Blind Bargains

Audio Player Blind Bargains Qast 186: Accessibility Champions

Joe is joined by longtime friend, and fellow podcaster, Jamie Pauls this week as J.J. is on the road. However, J.J. did have a chance to interview Intuit's Ted Drake about some of the processes and programs happening at the company to forward accessibility efforts for their internal culture and customers alike. A tip, "Sound Off" plus a musical topic smash into the "Last Word". Grab your spreadsheets for it is time for BBQ 186.

Sponsor: AIRA

The Blind Bargains Qast is excited to bring you the new "Game of Words" contest that lets you work with an AIRA Agent to solve puzzles. Tune in, over the next few weeks, to hear if players can claim the Iron Noun for themselves. And congratulations to Candice who scored a cool $500 from this week's contest. "Game of Words" is brought to you by Aira, an app that connects people who are blind or have low-vision to highly trained, remotely-located agents for instant access to visual information.

Game of Words is easy to enter! All you need is an Aira account, which you can download at aira.io/app. After the app is installed, you can register for a free account by simply providing your phone number. Once you ve registered, visit aira.io/bbq and fill in your name and phone number in the Game of Words entry form to enter! One contestant will be chosen from the list of entries at the beginning of each week to participate.

Sign up for a chance to be selected to beat the clock and win!

In The News:

Bookshare hits 1 million books milestone

Dark Patterns in Accessibility Tech

JAWS And Fusion Updates For June Tout New Changes For Checking Authorizations, Office 365 Improvements And More

The June Edition Of Access World Is Now Online

AIRA Welcomes Mike Randal As New CEO

Interview: Ted Drake Intuit

J.J. has been running a small business for years and he can tell you a thing, or two, about what it can take to keep the numbers straight. That experience comes in handy when he sits down with Ted Drake, Principal Accessibility Engineer for Intuit, to talk about the access advancements the company is bringing to many of their products. Moreover, Ted explains that their initiatives are also driving company culture forward through direct action with the success of the Accessibility Champions program. Listen in to hear Ted speak about how these changes have come about and what it means for the future of accessing your business. And to learn more about the products mentioned, such as Mint and Quick Books Online, visit the official Intuit website

Tip: Sound Settings in Windows 10

Joe noted that Windows 10 can sometimes change the sound profile for the sound source being used, like when you plug in a set of headphones, in ways you may not expect. To see if Windows has turned on "Windows Sonic for Headphones", place your focus on the system Tray and then move over to the Speakers Icon. Application key, or right click, on that icon to find the menu that contains the status of any additional sound enhancements being used with your sound source. The submenu has an option for "off" if you don't want Windows to add any sound schemes to the audio experience. Choosing that option may reduce any odd clipping you might be hearing in your headset, and it is a great first step to consider when troubleshooting oddities with the quality of the computer's sound output.

Sound Off:

Jenine Stanley did indeed have some thoughts about BBQ 185's survey of the week regarding Service Animals at airports...

Hey Guys,

Yes, ya should have asked me about that survey. Here s the scoop. See what I did there?

USAUSA is United Service Animal Users Supporters and Advocates. This is a loosely formed coalition of consumers and organizations in the service animal space. The primary folks involved are myself and Brad and Veronica Morris of Psychiatric Service Dog Partners. We have been asked by several federal agencies over the past few years to gather survey information. This is just another survey in that group, asking for people s thoughts on airport experiences and amenities. We have an opportunity to speak to the FAA about these issues, along with speaking to a national conference for airport civil rights officials.

So yes, please do fill out the survey. You ll have until July 9.

Jenine, who is everywhere these days! Muhahaha!

Harry Brown reminds us that there are alternatives out there for Microsoft Word in an email entitled "a free word processor that works as good as Microsoft word!"

Hi all,
Remember the other day when I sent the list an article called 10 Free
Word Processor Alternatives to MS Word?

I went back through it, and the 6th one is called Jarte!!
I remembered that in the past, I used Jarte, so, I clicked on it, and it
took me to the download page!
This is the download page for Jarte!
I'll have more to say after I give the link, because this is how to do it.
the link is
http://www.jarte.com/download.html
When you get on that page, do a find command, then type the words
Download Jarte 6.2 Installation File
or, just copy the above line of text and then paste it into the find
edit box, and press enter, and then you'll be on the link to download
Jarte!!!
1 problem with Jarte when I started it was, when you press the alt key,
it would not read the menus. It would just say, move, minimize, maximize,
close.
For the heck of it, went into Jarte and in the folder there is an about
file, and a welcome file.
In one of them, it mentioned something called screen reader mode.
So, I read it, and followed the instructions, because I hoped that if it
was in that mode, it would then read the menus when you press alt.
It did exactly that!
Here's the link to the page, about screen reader mode.
http://www.jarte.com/help_new/screen_reader_mode.html
Here's another great thing about Jarte, reading pages.
I just opened up a 56 page document, and, I was at the top of the
document. I wanted to go to a specific page, for example, page 56. So, I
pressed alt
to take me to the menus, then I right arrowed to edit, then, I up
arrowed to go to page, and pressed enter. Then I typed 56 in the text
box, and pressed
enter, and it not only took me to the top of page 56, but it read me the
first line on the top of page 56!
Carolina Road software really did a FANTASTIC job with Jarte!!!

Ron Kolesar also had a few comments about episode 185 when it came to Flight Simulators, Charter/Spectrum and television

Hi Joe.

  1. For any Spectrum clients that listen to your podcast.
    You have to take a look at the world box version 2 and I'll be a beta tester
    for version 3, that's due sometime later this year.
    Which we will have a voice input remote control via a push to talk or PTT
    button.
    It is for both the partially sighted and totally blind Spectrum customer and
    it has close captioning for the partial and totally deaf as well.
    There's still a few bugs on both the customer's and on Spectrum's end.
    But they're taking all recommendations and suggestions seriously,
    They're also taking all bugs that are being found seriously as well.
    So, I know it's like pulling teeth to get up to date and accurate info in
    the disability community.
    But there you have it.
  2. Microsoft dropped a huge bomb on we flight simmers.\
    I know you beta test for Microsoft on some of their products.
    So, would you know who I could get it touch with to be a beta tester for the
    up coming new version of Microsoft Flight simulator?
    As a gamer yourself, you too might want to investigate this as well.
    Just do a search for Microsoft Flight Simulator for 2020.
    Sit back and watch the hits come at you. SMILES.
    Also, X-Plane is not blind friendly.
    But they have the Private flight General Aircraft that we rich playboy BVI
    Pilots want for either the current or up coming FSX and or for those who's
    enjoying Prepar 3-d or P3d for short.
    We too would like access to the Dassault Falcon 8X or for short the DF8X
    which is the successor to the older DF7X as well.
    I grabbed my DF7X from fly away simulation's free down load library.
    But in the real world it is a four year waiting list for a DF8X.
    Why would a BVI Pilot Flight Simmer want to upgrade from the DF7X to the
    DF8X?
    That's a good valid question.
  3. The DF8X flies 500 miles further.
  4. the fuel is 35 % more efficient than on the DF7X.
    Just hoping that my Pittsburgh Steelers paint job will work for the DF8X,
    that if we can get a blind friendly version of the DF8X that was flight
    certified both by the US and Europe last summer.
    So, for you and JJ and for Chris, keep doing what you do.
    Love the podcast.
    Ron Ham radio Station KR3DOG-PA-WCECTM

Last Word:

We only have one link this week, however, it does fall within the typical sources of inspiration for this portion of the show quite nicely.
Somebody Once Told Me: An Oral History of Smash Mouth s All Star

Only two more shows before summer convention. Then we only have a few more episodes until we reach the 200th BBQ!

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