Blind and partially sighted people use assistive technology or adaptations to make the world more accessible. Specialised assistive technology is often prohibitively expensive to many. With the introduction of Mobile phones and apps, it is no understatement to say, ‘There is an App for that’. Let’s explore my Top 5 Android Apps for Users with…Continue readingTop 5 Android Apps for Users with Sight Loss
Author: Tim Dixon
Tim Dixon has worked in IT for over 20 years, specifically within the Testing Inspection and Certification industry. Tim has Cone Dystrophy, a progressive sight loss condition that impacts his central vision, colour perception and makes him sensitive to light. He likes to share his experience of life and how he navigates the abyss of uncertainty.
Books are important for sharing knowledge and information, even in the Internet age. Books continue to be a crucial resource for education and leisure reading. So how does a blind person read books? Well, there are two main methods, Audio Books and Braille Books. Audio Books Audible, synonymous with audio books, was launched in 1995.…Continue readingHow does a Blind Person Read Books?
We all love watching TV but it is a visual experience, so how do you watch TV when Blind? While subtitles are known as an option for those who are hard of hearing, your TV and streaming devices also have a feature called Audio Description. Audio Description describes what is happening on screen when you…Continue readingHow do I Watch TV when Blind?
Earlier this year I took my kids (5 & 7) to the local shop. On route we came to the main road and I couldn’t see the cars coming to safely cross the road. It was the first time in a while that I had been out by myself and hadn’t realised how my sight…Continue readingWhat do you do when you can’t see to cross the road?
How to Fix Distant Bluetooth Audio
After recently getting the Poly Voyager Focus 2 headet to help block the noise of my air conditioning out while on calls all day long, I found they had a very distant Bluetooth audio. This seemed to only happen in calls and was extremely frustrating. After a bit of investigation, it turned out that Windows…Continue readingHow to Fix Distant Bluetooth Audio
How to keep GSuite Legacy for Free
Google announced the closure of GSuite legacy in January 2022. GSuite (formaly Google Apps) is a service that many signed up to for providing email for domain names. Google have not provided clear options to keep GSuite legacy accounts, apart from migrating to Google Workspace and paying handsomely for it. In typical Google style, they…Continue readingHow to keep GSuite Legacy for Free
Over the last few years there has been a rise in popularity of dark mode. Dark mode features are now readily available on operating systems and some websites. There are still many websites that don’t have the option and that’s where NightEye can help with browser extensions that can turnsany website into dark mode. NightEye…Continue readingHow to get Dark Mode websites on iPhone and iPad
A few months back, I saw an option in Apple Shortcuts to use an NFC to trigger a shortcut. Intrigued, I investigated How to use NFC to trigger Apple Shortcuts and found that NFC tags are inexpensive and easy to set up. What is an NFC Tag? A Near Field Communication tag is a small…Continue readingHow to use NFC to trigger Apple Shortcuts
After evangelising Braille to my family, I occasionally get sent images of Braille they see while out. This time it was of tactile signage for an accessible trail of Three Sisters by Wigan Council. The sign has a dark background with white text. Braille is directly under each block of text, making it accessible to…Continue readingTactile Signage Enables Accessible Walks
As my sight deteriorates, I realise that I am becoming increasingly dependent on my hearing and how relentless it is to listen all the time. This dependency made me feel vulnerable, especially for remaining in employment. Like most people I was vaguely aware of braille, so I started to investigate how I could learn more…Continue readingMy Journey to Learn Braille in 2021