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#assistivetech

1 post1 participant0 posts today

Hoping those familiar with #LaTeX can give me some advice here. I've started using it to create my assignments for school. I'm not writing technical papers yet, but I find using LaTeX with #Zotero in #VSCode more #accessible with a #ScreenReader than most other setups I've tried.
Since my discussion posts have to follow #APA style, I’m using LaTeX for those as well as full papers. That part is going well—but I’m running into trouble when I need to actually post what I’ve written.
My school uses Brightspace, which allows discussion posts in either rich text or #HTML. I have #Pandoc installed, so I tried converting my LaTeX source to HTML and pasting the code. But Pandoc didn’t include my references section in the output.
I also tried copying from the PDF, but that stripped all formatting.
Does anyone know how I can get a clean HTML version of my work—with references included—that I can paste into Brightspace?
Here’s the command I’ve been using:
pandoc main.tex \
--bibliography=references. Bib \
--csl=apa.csl \
--standalone \
-o main.html
It creates the HTML file, but the references section is missing.
Any tips?
#Accessibility #AssistiveTech #Pandoc #APAstyle #Brightspace #EdTech #AcademicWriting #InclusiveTech #BlindTech #HigherEd #CitationTools #OpenSource #WritingWorkflow

Also totally forgot to talk about this yesterday.
As a part of global accessibility awareness day, we put out a new update for the Be My Eyes app for Windows that is completely rebuild from the ground up. Along with giving us a better base to build amazing new features for desktop in the near future, this new app also fixes a lot of the accessibility issues that people have reported over the last 1.5 or so years.
In addition Chat History is now also available on Desktop, so you can start a conversation from mobile and continue it on desktop (and vice versa).

#a11y #bemyeyes #gaad #globalaccessibilityawarenessday
#blind #bme #tech
#disability #assistivetech

🦮 What if your guide dog could tell you why it stopped?

AI vision systems are helping guide dogs provide real-time context to blind users—like a voice saying: “Obstacle ahead: trash bin.”

It’s the future of assistive tech—and it’s happening now.

Would you trust a dog + AI system to guide you safely?

🧠 Read more: blueheadline.com/tech-breakthr

Blue Headline · How AI Vision Is Supercharging Guide Dogs For The BlindAI is transforming how guide dogs assist the blind. Discover how animal-human-machine teams are supercharging mobility, trust, and autonomy.
Replied in thread

@iFixit

I was in primary school for the first #EarthDay. It was in our Weekly Reader.

In the IDEA #ProblemSolving method, celebrating Earth Day is the bridge between the Assessing and Identifying steps.

The four steps are:

1) Identify the problem

2) Develop a plan to address/solve the problem

3) Execute the plan

4) Assess the effectiveness/efficacy of the plan

Earth Day is our annual reminder to look at how we're doing on maintaining our planetary home. And to do better.

Especially, lets solve actual problems.

I was touring a local makerspace-based education facility, and the director talked about how pointless the one-day, solve-a-problem sessions are. Because the problems generally chosen, and the solutions to those problems are not anchored to reality.

The example he gave was turning water bottles into school desks. They didn't know how that process would actually work, they assumed this could be done, and wrote specifications for all the other parts of the project: acquiring the bottles, marketing the desks, etc.

I had not thought about things in that context before. I mean, I am keenly aware of #assistiveTech designed and built without any input from actual #disabled people. I didn't realize this was a general trend.

Is Guided Access on iPadOS stable? I know someone who wants to restrict an iPad for an autistic child to only run a single assistive tutorial app focused on speech learning.

Guided Access is designed for things like this. But is it stable or another example of a feature that gets added by Apple and then ignored as it bitrots?

support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/

Apple SupportLock iPad to one app with Guided AccessWith Guided Access, you can temporarily restrict iPad to one app when you let a child use your device or when you want to stay focused on a task.

📚 Are you always on the lookout for new text-to-speech software? Jarod's Journey has you covered with "My Top 5 Open Source TTS off in 2024"! This video is packed with great options that enhance #a11y. Plus, having a synthesized version of your voice can be a lifesaver if you ever lose your voice! Don’t miss it: youtu.be/lPitjhhodaw or Invidious: invidious.reallyaweso.me/watch #TextToSpeech #OpenSource #Accessibility #AssistiveTech #TTS #OpenSourceSoftware

In this episode of Double Tap, Mike Shebanek tells his story of the creation of VoiceOver and how it led to today when all major consumer operating systems have built-in screen readers.

Someone should make this into a movie.

doubletaponair.com/double-tap-

@doubletap #Accessibility #AssistiveTech

Double Tap - It's a tech show. Honest. · Double Tap Special: The Real Story Of Apple’s VoiceOver - Double TapToday on the show, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece meet Mike Shebanek, a pivotal figure in the development of Apple VoiceOver. They explore the history of accessibility at Apple, the myths surrounding the creation of VoiceOver, and the importance of community feedback in its development. Mike shares his journey from product management to leading accessibility initiatives, emphasizing the need for inclusive technology that benefits everyone. The discussion also touches on his transition to Meta and the challenges of ensuring accessibility across a vast user base. He also discusses his experiences at Meta, focusing on the challenges and innovations in making technology accessible for all. He highlights the importance of measuring accessibility accurately and the role of AI in enhancing user experiences. Transitioning to his current role at Be My Eyes, he emphasizes the development of hands-free wearable technology that aims to empower blind users. The discussion also touches on the future of AI and its potential to improve accessibility, as well as the significance of integrating assistive technology into mainstream products. Get in touch with Double Tap by emailing us feedback@doubletaponair.com or by call 1-877-803-4567 and leave us a voicemail. You can also now contact us via Whatsapp on 1-613-481-0144 or visit doubletaponair.com/whatsapp to connect. We are also across social media including X, Mastodon and Facebook. Double Tap is available daily on AMI-audio across Canada, on podcast worldwide and now on YouTube. Chapter Markers: 00:00 Intro 02:31 Mike Shebbeneck's Journey at Apple 05:52 The Origins of VoiceOver: Myths and Realities 10:21 The Vision Behind Accessibility at Apple 15:27 Community Engagement and Feedback in Development 20:09 The Evolution of VoiceOver and Its Features 25:51 Transitioning to Meta: Accessibility Challenges and Insights 28:42 Building Accessibility at Meta 33:23 Innovations in AI for Accessibility 37:05 Transition to Be My Eyes 39:30 Hands-Free Wearable Technology 45:11 The Future of AI and Accessibility Subscribe for more: https://youtube.com/@doubletapvideo?sub_confirmation=1 Follow on: X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/DoubleTapOnAir Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DoubleTapOnAir Email feedback@doubletaponair.com About Double Tap Hosted by the insightful duo, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece, Double Tap is a treasure trove of information for anyone who's blind or partially sighted and has a passion for tech. Steven and Shaun not only demystify tech, but they also regularly feature interviews and welcome guests from the community, fostering an interactive and engaging environment. Tune in every day of the week, and you'll discover how technology can seamlessly integrate into your life, enhancing daily tasks and experiences, even if your sight is limited. "Double Tap" is a registered trademark of Double Tap Productions Inc.

I'm looking to create an online group for people with multiple disabilities, their caregivers, and allies. Seeking recommendations for accessible, free, and user-friendly platforms!

Key needs:
• Accessible for various disabilities
• Easy to use (even for non-tech-savvy folks)
• Free to host
• Not Facebook

Any suggestions from the community? What platforms have worked well for you?

#Accessibility #DisabilityCommunity #OnlineGroups #AssistiveTech #InclusiveDesign #DisabilityRights #Disability
@disability @disabilityjustice @multipledisabilities

I frequently see people asking, even demanding, that AI-generated Alt Text stop. If those folks clearly have usable vision, I block them and move on – life’s too short for preachy whining from people who don’t rely on Alt Text.

But when it’s a blind person saying this, I’m surprised. As a blind person myself, I know that 99% of the images I encounter online lack any description. Now, with a suite of AI tools, I can finally generate accessible, usable image descriptions. Are they perfect? No. Computer vision isn’t sight, but it’s made staggering progress – beyond what I ever expected. And if I need more clarity, I can always consult a human through these same tools.

Blind people slamming AI-generated Alt Text isn’t helping. We need these systems to improve, not disappear. The reality is, expecting every image to have a human-created description is unrealistic. Let’s push for better technology, not bash what’s already making a difference.

#AI#AltText#Blind