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Access Information News for Monday, December 5, 2022 - Volume 887The Week's News in Access Information A Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. Publication Access Information News. The world's #1 online resource for current news and trends in access information. Subscribers: 7,118 Opt-In Subscribers were sent this issue via email. This Week's Featured Advertisement: Would You Like To Reach Over 15,000 Access Professionals Each Week? If You've Been Looking For A Way To Consistently Reach The Largest Audience Of Opt-In Access Professionals In The World Today, Please Consider Becoming A Sponsor For Just $100 USD Per Month. While Packages Last. This Issue Made Possible By Support From The Following Sponsors:
This issue made possible by Sponsorship support from Pneuma Solutions, WayAround, Menus4ALL, APH ConnectCenter and Access Ready, Inc. Learn more about Sponsorship today at: https://accessinformationnews.com/sponsor. Dear Access Information News Subscriber,✍ Submit your access information news item for consideration within this section using this form: https://accessinformationnews.com/submit-news or locate "News Item Submission Form" within the main menu of the Access Information News website.1) Top 5 Most Clicked Access Information News Articles From Last WeekA.) 7 Best iOS 16 Apps and Features for Accessibility (6.6% of all clicks.) B.) 4 Ways to Make Online Banking Accessible (5.2% of all clicks.) C.) A Guide to Understanding Your Current 2022 Aira Plan (5.1% of all clicks.) D.) 5 Takeaways From Screen Reader Usability Interviews | Jess Budd | Senior Front-End Engineer Specializing In Web Accessibility (5.1% of all clicks.) E.) Hiking For Visually Impaired People: How One Writer Is Fighting For Her Right To Roam | Caroline Butterwick (4.6% of all clicks.) 2) Sponsorship Package UpdatesThere are currently 13 Access Information News Sponsorship Packages remaining. If you would like to support the ongoing distribution of Access Information News while reaching over 15,000 access professionals each week, please consider becoming a Sponsor today for just $100 a month, paid either quarterly or annually. Annual sponsors gain the additional benefit of being able to schedule their Featured Advertisements up to one year in advance. If you are an access information business or organization that has been looking for a way to consistently reach the largest audience of opt-in access professionals in the world today, please consider becoming an Access Information News Sponsor while packages last. Learn all about the benefits here: 3) Access Information News Welcomes APH ConnectCenter As Fourth Founding Publication SponsorPlease join all of us here at Access Information News in welcoming aboard APH ConnectCenter. APH ConnectCenter is now the fourth founding sponsor of the Access Information News publication. APH ConnectCenter is also a founding and longtime sponsor of the Top Tech Tidbits Publication. The APH ConnectCenter offers curated advice and resources to assist children, parents, adults, and job seekers who are blind or visually impaired, and their associated professionals, leading to greater independence and success in their lives. Learn more today at: 3) Access Information News Welcomes Access Ready, Inc. As Fifth Founding Publication SponsorPlease join all of us here at Access Information News in welcoming aboard Access Ready, Inc. Access Ready, Inc. is now the fifth founding sponsor of the Access Information News publication. Access Ready, Inc. is also a long time Partner of the Top Tech Tidbits Publication. Access Ready Inc. is a certified, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The mission of Access Ready Inc., a nonprofit cross-disability rights advocacy organization, is to promote a policy of accessibility benefiting all people regardless of ability across information and communications technology utilized for two way communications. Learn more today at: 4) Neuralink's Brain Chip Plans: Help the Blind See and the Paralyzed WalkElon Musk's startup hopes to start human tests in six months for its implant that connects computers to brains. The company, one of five that Musk leads, is working on technology to drop thousands of electrodes thinner than a hair into the outer surface of human brains. Each electrode is a tiny wire connected to a battery powered, remotely recharged, quarter sized chip package that's embedded into a spot that once held a circle of skull. The chip, called the N1, communicates wirelessly with the outside world. The technology is still far from the initial medical uses, much less Musk's ultimate vision of using Neuralink to hang out with super intelligent AIs. But it's making significant progress, including applying with the Food and Drug Administration to begin human trials it hopes to start within 6 months, the company said at a "show and tell" event lasting more than two hours: 5) What Is Bioptic Driving?Every day many young people are given the news that obtaining a driver's license is not in their future due to blindness or low vision. Adults also face this challenge but with the possibility of losing their license. This news, no matter the age, not only has an emotional impact but also has an impact on the ability to move around independently. A diagnosis of low vision may mean no driving abilities, however, those that have mild to moderate central vision impairment with good peripheral vision may benefit from something called "bioptic driving:" 6) Study Finds Apple's AirPods Pro May Serve As A Hearing-Assistive Device For Mild-To-Moderate Hearing LossAirPods Pro can help offer assistance to people with mild-to-moderate hearing problems. People with severe SNHL and other types of hearing impairment were excluded from the study. A hearing aid can cost up to thousands of dollars, whereas Personal Sound Amplification Products are less expensive: 7) AccessReady Reporter Newsletter | Issue 33 | November 30th 2023The Reporter Newsletter is a service of Access Ready Inc. which is an independent, non-profit, cross-disability education and advocacy organization promoting a policy of inclusion and accessibility of information and communications technology (ICT). For people with disabilities, accessible information and communications technology is a necessity, not a luxury or a convenience, which fosters independence, economic self-sufficiency, and active, meaningful participation in civic life: 8) Accessibility in the Fediverse (and Mastodon)This is a good explainer on how the Fediverse operates and how there are accessibility opportunities there. It also provides a list of accessibility-minded people for you to follow: 9) On Joining Mastodon | From My Vast Experience Of Three Weeks, A Guide To Diving In | Jeff JarvisPublisher: While not accessibility-specific, this article is incredibly informative: 10) Vision Nanny Activities for Children who have CVI | Paths To LiteracyVision Nanny is a web based design with specific activities for children with CVI that is broken down into different skill levels: 11) ABC International Excellence Awards Given to Kogan Page and Mr. Ashoka Bandula WeerawardhanaThe accessible books consortium has awarded Mr. Ashoka Bandula Weerawardhana for his work in braille production: 12) Ways In Which Cameras Help The Blind | Kevin JonesI've been politely asked, "how do you read messages or email on a computer?" A less common question is "How did you take that picture?" 13) 10 Tips for Selecting Holiday Gifts for Young Children with Visual Impairments or Multiple Disabilities | Paths To LiteracySuggestions on how to choose a Christmas or Hanukkah present for child w/ multiple disabilities or a young child who is blind, visually impaired, deafblind: 14) The Hottest Low Vision Gifts | Ophthalmic EdgeFinding the right gift for someone who has a visual impairment can be complicated. Great gifts come in many forms and at many prices. So, as usual, we are including some gifts that don't cost a lot and some that don't cost anything, because the gift of empowerment is priceless: 15) Important Update About Aira Free Sponsored Offers | Tech-VI ListThe purpose of this letter is to tell you about three changes to our "free" Aira-sponsored programs. These changes are being announced on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, and will go into effect on Monday, December 5, 2022: 16) State of Ohio Announces Partnership to Provide COVID-19 Testing Assistance for Ohioans Who are Blind or Have Low VisionThe Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) have partnered to identify a solution to support Ohioans who are blind or have low vision in self-administering at-home COVID-19 tests widely available through retail, pharmacy and grocery stores, community libraries, and local health departments: 17) Medical Bills Remain Inaccessible For Many Visually Impaired AmericansA Missouri man who is deaf and blind said a medical bill he didn't know existed was sent to debt collections, triggering an 11% rise in his home insurance premiums. In a different case, from California, an insurer has suspended a blind woman's coverage every year since 2010 after mailing printed "verification of benefits" forms to her home that she cannot read, she said. The problems continued even after she got a lawyer involved. And still another insurer kept sending a visually impaired Indiana woman bills she said she could not read, even after her complaint to the Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights led to corrective actions: 18) Helping Your Child Who Is Blind or Visually Impaired Get Oriented to a New School BuildingStarting a new school year is always both exciting and nerve-racking. When a child who is blind is going to a school building for the first time, it is important that they become very familiar with it to lessen that feeling of being lost that every new student feels: 19) 2022 ACB Audio Description Project Gala and Pre-Show replays now on ACB Media 9The 2022 Second Annual Audio Description Project Awards Gala and Gala Pre-show are now replaying on ACB Media 9. The replays will run every 4 hours, 24/7, throughout December 2022 on Media 9: 20) Why Amazon Alexa (And Other Voice Assistants) Aren't Making MoneyEarlier this week, Business Insider reported that Amazon is on pace to lose $10 billion from its Alexa voice assistant and its smart speaker business. The news comes at a time when Alexa's competitors are dealing with difficulties of their own and struggling to find a way to monetize their voice assistants: 21) US Mulls More Regulations To Help Disabled Use Self-Service KiosksAs self-service expands at a fast pace at retail, many machines do not sufficiently accommodate disabled persons, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. To rectify the problem, The Access Board, a federal agency that supports equal rights for persons with disabilities, has since September 2022 been developing additional guidelines for self-service equipment and has sought comments from the public: 22) Resource Guide for Students With Visual Disabilities | Test Prep InsightThe college experience poses unique and often trying obstacles for students with visual disabilities. Yet, earning a college degree is far from impossible. Universities and private organizations are doing more than ever to help visually impaired students. Between counseling, accommodations, learning tools, and specialized housing, there is much to understand about the options available to college students with visual disabilities. In this guide, we take an in-depth look at the evolving college experience for blind and low vision students, as well as offer useful tips and resources: 23) A Year After Life-Changing Award, Berkeley Inventor For The Blind Is Writing A MemoirJoshua Miele won a MacArthur "genius" prize in 2021. Set up in a new workshop, he's planning a listening party for the sounds of the aurora borealis and is learning to use his celebrity for good: 24) Blind Chef Teaches Her Skills And Love Of Cooking To Others With Visual Impairments | Video | KGW8Chef Debra Erickson launched "The Blind Kitchen" to make space for cooks and bakers with vision loss. She hopes it becomes a community of support: 25) Lighthouse Guild and Bionic Sight Announce Partnership to Expand Treatment Options for People Who Are BlindLighthouse Guild, the leading not-for-profit vision and healthcare organization, and Bionic Sight, the developer of treatments and technologies for advanced stage blindness, announced today that they are entering into a partnership that will change the landscape of treatment for people who are blind: 26) A Version Of "A Christmas Carol" With Characters And Narration Voiced By Various Speech Synthesizers: Produced By Martin Courcelles | MP3 | David Goldfield | Tech-VI ListI first found this gem several years ago, downloaded it and have continued to archive it. It's a wonderful adaptation of "a Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. The narrator along with each character is voiced by a different speech synthesizer, many or all of which you might recognize. As an example, the character Ebenezer Scrooge is voiced by one of the British Eloquence voices. This piece also has music and soundscapes. I am grateful to Martin for once again making this available which he did in a recent post on Mastodon: 27) Temporary Discounted Prices on Audio Dramas From Focus on The Family | David Goldfield | Tech-VI ListI am a fan of audio drama, both classic and modern and have enjoyed this form of entertainment for over 40 years. I am always on the lookout for legal sources for obtaining audio drama. Focus on the Family is temporarily offering many of their audio dramas at reduced prices. They are a Protestant organization but their audio dramas can be enjoyed by people of all faiths. When they had a similar sale last year I purchased their version of “a Christmas Carol” as well as their dramatized adaptations of the Narnia books. The production values, acting and music are excellent. Their adaptation of “a Christmas Carol” was extremely well-done and I found it to be very moving. These dramatizations can be purchased either on CD or as MP3 digital downloads. The digital downloads should be playable in any device or software capable of playing MP3 files, such as a Victor Stream or software such as VLC Media Player. I have successfully played them using Voice Dream Reader on my iPhone: 28) Athens Acropolis Becomes Accessible to the Visually ImpairedThe Acropolis of Athens has become accessible to the visually impaired through a route recently unveiled that combines models of monuments, haptic feedback points, and signs in Greek and English Braille: 29) How Disability Charities Are Working To Solve The U.S. Labor Shortage | ForbesThe United States currently finds itself in the grips of a labor shortage in key areas like retail and manufacturing as the after-effects of the Covid-inspired “Great Resignation” continue to be felt: 30) Tactile Bulletin Board: Cells | Paths To LiteracyCreate a tactile bulletin board to make cells and biology accessible to braille readers and students who are blind or visually impaired: 31) Learning Ally Announces PreK-2 Literacy Grant Program For U.S. Schools — Excite Reading TM Prepares Early Learners For Reading SuccessTo increase reading preparedness in early learners, Learning Ally, a national education nonprofit known to double the rate of reading growth for struggling readers, is announcing its new Excite Reading™ Early Literacy Grant Program for eligible U.S. schools at no cost. Applications are now open until December 15, 2022: ➜ Featured Webinars, Training Courses and Events✍ Submit your access information related Webinar, Training Course or Event for consideration within this section using this form: https://accessinformationnews.com/submit-event or locate "Webinar / Training Course Submission Form" within the main menu of the Access Information News website.1) Microsoft Accessibility for Nonprofits WebinarDecember 6th 2022 | 9AM PT, 10AM MT, 11AM CT, 12PM ET, 5PM GMT | If you are part of a disability nonprofit organization, please join us for our Microsoft Accessibility for Nonprofits Webinar on Tuesday, December 6th. In this introductory session, you will learn about: Accessibility Nonprofit Tech Accelerator 2023 grant program that provides selected organizations with technology grants and dedicated specialist staff to support your mission. Access to Microsoft Philanthropies grants and discounts across our nonprofit cloud products including Azure, Dynamics 365, and Microsoft 365 for all registered 501 c3 organizations. Microsoft Accessibility team will share our commitment to disability nonprofit partners, our work on AI for Accessibility & Innovation. Register today for the Microsoft Accessibility for Nonprofit Webinar: 2) The Current Legal Landscape for Digital Assets Accessibility Risks and How to Provide an Accessible Experience for Retail CustomersDecember 6th 2022 | 8AM PT, 9AM MT, 10AM CT, 11AM ET, 4PM GMT | Presenter: Matt Ater, Lori Sommerfield, and Kim Phan
Join Matt Ater of Vispero, along with Lori Sommerfield & Kim Phan, partners at Troutman Pepper, for a discussion concerning the current state of legal risks for accessibility non-compliance and practical tips for making your retail business digital assets accessible for people with disabilities. We will discuss the current state of website and mobile application accessibility litigation, as well as the increasing threat of enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act for digital assets by the U.S. Department of Justice under the Biden administration. Learn how to mitigate legal risks by meeting digital accessibility requirements and creating a usable and accessible retail experience. Register today: 3) What's New With JAWS, ZoomText And Fusion In 2023 | APH ConnectCenterDecember 6th 2022 | 8:30AM PT, 9:30AM MT, 10:30AM CT, 11:30AM ET, 4:30PM GMT | JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion 2023 contain several new features and enhancements that increase productivity at school, work, and play. Join us for a live webinar to learn about these features and see some of them in action: 4) ONYX Family of Magnifiers: Portable & Powerful (ACVREP CE Approved, Assistive Technology Webinar) | Access IngenuityDecember 7th 2022 | 10AM PT, 11AM MT, 12PM CT, 1PM ET, 6PM GMT | The ONYX family of video magnifiers combines ease of use with powerful yet portable features to help people retain their independent lifestyle - reading, writing, viewing photographs, and engaging in hobbies. Did you know there are three different ONYX models? The ONYX Deskset and ONYX OCR offer larger screens and can adapt to multiple environments and tasks for productivity at school, work, and home. Modern camera technology and HD displays provide a clear, crisp picture with a wide range of magnification and color-coded controls. The ONYX Pro takes portability to the next level by combining it with the Surface 7 tablet to provide the ultimate tool for mobile magnification and reading tasks. During this webinar, we discuss the features and benefits all the ONYX models can give in specific situations. Join Ian Ramos and Joe McDaniel from Vispero as they dive deep into these powerful tools to help those challenged by vision loss. Note that everybody is welcome and can benefit from this presentation. If you are a teacher of the visually impaired (TVI), this presentation is approved for ACVREP continuing education credit. Learning Outcomes: Features of all ONYX models. How to determine which model fits your needs best. How adding speech capability can take you further. Benefits of portable, powerful visual tools. Meeting ID: 821 2886 0126 | Passcode: 792304 | One tap mobile: +16699009128,,82128860126#,,,,*792304# US (San Jose) | Dial by your location: +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose). Join Zoom Meeting: 5) 2022 Sight Tech Global — Shaping New Technologies to Create a More Accessible World for People with Blindness and Visual ImpairmentsDecember 7th 2022 and December 8th 2022 | Sponsored by Google, APH, Amazon, Humanware, Microsoft, Fable, LinkedIn, and Waymo, Sight Tech Global is the first global, virtual conference dedicated to fostering discussion among technology pioneers on how rapid advances in AI and related technologies will fundamentally alter the landscape of assistive technology and accessibility. Register for free: 6) 2022 Digital Accessibility Legal Update with Lainey Feingold | Free WebinarDecember 8th 2022 | 11AM PT, 12PM MT, 1PM CT, 2PM ET, 7PM GMT | What We'll Cover: A lot has happened in the digital accessibility legal space this year — have you kept up? Most recently, a new digital accessibility law was introduced in the United States Congress. If the law passes as written, it will result in digital accessibility regulations for both websites and software applications. Commercial providers who design, develop, and modify certain websites or applications are part of the proposed legislation. Speaker: Lainey Feingold. Lainey Feingold is a disability rights lawyer who has worked in the digital accessibility space since 1995. She is also an author and international speaker. Lainey, along with her blind clients and co-counsel, helped negotiate the first web accessibility agreement in the United States more than twenty years ago. She has worked with dozens of companies on their accessibility initiatives since that time. Lainey is the author of Structured Negotiation: A Winning Alternative to Lawsuits. Her book shares stories and strategies from twenty-five years of collaborations and relationship-building to help create an inclusive digital world. Register here: 7) 20 Websites to Bookmark for 2023 | Technology User Group, Maryland State LibraryDecember 10th 2022 | 7AM PT, 8AM MT, 9AM CT, 10AM ET, 3PM GMT | Technology keeps changing and so do the websites that are useful in our everyday lives. Find out why these 20 websites are so important for 2023. All events are currently being held via teleconference until further notice. No programs will be held in person. Please dial (319) 527-4994 📱️ at 10 AM ET: 8) Lego Braille Bricks Live Session 3: Creative Manual Activities for Christmas | APHDecember 12th 2022 | 8AM PT, 9AM MT, 10AM CT, 11AM ET, 4PM GMT | Christmas is a great time to create crafts. Let's share amazing and fun tactile ideas adapted to visually impaired children: 9) Basics of Accessibility Testing | TPGiDecember 13th 2022 | 9AM PT, 10AM MT, 11AM CT, 12PM ET, 5PM GMT | Presenter: Aaron Farber, Senior Accessibility Platform Consultant. Accessibility testing is a critical step in delivering a modern online experience. This webinar goes beyond testing checklists to answer the fundamental questions people have when they start testing for web accessibility. For accessibility testing to be effective, organizations must understand what makes a digital experience equal. We'll cover web accessibility, the role and structure of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and how to quantify the risk associated with a guideline. Additionally, we'll discuss the following: How to set the scope for accessibility testing and feel confident you are covering the "right parts" of a website/web application. We'll document mouse-only, keyboard-only, and assistive technology testing plans. We'll delve into how web pages expose "semantics" and the tools to understand if your site is properly conveying its meaning to assistive technology. How to get expert support beyond your team to be sure that your accessibility testing results are accurate and more! Learn how to use the tools, access resources, and receive clear steps to perform a full-scale WCAG audit. Register: 10) Partner Showcase: Audiojack's Newest O+M Experience | APH ConnectCenterDecember 13th 2022 | 1PM PT, 2PM MT, 3PM CT, 4PM ET, 8PM GMT | The APH Partner Showcase for December features Audiojack and its creator David Tobin. Listen live to the latest O&M Audiojack in the Life category, located in the mobile app and on the website. Then, engage with other Audience members and David as you discuss the newest Audiojack. The APH Partner Showcase is part of Access Academy, but does not offer ACVREP credits. The Showcase is strictly informational/promotional, and highlights some of APH's partner vendors in the field, and their product(s): 11) Explore SuperSense and Seeing AI Webinar | Lighthouse For The Blind, Inc.December 14th 2022 | 4PM PT, 5PM MT, 6PM CT, 7PM ET, 12AM GMT on 12/15 | Come explore SuperSense and Seeing AI, two leading apps that leverage artificial intelligence to describe the world around you. We'll compare these apps in real world scenarios, learn to maximize their functionality, and help you decide which app might best meet your needs in this fun, interactive and informative webinar from the Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Register in advance at: 12) Creating Accessible Promotional Materials (Digital Accessibility Webinar) | Access IngenuityDecember 14th 2022 | 10AM PT, 11AM MT, 12PM CT, 1PM ET, 6PM GMT | As a document author, learn about choosing colors, selecting images, and laying out your brochure, poster, or flyer in an engaging yet accessible way. Join Rachel Reeves in reviewing the most accessible way to create PDF Promotional Material. Learning Outcomes: Review color contrast requirements. Address mistakes commonly made in the Layout/Reading Order of one-page posters or flyers. Understand obstacles commonly encountered if using authoring tools such as Canva or Illustrator. Analyze poor templates that have images and fonts that make PDF remediation difficult. Meeting ID: 865 1628 1737 | Passcode: 967492 | One tap mobile: +16699009128,,86516281737#,,,,*967492# US (San Jose) | Dial by your location: +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose) | Join Zoom Meeting: 13) Training Course: Catching Up with JAWS Chapter 4 for JAWS 2022 and 2023 | Hartgen ConsultancyDecember 14th 2022 | 11AM PT, 12PM MT, 1PM CT, 2PM ET, 7PM GMT | Catching Up with JAWS is priced £35 which is approximately 40 American dollars. Now is your chance to get some high quality training on some of the latest features within the screen-reader JAWS for Windows which have been introduced over the past two years. This follows on from our previous popular training courses on this subject. These training courses are still popular and people are purchasing the older volumes in the series even today: 14) Career Conversations with Joe Strechay | APH ConnectCenterDecember 15th 2022 | 4PM PT, 5PM MT, 6PM CT, 7PM ET, 12AM on 12/16 GMT | Join us and meet Joe Strechay, a blind Film and Television Producer. No stranger to CareerConnect, Joe is back with us sharing his breakthrough into Television and film. Listen in and hear how as a blind professional, Joe works directly on set with actors and actresses who themselves are blind. From television and film sets both domestic and international, we will spend the hour engaging on this fascinating career: 15) ZoomText, JAWS & Fusion: Latest Features (Assistive Technology Webinar) | Access IngenuityDecember 21st 2022 | 10AM PT, 11AM MT, 12PM CT, 1PM ET, 6PM GMT | It's that time again. Not only is it the holidays but also the time when there are important updates for ZoomText, JAWS, and Fusion. Join Ian Ramos and Zhi Huang from Access Ingenuity to explore what's new in the 2023 updates and some features within the past few years. Learning Outcomes: Briefly explain the differences between ZoomText, JAWS, and Fusion. Compare the different licenses and how you can find out if you are eligible for the latest updates. Explore new 2023 features such as Tethered View, Smart Glance, Notification History improvements, New Tables Only option for Smart Navigation, etc. Review recent features, including Docking the Quick Access Bar, Voice Assistant, Sound Splitter, New Vocalizer Expressive Voices and Languages, and more. Meeting ID: 827 9977 1867 | Passcode: 853407 | One tap mobile: +16699009128,,82799771867#,,,,*853407# US (San Jose) | Dial by your location: +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose) | Join Zoom Meeting: 16) Ask The Advocate | APH ConnectCenterDecember 28th 2022 | 5:30PM PT, 6:30PM MT, 7:30PM CT, 8:30PM ET, 1:30AM GMT on 12/29 | Answering questions families have to better understand the processes, procedures and parent rights in a 504/IEP. When parents are better informed they will be better equipped to navigate and negotiate successful student outcomes: 17) Lego Braille Bricks Live Session 4: Braille Around the World | APHJanuary 4th 2023 | 8AM PT, 9AM MT, 10AM CT, 11AM ET, 4PM GMT | Let's celebrate Louis Braille's Day and explore different braille codes around the world: 18) Lego Braille Bricks Live Session 5: School Aged Numeracy | APHFebruary 1st 2023 | 8AM PT, 9AM MT, 10AM CT, 11AM ET, 4PM GMT | Using LEGO Braille Bricks to do math: let's discover some of the many uses of these little bricks to develop numerical and geometry skills, understand symmetry, and much more: 19) Lego Braille Bricks Live Session 6: Daily Living Activities | APHMarch 6th 2023 | 8AM PT, 9AM MT, 10AM CT, 11AM ET, 4PM GMT | Let's explore daily-living activities using LEGO Braille Bricks and share our best practices, experiences, tips: 20) 2023 3rd Annual Axe-Con | Building Accessible Experiences | The World's Largest Digital Accessibility ConferenceMarch 15th 2022 and March 16th 2023 | Deque Systems, the trusted leader in digital accessibility, has announced the third annual axe-con conference will return on March 15-16th, 2023. With the success of axe-con over the past two years, Deque will continue to host the conference as a free virtual event again next year. Axe-con is an open and inclusive digital accessibility conference that welcomes developers, designers, business users, and accessibility professionals of all experience levels to a new kind of accessibility conference focused on building, testing, and maintaining accessible digital experiences: 21) Lego Braille Bricks Live Session 7: Music | APHApril 5th 2023 | 8AM PT, 9AM MT, 10AM CT, 11AM ET, 4PM GMT | Let's discover together how to make music with these famous bricks! Come and share your creative ideas: 22) Lego Braille Bricks Live Session 8: STEM | APHMay 3rd 2023 | 8AM PT, 9AM MT, 10AM CT, 11AM ET, 4PM GMT | Have you ever thought of doing science, computing, or technology with LEGO Braille Bricks? Expert guests will join us for an amazing session: 23) Lego Braille Bricks Live Session 9: Orientation & Mobility | APHJune 7th 2023 | 8AM PT, 9AM MT, 10AM CT, 11AM ET, 4PM GMT | LEGO bricks to build plans, visualize routes, it's not new! But with LEGO Braille Bricks you can also create labels, add letters, words... Then it becomes really great: Access Information News Sponsor Classified Ads:Sponsor: WayAround➜ Purchase WayTags ®Our WayTag products come as stickers, buttons, magnets, and clips. Choose the style that works for you, or pick up a Starter Pack to try out all the different types. Our store is for US orders only. For international needs, check out our international distributors:
Sponsor Since: November 18th 2022 Website: https://www.wayaround.com/ 🌐️ General Sales & Support: (888) 898-4465 📱️ Business Sales & Support: (888) 898-4465 📱️ Email: connect@wayaround.com 📧️ About: 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. All the information you want with just a tap of your phone. No more waiting around to ask someone. You need just two things to get started: The free mobile app for iOS or Android and some of our smart WayTags®. Accessible labels for the blind, deafblind, and anyone with vision loss. Your biggest problem isn't poor eyesight. It's that so much of the information in the world is visual. But you shouldn't have to wait around for someone else to get the information you need. Or carry around a bulky, outdated device. There is a better way to get accurate and complete information every time. So you can reduce stress and gain independence. Download The App (Apple): https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wayaround-tag-and-scan/id1294361140?mt=8 Download The App (Android): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wayaround.wayaround Sponsor: Pneuma Solutions➜ Finally! Holding Businesses AccountableThose who need accessibility accommodations aren't strangers to jumping in with self-advocacy to achieve it. But, what about the rest of us? When explaining the benefits of a reasonable accommodation to one's place of work or school. This is where our self-advocacy kits come in. Pneuma has written up customizable email templates you can modify according to your situation. We cover a variety of different advocacy scenarios. Simply choose your scenario, answer a few simple questions, adapt the language, address it to the right person, and submit it! Self-advocacy has never been easier:
Sponsor Since: November 7th 2022 Website: https://pneumasolutions.com/ 🌐️ Email Newsletter: Click here to receive periodic news via email concerning Pneuma Solutions products for business, consumers and education. Sales: (866) 202-0520 📱️ Support: (650) 249-1000 📱️ About: Backed by two decades of creating award-winning accessible cloud technologies for people with visual impairments, Pneuma Solutions is the global leader in accessible cloud-based solutions. Pneuma Solutions was founded by long-time accessibility developers Mike Calvo and Matt Campbell. For more information on their individual profiles, click on their respective bio pages. We're proud to be the first company to develop cloud-based accessibility at the network level. Our tools provide organizations, like yours, a way to deliver secure, accessible information right from your network or from our secure servers. You can provide your print disabled consumers, students, employees, and citizens with a multitude of accessible options. Additionally, we offer a suite of cloud-based applications to blind and print disabled consumers directly from our website. Our consumer products are designed to make the day-to-day lives of blind and print disabled individuals more accessible and simpler to manage. Access to information is not a privilege, it's a right. It's also your right to obtain affordable, accessible cloud solutions to serve your end user. When organizations like yours implement our tools, together we help make it a more inclusive world for people with disabilities. Want to know more about how we can help you become more inclusive? Contact us here. We'll be happy to discuss how our tools can help with your accessibility needs. Sponsor: Access Ready, Inc.
Sponsor Since: December 1st 2022 Website: https://accessready.org/ 🌐️ Email: info@accessready.org 📧️ Phone: (727) 531-1000 📱️ About: Access Ready Inc. is a certified, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The mission of Access Ready Inc., a nonprofit cross-disability rights advocacy organization, is to promote a policy of accessibility benefiting all people regardless of ability across information and communications technology utilized for two way communications. The purpose of Access Ready Inc. is to educate the public and private sectors of the importance of accessible information and communications technology to the future of all people regardless of ability. To support this education by developing initiatives that promote policies that ensure the creation and maintenance of accessible technologies utilized for two way communications at all levels which allow for easy use by people with the widest range of abilities possible. To develop employment and business opportunities for people with disabilities that support its educational activities in the field of information and communications technology and related areas. To provide consulting and educational services to buyers, developers, and users of information and communications technology that promotes its highest and best use in society. To promote the concept of a technologically accessible society which fosters: Freedom of expression, speech, and worship. Sponsor: APH ConnectCenter➜ Prepare For Your Future Today With The All-New APH ConnectCenter's Job Seekers Toolkit!The APH ConnectCenter and NSITE have partnered to update the Job Seeker's Toolkit, an accessible, self-paced, free online training course. The Toolkit includes five sections covering self-awareness, career exploration tools, the preliminary employment process, the interview, and maintaining employment. We are bringing the Job Seeker's Toolkit to a larger audience and in a Learning Management System format for today's learners, at no cost. Visit APHCareerConnect.org to get started with the Job Seekers Toolkit today at:
Sponsor Since: November 29th 2022 Website: https://aphconnectcenter.org/ 🌐️ Email: connectcenter@aph.org 📧️ APH ConnectCenter Information and Referral Line: Hours: Monday - Friday from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM ET Facebook (CareerConnect) | Facebook (FamilyConnect) | Facebook (VisionAware) | Twitter | YouTube About: The APH ConnectCenter offers curated advice and resources to assist children, parents, adults, and job seekers who are blind or visually impaired, and their associated professionals, leading to greater independence and success in their lives. Sponsor: Menus4ALL➜ A Revolution in Resolution — Menus for EveryoneNo matter when, where or who, the Menus4ALL iPhone app gives you the info you need quickly. No more multiple Google searches to research menus before going out. Info is organized to give you quick access to what you are looking for — the menu! Optimized to give you the best viewing experience. No more struggling to see small print, or looking at a menu in a dimly lit restaurant. Do you use magnification, large print, VoiceOver, a braille display or Voice Control? Enjoy 750,000 fully accessible menus. Download the app today at:
Sponsor Since: November 20th 2022 Website: https://www.menus4all.com/ 🌐️ Email: stephanie@menus4all.com 📧️ About: 750,000 Accessible Restaurant Menus. On your iPhone ® in the palm of your hand.
Yes, that's not a typo. The Menus4ALL iPhone app offers 500,000 accessible menus in the United States and 250,000 accessible menus in Canada. Wherever you are and whenever you want The Menus4ALL iPhone app is the largest network of restaurant menus in one place and all of the menus are fully accessible. Perfect for when you are out running errands and want to know what restaurants are near your current location. Great for planning a night out with friends. Favorite menus that you want to look at later or when you know you are going back for that amazing dish. Download The App (Apple): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/menus4all/id1640547801?platform=iphone Your Name Here: Sponsor Package #6 of 18 Available For Purchase➜ Your Weekly Classified Advertisement Title Here (128 characters or less including spaces.)Your weekly Classified Advertisement here.
Sponsor Since: Today Website: https://accessinformationnews.com/ 🌐️ Phone: (855) 578-6660 📱️ Email: news@accessinformationnews.com 📧️ About: Access Information News is the world's leading not-for-profit access information news publication that reaches over 15,000 access professionals, educators and enthusiasts, all over the world, each week. Access Information refers to informational topics that directly affect the lives of people with disabilities. Access Information includes any and all information related to bettering the lives of people who are blind, low vision, deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, neurodivergent and/or disabled. Access Information News is a Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. Publication. 13 of 18 Sponsorship Packages currently available.Access Information News is the world's leading not-for-profit access information news publication that reaches over 15,000 access professionals, educators and enthusiasts, all over the world, each week. Access Information refers to informational topics that directly affect the lives of people with disabilities. Access Information includes any and all information related to bettering the lives of people who are blind, low vision, deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, neurodivergent and/or disabled. Access Information News offers a total of 18 Sponsorship Packages which are used to support the ongoing distribution of the publication. ➜ Availability: There are currently 13 of 18 Sponsorship Packages available. All 18 Sponsorship Packages are offered on a first-come, first serve basis. ➜ Waiting List: If you would like to become an Access Information News Sponsor but there are no sponsorship packages currently available, we encourage you to join our waiting list by sending an email to: sponsorships@accessinformationnews.com 📧️. Once you have joined our waiting list we will notify you the next time a current sponsor decides not to renew. You will then have 72 hours to secure your sponsorship before it is offered to the next sponsor on the list. ➜ Pricing Options: When available you can secure one of these packages for just $300.00 USD for the next 3 months, or $1,200.00 USD for the next year. Annual sponsors gain the ability to schedule all 4 of their Featured Advertisement dates up to one year in advance. Access Information News Supporters:We couldn't do it without you! Thank you for your support!Access Information News Supporters donate an amount of their choosing either one time or on an annual basis in order to assist with the ongoing distribution of the Access Information News publication.
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Become an Access Information News Bronze Supporter today. 1.) Your name here. Access Information News Subscription Information:ABOUT:Access Information News is the world's leading not-for-profit access information news publication that reaches over 15,000 blind, low vision, deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, neurodivergent and/or disabled professionals, educators and enthusiasts, all over the world, each week. Subscribe here. Review the archive here. Access Information News is a Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. Publication. Publisher: Aaron Di Blasi. Contributing Editors: John Hanlin, Jenna Lang and David Woodbridge. Access Information News is a sponsor and reader supported publication. RELEASE SCHEDULE:Access Information News is released every Monday morning at 6:00 AM ET. SUBSCRIBE:Do you, a friend, or colleague wish to receive the Access Information Newsletter? If so, please use or pass along our CAPTCHA-free sign-up link, which is: https://accessinformationnews.com/subscribe. You can also subscribe to receive the Access Information Newsletter on the Access Information News Website at: https://accessinformationnews.com. Either of these methods will provide you with an accessibly friendly and secure medium through which you can subscribe to our mailing list. Just enter your email address, click send, and begin receiving the Access Information Newsletter. It's that easy. SPONSOR:If you would like to become 1 of only 18 Access Information News Sponsors whose annual support makes the distribution of Access Information News possible, we offer you the following benefits, with our sincerest thanks, and most heartfelt gratitude for your ongoing support: https://accessinformationnews.com/sponsorship-information.html. SUPPORT:If you would like to become an Access Information News Supporter by making a small one time or annual donation to assist with the ongoing distribution of the Access Information News publication, we offer the following options, with our sincerest thanks, and most heartfelt gratitude for your ongoing support: https://accessinformationnews.com/donate.html. WEBSITE:Visit the Access Information News website online at https://accessinformationnews.com. FACEBOOK:Are you on Facebook? Stop by and "Like" Access Information News to begin receiving current news and trends in access information as part of your Facebook News Feed: https://accessinformationnews.com/facebook. TWITTER:Are you on Twitter? Follow Access Information News to begin receiving current news and trends in access information as part of your Twitter News Feed: https://accessinformationnews.com/twitter. MASTODON:Are you on Mastodon? Follow Access Information News to begin receiving current news and trends in access information as part of your Mastodon News Feed by visiting https://mastodon.accessinformationnews.com/@news or searching for @news@mastodon.accessinformationnews.com on your server today. LINKEDIN:Are you on LinkedIn? Follow Access Information News to begin receiving current news and trends in access information as part of your LinkedIn News Feed: https://accessinformationnews.com/linkedin. YOUTUBE:Are you on YouTube? Follow Access Information News to begin receiving current news and trends in access information as part of your YouTube Video Feed: https://accessinformationnews.com/youtube. RSS:Do you prefer RSS? Follow Access Information News via RSS today to begin receiving current news and trends in access information using your choice of news aggregator: https://accessinformationnews.com/rss. QUESTIONS:If you have questions regarding any of the material published in Access Information News please feel free to reach out to our Publisher at publisher@accessinformationnews.com 📧️ or our Editors at editors@accessinformationnews.com 📧️ and we will attempt to provide you with answers as time and knowledge permit. ARCHIVEVisit the Access Information News Archive at: https://accessinformationnews.com/archive.html where you can grab back issues. CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS:Any information for future issues of Access Information News may be submitted online via our Access Information News Item Submission Form at: https://accessinformationnews.com/submit-news or directed to our Editors at: editors@accessinformationnews.com 📧️. 
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