New personal newsletter is out! I recap the ACB Convention, share updates on our 3D-printed accessible products, AI classes for blind users, and give a sneak peek at an offline assistive tech app we’re building. Lots to catch up on:
https://taylorarndt.substack.com/p/long-post-ahead-lets-catch-up
#Accessibility #BlindTech #AI #AssistiveTech #FediTech #InclusiveDesign #Newsletter
Day 2 of Perspective AT
It’s an app that answers questions about screen readers like JAWS and VoiceOver. Runs fully on your iPhone using Apple’s on-device AI — private and fast with no cloud needed.
Works on iPhone 15 Pro+ for now. Support for older phones is coming.
5,000+ examples added today. TestFlight coming before iOS 26.
Subscribe: https://www.techopolisonline.com/
#Accessibility #Blind #BlindTech #IndieDev #Apple #iOS #JAWS #VoiceOver #FOSS #TechForGood
If I had to pick one must-have tool for blindness and low vision? The #Meta smartglasses.
They help you explore your surroundings and snap awesome pics—no sight required.
Empowering, stylish, and smart.
#AssistiveTech #Accessibility #BlindTech #A11y
Tonight at 7 PM Central, I'm hosting an event on our Discord. We'll be talking about AI stuff and just hanging out together.
It's a relaxed space, so whether you're really into AI or just curious, you're welcome to join.
Here's the link to join the event:
https://discord.gg/Gdu6vvmM?event=1397982326444654722
Come hang out, learn something new, and have some fun.
#AIChat #TechTalk #DiscordEvent #AICommunity #MachineLearning #BlindTech #AccessibilityMatters #NeurodivergentInTech
Another project I’m working on is an app where you can ask AI assistive technology questions—like how to add a braille display to NVDA—and get instant answers. It uses Apple Foundation Models and runs 100% on-device, so your data stays private!
#AssistiveTech #BlindTech #NVDA #Accessibility #AppleAI #BlindCommunity
If you’ve already got a smartwatch, you’ve already got an AI device. The Apple Watch and Galaxy Watch have everything—mic, speaker, LTE—so why not use them as the default interface for personal AI?
This is where AI should live: on your wrist, always ready, always connected.
Double Tap: Where blind people talk tech! http://dltap.com/46rVTpe
#BlindTech #DoubleTap #Smartwatch #AI #AppleWatch #GalaxyWatch #Wearables #Accessibility
My new toy, AKA Braille Emotion, has been received, unboxed, and is set up. I already know I’m going to love it! I can read on my display again without having to deal with ghost dots. I was always reminded of Letter Man from the Electric Company when I dealt with those. It’s amazing how much one dot can change a word in Braille. But no more having to deal with that. Also, there’s more functionality in this display, which I plan to explore to the fullest. But I couldn’t stay up late to play with it, as there are things that need to get done tomorrow so I’ve got to get my sleep. #BlindTech #A11Y
Curious about AI tools like Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT? This intro session is designed for screen reader users. Learn how to:
Use Copilot and ChatGPT with a screen reader Summarize inaccessible PDF files Use conversation mode And more helpful tips!
Watch now on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xOEPks8F8-g
#BlindTech #ScreenReader #AItools #Accessibility #ChatGPT #MicrosoftCopilot #AEBC
Why cling to physical media when streaming offers everything? For less than the cost of one CD a month, you can unlock millions of songs, albums, and podcasts with Apple Music or Amazon Music.
Convenience, value, and endless discovery—all in your pocket.
Double Tap: Where blind people talk tech! http://dltap.com/46rVTpe
#BlindTech #DoubleTap #MusicStreaming #Accessibility #TechLife #CDsAreDead
The UK’s nukes are still running on Windows 95 and floppy disks. Not a joke. In 2025, one of the most powerful nations on Earth is still relying on tech most people tossed decades ago.
It’s a wild reminder of how deeply outdated some critical systems really are—and why that should worry everyone.
Double Tap: Where blind people talk tech! http://dltap.com/46rVTpe
#BlindTech #DoubleTap #TechNews #Windows95 #FloppyDisks #Accessibility #OutdatedTech #DisabilityCommunity #AssistiveTech
Mobility isn’t just instinct—it’s training. Knowing how to use a white cane, feel your shoreline, and rely on your ears and feet takes time and guidance.
Until you’ve been taught, it’s hard to understand what you’re missing.
Double Tap: Where blind people talk tech! http://dltap.com/46rVTpe
#BlindTech #DoubleTap #Mobility #Orientation #CaneSkills #DisabilitySupport
One listener called out the Apple overload in our podcast feed—and fair enough.
It’s WWDC season, but Android fans, don’t worry. We’re getting to you next.
Double Tap: Where blind people talk tech! http://dltap.com/46rVTpe
#BlindTech #DoubleTap #Android #Apple #TechPodcasts #AccessibilityTalk
11 AI isn’t a consumer tool—yet. It’s a developer-first project from ElevenLabs that lets builders integrate ultra-realistic voices into their platforms.
A sneak peek at the future of accessible, lifelike voice interaction.
Double Tap: Where blind people talk tech! http://dltap.com/46rVTpe
#BlindTech #DoubleTap #AI #ElevenLabs #VoiceTech #AccessibilityTools
Despite its ups and downs, ChatGPT is evolving fast—and might be more useful than you think, especially when paired with features like the Action Button.
It’s not perfect, but every update brings it closer to being the go-to tool for on-the-go answers.
Double Tap: Where blind people talk tech! http://dltap.com/46rVTpe
#BlindTech #DoubleTap #ChatGPT #AI #AccessibilityTools #VoiceTech
Tech trainers often default to Apple—not because it’s better, but because it’s familiar. That bias creates a legacy hangover, shaping accessibility training and excluding Android without cause.
We need to question outdated preferences that still shape modern accessibility choices.
Double Tap: Where blind people talk tech! http://dltap.com/46rVTpe
#BlindTech #DoubleTap #TechTraining #AppleVsAndroid #Accessibility #DisabilityTech
You wouldn’t lock your door to paying customers—so why make your business inaccessible? From malls to hospitals to airports, blind and low vision people want to shop, travel, and spend just like everyone else.
Accessibility isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s revenue.
Double Tap: Where blind people talk tech! http://dltap.com/46rVTpe
#BlindTech #DoubleTap #Accessibility #InclusionMatters #DisabilityRights #AccessibleDesign
If you were excited for Android’s big Material 3 redesign, hold that thought. It’s not landing with Android 16—at least not yet. What users are getting instead may just be a renamed feature drop. The polish will have to wait till fall.
Double Tap: Where blind people talk tech! http://dltap.com/46rVTpe
#BlindTech #DoubleTap #Android16 #MaterialDesign #Accessibility #TechNews
Even seasoned travelers like our friend Kayaker Scott benefit from orientation & mobility refreshers.
Confidence doesn’t equal perfection—and returning to the basics can reignite essential skills.
Double Tap: Where blind people talk tech! http://dltap.com/46rVTpe
#BlindTech #DoubleTap #MobilityTraining #OMSkills #Accessibility
@NVAccess
Hi everyone, hope all is well! Quick question for those using NVDA on Windows. I’m trying to help someone by remotely controlling their computer using the built-in NVDA Remote feature. But when I press F11, I can’t seem to control the other computer. Any ideas or tips? Appreciate the help! We are on the latest update of NVDA.
\#NVDA #Accessibility #ScreenReader #BlindTech #Windows #TechHelp
I woke up to a comment so smug, so perfectly soaked in gatekeeping and faux-righteous posturing, it earned its own blog post.
You want freedom? You want GNU/Linux to mean something?
Then maybe start by not telling disabled users to go fuck themselves with a smile.
This commenter thought they were defending "software freedom." What they were really doing was kicking people out of the room. Dismissing accessibility. Mocking effort. Pretending that cruelty is some kind of rite of passage. They quoted Stallman like it was scripture, ignored real-world experience like it was noise, and wrapped it all in condescension dressed as virtue.
I’ve spent over a decade in this ecosystem. Writing patches. Rebuilding broken stacks. Helping blind users boot systems upstream doesn’t even test. I didn’t "just install Arch and whine about the terminal." I lived in it. I survived it. I held it together when maintainers disappeared and no one else gave a damn.
But apparently, because I didn’t call it GNU/Linux™ and because I dared to talk about how this OS chews people up and spits them out, I’m lazy. I’m weak. I should "get a dog."
So I wrote a response. Line by line. No mercy. No euphemisms.
This isn’t just about one comment. This is about every time someone’s been told they don’t belong because they couldn’t learn fast enough, code well enough, or survive long enough. It’s about everyone who was pushed out while the gatekeepers patted themselves on the back for "preserving the spirit of free software."
You want a free system? Start by making it livable. Because freedom that demands you crawl bleeding through a broken bootloader isn’t freedom. It’s abandonment dressed in ideology.
And if this kind of gatekeeping is your idea of community?
You can keep it.
https://fireborn.mataroa.blog/blog/you-dont-own-the-word-freedom-a-full-burn-response-to-the-gnulinux-comment-that-tried-to-gatekeep-me-off-my-own-machine/
#Linux #GNU #FOSS #Accessibility #BlindTech #FreeSoftware #Gatekeeping #DisabilityInTech #OpenSource #Orca #ScreenReaders #ArchLinux #BurnItDown #blogpost
