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Back in the fall I read about a new series on NBC that would feature a blind character. The show, which we now know is called Growing Up Fisher, is about a families transition through divorce. What makes this show different is that the dad is a blind lawyer. According to an article in Studio System news , the show is based on the childhood of the main writer DJ Nash. His goal was to write about what it was like to have a blind dad and experience his parents going through a divorce.

After waiting for months to find out when the show would be airing, it was recently announced that the show would premier after the closing ceremonies of the olympics which is this Sunday. To see the premier though, you'll have to stay up until 10:30. If you miss the premier, you can watch the show on Tuesdays at 9:30 on NBC. To get a feel for what the show is like, check out the videos on the Growing Up Fisher Youtube page.

There have been a number of shows that have featured blind characters. In all cases that I'm aware of, none of these characters have been played by blind actors. Growing Up Fisher is no different. This show also adds in the complexity that the character is a guide dog user. So now, the writers are left with the task of not only portraying the blind community accurately, but how to use a guide dog. It is my sincere hope that Mel Fisher will be a character that will be a positive contribution to our community and show viewers that people who are blind are capable of doing anything they choose.

A team in Houston has developed a new and innovative way to improve vision for people with diseases such as macular degeneration and RP. By using the Occulus Rift and their own software, the team is able to customize each device for the user. According to the company's website, this is how the device works. "The VUE takes stereo images captured by two cameras and using custom software from Reveal, manipulates the images to present them in the best way for the specific user. These manipulations are not only custom for the wearer, but also for each eye. The VUE then presents the images to the user through the Oculus Rift display with minimal latency." In field tests, they've found that users can improve their vision up to 3 to 5 lines on the eye chart.

In order to bring the device to market, they need to raise more funds. Visit their Indiegogo campaign page to learn more and contribute.

A new version of NVDA has just been released as a beta. Some of the new features in NVDA 2014.1 include: support for Powerpoint 2013, support for braille displays that are connected using the Widcomm Bluetooth software, and readable labels for attachments or flagged emails in outlook or windows live mail.

A new study just published in the journal Experimental Eye Research showed that the active chemicals in marijuana can slow down the progression of Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). For the study, researchers in Spain gave rats with the disease doses of synthetic THC and found that after 90 days, rats who had received the treatment had 40% more photo receptors and performed better on eye exams. This finding points to another way that marijuana can help treat progressive diseases. It will be interesting to see how eye doctors respond to the findings and if they start recommending medical marijuana for their RP patients.

From now until February 17, HIMS is offering discounts on some of their products. You can get $100 off the BookSense XT, now $449, $50 off the BookSense, no $299, and $100 off the Candy Grip Handheld Magnifier .

Today President Obama made an executive order raising the Federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour. This change will impact hundreds of thousands of people who either work for or are contracted by the federal government. Under that executive order, the president is including all federally contracted workers including those who work for sheltered workshops. this is the first step in the battle to change the law that allows people with disabilities who work in sheltered workshops to be paid less than the minimum wage. Hopefully, this executive order will be a wake up call to congress to finally change this law.

Technology in our classrooms is becoming more prevalent each year. Although technology can be a great asset for students with disabilities, it can also be a barrier if the technology is not accessible. There are already a number of laws that help protect student's rights to have access to accessible materials, but the current laws aren't always strong enough. A new bill in congress called the Technology, Equality, and Accessibility in College and Higher Education Act, or the TEACh act, would require that technology used by colleges and universities either be accessible or that accommodations would be put in place to give students as much access as possible. This <a href="http://petri.house.gov/press-release/petri-introduces-teach-act-ensure-equal-access-educational-materials-students" article provides more details about the act and what it would do.

A petition on Change.Org has been set up for supporters of the bill. The petition already has over 120 thousand signatures, but the more signatures the better. If you believe this is a bill that will help students with disabilities, consider adding your name by following the link in the headline. Both of the major U.S. consumer organizations have expressed support for the bill.

If you live in Sydney and are blind, you are eligible to help Google research how the blind use mobile applications made by Google. The interviews will last for about 2 hours, and questions will cover how the blind use mobile devices such as phones and tablets, and the accessibility of Google apps like Drive and Gmail. Participants will earn $200 for their time. Call Murray Gale at 02 9371 0855 or send an email to office@qra.net.au for more information.

One of the greatest challenges for lowering the cost of printed braille is making braille printers affordable to everyone. This challenge may just have been tackled by a 7th grader in California. Using Lego's Mindstorms EV3 kit and some parts from a hardware store, Shubham Banerjee came up with a way to make a braille printer that costs less than $500. His invention, called BRAIGO is named for the combination of braille and Lego. Shubham has decided to make his project open source so that families around the world and organizations that serve the blind will have easy access to the software that runs the printer.

In this youtube video, Shubham demonstrates how the printer actually works. At this point, the printing speed may be too slow for many applications, but the cost will hopefully open the doors to more of the blind having access to braille around the world. It will be fascinating to see how this project progresses.

The writer Rosemary Mahoney has just released a new book called "For the Benefit of Those Who See". It describes her time spent at the Tibetan school for the blind known as Braille Without Borders. To celebrate the book and braille, the National Braille Press is giving the book away for free for those who sign up for their monthly eNews. The free copy is an eBraille file. If you're interested, follow the link in the headline.

It's not often that as a future reader of a magazine that you get to help shape the content. If you are interested in a new lifestyle magazine for the blind, fill out this survey. The questions ask you to think about things you enjoy doing, activities that you find challenging, and even what you have always wished you could do. All participants will be entered to win a $25 gift certificate for Amazon. If you feel uncomfortable answering the survey questions on the website, send an email to polina.steier@gmail.com and they'll happily do the survey with you over the phone. While the survey lists a February 5 deadline, we checked with the creators and they are still looking for responses, so have at it.

Humanware is continuing to expand the number of services that Victor Reader Stream users can access wirelessly. With version 4.3, users can now access Wikipedia and Wiktionary as well as thousands of internet radio stations. According to the press release, Humanware is planning to expand wireless options in the months to come. Their hope is to make the Victor Reader Stream as powerful a tool as they can.

Researchers at Microsoft are trying to understand the intersection of crowd sourcing with people who self identify as disabled. They estimate that the survey should take no more than 20 minutes, and participants have until February 10 to fill out the survey. All of those who finish the survey will be entered to win a $50 gift card to Amazon.

Back in August, we told you about the Coalition of E-book Reader manufacturers asking the FCC to waive the requirements to make their basic e-book readers accessible. Then in October, we let you know that a temporary waiver had been granted to the Coalition while the FCC reviewed the case. Today, we're sad to announce that the FCC has decided to grant the waiver, granting these companies the right to not have to make their basic e-book readers accessible to people with disabilities. According to the Digital Journal, here are some of the requirements that the FCC laid out for which devices would qualify for the waiver: the device must not have an LCD screen, the device must not have a camera, and the device must be marketed as a reading device. The waiver that was granted will last for one year.

At this year's ATIA conference in Orlando, Optilec announced the release of their new portable video magnifier called the Compact Touch HD. The touch screen display allows users to change magnification level, contrast color, and pan through snapshots by using simple gestures on the screen. The Compact Touch HD can also be connected to a larger display to make reading easier. This new magnifier can be ordered today for $995.

At this year's ATIA conference in Orlando, HIMS Inc. announced the upcoming release of their new E-Bot portable video magnifiers. The E-bot can be used to read things up close or at a distance. It also can be used with both Apple tablets, Android tablets, Windows PC's, and Mac PC's. The E-bot can be connected either wirelessly or by USB 3.0, displaying the image from the magnifier on the larger screen. Some of the other notable features include: OCR with built-in TTS for reading documents, a rechargeable battery that can last up to 4 hours, and auto brightness that adjusts to the lighting in your surroundings. Two models will be available, with the OCR features and a remote control included in the ADV model. HIMS will start shipping the magnifiers in March. No pricing was available.

Now that GW Micro has partnered with Microsoft to offer anyone who has Office 2010 or later a free copy of Window-Eyes, they're offering people the ability to become Window-Eyes certified. This certification does not certify you as a Window-Eyes trainer, but it demonstrates to either people you're teaching or an employer that you're really knowledgeable about the software, it's features, and how to use it.

The certification exam consists of 100 multiple choice questions. It costs $99, and you need to get 80% of the test right to pass. If you don't pass, you can choose to take it again, but it will cost another $99. The test is also only currently offered in the U.S., but it's possible that they'll offer it in other countries in the future.

One of the biggest challenges of using a touch screen device when you're blind is typing on the on screen keyboard. Solutions like Fleksy and MBraille have addressed many of these issues, but they don't work for everyone. A team in Israel is working on a whole new way of typing. Their app known as the UpSense Super keyboard relies on gestures rather than a standard QWERTY keyboard design. Think of it as being similar to the handwriting feature in iOS 7.

Along with creating a gesture based typing app, the UpSense Super Keyboard will also allow you to type in braille. At this point, the hope is to release the app for Android and iOS this year, but the team needs more funding in order to bring the app to market. If you want to support their efforts, consider contributing to their Indiegogo campaign by following the link in the headline.

Since I wasn't clear on how the UpSense keyboard differed from solutions that already exist, I contacted the developer Nissan Yaron.

Q: How is the UpSense keyboard different from solutions like Fleksy?
A: Our keyboard works entirely different, it's based on making gestures with the fingers rather than pressing on specific keys.
After calibration, hot zones come under your fingers and make it possible to define between your fingers in a way that doing the same gesture with a different finger will create a different character.
The characters are made in intuitive way so it's easy to remember them and you can also customize them according to your comfort.
For example, typing 'V' is made with the Index and Middle fingers together in an upward movement.
If you want, you can switch it for downward movement or to something entirely different.

In preparation for the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) Orlando, Freedom Scientific has just announced a new addition to their Ruby line of handheld magnifiers. The Ruby HD uses LED technology to provide crisp images that can be magnified from 2X to 13X. Users can also choose from 20 different high contrast colors. Finally, users can store up to 80 images and transfer them to their computer, making the Ruby a digital camera as well. This version of the Ruby sells for $645.

Today I came across an app that makes me very excited as a future teacher of the visually impaired. Everyware Technologies, makers of iMove and other apps has just released a new app for the iPad called Math Melodies. It teaches math concepts using stories and music. The app is compatible with both Zoom and VoiceOver so it's a great option for both blind and low vision students. It also works with a braille display for kids that want to practice their braille while they play.

Math Melodies teaches math concepts that range from first to third grade. Users will practice counting, adding, subtracting, and patterns. They will also learn how to explore a table, a concept that is an important skill that can be quite challenging for blind children. The music and sounds are fun and engaging.

The developers are always appreciative of feedback. If you have any suggestions for how to make the app better, or you just want to thank them for the app, send and email to: accessibility@ew-tech.it!