Blind Access Journal

In this approximately 35-minute fifth episode in the Aira in the Real World podcast series, Allison, Darrell, Allyssa and Arabella Hilliker unbox, describe and demonstrate the basic operation of Aira’s new Horizon system.

• Listen or Pause: Aira Horizon Unboxing
• Download: Aira Horizon Unboxing

We realized soon after the recording of this podcast that, since the included Samsung J7 is placed in an Otterbox case before shipment, the phone is not as bulky as we reported.

We invite you to listen to our previous podcast, Exploring the World with Aira: A Candid Discussion with Suman Kanuganti, especially if you are learning about this new service for the first time.

If you are ready to become an Aira Explorer, we ask that you use our referral link. Your first month of Aira service will be free of charge, we will receive a discount on our bill and we will thank you for supporting the important work we do here at Blind Access Journal.

We love hearing from our listeners! Please feel free to talk with us in the comments. What do you like? How could we make the show better? What topics would you like us to cover on future shows?

If you use Twitter, letâ€https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/12.0.0-1/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />s get connected! Please follow Allison (@AlliTalk) and Darrell (@darrell).

In this approximately 15-minute fourth episode in the Aira in the Real World podcast series, Allison, Darrell and Arabella Hilliker work with Aira agent Tai to review and label the sizes of several sets of bed sheets.

• Listen or Pause: Aira Bed Sheet Size Demo
• Download: Aira Bed Sheet Size Demo

We invite you to listen to our previous podcast, Exploring the World with Aira: A Candid Discussion with Suman Kanuganti, especially if you are learning about this new service for the first time.

If you are ready to become an Aira Explorer, we ask that you use our referral link. Your first month of Aira service will be free of charge, we will receive a discount on our bill and we will thank you for supporting the important work we do here at Blind Access Journal.

We love hearing from our listeners! Please feel free to talk with us in the comments. What do you like? How could we make the show better? What topics would you like us to cover on future shows?

If you use Twitter, letâ€https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/12.0.0-1/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />s get connected! Please follow Allison (@AlliTalk) and Darrell (@darrell).

In this approximately 39-minute podcast, Allison, Darrell and Arabella Hilliker explore and demonstrate some of the accessibility features of the Element ELEFW195 19″ 720p 60Hz LED HDTVir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=accessilife-20&l=am2&o=1&a=B00NDWJKSU" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />.

• Listen or pause: Element ELEFW195 Talking TV Demo
• Download: Element ELEFW195 Talking TV Demo

We thank Aira agent David for the descriptive labels and mapping of the accompanying remote below:

1. Power, USB
2. Picture Mode, Screen Mode, Sleep Timer, Aspect
3. 1, 2, 3
4. 4, 5, 6
5. 7, 8, 9
6. – (minus), 0, Previous Channel
7. Volume up, Mute, Channel Up
8. Volume down, source, Channel Down
9. MTS (STEREO/MONO/SAP), Menu, Freeze
10. Info, up arrow on circle pad, Previous Menu
11. Left Arrow on Circle Pad, Ok Button, Right Arrow on Circle Pad
12. Channel List, Down Arrow on Circle Pad, Exit
13. Play/Pause, Stop, Previous Chapter, Next Chapter
14. Repeat, Closed Captioning, V-Chip
15. Auto, Add/Erase, FAV

Would you like to have the capability and independence only an on-demand sighted assistant can provide? If you are ready to become an Aira Explorer, we ask that you use our referral link. Your second month of Aira service will be free of charge, our next month will be free and we will thank you for supporting the important work we do here at Blind Access Journal.

We love hearing from our listeners! Please feel free to talk with us in the comments. What do you like? How could we make the show better? What topics would you like us to cover on future shows?

If you use Twitter, letâ€https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/12.0.0-1/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />s get connected! Please follow Allison (@AlliTalk) and Darrell (@darrell).

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In this 12-minute third episode in the Aira in the Real World podcast series, Darrell Hilliker tours a potential new assisted living home for his mother with the help of an Aira agent who provides descriptions of the home’s appearance and cleanliness.

• Listen or Pause: Assisted Living Home Tour
• Download: Assisted Living Home Tour

We invite you to listen to our previous podcast, Exploring the World with Aira: A Candid Discussion with Suman Kanuganti, especially if you are learning about this new service for the first time.

If you are ready to become an Aira Explorer, we ask that you use our referral link. Your second month of Aira service will be free of charge, our next month will be free and we will thank you for supporting the important work we do here at Blind Access Journal.

We love hearing from our listeners! Please feel free to talk with us in the comments. What do you like? How could we make the show better? What topics would you like us to cover on future shows?

If you use Twitter, letâ€https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/12.0.0-1/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />s get connected! Please follow Allison (@AlliTalk) and Darrell (@darrell).

In this 27-minute second episode in their Aira in the Real World podcast series, Allison, Allyssa and Darrell Hilliker demonstrate working with an Aira agent to locate Allyssa’s cane and the restroom in their local public library.

• Listen or Pause: Finding Baby Canes and Bathrooms
• Download: Finding Baby Canes and Bathrooms

We invite you to listen to our previous podcast, Exploring the World with Aira: A Candid Discussion with Suman Kanuganti, especially if you are learning about this new service for the first time.

If you are ready to become an Aira Explorer, we ask that you use our referral link. Your second month of Aira service will be free of charge, our next month will be free and we will thank you for supporting the important work we do here at Blind Access Journal.

We love hearing from our listeners! Please feel free to talk with us in the comments. What do you like? How could we make the show better? What topics would you like us to cover on future shows?

If you use Twitter, letâ€https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/12.0.0-1/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />s get connected! Please follow Allison (@AlliTalk) and Darrell (@darrell).

In this approximately 17-minute first episode in their Aira in the Real World podcast series, Allison and Darrell Hilliker share a recording of the fetal anatomy ultrasound of their upcoming baby with the help of description from an Aira agent.

• Listen or Pause: Ultrasound Description Demo
• Download: Ultrasound Description Demo

We invite you to listen to our previous podcast, Exploring the World with Aira: A Candid Discussion with Suman Kanuganti, especially if you are learning about this new service for the first time.

If you are ready to become an Aira Explorer, we ask that you use our referral link. Your second month of Aira service will be free of charge, our next month will be free and we will thank you for supporting the important work we do here at Blind Access Journal.

We love hearing from our listeners! Please feel free to talk with us in the comments. What do you like? How could we make the show better? What topics would you like us to cover on future shows?

If you use Twitter, letâ€https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/12.0.0-1/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />s get connected! Please follow Allison (@AlliTalk) and Darrell (@darrell).

In this approximately 45-minute podcast, Allison, Allyssa and Darrell Hilliker talk with Dr. Denise Robinson all about her company, TechVision and her thoughts about the education of blind children and adults.

• Listen or Pause: Denise Robinson
• Download: Denise Robinson

We love hearing from our listeners! Please feel free to talk with us in the comments. What do you like? How could we make the show better? What topics would you like us to cover on future shows?

If you use Twitter, letâ€https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/12.0.0-1/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />s get connected! Please follow Allison (@AlliTalk) and Darrell (@darrell).

In this approximately 50-minute informal podcast, Allison, Allyssa and Darrell Hilliker talk with Aira CEO Suman Kanuganti at the 2017 National Federation of the Blind Convention about this promising, new disruptive service that aims to give blind people “instant access to information” through the use of augmented reality and wearable technology.

• Listen or Pause: Suman Kanuganti
• Download: Suman Kanuganti

We love hearing from our listeners! Please feel free to talk with us in the comments. What do you like? How could we make the show better? What topics would you like us to cover on future shows?

If you use Twitter, letâ€https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/12.0.0-1/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />s get connected! Please follow Allison (@AlliTalk) and Darrell (@darrell).

In this approximately 10-minute podcast, Darrell Hilliker demonstrates high-frequency (HF) amateur radio operation and thanks Gary (AC7R) and his crew for the chance to spend some time on the air during Field Day weekend.

• Listen or Pause: Field Day
• Download: Field Day

We love hearing from our listeners! Please feel free to talk with us in the comments. What do you like? How could we make the show better? What topics would you like us to cover on future shows?

If you use Twitter, letâ€https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/12.0.0-1/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />s get connected! Please follow Allison (@AlliTalk) and Darrell (@darrell).

This approximately one-hour podcast is an audio recording of a real-world demonstration for following a systematic plan that explores, evaluates and tests iOS apps for accessibility with Apple’s built-in VoiceOver screen reader for blind and low-vision users. The August 3, 2016 webinar was presented by Darrell Hilliker and hosted by the Arizona Technology Access Program. A video, including closed captioning, is also available.

• Listen or Pause: Teaching and Testing iOS App VoiceOver Accessibility Webinar
• Download: Teaching and Testing iOS App VoiceOver Accessibility Webinar

Webinar Purpose: introduce and demonstrate a step-by-step plan that provides a straightforward way for advocates, developers, educators and others to quickly explore, learn and improve the accessibility of all apps in Apple’s iOS ecosystem.

What is a Screen Reader?

• A form of assistive technology
• A Software program that turns information shown on a screen of a computer or mobile device into Braille or speech
• Screen readers and accessibility enable blind people to learn, work and live in a technology-based world alongside sighted people.

VoiceOver

• One type of screen reader that was created by Apple
• Has been a built-in feature on all iOS devices since 2010
• Enables Braille and speech access for users who are unable to see the screen
• Speaks screen elements aloud or enables them to be displayed in braille

Accessibility

• True accessibility means that all parts of a platform’s features, benefits, information, policies, procedures, products, responsibilities, rights, services and technologies are developed and implemented in ways that are usable by people with disabilities.
• VoiceOver and other screen readers work best when apps are deliberately developed in ways that ensure compatibility.
• Important for blind/VI individuals to be considered during development and included in the testing process.
• Apple provides developers guidelines for making apps work with VoiceOver.

• Advocates may use the plan to identify the accessibility issues they report to developers.
• Developers may follow the plan to test their apps.
• Decision makers may incorporate the plan into their user-acceptance testing and other procedures.
• Educators may use the plan as a framework for evaluating the non-visual accessibility of iOS apps.

1. Press the Home button on the iOS device. (round button located on the bottom middle of the screen)
2. Tap Settings.
3. Tap General.
4. Tap Accessibility.
5. Tap VoiceOver.
6. Hold the VoiceOver switch and swipe to the right to turn it on.
7. (Recommended) Hold the Speak Hints switch and swipe to the right to turn it on.
8. (Optional) Triple tap the screen with three fingers to enable the Screen Curtain. This feature blanks out the screen, resulting in a more realistic environment for nonvisual accessibility testing.

Use Any of These Techniques To Activate VoiceOver Without Sight.

• Press the Home button three times quickly. (Works if the Triple Click Home option in the iOS device’s accessibility settings is configured to use VoiceOver)
• Hold down the Home button and ask Siri to “turn on VoiceOver”
• Connect the iOS device to a computer running iTunes and turn on VoiceOver under the accessibility configuration screen.

1. Open the app to be tested.
2. Tap the top of the screen with four fingers.
3. Flick to the right through all elements on the app’s home screen.
1. Are all controls labeled in a way that makes sense when you listen to VoiceOver without looking at the screen?
2. Are you able to choose all buttons and other controls by double tapping them as you hear them spoken by VoiceOver?
3. Does VoiceOver stay focused throughout use or does it become jumpy and read items out of order?
4. When one or more items in a list is highlighted or selected, does VoiceOver say “selected” or provide any other indication of its status?
5. If a list typically enables a sighted user to pull down with one finger, is a VoiceOver user able to update the list by swiping down with three fingers?
6. Are all elements available to VoiceOver or are some items not spoken?
7. Are there features that require the use of custom gestures that are not available to VoiceOver users?
8. If visual cues, such as color, are important, does VoiceOver speak this information?
9. Are all elements presented in a logical order as you move around the screen? If the relationship between elements is important, is it clearly conveyed nonvisually?
10. Listen for special hints, such as “double tap to play,” spoken after the name of each element. If these hints are never heard, make sure hints are enabled in VoiceOver settings.
11. If audio is playing, does its volume decrease, or duck down, while VoiceOver is speaking?
12. Does a two-finger scrub (Z-shaped gesture) activate the escape function of the arrow in the upper-lefthand corner of the screen?
13. Does the app offer accessibility enhancements such as direct touch, keyboard shortcuts, magic tap or specific support for Braille displays, switches or other forms of assistive technology?
4. Flick to the left through the same home screen. Make detailed notes of anything that does not seem to function as expected with VoiceOver enabled.
5. Tap the top of the screen with four fingers.
6. Flick to the right, one element at a time, and double tap the first item where choosing it should lead to another screen.
7. Repeat steps 3 through 5 on every screen the app contains, testing and noting any issues found with all elements.

If you are a developer, using the notes obtained from testing, make all bug fixes necessary to deliver a fully accessible experience for users who rely on VoiceOver. Consider prioritizing the correction of accessibility bugs according to the order suggested in the plan. See the resources at the end of this presentation for details.

If you are reporting accessibility bugs to a developer, consider using the following format:

• Description: A few concise words explaining the accessibility issue.
• Steps to reproduce: Write down the exact steps you followed to cause the accessibility bug to happen.
• Current behavior: Summarize the incorrect or unexpected behavior you are observing.
• Expected behavior: Summarize the behavior you expect to observe once the accessibility issue has been resolved.
• App and hardware information: Include a statement concisely providing as much information as possible about the version of the app being tested and the iOS device on which it is running.

The following accessibility bug was recently filed with Facebook against an important feature in the company’s iOS app.

Description: The details of event invitations are inaccessible to VoiceOver.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Make sure VoiceOver is turned on in Settings > General > Accessibility > VoiceOver on the iOS device.
2. Open the Facebook app.
3. Open any event invitation.
4. Tap the top of the screen with four fingers.
5. Repeatedly flick to the right through the event invitation, pausing after each flick to listen to the information provided by VoiceOver.
6. Note that important information, such as the event’s date, location, time and other details, are not spoken.

Current behavior: In its current implementation, event invitations are inaccessible and virtually useless to blind people using Facebook’s iOS app.

Expected behavior: Blind Facebook users should be able to access event invitations on terms of equality with their sighted friends.

Facebook version 60.0.0.37.141 is running on an iPhone 6 with iOS version 9.3.3.

• If you are a developer, check your work using blind alpha testers, followed by a select group of beta testers from the blind community.
• If you are an advocate, thoroughly test the app according to the plan,then provide detailed feedback to its developer along with your accessibility request.
• If you are an educator, test the app against this plan and any additional laws, policies or regulations your institution may have in place before recommending its use for your blind students.
• If you are a decision maker, test the app against this plan and any additional laws, policies or regulations that apply to your agency, company, organization or personal conscience, then do not recommend or purchase the app if it is not accessible. Provide feedback about your decision to the company that owns the app.

• VoiceOverEasy Introductory Tutorials
• Accessibility Programming Guidelines for iOS
• Learn VoiceOver gestures
• Test Accessibility on Your Device with VoiceOver
• View Controller Programming Guide for iOS: Supporting Accessibility
• Tips For Accessibility Testing Of iOS Apps
• Information For Developers On How to Build Accessible iOS and Mac Apps
• Tips for Taking Full Advantage of VoiceOver in Your App

We love hearing from our listeners! Please feel free to talk with us in the comments. What do you like? How could we make the show better? What topics would you like us to cover on future shows?

If you use Twitter, letâ€https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/12.0.0-1/72x72/2122.png" alt="™" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />s get connected! Please follow Allison (@AlliTalk) and Darrell (@darrell).