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Tag: Apple Accessibility

  • Google Wants To Hear From You

    Google Wants To Hear From You

    It is wonderful to note, that Google appears to be dipping a toe into the expanding pool of Accessibility Support Services. They’re not getting their head wet just yet —- but they’re right on the edge.

    A pioneer on many fronts and ubiquitous in all things Web, Google has surprisingly not been, known for Accessibility. The Internet is, after all, Google’s playground, it’s just not a friendly place for people with vision loss to navigate.

    We’ve been wishing and hoping Google would join the beautiful trend in Accessibility Support by phone, already well underway by Apple, Microsoft, Verizon Wireless, and Comcast. To get our list of Accessibility Support Phone Lines click here.

    Google recently announced they have a new and dedicated Accessibility Support Team. Apparently, they’ve been “testing internally for some time.” They are still in the Email Only and English Only phase. They’ll get back to you within 72 hours, which sounds like a very long time to wait if your stuck in the middle of a Google program that is not acting all that accessible. They also state they plan to “quickly” move to additional support channels including Phone.

    We applaud this effort and look forward to more dedicated accessibility support resources from Google soon. We know there are millions who will benefit majorly — because the leaders in Accessibility Support have already changed our lives. And there’s still plenty of room for Google.

    We encourage all accessibility users to send a note to Google in support of their expanded initiative. The email address is below. It is probably best to just click on the email link because this is a very tricky email address to type in.

    Email: [email protected]

    We’ll keep you posted of progress and to learn more about Google’s Accessibility click here.

     

  • 5 Ways To Make Your Computer At Work Easier To Use

    5 Ways To Make Your Computer At Work Easier To Use

    Whether you will continue working with progressive vision loss is mostly up to you. Get prepared to avoid the pitfalls by knowing what potentially lies ahead and how to overcome. Dealing with the impending issues can be a challenge, but the difficulties will be much greater if you are not prepared.

    Don’t wait until the words are no longer legible on the computer screen. Holding a magnifier against the monitor to enlarge the text is a pretty sure sign you’re in trouble. Text size is adjusted in accessibility settings, not on the outside of the screen.

    Making adjustments takes a little time and is often uncomfortable at the start. Rest assured, it is quite possible to continue working without interruption by staying just one step ahead. Learning to utilize magnification, and other accessibility features, built into the computer, is more dependent on repetition than ability.

    Remember you have value. Your employer chose you for the job and invested in your development. You are there for your talent and experience. They want you to succeed. You were not hired for your visual acuity, and you will not be fired for it either — if you make the necessary adjustments to keep working productively.

    Honesty is the best policy. Trying to hide vision loss rarely works out well. Telling your boss about your visual impairment will actually protect you. An open dialogue is more likely to create a supportive environment.

     

    A man working on a computer with a large screen.
    A man working on a computer with a large screen.

     

    Make incremental changes, one thing at a time. Here are some minor adjustments that can make a major difference…

    • Large Screen Monitor – A bigger screen will give you an immediate boost and it will nicely accommodate increasing use of magnification. Don’t be shy…go for the 27 to 30 inch screens. Bigger is definitely better!
    • Keyboard – Typing can become an issue if you need to see the keys. Now would be a great time to brush up on typing skills. Switch to a large print keyboard or add ZoomCaps large print, high contrast stickers to the keys of your current keyboard. Use locator dots to help identify certain keys by touch.
    • Keyboard Shortcuts – Make it possible to do things like Cut, Copy, Paste, Undo and Redo without touching the mouse. Choose the shortcuts you will use every day at work and practice (one at a time) until they become ingrained. Here are the lists of Windows shortcuts and Mac shortcuts.
    • Make A Friend In IT – This is an important relationship to cultivate as you will be needing help over the long term with Accessibility Settings that may be restricted.
    • Accessibility Settings – Your friend in IT might not be totally versed in accessibility, but they’ll be very happy to gain this knowledge. Be confident in knowing there are many ways to make the computer easier to see by utilizing built-in magnification, large text, large cursor, improving contrast and more.

     

    Resources

    Both Microsoft and Apple have dedicated live support phone lines for accessibility, free of charge. This is, without a doubt, the best way to get the information you need to make your computer easier to use.

    Call Microsoft Disability Answer Desk at 800.936.5900

    or go to www.microsoft.com/enable

    Call Apple Accessibility Support – 877.204.3930

    or go to www.apple.com/accessibility

    Then get back to work!

     

    Windows Computer Shortcuts

    List of Windows computer shortcuts.
    List of Windows computer shortcuts.

     

  • Learning To Use Your iPad One App At A Time

    Learning To Use Your iPad One App At A Time

    Before you can begin to learn to use your iPad, it must be set up to your preferences. The easiest way to do this is with Personal Setup at an Apple Store or Apple Accessibility Support (877.204.3930).

    The iPad can potentially do a hundred things for you — try not to be overwhelmed by that. Pick your priorities — the things you will use the iPad for every day, like email, news, or book reading.

    Learn one app at a time, thoroughly. The learning process comes down to focus and repetition. If you use something every day and repeat the steps over and over, 20 or 30 times, it becomes ingrained. It becomes second nature.

    Repetition is the key to learning to do almost everything — especially navigating apps. This is not about whether you are a technophile. This is simply about whether you will repeat an action enough times to commit it to muscle memory.

    So don’t be afraid to touch the screen, again and again. It is the only way you can learn. Watching or listening to tutorials can be useful, but there are really no shortcuts. You can only learn by doing — and you will make mistakes as you go. Try to remember that every mistake will also teach you something. 

    The general rule of thumb, in the early stages of learning this, is to spend a minimum of 1 hour a day.

    First things first. Learn to power up and power down your iPad by pressing down on the Power button for a couple of seconds. Use the same button to put the iPad to sleep, and then wake it, with a quick press of the Power button. Repeat until comfortable. Use the Home button to bring up home pages. Repeat. Find the side Volume controls for increasing / decreasing sound.

    Learn to navigate the home pages. Swipe left and right to move from page to page. Open and close apps. You will develop a familiarity with the screens and the touch.

    When you are generally comfortable getting around the iPad screens — move on to an app you will be using every day, like iBooks. Books in print can become challenging to read for anyone experiencing a vision impairment that cannot be corrected. The iBooks app provides electronic books that accommodate significant increases in font size and a selection of preferred font style. Increase or decrease the brightness of the screen, and change the background color.

    You may even want to try having the book read to you. VoiceOver is the screen reader in Apple’s iOS mobile devices (iPhone & iPod as well) which will read the text aloud. This audible access is navigated with a different set of gestures from the visual access. Click here for a guide to VoiceOver Gestures.

    Books are downloaded directly into the iPad from the Library tab. Search for the book by title, author, topic or browse by categories on the bottom toolbar.

    Familiarize yourself with the tabs at the top and bottom of the iBooks screen. Then begin to enjoy a good book.

    And you don’t have to go it alone. Should you need some help…pick up the phone and call Apple Accessibility at 877.204.3930. Specialists are available 24/7 to support customers with visual impairments.

    Once you can get around your first app with ease — you have set the foundation for moving on to others. If the iPad can give you back book reading, it can potentially give you back newspaper reading, and email. It may help you to keep your Contacts, Calendar, Notes or Reminders. You can use it as your Camera (with a big viewfinder), and your Photo album with a Zoom feature.

    This is just the beginning.