InFocus

Please note that we have now changed our channel to Tech Connect Live, please search for this on all of your favorite podcast services and subscribe to our new channel to keep on getting our great content!   

Great stories are within reach thanks to the National Library Service! In order to ensure that all may be read, the NLS provides free access to braille and audiobook alternatives for anyone with certified temporary or permanent low vision, blindness, or even some physical disabilities. Join Luke and Cory as they explore NLS services and teach you how you can get your favorite books and magazines mailed right to your door!   Stick around and learn to navigate the website via search tools, access the BARD system, and operate an eReader device built by Humanware which can also be provided by the NLS. Luke and Cory will teach you the controls and quick tips you need so you can jump right into a familiar favorite or the newest edition of a magazine.   We hope you enjoy this episode, the final Tec Talk Live! But do not worry, Cory and Luke will continue providing you professional assistive technology tips under the show's new name: "Vision Forward's Tech Connect"   Call us: 414-615-0103 Email us: infocus@vision-forward.org Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.org Online Store: https://www.vision-forward.org/store

Google Docs is a free word processor that is available anywhere there is an internet browser, with all the functions you would expect and the ability to work on documents concurrently with anyone in the world using the power of the internet! But how about if you are a screen reader user? In this video Cory and Luke dive into the world of Google Docs with JAWS, looking at how to use the screen reader to access documents, create documents and make edits. Join us to find out different strategies that can be used to carry out various tasks, and remember that we host TEC Talk Live every other Thursday at 11AM CST.   Call us: 414-615-0103 Email us: infocus@vision-forward.org Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.org Online Store: https://www.vision-forward.org/store

In this installment of TEC Talk, Cory from Vision Forward leads you through the major functions of the Lookout A.I. app which uses your Android's camera to provide real-time information about your environment. Our very own Assistive Technology Specialist will demonstrate this app's major uses including OCR/TTS, object identification, product recognition, currency mode and more! If that sound like it could help you or someone you know stay tuned and learn all about this exciting technology! Lookout is perfect for any Android user seeking to improve their cell phone's visual assistance toolkit. It is an accessible app which is also compatible with alternative physical phones such as the Blindshell Classic 2. But how does it compare to the iPhone's Seeing A.I. or other options? Stick around because we are going to size up the competition and offer our thoughts on possible alternatives. Find out how Seeing AI, Supersense and Envision A.I. compare to Lookout so that you can make the choice that's right for you.   Join us for our live show: TEC Talk Live! every other Thursday. BlindShell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctOUF... Humanware Stellar Trek Accessible GPS with Peter Tucic: https://tinyurl.com/3uc2abrk Next Episode: September 1st “Downloading books from NLS BARD” You can find out about the upcoming schedule by visiting: https://vision-forward.org/tectalklive/ TEC Talk Live! Full Playlist: https://tinyurl.com/3u9cydc5   Contact Vision Forward Association: Call us: (414-615-0103) Email us: infocus@vision-forward.org Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.org ​ Online Store: https://www.vision-forward.org/store

The ONYX by Oxsight is a hybrid wearable device great for low vision users on a budget. In this video, Luke Scriven, an Assistive Technology Specialist from the Vision Forward Association, shows you everything you need to know about this lightweight wearable including special settings like the convenient TV / Screen mode for both relaxation and digital work. But stay tuned because Luke will also explain more advanced features for visual enhancement such as High Contrast mode and Edge mode. This little device is built to travel, and as such it includes a sturdy carrying case, lanyard, and an adjustable headband strap. OxSight has even included a set of power converters so you can take the Onyx with you should your travels carry you abroad. So how does the Onyx stack up against the competition? There's only one way to find out! Check out the video, and see what we think! Previous Comparisons: Onyx by OxSight Tec Talk Live! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdUOrKbRXIo IrisVision Live Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzm0BJ9bC7w eSight 4 vs. IrisVision vs Acesight Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF2YombMNfQ eSight 4 vs. IrisVision vs Acesight Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4jCf3mmpcU   Contact Vision Forward Association: Call us: 414-615-0103 Email us: infocus@vision-forward.org Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.org ​ Online Store: https://www.vision-forward.org/store

Getting around when you are blind is no easy thing, even if you are good with your orientation and mobility skills! Luckily there are some great GPS solutions on the market to help you get to your destination safely, not least Humanware's range of devices such as the Trekker Breeze and the Victor Trek. But as we all know, technology is ever advancing, and new devices are always coming to the market that offer advanced functionality to improve your quality of life. With that said, enter the new GPS from Humanware, the Stellar Trek! This GPS device combines excellent maps, the ability to virtually search an area before travelling there, navigation markers and new features which utilize two cameras on the device to provide OCR and the ability to read addresses directly from buildings and identify where their doors are! This is new era for GPS devices designed for people who are blind, and Humanware are leading the way. Join Luke and Cory, assistive technology specialists at Vision Forward, as they talk to the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Humanware, Peter Tucic, about this new device and what it can do for you! Call us: 414-615-0103 Email us: infocus@vision-forward.org Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.org Online Store: https://www.vision-forward.org/store

The cases of the dreaded virus seem to be finally slowing down, and the weather is warming up, so what better time than to grab your sunshades and sun tan lotion and head out on vacation! But before you get there you have a lot of things to consider: How will I get to the airport? How will I find my gate when I'm at the airport? How will I keep myself entertained while I'm on the plane? How will I get to where I'm going when I land? Just the thought of it can put you off traveling at all! Luckily, Luke and Cory are here to make it easier with some top tips on how to travel with a visual impairment. Join us to learn all about useful apps, how to prepare for traveling, ways to stay entertained, getting through the airport if you are blind or low vision and much more. If you enjoy this make sure to join us Thursdays live on YouTube every two weeks.   Call us: 414-615-0103 Email us: infocus@vision-forward.org Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.org Online Store: https://www.vision-forward.org/store

Smartphones rule the world so you better get with the program soldier! In this session Cory is going to help you do just that by teaching you all about the essential VoiceOver gestures that will let you use your phone like a pro. VoiceOver is the screen reader built into the iPhone, and lets people who are blind use the phone to its full extent, but in order to do so you have to learn gestures....so...many...gestures. There are single taps, double taps, triple taps, single finger, two finger, three finger, four finger, rotating...it can be a bit much to say the least. Let Cory walk you through the process and show you that it doesn't have to be as intense as it may seem. Make sure to join us for the next show on 3/17, and every two weeks after that, live on YouTube!   Call us: (414)-615-0103 Email us: infocus@vision-forward.org Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.org Online Store: https://www.vision-forward.org/store

Alexa, wash my dishes! In our wildest dreams, this is the future of smart speakers. Sadly we're not there yet, but we CAN set up neat routines to make our lives just that little bit easier. By setting up your home as a smart home, utilizing smart devices like bulbs, doorbells and the like, it is possible to automate pretty much anything you want. Need an LED strip of lights to automatically turn on if you go down the stairs at night? Done. Want lights to dim, the television to come and the heat to go on with the use of a single voice command? Your wish is their command! Check out the two videos in the links below to see some smart devices, and an in-home demonstration of the technology at work, then see this video to find out how to set everything up once you have decided what you want.   Accessible Smart Devices: https://youtu.be/d6hMSBKN_-s In-Home Smart Home Demo: https://youtu.be/R4vhUkAeSWE To see info on the live show: https://vision-forward.org/tectalklive  Call us: 414-615-0103 Email us: infocus@vision-forward.org Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.org Online Store: https://www.vision-forward.org/store

Another week, another episode of TEC Talk Live, and in this episode your hosts Cory and Luke talk about the latest wearable electronic magnification device from IrisVision - the IrisVision Live. This device is designed to be worn on the head by people with low vision, and can increase their visual acuity through magnification, contrast enhancement, brightness controls and more! Watch to find out what the Inspire looks like, what you get included with it, the pros and cons of its design, who it works for, and the features that it offers which include magnification, a television watching mode, a retinitis pigmentosa mode, YouTube video streaming and high contrast reading modes. Wearables are the latest and fastest growing area of technology or people with vision loss, so don't get left behind! Make sure you check out the video to get a good idea of what the latest technologies are offering, and if you have more questions you can get in touch with the details below. #maculardegeneration #lowvision #visuallyimpaired #glaucoma #legallyblind Call us: 414-615-0103 Email us: infocus@vision-forward.org Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.org Online Store: https://www.vision-forward.org/store 

In the first part of our look at accessible smart home technology, Cory and Luke discussed various different types of smart devices including smart bulbs, sensors, thermostats, light switches and more https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6hMSBKN_-s. In this second part they demonstrate these devices installed in a home, by visiting Cory's futuristic house! Here we get to see a number of smart devices in action, including smart bulbs, light switches, doorbells, televisions, heaters and more. Find out how these are all controlled through the Amazon Echo, and learn al about routines that allow you to control exactly how and in what circumstances these smart devices are activated. Remember, we hold TEC Talk Live every other other Thursday at 11AM CST, and you can watch LIVE by joining us on our YouTube Channel, or by joining us via Zoom. Register at https://lnkd.in/eBUFT7F.

They say that a smart home is only as smart as the person who owns it, but we don't let that stop us this week as we dive into the wonderful world of accessible smart homes for people with vision loss and other disabilities! To guide us through this journey we have our very own Cory Ballard, master of the smart home and lover of technology. In this video he will tell all about his own smart home setup and devices, even bringing in some different smart devices for us to look at. Whether you are an Amazon Echo kind of person, a purveyor of Google smart home tech, or on the Apple Home Kit bandwagon, Cory has got you covered. So if you are thinking of setting up a smart home but don't know where to start, or if you already have some smart home devices but want to take your setup to the next level, check out this video to get some inspiration! Don't forget to join us in two weeks time (3/4/2022) at 11AM CST for our livestream from Cory's house to see some of these devices in action!

It's time for another TEC Talk Live, and in this episode Luke and Cory, Assistive Technology Specialists at Vision Forward Association, are joined by Rose Visser, Occupational Therapist, to discuss tools and strategies for daily living if you have a visual impairment. Enjoy the usual banter of Luke and Cory, and learn all about different ways that can make those everyday tasks more enjoyable in this video. Whether you are struggling with cooking, identifying money, identifying the color of your clothes, figuring out what medicine you have, or anything else, Rose has some great tips and strategies that can help. Don't forget, you can schedule time with Rose to get one-on-one training by getting in touch with us below! TEC Talk Live is a free live event hosted by Vision Forward every other Thursday that covers all sorts of assistive technology for people with vision loss. Join us by registering at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lDhTLaLBRnOnFKK-HxyDPQ or if you prefer you can watch the event live on our YouTube Channel! #maculardegeneration #lowvision #visuallyimpaired #glaucoma #legallyblind Call us: 414-615-0103 Email us: infocus@vision-forward.org YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/infocustechnology Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.org Online Store: https://www.vision-forward.org/store

GAMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's fun (hence the exclamation marks). But also, if you are blind or low vision, it can be somewhat exclusionary. FEAR NOT. In this episode of TEC Talk Live Luke and Cory, assistive technology specialists at Vision Forward, are joined by Jesse Anderson of the Illegaly Sighted YouTube Channel to talk all about accessible games for people who are blind or low vision. Accessible games...must be talking about audio games, right? HOLD YOUR HORSES good sir/madam/other. Accessible gaming does not have to mean only audio games, but all sorts of different game styles and genres! So strap in, and get ready to hear about all sorts of games for PC, console, iOS and Android...and even VR! Make sure you check out Jesse's YouTube Channel at youtube.com/illegalysighted to keep up to date with all topics accessible gaming related. #maculardegeneration #lowvision #visuallyimpaired #glaucoma #legallyblind Call us: 414-615-0103 Email us: infocus@vision-forward.org Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.org Online Store: https://www.vision-forward.org/store

It's time to get Inspired....In this episode of TEC Talk Live Luke Scriven, assistive technology specialist at Vision Forward Association, chats with Tom Perski from IrisVision about the IrisVision Live and IrisVision Inspire wearable devices for people with low vision. Tom tells us all about the features of the two devices, who they are suitable for, the kind of tasks you might expect to be able to do while using the device, as well as sharing some of his personal history with vision loss and how it has affected his life. Find out all about both devices in the video, and make sure to get in touch with us at the contact details below if you would like to learn more about these devices, get a demonstration, or find out about any other assistive technology. #maculardegeneration #lowvision #visuallyimpaired #glaucoma #legallyblind Call us: 414-615-0103 Email us: infocus@vision-forward.org Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.org Online Store: https://www.vision-forward.org/store

Phones...you gotta have 'em. But the whole world is turning toward smart phones, and well you just don't like 'em. Enter the Blindshell Classic 2! This phone has been built from the ground up for people who are blind or low vision, and includes all over the features of a smart phone with none of the need for a touch screen. The Blindshell has excellent feeling tactile buttons and voice input, and has some great features including of course calling and texting, but also email, internet radio, games, weather, YouTube, BeMyEyes, an internet browser an more! Everything is super easy to use with the buttons on the phone and if you don't want all of those features, just don't use them! Find out all about this great phone in the latest episode of TEC Talk Live! hosted by Luke and Cory, assistive technology specialists at Vision Forward Association. #maculardegeneration #lowvision #visuallyimpaired #glaucoma #legallyblind Call us: 414-615-0103 Email us: infocus@vision-forward.org Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.org Online Store: https://www.vision-forward.org/store

Join Luke and Cory, Assistive Technology Specialists, as they delve into the world of accessible television watching! You will find out about the vision accessibility features of the Amazon Fire TV, including magnification, contrast enhancement, screen reading, audio description and more! Plus, find out which Amazon Fire TV device might be right for you, and enjoy some witty banter and funny jokes. #maculardegeneration #lowvision #visuallyimpaired #glaucoma #legallyblind Call us: 414-615-0103 Email us: infocus@vision-forward.org Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.org Online Store: https://www.vision-forward.org/store

Join Luke and Cory, Assistive Technology Specialists, as they delve into the world of accessible television watching! You will find out about the vision accessibility features of the Apple TV, including magnification, contrast enhancement, screen reading, audio description and more! Plus, enjoy some witty banter and funny jokes. #maculardegeneration #lowvision #visuallyimpaired #glaucoma #legallyblind Call us: 414-615-0103 Email us: infocus@vision-forward.org Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.org Online Store: https://www.vision-forward.org/store

In this special event Luke and Cory, assistive technology specialists with Vision Forward, host a two hour live show! In the first hour Luke and Cory discuss Android and iPhone accessibility features and apps that can be helpful in a workplace or home setting. The second hour sees Luke and Cory be joined by Peter Tucic (Humanware) and Sam Seavey (The Blind Life) to discuss living with vision loss. Whether you are low vision, blind, or sighted, this event is bound to cover interesting topics, give you new ideas and, most importantly, be fun! So make yourself a hot drink, get comfortable and enjoy two hours of interesting and informative content. #maculardegeneration #lowvision #visuallyimpaired #glaucoma #legallyblind Call us: 414-615-0103 Email us: infocus@vision-forward.org Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.org Online Store: https://www.vision-forward.org/store

In the latest episode of TEC Talk Luke and Cory, assistive technology specialists at Vision Forward Association, are joined by a special guest to discuss the BrainPort sensory substitution device. Dr. Patricia Grant, Director of Research for Wicab, talks us through how the BrainPort provides a method of sensing the world around you with your tongue! Sounds strange, but for people with no vision the BrainPort is another tool that can help them distinguish things in their environment, helping with navigating safely and carrying out tasks that would otherwise not be possible. Find out all about it in this informal chat! #maculardegeneration #lowvision #visuallyimpaired #glaucoma #legallyblind Call us: 414-615-0103 Email us: infocus@vision-forward.org Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.org Online Store: https://www.vision-forward.org/store BrainPort: https://www.wicab.com

It's time to get Inspired....In this episode of TEC Talk Live Luke Scriven, assistive technology specialist at Vision Forward Association, chats with Tom Perski from IrisVision about the IrisVision Live and IrisVision Inspire wearable devices for people with low vision. Tom tells us all about the features of the two devices, who they are suitable for, the kind of tasks you might expect to be able to do while using the device, as well as sharing some of his personal history with vision loss and how it has affected his life. Find out all about both devices in the video, and make sure to get in touch with us at the contact details below if you would like to learn more about these devices, get a demonstration, or find out about any other assistive technology. #maculardegeneration #lowvision #visuallyimpaired #glaucoma #legallyblind Call us: 414-615-0103 Email us: infocus@vision-forward.org Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.org Online Store: https://www.vision-forward.org/store

GAMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's fun (hence the exclamation marks). But also, if you are blind or low vision, it can be somewhat exclusionary. FEAR NOT. In this episode of TEC Talk Live Luke and Cory, assistive technology specialists at Vision Forward, are joined by Jesse Anderson of the Illegaly Sighted YouTube Channel to talk all about accessible games for people who are blind or low vision. Accessible games...must be talking about audio games, right? HOLD YOUR HORSES good sir/madam/other. Accessible gaming does not have to mean only audio games, but all sorts of different game styles and genres! So strap in, and get ready to hear about all sorts of games for PC, console, iOS and Android...and even VR! Make sur you check out Jesse's YouTube Channel at youtube.com/illegalysighted to keep up to date with all topics accessible gaming related. #maculardegeneration #lowvision #visuallyimpaired #glaucoma #legallyblind Call us: 414-615-0103 Email us: infocus@vision-forward.org Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.org Online Store: https://www.vision-forward.org/store

In this video Rose Visser, Occupational Therapist at Vision Forward, gives some great tips on organizing and labeling things in your kitchen! Find out how to make cooking safe and convenient as a person with vision loss. The Cooking Sense series explores tips and tools for cooking with vision loss, allowing you to cook by using your other senses. If you want to find out more about Vision Forward and the services we provide then contact us! If you like the video, please fill out a short survey on our website to help us continue bringing this content to you. www.vision-forward.org/enrichment.   Website: www.vision-forward.org Phone: 414-615-0103 Email: rvisser@vision-forward.org 

o you like having fun? Us too! That's why we decided to take a look at some great accessible iPhone games for people with vision loss in our latest video. Come join us as we play Dice World, Blindfold Games and FEER The Game. These games are all great fun and can be played with audio only, making them playable no matter what your level of vision. Find out what Cory thinks of the games on offer and...more importantly...whether he is any good at playing them!

In this episode of TEC Talk Live Cory and Luke, assistive technology specialists at Vision Forward Association in Milwaukee, are joined by Drs. Lane and Troyk from the Illinois Institute of Technology to talk about the Intra-Cortical Visual Prosthesis project. This project aims to provide vision to people who are blind through the implantation of an electrode array on the visual cortex, which will stimulate the visual cortex when receiving data from a camera in a pair of sunglasses. The hope is that participants will gain back some usable vision, allowing them to identify basic shapes and objects around them! To be eligible to be a participant in the clinical trials you have to be no light perception, between 18 and 70, be in the Chicagoland area, be well adjusted to your vision loss and have had vision up to the age of 10 or later. If you are interested in applying to be a participant in the clinical studies, first check out the video to find out all about the project, then email us at infocus@vision-forward.org. #maculardegeneration #lowvision #visuallyimpaired #glaucoma #legallyblind Call us: 414-615-0103 Email us: infocus@vision-forward.org Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.org Online Store: https://www.vision-forward.org/store 

In this episode of TEC Talk Live Cory and Luke, assistive technology specialists at Vision Forward Association, take a look at the Cloverbook Pro and the Clover 10. These electronic magnifiers for people with vision loss are both excellent devices that offer a number of useful features, with the Cloverbook Pro being especially unique in offering distance viewing, near viewing, OCR and a dual screen setup! Find out all about both of these devices in our latest video, and don't forget to get in touch if you have any questions by using the information below. #maculardegeneration #lowvision #visuallyimpaired #glaucoma #legallyblind Call us: 414-615-0103 Email us: infocus@vision-forward.org Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.org Online Store: https://www.vision-forward.org/store

eSight have been making wearable electronic magnifiers for people with vision loss for a number of years now, and are on to the 4th iteration of their hardware. With magnification, contrast enhancement, alternate colors, video recording, picture taking, HDMI input and more, the eSight 4 is a great device with a lot of functionality. That being said, how well might it work for you? In this discussion Luke Scriven, assistive technology specialist at Vision Forward, talks with Sam Peluso from eSight to discuss the latest updates to the device, how it works and what the design ethos is, what makes the device unique and much more. This live discussion is part of TEC Talk Live, a live show that covers assistive technology related to vision loss. Make sure to join us on YouTube every other Thursday at 11AM CST for another exciting episode! #maculardegeneration #lowvision #visuallyimpaired #glaucoma #legallyblind Call us: 414-615-0103 Email us: infocus@vision-forward.org Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.org Online Store: https://www.vision-forward.org/store

n this episode of TEC Talk Live, Cory and Luke, assistive technology specialists at Vision Forward Association, dive into the Chromebook and its built in accessibility features. Chromebooks can be a cheap way to get into computing, but do they have the tools necessary for people who are low vision or blind to use them? Find out in this video, as we explore the Chromevox screen reader, the built-in magnifier, the text-to-speech functionality and more! #maculardegeneration #lowvision #visuallyimpaired #glaucoma #legallyblind Call us: 414-615-0103 Email us: infocus@vision-forward.org Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.org Online Store: https://www.vision-forward.org/store

In this exciting instalment of TEC Talk Live we are joined by Shane Lowe, community operations manager for Mediate, the company behind the Supersense and Super LIDAR apps. Supersense is a multi-functional app that provides OCR/TTS, object identification, product recognition, money recognition and more, while Super LIDAR tells you what is in your environment and how far away it is! You can find out all about these exciting apps for Android and iPhone/iPad in this video, and get information on how to get a free 30 day trial of Supersense to find out if it is the app that you always dreamed about! #maculardegeneration #lowvision #visuallyimpaired #glaucoma #legallyblind Call us: 414-615-0103 Email us: infocus@vision-forward.org Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.org Online Store: https://www.vision-forward.org/store

In honor of the student TVIs who were remotely attending this episode of TEC Talk Live we discuss beneficial assistive technology devices for the classroom. We cover a number of different devices including The Ruby XL HD, Connect 12 (AKA Matt Connect), Reveal 16i, Orcam Read, Orcam MyEye and the Voice Dream Reader and Voice Dream Scanner apps! A lot of ground is covered in a fun and easy to understand way. If you are a teacher of the visually impaired, a student with a vision impairment, or just someone who is interested in assistive technology, make sure to check out this exciting episode of TEC Talk Live! #maculardegeneration #lowvision #visuallyimpaired #glaucoma #legallyblind Call us: 414-615-0103 Email us: infocus@vision-forward.org Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.org Online Store: https://www.vision-forward.org/store

In this exiting installment of TEC Talk Live Cory and Luke, assistive technology specialists at Vision Forward, take a look at some free and low cost programs for PC that can be useful for people with vision loss! These include accessibility tools such as magnification and contrast enhancement, free screen readers, free and low cost methods of doing OCR on electronic and physical documents, free email clients that are screen reader friendly and more! If you can ignore the technical issues we had in this episode you'll find some great information that can make your PC using experience that much more useful and enjoyable. As always, TEC Talk Live is free to attend and is held every other Thursday (next episode on 4/29/21). You can catch it on our YouTube Channel at 11:00 AM CST, so be sure not to miss out! #maculardegeneration #lowvision #visuallyimpaired #glaucoma #legallyblind Call us: 414-615-0103 Email us: infocus@vision-forward.org Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.org Online Store: https://www.vision-forward.org/store

In this episode of TEC Talk Live, Luke and Cory, assistive technology specialists at Vision Forward in Milwaukee, take a look at some of the free and low cost apps on iOS and Android that are helpful for people with vision loss. There are so many apps out there to try, but in this hour long episode we look at some that we have tried and think are worth your time, and which can carry out multiple functions from recognizing money to identifying faces, from reading printed text out loud to helping you plan a walking route. Find out all about it in this episode!

In this edition of TEC Talk Live we take a look at the Seeing AI app. This app has been around for a while, and offers some great features in a free package on the iPhone and iPad. The new LIDAR feature offers even more functionality for certain phones, allowing users to not only locate things in a space, but also have an idea where and how far away they are! Not bad for a free app.

n this TEC Talk Live, Luke and Cory, assistive technology specialists at Vision Forward Association, take a look at Shipt. This service lets you shop for groceries from the comfort of your own home, using an app or a website. The service is accessible to screen readers and provides a great alternative to going to the store and trying to find what you want to buy! Let someone else pick the food for you and deliver it right to your door, and stay in contact with your shopper in case any questions arise. Find out in the pod how the app works when using an iPhone with VoiceOver, and decide whether it might be a good solution for you to let you avoid the dreaded weekly shop! #maculardegeneration #lowvision #visuallyimpaired #glaucoma #legallyblind 

n this episode we are joined by Peter Tucic, Brand Ambassador at Humanware, who tells us all about the new Brailliant X Series of Braille displays from Humanware, as well as updating us on the Victor Trek. The Braillliant X Series marks the tenth year of the Brailliant line, and features some great innovations in a 20 cell and a 40 cell Braille display. Find out all about them in this video, including their new features and how much they cost. #maculardegeneration #lowvision #visuallyimpaired #glaucoma #legallyblind

In this exciting episode of TEC Talk Live, Luke and Cory, assistive technology specialists at Vision Forward, take a look at the Louie app. This app was designed by a gentleman named Pramit, who is himself visually impaired, and gives Android users better access to certain apps using only their voices. There is much more access to apps such as contacts, calls, YouTube, Whatsapp and Uber, and the voice interface is very easy to use. If you know someone who struggles using their phone due to vision loss, and they aren't able to learn screen reader use, then Louie could be just the app for them! 

The second part of our two part series on internet use with a screen reader covers a couple more strategies that you can use when navigating the internet with no vision. In this episode we cover the JAWS find feature, place markers and using webpage elements as navigational tools.  

In this episode Luke Scriven and Cory Ballard, assistive technology specialists at Vision Forward Association in Milwaukee WI, cover some strategies for navigating the internet with a screen reader. Navigating the internet is one of the hardest things a screen reader user can do, but following some simple strategies can make things much easier. Listen to find out the first two strategies, and join us in 2 weeks for the conclusion to this 2 part special.  

In this episode Cory and Luke discuss which the best iPhone, Apple Watch and Airpods are for people who are blind or low vision. Theses devices have great accessibility and features, but it can be hard to choose one with so many models available. Get some tips in this episode! 

What is this? This question is asked numerus times a day by individuals living with vision loss. From identifying items in the home or office to product identification in the kitchen or at the store, learn how technology can make answering this question quick and simple. Demonstrations of standalone identification devices, smart phone options, and computer-based solutions will provide you with the resources needed to assess your client’s needs and recommend the best solutions.

Join Vision Forward's OT in our first adaptive cooking skills virtual event.  Listen to Rose as she introduces you to devices, tips, and techniques designed to help you in the kitchen.  

Aira is a visual interpreter and navigation system for people who are blind or visually impaired, which connects users with sighted employees who can help answer questions or aid in navigation. You can use the Aira app to connect to an Aira agent, who can then see through your devices camera and see your position on a GPS app. From there, you can do whatever you want! What's even better is that Aira is free in many places now, and this includes the Milwaukee County Transport system. If you need to get public transportation in Milwaukee, you can use Aira for free when traveling to and from your destination! Listen to the podcast to find out more. Call us: 414-615-0103Visit Us Online Visit Our Online Store

This is an audio only version of a video posted to our YouTube channhel at https://youtube.com/infocustechnology In this TEC Talk we have a little fun (and maybe learn something too!) with Sam at the Blind Life. The Blind Life is a fantastic YouTube Channel for people who are blind or visually impaired (link below), and if you haven't checked it out already you definitely should. Watch us as we try to answer questions about ancient AT devices, old versions of Windows and what exactly a Plex Talk is! Who will be crowned the AT champion? Watch to find out! The Blind Life: https://www.youtube.com/theblindlife Call us: 414-615-0103Visit us online: https://www.vision-forward.orgEmail us: infocus@vision-forward.org

Thanks for joining us for this new resource produced by Vision Forward.  The InFocus podcast is designed to provide assistive technology demos and much more all focusing on those living with vision loss.  On this first episode, we start a new sereies, Amazon Echo: What Can You Do For Me?  In segment 1 we learn how to set up our Echo and in segment 2 we learn four basic commands to get us started.  Remember to visit www.vision-forward.org for links to our YouTube channel and read posts in our blog.  Feel free to contact us at infocus@vision-forward.org/infocus