I’ve recently had the pleasure of talking with Margaret. She’s been a RealSAM Pocket user since its UK release sometime late 2017. It was exciting to hear about her experience with Pocket and how she uses Outdoor Locations when she’s out for walks with her husband and their guide dogs.

What’s Great About Pocket

Margaret shares about Pocket, “The thing I like about it, it’s so simple to use, it’s really straightforward.”

With Pocket, she finds it so easy to call and send texts by voice and without other complications or distracting apps.

Pocket’s OCR is Amazing at Reading Handwriting

Pocket has several assistive features for blind and visually impaired users. Margaret shared that she has used the optical text recognition (OCR) feature included with the built-in video magnifier. “Oh yes, just some time ago, I found a Christmas card, and I tried reading it with another phone’s app. It couldn’t, but Pocket was able to read it, then I knew what it was.”

Be My Eyes on Pocket is Extremely Helpful

Be My Eyes is accessible on all RealSAM devices. It’s a volunteer-based organization providing free sighted assistance for blind or low vision users all over the world.

Margaret shares about Be My Eyes, “I use Be My Eyes almost every day for one thing or another. For instance, identifying food packets. I’ve just had a couple of packets that I needed to know what they were. One was a package of apricots and the other prunes. I can ask about dates on items, cooking instructions, different birthday cards, pieces of mail, if the OCR can’t read it. Yeah, little things like that, and identifying what color something is.”

She also explained how easy it is to access Be My Eyes on her Pocket. “I just say, ‘Be My Eyes,’ and it plays a little tune and somebody answers. And What’s so good about it is people will tell you which way you point your camera so you can get a better focus.”

Being visually impaired myself, I wholeheartedly agree with Marget when she says, “Be My Eyes, that’s a tremendous service. It really is.”

Enjoy Lots of Entertainment on Pocket

With Pocket, you can access thousands of books from phenomenal library sources like RNIB. Additionally, you can stream newspapers, magazines, radios, and podcasts. Margaret shared that on Pocket, she enjoys listening to the Archars, a BBC Radio 4 contemporary drama in a country setting.

Pocket’s Outdoor Locations is Great for Navigating

One reason I was looking forward to talking with Margaret was to learn more about using RealSAM’s navigation tool, Outdoor Locations. Previously, I hadn’t had a lot of experience using this feature on my Pocket and Margaret gave me the confidence to use it while I’m out.

At first, I thought that Outdoor Locations would be like other map applications. I thought that I’d have to be around a lot of businesses, shops, and what not, and I’d have to enter a specific destination, and I’d get step-by-step directions to that place.

Instead, I learned that Outdoor Locations is a tool that every user customizes based on the routes that they are familiar with and travel on. As you travel, you use Outdoor Locations to label specific points as landmarks. Then the next time you’re traveling through that area, you can turn on Outdoor Locations and have RealSAM notify you that you’re approaching or passing your landmark, from what direction it is, and how far you are from it.

Margaret uses this feature all the time. – “I live near a big country park and go for lots of walks with my guide dog and Locations is such a tremendous help.”

“My guide dog’s name is Florence, we usually call her Flo. She’s a five-year-old golden retriever. My husband, Roger, has a black flat coat retriever called Quigley. We have lovely walks in our local country park, and I have landmarked path junctions and benches. Flo loves finding benches and rubbish bins for me. There is a particularly tricky fork in one path for which there is no warning. Walking straight on and you end up in a car park, take the left fork and you continue on the footpath. Pocket gives me plenty of warning, so I know in advance to keep to the left.

“There are lakeside and riverside walks and two rather nice cafes, and the dogs enjoy a run on a field where Pocket helps us to know where we are.”

Experience Pocket’s Accessibility Features

After Margaret gave me tips for using Outdoor Locations, I was able to set landmarks around my neighborhood. I’m not able to read any street signs by sight, so it’s really very helpful to hear from my Pocket that I’m just a few feet away from a certain turn. (Pocket will use American or Metric measurements depending on your location). I’m looking forward to using Outdoor Locations more and more as I go to different parks and walks with my family.

If you want to get the full scoop on how Outdoor Location works, I’ve written all about it in a separate article, “Pocket’s Navigation Tool – Outdoor Locations” on the RealSAM News Page.

It’s always so helpful to learn new things from someone who deals with similar challenges. It was exciting for me to get to know Margaret and learn about her experience using Pocket. I hope you too can try out Outdoor Locations and other amazing and helpful features on RealSAM devices.

The post Meet Margaret, RealSAM Pocket user since 2017 appeared first on RealSAM USA.

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.

Here are its key features on the RealSAM Pocket:

• Built in light/flash for dim surroundings
• 12.7 cm screen size 
• HD screen resolution
• 7x zoom
• Adjustable colors, contrast and brightness  
• Object recognition
• Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

Here’s a quick overview to give you a sense of what it’s like to use the RealSAM Magnifier on Pocket. 

RealSAM Magnifier can be helpful to different users. 

The great thing about Magnifier on the RealSAM Pocket, is that it can be helpful to both low vision and blind users. Low vision users can zoom in to see something from a distance or to read something small up close. Severely sight impaired or blind users can use the magnifier’s object and text recognition.

Use your voice to start the Magnifier. 

It’s super easy to access Magnifier on a RealSAM device. Just press the ‘tap to talk button’ and say, ‘Open Magnifier’ or ‘Magnifier.’ RealSAM’s feedback will be, ‘Magnifier starting,’ and you’re ready to zoom in. 

RealSAM Magnifier has a simple interface. 

When you first open Magnifier, you will notice a few buttons on the screen. Although these buttons are small to allow low vision users unobstructed screen views, they are labeled using high contrast colors, white words on a dark navy-blue background. RealSAM will also read them aloud as you move your finger across the screen and over them. 

If you’re holding your phone in  landscape orientation, the buttons on the left side include ‘Flash’ for using the Magnifier in a darker setting, and ‘Exit’ to close. 

On the right hand side, there will be a ‘Plus’ button to zoom in, a ‘Freeze’ button to capture an image, and a ‘Minus’ button to zoom out. 

While magnifier is open, tap anywhere to focus. RealSAM will always give spoken feedback every time you press a button or focus, making it easy to use regardless of your level of vision. 

Magnifier is helpful for low vision users.  

Low vision users can use Magnifier to see from a distance. For example, if it’s hard to see the numbers from an arm’s length, zoom in with Magnifier to set the oven timer on. It can also be helpful for reading signs when you’re out and about.

Anytime you want to see something even closer and bigger, press the ‘Freeze’ button. Magnifier will capture the image and you can zoom in even more. When you do this, additional buttons will pop up, with options to enhance the image by adjusting the color scheme, contrast, and brightness. This is great for reading small labels or clothing tags. For example, it’s not hard to read the label of canned food with 2x to 3z zoom, but reading the expiration date might require more adjusting. Taking a picture of it and adjusting the coolers and the contrast levels to combat the glare will be helpful in this case. 

Object and text recognition is helpful for severely sight impaired users. 

If you have very low vision, Magnifier can also be very helpful because it can identify and read aloud what you’re viewing when you press the ‘Freeze’ button. For example, while shopping, Magnifier can identify objects on the shelves. Press ‘Freeze’, and the ‘Action’ menu will pop up. Choose ‘Detect object’ from the action menu and Magnifier will indicate that it’s processing the image, then say something like, ‘Shelf, clothing, footwear, sneakers, handbags.’ 

Optical Text Recognition or (OCR) on Magnifier can accurately read both printed and handwritten text. Capture the image of a package label, a book cover, or a handwritten note and Magnifier will read you the text aloud.  

The RealSAM Magnifier makes the world more accessible. 

The built in video Magnifier is one assistive feature that makes RealSAM devices accessible and the world more visible to people living with sight loss. If you think this could be helpful for you or your loved one, learn more about RealSAM mobile phones and all the assistive tools they come with. 

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