Fostering the right solutions & connections
for more than 33 years
for more than 33 years
Almost 20 million Americans — 8 percent of the U.S. population — have visual impairments. Join us for a live and interactive discussion to learn about BlindShell. BlindShell cell phones are developed in cooperation with the blind and visually impaired community to ensure all phones provide the maximum benefit for individuals living with sight loss.
Additional Resources mentioned in the discussion (more mentioned in chat below)
Chat Transcript
12:08:27 From Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington https://www.youreyes.org/
12:09:34 From Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washington 301-951-4444
12:09:54 From Shirl Thompson : Eastern Shore so in need of these services.
12:20:22 From Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : BlindShell https://blindshellusa.com/
12:21:53 From Monica Hanza : Is it able to use Uber?
12:24:22 From Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : The WayAround® App is designed to be simple, accessible, and intuitive for anyone with any degree of vision loss. This guide provides step-by-step instructions to get you started using WayAround quickly and effectively. https://www.wayaround.com/
12:24:33 From Pamela Johnson : Hello. Does this service qualify for ACP?
12:25:06 From Barbara Ryan to Hosts and panelists : I'm having a hard time visualizing all these elements. Can there be a demonstration of the product itself and how it works?
12:25:22 From Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : Be My Eyes connects people needing sighted support with volunteers and companies anywhere in the world, through live video and artificial intelligence. https://www.bemyeyes.com/
12:26:15 From Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : oducing: Be My AI
Introducing: Be My AI
Be My Eyes’ Virtual Volunteer, powered by GPT-4, gets a new name and will soon be open to beta testing by hundreds of iOS users worldwide https://www.bemyeyes.com/blog/introducing-be-my-ai
12:28:13 From Ann Sloane : WOW!!
12:28:15 From Nahjee Cook : That is incredible!!
12:30:20 From Carolyn Pennington : Is that an app but only a program on that phone?
12:30:31 From Sean Curry to Hosts and panelists : it is a free app available on smart phones
12:31:07 From Sean Curry to Hosts and panelists : "Be My Eyes" - you can also get connected with a sighted volunteer. And, they have a new program where you can have a select few people it calls instead of strangers
12:31:25 From Aileen Klein : Can earphones be connected to the phone so others don't hear what it is saying?
12:31:26 From Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : From Sean Curry to All Panelists 12:31 PM
it is a free app available on smart phones
"Be My Eyes" - you can also get connected with a sighted volunteer. And, they have a new program where you can have a select few people it calls instead of strangers
12:34:20 From Monica Hanza : Thank you!
12:34:39 From Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : You can now hail an Uber by calling a number https://techcrunch.com/2023/05/17/you-can-now-hail-an-uber-by-calling-a-number/#:~:text=By%20dialing%20the%20toll%2Dfree,one%20for%20a%20future%20trip.
12:35:50 From Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : 833USEUBER phone number to call UBER
12:36:30 From Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : Rides, Groceries, Meals & More: Built Better For Older Adults And People With Disabilities.
Screened & monitored services from Uber, DoorDash, Instacart and more, with or without a smartphone, 24/7.
Millions of requests fulfilled for hundreds of thousands of people living independently at home. Available in all 50 states, Canada, and Australia. https://gogograndparent.com/
12:36:48 From Betsy Hein : If you are a Maryland resident, you may qualify to receive the Blindshell Classic 2 from the Maryland Accessible Telecommunications (MAT) Program. MDMAT.org
12:38:35 From Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : The Affordable Connectivity Program https://www.fcc.gov/acp
12:39:55 From Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : Free Monthly
Wireless Service https://blindshellusa.com/free
12:39:57 From Pamela Johnson : If they qualify for ACP, is there a cost for the phone?
12:40:58 From Rachel Dahl to Hosts and panelists : Does anyone know of nationwide programs which would aid a low income person to receive/purchase a blind shell phone within their means?
12:42:32 From Monica Hanza : Are the voice commands able to be in other languages like Spanish?
12:44:30 From Nancy Zatzman to Hosts and panelists : I'm interested in this as an option for my 95 yo mother who has advanced MD. But concerned about complexity of use for her. Currently using Kapsys MiniVision2+, which is okay for calls, but buttons are confusing and it does not do email or popular apps. She soon will not be able to see her iMac screen at all and will need an option for email, reading the NYT, zooming with family, etc. Is there a way to test a BlindShell phone?
12:44:49 From Ann Sloane : What is BARD?
12:45:06 From Aileen Klein : What is Bard?
12:45:17 From Shirl Thompson : Can the phone be connected paired to a smart watch?
12:45:49 From Sean Curry : "Braille and Audio Recording Download" - it is a free service to get audio books. Through Library of Congress for anyone who is blind or print disabled
12:45:56 From Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : https://bard.google.com/
12:46:08 From Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : The Maryland Accessible Telecommunications (MAT) Program https://doit.maryland.gov/mdrelay/Pages/Equipment.aspx
12:46:44 From Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : State Services
Hamilton Relay makes it possible for individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind or have difficulty speaking to make and receive telephone calls. Relay calls are simple – just dial 711 and you will be connected with a highly trained Communication Assistant (CA) that will facilitate your call. There are no restrictions or time limits on any call and Hamilton Relay is available 24/7/365.
To find out more about the relay services available to you, simply choose your state below. https://hamiltonrelay.com/state-services.html
12:48:10 From Nancy Zatzman to Hosts and panelists : Thank you. We're in the Greater Philadelphia area.
12:48:21 From Purushottam Sharma : Blindshell phone available in India? I checked it online, price is roughly $1000 as expensive as an iPhone. Am I reading it correctly?
12:52:10 From Pamela Johnson : This is great! I'm excited to share this info with one of my visually impaired residents.
12:53:13 From Nancy Zatzman to Hosts and panelists : Great. Thanks!
12:53:34 From Monica Hanza : This might be a dumb question but will the BlindShell phone need to be updated and an updated phone purchased every few years like iPhone?
12:54:37 From Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : BARD: Braille and Audio Reading Download https://nlsbard.loc.gov/nlsbardprod/login/NLS
12:55:07 From Ann Sloane : Got it. Thank you. I recall the Lib of Congress audio books in the hard cases. Great program!
12:56:56 From Betsy Hein : To see if your state has an Equipment Distribution Program (like the MAT program in Maryland), go to the TEDPA site. TEDPA stands for Telecommunications Equipment Distribution Program Association. https://www.tedpaconference.org/home
12:57:39 From Sean Curry to Steve Gurney - ProAging Community(Direct Message) : If you want a full presentation on ScripTalk and accessible pharmacy options, I can connect you with Accessible Pharmacy
12:57:48 From Steve Gurney - ProAging Community : Based on RFID text-to-speech technology, ScripTalk Talking Prescription Labels are designed to help you better serve your patients who are blind, visually impaired or print impaired. By using a smartphone app or a ScripTalk Station Reader, your patients can hear all their vital prescription information https://www.scriptability.com/scriptalk-talking-labels
12:58:05 From Shirl Thompson : That is amazing
13:00:37 From Mia Sanks : Does Medicare cover any costs?
13:03:29 From Ann Sloane : What seems great is that one can start with the basics, and then learn new apps when ready.
13:04:03 From Rachel Dahl to Hosts and panelists : Thanks so much! This was great info!
13:04:44 From Carolyn Pennington : Great topic!!! Thank you!!!
13:04:51 From Monica Hanza : Thank you all!
13:04:59 From Carolyn Pennington : Agree.
13:05:38 From Jenny Pearson : Thank you all for this very important resource! Be well!
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