has news stories such as this article from the Victoria Times Colonist,
- You can try down arrowing through the page and see all the links, controls and advertisements on the page.
- Press the Alt Key to bring up a menu and either up or down arrow to “Toggle distilled page contents” and press enter.
- you will hear your screen reader say, “Simplified View”.
- Now what you have is the news article in its entirety without the ads and other controls.
- To get the page back to normal view, repeat step 11 and press Enter.
- Press the Escape Key to close the menu.
Reader View for Firefox on the PC:
Reader View is a Firefox feature that strips away clutter like buttons, ads and background images, and changes the page's text size, contrast and layout for better readability.
Mozilla Firefox Download Page;
- Open Firefox and enter the address of the page you want to visit, let’s use the Victoria Times Colonist article again.
- Examine the page with down and up arrow keys to see that it is cluttered with links, controls and advertisements.
- Press the f9 key to enable reader view.
- If nothing happens then reader view is not available for the current page.
- If reader view is available, the page loads and is clutter free.
Mac Browsers:
Reader View for Safari on the Mac:
Safari Browser for the Mac Download Page;
To display an article in Reader on the Mac, do the following:
- Click the Safari icon on the Dock or Launchpad.
- Type in the URL for the website you want to visit.
For example, you might visit The New Yorker at www.newyorker.com.
- Click the article you want to read. You see the article with various advertisements, banners, photos, links, and so on.
- Click the Reader button, or press Command+Shift+R.
- If the article runs over several pages, Reader displays it as one continuous page so you need only scroll down, not click from one page to the next.
- If you need to adjust the size of the text, click the type buttons (the two A’s) in the upper-left corner.
- To exit Reader, click the Reader button, or press the Esc key to exit Reader and return to the normal Safari view of the article. Click the Back button to return to the original site.
- In both Reader and normal Safari view, press ⌘+= or ⌘+– to zoom in or out on the text. If you have a Magic Mouse or Trackpad or a MacBook that recognizes multi-touch gestures, you can also pinch in or out to zoom.
iOS 12.4 Browsers:
Sadly, we could find nothing to say there is a Reader or Simplified View for the Google Chrome Browser for iOS.
Reader View for Safari Browser on iOS:
How to enable Reader View in Safari in iOS 12.4:
- Launch Safarifrom your Home screen.
- Navigate to the website you'd like to read.
- Tap the Reader button on the left of the address bar. It looks like a series of stacked lines.
- If the Reader button doesn’t appear it means the page isn’t able to be simplified.
Reader View for Mozilla Firefox Browser in iOS 12.4:
Mozilla Firefox Download Page on the App Store for iPad and iPhone;
How to enable Reader View in Firefox on iOS:
- Launch Firefox from your Home screen.
- Navigate to the website you'd like to read.
- Tap the Reader button on the right of the address bar. It looks like a series of stacked lines.
- Double Tap it again to turn it off when you want access to more of the page.
- If the Reader button doesn’t appear it means the page isn’t able to be simplified.
Reader View for Microsoft Edge in iOS 12.4:
Microsoft Edge Download for iPad and iPhone;
How to enable Reader View in Microsoft Edge on iOS:
- Launch Edge from your Home screen.
- Navigate to the website you'd like to read.
- Tap the Reader Mode button on the right of the address bar. It looks like a book that is open.
- Double Tap the Done button to turn it off when you want access to more of the page.
- If the Reader Mode button doesn’t appear it means the page isn’t able to be simplified.
Android Browsers:
Simplified View for Google Chrome on Android:
Google Chrome Browser Download from the Google Play Store;
How to Enable Reader Mode in Chrome for Android?
- Open Chromeon your Android smartphone or tablet and type
chrome://flags
in the address/search bar and hit enter. The Chrome Flags page will open up.
- Hit the three dot button inthe top right corner and tap “Find in page “.
- Once enabled, you will see a “Make page mobile-friendly” button at the end of the webpage.
For more information please contact your GTT Coordinators:
Albert Ruel or Kim Kilpatrick
1-877-304-0968,550 1-877-304-0968,513
albert.GTT@CCBNational.net GTTProgram@Gmail.com
CCB Backgrounder:
The CCB was founded in 1944 by a coalition of blind war veterans, schools of the blind and local chapters to create a national self-governing organization. The CCB was incorporated by Letters Patent on May 10, 1950 and is a registered charity under the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada).
The purpose of the CCB is to give people with vision loss a distinctive and unique perspective before governments. CCB deals with the ongoing effects of vision loss by encouraging active living and rehabilitation through peer support and social and recreational activities.
CCB promotes measures to conserve sight, create a close relationship with the sighted community and provide employment opportunities.
The CCB recognizes that vision loss has no boundaries with respect to gender, income, ethnicity, culture, other disabilities or age.
The CCB understands in many instances vision loss is preventable and sometimes is symptomatic of other health issues. For the 21st century, the CCB is committed to an integrated proactive health approach for early detection to improve the quality of life for all Canadians.
As the largest membership organization of the blind and partially sighted in Canada the CCB is the "Voice of the Blind™".
CCB National Office
100-20 James Street Ottawa ON K2P 0T6
Toll Free: 1-877-304-0968 Email: info@ccbnational.net URL: www.ccbnational.net
Tuesday Oct 22, 2019
Tuesday Oct 22, 2019
Get Together with Technology (GTT)
Sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB)
GTT is an exciting initiative of the Canadian Council of the Blind, founded in Ottawa in 2011 by Kim Kilpatrick and Ellen Goodman. GTT aims to help people who are blind or have low vision in their exploration of low vision and blindness related access technology. Through involvement with GTT participants can learn from and discuss assistive technology with others walking the same path of discovery.
GTT is made up of blindness related assistive technology users, and those who have an interest in using assistive technology designed to help blind and vision impaired people level the playing field. GTT groups interact through social media, and periodically meet in-person or by teleconference to share their passions for assistive technology and to learn what others can offer from their individual perspectives.
Show Notes:
September 11, 2019
- On September 11, 2019 Gerry Chevalier gave a presentation to the GTT National Conference Call Meeting demonstrating how to search for and download from the new website launched earlier this year by The Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA).
- Gerry used Windows 10 for this demonstration, and the web browser used was Google Chrome. The site also works well with Firefox and Internet Explorer.
- The screen reader used for this demonstration was JAWS for Windows, and both Narrator and NVDA are also compatible with the CELA Library website.
What is CELA:
- The CELA accessible library service for print disabled Canadians provides many services including: downloadable recorded DAISY books, downloadable DAISY eBooks, downloadable Bookshare DAISY eBooks, DAISY books on CD mailed to your home, braille books mailed to your home, print-brailled books for kids, over 150 downloadable DAISY e-text magazines, recorded DAISY magazines by download or mail, and over 40 daily newspapers that can be read online.
- In early 2019 CELA launched a new accessible website that brings together their collection and that of Bookshare searchable from one place.
- Many will recognize these CELA services to be the same as those previously provided by the CNIB Library. CELA took over the CNIB Library in 2014 and now serves all print-disabled Canadians not just those who are blind or vision impaired.
The Players:
- In addition to playing CD books the Victor Reader Stratus can also receive direct to player DAISY books over the Internet. The user chooses their book by logging into CELA online and once a book is chosen it is sent directly to the player. For non-computer users, CELA customer service or your local Librarian can set up a reader profile for you and then the CELA computer will choose your books and send them directly to the player or on CD mailed to your home.
- It is also suggested some may prefer the pocket sized Victor Reader Stream which can accept the direct to player books and perform other online functions Such as getting Bookshare books and listening to podcasts and radio stations.
- CELA Direct to Player audio books can also be played on your iPhone or Android phone using the free Dolphin EasyReader app.
- CELA audio books can also be downloaded through Dropbox to iPhones and played using the Voice Dream Reader app.
How much does it cost:
- There is no fee for CELA service or Bookshare service.
How do I find CELA:
- Visit the CELA web site for information on all their services or call their customer service at 1-855-655-2273.
For more information please contact your GTT Coordinators:
Albert Ruel or Kim Kilpatrick
1-877-304-0968,550 1-877-304-0968,513
albert.GTT@CCBNational.net GTTProgram@Gmail.com
CCB Backgrounder:
The CCB was founded in 1944 by a coalition of blind war veterans, schools of the blind and local chapters to create a national self-governing organization. The CCB was incorporated by Letters Patent on May 10, 1950 and is a registered charity under the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada).
The purpose of the CCB is to give people with vision loss a distinctive and unique perspective before governments. CCB deals with the ongoing effects of vision loss by encouraging active living and rehabilitation through peer support and social and recreational activities.
CCB promotes measures to conserve sight, create a close relationship with the sighted community and provide employment opportunities.
The CCB recognizes that vision loss has no boundaries with respect to gender, income, ethnicity, culture, other disabilities or age.
The CCB understands in many instances vision loss is preventable and sometimes is symptomatic of other health issues. For the 21st century, the CCB is committed to an integrated proactive health approach for early detection to improve the quality of life for all Canadians.
As the largest membership organization of the blind and partially sighted in Canada the CCB is the "Voice of the Blind™".
CCB National Office
100-20 James Street Ottawa ON K2P 0T6
Toll Free: 1-877-304-0968 Email: info@ccbnational.net URL: www.ccbnational.net
Monday Oct 21, 2019
Monday Oct 21, 2019
Get Together with Technology (GTT)
Sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB)
GTT is an exciting initiative of the Canadian Council of the Blind, founded in Ottawa in 2011 by Kim Kilpatrick and Ellen Goodman. GTT aims to help people who are blind or have low vision in their exploration of low vision and blindness related access technology. Through involvement with GTT participants can learn from and discuss assistive technology with others walking the same path of discovery.
GTT is made up of blindness related assistive technology users, and those who have an interest in using assistive technology designed to help blind and vision impaired people level the playing field. GTT groups interact through social media, and periodically meet in-person or by teleconference to share their passions for assistive technology and to learn what others can offer from their individual perspectives.
Show Notes:
August 28, 2019
Microsoft Soundscape
A map delivered in 3D sound by Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft Soundscape was recently released in Canada in both official languages, Canadian French and English. You can download Soundscape free for iOS from the App Store here.
Presenting over the Zoom Conference to the GTT New Westminster group were Amos Miller, the Product Manager for Microsoft Soundscape Research in Redmond WA, and Jarnail Chudge, a technology designer and user experience expert on the team.
Microsoft Soundscape uses 3D audio technology to enhance your awareness of what is around you, and thereby help you get around and explore your surroundings.
Soundscape will place audio cues and labels in 3D space such that they sound like they are coming from the direction of the points of interest, parks,
roads and other features in your surroundings.
You will need a pair of stereo headsets that you feel comfortable wearing outdoors. For example, bone conduction headsets, Apple AirPods and in-ear open
headphones have proven to work well.
Soundscape is designed to live in the background and provide you with effortless ambient awareness. Therefore, feel free to use it in conjunction with
other apps such as podcasts, audio books, email and even GPS navigation.
Key features:
- As you walk, Soundscape will automatically call out the key points of interest, roads and intersections that you pass. These can be adjusted and turned on and off.
- An audio beacon can be placed on a point of interest, and you will hear it as you move around. You can place an audio beacon on a point of interest that you would like to track such as your destination, a point to return to or a landmark you are familiar with.
- “My Location” describes your current location and the direction you are facing.
- "Nearby Markers" describes nearby places you have marked.
- “Around Me” describes nearby points of interest in each of the four cardinal directions, helping with orientation. Try this out when getting off a bus or leaving a train station.
- “Ahead of Me” describes points of interest in front of you, for example when walking down the street.
- The expandable Callout History section lets you review callouts you have heard, repeat callouts, hear more information about them, and more.
We hope you enjoy the experience. We believe that this kind of technology offers a new way to relate to the environment around you and we can’t wait to hear what you make of it.
If at any time you have any questions about Soundscape, please refer to the Help & Tutorials section available on the main menu or if you require further help then you can contact the Disability Answer Desk on
1-800-936-5900 which is a free of charge service.
This work started out in 2010/2011 when Amos was still in the UK. He was involved with the local guide dog organization there, and working with them to try and figure out how technology can integrate into our own independence and mobility when we’re out and about, but in a way that enhances that experience. Some people from Microsoft started working with mobility instructors, and guide dog and cane users. We explored a range of ideas long before we figured out how to solve the problem. We landed on this notion of how important it is to enhance the awareness, but not tell the person what to do in that space. A lot of what orientation and mobility trainers will do with us is to work on a specific route, but especially how to perceive the environment, how we read the cues that the environment is giving us from a sound perspective, echo location, traffic noise, direction of the wind, the tactile feeling of the ground: all of the signals we can get from the environment in order to orient, and make good navigational decisions. The work that we did with Guide Dogs in the early days of Soundscape was really to see how we can build on that. The idea of sound playing a big role in the perception of the space, was really how this idea evolved. Soundscape as an ap, is the first incarnation of that idea.
The ap is free, and available from the Ap Store. It does rely on map data, and so it does need to be able to access that data. For the most part, it will download the necessary data from the environment that you’re in, and from that point forward it’s not using data. So it’s not constantly drawing on your data plan, but it does require one. We’ve tried to optimize it so that the data usage is minimal, and in certain situations, it will also work in areas where there is no data.
Bose frames are a very good way to get the stereo effect, as are Bone conducting headphones. EarPods or standard headphones will work, but they will block your ears to ambient sound. Putting it in one ear to keep the other ear free won’t be effective because you won’t get the signature 3D effect. Amos said that he personally likes EarPods because of their sound quality, and it’s possible to insert them lightly into the ear and still have ambient sound. Some sports headphones are a good solution too, Plantronics for example. This type of headphone rests around the back of your neck, and clips over the ear. They sit in front of the ear canal without blocking it. They’re used commonly by runners and cyclists.
Users can email
and that comes to the Microsoft Soundscape team. There is also a feedback button in the ap itself.
For more information please contact your GTT Coordinators:
Albert Ruel or Kim Kilpatrick
1-877-304-0968,550 1-877-304-0968,513
albert.GTT@CCBNational.net GTTProgram@Gmail.com
CCB Backgrounder:
The CCB was founded in 1944 by a coalition of blind war veterans, schools of the blind and local chapters to create a national self-governing organization. The CCB was incorporated by Letters Patent on May 10, 1950 and is a registered charity under the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada).
The purpose of the CCB is to give people with vision loss a distinctive and unique perspective before governments. CCB deals with the ongoing effects of vision loss by encouraging active living and rehabilitation through peer support and social and recreational activities.
CCB promotes measures to conserve sight, create a close relationship with the sighted community and provide employment opportunities.
The CCB recognizes that vision loss has no boundaries with respect to gender, income, ethnicity, culture, other disabilities or age.
The CCB understands in many instances vision loss is preventable and sometimes is symptomatic of other health issues. For the 21st century, the CCB is committed to an integrated proactive health approach for early detection to improve the quality of life for all Canadians.
As the largest membership organization of the blind and partially sighted in Canada the CCB is the "Voice of the Blind™".
CCB National Office
100-20 James Street Ottawa ON K2P 0T6
Toll Free: 1-877-304-0968 Email: info@ccbnational.net URL: www.ccbnational.net
Thursday Oct 17, 2019
Thursday Oct 17, 2019
Get Together with Technology (GTT)
Sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB)
GTT is an exciting initiative of the Canadian Council of the Blind, founded in Ottawa in 2011 by Kim Kilpatrick and Ellen Goodman. GTT aims to help people who are blind or have low vision in their exploration of low vision and blindness related access technology. Through involvement with GTT participants can learn from and discuss assistive technology with others walking the same path of discovery.
GTT is made up of blindness related assistive technology users, and those who have an interest in using assistive technology designed to help blind and vision impaired people level the playing field. GTT groups interact through social media, and periodically meet in-person or by teleconference to share their passions for assistive technology and to learn what others can offer from their individual perspectives.
Show Notes:
August 14, 2019
WayAround
The Smart Assistant for People Who are Blind
Meet WayAround
WayAround is the app for your smart device that provides on-demand details about everyday things. The simple tag-and-scan approach lets you quickly and easily identify things around you. It also provides extra details, like how something works or when it expires.
The result? Doing more of the things you want, with more confidence and more independence.
Get the FREE App!
Download WayAround on the App Store
Download WayAround on the Google Play Store
Canadian Distributor:
Canadian Assistive Technologies Ltd:
Check out this Sample Pack of WayAround Tags:
Contact Canadian Assistive Technologies:
OUR MISSION
Because Assistive Technology has been our lives for over 30 years, we understand the importance that any given device or piece of software can have in
our clients' day to day lives. We strive to ensure that every client has the tools and training they need in order to empower them to be able to live the
lives they want through the power of Accessibility.
1-844-795-8324
For more information please contact your GTT Coordinators:
Albert Ruel or Kim Kilpatrick
1-877-304-0968,550 1-877-304-0968,513
albert.GTT@CCBNational.net GTTProgram@Gmail.com
CCB Backgrounder:
The CCB was founded in 1944 by a coalition of blind war veterans, schools of the blind and local chapters to create a national self-governing organization. The CCB was incorporated by Letters Patent on May 10, 1950 and is a registered charity under the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada).
The purpose of the CCB is to give people with vision loss a distinctive and unique perspective before governments. CCB deals with the ongoing effects of vision loss by encouraging active living and rehabilitation through peer support and social and recreational activities.
CCB promotes measures to conserve sight, create a close relationship with the sighted community and provide employment opportunities.
The CCB recognizes that vision loss has no boundaries with respect to gender, income, ethnicity, culture, other disabilities or age.
The CCB understands in many instances vision loss is preventable and sometimes is symptomatic of other health issues. For the 21st century, the CCB is committed to an integrated proactive health approach for early detection to improve the quality of life for all Canadians.
As the largest membership organization of the blind and partially sighted in Canada the CCB is the "Voice of the Blind™".
CCB National Office
100-20 James Street Ottawa ON K2P 0T6
Toll Free: 1-877-304-0968 Email: info@ccbnational.net URL: www.ccbnational.net