Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), started in 2012 and is celebrated on the third Thursday of May. It’s great to have a big celebration once a year, but even better to elevate awareness every day.
Accessibility is defined in its purest simplicity, as easy to deal with or get to. It is the state of things we all wish for. It is good for everyone. Although the word carries broad implications, today it largely pertains to technology, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is pushing it to new heights. If you live with vision loss, hearing loss, learning or mobility issues, accessibility can literally be the difference between yes and no.
The purpose of GAAD is to get people talking, thinking and learning about digital access and inclusion for all needs. Accessibility is advancing by leaps and bounds, however, awareness of it has not completely followed suit. So, go ahead, start talking it up. Learn something new about your mobile device, computer or smart tech and pass it along. Talk about it in general or in specific terms. Tell a friend, a co-worker or a neighbor and ask them to tell another.
Feel free to get your awareness-raising started right here on OE Patients, where we love to talk about this topic. Take a stroll through the Accessibility & Technology section or go directly to some of our favorite posts, on the topic, linked below.
In a short film celebrating GAAD, Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Microsoft’s Chief Accessibility Officer restates their commitment to creating a more inclusive world. She says, “Accessibility can be effortless, ubiquitous and empowering to everyone.”
We agree. Watch the video here.
This article was first published May 24, 2018 and update May 20, 2021.
Audiobooks are an excellent alternative when vision loss takes our ability to enjoy print. In this episode, Dorrie Rush addresses questions and feedback from part 1 & 2.
Audiobooks are an excellent alternative when vision loss takes our ability to enjoy print. Learn all about the best options for accessing audiobooks in our conversation with guest, audiobook reviewer and book club moderator, Michelle Ritholz.
Audiobooks are an excellent alternative when vision loss takes our ability to enjoy print. Learn all about the best options for accessing audiobooks in our conversation with guest, audiobook reviewer and book club moderator, Michelle Ritholz.
Uber and Lyft are technology companies operating new-age transportation networks on a global scale. Their names have become synonymous with dated terminology like taxi or cab. They deliver transportation to people where and when they need it. The entire process fully transacted on a smartphone app.
Naturally, this seems like a perfect fit for the transportation needs of older adults. But according to a study by PEW Research, less than 1% of Uber customers are 65 and older, while about 4 in 10 seniors are using smartphones.
Justin Boogaard was living with his Grandma Betty, after college, when she gave him the idea for GoGo Grandparent. Betty noticed her grandson was taking a lot of Ubers wherever he needed to go. She recognized this could be a great way for her to get around as well and she wanted to get in on the action. One problem: Uber can only be summoned by app, and Betty didn’t have a smartphone.
Image shows a grandmother happy and talking on the phone.
Necessity is, after all, the grandmother of invention. Justin set out to find Betty an easier way to get an Uber, and a startup was born. GoGo Grandparent takes the app out of the equation as it adds people back in. Less technology and more personal attention open up these transportation services to a significant demographic they would not have otherwise attracted. With GoGo Grandparent the transaction is conducted by phone, with customer service agents. They order the car, communicate with the driver, and monitor your trip.
There is technically no age requirement, so you don’t actually have to be a Grandparent and you can schedule a ride from any phone you choose. The concierge fee for this service is $0.27 a minute, which means if the ride takes 15 minutes the fee added to your fare is $4.05.
Uber and Lyft cars are notoriously difficult to locate, particularly if you are visually impaired. GoGo Grandparent can help by making the driver aware and by providing the customer with more detailed location information.
Image shows a smiling grandfather talking on phone.
GoGo Grandparent recently added a membership requirement and new services – here’s an update.
Basic Membership
The basic membership now carries a monthly fee of $9.99, enabling customers to order an Uber or Lyft from any phone, no app required. There is also a Concierge Fee, of $0.27 per minute, added to the fare and billed to your credit card by GoGo Grandparent. No cash is exchanged. Set up custom pick up locations, use voice commands for ordering, and set up family alerts to keep your loved ones in the loop.
Gold Client Membership
An upgrade to GoGo Gold Client is $30 a month and and it offers premium perks including:
Driver rings your doorbell, buzzer, or house phone
Driver accompanies you to the car
Gold Client calls are priority transferred to an operator
One cancellation free every month
Prescription pickup & delivery
GoGo Gourmet & Grocery Deliveries
Just in time for the COVID-19 pandemic, GoGo Grandparent expanded its app-free ordering to include food and groceries delivered to your door.Restaurant orders are fulfilled by delivery services like DoorDash, GrubHub, Postmates and Uber Eats, with a Concierge Fee of $6.50 per order for Basic Members, $2 for Gold Clients. Groceries are fulfilled locally by Instacart, Walmart, Postmates and Shipt, with a Concierge Fee of $13 for Basic Members and $5 for Gold Clients.
If this sounds interesting and you think you’d like to try it out, GoGo will also give you a 30-day free trial.
Please note, this article was not paid for, affiliated with, or endorsed by any third-party companies. The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author’s.
Originally published on October 2, 2017 and updated on June 17, 2020.
Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is recognized on the third Thursday in May, and has been since 2012. The focus on digital access and inclusion has progressed in meaningful ways over the past decade, and the future holds endless possibility. This is an effort that unifies people of all ability.
At OE we celebrate and elevate accessibility awareness everyday, and we think you should too. For people with vision loss, information about accessibility often travels from person to person, so please go ahead and spread the word!Tell your family, tell your friends, tell your coworkers and your healthcare providers about the accessibility features in technology devices that promote equal access. Living with uncorrectable vision loss brings many challenges, but utilizing accessible technologies can give us back a sense of normal.
As we have seen during the COVID pandemic, the use of technology is no longer an option; it is essential. Accessibility doesn’t always just work for you, you must also be willing to work for it. Become an advocate. By helping yourself, you can also help others. Learn about the accessibility of the products and services you engage with. A Google search of any product with the word “accessibility’ is an enlightening exercise – try it.
Big Tech, as you would imagine, has the most comprehensive accessibility detail available online. They have been building this effort for many years now and it shows. They also offer specialized accessibility support to customers, in the interest of providing an excellent customer experience. Take advantage of these opportunities and always share feedback when you find something that can be improved.
Here is the pertinent accessibility contact and links for Apple, Microsoft, Google and Amazon, but first we’re sharing our comprehensive list of accessibility phone support lines.
The COVID-19 crisis has taken great liberties with life as we know it. Those of us living with vision loss are all too familiar with the prevailing desire to get back to some semblance of normal. That feeling is now shared by everyone.Social distancing for the time being is a good thing, but it is definitely not an easy task. Our best advice is to take it one day at a time. Do something constructive each day to use the time-out productively.
1. Listen to a Podcast.
Invest some time in catching up with a favorite podcast, or binge-listening to a new find. If you haven’t yet taken to podcasts, the time is now. Search for your favorite publications, personalities or topics on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or simply Google a key word + podcast to find some that will be of interest.
Here are the links to a few of our favorite podcasts for people living with vision loss:
Image of Alexa app screen showing list of featured and new books.
2. Read an Audiobook.
Getting totally absorbed in a great book that takes you to another time and place is the best way to take a break from reality.Choose an epic story that will command your attention for a while like Anna Karenina, East Of Eden or Lord Of The Rings.You can also browse Audible’s Best Sellers.
Video calls, like FaceTime, are a natural solution for socializing while social distancing. The pandemic has given new life to the voice-only call, which has been going out of fashion for years. It makes complete sense to use FaceTime because, in many ways, it’s as close as we can connect for the time being. Seeing the face or hearing the voice of a loved one or an old friend lends a degree of comfort to an otherwise insecure atmosphere.So go ahead, pick up the phone and call someone you care about – chances are you’ll find them at home.
4. Get Your Accessibility Settings In Order.
Take this time to review and update text settings, screen magnification and brightness and color contrast. And don’t hesitate to call on live expert help! Use these if you run into trouble:
When reading with a visual impairment becomes arduous, it’s time to give your phone or tablet permission to speak.The move from seeing to hearingwritten words may take some getting used to, so approach it as if you are learning to read anew.
There are thousands of ways your voice assistant can make things easier. For instance, ask Google to play a podcast, ask Alexa to read your book, or ask Siri to FaceTime a friend.Take a moment to try out more ways these virtual assistants can help make your life easier:
To appreciate the role artificial intelligence(Ai) is playing in elevating accessibility and helping make daily life easier for people with vision loss, we’d have to go back well over a decade.In the early 2000s, our technology was known as “assistive” and our access to mainstream tech was a pipe dream. We would say, at that time, that “technology is leveling the playing field for people with visual impairments,” but it wasn’t really. Even the most basic cell phones were largely inaccessible. There were few options and none were good.
Two meaningful events then shifted the paradigm, launching an era of inclusion. in 2009, Apple delivered the fully accessible iPhone (out of the box),the impact of which cannot be overstated. In 2010, the 21st Century Communications & Video Accessibility Act was signed as law in the U.S. and began implementation of rules mandating accessibility of internet browsers and mobile devices for visually impaired and blind users.
Today, Ai is ubiquitous. The technology that simulates human thought processing and response has the power to make many things a lot easier to deal with. It gives visual information a voice, and that is a dream come true for people with vision loss. But the real beauty is that it’s good for everyone.
The development of Ai for consumer application feels new, when in fact it was decades in the making. Good things are always coming together in the background, with potential to change your life for the better. Be open to the possibility.
Let’s take a look at how Ai is being used now to compensate vision loss, and what we might expect in the not too distant future…
Smartphones
The smooth, intuitive and predictive nature of your smartphone can be attributed to Ai. Apple’s high standard for accessibility has kept the iPhone the consistent top choice for people with vision loss. Android has also come a long distance in it’s vision accessibility options.
Voice Assistants
Siri, Google and Alexaare operated on mobile devices, smart speakers and computers, where they can carry out tasks, simple or complicated, just for the asking. They assist with a thousand things, which might otherwise be difficult, slow or even impossible for a person with low or no vision to accomplish independently.
There is no shortage of Ai apps for accessibility. Several stand out because they were developed by Microsoft and Google, and they are completely free, unlike some predecessors.
Seeing Ai, by Microsoft for iOS, is an intelligent camera app that reads text, identifies products, people, currency, color, scenes, and handwriting.
Soundscape, by Microsoft for iOS, a map with 3D sound, provides background narration into your earbuds from the left, right and center, telling where you are, what’s around you and what’s ahead.
LookOut, by Google for Android, camera vision delivers information in 3 modes. Explore describes your environment, Shopping reads product barcodes and currency, and Quick read for signs, labels and mail.
Google Maps Detailed Voice Guidance, by Google for iOS & Android, turns on added voice guidance feature in the apps navigation settings. We’re hopeful the accuracy of this enhancement to Google Maps improves. One of many GPS apps for visually impaired users that will be amazing when they get it right.
Aira, an acronym for Ai Remote Assistance, teams artificial intelligence with real live human agents to help people with vision loss get around and get things done. The subscriber modelcombines both free and fee-based service options.
Created to house the voice assistants, these speakers are being adopted at rapid rates. They are usable with relative ease and popular priced models are often available under $50. Google Home and Amazon Echo are the favorites, by far. They’re ready to accomplish thousands of tasks, all you do is ask.
Smart Home
Let’s face it, there is something amazing about telling the lights to turn on and having them respond. For someone with vision impairment, the setting of a thermostat or appliance might otherwise be impossible, but with many options for home automation now available, we can also control climate, entertainment and security, with our voice.
OrCam My Eye reading and recognition device
Smart Glasses
We’ll know smart glasses have arrived when everyone’s wearing them. At the moment they are assistive in nature and available for enhancing vision or reading text with the help of Ai. We expect smart glasses too will become more mainstream and much less sci-fi looking.
Vector illustration of car interior with big navigation display.
Self-Driving
Autonomous vehicles are not quite as imminent as we were led to believe, but the concept still conjures a sense of inclusion for people who lack the vision a driver’s license requires. Not driving will be normal when no one has to.
Facial Recognition
Technology that recognizes faces is available and also controversial in terms of privacy. We can program Seeing AI, for example, to tell us when the camera is pointed at faces of people we know. But imagine for a moment, wearing normal looking smart glasses that allow you to walk into a room and quickly identify the faces you’re not able to see. Amazing!
About Your Privacy
To protect your privacy, never agree to the terms of use without reading them completely. If you don’t understand what you’re agreeing to, get more information. If you don’t like what you’re agreeing to, delete the app and don’t use it.
Turn off Location Sharing in your Privacy settings to restrict the constant tracking of your whereabouts, and grant access only when using the app. Turn off Location Sharing in your Google account as well.
Get into the habit of deleting your voice recordings on a daily basis.It’s as easy as saying, “Delete everything I’ve said today,” to Alexa or Google. To delete Siri recordings, go to Settings> Siri & Search> Siri & Dictation History, then Delete Siri & Dictation History.
Hunkered down at home for a few days? Doing your level best to avoid the virus? It’s the perfect time to get in touch and catch up on the OE Patients Podcast. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water, take an alcohol wipe to your phone or tablet, and press play. Also available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
We are updating our recap on electronic glasses, because things are changing, most notably price. In the case of all the wearable devices we first discussed at a live event in October 2018, the prices have come down, some significantly. That is a good thing, and we’ll keep an eye out for further developments.
Before you read about and evaluate whether these products might be useful for you, here are some points to consider.
It’s important to manage expectations. There are no magic glasses. How well these products can potentially help you is totally dependent on each individual and on remaining vision.
Think about what specifically you want to do. Can the product help you continue to work or use your computer? Watch TV? Read books, magazines, newspapers? And is the cost of the device a worthwhile investment for this activity?
Acesight augmented reality headset for vision and mobility
*Please Note: Just days after this update published, we learned Aira is discontinuing service with smart glasses as of April 1, 2020. Service with smartphones continues.
Monthly subscriptions with glasses start at $124 for 120 minutes. Without glasses monthly plans begin at $29 for 30 minutes.
connect to trained agent
120-degree view of where you are
connect with smart glasses or smartphone app
applicable at home, shopping, travel, etc.
fee-free guest locations available including: AT&T, Wegmans, and a network of airports, with more supermarkets, retailers and transportation terminals, on the way
On World Sight Day, October 10, 2019, Google announced an important update for people with vision loss. The news was reported by CNBC, CNET, Engadget and The Verge, among many others. We learned Google Maps is rolling out a new feature that provides detailed voice guidance for walking directions.They emphasize that it’s built for, and by people with impaired vision. They also acknowledge it can be good for anyone getting around an unfamiliar place.
On the Google Blog
Wakana Sugiyama, a Business Analyst at Google participated in the development of this project as an advisor and tester. She writes on the Google Blog, “As a legally blind woman living in Tokyo, I know that getting around unfamiliar environments can be a challenge. I can easily commute from my front door to my desk at work; it’s a trip I take regularly and know well. But going some place new and unfamiliar can be an intimidating experience without sight to guide you.” If you have a visual impairment that prevents you from seeing signs or other elements of identification, you know the feeling Wakana describes.
The added audible cues Wakana touts sound like a dream come true. She says, “With this feature, I can navigate the streets of Tokyo with more comfort and confidence. As I take my journey, Google Maps proactively lets me know that I’m on the correct route, the distance until my next turn and the direction I’m walking in. As I approach large intersections, I get a heads-up to cross with added caution. And if I accidentally leave my route, I’ll get a spoken notification that I’m being re-routed.”
Setting the App
The video of Wakana finding her way through the streets of Tokyo helps me to imagine myself getting to unfamiliar destinations with a new sense of ease. The Google Maps iOS app is now open on my phone, but it is not completely clear how to turn on the new setting.A call to Google accessibility support through the Be My Eyes (BME) app will provide the answer.
Ashley from Google answers the call and walks me through the required settings. In the Menu, at the upper left, go to Settings, then Navigation, at the bottom of the Navigation options list turn on Detailed Voice Guidance. This is my first encounter with Google through BME and it is quick, pleasant and productive.All set and ready to go!
At the top of the Google Maps app, right past the search bar, I tap Voice Search and ask for, “Walking directions to P.F. Chang’s.” It’s a familiar destination for testing purposes, 0.6 miles, or 12 minutes, away. On the bottom left corner of the app I tap the button labeled “Steps” to review the step by step directions for reference. At the top of these directions there is an alert that says: “Use Caution – Walking directions may not always reflect real-world conditions.”
Navigation with Detailed Voice Guidance
I tap the big blue button labeled “Start” and the voice navigation begins with, “Turn left on Renaissance Square and proceed for 250 feet and turn left onto MainStreet.” I make a left on Main and continue walking 0.3 miles to South Broadway. On route to South Broadway the voice guidance announces erratic fluctuations in distance ahead, 800, then 350, then 600 feet, all in a matter of 10 footsteps. Twice while walking on Main St. the voice said to “Make a right turn”, but it was long before the turn was available.
At the intersection of Main & South Broadway I make a right turn as instructed and continue in the correct direction. The voice tells me to make a right turn on two different streets along the way, but I don’t because it would have taken me in the wrong direction entirely.I proceed to the left turn that will lead around a bend and onto Westchester Avenue, just minutes from P.F. Chang’s, ignoring the conflicting map chatter until it says, “Proceed for 0.1 miles” which means Google is now in agreement with my route. The voice guidance is not always in sync with the directions listed step by step on the app. Good thing I’m going to a familiar place.
Upon arrival at the entrance to P.F. Chang’s, unmistakable with its signature giant horse statues stationed in front, the voice guidance becomes unusually quiet. I continue walking past the entrance to see how the navigation reacts. At the corner the voice says,“Make a right turn and proceed for 200 feet,” which takes me into a parking garage. Inside the garage Google announces, “Your destination is on the right.” But that’s not right.
The return trip did not go much better.Voice guidance seemed to fall far behind my actual location. Twice the voice said to make a turn that I actually took minutes earlier. I was already back in my office sitting at the computer when I heard, “Your destination is on the right.” And that was wrong.
Conclusion
Not one to give up easily, I take two more strolls with Google Maps detailed voice guidance. Both were simpler routes and the voice guidance a little better, however still not good. Perhaps my expectations would not be as high had I not seen the Google video showing Wakana getting so smoothly to her destination in Tokyo, using this feature.Why, I wonder, is it not working that well for me?
Before I finish writing this article I call Google support, again through BME. I want to find out if I am doing something wrong, or if others are reporting similar issues. It is again Ashley answering the call and she remembers our chat a few days before. She has not received other calls on the new Google Maps feature, but promises to look into it and also to test the detailed voice guidance herself.
You too should give it a try and tell us how it goes.
We learn so much from each other about living with vision loss, and that is why we dedicated this Accessibility Resource session to sharing our best finds. If you are the recipient of good advice you never forget where it came from or how it impacted your life, and it should always be paid forward.Our audience enthusiastically shared their best tips, and we are delighted to pass them along.
NLS Talking Books
Free and easy access to audiobooks from the National Library Service, for moving from the visual reading of print books to the equally satisfying experience of audiobooks.
A huge library of accessible ebooks, including textbooks, newspapers and magazines, which can be read on a variety of devices including smartphones and tablets. Membership for qualifying users is $50 a year, U.S. students join fee-free.
If you find it difficult to be open about your visual impairment or low vision, the white cane can do the talking. It informs people around you that you have vision loss, and it lets you know what lies ahead, helping restore your sense of confidence and independence.
It is natural, normal and okay to deal with vision loss on your own terms, in your own time, at your own speed.
Don’t Be Afraid To Ask
Ask a person to read a sign, push an elevator button, tell you if you’re heading in the right direction. You’ll get surprisingly, and overwhelmingly, positive results.
Using iPhone’s VoiceOver
The process of switching from visual to audible access is not so easy at first, but anyone who has done it will tell you the screen reader in iPhone will open up a whole new world. Don’t let the challenges of a learning curve deter you. Stay the course, it’s totally worth the work!
So much is available in the accessibility settings in all Apple devices. They make a real difference for visually impaired and blind users. Explore on your iOS device Settings> General> Accessibility, or on your Mac, click on the apple in the upper left corner, go to System Preferences, then open Accessibility. And you can always call Apple Accessibility at 877-204-3930.
Don’t Be Afraid To Travel
Keep on exploring new places near and far. Use Google Maps and Blind Square for help with navigation and location information. The apps tell you how to get where you want to go, where you are and what’s around you.
Vision rehab prepares you to continue to do what you need to do armed with new skills. The white cane was again credited with speaking on your behalf. And the wearing of bright colors was also recommended to help you stand out.
App developed by Microsoft that reads text instantly when phone is pointed at it. Reads documents, identifies currency and color, describes senes and faces.
