The Blind Lifestyle Newsletter for January 1, 2022 - Issue 1The lifestyle newsletter by and for the blind and visually impaired by Award Winning Sight Loss Coach, Advocate and Author Donna Jodhan. Dear Blind Lifestyle Subscriber,1) Accessibility Awareness Is On The Rise, But Is It Turning Into Action?This article is a good summary of the state of digital accessibility. The accessibility of free versus paid apps on mobile devices was particularly interesting. It also demonstrates a good thought; it is more than product development teams that need accessibility support and training:https://techcrunch.com/2021/12/26/accessibility-awareness-is-on-the-rise-but-is-it-turning-into-action/ 2) How To Set Up That New Windows 11 Laptop You Received This HolidayPlease note that this walk through is not accessibility specific. Did you get a new Windows 11 laptop? Here are the best tips to set it up:https://www.windowscentral.com/how-set-new-windows-11-laptop-you-received-holiday 3) Why Are Fewer People Chatting With Alexa?Here is a thought-provoking article discussing the lack of discovery for smart speaker abilities and the transition to smart displays:https://staceyoniot.com/why-are-fewer-people-chatting-with-alexa/ 4) LastPass Says No Passwords Were Compromised Following Reports Of Unauthorized LoginsThis accessible password manager had a security scare this week, but it claims that no passwords were stolen. All the same, turning on multi-factor authentication and even changing your master password are good advice:https://9to5mac.com/2021/12/28/lastpass-says-no-passwords-were-compromised-following-reports-of-unauthorized-logins/ 5) San Francisco Lighthouse For The Blind Sues AudioEye's Customer For Web Accessibility IssuesADP, the human resources management software and resources giant, was sued for consistent failures in AudioEye services and products for blind people, despite working with them for a long time for website remediation:https://en.brinkwire.com/technology/san-francisco-lighthouse-for-the-blind-sues-audioeyes-customer-for-web-accessibility-issues/ 6) Why New York City May Soon Be More Walkable for Blind PeopleA federal judge ordered New York City to install more than 9,000 accessible pedestrian signals at city crosswalks:https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/27/nyregion/nyc-crosswalk-blind-people.html 7) Best Windows Laptops With Full Number Pads 2021Whether it's for data entry, accounting, or just entering numbers and calculations with precision and speed, there are plenty of reasons to have a number pad on a laptop. Even though laptops are getting smaller, you can still purchase several excellent Windows laptops with full number pads. Every one of these devices has a full number pad, and each is one of the best Windows laptop picks in the category:https://www.windowscentral.com/best-windows-laptops-full-number-pads 8) Best Of 2021: How Accessible Are Zelda, Pokémon And Animal Crossing For Blind Gamers?Top Nintendo Switch games evaluated for players with vision loss:https://www.nintendolife.com/features/best-of-2021-how-accessible-are-zelda-pokemon-and-animal-crossing-for-blind-gamers 9) TPGi 2021 Recap: New Products, Feature Releases, And ServicesAs we head in 2022, we'd like to take a minute to reflect on how TPGi has changed over the course of 2021 and what we've been able to create. But first, we'd like to thank everyone on the TPGi team: accessibility engineers, product developers, project managers — we couldn't have done it without you! Here are some of the highlights from 2021:https://www.tpgi.com/tpgi-2021-recap-new-products-feature-releases-and-services/ 10) Canadian Company Builds A Better Box Of Chocolates Using BrailleA move by a Canadian chocolate maker to produce packaging for blind and partially sighted people is one of several campaigns this year by companies trying to make their products more accessible to people with disabilities (PWD):https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/braille-boxes-accessible-packaging-1.6296659 11) I'm Blind But Technology Helps Me AnimateElodie Bateson has been blind since birth. But the 11-year-old from Limavady has become an expert at making short animated movies:https://newsnationusa.com/news/world/uk/im-blind-but-technology-helps-me-animate/ 12) Clovernook Changing the Landscape for the Visually Impaired One Card at a TimeClovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired is embarking on a collaboration with TriHealth to create accessible business cards for more than 11,000 health care professionals. It means that anyone who is blind or low vision will be able to easily access the information on a card that sighted people take for granted:https://www.wlwt.com/article/clovernook-creating-business-cards-to-help-the-visually-impaired/38600681 13) Visually Impaired Photographer Composes Shots Using Sounds and TouchEsaraa Ismail is visually impaired but hasn't let that stop her from taking up photography. Instead of relying on her eye, she uses her senses of hearing and touch to guide her throughout the image-taking process:https://petapixel.com/2021/12/23/visually-impaired-photographer-composes-shots-using-sounds-and-touch/ 14) Hy-Vee Pharmacies Now Offer Talking Prescription Labels in 26 LanguagesHy-Vee, Inc. announces that talking prescription labels are now available in 26 languages to visually and print-impaired patients at Hy-Vee's more than 275 Hy-Vee Pharmacy locations:https://www.envisionamerica.com/post/hy-vee-pharmacies-now-offer-talking-prescription-labels-in-26-languages 15) Talking Labels Aid the Blind with PrescriptionsMistakes can have life-threatening consequences. The challenge is exacerbated for folks who don't see well or have a severe visual impairment though some blind people have learned to figure out which pill is which by feeling its shape or texture:https://www.aarp.org/home-family/personal-technology/info-2021/talking-prescription-drug-labels.html 16) Industry Leading HR and Payroll Company ADP Works with LightHouse to Enhance Accessibility of Products to Blind UsersThe LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired of San Francisco and blind LightHouse staff members reached an agreement with the Professional Employer Organization ADP TotalSource® to enhance the accessibility and usability of the ADP Workforce Now® solution to LightHouse staff who are blind or have low vision and use screen-reading software to access digital content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/industry-leading-hr-and-payroll-company-adp-works-with-lighthouse-to-enhance-accessibility-of-products-to-blind-users-301447059.html 17) Retailers To Lose $828 Million Of Sales Over Christmas Due To Inaccessible WebsitesResearch undertaken by UserWay, a leader in website accessibility automation, has identified that e-commerce retailers stand to lose an estimated $828 million in revenue this Christmas as a result of poor website accessibility:https://www.forbes.com/sites/gusalexiou/2021/12/19/retailers-to-lose-828-million-of-sales-over-christmas-due-to-inaccessible-websites/?sh=73cd580635b5 18) Gifts For People Who Are Blind And The People Who Love ThemHere's a few ideas for holiday giving this year, with a special focus on small businesses and visually impaired entrepreneurs from Perkins School for the Blind:https://www.perkins.org/resource/gift-ideas-for-people-who-are-blind/ 19) Holiday Braille Box: New Purdys Release Offers Accessible Chocolate ExperienceCreated for and with the blind and partially sighted community in mind, Canadian chocolatier Purdys released the Holiday Braille Box earlier this month. Global News Weekend's Mike Arsenault and Aalia Adam have more, including YouTuber Molly Burke's take on the box:https://globalnews.ca/video/8461800/holiday-braille-box-new-purdys-release-offers-accessible-chocolate-experience 20) Disabled Passengers Were Promised Autonomous Vehicles — They're Still WaitingThis article highlights some of the challenges and opportunities in autonomous vehicles for users with disabilities and is worth a read:https://www.theverge.com/22832657/autonomous-vehicles-disabled-accessible-challenges-design 21) Navigational Apps for the Blind Could Have a Broader AppealA proliferation of new apps designed to help blind and low vision people could prove useful for everyone:https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/20/technology/navigational-apps-blind-low-vision.html 22) Feds Adopt Better Street Accessibility Guidelines — But Will They Make a Difference?Even though the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed more than 40 years ago, we have never had official accessibility standards tailored to things like sidewalks, curb ramp, and pedestrian push buttons. That's about to change:https://usa.streetsblog.org/2021/12/17/opinion-feds-adopt-better-accessibility-guidelines-for-city-streets-but-will-it-make-a-difference/ 23) Halo, Forza, And 5 More Games That Pushed Accessibility Forward In 2021Not every game is for everyone, but these titles make inclusivity a priority:https://www.inverse.com/gaming/accessibility-in-games-2021-halo-infinite-forza-horizon-5 24) Translink Begins Installing Braille Signs On All 8,400 Bus StopsBus passengers who are blind or partially sighted will greatly benefit from the installation of braille signs with helpful information on every bus stop in Metro Vancouver:https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/translink-bus-braille-signs-tactile-surface-installation 25) FCC Proposes New Rules To Make Emergency Alerts More Accessible For People Hard Of HearingIt wants broadcasters to use internet alerts instead of TV alerts whenever possible:https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/15/22837546/fcc-proposes-new-rules-emergency-alerts-accessible-deaf-hearing 26) CT Universities Pilot Career Program For People With DisabilitiesThe Connecticut State Colleges and Universities announced this week a careers program in digital accessibility. Specialists suport the production of accessible content and materials, from alternative text on images that are read aloud to blind users, to fonts legible for people with dyslexia:https://www.fairfieldcitizenonline.com/news/article/CT-universities-pilot-career-program-for-people-16707780.php?t=fe96839ed4 27) Translink To Install Braille Signage And Tactile Walking Surface Indicators At Bus StopsThe signage and surface indicators are part of TransLink's larger initiative to become one of the most accessible systems in the world:https://www.masstransitmag.com/technology/passenger-info/signage-and-displays/press-release/21250538/translink-translink-to-install-braille-signage-and-tactile-walking-surface-indicators-at-bus-stops 28) Accessible Pharmacy Wins the FCC Award for Advancement in AccessibilityThe FCC hosted a virtual ceremony December 1st to honor this year's winners of the FCC Chair's Award for Advancement in Accessibility (Chair's AAA). The ceremony featured a keynote address from FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and acceptance speeches from each of the award winners:https://www.openpr.com/news/2502114/accessible-pharmacy-wins-the-fcc-award-for-advancement 29) Inclusive Collaboration: Making Webex Accessible to All UsersTips for hosting more inclusive Webex meetings:https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/CISCO-SYSTEMS-INC-4862/news/Inclusive-Collaboration-Making-Webex-Accessible-to-All-Users-37346125/ 30) #GamesForBlindGamers Initiative To Create Better Games For Blind PlayersThe 31-day jam, hosted on itch.io and launched by Nightblade on Twitter, is focused on bringing attention to a largely marginalized group of the gaming community, blind gamers, as well as bringing awareness to accessibility in gaming in general:https://gaminglyfe.com/gamesforblindgamers-initiative-to-create-better-games-for-blind-players/ 31) Visually Impaired M'sian Woman Starts Cooking Channel, Thanks To Safer Modern Kitchen TechTen years ago, Sharifah Shafiza Said Salleh lost her vision due to Amblyopia or the lazy eye disorder, but she refused to let this disability stop her from living a normal life:https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2021/12/17/visually-impaired-woman-starts-cooking-channel-thanks-to-safer-modern-kitchen-tech 32) Christmas Fund: Visually Impaired Mother Gets A Little Help From Her KidsWhen I walk with my two older kids, they're the ones who tell me if it's a green light or red light. It's the opposite of most families:https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/christmas-fund-visually-impaired-mother-gets-a-little-help-from-her-kids 33) The Universal Symbol System Making Beauty Products Accessible To Blind ConsumersVictoriaLand Beauty's CyR.U.S. System is a tactile solution making beauty packaging and products accessible for blind and partially sighted consumers. Using raised symbols and embossed QR codes, consumers can navigate VictoriaLand's portfolio through touch and audio information on the product type, usage, and ingredients:https://packagingeurope.com/making-beauty-products-accessible-blind-consumers/ 34) It's A True Frontier Of Game Design: How Naughty Dog And Insomniac Games Think About AccessibilityChallenge and accessibility can coexist in harmony with the right design choices:https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-12-18-its-a-true-frontier-of-game-design-how-naughty-dog-and-insomniac-games-think-about-accessibility 35) Letters To Santa In Braille: How A Lancaster Nonprofit Is Helping Kids Who Are Visually Impaired This ChristmasThe week before Christmas is Santa's busiest time of year. And as he prepares to circle the globe on his annual gift-giving trip, he relies on some trusty helpers. One of Santa's special helpers is Erika Rothermel, 28, who teaches children who are blind and visually impaired with VisionCorps' early intervention program. This year she has another job title: Santa's helper with letters written in Braille:https://lancasteronline.com/features/entertainment/letters-to-santa-in-braille-how-a-lancaster-nonprofit-is-helping-kids-who-are-visually/article_ac5f7914-5f3c-11ec-930e-1707e72174ca.html Catching Up With The CoachCatching Up With The Coach | January 2022 | Tips For The KitchenThis month Award Winning Sight Loss Coach, Advocate and Author Donna Jodhan highlights some insightful tips for the kitchen:https://www.donnajodhan.com/news2022/news4.html Ask The CoachAsk The Coach | January 2022This month Award Winning Sight Loss Coach, Advocate and Author Donna Jodhan answers 3 different questions posed by readers new to sight loss:https://www.donnajodhan.com/news2022/news3.html Meet The CoachDonna Jodhan's Sight Loss CoachingDonna Jodhan has been coaching persons with sight loss since 2000. She is a high profile Apple Certified Trainer and Consultant and a world-renowned Author. She has written and produced and continues to write as a blogger, editorialist, podcast commentator, writer, and fiction author. She produces meaningful and up to date info designed to assist the reader and listener to become more confident when dealing with sight loss. As a person with sight loss herself, Donna recognizes and knows only too well how the colossal challenges of COVID-19 have changed the lives of us all; especially so for those living with sight loss. At the best of times, it is difficult enough to cope when sight loss sets in for anyone but when the world is unexpectedly and practically turned on its head and we are all now forced to find new ways to cope, the challenges of sight loss becomes even more acute. AboutAs a coach, Donna will use her vast knowledge and life experience as an advocate, author, and entrepreneur to successfully assist you in navigating through life and learning how to live with vision loss. Donna will teach you how to navigate the fast moving and complicated world of technology and show you how to conquer bullying and scams. You will learn how to cope with sight loss in your home, garden, places of employment, and your home office. There is nothing better than having someone beside you who can provide personal and customized services to meet and accommodate your needs upon request. ServicesCoaching is available via Telephone, Email, Facetime, Skype, and Zoom. PricingYour Initial Consultation is free of charge. You can expect this assessment to last anywhere between one hour to one and a half hours and we would be pleased to contact you at our expense thus avoiding you having to incur any long distance charges. We believe that our payment structure is affordable and will be able to meet your budgets and expectations. You may pay as you go at $50 / hour or purchase hours in blocks of 5, 10 or 15 at $40 / hour. Pricing Packages5 Hour Package - $200 ContactTo learn more please visit: https://www.donnajodhan.com/. The Blind Lifestyle Newsletter Subscription Information:ABOUT:The Blind Lifestyle Newsletter is the newsletter by and for the blind and visually impaired by Award Winning Sight Loss Coach, Advocate and Author Donna Jodhan.RELEASE SCHEDULE:The Blind Lifestyle Newsletter is currently released on the 1st day of each month at 6:00 AM ET.SUBSCRIBE:Do you, a friend, or colleague wish to receive The Blind Lifestyle Newsletter? If so, please use or pass along our CAPTCHA-free sign-up link, which is: https://donnajodhan.com/subscribe. You can also subscribe to receive The Blind Lifestyle Newsletter on the Award Winning Sight Loss Coach, Advocate and Author Donna Jodhan website at: https://www.donnajodhan.com or by (SMS) texting "BLINDLIFESTYLE" to 22828. Any of these methods will provide you with an accessibly friendly and secure medium through which you can subscribe to our mailing list. Just enter your email address, click send, and begin receiving The Blind Lifestyle Newsletter. It's that easy.WEBSITE:Visit the Award Winning Sight Loss Coach, Advocate and Author Donna Jodhan website online at https://www.donnajodhan.com.ARCHIVEVisit the The Blind Lifestyle Newsletter Archive at: https://www.donnajodhan.com/the-blind-lifestyle-newsletter.html where you can grab back issues. |
Information provided by: |