Blitab - A First of it's Kind Braille Tablet
Submitted by blippincott4 on October 3, 2018 - 10:42am
In the fall, Blitab Technology will release its portable tablet designed for blind and visually impaired people. Named the Blitab, a mash-up of the words blind and tablet, it is the first of it's kind to translate any type of content into Braille and displays one page of content at a time. Designed by Kritina Tsvetanova, Blitab Technology's CEO, the Blitab is only slightly thicker than an iPad and utilizes two separate display fields. The important top half houses the tablet's glass with perforated grid holes, which allow Blitab's liquid-based technology to create tactile relief. She calls these "tixels," and these create the output content of the Braille alphabet. A rising sensation will be felt under a user's fingertips as the tablet converts text, maps, and graphics into Braille. The bottom half of Blitab has a touchscreen that allows uses to select applications, e-books or web browse using their voice. Pricing for Blitab is expected to be around $500. Traditional Braille keyboards and readers often rely on piezoelectric technology, have one-line displays and often cost thousands of dollars. Ms. Tsvetanova is confident the Blitab has the potential to change the lives of people with vision loss by increasing the literacy rates of blind and visually impaired people everywhere, and that in turn could increase employment rates of this often neglected workplace demographic. [Source: Nazanin Lankarani, The New York Times]
Read the full article:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/03/arts/tablet-devices-blind-braille.html
[https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/03/arts/tablet-devices-blind-braille.html]
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Google is Developing Native Hearing Aid Support for Android
Submitted by blippincott4 on August 17, 2018 - 3:52pm
August 2018 - While iPhones have had native hearing aid compatibility support for quite some time through their collaborations with hearing aid manufacturers called, "Made for iPhone Hearing Aids and Sound Processors," Google's Android operating system has largely been left out. Until now.
It is being reported that Google is hard at work designing a Bluetooth hearing aid compatibility solution in collaboration with GN Hearing. GN Hearing is a Danish company that produces the popular ReSound Linx Quattro and the Beltone Amaze hearing aids, and will be the first two models to take advantage of the new technology. The two companies are creating a new hearing aid specification for Android called Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids (ASHA). It has low latency and high-quality audio, while also being battery-efficient. Hearing aids using the ASHA spec will be able to connect to an Android device without having to use another third-party device, like a neck loop, so that users can stream music from their device or hear audio from a phone call directly into their hearing aids.
One of the issues affecting Bluetooth hearing aid compatibility with Android devices has been fragmentation. There are just too many different versions of the OS out there, and not everyone has upgraded their devices to the latest and greatest version. But as manufacturers slowly start rolling out finalized upgrades of the OS to their customers, hearing aid users who have Android smartphones should be able to take advantage of this new exciting ASHA specification. [Source: Dami Lee, The Verge]
Additional information can be found in the original source for this article:
https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/8/16/17701902/google-native-hearing-aid-support-android-gn-hearing
[https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/8/16/17701902/google-native-hearing-aid-support-android-gn-hearing]
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Eye-Tracking Headset For Environmental Control
Submitted by Mz22 on August 2, 2018 - 10:09am
July 2018 - Christopher McMurrough, of the University of Texas-Arlington, has developed an eye-tracking system that should improve upon the limitations of older models (e.g., need for a trained expert to calibrate the system, slow processing time). McMurrough's system uses a forward-facing, head-mounted camera to generate a 3D map of the environment. This map is transmitted to a computer where together, with the input from the eye-tracking devices can accurately discern at what the user is looking. Inspired by his mother-in-law with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the system is intended to allow someone with a mobility disability to independently control things such as a wheelchair, robotic arm, computer, assistive technology, or conceivably any connected device in the environment. McMurrough has patented his system, and other applications are being considered, such as using it in a gaming environment and as an eye-health monitor [Source: Ben Coxworth, New Atlas]
Experimental eye-tracking headset could help the disabled
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NBCU Supports a Video Description Rule Safe Harbor
Submitted by Mz22 on July 31, 2018 - 3:43pm
July 2018 - Video description (VD) provides people with visual impairment access to onscreen actions and other nonverbal content that is visual and provides meaningful detail. VD rules, which took effect on July 1, 2018, require 87.5 hours of described video content per year. Comcast-NBCU suggested in a meeting with the FCC that reruns of television shows during non-prime time hours be included in the accounting of the number of hours of video-described programming compliance. For example, television series marathons such as Mr. Robot and Queen of the South that air during non-prime time hours. NBCU asserts that this would allow for as much as 1,000 hours of video-described content per quarter to be counted towards compliance. As such, NBCU wants the FCC to approve a safe harbor for cable networks, reducing their need to request a compliance waiver from quarterly to every three years. According to NBCU, "By adopting a presumptive waiver or safe harbor based on the total hours of described programming and described newly produced programming, the Commission will create the right incentives to encourage programmers to expand their video described hours without disruption to the top-rated non-broadcast networks' established and successful business models." [Source: Christopher Crosby, Law360]
NBCU Pushes FCC to Create Video Description safe Harbor
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SpeakSee, a Portable Device that Uses Microphones to Transcribe Audio for Users with Hearing Impairments
Submitted by kgoughnour3 on June 27, 2018 - 11:17am
June 2018 – In a news report on New Atlas, SpeakSee, a device that can provide transcripts of conversations using speech-to-text software was announced. Developed by Dutch entrepreneurs Jari Hazelebach and Marcel van der Ven, the SpeakSee consists of a small white device which can clip onto an article of someone's clothing which using three to nine included microphones, can transcribe speech to the user's smartphone. The microphone(s) use additional sensors in the device to isolate speech from background noise and can differentiate amongst speakers. The audio data is first transmitted via Wi-Fi to the device's docking station which processes the speech into text and then relays the transcription to the user's smartphone. The Speaksee app further color codes speakers to indicate different speakers and the transcripts can be saved and searched using keyword queries. Further, the device supports over 120 languages and has a battery life of two to four hours when not in the docking station. The device is currently available to fund on Indiegogo.
[Source: Ben Coxworth, New Atlas]
SpeakSee uses mics and app to get deaf people in on the conversation
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FCC Recognizes Four Awardees in its annual Chairman's Awards for Advancement in Accessibility
Submitted by kgoughnour3 on June 26, 2018 - 1:11pm
June 2018 - In a press release on its website, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) listed the winners of its 2018 Chairman's Awards for Advancement in Accessibility (Chairman's AAA). The Chairman's AAA is part of an FCC program that seeks to identify "innovative developments that improve the experience of people with disabilities in telecommunications and technology." Winners for 2018 were recognized at an awards ceremony on June 12, 2018, held in conjunction with the M-Enabling Summit in Arlington, Virginia.
The 2018 Chairman's AAA winners included a wide range of private and public sector initiatives. Projects were selected on criteria ranging from project uniqueness and innovation, affordability and availability, and the anticipated impacts of the technology on populations with and without disabilities.
This year's winners are:
• The Orbit Reader 20, a refreshable braille display that can reduce the amount of time required for note taking while being less expensive to produce than existing alternatives. It features a refreshable display of 20 braille cells with pins that can represent any 6 or 8 dot braille code. The Orbit Reader 20 was released this year for $449.
• Captioning and Description Editing Tool (CADET): The National Center for Accessible Media at WGBH (NCAM) developed CADET.The caption-authoring software has been used on WGBH, a public radio station located in Boston, Massachusetts and the National Center on Accessible Media as a low-cost solution for closed captioning and video descriptions. The free software is available for laptops and desktops to enable easier caption and audio descriptions of video content.
• The IBM AbilityLab Content Clarifier, is a software platform that uses "artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, machine learning models, and natural language processing to simplify, summarize, and augment digital content to increase comprehension for people with cognitive disabilities, the aging population, or those learning English as a second language." The software replaces complex words and informal speech patterns (e.g. colloquialisms, idioms), with easier to understand alternatives. It can also summarize content for quick reading later. According to the development team, the software could theoretically be implemented into any software on a variety of platforms.
• SeeingAI: A freeMicrosoft app created to help users with visual impairments more easily navigate the world around them (http://www.wirelessrerc.org/microsofts-seeing-ai-app-helps-users-visual-impairments-identify-currency-handwriting-and-other). With 100,000 downloads to date, the app provides audio feedback to users in a variety of applications, such as currency recognition, clothing color, and now, handwriting recognition. The app is available in 35 countries and allows users to customize the speech rate and other features to improve accessibility.
Source: Federal Communications Commission website.
Chairman's Awards for Advancements in Accessibility
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Wireless RERC on the Record: Accessibility of Communications Technologies
Submitted by Mz22 on May 14, 2018 - 11:02am
May 2018 – The Wireless RERC submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission in response to their Public Notice In the Matter of The Accessibility of Communications Technologies for the 2018 Biennial Report Required by the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act [CG Docket No. 10-213]. In anticipation of this Public Notice, the Wireless RERC conducted a 2017 Mobile Phone Accessibility Review (Accessibility Review/Review). The Review included mobile phone models available as of September 2017 from the top four wireless carriers, one prepaid carrier, and five Lifeline Carriers. Researchers, using the providers' web pages as a reference, identified 214 mobile phones for evaluation. Data were collected on 24 accessibility features (or features that impact accessibility) available in each phone model. Wireless RERC comments shared the results of the Accessibility Review. Additionally, the comments were informed by recently conducted focus groups on the use of "new communications technologies" by people with disabilities. Overall, the comments indicate that the accessibility of advanced communications technologies is improving. More accessibility features are available, and many of these features are customizable (e.g., the rate of speech for voice output, vibration adjustment, font adjustment, and more). These are much-appreciated gains. However, a perennial barrier to access, device setup, which quite literally allows the user to gain entry to the device, requires addressing to move the needle forward on people with disabilities' independently accessing advanced communications technologies and services. Following are a few specifics from the comments:
The researchers encountered difficulty in locating information about certain features. Consumers with disabilities may experience a similar problem when comparing models and selecting a phone to purchase. While people without disabilities can compare phone models based on preferences alone, people with disabilities may have accessibility requirements for the phone to be usable by them (e.g., video calling, HAC, screen reader, AT connection).
Of the 214 phones, 0% of devices had full, out-of-the-box accessibility. The benefit of full, out-of-the-box accessibility is that it simplifies phone selection for people with varying capabilities and functional levels. If all phones were fully accessible, then people with disabilities could select from all available models. As it stands now, people with disabilities have a more limited selection, and more research is required on the part of the consumer prior to purchase.
Input type can raise barriers that people with various types of disabilities may encounter when attempting to use mobile phone devices both smart and non-smartphones. Many smartphones require a degree of sight and dexterity that can be a limiting factor to users.
Various disability groups are increasingly adopting smart speakers with intelligent agents, particularly the Amazon Echo and Amazon Dot with Alexa. Consumers who are blind or who have low vision, for whom graphical interfaces may not be accessible, as well as people with dexterity or mobility-related disabilities, for whom button or touchscreen control may pose a barrier to use, have cited the voice control features of these devices as useful.
Consumers with limited dexterity or impaired hand function, such as people with spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis, have indicated the potential usefulness of wearables in their own lives. For example, the ability to use near-field communication (NFC) for payments often simplifies what is a complex task for many users who find handling cash or cards to be difficult. However, they also have noted that complex gestures, such as multi-finger swipes, complicate their use of the devices.
Consumers with disabilities who use wearables such as the Apple Watch discussed in great detail the effect that operating system updates may have on otherwise accessible or usable apps and menu structures for these devices. In a manner similar to smartphone system updates, users of these devices have expressed a desire to understand the effect of operating system updates on app accessibility through some means other than "trial and error."
Read the Wireless RERC's Comments
wireless_rerc_comments_2018_cvaa_implementation_evaluation.pdf
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Over The Counter Hearing Aids Promise to Reduce Accessibility Costs
Submitted by Mz22 on April 12, 2018 - 11:03am
March 2018 – Nuheara, a small Australian company, has designed its newest generation of the IQBuds headphones, the IQBuds Boost, to act as a low-cost alternative to hearing aids. The Boost headphones are programmable to enable personalized hearing experiences similar to those available when getting prescription earbuds from an audiologist. Justin Miller, a representative from Nuheara, says "We became the first company in the world to develop a product that effectively fits the audiologist in a box. It conducts a complete hearing test on you," and the headphones can then function as personalized hearing aids. This will mark some of the first over the counter hearing aids in the US, following the move by President Trump last October to sign the Over the Counter Hearing Aid act into law. These devices already represent significant cost savings from traditional hearing aids, and future competitors will likely improve quality and make even more affordable products available to consumers. [Source: Loz Blain, New Atlas]
Audiologist-grade IQBuds Boost: Intelligent hearing aid tech in Bluetooth earbuds
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UC Berkeley, Blackboard Partner Up for Accessibility
March 2018 – UC Berkeley has partnered with Blackboard Inc. to offer more accessible online course content using Blackboard Ally. Blackboard Ally can be used to offer guidance to instructors on how to make their online content more accessible, and for searching through an institution's course materials to automatically check for accessibility issues. Nicolaas Matthijs, Blackboard's Product Manager, says the company "looks forward to working with the talented team at Berkeley to help instructors deliver the accessible materials students need and deserve." [Source: Global Accessibility News]
UC Berkeley Furthers Commitment to Accessibility with New Blackboard Partnership
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A Tribute to Stephen Hawking, a Remarkable Theoretical Physicist and Advocate for People with Disabilities
Submitted by kgoughnour3 on April 4, 2018 - 1:23pm
"I want to show that people need not be limited by physical handicaps as long as they are not disabled in spirit." – Dr. Stephen Hawking
Professor Stephen Hawking passed away on March 14, 2018, at the age of 76. The famous theoretical physicist helped bring the concepts of black holes and quantum gravity to a broad public audience. One of his biggest breakthroughs occurred in 1973 when Hawking discovered that black holes were not truly black; a tiny amount of radiation could escape their grasp (University of Cambridge, 2018). This radiation is now referred to as Hawking Radiation. On reminiscing about his discovery, Hawking said, "I wasn't looking for them [Hawking Radiation] at all. I merely tripped over them. I was rather annoyed" (New York Times, 2018). This radical rethinking of gravity and quantum mechanics is largely seen as the first "great landmark in the struggle to find a single theory of nature" (New York Times, 2018). It is no exaggeration to say that Hawking's discovery has driven and continues to drive theoretical physics forward (The Atlantic, 2018).
Author of A Brief History of Time and From the Big Bang to Black Holes, Dr. Hawking was known throughout the world for his works and his humor. Born on January 8, 1942 (exactly three hundred years after the death of Galileo Galilei), Hawking learned as a graduate student at Cambridge University in 1963 that he had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a degenerative neuromuscular disease also known as Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS). He was given only a few years to live (New York Times, 2018). As he would later come to learn, however, Dr. Hawking had a very slow-progressing form of ALS, which affects less than a few percent of people with the condition (Scientific American, 2018). For most of his adult life, Hawking had diminishing control over his body, eventually only being able to interact through the flexing of his index finger and voluntary eye movements. To improve his ability to communicate, under Hawking's request, Intel and smartphone keyboard company, SwiftKey, developed the Assistive Contextually Aware Toolkit (ACAT)(Quartz, 2018). The software used predictive machine learning algorithms that had been trained on Hawking's work, and Dr. Hawking's innovative communication systems and specialized wheelchair allowed Dr. Hawking to share his work and respond much more quickly. On the effect of assistive technology on his life he wrote, "Without this technology, I would be mute, a prisoner inside my own mind. I would not be able to ask for a cup of tea, let alone describe my no-boundary theory of how the universe began. Because I have had such phenomenal technological support, I feel a responsibility to speak for others who have not" (Mashable, 2018).
Hawking remained active throughout his life, spending thirty years as a full professor of mathematics at the University of Cambridge (Scientific American, 2018). In 2009, Hawking was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama, who on the occasion said, "From his wheelchair, he's led us on a journey to the farthest and strangest reaches of the cosmos. In so doing, he has stirred our imagination and shown us the power of the human spirit here on Earth" (Obama White House, 2013). In an interview with the New York Times shortly after Hawking's death, Michio Kaku, a professor of theoretical physics at the City University of New York said, "Not since Albert Einstein has a scientist so captured the public imagination and endeared himself to tens of millions of people around the world" (New York Times, 2018).
Writing on his condition on his website, Dr. Hawking said, "I have had motor neuron disease for practically all my adult life. Yet it has not prevented me from having a very attractive family and being successful in my work. I have been lucky that my condition has progressed more slowly than is often the case. But it shows that one need not lose hope" (University of Cambridge, 2018). A few months before his death, Dr. Hawking also shared, "I want to share my excitement and enthusiasm about this quest. So remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious, and however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do, and succeed at. It matters that you don't just give up" (University of Cambridge, 2018). Lucie Bruijn, Chief Scientist of The ALS Association, an advocacy and research organization in Washington, D.C., described Hawking as an inspiration for people with disabilities, saying, "He was a real figure of hope — that you can do things like communicate and continue to pursue a lifelong dream" (Mashable, 2018).
Dr. Hawking's body may have lived in his wheelchair, but his mind lived among the cosmos. He never accepted that he should be limited by his condition, and he outlived his prognosis by five decades. In the process, he transformed our understanding of the universe and many people's perceptions of disability. In the preface of the World Health Organization's World Report on Disability (2011), Hawkings wrote, "Disability need not be an obstacle to success. I have had motor neuron disease for practically all my adult life. Yet it has not prevented me from having a prominent career in astrophysics and a happy family life. In fact, we have a moral duty to remove the barriers to participation and to invest sufficient funding and expertise to unlock the vast potential of people with disabilities. Governments throughout the world can no longer overlook the hundreds of millions of people with disabilities who are denied access to health, rehabilitation, support, education and employment and never get the chance to shine."
Throughout his life, Dr. Hawking believed that knowledge and the universe should be available to all; not locked away in texts that only academics could access and understand. Beyond his own books and publications, a film was produced on his life. The Theory of Everything is an award-winning 2014 British biographical romantic drama film set at Cambridge University and details Hawking's life. It was adapted from the memoir, Traveling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen, by Jane Hawking, Dr. Hawking's wife of thirty years.
Reflecting on the immense accomplishments of his old friend, Martin Rees, a Cambridge University cosmologist, the Astronomer Royal of England wrote of his longtime colleague, "His name will live in the annals of science; millions have had their cosmic horizons widened by his best-selling books; and even more, around the world, have been inspired by a unique example of achievement against all the odds — a manifestation of amazing willpower and determination" (Deccan Herald, 2018). Living with a life-long disability and possessing an uncommon spirit and intellect, Dr. Hawking's attitudes and achievements inspire hope. Dr. Hawking and his singular intellect stand as a testament to his work in raising awareness and trying to improve life for people with disabilities while figuring out the mysteries of the cosmos.
Stephen Hawking Dies at 76; His Mind Roamed the Cosmos
Professor Stephen Hawking
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A brief history of Stephen Hawking's work
Stephen Hawking was a remarkable advocate for people with disabilities
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