Tek Talk

Ryan joins us this year as we prepare for the official new release of JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion version 2024. We will do a review of the key features and hear all about the release schedule and what to expect. In addition, Ryan will introduce Sharkvember and the “Next Big Thing” contest that Freedom scientific is currently running. As always, there will be plenty of time to ask questions. Be sure to give the Release notes a review ahead of time and consider installing the Public Beta so you can try some of the new features as they are discussed. Presenter Contact Info Ryan Jones: Vispero | Vice President Software Product Management Email: [email protected] Phone: 859-333-8191 Website: www.vispero.com

Lots of new and exciting things have happened at Mystic Access since we’ve last had the pleasure of appearing on Tek Talk. In this presentation, we’ll catch you up a bit by discussing one of our most popular newer tutorials on the BlindShell Classic Ii, our bran new tutorial on the Victor Reader Stream 3 which is available to anyone absolutely free, and give you the dish about a few things that will be appearing in the near future. And, just for fun, we’ll also demo a neat app, Call Annie, which features AI, and is free for download for iOS and Android. Presenter Contact Info Chris and Kim Nova Mystic Access Phone: 716 543-3323 Email: [email protected] Website: www.mysticaccess.com Free Bi-weekly podcast: www.mysticaccesspodcast.com Free Audio: www.mysticaccessdownloads.com

Come learn what is new in iOS 17. Apple has been busily working on the new release and on the 18th of September the world will have access to the new release. Come learn about the many features that are new in this release. We will discuss everything from phone changes, voice mail changes, messaging, VoiceOver changes, interactive widgets and so much more. Expect for a long presentation of the new items in this release. It may seem small from an end-user perspective but the amount of change is significant! Presenter Contact Info Email: unavailable

Presenter Contact Info Email: [email protected]

Please once again join us in welcoming HIMS National Account Manager Earle Harrison as he discusses the latest firmware release for the SensePlayer portable book reader, multimedia player and field recorder. The most notable improvements include the ability to customize navigation and speech parameters within the DAISY player and Document Reader, the inclusion of the HIMS Mobile Screen Reader and the ability to access third-party apps such as BARD, Audible and so much more. Presenter Contact Info Earle Harrison National Account Manager HIMS Inc. 4616 West Howard Lane Suite 960 Austin, TX 78728 Phone: 512-914-1925 Fax: 512-837-2011 Email: [email protected] Website: www.Hims-inc.com

Tek Talk welcomes Jeff Bishop to discuss Mastodon. Presenter Contact Info Not available

The below is a direct quote from Adi’s email: “It has been a long time dream for many of us to change the landscape of assistive technologies produced for blind and visually impaired people. We want to get products that are truly innovative, match the 21st century, always connected, and upgradable. Products that really return the best value for the prices we all pay as consumers, instead of having products that rely on legacy technology, which are not driven by us, the users, they are mostly driven by various business decisions that do not always match our expectations. Some of this technology, in its current form, limits us when we want to grow further, to get a job, to have a professional degree, etc. It has been a long time issue that was bothering Adi Kushnir, an Israeli blind assistive technology user and developer, since he couldn’t find the best device for him to use for his personal and professional life. Adi approached Venkatesh Chari, and together, with Orbit Research’s strong engineering capabilities and Adi’s knowledge of the industry and strong product vision, the duo have decided to build AccessMind, a company that will re-define the assistive technology landscape by producing products that combine the latest mainstream approaches, while keeping our specialized accessibility needs, strongly in mind. IN this presentation, we will learn about the companies first product, the Optima Braille laptop computer, that is going to introduce something new and fresh to the all-in-one Braille device industry, currently dominated by products that are traditionally called notetakers.” Presenter Contact Info 1. Adi Kushnir, co-founder and director of product development, AccessMind LLC. Email: [email protected] 2. Venkatesh Chari, co-founder and CEO, AccessMind LLC, and president and CEO, Orbit Research. Email: [email protected] and [email protected] 3. Andre Polykanine, CTO, AccessMind LLC. Email: [email protected]

As we all know, technology changes continuously with a multitude of new products and accessibility features available. Please bring your suggestions and requests for topics you want discussed in future Tek Talk programs. Presenter Contact Info Open forum

A panel including Michael Babcock, Steve Bauer, Brad Snyder, Mary Beth Metzger, Larry Gassman, and Mike Tindell will discuss their experience at the recent national conventions. Audience participants who attended will also be invited to share their experience. Presenter Contact Info Not available

Join Mike Tindell and Damian Pickering with Dream Vision Group for Tek Talk on Monday July 17th. We are very excited to bring to the Tek Talk community a brand new device released by Help Tech the Activator. Join us to learn more about this revolutionary and innovative braille display with built in note taking capabilities. Control computers and Iphones with the Activator in ways never been seen before. Join us on Monday to find out how this is done. Presenter Contact Info Dream Vision Group Mike Tindell and Damian Pickering Email: [email protected] Phone: 512-662-1629 Website: https://www.dvg-llc.com/

We are excited to have the opportunity to make the initial presentation about the Orbit Speak on TekTalk. For those of us who remember the excitement of using our first speech based notetaker those many years ago, that time has come again. The Orbit Speak is a Braille bluetooth keyboard notetaker, book reader, and personal manager equipped with Google voices. It brings all of the power of the Orbit Reader 20 Plus, including forward and back Braille translation without the Braille display at an affordable price. We will describe the layout of the device and demonstrate a number of its powerful features, while also describing the two different models that will be available. Since the release and shipping date is still between 3 and 4 months away, there is still some fine tuning to do, but the unit is in operating condition and we are thrilled to be in the final pre-production stage of a much anticipated release. Of course, we will leave sufficient time for questions. Presenter Contact Info Barry Scheur GuideLights And Gadgets, Inc. Address: 1597 Suncrest Drive, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 Phone: (617) 969-7500 Email: [email protected] Website: www.guidelightsandgadgets.us

AYES Inc. is developing an AI service to assist the blind and visually impaired to explore cities effortlessly. They have developed a mobile application, called OKO, that assists blind and visually impaired people to receive the status of the pedestrian traffic light and helps you with not veering off when crossing the street. OKO doesn’t require any additional infrastructure to be installed so every traffic light becomes accessible. OKO helps you cross the street with more ease and confidence. Presenter Contact Info Michael Janssen: founder and CEO of AYES Inc. Website: https://www.ayes.ai/oko

To describe this product, the BrailleDoodle has an array of hundreds of holes, and each hole contains a smooth metal ball that can be pulled to the surface by a magnetic stylus. A tiny spring under each ball holds it up with just the proper force, and the user simply pushes the balls back down to erase what’s been written. On the Doodle side, there is plenty of room to enjoy what some call “The Etch-a-Sketch for the blind.” It’s also a place where, unlike any other product, graphs can be made and manipulated. The Braille side has examples of letters, numbers, and words, with plenty of space to practice Braille writing. As a teacher and long-time Braille reader, this device interested Matthew, so he reached out to Daniel, the CEO. They have had several hours of insightful conversations, and Matthew has now been appointed the Chief Experience Officer of The TouchPad Pro Foundation. Their innovation, the BrailleDoodle, hopes to enhance education, and make learning fun at home or at school. The price of $75 is unheard of for a device with these capabilities. Anyone can preorder one or more for themselves, their organization, or as a donation. After years in development, the Foundation launched the BrailleDoodle Pre-sale Kickstarter on May 2nd, which was National Teachers’ Day. This low price ends on June 18th. The TouchPad Pro Foundation is a registered non-profit, and all donations are tax-deductible, even on Kickstarter. Creating access to tactile art and making learning fun puts children on the path to a successful education, and therefore, a better future. For more information, visit The TouchPad Pro Foundation Web site. Presenter Contact Info Daniel Lubiner, Founder and CEO of The TouchPad Pro Foundation Email: [email protected] Matthew Bullis, Chief Experience Officer of The TouchPad Pro Foundation Email: [email protected] Website: www.TouchPadProFoundation.org

for an update on everything iBUG has to offer. Presenter Contact Info Website: https://ibugtoday.com/

Below is the information on the second edition of this resource copied from this Carroll Center website: https://carroll.org/the-windows-screen-reader-primer-all-the-basics-and-more-second-edition/ The second edition of The Windows Screen Reader Primer: All the Basics and More is now out. We are making it available to you for free in Word and ePub formats. It is authored by David Kingsbury, an Assistive Technology Instructor at the Carroll Center for the Blind. The book is meant to help JAWS, NVDA, and Windows Narrator users work more effectively with the most important PC applications—like Microsoft Office, email clients, and web browsers. These applications include the Windows operating system, the four primary Office Suite applications (Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint), and the three most commonly used web browsers (Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox). Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive for Desktop, the three most popular cloud-based file-sharing programs, are also covered. So too is Adobe Acrobat Reader for accessing PDF files. A new chapter on participating in, scheduling, and hosting Zoom meetings is included in this second edition. So too is an appendix on using academic style guides for formatting Word documents. A glossary with over 100 definitions of computer-related terms and a set of practice exercises are also included. The book is intended for both beginners and intermediate users. While all the basics are covered, those already possessing a fair amount of experience using screen reader programs in the Windows environment will find useful tools and techniques to further enhance their skills. Presenter Contact Info Email: [email protected]

Want to know about the 2023 ACB National Convention? Join Janet Dickelman, ACB convention coordinator, Saint Paul, MN to find out. Learn about the General Sessions, the Affiliate presentations, the exhibit hall, and the tours. If you can not be there in person, learn how you can listen as a part of The ACB Media Network. There will be time for questions. Presenter Contact Info Email: [email protected]

Below is the information on the SensePlayer copied from the HIMS product website: The SensePlayer is more than your normal multimedia player. Read and play your favorite documents and media from a wide variety of supported file types using the tactile keyboard that fits comfortably in the palm of your hand. Access web radio, download books, make high-fidelity recordings, connect and control your mobile device, and so much more. Expect more with the SensePlayer from HIMS. Small on Size, Big on Features Multimedia and Book Reader Can read and play a variety of file types, including TXT, RTF, HTML, HTM, XML, DOC, DOCX, PDF, EPUB, MP3, MP4, WAV, WMA, WMV, OGG, ASF, AAC, AVI, FLAC, 3GP, MPG, M4A, DAISY text and audio, and more. Smart Connect Unique functionality that allows you to use SensePlayer as a tactile Bluetooth keyboard and remote control for your Apple or Android mobile device. You can also optionally send your Smart phone audio via Bluetooth to the SensePlayer. High-quality Recording Record high-quality audio from the internal stereo microphones, or a USB plug and play audio source. Presenter Contact Info Earle Harrison, HIMS National Account Manager Email: [email protected] Website: https://hims-inc.com/product/senseplayer/ Support email: [email protected]

Jeff Bishop, Michael Babcock, Michael Doise and Damashe Thomas will discuss an overview of Chat GPT and AI.

In the presentation, Oran will give a short introduction to NaviLens and the NaviLens codes including a little about how the codes were developed and tested. He will then speak about current use cases and the variety of ways NaviLens codes can be used. Additionally, he will speak a little about the free personal codes as well as the free kit for schools and associations. He will also answer any questions during the presentation. Presenter Contact Info Oran McAllister is the Client Engagement Officer at NaviLens, he is tasked with working directly with the users of the app and codes as well as with organisations who may be interested in using NaviLens technology in achieving their accessibility goals. Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.navilens.com/en/

Presenter Contact Info Email: [email protected] Website: https://aira.io/

Learn how to create folders and move messages; use basic rules to manage conversations; and use the Clean Up feature to manage your Inbox. Join Ron Miller from the Vispero training department. Presenter Contact Info Email: [email protected]

Please join us tonight to hear a report by our Tek Talk team who attended last week’s CSUN conference. The presentation will be all about CSUN including 20 minutes of audio as well as a firsthand discussion.

From the https://www.menus4all.com/ website: 750,000 Accessible Restaurant Menus Yes, that’s not a typo. The Menus4ALL iPhone app offers 500,000 accessible menus in the United States and 250,000 accessible menus in Canada. Wherever you are and whenever you want, The Menus4ALL iPhone app is the largest network of restaurant menus in one place and all of the menus are fully accessible. Perfect for when you are out running errands and want to know what restaurants are near your current location. Great for planning a night out with friends. Favorite menus that you want to look at later or when you know you are going back for that amazing dish. Presenter Contact Info Stephanie Jones VP of Marketing for Menus4ALL Phone: (901) 428-2942 Email: [email protected] Bio: Stephanie Jones is the VP of Marketing for Menus4ALL, an accessibility solutions company, whose mission is to change lives one accessible menu at a time. Stephanie became part of the BVI community when she lost her sight sixteen years ago due to optic atrophy. After completing rehab, she adapted her professional background in pharmacy to teaching individuals like herself with visual impairments. Currently, Stephanie teaches braille and assistive technology with an emphasis on the accessibility features of Apple products. She works with employers, organizations, governments, and companies worldwide on their disability inclusion and digital accessibility. Stephanie met Helen Fernety, the founder of Menus4ALL, in 2018. The pair combined their talents to launch a website offering 50,000 accessible menus throughout the United States in October 2019. In November 2022, the company launched its first iOS app. The app offers 500,000 accessible menus in the United States and 250,000 accessible menus throughout Canada. When Stephanie is not working to improve the lives of the BVI community, she is the proud mother of five amazing children ranging from 10 to 24 in age. She loves to sing and cook for her family and friends. She is honored to be named a WMC TV Midsouth Hero in 2019 based on the nomination of her students.

Debra Erickson is the Executive Chef and Founder of The Blind Kitchen where adaptive culinary tools and cooking strategies are provided to people with vision loss who want to cook safely confidently and independently in their own kitchens. She has significant vision loss due to Retinitis Pigmentosa and was the only blind student in Culinary School. When she is not working in The Blind Kitchen, she teaches Cooking at the Oregon Commission for the Blind to adults with vision loss. Due to timing conflicts from Debra’s teaching schedule, her presentation will be recorded but she should be available live for questions and answers after the recorded presentation. Presenter Contact Info Debra Erickson, MS Executive Chef and Founder The Blind Kitchen Email: [email protected] Website: https://theblindkitchen.com

We will be discussing some recent iOS apps that have come to our attention and be prepared to share your own.

Join us to hear highlights of the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show from Mike May, GoodMaps Chief Evangelist, and Gena Harper. Mike has been providing his summary of CES for over 20 years. He is currently Chief Evangelist at Goodmaps and has talked about that product on Tek Talk in late 2021. They will touch on popular products, cool products, weird products and accessible products. Presenter contact info: https://goodmaps.com/company/people/5f8f24bfcfdf73000e643b18

The Victor Reader Stream 3 is finally out! After a long wait, Humanware is happy to present the new iteration of its popular product, the Stream. With new features and tons of improvements! Come listen to Peter and Mathieu discuss what’s new, what’s improved, and answer your questions about the present and the future of the Stream!. Presenter Contact Info Peter Tucic, Humanware Director of Strategic Partnerships Email: [email protected] Mathieu Paquette, Humanware Product Manager Email: [email protected]

This presentation will discuss using a Mac computer with the VoiceOver screen reader. It will cover the differences between Mac computers, such as laptop and desktop options, as well as an overview of how VoiceOver has developed and evolved over the years by Apple and the growth of its popularity that has led to an explosion of learning and training resources for blind and low vision individuals. In addition, the differences and pros/cons of VoiceOver compared to Windows and Windows screen readers will also be described from the perspective of someone who utilizes and trains users of both platforms. Lastly, an overview of the various built-in applications that come with a Mac and the parallels of using a PC will be touched upon, as well as the use of the Mac in both the work place and the school environment. Presenter Contact Info John D. Panarese Director, Mac for the Blind Phone: (631) 724-4479 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.macfortheblind.com Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP) Apple Certified Trainer (ACT) Apple Performance Partner Mac and iOS Voiceover Training And Support

In the presentation, Oran will give a short introduction to NaviLens and the NaviLens codes including a little about how the codes were developed and tested. He will then speak about current use cases and the variety of ways NaviLens codes can be used. Additionally, he will speak a little about the free personal codes as well as the free kit for schools and associations. He will also answer any questions during the presentation. Presenter Contact Info Oran McAllister is the Client Engagement Officer at NaviLens, he is tasked with working directly with the users of the app and codes as well as with organizations who may be interested in using NaviLens technology in achieving their accessibility goals. Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.navilens.com/en/

Tek Talk welcomes Jenine Stanley, Aira Director of Customer Communications, to discuss the Aira 2023 plans and pricing. Presenter Contact Info Email: [email protected] Website: https://aira.io/

After 100 years, we here at Hadley, have reinvented ourselves to help those who are managing vision loss thrive at home, at work and in their communities. Learn about how Hadley can help you discover new ways to do things that have become more challenging with vision loss. We will also talk about ways you connect with others through Hadley and our podcast, Hadley Presents. Presenter Contact Info Marc Arneson Director of Community Hadley Address: 700 Elm Street, Winnetka, IL 60093 Phone: 847-784-2775 Website: www.Hadley.edu Email: [email protected]

Bookshare, the worlds largest online library of accessible eBooks, is pleased to announce some exciting new features. Come learn about our new reading tools for computers, mobile devices and Alexa smart speaker plus our new human narrated audio collection. With over 1 million titles that are available any time and anywhere, Bookshare is a great resource for readers who need accessible formats. Not a member, sign up is easy on the Bookshare website. If you have any questions or need support, please contact our Customer Service team at 650-352-0198 or via email [email protected]. Presenter Contact Info Email: [email protected]

At Pneuma Solutions we provide a seamless bridge between assistive technology and mission critical applications. Our line of products was built with stability, affordability, and security in mind to attract the largest user pool inside and outside of the office space. The Remote Incident Manager (RIM) has provided secure, efficient, accessible, feature-rich remote desktop access, enabling field technical support providers to cut costs while improving quality of service since 2007. Harness the flexibility of our remote tools to communicate across personal and enterprise networks. Remote Incident Manager Cloud Edition For field technical support, Remote Incident Manager Cloud Edition allows a technician to take complete control of a distant computer, over a local network or the Internet, and puts the technician in the same Windows session as the user. With full duplex voice communication, stereo audio, and under 99MS latency connections you can use the remote computer as if you were right in front of it. Both users can work in the same applications and documents at the same time, exchange text, and exchange files through the Windows clipboard. Technical or training issues are resolved real-time or a Controller can be given unattended access so computer maintenance can be done when the computer is not in use such as over nights. This technology has a wide range of uses; some of the most common uses are: ■ Technical support and troubleshooting ■ Training and distance learning ■ System administration Presenter Contact Info Mike Calvo Email: [email protected] Matt Campbell Email: [email protected]

Tek Talk features Stocking Stuffers Part 3 with Tricia Waechter of Blind Girl Designs and Brent Harbolt of The Harbolt Company. Tricia will present in the first half hour from 8 to 8:30pm Eastern and Brent will present in the second half hour from 8:30 to 9pm Eastern. Blind Girl Designs Hi I’m Tricia Waechter from Blind Girl Designs and I cannot wait to meet you all at stocking stuffers! I have retinitis pigmentosa and I started my company almost 2 years ago after I could no longer work in a corporate environment because of my sight. Let’s talk about my products! The most intriguing I think is my T-shirts and hoodie sweatshirts. I have designed 14 different prints with slightly tactile ink, all of the prince except” I love my guide” dog Have White cane’s integrated into the art. We have a Jolly snowman holding a white cane in his branch hand, We have a garden of beautiful colorful flowers, with stems of White cane’s, we have an American flag where the white stripe is replaced by white canes, these are only three of the 14 prints that we have, please tune in and hear about all of our fun and great prints! We have size small through five XL in adult unisex, and in the holiday/ Christmas prints we actually go from onesie to five XL for the family photo shot! See you on the 21st!. The Harbolt Company The Harbolt Company was started in July of 2014 by Brent Harbolt. The company was created out of a love for finding rare and unique items. Whether it be high tech, low tech, or no tech, we have a little something for everyone. All items that we sell on our web site are guaranteed accessible to those who are visually impaired. If it is not accessible, we won’t sell it. We are very serious about accessibility and provide audio descriptions of every item that we sell. Our inventory is constantly changing so you never know what you will find on our site. We strive to locate hard-to-find, unique, and unusual items. By making special purchases, we are able to pass the savings on to our customers. We ship everywhere in the United States and ship to most countries outside of the United States. We accept most payment options including PayPal, all major credit and debit cards, and we even offer a convenient layaway plan. We encourage everyone to sign up for our newsletter list so you can receive our new product announcements, daily deals, contests and promotions, and special sales that we offer. Presenter Contact InfoBlind Girl Designs Tricia Waechter Website: Www.blindgirldesigns.com Email: [email protected] Phone: 862-448-1011 The Harbolt Company Brent Harbolt Phone: 405-471-1200 Website: www.harboltcompany.com mail: [email protected]

You can read Microsoft’s promotional comments from Panos Panay, EVP, Chief Product Officer, Windows + Devices, at this website: https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2022/09/20/available-today-the-windows-11-2022-update/ You can read How inclusion drives innovation in Windows 11 at this website: https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2022/09/20/how-inclusion-drives-innovation-in-windows-11/ Presenter Contact Info Email: [email protected] The following information about Jeff Bishop can be found on the How inclusion drives innovation in Windows 11 website posted above: Jeff Bishop is the product manager driving Narrator, the built-in screen reader in Windows. Jeff has been blind since birth and has dedicated his career to building experiences that empower people who are blind. And over the past few years, Jeff has led the way in making Narrator easier and more delightful to use. As he tells it: As a screen reader user myself, I truly understood the need for some changes to Narrator’s voice. Listening to that voice all day while working, reading an article or book, or just surfing the web on the sofa – it needs to be a delightful experience. To develop the new natural sounding voices for Narrator – “Aria,” “Guy” and “Jenny” – we had to figure out what made a voice “great” for a screen reader user. I spent considerable time with our engineering team to improve responsiveness and other characteristics of the voices, and we tested and gathered tons of feedback to ensure they met my needs as a user and for the needs of all screen reader users around the world. Drawing on his own lived experience and feedback from the community, Jeff helped bring new natural sounding voices to Narrator. These new voices use state-of-the-art text-to-speech that more closely mirror natural speech, making everything from browsing the web to reading and authoring documents more enjoyable for users who listen to their screens rather than looking at them.

Tek Talk features Stocking Stuffers Part 2 with Denise Russell of Speak To Me Catalog and Barry Carver of Mountain Crafted. Denise will present in the first half hour from 8 to 8:30pm Eastern and Barry will present in the second half hour from 8:30 to 9pm Eastern. Speak To Me Catalog We are happy once again to welcome back Denise Russell the Founder of Speak To Me Catalog. This fine company was founded in July of 1994. Denise and her late husband and dear friend Seth worked tirelessly over the years to expand this fine company. This year once again, Denise will discuss her products for the holiday season. Mountain Crafted Mountain Crafted | It Just Makes Good Scents Mountain Crafted is based in the sleepy little town of Erwin called “Valley the Beautiful” which is situated within the foothills of the Appalachian and Smoky Mountains in Northeast Tennessee. The majestic natural beauty which surrounds us is our incentive for our work. The nature pictures posted on our site are located around and near our home. Nature and all natural are not just a saying to us, they are a way of life and centuries old traditions we strive to uphold. Our instinctive desire is to share what we have learned from our elders and experiences from living here. Since 2012 we have been offering 100% plant based preservative bath, body & skin care products. We also carry a large 5 ounce bars of goat’s milk soap in over 250 fragrances. We also carry a line of aromatherapy products which contain essential oils. We ship free for orders over $50.00 within the US and we gladly label products with Braille on request at no cost. Also, if you have problems with navigating web sites in purchasing, call us at: 423-743-6805 and we will take your order over the phone. Presenter Contact InfoSpeak To Me Catalog Website: www.speaktomecatalog.com/ Email: [email protected] Phone: 800-248-9965 Mountain Crafted Barry & Debra Carver Phone: 423-743-6805 Website: www.mountaincrafted.com Email: [email protected] Members of the Handcrafted Soap & Cosmetic Guild®

Barry will present in the first half hour from 8 to 8:30pm Eastern and krystle will present in the second half hour from 8:30 to 9pm Eastern. Guidelights and Gadgets GuideLights And Gadgets focuses on five product categories: our new locking telescopic titanium canes; talking medical products; leather products — bags pouches waist packs and carrying cases and just about anything else leather that you need to be protected or carried; a curated list of electronics items that Kae and I use everyday; and lastly, products for dogs and their handlers (grooming, safety, travel, and toys.) We accept orders only via phone or by email, and can be reached at Barry Scheur: (617) 969-7500 [email protected] KaeAnn Rausch: (781) 286-1696 [email protected]. Come listen for lots of holiday specials! Scentsy Would you like to discover a way to have fragrance in your home without any harmful chemicals, smoke or flame? At Scentsy, we believe in enlivening the senses through fragrance without using any flame, smoke or soot. Fill your life with fragrance as I guide you through what Scentsy has to offer. Some of the categories include: decorative wax warmers, wax melts, body care, laundry care, cleaning products, pet care, items for children and much more. If you would like to reach out to me with any questions, I would love to hear from you. Krystle Zamudio, Independent Scentsy Consultant Google Voice: 559-201-8382 Presenter Contact InfoGuidelights and Gadgets Barry’s phone: 617-969-7500 Barry’s email: [email protected] Kae’s phone: 781-286-1696 Kae’s email: [email protected] Website: www.guidelightsandgadgets.us Scentsy Google Voice: 559-201-8382 Email: [email protected] Website: krystlezamudio.scentsy.us

As we all know, technology changes continuously with a multitude of new products and accessibility features available. Please bring your suggestions and requests for topics you want discussed in future Tek Talk programs. Presenter Contact Info Open forum

Ryan joins us this year as we prepare for the official new release of JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion version 2023. We will do a review of the key features, hear all about the release schedule and what to expect. As always, there will be plenty of time to ask questions. Be sure to give the Release notes a review ahead of time and consider installing the Public Beta so you can try some of the new features as they are discussed. Presenter Contact Info Ryan Jones: Vispero Vice President Software Product Management 17757 US Highway 19 N, Suite 560, Clearwater, FL 33764 Email: [email protected] Website: www.vispero.com

Presenter Contact Info Email: [email protected]

Join Peter Tucic as he returns to Tek Talk with information on all that is new with HumanWare. Peter will present on recent updates to HumanWare’s braille product portfolio including the implementation of text-to-speech on the Brailliant BI X series displays and direct cloud integration into the BrailleNote Touch Plus amongst other topics. Attendees will also learn about the recently launched Steller Trek GPS device. Peter will have time to answer audience questions throughout the presentation as always. Presenter Contact Info Email: [email protected]

What are the new features in IOS 16? Should you upgrade or wait? Are there any features that you should stay away from due to inaccessibility? Join Jeff Bishop, who will walk you through the pros and cons of IOS 16 Monday on TekTalk. Presenter Contact Info Email: [email protected]

What troubleshooting steps can you take when JAWS isn’t acting as expected? Where can you go for “at your fingertips” help? September 12th, Ron Miller from Vispero will discuss some troubleshooting tips you can remember and ways to keep JAWS Help at your fingertips. Presenter Contact Info Ron Miller: Vispero’s Blindness Technology Product Specialist Phone: 800-444-4443 EXT. 1171 or 803-8000 EXT. 1171 Email: [email protected]

There’s a Lot to Love About Leasey in 2022! Lots of people are talking about the product Leasey this year. Leasey is a power-house of tools and services to support the JAWS screen-reader, ZoomText Fusion or ElBraille. In the upcoming Tek Talk, learn about just some of what is new in the most recent updates. Find out how easy it is to work with YouTube, EBay, Amazon, WhatsApp and more. Brian from Hartgen Consultancy will guide you through some of the most recent innovations. He cannot demonstrate them all as there are so many, but he’ll get through plenty of them. Plus he’ll give you a glimpse of a major feature now under development. That is a Tek Talk exclusive! Brian will also give you an overview of training courses available from Hartgen Consultancy including the new Opening Windows scheduled for later this year. Presenter Contact Info Email: [email protected] Website: http://hartgen.org/ Telephone (in the UK): 02921-051325 Telephone (in the United States of America): 239-256-7779

Bob will introduce the Envision Technologies AI system to the Tech Talk members. He will compare this system to other assistive technology devices and discuss the components of the system and how the features can help the BVI community. Presenter Contact Info Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.letsenvision.com/ Cell phone: 832-443-6458 Bio: Assistive Tech trainer for VRS of the Texas Workforce Commission Certified in JAWS, OpenBook, Fusion, ZoomText, Windows, OSX, IOS Provide training on HIMMS, Humanware, Freedom Scientific, Optilek and others Worked for OrCam for 6 years

During this week’s tech Talk presentation, Earle Harrison from HIMS Inc will be joined by Jenny Axler from HIMS International. Together they will discuss the latest features of the 1.7 BrailleSense 6 firmware including Cloud drive integration, support for OAuth login for email and Bookshare, changes to the media player, new global hotkeys and more. They will also share experiences with useful apps downloaded from the Play store that they use on the daily basis as well as hardware peripherals such as Microphones, mixers, video capture cards, monitors and Qwerty keyboards. Presenter Contact Info If you would like more information on HIMS high quality braille devices, U.S. and Canadian customers can contact HIMS Inc at: Phone: 512-837-2000 Option 1 for support and option 2 for sales Sales email: [email protected] Support email: [email protected]

The BlindShell Classic 2 is an accessible cell phone for people with any degree of sight loss. BlindShell has tactile buttons and is menu driven so there is no swiping and tapping like on a smart phone. The BlindShell platform continues to grow as we partner with major commercial brands and state of the art companies in the sight loss community. The BlindShell Classic 2 is loaded with customizable settings and Apps and our development team continues to improve the user experience. BlindShell Classic 2 is not only a communication device but has become a relevant piece of technology that promotes independence and enhances the quality of life for individuals with sight loss. Notable features include AIRA, Google Outlook, Internet Browser and podcast player. Presenter Contact Info Bari Azman – President of BlindShell USA Email: [email protected] Diane Ducharme – Senior Program Director of BlindShell USA Email: [email protected]

Introducing Aira Everywhere. Aira Desktop app Aira Desktop app is a computer-centric application that provides the most convenient, secure and efficient way to access Aira’s visual interpreters in a friction free, fast time-to-task solution to overcome obstacles, and engage Agents on digital tasks directly from a computer. A limited function beta will be available at the end of July. As with any beta software, there are limitations to functionality and there may be accessibility issues. Please keep in mind, it is not production software. Indicate your interest using the form at https://aira.io/choice and we will provide instructions to access the beta when it is available. ARxVision Headset With the Aira app and ARxVision Headset, Explorers will enjoy the added efficiency and productivity that comes with low profile, high-quality hands-free video hardware. The ability to stream video and audio from the camera, and the integrated microphone and speaker on the ARxVision frame, make two-way visual interpreting possible. We are engaged in development and invite you to indicate your interest in staying informed, using the form at https://aira.io/choice. For more information about ARxVision, visit their site at https://arx.vision/. BlindShell Phone The Aira BlindShell Classic 2 app will provide anyone who prefers the simple, intuitive and tactile controls of the BlindShell phone, access to Aira’s visual interpreting service. Only BlindShell offers both a tactile keypad and a camera which is necessary to access Aira’s visual interpreting service. The companies are engaged in joint development and the Aira Blindshell app will roll out later in July. You can indicate your interest in staying informed about availability, using the form at https://aira.io/choice. For more information about BlindShell, visit their site at https://blindshellusa.com/. Presenter Contact Info Email: [email protected] Website: https://aira.io/

Eric Damery will be with us to discuss How JAWS is giving us greater individual control over what Application and Windows messages we hear and a better way of reviewing them later. The JAWS Notification History will be the topic on Tek Talk on Monday July 25. This will be Eric’s last presentation on Tek Talk as Vispero Vice President of Software Products Management. Eric will be retiring from Vispero with over 28 years of service in the Assistive Technology field. Please be with us to learn about Notification history and to say thank you to Eric as we help send him off to a richly deserved retirement Presenter Contact Info None available.

Today we’ll introduce you to Logickeyboard, the company, as well as the Logickeyboard family of Assistive Technology keyboards. Whether you’re Low Vision and prefer a Large Print keyboard or Blind and a Braille user, we have something for everyone. While our keyboards have been known for and at the desks of video and audio editing professionals helping to create epic movies like The Revenant, The Godfather, Captain America, and Harry Potter, our decades of experience have led us to our Assistive Tech Line Up. Our goal is to provide technology that enhances Everyone’s everyday life and we look forward to our discussion introducing the very products that bring us closer to delivering on that commitment. Presenter Contact Info Email: [email protected] Website: https://logickeyboard.com/shop/frontpage.html