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Edit: Got lots of stuff to look through now. Thank you for all the boosts!
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Hey, does anyone have a list of resources for someone who is rapidly losing their sight and will soon rely on screen readers or other blind accessibility software? I can suggest a few things I've heard about, but it would just be the two of us googling, really. #Accessibility
For those asking about locale, looks like it's Canada: https://bsky.app/profile/matthewrossi.bsky.social/post/3lbsy4i5dt227
@Lironah whereabouts? US or Canada?
@Lironah It will depend somewhat on OS/device/typical activity. What’s their primary device? Apple has pretty good built-in accessibility tooling and getting good at using VoiceOver would be a good starting point.
@Lironah Hey @LeonianUniverse do you have any resources?
@Lironah I recommend VisionAware as a great starting place to find resources not only for technology, but for independent living, orientation and mobility and more: https://aphconnectcenter.org/visionaware/
@Lironah @mastoblind Need to get someone hooked up with blind/VI resources
@Lironah For community I recommend the National Federation of the Blind, which is a blindness-positive advocacy organization: https://nfb.org
@Lironah Then of course if their on an Apple Mac they can press command+f5 or command+fn+f5 in some cases to start the built-in VoiceOver screen reader.
@Lironah Otherwise, if on Windows, there's Nonvisual Desktop Access: https://nvaccess.org
@Lironah lots of information here https://www.rnib.org.uk/living-with-sight-loss/assistive-aids-and-technology/
And their online shop has everything from high-tech screen readers to magnifying glasses. Good for browsing what is available even if you buy it elsewhere.
@Lironah I don't know where you are in the world, but contacting your local blindness organisation is always a good idea. They can often provide consultations and try-outs on tech solutions, but also things like provide mobility training and emotional support during sight loss.
@Lironah hi. Please visit letsenvision.com
I'm an engineering manager @letsenvision and also am accessibility expert. We make software tools for the blind and low vision people. You can visit our blog for some resources or just connect with me directly and I will try to help as much as possible.
P.S. Our mobile app is completely free to use.
@kentparkstreet1 might have some.
@Lironah hiii! So, blind girl here, we don't have a list of resources as such, and in general those that do exist tend to promote.... let's say "software promoted by blindness orgs" over actually useful stuff, so if yall need tech help/advice/etc we can absolutely assist
@Lironah
I almost exclusively use the accessibility features built into iPhone, and a couple of other apps. One app called Seeing AI is great for shopping, can pick up bar codes as well as read prices and other details.
Depending on where you are there’s usually an organisation that helps, in Australia it’s Vision Australia, with knowledge and training. They’ll know what’s a gimmick and what’s genuinely useful.
@Lironah My father turned functionally blind, but he still got some good use out of a PC with Windows by sitting really close to the monitor and setting the font and mouse cursor to really large through the accessibility settings in Windows itself.
Of course, that won't help if you're completely blind, but it might tide you over and give you time to get used to a screen reader before you have rely on it completely.
@heinragas He still has some sight, but he says it's painful to use it for long stretches.
In the US, Easter Seals and Perkins School for the Blind have great resources.
@Lironah if you use an iOS device, applevis.com has lots of advice. Regardless of your OS, the subreddit r/blind was a great resource for me as my vision deteriorated.
جوهانا دوسپو @Lironah If they like technical stuff, there is Emacspeak: https://emacspeak.blogspot.com/?m=1
@Lironah Not a list, no, but I do know of a company Fable who does accessibility testing working directly with people with accessibility needs. They have a training course that could be a good starting point, and help build some community connections.
https://makeitfable.com/pathways/
@Lironah Check out https://hadleyhelps.org Here you'll find free info on using a phone or computer and setting up the accessibility features, plus there's content on adjusting to vision loss, daily living skills like cooking and cleaning, and lots more. You can also get in touch by phone or email and we can help you locate local resources in addition to what you find online.
@Lironah a friend of mine helped pioneer the Microsoft Seeing AI app. It is very impressive at reading and describing things. https://www.seeingai.com/
@Lironah if you're after a global resource check out the World Blind Union and their resources page. They have links to organisations around the world amongst other very useful info.
@Lironah @eddedmondson might you have anything to hand on this..?
@noodlemaz @Lironah unfortunately not. R found screen readers difficult to get used to, but I know others do very well with them. RNIB were supportive but I suspect Lironah isn't UK so it'd be a different org for them?
R had a lot of trouble adapting to new gestures on the iPad with a screen reader. I suspect having someone in person help would be really useful, if you can find someone local.
@noodlemaz @Lironah I strongly recommend @BlondeHistorian as a follow on accessibility and sight issues!
@noodlemaz @Lironah @BlondeHistorian possibly more active on Bluesky currently.
@Lironah
If you're near San Francisco, Lighthouse for the Blind
@Lironah check Dan williams he has a consultancy called visualise for making access adjustments for the blind with technology he's on LinkedIn and Facebook
@Lironah Ah well if Canada CNIB. Sorry all the resources I gave earlier are US specific, though NFB or ACB could be useful.
@Lironah blindandroidusers.com that's the site for blind android users and there's a podcast and email list too.
Everything else depends on knowing their setup. The advice to give to a Mac user differs quite a lot from that for a Windows or UNIX-like user.
@Lironah Hi! You've got lots of great suggestions in your thread - we would second (third?) the recommendation to talk to your local blindness agency who will know what specifically local resources there are. For someone on Windows, NVDA is a FREE, popular screen reader. It is possible to get going with the included Quick Start Guide, but we would also recommend our "Basic Training for NVDA" as more in-depth training - that isn't free, but costs only $32 AUD (~$20 USD).
@Lironah Are they working/in school/retired? This will help me make suggestions to know.
@sapphireangel He's a freelance writer, trying to figure out how to keep working.
@Lironah He may sadly have to break to adjust to blindness. He should contact vocational rehab in his state. It can be called different things in different states. If you get stuck let me know. He can also reach out to NFB and ACB, but he may want to keep distance. The big organizations can be helpful, but also drama. If he can start taking lessons with a screen reader and make himself use it, it will be helpful. VR can teach him, but may take a bit to get those services.
@Lironah If he has any extra for private lessons or wants to talk to someone. I can send you contact info for someone I would recommend.
@sapphireangel I'll see what he's comfortable with. He does have a lot going on besides that.
@Lironah Fair. Happy to try and help how I can. Happy to just chat if he needs to vent. I lost my vision as a kid, but I at least can relate to him on the vision loss.