|
Access Information News for Monday, August 14, 2023 - Volume 923The 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: 10,313 Opt-In Subscribers were sent this issue via email. 28 Premium Subscribers were sent this issue via email. This Week's Featured Advertisement: APH ConnectCenter Celebrates 5 Years With The Unveiling Of A New Website!
The sites you have grown to know and love, APH CareerConnect, VisionAware, and FamilyConnect are now all under one new and improved website: https://APHConnectCenter.org. With a sleeker and more accessible layout, the site is easier to read, and simplifies your searches and navigation. Take advantage of our accredited webinar offerings for professionals and families alike. You can also contact our Information and Referral line at 1-800-232-5463 📱️ and speak to one of our specialists to find answers on questions from healthcare and housing, to employment and education. You can also email us at connectcenter@aph.org 📧️ with your questions and comments. Visit us and immerse yourself in our life changing resources. Ongoing Distribution Made Possible By Support From: Pneuma Solutions, WayAround, APH ConnectCenter, Access Ready, Inc., Clusiv, NSITE.org, Total Tech Solutions, LLC, Hartgen Consultancy, Carrie on Accessibility, Living Blindfully, and Eyes on Success. Learn more about Sponsorship today at: https://accessinformationnews.com/sponsor.Dear Access Information News Subscriber,Submit your Access Information News Item for free, with timing and placement determined by our editors, here: https://accessinformationnews.com/submit-news. Submit a Sponsored News Item, with timing and placement determined by you, here: https://accessinformationnews.com/submit-sponsored-news.1) Top 5 Most Clicked Access Information News Articles From Last WeekA.) 'I Cried With Anger': The Trials And Torment When Traveling With Blindness | The Guardian'Help' ranges from being accused of faking it to being offered a wheelchair. That's why society needs to be educated about the nuances of sight loss: B.) The FCC Will Now Offer $75 Off Your Home Internet If You QualifyOn August 3, 2023 the FCC announced a measure to offer $75 a month off of home internet services for qualifying customers in high-cost areas through the Affordable Connectivity Program as directed by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Infrastructure Act): C.) Know Your Rights: What to Do if You Have a Disability and Are Questioned by Police | Innocence ProjectUnderstanding and asserting the rights of people with disabilities during police interrogations is paramount to ensuring their fair treatment and safeguarding their well-being: D.) 10 Brilliant Facts About Braille | Mental FlossInvented by Louis Braille, the braille system has helped blind people read and write for nearly 200 years: E.) How Extended Reality Tech Could Help Visually Impaired People | The ParliamentExtended reality (XR) technology largely revolves around offering immersive experiences through rich visuals and audio. Put on a headset and you're suddenly transported into a lush rain forest, soaring through the skies paragliding, or diving into an exclusively imaginary world. But this technology could also be used in other ways. As the Nuremberg Institute of Technology in Germany found out, advanced tactile representation of virtual objects, terrains and alerts, as well as making rooms and other virtual spaces sound realistic, could significantly enhance the usefulness of XR solutions for those who are blind or visually impaired: 2) Sponsorship Packages Currently AvailableAre you an access-based person, business or organization whose products, services or message would benefit from reaching over 15,000 access information subscribers each week? If so, please consider becoming a Sponsor today for just $100 a month, paid either quarterly or annually. Annual Sponsors receive 5 Featured Advertisements for the year, as opposed to 4, and gain the additional benefit of being able to schedule their Featured Advertisements up to one year in advance. If you've been looking for a way to consistently reach the largest audience of opt-in access information subscribers in the world today, at a nearly negligible price point, please consider becoming an Access Information News Sponsor while packages last. Availability: There are currently 6 Access Information News Sponsorship Packages available. Advertising Benefits: Review a complete list of advertising benefits here: 3) Premium Subscriber UpdatesNext Issue: Premium Subscribers will receive their 3rd Issue of the 60 Most Clicked Access News Articles for July, August and September of 2023 on Monday, October 2, 2023.Back Issues: There are currently 2 back issues available. Premium Subscribers are entitled to all back issues, anytime they sign up. All available back issues will be sent to you via email within 24 hours of purchasing your subscription. Please Join Us: If you would like to support the ongoing weekly distribution of free and unbiased access news while receiving a perfectly formatted and searchable Word Document with each of the 60 Most Clicked Access News Articles of the last 3 months listed neatly within it, please consider joining us today for just $1 a month: 4) Sponsored News Items Now AvailableUse Sponsored News Items to reach the access community when you need to. Whether you are a current Sponsor or not. Current Weekly Subscriber Count: Over 10K. Drive traffic to your access product and service announcements, events, updates or fundraisers using this incredibly cost-effective and easy-to-use advertisement tool. Learn more today at: 5) Follow Access Information News On Your Preferred ChannelIn addition to receiving Access Information News via email every Monday morning at 6:00 AM ET you can also pick up the newsletter and its trending articles on any of the following channels: 6) AudioEye Versus Adrian Roselli: The SLAPP Heard Around the WorldThe web accessibility community is in an uproar about the AudioEye lawsuit against 30-year accessibility champion Adrian Roselli for his criticism of their overlay product: 7) Embracing Accessibility: Empowering My Diabetes Journey With Technology | Ed Worrell | OverHere ConsultingWelcome to my personal journey of accessible diabetes management, where innovation and technology have transformed my life as a type 1 diabetic for 35 years. In this article, I will share my experience transitioning from multiple daily injections (MDIs) to the game-changing OmniPod 5 insulin pump, coupled with the Samsung smartphone, Google Talkback, and the invaluable Glooko app: 8) Do Robotaxis Benefit People With Disabilities? San Francisco Activists Are Split | The San Francisco StandardThe rise of robotaxis has divided San Francisco, and people living with disabilities are no exception. Whereas many envision a new world of mobility, others fret about how regulators should proceed: 9) Slack's New Redesign Illustrates Its 'Non-Negotiable' Commitment To Building Accessible Tools For Work | Forbes: Subscription RequiredPopular workplace communication tool Slack this week announced a major revamp of its software. In a blog post, the Salesforce-owned company described the reimagined user interface as being “built for focus” by using what it calls “better organization and [a] more intuitive layout.” The new interface, which began rolling out on Thursday, will continue to propagate over the coming months, according to Slack: 10) How Internet Of Things (IoT) Devices Can Improve Accessibility | Accessibility.comWearable IoT devices can make it easier for people with disabilities to communicate with others, improve their mobility, and help them overcome accessibility-related obstacles they commonly face at home, school, work, and other places. Data shows that the pandemic significantly accelerated the growth of IoT devices (exceptionally internet-connected medical devices). IoT devices are projected to number 41 billion worldwide by 2027 if we don't bankrupt ourselves first - just saying. Below is a list of innovative IoT devices that can improve accessibility for people with disabilities: 11) [Interview] How Samsung TVs and RNIB Are Setting a New Benchmark for Accessible TechnologyTraditional televisions can present challenges for those living with visual disabilities. Samsung and RNIB, however, have worked collaboratively to address this for nearly a decade, leveraging the power of technology to create a more inclusive viewing experience: 12) Guide to DRM-Free Living: LiteratureWelcome to the guide to living DRM-free. We recommend that you always read ebooks using Calibre or some other free software e-reader to avoid software surveillance and remote kill switches in proprietary e-readers. Also be sure to get your ebooks and literature not only without DRM, but also in a free format, preferably EPUB. While PDF is also free, it is less ideal for ebook viewing, reflowing, and editing. The sites listed provide files unencumbered, but it's important to be mindful that both of these can still contain DRM elsewhere: 13) Everyday Accessibility: Products For Those Living With A Visual Impairment | Accessibility.comHere is a list of assistive technology products that can help those with visual impairments develop a deeper sense of independence: 14) U.S. Access Board Issues Final Rule on Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines | August 8, 2023Pedestrians with disabilities throughout the United States continue to face major challenges in travel because many sidewalks, crosswalks, and other pedestrian facilities are inaccessible. Today, the U.S. Access Board addressed this inequity by issuing a final rule on accessibility guidelines for pedestrian facilities in the public right-of-way. These guidelines inform federal, state, and local government agencies on how to make their pedestrian facilities, such as sidewalks, crosswalks, shared use paths, and on-street parking, accessible to people with disabilities: 15) Public Comment Sought on Proposed New Video Conferencing Accessibility Rules Proposed by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) | Law Office of Lainey Feingold | Structured Negotiation | Disability RightsThis is an article about a proposed accessibility rule in the United States. The rule is proposed by the Federal Communications Commission, known as the FCC. If it becomes final, the rule will make it easier for disabled people to participate in video conferences. The rule will affect video conferences on Zoom, Teams, and other platforms. The public can comment on the proposed rule until September 6, 2023. The best form to make comments is here. People who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing may want to comment about captions, transcripts, or sign language interpreters. People who are deafblind, blind, or visually impaired may want to comment about how video conferencing could be easier and about specific barriers. The FCC also wants to hear about what is working: 16) Legal Update For July 2023 | Converge AccessibilityJuly was a busy month for the courts and serial ADA web accessibility plaintiffs: 17) The BBC On Mastodon: Experimenting With Distributed And Decentralized Social MediaAs the social media landscape ebbs and flows, the team at BBC Research & Development are researching social technologies and exploring possibilities for the BBC. One part of our work is to establish a BBC presence in the distributed collection of social networks known as the Fediverse, a collection of social media applications all linked together by common protocols. The most common software used in this area is Mastodon, a Twitter-like social networking service with around 2 million active monthly users. We are now running an experimental BBC Mastodon server at https://social.bbc where you can follow some of the BBC's social media accounts, including BBC R&D, Radio 4 and 5 Live. We hope to be able to add more accounts from other areas of the BBC at some point: 18) Online Grocery Shopping Improved Since Beginning of Pandemic | Empish J. Thomas | Freelance Writer, Disability Blogger and Accessibility ConsultantIn April 2020, I wrote a post about my struggles with online grocery shopping. How I was mostly having problems with product availability. This was the very beginning of the pandemic where many people were jumping onboard the online grocery shopping train. Here's the issue. I was pushed out. See, I had already been riding that train for a year or two. When this option was introduced in my community I signed up. Things were going great. I was getting all my items with a few substitutes. The drivers were friendly and on time. The prices were reasonable. It was wonderful! Then COVID struck and it all went to pot: 19) Understanding The DOJ's Proposed ADA Regulation Updates for Websites and Mobile Apps | AllyantOn August 4, 2023 the Department of Justice (DOJ) released a notice of proposed rulemaking, which could substantially affect the ADA's applicability to websites and mobile applications. Specifically, these would be a revised set of regulations related to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), establishing specific requirements for making web and mobile apps accessible: 20) The Incomplete Picture — Guess What's Missing? | Award Winning Sight Loss Coach, Advocate and Author Donna JodhanIf you're looking for someone or some entity to make accuntable for this incomplete picture then may I suggest that you take a long hard look at the Canadian Human Rights Commission: 21) As A Writer Slowly Loses His Sight, He Embraces Other Kinds Of Perception | NPRThis is FRESH AIR. I'm Terry Gross. My guest, Andrew Leland, is a writer whose recent subject has been the world of the blind. He's slowly been going blind for the past 20 years as a result of a progressive eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa, or RP. In the state of Massachusetts, where he lives, he is now considered legally blind. His new memoir, "The Country Of The Blind," is about the experience of slowly losing his vision and preparing for blindness and how it's affected his identity, how the world sees him, his marriage, his relationship with his young son and his ability to continue writing and reading. He also reports on the experience of attending the largest convention of blind people and about spending two weeks at a radical training center for people preparing to go blind: 22) Applying Accessibility Standards to Self-Service KiosksUnderstanding and implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards in self-service kiosks is an issue of growing importance. The rise of self-service technologies in numerous sectors such as retail, banking, healthcare, hospitality, and mass transit has provided customers with convenience and autonomy. However, it's vital that these advances in technology are made accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. Proper adherence to ADA guidelines ensures that self-service kiosks are not a barrier but an advantage for individuals with disabilities: 23) Web Compliance, A Real Waiting Pattern | Boldly BlindWe advocates get as excited as anyone else in the blindness community when new rulings or judgments come out in our favor. How soon will the accommodations take effect? — We want to know. How soon will it be until even the basic computer user will be able to detect an improvement in accessing the web? ➜ Featured Webinars, Training Courses and EventsSubmit your access information related Webinar, Training Course or Event for consideration within this section using this form: https://accessinformationnews.com/submit-event.August 14, 2023 | SensePlayer Version 2.0 | HIMS, Inc.2PM PT, 3PM MT, 4PM CT, 5PM ET, 9PM GMT August 14, 2023 through August 18, 2023 | 22nd Audio Description Institute | Audio Description Associates, LLC | Audio Description Project of the American Council of the Blind10AM PT, 11AM MT, 12PM CT, 1PM ET, 5PM GMT August 16, 2023 | JAWS: Getting Help & Accessing Training Materials (Assistive Technology Webinar) | Access Ingenuity10AM PT, 11AM MT, 12PM CT, 1PM ET, 5PM GMT August 17, 2023 | Manage Google Calendar with JAWS | Freedom Scientific9AM PT, 10AM MT, 11AM CT, 12PM ET, 4PM GMT August 22, 2023 | Tech It Out | Monthly Hadley Discussion Group11AM PT, 12PM MT, 1PM CT, 2PM ET, 6PM GMT August 22, 2023 | The Current State of Accessibility: An ARC Evaluation of the Top Websites | TPGi9AM PT, 10AM MT, 11AM CT, 12PM ET, 4PM GMT August 23, 2023 | Webinar: Equip Your Home And Empower Your Health: Exploring Accessible Home Health Aids For People Who Are Blind Or Visually Impaired | The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc.4PM PT, 5PM MT, 6PM CT, 7PM ET, 11PM GMT August 23, 2023 | How to Create Accessible Videos (Digital Accessibility Webinar) | Access Ingenuity10AM PT, 11AM MT, 12PM CT, 1PM ET, 5PM GMT August 29, 2023 — August 30, 2023 | Web Accessibility in Mind ConferenceThe second annual Web Accessibility in Mind Conference is presented by WebAIM in partnership with Pope Tech. This virtual conference will provide conference participants with content that will help them mature their practice in digital accessibility. Our goals include: Provide a diverse range of perspectives from a diverse group of speakers. Share solutions to accessibility challenges. Give advice and guidance that helps our participants to actively contribute to providing more accessible digital spaces. Bring together a cross section of public and private sector technology professionals from organizations large and small. The Web Accessibility in Mind Conference will be held online on August 29-30, 2023 from 12pm-5:10pm US Eastern Time (with a one-hour break at 2:10pm) each day. Register: August 30, 2023 | JAWS: Testing for Website Accessibility (Assistive Technology Webinar) | Access Ingenuity10AM PT, 11AM MT, 12PM CT, 1PM ET, 5PM GMT September 21, 2023 | Inclusive Design 24Inclusive Design 24 (#id24) is a free 24-hour online event for the global community. It celebrates inclusive design and shares knowledge and ideas from analogue to digital, from design to development, from planners to practitioners, and everything and everyone in between: September 26, 2023 | Tech It Out | Monthly Hadley Discussion Group5PM PT, 6PM MT, 7PM CT, 8PM ET, 12AM GMT Next Day September 29, 2023 | Blindness and Mental Health Webinar | Accessible Pharmacy9AM PT, 10AM MT, 11AM CT, 12PM ET, 4PM GMT October 4, 2023 | FEMA Nationwide EAS Test11:20AM PT, 12:20PM MT, 1:20PM CT, 2:20PM ET, 6:20PM GMT October 13, 2023 | Blindness and Clinical Trials Webinar | Accessible Pharmacy9AM PT, 10AM MT, 11AM CT, 12PM ET, 4PM GMT October 24, 2023 | Tech It Out | Monthly Hadley Discussion Group5PM PT, 6PM MT, 7PM CT, 8PM ET, 12AM GMT Next Day November 6, 2023 through November 10, 2023 | Accessing Higher Ground | Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD)Accessible Media, Web and Technology Conference. Hilton Denver City Center, Denver, Colorado: November 28, 2023 | Tech It Out | Monthly Hadley Discussion Group5PM PT, 6PM MT, 7PM CT, 8PM ET, 11PM GMT December 1, 2023 and December 2, 2023 | Blind Health Expo 2023 | Exhibitor and Attendee Registration Now OpenThe Blind Health Expo is the largest virtual event of healthcare information, products, services, and medication for individuals in the blind, low vision, and disability communities. Exhibitors can: Register for free. Interact with thousands of attendees. Showcase their products and services: December 26, 2023 | Tech It Out | Monthly Hadley Discussion Group5PM PT, 6PM MT, 7PM CT, 8PM ET, 11PM GMT ➜ Directories1) Access Information Email Newsletter Directoryhttps://accessinformationnews.com/email-newsletter-directory.html ➜ Sponsor Classified AdsSponsors may submit or update their Classified Advertisement at any time by submitting this short form: https://accessinformationnews.com/submit-sponsor-classified.Sponsor: APH ConnectCenter
➜ Classified Advertisement: 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: WayAround
➜ Classified Advertisement: HURRY — Stock Up on WayTags Before Prices Increase on June 1!WayAround is the best way to label things if you're blind or have low vision. You just need the free mobile app and some WayTags ® to label items in the kitchen, garden, closet, office & more. Prices on WayTags will increase on June 1, so stock up today on your favorite tags. 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
➜ Classified Advertisement: Summer Shows For Us = Summer Savings for Everyone! 25% Off Anything In Our Store With Code "Show2023", Good Until July 31!With Pneuma Solutions back in action at summer conventions, it is time once again for some unbeatable deals! And you're going to love this one... 25% off anything! That's right, anything! With the only exception being Sero due to its separate purchase process, anything available for purchase in our store via Stripe is 25% off for the month of July! RIM Personal for your machine at home? $74.25! Need to scale up? No problem, your 25% will be applied to the new price! Missed out on the Community Support discount? Never fear, you can still slash $37.25 off the $149 price, making the price $111.75! Scribe scans, credits and subscriptions are also covered. And the best part? You don't even have to pick which item to use it on! Purchase as many items as you need, and use this code on all of them! From now until July 31, you can spend 25% less and receive 100% of Pneuma's best in accessible remote desktop and document remediation! Use code show2023 for 25% off anything in our store til 07/31! 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: Living Blindfully
➜ Classified Advertisement: Be Informed First. Join Living Blindfully PlusWhether it's a product demo, a hot topic or an in-depth interview, the Living Blindfully podcast is a must-hear to find out what's on the mind of the blind community. Ensure you're among the first to be in the know. Join Living Blindfully Plus to receive episodes three days before they're public. Pay what you can afford or what you think it's worth. Set it and forget it with a recurring subscription which you can cancel any time, or just pay for a single month, the choice is yours. And when you subscribe to Living Blindfully Plus, you're supporting an important resource for the blind community where the global conversation continues every week. Join today and enjoy your Plus benefits immediately. Sponsor Since: May 29, 2023 Website: https://www.livingblindfully.com/ 🌐️ About: Living Blindfully is the podcast devoted to helping you live your best life with blindness or low vision. Sight is a highly dominant sense. If you have it, naturally you'll use it for a lot of things. But if you don't have it, or you don't have as much sight as you used to, it's still possible to live a rich, full life. This podcast is all about how it's done. We discuss tips and tricks, but we frankly discuss the barriers too, ranging from attitudinal barriers to accessibility barriers and more. You'll hear plenty about technology on Living Blindfully, because when blind people have the skills to use it and when the tech is behaving itself, it's key to functional and economic independence. Whether it's a tech question from our community, a handy tip about getting the most from your screen reader, a demonstration of a cool new app for your smartphone, or discussion about a serious accessibility issue that is causing problems, you'll learn about it on Living Blindfully. We geek out sometimes, but we always make a point of bringing people along for the ride and making sense of it all. But technology is simply a tool to help us live blindfully, so our podcast discusses much more. The topics on each episode vary a lot, but it's not uncommon to hear discussion about travel, cooking, relationships, self-care, sleep, history and even politics. After all, blind people have as diverse a mix of interests and opinions as anyone else. While we welcome sighted allies and family members who have an interest in what blind people are thinking and talking about, Living Blindfully is unapologetically for blind people, by blind people. There are other great places to go to learn about how blind people do what we do. But there are few places that proudly cater to the blind community. So, if you're not blind but you're interested in an unfiltered discussion about what's occupying the blind community, you've come to the right place and you're very welcome. Jonathan Mosen is the host and facilitator of Living Blindfully, and often conducts interviews and produces product demonstrations. But you'll also hear from our engaged community of listeners who share their thoughts in writing and in audio. You're very welcome to contribute on anything you hear during the show, or something new that's on your mind. Sponsor: Carrie on Accessibility
Sponsor Since: May 29, 2023 Website: https://carrieonaccessibility.com/ 🌐️ Email: email@carrieonaccessibility.com 📧️ About: Carrie's mission with Carrie on Accessibility (CoA) is to promote accessibility and to empower those, like herself, who are blind and visually impaired. Through her YouTube channel and other social media platforms, she shares videos exploring accessibility and assistive technology, along with other resources and encouragement that can benefit the community. Carrie on Accessibility emphasizes accessibility, which is the path forward to equal access for those with disabilities. Designing with accessibility in mind is incredibly important. WCAG compliance is necessary and right, but compliance does not always equal accessibility. End user testing is the ultimate test. Through Carrie on Accessibility's Accessibility Review, businesses can evaluate the real world usability and functionality of their products and services. Whether you're a content creator, small business owner, startup, organization, or corporation, Carrie on Accessibility can help you push beyond the limits to provide and promote accessibility. Sponsor: Hartgen Consultancy
➜ Classified Advertisement: Be Productive and Enjoy Working With Leasey!Leasey is your ultimate tool for productivity and fun. Directly from within JAWS for Windows, create text macros, shortcuts to folders and web pages, store notes under different categories and access them from any application.
Listen to over 80,000 radio stations. Quickly access over 80 news sources, seven-day hour-by-hour weather forecast, RSS feeds, podcasts, recipes, holiday dates, YouTube videos, Amazon and eBay. Do you have an ElBraille? There's no need to remember key sequences. Just type the Windows shortcut you want or create an abbreviation. Want enhanced access to apps such as WhatsApp, Twitter, Spotify and VLC Media Player? No problem. Use utilities such as mapping folders to drive letters or the special Leasey Start Menu, completely configurable. Hundreds of pages of documentation and audio tutorials through the LeaseyBites Podcast, available from major podcast directories. Leasey: a power house of tools for your JAWS screen-reader! | Follow us on Mastodon! | Learn more at: Sponsor Since: May 29, 2023 Website: https://www.hartgenconsultancy.com/ 🌐️ About: Hartgen Consultancy was established with a mission to provide accessible training and usable software tools to individuals with vision loss and to the deaf Blind community. Product offerings have and continue to significantly contribute to the employability and productivity of these communities. Our vision of inclusiveness and accessibility; a vision that informs every training module, all adaptive products, and excellent customer service, embodies the commitment to the core values of the company. Popular Products ➜ JAWS Scripts for Microsoft Teams. Sponsor: Total Tech Solutions, LLC
➜ Classified Advertisement: The Whispers of Wonderment: Tech and Life Unraveled at 'WeSpeak'Ever wondered how tech changes our day-to-day? Or maybe you're the type who loves exploring new stuff and ideas. If that's you, then the 'WeSpeak' podcast is just your thing! We chat about the big questions in life, the ones that make us all take a moment to think Our latest guest thought it was all about tech talk. But when it ended, he felt like he'd discovered something new. That's the kind of chat we love. It's your turn now! Join us at: Sponsor Since: April 4, 2023 Website: https://blindtech.org/ 🌐️ About: TTS (Total Tech Solutions) is a startup technology company owned and operated in the Dallas Fort Worth area which specializes in offering services for the blind and visually impaired. While this is it's main focus, TTS also caters to the general public. Since its founding, TTS continues to make strides in demonstrating the countless ways blind and visually impaired individuals can contribute in all aspects of the workforce. This is one of the reasons why this company chooses to hire applicants who are visually impaired; to prove that there is a place in society for persons of any type of visual impairment, and to create a positive environment so one can thrive, live life to their fullest potential and to be a positive example to their communities and their families. Shop: BlindShell Classic | Shop: ARxWear | Shop: All Products | Services | Events | About | Contact Us Sponsor: NSITE.org
➜ Classified Advertisement: Back To School! NSITE Training ProgramsLook at our upcoming training programs and job placement opportunities. A few seats are open for the Customer-Centered Communications course, which will start in August. This highly engaging and participatory class is delivered virtually over four consecutive days (four hours per session). Register by the August 1, 2023 deadline! Now accepting applications for in-demand careers in HR and IT with our Sourcing Special Certificate and NSITE IT Essentials (with CISCO) Programs. Additional courses are on our training page and our accessible on-demand programs. (Earn a digital badge for select courses). NSITE can assist with securing financial support for training programs. Learn more today at: https://bit.ly/NSITE-CCC. Sponsor Since: March 6th 2023 Website: https://nsite.org/ 🌐️ About: NSITE provides a continuum of employment services that connect employers with talented, dedicated people who are blind, low-vision, and/or veterans to meet their workforce needs. As you move through the hiring process, NSITE is with you every step of the way to ensure that finding the right employee-employer match is as smooth and seamless as possible. NSITE works with employers to identify potential candidates who are blind, low-vision, and/or veterans. From there, NSITE assists with accessibility needs, onboarding, and training, then prepares both parties for job placement. Our work does not end there; it continues with ongoing support to accommodate changes in accessible technology and employer requirements. NSITE Connect: Linking employers with talented individuals who are blind, low-vision, and/or veterans. Access the NSITE Connect Job Board here.About | Media | Employers | Job Seekers | Training Programs | Job Board | Contact Us Sponsor: Clusiv
➜ Classified Advertisement: Clusiv Is The World's First eLearning Platform Built For And By People Who Are Blind. Our Courses Are Designed To Equip People Who Are Blind Or Visually Impaired For Employment In The Modern Workforce. Learn More At Clusiv.Io.Navigating the employment process can be challenging if you are blind or visually impaired. Technology is difficult to figure out, there is a lot of extra material to learn, and there isn't much quality training available. That's where Clusiv comes in. We help to provide the training you need to succeed in the modern workforce. Our courses teach assistive technology skills and how to apply those skills to many of the business software programs used in the modern workforce, such as email, Microsoft and Google apps, video conferencing, and more. We also teach soft skills such as resume and interview preparation, disclosures and accommodations, internet safety, and financial literacy. Lastly, our training can teach specific career skills, such as becoming an accessibility analyst. Plus, our courses are self-paced. To learn more, visit https://clusiv.io/ and fill out a form with your information. We work with state vocational rehabilitation agencies to provide access to our course content. Sponsor Since: January 16th 2023 Website: https://clusiv.io/ 🌐️ About: As there are many challenges people in the blind community face in employment and education, Clusiv has built the world's first e-learning platform designed for the blind to provide the training, tools, and resources needed to remove barriers to the modern workforce. Our courses teach you occupational and technology skills you need towards employment. Plus, we are working to connect our graduates to internship and job opportunities. Our courses are remote, self-paced, and we provide support throughout your whole journey through our student success team, and even provide lifetime access to our courses so you can keep up to date as technology evolves. You can request Clusiv training through your vocational rehabilitation counselor and fill out the form in the link below on our website. If you are a counselor wanting to learn more about Clusiv for your clients, or an employer looking to hire Clusiv graduates, click the respective link below and fill out a form to get more info. ➜ Person Looking To Enroll In Clusiv Courses ➜ Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Looking To Learn More About Clusiv For Their Clients ➜ Employer Looking To Hire Clusiv Graduates Sponsor: Access Ready, Inc.
➜ Classified Advertisement: Access Ready Seeks Your Support at the Public Policy LevelMoving the public policy needle is both difficult and costly. Access Ready has one of the most experienced teams in the business who have shown results. We have fostered Congressional language on accessible websites, elections, healthcare, communications, and other areas touched by information and communications technologies. These efforts are costly and we need your help to continue. Become an Access Ready supporter and create an accessible future for people with disabilities: Sponsor Since: December 19th 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: Access Ready, Inc.
➜ Classified Advertisement: Access Ready Provides Access To The Best In The BusinessIf you need assistance with a new accessible website, document remediation or disability consulting of other kinds, Access Ready can help. We seek out the best in the business and bring them to you already vetted as to quality, professionalism and ability. By going through AccessReady.org to one of our qualified providers, you're not only getting the best, but supporting our advocacy and technological development efforts as well: Sponsor Since: December 13th 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: Access Ready, Inc.
➜ Classified Advertisement: Access Ready Seeks Guidance On New Accessible TechnologiesWhat Technologies do you see in the market that are not accessible, but should be? What accessible technologies can you imagine that can make the lives of people with all kinds of disabilities better? We will advocate with developers to make existing technologies accessible on your behalf. We will advocate with developers to build new accessible technologies on your behalf. Give us your guidance and support. Your guidance charts our path toward what is most important. Your support funds our efforts on your behalf: 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. Your Business or Organization Name Here➜ Classified Advertisement: Your Weekly Classified Advertisement Title Here (256 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. 5 of 18 Sponsorship Packages Currently AvailableAccess 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 6 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!
Why: Access Information News Supporters donate an amount of their choosing either one time or annually in order to assist with the ongoing distribution of the Access Information News publication. Benefits: All Access Information News Supporters receive a listing within the "Our Supporters" section of each weekly newsletter, as well as a listing within the "Our Supporters" section of the Access Information News website. One Time Donation: If you would like to become an Access Information News Supporter by making a one time donation in an amount of your choosing to assist with the ongoing distribution of the Access Information News publication, you may utilize this donate link, or scan the QR code to the right. Annual Donation: If you would like to become an Access Information News Supporter by making a small annual donation to assist with the ongoing distribution of the Access Information News publication, we also offer the following options, all with our sincerest thanks, and most heartfelt gratitude for your ongoing support. Support: In tandem with Our Sponsors, these are the people that make the ongoing distribution of Access Information News possible. Platinum Supporters:
Become an Access Information News Platinum Supporter today. 1.) James Hulme 2.) Donna Jodhan 3.) Your name here. Gold Supporters:
Become an Access Information News Gold Supporter today. 1.) Your name here. Silver Supporters:
Become an Access Information News Silver Supporter today. 1.) Your name here. Bronze Supporters:
Become an Access Information News Bronze Supporter today. 1.) Your name here. One Time Supporters:One Time Supporters donate an amount of their choosing — one time to assist with the ongoing distribution of the Access Information News Publication. Become an Access Information News One Time Supporter today. 1.) Amanda Lee 2.) Your name here. ➜ Access Information News TeamPublisher: Aaron Di Blasi (Volunteer)
Volunteer Publisher Since: November 7th 2022 Location: Mayfield Heights, Ohio Time Zone: Eastern Standard Time (EST/EDT) (GMT-5/GMT-4) In addition to serving as Publisher for Access Information News Aaron also serves as Publisher for the Top Tech Tidbits Publication and is also the President and Senior Project Management Professional for Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. As Publisher Aaron oversees the weekly distribution of Access Information News on behalf of Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. Aaron also serves as a Volunteer Editorial Contributor to Access Information News. Aaron Di Blasi, PMP Publisher (2022-Present) Publisher (2020-Present) Sr. Project Management Professional (2006 - Present) Editorial Contributor #1: John Hanlin (Volunteer)Volunteer Editorial Contributor Since: November 7th 2022 Location: Boulder, Colorado Time Zone: Mountain Standard Time (MST/MDT) (GMT-7/GMT-6) In addition to serving as an Editorial Contributor to Access Information News, John also serves as an Editorial Contributor to the Top Tech Tidbits Publication and is also an attorney-at-law specializing in long-term disability claims for blind and visually impaired persons. John is also a long-time contractor and member of the Board of Trustees at Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. John Hanlin, Esq. Editorial Contributor (2022-Present) Editorial Contributor (2020-Present) Board of Trustees (2006 - Present) Editorial Contributor #2: Jenna Lang (Volunteer)Volunteer Editorial Contributor Since: November 7th 2022 Location: Des Moines, Iowa Time Zone: Central Standard Time (CST/CDT) (GMT-6/GMT-5) In addition to serving as an Editorial Contributor to Access Information News, Jenna also serves as an Editorial Contributor to the Top Tech Tidbits Publication and runs her own advocacy foundation. Jenna also serves as a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) for Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. Jenna's son was born blind and she is always seeking new and innovative ways to empower him through technology. Jenna Lang, PMP Editorial Contributor (2022-Present) Editorial Contributor (2020-Present) Project Management Professional (2022 - Present) Editorial Contributor #3: David Woodbridge (Volunteer)
Volunteer Editorial Contributor Since: February 6th 2023 Location: Central Coast, New South Wales, Australia Time Zone: Australia Eastern Standard Time (AEST/AEDT) (GMT+10) In addition to serving as an Editorial Contributor to Access Information News, David is also the National Commercial Assistive Technology Advisor for Vision Australia where he has worked since 1990. Over this time he has assisted people who are blind or vision impaired in their home, education, and work settings to take advantage of the benefits of using assistive and main stream technology. In the last seventeen years, he has also been involved with evaluating technology for use by people who are blind or vision impaired covering both low and high tech equipment (including Microsoft, Samsung, Google, Amazon, and Apple). David is also one of the key spokespersons for Vision Australia relating to technology. He has been an Apple Ambassador for Apple Australia since 2009 with a group of other Ambassadors / Apple Distinguished Educators (ADE)'s covering the range of Apple's Accessibility solutions throughout Australia. David produces a range of podcasts (since 2011) covering Apple and other technologies which are distributed on his own podcast (http://davidwoodbr.podbean.com). In addition, he also has a regular Talking Tech program (since 2013) which can be heard every Tuesday at 4:30 Eastern Summer Time on Vision Australia Radio Melbourne (available online) or via https://omny.fm/shows/talking-tech-vision-australia-radio David also runs a weekly Tech Monday where people can chat about assistive and main stream technology, share information, and any tips and tricks. David lost his sight when he was 8 years old and had to learn Braille. Since then, he completed high school, went to Sydney University receiving a Social Work degree, spent 4 years drug and alcohol counselling, and then moved into his current job. As a person who is blind, David believes that as a user of the technology that he recommends to others, that he is well situated to look at the strengths and shortcomings of the assistive technology that he comes across in both his professional and personal life, in particular, mainstream technology that is accessible. X (Formerly Twitter): @dwoodbridge In addition to his weekly contributions to Access Information News, David's regularly occurring activities are his weekly tech radio show, bi-monthly exploring tech webinars for Vision Australia, his iSee podcast when something of note grabs his attention, and the weekly Tech Monday chat sessions. David Woodbridge Editorial Contributor (2023-Present) Editorial Contributor (2023-Present) National Commercial Assistive Technology Advisor (1990 - Present) Email: editor@accessinformationnews.com 📧️ ➜ Subscription InformationABOUT: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. X (FORMERLY TWITTER):Are you on X? Follow Access Information News to begin receiving current news and trends in access information as part of your X News Feed: https://accessinformationnews.com/x. 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 📧️. 
|
||||
