Accessibility

It's that time of year again! time for changing weather and new operating systems. iOS and iPadOS 17 were released on September 18, 2023, and this year brings us a treasure trove of new accessibility features. Most, but not all, of the accessibility updates related to vision are in VoiceOver. The VoiceOver updates can be found in Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver.

Voice Settings

In VoiceOver Settings, under Speech > Voice, there are dozens of voices to choose from for the various dialects of English as well as many other languages.

Over the years, we have published a great deal of material related to employment in our AccessWorld magazine. Though much of the content we have published is time specific, there are still many articles with information and advice still of use today. Historically, we published a column in AccessWorld titled Employment Matters, now our Employment Journeys series, which detailed the life and work of people who are blind and or low vision and successfully employed.

If you are a long time AccessWorld reader, you may remember our reviews of various JAWS scripts and additions-our review of Leasey the most prominent. In a similar vein, I wanted to share some of the addons for the NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA) screen reader that I find invaluable. If you are new to NVDA addons, they are additional packages that can be added to NVDA to provide extra functionality or make an inaccessible app or software accessible, much like JAWS scripts.

On this 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), we at AFB are thinking of all the ways that technology plays in role in meeting the expectations of this valuable and groundbreaking civil rights legislation. Thanks to the ADA, we have come to expect equality and access in every part of public life. Truly, people who are blind or have low vision have greater access to jobs, businesses, life in the community, and government services because the ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability.

The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) just released its Barriers to Digital Inclusion study, which identified the key areas where accessibility gaps still exist for online and mobile application content. And, as one would expect, education still rises to the top when it comes to accessibility hurdles. To close the gap, AFB wanted to share some valuable resources we have prepared for parents, students, and advocates over the past year.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: We wanted to share an important post from the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), who is collecting valuable stories to assist in a national coalition to make the internet fully accessible. Your story can help make a real difference. Please take time to read and share widely.)

Just as the flowers bloom and come to life again in Washington, D.C., Springtime often brings a flurry of activity from the federal government. Our Public Policy Research Institute (PPRI) has been tracking the activity, and would like to share two key recent actions that have taken root and could yield positive fruit for people who are blind or have low vision.

Arlington, VA (Feb. 23, 2023) — The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) announced today a major bequest in excess of $2.2M made on behalf of Marilyn and Francine Gruder, which will support the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB). AFB’s flagship publication of scholarly research to the field of blindness and low vision, in perpetuity