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TAVIP Newsletter August 2024

Dear all,

 

I do hope you are all enjoying the summer season and managing to find time to see family and friends, or just to enjoy a good book in the garden.

 

We have had a busy few months at TAVIP providing practical advice and support on technology to a wide range of people, many of whom have contacted us for the first time; we have been picking up a steady stream of referrals from partner organisations, as well as from events like Sight Village.

 

Although Autumn is not with us for a few weeks yet, we would like to share some diary dates with you for some upcoming events, and I look forward to catching up with some of you if you are able to join us for those.

 

Enjoy the rest of the summer.

 

Best wishes,

 

Clare.

Clare Burgess, Chair of Trustees.

 

VICTA Tech Week

In our last Newsletter we told you about a week of webinars that we were organising with VICTA to support the parents of children and young people with sight loss. Parents can find it hard to know which devices, software or apps will be most effective in supporting their young person’s education, where to go for advice and support on new products, and what to do when things go wrong. Therefore TAVIP worked with partners to organise three webinars on the 14th, 16th and 17th May to mark Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2024. The sessions were attended by 70 parents, 68 of whom said that they had never previously attended a workshop on Assistive Technology.

 

The first session looked at the role and potential benefits of using technology with a child with vision impairment. We looked at the technology section of the Curriculum Framework for Children and Young People with a Visual Impairment (CFVI), and the crucial role played by QTVIs (Qualified Teachers for Vision Impairment) within schools. We also heard about the technology support and grants which Guide Dogs offer to children and young people, and the role that Habilitation specialists can play in developing fine motor skills at an early age, which help people when using technology devices in later life.

 

The second session was a technology showcase which covered braille and braille devices, screen readers, and a range of apps which can help students.

 

The final sessions looked at issues of transition as experienced first-hand by a student from the TPT Student Voices programme. We also looked at the key timing, decisions and support which young people and parents needed to be aware of as they move through primary, secondary and into further and higher education.

 

Feedback included:

“There are a lot of apps to assist with mobility to download and try out.”

“I loved the information about the VI curriculum framework. I hadn’t previously heard of it and am looking forward to going through the parent guide to support me during our upcoming annual review.”

“It filled me with confidence that there are multiple options out there and there will definitely be a fit for each of my very different VI children.”

 

It was great to bring together people with lived experience of these issues, and a range of professionals from RNIB, Guide Dogs, Thomas Pocklington Trust, Taira Technology and of course TAVIP. Thanks to Jeff Bashton for helping to organise the sessions.

 

VICTA were delighted with the impact of the event, and we will be looking to run a similar programme with them next year.

 

If you would like to support TAVIP’s work with young people you can do so on our donation page. Thank you 🙂

 

New Directory of Tech Resources

We have transferred details of our training partners, and other useful information from our website into a new TAVIP Directory with category headings to make it easier to find the resources you need. There is a section on Children & Young People which provides links to many of the resources from VICTA Tech Week.

 

Do email us at info@tavip.org.uk with any suggestion for further content or categories.

 

Sight Village

Team TAVIP had a busy couple of days at Sight Village in Birmingham last month, checking out some new tech as well as taking the details of people visiting the TAVIP stand and who wanted training or support with their technology. We have already arranged training on NVDA or JAWS for a number of people through our Technology for Work Programme, helped people to get a spec and price on suitable laptops, helped people switch from Voiceover on a MacBook to NVDA on a PC, helped people learn how to navigate web pages with a screen reader, linked someone up with a specialist trainer on Reaper software, and supported two people who do computer programming for a living.

 

The team were also interested to find out about some new products including the We WALK 2 Smart Cane, Paige Connect, the Braille eMotion display and the Eurobraille b.book Windows-based Braille notetaker.

 

The We WALK 2 Smart cane

The We WALK 2 Smart cane is an update on the first model and comes with integrated AI features and improved design features. The device looks just like a normal white cane. The weight of the first generation We WALK cane was 252g, while We WALK 2 190g, and we found the weight and handle shape quite acceptable. The touch panel has been replaced by a push-button design and you can now walk in the rain with We WALK 2. It will be available in the UK from November 2024 and is supplied by Sight and Sound https://www.sightandsound.co.uk/product/wewalk/.

 

Paige connect

This is a replacement base board for the classic perkins Brailler. When the original base board has been replaced by Paige connect, Braille entered via the perkins keyboard is sent to a mobile phone via Bluetooth. It accepts UEB contracted and uncontracted Braille. It will be available at a cost of £240. www.paigebraille.com.

 

The Braille eMotion display

The Braille eMotion display has 40 cells. We thought the speech quality was superior on this device than on similar products. Also, it had a micro SD card slot as well as an A and C USB connector. It supports audio over bluetooth as well as Braille. When paired with an iPhone, speech output will come through the Braille display speaker, hence the phone can be away from the display – in your pocket or a bag. Battery life is 20 hours per charge. Available from Sight and Sound https://www.sightandsound.co.uk/product/e-motion/.

 

Eurobraille b.book – A fully integrated Windows Braille laptop!

This is a note-taker with a Braille input keyboard. Some of the keys were located in unexpected positions. What makes this product unusual is that unlike the Braille note Touch plus and the BrailleSense it has the Windows operating system rather than the Android one. This is marketed via Professional Vision Services https://professional-vision-services.co.uk/products/braille-products/eurobraille-b-book sales@professional-vision-services.co.uk . Tel: 01462 420 751. Steve Nutt has also done a review of the b.book.

 

Thanks to Sheila and Jeff for representing TAVIP at Sight Village.

 

Glide by Glidance

In other product news, some of you may have heard about a navigation product called Glide which is currently in the advanced stages of development and is due for release next year. It is a two-wheeled device which the user pushes in front of them. It uses radar and location systems to turn the wheels to direct the user towards the desired location.

 

Glidance describe it as follows:

  • Glide simply guides the way – holding Glide’s ergonomic handle in one hand and walking at your own pace, Glide will simply guide you by steering its wheels.
  • Avoid obstacles – with obstacle detection for both stationary and moving objects, you can confidently navigate high-traffic areas.
  • Find doors, elevators, stairs, & more – with its camera and sensors, Glide will detect and direct you to key waypoints and line-of-sight targets and apply its haptic handle and automatic braking system when you arrive.
  • Have your surroundings described with an active scene description – As you walk, voice feedback keeps you updated on relevant details within your environment.
  • Pre-mapped and spontaneous walking – pre-program your most frequent routes or simply start walking without a set destination in mind. Glide will keep you on a path & avoid obstacles.

 

Here is a video which describes Glide and the concepts behind it.

 

Masterclass on Goldwave, with David Reay, Wednesday 11th September

David Reay has kindly offered to deliver a Masterclass on the use of Goldwave. We will be sending out some further information on the session at the beginning of September, but we wanted you to be able to save the date in your diary. The webinar will be on Wednesday 11th September at 7.30pm.

 

If you would like to suggest topics for future Masterclass webinars please email us at info@tavip.org.uk

 

Visit Google’s Accessibility and Discovery Centre (ADC), Wednesday 23rd October

We are delighted to be able to offer you a tour of Google’s Accessibility and Discovery Centre which is at their office building next to St Pancras Station in London.

 

The visit will be on Wednesday 23rd October from 1.30pm to 2.30pm.

 

The ADC was designed to help Google employees improve product accessibility for individuals with disabilities. They have worked closely with the disability community, local charities, and Google’s Disability Alliance employee resource group to create a space where everyone can learn and collaborate on making products and services more inclusive. Since its opening in December 2022, the ADC has welcomed over 3000 visitors and continues to grow. They envision the ADC as a hub where various organisations, researchers, educators, and innovators can come together to advance the understanding of assistive technology and the unique needs of individuals with disabilities. Visitors will have the opportunity to find out about Google’s approach to accessibility and test out various assistive technologies, apps/software, and games from a range of organizations, not just Google-related.

If you would like to be part of the visit, or to find out more, please email Julian Garner at info@tavip.org.uk

 

Freedom Scientific Training Podcast

The Freedom Scientific Training Podcast has previously been recommended by a number of TAVIP members, so we thought we would feature a recent episode of “20 Minute tech Tips” from 26 July. This episode discusses the enhancements made to the Picture Smart AI feature in the July update of JAWS 2024. Picture Smart AI describes image content using AI technology like, ChatGPT and Claude. One significant addition is the “all-in-one” command, which simplifies obtaining image descriptions by recognizing the context of the file or application in focus. They demonstrate using these commands on different types of images, such as files, PowerPoint slides, and web graphics, highlighting how the tool adapts to various contexts. Here are the links to Tech Tips on Spotify and Tech Tips on Apple Podcast.

 

Other useful websites and podcasts can be found in the Online Resources category of the TAVIP Directory.

 

UKAAF representative

We still have a vacant membership place with the UK Association for Accessible Formats (UKAAF).

 

TAVIP is an affiliate member and as such has two membership places. Richard West is one our representatives and has been involved with UKAAF for many years, but we have a vacancy for the second post. If you are interested in this area of work and would like to find out more about what would be involved, then get in touch at info@tavip.org.uk and we will link you up with Richard.

 

Appointment of our CEO, Julian Garner.

Many of you will have met Julian online, at one of our events or by email. Julian has been supporting the charity on a freelance basis for the last two and a half years and he has really helped us to raise our profile, develop our services and build new partnerships in the sector. We are therefore delighted to have been able to appoint him as our first staff member in the role of Chief Executive and the trustees look forward to working with him on further exciting developments for the charity.

 

That’s it from us for now. I do hope you enjoy the rest of the summer and do get in contact with suggestions for the newsletter, or for the charity more widely – TAVIP’s strength is the voice and participation of our members.

 

Clare.