​​Technology User Group: 2020

The Technology User Group is a gathering of like-minded individuals with varying degrees of technological skill meeting together to explore and discuss new technologies and services. Such technologies may include emerging advancements in blindness-related apps, but they also include older applications whose functions have been altered so that they now have properties to assist in the nonvisual arena. We are especially interested in technologies that aid in education, employment, and continued access to information. Meetings are held monthly, typically on the second Saturday of the month, and are held both at LBPH and third-party locations and via teleconference. Past recordings are available in the audio archive below. 

Saturday, April 11

A look at text scanning apps like Seeing AI, Voice Dream Scanner, and KNFB Reader. Learn about how you can use them in your daily life. 

• ​​​​Seeing AI​:  Seeing AI is an artificial intelligence application developed by Microsoft for iOS. Seeing AI uses the device camera to identify people and objects, and then the app audibly describes those objects for people with visual impairment.
  
• Voice Dream​:​  After the initial release in February 2012, customer emails started coming in. They said that Voice Dream Reader made a difference in their lives, requested new features that would make it even better. What started as a hobby turned into a full-blown obsession. Spring and summer came, days got longer, and he continued working on it. By the fall of 2012, Voice Dream Reader became widely regarded as the best product in its category.​
• KNFB Reader: ​ The K-NFB Reader is a handheld electronic reading device for the blind. It was developed in a partnership between Ray Kurzweil and National Federation of the Blind. 

Saturday, May 9

Food Delivery Apps.  Take a look at having food delivered to

your door with apps such as GrubHub, Uber Eats, Doordash, and

Postmates.  Are they easy to use? Which one provides the best customer

service when things go wrong? Which works best in the area where I

live?

Saturday, June 13

Google Docs.  Many employers require that you be familiar

with this robust document software.  How well does it work with a

screen reader?  What are the pros and cons of using this type of

application?

Saturday, July 11

The Orbit Reader.  An affordable way to read braille.  A

fantastic device for people of the go.  Learn how to read, write and

obtain material using this sleek braille display.​

Saturday, August 8

TBA​

Saturday, September 12

TBA​​

Saturday, October 10

TBA​​

Saturday, November 14

TBA​​​

Saturday, December 12

TBA​​​​