Steve Sawczyn

  • Migrating to Micro.blog, a really neat service that I'm hoping will help me blog more regularly

    Hello, remember me?  I’d totally understand if you don’t, after all, I haven’t been blogging very often of late, well, even longer than just of late, something I’m again hoping to change.  The reason I’m writing today though is because I’m about to migrate my blog away from WordPress.  WordPress is a fantastic platform, but for me, it’s a really distracting one. Every time I log in, it seems there’s a new plugin to investigate, a new update to install, or a new block in the Gutenberg editor that I just have to understand how to use even though I know I’ll likely never actually use it.  Long story longer, I’m migrating my blog to Micro.blog, a service I’ve subscribed to for quite a while, but which I’ve been hesitant to use as my primary blogging platform…until now.

    Micro.blog for those unfamiliar is an extremely easy-to-use platform which is tightly integrated with the Fediverse.  From the Micro.blog About page:

    Micro.blog is a unique platform that combines blog hosting with a social media-style timeline and community.

    It’s a paid hosting service for personal blogs that makes it easy to publish short or long posts. Use it for short thoughts, longer essays, photos, podcasts, what books you’re reading, links to news articles, and more.

    It’s a community whose members share posts via a timeline that is a safe space for conversations, free from advertising, trolling, and abuse, with community guidelines that are enforced.

    I really love the social aspect of Micro.blog and I love the idea of consolidating various apps that I already use into one feed.  After all, this blog is Steves.life and so it just sort of makes sense for it to be a place that combines the various apps and services that I already use to keep track of what’s going on in my life.  Couple all that with an interface that is simple to use and doesn’t contain the elements that tend to distract me and this seems like a good idea.

    So, what happens next?  After sending this post, I’m going to start migrating everything over to my Micro.blog instance.  Micro.blog has its own Email newsletter feature and so if you’re already subscribed to receive Email versions of my posts, you should continue to receive them.  If you’re subscribed to my RSS feed, I’m not exactly sure how that will migrate over, my hope is that the feed address will be similar enough that RSS readers will just pick up where they left off, if not, you may need to resubscribe with a slightly different RSS feed address.  Unfortunately I’m not sure how that will work until after I switch everything over.  If you follow this blog on Mastodon or a similar Fediverse service, you will need to re-follow as there’s no way for me to redirect Fediverse followers given limitations with the WordPress Fediverse implementation.  So unfortunately, you too may need to re-follow, more info will be forthcoming after I finish the migration.  So, long and short is that the URL will be the same:https://steves.life, Email subscriptions should continue to work, RSS feed subscriptions may continue to work although you may need to resubscribe, and ditto for Fediverse followers.  After the migration is successful, I’ll post updated Fediverse and RSS info for anyone who needs it.  Most importantly though, I am hopeful that migrating to Micro.blog will make things easier and less distracting for me and that ultimately, this will help me do more blogging and less talking about how I want to do more blogging.

    With all that said, it’s time for me to publish this and to begin the migration.  Wish me luck and I hope you’ll continue to follow me and to enjoy Steves.life.

  • Artist sculpts famous works of art for visually impaired to enjoy

    My sister shared me this story and I thought it was so neat that I wanted to share it with all of you. Note, when activating this link, you may need to find an unmute button as for me anyway, the video starts playing on mute.

    [www.today.com/video/art...](https://www.today.com/video/artist-sculpts-famous-works-of-art-for-visually-impaired-to-enjoy-202579525608)

  • Seeking a new VPN provider, does anyone have suggestions?

    I’m looking for a new VPN provider and am curious if any of my readers use one that they would recommend. I’ve been extremely happy with my current VPN provider, ExpressVPN, but $116.95 billed every 12 months is frankly more than I want to pay for a VPN service that I only use occasionally. Ideally, the perfect VPN for me would:

    • Be accessible on Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android.
    • Allow 3RD party clients to be used if needed, such as if their main client becomes inaccessible because of an update or something.
    • Alert me if the connection has been dropped. After all, a VPN that would allow traffic to proceed normally if the VPN connection drops is not very useful. My work VPN has no trouble managing this, but I haven’t encountered a consumer VPN product yet that does this right — maybe I’ve just been using the wrong ones?

    When reading various reviews for VPN services, they often contain a number of features that don’t interest me particularly although I guess they would be bonuses:

    • Ability to direct traffic through a specific country.
    • Ability to circumvent geolocation restrictions.
    • Additional products unrelated to the VPN itself such as password managers and the like.

    If you use a VPN service that you like, I would definitely love to learn more. And if you can get some sort of referral credit by sharing an affiliate link, feel free to pass that along as well.

  • Tactile marks on currencies

    I have been very interested in tactile markings on currency, in part because it seems like this is a thing the US will never have. What I didn't realize though is just how many different systems and variations exist throughout the world. Fortunately for me, my good friend Tom, aka The Blind Coin Collector, wrote a fantastic post on the subject which summarizes many of the systems that currently exist throughout the world. I know I certainly learned something new and hope you will enjoy his post as much as I did.

    This post is primarily created to help blind people who travel to a different country and would like a quick reference on how to recognize the local …

    Tactile marks on currencies

  • The Take Control Books 20TH Anniversary Sale, an incredible opportunity.

    I am a long time reader of the Take Control series of books which cover a wide range of mainly technology topics. The thing I love about the Take Control Books series is that they provide value whether you are new to a particular topic, or whether you consider yourself more advanced. Well written, thoroughly researched, and especially for those of us who can't see the screen shots, very descriptive, the Take Control Books are definitely worth checking out. Even better, they're having an awesome 20TH anniversary sale during which all their books are priced at 2003 levels or, put another way, all of their awesome books are priced at $5.00. You can read more about their 20TH anniversary or check out their awesome catalog, but hurry because this sale ends tonight, at 11:59:59 PM, Saskatoon Canada time. Now if you're like me and you read that last sentence and are thinking "Gosh, I'd love to get a few books, but somehow I've forgotten how the time in Saskatoon matches up with my local time zone.", don't feel bad because this handy resource will let you view the ending time of this sale in your local time.

    I don't often recommend sales like this on my blog, but I felt I should make an exception in this case because the Take Control series has proven invaluable to me over the years and they may prove similarly for you as well.

    Have you ever read any of the Take Control books? Did you decide to purchase any from this sale? Let me know in the comments.

  • Testing integration with the Fediverse

    Recently, WordPress introduced a feature to enable blogs hosted on WordPress.com to be directly integrated with the fediverse. This is particularly exciting to me as I think the Fediverse has the potential to really bring people together in ways that "traditional" social media is not able to accomplish. Now if you're reading this and wondering, "What the heck is the Fediverse?" you're not alone. I'll talk more about that and what the integration means to me and what it means for the blog in a future post, for now, I just want to test that things are working.

  • An introduction to Accessibility Advocacy: an Interview With Steve Sawczyn

    I'm truly honored to appear in AccessWorld, Summer 2023 edition. Also, n extra thank-you to Steve Kelley for taking an interest in helping to tell my story.

    https://www.afb.org/aw/24/6/18363

    About The American Foundation for the Blind

    The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is a non-profit organization that has been working tirelessly since 1921 to create a world of inclusion, independence, and opportunity for individuals with vision loss. They provide advocacy, resources, and programs to support the blind and visually impaired community.

    One of AFB's flagship publications is AccessWorld, a magazine dedicated to technology and accessibility for people who are blind or visually impaired. AccessWorld covers a wide range of topics, including assistive technology, accessible websites and apps, educational resources, employment opportunities, and more.

    AccessWorld serves as a source of information and inspiration for the blind and visually impaired community, as well as professionals and advocates in the field. It features in-depth articles, product reviews, and expert opinions to help its readers navigate the ever-evolving landscape of accessible technology.

    To learn more, you can visit the AccessWorld website at https://www.afb.org/aw/

  • If I had to give up one word that I use regularly, I think that word would be, "disability"

    Daily writing prompt
    If you had to give up one word that you use regularly, what would it be?
    View all responses

    WordPress has these daily writing prompts and while I often just ignore them, this one caught my attention. If i had to give up a word that I use frequently, I think that word would be "disability". Disability is a word that is really hard for me to avoid, especially given my work and given that, well, I have a disability. And yet I feel the word often seems to create division. In many respects it's a sort of label: Does that person have a disability? Do they identify as having a disability? Are they a person with a disability? Are they disabled? If two people use the word disability, are they even talking about the same thing?

    No matter how we phrase it, I find the word, disability, to be very labeling and rarely is that a good thing. This isn't to say that I have anything against people identifying with their specific "disability", (I actually think that doing so is a positive thing), but the word "disability" itself has come to encompass so many things that it's becoming challenging to define. Consider the CDC's definition of disability:

    A disability is any condition of the body or mind (impairment) that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities (activity limitation) and interact with the world around them (participation restrictions).

    CDC | Disability and Health Overview

    Heck, that definition describes a lot of people before they've had their first cup of coffee in the morning, doesn't it? The interesting thing about the CDC's definition is that it talks about "more difficult to do" and not inability to do. I think that's great except I don't think it's possible to remove the word ability from disability, no matter how it's defined.

    So, if I think of a word that I use too often and would love to get rid of, "disability" is the word that comes to mind for me. And yet if I were to challenge myself to not use the word for a week, or even a day, I'm not entirely sure I could do it.

  • 10 Ways to Make Your Site More Accessible

    I don't remember if I've posted this before, but even if I have, I think it's always good to have a reminder when it comes to making blog and other content more accessible.

    [wordpress.com/blog/2020...](https://wordpress.com/blog/2020/05/21/global-accessibility-awareness-day/)

  • Playing around with Aiko, an amazing, accessible transcription app for Mac and iOS

    I recently heard about this fantastic app, available for both Mac OS and iOS, called Aiko which leverages AI technology to transcribe audio. What sets Aiko apart from similar solutions though include, in part:

    • It's free, totally free.
    • Audio can be dictated directly into the app, or a pre-recorded file can be imported. I'm particularly excited about this second piece.
    • Everything happens on the end-user's device, nothing is sent to the cloud.
    • Multiple languages are supported, we're talking a lot of languages: 100 languages according to Aiko's home page.

    I was excited to test out this fascinating technology and so to really put it through it's paces, in a sub-optimal recording environment, I decided to record some audio using my Apple Watch, while standing outside with lots of traffic and other background noise. What follows is the unedited output of my little experiment. I'm also adding the actual recorded audio, so that you can get a sense of the crummy audio I gave Aiko to work with.

    Hello, and thanks for joining me today.

    I'm playing with an app called AIKO.

    It's an app that leverages Whisper, which is a technology made by OpenAI, the folks that brought us ChatGPT.

    Now unless you've been living under a rock for the past couple of months, I'm sure you've heard quite a lot about ChatGPT and the fascinating possibilities it opens up to us.

    Anyway, Whisper, and on top of that this AIKO app, allow transcription of audio.

    The interesting thing about it is that you can record directly in the AIKO app, or you can import audio, say from a file that was pre-recorded.

    For example, you might have a pre-recorded audio file of a lecture or a class.

    You would be able to import it into this AIKO app, transcription would happen, and then you would have the output as text.

    For my test today, I'm standing outside in front of my house recording on my Apple Watch with traffic going by.

    And the reason I'm doing this is because I wanted to come up with a very sub-optimal recording environment, just to better understand how the technology would deal with audio recorded in such an environment.

    I'm also trying to speak as naturally as I can without saying words like um and uh, things that I think often get said when speaking.

    The interesting thing about AIKO and the way that it transcribes audio is that it supposedly is able to insert punctuation correctly.

    I'm not sure if it does anything about paragraphs or not, but as the speaker, I don't have any way of controlling format.

    Once you run a file or recording through AIKO, the output is rendered as text.

    However, there are a few things you can do with it.

    First, you can of course copy the text into some other application.

    The other thing that you can do is have the text be timestamped.

    The reason that this can be handy is that you can use that then to create files that can be used as closed captioning for videos.

    Anyway, it is kind of loud out here, and so I will go back inside.

    I also didn't want to make this too long because I'm not sure if it'll work at all or how accurate it'll be, but my plan is to post this to the blog without editing it.

    Stop, stop, stop.

    Aiko-generated transcription from my Apple Watch recording.

    One final note, the dictation ends with the words "stop stop".  I didn't actually speak those words, but because I have VoiceOver activated on my Apple Watch, they were picked up in the recording as I located and activated the stop button.  This is definitely incredible technology and the price certainly can’t be beat. From an accessibility perspective, I found Aiko to be extremely accessible with VoiceOver on both Mac and IOS and since it is a native app using native controls, I feel confident that it will work with other assistive technologies as well. You can find more information about Aiko, including FAQs, links to app store pages and more here.

  • When Success Means Buying a Smaller Suit

    Recently, I got to participate on the Parallel podcast talking about, of all things, accessibility and fitness. The reason I phrase it this way is that anyone who knows me probably knows that fitness and I don't normally go together in the same setence, let alone the same podcast. From the show description:

    Starting or maintaining a fitness program is a challenge for anyone. If you have accessibility needs, you might experience barriers related to touchscreen devices, coaching that doesn't address a hearing or visual disability, or a need for accommodations related to physical limitations. With its Fitness+ service, Apple has taken on some of these issues, and opened up the program to many more people with disabilities, We'll talk with a Fitness+ user, and someone who has worked on Apple accessibility teams.

    https://www.relay.fm/parallel/80

    Talking about anything fitness related has always been challenging for me and so I want to particularly thank the ever-awesome Shelly Brisbin for being brave enough to include me. I also want to especially thank Sommer Panage and the other unsung heros that dare to dream of a more accessible world, and work so hard to make that a reality.

    Parallel can be found everywhere great podcasts can be found, more info about the episode and how to subscribe to Parallel, which you should totally consider doing whether you listen to this episode or not, can be found on Parallel's home page.

  • Tennessee high school students build robotic hand for classmate | Tennessee | The Guardian

    I don't often share individual links via this blog, but I came across this story and, well, it was just nice to come across something positive for a change, so I thought I'd share.  What an awesome real-world problem for young students to tackle.  I hope more schools come across this and search for more ways to get their students involved in problem solving like this, might go a long way toward a more accessible world.

     

    Tennessee high school students build robotic hand for classmate | Tennessee | The Guardian:

  • 100 Days of SwiftUI, my foray into understanding a bit more about how iOS works

    Ever since I was able to accessibly use an iOS device, an iPhone 3GS, I've imagined how awesome it would be to be able to develop my own applications. That excitement was very short lived though as I soon became aware of just how complicated developing an application really is. It's a very involved process -- or so it seemed to me -- and for someone who hasn't written any code since C ++ was the talk of the town, it seemed like an impossibility. I wrongly assumed this was especially true for iOS because apps are often very visual and interactive and I just couldn't imagine how I'd tackle that without vision. And so I quickly decided that iOS app development was just not for me.

    Fast-forward quite a few years and Apple releases Swift and SwiftUI which, at the risk of over simplifying things quite a bit, is a more powerful and natural programming language for application development. Put another way, Swift and SwiftUi is intended to make application development easy enough for just about anyone to learn and do. Being a natural skeptic, I doubted that it could be quite as easy as Apple seemed to suggest, but the idea behind it seemed really interesting to me.; indeed, Swift and SwiftUI have taken the iOS development community by storm, with entire applications being developed using it. With only so many hours in the day though, my challenge was going to be finding the time to devote to learning it. And so again, I set the idea aside figuring I might look into it whenever I had more time.

    I'm not proud of this, but I have a long list of the things I want to do when I have more time, the thing is, the longer I wait to do any of the stuff on that list, the less time I'll actually have to do any of it.

    I initially learned about 100 Days of SwiftUI from Darcy and Holly of the Maccessibility Roundtable podcast. The idea behind this course is simple: learn SwiftUI gradually -- you guessed it -- over 100 days. The course suggests devoting an hour per day to learning and practicing the material. An hour per day doesn't seem that bad to me, I probably spend at least an hour per day thinking about all the stuff I'd love to do, if only I had an hour per day. :) While looking at the contents of the course is a little scary for someone like me who is just beginning, I love that there are days set aside for review and practice. In addition, there is emphasis on not trying to go it alone, students are encouraged to share progress and help one another. That sharing progress thing is actually one of the two rules of the course, as it can help with accountability and can also help the student make connections with others who are also learning.

    So, what do I hope to ultimately accomplish? Sure, I'd absolutely love to get to the point where I can start developing or working on apps that are useful to someone, but that's not actually my goal. I want to understand more about iOS apps because so often, when I report an accessibility issue, I feel like I really don't have a way to describe what's not working for me other than to say that something just isn't working. I'm hoping that by learning the basics of SwiftUI, I might be in a slightly better position to provide more constructive feedback. Whether I'm able to develop my own apps, or help other developers improve theirs, I figure it's a win either way and so I'm excited to get to learning. For anyone else who might also be interested, let's definitely connect and learn together.

  • The Ultimate Blog Challenge for October 2022 and a brief intro

    Many of you might remember that last year, I took part in something called the Ultimate Blog Challenge, a challenge that encourages bloggers to post every day over a given month. I really enjoyed the experience which not only helped me to write more regularly, but which also gave me the opportunity to connect with other really interesting bloggers who are passionate about so many fascinating things.

    I really enjoyed participating in the challenge last year and so am excited to be participating again for the month of October. I thought Just to mix things up a little bit, I thought that this year, in addition to writing, I might also try to produce more audio content because experiencing the world through audio is something that unfortunately, many people don't really take the time to do.

    So, who am I?

    For those who don't know me, let me give you a quick intro. I'm Steve Sawczyn and I’ve worked in the accessibility field for, well, for a very long time. I was born blind and over my life, have witnessed the incredible impact technology has had on my ability, and the ability of others, to have access to information. That access to information thing is incredibly impactful, paving the way for incredible possibilities. When people have access to information, they are empowered to make informed decisions and are better able to be an active part of society. I also view accessibility as a springboard for innovation, not something that impedes progress. Indeed, many of the things we take for granted resulted from some sort of accessibility-related innovation — maybe a topic for a future article?

    So, what do I blog about? Initially, I thought my blog should have a focus, a very specific focus and accessibility should be that focus. The thing is though, while accessibility is a big part of my life, my life is far more than just accessibility. I try and blog about a myriad of topics, accessibility being a big one, but certainly not the only one. After all, the URL for my blog is Steves.life, not Steves.profession. I also love it when people take the time to comment on posts because that introduces additional perspectives into the conversation and that's something from which everyone can learn.

    In closing, whether you have followed me and this blog for quite a while, or whether you have just discovered me, I want to thank you for reading, for joining me as I attempt the Ultimate Blog Challenge and most of all, for being part of the conversation.

  • It's a boat! It's a tank! It's the physical description of the Nokia X100 budget phone

    In my last post, I mentioned that I would provide a physical description of the Nokia X100, the budget phone I'm using to re-discover Android. As of this writing, T-Mobile offers the X100 for $252, however promotions can bring this price down even further.

    When I first beheld the Nokia X100, my initial impression was one of solidity. This phone only weighs 7.65 Ounces, but somehow, it feels much heavier, possibly because of its aluminum construction. When I placed the phone on my desk, my immediate thought was that while empires may rise and fall, this phone will stay exactly where I put it, defying the forces of nature and time if need be.

    The Nokia X100 display measures 6.7" diagonally from corner to corner. In practical terms, this means that the display is larger than the decks of many cruise ships. A small aircraft could land on the X100's display and easily have enough room to take off again. For those that are into specific measurements, the X100 measures 6.74" long, by 3.14" wide, by 0.36" thick. I realize that phone size is a personal preference, but I find the X100 a bit too large for my liking: I often carry a phone in my pocket and use it one-handed, both of which are tricky to do with a device of this size. That said, if you prefer a larger screen, you will not be disappointed. Speaking of the display, the Nokia boasts a Max Vision HD+ display. I have no idea what that means, but it's a highlighted feature, so obviously it must be important. :)

    I absolutely love the way controls and ports are laid out on the Nokia. Along the right-hand edge is a volume control and also a slightly recessed button which serves as the lock/unlock/power button and integrated fingerprint sensor. Having the fingerprint sensor integrated directly into the lock button makes total sense to me since you have to touch that button to unlock the device anyway, why not have it read and verify the fingerprint at the same time? I don't know what company was the first to integrate the fingerprint sensor into the lock button, my first introduction to this bit of awesome was with Apple's iPad Air 4TH generation and ever since then, I've been wondering why more companies aren't doing this; that Nokia and other Android manufacturers are doing this fills me with much joy. As a quick aside, many Android devices still have fingerprint sensors. For me, this is a major advantage because while I have learned to live with Apple's Face ID, I have not learned to like it. Back to the X100: the right-hand side has the volume control and the power/lock/fingerprint sensor and that's it. Along the bottom edge of the device are a speaker, a microphone, a USBC port, and a headphone jack. That's right, in an era when most devices have done away with the headphone jack, the X100 still makes one available; it's like coming home to an old friend. Along the left-hand edge of the X100 is a single button, a dedicated button to activate the Google Assistant. At first, I found it a bit disappointing that this button couldn't be reassigned to some other application or function, but as I realized just how much I could actually do with the Google Assistant, I've come to appreciate having a dedicated button to activate it. There are no controls along the top edge, just solid aluminum, probably thick enough to come in handy during those times when you need to break your way through an ice jam, or hammer stone from a quarry. The back of the device is relatively flat with the only prominent feature being a slightly raised circular glass housing which contains the 48MP Quad Camera System.

    One aspect of the 100 that I absolutely cannot fault is its battery life. I have tried and tried and tried to drain its battery and yet usually I'm the one who winds up drained and needing to recharge. According to the T-Mobile spec page, the X100 has a 4470 mA battery capable of delivering "up to 2-day battery life". More specifically, they claim 25 hours of talk time and 39 days, (yeah, days), of standby time. I haven't experienced this much battery life in a mobile device since, well since the last time I owned a Nokia back in 2005. Having enough battery power to get through my day has been a real challenge, often requiring me to bring along an external battery pack if I'm away from home for any length of time. With my not quite two-year-old iPhone 12 Mini, the low battery conversation goes something like this.

    Phone, "Hey, alert! 20% battery remaining."

    Me, "OK, hang on, let me get your charger."

    Phone, "Hurry up, I was just kidding about that 20%, it's actually more like 15% now."

    Me, "Seriously? How? It's only been like five minutes since you told me you were at 20%."

    Phone, "Yeah I know, I just figured you could use some false hope in your day. 10% now by the way."

    I should note that I've been trying to get Apple to replace my iPhone's battery, but apparently, it hasn't lost enough total capacity yet. Put another way, I just haven't suffered enough.

    In contrast, the low battery experience with the Nokia is very different:

    Phone, "Hey, just thought I'd let you know, my battery is at 20%."

    Me, "Oh shoot, I have a bunch of Apple chargers around, where the heck did I leave the USBC charger?"

    Phone, "Hey, don't stress, you can take the next day or two to find it, I mean any time this week is probably fine."

    There's nothing more frustrating than running low on battery power and the idea of having a device that can get me through my day, while having enough battery left over to possibly power a small village, is a definite win.

    There's a few more aspects and specifications of the X100 that I should call out. First the processor, the X100 has a Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 480. This is hardly the newest or fastest processor available on Android devices, but given the price point of this phone, it seems more than adequate. My usage and testing has admittedly been limited thus far, but I have not encountered any significant issues attributable to this processor. Another thing worth mentioning is that the X100 is a 5G phone meaning that the device can function on the latest mobile networks. More specifically, the X100 supports the following frequencies and bands -- don't worry if you don't know what these numbers mean, basically, the phone works on a bunch of different networks in a bunch of different countries, with a bunch of different providers: GSM: 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz; UMTS: Band I (2100), Band II (1900), Band IV (1700/2100), Band V (850), Band VIII (900); 5G: n25, n26, n66, n71; LTE: 2, 4, 5, 12, 25, 26, 41, 66, 71; LTE Roaming: 1, 3, 7, 8, 13, 20, 38, 39, 40

    Regarding memory, it is possible to expand the 128 GB of built-in memory storage with the use of a memory card, it's possible to expand storage to 1 TB according to T-Mobile's specifications. I don't anticipate needing more storage than the built-in 128 GB, but it's nice to know I have the option to add additional storage if I'm wrong.

    I'm really pleased with the Nokia X100. While I personally prefer smaller devices, the X100 is a very solid phone at an extremely attractive price point. The X100 may not have all the bells and whistles found in higher priced Android devices, but when it comes to getting stuff done, the X100 seems more than up to the task.

  • Diving into Android, a journey of rediscovery

    As those of you who may have followed this blog for a while probably know, every few years or so, I generally switch my primary mobile operating system between iOS and Android. I've done this for a few reasons, first because I feel it's important that I keep up with how each operating system is evolving and second, ... OK there really isn't a second, I'm just a geek at heart and it gives me an excuse to play with the other operating system.

    While I am not planning on actually switching from iOS to Android this time, there are a few reasons, beyond the geek thing, which have caused me to want to dive into Android again and better understand how that platform has evolved from an accessibility experience perspective. First, it's been a few years and both operating systems have evolved quite a bit in that time. Many of the issues that caused me to switch back from Android to iOS have been addressed and I'm really curious to see what the newer experience is like. The second and more important reason though is that Android devices exist at just about every possible price point and I still don't feel that this is truly the case with iOS. Don't get me wrong, iOS devices are fantastic, but for many, they are still very unaffordable and with the cost of everything increasing, this becomes an even bigger challenge for many people with disabilities. This point was recently emphasized during a conversation I recently had. IN short, I was talking to someone about all the amazing things we can do with mobile devices and her comment was that she felt very shut out, shut out because iOS devices, even used devices, were beyond her family's budget. The conversation quickly turned toward Android, but when she started asking about the capabilities of lower priced devices, I found that I really didn't have any answers for her. Obviously so-called budget devices are not going to be the fastest and aren't going to have the latest and greatest features, but can they work well enough to help someone not feel so "shut out"? The more I looked into this, the more I started realizing that yes, yes they probably can, but without getting my hands on such a device, it would be difficult to really understand what that experience might be like.

    I'm starting my Android rediscovery journey with a Nokia X100 budget phone. As of this writing, the X100 is available from T-Mobile for a cash price of $252, however as with most devices purchased from a carrier, this price can be decreased with various offers such as adding a new line of service. I'll cover my first impressions of the device in another post, but while this device certainly doesn't sport all the latest and greatest features, I'm really impressed with just how many capabilities it does have, especially at this price point.

    As always whenever I blog about something, my hope is that this will evolve into a conversation, a conversation that fosters learning and understanding. If I get something wrong, feel free to jump in and let me know. If I do something and you think you know of a better way, jump in and let me know that too.

    I'm excited to see where this Android rediscovery journey will take me, and I thank you for coming along.

  • Tip: Does the FaceTime control bar sometimes get in your way? There's an accessible way to dismiss it.

    One of the new features introduced in iOS15 is this call control bar which provides FaceTime audio controls across the top of the iOS screen during a FaceTime audio call.

    Screen shot of Steve's very messy iOS home screen with the FaceTime control bar across the top. Visible controls, from left to right, are leave call, open messages, Audio route, Mute, camera, share content.
    Screen shot of FaceTime control bar

    I actually really like this new control bar because it gives me the option to mute/unmute from wherever I am and for me, this is much faster than having to switch back to the FaceTime app each and every time. That said, there are times when this control bar gets in the way. For example, sometimes I'll be in an application and I know there's a "back" button, but I can't get to it with VoiceOver because it's obscured by the FaceTime audio control bar. I mentioned my frustration about this to a sighted friend and she told me that visually, it's possible to swipe this control bar away. At first, I thought we might have an accessibility issue of some sort as I could not find a way to do this when using VoiceOver. Eventually, I remembered the two-finger scrub gesture and like magic, away it went.

    For anyone unfamiliar with it, the two-finger scrub gesture is a VoiceOver command that can be used in a few different ways depending on context. IF a keyboard is visible, the two-finger scrub gesture will dismiss it. If an application has a "back" button, the two-finger scrub gesture will perform that action. The easiest way to think about the purpose of this gesture is that it can help you get out of something by dismissing a control, navigating back, closing a pop-up or menu -- in many ways, similar to what might happen when pressing the escape key when using a desktop application. To perform this gesture, place two fingers on the screen and move them quickly in a scrubbing motion such as right, left, right.

    Putting it all together

    If you ever have a reason to temporarily dismiss the FaceTime Audio call control bar and need to do so using VoiceOver, here's how to do it.

    1. Touch the FaceTime Audio control bar with one finger, this will set VoiceOver's focus to the correct place. This is important because otherwise, VoiceOver's focus will remain on your home screen or on whatever aplicationp screen you have open and the scrub gesture will not dismiss the control bar.
    2. Perform the two-finger scrub gesture. If successful, the control bar will go away. IF not, double check that you have correctly set VoiceOver focus to the control bar as just described. If the two-finger scrub gesture isn't performed correctly, it is possible that focus may inatvertantly move away from the FaceTime Audio control bar.

    A few more things to note. First, I don't know of a way to permanently dismiss the FaceTime Audio control bar and so you will have to repeat these steps whenever you need to dismiss it. Second, if you dismissed the control bar and then want to have it back, you can make it reappear by double tapping the call indicator located on the iOS status bar.

    I really like the new FaceTime Audio control bar and find it super useful to have call controls available regardless of which app I'm in or which screen I'm on. For those times though where it might come in handy to move that bar out of the way, I'm glad there's an accessible way to do so.

  • Sharing: New trend in tactile currencies

    I recently came across this fascinating post which I am sharing because I think it might be of interest to my own readers.tactile markings on currency is something that has fascinated me for a while and this post is a fantastic explanation and historical account of it. I definitely encourage anyone with interest in the subject to check it out and to follow this blog.

    Among the most recent tactile currency markings, a new trend is emerging: indicating the value using dot patterns. The idea is not new, it has been …

    New trend in tactile currencies

  • On this Thanksgiving, a quick note of thanks

    As we celebrate Thanksgiving here in the US today, I wanted to send out a quick note of thanks to all of you: for reading my words, for providing encouragement as I continue my blogging journey, and for engaging in some really amazing conversation along the way. I have a lot to be thankful for this year, but there is one group of folks I want to recognize in particular: those developers who work extra hard to ensure their apps are accessible.

    There are many developers who work tirelessly to make their apps accessible, not because they necessarily have to, but because they simply realize it’s the right thing to do. There are many accessibility resources out there that can help developers make their apps accessible, but finding those resources, understanding them, and figuring out how to implement them can be a real challenge, especially for developers with extremely limited resources.

    I’d like to encourage everyone to think about an app that makes a real difference to them, whether for accessibility or other reasons, and consider writing the developer a positive review of thanks today. I’ve spoken with many developers who have indicated to me that while it may seem like a small thing, positive reviews make a real difference. First, the more stars an app receives, the more likely it will be discovered by others. Second, a kind review is a great way to show appreciation in a public way. And finally, your review might make a difference to someone who appreciates the hard work a developer has put into making their app accessible — I know I’ve felt more comfortable purchasing apps when I see a review like, “works well with VoiceOver” or “very accessible”. Writing a quick review is a great way to say thank you, it’s something that makes a real difference, something that is appreciated, and something that only takes a few minutes to do.

    Again, thank you all for reading my words, supporting me, and for continuing the conversation. To those who celebrate, have a happy Thanksgiving.

  • Quick tip: how to get rid of the iOS bubble sound when typing or using Braille Screen Input

    I've been using Braille Screen Input on iOS for years, as it helps me to type more efficiently. One thing that has bothered me though, whether typing with Braille Screen Input or the on-screen keyboard, is this bubble sound that VoiceOver occasionally makes. While that sound does have a purpose and an important one at that, I find it distracting and have always lamented that I didn't have a way to disable it. Little did I know that there actually is a way to disable it.

    [twitter.com/SteveOfMa...](https://twitter.com/SteveOfMaine/status/1434219256439320579)

    I received many replies on Twitter, some from people experiencing the same frustration as me, and others, offering a solution I likely never would have found on my own.

    [twitter.com/walkside3...](https://twitter.com/walkside3/status/1434222462418386946)

    As it turns out, there are actually a lot of sound customizations that can be made in VoiceOver, many of which are off by default and so I never even knew they existed. Not only that, but it's possible to preview each of the VoiceOver sounds which is a great way to learn what they actually mean. I recorded a brief video showcasing these settings in the hopes it might be useful to others.

    Demo of the VoiceOver sounds dialog

    Disabling the VoiceOver auto fill sound has made a world of difference for me. Now I can use Braille Screen Input without being distracted every couple of words. In fact, I've written this very entry solely using Braille Screen Input.

    I would like to thank Rachel, Matthew, and Kara, for getting back to me so quickly with what proved to be the perfect solution. Twitter can be an awesome place for conversation and I'm glad these awesome people are a part of it.

  • The easiest site migration ever.

    For years, Steves.life has been a self-hosted blog, however I've been toying with the idea of migrating it to WordPress.com. There are many reasons for my decision, the main one being that I can focus on writing and not have to play engineer when something gos wrong. One other really neat advantage of hosting with WordPress directly is that if you receive my posts by Email and want to comment, you can simply do so by replying directly to the Email. I have no idea how many people may or may not use this feature, but it's always bothered me a bit that readers needed to activate a link in the email just to write a comment, especially given that just replying would be so much easier. Hey wait, not currently subscribed by Email, but wish you were?

    [jetpack_subscription_form show_subscribers_total="false" button_on_newline="true" custom_font_size="16px" custom_border_radius="0" custom_border_weight="1" custom_padding="15" custom_spacing="10" submit_button_classes="" email_field_classes="" show_only_email_and_button="true"]

    The real thing I wanted to write about today though is just how easy the migration process actually was. I decided to move everything over the Labor Day weekend figuring that I would have extra time to fix anything that might go wrong. What I didn't anticipate though was the process taking less than an hour. WordPress publishes fantastic, easy-to-follow documentation on how to migrate a self-hosted site to their platform. Even better, with paid plans, Wordpress "Happiness engineers" are available through live chat to assist with the entire process. And yes, WordPress really does call them Happiness engineers which might just be one of the coolest job titles ever.

    I'm really excited with just how smoothly the migration process went and am excited to start utilizing some of the features that weren't easily available to me before. I still have some small things to configure, but for the most part, everything is up and running, that is, assuming this post publishes successfully. :)

  • My final thoughts as I wrap up the Ultimate Blog Challenge for August, 2021

    As August draws to a close, I wanted to blog about my final thoughts regarding the Ultimate Blog Challenge. The Ultimate Blog Challenge challenges blogger to publish a new post every day for the month of August. I decided to participate in the challenge in part because of the challenge aspect itself, but also because blogging is something I love doing, but have been hesitant to actually do. I'm the type of person that will start a draft five times, finally settle on a sixth beginning, doubt myself half way through, rewrite everything and long after I've finished, wonder if what was written was actually any good.

    When I started the challenge on August 1, I was not sure if I would manage to publish a single post, let alone more than one. The first time I saw the "Your post was published successfully" message, I was absolutely in shock. The second time I saw it, I thought that it was just the initial momentum of starting the challenge, but when I saw the message for the third time, I began to think that maybe, just maybe, I could actually get thoughts out of my head and into written form without it being a huge struggle. And so the challenge progressed, one day at a time, with each day's post getting a little bit easier to write and publish. Over the course of the challenge I blogged from my computer, from my iPad, and even from my phone building confidence that I could actually do this from different devices, while using different assistive technologies, even while on the road. In addition to helping me become a more confident blogger, the challenge has enabled me to meet some great new people, to learn some great new things, and engage in some great conversation. All-in-all, this has been a wonderful experience and I'm really glad I decided to step out of my comfort zone and give it a try.

    Unfortunately, I did not publish anything for the past three days and so technically, while I have a few drafts in progress, I cannot say that I successfully blogged every day for the month of August. While I am admittedly a little disappointed in myself, I've come to realize that for me, the true challenge was not in finishing the month, but in actually beginning it. After all, if people read and find value in my posts -- or even just a little humor -- it'll be because the post is written and published, not because someone is verifying how many days in August I did or didn't write. There are no rewards for this challenge (at least none that I know of), nobody's tracking anything, it's really just a way to motivate people to get out there and blog, and to encourage bloggers and readers to connect with one another.

    Now that August, and the challenge are over, I've given a lot of thought to how I want to move forward. While I don't plan to try and publish a post every day, I've come to realize that blogging is indeed something I enjoy, and the writing/publishing process is far less scarier than it was when I began. I also continue to see the value in sharing and in conversation and to that end, I am planning to make some changes to the blog to hopefully make the process of commenting and engaging with posts a little easier. There are still many things I would like to say and many thoughts I would like to share, and so while the Ultimate Blog Challenge is at its end, my enthusiasm for continuing on my blogging journey is certainly not.

    If you're reading this post and thinking that you might like to start a blog of your own, the best advice I can give you is to go ahead and do it. There are many different blogging platforms and many tools that can be used to help with the logistics of writing and publishing (future blog post maybe?), but ultimately, as I've learned, the biggest challenge is just getting started, taking that first step and writing something down. Don't worry about if what you have to say will matter to anyone because you already know it matters to your most important reader, you. Also don't think that you have to be highly technical to write a blog, some of the coolest blogs I've come across during this challenge have been written by non-technical people on non-technical subjects and I've enjoyed reading every word. Ultimately, you have thoughts and dreams and experiences and have lived a life that is uniquely your own and blogging is a way for you to share that as only you can.

    I want to thank everyone for reading my posts, for taking the time to comment, and for offering words of encouragement along the way. To the new bloggers I've discovered throughout the challenge, I want to say how glad I am that you've been willing to share and say how much I'm looking forward to your next posts. Thank you all for reading my blog, and please stay tuned as there's much more to come.

  • Take Control of just about anything with Take Control Books

    It's so rare to find reasonably priced, easy-to-understand books dealing with anything technical, that is unless you've heard of Take Control Books. The Take Control Books team publishes books on a wide variety of Apple and non-Apple related topics, most of which are priced below $15, even less if purchased as a bundle. I love the Take Control series for a number of reasons, the biggest though is that they break topics, even complex topics such as file permissions and WIFI network configuration, down in ways that make them easy to understand. From an accessibility perspective, I love that Take Control books are offered in multiple non-DRM formats including PDF, ePub, and Mobi format which makes it easy for me to read them on just about any device I choose. Yes, they do not use DRM or copy protection because, as they put it,

    No. Our ebooks do not use copy protection because it makes life harder for everyone. So we ask a favor of our readers. If you want to share your copy of an ebook you’ve bought with a friend, please do so as you would with a physical book, meaning that if your friend uses it regularly, they should buy a copy.

    From Take Control Books FAQ: [www.takecontrolbooks.com/faq/](https://www.takecontrolbooks.com/faq/)

    While the books do often contain screen shots, there's generally enough explanation for me to follow along.

    I purchased my first Take Control book, "Take Control of Sharing Files in Leopard" (Anyone remember Mac OS Leopard?) in December, 2008. I've since purchase 31 titles since that time and have not been disappointed by a single one. I've purchased titles ranging from technical topics such as Take Control of File Sharing, Take Control of File Permissions, and Take Control of the Mac Command Line, to non-technical topics like Take Control of Booking a Cheap Airline Ticket. I always learn something new with every book, even on topics I thought I already knew a lot about, such as Siri or Apple's Calendar and Mail apps which I use heavily every day. The $15 or less -- I tend to purchase books in bundles to get the discount and also because I'm a fan -- have saved me countless hours by increasing my productivity. And speaking of productivity, if you want to "take control" of your productivity, they have a book for that too.

    I wanted to share the Take Control series with all of you because it has been an invaluable resource for me. I should probably also comment at this point that I am in no way affiliated with Take Control -- they probably have no idea who I am -- I'm just a big fan who has enjoyed the series for over 12 years. While much of their library is Apple centric, there is definitely something for everyone. If you would like to browse the Take Control Books catalog, you can do so here and of course, let me know what you think in the comments.

  • Sharing some fun piano Medleys that bring me joy

    Today I thought I would do something different and share some piano medleysthat bring me joy.

    Kurt Hugo Schneider is a composer, music producer, and director. Most of his work is on his YouTube channel

    [www.kurthugoschneider.com/about/](https://www.kurthugoschneider.com/about/)

    I discovered Kurt once while having a bad day. I was searching on YouTube, just mindlessly looking for some music to distract me and I came across Kurtz Mario medley. This was one of the coolest medleys I had heard and I don’t know how long and I was immediately hooked.

    [youtu.be/3eKxxYlHb...](https://youtu.be/3eKxxYlHbJs)

    Chopsticks is one of the songs that many people learn when they first start with the piano, but nobody plays it quite like Kurt.

    [youtu.be/QPzjHgMEN...](https://youtu.be/QPzjHgMENrc)

    And of course nothing would be complete without Happy Birthday as only Kurt could play it.

    [youtu.be/VMttvKlOj...](https://youtu.be/VMttvKlOjEg)

    I think Kurt is absolutely amazing and what he has done with music is nothing short of genius. Whether you’re having a bad day, or just enjoy piano medleys, I hope these three videos from Kurt bring a smile.

  • What should I do when I meet a blind person?

    I remember the first time I was asked this question: I was giving a presentation after which a woman approached me and asked,

    "What should I do when I meet a blind person?"

    I was totally taken aback and had no idea how to answer her question.

    "Shake their hand?", I said in a faltering voice.

    "Oh", she said as she returned to the audience.

    "I think she was looking for something more profound.", said the gentleman next to me with a chuckle.

    I really wasn't trying to be insensitive to the woman's question, but this seemed like such a silly thing at the time. I mean meeting a blind person is no different than meeting a tall person, or a person with brown hair, or anyone else. I think the question she was perhaps trying to ask without actually asking it was,

    "What should I do or avoid doing when interacting with a blind person?"

    The golden rule

    When meeting or interacting with anyone, I think the most important thing is to treat the other person in the same way we would like to be treated ourselves. We all want to be treated with dignity and respect and if we focus on those things in every interaction, the experience is more likely to be a mutually positive one. So, in every interaction with a blind person, or anyone else for that matter, think of how you would feel if roles were reversed.

    Avoid making assumptions

    Again, this isn't unique to meeting or interacting with a blind person, but whenever we make assumptions, we are apt to make the wrong one. What follows are just some assumptions about me and my blindness that I've encountered; this list grows almost daily and so these are just some off the top of my head.

    He's blind, surely he needs my help.

    This is a super common assumption and to be fair, there are some times when I really could use a person's help. But here's the thing, I can speak up and ask for help if I need it. Not only that, but if people *offer* me help, I can accept it or not. Offering help is not difficult, simply asking, "Can I offer you any assistance? would do just fine. Again, don't over-think this, just offer assistance in a way that would feel good to you if you were offered assistance in that same way.

    He's lost, I have to rescue him.

    I remember one time I was attending the annual CSUN Assistive Technology Conference in San Diego when this random person came up to me, grabbed my arm, and said,

    "You seem lost, let me take you to the front desk."

    There were a few things wrong with this interaction. First, the assumption that I must be lost. To be fair, I probably did look a bit lost as I was walking around a large central area of the hotel in which the conference was taking place. The thing is, I wasn't lost at all. What I was actually doing was familiarizing myself a bit more with the hotel. While I may have looked like a Roomba as I walked slowly around this large open area, what I was actually doing was creating a mental map for myself so that I could better conceptualize my surroundings. Ironically, what I was doing was something to help ensure I wouldn't actually get lost.

    The second aspect of this interaction which resulted from a wrong assumption is that I needed to be brought to the front desk. Why? What would the front desk do that this person who was trying to be helpful couldn't do? If I truly was lost, I could have asked the person for directions to get to wherever I needed to go and, if the person couldn't help, then the front desk might have been the next logical option. Another inherent assumption here is that the person at the front desk would have had time to help me: Those folks are generally pretty busy, especially in large hotels.

    The third, and most disturbing assumption to me was that the person obviously felt that it was totally fine to just grab my arm. Far as I know, people don't just go up to other people and grab ahold of them, that's kind of creepy. I mean a subtle shoulder tap might arguably have been more acceptable, but this person held on to me as if they feared I would float off into space if they dared let go. I've had people grab my arm, my hand, my elbow, my cane, even the handle on my backpack, none of these are OK. Being blind doesn't mean I forfeit my desire for personal space. In other situations, I might have walked with this person simply by following their voice, no awkward and creepy grabbing required.

    OK, it's confession time. I hope this won't come as a shock, but I really don't have super enhanced hearing abilities, I really don't. In fact, my hearing has gotten worse over the years to the point that I sometimes use hearing aids to help me better hear in public, especially in loud situations. I think that maybe I pay attention a bit more to what I'm hearing and this might come off to some as having some sort of superpower, but reality is, I'm probably just more focused in on what I'm hearing and so I notice things that others might not.

    Here's another fun fact, I'm nut inherently a great musician. I know there have been some incredibly fantastic blind musicians, but I'm definitely not one of them. The only way I might become even moderately able to play an instrument is by practicing, not by just being blind. I've actually had people come up to me and ask what instrument I play, I feel like I'm crushing their dreams when I tell them that I don't play any.

    It's a visual world

    We all live in a visual world and the language we use every day reflects this. I'm sure many of you 'watch' TV or 'look' where you're going, or if you're in the corporate world, you might have to 'see' the big picture. It's a sight-oriented world and that's OK. What's not so OK is when people try to change their language to try and strip away any visual reference.

    "Hey Steve, did you see, um, uh, um I mean hear the game on TV?"

    "Steve, did you see that movie that just came out? Well, I guess you probably heard it, huh."

    These sorts of things just sound silly when said out loud, not to mention it's really awkward and embarrassing for the person saying them. Visual references are OK, they're part of the language we use every day and there's no need to try and change that. I actually do 'watch' TV. I also might go to 'see' a baseball game if the weather is nice. I try to 'look where I'm going' when I'm walking outside and have a 'vision' of what I hope my future will be. I understand that many people are attempting to be sensitive when using language, but there is a line between sensitivity and trying to reframe common phrases on the fly. I have a friend who is in a wheelchair and she 'runs' errands all the time. There should be no guilt or shame in natural phrases, it's OK to use them.

    Some final thoughts.

    What should you do when you meet a blind person? First and most important, think of how you would want to be treated if someone was meeting you for the first time and proceed accordingly. If you're unsure if the person needs help, or how to be of help, the best course of action is to just ask and don't assume. Over the years I've come across many articles discussing disability etiquette and while they may provide practical suggestions, I feel that these articles often serve to create a divide where one shouldn't exist.

    If this is a topic of particular interest to you, or if you have questions, please leave me a comment or contact me as I'd love to continue the conversation. Thank you for reading and hey, it's great to meet you. :)

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