Global Accessibility Is Vital For The Future Of Our Communities

May 18, 2017 Kit Englard

Image of a desk. In the picture the corner of the screen of a Mac computer can be seen, with a Bluetooth apple keyboard and mouse. To the left of the keyboard sits an iPad.

Today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day, or #GAAD on Twitter. Global accessibility is something that is near and dear to my heart for a variety of reasons, but first we need to define what it is. It’s about making technology, all technology, accessible to all people with disabilities. More importantly, it’s about making developers aware of why it is important to design accessible products and apps.

Microsoft Build 2017 Accessibility Highlights: Day 3

May 15, 2017 Kit Englard

Black //build/ logo

The third, and final, day of Microsoft’s Build 2017 was met with a lot less flare, but no less innovation. The keynote presentation on Day 3 featured a video, rather than speakers, and focused on innovative technology for businesses. There was also a continuation of the AI theme that had been going on throughout the conference.

Microsoft Build 2017 Accessibility Highlights: First Two Days

May 12, 2017 Kit Englard

Microsoft’s mission statement rang loud and clear during the first two days of their 2017 Build conference. In every nook and cranny of development there were hints of accessibility achievements. In the past, Microsoft products have left a lot to be desired by way of accessibility. The last few years the tech giant has been making steps to rectify this reputation, and this year I think I finally believe that not only are they serious, but that they aren’t going to pull the rug out from under us.

First Multi-Line Braille Display Brings Innovation to Braille Technology

May 8, 2017 Kit Englard

The Canute is one of the devices in line being heralded by media as the “kindle for the blind”. Among assistive technology developers, is a race to see who can design and build such a device first, but so far no one has succeeded. Canute, built by Bristol Braille located in Bristol, is working on the first multi-line braille display—and it is nearly ready for distribution.

Echo Look—Possible Hot New Fashion Gizmo for Blind Users

April 26, 2017 Kit Englard

Amazon Echo Dot: short cylindrical device with two round buttons on top. It has the Amazon logo on the front.

If you are color blind or otherwise have limited vision, you know that indeed the struggle is real when trying to figure out what looks good in the morning. But what if there was a device that allowed someone who is blind or visually impaired to get an idea of how they looked to a sighted person? Such a device could have a major impact on independence, especially for women who are frequently judged more harshly on their appearance.

Youth Slam Puts Science in the Hands of Blind and Visually Impaired Kids

April 24, 2017 Kit Englard

Chemistry lab table, with 3 small bottled and 2 large ones full of colorful liquid. On a chalkboard behind them are various chemical formulas.

Blind children are often not given an opportunity to get involved with STEM (science technology engineering and mathematics) subjects. Nemeth code is not often introduced, and main streamed students simply don’t get access to biology, physics, and chemistry in the same way their sighted peers do. Youth Slam, run by the National Federation for the Blind’s National Center for Blind Youth in Science (NCBYS) is stepping in to change all of that.

Nintendo Forgets Why People Love Classic Games, Discontinues NES Classic Edition

April 16, 2017 Kit Englard

Image of the NES Classic Edition controller. It is rectangular, with the classic direction controller on the left, start and select in the middle, and A and B circle  action buttons on the right. — Image of the NES Classic Edition controller. It is rectangular, with the classic direction controller on the left, start and select in the middle, and A and B circle action buttons on the right.

A few days ago, we learned that the NES Classic Edition will be retired, and people are mad, with all the gaming and tech journals slamming Nintendo on its decision. Even I'm upset, and it probably isn't a huge shock that as a legally blind person I am not huge on traditional gaming. For anyone who wants to play classic games, the ship has sailed-- if the ship ever even landed in the dock.

Braille Smartwatch—Does it live up to the hype?

April 10, 2017 Kit Englard

Image shows the first few cells of a braille display. To the left of the display panel are three circular buttons places vertically meant for navigation. Along the top are the routing keys.

Dot Inc. has created the first viable braille smartwatch, called the Dot Watch. Or… Have they? Do a quick Google search and you find article after article praising the product—but none of the authors of those articles are blind or otherwise have an invested interest in the product. Here’s what we know about the smartwatch. Does it live up to the hype?

Accessibility for YouTube TV a Flop

April 5, 2017 Kit Englard

A large red square with a smaller white rectangle across the bottom half. In the top red section the word "You" is written out in white letters. In the white rectangle is the word "tube" in black letters.

YouTube TV is meant to be live TV that replaces your cable. You can live stream cable channels like MSNBC, Fox, The CW, ABC, CBS, and others. Using my power of living in the New York area, I have access to the service on the first day so I signed up for the free first-month trial offer, and played with the iOS app to test accessibility, so you don’t have to!

Lawmakers Overturn FCC Rules for ISP's— What it all means

April 3, 2017 Kit Englard

An opened combination lock is sitting on top of the keyboard of an open laptop.

Last week both the house and the senate passed a bill that weakened the FCC rules for internet privacy. Unfortunately, the majority of our lawmakers are not tech savvy—let alone competent with your average desktop—and they are also heavily lobbied by telecommunication companies.

Windows Creator's Build Gets Innovative With New Narrator Features

April 2, 2017 Kit Englard

A woman wearing a short-sleeved blouse starting into the camera over the top of a lap top.

So what can be so exciting about yet another update to Windows? Believe it or not, the big reveal is that they will finally be adding native braille support. While this seems inconsequential, it is in fact the first time braille users will be able to access the capabilities of a windows OS without needing third party software.

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