How to Train Friends and Family on a Screen Reader

November 26, 2024 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. EST

Learning access technology can appear daunting to a newly blind person. Finding quality access technology training can also be difficult for several factors. This is where technology savvy friends and family can help someone start learning how to use a screen reader. Join the National Federation of the Blind on Tuesday, November 26, from 2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m. eastern to learn how you can teach a friend or family member how to get started with a screen reader. We will cover:

• How a screen reader works
• How screen readers present content
• Common keyboard shortcuts to start with
• Further training resources to learn how to use multiple screen readers

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Nike’s new Elite EasyOn backpack was designed with innovative features making it accessible for as many athletes as possible, including those with low dexterity or motor skills.

Originally developed for athletes competing in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, the backpack is now available to everyone through the company’s online store for $150.

Hey folks, there is an up and coming Discord alternative. It is called "Revolt" https://revolt.chat/. It is completely separate from Discord, and is being run by a small team of devs and mods (I am not part of the platform dev or mod team). I am just a user and server owner and want to spread the word.

The app itself is very good, although changes are implemented slowly because the folks working on it are volunteer and work on it as a labor of love in their spare time. It does have voice chat like Discord, but can be a bit wonky. The voice server is supposed to be replaced soon with something more robust. At this time, screen share is not available.

However, if you are looking for a Discord alterative (if even just to have as a backup to Discord), this is the right place.

Should you be interested in joining my Disability server on Revolt, please feel free to do so: https://rvlt.gg/9xNVbPdK

Hope to see you there!

A non-comprehensive guide to some of the styles available.

Whichever you go for, they're all generally around £4000/$5000 . YMMV.

Depending upon your location, a dealer may bring one to your home for you to trial them. You're spending a lot of money so do not be afraid to ask.

Searching YouTube for these brand names should come up with a lot of examples.

Single Rear Wheel:

Smart Drive and Smoov are small motors with a single wheel that attach to the back of your manual chair. You control propulsion with a speed dial near your lap, and you steer the chair using your hands on the wheel push rims as normal. You can also push to contribute towards propulsion if you like. The extent to which they contribute towards overall speed is variable dependent upon your needs, but they can propel the chair entirely on their own, meaning all you have to do is steer.

Pro:

• They are both easy to attach/remove.
• comparatively light
• you have full control of steering

Con:

• sometimes have difficulty with steps/curbs as they're just clipped to an axle bar
• can feel less ergonomic/immediately responsive than devices attached to the wheels themselves.

Dual Wheel motors:

E-motion and WheelDrive style power assists are two motors, one on each wheel, which are connected to each other via Bluetooth. They each respond to how hard your hands push their respective wheel. This means you can set them to double your input, or treble your input, etc. They also have cruise control so they can propel the chair entirely on their own.

Pro:

• responsive, feel ergonomic. The force is kinda/ish coming from your hands rather than from a motor behind your bum

Con:

• rely upon Bluetooth, YMMV
• double the weight of single motor devices as there's one on each wheel, so if they fail for some reason, your chair is now very heavy
• you have to be careful how you push as every push is amplified and affects each wheel independently. Something to be aware of when you aren't pushing with each hand evenly, e.g, on slanted pavement/sidewalk, when you're turning/dodging, etc

Tricycle style devices:

These attach to the front of your chair with handle bars and a front wheel with a motor.

Pro:

• Great for longer distances
• some prefer handlebar steering

Con:

• less manoeuvrable. Your turning circle becomes very large.

Powerchair style:

There are also systems like the e-fix which turn your manual chair into a form of powerchair with a joystick to steer.

Pro:

• some prefer this undemanding mode of steering

Con:

• They add a lot of weight
• There's no middle ground, it's on or it's off, it's doing all the work or none of the work

Hope this helps

Please feel free to add first-hand experiences or any thoughts to this post, or let me know if I should edit anything

Does anyone know if there is a way to voice control Kindle (other than reading on tablet or computer)? Need to accommodate significant arm, trunk, and leg weakness. I know there is a voice-to-text bluetooth, but I am hoping to find the opposite! Thanks!

Interesting read on how media portrayal of people with disabilities shapes perception of them as "deserving" of accommodations under ADA, or not.

Accessibility to public spaces and everyday items and activities is a privilege many able-bodied people take for granted. For people who live with disabilities, everyday life is made harder not only due to their disability but the lack of inclusion and accessibility for them.

For an artist, not having the same physical abilities as most others can be rather limiting. Certain disabilities can place physical limitations on the time an artist can spend on their craft as well as on the methods they use to create their art.

More than that, people with disabilities sometimes find that they have difficulty getting into venues where art is made or presented.

For months, the City of Buffalo has been dealing with stolen parking meters, and some of the meters taken are impacting one community in Western New York.

Driving the news: Following a year-long investigation into the state's "troubled" long-term care system, the Disability Law Center (DLC) released an 11-page report this week rebuking state licensing divisions and agencies for failing to protect people with disabilities at long-term care facilities.

A powerlifter who won four gold medals at the Special Olympics has received a hero's welcome on his return home.

Apple's accessibility setting targets those with photosensitive epilepsy. Enable it to avoid seizures from flashing lights and stroboscopic effects.

A social media creator with a hidden disability says having an online presence has helped her to raise awareness and feel less alone.

People with disabilities in Spain and other European countries have been disproportionately affected by unprecedented heat extremes, a leading human rights watchdog said on Monday, urging authorities to provide adequate support.