The Canadian Council of the Blind Podcast

Here is an older episode not previously posted.  

Get Together with Technology (GTT)

Sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB)

Show Notes:

February 20, 2020

Theme: GTT Northern Ontario, Amazon Speakers,

Presenter: Albert Ruel

Here’s an older recording just found for your enjoyment. 

List of Amazon Echo speakers:

Amazon Echo Speaker

Echo Studio, with high-fidelity

Echo Dot

Amazon Tap, with battery

Echo Look, with screen and camera

Echo Show

Echo Spot

Echo Plus, a hub for setting up compatible devices

The features of the device include: voice interaction, music playback, making to-do lists, setting alarms, streaming podcasts, and playing audiobooks, in addition to providing weather, traffic and other real-time information. It can also control several smart devices, acting as a home automation  hub.

Setting up Alexa, use the Amazon Alexa App. 

Alexa apps to download, Amazon Alexa App and Alexa Skills. 

Here's how to set up your brand-new Amazon Echo.

Step 1: Download the Alexa App.

Step 2: Plug in the Echo.

Step 3: Connect the Echo to Wi-Fi via the app.

Step 4: Start talking to Alexa.

Step 5: Start using your Echo.

Optional Step 6: Connect smart home devices or an external speaker.

Setting up Alexa Skills:

To enable Alexa skills in the Alexa app:

From the menu, select Skills & Games.

Find a skill you want to use, and then select it to open the skill detail page.

Select Enable Skill, or ask Alexa to open the skill. Tip: Refer to the skill's detail page for examples of things to say and to learn more.

Establishing Alexa Routines:

How to set up Routines in the Alexa app

Launch the Alexa app on your phone or tablet.

Tap the menu icon in the top left corner of the screen.

Tap Routines.

Tap the + icon in the top right corner of the screen. ...

Select When this happens.

Choose Voice.

Type in your desired trigger phrase.

Hit Save.

Attaching email accounts for calendar, contacts and email messages:

Setting up your email account in the Alexa app.

Open the Alexa app.

Tap the Menu in the top left corner and select Settings.

Select Email and Calendar.

Tap the + button. Select your email provider. ...

Log in to your email account.

To Learn more about Alexa:

Listen to the Dot to Dot podcast, a series of 5 minute podcasts showing you how to access various skills, features and activities with your Echo Speaker.  The latest one was posted on February 10 and is numbered 1107.  Robin can be reached at [email protected].  Here are a few I thought might be of interest. 

Help me get started with Skills:

Built-in Kindle Book Reading Feature:

Reading Kindle Books Revisited:

An article that could help you get more out of your Echo Speaker:

6 essential Amazon Echo tips you'll use daily

Connect your Echo to your smart home devices

Set an alarm from home or while on the go

Listen to music, audiobooks and podcasts

Play games with your friends or kids

Ask for measurement conversions

Find movies playing in theaters near you

For more information please contact your GTT Coordinators/Trainers:

Kim Kilpatrick 1-877-304-0968 Ext. 513

Albert Ruel 1-877-304-0968 Ext. 550

David Green 1-877-304-0968 Ext. 509

CCB-GTT Backgrounder:

The CCB was founded in 1944 by a coalition of blind war veterans, schools of the blind and local chapters to create a national self-governing organization. The CCB was incorporated by Letters Patent on May 10, 1950 and is a registered charity under the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada).

The purpose of the CCB is to give people with vision loss a distinctive and unique perspective before governments.  CCB deals with the ongoing effects of vision loss by encouraging active living and rehabilitation through peer support and social and recreational activities.  

CCB promotes measures to conserve sight, create a close relationship with the sighted community and provide employment opportunities.

The CCB recog

Get Together with Technology (GTT)

Sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB)

Show Notes:

GTT Vancouver

June 6, 2020

Theme: Passwords, Security and iOS Ethernet Connection

Presenter: Monty Lilburn

This was the final meeting for the Winter/Spring session with the GTT Vancouver group taking the months of July and August off.  Next meeting will be in September, and because the first Saturday in September will be on the Labour Day long weekend the meeting will be bumped to the second Saturday, September 12, 2020. 

In this episode Monty talks about passwords, authentication and everything that goes along with it.  Six topics were outlined and discussed:

1; Origin of passwords, Monty started with a brief history of password usage, as well as the use of “shibboleths” to identify those who belong, or don’t belong to a group, community, culture or class of people.  These have often been used in wartime. 

2; Identification and authentication, is when someone shows their user name to identify themselves and a means of proving they are who they said they are. 

3; Multi factor authentication, for which there are 3 types, A) the knowledge factor, something you know like a PIN, a secret handshake or a password. Monty went into detail on password strength, which relates to length, complexity and unpredictability, and that humans aren’t good at randomness and tend to use repetitiveness, predictable patterns and dates. For example, the most often used password is 1 through 6 which is used 23,000,000 times in a British Cyber Security study. Other popular ones were 1 through 9, the letters Qwerty, the word password and the number 1 7 times.  B) Something you have, or possessions, like a key to a lock, a smart phone or a token generator that generates a random number. C) is something you are, like a fingerprint, retina scan or a body image, relating to biometrics. Two additional factors have since been introduced, location and time.  Banks will track time and location if a transaction happens in Vancouver at 10AM, and again in Frankfort Germany 5 minutes later on the same account.

4; Two-step verification, which introduces security questions or something you have like a cell phone. Sym jacking/porting are security risks that make this less foolproof.

5; Password managers, are databases that store passwords, credit card numbers, PIN’s and other items that secure your information and that need only one password in order to get in. Pros are that you only have one password to remember, they can generate strong random passwords and can store other related info. Cons, not all browsers support their use, all your eggs are in one basket and if you forget that one password you’ve lost all your accounts. One other Con is that it gives thieves one location to target. Monty then discussed the Apple Keychain as a password manager, as well as others like One Password, Last Pass. and Password Safe. The latter one is free, open-source and has been around a long time so has a good proven track record. Android smart devices don’t have a Keychain like Apple does, however do use a similar system called Google Smart Lock. Monty then worked through the prediction that passwords will be dead in 50 years or so, and that they are inherently crackable given enough time and powerful enough computers. Biometrics are a longer lasting way of authenticating users. Monty took several questions on the material presented so far.

6; Password viability, which relates simply to biometrics, length, strength and randomness. 

Bonus Information:

In the next section Monty outlined how he managed to connect his iPhone to a network cable in order to avoid the flakiness of Wi-Fi for conference calls like the Zoom call being recorded today. He was connected to a Qwerty keyboard, Blue Yeti microphone and an Ethernet cable through a Lightening to USB Camera adaptor. The $49 adaptor has a Lightening port and a USB 3 port to which Monty connected a 4-port USB hub

Get Together with Technology (GTT)

Sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB)

Show Notes:

June 3, 2020

Theme: Windows Recycle Bin and Using External Media

Presenter: Gerry Chevalier

In this 20 minute 6th episode of the Windows from the Keyboard series, Gerry discusses how to configure the Windows Recycle Bin to make it easier to use with the keyboard. He also explains how to restore a file from the Recycle Bin that may have been deleted accidentally. In addition to the Recycle Bin, Gerry discusses using external media with an explanation of how to configure the Windows AutoPlay feature and how to safely remove external media from the computer.

For more information please contact your GTT Coordinators/Trainers:

Kim Kilpatrick 1-877-304-0968 Ext. 513

Albert Ruel 1-877-304-0968 Ext. 550

David Green 1-877-304-0968 Ext. 509

CCB-GTT Backgrounder:

The CCB was founded in 1944 by a coalition of blind war veterans, schools of the blind and local chapters to create a national self-governing organization. The CCB was incorporated by Letters Patent on May 10, 1950 and is a registered charity under the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada).

The purpose of the CCB is to give people with vision loss a distinctive and unique perspective before governments.  CCB deals with the ongoing effects of vision loss by encouraging active living and rehabilitation through peer support and social and recreational activities.  

CCB promotes measures to conserve sight, create a close relationship with the sighted community and provide employment opportunities.

The CCB recognizes that vision loss has no boundaries with respect to gender, income, ethnicity, culture, other disabilities or age. 

The CCB understands in many instances vision loss is preventable and sometimes is symptomatic of other health issues.  For the 21st century, the CCB is committed to an integrated proactive health approach for early detection to improve the quality of life for all Canadians.

As the largest membership organization of the blind and partially sighted in Canada the CCB is the "Voice of the Blind™". 

GTT is an exciting initiative of the Canadian Council of the Blind, founded in Ottawa in 2011 by Kim Kilpatrick and Ellen Goodman.  GTT aims to help people who are blind or have low vision in their exploration of low vision and blindness related access technology.  Through involvement with GTT participants can learn from and discuss assistive technology with others walking the same path of discovery. 

GTT is made up of blindness related assistive technology users, and those who have an interest in using assistive technology designed to help blind and vision impaired people level the playing field.  GTT groups interact through social media, and periodically meet in-person or by teleconference to share their passions for assistive technology and to learn what others can offer from their individual perspectives. 

CCB National Office

100-20 James Street Ottawa ON  K2P 0T6

Toll Free: 1-877-304-0968 Email: [email protected] URL: www.ccbnational.net

Get Together with Technology (GTT)

Sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB)

Show Notes:

May 27, 2020

Theme: Windows File Explorer

Presenter: Gerry Chevalier

In this 32 minute 5th episode of the Windows From the Keyboard series, Gerry provides a short story describing a paper file system as an analogy of managing folders an files on the computer. He then suggests File Explorer app View settings and folder options that are useful for keyboard users. Gerry then describes basic File Explorer tasks including: folder navigation, first letter navigation, selecting contiguous and non-contiguous files, copying/pasting files, creating subfolders, deleting folders/files, and renaming folders/files.

For more information please contact your GTT Coordinators:

Albert Ruel                   or                        Kim Kilpatrick

1-877-304-0968,550                               1-877-304-0968,513

[email protected]                [email protected]

CCB Backgrounder:

The CCB was founded in 1944 by a coalition of blind war veterans, schools of the blind and local chapters to create a national self-governing organization. The CCB was incorporated by Letters Patent on May 10, 1950 and is a registered charity under the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada).

The purpose of the CCB is to give people with vision loss a distinctive and unique perspective before governments.  CCB deals with the ongoing effects of vision loss by encouraging active living and rehabilitation through peer support and social and recreational activities.  

CCB promotes measures to conserve sight, create a close relationship with the sighted community and provide employment opportunities.

The CCB recognizes that vision loss has no boundaries with respect to gender, income, ethnicity, culture, other disabilities or age. 

The CCB understands in many instances vision loss is preventable and sometimes is symptomatic of other health issues.  For the 21st century, the CCB is committed to an integrated proactive health approach for early detection to improve the quality of life for all Canadians.

As the largest membership organization of the blind and partially sighted in Canada the CCB is the "Voice of the Blind™". 

GTT is an exciting initiative of the Canadian Council of the Blind, founded in Ottawa in 2011 by Kim Kilpatrick and Ellen Goodman.  GTT aims to help people who are blind or have low vision in their exploration of low vision and blindness related access technology.  Through involvement with GTT participants can learn from and discuss assistive technology with others walking the same path of discovery. 

GTT is made up of blindness related assistive technology users, and those who have an interest in using assistive technology designed to help blind and vision impaired people level the playing field.  GTT groups interact through social media, and periodically meet in-person or by teleconference to share their passions for assistive technology and to learn what others can offer from their individual perspectives. 

CCB National Office

100-20 James Street Ottawa ON  K2P 0T6

Toll Free: 1-877-304-0968 Email: [email protected] URL: www.ccbnational.net

Get Together with Technology (GTT)

Sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB)

Show Notes:

May 20, 2020

Theme: Navigating and Selecting Text in Word and Outlook

Presenter: Gerry Chevalier

In this 4th episode of the Windows From the Keyboard series, Gerry demonstrates how to navigate text using the keyboard in Word and Outlook emails although many of the keystrokes apply to other Windows apps. In addition to navigating, Gerry discusses how to combine the Shift key with the navigation keys to select the text as you navigate. At the end of the episode Gerry comments on the Shift+F3 keystroke to change the case of selected text.

For more information please contact your GTT Coordinators:

Albert Ruel                   or                        Kim Kilpatrick

1-877-304-0968,550                               1-877-304-0968,513

[email protected]                [email protected]

CCB Backgrounder:

The CCB was founded in 1944 by a coalition of blind war veterans, schools of the blind and local chapters to create a national self-governing organization. The CCB was incorporated by Letters Patent on May 10, 1950 and is a registered charity under the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada).

The purpose of the CCB is to give people with vision loss a distinctive and unique perspective before governments.  CCB deals with the ongoing effects of vision loss by encouraging active living and rehabilitation through peer support and social and recreational activities.  

CCB promotes measures to conserve sight, create a close relationship with the sighted community and provide employment opportunities.

The CCB recognizes that vision loss has no boundaries with respect to gender, income, ethnicity, culture, other disabilities or age. 

The CCB understands in many instances vision loss is preventable and sometimes is symptomatic of other health issues.  For the 21st century, the CCB is committed to an integrated proactive health approach for early detection to improve the quality of life for all Canadians.

As the largest membership organization of the blind and partially sighted in Canada the CCB is the "Voice of the Blind™". 

GTT is an exciting initiative of the Canadian Council of the Blind, founded in Ottawa in 2011 by Kim Kilpatrick and Ellen Goodman.  GTT aims to help people who are blind or have low vision in their exploration of low vision and blindness related access technology.  Through involvement with GTT participants can learn from and discuss assistive technology with others walking the same path of discovery. 

GTT is made up of blindness related assistive technology users, and those who have an interest in using assistive technology designed to help blind and vision impaired people level the playing field.  GTT groups interact through social media, and periodically meet in-person or by teleconference to share their passions for assistive technology and to learn what others can offer from their individual perspectives. 

CCB National Office

100-20 James Street Ottawa ON  K2P 0T6

Toll Free: 1-877-304-0968 Email: [email protected] URL: www.ccbnational.net

Get Together with Technology (GTT)

Sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB)

Show Notes:

May 13, 2020

Theme: Task Bar

Presenter: Gerry Chevalier

In this third episode of Using Windows From the Keyboard, Gerry, without touching the mouse, shows how to navigate the Windows Task Bar, how to use Jump Lists, and how to pin icons to the Task Bar. He also illustrates useful keyboard shortcuts such as Windows Key plus number row keys to jump to specific Task Bar icons and Windows Key plus ALT Plus number row keys to open the Jump List for specific Task Bar icons. The podcast concludes with a description of the Windows Run dialogue.

For more information please contact your GTT Coordinators:

Albert Ruel                   or                       Kim Kilpatrick

1-877-304-0968,550                               1-877-304-0968,513

[email protected]                [email protected]

CCB Backgrounder:

The CCB was founded in 1944 by a coalition of blind war veterans, schools of the blind and local chapters to create a national self-governing organization. The CCB was incorporated by Letters Patent on May 10, 1950 and is a registered charity under the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada).

The purpose of the CCB is to give people with vision loss a distinctive and unique perspective before governments.  CCB deals with the ongoing effects of vision loss by encouraging active living and rehabilitation through peer support and social and recreational activities.  

CCB promotes measures to conserve sight, create a close relationship with the sighted community and provide employment opportunities.

The CCB recognizes that vision loss has no boundaries with respect to gender, income, ethnicity, culture, other disabilities or age. 

The CCB understands in many instances vision loss is preventable and sometimes is symptomatic of other health issues.  For the 21st century, the CCB is committed to an integrated proactive health approach for early detection to improve the quality of life for all Canadians.

As the largest membership organization of the blind and partially sighted in Canada the CCB is the "Voice of the Blind™". 

GTT is an exciting initiative of the Canadian Council of the Blind, founded in Ottawa in 2011 by Kim Kilpatrick and Ellen Goodman.  GTT aims to help people who are blind or have low vision in their exploration of low vision and blindness related access technology.  Through involvement with GTT participants can learn from and discuss assistive technology with others walking the same path of discovery. 

GTT is made up of blindness related assistive technology users, and those who have an interest in using assistive technology designed to help blind and vision impaired people level the playing field.  GTT groups interact through social media, and periodically meet in-person or by teleconference to share their passions for assistive technology and to learn what others can offer from their individual perspectives. 

CCB National Office

100-20 James Street Ottawa ON K2P 0T6

Toll Free: 1-877-304-0968 Email: [email protected] URL: www.ccbnational.net

Get Together with Technology (GTT)

Sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB)

Show Notes:

May 13, 2020

Theme: CELA Library Update

Presenters: Rina Hadziev, Executive Director, assisted by her library service team.

In this regular monthly CCB-GTT National Zoom session guest, Rina Hadziev, provides a brief overview of her background and interests. Rina then gives a talk on the status of the CELA web site and services as of May 13, 2020. Rina explains that the CELA platform will continue to be updated with missing features from the old system such as personal search preferences. She also mentions exciting new functionality that will come soon resulting from the Marrakesh Treaty such as integration of NLS books from the United States into the CELA collection. Also, Rina informed us of another CELA project that will provide the ability to search and obtain books from within Voice Dream, Dolphin EasyReader, and Humanware devices eliminating the need to search for books using a computer or smartphone browser. The podcast comprises a 24 minute presentation by Rina followed by 42 minutes of Q&A.

For more information please contact your GTT Coordinators:

Albert Ruel                   or                        Kim Kilpatrick

1-877-304-0968,550                               1-877-304-0968,513

[email protected]                [email protected]

CCB Backgrounder:

The CCB was founded in 1944 by a coalition of blind war veterans, schools of the blind and local chapters to create a national self-governing organization. The CCB was incorporated by Letters Patent on May 10, 1950 and is a registered charity under the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada).

The purpose of the CCB is to give people with vision loss a distinctive and unique perspective before governments.  CCB deals with the ongoing effects of vision loss by encouraging active living and rehabilitation through peer support and social and recreational activities.  

CCB promotes measures to conserve sight, create a close relationship with the sighted community and provide employment opportunities.

The CCB recognizes that vision loss has no boundaries with respect to gender, income, ethnicity, culture, other disabilities or age. 

The CCB understands in many instances vision loss is preventable and sometimes is symptomatic of other health issues.  For the 21st century, the CCB is committed to an integrated proactive health approach for early detection to improve the quality of life for all Canadians.

As the largest membership organization of the blind and partially sighted in Canada the CCB is the "Voice of the Blind™". 

GTT is an exciting initiative of the Canadian Council of the Blind, founded in Ottawa in 2011 by Kim Kilpatrick and Ellen Goodman.  GTT aims to help people who are blind or have low vision in their exploration of low vision and blindness related access technology.  Through involvement with GTT participants can learn from and discuss assistive technology with others walking the same path of discovery. 

GTT is made up of blindness related assistive technology users, and those who have an interest in using assistive technology designed to help blind and vision impaired people level the playing field.  GTT groups interact through social media, and periodically meet in-person or by teleconference to share their passions for assistive technology and to learn what others can offer from their individual perspectives. 

CCB National Office

100-20 James Street Ottawa ON  K2P 0T6

Toll Free: 1-877-304-0968 Email: [email protected] URL: www.ccbnational.net

Get Together with Technology (GTT)

Sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB)

Show Notes:

May 8, 2020

Theme: Typio Accessible Typing Tutor

Presenter: Steve Barclay

In this CCB GTT Zoom open chat session, Steve Barclay demonstrated the Typio Accessible Typing Tutor software sold for $135 by Steve’s company, Canadian Assistive Technology. Steve began by giving information about Accessibyte, the company that makes Typio. He commented about other software for visually impaired people Accessibyte produces such as Arcade (games pack), Card (flash card system), and Power Pack which includes a notepad, calculator, talking dictionary, To Do List and more. These apps are designed by teachers of the visually impaired for use by visually impaired students. The apps run on Windows computers and are also available to use online for an annual subscription of $100. As an offering during Covid-19 sheltering, the online versions of all their apps are available free of charge until the end of June 2020. The advantage of the online versions is they can be used from any type of computer or device with Internet access. Steve demonstrated the Windows 10 version of Typio. It is self-voicing, so no screen reader is needed. It can be  configured with different background/foreground colors and fonts for ease of use by low vision learners. For blind students, there are choices for voices and rate of speech. It teaches all the keys of a Windows computer including the numpad with self-paced lessons and skill building quizzes and progress reports. The demo was offered as a response to GTT participant’s who are facing gradual vision loss and need to learn touch typing to transition from sighted computer use to using only the keyboard to operate their computer.

For more information please contact your GTT Coordinators:

Albert Ruel                   or                       Kim Kilpatrick

1-877-304-0968,550                               1-877-304-0968,513

[email protected]                [email protected]

CCB-GTT Backgrounder:

GTT is an exciting initiative of the Canadian Council of the Blind, founded in Ottawa in 2011 by Kim Kilpatrick and Ellen Goodman.  GTT aims to help people who are blind or have low vision in their exploration of low vision and blindness related access technology.  Through involvement with GTT participants can learn from and discuss assistive technology with others walking the same path of discovery. 

GTT is made up of blindness related assistive technology users, and those who have an interest in using assistive technology designed to help blind and vision impaired people level the playing field.  GTT groups interact through social media, and periodically meet in-person or by teleconference to share their passions for assistive technology and to learn what others can offer from their individual perspectives. 

The CCB was founded in 1944 by a coalition of blind war veterans, schools of the blind and local chapters to create a national self-governing organization. The CCB was incorporated by Letters Patent on May 10, 1950 and is a registered charity under the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada).

The purpose of the CCB is to give people with vision loss a distinctive and unique perspective before governments.  CCB deals with the ongoing effects of vision loss by encouraging active living and rehabilitation through peer support and social and recreational activities.  

CCB promotes measures to conserve sight, create a close relationship with the sighted community and provide employment opportunities.

The CCB recognizes that vision loss has no boundaries with respect to gender, income, ethnicity, culture, other disabilities or age. 

The CCB understands in many instances vision loss is preventable and sometimes is symptomatic of other health issues.  For the 21st century, the CCB is committed to an integrated proactive health approach for early detection to improve the quality of li

Get Together with Technology (GTT)

Sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB)

GTT is an exciting initiative of the Canadian Council of the Blind, founded in Ottawa in 2011 by Kim Kilpatrick and Ellen Goodman.  GTT aims to help people who are blind or have low vision in their exploration of low vision and blindness related access technology.  Through involvement with GTT participants can learn from and discuss assistive technology with others walking the same path of discovery. 

GTT is made up of blindness related assistive technology users, and those who have an interest in using assistive technology designed to help blind and vision impaired people level the playing field.  GTT groups interact through social media, and periodically meet in-person or by teleconference to share their passions for assistive technology and to learn what others can offer from their individual perspectives. 

Show Notes:

CCB Open Chat, Typio Session, May 8, 2020

Canadian Assistive Technologies Ltd

Steve Barclay (Sales and Admin)

[email protected] provided a demo of the Typio Online typing tutorial. 

Canadian Assistive Technology and its team have been involved in the Assistive Technology sector for over 28 years. We strive to bring expertise, empathy, and service to our customers while delivering all the Accessibility tools they need in order to be successful in the workplace or engage in their favorite activities in the home. 

DON'T BE A STRANGER! TALK TO US!

Please feel free to contact us by any means if you have any questions about what products might help you, any support issues, inquiries about loan devices, or our training and consultation services.

We are huge Assistive Technology geeks, so we LOVE talking about anything and everything it! Plus, we're lonely -- so reach out and say "hi"! 

Image of Ryan, Rob and Steve holding phones to their ears expectantly.

BY PHONE

Toll Free: 1-844-795-8324

Local:604-367-9480

BY EMAIL

Typio Online:

Typio Online is a highly visual and entirely audible typing tutor in the cloud

Give your students a fun and engaging way to learn typing right in the browser

Try Typio Online Free Now

Built for Student and Teacher Needs

image of hand with a settings gear inside

Student-focused Design

Built specifically for blind and visually impaired typists.

Visual Enhancements for low vision users.

100% accessible without vision.

No outside assistive technology required. Typio Online is accessible right in the browser.

For more information please contact your GTT Coordinators/Trainers:

Kim Kilpatrick 1-877-304-0968 Ext. 513

Albert Ruel 1-877-304-0968 Ext. 550

David Green 1-877-304-0968 Ext. 509

CCB Backgrounder:

The CCB was founded in 1944 by a coalition of blind war veterans, schools of the blind and local chapters to create a national self-governing organization. The CCB was incorporated by Letters Patent on May 10, 1950 and is a registered charity under the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada).

The purpose of the CCB is to give people with vision loss a distinctive and unique perspective before governments.  CCB deals with the ongoing effects of vision loss by encouraging active living and rehabilitation through peer support and social and recreational activities.  

CCB promotes measures to conserve sight, create a close relationship with the sighted community and provide employment opportunities.

The CCB recognizes that vision loss has no boundaries with respect to gender, income, ethnicity, culture, other disabilities or age. 

The CCB understands in many instances vision loss is preventable and sometimes is symptomatic of other health issues.  For the 21st century, the CCB is committed to an integrated proactive health approach for early detection to improve the quality of life for all Canadians.

As the largest membership organization of the blind and partially sighted in Canada the CCB is the "Voice of the Blind™". 

CCB National Office

100-20 James Street Ottawa ON  K2P 0T6

Toll Free: 1-877-304-0968 Email: [email protected] URL: www.ccbnational.net

Get Together with Technology (GTT)

Sponsored by the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB)

 

GTT is an exciting initiative of the Canadian Council of the Blind, founded in Ottawa in 2011 by Kim Kilpatrick and Ellen Goodman.  GTT aims to help people who are blind or have low vision in their exploration of low vision and blindness related access technology.  Through involvement with GTT participants can learn from and discuss assistive technology with others walking the same path of discovery. 

 

GTT is made up of blindness related assistive technology users, and those who have an interest in using assistive technology designed to help blind and vision impaired people level the playing field.  GTT groups interact through social media, and periodically meet in-person or by teleconference to share their passions for assistive technology and to learn what others can offer from their individual perspectives. 

Show Notes:

May 6, 2020

Theme: Desktop Shortcuts

Presenter: Gerry Chevalier

In this second episode of Using Windows From the Keyboard, Gerry, without touching the mouse,  shows how to create desktop shortcuts to a web site, to the documents folder, and to the Microsoft Word app. Two methods are demonstrated: the desktop shortcut creation wizard and how to copy start menu shortcuts to the desktop. Also demonstrated is how to change the shortcut name, assign a hotkey, and specify the target app to run in a maximized window.

For more information please contact your GTT Coordinators:

Albert Ruel                   or                       Kim Kilpatrick

1-877-304-0968,550                               1-877-304-0968,513

[email protected]                [email protected]

CCB Backgrounder:

The CCB was founded in 1944 by a coalition of blind war veterans, schools of the blind and local chapters to create a national self-governing organization. The CCB was incorporated by Letters Patent on May 10, 1950 and is a registered charity under the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada).

The purpose of the CCB is to give people with vision loss a distinctive and unique perspective before governments.  CCB deals with the ongoing effects of vision loss by encouraging active living and rehabilitation through peer support and social and recreational activities.  

CCB promotes measures to conserve sight, create a close relationship with the sighted community and provide employment opportunities.

 

The CCB recognizes that vision loss has no boundaries with respect to gender, income, ethnicity, culture, other disabilities or age. 

The CCB understands in many instances vision loss is preventable and sometimes is symptomatic of other health issues.  For the 21st century, the CCB is committed to an integrated proactive health approach for early detection to improve the quality of life for all Canadians.

As the largest membership organization of the blind and partially sighted in Canada the CCB is the "Voice of the Blind™". 

 

CCB National Office

100-20 James Street Ottawa ON  K2P 0T6

Toll Free: 1-877-304-0968 Email: [email protected] URL: www.ccbnational.net