KAB Connect Newsletter Autumn 2022

This is an advert and not a KAB recommendation. KAB is not able to of without discussing your If you would like independent before please contact your local Rehab Team.

Image shows an OrCam Read someones OrCam OrCam

“Alexa, what’s the time?”

This photo shows the small Amazon Echo Dot.

The last few years have brought a lot of development in technology, and with it, new ways that this technology can be used to help people with a sight impairment. Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant, and the Amazon devices that it powers, is a great example.

For the everyday bits that you might want to know, Alexa can be fantastic. It’s great as a talking clock, telling you the time, and letting you set alarms and reminders just by asking. It can also be great for getting information you want in your everyday life – just say ‘Alexa, what’s the weather like?’ or ‘Alexa, tell me the news’ and it’ll give you a breakdown of the day’s forecast, or a summary of the day’s goings-on from BBC News.

If you prefer to get your news from the radio, just ask Alexa to play whichever station you prefer, and it’ll be able to find most of them through TuneIn Radio. However, if you’d rather have some more control over what you’re listening to, Alexa can play music you’ve bought from Amazon, Amazon Prime Music (included with a Prime subscription) or Amazon Music Unlimited. You can also link your Apple Music account to your Alexa just as easily!

By Mark Harvey KAB’s Assistive Technology Worker

And it’s not just music you can listen to! There are thousands of audiobooks that you can access on your Alexa device through the Royal National Institute for the Blind’s Talking Books. As long as you’ve got a RNIB Reading Services membership, all you have to do is say ‘Alexa, open RNIB Talking Books’, and you’ll get access to their library of over 34,000 books for adults and children.

Need help with recipes? With services like BBC Good Food, Recipe Keeper, and Cookpad, your Alexa device can search for meals, tell you what ingredients you need, and read out all the step-by-step instructions to make something delicious! Just ask Alexa to set a timer, to make sure nothing gets burned!

If you want to make your device even more useful, you can also buy smart plugs from Amazon, which can be controlled with your voice through your Alexa device. These can be great for switching device on and off – much easier than having to find a physical switch. There are even digital thermostats, that can let you control your heating with your Alexa device – so much can be set up to be controlled with Alexa.

If you want more information about how Alexa can help you, contact our Assistive Technology teams.

Email us your top tips: karen.mitchell@kab.org.uk

A day in the life of a Guide Communicator

I have been working for KAB for five years and mainly support one individual most days of the week.

Nick is severely sight impaired and deaf, so he is using the Guide Communicator one-to-one support service to help him with everyday tasks.

I start most days with a welcome coffee and a catch-up about TV, news, and his garden. I use the Deafblind Alphabet Manual to communicate with him. Today, Nick shows me some Lego (pictured here) that he has built - it’s a shopping centre and it’s really detailed!

I check the fridge to make sure no food is going out of date.

Unfortunately Nick has little communication with anyone else, so the one-to-one support is also beneficial for his emotional wellbeing. He also relies on me to prompt any decisions he needs to make throughout the day.

After I help him sort through his paperwork, we write a shopping list of what Nick might buy when out, discuss what Nick wants to do during the week and we organise his packed lunch for the day’s activities.

Nick enjoys walking through the local cemetery, as there are very few people there. The paths are wide, no kerbs

By Susie Tarrant KAB’s Guide Communicator

and no-one walking towards him. This makes him feel at ease and less hesitant when out and about. So we find a bench and have a picnic.

Nick plays many musical instruments and I assist the tutor to communicate with him during his drumming lessonshe’s very good! The photo above shows Nick and I at one of his lessons.

We pop to the supermarket to pick up any items needed. As soon as we get back to Nick’s house, I help him to put the shopping away and I make sure he has got everything he needs to cook his dinner. Nick and I get on really well and it’s a pleasure to meet up with him and help him in any way I can.

Our one-to-one support service is a real lifeline to people who have a sight impairment or dual sensory impairment. To find out more, contact our team on 01227 379333.

This is an advert and not a KAB recommendation. KAB is not able to advise on the suitability of a product, without discussing your individual needs with you. If you would like independent advice before making a purchase, please contact your local Rehab Team.

Compact 10 HD

With its large 10” screen, customisable features and intuitive operation, the Compact 10 HD offers all benefits of a desktop video magnifier, but in a much smaller, foldable, and portable design.

Unique swing-out arm

The Compact 10 HD is an ideal solution to magnify and read newspapers, letters, and magazines. But, its unique swing-out arm opens a whole new range of possibilities. With the arm unfolded, you can easily look at photos, view medicine packaging, and even read round cans, without being restricted in your movements. The arm even allows you to write your signature and finish crossword puzzles.

The image shows the Compact 10 on a newspaper with the print enlarged and someone pressing the screen.

The Compact 10 HD has a large, High Definition 10” touch screen. This allows you to fit more text on the screen for maximum overview. With more words on the screen simultaneously, you’ll find that reading becomes easier, and that you’ll have a better understanding of the text – even in high magnification.

Compact 10 HD

Add text to speech

Compact 10 HD is also available with Text to Speech, allowing you to listen to text as it is read out loud.

The Compact 10 HD Speech is an ideal solution to magnify and read newspapers, letters, and magazines. But, its unique swing-out arm opens a whole new range of possibilities. It effortlessly captures full-page documents and reads them to you. The convenient indicator at the foot of the Compact 10 HD Speech tells you exactly where to place the document you want to read. Just place the document, take a snapshot, and relax while the Compact 10 HD Speech reads text to you.

The image shows Compact 10 the

A non speech model can be purchased, and the speech feature add on at a future date.

Compact 10 HD speech Compact 10 HD Speech

Our Superhero fundraisers

by Beth Tabeart, Fundraising Manager

KAB’s Superhero 5K, 10K and Fun Run, sponsored by Specsavers Kent stores, took place from Margate Football Club on Sunday 14th August. The run was well attended, despite the 31 degree heat! Runners got into the spirit of the event and came dressed as their favourite superhero; from Batman and Supergirl to Howard the Duck and Groot!

With over 400 people signed up for the run, and through sponsorship and fundraising, we’ve raised over £16,000 so far, which is fantastic! We’re so grateful to all the runners, spectators, sponsors, volunteers, stall holders and local dignitaries who made our event such a success. A special mention also to Sporting Events UK, Clip ‘n Climb Thanet, Team Tasha Fitness, Orbit, Premier Foods, Thanet Council, Councillor Barry Lewis and Morrisons.

We had some visually impaired runners again this year, including our Chair of Trustees, Hazel Groves, and Rick Newman. Rick set himself a momentous challenge, as part of the Take on 250 campaign, to run 50 5Ks for KAB. Rick tells us: “For the last run in the challenge, I completed the Superhero Run, because KAB continue to support me through my sight loss.” So far, Rick has raised over £1,400 which is a great achievement.

When Rick was first diagnosed with his eye condition four years ago, his eyesight deteriorated quickly. He soon fell into a dark place and found it difficult to come to terms with. KAB has supported him through our Eye Clinic Liaison Officer service and at-home assessments by our Rehab team. Rick continues to work and with the support of KAB’s Assistive Technology team, he continues to use a computer and access additional technologies to help him stay independent.

Rick Newman is pictured here to the right accepting his certificate for completing his 50th 5K run for KAB. The Chair of KCC, Lesley Game, presented him with his certificate.

If you would like to run next year’s Superhero Run, we can get you in contact with a guide runner. Please email us at fundraising@kab.org.uk

The next Superhero Run will be in Maidstone in May.

The joys of reading

Having increased health and wellbeing, better sleep, improved confidence and increased emotional intelligence have all been cited as benefits of reading, amongst others.

Fortunately there are many accessible ways to continue your joy of reading.

Using your local library

You have free access to e-books, audio books and large print books from your local library. You must be registered with the library in order to access the service.

To access some of the audio and e-books, you will need to download the Libby app or the BorrowBox app and, as normal, the books will need to be returned at the end of the loan period.

Audible by Amazon

You can listen to audio books, which have been narrated by actors, via the Audible app or a Kindle device. Subscription is £7.99 per month which allows you to have one book each month. You can also listen to podcasts through Audible.

RNIB Talking Books

With over 34,000 fiction and non-fiction books for adults and children, you can borrow up to six books at a time. You can get your books for free by post, as a digital download, through an Amazon Alexa enabled device, on DAISY CD or USB stick.

By Nicola Forster KAB’s Senior Rehabilitation Worker

Calibre Audio

Calibre Audio is a national charity providing a collection of over 13,000 free audiobooks. They can be streamed directly from their website or downloaded to your mobile, tablet or computer. You can also listen via a memory stick or through the RealSAM voice-operated Samsung smartphone.

Kindle

If you don’t have a Kindle, you can download the app, which can be installed on a device you own. The accessibility features make it easy to enlarge the text and have it read out loud. If you have an Amazon Echo, Alexa can read your books out loud. Kindle e-books are purchased from Amazon and use synthesised speech (a robotic automatic voice), although you can upgrade some books to a narrated version for an additional cost. Kindle Unlimited has a monthly subscription of £7.99.

Useful apps

Seeing AI

Seeing AI is a free app created by Microsoft specifically for Apple iOS devices. You can use it to describe people standing in front of you (including gender, age and emotional status).

It’s also used to scan documents (as this photo shows) and read it back to you, to scan barcodes on products and to describe the world around you (including scenery and bank notes).

NaviLens Go

This brightly coloured code is starting to appear on cereal boxes and shampoo bottles. Download the NaviLens Go app and point it in the general direction of the product or sign. It will then give you all the information, such as ingredients or cooking instructions. Whilst it can read codes from long distances, there aren’t many products using it at the moment.

Freeview Play Accessible TV Guide

The Accessible TV Guide has been designed for visual impairments, with a high contrast interface, screen magnification, and (on some devices) a text-tospeech function. for your preferred the below

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• choose to watch a demo of how the guide the The will filtered version of the TV schedule showing the content own accessibility criteria. For more Guide

Heart of KAB Awards - nominate!

Nominate someone by 5th October by filling out our nomination form on our website www.kab.org.uk/who-weare/heart-of-kab-awards or call Karen Mitchell on 01622 358989 who will take your nomination over the phone. Categories include the Betty Betts award, Volunteer of the Year, Appreciation Award, Befriender, Spirit of KAB, Lifetime Achievement and Young Person of the Year.

This is an advert and not a KAB recommendation. KAB is not able to advise on the suitability of a product, without discussing your individual needs with you. If you would like independent advice before making a purchase, please contact your local Rehab Team.