#assistive-technology — Public Fediverse posts

The IF function in Excel takes in a logical expression, checks whether the expression is true, then returns custom outputs for the two outcomes.
=IF(logical_expression, output_if_true, output_if_false)

The logical expression can be a simple statement such as 1>2 or a condition such as B2=1. If the expression is true, IF will return output_if_true. Otherwise, it will return output_if_false. IF is a key function in creating sophisticated formulas. For instance, you can nest multiple IF functions inside each other to create multiple conditions.
Example: The formula below calls IF to check whether the sum of B2 to B11 is greater than 40,000. If the condition is met, IF returns Yes. Otherwise, it returns No.
=IF(SUM(B2:B11)>40000, "Yes", "No")

That's your BITS tech tip for today. If this helped you out, share it with someone who could use it. And if you're not already a member, head over to joinbits.org to join Blind Information Technology Solutions — we'd love to have you.
Here you go:

The IF function in Excel checks whether a condition is true and returns different results based on the answer. The syntax is:
=IF(logical_expression, output_if_true, output_if_false)
For example, this formula checks whether the sum of B2 through B11 is greater than 40,000. If it is, it returns Yes. If not, it returns No:
=IF(SUM(B2:B11)>40000, "Yes", "No")
You can also nest multiple IF functions inside each other to handle more complex conditions. It is one of the building blocks of more advanced Excel formulas.
Not a BITS member yet? Join us at joinbits.org.
#BitsTips #Excel #Accessibility #AssistiveTechnology #BlindTech

We’ve welcomed quite a few new followers recently, so this seemed like a great time to say thank you!
We appreciate everyone who has supported BITS through follows, mentions, boosts, and likes. Your engagement allows us to reach more people and continue sharing information about accessibility, assistive technology, and the blind and low vision community. Your boosts and likes also give us a better sense of the content that resonates most with our community.

Learn more about BITS here:
[joinbits.org](http://joinbits.org?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

#BITS #Accessibility #BlindTech #AssistiveTechnology

Today we at BITS celebrate the birthday of the legendary Stevie Wonder, whose music has inspired generations of people throughout the world.

As a #Blind artist, Stevie Wonder has long demonstrated how technology can empower creativity, independence, and connection. Through accessible instruments, recording technology, adaptive tools, and innovation, he has continued sharing his artistry with us all while helping to reshape perceptions of blindness and possibility.

At BITS, we recognize and celebrate the important role technology plays in expanding opportunities for blind and low vision people in every field, including music and the arts.

Happy Birthday, Stevie Wonder, and thank you for the inspiration you continue to bring to so many.
#StevieWonder #Accessibility #BlindTech #AssistiveTechnology #Music #BITS

If your Alt+Tab list is getting out of control, virtual desktops on Windows can help. Spread your work across multiple desktops -- one for email, one for research, one for whatever else you have going -- and each desktop keeps its own set of open windows. Less clutter, easier navigation.

Here are the shortcuts to get started:

Windows key + Ctrl + D: Create a new virtual desktop. Windows key + Ctrl + Right arrow: Move to the next desktop. Windows key + Ctrl + Left arrow: Move to the previous desktop. Windows key + Ctrl + F4: Close the current desktop.

Press Windows key + Tab to open Task View, where you can see all your desktops and running apps at once. From there, press Shift + F10 on any running app to get the option to move it to a different desktop.

Not a BITS member yet? Join us at joinbits.org.

#BitsTips #Windows #Accessibility #AssistiveTechnology #BlindTech

Did you know you can install Android apps from your computer? Head to play.google.com, search for the app you want, and hit the install button. As long as you're signed into your Google account, the app will install straight to your Android device — no phone needed.
Not a BITS member yet? Join us at joinbits.org.
#BitsTips #Android #Accessibility #AssistiveTechnology #BlindTech

Hey guys. Curious what methods on Windows y’all are using for this. Let’s say I have a huge library of sound effects on a drive… what are y’all using to sort through everything easily, search by keywords, preview sounds quickly, and still do all the normal copy/paste and file management stuff?

I know about REAPER’s Media Explorer, but I honestly haven’t used it in a long time. Just wondering what else is out there these days, especially anything accessible and fast to navigate.

#Windows #Accessibility #Blind #MusicProduction #SoundDesign #AudioProduction #ScreenReader #NVDA #VoiceOver #Reaper #SoundEffects #AudioEngineering #AssistiveTechnology

Need a quick way to toggle TalkBack on or off? Just hold the volume up and volume down buttons at the same time. You'll hear a sound and a message confirming TalkBack has turned off. Do the same to turn it back on.
Not a BITS member yet? Join us at https://joinbits.org
#BitsTips #TalkBack #Accessibility #AssistiveTechnology #Android

Today's tip comes from Mervin Keck in Hamburg, Pennsylvania.
Don't love the default Google TTS on Android? You have options right in the Play Store.
In the paid category, Eloquence and Vocalizer are both reasonably priced and worth a look. Just search their names in the Play Store to find them.
For a free option, try TG Speechbox. It isn't the most natural-sounding synth, but it is very responsive — more so than Google TTS.
Not a BITS member yet? Join us at joinbits.org.
#BitsTips #BITS #BlindTech #Accessibility #A11y #ScreenReader #AssistiveTechnology

Live in 20 minutes! Turn on notifications if you want to come by. Bring some coffee or tea, and we'll share our enthusiasm for today's newest tech products available. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N05uoMbsUpk #AssistiveTechnology #AI #NVDACoach #BVI #Education

You can restart your iPhone without touching a single button. Just say "Hey Siri, restart my iPhone." Siri will ask you to confirm, then say "Yes" and
your phone will reboot. Works on iOS 16 and later.
Handy when your screen isn't responding or your hands are full.
#BitsTips #VoiceOver #Accessibility #AssistiveTechnology #iOS

Need to quickly pause or resume media on your phone? Both iOS and Android have you covered with a simple two-finger double tap. On iOS with VoiceOver,
this is called the magic tap and works globally no matter what app you're in. On Android with newer versions of TalkBack, the same gesture does the job for media playback.
One gesture, two platforms.
#BitsTips #VoiceOver #TalkBack #Accessibility #AssistiveTechnology

My new app, DescribeE, is released on my website! Open testing has begun! Describee is a free Mac app that gives blind and low-vision users
AI-powered descriptions of images, screenshots, and on-screen content —
spoken through VoiceOver, anywhere on macOS. Try it out and let me know what you think! Download and read more here, https://tonygebhard.me/describee/
#Apple #Accessibility #AssistiveTechnology #AI #Gemini #ChatGPT #Claude #Vision

Warms my soul to see NVDA Coach gain some traction in India. This beautiful country is home to the largest population of blind and visually impaired people by nation population, and having a free resource to help push people towards their employment goals is a win-win! Check out this fun YouTube short recorded by a community member walking through the basics. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0KtsuOs2Lqg #Accessibility #NVDACoach #AssistiveTechnology #ScreenReaders #Windows #Tech #Education #Training

The Innovative Impact Newsletter By Dr. Kirk Adams for Monday, May 4, 2026 - Issue 114
By Dr. Kirk Adams, Publisher | Courtesy of the PWD Media Co-Op
https://drkirkadams.com/newsletter-05-04-2026/

💡 Practical Strategies for Workplace Inclusion and Leadership
#InclusiveLeadership #WorkplaceInclusion #DisabilityEmployment #DiversityEquityInclusion #AccessibilityMatters #AssistiveTechnology #HRBestPractices #InclusiveWorkforce #LeadershipDevelopment #FutureOfWork

Subscribers: 5,970 🔢️

Social Media: 184,511 🔢️

The Innovative Impact Newsletter By Dr. Kirk Adams for Monday, May 4, 2026 - Issue 114
By Dr. Kirk Adams, Publisher | Courtesy of the PWD Media Co-Op
https://drkirkadams.com/newsletter-05-04-2026/

💡 Practical Strategies for Workplace Inclusion and Leadership
#InclusiveLeadership #WorkplaceInclusion #DisabilityEmployment #DiversityEquityInclusion #AccessibilityMatters #AssistiveTechnology #HRBestPractices #InclusiveWorkforce #LeadershipDevelopment #FutureOfWork

Subscribers: 5,970 🔢️

Social Media: 184,511 🔢️

The Innovative Impact Newsletter By Dr. Kirk Adams for Monday, May 4, 2026 - Issue 114
By Dr. Kirk Adams, Publisher | Courtesy of the PWD Media Co-Op
https://drkirkadams.com/newsletter-05-04-2026/

💡 Practical Strategies for Workplace Inclusion and Leadership
#InclusiveLeadership #WorkplaceInclusion #DisabilityEmployment #DiversityEquityInclusion #AccessibilityMatters #AssistiveTechnology #HRBestPractices #InclusiveWorkforce #LeadershipDevelopment #FutureOfWork

Subscribers: 5,970 🔢️

Social Media: 184,511 🔢️

“Did you know you can customize VoiceOver gestures on your iPhone to work the way you do? Head to Settings, then Accessibility, then VoiceOver, then Commands. From there you can reassign any gesture to a command that feels more natural for you. Give it a try and make VoiceOver work for you! #BITSTips #VoiceOver #iOS #BlindTech #AssistiveTechnology”

As I don't have a pinned #introduction I thought I'd post one, particularly for new followers, although my profile is fairly descriptive.

I'm visually impaired due to LCA. I'm a practicing Catholic. I was born Jewish and became a nondenominational Protestant for a while before becoming Catholic in 2007.
I've been working in the blindness assistive technology space for 35 years, doing tech support and then providing technology training for both children and adults. After that, I was a product manager with Comcast's accessibility team. I'm currently the marketing director for Blazie Technologies, which develops Braille oriented computers for blind consumers, powered by Raspberry Pi.
love science fiction, with #DoctorWho and #Babylon5 being my two favorite series. I've been a Doctor Who fan for 41 years and enjoy the TV series, books as well as professional and fan-produced DW dramas. I love audio theater, both old time radio as well as modern audio drama. I primarily enjoy science fiction drama but I also have a special place in my heart for Gunsmoke, which I feel was one of the best OTR shows of its time, as far as its writing and audio production.
I also enjoy watching videos and reading books on apologetics as well as about religious cults; their beliefs and how we as Christians should respond to their claims. I love clean, wholesome puns and I often am unable to resist responding with them.
I love cats. I probably wouldn't be allowed on Mastodon if I didn't.
I use both #JAWS and #NVDA for screen reading.
In the tech world, product support is always my first love.
I own and moderate the Tech-VI mailing list. It's an announce-only list where I distribute announcements in the blindness technology space; winner of the 2022 James R. Olsen Distinguished Service award from the American Council of the Blind. To subscribe, send email to
[email protected]

Favorite OTR show: the Shadow
Favorite foods: any type of pasta, love spaghetti and meatballs. Also sushi.
#AssistiveTechnology

Great podcast by friends across the pond, @rnib with their show Tech Talk, coverage of NVDA Coach and other incredible developments in assistive technology.
https://podcasts.apple.com/ke/podcast/tech-talk-614-activision-nvda-coach-rnib-shop/id1151878596?i=1000764115174
#podcast #RNIB #Blind #AssistiveTechnology

“Use two fingers to double tap and hold on an unlabeled element in iOS while using VoiceOver. This lets you add a custom label to that element for future reference. #BITSTips #VoiceOver #iOS #BlindTech #AssistiveTechnology”

So excited to travel to South America this summer to tour around Peru, Bolivia, and Argintina to talk with blind and visually impaired professionals to help bring more qualitative training for their communities. NVDA Coach has sparked a significant interest for underserved and rural areas, and the icing on the cake, is, networking and meeting with these amazing folks in their towns. #AssistiveTechnology #SpanishCulture #ScreenReaders #Love #Travel

NVDA is the most used screen reader around the world right now, and training for students is just not as popular as it should be. NVDA Coach was designed from the ground up to fill that gap for newly blind adults and kids around the globe to have free resources at their finger tips. More time learning and preparing for their future, and less time spent on the frustrations of affording tools.... www.tonygebhard.me/nvdacoach
#Training #Technology #AssistiveTechnology #ScreenReaders #GlobalAccess #Education #Blindness

Hello everyone—how’s it going?

Quick question for my Windows crew, especially folks using NVDA: what email client are you using these days? I’m looking for something that plays nicely with Microsoft Teams and Zoom.

Also curious… how’s the new Outlook holding up in 2026? Has accessibility improved, or is it still hit or miss?

Would love to hear what’s working well for you.

#Windows #NVDA #ScreenReader #Accessibility #BlindTech #AssistiveTechnology #Outlook #EmailClients #MicrosoftTeams #Zoom

I am so late to the party, but, Studio Recorder by #APH is just so incredible. Love the simplified workflow for doing voiceover work. Buying a license in May. #AssistiveTechnology #Voiceover #Naration

The British brains are at it again. Turning ideas into assistive tools using Vibe Coding. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5chPMPnggAk @doubletap #AI #Claude #Anthropic #VibeCoding #AssistiveTechnology #Accessibility

NVDA Coach v1.5.2 is almost here.
What's coming:
• Bug fix: startup no longer announces course completion every time NVDA restarts
• Profile button now visible in the lesson picker — no need to remember F7
• Full F1–F7 key reference on the intro screen
• "Welcome back" screen for returning graduates
• Now available in English, Russian, and Turkish — Brazilian Portuguese in progress
Free. No account. Press NVDA+Shift+C to start.
tonygebhard.me/NVDACoach
Big thanks to Mateo, Edson, and others who've taken valueable time to contribute their linguistic skills to the project!
#NVDA #ScreenReader #AssistiveTechnology #Accessibility #BlindTech