From athen-list at u.washington.edu Mon Dec 1 15:45:42 2025 From: athen-list at u.washington.edu (Matson, Eric (ecmatson@uidaho.edu) via athen-list) Date: Mon Dec 1 15:45:46 2025 Subject: [Athen] Video showing screen reader and common page errors? Message-ID: Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving break! Does anyone have any videos showing common errors encountered by screen reader users? Bad link text, bad / missing image alt text, weird emojis etc. Our Faculty have asked for examples of what happens when they format things wrong, so figured I'd ask here before figuring out how to screen record with a screen reader. Anyone have any tips for screen recording with a screen reader? I haven't looked into the best way to do it, so just looking for anything that might be a snag. Thanks, Eric Matson | Assistant Director - Assistive Technology & Accommodation Operations Center for Disability Access and Resources Division of Student Affairs The University of Idaho Phone: 208.885.6307 | ecmatson@uidaho.edu| Message me on Teams Bruce M. Pitman Center 127 Fax: 208.885.9404 Campus Zip: 4257 Treasurer - Idaho Partnership on Higher Education and Disability Pronouns: He / Him / His This communication, including any attachments, is intended solely for the entity or individual(s) to whom it is addressed and may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please notify me immediately and delete this message. Any disclosure, copying, distribution, or other use of the contents of this message is prohibited. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From athen-list at u.washington.edu Mon Dec 1 19:54:57 2025 From: athen-list at u.washington.edu (Steve Green via athen-list) Date: Mon Dec 1 19:55:05 2025 Subject: [Athen] Video showing screen reader and common page errors? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Unfortunately, I can't share any of the recordings of our user testing sessions, but there are hundreds of different issues. Screen reader users tend to ignore anything they don't understand, otherwise tasks would take far too long. In theory, they can read words and phrases letter by letter or word by word if they don't understand them, but in most cases it's not worth the effort. Likewise, they could use AI tools to identify the contents of images, but they have to decide if it's worth the time it takes. Speed usually takes priority, and they learn to live with the resulting errors. This doesn't usually matter, but there are obviously times it has very bad consequences. If you're going to record screen reader users, one of the skills you need to develop is to identify when they should have encountered a problem they didn't mention. You need to carefully probe them on the point without letting them realise what you're doing. Beware of users who tell you every little thing - they are probably thinking as a tester, not as a user. Whether you're using the screen reader yourself or working with a screen reader user, the simplest way to record a session is to use Zoom or Teams. They give you the option to save the recordings locally, but if you record to the cloud, it's much easier to give other people access to them. At least it is with Zoom. Teams is sometimes locked down so no one outside your organisation can view the recordings. Obviously, you have to share the screen to make the recording, and you must also share the computer sound when you do this. Zoom and Teams both have a checkbox for this on the screen sharing dialog. We used to have our own UX lab, but we do all our user testing this way now. The main difficulty is that recording screen readers on mobile devices is stupidly difficult because the Zoom mobile app is a piece of garbage. If you record ZoomText, you get the unmagnified version regardless of what was on screen at the time. If you want to record a screen magnifier, you need to use Windows Magnifier, which gets recorded correctly. If you're recording with NVDA screen reader, make sure all the focus indicators are turned on so you can see where the actual and virtual focuses are. This is now a feature in NVDA 2025, but you used to need a separate plug-in in earlier versions. Without the focus indicators, it can be difficult for observers to understand what they are hearing. Whoever is using the screen reader needs to keep a constant commentary explaining what they are going to do (including which keys they are going to press), what they expect to happen and what actually happened. Most people are terrible at this at first and often go silent after a while. They also tend to only talk after they have done something, so people watching the recordings have to rewind to make sense of what they previously saw. Finally, be aware that people often did not do what they say they did and they misunderstand what happened. If they suggest a solution, it's very often going to be wrong. There's no doubt they had a problem, but you need to investigate to identify the real cause and the real fix. Steve Green Managing Director Test Partners Ltd From: athen-list On Behalf Of Matson, Eric (ecmatson@uidaho.edu) via athen-list Sent: 01 December 2025 23:46 To: Access Technology Higher Education Network Subject: [Athen] Video showing screen reader and common page errors? Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving break! Does anyone have any videos showing common errors encountered by screen reader users? Bad link text, bad / missing image alt text, weird emojis etc. Our Faculty have asked for examples of what happens when they format things wrong, so figured I'd ask here before figuring out how to screen record with a screen reader. Anyone have any tips for screen recording with a screen reader? I haven't looked into the best way to do it, so just looking for anything that might be a snag. Thanks, Eric Matson | Assistant Director - Assistive Technology & Accommodation Operations Center for Disability Access and Resources Division of Student Affairs The University of Idaho Phone: 208.885.6307 | ecmatson@uidaho.edu| Message me on Teams Bruce M. Pitman Center 127 Fax: 208.885.9404 Campus Zip: 4257 Treasurer - Idaho Partnership on Higher Education and Disability Pronouns: He / Him / His This communication, including any attachments, is intended solely for the entity or individual(s) to whom it is addressed and may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please notify me immediately and delete this message. Any disclosure, copying, distribution, or other use of the contents of this message is prohibited. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From athen-list at u.washington.edu Wed Dec 3 08:42:02 2025 From: athen-list at u.washington.edu (Joshua Hori via athen-list) Date: Wed Dec 3 08:42:17 2025 Subject: [Athen] Video showing screen reader and common page errors? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hello Eric, Here?s a few that I have bookmarked: Relevant accessibility issues: All Cap content: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/xoqW4HwEMSQ CamelCase: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/18Y2mEO-7bg Emojis: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fkGMKrUS9uo Resolved accessibility issues (less likely to experience, but may still be relevant on some platforms): Decorative text: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3rKnBxywnJA Emoticons: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZauXCmAeCD0 Best, Joshua Hori Accessible Technology Coordinator Information Educational Technology Academic Technology Services 50 Hutchison Dr. Davis, CA 95616 530-752-2439 Schedule a meeting via Calendly From: athen-list on behalf of Matson, Eric (ecmatson@uidaho.edu) via athen-list Date: Monday, December 1, 2025 at 3:47?PM To: Access Technology Higher Education Network Subject: [Athen] Video showing screen reader and common page errors? Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving break! Does anyone have any videos showing common errors encountered by screen reader users? Bad link text, bad / missing image alt text, weird emojis etc. Our Faculty have asked for examples of what happens when they format things wrong, so figured I?d ask here before figuring out how to screen record with a screen reader. Anyone have any tips for screen recording with a screen reader? I haven?t looked into the best way to do it, so just looking for anything that might be a snag. Thanks, Eric Matson | Assistant Director - Assistive Technology & Accommodation Operations Center for Disability Access and Resources Division of Student Affairs The University of Idaho Phone: 208.885.6307 | ecmatson@uidaho.edu| Message me on Teams Bruce M. Pitman Center 127 Fax: 208.885.9404 Campus Zip: 4257 Treasurer ? Idaho Partnership on Higher Education and Disability Pronouns: He / Him / His This communication, including any attachments, is intended solely for the entity or individual(s) to whom it is addressed and may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please notify me immediately and delete this message. Any disclosure, copying, distribution, or other use of the contents of this message is prohibited. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From athen-list at u.washington.edu Wed Dec 3 10:45:06 2025 From: athen-list at u.washington.edu (Steve Green via athen-list) Date: Wed Dec 3 10:45:14 2025 Subject: [Athen] Video showing screen reader and common page errors? In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Bear in mind that there are currently no rules for how screen readers must pronounce things like concatenated words, unknown words, capitalised words, abbreviations, acronyms, emojis and ASCII art. Each synthesizer uses its own rules and heuristics to decide how to pronounce the text. This means that different screen readers might pronounce the text differently, but so will the same screen reader with different synthesizers. You can?t test with one screen reader and make any assumptions about how others will behave. The advice is therefore to keep things simple, which mostly means avoiding all these things wherever possible. In my experience, CamelCase is fairly reliable if you really must use concatenated words, but the others are a bit of a lottery. Steve Green Managing Director Test Partners Ltd From: athen-list On Behalf Of Joshua Hori via athen-list Sent: 03 December 2025 16:42 To: Matson, Eric (ecmatson@uidaho.edu) ; Access Technology Higher Education Network Subject: Re: [Athen] Video showing screen reader and common page errors? Hello Eric, Here?s a few that I have bookmarked: Relevant accessibility issues: All Cap content: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/xoqW4HwEMSQ CamelCase: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/18Y2mEO-7bg Emojis: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/fkGMKrUS9uo Resolved accessibility issues (less likely to experience, but may still be relevant on some platforms): Decorative text: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/3rKnBxywnJA Emoticons: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZauXCmAeCD0 Best, Joshua Hori Accessible Technology Coordinator Information Educational Technology Academic Technology Services 50 Hutchison Dr. Davis, CA 95616 530-752-2439 Schedule a meeting via Calendly From: athen-list > on behalf of Matson, Eric (ecmatson@uidaho.edu) via athen-list > Date: Monday, December 1, 2025 at 3:47?PM To: Access Technology Higher Education Network > Subject: [Athen] Video showing screen reader and common page errors? Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving break! Does anyone have any videos showing common errors encountered by screen reader users? Bad link text, bad / missing image alt text, weird emojis etc. Our Faculty have asked for examples of what happens when they format things wrong, so figured I?d ask here before figuring out how to screen record with a screen reader. Anyone have any tips for screen recording with a screen reader? I haven?t looked into the best way to do it, so just looking for anything that might be a snag. Thanks, Eric Matson | Assistant Director - Assistive Technology & Accommodation Operations Center for Disability Access and Resources Division of Student Affairs The University of Idaho Phone: 208.885.6307 | ecmatson@uidaho.edu| Message me on Teams Bruce M. Pitman Center 127 Fax: 208.885.9404 Campus Zip: 4257 Treasurer ? Idaho Partnership on Higher Education and Disability Pronouns: He / Him / His This communication, including any attachments, is intended solely for the entity or individual(s) to whom it is addressed and may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please notify me immediately and delete this message. Any disclosure, copying, distribution, or other use of the contents of this message is prohibited. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From athen-list at u.washington.edu Thu Dec 4 13:40:28 2025 From: athen-list at u.washington.edu (Emily Singer Lucio via athen-list) Date: Thu Dec 4 13:40:42 2025 Subject: [Athen] Dot Pad X Message-ID: Hi all. Has anyone used this? Just curious if this is worth looking into. Dot Pad X Respectfully, *Emily Singer Lucio She/Her/Hers* ADA Coordinator University of Maryland, College Park Belonging and Community 0112 Lee Building 7809 Regents Drive College Park MD 20742 Tel:301 405-2841 | Fax:301 314-9992 Email: eslucio@umd.edu *ADA Website*: accessibility.umd.edu *Report a Concern*: Disability Access Feedback and Concerns Form ( Also on the UMD app) *Sign up for the ADA Newsletter*: Subscribe to the ADA Newsletter *Join the* UMD Disability Google Group *To schedule a training*: You can fill out our training form *To request an interview*: You can fill out our Interview Request Form *Learn more about Disability Identity Language * ?Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn?t mean he lacks vision.? ? Stevie Wonder Source: WeCapable -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From athen-list at u.washington.edu Thu Dec 4 13:53:53 2025 From: athen-list at u.washington.edu (Kamran Rasul via athen-list) Date: Thu Dec 4 13:54:01 2025 Subject: [Athen] Dot Pad X In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hi Emily, According to this review, Dot Pad X: Multi-Line Braille & Tactile Graphics: Accessibility for the Blind and Visually Impaired, it is best suited for simple images rather than the complex ones we typically find in post-secondary settings. It looks promising and will continue to evolve to support more complex images down the line. [cid:image001.png@01DC653E.901141A0] Kamran Rasul, MEd. Assistive Technology/Alternate Format Specialist (SDS) Phone: 410-516-1167 E-mail: krasul1@jhu.edu Garland Hall, 1st Floor, Office 135-G 3400 N. Charles Street Baltimore, MD 21218 Schedule a meeting with Kamran From: athen-list On Behalf Of Emily Singer Lucio via athen-list Sent: Thursday, December 4, 2025 4:40 PM To: Access Technology Higher Education Network Subject: [Athen] Dot Pad X External Email - Use Caution Hi all. Has anyone used this? Just curious if this is worth looking into. Dot Pad X Respectfully, Emily Singer Lucio She/Her/Hers ADA Coordinator University of Maryland, College Park Belonging and Community 0112 Lee Building 7809 Regents Drive College Park MD 20742 Tel:301 405-2841 | Fax:301 314-9992 Email: eslucio@umd.edu ADA Website: accessibility.umd.edu Report a Concern: Disability Access Feedback and Concerns Form ( Also on the UMD app) Sign up for the ADA Newsletter: Subscribe to the ADA Newsletter Join the UMD Disability Google Group To schedule a training: You can fill out our training form To request an interview: You can fill out our Interview Request Form Learn more about Disability Identity Language "Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn't mean he lacks vision." - Stevie Wonder Source: WeCapable -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 16012 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: From athen-list at u.washington.edu Thu Dec 4 14:59:06 2025 From: athen-list at u.washington.edu (normajean.brand via athen-list) Date: Thu Dec 4 14:59:32 2025 Subject: [Athen] Dot Pad X In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: I was thinking the same thing, Kamran, when I first learned of the Dot Pad X. It appears to be exciting new technology also being developed by Humanware https://youtu.be/TJdMAk-hN3A?si=VxwH3XRE9pd2FXX7 https://www.humanware.com/microsite/monarch/index.php However, since I'm sighted/low vision, and don't read Braille or need the tactile (yet), I'm not sure if it would be something usable in a post-secondary environment. If anyone has tested the Monarch by Humanware, I'd love to know your thoughts. NJ Brand (she/her/hers) [Website] www.hccs.edu Counseling & Ability Services AssitiveTech@HCCS Alternate Media Requests Teaching & Learning Center for Innovation From: athen-list On Behalf Of Kamran Rasul via athen-list Sent: Thursday, December 4, 2025 3:54 PM To: 'Emily Singer Lucio' ; 'Access Technology Higher Education Network' Subject: Re: [Athen] Dot Pad X [External Email Notice: This email is from outside the Houston City College. HCC will never use external email accounts to send confidential information, job opportunities, business/financial-related emails, or account password/expiration updates.] Hi Emily, According to this review, Dot Pad X: Multi-Line Braille & Tactile Graphics: Accessibility for the Blind and Visually Impaired, it is best suited for simple images rather than the complex ones we typically find in post-secondary settings. It looks promising and will continue to evolve to support more complex images down the line. [cid:image003.png@01DC653F.4C217B80] Kamran Rasul, MEd. Assistive Technology/Alternate Format Specialist (SDS) Phone: 410-516-1167 E-mail: krasul1@jhu.edu Garland Hall, 1st Floor, Office 135-G 3400 N. Charles Street Baltimore, MD 21218 Schedule a meeting with Kamran From: athen-list > On Behalf Of Emily Singer Lucio via athen-list Sent: Thursday, December 4, 2025 4:40 PM To: Access Technology Higher Education Network > Subject: [Athen] Dot Pad X External Email - Use Caution Hi all. Has anyone used this? Just curious if this is worth looking into. Dot Pad X Respectfully, Emily Singer Lucio She/Her/Hers ADA Coordinator University of Maryland, College Park Belonging and Community 0112 Lee Building 7809 Regents Drive College Park MD 20742 Tel:301 405-2841 | Fax:301 314-9992 Email: eslucio@umd.edu ADA Website: accessibility.umd.edu Report a Concern: Disability Access Feedback and Concerns Form ( Also on the UMD app) Sign up for the ADA Newsletter: Subscribe to the ADA Newsletter Join the UMD Disability Google Group To schedule a training: You can fill out our training form To request an interview: You can fill out our Interview Request Form Learn more about Disability Identity Language "Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn't mean he lacks vision." - Stevie Wonder Source: WeCapable -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.png Type: image/png Size: 2296 bytes Desc: image002.png URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image003.png Type: image/png Size: 16012 bytes Desc: image003.png URL: From athen-list at u.washington.edu Fri Dec 5 06:55:14 2025 From: athen-list at u.washington.edu (Emily Singer Lucio via athen-list) Date: Fri Dec 5 06:55:41 2025 Subject: [Athen] Dot Pad X In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Thank you for the feedback. Respectfully, *Emily Singer Lucio She/Her/Hers* ADA Coordinator University of Maryland, College Park Belonging and Community 0112 Lee Building 7809 Regents Drive College Park MD 20742 Tel:301 405-2841 | Fax:301 314-9992 Email: eslucio@umd.edu *ADA Website*: accessibility.umd.edu *Report a Concern*: Disability Access Feedback and Concerns Form ( Also on the UMD app) *Sign up for the ADA Newsletter*: Subscribe to the ADA Newsletter *Join the* UMD Disability Google Group *To schedule a training*: You can fill out our training form *To request an interview*: You can fill out our Interview Request Form *Learn more about Disability Identity Language * ?Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn?t mean he lacks vision.? ? Stevie Wonder Source: WeCapable On Thu, Dec 4, 2025 at 5:59?PM normajean.brand wrote: > I was thinking the same thing, Kamran, when I first learned of the Dot Pad > X. > > > > It appears to be exciting new technology also being developed by Humanware > https://youtu.be/TJdMAk-hN3A?si=VxwH3XRE9pd2FXX7 > https://www.humanware.com/microsite/monarch/index.php > > > > However, since I?m sighted/low vision, and don?t read Braille or need the > tactile (yet), I?m not sure if it would be something usable in a > post-secondary environment. > > > > If anyone has tested the Monarch by Humanware, I?d love to know your > thoughts. > > > > *NJ Brand* (she/her/hers) > > [image: Website] *www.hccs.edu * *Counseling & > Ability Services * *AssitiveTech@HCCS > * > Alternate Media Requests > > *Teaching & Learning Center for Innovation > * > > > > *From:* athen-list *On > Behalf Of *Kamran Rasul via athen-list > *Sent:* Thursday, December 4, 2025 3:54 PM > *To:* 'Emily Singer Lucio' ; 'Access Technology Higher > Education Network' > *Subject:* Re: [Athen] Dot Pad X > > > > [External Email Notice: This email is from outside the Houston City > College. HCC will never use external email accounts to send confidential > information, job opportunities, business/financial-related emails, or > account password/expiration updates.] > > Hi Emily, > > > > According to this review, Dot Pad X: Multi-Line Braille & Tactile > Graphics: Accessibility for the Blind and Visually Impaired > , it is best suited for > simple images rather than the complex ones we typically find in > post-secondary settings. > > > > It looks promising and will continue to evolve to support more complex > images down the line. > > > > Kamran Rasul, MEd. > > Assistive Technology/Alternate Format Specialist (SDS) > > Phone: 410-516-1167 > > E-mail: krasul1@jhu.edu > > Garland Hall, 1st Floor, Office 135-G > > 3400 N. Charles Street > > Baltimore, MD 21218 > > Schedule a meeting with Kamran > > > > > *From:* athen-list *On > Behalf Of *Emily Singer Lucio via athen-list > *Sent:* Thursday, December 4, 2025 4:40 PM > *To:* Access Technology Higher Education Network < > athen-list@u.washington.edu> > *Subject:* [Athen] Dot Pad X > > > > > * External Email - Use Caution * > > > > > > Hi all. > > > > Has anyone used this? Just curious if this is worth looking into. > > > > Dot Pad X > > > > > > Respectfully, > > > > *Emily Singer Lucio She/Her/Hers* > > ADA Coordinator > > University of Maryland, College Park > > Belonging and Community > > 0112 Lee Building > > 7809 Regents Drive > > College Park MD 20742 > > Tel:301 405-2841 | Fax:301 314-9992 > > Email: eslucio@umd.edu > > *ADA Website*: accessibility.umd.edu > > *Report a Concern*: Disability Access Feedback and Concerns Form > ( > Also on the UMD app) > > *Sign up for the ADA Newsletter*: Subscribe to the ADA Newsletter > > > *Join the* UMD Disability Google Group > > > *To schedule a training*: You can fill out our training form > > > *To request an interview*: You can fill out our Interview Request Form > > > *Learn more about Disability Identity Language > * > > > > ?Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn?t mean he lacks > vision.? ? Stevie Wonder > > Source: WeCapable > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.png Type: image/png Size: 2296 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image003.png Type: image/png Size: 16012 bytes Desc: not available URL: From athen-list at u.washington.edu Fri Dec 5 08:16:47 2025 From: athen-list at u.washington.edu (David Schwarte via athen-list) Date: Fri Dec 5 08:16:52 2025 Subject: [Athen] Dot Pad X In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hello Emily, One of the students I work with has a DotPad. The student does find it helpful. A few things to note: The DotPad primarily works with IOS (iPad and iPhone). Other?s milage may vary, but there are a lot of services at my institution that don?t work on a tablet platform. JAWS and NVDA do provide some support for the DotPad, but for text and not graphics. There are probably some advantages in having a multi-line Braille display, but I don?t think this is clear-cut right now. The Monarch works with JAWS and NVDA similar to the DotPad, so there is some effort to expand the usage of these types of devices. The resolution will be similar to using a Braille embosser for creating graphics, since the DotPad, Monarch etc., have essentially the same dot distance as a Braille display. The one major advantage is that the dynamic devices can be zoomed. The user can view the overall image and then zoom in on various areas of interest. The concept would be similar to using a small screen to view complex images. The larger issue seems to be that the dots are either up or down. There is no easy way to display greyscale. There seem to be four devices in this area: DotPad, Monarch, Graphiti, and Cadence. We have recently purchased a Cadence for loan to students. In our case the use cases included: providing the student a way to view graphs the student was required to create for homeworks, viewing shared drawings, such as CAD technical drawings, groupwork with shared graphics etc. At this time the various devices seem to have different ideas of how they would be used, so we selected a device, based on what things our students could not do with currently available technology or services. We are researching how a device, such as the Cadence could be used independently by a student. Of course, this will also be important in the work world, where the former-student will be responsible for being able to consume any graphical information required for the job. Thanks, David Schwarte From: athen-list On Behalf Of Emily Singer Lucio via athen-list Sent: Friday, December 5, 2025 9:55 AM To: normajean.brand Cc: Access Technology Higher Education Network Subject: Re: [Athen] Dot Pad X ---- External Email: Use caution with attachments, links, or sharing data ---- Thank you for the feedback. Respectfully, Emily Singer Lucio She/Her/Hers ADA Coordinator University of Maryland, College Park Belonging and Community 0112 Lee Building 7809 Regents Drive College Park MD 20742 Tel:301 405-2841 | Fax:301 314-9992 Email: eslucio@umd.edu ADA Website: accessibility.umd.edu Report a Concern: Disability Access Feedback and Concerns Form ( Also on the UMD app) Sign up for the ADA Newsletter: Subscribe to the ADA Newsletter Join the UMD Disability Google Group To schedule a training: You can fill out our training form To request an interview: You can fill out our Interview Request Form Learn more about Disability Identity Language ?Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn?t mean he lacks vision.? ? Stevie Wonder Source: WeCapable On Thu, Dec 4, 2025 at 5:59?PM normajean.brand > wrote: I was thinking the same thing, Kamran, when I first learned of the Dot Pad X. It appears to be exciting new technology also being developed by Humanware https://youtu.be/TJdMAk-hN3A?si=VxwH3XRE9pd2FXX7 https://www.humanware.com/microsite/monarch/index.php However, since I?m sighted/low vision, and don?t read Braille or need the tactile (yet), I?m not sure if it would be something usable in a post-secondary environment. If anyone has tested the Monarch by Humanware, I?d love to know your thoughts. NJ Brand (she/her/hers) [Website] www.hccs.edu Counseling & Ability Services AssitiveTech@HCCS Alternate Media Requests Teaching & Learning Center for Innovation From: athen-list > On Behalf Of Kamran Rasul via athen-list Sent: Thursday, December 4, 2025 3:54 PM To: 'Emily Singer Lucio' >; 'Access Technology Higher Education Network' > Subject: Re: [Athen] Dot Pad X [External Email Notice: This email is from outside the Houston City College. HCC will never use external email accounts to send confidential information, job opportunities, business/financial-related emails, or account password/expiration updates.] Hi Emily, According to this review, Dot Pad X: Multi-Line Braille & Tactile Graphics: Accessibility for the Blind and Visually Impaired, it is best suited for simple images rather than the complex ones we typically find in post-secondary settings. It looks promising and will continue to evolve to support more complex images down the line. [cid:image002.png@01DC65D5.646FA4F0] Kamran Rasul, MEd. Assistive Technology/Alternate Format Specialist (SDS) Phone: 410-516-1167 E-mail: krasul1@jhu.edu Garland Hall, 1st Floor, Office 135-G 3400 N. Charles Street Baltimore, MD 21218 Schedule a meeting with Kamran From: athen-list > On Behalf Of Emily Singer Lucio via athen-list Sent: Thursday, December 4, 2025 4:40 PM To: Access Technology Higher Education Network > Subject: [Athen] Dot Pad X External Email - Use Caution Hi all. Has anyone used this? Just curious if this is worth looking into. Dot Pad X Respectfully, Emily Singer Lucio She/Her/Hers ADA Coordinator University of Maryland, College Park Belonging and Community 0112 Lee Building 7809 Regents Drive College Park MD 20742 Tel:301 405-2841 | Fax:301 314-9992 Email: eslucio@umd.edu ADA Website: accessibility.umd.edu Report a Concern: Disability Access Feedback and Concerns Form ( Also on the UMD app) Sign up for the ADA Newsletter: Subscribe to the ADA Newsletter Join the UMD Disability Google Group To schedule a training: You can fill out our training form To request an interview: You can fill out our Interview Request Form Learn more about Disability Identity Language ?Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn?t mean he lacks vision.? ? Stevie Wonder Source: WeCapable -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 2296 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.png Type: image/png Size: 16012 bytes Desc: image002.png URL: From athen-list at u.washington.edu Fri Dec 5 09:33:54 2025 From: athen-list at u.washington.edu (Brodsky,Michelle via athen-list) Date: Fri Dec 5 09:33:58 2025 Subject: [Athen] starting public speaking In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hi Lucy, I would be happy to endorse your skills on LinkedIn, but apparently, we have to have a "1st degree" connection, and ours is a "3rd degree" connection. Take care, Michelle Michelle Brodsky, MEd, MOT, OTR/L Campus Service Coordinator | she, her, hers [Assistive Technology Resource Center Colorado State University][CSU Safe Zone trained] Room 301 Occupational Therapy Building| Campus Delivery 1573 ATRC/scheduling: 970-491-6258 Direct line: 970-491-1561 michelle.brodsky@colostate.edu Assistive Technology Resource Center Accessibility By Design ________________________________ From: athen-list on behalf of Lucy Greco via athen-list Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2025 2:59 PM To: athen-list-request@mailman13.u.washington.edu ; Access Technology Higher Education Network Subject: [Athen] starting public speaking ** Caution: EXTERNAL Sender ** Hello everyone. I swore I would never be the person that sent this message. but hey we must all do this at some point. if any of you would be interested in helping me get my new speaking career off the ground i could use some linkedin love.. I hate doing this. I would have thought my work spoke for itself but I hate that I have been told that my endorsements are all too old and don't talk about speaking so thanks for any help you all could give. and hay it goes without saying if you need me to give a talk just reach out and lets see what we can do lucy Lucy Greco accessibility evangelist (510)918-9621 Https://accessaces.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-Assistive .png Type: image/png Size: 11569 bytes Desc: Outlook-Assistive .png URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Outlook-CSU Safe Z Type: image/jpg Size: 4184 bytes Desc: Outlook-CSU Safe Z URL: From athen-list at u.washington.edu Fri Dec 5 10:24:22 2025 From: athen-list at u.washington.edu (Natalie Reiners via athen-list) Date: Fri Dec 5 10:24:41 2025 Subject: [Athen] Dot Pad X In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Good afternoon, I've looked into tactile graphic displays as potential equipment for our department to procure/rent to students, and had a student request alternative formats to use with their Dot Pad 320. I have not had personal experience using one or working with someone who did. We haven't found a sustainable way to embed producing unique alternative formats for this device into our current processes and departmental workflows (yet). The Dot Pad 320: - The device supports the DTMs tactile graphics format, and the Dot Canvas Web can convert uploaded images into tactile graphics automatically. - Files can be saved to your My Drawings (local storage) or to Dot Cloud (Personal Drive and Public Drive) for sharing and retrieval. I determined that use of the device is contingent on a few implementation components: - Preparing Images: Course diagrams, slides, or textbook figures will often need to be simplified into high-contrast, line-based graphics that are suitable for tactile display. - Converting to a Tactile-Ready Format: Materials will be converted into formats the Dot Pad can display (likely DTMs, created via Dot Canvas). Dot Canvas Web can convert uploaded images into tactile graphics automatically - Delivering the Files: Once converted, images can be shared through Dot Cloud or loaded directly via the app/web. - Working with Instructors: There would be a need to set up a workflow so that when course materials include graphics, the department can request them in advance and ensure there is time to convert them into tactile-ready versions. This would likely be similar to a typical alternative format request process. - Workflow with Student: There would be a need to set up a workflow with the student so that they can send tactile requests in advance to allow the department time to prepare the images for the dot pad. This would likely be similar to a typical alternative format request process. I asked the student who has a Dot Pad to explore if the current way we manually create images for hard copy tactile graphic production would translate to the Dot Pad and the student reported it does not. So, a consideration for a disability resource center is that this could be a separate alternative format process than ones currently in use in a department. The images below illustrate that issue - they show how the images appear on a Dot Pad when sent to the student in the typical format we would use to emboss the images in hard copy tactile graphic format: simple clear lines with Braille labels. The Braille labels are completely not legible. Though, if I'm doing something wrong please feel encouraged to tell me as I'd love to figure this out. Image descriptions: the two images below are screenshots of how the images convert to the Dot Pad platform as shown by the device system - a series of filled in squares that don't clearly show the image with labels as it was created. [image: image0.png] [image: image3.png] For the Monarch I understand there are similar but different considerations: - Conversion to SVG and BRF Formats ? Course figures and diagrams will be converted into Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) or Braille Ready Format (BRF), which the Monarch can process into tactile representations. - Use of Tactile Graphics Software ? Tools such as APH?s tactile graphics software and third-party applications like TactileView will be utilized to create raised-line drawings and interactive tactile displays. I'd love to hear from anyone who was able to either incorporate these types of devices into their equipment rental inventory or have worked with a student to produce alternative formats for their personal tactile graphic display device. Specifically, what it looks like to make the alternative formats and what tools you use. One issue our team was concerned about with the student's personal Dot Pad was that we would have to use their personal account to make the images and upload the images to their cloud, and this involves using their credentials to access the system, which is a privacy concern. If it was a department rental that wouldn't be a concern because it'd be our account. Not sure if this all helps but figured I'd send what I've pulled together in hopes it can help others and/or others can help us! Best wishes, Natalie On Fri, Dec 5, 2025 at 9:16?AM David Schwarte via athen-list < athen-list@u.washington.edu> wrote: > Hello Emily, > > > > One of the students I work with has a DotPad. The student does find it > helpful. A few things to note: > > > > The DotPad primarily works with IOS (iPad and iPhone). Other?s milage may > vary, but there are a lot of services at my institution that don?t work on > a tablet platform. > > > > JAWS and NVDA do provide some support for the DotPad, but for text and not > graphics. There are probably some advantages in having a multi-line > Braille display, but I don?t think this is clear-cut right now. The > Monarch works with JAWS and NVDA similar to the DotPad, so there is some > effort to expand the usage of these types of devices. > > > > The resolution will be similar to using a Braille embosser for creating > graphics, since the DotPad, Monarch etc., have essentially the same dot > distance as a Braille display. The one major advantage is that the dynamic > devices can be zoomed. The user can view the overall image and then zoom > in on various areas of interest. The concept would be similar to using a > small screen to view complex images. The larger issue seems to be that the > dots are either up or down. There is no easy way to display greyscale. > > > > There seem to be four devices in this area: DotPad, Monarch, Graphiti, > and Cadence. > > > > We have recently purchased a Cadence for loan to students. In our case > the use cases included: providing the student a way to view graphs the > student was required to create for homeworks, viewing shared drawings, such > as CAD technical drawings, groupwork with shared graphics etc. At this > time the various devices seem to have different ideas of how they would be > used, so we selected a device, based on what things our students could not > do with currently available technology or services. We are researching how > a device, such as the Cadence could be used independently by a student. Of > course, this will also be important in the work world, where the > former-student will be responsible for being able to consume any graphical > information required for the job. > > > > Thanks, > > David Schwarte > > > > > > *From:* athen-list *On > Behalf Of *Emily Singer Lucio via athen-list > *Sent:* Friday, December 5, 2025 9:55 AM > *To:* normajean.brand > *Cc:* Access Technology Higher Education Network < > athen-list@u.washington.edu> > *Subject:* Re: [Athen] Dot Pad X > > > > ---- *External Email*: Use caution with attachments, links, or sharing > data ---- > > > > Thank you for the feedback. > > > > > > Respectfully, > > > > *Emily Singer Lucio She/Her/Hers* > > ADA Coordinator > > University of Maryland, College Park > > Belonging and Community > > 0112 Lee Building > > 7809 Regents Drive > > College Park MD 20742 > > Tel:301 405-2841 | Fax:301 314-9992 > > Email: eslucio@umd.edu > > *ADA Website*: accessibility.umd.edu > > *Report a Concern*: Disability Access Feedback and Concerns Form > ( > Also on the UMD app) > > *Sign up for the ADA Newsletter*: Subscribe to the ADA Newsletter > > > *Join the* UMD Disability Google Group > > > *To schedule a training*: You can fill out our training form > > > *To request an interview*: You can fill out our Interview Request Form > > > *Learn more about Disability Identity Language > * > > > > ?Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn?t mean he lacks > vision.? ? Stevie Wonder > > Source: WeCapable > > > > > > On Thu, Dec 4, 2025 at 5:59?PM normajean.brand > wrote: > > I was thinking the same thing, Kamran, when I first learned of the Dot Pad > X. > > > > It appears to be exciting new technology also being developed by Humanware > https://youtu.be/TJdMAk-hN3A?si=VxwH3XRE9pd2FXX7 > https://www.humanware.com/microsite/monarch/index.php > > > > However, since I?m sighted/low vision, and don?t read Braille or need the > tactile (yet), I?m not sure if it would be something usable in a > post-secondary environment. > > > > If anyone has tested the Monarch by Humanware, I?d love to know your > thoughts. > > > > *NJ Brand* (she/her/hers) > > [image: Website] *www.hccs.edu * *Counseling & > Ability Services * *AssitiveTech@HCCS > * > Alternate Media Requests > > *Teaching & Learning Center for Innovation > * > > > > *From:* athen-list *On > Behalf Of *Kamran Rasul via athen-list > *Sent:* Thursday, December 4, 2025 3:54 PM > *To:* 'Emily Singer Lucio' ; 'Access Technology Higher > Education Network' > *Subject:* Re: [Athen] Dot Pad X > > > > [External Email Notice: This email is from outside the Houston City > College. HCC will never use external email accounts to send confidential > information, job opportunities, business/financial-related emails, or > account password/expiration updates.] > > Hi Emily, > > > > According to this review, Dot Pad X: Multi-Line Braille & Tactile > Graphics: Accessibility for the Blind and Visually Impaired > , it is best suited for > simple images rather than the complex ones we typically find in > post-secondary settings. > > > > It looks promising and will continue to evolve to support more complex > images down the line. > > > > Kamran Rasul, MEd. > > Assistive Technology/Alternate Format Specialist (SDS) > > Phone: 410-516-1167 > > E-mail: krasul1@jhu.edu > > Garland Hall, 1st Floor, Office 135-G > > 3400 N. Charles Street > > Baltimore, MD 21218 > > Schedule a meeting with Kamran > > > > > *From:* athen-list *On > Behalf Of *Emily Singer Lucio via athen-list > *Sent:* Thursday, December 4, 2025 4:40 PM > *To:* Access Technology Higher Education Network < > athen-list@u.washington.edu> > *Subject:* [Athen] Dot Pad X > > > > > * External Email - Use Caution * > > > > > > Hi all. > > > > Has anyone used this? Just curious if this is worth looking into. > > > > Dot Pad X > > > > > > Respectfully, > > > > *Emily Singer Lucio She/Her/Hers* > > ADA Coordinator > > University of Maryland, College Park > > Belonging and Community > > 0112 Lee Building > > 7809 Regents Drive > > College Park MD 20742 > > Tel:301 405-2841 | Fax:301 314-9992 > > Email: eslucio@umd.edu > > *ADA Website*: accessibility.umd.edu > > *Report a Concern*: Disability Access Feedback and Concerns Form > ( > Also on the UMD app) > > *Sign up for the ADA Newsletter*: Subscribe to the ADA Newsletter > > > *Join the* UMD Disability Google Group > > > *To schedule a training*: You can fill out our training form > > > *To request an interview*: You can fill out our Interview Request Form > > > *Learn more about Disability Identity Language > * > > > > ?Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn?t mean he lacks > vision.? ? Stevie Wonder > > Source: WeCapable > > _______________________________________________ > athen-list mailing list > athen-list@mailman22.u.washington.edu > http://mailman22.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/athen-list > -- Natalie Reiners, MS, CRC Assistant Director Educational Access Center Boise State University Appointment Scheduling: click to schedule here Phone: (208) 426-1083 EAC Office: (208) 426-1583 Fax: (208)-426-1008 Email: nataliereiners@boisestate.edu Mail: 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID 83725-1372 Location: 1607 University Dr (first floor Lincoln Office Suites) Web: boisestate.edu/eac -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 2296 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.png Type: image/png Size: 16012 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image0.png Type: image/png Size: 150764 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image3.png Type: image/png Size: 150672 bytes Desc: not available URL: From athen-list at u.washington.edu Thu Dec 11 04:52:44 2025 From: athen-list at u.washington.edu (Network of Assistive Technologists via athen-list) Date: Thu Dec 11 04:52:59 2025 Subject: [Athen] 5 days left to submit your NOAT 2026 conference proposal - Don't miss the December 16th deadline! Message-ID: Please forgive any cross postings *The deadline for presentation proposals is fast approaching - Don't miss out - Take action now.* The buzz for NOAT 2026: educATe and integrATe is building. The call for proposals remains open until Tuesday, December 16, 2025. This isn't just a conference; it's a movement toward a more inclusive future. It's a gathering of like-minded innovators dedicated to integrating new skills and knowledge at every turn. *We need your unique voice to make it happen.* If you're an AT practitioner with a story to tell, an idea to share, a topic to discuss, or a lesson to teach, this is your opportunity. We are seeking compelling presentations that align with our theme: *educATe and integrATe*. Don't let this deadline slip by. Take action now and *be a part of the conversation* that shapes our collective future. For more details and to submit your proposal, visit www.ATconference.ca TODAY! *Doug Mantle,* Founder | The Network of Assistive Technologists www.NOAT.ca | info@NOAT.ca -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From athen-list at u.washington.edu Thu Dec 11 15:04:42 2025 From: athen-list at u.washington.edu (Tess McMillan via athen-list) Date: Thu Dec 11 15:04:58 2025 Subject: [Athen] Handling social media stories Message-ID: <08AF60D0-59B4-4316-9271-5738FC6ED0A2@contoso.com> Hi people, Social media is a huge part of communications among our students (primarily Instagram). There are options for making Posts more accessible, but I?m stumped around Stories because they tend to be so ? memey. For example, to promote our Wellness outdoors events, we can have a video containing different scenes with students snowshoeing through deep powder to nice background music, while the text over the video is something like ?Sorry, I can?t make it; I?ve got plans.? Followed by the text, ?The plans?? There are no options in Stories for captions or transcripts, so I wonder how to approach making these kinds of assets accessible. What would you recommend? Multiple text lines inside the video? Are there any social media sites that are good examples? Thanks, Tess ? working remotely -- Tess McMillan Web & Social Media Specialist - Student Engagement supporting Student Engagement, Athletics, Housing & Wellness Center Classified Staff Representative ? Student Environmental Sustainability Fund (SESF) Committee Bellevue College (425) 564-5084 [signature_1951092430][Title: Facebook icon - Description: Facebook] [Title: Instagram icon - Description: Instagram] -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 4876 bytes Desc: image001.png URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.png Type: image/png Size: 1676 bytes Desc: image002.png URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image003.png Type: image/png Size: 2919 bytes Desc: image003.png URL: From athen-list at u.washington.edu Fri Dec 12 08:24:23 2025 From: athen-list at u.washington.edu (Will Pines via athen-list) Date: Fri Dec 12 08:24:40 2025 Subject: [Athen] Handling social media stories In-Reply-To: <08AF60D0-59B4-4316-9271-5738FC6ED0A2@contoso.com> References: <08AF60D0-59B4-4316-9271-5738FC6ED0A2@contoso.com> Message-ID: Instagram stories do not have an option to add closed captions. I would recommend any pertinent informational posts like you describe above be listed as a post so that you can use captions and other recommended accessible strategies. A workaround could be open caption the video (these are embedded in the video) and then upload that version as a story. Best, *WILL PINES*, *Disability Specialist* Accessible Technology Specialist Student Disability Resource Center *he/him/his* University of California, Riverside 900 University Avenue 1228 Student Services Building Riverside, CA 92521 Phone: 951-827-3861 | Email: wilbert.pines@ucr.edu Schedule an Appointment SDRC Web | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter ?A mind stretched by new experiences will never go back to its original dimensions.? On Thu, Dec 11, 2025 at 3:06?PM Tess McMillan via athen-list < athen-list@u.washington.edu> wrote: > Hi people, > > > > Social media is a huge part of communications among our students > (primarily Instagram). > > > > There are options for making Posts more accessible, but I?m stumped around > Stories because they tend to be so ? memey. > > > > For example, to promote our Wellness outdoors events, we can have a video > containing different scenes with students snowshoeing through deep powder > to nice background music, while the text over the video is something like > > ?Sorry, I can?t make it; I?ve got plans.? Followed by the text, ?The > plans?? > > > > There are no options in Stories for captions or transcripts, so I wonder > how to approach making these kinds of assets accessible. > > > > What would you recommend? Multiple text lines inside the video? Are there > any social media sites that are good examples? > > > > Thanks, > > > > Tess > > > > ? working remotely -- > > *Tess McMillan* > > Web & Social Media Specialist - Student Engagement > > *supporting Student Engagement, Athletics, Housing & Wellness Center* > > Classified Staff Representative ? Student Environmental Sustainability > Fund (SESF) Committee > > Bellevue College (425) 564-5084 > > [image: signature_1951092430] [image: > Title: Facebook icon - Description: Facebook] > [image: > Title: Instagram icon - Description: Instagram] > > > > _______________________________________________ > athen-list mailing list > athen-list@mailman22.u.washington.edu > http://mailman22.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/athen-list > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 4876 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.png Type: image/png Size: 1676 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image003.png Type: image/png Size: 2919 bytes Desc: not available URL: From athen-list at u.washington.edu Fri Dec 12 10:30:12 2025 From: athen-list at u.washington.edu (Tisha L. Marzewski via athen-list) Date: Fri Dec 12 10:30:17 2025 Subject: [Athen] Accessibility Summer Camp 2026: Call for Proposals In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Reminder: The deadline for proposals is approaching, get yours in before you leave for winter-break! Share your accessibility knowledge during our ninth annual virtual conference, Accessibility Summer Camp! This year?s ASC event will take place on June 12th, 2026 from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm CDT via Zoom. As a conference speaker, you can attend sessions as well as present and engage in valuable networking with like-minded professionals. We are soliciting virtual presentations from all experience levels and backgrounds. Presentations should be engaging, encourage participant interaction, and be no longer than 45 minutes, including questions. Submit your presentation on our Call for Proposal form today! Not sure if your presentation fits the bill? Check out the 2025 Program page to get an idea or email us at AccessibilityCampICT@gmail.com. The session proposal deadline is December 19, 2025 Tisha L Marzewski Arkansas State University-Beebe tlmarzewski@asub.edu -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From athen-list at u.washington.edu Fri Dec 26 10:04:09 2025 From: athen-list at u.washington.edu (foreigntype@gmail.com via athen-list) Date: Fri Dec 26 10:04:24 2025 Subject: [Athen] ChemType in MathType ribbon Message-ID: Hi All Athenites, AHEAD, Alt-Media folks, and NOAT: I have renewed my subscription to MathType, and for some reason, I?m having a lot of trouble finding any reference or access to any chemistry notation in the toolbar. I?ve been in touch with Wiris and was told that ChemType was accessible by an extension which doesn?t appear on any ribbon that I have on any MSW version either of my Windows OS computers. I must be missing something. It does not look the same as last year?s version. Am I missing something? I can?t find anything that indicates I can input chemistry with this software. Any tips or clues would be helpful. I?m in no rush so please enjoy a lovely holiday. Wink Harner Adaptive Technology Consulting and Training Portland OR. foreigntype@gmail.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: