Tag: assistive technology

Let’s Go Shopping again – with the event recordings

Published April 9, 2020 by L. Legendary

If you missed all or part of the epic online virtual event “Let’s Go Shopping,” then you may have been waiting for the promised recording. Below is an edited version of the entire day, separated into smaller segments so that it’s a bit easier to visit the shops that interest you most. Note that unless otherwise stated, any mention of special products, prices, gift certificates, discounts or door prizes have expired, and no longer valid. Enjoy the presentations, and thanks for shopping!

Let’s Go Shopping part 1

Sight and Sound Technology
Elegant Insights Braille Creations
Hartgen Consultancy

Let’s Go Shopping part 2

PattiandRicky
Strawberry Moon Reborns
Beauty by Brittany

Let’s Go Shopping part 3

A. T. Guys
GlamSticks
GuideLights and Gadgets, Inc.
Scentsy with Nini
Patti and Ricky

Let’s Go Shopping part 4

GuideLight Dogs
Tawny’s Pottery Lab
A. T. Guys
The Unseen Bean

Let’s Go Shopping part 5

The Harbolt Company
Elegant Insights Braille Creations
Wrap-up

Vendor directory:

Sight and Sound Technology
Sight and Sound Technology Ireland is the leading provider of hardware and software to the blind, visually impaired and those with learning and reading difficulties.

Stuart Lawler
?www.sightandsound.co.uk
Telephone: +35316909720
Mobile: +353879926360
stuart.lawler@sightandsoundtechnology.ie
Twitter: @sastireland

Elegant Insights Braille Creations
Jewelry and accessories with a tactile twist. We bring out the beauty of braille.

Laura Legendary
www.elegantinsightsjewelry.com
l.legendary@elegantinsightsjewelry.com
702-605-1265
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Elegant.Insights
Twitter: @ElegantInsights
Instagram: www.instagram.com/elegantinsights

Hartgen Consultancy
Training and products for the JAWS Screen-reader. Quality, Confidence, Excellence.

Brian Hartgen
www.hartgenconsultancy.com
US: 239-256-7779
Twitter : www.twitter.com/hartgenconsult
Facebook: www.facebook.com/hartgenconsult

Patti and Ricky
Functional and fashionable apparel and accessories for people of all abilities.

Alexandra Herold
www.pattiandricky.com
303-578-6594
alex@pattiandricky.com
Twitter: @pattiandricky_
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pattiandricky/
Instagram: @pattiandrickycom

StrawberryMoonReborns
Lifelike baby dolls for your child, or the child in all of us.

Lulu Hartgen
www.strawberrymoonreborns.com
+44-7773-501-358.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/strawberrymoonkins
And
Facebook: www.facebook.com/strawberrymoonreborns
Instagram: @strawberrymoonreborns
Twitter: @SMReborns.

Beauty by Brittany
Color your world with Mary Kay Cosmetics

Brittany Savage
Independent beauty consultant
www.marykay.com/bsavage2
tanielizabeth21@yahoo.com
Twitter: @tanielizabeth21

A. T. Guys
A. T. Guys will be offering a special deal for everyone who tunes in. We are taking orders and ready to provide the technology you need.

J. J. Meddaugh
support@atguys.com
269-216-4798
Twitter: @atguys
Facebook: www.facebook.com/atguys

Glamsticks
Glamsticks ™ are bespoke, designer and couture crutches, canes, walking sticks, wheelchair covers and accessories all individually crafted for your personal use.

Lady Sharon Farley-Mason
www.glamsticks.co.uk
glamsticks@hotmail.com
UK 07903143322
Twitter: @glamsticks
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GlamSticks
Instagram: @sharonfm1_glamsticks

GuideLights and Gadgets, Inc.
Simple and affordable technological fun.

Barry Scheur
www.guidelightsandgadgets.us/
1597 Suncrest Drive
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577.
(617) 969-7500
bscheur@scheur.com

Scentsy with Nini
Fill your life with fragrance.

Nini Urschel
Independent Scentsy Consultant
www.nini.scentsy.us
916-206-1151
nini95626@sbcglobal.net
Facebook: NV Wickless Scents & More

GuideLight Dogs
Happiness wags.

KaeAnn Rausch
www.guidelightsandgadgets.us/CatalogGuideLightDogProducts.html
guidelightdogs@gmail.com
781-286-1696
Twitter: @Kaeko658

Tawny’s Pottery Lab
From my hands to yours, everyday art designed to touch: pet bowls, mugs, pendants, home decor

Tawny Villegas
Www.pottery-lab.com
www.etsy.com/shop/tawnyspotterylab
IG: @potterylab
Twitter: @pottery_lab
FB: www.facebook.com/potterylab/

The Unseen Bean
Taste the passion in blind roasted coffee.

Jerry Leary
www.theunseenbean.com
720-369-8039
info@theunseenbean.com
Twitter @theunseenbean

The Harbolt Company
We specialize in unique and hard to find items to make your life easier. We love what we do, and so will you!

Brent Harbolt
www.harboltcompany.com
sales@harboltcompany.com
405-633-2572
Twitter: @harboltcompany
Facebook: www.facebook.com/theharboltcompany

Thank you for joining us!

Comments closed

Press release: The Blinded Veterans Association Convention in Reno, NV begins August 13, 2018

Published August 11, 2018 by L. Legendary

It is my honor and privilege to have been invited to exhibit my braille jewelry at the upcoming BVA convention in Reno, Nevada, next week. I’m really excited to meet these esteemed attendees, and to share my products with them. It is a new audience for me, so I’m a little nervous, but I’m looking forward to an interesting trip. I’ll even be making a short presentation at one of the sessions, just to introduce myself and to raise awareness about my products, as well as the podcast I co-founded with Emily Davison, the Fashionability Channel.

Below is an edited version of the official press release, with some additional info at the bottom.

For Immediate Release

BVA’s Annual Convention Set For Reno/Sparks August 13-17

(Alexandria, Va.) – The Blinded Veteran’s Association’s 73rd Annual Convention will be hosted at the Nugget Casino Resort August 13-17, 2018 in Reno/Sparks, Nevada. The annual event is BVA’s premier event geared toward the education and development of its members. The gathering brings together the top leadership of the Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA) along with academics, industry leaders and government officials to discuss issues and challenges facing the disabled and the medical community today and in the future.

There will also be an exposition of assistive products and services open Tuesday and Wednesday, August 14-15. Laura Legendary of Las Vegas, Nevada, owner of Elegant Insights Braille Creations, will exhibit her handcrafted collection of jewelry embossed in braille. Legendary,, who is blind, is a long-time advocate for people with disabilities. “Jewelry is generally thought of as strictly visual. I wanted to combine visual and tactile elements to create beautiful jewelry that is inclusive of everyone.” Legendary says. “As a consumer who is blind, I find very few gifts suitable for a friend or loved one with vision loss that isn’t a tech gadget or daily living aid. I wanted to bring to market jewelry and accessories that are stylish and fun as well as meaningful.”

Please visit the event website for more information about the convention and exposition. Visit Elegant Insights Braille Creations at elegantinsightsjewelry.com/shop/ or call 702-605-1265.

The Blinded Veterans Association is the only official voice for America’s veterans who are blind or visually impaired, The organization has successfully advocated for their needs since WWII. For more information about BVA and its services, call toll-free 800-669-7079 or visit bva.org.

# # #

Additional info:
(1) On-site coverage of the convention is encouraged.
(2) Below is a more detailed convention agenda.

A training session on the ABC’s of Regional Group planning will be held on Monday, Aug. 13 from 9 a.m.– 10:15. For technology sessions, there will be skills training on the Victor Reader and Home Automation on Monday. At 10:30 a.m., life member Howard Myers will deliver a presentation about his book, “Blind Vision.”
Also on Monday, BVA members who wish to become a Volunteer Service Officer can obtain training by instructor Wade Davis. Part 1 will be held from 9 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. Part 2 will be Tuesday, Aug. 14, from 9 a,m,to11:45 a.m.

On Tuesday, Aug. 14, the Blindfold Games will hold an information session where members will be able to obtain a free game.

For female veterans, an exclusive pampering session will be facilitated by a lifestyle coach for the blind. Attendees can enjoy beauty tips and freshen up before the Tuesday evening reception and dinner.

I’ll be in booth number 404 with Elegant Insights Braille Creations on the Nugget Casino second floor exhibit hall. See you there!

Comments closed

Legendary Insights radio program to feature Hartgen Consultancy

Published October 6, 2016 by L. Legendary

Considering all the time I spend marketing and promoting my various projects on social media, it would pain me to think you are unaware of my radio program on ACB Radio Mainstream, called Legendary Insights. However, if my outreach has fallen short, then I encourage you to tune in this evening to see what it’s all about.

A few months ago, I was invited to create and host a program on ACB Radio, an Internet radio station sponsored by the American Council of the Blind, ACB. The station has a number of channels, each emphasizing a different aspect of ACB business, blindness issues and legislation, access technology, and general information. The channel on which you can hear Legendary Insights is called Mainstream.

Legendary Insights is still something of a work in progress. I’m not entirely sure I’ve found my voice yet, so to speak, and I’m still not sure where I want to take the program. I’ve been given a wide latitude to flex my creative muscles, and so far, I haven’t felt as though I’ve been particularly creative. Yet, there is a theme to the show, based upon one of my favorite quotes.

If you’ve followed me for any length of time, whether here on my blog or on social media, then you know that I have a love of language. I enjoy the written word, thoughts beautifully expressed, and timeless words of wisdom. As to that last, I particularly love quotes, and I used one of my favorites as the basis for the radio program. As mentioned in prior posts, it’s attributed to a poet and playwright by the name of Neil Marcus, who said, in part: “Disability is not a ‘brave struggle,’ or ‘courage in the face of adversity.’ Disability is an art…It’s an ingenious way to live.”

Since I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment, the theme of Legendary Insights is “live your ingenious life.” Every other month, on even-numbered months, you can hear me share ways in which we can all live our best, most ingenious life. Whether that is by way of new ideas, new tips or tools, new products, or interviews with experts you may never have heard before, I hope I can help my listeners to enjoy a greater quality of life.

Tonight’s episode features Brian Hartgen of Hartgen Consultancy. Brian will share details of some of his most popular assistive technology products, such as J-Say, J-Dictate, and Leasey. Brian will also talk about his love of music and radio, and share his thoughts about helping others to live their own ingenious lives.

Tune in tonight at 8 pm Eastern, 5 pm Pacific time on www.acbradio.org/mainstream/ to hear the show. You can also listen on the fantastic ACB Link iOS app, available in the Apple App Store.

As I mentioned above, the show airs every other month, so the next episode will drop the first Thursday in December. I’m thinking about sharing some ideas for holiday home decorating, and if you have any favorite holiday tips or recipes, family traditions or creative party ideas, feel free to send me an email at laura@acbradio.org.

You can find me live tweeting during the programs on @LLOnAir and use the hashtag #LLonAir when tweeting about the program. Don’t worry if you miss an episode. The program is also available as a podcast onn iTunes.

So, don’t forget to tune in tonight. Also, there’s lots to explore on the Hartgen Consultancy web site, so go here to check it out:

www.hartgen.org/

Follow Brian on Twitter: @brianhartgen
Thanks for reading…and for listening!

Comments closed

Advantages and disadvantages of automated web accessibility testing tools: Chetan Bakhru at CSUN 2014

Published March 6, 2014 by L. Legendary

Whether you are an independent web developer or you work for a consulting firm interested in web accessibility, a veteran in the accessibility industry, a tester or a novice, you’ll want to be sure to attend Chetan Bakhru’s presentation outlining the advantages and disadvantages of automated web site accessibility testing tools. Use of these tools, while thought by some to be a labor saving shortcut, when used by someone without thorough knowledge of accessibility, can paint a misleading picture of web access compliance. For example, an automated tool cannot make a determination as to how descriptive alt text may or may not be, as it cannot interpret what is contextually relevant or considered to be descriptive enough. Chetan generously granted my request for an interview, and explained for my readers what they can expect when they attend his session at the CSUN Conference on Disability.

LL: Please describe for the readers of the AI Blog the goals for your presentation.
CB: The goal of my presentation is to educate individuals and organizations on what the advantages and disadvantages of using automated accessibility testing tools to verify the accessibility of websites are, what the characteristics of good automated testing tools are, and why the use of other methods of testing for accessibility is essential.

LL: Who is the target audience for your talk?
CB: The target audience includes testers, developers, QA engineers, and/or anyone else interested in learning more about how to properly test for accessibility.

LL: What do you hope attendees take away from your presentation?
CB: The takeaway from this presentation is that automated testing has an important place in a tester’s toolset. The use of a good automated accessibility testing tool can result in increased productivity, efficiency and in the accuracy of results. However, there are many issues that these tools are unable to check for, and users of such tools must not rely on the tool to be the final determining factor in whether their site is accessible. Anyone using these tools should be well trained on their use, how to interpret their results, and have a good knowledge of accessibility.

More about Chetan Bakhru:
Chetan Bakhru is an IT consultant, web developer, technology trainer and accessibility advocate. He obtained his Bachelor’s of Science degree in Information Technology specializing in Software Engineering from the University of Phoenix in 2009, and his Master’s degree in Software Engineering from Penn State University in 2013. Over the past several years, Chetan has worked for many organizations providing technical support to customers, training users on the use of computers and assistive technology, developing websites, and helping make existing websites, desktop applications, and mobile apps accessible to people with disabilities. He is originally from southern California, currently works in the DC metro area as an Assistive Technology Tester at SSB Bart Group, and intends to relocate back to the west coast sometime soon. On the side, he also runs a website called Blind Planet (blind-planet.com), a site which labels itself as “Your one-stop resource for anything blindness related” and which contains a wealth of technology-related material. Blind Planet also provides web development, assistive technology, and general computer training services to those who are blind or low vision at a nominal cost. Some of the websites Chetan has either developed or helped make accessible include www.nib.org, www.worldaccessfortheblind.org, www.nonvisualdevelopment.org, and www.colorfascination.com

To learn more about Chetan, or to follow his work, here are his contact details:
Twitter Handle: @cbakhru
Twitter Page: twitter.com/cbakhru
LinkedIn Page: www.linkedin.com/pub/chetan-bakhru-pmp/2a/663/15a
Facebook Profile: www.facebook.com/chetan.bakhru
Google+ Profile: plus.google.com/112898281638210974817
Website: blind-planet.com
Email: chetan@bakhru.net or webmaster@blind-planet.com
Phone: 714-816-4105

Don’t forget to click on the link to indicate your interest in this session, and save yourself a seat. Go to the CSUN Conference session details page:

www.csun.edu/cod/conference/2014/sessions/index.php/public/presentations/view/173

Be sure to use hashtag CSUN14 when tweeting about the event.

See you there!

Comments closed

29th Annual CSUN Conference on Disability news and info

Published March 4, 2014 by L. Legendary

It’s time to roll out my annual series of posts pertaining to the CSUN Conference on Disability. Each year I post news and information about the conference, showcase a few of the conference presenters, provide notes about special events and write a post-conference wrap-up. If you would like to add your own information as to your presentation, exhibitor booth number, or other relevant info about the conference, feel free to add your comments.

Registration is open for the 29th Annual CSUN Conference on Disability. Go to the main conference web site page:

www.csun.edu/cod/conference/2014/sessions/index.php/public/website_pages/view/1

You can either register as an attendee for the educational sessions as well as the exhibit hall, or you can register for the exhibit hall only. Both links are available on the main registration page, above. There is no cost to be admitted into the exhibit hall if you register for the exhibit hall only. To see a directory of vendors who will be showing their latest products and services at the conference, go here:

www.csun.edu/cod/conference/2014/rebooking/index.php/public/exhibitors/

Check out the roster of presenters and topics that the Center on Disabilities at CSUN is offering this year. Add a Pre-Conference Workshop to your registration to enrich your knowledge and conference experience.

There are numerous special events to attend each year. I pulled this list right from the special events page on the conference web site:

The Fred Strache Leadership Award:
Location
Harbor Ballroom, 2nd Floor
Date
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Time
5:30 PM to 7:00 PM at Keynote Address.

Featured Presentations:

Kathleen Martinez, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy
Location
Harbor Ballroom C, 2nd Floor
Date
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Time
12:00 pm

Copyrights and Third Party Captioning: Challenges and Solutions
Location
Harbor Ballroom C, 2nd Floor
Date
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Time
4:20 pm
Presenter and Author of the Report:
Blake Reid, Assistant Clinical Professor, Samuelson-Glushko Technology Law & Policy Clinic, Colorado Law
Moderator:
Axel Leblois, President & Executive Director, Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs (G3ict)
The proliferation of inaccessible video contents of the Internet creates the need for third party captioning via automated or human processes, including via crowd sourced solutions. However, while those solutions provide the required accessibility to videos for deaf persons or those living with hearing loss, they can infringe on the copyrights of the owners of audio-visual contents, creating a conflict between disability and copyright laws. After conducting an in depth research on this topic with legal experts, industry and disability advocates, G3ict will publicly release at CSUN 2014 the report which will serve as the foundation for a global dialogue on solutions that could be adopted in the U.S. and internationally to solve those issues. The presentation will include perspectives from stakeholders. Audience participation (questions and answers) will be welcomed if time permits.

Exhibit Hall Opening & Reception:
Location
Grand Hall, 1st Floor
Date
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Time
12:00 PM to 7:00 PM
The Exhibit Hall in the Grand Hall will open on Wednesday, March 19, 2014 from 12:00 – 7:00 PM. There will be an opening reception at 12:30 pm. This will be your preview into the latest and greatest array of AT products and services that will keep you coming back over the next 3 days!

Sponsor News & Events:
Comcast
Location
Harbor Ballroom C, 2nd Floor
Date
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Time
6:00 PM
With your input, Comcast Accessibility is working hard to enable all customers to easily access and fully experience a range of products. Attend an evening of cocktails, light fare and demos of the latest accessible Comcast products, such as the talking TV interface. Discover the improved self-help and customer support resources and learn about their inclusive hiring practices and how to apply.

Amazon Kindle
Location
Cortez Hills A
Date
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Time
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Amazon Kindle invites you to “Play with Kindle Fire”. Come by the Cortez Hill A session room anytime between 8 am-5 pm on Thursday on March 20 to get hands-on with the all-new Kindle Fire tablets. Representatives from the Kindle Accessibility team will be on hand to listen to your feedback and answer questions about Kindle Fire’s new and improved accessibility tools. Short demonstrations will be given throughout the day and start times correspond with conference general sessions.

CSUN Cyber Café
Location
2nd floor, near Registration
The CSUN Cyber Café, sponsored by The Paciello Group, is located on the 2nd floor adjacent to Registration. It’s the perfect place to check your e-mail, follow conference sponsors and presenters on Facebook & Twitter, review the website for session changes or just surf to see what else is happening at the Conference.

CSUN Tweet-Up 2014
Location
Harbor Ballroom, 2nd Floor
Date
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Time
6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
The 6th Annual CSUN Tweet-Up is taking place Thursday, March 20 from 6:30-8:30 pm in the Harbor Ballroom. Join the group and spread the word about your conference experience. Visit the web site, csuntweetup.com/ to RSVP and make sure you’re connected to the other plans and participation options the tweet-up sponsors have in store for you!

WebAble TV
WebAble TV is the official conference webcaster. The WebAble TV team will be conducting interviews with sponsors, exhibitors and featured presenters, as well as recording several general sessions. For more information please visit the WebAble TV website.
Student Poster Session
Several groups of graduate students will be presenting their work on assistive technology projects on Friday at noon in a student poster session outside the Exhibit Hall in the Grand Hall Foyer. This year the poster session will feature student projects from San Diego State University, St. Augustine University’s Occupational Therapy Program and Grossmont College’s Occupational Therapy Assistant Program.

SS12 Code for a Cause Finals – Project:Possibility
Location
Harbor Ballroom, 2nd Floor
Date
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Time
9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Once again the Final Competition for Project:Possibility’s SS12 Code for a Cause will be held at this year’s conference. This exciting event will host the innovative open source projects the top teams from CSUN, UCLA and USC have created. A continental breakfast will be served following the presentations and judging, prior to the announcement of the First Place Team. We encourage you to mark your calendars for this important occasion to support the student teams and the time and work they have invested. Saturday, March 2 from 9-11 am in the Harbor Ballroom.

Accommodations:

While the conference group rate has now expired, you can still reserve a room at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego. For more information, go to:

www.manchestergrand.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html

You can also follow the Manchester Grand Hyatt on twitter: @ManchGrandHyatt

There are a number of other hotels near the conference venue, many of which are easily accessible, as well as affordable. If you have stayed at one of the other nearby hotels, please feel free to add a comment as to the best way to navigate to the Manchester Grand Hyatt.

Transportation:

As I recall, cab fare from the airport to the Manchester Grand Hyatt was around $15. There is also a Super Shuttle Service you can reserve in advance for airport to hotel transit. Follow: @SuperShuttle on Twitter. They often tweet out discount codes and relevant info in advance of the conference.

Navigation:

Don’t let your concerns about ease of navigation keep you from participating in the events. The staff at the Manchester Grand Hyatt has been hosting the CSUN Conference for a few years now, and they are well staffed and trained to assist anyone who needs it. There are also many volunteers, some of whom lend their time to the CSUN conference every year, who will ensure your safe and comfortable travels from point A to B throughout the week. I have found that I am seldom able to wander too far afield before someone is at my side, asking if they may be of assistance. There is also an orientation and mobility lesson available for anyone who wishes to familiarize themselves with the vast hotel property. The lesson will be Wednesday morning, march 19th, and you will be asked to express your interest in attending the training during the registration process. You will be in good hands, thanks to the excellent customer service provided by the team at the Manchester Grand Hyatt.

Finally, follow @CSUNCOD on Twitter for the latest announcements, and use hashtag #CSUN14 when tweeting about the event. Please return here to the Accessible Insights Blog for more information about a few presenters I’ll be featuring in an effort to showcase their work. If you haven’t already, make plans now to attend the 29th annual CSUN conference on Disability.

I look forward to seeing you in San Diego!

One Comment

Easy Chirp returns with new sporty features and more power under the hood

Published October 29, 2013 by L. Legendary

A few months ago, the social networking site Twitter made an important update to its API, which necessitated some serious scrambling by third-party users of the previous API version. One of the third-party clients was Easy Chirp, the accessible, cross-platform Twitter alternative. Many users were forced to find other ways to tweet their updates while Easy Chirp and other Twitter clients either faded into the sunset, or in the case of Easy Chirp, went down, but not out, for the count.

Dennis Lembree (@DennisL), creator of Easy Chirp, decided this API update presented an opportunity to rebuild Easy Chirp, updating the back-end architecture and adding some new bells and whistles.

After months of a from-the-ground-up rebuild, Easy Chirp is back. Just within the last week, Lembree quietly reintroduced Easy Chirp, with a middle-of-the-night tweet announcing a “soft launch.”

Happily, Dennis had already invited me to test drive the beta version, which can be found at www.easychirp.org for now. The revised app will be available on the regular dot com domain during the official launch, reportedly within a few weeks. I was so excited that my preferred web-accessible Twitter client was back, I immediately flew to the site to check it out.

The first thing I noticed, which surprised me, was that the new version is almost exactly the same as the previous version. For some reason, I had expected a completely new look and feel. However, the differences between old and new versions quickly became obvious. The “under the hood” changes are what make Easy Chirp 2 a new experience.

First, it is much faster. I am using NVDA as my screen reader and the latest version of FireFox as my browser. Wow…The page loads and navigation were blistering fast. Also, because of improved page organization in some areas, navigating from various elements has been streamlined.

Mr. Lembree partnered with Seattle developer Andrew Woods (@awoods) to complete the project. After considering a number of partners for the work, he chose Woods because of his experience with PHP. Mr. Woods recommended a PHP development framework called CodeIgniter. One reason Lembree decided to go with this framework was that it offers translation features, allowing Easy Chirp to be translated into multiple languages. First after English will be Spanish, says Lembree, which is “about 98% done.” German and Arabic translations are in the works, and other languages such as French are also planned for future availability.

While Woods worked on the back-end architecture, Lembree focused on the front end, populating the data and reworking many aspects of the user interface. “Between the new PHP framework and the new Twitter API, it’s a lot faster,” says Lembree. “Another one of the big coding changes is moving from XHTML to HTML5,” he adds.

There are a few new features of the platform. Notably, the option to choose a dark or light theme, which is useful for people who have light sensitivity or difficulty with light/dark contrast perception. One of Lembree’s favorite new features is the “quick search,” and the “go to user” functions, which are accessible modal windows. If that means nothing to you, I suspect this is one of those esoteric’s that only a developer can truly appreciate.

There is a short list of development tasks that are yet to be completed, which you can review on the Easy Chirp 2 home page. Among the most important of these tasks is the addition of a pagination type of behavior, available currently only on the main timeline page through a link at the bottom that reads, “view older tweets.” More tasks and features are planned but not yet made public.

If you enjoyed using Easy Chirp prior to the “API-pocalypse,” (I still can’t stop saying that, I’m so proud of it), then give Easy Chirp 2 a try. Don’t forget to click on the “donate” button on the home page, and thank Dennis and Andrew for their hard work by tossing a few bucks in the development tip jar.

About Dennis Lembree:

Mr. Lembree has over 15 years experience in web development. He’s worked for a variety of startups as well as large companies including Ford, RIM, Disney, and is now on the accessibility team at PayPal in San Jose, California. Mr. Lembree enjoys attending and presenting at conferences and social media. And besides Easy Chirp, he runs WebAxe.org, a blog and podcast on web accessibility.

You can follow Dennis on Twitter at: @webaxe or at: @EasyChirp for more info and updates.

2 Comments

Hotkey help for NVDA 13 update

Published May 23, 2013 by L. Legendary

If you have already updated to the latest version of NVDA, there’s nothing in this post you don’t already know, so move along…move along. If you do not know what NVDA is, scroll to the bottom of this post, and click on the link for a video. NVDA is a free, open source screen reader for computer users who are blind or visually impaired. If you are about to update, be aware that some changes have been made to the NVDA hotkeys. Before you ask your new copy of NVDA to read the entire content of your document, and discover that Ins-down arrow results only in silence, know that the laptop layout has been completely redesigned for greater consistency and intuitive use. Your copy of NVDA is not broken. So, before you write to the developers and complain, check out the hotkeys list below.

First, here are the most important changes that will affect you right from launch, since they are the hotkeys you are most likely to need straightaway:

Name
Key
Say all
NVDA+a
Read current line
NVDA+l
Read current text selection
NVDA+shift+s
Report status bar
NVDA+shift+end

In addition, among other changes, all of the object navigation, text review, mouse click and synth settings ring commands have changed. Below is the list of hotkeys as presented in the NVDA 2013.1 Commands Quick Reference:

NVDA Touch Gestures
Touch Modes
To toggle touch modes, perform a 3-finger tap.
Basic NVDA commands
Name
Desktop key
Laptop key
Touch
Description
Stop speech
Control
control
2-finger tap
Instantly stops speaking
Pause Speech
shift
shift
none
Instantly pauses speech. Pressing it again will continue speaking where it left off (if pausing is supported by the current synthesizer)
NVDA Menu
NVDA+n
NVDA+n
2-finger double tap
Pops up the NVDA menu to allow you to access preferences, tools and help etc
Toggle Speech Mode
NVDA+s
NVDA+s
none
Toggles speech mode between speech, beeps and off.
Toggle Input Help Mode
NVDA+1
NVDA+1
none
Pressing any key in this mode will report the key, and the description of any NVDA command associated with it
Quit NVDA
NVDA+q
NVDA+q
none
Exits NVDA
Pass next key through
NVDA+f2
NVDA+f2
none
Tells NVDA to pass the next key press straight through to the active application, even if it is normally treeted as an NVDA key command
Toggle application sleep mode on and off
NVDA+shift+s
NVDA+shift+z
none
sleep mode disables all NVDA commands and speech/braille output for the current application. This is most useful in applications that provide their own speech or screen reading features. Press this command again to disable self voicing mode.
Reporting System Information
Name
key
Description
Report date/time
NVDA+f12
Pressing once reports the current time, pressing twice reports the date
Report battery status
NVDA+shift+b
Reports the battery status i.e. whether AC power is in use or the current charge percentage.
Report clipboard text
NVDA+c
Reports the Text in the clipboard if there is any.
Navigating with NVDA
Navigating with the System Focus
Name
Desktop key
Laptop key
Description
Report current focus
NVDA+tab
NVDA+tab
announces the current object or control that has the System focus. Pressing twice will spell the information
Report title
NVDA+t
NVDA+t
Reports the title of the currently active window. Pressing twice will spell the information. Pressing three times will copy it to the clipboard
Read active window
NVDA+b
NVDA+b
reads all the controls in the currently active window (useful for dialogs)
Report Status Bar
NVDA+end
NVDA+shift+end
Reports the Status Bar if NVDA finds one. It also moves the navigator object to this location
Navigating with the System Caret
Name
Desktop key
Laptop key
Description
Say all
NVDA+downArrow
NVDA+a
Starts reading from the current position of the system caret, moving it along as it goes
Read current line
NVDA+upArrow
NVDA+l
Reads the line where the system caret is currently situated. Pressing twice spells the line.
Read current text selection
NVDA+Shift+upArrow
NVDA+shift+s
Reads any currently selected text
When within a table, the following key commands are also available:
Name
Key
Description
Move to previous column
control+alt+leftArrow
Moves the system caret to the previous column (staying in the same row)
Move to next column
control+alt+rightArrow
Moves the system caret to the next column (staying in the same row)
Move to previous row
control+alt+upArrow
Moves the system caret to the previous row (staying in the same column)
Move to next row
control+alt+downArrow
Moves the system caret to the next row (staying in the same column)
Object Navigation
Name
Desktop key
Laptop key
Touch
Description
Report current object
NVDA+numpad5
NVDA+shift+o
none
Reports the current navigator object. Pressing twice spells the information, and pressing 3 times copies this object’s name and value to the clipboard.
Move to containing object
NVDA+numpad8
NVDA+shift+upArrow
flick up (object mode)
Moves to the object containing the current navigator object
Move to previous object
NVDA+numpad4
NVDA+shift+leftArrow
flick left (object mode)
Moves to the object before the current navigator object
Move to next object
NVDA+numpad6
NVDA+shift+rightArrow
flick right (object mode)
Moves to the object after the current navigator object
Move to first contained object
NVDA+numpad2
NVDA+shift+downArrow
flick down (object mode)
Moves to the first object contained by the current navigator object
Move to focus object
NVDA+numpadMinus
NVDA+backspace
none
Moves to the object that currently has the system focus, and also places the review cursor at the position of the System caret, if it is showing
Activate current navigator object
NVDA+numpadEnter
NVDA+enter
double tap
Activates the current navigator object (similar to clicking with the mouse or pressing space when it has the system focus)
Move System focus or caret to current review position
NVDA+shift+numpadMinus
NVDA+shift+backspace
none
pressed once Moves the System focus to the current navigator object, pressed twice moves the system caret to the position of the review cursor
Report navigator object dimensions
NVDA+numpadDelete
NVDA+delete
none
Reports the current navigator object’s dimensions on screen in per centages (including distance from left and top of screen, and its width and height)
Reviewing Text
Name
Desktop key
Laptop key
Touch
Description
Move to top line in review
shift+numpad7
NVDA+control+home
none
Moves the review cursor to the top line of the text
Move to previous line in review
numpad7
NVDA+upArrow
flick up (text mode)
Moves the review cursor to the previous line of text
Report current line in review
numpad8
NVDA+shift+.
none
Announces the current line of text where the review cursor is positioned. Pressing twice spells the line. Pressing three times spells the line using character descriptions.
Move to next line in review
numpad9
NVDA+downArrow
flick down (text mode)
Move the review cursor to the next line of text
Move to bottom line in review
shift+numpad9
NVDA+control+end
none
Moves the review cursor to the bottom line of text
Move to previous word in review
numpad4
NVDA+control+leftArrow
2-finger flick left (text mode)
Moves the review cursor to the previous word in the text
Report current word in review
numpad5
NVDA+control+.
none
Announces the current word in the text where the review cursor is positioned. Pressing twice spells the word. Pressing three times spells the word using character descriptions.
Move to next word in review
numpad6
NVDA+control+rightArrow
2-finger flick right (text mode)
Move the review cursor to the next word in the text
Move to start of line in review
shift+numpad1
NVDA+home
none
Moves the review cursor to the start of the current line in the text
Move to previous character in review
numpad1
NVDA+leftArrow
flick left (text mode)
Moves the review cursor to the previous character on the current line in the text
Report current character in review
numpad2
NVDA+.
none
Announces the current character on the line of text where the review cursor is positioned. Pressing twice reports a description or example of that character. Pressing three times reports the numeric value of the character in decimal and hexadecimal.
Move to next character in review
numpad3
NVDA+rightArrow
flick right (text mode)
Move the review cursor to the next character on the current line of text
Move to end of line in review
shift+numpad3
NVDA+end
none
Moves the review cursor to the end of the current line of text
Say all with review
numpadPlus
NVDA+shift+a
3-finger flick down (text mode)
Reads from the current position of the review cursor, moving it as it goes
Copy from review cursor
NVDA+f9
NVDA+f9
none
starts copying text from the current position of the review cursor. The actual copy is not performed until you tell NVDA where to copy to
Copy to review cursor
NVDA+f10
NVDA+f10
none
Copies from the position of the review cursor currently set with Copy from review cursor, to the review cursor’s current position. After pressing this key, the text will be copied to the Windows clipboard
Report text formatting
NVDA+f
NVDA+f
none
Reports the formatting of the text where the review cursor is currently situated
Flat Review
Name
Desktop key
Laptop key
Touch
Description
Move to flat review
NVDA+numpad7
NVDA+pageUp
2-finger flick up
Moves to flat review, placing you at the position of the current navigator object, allowing you to review the screen (or document if you are currently inside one) with the text review commands.
Move to object from flat review
NVDA+numpad1
NVDA+pageDown
2-finger flick down
navigates to the object represented by the text at the current position of the review cursor in flat review
Navigating with the Mouse
Name
Desktop key
Laptop key
Description
Left mouse button click
numpadDivide
NVDA+[
clicks the left mouse button once. The common double click can be performed by pressing this key twice in quick succession
Left mouse button lock
shift+numpadDivide
NVDA+control+[
Locks the left mouse button down. Press again to release it. To drag the mouse, press this key to lock the left button down and then move the mouse either physically or use one of the other mouse routing commands
Right mouse click
numpadMultiply
NVDA+]
Clicks the right mouse button once.
Right mouse button lock
shift+numpadMultiply
NVDA+control+]
Locks the right mouse button down. Press again to release it. To drag the mouse, press this key to lock the right button down and then move the mouse either physically or use one of the other mouse routing commands
Move mouse to current navigator object
NVDA+numpadDivide
NVDA+shift+m
Moves the mouse to the location of the current navigator object and review cursor
Navigate to the object under the mouse
NVDA+numpadMultiply
NVDA+shift+n
Set the navigator object to the object located at the position of the mouse
Browse Mode
Name
Key
Description
Toggle browse/focus modes
NVDA+space
Toggles between focus mode and browse mode
Exit focus mode
escape
switches back to browse mode if focus mode was previously switched to automatically
Refresh browse mode document
NVDA+f5
Reloads the current document content (useful if certain content seems to be missing from the document)
Find
NVDA+control+f
Pops up a dialog in which you can type some text to find in the current document
Find next
NVDA+f3
Finds the next occurrence of the text in the document that you previously searched for
Find previous
NVDA+shift+f3
Finds the previous occurrence of the text in the document you previously searched for
open long description
NVDA+d
Opens a new window containing a long description for the element you are on if it has one.
Single Letter Navigation
The following keys by themselves jump to the next available element, while adding the shift key causes them to jump to the previous element:
• h: heading
• l: list
• i: list item
• t: table
• k: link
• n: nonLinked text
• f: form field
• u: unvisited link
• v: visited link
• e: edit field
• b: button
• x: checkbox
• c: combo box
• r: radio button
• q: block quote
• s: separator
• m: frame
• g: graphic
• d: landmark
• o: embedded object
• 1 to 6: headings at levels 1 to 6 respectively
To move to the beginning or end of containing elements such as lists and tables:
Name
Key
Description
Move to start of container
shift+comma
Moves to the start of the container (list, table, etc.) where the caret is positioned
Move past end of container
comma
Moves past the end of the container (list, table, etc.) where the caret is positioned
The Elements List
Name
Key
Description
Browse mode elements list
NVDA+f7
Brings up the Elements list which contains links, headings and landmarks from the current document
Embedded Objects
Name
Key
Description
Move to containing browse mode document
NVDA+control+space
Moves the focus out of the current embedded object and into the document that contains it
Application Specific NVDA Commands
Microsoft Excel
Name
Key
Description
Set column headers
NVDA+shift+c
Pressing this once tells NVDA this is the row that contains column headers, which should be automatically announced when moving between columns below this row. Pressing twice will clear the setting.
Set row headers
NVDA+shift+r
Pressing this once tells NVDA this is the column that contains row headers, which should be automatically announced when moving between rows after this column. Pressing twice will clear the setting.
foobar2000
Name
Key
Description
Report remaining time
control+shift+r
Reports the remaining time of the currently playing track, if any.
Miranda IM
Name
Key
Description
Report recent message
NVDA+control+1-4
Reports one of the recent messages, depending on the number pressed; e.g. NVDA+control+2 reads the second most recent message.
Poedit
Name
Key
Description
Report Comments Window
control+shift+c
Reports any comments in the comments window.
Report automatic comments window
control+shift+a
Reports any comments in the automatic comments window.
Configuring NVDA
Preferences
Voice Settings (NVDA+control+v)
Name
Desktop key
Laptop key
Description
Punctuation/Symbol Level
NVDA+p
NVDA+p
This allows you to choose the amount of punctuation and other symbols that should be spoken as words.
Synth settings ring
Name
Desktop key
Laptop key
Description
Move to next synth setting
NVDA+control+rightArrow
NVDA+shift+control+rightArrow
Moves to the next available speech setting after the current, wrapping around to the first setting again after the last
Move to previous synth setting
NVDA+control+leftArrow
NVDA+shift+control+leftArrow
Moves to the next available speech setting before the current, wrapping around to the last setting after the first
Increment current synth setting
NVDA+control+upArrow
NVDA+shift+control+upArrow
increases the current speech setting you are on. E.g. increases the rate, chooses the next voice, increases the volume
Decrement current synth setting
NVDA+control+downArrow
NVDA+shift+control+downArrow
decreases the current speech setting you are on. E.g. decreases the rate, chooses the previous voice, decreases the volume
Braille Settings
Name
Desktop key
Laptop key
Description
Braille Tethered to
NVDA+control+t
NVDA+control+t
This option allows you to choose whether the braille display will follow the system focus, or whether it follows the navigator object / review cursor.
Keyboard Settings (NVDA+control+k)
Name
Desktop key
Laptop key
Description
Speak Typed Characters
NVDA+2
NVDA+2
When enabled, NVDA will announce all characters you type on the keyboard.
Speak Typed Words
NVDA+3
NVDA+3
When enabled, NVDA will announce all words you type on the keyboard.
Speak Command Keys
NVDA+4
NVDA+4
When enabled, NVDA will announce all non-character keys you type on the keyboard. This includes key combinations such as control plus another letter.
Mouse Settings (NVDA+control+m)
Name
Desktop key
Laptop key
Description
Enable mouse tracking
NVDA+m
NVDA+m
When enabled, NVDA will announce the text currently under the mouse pointer, as you move it around the screen. This allows you to find things on the screen, by physically moving the mouse, rather than trying to find them through object navigation.
Review Cursor Settings
Name
Desktop key
Laptop key
Description
Follow System Focus
NVDA+7
NVDA+7
When enabled, The review cursor will always be placed in the same object as the current system focus as it changes.
Follow System Caret
NVDA+6
NVDA+6
When enabled, the review cursor will automatically be moved to the position of the System caret each time it moves.
Object Presentation Settings (NVDA+control+o)
Name
Desktop key
Laptop key
Description
Progress bar output
NVDA+u
NVDA+u
This option controls how NVDA reports progress bar updates to you.
Report dynamic content changes
NVDA+5
NVDA+5
Toggles the announcement of new content in particular objects such as terminals and the history control in chat programs.
Browse Mode Settings (NVDA+control+b)
Name
Desktop key
Laptop key
Description
Use screen layout
NVDA+v
NVDA+v
This option allows you to specify whether content in browse mode should place content such as links and other fields on their own line, or if it should keep them in the flow of text as it is visually shown. If the option is enabled then things will stay as they are visually shown, but if it is disabled then fields will be placed on their own line.
Saving and Reloading the configuration
Name
Desktop key
Laptop key
Description
Save configuration
NVDA+control+c
NVDA+control+c
Saves your current configuration so that it is not lost when you exit NVDA
Revert configuration
NVDA+control+r
NVDA+control+r
Pressing once resets your configuration to when you last saved it. Pressing three times will reset it back to factory defaults.
Supported Braille Displays
Freedom Scientific Focus/PAC Mate Series
Name
Key
Scroll braille display back
topRouting1 (first cell on display)
Scroll braille display forward
topRouting20/40/80 (last cell on display)
Scroll braille display back
leftAdvanceBar
Scroll braille display forward
rightAdvanceBar
Toggle braille tethered to
leftGDFButton+rightGDFButton
Toggle left wiz wheel action
leftWizWheelPress
Move back using left wiz wheel action
leftWizWheelUp
Move forward using left wiz wheel action
leftWizWheelDown
Toggle right wiz wheel action
rightWizWheelPress
Move back using right wiz wheel action
rightWizWheelUp
Move forward using right wiz wheel action
rightWizWheelDown
Route to braille cell
routing
backspace key
dot7
enter key
dot8
shift+tab key
brailleSpaceBar+dot1+dot2
tab key
brailleSpaceBar+dot4+dot5
upArrow key
brailleSpaceBar+dot1
downArrow key
brailleSpaceBar+dot4
control+leftArrow key
brailleSpaceBar+dot2
control+rightArrow key
brailleSpaceBar+dot5
leftArrow
brailleSpaceBar+dot3
rightArrow key
brailleSpaceBar+dot6
home key
brailleSpaceBar+dot1+dot3
end key
brailleSpaceBar+dot4+dot6
control+home key
brailleSpaceBar+dot1+dot2+dot3
control+end key
brailleSpaceBar+dot4+dot5+dot6
alt key
brailleSpaceBar+dot1+dot3+dot4
alt+tab key
brailleSpaceBar+dot2+dot3+dot4+dot5
escape key
brailleSpaceBar+dot1+dot5
windows key
brailleSpaceBar+dot2+dot4+dot5+dot6
space key
brailleSpaceBar
windows+d key (minimize all applications)
brailleSpaceBar+dot1+dot2+dot3+dot4+dot5+dot6
Report Current Line
brailleSpaceBar+dot1+dot4
NVDA menu
brailleSpaceBar+dot1+dot3+dot4+dot5
For newer Focus models that contain rocker bar keys (focus 40, focus 80 and focus blue):
Name
Key
Move braille display to previous line
leftRockerBarUp, rightRockerBarUp
Move braille display to next line
leftRockerBarDown, rightRockerBarDown
For Focus 80 only:
Name
Key
Scroll braille display back
leftBumperBarUp, rightBumperBarUp
Scroll braille display forward
leftBumperBarDown, rightBumperBarDown
Optelec ALVA BC640/680
Name
Key
Scroll braille display back
t1
Move braille display to previous line
t2
Move braille display to next line
t4
Scroll braille display forward
t5
Route to braille cell
routing
shift+tab key
sp1
alt key
sp2
escape key
sp3
tab key
sp4
upArrow key
spUp
downArrow key
spDown
leftArrow key
spLeft
rightArrow key
spRight
enter key
spEnter
NVDA Menu
sp1+sp3
windows+d key (minimize all applications)
sp1+sp4
windows key
sp2+sp3
alt+tab key
sp2+sp4
Handy Tech Displays
Name
Key
Scroll braille display back
left, up
Scroll braille display forward
right, down
Move braille display to previous line
b4
Move braille display to next line
b5
Route to braille cell
routing
shift+tab key
esc
alt key
b2+b4+b5
escape key
b4+b6
tab key
enter
enter key
esc+enter
upArrow key
leftSpace
downArrow key
rightSpace
NVDA Menu
b2+b4+b5+b6
Handy Tech configuration
b4+b8
MDV Lilli
Name
Key
Scroll braille display backward
LF
Scroll braille display forward
RG
Move braille display to previous line
UP
Move braille display to next line
DN
Route to braille cell
route
shift+tab key
SLF
tab key
SRG
alt+tab key
SDN
alt+shift+tab key
SUP
Baum/Humanware/APH Braille Displays
Name
Key
Scroll braille display back
d2
Scroll braille display forward
d5
Move braille display to previous line
d1
Move braille display to next line
d3
Route to braille cell
routing
For displays which have a joystick:
Name
Key
upArrow key
up
downArrow key
down
leftArrow key
left
rightArrow key
right
enter key
select
hedo ProfiLine USB
Name
Key
Scroll braille display back
K1
Scroll braille display forward
K3
Move braille display to previous line
B2
Move braille display to next line
B5
Route to braille cell
routing
Toggle braille tethered to
K2
Say all
B6
hedo MobilLine USB
Name
Key
Scroll braille display back
K1
Scroll braille display forward
K3
Move braille display to previous line
B2
Move braille display to next line
B5
Route to braille cell
routing
Toggle braille tethered to
K2
Say all
B6
HumanWare Brailliant BI/B Series
Name
Key
Scroll braille display back
left
Scroll braille display forward
right
Move braille display to previous line
up
Move braille display to next line
down
Route to braille cell
routing
Toggle braille tethered to
up+down
upArrow key
space+dot1
downArrow key
space+dot4
leftArrow key
space+dot3
rightArrow key
space+dot6
NVDA Menu
c1+c3+c4+c5 (command n)
shift+tab key
space+dot1+dot3
tab key
space+dot4+dot6
alt key
space+dot1+dot3+dot4 (space+m)
escape key
space+dot1+dot5 (space+e)
enter key
dot8
windows+d key (minimize all applications)
c1+c4+c5 (command d)
windows key
space+dot3+dot4
alt+tab key
space+dot2+dot3+dot4+dot5 (space+t)
Say all
c1+c2+c3+c4+c5+c6
HIMS Braille Sense/Braille EDGE Series
Name
Key
Scroll braille display back
left side scroll down
Scroll braille display forward
right side scroll down
Move braille display to previous line
left side scroll up
Move braille display to next line
right side scroll up
Route to braille cell
routing
shift+tab key
dot1+dot2+space
alt key
dot1+dot3+dot4+Space
escape key
dot1+dot5+Space
tab key
dot4+dot5+Space
enter key
dot8
backspace key
dot7
upArrow key
dot1+Space
downArrow key
dot4+Space
capsLock
dot1+dot3+dot6+space
shift+alt+tab key
advance2+advance3+advance1
alt+tab key
advance2+advance3
end key
dot4+dot6+space
Control+end key
dot4+dot5+dot6+space
home key
dot1+dot3+space
control+home key
dot1+dot2+dot3+space
leftArrow key
dot3+space
control+shift+leftArrow key
dot2+dot8+space+advance1
control+leftArrow key
dot2+space
shift+alt+leftArrow key
dot2+dot7+advance1
alt+leftArrow key
dot2+dot7
rightArrow key
dot6+space
control+shift+rightArrow key
dot5+dot8+space+advance1
control+rightArrow key
dot5+space
shift+alt+rightArrow key
dot5+dot7+advance1
alt+rightArrow key
dot5+dot7
pageUp key
dot1+dot2+dot6+space
control+pageUp key
dot1+dot2+dot6+dot8+space
control+shift+upArrow key
dot2+dot3+dot8+space+advance1
control+upArrow key
dot2+dot3+space
shift+alt+upArrow key
dot2+dot3+dot7+advance1
alt+upArrow key
dot2+dot3+dot7
shift+upArrow key
left side scroll down + space
pageDown key
dot3+dot4+dot5+space
control+pagedown key
dot3+dot4+dot5+dot8+space
control+shift+downArrow key
dot5+dot6+dot8+space+advance1
control+downArrow key
dot5+dot6+space
shift+alt+downArrow key
dot5+dot6+dot7+advance1
alt+downArrow key
dot5+dot6+dot7
shift+downArrow key
right side scroll down + space
delete key
dot1+dot3+dot5+space
f1 key
dot1+dot2+dot5+space
f3 key
dot1+dot2+dot4+dot8
f4 key
dot7+advance3
windows+b key
dot1+dot2+advance1
windows+d key
dot1+dot4+dot5+advance1
HIMS SyncBraille
Name
Key
Scroll braille display back
left side scroll down
Scroll braille display forward
right side scroll down
Route to braille cell
routing
Seika Braille Displays
Name
Key
Scroll braille display back
left
Scroll braille display forward
right
Move braille display to previous line
b3
Move braille display to next line
b4
Toggle braille tethered to
b5
Say all
b6
tab
b1
shift+tab
b2
alt+tab
b1+b2
NVDA Menu
left+right
Route to braille cell
routing
Papenmeier BRAILLEX Newer Models
Name
Key
Scroll braille display back
left
Scroll braille display forward
right
Move braille display to previous line
up
Move braille display to next line
dn
Route to braille cell
routing
Report current character in review
l1
Activate current navigator object
l2
Move to flat review/focus
r1
Report title
l1+up
Report Status Bar
l2+down
Move to containing object
up2
Move to first contained object
dn2
Move to previous object
left2
Move to next object
right2
Report text formatting
upper routing row
Name
Key
backspace key
dot 7
enter key
dot 8
escape key
space with dot 7
upArrow key
space with dot 2
leftArrow key
space with dot 1
rightArrow key
space with dot 4
downArrow
space with dot 5
control key
lt+dot2
alt key
lt+dot3
control+escape key
space with dot 1 2 3 4 5 6
tab key
space with dot 3 7
Papenmeier Braille BRAILLEX Older Models
Devices with EAB:
Name
Key
Scroll braille display back
left
Scroll braille display forward
right
Move braille display to previous line
up
Move braille display to next line
dn
Route to braille cell
routing
Report current character in review
l1
Activate current navigator object
l2
Move to flat review / focus
r1
Report title
l1up
Report Status Bar
l2down
Move to containing object
up2
Move to first contained object
dn2
Move to next object
right2
Move to previous object
left2
Report text formatting
Upper routing strip
BRAILLEX Tiny:
Name
Key
Report current character in review
l1
Activate current navigator object
l2
Scroll braille display back
left
Scroll braille display forward
right
Move braille display to previous line
up
Move braille display to next line
dn
Toggle braille tethered to
r2
Move to flat review / focus
r1
Move to containing object
r1+up
Move to first contained object
r1+dn
Move to previous object
r1+left
Move to next object
r1+right
Report text formatting
reportf
BRAILLEX 2D Screen:
Name
Key
Report current character in review
l1
Activate current navigator object
l2
Toggle braille tethered to
r2
Report text formatting
reportf
Move braille display to previous line
up
Scroll braille display back
left
Move to flat review / focus
r1
Scroll braille display forward
right
Move braille display to next line
dn
Move to next object
left2
Move to containing object
up2
Move to first contained object
dn2
Move to previous object
right2
HumanWare BrailleNote
Name
Key
Scroll braille display back
back
Scroll braille display forward
advance
Move braille display to previous line
previous
Move braille display to next line
next
Route to braille cell
routing
Toggle braille tethered to
previous+next
Up arrow key
space+dot1
Down arrow key
space+dot4
Left Arrow key
space+dot3
Right arrow key
space+dot6
Page up key
space+dot1+dot3
Page down key
space+dot4+dot6
Home key
space+dot1+dot2
End key
space+dot4+dot5
Control+home keys
space+dot1+dot2+dot3
Control+end keys
space+dot4+dot5+dot6
Space key
space
Enter key
space+dot8
Backspace key
space+dot7
Tab key
space+dot2+dot3+dot4+dot5 (space+t)
Shift+tab keys
space+dot1+dot2+dot5+dot6
Windows key
space+dot2+dot4+dot5+dot6 (space+w)
Alt key
space+dot1+dot3+dot4 (space+m)
Toggle input help
space+dot2+dot3+dot6 (space+lower h)
BRLTTY
Name
BRLTTY command
Scroll braille display back
fwinlt (go left one window)
Scroll braille display forward
fwinrt (go right one window)
Move braille display to previous line
lnup (go up one line)
Move braille display to next line
lndn (go down one line)
Route to braille cell
route (bring cursor to character)

Also, watch this terrific video by our friends at NVAccess:

tinyurl.com/al8q4ec

Follow @NVaccess on Twitter, then go to NVaccess.org and donate!

Comments closed

Press release on free events and exhibit hall at CSUN 2012

Published February 29, 2012 by L. Legendary

Waiting until midweek to attend the free events at the CSUN 2012 Assistive Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference? If so, you will be met by thousands also flocking to get a look at the latest assistive devices on display in the exhibit hall at the Manchester Gran Hyatt. Below is the latest info on the tweetup event, and other information on free events scheduled for the week. See you there!

San Diego to Host 27th Annual International

Technology & Persons with Disabilities Conference

Geri Jewell to Keynote Largest Tech Conference For People with Disabilities;

CSUN 2012 Exhibit and Several Forums Will be Open to the Public

San Diego, CA—February 23, 2012—California State University, Northridge (CSUN) announced today highlights for the upcoming 27^th Annual International Technology & Persons with Disabilities Conference including the free exhibit and several forums that will be open to the public. The world’s largest and only university-sponsored tech event dedicated to people with disabilities will again take place at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego, February 27-March 3, 2012. CSUN is also proud to announce that actor, comedienne, speaker and advocate, Geri Jewell, will keynote the 2012 conference.

“Our conference is very unique to the industry and brings together thousands from around the world including scientists, influencers, government officials, visionary tech execs and entrepreneurs, all committed to driving innovation in assistive technology to promote inclusiveness for people with disabilities—our largest group of attendees and the reason we all gather to push the research and industry forward each year,” said Sandy Plotin, managing director of CSUN’s Center on Disabilities.

Actor, comedienne, speaker and advocate for people with disabilities, Geri Jewell, will keynote the 2012 conference. Jewell, who brought national attention to cerebral palsy and ability awareness in her role as “cousin Geri” in the 80’s TV series, The Facts of Life, uses humor to facilitate attitude changes. Jewell remains a leading force in disabilities advocacy and continues her acting career as seen on the award-winning HBO series, Deadwood, and in the new FOX series, Alcatraz.

“We are thrilled to have Geri Jewell as our keynote this year. By sharing her disability as her greatest blessing, she transforms the focus of her motivational appearances and training sessions from disabilities to a true celebration of ability. She’ll undoubtedly inspire and empower conference attendees, which is our ultimate goal,” added Plotin.

CSUN 2012 will include two days of engaging pre-conference events and 350 general sessions led by experts, all focused on promoting accessibility through technology innovation and policy change. Also, there will be over 130 exhibitors demonstrating the latest in assistive technology from software and social media apps to robotics. The exhibit hall and several forums will be open to the public and free of charge.

FREE EXHIBIT HALL HOURS (OPEN TO THE PUBLIC):

Wednesday, February 29, 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Thursday, March 1, 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Friday, March 2, 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM

FREE EXHIBITS & FORUMS (OPEN TO THE PUBLIC):

Microsoft, Online Event – Follow Microsoft on its “Road to CSUN”, an eight-day road trip from Seattle to San Diego that will explore and share the world of accessibility discovered on the way to the conference. See regular updates and video on Microsoft’s Accessibility Blog, aka.ms/EnableBlog and Twitter (@MSFTEnable or #Road2CSUN), February 20 – 28^th.

Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities – Reps from FEMA and other agencies will discuss emerging hazards, new communication technologies and maximizing wireless device readiness (mobile, smart phone, tablet). Explore Apps, cloud storage, social media readiness, alternative power options for essential communication and independence, and other key preparedness. – Thursday, March 1, 10:00 a.m-12:00 p.m. PT (Elizabeth Ballrooms “D” & “E”)

Department of Labor, Featured Presentation – Kathleen Martinez, Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy, will speak about the agency’s efforts to promote the development and adoption of accessible workplace technology by America’s employers, which is essential to advancing the employment of people with disabilities. – Thursday, March 1, 12:00-12:30 p.m. (Elizabeth Ballrooms “D” & “E”)

U.S. Access Board – The Board recently conducted a public hearing on a revised draft of updated requirements for information and comm. technology (ICT) covered by Section 508 of the Rehab. Act and Section 255 of the Telecom. Act. The next Public Hearing on the Draft ICT Rule will be held at CSUN 2012. – Thursday, March 1, 1:00-3:00 p.m. PT (Elizabeth Ballrooms “D” & “E”)

Department of Transportation – Representatives of the DOT and Amtrak will discuss the rights of people with disabilities when in transport by land, air and sea, and the importance of designing a livable and accessible community. This session will also include a discussion of recent DOT rulemaking, enforcement and outreach activities to make our travel system more fully accessible as well as a video presentation on evacuating people with disabilities during emergencies. – Friday, March 2, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. PT (Elizabeth Ballrooms “D” & “E”)

For more information about the conference including how to register for pre-conference workshops and other closed-session events, visit the Center on Disabilities’ website at <www.csun.edu/cod> or call (818) 677-2578.

About CSUN
California State University, Northridge has more than 35,000 full- and part-time students and offers 66 bachelor’s and 53 master’s degrees as well as 28 teaching credential programs. Founded in 1958, CSUN is among the largest single-campus universities in the nation and the only four-year public university in the San Fernando Valley. The university serves as the intellectual, economic and cultural heart of the Valley and beyond. www.csun.edu

###

Don’t forget to use the #CSUN12 hashtag when tweeting about the event.

Comments closed

A word with CSUN 2012 presenter and author Kel Smith

Published February 8, 2012 by L. Legendary

The week of the CSUN 27th Annual International Conference on Disability and Assistive Technology promises to be another action-packed week of education and inspiration. Once you have absorbed all you can of the information shared by the 25 speakers, and walked the length and breadth of the enormous exhibit hall, you’ll want to save some energy for the many social events, some planned, some spontaneous, that will be held throughout the week. You will have an opportunity to meet people you’ve tweeted with but may have never actually met in the "meatspace," and you can shake hands with those responsible for bringing to life the innumerable technologies upon which many of us rely.

One of the presenters at this year’s event is Kel Smith. Kel Smith is a longtime speaker, author and practitioner on digital accessibility. His articles and papers have appeared in multiple publications, and he has presented worldwide on the topic of emerging technologies in inclusive design. He formed Anikto LLC in 2008 to explore and develop barrier-free digital experiences in various sectors, including healthcare, service design, engineering, government, product marketing and K-12 education.

Mr. smith, who will be speaking on Wednesday, February 29th at eight o’clock a.m. the week of the CSUN conference, was kind enough to offer a few thoughts on his connection to an industry that, for him, means more than technological advancement at the expense of the individuals it serves.

"Innovation is not specific to any device or platform. It is driven by an understanding of behavior, the business climate in which that behavior resides, and the social responsibility to manifest a common good. I consider it a privilege to align myself with people and organizations who contribute to this moral cause.”

Kel Smith is the author of a book in progress called "Digital Outcasts: Moving Technology Forward Without Leaving People Behind," currently scheduled for a 2012 release.

Click here for more info on ‘Digital Outcasts."

You can follow Kel Smith on Twitter here: @kelsmith

Comments closed