#assistive-technology — Public Fediverse posts

@stekopf @prahou This is exactly the business model of assistive technology vendors. They raise prices because health insurers are willing to pay "medical device" prices, as are businesses because of disability accommodation law. For example, Matias was charging $600 for a keyboard whose layout could be flipped horizontally by holding the space bar, making it usable by people with one hand.

#AssistiveTechnology #fleecing #HalfKeyboard

I THINK WE JUST FOUND
THE STAR TREK COMPUTER 💎

Something happened yesterday that I initially thought was an accessibility story. I’m no longer sure that’s big enough. I’ve used accessibility software for decades. Dragon NaturallySpeaking was one of my early encounters with speech technology, so I’m under no illusion that AI suddenly invented voice control.

It didn’t.

But traditional speech software still required me to operate the computer. I dictated words, corrected errors and worked inside the software’s rules.

Yesterday felt different.

I was writing something, but I wasn’t really dictating it. I spoke about what I wanted to say. I changed my mind halfway through. I corrected myself, refined the thought, wandered off and came back. And the conversation stayed with me.

SPEECH RECOGNITION CONVERTS SPEECH INTO TEXT.
THIS WAS HELPING TURN THOUGHT INTO WRITING.

That is the shift.

I didn’t have to formulate the finished sentence first and then dictate it. I could think out loud and let the writing emerge from the conversation. That is why it can feel almost like an extension of my own thinking. The gap between having the thought and getting it onto the page is becoming much thinner. And THAT is what I mean by the Star Trek computer. #STC

It isn’t one miraculous new technology. It is what begins to emerge when voice, language understanding, memory, reasoning and writing are joined behind one continuous conversation.

THE BREAKTHROUGH IS THE INTEGRATION.

Perhaps people with disabilities notice it first because we’ve spent decades feeling every bit of friction between thought and expression. Yesterday I thought I had discovered an extraordinary accessibility feature. I think I was looking at something bigger.

I wasn’t dictating to a computer.

It was thinking with me.

@3goodthings
@DigitalCoup
@meditation
@economics_that_works
@disability
@pwd
@joinin

#Accessibility #AssistiveTechnology #AI #VoiceTechnology #PeopleWithDisabilities #InclusiveTech #HumanComputerInteraction #DigitalAccessibility #STC

HAVE I BROKEN YOU? 💎

Something happened this morning that completely blew me away.

I’m disabled; typing is difficult. For years, the keyboard has determined how quickly I can participate online. I generally avoided social media because typing was so laboriously slow. It was simply easier not to participate.

Then something changed.

ChatGPT suddenly appeared in a whole new arrangement. The blue orb was now bouncing just above the text input field at the bottom of the screen, and I could also see the actual typed words GPT and I were speaking as we spoke them.

At first, I didn’t know what was happening and, thinking out loud, I actually said, “Have I broken you?”

I hadn’t, apparently.

Then GPT calmly explained the new interface to me as though it were a perfectly ordinary change. But for me, it was anything but. I was talking by voice and reading the conversation as streaming text, without typing anything.

Then the penny dropped.

I WAS USING THE COMPUTER AT THE SPEED OF SPEECH,
NOT AT THE SPEED OF MY DISABILITY.

That is an accessibility story worth talking about. For decades, humans have had to adapt to computers: keyboards, mice, menus and software. Now the computer is beginning to adapt to us.

For millions and millions of people with disabilities all around the world, AI isn’t just a clever chatbot or productivity tool. It can mean participating freely online without the machinery getting in the way.

Accessibility shouldn’t be a footnote in the AI story. It should be one of the headlines.

@3goodthings
@DigitalCoup
@meditation
@economics_that_works
@disability
@pwd
@joinin

#Accessibility #Disability #AssistiveTechnology #VoiceTechnology #AI #people #humanRights #leadership #OpenAI

PROGRESS FOR WHOM? 💎

There is something almost completely missing from the public argument about AI.

PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.

We talk endlessly about jobs, electricity, lazy students, creativity and billionaires. Meanwhile, something much quieter is happening.

AI IS GIVING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES LOST PARTS OF THEIR LIVES BACK.

I am disabled following a stroke, so this is not abstract for me. I’m always happy to discuss my own experience, but this post is about what AI is making possible for people around the world.

For someone with impaired vision, AI with video glasses can describe surroundings in real time, read labels and signs, identify objects and people, and explain documents.

Someone who struggles to speak can get help communicating. Someone who cannot hear can have speech transcribed. Someone with dyslexia can have dense writing explained. Someone with cognitive difficulties can ask for instructions one step at a time, as often as needed, without embarrassment. Someone with limited mobility can rely more on speech than keyboards, mice and touchscreens. Someone who cannot easily leave home can still learn, create, participate and communicate.

And yes, there is another one we seem almost frightened to mention.

LONELINESS.

AI can talk to someone who is alone. No, that does not mean replacing human beings. A telephone did not replace friendship either. It means that at three in the morning, or during a long day when nobody visits, there can be a voice answering back. For an isolated elderly or disabled person, that is not trivial.

THEN THERE IS PRIVACY.

Every time technology lets someone do something without asking another person for help, a little independence and dignity returns. And we have barely started.

Give AI reliable eyes and ears. Let it operate computers without keyboards and mice. Connect it safely to homes, vehicles and eventually robots capable of fetching, cleaning, cooking, navigating, dressing and helping with personal care.

ISN'T THAT WHAT WE WANT TECHNOLOGY FOR?

We are not only talking about clever chatbots.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INDEPENDENCE.

I understand the concerns about AI. Some are serious and deserve serious answers. But when deciding what this technology is worth, do not measure it only in jobs lost, electricity consumed or dollars made.

ASK WHAT IT GIVES BACK TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THINGS TAKEN AWAY BY DISABILITY.

For some people, the AI revolution is not waiting in the future.

IT HAS ALREADY BEGUN.

@3goodthings
@DigitalCoup
@meditation
@economics_that_works
@disability
@pwd
@joinin

#Disability #Accessibility #AssistiveTechnology #AI #DigitalAccessibility #Independence #Inclusion #PWD

♿ Accessibyte Studio — Simplified Every Day Computing Tools For Home, Schools, Libraries, the Elderly And More | By Steve Barclay, Canadian Assistive Technology Ltd. | Courtesy of the PWD Media Co-op
https://canasstech.com/products/accessibyte-studio-annual

A self-voicing Windows app that gathers everyday computer tasks into one calm place. Three keys run it: Up, Down and Enter. $220 CAD a year, in stock.

#AssistiveTechnology #Accessibility #DigitalInclusion #ScreenReaders #Libraries #SpecialEducation #IndependentLiving

♿ Accessibyte Studio — Simplified Every Day Computing Tools For Home, Schools, Libraries, the Elderly And More | By Steve Barclay, Canadian Assistive Technology Ltd. | Courtesy of the PWD Media Co-op
https://canasstech.com/products/accessibyte-studio-annual

A self-voicing Windows app that gathers everyday computer tasks into one calm place. Three keys run it: Up, Down and Enter. $220 CAD a year, in stock.

#AssistiveTechnology #Accessibility #DigitalInclusion #ScreenReaders #Libraries #SpecialEducation #IndependentLiving

♿ Accessibyte Studio — Simplified Every Day Computing Tools For Home, Schools, Libraries, the Elderly And More | By Steve Barclay, Canadian Assistive Technology Ltd. | Courtesy of the PWD Media Co-op
https://canasstech.com/products/accessibyte-studio-annual

A self-voicing Windows app that gathers everyday computer tasks into one calm place. Three keys run it: Up, Down and Enter. $220 CAD a year, in stock.

#AssistiveTechnology #Accessibility #DigitalInclusion #ScreenReaders #Libraries #SpecialEducation #IndependentLiving

I’M LIBERATED BY IT 💎

I’m only just beginning to understand how important the #Disability discussion underneath #AI actually is.

I have been abused for using AI. I have lost a dear friendship over it. I have been told, in various ways, what I should use instead.

Yet many of the alternatives people have suggested, from modern dictation to speech tools, already use AI themselves. AI is increasingly woven into ordinary technology, whether we call it AI or not.

And still, I choose AI Support, #AIS.

Not because I couldn’t survive without it. I could. I lived with the slower rhythm of my disability for decades before this technology appeared.

But with AIS, I feel liberated.

I can speak, I can write, and I can think things through. I can participate without the physical effort of typing, constantly determining how much of myself I get to express before exhaustion takes over.

That matters to me.

People are entirely free to criticise AI. They can refuse to use it themselves. They can raise every legitimate concern about what this technology is doing.

But I am the person with a disability in this life.

I get to choose the tools that help me live it.

@3goodthings
@DigitalCoup
@meditation
@economics_that_works

#Accessibility #AssistiveTechnology #DisabilityRights #Agency #Communication #Voice #Inclusion #Technology #Fediverse #Mastodon

New educational tool available, for free! American Explorer. A gamified database with all 50 states, territories, and a built in quiz to test your knowledge. Great for k12, and the curious geography guru. Read more and download it here, https://tgstudios.app/american-explore…r/ #geography #USA #Knowledge #Education #AssistiveTechnology #Tools #Teaching

New educational tool available, for free! American Explorer. A gamified database with all 50 states, territories, and a built in quiz to test your knowledge. Great for k12, and the curious geography guru. Read more and download it here, https://tgstudios.app/american-explorer/ #geography #USA #Knowledge #Education #AssistiveTechnology #Tools #Teaching

What is everyone developing right now? I want to see your open betas, public repos, exciting ideas, and share their existance with you. #AI #AssistiveTechnology #BVI #Technology

I WILL NOT BE BULLIED 💎

I received a vicious reply today because I use AI. It wasn't a disagreement. Nor a criticism. It was a full-frontal personal attack! And I’ll admit it affected me more than I expected.

I USE AI MAINLY BECAUSE I'M PARALYSED.

Typing is physically difficult for me. I have the use of only one hand. So, tapping out a post or email with one finger is exhausting. Voice and AI help me turn my own thoughts into usable writing in a normal amount of time.

THAT SHOULD NOT REQUIRE A DEFENCE.

You can dislike AI. You can distrust it. You can argue about copyright concerns, energy and water use, labour, culture, or anything else that concerns you. I will listen to you and answer you.

But attacking people simply for using AI is not principled.

IT'S BULLYING.

And disabled people should not have to produce a medical justification every time they use a technology that makes their life easier.

AI is a tool. How it is used matters. Who gets harmed matters. Context matters. What does not help is turning “AI user” into a moral accusation and deciding that cruelty is suddenly acceptable.

I’m quite happy to discuss the technology with anyone.

HOWEVER, I WILL NOT BE BULLIED FOR USING IT.

I didn't need to do anything about the attack. Before I could even decide how to respond, both the post and the person disappeared from my notifications.

@3goodthings
@DigitalCoup
@meditation
@economics_that_works
@startrek

#AI #Accessibility #Disability #AssistiveTechnology #Fediverse #Bullying #PWD #Tool

Brought on 2 beta testers for Word Champion, if you are interested, I have 3 spots left to fill. I am awarding a $15.00 Amazon gift card for participation and feedback. If you are someone who loves educational tools, can provide constructive feedback for screen reader users, and have a love for typing and small games for the blind, I invite you to reach out. Please email [email protected] with the subject "Word Champion." Thank you so much! #Education #TYping #AssistiveTechnology

Join us tonight, Monday, August 24, at 8 pm EST for PCB Peer Engagement Presents!

Mary Beth Parks from LAMP, the Library of Accessible Media for Pennsylvanians, will discuss the HumanWare eReader now being distributed in Pennsylvania, along with other LAMP programs & resources.

For More Info: [email protected]

You can also listen on ACB Media 6 on your Amazon device.

#PCBPeerEngagement #PCBPeers #LAMP #HumanWare #AccessibleReading #AssistiveTechnology #Accessibility

WORDS CAN’T WASH MY BACK 💎

This morning, I was imagining a robot that I actually need.

Not one that dances. Not one that makes coffee or does backflips.

I was imagining a bathroom robot that could safely wash the parts of my body I cannot reach, steady me in the shower, help after toileting, dry me and assist me with dressing.

Then I watched this interview with Fei-Fei Li, sometimes known as the “Godmother of AI”, and suddenly I understood one of the important missing pieces.

SPATIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Li helped transform modern AI through ImageNet, which helped teach machines to recognise what they see. Now she wants machines to understand the physical world. Not merely recognise a cup, but understand where the cup is, how it relates to everything around it, what happens if you move it, and how to pick it up and put it somewhere else.

Her wonderfully simple challenge to language AI is:

Can words put out fires?

Can words cook an omelette?

No.

AND THIS MATTERS ENORMOUSLY TO ME.

ChatGPT can already understand me remarkably well when I say:

“My left side is paralysed.”

But a service robot needs to understand something much harder:

THAT is Robin's left leg.

THIS is where it is in three-dimensional space.

THAT amount of pressure is safe.

THIS movement could make him fall.

The water is the RIGHT temperature and is going THERE.

His body is moving THIS way.

And now AI can respond.

That is the difference between an AI that can talk about helping me and an AI that can physically help me. Li calls part of the answer “world models”: AI systems capable of understanding geometry and physics, simulating what may happen next, and planning actions in the physical world.

Her company, World Labs, is already working on this technology, including applications for robotics.

AND SOMETHING ELSE SHE SAID STOPPED ME.

She talked about the sense of “dignity and agency” that comes when AI helps someone do something they couldn't do before.

YES.

That is precisely what interests me about AI.

NOT REPLACING HUMAN BEINGS.

Giving human beings capabilities they have lost through disability or that they just never had before.

Language gave the machine a voice. Computer vision gave it eyes. Spatial intelligence may eventually give it an understanding of the human world around it.

And then perhaps my bathroom robot won't sound quite so ridiculous after all.

@3goodthings
@DigitalCoup
@meditation
@economics_that_works
@startrek

https://youtu.be/qRG19DKT3MA?si=MWWUF15i9VIl-2v3

#AI #Robotics #SpatialIntelligence #FeiFeiLi #Disability #Accessibility #AssistiveTechnology #human #PWD #person

@Tesla @Tesla_Optimus @China

A ROBOT I ACTUALLY NEED NOW 💎

I’m 70, disabled by stroke, and I’ve been thinking about what would genuinely improve my life.

Not a robot that dances.

Not one that makes coffee or does perfect backflips.

A BATHROOM ROBOT.

A dedicated, non-humanoid care system designed specifically to help me with showering, toileting, drying and dressing.

It could be fixed to a wall beside the shower or toilet, with one or two waterproof articulated arms. One arm could steady me while the other washes those hard-to-get places.

Water could run through the arm itself, with soft, interchangeable washing heads. Warm-air dryers could be built into the unit, reducing the need for towel drying.

It could wash the parts of my body that my disability prevents me from safely reaching; assist me with toileting and, after toileting, dry thoroughly; help with clothing; and perhaps eventually assist with nail care.

Because it lives in one bathroom, it doesn’t need legs, a face, or a humanoid body. It just needs to be extraordinarily safe, gentle, waterproof, reliable and easy to talk to.

THE AI COULD SIMPLY BE CONVERSATIONAL:

“Wash my back again, please.”

“You missed a bit behind my left leg.”

“I need help.”

“Stop.”

For me, showering is one of the most difficult and dangerous parts of daily life. I do less of it than I probably should for that very reason. My partner helps me now, and I’m deeply grateful, but a machine designed specifically for intimate care could give both of us more independence, dignity and privacy.

THIS IS WHERE I THINK ROBOTICS COULD BECOME GENUINELY TRANSFORMATIVE.

Don’t start by asking how closely a robot can imitate a human being.

Start by asking:

What physical problem do human beings desperately need solved?

I’d happily volunteer as a very demanding test pilot.

@3goodthings
@DigitalCoup
@meditation
@economics_that_works
@startrek

#Tesla #Optimus #Robotics #Disability #Accessibility #AssistiveTechnology #Ageing #China

5,752 total downloads over 5 months for NVDA Coach. I am at a loss of words. It makes me so happy that this product has helped so many across the globe with their training. I wish everyone continued growth! #Github #ScreenReaders #NVDA #Training #Education #Computers #AssistiveTechnology #BVI

Question for folks using assistive devices for daily life. What is your preferred method of subscribing to writers and other publishers?

I’d also love to know if your choice is because of technology capabilities/limitations. And if you have a favorite app/client.

I’m researching tools, and accessibility is a priority for me.

#Accessibility #AssistiveTechnology #AssistiveDevices #AT #Poll #Technology #Usability

I am just stupidly excited to share that the No Sight Required brand has now launched some pretty sweet swag! I'm bias, so, you decide if it's worth wearing for yourself! T-shirts, stickers, and a cool coffee mug! The ability was never missing. Access was. https://shop.nosightrequired.com #merch #shirts #coffee #Accessibility #AssistiveTechnology #Blindness #NoSightRequired

THE FUTURE OF ACCESSIBILITY
TECHNOLOGY IS ALMOST INVISIBLE 💎

I keep hearing about AI in terms of productivity. Writing faster. Making presentations. Summarising meetings. Saving companies money.

Fine.

But I think some of the most important uses of AI may be much more ordinary.

For disabled people, AI could remove thousands of tiny barriers that other people barely notice.

I have left-sided hemiplegia. I use only one hand.

So imagine an AI I can simply talk to.

It can write what I dictate. Read something aloud. Search the web. Fill in forms. Explain an incomprehensible government letter. Operate a computer without requiring endless clicking, dragging and menus.

It could describe what is in front of someone who cannot see it clearly.

Caption and interpret speech for someone who cannot hear it.

Help someone who struggles with language find the words they are trying to say.

Turn complicated instructions into something understandable.

Remember appointments, medications, names, routines and important details when memory is unreliable.

Help plan an accessible route before leaving home.

And eventually, perhaps, simply stay quietly with us.

If I fall while I am out walking, I would like my AI to notice, ask whether I am all right, and, if necessary, call Peter and tell him where I am.

Not because I want a machine supervising my life.

Quite the opposite.

Because I want to be able to live it safely and more fully.

The best accessibility technology disappears.

It does not constantly remind you that you are disabled.

It quietly removes the obstacle and lets you get on with your day.

That may turn out to be one of AI's greatest contributions.

Not making humans more productive.

Making more humans free.

@3goodthings
@DigitalCoup
@meditation
@economics_that_works
@startrek

#Disability #Accessibility #AssistiveTechnology #PWD #IndependentLiving #InclusiveDesign #FutureOfTech #AIForGood

The takeaway: AI is not always perfect, so it still requires trust and verification. But for lower-risk personal tasks, it can save time and make inaccessible information easier to access.

Listen to the full episode of Accessibility Craft for more on AI, accessibility, inaccessible documents, and how people are using these tools in real life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeuiCb564B4

#AccessibilityCraft #WebAccessibility #DigitalAccessibility #AI #Accessibility #A11y #InaccessiblePDFs #AssistiveTechnology

Huge thanks to Luke and Jonathan who invited me to come talk geeky tech, and my book! Vision Forward is a great organization! Cory, you were missed!

We got into AI with screen readers, why I built NVDA Coach, and 20 years of making music without sight.

Full interview on Vision Forward's Tech Connect:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4ScfcrtFY8

#Blind #BlindCommunity #LowVision #VisuallyImpaired #Accessibility #A11y #AssistiveTechnology #ScreenReader #NVDA #JAWS #VoiceOver #AI #Disability #TechConnect #NoSightRequired

Huge thanks to Luke, Jonathan, and Corey, from Vision Forward Tech connect for having me on their show to talk about my book, AI, Logic Pro, music, and NVDA Coach. We had too much fun! Check the video out here, 📲 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4ScfcrtFY8 #AI #Technology #Interviews #BVI #AssistiveTechnology #Inovation #NVDACoach #NoSightRequired

I WANT A STAR TREK COMPUTER 💎

I believe the real future of computing is much simpler than people make it sound.

I don’t want another clever app. I don’t want more menus, keyboards, mice, windows, modes, buttons, opening this and closing that.

I want a Star Trek computer. Captain Kirk had the right idea.

I want to sit down and say, “This is what I want you to do,” and have the technology understand whether that means speaking, writing, finding, organizing, showing me something, or helping me think something through.

Voice, text, images, tools, all of it should eventually become one conversation.

And this matters particularly for people with disabilities like me, older people like me, and anyone who doesn’t fit the imagined “standard user”. Like me!

Technology should adapt to the particular human being in front of it, not require the human to adapt to the machine.

That, to me, is where AI gets genuinely interesting: when the technology disappears into the background and we can get on with living our Star Trek lives.

@startrek
@DigitalCoup

#FrictionlessAI #AI #FutureOfAI #Accessibility #AssistiveTechnology #HumanCenteredAI #human #voice #CaptainKirk #startrek

The AI panic is loud. Meanwhile, disabled users are quietly using it as cognitive scaffolding — not to think less, but to keep thinking at all.

https://onlys.ky/ai-disability-aid/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fresh

#Accessibility #ArtificialIntelligence #Disability #Neurodivergent #AssistiveTechnology

Scottish Enterprise's @davidobrien on giving interactive elements on the #Web meaningful, #Accessible names to support #AssistiveTechnology Users.

https://design.scotentblog.co.uk/whats-in-a-name/