In this Blind Level Tech monthly Tech Roundup, Evan welcomes David Ward back as a recurring monthly guest for a new, evolving roundup format covering access tech, mainstream tech, and useful listener-focused tools.
The episode begins with a discussion of VAL, a customizable talking clock and chime app from Quentin Williams. Evan shares his love of auditory timekeeping, retro talking clocks, hourly chimes, alarms, and custom clock sounds, while David reflects on older talking clocks and possible uses for older devices.
Evan and David then move into screen reader and accessibility updates, including NVDA 2026.1, security fixes, remote access changes, and TalkBack improvements. They discuss TalkBack’s improved live region announcements, braille display command remapping, selection mode fixes, and the welcome news that Samsung is moving away from its separate Galaxy TalkBack version in favor of unified Google TalkBack.
The conversation also covers HumanWare’s Victor Reader Stratus, Victor Reader history, the origins of the “Victor” name, dedicated blindness technology, and whether devices like the Victor Reader still make sense in a smartphone world. Evan and David compare dedicated players with modern alternatives such as iPhones, Blindshell phones, Bard Mobile, Bookshare apps, Voice Dream Reader, and other accessible tools.
A major portion of the episode focuses on Apple’s newly announced accessibility features expected in iOS 27, including enhanced AI image recognition, Magnifier improvements, possible live descriptions, voice control upgrades, and the potential for more natural language control of devices. Evan and David discuss how these features could especially help blind users, people with multiple disabilities, older adults, and users who need alternatives to touch-based interaction.
They also look at Meta Ray-Ban glasses, including walking directions, Be My Eyes integrations, verbal commands, gesture customization, the Meta SDK, and the possibility of future Seeing AI integration. The episode closes with David sharing his website and Braille Sonar project, Evan inviting listener feedback and future guest co-hosts, and a preview of an upcoming episode on weather radios.
CONTACTS / RESOURCES
Feedback:
[email protected]
Voicemail:
720-712-8856
Website:
Aftersight.org
David Ward:
certdoctor.com
Creators & Guests