#nfb26 — Public Fediverse posts

Episode 90 of Access On, is on.
This week, we’re continuing to bring you technology-related content from #NFB26 in Austin, Texas. We take a practical look at structured discovery as it applies to technology learning.
Rather than simply memorizing steps, structured discovery helps us understand concepts, explore unfamiliar interfaces, and stay in control when technology changes.

Episode 88 of Access On, is on.
We bring you more from our recent #NFB26 AI seminar, continuing the discussion of how artificial intelligence can help blind people work, learn, create, and solve access barriers more effectively.
We explore practical ways AI tools can support productivity, including working with documents and presentations, summarizing information, improving access to otherwise difficult content, and using AI thoughtfully as one more tool in the nonvisual access toolbox.

I went to hang out at the hotel that was used for #NFB26, and I can still confrim that the escalator that goes from the second to the first floor is still… down.

Episode 87 of Access On, is on.
This week, we take you to #NFB26 in Austin, Texas, for the first part of our AI seminar. We’ll discuss how to make AI music, and demonstrate by bringing you an AI-generated NFB convention song.
Then we look as AIA-assisted coding, sometimes called vibe coding.
In listener contributions, there’s feedback on Alexa Plus, and a look at Riverside FM for recording audio and video podcasts.

“For centuries, society has defined blind people as one-dimensional," President Riccobono said in his banquet speech at #NFB26. "One synonymous with incompetence, incapacity, and dependence on others. Even our creative talents have been reduced to some divine gift meant to compensate for our overwhelming deficiencies. But blind people, we know this is not the truth."

Listen to National Federation of the Blind (NFB) President Riccobono's full 2026 banquet speech: https://buff.ly/1scyWMx

RE: https://w3c.social/@tink/116917020636691106

Good to see others discussing the benefits to blind people of AI, and there are some excellent points in this piece.
I do however disagree with the comments on AI-assisted coding. Last week, the National Federation of the Blind passed a resolution at #NFB26 committing the organization to work with AI companies to ensure that by default, tools used for vibe coding produce accessible output conforming to standards such as Apple’s and Android’s Accessibility Guidelines, and WCAG. If we can work with the industry to get that done, then we are on the cusp of an accessibility revolution, all thanks to vibe coding. Not to mention the self-determination aspect to this discussion. More blind people can now take control of our software destiny, and as people who have had no choice but to work around suboptimal code from an #accessibility perspective, many of us make great vibe coders. Too many have ignored us for too long, so now, we move forward in a new, empowering way.

We had a fantastic time exhibiting at the NFB Convention in Austin, TX! It was great connecting with the community, educators, and accessibility professionals from across the country. Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth! #NFB26 #Accessibility #Braille #OrbitResearch

I apparently don't get away this year without coming down with convention crud. I blame those that came to convention knowingly sick. What a door prize to win! lol! #nfb26

#NFB26 was fun this year. I'm glad I could participate even though I wasn't there for the entire thing. I got the chance to meet some amazing people, and I'm looking forward to it being back in Austin next year. Until then, #ACB26 is coming up, and @techopolis will be exhibiting. We hope to meet you there! We have some very exciting news coming up this week before the in person convention starts, so stay tuned.

Time to head for home sweet home after a fabulous convention! I’m excited we’re returning to Austin next year, such a fabulous location. #NFB26

Another National Federation of the Blind convention is in the books, and what a fantastic week it was here in Austin! Every year since 2015, I’ve come away learning something new, and this year was no exception—from employment and legislative advocacy to the latest technology and hands-on demos of devices like the BrailleNote Evolve, BrailleSense 7, and Glide.
Austin and the JW Marriott made an incredible convention home, and I already can’t wait to return next year. Now it’s time to head home to Boston. See you all in Austin next year! #NFB26

@douglawlor my response, no thank you. and I'd continue walking. I'd make the escort chase me the rest of the way. Because I'm an ass. And proud of it. #nfb26

I just made it through Customs. What a fiasco. I was using Aira and I didn't turn left enough so the officer thought I didn't know where I was going. He made me use an escort to get the rest of the way. #nfb26

We are proud to sponsor the JAWS for Windows scholarship at the NFB National Convention. This year, Ryan Jones had the pleasure of meeting scholarship winner Raysa Rondon Aviles. Congratulations, Raysa!

#NFB26 #JAWS

I made it home from #nfb26. the euber was almost tripple what it should have been but you do what you gotta do. We might see yall next year for #nfb27!

On the plane about to take off. Great convention and Austin is 🔥! I'm looking forward to geting home to see my chickens. I missed my girls. See y'all next year. Safe travels, all. #NFB26

@austinnix @kea_anderson I'm sorry I am only just seeing this now. I have this issue too because I am using the same kind of shorts cord. I resolve it by bringing my own 3.5mm female to 3.5mm male cable. This acts as an antenna and makes things much better. If you come back next year and run into problems like this, don't !hesitate to be in touch if you think I might be able to help. #NFB26

On the final plane, I don't care how many people I pissed off jogging down the hallway between gates in nashville's airport going beep beep move to those just standing in the walkway. Stare if you must but get your nose out of your phone and move! I arrived literally as they started preboarding. I did the run with the assistance of @AiraVI. If I'd waited for assistance I'd still have been waiting. #nfb26

I showed Perspective Intelligence to some amazing folks at #NFB26, and it really does some amazing visual detection of the environment. If you have the app and an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence, then check out the Qwen 2 VL model that we've tested in the app. Video mode is amazing with that.

finished #nfb26 day 7 for me, taking a break and packing up before I take day 8, as my travel day and head home, if we didn't connect, or we connected and forgot to exchange numbers, DM me and we'll sort it out. Note: damn the kids these days party hard, I'm surprised the hotel didn't boot them off the second floor with those 11:00 PM parties, lol. Apparently their's another party tonight at 11:00 PM. lol.