The Canadian Council of the Blind Podcast

The Apps and Taps lecture series is designed for people who want to continue learning about how to make the most of their iPhones while totally blind. While it doesn’t require people to have participated in the Unseen Touchscreen course, it assumes that participants have a basic working knowledge of how to use VoiceOver and the iOS operating system. Lectures of the Unseen Touchscreen course remain available in the CCB podcast if needed. In the Apps and Taps lecture series, we will dive deeply into various settings and concepts in the iOS operating system. One priority will be discussing new capabilities and changes which emerge in iOS, such as the arrival of Apple Intelligence. We will also go on deep dives into how to use a wide range of apps which are accessible using VoiceOver. These apps may be made by Apple and come on your iPhone. They may also be developed by third-party developers and be available from the App Store. Similar to the format used for the Unseen Touchscreen course, there will be two sessions per month. The first session will typically occur on the first Wednesday of the month. It will consist of a lecture which will be recorded for inclusion in the CCB podcast. Those who attend the lecture will be able to ask questions after the lecture is recorded, if time permits. The second session will typically be held on the third Wednesday of the month and will not be recorded. It will be an opportunity to ask any questions related to that month’s lecture or any other topic related to using iPhones from a blindness perspective. This will hopefully make certain that people get help and ideas from fellow iPhone users with whatever their current issues or areas of curiosity might be. It will also be a chance to learn about any newly discovered accessible apps.

During this course, we have discussed what your iPhone can do for you as a totally blind user. We have also discussed how to use your iPhone effectively, the many available accessible apps, and the many features built into your iPhone. Owning an iPhone is as consequential to one’s life as owning a car or house. In this final lecture, Michael Feir will discuss how to live well as owners of these powerful devices. He will point out some of the pitfalls which have proved damaging to individual users and society as a whole. He will share his best advice on how to minimize your chances of falling into these traps. On the other hand, knowing how to do things with your iPhone at the right time can be very empowering and stand us in good stead. We can use it to help ourselves and those with whom we share meaningful connections. Michael will give some pointers on how to be as ready as possible to use our iPhones well when it really matters. He also discusses how to keep your iPhone ready to serve and avoid doing things which make it less capable without good reason.

In this lecture, the focus will be on the personal economics of owning an iPhone. Having a device which can do so much means that you’re likely to save money which you might have needed to spend on other devices. You can also tap into markets of digital goods such as apps, books, and streaming services, among many others. There are unavoidable costs such as the price of the iPhone, accessories and a cellular data plan. We will examine these costs as well as other optional expenses. I’ll be sharing some advice on how to maximize your enjoyment while spreading out or minimizing costs.

The online world offers blind people many extraordinary benefits. However, owning an iPhone also exposes us to all of the spam calls, scams, fake emails, identity theft attempts, and other malicious activity. In this lecture, I will share what wisdom I’ve gained in avoiding becoming a victim of such activities while still participating in online life. We will also cover how your iPhone can protect you from this activity.

We have come a long way in the Unseen Touchscreen course. The focus of this month’s lecture is on using your iPhone to help you navigate and go places in the real world. There is a wide variety of apps which can help you do this. They typically use the GPS receiver in your iPhone combined with constantly updated map information. Some apps are built for absolutely everyone and made accessible to VoiceOver. Others are built specifically with blind users in mind. In this lecture, we’ll cover examples of both kinds of these apps, plus other apps which help with navigation and transportation.

Your iPhone and the right apps can let you participate in social media from wherever you might be. In this lecture, we’ll talk about the dangers and benefits which participating in social media can entail. Rather than attempt to familiarize you with the various apps, we’ll focus more on common elements and the VoiceOver skills you’ll need to get the most out of whatever platform you might choose to explore.

Your iPhone makes a very accessible gateway to all sorts of entertainment, including various streaming services. In this session, we’ll talk about some popular ones like Netflix, Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video. We’ll also discuss what makes YouTube and Twitch somewhat different from other platforms. How to explore content and how to activate described audio on the various services will be covered.

In this session, we’ll cover some of the new features and changes that Apple has introduced in iOS 26. Besides less impactful changes for blind users like liquid glass, there are a bunch of new accessibility features. These include Braille Access mode, updates to VoiceOver, changes to numerous apps, and more. While this won’t be an exhaustive exploration of each feature, the hope is to make people aware of the newly added features and provide enough knowledge to start exploring any that interest you for yourselves.

In part two of our discussion about productivity apps on iPhones, we take a whirlwind tour of possibilities. A wide range of apps to help with everything from task management, cooking recipes, scheduling events, recording music, and many more activities will be briefly covered. While I’ll offer some explanations of how to use various apps, the main goal is to make people more aware of the possibilities for getting things done and managing your work using your iPhone. Beyond apps, we’ll also briefly discuss features included in your iPhone which may prove helpful.

Your iPhone can help you get things done and be productive. In the first part of our look at productivity related apps and capabilities, we’ll get an overview of this. A good grasp of aspects of VoiceOver is vital. We’ll explore those aspects and also take a deeper dive into apps related to writing and office work.

One of the most powerful ways an iPhone has changed my life is through making books accessible and portable. This month’s lecture is all about how to acquire and read eBooks and audiobooks using your iPhone. Accessible digital libraries, small publishers, and large outlets such as Apple and Amazon make books available in digital form. Apps on your iPhone like Kindle, Audible, Voice Dream Reader, and others let you take full advantage of these books. While it’s impossible to cover everything, I’ll attempt to give you an idea how things work and give you an idea of the lay of the land. Just in time for a Summer of portable and accessible reading.

Your iPhone is a great device for listening to podcasts and internet radio. There are thousands of radio stations which broadcast over the internet. Many of them are run by people who are blind. Besides great shows to listen to, you can interact and be a part of a community by using social media and email. Podcasts are another area where blind people have gotten involved. There are podcasts about pretty much everything and most are free to listen to. In this cession, we’ll discuss these forms of entertainment and community. You’ll learn about different apps used to hear internet radio stations and podcasts. We’ll also discuss how you can participate all from your iPhone.

In our modern lives, mental and physical health is an increasing concern. Using apps and sensors on our iPhone and in accessories we can connect it to, there are many ways in which your iPhone can assist you. iPhones can count the steps we take as we carry them with us. Workout apps can offer training and encouragement to keep ourselves fit. They can give us an outlet to journal our thoughts. Recent additions include mood tracking and mental health assessment questionnaires which assess our danger of anxiety or depression. Meditation apps like headspace can provide numerous mindfulness tools. There are also books and podcasts which our iPhones can help us find and access. We’ll take a whirlwind tour of all of these and hopefully provide enough information to get people started.

The first lecture on accessible games focussed on good games for beginners and exploring different types of games. In this second lecture, we look more closely at the economics behind what games are available. We talk about why some great games have disappeared from the app store and what keeps some old favourites viable. I’ll talk about some of the deeper more complex games available and why they’re some of my favourites. Also, we’ll look beyond apps to how your iPhone can help you participate and play other kinds of games like physical board and card games. We’ll also touch on how your iPhone can help you play tabletop roleplaying games with friends both online and in person.

The GTT program is excited to have a representative from Innosearch.ai Visiting us to introduce an innovative accessible shopping page! This platform brings together products from multiple companies, all designed with accessibility in mind. It offers an inclusive shopping experience tailored for individuals using assistive technology, ensuring a seamless and empowering journey for everyone. Join us to learn how this cutting-edge tool makes online shopping more inclusive, efficient, and enjoyable for all.

We learn best when we’re busy having too much fun to realize that it’s happening. With their power to engage us, games can teach us lessons about ourselves, each other, and the technology we use to play them. Text adventures built of words, statistics and story can motivate us to learn typing and how to review the screen. Other games might improve our reflexes or show us the consequences of taking risks. Games of chance played with others might help break the ice so those others become friends. This week, we’ll begin a two part tour of the kinds of games which blind people can obtain and play using their iPhones. From story adventures to board games, strategy simulations and arcade audio action, there’s a lot of fun to be had. The lectures will focus on giving people a sense of what’s available. For live demonstrations of some games suitable for beginners, people can join us on the third Wednesday in February and March for cessions focussed on helping participants understand how to actually start playing games particularly good for beginners.

The camera on your iPhone is a tremendously useful addition for Blind users. Combined with the internet, human sighted volunteers and artificial intelligence, the right apps can do a whole lot of good. We’ll discuss the apps which harness these capabilities to help you read printed documents, identify items, find lost things and tell you what is around. We’ll also discuss some of the implications of these tools and the economics making it all possible.

The app store is absolutely essential for anybody who wants to make the most of their iPhone. In this cession, we’ll explore the app store in full. You’ll learn how to get to various areas. From searching for apps, managing subscriptions, checking for app updates, and purchasing or redeeming gift cards, there’s a lot of digital ground to cover. We’ll also touch on why it’s helpful to look elsewhere for accessible app recommendations and discuss the changing economics behind the apps we use.

The Internet in your pocket is a core reason why you want an iPhone with you. Many apps tap into information available via the web. However, the Safari browser or a third party alternative of your choice will serve as your direct gateway to sites on the web which you want to visit. This month, we’ll take a deep dive and explore the Safari browser. It comes on your iPhone as an important part of iOS. You’ll learn how to navigate the web and how to take advantage of resources there through Safari. We’ll also talk about the settings associated with this browser. Third party alternatives won’t be covered in detail but we’ll briefly discuss why you might want to try them out.

There’s a lot which has been updated in iOS 18. This month, we’ll begin our detour from the second edition of the book in order to fill people in on these changes. We’ll talk about the new tutorial for VoiceOver users which is now available right in the VoiceOver settings. We’ll also look at how audio ducking has been updated and is now far more useful. There’s plenty which has changed outside of VoiceOver. The settings for iOS have been rearranged so we’ll go over how that crucial area has changed.