AI-Generated Transcript
Good morning, everybody. Welcome to the new Ask BITS. This is Larry Watkinson in Olympia, Washington.
To get started, please answer this question: What technology would you like to learn more about? As the panel introduces themselves, please share your answer when you are called on.
I will start with Jeff, and Jeff will pass to Linda. Jeff, good morning.
Jeff:
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to Ask BITS. We have a few announcements to share.
It is renewal season. If you are a current BITS member, or if you would like to join, please visit joinbits.org. We would love to have you.
We are wrapping up some educational opportunities for the fall, then taking a short break for our annual meeting. We will begin again in the new year.
We also have a Black Friday sale taking place from November 26 through December 2. For more information, visit the website.
Recently, BITS was represented at the VRATE Technology Conference in Arizona. Michael Babcock and I presented a mini version of our BITS AI course. This created an opportunity for BITS to collaborate with NFB as well. We will be planning a developer track soon.
Larry:
The question of the day is what technology you want to learn more about.
Jeff:
My own goal is to stay current on developments in AI. Major changes are happening rapidly. I want to ensure BITS uses the best technology possible as we develop applications and resources. I’m also hoping to release BITS Whisper to the community by Christmas.
Thank you, Larry.
Linda:
I would like to learn more about gaming and accessibility in games. I know there is a lot of really interesting audio description and device accessibility, and I would like to understand it better.
Marcy:
I am excited about Ask BITS and our new mentoring program. We will soon release applications for mentors and mentees. We plan to pair about seven to ten partnerships and present them at the convention for a graduation ceremony.
Ask Bits is a way for you to ask your questions, anything you wanna talk about technology wise. So please get those hands up. I see one I’d like to see more. Then we can take your questions by mail at ask@bits-acb.org.
Join us@bits-acb.org on the web, because there are a lot of things happening with BITS. We have beautiful education classes where we just learned about NVDA. We just learned about the Google Workspace and I know that there’s some fun classes planned for next year, and with the Black Friday sale that Jeff spoke about, you’ll be happy to take part in those education courses.
Ask BITS is a place where you can ask any technology-related question. You can email us at ask@bits-acb.org
or visit us at bits-acb.org.
The technology I am most excited to learn about is the Zoom PodTrak P4 Next. It has accessible talking menus and guides and I’m really looking forward to using it.
Jeff:
You’re making me want to buy one.
Marcy, why did you do that?
Marci:
What, what did I do?
Jeff:
You’re gonna make me spend money. See, this is your fault. you should not bring up toys like that. That is not Appropriate.
Larry: Would people be able to ask questions here about things like talking thermometers or other everyday tech?
Marcy:
Yes, absolutely. It is also a good place to make an appointment for chat where we can provide one-on-one support during our BITS chats using break-out rooms.
Jeff:
It sounds like Marcy just volunteered to give a presentation on the P4.
Donald:
Good morning. I’d like to learn the Mac and Windows environments better. I recently bought a MacBook, but I’m not really sure how to use it yet. Will there be a mentor program for this?
Jeff:
We are still deciding about formal Mac training, but we do have resources available.
Larry:
You won’t hurt the computer by experimenting. You can also use ChatGPT to help guide you.
The trackpad can work like your iPhone using VoiceOver gestures, so I encourage you to explore it.
James:
I want to learn Linux. Many of the installers are now accessible. My question is what is BITS Whisper?
Jeff:
BITS Whisper is an application that converts audio into transcripts using AI models. MacWhisper exists on Mac, and we are adapting it for BITS members. It may also be used as a fundraiser. Linda:
I’m also really into gaming and accessible gaming. I hang out in the chat a lot so I’d like to help you.
David:
I want to learn more about the Zoom PodTrak P4 Next and Reaper, the audio editor.
Larry:
David, Can you describe the P4?
David:
It can take four microphones, connect to a computer or phone, provides individual volume controls, and allows multi-track recording. The new accessible version is a game changer. This is kind of like a broadcast studio, if you will. It’s can take up to four microphones and connect to a computer or smartphone via USB.
See, you can optionally connect through a smartphone or other device with a TRRS cable and or Bluetooth adapter sold separately. And you get additional sound pads. You get volume control for each of your inputs, your microphone inputs. There’s four headphone volumes, so you could do. A mobile interview with four microphones and if they have headphones, you can, you can do a mobile interview, record it, and it will save everything as a stereo mix and separate files so you can kind of do the same thing with the H four to a point, but you can’t connect a, a broadcast live over Zoom.
So one more comment about it. I’ve had the original P four since it came out. I accidentally stumbled upon it before I was a Bits member and it’s a great tool. This new accessibility is a game changer that Zoom has put in there. They have done very well. I’m excited to see how this works.
Rachel:
My question for you is when you get those E-forms where it says, sign into this e check-in, you know, you have an appointment on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Yes. Even when I move my hand to go to the link. It’ll just say button, button, button, button. So I don’t know what in the world I’m pressing.
Jeff:
This is a pretty large problem across the medical industry and, you know, uh, organizations like MyChart have really made a dent in this.
So one of the things that you might want to ask your provider is whether or not you can Use MyChart to be able to check in as well as review your all of your medical chart data. I’ve had to deal with these as well for things like urgent care where they’re not necessarily the most accessible experiences, and this is where we need to put on our advocacy hats and make sure that you are writing to advocacy@acb.org and letting Claire and team know and the accessibility team know that you’re running into a specific problem.
It would be good for you to call and find out, you know, what platform they’re using, be able to do that check-in process, and then we could probably do a little bit more work on the advocacy side to be able to assist you in determining what we can do to help them in making this websites more accessible.
You’re not doing anything wrong.
Rachel:
It’s Patient Gateway.
Jeff:
It’s been known to have accessibility issues.
Larry:
Yeah. Anything in the Epic platform, which is also MyChart. Epic is the parent company. Epic is great and they’re great.
I actually was lucky enough when they started introducing that I was one of the original beta testers from a blind person’s perspective, being able to use the Epic MyChart and they have been very responsible over the years. Ask your doctor’s office if they can use anything in the Epic or MyChart.
Jeff:
I think you’re gonna find the experience to be the same whether you’re on desktop or mobile.
They’re pretty much synonymous these days. There’s not a lot we can do for you here on this side except to start advocating and seeing what we can do to improve the situation for you.
Rachel:
Thanks a lot for your time.
Larry:
You bet. And thanks for joining us today.
Rachel:
You are welcome.
Eric:
I want to learn Android. Does Google still make tablets?
Panel:
Samsung makes Android tablets, and Amazon Fire tablets can also work. You can also use an Android phone on Wi-Fi only. So my question is, I got a iPhone 17 and I love it. , and I notice when I see the 20% battery alert. Right. It’s not full screen anymore. Is that because of design changes?
Jeff:
Yeah, that’s correct.
Larry:
It’s doing that to preserve the battery so that you don’t end up with a dead phone.
Jeff:
I will do some checking for you on this while we’re on the call, but I will get back to you on that while we’re here.
We have Matthew. Hello Matthew. Technology I’d like to learn is I understand like on PlayStations they have added some accessibility.
I’d like to learn some more on how to do that with playing Madden or 2K or some of these other advanced games. I don’t know if the screen reader and the description is. How advanced that is. So that’s something I would like to learn. I’m using iPhone 16. One of the things I notice is the notifications.
When it comes through the home screen, it’ll say maybe I have like five notifications. I can get to one notification and then I have to swipe with three fingers down to get the rest of the notifications as opposed to them all displaying at one time.
Jeff:
And you’re bringing up the notification center for that.
Is that what you’re doing?
Matthew:
That’s what I end up having to do. To get the unread notifications that that are saying? Yeah. I don’t think that all of them will appear on the lock screen. It’s very inconsistent. Yes, correct.
Matthew:
Okay, so there’s no way to change that? I don’t think so.
Larry:
It’s something you could always write to Apple.
If their accessibility input where you can provide input and make that suggestion, and I have noticed the same thing that you’re experiencing as well.
Matthew:
Okay. And so I have to three finger down to get the notifications?
Larry:
Linda, anything else on that one for you?
Linda: I have noticed the same thing.
Jeff:
Yeah, I’ve noticed the same thing and it does seem to be very inconsistent, at least doing a cursory look here, the battery question as well, of making that full screen.
I don’t think that that is possible. If it were, it would be under notifications and it does not look like that is an option Under notifications. You can get to all your other apps there, you can define how those notifications appear. But I don’t think that the battery one is one, but I’m continuing to look, but it’s not looking promising at this point.
Jeff:
Notifications will continue behaving this way. You can submit feedback to Apple.
Allison:
Good morning. The piece of technology that I wanna learn is the Smart Vision three phone, ’cause I want to upgrade from the BlindShell classic two to the Smart Vision three phones. And my question for you guys is whenever I go into a Word document to work on it, it says, this site can access your location, change the setting in the address bar. How would I go about changing that setting?
Jeff:
Are you opening the document in the desktop version of Word or on the web?
Allison:
It’s the desktop.
Linda: I’m getting the same message lately.
Larry:
I’ve seen it too but haven’t addressed it.
Jeff:
I have not seen that on the desktop version. That is very odd. can you tell me what version of office you’re using? Are you using Office 365? Jeff:
I have not seen that on the desktop version. That is very odd. can you tell me what version of office you’re using? Are you using Office 365?
Allison:
Office 365 Home and Student.
Linda:
It’s happening on my Office365 at work also.
Jeff:
That’s interesting. And that’s appearing where, where exactly are you seeing it? You’re seeing it after the document opens?
Allison:
Yes. What I do is I find the document that I wanna work on presse nter on it and it says the document name. I try to use my arrow keys, so then I have to alt tab a couple times I alt tab past the jaws window, I alt tab again, and I’m into my document.
And then as I’m reading the document, it says, this site can access your location.
Marci:
It’s in the word options, if you will write to us. I’ve got the steps. I looked it up in chat, GBT, and there’s like 10 steps. So if you’ll write to us, I’ll send them to you.
Larry:
Marcy, we can actually get that posted on one of our groups.io for folks, can’t we?
Marci:
Sure.
Jeff:
Yeah, we should. That’s a good one. We should put that in a BITS Bytes. That’s a great tip.
Jenny:
I’d like to learn more about Google and Youtube.
I had trouble logging into the BITS site in the past. Where should I get help?
Larry:
Write to support@bits-acb.org
. We’ve simplified the login process. We will also be offering a website orientation soon.
Jenny:
One of the things that I think is really great is even if for a short period you can have a one-to-one study buddy.
I think sometimes people sharing information really speeds you on your way. So I know you guys are working on that one-to-one situations for mentors as we develop our own over time.
Larry:
So, Marcy, do you have any comments about the mentoring program on the 1-1 or you wanna wait and introduce a little bit more later?
Marci:
So we have a meeting on Thursday and we’re going to go over those applications and we’ll hopefully have them up on the web very soon so people can Sign up to be mentors and mentees.
Petra::
I want to learn WhatsApp. and I’m also excited to say that my Echo Vision glasses have shipped.
I don’t have them yet, but of course I’m gonna. Be excited about those when they get here too.
Larry:
When you learn them, You can maybe do a presentation on our BITS Presents. We can get you connected with Brad and you can do a BITS Present and tell us all about your glasses and how to work them.
Jeff:
We have resources in previous convention archives and can help you learn WhatsApp.
Lynn:
I have Ray-Ban Meta glasses but don’t know how to use them well.
Panel:
You can ask the glasses directly, such as “Hey Meta, how do I answer a call?” There are also podcasts available with instructions. There are lots of resources within the community that can help.
Lynn:
Is there a way for us to use the Dropbox online? it looks pretty disorganized to me. Is there any way for us to use that easily?
Jeff:
Yes, it’s possible, but honestly I think that. It’s gonna be a lot easier for you just to install the Dropbox app on your local device and then put files in folders and they will automatically get uploaded.
That’s truly the better way to do it.
Lynn:
I needed to put Dropbox on something temporarily recently because I’m trying to get rid of the computer and I wanted to put the files from that computer onto Dropbox, and when I did that, I got this lovely thing called Dropbox with cloud storage.
That’s terrible. it’s different than the regular Dropbox. I mean, Dropbox is cloud storage. I realize this, but it was called Dropbox with cloud storage and I don’t know what the difference is. It was just awful.
Jeff:
To try to work with the onboarding experience is a little bit challenging, especially in the later versions of it.
That’s what makes it a little more difficult. If you send us an email, we can, if, and you’re a Bits member, we can definitely remote in and give you a hand on that, if that would be useful to you.
Stacy:
My new NLS DA2 player doesn’t give feedback when I enter Wi-Fi.
Panel:
We will research that and follow up.
David:
There is an ongoing HTML study group on Mondays and Thursdays.
James:
I just have a very short. Answer to the PlayStation question list of accessible games is too exhaustive for here, it’s important to know that PlayStation five has a much more fully featured screen reader than PlayStation four.
There are a lot of areas PlayStation four, where you will get text tope unavailable here and the PS five doesn’t do that. Also, games themselves do not work with the built in screen reader, but some games like the Last of us series have their own screen reader inside the game and Madden does have some accessibility features, but you don’t have all the narration and things like that to my understanding.
Larry:
I know James is in chat with us on Fridays and Saturday nights a lot. You can approach David and you can actually have David create you a room for games and title. Is that what you wanna do and get all the gamers to go into a chat room and like that. You just gotta talk to David and then he’ll work with his host to set that up.
But that’s kind of what we wanna do is the peer-to-peer and get together and chat and share knowledge about what’s going on. Matthew, you can go ahead.
Matthew:
I just wanted to ask real quickly I’ve heard two or three web addresses. What’s the bits web address to sign up?
Jeff:
You can go to join bits.org.
Matthew:
I really wanna get involved in some of the classes and things you guys do. I do accessibility testing for Texas Tech University and so some of the HTML stuff y’all have done and. Some the other things that can help me improve my skills and be considered professional development. So yeah, I appreciate that.
Thanks. Hey, no problem. Thank you.
Larry:
I want to thank you everybody for coming today. I appreciate how you used our time so that we could fit you all in and answer your questions. This is all about you. So we wanna make sure that we are meeting where you need to be with your knowledge and technology and the support that we can provide you.
With that in mind, I want to pass over to Marcy, who is our gracious chair of this event.
Marci:
I want to thank Lucy very much for hosting us today, Diane, for streaming us and moderating in Clubhouse. Larry, Linda, Jeff, for being my panelists. Have a great weekend everyone, and join us on December 6th for Ask Bits.