Tech Tips

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…

These days you can find nearly any book or magazine you wish to read in an accessible format.  But there’s a lot more to living a productive and independent life than reading books. What about the daily mail? That print memo your boss just distributed? The folder of take-out menus you keep in a kitchen…

In addition to recorded book collections for people who are blind or visually impaired, it’s possible to obtain and access mainstream electronic books and periodicals. Project Gutenberg Project Gutenberg, named in honor of Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the moveable type printing press, was founded in 1971 with the goal of making culturally important works of…

Here are four extremely popular sources of books, magazines, and newspapers formatted to be accessible to people with visual impairments and blindness. National Library Service: Talking Books The National Library Service Talking Book digital player. The Library of Congress National Library Service (NLS) has been producing Talking Books since 1931, and today their collection, which…

Are you having difficulty reading your mail or recipes? Would you like to see your family photos again? A CCTV could be just what you need! In macular degeneration, central vision is affected, while peripheral vision remains unchanged. You might experience a blurred area in the center of your vision or blank spots. Complete blindness…