David Goldfield

ZBox: a new accessible email client app for Windows, beta release, users and testers welcomed https://groups.io/g/tech-vi/message/12565

I received the following announcement via email from Adi Kushnir of AccessMind. Although Adi's signature states that the announcement is only meant for the intended recipient and cannot be distributed, Adi has assured me that this announcement can be shared. Announcing the first public beta of Runa TTS: bringing the high quality, natural sounding voices from ReadSpeaker to VoiceOver and other apps that rely on Apple's speech synthesis API's. Dear Apple users community, AccessMind is proud to announce the first public beta of Runa TTS, a new text-to-speech engine for iOS that brings high quality, natural sounding, neural voices from ReadSpeaker, a global pioneer in the field of human-like TTS technology, to be used with VoiceOver, as well as other applications that use Apple's speech synthesis APIs. Enjoy classics such as Paul, Kate and Julie from the Neo speech days, or new voices in 50 languages, including English, Arabic, Hebrew, French, German, Spanish, and many others. The application also includes some advanced features, such as: • Voice Profiles, allowing you to configure various settings such as speech rate, pitch, and maximum volume per-voice, and forcing them even if VoiceOver is set to different values. • Automatic language switching based on Unicode characters for Arabic, Latin, Hebrew, Russian, and Greek even if VoiceOver does not support it in your language or region, configured on a per-voice profile level. • iCloud sync between devices to make sure all voice profiles and voice settings stay up to date between devices. • In a future update, Siri shortcuts will be introduced for switching voice profiles on the fly. Once you download and install the application, focus will land on the “manage voices” tab, allowing you to download voices and filter them by language, quality, etc. 2 qualities are available for each voice: standard and enhanced. We strongly recommend using the enhanced quality. Every voice will be a switch button, when checked, it will be added to the queue, and a button to install all selected voices will appear at the bottom of the screen, before the tab bar. Activating this button will install all selected voices. If voices are installed, checking them will cause a button to remove all selected voices to appear instead. Once installed, you can add the voices to Voiceover using the VoiceOver speech settings, including configuring them as primary, and adding them to the rotor. The settings tab, contains all the advanced features, such as Voice profiles, and iCloud syncing. Both are disabled by default, to avoid confusion. Important notes • Due to bugs with iOS 27, language switching by Unicode characters will not work properly if configured through our engine, it will only work through VoiceOver with the way Apple has chosen to implement it. We will communicate with Apple to hopefully get this fixed. • There are no bundled voices with the app. You have to download the voices you wish to use from the manage voices tab. Feedback during the public beta Please send all your questions, comments, and queries, to: adi@accessmind.net Pricing Pricing for the final product, including subscription or perpetual licensing models, has not been decided yet. The public beta will be available to try for free at least until September. Installing the public beta Please use the following TestFlight link to install the public beta of Runa TTS on your devices: https://testflight.apple.com/join/bJQ5UpWQ We look forward to hearing from you! Adi Kushnir This message contains confidential information and is intended only for the individual(s) addressed in the message. If you aren't the named addressee, you should not disseminate, distribute, or copy this e-mail. If you aren't the intended recipient, you aren'tified that disclosing, distributing, or copying this e-mail is strictly prohibited. AccessMind LLC. All rights reserved.

I'm looking for a good multi-file downloader, primarily for pages which contain many audio files. I tried Down Them All but I found the interface unintuitive. I then tried Audio File Downloader. This was a much simpler interface, was accessible and did what I needed but on a page containing hundreds of downloads, some of the files didn't get downloaded completely. I'd love to know what extensions you use for doing this.

I don't know who needs to hear this but when you call a company to get support, please be in front of the device you're calling about. Make sure that the device you're calling about is on and at the place that's giving you the problem before you call, unless the problem is that the device in question doesn't turn on. Otherwise, the person taking your call has to wait until the device is booted up and you get to where you need to be. This is unnecessary and a bit unfair to the support person.

BARD has been adding more audio drama titles lately, including two compilations from BBC Audio.

@nixCraft@mastodon.social @jonathan859@someplace.social One question that rarely gets coverage when these solutions are promoted is accessibility. How accessible are these solutions? Were they designed with accessibility baked in? If the answer is no or even somewhat, then many people, such as people who are blind, will find it impossible to migrate to these solutions.

I still say that Quill should raise funds by selling T-shirts that say "I've got Quill Power."

@mewproj@fwoof.space Wow, I am super impressed with the performance of FastSM RW. This is impressive work. Thank you.

Hate the Copilot Key? Here’s How to Finally Turn It Off https://www.pcmag.com/news/hate-the-copilot-key-heres-how-to-finally-turn-it-off

Announcement from Jamal Mazrui for NVDA Users: Announcing HomerView: The Most Productive Interface for Screen Reader Users of the Web https://groups.io/g/tech-vi/message/12184

From André Polykanine: Announcing SharpLouis, a .NET wrapper for LibLouis Braille translator https://www.braillists.org/uncategorised/from-andre-polykanine-announcing-sharplouis-a-net-wrapper-for-liblouis-braille-translator/

Vispero is now allowing U.S. residents to purchase the JAWS home annual license online without the need to call them. https://store.vispero.com/collections/jaws/products/jaws-home-annual-license

RemSound: Free Windows app for Sending Live Audio Between Two Computers https://github.com/Ednunp/RemSound

On October 27, the NFB's CENA team has scheduled a webinar on vibe coding. At the rate things are going, by then someone will have probably vibe coded an entire accessible operating system, complete with screen reader.

Stop! 7 ways you’re making your personal info public online https://www.pcworld.com/article/3195380/stop-7-ways-youre-making-your-personal-info-public-online.html

Making an Accessible Emotion Wheel: Why I Built Mine https://www.timdixon.net/blog/2026/07/making-an-accessible-emotion-wheel-why-i-built-mine/

Starlog (1970s Magazine) https://cult-scifi.com/starlog-1970s-magazine/

Clicks Universal Power Keyboard – Early Impressions from a blindness perspective https://blog.blackspheretech.com/?p=530

@datajake1999@dragonscave.space I hope we get a Sapi5 version of this.

@techsinger@tweesecake.social Oh, trust me, I'm currently using it on just one machine and I can tell you I benefit from it enormously. Prior to Clipman, I used Ditto and really loved it. It had similar features and it took me a bit of time to switch from Ditto to Clipman but I eventually did, as I think Clipman takes things to a whole new level. Not to mention that it's being updated frequently and Andre is very receptive to feedback. I make regular use of clipboard entries and Clipman is a tool I would not want to be without. Anyone who thinks that the clipboard is this boring thing that's necessary for cut, copy and paste functions will never look at the clipboard the same way after getting to know this program.

I just finished my rewatch of Deep Space Nine, Season 1. Overall, I liked it and have the following quick thoughts. I love the character of Keiko, but am I supposed to believe that Starfleet couldn't be bothered to send a teacher to the station with an actual education degree? In the episode Move Along Home, the aliens from that race should have been held more accountable for what they put the crew through. Instead, Sisko was just, "Oh, well, nobody got hurt." No, that was still unacceptable, and the people who brought that game on board the station should have been held accountable. I know a lot of DS9 fans will disagree with this, but I really don't like the character of Sisko. I love his interactions with Jake, but he often acts like he doesn't take what's going on around him very seriously. Part of this is the way Brooks delivers his lines. He tries to make Sisko seem tough, but he almost sounds like he just takes things very lightly, and he often sounds more amused than I think is appropriate. I felt the same way with the voiceover actor who played Ben Kenobi on Clone Wars.

I think @quillforall@mastodon.social should make an open source antibiotic. They could call it PeniQuillin.

@JonathanMosen@caneandable.social @ShariRockz@tweesecake.social Jonathan, I was thinking the same thing ...

SmartVision 3: Accessibility Smart Without the High Prices https://accessiblepass.net/smartvision-3-accessibility-smart-without-the-high-prices/

@kellylford@mastodon.social Thank you for this excellent app. I just installed and used the Windows version for the first time. It's intuitive and straightforward, very easy to use.

@Bruce@allovertheplace.ca @NicksWorld@mastodon.stickbear.me @bmoore123@tweesecake.social @mcourcel@allovertheplace.ca @mewproj@fwoof.space And not only that but the dedicated notetakers of the time were more portable than laptops, at least the speech-based devices. VersaBraille was an exception but even they were carryable. I owned the P2C and while I wouldn't call it small it had a nice carrying case, from what I remember. I never traveled with mine, though. Also, if you're interested in learning about vintage blindness tech, I recommend listening to some of the old magazines which were recorded on cassette, like Playback, Bitstream and Computer Folks. Also, the archives of the Raised Dot Computing newsletter are online and they give you quite a window into that time. https://www.duxburysystems.org/downloads/library/news/

@PallasRiot@social.treehouse.systems In a word: yes.

The Wild West of Accessible PDF Remediation https://brailleworks.com/wild-west-accessible-pdf-remediation/

@PallasRiot@social.treehouse.systems No, the problems with pornography don't just harm young men. They harm . If I said everything that I'd like to say about gay porn I'd likely be reported and kicked off of my instance, but what I will say is that, if nothing else, it devalues men. It devalues the person, regardless of gender.

@FreakyFwoof@universeodon.com OK, I have one more Clipman feature request. I'll preface it by saying that you're probably not going to like it. You probably won't want to do it, even though it's probably doable. And if you don't, I'll still happily use it. Could we have an option, and it would be off by default, to have it so that, after we select a clipboard item from the history and press enter, that it would automatically perform a paste?

@ScarletSky@tweesecake.social It's WeatherFast for Windows.

The MUD That Got It Right: How Erion Makes Text Gaming Accessible https://lanie.work/gaming/erion-accessibility-review/

@TechnicallBlind@caneandable.social I've been a user of Mona for quite some time and it also has a Mac version.

@NicksWorld@mastodon.stickbear.me @Bruce@allovertheplace.ca @bmoore123@tweesecake.social @mcourcel@allovertheplace.ca @mewproj@fwoof.space I think it was sold by Telesensory; not sure if it was the same as Vert?

The tap-to-pay scam hiding behind the beep https://theintelligence.com/43734/the-tap-to-pay-scam-hiding-behind-the-beep/

I'm in the middle of my DS9 season 2 rewatch. "Second Sight" was perhaps one of the weakest DS9 stories I've seen and I'm trying to be charitable in case some who are reading this liked the episode. So far, most of the others have been decent.

Everything you need to know about BT’s Digital Voice https://abilitynet.org.uk/news-blogs/everything-you-need-know-about-bts-digital-voice

Free digital tablets for older people and disabled adults https://abilitynet.org.uk/news-blogs/free-digital-tablets-older-people-and-disabled-adults

We Have a Return to Office Problem, and Disabled Workers Are Paying for It https://taylorarndt.substack.com/p/we-have-a-return-to-office-problem

One day I hope the Twilight Zone revival series from 1985 gets audio described. That series was a masterpiece.

Bristol Braille Technology Announces HID Braille Support in Canute 360 https://www.braillists.org/uncategorised/bristol-braille-technology-announces-hid-braille-support-in-canute-360/

@walkside3@mastodon.social I have not installed it yet. I don't know if there's already an issue about this on his Github project.

@Bruce@allovertheplace.ca All I can tell you is why I'm personally not bothered by NLS offering dramas in its collection. First, while many of the older OTR dramas can be downloaded at no cost or purchased at very inexpensive prices from various online stores, a lot of less tech-savvy patrons won't have the skills or resources to take advantage of this. Since NLS is starting to offer commercial audio books, they may as well not limit their collection to books and include commercially available dramas. Also, public libraries include dramas, as well, and audio drama is something that a lot of blind people enjoy, anyway. If they were including drama and decreasing the number of audio books they were adding I'd be concerned but there's no sign that this is happening.

ScribeMe is now available on the Meta smart glasses. Taken from ScribeMe's Facebook page ... Original Source https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02BPZ5hQgQ5siGT5LPbL1XjFidSrT3y34yMJSduxtRYu54UVNwWqckfbt5UzMcW25kl&id=61562396116200 Big news! 🚨🕶️ ScribeMe now works with AI glasses from Meta. What started in beta is now publicly available, making it possible for anyone with the glasses to experience hands-free accessibility. Imagine walking through an unfamiliar place while your glasses use proactive AI to provide continuous live descriptions of the world around you. From streets, buildings, landmarks, and signs to obstacles and everything happening around you, ScribeMe keeps you informed every step of the way. Whether you’re navigating an unfamiliar place, walking through a busy airport, exploring a new city, shopping, finding a specific product, or simply wanting to better understand your surroundings, ScribeMe delivers continuous live descriptions directly through your glasses. This is another step toward a future where accessibility is truly hands-free, and we’re proud to help make that future a reality. As AI glasses continue to evolve, we’re proud to help shape a future where accessibility is built into everyday technology App Store: https://apps.apple.com/eg/app/scribeme/id6739640292

@TechnicallBlind@caneandable.social Mona is an example of how every app should be written, in my opinion. It's more than just accessible but it's very customizable, with all customization options being accessible. For example, you can control the layout of your tab bar as far as what tabs you do and do not want and I believe you can even rename many if not all tabs.

@GoemonIshikawa@tweesecake.social @mewproj@fwoof.space I gave her the link.

@Bruce@allovertheplace.ca @NicksWorld@mastodon.stickbear.me @bmoore123@tweesecake.social @mcourcel@allovertheplace.ca @mewproj@fwoof.space That's true, which is why it's a good source of historical information. I never subscribed to it when it was in production, although I did use Hot Dots and later Megadots in the '90s. I absolutely adored Megadots and was sorry it never got modernized, although you could argue that Duxbury fills that need now.

Due to a lack of activity, the list owner of the Mastodon group has indicated that he plans to shut down the list unless someone wishes to take it over. I'm not sure I want to take on a mailing list at this point in my life but if someone is interested in taking it over and feels they can generate some discussion I wanted to pass this along. https://groups.io/g/mastodon/message/278

@NightDrake@dragonscave.space @EJGilbert@dragonscave.space @bmoore123@tweesecake.social @mcourcel@allovertheplace.ca @mewproj@fwoof.space Eloquence has some definite advantages. It is not only responsive but it is very easy to understand at very high speeds .. and I do mean very high speeds, since the voice does not degrade in quality. There is also a certain consistency in the more robotic voices that you don't get even with more human-sounding voices. I use Vocalizer Tom with JAWS. For me, it's certainly clear but sometimes it occasionally inserts extra consonants that just are not present in the text, whereas some of the older, more robotic voices just don't do this.

@NicksWorld@mastodon.stickbear.me @Bruce@allovertheplace.ca @bmoore123@tweesecake.social @mcourcel@allovertheplace.ca @mewproj@fwoof.space Compared to the more robotic synths, Dec-talk was definitely different. I think the Express was around $1200; not sure about the internal cards. The other synth that did sound pretty good for its time was, I think it was called Prose4000?