Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday, November 5, 2026 – Volume 1092

Can This Giant Android Tablet Help With Low Vision? VLH 27-Inch Smart TV Review & Accessibility | The Blind Life | YouTube.com | October 31, 2026

Showcasing the VLH 2-in-1 portable smart TV, Sam from The Blind Life evaluates whether its 27-inch Android touchscreen can make day-to-day computing more workable for people with low vision. The review also documents an app-rotation setting that initially caused display problems and notes that disabling rotation for profile apps resolves the issue.

The Holidays Are Coming in Hot, So Let’s Go Shopping! | Let’s Go Shopping Virtual Events | November 7 and 8, 2026

Gift-giving season is almost upon us, and so is the epic, online, accessible, 2-day virtual mall crawl, Let’s Go Shopping! Find perfect presents for all of your friends and loved ones, including apparel, accessories, art, jewelry, fragrance, gadgets, home decor and lots more! Shop til you drop and support a small business, and get that gift list licked from the comfort of your couch. Let’s Go Shopping begins at 10 AM Pacific time on Saturday, November 7, and on Sunday, November 8. Get the event schedule, vendor directory, and announcements about discounts and door prizes by opting in at https://accessibleinsights.info/blog/lets-go-shopping/ or send a blank email to lgs+subscribe@groups.io 📧️ and you’ll be added to our invite list. It’s the 11th edition of this holiday gift extravaganza, where we connect small businesses with the customers who need them. Join us, and power shop in your pj’s! Ready for a little retail therapy? Let’s Go Shopping!

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1.) Top 5 Most Clicked Tidbits From Last Week 📊️

A.) JAWS Power Tip: How To Display All Formulas in an Excel Worksheet with JAWS | Freedom Scientific via TopTechTidbits.com | October 29, 2026

Formulas are instructions that tell Excel to calculate results from your data, and they matter because they automatically update when the underlying numbers change. Displaying all formulas in a worksheet helps you review how the spreadsheet works, find errors, and confirm that calculations are using the correct cells.

B.) 4 Ray-Ban Meta Privacy Settings You Should Change Before Wearing Them | Engadget.com | October 26, 2026

Engadget walks through four privacy settings for Ray-Ban Meta glasses in the Meta AI app: turning off the Hey Meta wake phrase, keeping photos off Meta’s cloud, stopping the sharing of additional usage data, and opting out of AI training on visual data. Each section explains what the change protects and which features it costs.

C.) Google Accessibility Newsletter October 2026 | Accessibility.Google | October 26, 2026

Google’s October 2026 accessibility newsletter covers Guided Vision in Gemini Live, a single TalkBack app shared by Google and Samsung, and TalkBack gains in braille display support, web text selection and physical keyboard hints. Pixel 11 adds Sign-to-Text, which turns American Sign Language into written English, and Rambler dictation, while Chrome, YouTube, Workspace and Search add an immersive Reading Mode, translated captions, a neurodiversity guide and AI Mode keyboard shortcuts.

D.) Should You Learn Windows or Mac When Preparing for Work, From a Blindness Perspective | Jeffrey’s Soapbox | October 24, 2026

The author, who has used all five major platforms, argues that a blind job seeker starting from zero should learn Windows with JAWS or NVDA first, because most large employers run Windows and Microsoft 365. The post also covers groundwork such as touch typing and Windows concepts, and where the Mac and VoiceOver fall short at work.

E.) Scott Davert Writes About the Orbit Flow 40 | Scott Davert | October 27, 2026

A mini review of the Orbit Flow 40, Orbit Research’s $2,495 wired 40-cell braille display with no battery, Bluetooth or internal functions, praises its quiet piezoelectric cells, solid aluminum build and plug-and-play Braille HID support with JAWS, NVDA and iOS. Its C keys do not yet support chords, which Orbit Research says a firmware update will address.

November 5, 2026 📅️

2.) JAWS Power Tip: How To Choose the Right Web Verbosity Level to Fit Your Needs | Freedom Scientific via TopTechTidbits.com | November 5, 2026

When you browse the web, JAWS can announce both the page’s content and its structure. Structural information includes headings, regions, forms, tables, lists, and the beginning or end of those elements.

November 4, 2026 📅️

3.) Can My Wife Cook Blind? Testing The Tovala Oven’s Accessibility | The Blind Life | YouTube.com | November 4, 2026

Showcasing Tovala’s smart oven through an accessibility challenge, Sam asks his wife Rachel to prepare a meal while using glasses that mimic macular degeneration. The test centers on whether the appliance’s workflow and meal preparation remain manageable with severe low vision.

4.) Amazon’s New Echo Devices, Siri Recap And Accessible WhatsApp Risks | Double Tap | YouTube.com | November 4, 2026

Cutting through the hype around Amazon’s latest Echo lineup, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece examine higher prices, delayed Alexa+ access, and the accessibility implications of the company’s new hardware. They also assess iOS 27.3’s Siri Recap and Safari changes, Meta’s ability to ban users of third-party WhatsApp clients, and the hardware limits facing local AI on an ASUS ProArt PX13.

5.) How AI Is Changing the Way We Read, Learn, and Organize Information | GoodEReader.com | November 4, 2026

Good e-Reader looks at how AI features in e-readers and reading apps can summarize and explain material, adapt learning to different readers, organize digital notes and libraries, and connect reading to everyday planning, while cautioning that summaries can miss context and that readers should verify claims and protect their privacy.

6.) NVDA 2026.3.1rc1 Available for Testing | NVAccess.org | November 4, 2026

NV Access has released NVDA 2026.3.1rc1, a release candidate for a patch release that fixes security issues, corrects a Windows 10 task switcher bug introduced in 2026.3 and restores the earlier behavior of the Brazilian Portuguese eSpeak voice. Installing the release candidate moves users to NVDA’s beta and release candidate update channel.

7.) Social Media Accessibility: Where Composing a Post Breaks | UsableNet.com | November 4, 2026

In the first of a three-part series, blind screen reader user Michael Taylor describes the barriers he meets composing social media posts on a phone, including unlabeled or vaguely labeled icon buttons, text fields he cannot return to, unlabeled color pickers, media thumbnails the screen reader cannot find and autoplaying videos that drown out speech.

8.) Pneuma Solutions Brings Free Document Accessibility Program to Canadian Classrooms | Pneuma Solutions | November 4, 2026

Pneuma Solutions is offering Canadian teachers of the visually impaired free access to Scribe, its document conversion service, for K-12 classroom materials. Approved teachers can turn documents into tagged PDF, HTML, braille, large print, EPUB, DAISY, and MP3 formats. The program covers automated conversion for individual educators, requires yearly re-verification, and offers human remediation for a fee. Teachers apply with a school email address.

9.) Podcast: After Sight and AwareWolf Gear Take the White Cane Project Nationwide | BlindAbilities.com | November 4, 2026

After Sight and AwareWolf Gear are taking the White Cane Project nationwide, sending free white canes to blind and low vision people across the United States with shipping covered. Jeff Thompson and Pete Lane talk with Kim Wardlow, Penn Street, Bari Azman, and Sedona Dave about how it grew from Penn handing out spare canes to Colorado transit riders. They also compare the Urban Xplorer and All-Terrain canes and explain how to request one.

10.) Podcast: Eyes on Success Episode 2644: Vispero Brings Agentic AI to JAWS and Fusion | November 4, 2026

Emerging AI features are transforming how visually impaired individuals interact with everyday software programs. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Elizabeth Whitaker and Rachel Buchanan from Vispero about updates in JAWS and Fusion 2027. They explain how new agentic AI tools can answer questions and take direct action to help users get unstuck.

November 3, 2026 📅️

11.) Listener Inbox: Tailscale, Dream Jobs And The Case For Vibe Coding | Double Tap | YouTube.com | November 3, 2026

Cutting through the hype around vibe coding, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece examine how blind people can use Claude and Xcode to build accessible tools on their own terms. They also weigh document privacy, Shaun’s Claudio beta, persistent iOS and Windows bugs, and whether Tailscale is the right way to connect an iPhone with a Windows laptop.

12.) Accessible Voting? Well, Sort Of! | The Blind Life | YouTube.com | November 3, 2026

Examining the uneven state of accessible voting, Sam outlines where election access still falls short for blind and low-vision voters. The discussion centers on the gap between accessibility promises and the practical barriers that can make casting a private, independent ballot difficult.

13.) AppleVis Unlimited: What’s New and Noteworthy for October 2026 | AppleVis.com | November 3, 2026

The October edition of AppleVis Unlimited rounds up the month’s new and updated accessible apps, the ReSort water sort puzzle as app pick of the month, reviews of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, coverage of Apple’s new HomePod mini, Apple TV, iPad mini, iMac and MacBook Pro, AppleVis Podcast episodes and popular forum topics.

14.) Beyond the Pixels: A New Way to Explore Photos With ZoomText 2027 | Vispero.com | November 3, 2026

Vispero explains Photo Tracking, a new ZoomText and Fusion 2027 feature that recognizes people, animals and objects in an image so low vision users can move directly between them at high magnification, with recognition done locally on the computer. The post also covers magnifying protected workplace content and a new performance setting.

15.) Yes, Your Braille Computer Can Do That Now! October 2026 | BlazieTech.com | November 3, 2026

Blazie Technologies spotlights five of the biggest additions in the October 2026 update for the BT Speak and BT Braille, which the company calls one of its largest updates yet, bringing new features, improvements and accessibility enhancements to both devices.

16.) Sports Scores 1.0.1 Is Out for Windows and iPhone | Sports Scores | November 3, 2026

Sports Scores 1.0.1 for Windows and iPhone is a bug-fix release that restores box scores across most sports, adds real screen reader announcements and better keyboard use on Windows, and brings back the football week arrows on iPhone, where the app is available through TestFlight.

17.) What’s New in JAWS 2027 | FreedomScientific.com | November 3, 2026

The JAWS 2027 release notes cover Vispero Companion, now a single conversational home for JAWS AI features that can also complete tasks and change settings on request through an Early Adopter Program, along with faster MuseScore navigation, cleaner Windows Terminal and Command Prompt output and easier reading of AI chat responses.

18.) What’s New in ZoomText 2027 Magnifier/Reader | FreedomScientific.com | November 3, 2026

The ZoomText 2027 release notes describe Photo Tracking for moving between people and objects in images, a command to view content protected from screen capture, a choice between best text quality and best performance, a reorganized Tools toolbar, true center tracking in the Startup Wizard and many fixes.

November 2, 2026 📅️

19.) How To Convert Your Math To An Accessible Canvas Page Using Mathpix | The Accessibility Guy | YouTube.com | November 2, 2026

Showcasing a Mathpix-based conversion process, The Accessibility Guy walks viewers through turning math-heavy PDF material into accessible Canvas LMS pages. The workflow pairs Mathpix’s equation recognition with ChatGPT to help preserve mathematical content in a format better suited to accessible course delivery.

20.) Can Every Game Be Accessible? Stefan Wilhelm On Inclusive Gaming | Double Tap | YouTube.com | November 2, 2026

Cutting through the assumptions around accessible play, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece examine with Stefan Wilhelm whether mainstream games can offer blind and sighted players an equally engaging experience. Wilhelm outlines Inclusive Gaming’s player-led design process, its AVOS AI assistant for inaccessible titles, and Dinonid’s planned release across Windows, mobile, and BlindShell.

21.) EchoVision App From AGIGA Available on BlindShell Classic 2 and BlindShell Classic 3 Phones | AGIGA | November 2, 2026

AGIGA’s EchoVision Smart Glasses app is now available on BlindShell Classic 2 and Classic 3 keypad phones, letting owners pair the glasses over Bluetooth, receive firmware updates and change voice, mode, privacy and accessibility settings without a touchscreen phone. The announcement includes install steps for each phone.

22.) SharpVox TTS: An Experimental Formant Speech Synthesizer Based on Academic Research | SharpVox TTS | November 2, 2026

SharpVox TTS is an open-source, MIT-licensed experimental formant speech synthesizer built from public academic literature, supporting English and experimental Japanese, with high-rate speech tuned with reference to TGSpeechBox. Its developer welcomes contributions and pronunciation reports through GitHub or Discord.

23.) Why Google DeepMind Chose Aira: Troy Otillio on Project Astra | Aira.io | November 2, 2026

Aira CEO Troy Otillio explains why Google DeepMind turned to Aira for Project Astra and Guided Vision in Gemini Live, describing how real, consented visual interpreting calls help train AI, how Explorers can opt out of sharing sessions, Aira’s role in Google’s Trusted Tester program and where live AI still falls short.

24.) Top Tech Tidbits Surpasses 50,000 Weekly Readers | Aaron Di Blasi | TopTechTidbits.com | November 2, 2026

Here, Aaron Di Blasi, publisher of Top Tech Tidbits, celebrates the newsletter passing 50,000 weekly readers, almost seven times the 7,435 subscribers it had when Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. became its distributor on June 4, 2020. He credits that growth to the readers, partners and Sponsors behind it, and explains what the milestone means for Sponsorship pricing, with current Sponsors keeping their rate for as long as they remain Sponsors.

November 1, 2026 📅️

25.) Stormux Update: New x86_64 and AArch64 Images Available | Stormux.org | November 1, 2026

New Stormux images for x86_64 and AArch64 add a default voice choice during setup, Cthulhu and Fenrir screen readers rewritten in Go for faster performance, a revamped I38 desktop, custom desktop shortcuts in Ratpoison mode and Wine accessibility support on x86_64. Existing users can update with yay -Syu instead of reinstalling.

26.) Amazon Seeks Feedback On Its New Independent Living Shop Through A Five-Minute Survey | Amazon.com | November 1, 2026

Amazon is previewing the Independent Living Shop, a new storefront at amazon.com/ils where shoppers in the United States can browse products by need, from Vision and Hearing to Tremors and Cognitive. Kiran Kaja, Amazon’s Principal Product Manager for accessible shopping, is asking shoppers with disabilities to browse the shop and then answer the anonymous survey by November 12, ahead of the wider launch later in November.

October 31, 2026 📅️

27.) Can This Giant Android Tablet Help With Low Vision? VLH 27-Inch Smart TV Review & Accessibility | The Blind Life | YouTube.com | October 31, 2026

Showcasing the VLH 2-in-1 portable smart TV, Sam from The Blind Life evaluates whether its 27-inch Android touchscreen can make day-to-day computing more workable for people with low vision. The review also documents an app-rotation setting that initially caused display problems and notes that disabling rotation for profile apps resolves the issue.

28.) Podcast: Review of the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x-STS-USB StreamSet Streaming Headset | Jamie Pauls | October 31, 2026

On his podcast The Pauls Place, Jamie Pauls reviews the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x-STS-USB StreamSet streaming headset, which he says he is pleased with at around $250.

October 30, 2026 📅️

29.) Dueling Duos: Two New iPhone Duo Users Discuss The Pros And Cons Of Apple’s New Foldable Phone | Double Tap | YouTube.com | October 30, 2026

Cutting through the hype around Apple’s iPhone Duo, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece test the foldable alongside David Nason, focusing on how its changing form factor works with VoiceOver and low vision. The discussion examines tactile screen cues, awkward home-screen behavior, Touch ID, battery life, and Split View’s potential to make the Duo feel like two independently accessible phones in one device.

30.) Accessibility Regression in the Windows Start Menu Has Been Corrected | Access On | October 30, 2026

Access On reports that Microsoft has rolled out a server-side fix for a significant accessibility regression in the Windows Start Menu that blind users had been reporting. The fix had reached about 10 percent of users when it was announced, and no new Windows build is needed to receive it.

31.) Comparing the Walmart App With Shipt: A User’s Comments | COBOL Dragon | October 30, 2026

A blind shopper who has long used Shipt compares a first Walmart+ grocery order, finding the Walmart site slightly more accessible, with a better search box, clearer product details and clear delivery time choices, while missing Shipt’s ability to text the shopper during the order.

32.) ElevenLabs Launches Eleven v4, Its Most Expressive Text-to-Speech Model Yet | ElevenLabs.io | October 30, 2026

ElevenLabs has launched Eleven v4, a new text-to-speech model built to interpret tone, pacing, emotion and context, along with a low-latency Eleven v4 Turbo for voice agents. Both support more than 90 languages, more consistent voice cloning from as little as 10 seconds of audio and inline audio tags for directing delivery.

33.) Cobolt Systems Introduces a Talking Air Fryer Oven | Cobolt Systems | October 30, 2026

Cobolt Systems in the United Kingdom has added a Talking Air Fryer Oven to its range, combining air frying with a traditional oven layout, a 12-liter capacity, two adjustable shelves, a rotisserie basket, touch controls with a rotating dial, seven preset cooking programs and spoken feedback.

34.) NoteFetch: A Free, Accessible Way to Get Plaud Recordings, Transcripts and Summaries Onto a Windows PC | Laurent Cadet de Fontenay | October 30, 2026

NoteFetch is a free, screen-reader-first Windows program, built by a blind psychologist and tested with JAWS and NVDA, that uses Plaud’s official server to download recordings, transcripts and AI summaries from a Plaud account into ordinary folders on the PC and keep them up to date, with a list for playing, renaming and sorting them.

35.) Voting With Aira | Aira | October 30, 2026

Aira reminds its Explorers that if a polling place allows someone to accompany a voter while filling out a ballot, using an Aira Visual Interpreter is generally fine, and suggests contacting the local board of elections with any questions.

October 29, 2026 📅️

36.) Touchscreen MacBook Pro And Amazon’s New Alexa+ Echo Lineup: Who Are They For? | Double Tap | YouTube.com | October 29, 2026

Cutting through the hype around premium Apple laptops and Amazon’s Alexa+ hardware, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece examine who these expensive devices are designed to serve, particularly among blind and low-vision users. They weigh the touchscreen MacBook Pro’s accessibility controls against Amazon’s new Echo Dot, Echo Time, Photo Frame, camera-equipped Echo Studio, and $499.99 Echo Show 16.

37.) Andre Louis Releases Phonon Voices for NVDA, SAPI, Mac and iOS | Andre Louis | October 29, 2026

Andre Louis has released Phonon, a set of 102 multilingual neural voices that use the computer’s graphics processor to stay responsive even on modest hardware, as an NVDA add-on, a SAPI voice for Windows and a Mac version. A free iOS and iPadOS app also brings the offline voices to VoiceOver, with no account, subscription or speech server required.

38.) BlindFB: A Screen-Reader-Friendly Facebook and Messenger Client for Windows, macOS and Linux | BlindFB | October 29, 2026

BlindFB is a beta Facebook and Messenger client for Windows, macOS and Linux, built with AI-assisted coding, that lets screen reader users read, post and chat without using the Facebook website. Its developer, who also created the BlindRSS reader for Windows, asks that feedback be filed as issues on the project’s GitHub page.

39.) Captioned Doesn’t Always Mean Accessible | WebAIM.org | October 29, 2026

WebAIM argues that accurate dialogue is only part of quality captioning, explaining that accessible captions also identify speakers, represent meaningful sounds and get timing, readability and placement right. It recommends reviewing both automatic and paid captions against established guidelines, with resources from DCMP, the BBC and Utah State University.

40.) DoorDash Is Acquiring Instacart for $17 Billion | TheVerge.com | October 29, 2026

The Verge reports that DoorDash has agreed to buy Instacart in a deal valued at about $17 billion, with Instacart’s brand and app staying separate and DashPass and Instacart Plus members able to pay a single membership fee. The deal is expected to close at the end of 2027 or in the first half of 2028, pending regulatory approval.

41.) Free Android Screen Reader SandFly 0.2.0 Includes an Interactive Tutorial | SandFly | October 29, 2026

SandFly, a free Android screen reader built on TalkBack, reaches version 0.2.0 with a 16-lesson interactive gesture tutorial, settings arranged by topic, a Commands screen, translation features that work offline, arrow key navigation and many fixes. An optional paid SandFly Pro add-on offers an AI agent that can operate inaccessible apps and AI image descriptions.

42.) PresentAble Lets JAWS Users Independently Create Professional PowerPoint Presentations | JonathanSimeone.com | October 29, 2026

Jonathan Simeone introduces PresentAble, a Windows app he built with AI-assisted coding and sells with Hartgen Consultancy, which works with JAWS to help blind users create professional PowerPoint presentations on their own through warnings, errors and suggestions when content runs past its area on a slide.

43.) Version 3.1 of the NLS HumanWare eReader Software Is Now Available | NLS | October 29, 2026

The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled has released version 3.1 of the software for its HumanWare braille eReader, adding search and browsing of the NLS music collection on BARD, Assigned Titles for students who use Bookshare, updated and additional braille tables and bug fixes. The update installs over Wi-Fi or from a cartridge requested from a network library.

44.) Sao Mai Center for the Blind Updates SM BungSang for macOS and Brings SM Readmate to the App Store | Sao Mai Center for the Blind | October 29, 2026

The Sao Mai Center for the Blind has updated SM BungSang, its braille music translation app for macOS, with fixes for older macOS versions and MusicXML crashes plus two new options, and released its SM Readmate ebook reader on the App Store for iOS and macOS, with Android and Windows versions on its website.

45.) Vispero Connect: October 2026 – What’s New in JAWS 2027, and a Follow-Up With Sid Gaitonde | Vispero | October 29, 2026

The October episode of the Vispero Connect podcast introduces new JAWS 2027 features, including the new Vispero Companion that can adjust JAWS settings and help with on-screen challenges, and checks in with Sid Gaitonde after his first 90 days as Vispero’s CEO. A transcript is available.

Last Week 📅️

46.) AI Image Descriptions vs. Alt Text: Can AI Replace Human-Written Alt Text | BeAccessible.com | October 28, 2026

Be Accessible explains why AI-generated image descriptions cannot replace human-written alt text, noting that AI sees an image but not its purpose on the page. The article covers where AI drafts help, common failures with functional, decorative and complex images, and a review workflow for using AI alt text responsibly.

47.) FastUpdater for Mac: Update All of Your Apps in One Place | FastUpdater | October 28, 2026

FastUpdater is a new Mac app that updates all of a user’s applications in one place, with support for App Store apps, apps that update through Sparkle and Homebrew packages.

48.) Tony Gebhard’s September and October Roundup: Everything That Shipped | TonyGebhard.me | October 28, 2026

Tony Gebhard rounds up two months of releases, including Word Champion, a $14.99 program of word games and typing lessons for blind and low vision learners, TG Drop Deck 3.9.0, stereo input in TG Spaces 1.1, NVDA Coach 1.6.0 in nine languages, the TG Imprint accessible PDF creator and a Spanish edition of his book No Sight Required.

49.) Paperback Mobile: A Fully Accessible Book Reader for iPhone and iPad | Ty Gillespie | October 28, 2026

Paperback Mobile, a $19.99 app from developer Ty Gillespie, is a fully accessible reader for iPhone and iPad that opens more than twenty ebook, document and audiobook formats, including DAISY, with a text mode for VoiceOver and a read aloud mode that keeps playing in the background, plus navigation by headings, pages and links, search and a sleep timer.

50.) Scribe for Documents Makes Its Mobile Debut! | PneumaSolutions.com | October 28, 2026

Pneuma Solutions has released Scribe for Documents for iPhone, with a free Live Scan mode that reads text aloud as the camera finds it without uploading images, plus a paid conversion service that turns photographed pages and files into Word, EPUB, DAISY, braille or audio, at $99 a year for 10,000 pages or smaller page packs.

51.) Type on Your iPhone Using Your Windows 11 Laptop | AppleVis.com | October 28, 2026

An AppleVis forum member has released TypeOver, an app that makes a Windows 11 laptop appear to an iPhone as a Bluetooth keyboard, so users can type on the phone with a physical keyboard after a one-time pairing.

52.) Blind Users and Payment Forms: Where Adding a Card Breaks Down | UsableNet.com | October 27, 2026

Michael Taylor, a blind screen reader user, describes the barriers he meets when adding a payment card online, including split expiration date fields that lose focus, saved billing addresses that all announce the same way, inaccessible address autocomplete and a default card toggle the screen reader never announces.

53.) Castro Podcast App Sold to Maple Media | Uncommon Apps | October 27, 2026

The developer of the Castro podcast app has decided to sell it to Maple Media, a company that runs entertainment, productivity and podcasting apps including Player FM. The developer says the Maple Media team is committed to Castro’s future, and questions and feature requests can still be sent to Castro’s support address.

54.) Making Computer Independence Accessible With Iris | APH.org | October 27, 2026

APH’s Iris is an all-in-one, voice-guided typing and computer skills tutorial that blind and low vision learners can set up on their own, with typing games, a Story Builder exercise and tools for teachers and families to create custom lessons. Iris is available for $200 on quota and $300 off quota.

55.) When NBC Radio Began 100 Years Ago | RadioWorld.com | October 27, 2026

Radio World’s Roots of Radio column traces how NBC came to be, from the patent battles between AT&T and RCA’s partners to the network’s debut broadcast on November 15, 1926, its Red, Blue and Orange networks, and its later decline and the retirement of the NBC Radio brand in 1999.

56.) Beyond the Page: How an Inclusive Library Model Is Redefining Accessible Literacy | Equal Entry | October 26, 2026

In a talk transcribed by Equal Entry, staff of the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library in New York describe the free services it offers people with print disabilities, from talking books, braille and the BARD app to braille eReaders on long-term loan, one-on-one technology coaching and a tactile graphics lab.

57.) Google Docs Makes Accessible Links Easier: A Small Feature With Big Accessibility Benefits | Equal Entry | October 26, 2026

Equal Entry highlights a Google Docs enhancement that automatically replaces pasted URLs with the destination page’s title, creating descriptive link text that screen reader and speech input users can understand. The article explains why link text matters under WCAG, how the feature reflects ATAG guidance and where authors still need to review the generated text.

58.) TAVIP Masterclass: Using JAWS With Word | TAVIP | October 26, 2026

TAVIP shares the recording of the first session in its masterclass series on using JAWS with Microsoft Office, covering the Word window and Ribbon, opening, reading and navigating documents, fonts and spacing, tables, numbering and spell checking, available as a YouTube video, on AudioBoom and as an MP3.

59.) Cath Kidston Accessible Advent Calendar From the RNIB Shop | RNIB | October 25, 2026

RNIB shows the Cath Kidston 24-day beauty advent calendar sold through its shop, which has braille-numbered stickers on each door and a NaviLens code that tells blind and partially sighted buyers what is behind every door. The video comes with a transcript and audio description.

60.) Meta’s Muse: Early Impressions From a Blindness Perspective | Jeffrey’s Soapbox | October 24, 2026

A blind user describes a month with Meta’s Muse, a cloud-based AI agent that works in the background, using it to summarize listservs and forums, convert inaccessible content, compare grocery flyers, research travel and control smart home devices by text. He shares the screen-reader-friendly rules that made it useful and a starter prompt for other blind users.

61.) Replacing Three Social Media Apps With One Using Skyscraper | Sam’s Stuff | October 23, 2026

A blind iPhone user explains how Skyscraper replaced three apps for him, with a strong VoiceOver experience on Bluesky, a unified feed and cross-posting for Mastodon accounts, and a separate reader tab for RSS feeds synced with Miniflux, while noting that it does not cache articles for offline reading.

62.) BrailleDoodle Explained: Two Sides, 1,271 Tactile Drawing Positions | BrailleDoodle.org | October 22, 2026

The TouchPad Pro Foundation describes the BrailleDoodle, a reusable, non-electronic tablet that uses a magnetic stylus to raise metal balls for braille practice on one side and tactile drawing on a 41 by 31 grid on the other. The tablet sells for $179 and suits learners of all ages.

👉 Submit your event for consideration within this section here.

November 5, 2026 | 2026 Disability:IN EMEA Summit | Disability:IN

1:00 AM PT, 2:00 AM MT, 3:00 AM CT, 4:00 AM ET, 9:00 AM GMT
Disability:IN and Bloomberg bring senior leaders from Europe, the Middle East and Africa together in London to examine how companies are using neuroinclusion, accessibility, AI and data-driven insights to shape the future of work, technology and customer experience. The summit runs a full day on November 5 and a morning session on November 6 at Bloomberg in London, and attendance is by invitation request.

November 5, 2026 | Create Repeatable AI Workflows | Vispero

9:00 AM PT, 10:00 AM MT, 11:00 AM CT, 12:00 PM ET, 5:00 PM GMT
Vispero presenters Elizabeth Whitaker and Rachel Buchanan show how to turn recurring responsibilities into repeatable AI workflows built from reusable prompts, instructions, templates and review steps. The session covers spotting tasks suited to a workflow, breaking them into clear steps, and testing and refining the result for more consistent output. ACVREP credits are available for those who attend live.

November 5, 2026 | Accessibility and Air Travel | Accessibility Online

11:30 AM PT, 12:30 PM MT, 1:30 PM CT, 2:30 PM ET, 7:30 PM GMT
Accessibility Online joins the U.S. Access Board, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration to walk through accessible air travel, from arriving at the airport through boarding and deplaning, along with the laws that cover terminals and flights and common access problems and their solutions. Video remote interpreting and real-time captioning are provided.

November 5, 2026 | Keep Reading Alive | Vision Support America

1:00 PM PT, 2:00 PM MT, 3:00 PM CT, 4:00 PM ET, 9:00 PM GMT
In this free session for people with low or changing vision, Vision Support America explores different ways to keep reading part of daily life, in whatever way works best now.

November 6, 2026 | 2026 Disability:IN EMEA Summit | Disability:IN

1:00 AM PT, 2:00 AM MT, 3:00 AM CT, 4:00 AM ET, 9:00 AM GMT
Disability:IN and Bloomberg bring senior leaders from Europe, the Middle East and Africa together in London to examine how companies are using neuroinclusion, accessibility, AI and data-driven insights to shape the future of work, technology and customer experience. The summit runs a full day on November 5 and a morning session on November 6 at Bloomberg in London, and attendance is by invitation request.

November 6, 2026 | Home Organization and Labeling | Vision Support America

10:00 AM PT, 11:00 AM MT, 12:00 PM CT, 1:00 PM ET, 6:00 PM GMT
In this free, supportive conversation for people with low or changing vision, Vision Support America explores simple ways to organize the home so it feels easier, calmer and more predictable again.

November 7, 2026 | The History of Mushroom FM With Jonathan Mosen and Melissa Riccobono | National Federation of the Blind of Maryland

4:00 PM PT, 5:00 PM MT, 6:00 PM CT, 7:00 PM ET, 12:00 AM GMT
The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland hosts a Zoom evening on Mushroom FM, a radio station run entirely by blind people, with Jonathan Mosen, who originated the idea, sharing its history and broadcaster Melissa Riccobono talking about her show, along with music from the 1950s to the 1980s. A $10 donation is requested, and attendees are asked to RSVP to nfbmdsm@gmail.com.

November 7, 2026 | Let’s Go Shopping 11: Virtual Holiday Shopping Event | Let’s Go Shopping Virtual Events

The 11th Let’s Go Shopping virtual holiday shopping event, founded by Laura Legendary, runs over two days with small-business entrepreneurs. Vendors can apply and shoppers can join the announcements list through the event’s information page.

November 8, 2026 | 18th Annual Dining In The Dark Fundraiser To Benefit The Blind | Florida Outreach Center For The Blind

1:00 PM PT, 2:00 PM MT, 3:00 PM CT, 4:00 PM ET, 9:00 PM GMT
Experience an unforgettable evening at the 18th Annual Dining in the Dark, where guests enjoy a three-course meal served in complete darkness by the PBSO SWAT Team using night-vision goggles. The night also features live entertainment, an inspiring guest speaker, and a silent auction supporting programs for the blind community in Palm Beach County.

November 8, 2026 | iBUG Cafe: Meta Team Members Present on the Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses | iBUG

2:00 PM PT, 3:00 PM MT, 4:00 PM CT, 5:00 PM ET, 10:00 PM GMT
The iBUG Cafe hosts a free training session in which team members from Meta present on the Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses and take questions, facilitated by Sree Roy and Pete Lane.

November 8, 2026 | Let’s Go Shopping 11: Virtual Holiday Shopping Event | Let’s Go Shopping Virtual Events

The 11th Let’s Go Shopping virtual holiday shopping event, founded by Laura Legendary, runs over two days with small-business entrepreneurs. Vendors can apply and shoppers can join the announcements list through the event’s information page.

November 9, 2026 | Tribal and Rural Accessibility Town Hall | National Council on Disability and U.S. Access Board

8:00 AM PT, 9:00 AM MT, 10:00 AM CT, 11:00 AM ET, 4:00 PM GMT
The National Council on Disability and the U.S. Access Board bring Tribal leaders and elders, people with disabilities, service providers and community organizations together at Ability360 in Phoenix to discuss accessibility in Tribal and rural communities, from public facilities and transportation to healthcare and housing. The town hall is also available online, and attendees may offer public comments.

November 9, 2026 | Make Your Android Work for You | Vision Support America

10:30 AM PT, 11:30 AM MT, 12:30 PM CT, 1:30 PM ET, 6:30 PM GMT
In this free session for people with low or changing vision, Vision Support America introduces ways to make an Android phone more accessible, focusing on small, meaningful changes that build confidence.

November 10, 2026 | Accessible Surveys Live Demo (Americas Session) | Accessible Data

8:00 AM PT, 9:00 AM MT, 10:00 AM CT, 11:00 AM ET, 4:00 PM GMT
Accessible Data hosts a free live demo of Accessible Surveys on Zoom, showing a survey that adapts to the person answering, with sign language video, text read aloud, Easy Read and multiple languages. Co-founders Jerry Nicholson and Christophe Geiser also show how organizations can create and launch accessible surveys without technical hurdles, followed by an open Q&A. The same demo repeats on November 12 for Asia-Pacific and for Europe and Africa.

November 11, 2026 | Disability Law Legal Update: A Smattering of ADA Cases II | Accessibility Online

11:00 AM PT, 12:00 PM MT, 1:00 PM CT, 2:00 PM ET, 7:00 PM GMT
In this ADA Legal session, the Southwest ADA Center and the Great Lakes ADA Center review recent court decisions, settlements and agency policy changes under the Americans with Disabilities Act, from accommodation delays and return-to-office rules to service animals, accessible parking and effective communication in health care. The session closes with live audience questions, and real-time captioning is provided.

November 11, 2026 | Cooking Tips for Changing Vision | Vision Support America

1:00 PM PT, 2:00 PM MT, 3:00 PM CT, 4:00 PM ET, 9:00 PM GMT
In this free, supportive conversation for people with low or changing vision, Vision Support America takes small, meaningful steps toward feeling comfortable and confident in the kitchen again.

November 11, 2026 | Introducing The Canute Scientific from Bristol Braille Technologies | Brad Snyder | Blind Information Technology Solutions (BITS)

5:00 PM PT, 6:00 PM MT, 7:00 PM CT, 8:00 PM ET, 1:00 AM GMT
Ed Rogers, founder of Bristol Braille Technologies, introduces the Canute Scientific, a multiline braille workstation built for students, professionals, and enthusiasts in science, technology, engineering, and math. It pairs a 360-cell refreshable braille display, nine lines of 40 cells, with a 13-inch synchronized visual monitor so blind and sighted users can work on technical content together. Blind Information Technology Solutions (BITS) hosts the Zoom session.

November 12, 2026 | Accessible Surveys Live Demo (Asia-Pacific and Europe and Africa Sessions) | Accessible Data

Accessible Data repeats its free live demo of Accessible Surveys on Zoom in two sessions: Asia-Pacific at 5:00 PM Sydney (1:00 AM ET), and Europe and Africa at 11:00 AM London (6:00 AM ET). Jerry Nicholson and Christophe Geiser show a survey adapting to the person answering, with sign language video, text read aloud, Easy Read and multiple languages, then take open questions. Attendees choose their session on the booking form.

November 12, 2026 | Preventing Falls and Using Stairs Safely | Vision Support America

10:00 AM PT, 11:00 AM MT, 12:00 PM CT, 1:00 PM ET, 6:00 PM GMT
In this free session for people with low or changing vision, Vision Support America shares simple techniques for moving safely and confidently at home and beyond, from preventing falls to using stairs.

November 12, 2026 | Confident Movement and Open Conversations | Vision Support America

1:00 PM PT, 2:00 PM MT, 3:00 PM CT, 4:00 PM ET, 9:00 PM GMT
In this free session for people with low or changing vision, Vision Support America explores how to move through the world safely and confidently, and how to ask for help in ways that feel comfortable and respectful.

November 13, 2026 | Disability Lived Experience Through the Lens of Relational-Cultural Theory with Dr. Kirk Adams | International Center for Growth in Connection (ICGC)

11:00 AM PT, 12:00 PM MT, 1:00 PM CT, 2:00 PM ET, 7:00 PM GMT
Dr. Kirk Adams joins the RCT-Informed Leadership & Change Affinity Group to explore disability lived experience through Relational-Cultural Theory, drawing on his life as a blind leader and his doctoral research on blind adults successfully employed in corporate America. The discussion may cover condemned isolation, accessibility and belonging, authenticity and interdependence, and shared power and repair, and how leaders can turn relational understanding into meaningful action. The 90-minute session meets on Zoom and is facilitated by Ileya Grosman, PhD.

November 17, 2026 | Scaling Digital Accessibility through ServiceNow: From Requests to Results | Accessibility Online

10:00 AM PT, 11:00 AM MT, 12:00 PM CT, 1:00 PM ET, 6:00 PM GMT
In this Section 508 session, Accessibility Online looks at how the FDIC uses the ServiceNow platform to run and scale its digital accessibility work, including document remediation requests, Section 508 training, application testing and IT reasonable accommodation requests, and how its reporting tools keep compliance on schedule. Video remote interpreting and real-time captioning are provided.

November 17, 2026 | Carter Kits: Supporting Positive Interactions for Neurodivergent Patients During Emergency Encounters | Accessibility Online

11:00 AM PT, 12:00 PM MT, 1:00 PM CT, 2:00 PM ET, 7:00 PM GMT
Carter Kits co-founder Justin Severs and training and grants manager Andie describe the sensory bags their organization supplies to first responders, emergency department staff and community partners for encounters with autistic and neurodivergent patients, where a lack of tools and training still produces worse health outcomes. Dr. Sam Wrobleski of the Michigan EMS for Children Program also explains how that partnership works and how others might build one in their own state. Real-time captioning is provided.

November 17, 2026 | Lighting Tips for Everyday Life | Vision Support America

11:00 AM PT, 12:00 PM MT, 1:00 PM CT, 2:00 PM ET, 7:00 PM GMT
In this free session for people with low or changing vision, Vision Support America shares simple ways to make the home easier to see and move through by using contrast and lighting and by reducing glare.

November 17, 2026 | Make Your iPhone Work for You | Vision Support America

1:00 PM PT, 2:00 PM MT, 3:00 PM CT, 4:00 PM ET, 9:00 PM GMT
In this free, step-by-step session for people with low or changing vision, Vision Support America explores simple ways to make an iPhone work better for the eyes, at a pace that feels comfortable and doable.

November 18, 2026 | Web Accessibility, SEO and AI Search: Building Clearer Website Content | UsableNet

9:00 AM PT, 10:00 AM MT, 11:00 AM CT, 12:00 PM ET, 5:00 PM GMT
UsableNet and OuterBox host a webinar in which Jeff Adams of UsableNet and Colin Gacek of OuterBox share practical tips for reviewing existing web pages, including clear buttons and links, and how clearer content supports accessibility, SEO and AI search.

November 18, 2026 | JAWS, ZoomText and Fusion 2027: Latest Features and Updates | Access Ingenuity

10:00 AM PT, 11:00 AM MT, 12:00 PM CT, 1:00 PM ET, 6:00 PM GMT
Marisa Church and Ian Ramos of Access Ingenuity walk through what is new in JAWS, ZoomText and Fusion 2027, explain license types and update eligibility, and review recent additions such as the AI companion, Automatic Language Detection and Automatic Screen OCR. The webinar is approved for ACVREP CE credit, and registration is required.

November 18, 2026 | Birdability Book Club: Birdsong by the Seasons by Donald Kroodsma | Birdability

4:00 PM PT, 5:00 PM MT, 6:00 PM CT, 7:00 PM ET, 12:00 AM GMT
The Birdability Book Club closes out 2026 with Birdsong by the Seasons: A Year of Listening to Birds by Donald Kroodsma, a lyrical guide to a year of sound. The book was chosen so readers could follow along month by month through the year and then gather in November to share reflections from twelve months of attentive listening. Free; registration required.

November 19, 2026 | Member-Only Event: Practices for Accessible Virtual Meetings | National Organization on Disability

10:00 AM PT, 11:00 AM MT, 12:00 PM CT, 1:00 PM ET, 6:00 PM GMT
A 25-minute virtual session for NOD Leadership Council members focused on practical, hands-on strategies for making virtual meetings more inclusive and accessible to all participants. The full briefing is restricted to Council members; non-members can join the Leadership Council to attend this and similar exclusive members-only sessions.

November 19, 2026 | Keep Reading Alive | Vision Support America

1:00 PM PT, 2:00 PM MT, 3:00 PM CT, 4:00 PM ET, 9:00 PM GMT
In this free session for people with low or changing vision, Vision Support America explores different ways to keep reading part of daily life, in whatever way works best now.

November 20, 2026 | 2026 Virtual Technology Fair | Carroll Center for the Blind

9:00 AM PT, 10:00 AM MT, 11:00 AM CT, 12:00 PM ET, 5:00 PM GMT
The Carroll Center for the Blind hosts a free four-hour technology fair on Zoom with sessions on VoiceOver image and Live Recognition features, Lumin AI and JAWS Page Explorer, tech support with Aira and Quick Assist, and the Indigo GPS app for iOS, each followed by live Q&A.

November 20, 2026 | Home Organization and Labeling | Vision Support America

10:00 AM PT, 11:00 AM MT, 12:00 PM CT, 1:00 PM ET, 6:00 PM GMT
In this free, supportive conversation for people with low or changing vision, Vision Support America explores simple ways to organize the home so it feels easier, calmer and more predictable again.

November 23, 2026 | Make Your Android Work for You | Vision Support America

10:30 AM PT, 11:30 AM MT, 12:30 PM CT, 1:30 PM ET, 6:30 PM GMT
In this free session for people with low or changing vision, Vision Support America introduces ways to make an Android phone more accessible, focusing on small, meaningful changes that build confidence.

November 24, 2026 | Tech It Out | Hadley

11:00 AM PT, 12:00 PM MT, 1:00 PM CT, 2:00 PM ET, 7:00 PM GMT
Learn a few tips about everyday technology from a technology expert, ask your questions, and share your experiences.

November 25, 2026 | Cooking Tips for Changing Vision | Vision Support America

1:00 PM PT, 2:00 PM MT, 3:00 PM CT, 4:00 PM ET, 9:00 PM GMT
In this free, supportive conversation for people with low or changing vision, Vision Support America takes small, meaningful steps toward feeling comfortable and confident in the kitchen again.

November 30, 2026 | From Room to Route: Practical Ways to Build Spatial Concepts with Room with a View and Grid and Go | APH

12:00 PM PT, 1:00 PM MT, 2:00 PM CT, 3:00 PM ET, 8:00 PM GMT
In this APH Passport to Innovation webinar, presenter Karen demonstrates practical ways to teach spatial concepts with Room with a View and Grid and Go, taking learners from understanding a familiar room to reading a tactile map and planning a route. The session also shows how the same materials can be adapted for different learners and extended beyond orientation and mobility into sensory efficiency, independent living, classroom concepts and recreation. Participants leave with activity ideas and a repeatable instructional sequence for their own practice.

December 1, 2026 | CEO Office Hours: Disability & Intersectionality | National Organization on Disability

11:00 AM PT, 12:00 PM MT, 1:00 PM CT, 2:00 PM ET, 7:00 PM GMT
National Organization on Disability President and CEO Beth Sirull hosts an in-depth conversation with Apoorva Gandhi, Senior Vice President of Community Engagement and Business Councils at Marriott International, reflecting on progress and looking ahead in disability inclusion. Gandhi draws on more than 30 years in strategy, organizational change, community engagement and global business.

December 8, 2026 | Sight Tech Global 2026 | Sight Tech Global

9:00 AM PT, 10:00 AM MT, 11:00 AM CT, 12:00 PM ET, 5:00 PM GMT
Sight Tech Global, produced by the Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, returns as a free, fully virtual two-day conference on how AI and emerging technology can expand independence and access for people who are blind or have low vision. Registration is open.

December 8, 2026 | Blind Birder Community Conversations: The Science of Birdsong With Donald Kroodsma | Birdability

4:00 PM PT, 5:00 PM MT, 6:00 PM CT, 7:00 PM ET, 12:00 AM GMT
Ornithologist and author Donald Kroodsma, one of the world’s leading experts on birdsong with more than 45 years of research behind him, opens the new season of Birdability’s monthly Blind Birder Community Conversations. He goes beyond familiar mnemonics to the acoustic differences that let listeners tell species apart by sound, and to what birds are actually doing with their voices. The series is designed by and for blind and low vision birders, and sighted birders are welcome too. Virtual (Zoom); every registrant receives the recording.

December 9, 2026 | Sight Tech Global 2026 | Sight Tech Global

9:00 AM PT, 10:00 AM MT, 11:00 AM CT, 12:00 PM ET, 5:00 PM GMT
Sight Tech Global, produced by the Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, returns as a free, fully virtual two-day conference on how AI and emerging technology can expand independence and access for people who are blind or have low vision. Registration is open.

December 9, 2026 | PowerPoint Remediation Basics: Creating Accessible Presentations | Access Ingenuity

10:00 AM PT, 11:00 AM MT, 12:00 PM CT, 1:00 PM ET, 6:00 PM GMT
Rachel Reeves of Access Ingenuity covers the essential steps for remediating and building accessible PowerPoint presentations, including slide structure, reading order, alt text, tab order and the built-in accessibility checker. Registration is required for this one-hour webinar.

December 16, 2026 | Unlocking the Power of Artificial Intelligence With JAWS | Access Ingenuity

10:00 AM PT, 11:00 AM MT, 12:00 PM CT, 1:00 PM ET, 6:00 PM GMT
Marisa Church and Michael Vitagliano of Access Ingenuity demonstrate the AI features built into JAWS, including Picture Smart AI and FSCompanion, along with best practices for using JAWS with Google Gemini, Claude and Microsoft Copilot. Registration is required for this one-hour webinar.

December 16, 2026 | Your Voice Is a Strategic Advantage: Personal Branding, Podcasting and Web Presence for Blind Professionals | Blind Professionals Network (BPN)

5:00 PM PT, 6:00 PM MT, 7:00 PM CT, 8:00 PM ET, 1:00 AM GMT
Dr. Kirk Adams and Aaron Di Blasi, PMP, walk blind professionals through building a public presence in the order it actually has to be built: domain, logo, tagline, website, and email at that same domain. Only then does the session turn to social media, newsletters, press releases and video, and to the part almost nobody teaches, which is that publishing is the easy half and being read is the hard half. Attendees draft a Personal Brand Kit during the session and leave with their own domain, logo brief, tagline, website plan and email address. Free and open to everyone; registration is required.

December 17, 2026 | Blindness as Method: Contemporary Art and Creative Practice | Dark Room Ballet

3:00 PM PT, 4:00 PM MT, 5:00 PM CT, 6:00 PM ET, 11:00 PM GMT
Bill Porter leads a three-hour seminar that treats blindness and low vision as sources of artistic knowledge and method rather than limitations, looking at how artists including Carmen Papalia, Andy Slater, Emilie Louise Gossiaux and David Johnson work through touch, sound, memory and description. Through presentation and group discussion, participants consider their own lived experience as a source of creative knowledge. Tuition-free on Zoom; register by emailing info@darkroomballet.com with the subject line “Bill Porter.”

December 19, 2026 | Weightlifting for Dancers | Dark Room Ballet

1:00 PM PT, 2:00 PM MT, 3:00 PM CT, 4:00 PM ET, 9:00 PM GMT
Krishna Washburn, a blind ballet teacher with multiple certifications from the American College of Sports Medicine, leads a fully audio-described workshop that helps dancers build their own resistance-training program with household objects, resistance bands or gym equipment. Participants learn to choose exercises, track sets and repetitions, progress safely over time and adapt training after injury; no weightlifting experience is needed. Tuition-free on Zoom; register by emailing info@darkroomballet.com with the subject line “Weightlifting.”

December 22, 2026 | Tech It Out | Hadley

11:00 AM PT, 12:00 PM MT, 1:00 PM CT, 2:00 PM ET, 7:00 PM GMT
Learn a few tips about everyday technology from a technology expert, ask your questions, and share your experiences.

January 12, 2027 | Blind Birder Community Conversations: Birding by Ear and Mnemonics With Jerry Berrier | Birdability

4:00 PM PT, 5:00 PM MT, 6:00 PM CT, 7:00 PM ET, 12:00 AM GMT
Jerry Berrier, a lifelong blind birder and co-founder of the Blind Birder Bird-a-Thon, leads a practical, participatory session on birding by ear and on using mnemonics to learn and remember bird songs and calls, with examples from birds across a broad geographic range. Berrier has been birding by ear since the 1970s and has led programs for Mass Audubon, L.L.Bean and the Carroll Center for the Blind. Open to blind, low vision and sighted birders. Virtual (Zoom); every registrant receives the recording.

January 13, 2027 | Introduction to Simonson Jazz | Dark Room Ballet

9:30 AM PT, 10:30 AM MT, 11:30 AM CT, 12:30 PM ET, 5:30 PM GMT
Valentina Bertani teaches a ten-class course in the movement principles and exercises of the Simonson jazz dance method, building class by class to the full-body format, for blind and visually impaired adults with no Simonson experience, including those who have never studied dance. Classes meet Wednesdays from 12:30 to 2:00 PM Eastern, January 13 through March 17, are not recorded, and attendance at all ten is strongly encouraged. Tuition-free on Zoom; register by emailing info@darkroomballet.com with the subject line “Simonson Jazz.”

January 17, 2027 | Actor’s Toolbox: An Actor’s Practicum | Dark Room Ballet

9:00 AM PT, 10:00 AM MT, 11:00 AM CT, 12:00 PM ET, 5:00 PM GMT
Luna Vintner leads an eight-week introductory acting course in which students build practical tools for any acting pursuit: working with a scene partner, staying present, listening and responding truthfully, analyzing scripts and preparing audition material. Two-hour sessions meet Sundays from noon Eastern, January 17 through March 7; no acting experience is needed, but regular attendance and a good internet connection are required. Tuition-free on Zoom; register by emailing darkroomballet@gmail.com with the subject line “Acting.”

February 3, 2027 | Developing a Contemporary Art Practice | Dark Room Ballet

4:00 PM PT, 5:00 PM MT, 6:00 PM CT, 7:00 PM ET, 12:00 AM GMT
Bill Porter leads a 16-week hybrid course that helps artists build and sustain an independent contemporary art practice through research, experimentation, making, critique and revision, with particular attention to the work and scholarship of blind and low vision artists. Eight live sessions meet every other Wednesday from 7:00 to 9:30 PM Eastern, February 3 through May 12, with online activities between them; enrollment is limited to eight students. Tuition-free on Zoom; register by emailing info@darkroomballet.com with the subject line “Bill Porter Spring.”

February 9, 2027 | Blind Birder Community Conversations: A Deep Dive Into Warblers | Birdability

4:00 PM PT, 5:00 PM MT, 6:00 PM CT, 7:00 PM ET, 12:00 AM GMT
Birdability’s Blind Birder Community Conversations take a deep dive into warblers, with particular attention to identifying and enjoying these much-loved and sometimes challenging birds through their songs and calls. Open to blind, low vision and sighted birders. Virtual (Zoom); every registrant receives the recording.

March 9, 2027 | Blind Birder Community Conversations: Spring Migration and Bird Conservation With Scott Weidensaul | Birdability

4:00 PM PT, 5:00 PM MT, 6:00 PM CT, 7:00 PM ET, 12:00 AM GMT
Naturalist, ornithologist and author Scott Weidensaul returns to the Blind Birder Community Conversations to talk about spring migration, bird conservation and themes from his recent work and writing, just as birds begin moving north again. His book Living on the Wind was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Open to blind, low vision and sighted birders. Virtual (Zoom); every registrant receives the recording.

April 13, 2027 | Blind Birder Community Conversations: The Diversity of Birdsong With Juan Pablo Colasso | Birdability

4:00 PM PT, 5:00 PM MT, 6:00 PM CT, 7:00 PM ET, 11:00 PM GMT
Juan Pablo Colasso, who has identified more than 1,000 bird species by sound, joins the Blind Birder Community Conversations for a discussion of the extraordinary diversity of birdsong and an international perspective on birding by ear. Open to blind, low vision and sighted birders. Virtual (Zoom); every registrant receives the recording.

April 29, 2027 | Blind Travel Summit 2027 | Blind Travel Foundation

The Blind Travel Foundation’s biennial gathering, hosted by United Airlines at its headquarters in Willis Tower, Chicago, expects 200 to 250 blind and visually impaired travelers, advocates, and industry partners for two days of conversation about accessible travel. Activities are also planned around the Summit, so attendees can stay for the weekend. A speaking application, sponsorship levels, and registration and hotel details will be announced soon.

April 30, 2027 | Blind Travel Summit 2027 | Blind Travel Foundation

The Blind Travel Foundation’s biennial gathering, hosted by United Airlines at its headquarters in Willis Tower, Chicago, expects 200 to 250 blind and visually impaired travelers, advocates, and industry partners for two days of conversation about accessible travel. Activities are also planned around the Summit, so attendees can stay for the weekend. A speaking application, sponsorship levels, and registration and hotel details will be announced soon.

May 11, 2027 | Blind Birder Community Conversations: Bird-a-Thon Welcome and Preparation Session | Birdability

4:00 PM PT, 5:00 PM MT, 6:00 PM CT, 7:00 PM ET, 11:00 PM GMT
The last Blind Birder Community Conversation before the Blind Birder Bird-a-Thon on May 23 and 24 is a welcome and preparation session covering how the event works, ways to take part, birding by ear, connecting with other birders and everything participants need to feel ready. Open to blind, low vision and sighted birders. Virtual (Zoom); every registrant receives the recording.

May 23, 2027 | Birdability’s Blind Birder Bird-a-Thon 2027 | Birdability

The Blind Birder Bird-a-Thon, created by and for blind and low vision birders, returns for 2027 with two days celebrating birding by ear, community and all the different ways people experience birds. Birders of any age, experience or location identify as many species as they can by sound or by whatever sight is available, solo, in a group or as part of a team. Registration details are still to come; the event page offers sign-up for 2027 updates.

May 24, 2027 | Birdability’s Blind Birder Bird-a-Thon 2027 | Birdability

The Blind Birder Bird-a-Thon, created by and for blind and low vision birders, returns for 2027 with two days celebrating birding by ear, community and all the different ways people experience birds. Birders of any age, experience or location identify as many species as they can by sound or by whatever sight is available, solo, in a group or as part of a team. Registration details are still to come; the event page offers sign-up for 2027 updates.

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In addition to serving as an Editor to Top Tech Tidbits John also serves as an Editor to the Access Information News and AI-Weekly newsletters and is also an attorney-at-law specializing in long-term disability claims for persons who are blind or low-vision.

John is also a long-time contractor and member of the Board of Trustees at Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd.

John Hanlin, Esq.

Editor (2024-Present)
AI-Weekly 🌐
The Week’s News in Artificial Intelligence

Editor (2022-Present)
Access Information News 🌐
The Week’s News in Access Information

Editor (2020-Present)
Top Tech Tidbits 🌐
The Week’s News in Access Technology

Board of Trustees (2006 – Present)
Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. 🌐
Innovative ideas. Solutions that perform.

Editor: Jenna Lang

Editor Since: June 4, 2020

Location: Des Moines, Iowa

Time Zone: Central Standard Time (CST/CDT) (GMT-6/GMT-5)

In addition to serving as an Editor to Top Tech Tidbits Jenna also serves as an Editor to the Access Information News and AI-Weekly newsletters and runs her own advocacy foundation.

Jenna also serves as a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) for Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd.

Jenna’s son was born blind and she is always seeking new and innovative ways to empower him through technology.

Jenna Lang, PMP

Editor (2024-Present)
AI-Weekly 🌐
The Week’s News in Artificial Intelligence

Editor (2022-Present)
Access Information News 🌐
The Week’s News in Access Information

Project Management Professional (2022 – Present)
Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. 🌐
Innovative ideas. Solutions that perform.

Editor (2020-Present)
Top Tech Tidbits 🌐
The Week’s News in Access Technology

Editor: Vicki Walton

Editor Since: January 9, 2026

Location: Benton City, WA

Time Zone: Pacific Standard Time (PST/PDT) (GMT-8/GMT-7)

In addition to serving as an Editor to Top Tech Tidbits Vicki also serves as an Editor to the Access Information News publication and works as a Web Accessibility Specialist / IT Quality Assurance Tester at Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.

Vicki Walton

Editor (2024-Present)
Top Tech Tidbits 🌐
The Week’s News in Access Technology

Editor (2024-Present)
Access Information News 🌐
The Week’s News in Access Information

Web Accessibility Specialist / IT Quality Assurance Tester
Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges 🌐
Better Jobs, Brighter Futures, a Stronger Washington

Editor: Dr. Kirk Adams

Editor Since: June 8, 2025

Location: Seattle, WA

Time Zone: Pacific Standard Time (PST/PDT) (GMT-8/GMT-7)

Dr. Kirk Adams

Editor (2025-Present)
Top Tech Tidbits 🌐
The Week’s News in Access Technology

Dr. Kirk Adams, Ph.D. 🌐
Advocate, Leader and Keynote Speaker on Disability Inclusion & Leadership
Leading the Way to Accessible Innovation

Institute for Sustainable Diversity and Inclusion (ISDI) 🌐
Executive Director
Strengthening individual and organizational capability for creating diverse, inclusive and equitable workplaces.

Innovative Impact, LLC Consulting 🌐
Managing Director
Impactful Workforce Inclusion Starts Here

American Foundation for the Blind 🌐
Immediate Past President & CEO
To create a world of no limits for people who are blind or visually impaired.

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ABOUT ♿️

Founded in 2004, Top Tech Tidbits is the world’s leading not-for-profit access technology publication that reaches over 50,000 blind, low vision, deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, neurodivergent and/or disabled professionals, educators, and enthusiasts, all over the world, each week, along with the caregivers, companies and organizations that serve and support them. Subscribe here. Review the most recent issues here. Access Technology broadly encompasses technologies that enable access to information and communication systems for persons with disabilities. Adaptive Technology is a subset of Access Technology designed to assist individuals in performing tasks that might otherwise be challenging due to their particular disabilities. Assistive Technology includes any device, software, or equipment that helps people work around their challenges. Top Tech Tidbits is a Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. Publication. Publisher: Aaron Di Blasi. Editors: John Hanlin, Jenna Lang, Vicki Walton and Dr. Kirk Adams. Top Tech Tidbits is a sponsor, reader and advertiser supported publication.

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