There are many elements to contemplate when shopping for a new home, especially when you have a visual impairment. Although it is always possible to fall in love with a person, or a place, or a job that will move you from a comfort zone into the unknown. Don’t let that hold you back. Move forward and live life, just approach your selection with intelligence, while considering the factors you require for independence.
Moving is a big deal for anyone, so it’s essential to keep practicality at the forefront of your selection process.
Don’t let a gorgeous living space trick you into thinking you can live in a place that is not generally accessible to you. We are talking about the basics for living well, for continuing to do the things you need, and love, to do. Good sidewalks, public transportation, and local shopping, can take on a new level of priority, when you don’t drive.
City locales are naturally favored over rural areas becausethey offer greater convenience in closer proximity. However, cities don’t guarantee comfort. New York City, for example, is a dream destination for many, but it can also feel overwhelmingly hectic for others. Within every city there are areas that offer higher degrees of favorability.
Do your due diligence in scouting the right location. You decide what is essential to your well-being. Here are some important things to look at.
Public Transportation: Look at the accessibility of railroads, buses, subways, etc.
Walking: Are there walkable sidewalks, and crosswalks, to the places you will be going?
Shopping: Is there a supermarket within walking distance? Is there a shopping center with a variety of stores? Dry cleaner? Hair salon?
Climate: Is the weather generally good for walking year-round? Is the area prone to extremes in temperature, storms, or flooding?
Fitness: Are you close to a gym, exercise studio, pool, or walking trails?
Healthcare: Can you get to a doctor or dentist in the local area?
Restaurants: It’s always nice to have good food nearby.
Culture & Entertainment: Can you access movies, theater, andmuseums?
Smarter cities are in the works, but urban planning and infrastructure overhauls are decades in the making. We look forward to transportation hubs with interior navigations systems. There are numerous apps in development as well, that hope to help us get wherever we want to go.
If your memory isn’t quite what it used to be, or you just have too many things on your mind, it’s time to get a little help from your technology. “Reminders” are the new age To Do list, and they’re available wherever you access your digital assistant. This is a great way to keep track of everything you want to recall, like errands, appointments, shopping lists, and projects you’re working on.
Telling your mobile phone or smart speaker to schedule a reminder, sounds like an accessibility feature tailor-made for people with vision loss, but the fact is, regardless of age or acuity, reminders are good for everyone!
Of course, you can set reminders the old-fashioned way, by tapping and typing, but we totally prefer talking. Here, for example, is what you can do on an Apple iOS device.
On iPhone, iPad, iPod touch
To call upon Siri, be sure Settings are turned on for: “Hey Siri” and “Voice Feedback” always.
To create a list:
Say: Create a new list called Shopping.
Say: Add milk to my Shopping list.
Say: Add eggs to my Shopping list.
Say: Delete milk from my Shopping list.
Say: What is on my Shopping list?
To schedule a reminder:
Say: Remind me to call Jack tomorrow.
Say: Remind me to email Jill about the meeting.
Say: Remind me to stop at the dry cleaner on my way home.
Say: Remind me on Monday that I have a dentist appointment on Tuesday at 8 am.
Say: Delete reminder to call Jack.
Say: Do I have any reminders for today?
It is relatively easy to use these voice commands, and enormously satisfying to get such cooperation from your assistant. Do your best to keep lists and reminders organized and under control. To get started, sit down with your iOS device and begin trying the voice commands listed above.
Should you want or need more detail, and don’t mind using the keyboard, here are more options for creating Reminders from Apple.
Reminders can also be set for Google Home and Amazon Alexa speakers. For guidance on that and for Accessibility Support on iOS, the best way to get yourself properly set up is by calling for expert assistance at the phone numbers below.
A new year is a good opportunity to think about how you can make life a little easier and live better with vision loss.
It really comes down to how you manage the things that matter. We never advise making lots of changes at once, but even selecting just one or two things you can improve over the course of a year, can have lasting impact on the quality of your life.
While we are indeed talking about ways to live better with vision loss, the changes suggested are not specific to vision impairment. The fact is…everybody’s doing these things, it’s all about inclusivity!
Man paying bills online with smartphone.
Better Banking and Bill Paying
This is a change with many big, long term benefits. There is nothing extraordinary about banking and paying bills online, it is the new norm. So take the stress out of monthly check writing, checkbook balancing and envelope mailing. Going paperless is not only good for you, it’s good for the environment.
If you think this is a daunting task, take it one step at a time. The online set up is relatively uncomplicated, as long as you have your account numbers. An even easier way to get set up is to go into your bank and they will arrange it all for you. Bring in the bills you will be paying online, and your bank will set those up as well. Take advantage of the services the bank provides, it can lessen the angst.
Most companies also accept electronic bill paying by phone, which is a handy and efficient alternative for those who are not interested in banking online. The setup requires a checking or credit card account, and can be set up directly or with the help of customer service.
Here is something we can all practice, today and every day, to positively impact the long-term health of our eyes. It is particularly encouraging to note, the addition of several foods to your regular diet has shown to slow the progression of disease, or ward it off entirely.
Make sure you’re getting plenty of:
Leafy Greens like spinach, kale, collard greens, etc.
Whole Citrus Fruit has healing properties, add an orange a day (sorry juice doesn’t count)
Oily Fish including salmon, trout, tuna, mackerel, herring, and sardines are good for your eyes, your brain and your heart
Olive Oil can be used in abundance, so go ahead and dip your bread, dress your salad, and scramble your egg in it
iPad screen showing very large text.
Read Better
Reading is something that must be addressed actively with aging and with progressing degenerative eye disease. Both require a willingness to change. The goal is, always, continued access to print, and that may at some point become audible not visual.
Enlarge the text for newspapers and books on a tablet or eReader
It’s a good idea to find yourself a friend in IT and get some help exploring all the possibilities your computer has to offer. An adjustment to text size, screen magnification, brightness, color or contrast, can make a night and day difference to your screen reading, and keep you working productively.
Whether it’s Google, Alexa, or Siri, on mobile or in a speaker, your digital assistant is ready and willing to help with many tasks. Choose one and get to know it this year. Although they are not created equal, they all have similar, basic abilities in common, so go ahead and ask:
Check the time, weather, calendar, dictionary
Play music by song, artist, album, genre
Ask a question about sports, history, entertainment or trivia
Make a phone call
Set a timer, alarm, or reminder
Keep in mind, small frequent adjustments are key to changing a habit. If you want it, and commit to it, you will succeed. The gain is always greater than the pain.
Stick with us, we see a year ahead brimming with possibility!
Dorrie Rush, Chief Content Editor of OEPatients.org
2019 Is A Year of Possibilities for People with Vision Loss
It is true, I do love a fresh new year brimming with promise. My optimistic outlook continues to center on the factor most impacting life with vision loss today, and that is accessible and inclusive technology. In terms of progress, last year was no slouch either, and it set the pace for more good things to come!
The momentum in everyday accessible technology has been building for more than a decade now. It started with Apple’s delivery of the iPhone in 2009, accessible out-of-the-box for people with low or no vision. All products that followed from Apple included accessibility by design. The paradigm was shifting. These developments significantly changed the direction of my life, I no longer felt technology was leaving me behind.
Last year we were the beneficiaries of a few big surprises coming from somewhat unexpected places.
Microsoft created two new important accessibility apps. Seeing AI is a smart camera with 9 apps in 1, and Soundscape is a “3D map with sound.” This delightful surprise extends even further, both apps are free and they were built exclusively for Apple’s iPhone. A magnanimous gesture by Microsoft, perhaps more will be revealed about this in the coming year.
I enjoyed every one of our accessibility events last year and delighted in the lively, sophisticated and always curious audiences. I’d have to say the most fun was our session on smart speakers. They are entertaining and incredibly useful in daily life. Smart speakers are being adopted at a faster rate than smartphones were, and they are especially popular with people visually impaired or blind. This is a category we will continue to pay close attention to.
At another event we applauded the proliferation of audio description, now available on demand for Broadway shows and at the movies. I love the voice that speaks quietly in my ear and fills in the details, I might have otherwise missed.
So, it’s pretty obvious why we should be enthusiastic about the coming year for inclusivity. Apple doesn’t like to say much about their developing technology, but there are reports and rumors that lead us to believe we may be seeing some smart glasses and even clothing designed for accessibility. Actually, I would not be surprised to find many variations of smart glasses showing up, and would expect they’ll begin shrinking to a more normal, wearable size, from the rather heavy visor like devices we saw last year.
We can look forward to new developments in navigating airports and shopping centers.
There is Aira to watch, a service that teams technology with the eyes of a live agent for reading, identification, travel, etc. IBM says it is close to making the NavCog, indoor voice activated navigation app, available to the public. Toyota has been working on Project BLAID, an indoor navigation device, for some time, maybe this is the year we’ll try it. Google’s app “Lookout” for object recognition, is anticipated any day now.
AI (Artificial Intelligence) is powering much of the progress. Our digital assistants and smart speakers will mature and become more intuitive and dependable.
As I write this letter, Google, Alexa, and Siri are all sitting on my desk, ready to assist whenever I ask. They’re excellent researchers, spellers, fact checkers, appointment schedulers, alarm setters, time tellers, and they have instant access to massive amounts of music. Like all assistants, these 3 were not created equal, they all possess their own individual strengths and weaknesses. We’ll definitely talk more about that as the year moves forward.
One thing is for sure, we have only just begun to tap the potential of what technology can do to empower people living and working with vision loss. Stay with us, as we report on an exciting year, packed with possibility!
2018 has been a significant year of development and inspiration at OE Patients. Thanks to your readership, support and feedback, we have advanced our mission to provide empowering and encouraging advice for people living with visual impairments.
Our online initiative, which encompasses all types of vision loss, is funded by the Association for Macular Diseases and presented in partnership with Ophthalmic Edge. We are here to answer the questions patients often have, that cannot be addressed in the physician’s office.
It is our strongest intention to carry the momentum into the new year, and with that on the horizon, let’s first take a look at our top activities and highlights of 2018.
1. We shared expert tips and advice on living well with vision loss.
OE Patients’ content is delivered with an inspiring voice by a team of contributors, experienced both personally and professionally. Refreshed weekly, our empowering spirit is conveyed consistently in topics on health, technology, accessibility and adjusting.
2. We explored the latest in accessibility and technology at our events.
Our accessibility events, hosted at Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital in NYC, give us the opportunity to dive into the most popular topics from the OE Patients website.
This year, we had an especially wonderful and diverse program, ranging from speakers representing NYC’s most well-known art museums at our Audio Description event, to an afternoon of demonstrations at the Electronic Glasses event.
3. We discovered inspiring stories featuring people living and thriving with vision loss.
We were delighted to find and share, on social media, numerous stories featuring people living full and successful lives with visual impairments. They are people of all ages, backgrounds and industries — artists, photographers, and more — proving that, ultimately, it is the persistent pursuit of one’s passion that keeps the light lit.
4. We witnessed and shared the latest news on the progress of inclusivity and technology.
Each year brings new developments in accessibility. Though progress always takes longer than we’d like, the change is nevertheless steady. In 2018, from the rise of Aira in the public eye to the expansion of mandated accessibility on Broadway, the needle moved us ever-closer to inclusivity as intentional foundation, rather than afterthought.
5. We gleaned valuable insights, thanks to your voices.
At events, through emails, or on social media, you spoke to us, expressing your heartfelt opinions, ideas, and suggestions. Your feedback guided the shape of our accessibility events, inspired new ideas for our editorial, and encouraged our sharing on social. Keep reaching out to us! We love hearing from you.
If you’d like to get involved, please visit our Support page, or email us about submitting an article featuring your perspective as someone living with vision loss, or expertise as a medical, accessibility or vision loss support expert. Your voice is much appreciated.
OE Patients would not be the same without your gracious readership and generous support, and for that, we would like to say a big thank you! We look forward to seeing you in 2019!
Thanks to all who attended our accessibility session on Apps, coming out despite the Arctic blast that hit with a relentless mix of icy rain and snow.The discussion was lively and always interesting and informative, exactly as we hoped it would be. People sharing their experience and learning from each other.
We acknowledged, upfront, that the topic of apps is massive and could be discussed for days. Apps that help us compensate for vision loss are available in many categories. We have lots of choices, and selecting the apps we integrate into daily life is a very individual process.
It was also delightful to note, that accessibility for people with vision loss is a priority, emphasized by tech leaders like Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon.Inclusive technology is shifting our expectations and bridging the gaps.Although it’s not perfect…it’s really good.
Finding the apps that work for you will make life a little easier.
The recap that follows is a look at some specific apps and new developments we talked about at our “App Happy” session.It’s not only the apps with the bells and whistles that can change your life. Access to the basic built-in iPhone apps like Contacts, Camera, Messages, News, Clock, and Maps, can make a huge difference in your everyday.
Here are the apps that kicked off our “App Happy” discussion:
Seeing AI App (iOS Only)
This app from Microsoft has been around for just over a year and has already expanded its channels and improved its performance noticeably. Built for iOS exclusively, but rumored to be adding Android soon. Read more about Seeing AI in our article here.
9 Channels:
Short Text – Reads instantly
Document – Aligns and reads full page
Product – Barcode reader
Person – Facial recognition; fun but not sure how functional
Currency Reader – US and Canadian
Scene Reader – take a photo and it describes the scene and reads text
Color Reader – identifies color
Handwriting Reader – much improved for handwritten print or cursive
Light Indicator – changes tone to the direction of light
My Location – figure out where you are, direction facing, points of interest
Nearby Marker – locations you have marked
Around Me – what’s in the 4 surrounding quadrants
Ahead of Me – street names, buildings, businesses coming up
Aira App
A new assisted navigation service provided by trained agents viewing your location by live video.
Log in as a guest to try in fee-free locations like Walgreens, AT&T, Wegmans and a growing list of airports and businesses
Also available for a monthly subscription starting at $89. for 100 minutes
Be My Eyes App
This app provides live video access to a network of 1 million volunteers helping 80 thousand people with vision loss in 180 countries.
Average wait for a volunteer: 30 seconds
Get help with appliances, electronics, instructions, identification, etc.
Not recommended to share private information
Newly partnered with Microsoft Disability Desk
GalaPro App
The app making New York’s Broadway shows accessible to audience members with vision and hearing loss, from the privacy of their own mobile phone. Read more about GalaPro in our article here.
Audio descriptions syncs with live performance
An accessibility kiosk in every theater helps get you started
Also, offers closed captioning and language translation
More App Happy audience favorites:
Amazon App
Now with access to live Disability Hotline 888-283-1678 for shopping assistance.
Alexa App
For Book Reading, Shopping, Calendar, Music, Recipes, Games, Translation and more.
Amazon Prime Video App
Watch Prime Video on numerous devices with audio description.
Apple News App
The standard iOS app that provides access to a large selection of curated news from major outlets including New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Vanity Fair, Bloomberg, CNN, Food Network and more.
NFB Newsline App (iOS Only)
The National Federation of the Blind now offers an app for iOS that extends their newspaper reading service to over 300 publications, for eligible users.
ShazamApp
An entertaining app that identifies music, movies, TV, and ads, after hearing just a short snippet. Apple recently bought the technology and now offers it on iOS, Mac OS, TV OS, and Watch OS.
Drop us a note by email, or post a comment on our Facebook.
On October 18, 2018, OE Patients held an accessibility event featuring smart wearables for people with vision loss, hosted jointly with Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital in New York City.
Representatives for major assistive technology brands spoke about and demonstrated their electronic glasses, such as OrCam, IrisVision, Jordy by EnhancedVision, and Acesight by Zoomax.
eSight and the service Aira were also described by Dorrie Rush, the moderator of the event, and the Chief Content Officer at OEPatients.org.
After product introductions, the speakers engaged in a lively Q&A with the attendees, the majority of whom were living with vision loss due to a range of eye conditions, including age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. Pricing, features, and different uses for the electronic glasses were explored.
In the second half of the event, the attendees toured the room, to try the different wearables for themselves.
The Progress of Assistive Technology
The featured products at the event were smart wearables that helped with maximizing one’s remaining vision, to different degrees. Ideal uses ranged, depending on the product.
For example, certain electronic glasses such as IrisVision or Jordy, were more appropriate for specific, stationary activities such as watching TV or reading. Other options like the Acesight offered a wider range of mobility, with additional features like adjustable contrast or colors.
The OrCam My Reader and My Eye products, however, rather than enhancing one’s vision, used smart cameras to convey visual information from the world to the user. (For an overview of all the featured electronic glasses, read our event recap.)
If there was one thing everyone in the room agreed upon, however, it was that across the board, assistive and accessible technologies have flourished over the past decade.
Vishnu Hoff, an education coordinator at the Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital, has worked in ophthalmology for over 20 years and witnessed firsthand the evolution of technology for people with visual impairments.
“Seeing technology finally being to offer some relief from the difficulties of vision loss is fantastic,” he said. “Ten years ago, I could probably rattle off 4 or 5 technologies available and now, there’s that many coming out a month.”
Finding the Right Solution
OE Patients believes that every person with visual impairments lives a personal, very individual visual experience due to the unique progression of his or her eye condition.
Throughout the event, speakers and attendees alike echoed this sentiment, observing that it was vitally important to experiment with different solutions to see what worked.
Darius Pietrocola, an assistive technology trainer, liked that the demonstrations at the event helped attendees experience the wearables for themselves. He noted, “One size doesn’t fit all. You really, really have to see what works.”
The Importance of Persistence
When it comes to successfully finding the right solution, an attitude of persistence and perseverance is key — another tenet of the OE Patients philosophy.
Steven Hansen, from Eye Assist, described the Jordy users he personally knew. They ranged widely from little third-graders to even a 101-year old gentleman in the Bronx.
He pointed out the one thing he felt helped with one’s adoption of assistive or accessible technology across all ages — mindset. “You have to be optimistic,” Steven said. “You have to be good with technology. Anyone can pick up on it. It’s a learning curve, but you eventually can do it.”
The motivated energy in the room seemed to prove this point.
Judith Eisner, an attendee living with retinitis pigmentosa, expressed her eagerness for any chance to learn new technologies. Her newest project was mastering VoiceOver. She was also a big fan of Microsoft’s Seeing AI app. At the event, she was curious about electronic glasses as a potential solution.
“Necessity is the mother of invention,” Judith said. “When you need it, you try to do it.” She paused and then continued, as her friend next to her nodded, “Part of me would like to stay in my apartment all day long and keep listening to my books, but that’s not a healthy way to live. I have to keep making adjustments.”
Opening Up Direct Dialogue for Audiences
The uniqueness of the event’s format and environment was not lost on the representatives of the assistive technology brands.
David Bradburn, the CEO of Zoomax who debuted his company’s new electronic glasses, Acesight, earlier this year, spoke about the valuable opportunity to develop a dialogue with a motivated audiences.
“I wish every eye hospital would do the same thing,” he said. “Usually, we’re in a conference or at an exhibition, and people come to our booth and ask us questions in isolation, and they might forget what they’ve seen or heard.”
Innovative education for audiences living with vision loss was exactly what Joan Daly, board member of OE Patients and member of the Association for Macular Diseases, had in mind.
A year ago, Joan and Dorrie helped to launch the joint accessibility resources series with Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital. “What we really wanted to do was to reach out to people and create awareness,” Joan said. “There are specific things that people need assistance with and all of this technology to use the vision they’ve got.”
So far, OE Patients’ Accessibility Resources series has spotlighted the most popular topics from the website, including accessibility tips for key Apple products, like the iPhone, iPad and the Kindle, smart speakers, audio description, and more.
About the Accessibility Resources Series
The “Accessibility Resources for People with Visual Impairments” series explores the latest tips, advice and news for living well with vision loss.
Dorrie Rush, Chief Content Officer at OEPatients.org, is the moderator and a key speaker for the series, which is hosted at Manhattan Eye Ear and Throat Hospital, and presented by the Association for Macular Diseases.
On October 18, 2018, we took a closer look at a selection of wearable technology for low vision.
This was a category met with great interest and we were pleased to have representatives to present and provide demos for IrisVision, OrCam, Jordy and Acesight. eSight and Aira were discussed, as well, and all products are recapped below.
The conversations that evolve, at these events, are always interesting and informative. 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?
If you’d like to share your thoughts and feedback, or ask a question, please send us an email to: [email protected], or post a comment on our Facebook page or message us on Twitter.
A monthly subscriptions starts at $89 for 100 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
To learn more about Aira, read our latest review on the service, Aira at the Airport.
Originally published on October 25, 2018 and updated on January 28, 2019.
Note: In January 2019, eSight announced a permanent 40% price reduction for its eSight electronic glasses, from $10,000 USD to $5,950 USD. In February 2020 the price was again reduced to $3995 USD.
eSight is a head-mounted video display that uses magnification to help people with low vision see. It requires a visual function to work, provides optimal benefit to those with visual acuities around 20/200, and with a field view greater than 15 degrees. The device can even be useful for people with acuities as low as 20/1000.
The 1st generation of this product came to market in 2013 at a price of $15,000. Generation 3 arrived in 2017 at just under $10,000.Currently sold in about 42 countries, there are about over 1,000 eSight devices in use today. The company offers assistance to help customers find funding for the device.
eSight has received a lot of media attention, but it has not really caught on. Price most certainly is a factor.
A woman walking while using eSight glasses in a city.
Recently, a friend scheduled an eSight demo in New York and invited me to join. We both have advanced central vision loss. He was not able to benefit at all from eSight, but I was. And I began to see the light.
The eSight 3 is a cumbersome visor-like device. It is heavier than I expect and there is a wire that is attached to a battery pack. The eSight specialist adjusts the device and I am able to look across the room and see her colleague smiling at me. I can tell she is wearing bright red lipstick and a red and white print scarf.
This is indeed a moment. I look around the room and walk over to look out the window. They show me how I might read with this device, zooming into the print. For me, nothing else feels quite as profound as being able to see a person’s face from the other side of a room.
Although I would have difficulty wearing the eSight device in public for daily activities like commuting, restaurant dining, or grocery store shopping, perhaps others would be unfazed. The potential benefits are highly individual. There are many ways this device can keep you working,enjoying hobbies, watching TV. And of course, seeing people.
Remember, it comes down to adjusting, and it takes some time to get comfortable. If eSight can give you back or help you maintain function, and you use it every day, it can be a worthwhile investment.
eSight 3 Demonstration Video from The Chicago Lighthouse
In this video, Luke Scriven, Assistive Technology Specialist at The Chicago Lighthouse, explores eSight 3’s features.
Testimonial Video by Techish
Yvonne Felix is a working professional, public and community artist, and a mother of two, living with Stargardt disease. In this video, she demonstrates her experience with eSight 3. eSight CEO Brian Mech joins her to explain how it works.
Disclaimer: Yvonne is a beta-tester number one for eSight, starting in 2012. We’d also like to note that, more accurately, the device can potentially assist with helping people who are “legally blind” see better with the sight they have remaining.
Please note that 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 December 1, 2017 and updated on October 10, 2018.
Now that the technology is universal, the awareness should be as well. In the following article, accessibility expert Dorrie Rush shows how inclusive technology has been a game-changer for people with vision loss. Original version published in the September 2018 issue of Retina Specialist Magazine.
Imagine what it is like to be shut out of a major event, then suddenly the doors open. The opportunity to be like everyone else, in this respect, is life changing.
For people with vision loss, the ability to perform daily functions had been limited by their access to bulky overhead readers and thick magnifiers, but those days are over. Thanks to the evolution of technology, the doors are opening for these individuals. They can now perform visual tasks inconspicuously.
This technology evolution has been happening for more than a decade, driven by inclusive design, universal access and the needs of an aging demographic. So now that the technology is universal, the awareness should be as well.
Here is a brief overview to bring the retina specialist up to speed on where we are and how we got here.
Apple Accessibility
In 2008, the fully accessible iPhone 3s came to market.
This was the first smartphone designed to accommodate the entire spectrum of vision loss. The accessibility settings on the iPhone included large text, zoom, invert colors and VoiceOver, a full-function screen reader. It was a pivotal moment: a popular consumer product, with built-in accessibility ready to go right out of the box at no extra cost.
Hand holding iPhone
As the mobile operating system developed, the visual accessibility tools developed with it. In many ways the regular features that evolved in the iPhone were a boon to people who are visually impaired. Dictation allows everyone to avoid typing on the keyboard by turning speech to text. Siri was our first experience with a digital assistant driven by artificial intelligence, which initiated an era unto itself.
In 2018, the iPhone is the most common denominator among people with vision loss. Although all smartphones now come off the shelf with accessibility requirements, Apple’s attention to inclusive design, technical and customer support is unparalleled.
Extra apps can add even more function.
Convert the camera to a high-definition magnifier, document scanner, product identifier or sign reader. Get walking directions from the digital assistant using Maps, find the right way with Compass, have the newspaper read aloud or dictate a shopping list into reminders. There is a flashlight always on hand, a book reader, transit tracker, banking, contacts and much more. Think of it as 100 low-vision devices in one.
The iPad, iPod Touch, Apple Watch, Apple TV and the Mac also come with the same standard functions for visual and non-visual access.
Microsoft
Microsoft is also committed to accessibility more than ever.
The Windows operating system has vastly improved its built-in accessibility options for people with visual impairments. The adjustments users need to make in terms of magnification, contrast and speech can be accomplished with a little help from their IT department.
For low-vision users, this largely eliminates what once was an inevitably awkward conversation with an employer requesting complicated, expensive and often unsupported assistive software. Requiring some adjustments at work to personalize visual settings is not at all unusual today.
Workspace with bright, open windows
Recently, Microsoft made another move to progress mobile accessibility, but not for its own product. The company built two groundbreaking apps for the iPhone and put them on the Apple App Store for free.
They are:
Seeing AI, accessed more than 1 million times in its first six months, offers multiple channels that identify short text, documents, people, products, handwriting and more. Some of the features are in development and keep improving. For low-vision users, the short text feature is a dream come true; just point the phone at text and it instantly starts reading.
Soundscape is billed as a “map with 3D sound.” This technology incorporates GPS to give visually impaired and blind users enhanced information about their surroundings. It’s a bit like strolling along with a friend who is telling you about your environment and calling out streets and intersections on your rout.
Accessibility Support
Apple continued to remove barriers by implementing a phone support line dedicated to accessibility, further empowering customers with visual, hearing, motor and learning impairments. It soon went from a limited number of hours each day to 24/7.
In relatively short order, Microsoft launched the Disability Answer Desk. Verizon Wireless and Comcast opened their own accessibility support centers. Amazon’s technical support specialists are well versed in accessibility. Google is reportedly preparing to roll out its own accessibility support phone service soon.
CVAA Pushes the Envelope
It would only be fair to call out the influence of the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, signed in 2010 to update federal laws to require advanced communications products and services, including digital, broadband and mobile technologies, be accessible to people with disabilities.
The requirements, which were phased in over a period of years, address the accessibility of mobile browsers, descriptive video, on-screen menus and TV program guides.
Although the rules of the CVAA were neither strict nor specific, the technology makers of note seem to have stepped up and continue to deliver.
Amazon
Not always the bastion of accessibility, Amazon is undeniably the most improved in this category. All Kindle e-readers and Fire tablets offer an array of options to adjust text and display settings, or to use VoiceView, the screen reader for non-visual access. Magnification is available in the tablets, as is Alexa, the digital assistant.
Smart Speakers and Digital Assistants
The advent of artificial intelligence is driving interactivity into an entirely new realm.
No reading or typing required, just talking. Digital assistants in smartphones have quickly gained traction, particularly for people living with vision loss. Just ask for the news, weather, audiobooks, podcasts, time and timers. Or you can play games, order an Uber, calculate math or ask an endless number of interesting questions.
Perhaps Amazon’s greatest contribution to accessibility is the Echo speaker with Alexa.
Amazon Echo speaker
Smart speakers are already being adopted at a rate faster than smartphones, and they are accessible to everyone who has a voice. For the moment, the smart speaker business is dominated by Amazon, with Google Home and Apple’s Home Pod and others vying for a bigger piece of the action. Amazon, Google and Apple all have phone support available to help in the setup and use of their smart speakers.
Android
Phones and tablets with Android operating systems can be counted on for advanced visual accessibility, although not universally as well supported or user friendly as Apple’s offerings.
Recently Google announced an accessibility app in development for Android called Lookout. It’s designed to provide auditory cues about your surroundings and to read text. It will be available by year’s end on Google Play.
Accessible TV and Movies
The CVAA now requires cable television providers to supply voice-enabled on-screen menus and television guides to visually impaired customers. This accommodation can be achieved in a number of ways, including the use of apps and smart speakers.
Comcast offers the most comprehensive services. They include talking menus, voice search and a dedicated accessibility support center. Descriptive audio is also now available for moviegoers who are unable to clearly see the big picture. An embedded track is woven into the quiet spaces, describing the visual details of the film that might otherwise be missed.
Theaters are now required to have listening devices available upon request. Descriptive audio can also be accessed on mobile devices and smart TVs with a selection in settings.
While technology to aid the visually impaired has come far in the past few years, this is just the beginning. There is much more to come. Stay tuned and be aware.
The apps we love continue to improve and empower us to function better every day. We’ll tell you what’s new in our favorite apps and what’s coming up. And you’ll tell us what apps are changing your life!
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Let’s take a closer look at wearable assistive devices, including IrisVision, OrCam, Jordy, eSight, RevSight, and Aira, designed to help you see, read, work and navigate with vision loss. To allow for demonstrations, we’ve extended this session to 2 hours.
Please RSVP for this as seating is limited.
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