In this Blind Vet Tech Quick Guides, News and Reviews podcast, we demonstrate how to connect to the VA Video Connect through iOS. Be sure to check out how to connect to VA Video Connect via your computer by clicking this link. VA Video Connect provides VA providers and Veterans a great way to connect utilizing personal computers and smart phones. This promotes Veteran’s abilities to engage with their healthcare teams in a safe and accessible manner.

Overall the VA Video Connect iOS app is the quickest and best way to use this service. The seamless transition from the appointment email into the iOS app eliminates some of the confusion one might feel when connecting via the web browser methods. All of the screens and form elements work very well with Voice Over and you will not find any mislabeled buttons and the like.

Using VA Video Connect requires one to follow these steps:

* Contact your provider and ask about VA Video Connect

* Open the VA Video Connect email prior to the appointment

* Download the iOS VA Video Connect app

* Select either the link for connecting to your provider or the test link

Stay Informed

Stay up to date with the latest news and announcements from the Blind Vet Tech team, by doing one of the following:

* Subscribe to the Blind Vet Tech News and Announcements podcast on iTunes.

* Never miss an article or podcast episode through Apple News.

* Listen to the Blind Vet Tech Quick Guides, News and Reviews podcast on any Alexa enabled device, Victor Reader Stream, Hims, TuneIn Radio, and anywhere else you listen to podcasts by searching for Blind Vet Tech.

Send us an email if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions.

In this Blind Vet Tech Quick Guides, News and Reviews podcast, we demonstrate how to connect to the VA Video Connect through a web browser. If you use iOS devices, learn how to connect to VA Video Connect through the iOS app. VA Video Connect provides VA providers and Veterans a great way to connect utilizing personal computers and smart phones. This promotes Veteran’s abilities to engage with their healthcare teams in a safe and accessible manner.

Overall the VA Video Connect platform is a very accessible and easy method for blinded Veterans to engage with anyone from VIST coordinator to primary care providers. The service is largely accessible, with several miss labeled form elements and buttons being the only major issues. Even with these issues, individuals with the most rudimentary screen reader and magnifier skills should have no problem tabbing and arrowing their way through the screens.

Using VA Video Connect requires one to follow these steps:

* Contact your provider and ask about VA Video Connect

* Open the VA Video Connect email prior to the appointment

* Select either the link for connecting to your provider or the test link

* Tab through the VA Video Connect screen and insert your name

* Select Settings to ensure you are using the correct video camera and microphone

* Connect to the session

Stay Informed

Stay up to date with the latest news and announcements from the Blind Vet Tech team, by doing one of the following:

* Subscribe to the Blind Vet Tech News and Announcements podcast on iTunes.

* Never miss an article or podcast episode through Apple News.

* Listen to the Blind Vet Tech Quick Guides, News and Reviews podcast on any Alexa enabled device, Victor Reader Stream, Hims, TuneIn Radio, and anywhere else you listen to podcasts by searching for Blind Vet Tech.

Send us an email if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions.

In this Blind Vet Tech Quick Guides, News and Reviews podcast, we demonstrate and review the AfterShokz Trekz Air. The Trekz Air builds upon the evolution of the open ear revolution with their first bone conduction headsets. Since then, AfterShokz establish several bluetooth models that wavered in comfort and style. The Air attempts to resolve many of the problems from the past, like comfort, poor microphone quality, and construction. Listen to the episode to see if they succeeded.

The Trekz Air is a great addition to the AfterShokz line. Individuals looking for an open ear designed headset for outdoor activities will definitely be swayed by their construction and and fit. The audio quality is average for headsets but improved over previous iterations of bone conduction headsets. The reliance on Bluetooth 4.2 and Micro USB cables proves the Air received only modest improvements over the Titaniums. Overall, it is a hard call if upgrading from the Trekz Titanium is worth it, while new comers to AfterShokz should not skip the Air.

For individuals with visual impairments, the AfterShokz Trekz Air offer us a safe and reliable alternative to other headsets. The open ear design ensures we may use things like Aira to explore our surroundings without missing out on environmental sounds. The unique capabilities of Aira nd AfterShokz makes pairing them together a very sound choice.

Related to Aira, do not miss out on Aira’s April Access Lotto for your chance to win free minutes to Aira subscriptions. All you need to do is use Aira at any of its Access locations. This simple act will enter you automatically. SO download Aira from the App Store or Google Play store and embark on your next adventure.

Stay Informed

Stay up to date with the latest news and announcements from the Blind Vet Tech team, by doing one of the following:

* Subscribe to the Blind Vet Tech News and Announcements podcast on iTunes.

* Never miss an article or podcast episode through Apple News.

* Listen to the Blind Vet Tech Quick Guides, News and Reviews podcast on any Alexa enabled device, Victor Reader Stream, Hims, TuneIn Radio, and anywhere else you listen to podcasts by searching for Blind Vet Tech.

Send us an email if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions.

In this Blind Vet Tech Quick Guides, News and Reviews podcast, Joe Quirk of Mental Vision provides a behind the scenes look at developing the audio game , Circus Masters Revenge and his other projects. Circus Masters Revenge is an immersive audio game in line with Audio Defense that fully captures your imagination through extremely challenging levels. This discussion with Joe enables one to understand the amount of effort required to produce a captivating iOS audio game. We also have a fun discussion about the Hooke Verse and Joe’s new Youtube channel. Learn more about Joe and his projects by visiting:

* Mental Vision’s Inclusive Action Video Games Blog

* Circus Masters Revenge’s AppleVis Discussion

* Mental Vision on Youtube

Stay Informed

Stay up to date with the latest news and announcements from the Blind Vet Tech team, by doing one of the following:

* Subscribe to the Blind Vet Tech News and Announcements podcast on iTunes.

* Never miss an article or podcast episode through Apple News.

* Listen to the Blind Vet Tech Quick Guides, News and Reviews podcast on any Alexa enabled device, Victor Reader Stream, Hims, TuneIn Radio, and anywhere else you listen to podcasts by searching for Blind Vet Tech.

Send us an email if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions.

In this Blind Vet Tech Quick Guides, News and Reviews podcast, Steve Baskis from Baskis 360 joins us for a behind the scenes look at his studio. Baskis 360 is the latest endeavor from the founder of Blind Endeavors where he engages with hist guests on a variety of topics like research, politics, disability issues, to so much more. Baskis 360 combines live interviews with a variety of media and overlays reflective of programs from major news networks. This discussion with Steve lays the foundation for understanding what it takes to enter the podcasting to live streaming arena as a visually impaired producer. Learn more about Baskis 360 by visiting:

* Baskis 360 on Youtube

* Baskis 360 Studio setup

Stay Informed

Stay up to date with the latest news and announcements from the Blind Vet Tech team, by doing one of the following:

* Subscribe to the Blind Vet Tech News and Announcements podcast on iTunes.

* Never miss an article or podcast episode through Apple News.

* Listen to the Blind Vet Tech Quick Guides, News and Reviews podcast on any Alexa enabled device, Victor Reader Stream, Hims, TuneIn Radio, and anywhere else you listen to podcasts by searching for Blind Vet Tech.

Send us an email if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions.

In this Blind Vet Tech Quick Guides, News and Reviews podcast, we demonstrate and review Cash Reader. Cash Reader is a basic yet powerful app to recognize currencies from around the world. The app provides a 14 day free trial upon first opening the app. After the trial ends, you will either be limited to only recognizing the lowest 2 bills for the set currency or purchase the full version for $13.99.

Cash Reader contains the standard features other money recognition apps provides, It utilizes your TTS settings and continuously announces the bill being scanned until it is removed or replaced. When no bill is detected, an option in settings will enable or disable a continuous beeping sound. Unique to Cash Reader is a vibration pattern. This unique feature enables one to determine the currency being identified by just feeling the iPhone.

Overall Cash Reader is a great addition to the category of recognition apps for the blind. Cash Reader balances nicely between a no frills interface while possessing some wonderful features. If the freemium aspect of the app concerns you, try it out for at least the free 14 day trial and drop us a line with your thoughts. You can find Cash Reader on the App Store by clicking here.

Stay Informed

Stay up to date with the latest news and announcements from the Blind Vet Tech team, by doing one of the following:

* Subscribe to the Blind Vet Tech News and Announcements podcast on iTunes.

* Never miss an article or podcast episode through Apple News.

* Listen to the Blind Vet Tech Quick Guides, News and Reviews podcast on any Alexa enabled device, Victor Reader Stream, Hims, TuneIn Radio, and anywhere else you listen to podcasts by searching for Blind Vet Tech.

Send us an email if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions.

In this Blind Vet Tech Quick Guides, News and Reviews podcast, we embark upon the new topic of health and fitness by discussing and demonstrating how to use Trainer Road. Indoor cycling is a fantastic method for all individuals to achieve their fitness goals. At the most basic level, an indoor bike, trainer with a bike connected, or the bikes at your local gym may be sufficient to obtain a great level of fitness. For individuals requiring a more structured approach, Trainer Road offers a variety of training sessions and plans to quickly increase your cycling power. While Trainer Road is not entirely accessible for Voice Over users on iOS, the following workarounds makes Trainer Road a powerful tool for visually Impaired Cyclists.

* Calendar Screen

* Voice Over tends to land on the workout for the current day, if not simply close and relaunch the app

* Load Workout is not label as a button, but this is the button one needs to advance to the workout’s screen

* Another Load Workout button is located at the bottom of the overview screen for the current workout that will start the actual workout

* Workout Screen

* 3 areas of the screen, workout data, Intensity 100%, and Devices Paired

* Imagine the workout metric as the below table where Voice Over will announce the 3 headings before reading the 3 data points

Power

Interval TimeHeart Rate

200

1:25

120 (with paired sensor)

Target

Total Time

Cadence (with paired sensor

200

1:15.52

90 (if sensor paired)

* Intensity 100% has nothing that Voice Over interacts with and is most likely the workout’s timeline

* Devices Paired indicated the number of devices you have paired and where to add new devices. A close button on the next screen in the upper left corner is not accessible with Voice Over.

* Results Screen

* Presents a usable albeit rough with Voice Over summary of the workout

* Text box for inserting notes is accessible and easy to use

* Table with results from each interval is usable

* Analyze button at the bottom of the page will take you to Safari to review the results

* Strava or the Analyze option is an easier to read the summary

* Will need to use the three finger swipe up and down to move throughout the summary page more efficiently than Voice Over left and right swiping methods

Please note that Trainer Road does not offer auditory announcements about your current status. You can use Wahoo Fitness as a workaround. It is advisable to create a profile for indoor training in Wahoo Fitness where it will announce current power, cadence, and heart rate every 15 to 30 seconds. The duration between announcements should be based on the workout as some Trainer Road sessions use short intervals for power workouts and longer intervals for endurance workouts. If you opt to go this route, do not open Fitness until after the workout in Trainer Road started due to how the smart trainer would pair with the apps.

Stay Informed

Stay up to date with the latest news and announcements from the Blind Vet Tech team, by doing one of the following:

* Subscribe to the Blind Vet Tech News and Announcements podcast on iTunes.

* Never miss an article or podcast episode through Apple News.

* Listen to the Blind Vet Tech Quick Guides, News and Reviews podcast on any Alexa enabled device, Victor Reader Stream, Hims, TuneIn Radio,

In this Blind Vet Tech Quick Guides, News and Reviews podcast, we demonstrate 3 amazing tricks to show off blind tech skills. A recent Twitter post brought the sighted community down on a visually impaired individual for using their iPhone. The reaction stems from ignorance related to the skills we possess as blind tech users. These three tricks will provide you with a chance to show off your skills while presenting an opportunity to explain Voice Over and other assistive tech. The three tricks includes:

* Sharing a contact card via AirDrop

* Open Contacts and navigate to a contact card

* Elect Share

* Select the device to Airdrop the card onto

* Enable AirDrop by navigating to Settings, General, Airdrop

* Select off, Contacts, or Everyone

* Using Speak Display to read an article through TTS

* Navigate to Settings, General, Accessibility, and Speech

* Turn on Speak Display

* Change the voice through the Voice menu or Rate of Speech through the slider

* Use a 2 finger swipe down from the top of the screen to have the TTS automatically speak the screen

* Enable Magnifier to turn any iOS device into a digital magnifier

* Navigate to Settings, General, Accessibility, Magnifier

* Turn on Magnifier

* Press the Accessibility Shortcut to activate Magnifier and the home button/swipe to deactivate it

Stay Informed

Stay up to date with the latest news and announcements from the Blind Vet Tech team, by doing one of the following:

* Subscribe to the Blind Vet Tech News and Announcements podcast on iTunes.

* Never miss an article or podcast episode through Apple News.

* Listen to the Blind Vet Tech Quick Guides, News and Reviews podcast on any Alexa enabled device, Victor Reader Stream, Hims, TuneIn Radio, and anywhere else you listen to podcasts by searching for Blind Vet Tech.

Send us an email if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions.

In this Blind Vet Tech Quick Guides, News and Reviews podcast, we demonstrate Alexa’3 simple commands to change playback speed of Audible audiobooks. Audible’s recent announcement on how to alter playback speeds of audiobooks is a feature users clamored for years. After all Audible’s apps offered this option for a long time, and we welcome this ability to all Amazon Echos and Alexa-enabled devices. The only catch is Alexa’s playback speeds only include 75%, 100%, 125%, and 150%. Regardless, it feels fantastic to possess the freedom to switch between these speeds. Here are the commands you will need to know to decrease or increase Audible’s playback rate with Alexa:

* Alexa, read slower

* Alexa, read faster

*

* Alexa, read at normal speed

Please note that Audible is rather strict with these commands. For example, “increase playback speed” or “read at normal rate” will prompt Alexa to respond with instructions on controlling playback speed with the previously mentioned commands.

Learn more about using Alexa services and devices through our other podcasts and blog entries.

Stay Informed

Stay up to date with the latest news and announcements from the Blind Vet Tech team, by doing one of the following:

* Subscribe to the Blind Vet Tech News and Announcements podcast on iTunes.

* Never miss an article or podcast episode through Apple News.

* Listen to the Blind Vet Tech Quick Guides, News and Reviews podcast on any Alexa enabled device, Victor Reader Stream, Hims, TuneIn Radio, and anywhere else you listen to podcasts by searching for Blind Vet Tech.

Send us an email if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions.

In this Blind Vet Tech Quick Guides, News and Reviews podcast, we demonstrate and review the OCR capabilities of Microsoft Seeing AI and Aira’s Chloe. Seeing AI’s OCR ease of use and OCR efficiency makes it the gold standard which to compare other OCR solutions. I would even say that Seeing AI is more advance than similar OCR solutions, like KNFB Reader to Orcam. This makes Seeing AI a great method to evaluate the progress Aira made with Chloe’s OCR capabilities.

This review placed Seeing AI and Chloe head to head in the following tasks:

li>OCR 2 business cards

* Microsoft Seeing AI Short Text Channel

* Aira’s Chloe “Read This” command

* Recognized a page from a credit card application

* Microsoft Seeing AI Short Text and Document Channels

* Aira’s Chloe “Read This” and “Read This Document commands

* Recognize a page from a book

* Microsoft Seeing AI Short Text and Document Channels

* Aira’s Chloe “Read This” and “Read This Document commandsOverall, Microsoft Seeing AI continues to impress thanks to its ease of use and efficient OCR engines. Afterall, Seeing AI has been around for a couple of years and received a termendous amount of resources and attention from Microsoft. Aira’s Chloe has come a long way since we first tested out the OCR capabilities last year. Even more impressive yet is that Chloe’s improvements over the last 4 months is amazing and speaks to a very bright future.

If you are new to Aira or wish to learn more about how Aira may impact your life, check out Aira’s training page. Jonathan Mosen created a wonderful audio training series that will demostrate what Aira is capable of.

Stay Informed

Stay up to date with the latest news and announcements from the Blind Vet Tech team, by doing one of the following:

* Subscribe to the Blind Vet Tech News and Announcements podcast on iTunes.

* Never miss an article or podcast episode through Apple News.

* Listen to the Blind Vet Tech Quick Guides, News and Reviews podcast on any Alexa enabled device, Victor Reader Stream, Hims, TuneIn Radio, and anywhere else you listen to podcasts by searching for Blind Vet Tech.

Send us an email if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions.