Tag: Dorrie Rush

Event Recap: Audio Description

On September 20, we were joined by speakers from Broadway, Cooper Hewitt, The Met and MoMA to discuss accessibility and the arts.

Technology is certainly playing an important role in making both performing and visual arts an inclusive, enjoyable experience for everyone. The great news is, to benefit from these audio descriptive technologies, all you have to do is show up.

While the information reviewed here pertains to New York City, the attention to access and the use of audio description is being embraced on a global scale. So if you don’t get to NYC much, go ahead and do some exploring of your local theaters and museums.

Speakers at the OE Patients accessibility session, from left to right: Francesca Rosenberg of MoMA, Ruth Starr of Cooper Hewitt, Dorrie Rush of OE, Christine Vanech of The Met Museum, and Kyle Wright of The Shubert Organization.

Audio Description on Broadway

The Broadway League’s accessibility initiative provides audio description and closed captioning on-demand for all shows (4 weeks from opening). Devices are available for borrowing from a kiosk in the theater’s lobby, or use your own mobile device with the Galapro app (download it before arriving at the theater and the kiosk staff can help you get started).

The app also does language translation and is available on the App Store and on Google Play. The technologies sync the assistive tracks seamlessly with the live performance, so you can relax and enjoy the show!

For more about the app, go to: galapro.com
To confirm a show has audio description, go to: www.theateraccess.nyc

Audio Description at Museums in NYC

Exterior shot of the Cooper Hewitt building.

Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum

Verbal Description + Sensory Tours at Cooper Hewitt. Dynamic verbal description tours of exhibitions are offered the first Friday of every month at 1:30 p.m. Join a Cooper Hewitt educator, curator, or staff member in conversation and explore a selection of objects through detailed verbal description and touch. No registration required.

The Senses: Design Beyond Vision is on view now until October 28th. This exhibition explores how multi-sensory design amplifies everyone’s ability to receive information, explore the world, satisfy essential needs and experience joy and wonder.

Cooper Hewitt cares about inclusive design. Every video shown is audio-described and they are working on an app (available at the museum) to translate text labels to speech and make exhibition guides accessible.

Address and Contact

Cooper Hewitt
2 East 91 Street, NYC
Web: CooperHewitt.org
Phone: 212-849-8381
Email: [email protected]

Exterior shot of the Met building. Photo by Shinya Suzuki.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met offers Touch Collection, Verbal Imaging Tours and Guided Touch Tours, to enhance the experience for people with vision loss, available upon request to individuals and groups. Picture This! workshops explore works of art through detailed description and touch.

Seeing Through Drawing workshops enable the artist in you to create your own work with the inspiration of the museum’s collection, verbal imaging, experimentation with techniques and materials.

Address and Contact

The Met
1000 Fifth Avenue, NYC
Web: MetMuseum.org
Phone: 212-650-2010
Email: [email protected]

Exterior shot of MoMA building.

The Museum of Modern Art

Touch Tours are a very special experience, particularly at MoMA where you’ll get to touch a work of art by Picasso, Matisse or Rodin. Art InSight tours are scheduled monthly, offering exploration of the museum’s entire collection through vivid, detailed descriptions. Both tours are also offered by request.

Accessible audio guides with verbal description are available on the MoMA app and on MoMA.org. The museum will soon make audio description available for its movie screenings.

The upcoming first museum solo for Park McArthur, runs from October 27–December 16, 2018 at MoMA, examines questions of structural accessibility, and is accompanied by an audio guide and a large print illustrated brochure.

Address and Contact

MoMA
11 West 53 Street, between Fifth and Sixth Aves. in NYC
Web: MoMA.org
Phone: 212-408-6347
Email: [email protected]

Related Resources

Audio Description: The Visual Voice

Audio description and descriptive video service are increasingly available for movies, theater and TV. Learn more about how AD helps you see the details.

The Audio Description Project (ADP)

A project by American Council of the Blind (ACB), this resource provides audio-described program listings for U.S. museums and parks, TV, movies, streaming services and more.

Inclusivity Takes The Stage On Broadway

As of June 1, 2018, Broadway took a giant step forward in making live theater more accessible for people with vision and hearing loss.

Museums Making Art More Accessible

There are numerous ways museums are making it easier to look at art and fully experience the vibrancy, with or without sight.

September 24, 2018
Audio Description: The Visual Voice
How AD Helps You See The Details

Perhaps you’ve noticed the increasing availability of audio description (AD) and descriptive video service (DVS) for movies, theater and TV. This is one of the ways digital technology is boosting accessibility for viewers with vision loss. The visual voice describes the images and fills in the details we might have otherwise missed. It is the great equalizer.

Young woman outdoors with headphones on autumn day

Audio description is a narrative guide subtly slipped into the quiet spaces of the program, its purpose to keep the viewer fully informed. AD is something of an art itself, delivered by trained, skilled professionals, with typically high-quality results.

Access to the visual content through concise descriptions changes the experience completely. The things you cannot see become known: a facial expression, a subtle gesture, a funny quirk.

Audio Description for Movies, Theater and TV

The descriptive track is now embedded into most widely-released movies in the US.

To access the tracks on mobile devices or computers, it’s as easy as turning on Audio Description in the device setting. For example on an iPad, AD is turned on in the Accessibility settings under “Media”. More movie theaters are providing AD listening devices for any guest wishing to use them, and there is theater personnel on hand to assist.

Getting access to AD on a traditional television is a bit more complicated, and dependent on the TV, the cable provider, and even the region. For TV, our best advice is, settle in for a long call with technical support, it will prove worth your while.

Although it is lovely to have a live, professional audio describer at your service, it is not nearly as efficient as digital technology. There is a tremendous freedom involved in knowing an audio track is readily available for Broadway shows, museums and movies. Even better when the technology is accessed from your own personal device.

Broadway has the Galapro app for iOS and Android, which syncs the audio description instantly to the live performance.

There is an app for movies called Actiview, also designed to sync automatically and getting excellent reviews on the App Store. Rest assured, we will be seeing a great deal more development in apps of this nature for all arts and entertainment.

The Audio Description Project: A Comprehensive Resource

The progress we get to enjoy today is the result of inclusive technologies aligning with advocacy efforts years in the making. One of the organizations that stepped into a leadership role in AD is the American Council of the Blind (ACB).

The Audio Description Project (ADP) “is designed to promote and advocate for the use of high-quality audio description in television, movies, performing arts, museums and educational materials,” Joel Snyder, PH.D, the project’s director told us in an email. He added, ADP’s goals “are to build awareness of audio description among the general public as well as its principal users, people who are blind or have low vision.”

Started a decade ago, the scope of the project’s work include a Biennial ADP Conference, outreach and education, training courses and mentoring programs for professionals. And, we were pleased to learn there are even ADP Awards. The ADP website provides a comprehensive reference and resource for all things AD.

Audio Described Program Listings are published for:
- AD Service Providers
- International
- Museums and Parks
- Performing Arts
- TV
- DVDs
- Movies
- Streaming Services
The ADP website is intensive, so take some time to browse. There is a Master List with over 2,000 entries.

If you’re wondering about a specific program, go straight to the website’s search field.

And should you have a question or need assistance, click on the link to “Contact Webmaster” on the bottom of every page; his name is Fred Brack and we found him very responsive and extremely helpful.
September 19, 2018
9/20 Audio Description

Join Us September 20, 2018 At MEETH

Now available on-demand for Broadway shows, museum tours, at the movies, on TV and much more. We’ll talk about how this visual voice fills in the missing detail, vividly.

Speakers include accessibility experts from the Met, MoMA, Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, and The Broadway League.

Please RSVP for this as seating is limited.

[easy_media_download url=”mailto:[email protected]?Subject=RSVP for September 20 Seminar” target=”_blank” class=”directpdf” text=”RSVP Now”]

The session is led by:

Dorrie Rush
Chief Content Officer
OEPatients.org

WHEN

Thursday, September 20, 2018
3 to 4 pm

WHERE

Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital
The Great Hall, 1st Floor
210 East 64 Street
(between Third and Second Ave.)
New York, NY 10065

WAYS TO RSVP

Phone: (212) 702-7760
Email: [email protected]
Online: meethaccessibility.eventbrite.com

Event Flyer

[easy_media_download url=”https://oepatientsbu.xyz/2025/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/MEETH-10-18-18-Audio-Desciption-.pdf” target=”_blank” class=”directpdf” text=”Download PDF”]

Accessibility Resources for People With Visual Impairments Series

Save the date for our next session:

Electronic Glasses
October 18, 2018, 3 to 5 pm

[easy_media_download url=”https://oepatientsbu.xyz/2025/explore-accessibility-resources-at-meeth-fall-2018″ target=”_blank” class=”directpdf” text=”View Fall Schedule”]

Presented by OE Patients

Hosted by the Department of Ophthalmology

Supported by Association for Macular Diseases, Inc.

September 6, 2018
Explore Accessibility Resources at MEETH Fall 2018

Our popular series on Accessibility Resources for People With Visual Impairments continues this fall at Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital in NYC. There is an abundance of great topics to cover and we’re pleased to present 3 new sessions, all hot topics on OEPatients.org. Join us for a conversation about the expanding availability of audio descriptive technology, a review of the latest electronic glasses, and an update on the best in accessibility apps.

The sessions are led by:

Dorrie Rush

Chief Content Officer

OEPatients.org

Event location:

The Great Hall, 1st floor

Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital

210 East 64th Street (3rd & 2nd Ave.)

New York, NY 10065

Our Fall Schedule

Please RSVP below for these events as seating is limited.

September 20, 2018, 3 to 4 pm

Audio Description

Now available on-demand for Broadway shows, museum tours, at the movies, on TV and much more. We’ll talk about how this visual voice fills in the missing detail, vividly.

[easy_media_download url=”https://oepatientsbu.xyz/2025/event-recap-audio-description/” target=”_blank” class=”directpdf” text=”READ THE RECAP”]

October 18, 2018, 3 to 5 pm

Electronic Glasses

Let’s take a closer look at wearable assistive devices, including IrisVision, OrCam, Jordy, eSight, and Aira, designed to help you see, read, work and navigate with vision loss.

[easy_media_download url=”https://oepatientsbu.xyz/2025/event-recap-electronic-glasses/” target=”_blank” class=”directpdf” text=”READ THE RECAP”]

November 15, 2018, 3 to 4 pm

App Happy

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!

[easy_media_download url=”https://oepatientsbu.xyz/2025/event-recap-app-happy/” target=”_blank” class=”directpdf” text=”READ THE RECAP”]

Ways to RSVP:

Phone: (212) 702-7760

Email: [email protected]

Online: meethaccessibility.eventbrite.com

Presented by OE Patients

Hosted by the Department of Ophthalmology

Supported by Association for Macular Diseases, Inc.

September 5, 2018
Inclusivity Takes The Stage On Broadway

The actor enters stage left to thunderous applause. You are not sure who this is, perhaps your loving companion will intuitively whisper the name in your ear, or maybe you’ll recognize the actor’s voice. The theater burst into an uproarious laugh, but you have no idea what was so funny? Even access seating in the first few rows may not be close enough to see the subtle gestures and facial expression. You wish there was a voice in your ear, a narrative track that keeps you in the loop.

Wish granted. That’s right, as of June 1, 2018, Broadway has taken a giant step forward in making live theater more accessible for people with vision and hearing loss. The new inclusivity measures offer audio description and closed captioning at every performance, beginning four weeks from any production’s opening night.

How did they do it? Technology, of course. There are two options available for accessing audio descriptions. One is a simple listening device borrowed from the theater, the other is an app, accessible by smartphone.

An empty theater stage lit with dramatic lights.

Customers can pick up an infrared listening device, at the accessibility kiosk in the theater’s lobby. A state issued ID or passport must be left in exchange for the borrowed device.

The GalaPro app features audio description and closed captioning. It syncs with the show for a real-time accurate experience. The app can be downloaded and set in the theater. Staff at the accessibility kiosk will help you set it up and get started. Airplane mode assures your phone will be quiet during the performance as it runs on private wifi. The app also extends inclusivity to international visitors with a language translation feature.

Broadway has been offering accommodations to its patrons for many decades, on a smaller scale. The current and very ambitious initiative, by The Broadway League, significantly advances the industry’s commitment to creating an inclusive theater experience that potentially impacts more than 20 million adults affected by vision loss, and nearly 50 million Americans experiencing some degree of hearing loss.

Broadway wants to be seen and heard by everyone, so go ahead and give this new technology a try. It might just give you back something you thought was lost.

Here’s a link to Playbill’s video showing Broadway’s new accessible technology.

http://www.playbill.com/video/chicago-audio-accessibility

August 16, 2018
Put Sunglasses On Your Kids, The Benefits Are Long Term
The natural inclination to protect our children from harm has for many decades included sun protection. On any summer day, at a whole host of outdoor venues, parents can be seen diligently slathering up their little ones with the prescribed application (and re-application) of sunblock. It only makes sense that protecting young eyes from the damaging rays of the sun should also be a priority, right?

Grown-ups, for the most part, automatically put on the shades at the beach and during outdoor activity. This is behavior we like to see kids mimic. Young children and adolescents are most vulnerable because their eyes do not filter ultraviolet light as well as adults. The damaging effects are cumulative and irreversible, experts say most of the damage occurs by age 18. This is why the sunglasses must be applied, with the sunscreen, from a very early age.

Needless to say, helping your kids develop the habit of protecting their precious eyes from sun exposure, will benefit them for decades to come. It might actually help them avoid age-related macular degeneration and cataracts much later in life.

Sunglasses do not only apply to the summer months, winter offers no reprieve. Children are exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays year round. All prolonged sun exposure and sporting activities should be accompanied by protective eyewear (and maybe, even, a brimmed hat). It is best to keep babies, under 6 months, out of the sun entirely, shielded by hats, stroller canopies and umbrellas.

Here are 4 practical tips for buying children’s sunglasses:
- Including your children in the selection process will make buying sunglasses fun. If they love the glasses they will be happy wearing them.
- Be sure to choose sunglasses with lightweight polycarbonate lenses with 100% UVA and UVB protection and maximum impact resistance.
- Look for frames that are rounded, flexible and have wraparound coverage. They should fit snug and may include a velcro band, good for playing sports. Comfort and style are key factors in selecting glasses your child will keep on wearing.
- Good quality children’s sunglasses are available in a range of prices. A higher price is not necessarily indicative of superior quality. If there is any doubt, have the sunglasses tested by an optician to confirm they provide maximum protection. (Note: Sunglasses lacking UV protection can be riskier than no glasses at all, as the dark lens will cause the pupil to dilate, allowing ultraviolet rays to enter the retina.)
Remember, teaching kids to protect their eyes from a young age will pay off through old age. They’ll thank you for it!
August 10, 2018
Seeing AI Is A Gift From Microsoft
We love technology that empowers… especially when it gives us back something vision loss has taken. Microsoft’s Seeing AI app is all that. It is an intelligent camera that reads text on the go and tells you who and what is around you.

Seeing AI is a sweet surprise of a package filled with stuff you’ll want. Get back to reading signs, documents, and products on the go. And get more detail about the people and scenes you’re not seeing clearly.

The interface is clean and nicely designed. It’s relatively easy to acclimate to, but the more you use it…the better you get. There is a Quick Help Guide in the upper right of each channel, with both text and a video tutorial.

Here’s a rundown of the Seeing AI channels…
- Short Text – hold the camera over text and it reads, just like that. Use it on signs, price tags, tickets, mail, packages, etc. Start reading everything in and out of sight.
- Documents – the camera guides you to photograph the entire page and reads back. Navigates headings in documents with VoiceOver, particularly useful in reading restaurant menus. (Similar to the KNFB Reader app.)
- Product – a bar code reader with audio guidance. In the grocery store, for example, you’ll be able to identify the brand and flavor on the ice cream container, or the fat content of the milk, or if the bread is wheat or white.
- Person – use the camera to scan and tell you about the people around. Facial descriptions include an estimate of age and expression. Set face recognition to announce the name of someone you know when they come into view.
  
  Microsoft Seeing AI app describing a person sitting outside.
- Scene – take a photo and hear the description of the scene.
The accuracy is very good, but not perfect. Like you, it is still learning. Help the process by sharing your thoughts and experience with the developers. There’s a link to send feedback directly from the Menu.

The Seeing Ai app is free, available in the App Store. This is by no means a small token, it is a meaningful gift. Not long ago, technology designed for people with visual impairments was available only at very hefty prices.

The best is yet to come. Microsoft says this is just a glimpse into artificial intelligence.

For latest updates to Seeing AI, read our full article here.

Microsoft’s “Seeing AI” Video

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 August 11, 2017 and updated on August 3, 2018.
August 3, 2018
App Happy

Apps are empowering people with visual impairments in ways we could only once dream. There are apps that can read text on the go, identify people and products, turn cameras into magnifiers, summon live help, and light the way.

Here are some apps you should know about. All are available for iPhone on the App Store and may be available for Android or Windows as well. Apps are free unless specified.

Seeing AI

Seeing AI app.

Reads Short Text, Documents, Products, People & Scenes

A magnanimous gesture from Microsoft exclusively to iPhone users. This is actually five apps in one, and it’s free!

The Short Text channel is the grand prize, point the camera and it reads signs, price tags, labels, addresses, and more. No snapping photos or waiting to process, just point and it reads instantly on the go. This app reads documents and product barcodes with VoiceOver. It can identify people using facial recognition which does not seem all that practical, but it is fun. And try the Scene channel to get a description of the environment you are in. To learn more about Seeing AI, read our full article.

So far, everyone agrees, this is an amazing app. Enjoy it, and remember, it’s a work in progress, just like the rest of us. Help Microsoft keep making it better by sending your feedback to [email protected].

Click here to download the iPhone app.

KNFB Reader $99

KNFB Reader app.

High-Quality text to speech OCR (Optical Character Recognition)

This app seemed totally worth the price, until a moment ago when Seeing AI became available, with its free document reader. There are some noteworthy differences. KNFB does not require a connection to the Internet to process; Seeing AI does. KNFB has its own reader; Seeing AI depends on VoiceOver.

You will find that KNFB Reader is faster, as recognition is performed on your device rather than uploading it to the cloud. Keeping the processing on your device provides better security. KNFB can be set to read text in columns and tables; Seeing AI cannot. KNFB batch mode copies and saves multi-page documents; Seeing AI does not.

In recent updates, you can make calls, send emails, and open links directly from documents. You can even contact someone from a business card. To learn more about KNFB Reader, read our full article.

For questions or to send feedback, contact: [email protected].

Click to download the iPhone app or to download the Android App.

Be My Eyes

Be My Eyes app.

Access Live Help

This app boasts an impressive 1 million sighted volunteers on call to assist its 80 thousand visually impaired and blind users in more than 180 countries. Tapping on the main page to “Call First Available Volunteer” will establish a live video connection enabling the volunteer to read or describe what your camera is pointed at.

If you need help with an appliance, an electronic device, distinguishing items, or reading instructions, these volunteers are ready and able. No need to worry about being a pest, call as often as you need. The wait for a volunteer is estimated at 30 seconds, and that’s pretty hard to beat!

Click to download the iPhone app or to download the Android App.

Brighter and Bigger

Brighter and Bigger app.

Video Magnifier

Just as the name says, this video magnifying app gets up to 20x bigger, with options for brightness, reverse, clearer and freeze. This makes the app perfect for reading fine print and bringing objects into sharper view. The “Brightness Reverse” and “Monochrome” modes are especially ideal for people living with cataracts and low vision.

Thanks to the vast improvements in mobile cameras, these magnifying apps are as good as the portable versions we once had to pay big bucks for. Opens with Siri command.

Click to download the iPhone app or to download the Android App.

iLights

iLights app.

Digital Flashlight

Adjustable light and blinking strobe can be conveniently turned on by asking Siri. Now you know where the flashlight is when you need it.

Click here to download the iPhone app.

BARD Mobile

BARD Mobile app.

National Library Service Talking Books (888.657.7323)

If you are registered for the National Library Services Talking Books program, consider going mobile. It takes a bit of time to set it up and requires patience as you learn to navigate this, sometimes cumbersome, app, but book lovers with visual impairments absolutely love the totally free access to audiobooks. To learn more about NLS, read our full article.

Click to download the iPhone app or to download the Android App.

Voice Memos

Voice Memos app.

Digital Recorder

Always good to have a digital recorder on hand. We used to spend hundreds to have one in our pocket, now it’s sitting right in our phone for free. High-quality recording, 3 button interface. Trim, save, and share options.

App comes with your iPhone.

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 November 17, 2017 and updated on August 3, 2018.

August 3, 2018
Museums Making Art More Accessible

If you were looking for a reason to visit Florence, here it is. The Uffizi Museum is offering Touch Tours for visually impaired and blind visitors. If you’ve never experienced a touch tour, it’s about time you do. Go ahead…book that flight.

The Uffizi offers a guided tour enabling people with vision loss to utilize their sense of touch to get a closer “look” at the museum’s masterpiece collection of art in marble. These are beautiful ancient works, Greek and Roman sculptures. While other visitors are admiring these works with their eyes, you, with a museum expert at your side, get to touch (hand gloved in latex, of course). It is a thrilling and memorable experience. The Uffizi by Touch Tour requires no reservation and can be arranged, upon arrival to the museum, at the ticket office.

Florence is indeed a dreamy destination, and by all means…go! You should also know, similar programs are widely available and most likely at a museum nearby. The accessibility services offered are generally good for everyone. Bring a friend, this may be their only opportunity to touch an ancient artifact.

It’s not entirely about the touch tour. There are many other ways museums are making it easier to look at art and fully experience the vibrancy, with or without sight. Audio Guides facilitate self-guided tours and are good for everyone. The narrated guides are now also available as accessible smartphone apps, in addition to the individual museum devices. Print Access may extend to large print and Braille exhibition guides and in some cases accessible labeling of art.

The Uffizi Gallery, the upper-level corridor lined with statues.

Verbal Descriptions are perhaps the best accompaniment a visually impaired art lover could ask for. In itself an art, verbal imaging adds meticulously detailed and vivid descriptions including style, technique, texture, and color. By including details that may have been missed by the viewer, these descriptions go a long way in helping to convey the full picture. Many museums offer individual verbally described tours with specially trained guides, which are highly recommended.

In addition to the everyday access, museums offer regularly scheduled programs for people with vision loss. At the Museum of Modern Art, in NYC, join a monthly “Art In Sight” lecture and discussion series, or try “Picture This!” workshops at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Get in touch with your favorite museum and go for a tour!

August 2, 2018
Microsoft’s Inclusive Workplace
The 28th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) reminds us the law prohibits job discrimination and requires the provision of ‘reasonable accommodations’ for employees with disabilities, except when such accommodation would cause undue hardship. That is, the undue hardship of the employer, not the employee.

The need for accessible technology in the workplace often created both the accommodation and the hardship. In fact, it was not so long ago, that the word “accessible” was mostly preceded by the word “not.” Special third-party assistive technology was usually required to add screen magnification and speech to a desktop computer. Because it was by nature a retrofit, the special software could be incompatible with some systems and was rarely supported by a company’s IT staff. It was not always seamless or elegant but, what really mattered was, it could keep you working, long after vision loss might have otherwise shut you down.

That was then. Now the accessibility is built into the operating systems and the applications we use at work, decreasing the need for that awkward conversation, with an employer, to request an accommodation. The significance of this cannot be understated. It empowers employees with vision loss to make computer adjustments, as needed, and continue working without major interruptions. And in today’s workforce, it’s not even unusual to adjust your visual settings or to use speech features. It’s actually quite normal.

ADA surely set the stage for the inclusive work environment still unfolding decades later. The 21st Century Telecommunications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA) also must be credited for triggering the impressive progress in elevating the equality of access for all. In this scenario, it appears, legislation and innovation converged for the greater good.

In somewhat of an equal measure, we have Microsoft to thank for elevating the accessibility of its enterprise software. Satya Nadella took the helm of the tech giant in 2014 with a strong desire to embrace accessibility, inspired by the needs of his son, born with cerebral palsy. Just 4 years later the company’s products and workforce clearly reflect this major priority. Jenny Lay-Flurrie, who is deaf, was appointed Microsoft’s Chief Accessibility Officer in 2016. She is an enthusiastic champion for all people with disabilities and a powerful advocate for an inclusive workplace.

Here are some of the built-in Microsoft Accessibility features for Vision, designed to make your computer easier to use.
- Customize Colors for Increased Contrast
- Do Things Quickly with Tell Me
- Make Windows 10 Easier to See
- Use Accessibility Checker
- Use Magnifier to Enlarge Text & Images
- Learn Keyboard Shortcuts to Move Faster
- Customize Your Mouse Pointer
- Use Narrator to Read Screen Text
- Use Seeing AI for iPhone to Read Text, Identify People, Currency & Color, Read Product Barcodes, Describe Scenes
*Please note, while these features accommodate a large majority of the population with vision loss, they are not meant to replace screen reading software for totally blind and non-visual computer users.

Learn more about all of it on Microsoft’s Accessibility page.

And, no need to figure anything out on your own, just call:

Microsoft Disability Answer Desk – 800-936-5900

Jenny and Satya at Abilities Summit 2018

More on the subject from OE Patients:
- 5 Ways to Make Your Computer At Work Easier To Use
- Innovation Drives Inclusion
July 26, 2018
Artists Work Through Macular Degeneration

You might think the work of an artist who is losing sight would come to a tragic end. Think again.

“The Persistence of Vision”, an exhibition at the University of Cincinnati, is meant to change that perception. The collection highlights the works of 8 artists, before and during the progression of their vision loss from age-related macular degeneration.

Macular degeneration is the leading cause of legal blindness among people over age 65. It depletes the central vision and impairs the ability to differentiate color and detail. The peripheral vision usually remains and can be used in some ways to compensate for the loss in central.

The process of adapting included strategizing, experimenting and improvising. Many took on a less intricate, more abstract style and all showed changes in their use of color. One artist discovered a great sense of freedom in a new less precise, more relaxed technique. Some went from drawing to painting, others ventured from painting to drawing. In most cases, the lines became blurred but still beautiful. In their 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, they all continued creating exquisite work.

Beyond the obvious commonalities, the 8 artists possess a strong desire and willingness to find new ways of compensating their partial loss of sight. The subject matter is specific, but the overriding theme is universal and can be applied to all work. This is actually about the art of adjusting.

“The Persistence of Vision” is at The Philip M. Meyers, Jr. Memorial Gallery at the University of Cincinnati, through July 29, 2018. It is part of the Vision and Art Project funded by the American Macular Degeneration Foundation.

For more on The Vision and Art Project exhibition, Click Here

For more on this in the NY Times, “Artists Who Lose Their Vision, Then See Clearly,” Click Here

Image Credit: Dahlov Ipcar “Sunlight in Forest Glade” (unfinished, 2015) at The DAAP Galleries: Philip M. Meyers Jr. Memorial Gallery.

July 12, 2018
“Accessible TV” Seminar Highlights

Last Thursday, we had a wonderful turnout for our seminar on Accessible TV. Hosted at Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, it was the last session before our summer break, in our series on “Accessibility Resources for People with Visual Impairments.”

Dorrie Rush, our Accessibility Expert at OE Patients, led a discussion about audible TV guides, menus, audio-described programming, and options for navigation by voice commands available from cable providers and streaming services.

Dorrie Rush speaking at “Accessibility TV” Seminar.

Summary

We reviewed accessibility solutions currently available in the NYC area.

For Verizon Fios customers, voice-enabled navigation can be turned on with the remote control and Amazon’s Alexa can be connected for voice commands. Spectrum uses Roku to provide voice output and Optimum’s solution includes Fire TV. The cable options differ by provider, so get in touch with your cable company and find out what they have to offer. For a quick check do a web search using “Accessibility” + the name of your cable provider.

TV watching is no longer confined to a television screen, and setting up accessibility in your personal technology is a whole different story. With the use of Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Google Chromecast, voice-enabled navigation and voice commands are turned on directly in settings and all can be operated with the help of their respective digital assistants and smart speakers.

To help you get these accessibility features activated and working on your own devices, click the button below to download our Accessible TV Handout with the customer service and technical support phone lines you need to know.

“Accessible TV” Seminar Handout

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For a bit more history about these CVAA accommodations, go to our article “Talking Guide For Your TV“.

June 24, 2018