By Hannah Fairbairn, Author of When You Can’t Believe Your Eyes Editor’s note: A version of this post appears on Hannah’s blog and is published on VisionAware. Links to Hannah Fairbairn’s book, When You Can’t Believe Your Eyes, and the webinar she did for VisionAware are at the end of this post. She hopes this post will be helpful in choosing gifts for the holidays and other occasions. … Continued
You’ve heard about Microsoft’s Seeing AI App, and all the cool stuff it does on the iPhone: it reads printed text, scans labels, describes scenes, and more! But what if you have an Android phone and Seeing AI doesn’t run on Android? Well, now the wait is over for the Android version. Google’s Lookout app is here with many of the same features, just a tried-and-true Swiss Army knife, Lookout has many useful tools. Opening the App Until recently, Lookout … Continued
National Book Lovers Day is observed every year on August 9. It’s a great opportunity to roll up my sleeves and dive into one of my favorite pastimes, reading! For individuals who’ve experienced a recent vision loss, reading may be a particularly sensitive topic. As a vision rehabilitation therapist, one of the things I hear most often from clients is the challenge of reading the newspaper, magazines, and of course, … Continued
Father’s Day is upon us and you needed some gift ideas yesterday! Here’s a short list of really helpful downloads and gadgets for your father who has everything but perfect vision. iOS Access for All iOS Access for All by Shelly Brisbin is one of the best books you’ll find on using an iPhone or iPad with the accessibility … Continued
That smartphone in your hand may be even smarter than you think. In fact, there’s a good chance it has a screen magnifier built right in to enlarge the text and images on the screen and text-to-speech capabilities to read the text on the screen, like your emails or a webpage. Before going further, it’s worth pointing out that as smart as they are, these … Continued
Editor’s note: Join us on June 15, 2021, @ 12:30 pm (EST), for the second of two webinars in which Dr. Alexis G. Malkin, OD, FAAO, and David Bradburn from HumanWare will provide an overview of assistive technology and services that help people with low vision perform everyday tasks. Using the state of Massachusetts as an example, the presenters will illustrate the needs, available services, and funding for 3 different groups, namely: … Continued
Editor’s note: Join us on March 31, 2021, @ 1:00 pm (EST), for the first a series of two webinars in which Dr. Alexis G. Malkin, OD, FAAO, and David Bradburn from HumanWare will discuss the importance of routine eye exams, low vision exams, and showcase low vision devices. by Dr. Alexis G. Malkin, OD and David Bradburn, AT Specialist, HumanWare As we age, our … Continued
In the APH ConnectCenter we field all types of calls and questions. They range from “how do I learn to cope with my blindness?”; to “what type of technology might work best to help me?”; to “how do I maintain my independence?”; to questions about careers and employment. When the phone rings, I’m reminded of a popular quote from the movie Forrest Gump. “…life is like … Continued
Technology Enhances Date Night At Home This Valentine’s Day – or any date night in the near future – many people won’t be going out for fancy dinners or to the movies, given the risks and restrictions related to COVID-19. But there’s no reason not to plan a special celebration at home enjoying your favorite movie or TV … Continued
Who coined the term "smartphone?" It must have been a 12-year-old nerdy kid or a software developer that thought it would be a great idea to put a computer in the phone and take away the keyboard! "Smart," in this instance is a very relative term! In the interest of full disclosure, this writer loves … Continued