Technology

As we mentioned in the last section of this guide, you can use both UPCs and QR codes to help with identifying consumer products and any other items you might care to tag. But what if the item is not tagged with either a UPC or QR code? Happily, there are other mobile resources you…

For several decades, the Universal Product Code (UPC)—a strip of vertical black bars with white spaces printed on product packages—has helped speed our way through checkout lines, where cashiers use special laser wands to scan the codes. Each UPC (also commonly referred to as a “bar code”) corresponds to a unique 12-digit number that is…

The United States is the only country that prints all denominations of currency in the same size. The US and Switzerland are the only two countries that use the same colors for all of their various bills. Needless to say, this sameness of size and color make it impossible for a blind person to locate…

As someone with a visual impairment, you will be faced with the question “What is this?” many times throughout the day. Often the answer is obvious (a fork); sometimes the answer comes with some comparison (an AA battery versus an AAA battery). Sometimes you can only make a partial identification (you know it’s a disk,…

All three of the GPS navigation apps described in our <previous post> above offer or link to a full suite of the basic navigation features, including the ability to determine your current location, browse and search nearby POIs, set a favorite place, create a travel route to your destination, and find your way using turn-by-turn…

Most GPS navigation platforms do not include a full set of features and functions for traveling with a cane or guide dog. In this section, we will introduce you to three mobile GPS navigation apps, one for Google Android and the other two for Apple iOS, which ave been designed from the ground up to…

Bluetooth Connected Devices Until recently, people with visual impairments had to rely on special purpose devices, such as talking scales, to obtain access to many devices. However, with the mobile revolution in full swing, a new solution is emerging: Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connected devices that display their data on a smartphone and are thus accessible…

Prescription readers are not the only speech-accessible devices that can improve the quality of your life. Talking Glucose Monitors If you are diabetic, you can check your own glucose levels using a talking glucose monitor. There are several models available. Check with your insurance company, pharmacist or other diabetes supplies provider and you may find…

In their series ‘Entertainment‘, American Foundation for the Blind explains how people who are blind or visually impaired can use a computer to access music, videos, and radio. Accessible Purchased Music and Video Content If your PC or Mac computer has a CD or DVD drive, you can insert a disc, and, depending on how…

In their series ‘Smartphone GPS Navigation‘, American Foundation for the Blind explains how the built-in Smartphone mapping apps can help people who are blind or visually impaired. In their built-in mapping apps (Google Maps and Apple Maps), both Google and Apple provide mapping data collected and assembled from a wide number of sources—from satellite imaging…

Many unenlightened sighted people may wonder, “But if you can’t see, how can you watch TV?” If someone asks you this question, just smile, then wait until the next time they go into the kitchen to start dinner with their back turned but the TV on so they don’t miss anything. Pictures are nice, but…