The Canadian Council of the Blind Podcast (CCB Program staff)

In the second part of our look at communications apps which come installed on your iPhone, we focus on the two most complicated but empowering ones. These are FaceTime and Mail. The FaceTime app allows for live video and audio conversations with individuals or groups of people. Meanwhile, the Mail app lets you tap into that very popular form of written communication. Both of these apps have their intricacies. In both cases, there are alternative choices for accomplishing the same thing using other apps. We’ll discuss the pros and cons of sticking with what’s there versus looking for alternatives.

Join Stephanie Shingle with En-vision America and learn how you or a loved one can get talking prescription labels for Free from your pharmacy! website: https://www.envisionamerica.com

Learn what to expect in the upcoming federal election.  Discuss tips and tricks for voting successfully, what tools and assistance will be available, what technologies might assist you 

We store a lot of information on our iPhones. Apple does a lot to help keep that information secure. In this part of the Unseen Touchscreen course, we examine these security measures and the things we can do to safeguard our information while still making the most of our iPhones. The relevant section of the book is called Digitally Defending Yourself.

Kim Kilpatrick gives us a thorough walk-through of the contacts application for iPhone. She also takes us through each setting for contacts located within the settings application, explaining each setting.

In this 44 minute presentation, Gerry demonstrates using Microsoft Word from the keyboard  with no mouse. Gerry explains basic keyboard navigation and screen reader commands  by demonstrating various Word tasks including:

• Navigate Word Views.
• Navigate the Ribbons.
• Navigate and Search document text.
• Apply headings.
• Set character attributes.
• Set Text alignment, and font size.
• Make bulleted or numbered lists.
• Copy/paste formatting.
• Insert hyperlinks.
• Add Tables.

Create a table of contents.

KIM KILPATRICK walks us through each 1 of the rotor options explaining the function of each option. Following her presentation we have a great discussion on how people prefer to do the rotor action and what options individuals prefer most on their rotor.

Peter gives a presentation on the latest in Humanware products and updates. Lots of discussion on braille displays and the Victor trek. Lots of great questions and discussion following the presentation

Join us for a presentation about Accessibuild, a Canadian building navigation system that empowers users to navigate indoor environments independently using their Android or iOS device. Jeff Godfrey, the lead developer, will be discussing how the app works and provides  a demonstration.

Apple has long been associated with music and creativity. Your iPhone can give you access to millions of songs, curated playlists, radio stations, and even some live events. This month, we’ll dive into the enjoyment of music and go over the Music app and the Apple Music Plus service in detail. This is one of the easiest ways for beginners to start truly enjoying their iPhones.

Kim Kilpatrick gives us a thorough overview of the Apple Store application. She discusses uber eats as well as some of the recent changes in the application. Nolan jenikov gives a quick overview of uber eats newist  option, grocery delivery.

the Unseen Touchscreen online course will give the information needed by blind iPhone users to make the most out of these powerful and versatile devices. The course is based on the second edition of Michael Feir’s free e-book, Personal Power: Getting the Most From iOS as a Totally Blind User. This book can be downloaded in several formats from: Michael Feir’s Blog: at http://michaelfeir.blogspot.com/2022/04/ People who have trouble downloading the book in the format of their choice should email Michael directly at: Michael.feir@gmail.com

The latest version of iOS has just been released. There are hundreds of changes. Michael Feir will explain some of his favourites so far. For people feeling that rotor frustration, relief is a two finger four-tap away. VoiceOver now has quick settings which make it easy to access a wide range of convenient settings without using the rotor. Notes has gotten a new organization method called tags which helps keep things straight without making lots of folders. The Weather app has gotten a complete makeover and packs more information. Michael will show you how a new VoiceOver feature called group navigation can turn the sprawl into a quick and tidy experience.

David Green walks us through the RBC banking  application showing and explaining the functions of each banking tool. For further questions feel free to reach out to gttprogram@gmail.com

The Voice Control feature allows people to control their iPhones entirely with spoken commands. Designed with sighted people in mind who have motion difficulties making use of the touchscreen difficult, the system can be used in conjunction with VoiceOver. This final lecture for 2023 will give a basic tour of how Voice Control works. This completes the many different ways there are of controlling your iPhone. In the new year, we’ll begin talking about the many different apps and services which can be used and accessed by blind people through the use of their iPhones.

Communication is what your iPhone is all about. Several apps come installed on your iPhone to help you connect and exchange information with people in your life. In part one of our tour of these apps, we’ll focus on the Contacts, Phone and Messages apps. We’ll also touch on some additional related topics like emoji characters, stickers, Voice mail, and more.

We learn best when we’re busy having too much fun to realize that it’s happening. With their power to engage us, games can teach us lessons about ourselves, each other, and the technology we use to play them. Text adventures built of words, statistics and story can motivate us to learn typing and how to review the screen. Other games might improve our reflexes or show us the consequences of taking risks. Games of chance played with others might help break the ice so those others become friends. This week, we’ll begin a two part tour of the kinds of games which blind people can obtain and play using their iPhones. From story adventures to board games, strategy simulations and arcade audio action, there’s a lot of fun to be had. The lectures will focus on giving people a sense of what’s available. For live demonstrations of some games suitable for beginners, people can join us on the third Wednesday in February and March for cessions focussed on helping participants understand how to actually start playing games particularly good for beginners.

Nolan Jenikov gives us a brief demonstration of the iPhone application perplexity.

David Greene gives us a walk-through of the YouTube application for IOS. He explains what YouTube is used for. He walks through how to control the playback of videos, subscribe, and search for videos. 

In this podcast, Wayne Antle walks us through using the powerful voiceover help features available on the mac. 

Being so portable, your iPhone is an ideal device for helping with many aspects of everyday life. This session will discuss a number of apps designed to come in handy in everyday situations. These include Weather, Reminders, Calendar, Notes, Calculator and Journal. This group of apps is very suitable for use by beginners. Siri works well with all of them. Rather than an exhaustive exploration, this lecture will hopefully give you enough of an idea of the capabilities of these apps as well as how to control them in order to get started using them.

Sam gives us an introduction on Instagram's use. She outlines what Instagram is and why the blind community might be interested in accessing it.

The key to a blind person being able to effectively use an iPhone is the Voiceover screen reader. This provides a means of controlling an iPhone without sight as well as feedback via speech or Braille. This lecture will discuss various aspects and concepts of Voiceover. The rotor, navigation by units, screen exploration and important gestures will all be discussed. This course is based on the second edition of Michael Feir’s free e-book, Personal Power: Getting the Most From iOS as a Totally Blind User. This book can be downloaded in several formats from: Michael Feir’s Blog: April 2022 People who have trouble downloading the book in the format of their choice should email Michael directly at: Michael.feir@gmail.com

the team who created the Lui assistant gives us a thorough demonstration of the tool. This great demonstration of all Luie's capabilities is done on the android operating system. We also get to hear some applications Luie will support in the future.

FROM PRINT TO VOICE: THE MAKING OF AN AUDIO BOOK, Neal walks us through creating an audiobook he talks about things ranging from audio editing to the inflection a narrator might choose to use. He shows us a clip of a book he recorded and several clips of narrators discussing how they choose to narrate

Learn all about a different audio book subscription model libro.fm

 For more information visit the website at libro.fm

Shane Lowe gives us a walk-through of the Supersense application which can be found on android and iPhone platforms. He discusses features and the many different cases in which people find this application useful. Following the presentation are several great questions. Shane's  e-mail is: shane@mediate.tech

The GTT program is excited to have a representative from Innosearch.ai Visiting us to introduce an innovative accessible shopping page! This platform brings together products from multiple companies, all designed with accessibility in mind. It offers an inclusive shopping experience tailored for individuals using assistive technology, ensuring a seamless and empowering journey for everyone. Join us to learn how this cutting-edge tool makes online shopping more inclusive, efficient, and enjoyable for all. 

Now that you understand what the VoiceOver screen reader does and know some basic gestures, it’s time to learn about the iOS operating system. We’ll take a tour of its main points of interaction with users. These include the home screens, notification centre, control centre, dock, status bar, today view, widgets, and spotlight search. We’ll also discuss what iOS does for its users behind the scenes. For a deeper dive, read the section of the guide called The iOS Operating System.

In this lecture, we’ll continue our tour of various aspects of the iOS operating system. Topics will include the powerful spotlight search feature, the app library and home screens, how to organize and move apps on your iPhone, how files are stored, when to use the iPhone storage settings area, the files app, the philosophy behind iOS, and current developments.

Joseph and Wayne discuss and explain how they do their taxes as low-vision/blind persons. They give out lots of information relevant to persons with disabilities including tax credits. This podcast was recorded on January 13 2021. This information may no longer be relevant depending on when you our listening. To find out more, visit CRA at  https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency.html

November is Diabetes Awareness Month. On this special evening meeting we are pleased to welcome Heather Walkus, National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD), who is a user of the Dexcom 6 continuous glucose monitor system. Heather will present to us her experiences about its accessibility and usability for our community.

More info, https://www.dexcom.com

David Green walks through the tabs in the Facebook application for iOS. Today he is walking us through the profile tab. He takes us through the options giving helpful voiceover user tips as he goes.  This is a great introduction to a user who is wondering what exactly is a Facebook profile.

Wayne Antle reviews the features and how to use finder on the mac. finder is like file explorer for windows.  It has many powerful features and uses.

Chris tells us all about the 2021 NFB Convention, July 6 – 10, anywhere and everywhere. This conference will be fully virtual. We also get to hear a lot about what attending one of these conferences is like in person during non-covid times. Enjoy For more information visit the website at nfb.org

Date: April 7, 2021

Theme: Windows Screen Reader Experience

Presenter: Gerry Chevalier

In this 43 minute podcast, Gerry will demonstrate the experience of using Windows from the keyboard with a screen reader and no mouse. The presentation is not intended to teach screen readers but rather provide an experience of what it is like to use a screen reader when you cannot see the screen or use the mouse. It is intended for low vision people who are struggling to use Windows with a mouse as their vision loss progresses and they might wonder what the screen reader experience is like. For his presentation Gerry will use the Narrator screen reader since it is part of Windows 10. He will demonstrate:

• Desktop navigation
• Document’s folder navigation
• Editing and saving a document in Notepad
• Using Outlook email
• Using a web browser

For many blind people, Braille is vital. They prefer to type in Braille and read in Braille rather than using a touchscreen and synthetic speech. This is quite possible using VoiceOver on your iPhone. Apple offers extensive support for using their products with Braille displays. This week, we’ll focus on what’s possible when you connect a Braille display via Bluetooth to your iPhone. We’ll also discuss Braille screen input which lets you type on the touchscreen as if it were a Braille keyboard. We’ll also go over some pitfalls of using Braille with your iPhone.

The Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) has recently introduced a new option to its talking book player line up. This is the Envoy connect player available for purchase through the CNIB smart life store. In this  presentation about CELA’s new service supporting the Envoy Connect audio book player, we will cover the basics of the Envoy Connect player, basics of the associated CELA Connect software, and what the service launch involves.

Caroline has used both Apple and android phones. She joins us to present on the pros and cons and features and her decision to use an android phone at present.

Wayne gives us a thorough description of what Twitter is and what you might use it for. Many great questions follow with Wayne giving further descriptions and scenarios on what you might use it for and what kind of information you can find on Twitter.

Bryan and Michelle give a demonstration of the OrCam showing us it's different features.  Plenty of informative questions and answers follow their presentation. their emails are: bryan.wolynski@orcam.com   michelle.mendez@orcam.com

Samantha Moore gives us a walk-through Facebook privacy settings. In the previous week's show Samantha gave a presentation on Facebook. Everyone agreed it would be prudent to go through the privacy settings more in-depth. if anyone is interested in having individual or small group support in learning and using facebook, please e-mailgtt@ccbnational.net

The first lecture on accessible games focussed on good games for beginners and exploring different types of games. In this second lecture, we look more closely at the economics behind what games are available. We talk about why some great games have disappeared from the app store and what keeps some old favourites viable. I’ll talk about some of the deeper more complex games available and why they’re some of my favourites. Also, we’ll look beyond apps to how your iPhone can help you participate and play other kinds of games like physical board and card games. We’ll also touch on how your iPhone can help you play tabletop roleplaying games with friends both online and in person.

Kim Kilpatrick continues her walk-through of the podcasts application for iOS. Also briefly walking us through two  other great podketcher applications for iOS.

Thanks to the CCB GTT Edmonton team who always brings Steve Barclay to present to their group around this time, we are bringing Steve back on a national call to tell us all the exciting news from Canadian Assistive Technology. Come and learn about new products, most popular software, devices, and more. Maybe you will find that perfect gift for yourself or someone else.

We all get distracted by our iPhones. The answer used to be to turn on “do not disturb”. This would prevent notifications from being announced and prevent pretty much everyone from contacting you. Apple has improved upon this with a new feature called “Focus”. That is where “do not disturb” went to hide on everyone. It is now one of several different focus modes. You can take far more control over what apps can disturb you. and who can contact you when you are busy. There is more of a learning curve which comes with this increased flexibility. Together, we will explore how to customize and even create your own focus modes. We will also learn how to take control of this new addition to iOS.

Using a smartphone with a visual impairment can sometimes be frustrating and difficult. At Hable, we like to make this easier for you. The Hable One is the easiest Braille keyboard to control your smartphone.

Do you use Voiceover or Talkback on your smartphone and struggle with swiping gestures? Or do you find on-screen typing cumbersome and takes up a lot of energy? Then the Hable One is probably of interest to you.

Laurie Davidson, Executive Director at CELA, updates the group on what’s happening with CELA’s work, in the area of collections, partnerships and technology. Lindsay Tyler shares information about CELA services, how to join, find out what books and magazines are available, and ways to read them. 

NaviLens is a new and exciting cutting-edge technology which has been developed to provide blind and visually impaired people with more accessibility and autonomy in their everyday lives. Oran McAllister, Client Engagement Officer at NaviLens, gives a presentation about the NaviLens Codes and the amazing features of this technology. He gives a short introduction to the NaviLens code, how it came about and how it works, additionally he speaks about the many use cases of the technology around the world, from transportation infrastructure wayfinding to product packaging, as well as validation from many users and associations from across the globe. Furthermore, Oran speaks about how NaviLens can be used in the home, in associations, and in schools using the free NaviLens kits, in addition to telling us a little more about the future of NaviLens. For more information, http://www.navilens.com/  https://www.rnib.org

In part 2 of our exploration of Voiceover, Michael Feir will continue discussing various gestures and techniques for getting the most out of Voiceover. We will learn how to reach the home screens and other key parts of iOS. There are also a good many settings which can help you customize Voiceover to suit your particular needs. Features such as navigation styles, quick settings, rotor settings, and more will be covered.

Kim gives a walkthrough of the Siri settings explaining each one.

Get Together with Technology (GTT)

Sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB), the voice of the blind in Canada.

Show Notes:

October 22, 2020

Theme:  Victor Reader Stream Bookshelves Part 1 of 2

Presenter: Gerry Chevalier

GTT.Edmonton@gmail.com

In this 67 minute first of two presentations, Gerry demonstrates how to use the Victor Reader Stream SD card bookshelves to organize and play different types of content. The Victor Stream is a popular digital talking book player for blind people manufactured by HumanWare.

The Stream uses a bookshelf paradigm to manage content. Gerry explains the SD card bookshelves and what kind of content to place on each bookshelf folder of the SD card including DAISY books, Audible books, MP3 books, Podcasts, text files, and voice notes recorded by the Stream. You will learn how to:

• Use Windows File Explorer to create folders .
• Rename folders and place files into them.
• Extract book folders from Zip files that you download from CELA Library and other content providers.
• Unprotect a file downloaded from the Internet.
• Transfer DAISY books and other types of files from your computer to the Stream SD card bookshelf folders.
• Transfer an Access Technology Institute text book to the Stream.
• Organize songs by genre, artist, and album using subfolders on the Stream’s music bookshelf folder.
• Archive Stream recorded notes by moving them to the Other Books and Podcasts bookshelves.
• Navigate different book types on the Stream including Microsoft Word documents and DAISY Text books and use the Stream to search within these text books.
• Search Wiktionary and Wikipedia using the Stream.
• Safely remove SD card media from your computer.

Phone: (613)567-0311 or 1-877-304-0968

Email: ccb@ccbnational.net

Web www.ccbnational.net

In part two of our tour of settings, we review the mental mapping of the settings discussed in part one. We then continue our journey through the settings exploring the security, Apple, and third party apps areas. Combined with what has been covered in prior cessions, this should leave everyone in good shape to enjoy and continue to master their iPhones over the Summer break. In the Fall, we’ll proceed to discussions of security, using Braille displays with your iPhone, and much more. If people wish, they can email questions to me over the Summer months. I’ll be happy to help if I can.

The topics for this session will include a brief tour of Siri. This digital assistant can be very helpful especially to beginners. We’ll discuss what Siri is designed to do and what it can’t do. Also, we’ll discuss how iOS handles sound. This is an area where iOS can present some challenges for blind people who aren’t aware of sound related decisions that Apple has made.

Samantha gives us an overview of Facebook using the iOS app. She discusses Facebook conceptually as well as taking us through some of the more commonly used features and options.  Coming in a follow-up presentation will be a discussion and a walk-through of Facebook's privacy settings to complement Sam's introduction to a few key SETTINGS.

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.

As a follow-up to our presentation on using Siri a couple of weeks ago, we explore the Siri shortcuts app and show how to create your own shortcuts for Siri to use.

In this session, we will explore the lifestyle apps discussed in the previous session in more detail. We’ll talk about managing recurring events in the calendar. The Notes app is full of features to keep your information organized. Suggestions are at the heart of apple’s new Journal app and we’ll go through how to access these. Apps in this category are simple on the surface, but often have surprisingly thorough capabilities.

ScripTalk talking prescription labels help a variety of people who cannot get their prescription information in traditional ways. Talking prescriptions help people with vision impairment, they help people who are print impaired or have other neurological limitations.

The challenge, as we focus our efforts on bringing ScripTalk into more Canadian pharmacies, is to get you  to speak with your pharmacy manager and let them know that  these labels will allow you to be able to stay safe and independent while taking your medications.

for more information on ScripTalk visit the website: https://www.envisionamerica.com/

A deep dive into the accessibility settings on I devices running IOS 15. Come learn about all of your accessibility settings.  Where they are.  What they do, and how to customize them.

The settings app is what you use to configure your iPhone so it best suits your needs. You can do everything from choosing how bright your display is to adjusting security options and enabling accessibility features. There are hundreds of settings inside various branches of options. This cession will be the first of a two part exploration of what settings are available. The focus will be on overall orientation to the Settings app plus deeper dives into some of the branches of options.

The app store is absolutely essential for anybody who wants to make the most of their iPhone. In this cession, we’ll explore the app store in full. You’ll learn how to get to various areas. From searching for apps, managing subscriptions, checking for app updates, and purchasing or redeeming gift cards, there’s a lot of digital ground to cover. We’ll also touch on why it’s helpful to look elsewhere for accessible app recommendations and discuss the changing economics behind the apps we use.

When you start using an iPhone, you’re entering a carefully crafted ecosystem of hardware, software, and services. Apple tries to make its customers feel valued at the same time as they seek to profit from them. There are many implications of this. It’s far easier, for example, to purchase and read books using the Books app included on your iPhone than it is to obtain books from other vendors like Kindle. The same holds true for music, TV shows, etc. We’ll examine the advantages and disadvantages of Apple’s tight control of the app store and by extension, of what you can do on your iPhone. We’ll also talk about the economics of owning an iPhone and getting the greatest possible use out of it.

Arjun Mali walks us through the many Uses of the buzz clip giving us a detailed description of what and how this proximity sensor works. Website link below: www.imerciv.com information about the detailed map of Toronto link below: www.mapinhood.com you can reach Arjun at : arjunmali@imerciv.com

Wayne gives us a walk-through of the voiceover settings on the Mac explaining what each setting does

Description: Two years and literally thousands of changes later, the second edition of Personal Power is now available. It is an eBook which I wrote and am giving away freely. Basically, the book takes people from setting up their iPhones to thriving in the iOS environment. It teaches how to use Voiceover, the various parts of iOS, and a whole lot of apps.

. The link to the guide is:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-1GAc2-HM1drA0GEj4fEBgQxIh4bHSKC

Show Notes: December 16, 2020 Theme:  Excel from the Keyboard Intro Presenter: Gerry Chevalier GTT.Edmonton@gmail.com In this 18 minute presentation, Gerry demonstrates the experience of using Excel from the keyboard . Gerry demonstrates building a simple grocery shopping list to show basic keyboard navigation and screen reader commands to operate Excel. It is not an instructional Excel podcast but just a demo of what it's like to use Excel with a screen reader and no mouse.

Wayne Antle describes how to move contacts to different apps using drag and drop with voiceover. 

Kim Kilpatrick gives us a thorough walk-through of the settings for the phone application on iPhone. After that she gives us a walk-through of the phone application itself explaining what each tab is for and what options each tab contains.

Get Together with Technology (GTT)

Sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB), the voice of the blind in Canada.

Show Notes:

October 29, 2020

Theme:  Victor Reader Stream Bookshelves Part 2 of 2

Presenter: Gerry Chevalier

GTT.Edmonton@gmail.com

In this 68 minute second of two presentations, Gerry demonstrates how to use the Victor Reader Stream online bookshelves to organize and play different types of Internet media. The Victor Stream is a popular digital talking book player for blind people manufactured by HumanWare. This second presentation focuses on managing online content including CELA Library Direct to Player books, Podcasts, Internet radio, and Wikipedia and   Wiktionary articles.

You will learn how to:

• Connect your Stream to a Wi-Fi network.
• Configure your Stream to use the CELA Library Direct to Player service.
• Perform Stream multi-tap text entry.
• Download CELA Library Direct to Player Books comparing the Stream’s automatic or manual download modes.
• Use your computer to search the CELA Library for Direct to Player books.
• Navigate the Stream Direct to Player bookshelf.
• Return a Direct to Player book to CELA.
• Navigate the Stream’s Podcast bookshelf and play podcasts.
• Download new podcast episodes and delete episodes.
• Configure the Stream for manual or automatic episode download.
• Move an episode to the SD card.
• Add or remove podcast feeds.
• Backup your list of feeds to the SD card.
• Change the HumanWare suggested podcast feeds.
• Use the Stream’s Internet radio bookshelf to listen to radio stations.

Add stations to your favorites and delete stations you no longer want.

• Select different HumanWare suggested playlists.
• Create your own playlists.
• Backup your playlists to the SD card.
• Use the Stream’s References bookshelf to find articles on Wikipedia and  
• Save articles or move them to the SD card.

Phone: (613)567-0311 or 1-877-304-0968

Email: ccb@ccbnational.net

Web www.ccbnational.net

Wayne gives us a talk on QR codes, what they are and how we use them. He includes two ways to quickly scan a QR code. Many great questions follow including the possibilities of using QR codes for personal use.

This week, Michael Feir focusses on hardware. He will explain what differentiates one iPhone from another and why it matters to you. From microchips, cameras, memory, and storage, we will talk about what is under the glass. Michael will also discuss accessories you may wish to acquire for your iPhone. From cases to keyboards to chargers, we will talk about how to shop for them and what to be careful of when you do.

José cintron gives us a explanation of what these glasses are and how they look/feel. He gives us a thorough demonstration of the different settings and modes these glasses have. Following the presentation are many great questions.

In our modern lives, mental and physical health is an increasing concern. Using apps and sensors on our iPhone and in accessories we can connect it to, there are many ways in which your iPhone can assist you. iPhones can count the steps we take as we carry them with us. Workout apps can offer training and encouragement to keep ourselves fit. They can give us an outlet to journal our thoughts. Recent additions include mood tracking and mental health assessment questionnaires which assess our danger of anxiety or depression. Meditation apps like headspace can provide numerous mindfulness tools. There are also books and podcasts which our iPhones can help us find and access. We’ll take a whirlwind tour of all of these and hopefully provide enough information to get people started.

The camera on your iPhone is a tremendously useful addition for Blind users. Combined with the internet, human sighted volunteers and artificial intelligence, the right apps can do a whole lot of good. We’ll discuss the apps which harness these capabilities to help you read printed documents, identify items, find lost things and tell you what is around. We’ll also discuss some of the implications of these tools and the economics making it all possible.

Your iPhone is constantly checking for new information. Apps running in the background can interrupt you with notifications. So can calls and messages from people. Thankfully, Apple has provided tools to help deal with this effectively. We will discuss notifications settings in detail. These let you decide whether and how apps can inform you of things in normal circumstances. Meanwhile, focus settings let you determine what and who can interrupt you at a given time. Between these groups of settings, you can be in control of interruptions to your daily life from your iPhone.

In this 12 minute podcast, Russell Solowoniuk demonstrates using his LG washer model WM3500CW and his LG Dryer model DLE3500W using the accompanying accessible iOS or Android LG ThinQ app. He describes how a blind person can use the washer and dryer standalone and how accessibility is enhanced using the app on his iPhone. Note that models described have been discontinued and replaced with washer model WM3600HWA and dryer model DLE3600W as of March 2024.

In a similar format to last week's podcast Kim Kilpatrick gives us a walk-through of the settings pertaining to the mail app. Afterward she gives us a walk-through on how to use the mail application itself.

Diana Brent takes us through the voiceover rotor settings explaining what each rotor option does. Giving examples of how you might choose to use each one.

Voxmate is a new Android app with audio-first applications that can be operated with just four gestures. With Voxmate, you can read news, listen to audiobooks, play games, chat on the Audio Forum and more by simply swiping up, down, left, and right. The app was designed from the ground up to focus on a great audio experience rather than describing what’s on the screen, and that makes the whole experience uncluttered, intuitive, and worth your time. Katja, the co-founder of Voxmate, introduces us to the app and  talks about future iOS plans.

Kim Kilpatrick gives us a description of, what exactly is a podcast? Why would you want them? And how to find them. She explains how to use the application going through each of the tabs and explaining their function.

There’s a lot which has been updated in iOS 18. This month, we’ll begin our detour from the second edition of the book in order to fill people in on these changes. We’ll talk about the new tutorial for VoiceOver users which is now available right in the VoiceOver settings. We’ll also look at how audio ducking has been updated and is now far more useful. There’s plenty which has changed outside of VoiceOver. The settings for iOS have been rearranged so we’ll go over how that crucial area has changed.

We all can use some help keeping track of the stuff of life. The Calendar and Reminders apps are Apple’s current answer to that problem. The Reminders app focuses on tasks and projects in our lives rather than appointments and events. You can set reminders to alert you based on due dates, make them triggered based on where you are, and keep track of which steps in bigger projects have been completed. We’ll examine the Reminders app in detail and go through all of the features it contains for reminding you of what needs doing in your life.

Jessica and Darcy from the way around team give us a thorough presentation on way around tags. They describe what they are, the many uses they can be put to, how to use the application and the most recent updates to the app. There is an iOS application as well as android. In this demonstration the iOS app is used. To learn more about way around look them up on YouTube, link pasted directly below. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC20nd5nzn8Dof2p1zFPDDTA

Using Seeing AI short text, product, and handwriting channels to identify products. Using Seeing AI short text and document channels, as well as Voice Dream Scanner to read documents.  Using Tap Tap See to identify colours. Using BeMyEyes and other visual assistance such as AIRA or Facetime video.

Jim and Wayne give us a live demo of Rogers ignite TV using a television as well as the application for iOS. Included about a minute into the recording is Wayne's orientation of the ignite remote.

Darren Burton, former Director of Technology for the American Foundation for the Blind and accessibility specialist at Yahoo, will tell some stories  about working with Silicon Valley and other tech companies. He will focus on some of the history around Apple’s development of VoiceOver for the iPhone, including his involvement with the giants that made that happen.

Through Samantha's conversation with her panelist they explore the diversity in blind identity. Discussing similarities and differences. Within the community touching on intersectionality and its relevance in discussion with and about the blind community.

Wayne gives a great walk-through of how to use messages on the Mac explaining which key commands he is using and giving examples and scenarios as he goes through.

Come and learn about Windows 11 and its accessibility. Dan gives us a peek at some of the differences in the new Windows 11

Wayne Antle who has had ignite TV for two and a half years gives us a demonstration of the capabilities of this screenreader. He talks through the set up of the product and discusses how visually impaired persons receive a discount with the use of this package.

Sabrina Knappe and Jeff Blum from McGill University’s Shared Reality Lab give an introduction to a new project, being carried out in strategic partnership with Gateway Navigation CCC Ltd and the Canadian Council of the Blind. The goal is to create rich renderings of graphics you encounter while browsing the internet, using audio and touch (haptic) interfaces. Sabrina and Jeff talk about the project’s approach, how it will compare to existing tools, and give some examples of how technology like spatialized audio can help convey information more concisely than ordinary text-to-speech. To learn more about the project or get involved, please see https://srl.mcgill.ca/atp

Before we pull back and look at the larger picture, this month’s lecture is my attempt to give you the equivalent of a quick start guide. Sighted people will typically have access to enough instructions so that they are able to start exploring and enjoying their iPhones with a minimum of fuss. They are given very basic navigation instructions and directed to the app store among other resources. Blind people lack such resources which take their very different experience into account. This lecture will attempt to provide enough knowledge about key aspects of iPhone use to allow you to start doing things. Topics such as Voiceover, typing on your iPhone, setting up an iPhone totally blind, obtaining the iPhone user guide from the Books app or on the web, and much more. People may wish to read the Quick Start section of the Personal Power eBook before attending the lecture.

The Internet in your pocket is a core reason why you want an iPhone with you. Many apps tap into information available via the web. However, the Safari browser or a third party alternative of your choice will serve as your direct gateway to sites on the web which you want to visit. This month, we’ll take a deep dive and explore the Safari browser. It comes on your iPhone as an important part of iOS. You’ll learn how to navigate the web and how to take advantage of resources there through Safari. We’ll also talk about the settings associated with this browser. Third party alternatives won’t be covered in detail but we’ll briefly discuss why you might want to try them out.

Wayne gives us a great Demonstration on how to use The numbers spread sheet application for the Mac.

Increasingly, Apple is turning to making revenue through services which it offers. The News app offers a lot of interesting articles which are freely available even without a subscription. People can also search for and follow their own topics of interest. Through the Apple News Plus service available for a monthly subscription, this app will provide access to far more content including full articles, newspapers  and over two hundred magazines. Recently, crossword and other puzzles have been added for subscribers. All of this is fully accessible to blind users through VoiceOver. In this first Fall session, we’ll take a tour of what the app and service have to offer while waiting for the arrival of iOS 18.