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The sun was warm and bright that Friday morning in Southern California. From our fourth grade classroom, my friends and I were already anticipating lunch and recess. An adult walked in, whispered to our teacher, and we immediately lined up and were on our way out the door. As we walked, we saw children pouring out of every classroom, all heading in the same direction. Something was odd. Everyone squeezed into the school auditorium and quickly found seats. I took my place on the right side,…

A Screen Reader, what's that?

The room around me is dim and stifling as I set the large rectangular object gently on the wobbly table. The thick, musky scent of incense assaults my nostrils almost making me sneeze, but then I don't. An ancient, heavy-set woman leans forward over the table, gazing intently at the window screen. Her bushy eyebrows flex as she states, "I see many things in your future."

Errrrt! (sounds of brakes slamming.) Wait a minute, thats definitely not it…

Welcome to the October 2016 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, our monthly series which aims to highlight what's new and noteworthy on the AppleVis website. Below, you'll find a selection of the best content posted to AppleVis - from new app entries, to app updates, to podcasts and blogs. For easier navigation, the major sections of this post are at heading level 3, and each individual item is at heading level 4.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

New Games from Kid Friendly…

Apple has today released iOS 10,1,1, a minor update that fixes a problem that could prevent some users from viewing data in the native Health app.

According to 9to5Mac, this was an isolated problem that did not effect all users.

As this appears to be a release to fix a specific problem, we do not expect it to include any major new features, changes or…

Apple has today confirmed to us that the Touch Bar on the new MacBook Pro models is accessible to users of VoiceOver, Zoom, and Switch Control.

This should come as no surprise when you consider Apple’s track record and the fact that the launch of the new MacBooks began with a video showcasing Apple’s commitment to accessibility…

Hello Again

Today, Apple held a press event it called "Hello Again". The company announced a new accessibility website, a new Apple TV feature, and a long-awaited update to its MacBook computers. It may have missed the back-to-school shoppers, but today's announcements arrive just in time for the holiday shopping frenzy. There are some major changes to the MacBook line-up on the way, and while much of what you're about to read is awesome, you may not like all of it. But there's a…

Apple has today released software updates for the Apple Watch and fourth-generation Apple TV.

According to Apple’s release notes for watchOS 3.1 via 9to5Mac, this update includes the following:

• New option to replay bubble and full screen effects in Messages.
• Messages effect can play with Reduce Motion enabled…

Apple has today released macOS Sierra 10.12.1 to the public, bringing with it a range of bug fixes, changes and improvements.

According to Apple's release notes via MacRumors, macOS Sierra 10.12.1 includes the following changes:

This update:

• Adds an automatic smart album in Photos for Depth Effect images taken on iPhone 7 Plus
• Improves the…

Apple has today released iOS 10.1 to the public, bringing with it a range of bug fixes, changes and improvements.

For blind and low vision users, our initial testing suggests that Apple has made limited progress towards addressing the accessibility bugs present in iOS 10. Specifically, we believe the following bugs have been resolved in this release:

• Users of Braille displays should no longer receive extraneous…

While most of us have no doubt updated our iOS devices and Macs, there are no doubt users who prefer not to update for many reasons. While updating is an individual decision, I wanted to focus on what may happen if a person doesn’t update.

Like every other person who owns a computer or internet-ready mobile phone, I use the net frequently and prefer not to count how many hours I spend online a week. One thing I have noticed throughout my regular browsing is the slight shift in…

Apple has today released iOS 10.0.3 for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus users.

The release notes via 9to5Mac for iOS 10.0.3 are:

• Fixes bugs including an issue where some users could temporarily lose cellular connectivity.

According to 9to5Mac the specifics of this problem are:

Today’s update should resolve some…

The first contractions started around 2am, early that morning in late January. My wife gently nudged me into a semi-conscious state to share the news that our first child was actively on the way. In my stupor, I thoughtfully suggested that since the contractions would likely take a few hours to pick up steam, we could go back to sleep. I did just that. She did not.

A restful night is difficult when your better half keeps reminding you that she is about to give birth. I finally got up…

Voice in the Machine: A dialogue with my Mac, based on actual events from 2012-2013, circa Mavericks.

The blobby, glowing, white-on-black magnified letters are smudging together again. I blink several times, only now realizing I am squinting. I lean back from my MacBook Pro, a dull thudding beginning behind my eyes. It seems like it's getting to that point, my ability to read and write is rapidly disappearing. Gently rubbing my eyes, I decide to take a break.

Almost…

In this post I would like to open-up the discussion on conducting research, VoiceOver and general accessibility of researching platforms. I will focus on SurveyMonkey as the research platform in this post, but that is only because it is the platform which I have the most experience of using.

I would like to point out at this point, this post is not going to be a tutorial or written demonstration of SurveyMonkey, and the post is written assuming that you have an interest and…

Welcome to the September 2016 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, our monthly series which aims to highlight what's new and noteworthy in the accessible app landscape. Below, you'll find a recap of the best content posted to AppleVis - from new app entries, to app updates, to podcasts and blogs. For easier navigation, the major sections of this post are at heading level 3, and each individual item is at heading level 4.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

Amedia NaviRec (iOS, Free…

Remember my blog posts about the issues surrounding the accessibility of American Heritage English Dictionary? It all started almost four years ago when exciting efforts to make it accessible commenced. Then the efforts came to fruition and this worthwhile application…

I considered skipping this iPhone due to the disappearance of the headphone jack, for about one second, then I moved back into reality and took the plunge. Why?

The iPhone 7 is much more than just a missing headphone jack, even for those of us in the connected, online blind community.

Image stabilization on the camera, now in both iPhone models, means it should be easier to receive remote sighted assistance through apps like BeSpecular…

Apple has today released iOS 10.0.2 to address some bugs introduced in last weeks public launch of iOS 10.

According to the release notes via AppleInsider, the full list of changes spotlighted by Apple are:

• Addresses an issue that could prevent headphone audio controls from temporarily not working…

Welcome to Sierra

Today, Apple released a free update to its Mac computers: macOS Sierra. Apart from the new name for this version (Sierra), you'll notice that Apple has re-branded the entire line of the Mac's operating system. No longer is it OS X; it's macOS, to line up with tvOS, watchOS, and iOS. As always, this is a free upgrade, available to anyone with a supported Mac. And, again as always, we urge you to back up important files before upgrading, just in case.

A few…

In October of 1999, during a business trip to California, I had the opportunity to attend an exclusive private party on the retired luxury liner, the RMS Queen Mary. The former flagship of the White Star Line was reserved for this one very raucous bash. For me, parties usually involved two or three old friends and a single bottle of good wine. However, this was a fancy-pants event and because I am a plain old vanilla guy, I was now in way over my head.

My guide dog and I boarded the…