Join BVA’s VetTech Team this Wednesday, May 17, at 2:00pm Eastern Daylight Time as we welcome Jean-Paul dela Houssaye, founder and developer of WebAudio News.

The news media industry has established barriers that prevent many from consuming the news reports that matter most to them. This occurs because never-ending feeds are incorporated into articles and intertwining opinion pieces. Toss in accessibility barriers faced by the blind and low vision and we face insurmountable obstacles just to scour the headlines. WebAudio News Aims to resolve this through an innovative mobile app that provides narrated short summaries of stories for which users may be searching.   

Do not miss this VetTech session! Attendees will receive:

• An overview of the WebAudio News mobile application.
• A demonstration of the WebAudio News app.
• Information on how to become involved with WebAudio initiatives.                                                                                          

On Thursday, May 18, at the same 2:00pm hour, VetTech Talk will open a discussion on Application Technologies of interest to those attending the session. This is an open forum discussion to ask questions and share thoughts and experiences.  

This past week, with a presentation from Liz Whitaker, Product Manager for User Education and Outreach for Vispero, the Weekly Wednesday Webinar focused on the capabilities of Freedom Scientific Products Fusion and JAWS in helping to access and successfully use Microsoft Teams. The session also featured instruction on Teams’ most basic functions. TechTalk the following day was dedicated to an informal discussion about the platform and its practical use for those present.

All VetTech webinars and talk sessions are currently open to everyone—blind and low vision veterans and nonveterans, family members, caregivers, blind rehabilitation specialists, and all other parties interested in assistive, adaptive, and accessible technology that can empower independence. Membership in BVA or attendance at previous sessions is not a pre-requisite to join VetTech or VetTech Talk sessions.

Can’t make it to a live session? No problem! VetTech is now available as a podcast on major platforms. Interested parties can listen on demand to missed Weekly Wednesday Webinars as well as original content published solely on the podcast by asking their smart speaker, Siri or Alexa, to “play the latest episode of the Blinded Veterans Association VetTech podcast.” They can also follow the channel via Apple Podcast, Google Play, and Amazon Music.

To enter both of the upcoming Wednesday and Thursday sessions using the same Zoom meeting credentials and link, click here. For additional information on the Weekly Wednesday Webinar or VetTech Talk, click here.