Two helpful features include global time and date and global weather. Both tools are available on the RealSAM Pocket—and yes, they are accessible by voice.

Global Time & Date

RealSAM can tell you what time it is where you are and anywhere else in the world.

Just press the “tap to talk” button and ask, “What time is it?” RealSAM will automatically know that you’re asking for your location and will tell you the time date where you are.

Ask what time it is in major cities. Press “tap to talk” and ask, “What time is it in New York?” “What time is it in London?” “What time is it Tokyo?”

Even if it’s not a popular city, add the name of the state or country and RealSAM will be able to give you the time and date for that location. Ask, ‘What time is it in Colorado Springs, Colorado?” “What time is it in Hackensack New Jersey?” “What time is it in Port Antonio Jamaca?”

RealSAM will tell you the time and date like this, “The time is 17 minutes past 5 AM on Wednesday, June 28, at Washing District of Columbia, United States.”

Do you have family and friends around the world? You’ll be able to get in touch at just the right moment when you use Pocket to find out what time it is where they are.

Global Weather

Will the weather be right for a walk in the park? Get the forecast from your RealSAM Pocket and make your plans for the day.

Press the “tap to talk” button and ask, “What is the weather?” RealSAM can tell you the weather where you are and the forecast for the day.

Do you have plans for the week? You can plan your activities accordingly when you ask, “What is the forecast?” RealSAM can provide five-day weather forecasts. You’ll be able to find out if it’s clear or rainy and all the highs and lows for the next five days.

If you’re taking off for vacation, it’s just as easy to ask RealSAM for the weather forecast anywhere around the globe. Just “tap to talk” and ask, “What is the forecast for Myrtle Beach, South Carolina?” RealSAM will take just a moment to find the coordinates then give you the specific forecasts for the location you’re inquiring about.

RealSAM aims to make information accessible

RealSAM aims to help people with easy-to-use devices that make the world more accessible. If you’re living with sight loss or other disabilities, you can use your voice to find out more with the RealSAM Pocket.

By Guenivir Kendrick

The post Acessible Global Time, Date & Weather on your RealSAM Pocket appeared first on RealSAM USA.

Prescription labels contain critical information such as the patient’s name, the name of the medicine, the dosage, instructions on how often to take the medicine and the contact information of the pharmacy filling the prescription. In the past, all this information only existed in one format, namely as a sticker label printed with small font.

People who are blind or visually impaired either had difficulty or were completely unable to read these labels and had to rely on the help of sighted assistance or on guesswork. This posed a significant safety risk and many became seriously ill because they took the wrong medication or the wrong dose.

Fortunately, with the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, pharmacies were required to provide auxiliary aids and services to customers with disabilities, including accessible prescription labels.

Labels in Alternative Formats

Today, pharmacies can fill prescriptions with labels in alternative formats such as Braille, large print and audio labels.

Braille labels are embossed on long transparent stickers that are partially overlayed on the bottles’ original printed labels. In this way the information is accessible by touch for the blind person, and still readable for sighted family members, pharmacists, and medical providers.

Large print labels are available for people who have low vision. Since the information takes up more space depending on the font size, large print labels are created as booklets that are placed on medicine bottles.

Audio labels make it possible for blind and visually impaired customers to listen to what is on the prescription labels. RFID tags containing the prescription information are attached to medication bottles. Then a specially designed device or app on a smartphone can be used to scan the tag and read the information aloud.

Technology and Visual Interpreters

Text-to-speech technology is also improving prescription label accessibility. There are many different apps that can extract text from images, so someone can simply take a picture of their prescription label and have it read aloud on their smartphone.

Lastly, services that provide visual interpretation are another option. Instead of waiting for a sighted person to be physically present, a blind or visually impaired person can get on the phone, at any time, with a trained agent that will use the phone’s camera to read them the information. Ask your pharmacy today about additional programs that can help you or someone you care for take their medication safely and independently.’

By Guenivir Kendrick with help from ChatGPT

REFERENCES:

American Council of the Blind. (2023). President’s Message: More on Accessible Prescription Labels. American Council of the Blind. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https://www.acb.org/content/president%E2%80%99s-message-more-accessible-prescription-labels-kim-charlson

American Council of the Blind. (2023). Spoken Rx™ “Talking” Prescription Labels Now Available in all CVS Pharmacy Locations. Spoken Rx™ “Talking” Prescription Labels Now Available in All CVS Pharmacy Locations | American Council of the Blind. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https://acb.org/cvs-spoken-rx

The post Accessible Labels that Improve Medication Safety for the Blind and Visually Impaired appeared first on RealSAM USA.

Staying Connected with Technology

One way to stay connected is through social media. On platforms like YouTube and Facebook, people can meet others who are experiencing similar challenges dealing with their visual impairment. They can also connect with friends and family, join groups with common interests and follow news and events. Using screen readers or text-to-speech software, visually impaired people can easily navigate these platforms and stay in touch.

Another way to stay connected is through audio and video conferencing. Applications such as Zoom and Skype offer an easy and accessible way to talk to distant family members and friends.
Going out can be challenging, but by using visual interpretation services and apps designed specifically for navigation, people with visual impairments have new ways to navigate their surroundings. Be My Eyes, for example, is a free app that connects visually impaired people with sighted volunteers who can assist them by describing their surroundings and identifying signs and buildings.

Connecting with Local Communities and Organizations for the Blind and Visually Impaired

A great way to get connected is by attending local events and activities by organizations supporting blind and visually impaired people. These can be online meetings, social events at activity centers or exciting group outings. The Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired in your state is a good place to get information about groups and programs near you. 

Staying Connected through Books

When going out isn’t an option, reading books is the perfect remedy. Books keep people connected to the world by providing knowledge and entertainment. Reading stimulates the imagination by taking readers on an exciting adventure or allowing them to see the world through the lives and actions of characters. For people with visual impairments, this is possible through the National Library Service run by the Library of Congress. NLS offers books in a variety of formats, including Braille, USB sticks and digital downloads. 

Through technology, community support and reading books, people with visual impairment can overcome the barriers of social isolation and make meaningful connections.

By Guenivir Kendrick with help from ChatGPT

References:

Be My Eyes. (n.d.). Be my eyes – see the world together. Be My Eyes – See the world together. Retrieved March 22, 2023, from https://www.bemyeyes.com/#:~:text=Be%20My%20Eyes%20is%20a,people%20lead%20more%20independent%20lives.  

NLS. (2023, March 23). NLS at the Library of Congress. National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. Retrieved March 28, 2023, from https://www.loc.gov/nls/#:~:text=National%20Library%20Service%20(NLS)%20is,from%20using%20regular%20print%20materials.

The post Overcoming the Barriers of Social Isolation for the Blind and Visually Impaired appeared first on RealSAM USA.

If you have been reading all your life, it may be hard to imagine that many people struggle to read standard print and many others cannot read print at all. Thanks to NLS, anyone who is print disabled due to temporary or permanent blindness, visual impairment, or any other physical or learning disabilities can register to have access to over 300 thousand printed items in Braille, e-Braile, and audio formats. 

A quick look back to how NLS began

The very first efforts to provide library services for blind people began with 8 embossed books donated to the Boston Public Library in 1868. Soon many other major city libraries began circulating a limited number of embossed books. 

In 1897 John Russel Young, Librarian of Congress, set up a reading room for the blind with about 500 books with raised characters. This was an early vision to form a national library for people with visual impairment.

Years later, in 1931 the Pratt-Snoot Act became law, and the National Library Service was established. 

Around the same time audiobooks, also known as Talking Books, were being developed. Many advocates, including Helen Keller, led NLS to produce audiobooks along with Braille books.  

Books from NLS

It took decades of significant efforts, volunteers, advocates, acts of Congress, and technological advancements to make NLS what it is today—an efficient network of libraries providing free services in all 50 states and US territories: Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, and Guam. Additionally, NLS is available to US citizens and military families living abroad.

Registered members have access to magazines, books, and even music books and scores for all ages. NLS provides free and extended loans of standard and advanced book players. Readers can specify what type of books they are interested in. These can be mailed to them as requested or on a regular schedule, either as Braille books or as audiobooks on USB cartridges for their NLS book players. There are children’s books that include a combination of pictures, large print, and Braille allowing both a child who is visually impaired to read on their own, or a visually impaired parent or grandparent to read to them.  

The NLS Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) website allows NLS patrons to download e-Braille books and audiobooks that can be loaded onto a flash drive for NLS book players. Finally, with the BARD Mobiles app, NLS content can be played on IOS, Android, and Kindle devices making it possible for any print disabled person to read anywhere, any time.

To Learn more about books for the blind, visually impaired, and print disabled, check out these related resources:

• RNIB Talking Books and the New Reading Services Platform 
• Books for the Blind, Visually Impaired, and Print Disabled from NLS BARD
• Streaming Audiobooks on the RealSAM Pocket

By Guenivir Kendrick

REFERENCE: 

History – national library service for the Blind and print disabled (NLS): Library of Congress. National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) | Library of Congress. (2022, October 31). Retrieved April 22, 2023, from https://www.loc.gov/nls/about/organization/history/

Overview – National Library Service for the Blind and print disabled (NLS): Library of Congress. National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) | Library of Congress. (2023, March 28). Retrieved April 22, 2023, from https://www.loc.gov/nls/about/overview/#:~:text=Established%20by%20an%20Act%20of,to%20provide%20refreshable%20braille%20displays

The post The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled: Library of Congress – “That all may read.”   appeared first on RealSAM USA.

The Library of Congress division – The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled provides audio books for over 400,000 Americans through its existing technology of cartridge based players and millions more via its smartphone app. This system, however, is slow and expensive to run, and the technology is reaching the end of its life.

RealSAM has a cloud based dialogue and reasoning engine that it pairs with an android phone to provide a completely voice operated solution for searching for and streaming books. From the consumer’s point of view, it’s as easy as just saying “Find me books about James Bond” to get a list of books you can then select using your voice, to stream to your phone.

The RealSAM solution is currently being sold in the UK as RealSAM : In Your Pocket where it delivers the Royal National Institute of Blind People Library, the largest audio book library of its kind in the UK. In Australia and the UK, the device also acts as a voice operated phone as well as a digital assistant helping to improve the quality of life of those suffering from low vision or blindness.

RealSAM is a subsidiary of Australian Artificial Intelligence developer Real Thing Entertainment. RealSAM provides a friendly voice operated assistant, media player & phone – designed for people with blindness or low vision. It operates in Australia, the UK and the USA.

The post Library of Congress embraces AI appeared first on RealSAM USA.