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Month: June 2013

TOOLBOX: A Better Way to Take Notes on the Go

Posted in Apple Inc

We’ve all been there: You’re on the go, in the classroom, on the job or somewhere else out and about, and the idea strikes you. Maybe it’s a quick blurb, or something much lengthier, but you need a notepad—and fast.

Drafts app for iPhone, developed by Agile Tortoise, isn’t a fully-powered word processing suite, but what it lacks in features, it packs in simplicity and ease of use.

Today, I’ll show you how to take notes with this snappy little solution, and instantly fire them over to Dropbox for more detailed editing later.

REPLAY: Fedora’s, Justin Romack, Featured on “Serospectives: This Month in Tech for April”

Posted in Apple Inc

There’s been a ton of activity in the accessibility and access tech communities the past few months, so it was a real pleasure to sit down with the Serospectives team for a conversation last month.

Listen as Justin talks about the accessible Kindle app, the results of WebAIM’s low-vision study, the accessibility improvements made to the new $100 bill and even a blurb on “The Old Hat Guide to iPhone Accessibility”.

Listen to “Serospectives: This Month in Tech for April 2013” (opens in a new window)

Happy Birthday, Fedora: Celebrating One Year of Empowerment

Posted in Apple Inc

It’s been a year, and we couldn’t thank you more for supporting our vision and the team behind it. Growth, much like a tree, takes time, attention to detail, perseverance and patience, and it’s what makes the process so interesting.

Celebrate Fedora’s birthday with me as I look at the deep roots we’ve planted in the last year alone, and the many branches spreading from our little tree to help equip, educate and empower individuals to do even more with their tech.

An Accessible Blind Date

Posted in Apple Inc

Fedora celebrated its first year anniversary this past weekend, and to celebrate I decided to take a day off. I wanted to be disconnected from my Apple devices and try something new by way of technology, but without a computer, iPhone or iPad on hand.

You may remember we posted a Tweet about Regal Cinemas being accessible to the blind with audio descriptive movies. I also recalled a friend who is blind telling me he had a great experience when he went to the theaters and watched an audio-described movie. What really had me hooked was the guest featured during our upcoming #AccessChat on June 4th. I knew then I was headed to the theater for a new experience for my day off.

Before I get into the meet of this post, I know you are probably wondering which movie I ended up seeing. It was Hangover 3 and yes, it was hilarious. I did not see Hangover 1 or 2, but if 3 is any reflection of how good 1 and 2 were, then I’ll be sure to go back and check them out.

I took my fiancé, Regina, out on a blind date…literally. I’m blind, she is visually impaired, and we went out for a night on the town. The theater we chose was Regal Cinemas in Atlantic station. The reason I’m telling you this is because this location is awesome! Their customer service and attention to those with disabilities, especially those who are blind, is impeccable. This particular area of town was once filled with over 100 employed blind individuals working at Dialog In The Dark,, so “the station” (as it’s affectionately called) is familiar with seeing lots of blind individuals.

Now for the experience: For our first audio described movie night I really wanted to test out how descriptive the movie was. I chose a comedy for this. My thought was if we could catch the joke and laugh along with the rest of the audience, then this is a good thing. It was amazing, and it truly changed my life forever.

Usually when we go to the movies, we take Shirley, the firms HR Director, with us and go to the drive -in. This time, we went knowing we wouldn’t need anyone telling us what was happening during the silence, what color things were on-screen or the subtle things that may not be noticed by Shirley.

I must warn you though: Get to the theater a little earlier than you normally would, because you must check out your device by leaving an ID with the customer service agent. The device we were given was a little square brick that had a pair of headphones connected to it. You can also use your own headphones, if you’d like.

during an audio-descriptive movie, a narrator, using a very clear voice with appropriate tone and inflection, describes visual aspects of the movie. If the on-screen situation is serious, the narrator will use a serious tone, and likewise, if a character in the movie smiles, the narrator will convey this visual element. Most importantly, the audio description never interrupts the dialogue of your movie. How perfect is that?

The Atlantic Station Regal Theater has 16 showings at this location and, according to the Fandango app, they are all accessible to the blind and hard of hearing. I’m predicting there will be more blind dates in our very near future!

Want to go out on a “blind date” of your own? Don’t even think about choosing a flick before you find out if our friend Tommy Edison (aka The Blind Film Critic) has posted a review for it yet. In fact, join Tommy this Tuesday, June 4th at 8PM EST for #AccessChat, a monthly Twitter chat connecting you with those encouraging, equipping and empowering the blindness community. Get all the details by visiting the official page for #AccessChat.

RELEASE: Master iOS with New, Web Version of The Old Hat Guide to iPhone Accessibility

Posted in press releases

ATLANTA, Georgia (June 3) — Nearly two months after the release of the firm’s first book release to Apple’s iBooks Store, Fedora Outlier, LLC, a nationally-recognized provider of consulting, teaching and support for Apple’s accessible technologies, is set to launch a web-based version of “The Old Hat Guide to iPhone Accessibility” on June 4 at 8:00 A.M.. Access to the web-based version, found at http://www.fedoraoutlier.com/iphone, is available for $9.99, and those who have previously purchased the iBooks or PDF versions of the book may request complimentary access.

Readers will find the same content present in the downloadable versions of the book, including multimedia features such as audio and video demonstrations, but the content is not restricted to an Apple device, such as limitations found in formats released in April.

“We wanted people to have access from whatever platform they desired,” said Scott Rumery, a senior partner with the firm. “Whether they’re running Windows, a Nokia cell phone or the iPhone, the web version of our book will work flawlessly.”

The web-based version of the book is constructed much like a standard website, with headings, in-page links and other navigation elements, while still retaining features, like a table of contents, found in a book.

“We did our best to make the experience seamless for readers,” said Geof Collis, the firm’s webmaster and IT director. “We’ve cross-tested the content across browsers, too, which means an accessible experience no matter how you view the book.”

During registration for the web-based book site, readers can select a username and password to be used to access the book. Checkout is handled through PayPal, where readers can use an existing account or pay with any major credit card.

The release of the web-based “The Old Hat Guide to iPhone Accessibility” marks a more web-centric approach to premium content for the technology firm. Fedora’s president, VaShaun Jones, says “expect several web-based instructional experiences to come from our firm over the next few months.”

“Our goal is to deliver content that can reach and teach as many individuals as possible,” said Jones. “Hosting the content on our website gives us complete control of the experience, which allows us to tailor the accessibility of our content.”

For more information about the book, gaining access to the content or about Fedora Outlier, contact Justin Romack at (817) 727-8542, or via email at justin@fedoraoutlier.com.