More than one billion photos are shared on Facebook every day, and artificial intelligence is now making many more of those images accessible to Facebook users with the development of Automatic Alt Text.

Through research with the vision loss community, Facebook learned that for users of screen readers, who are blind or have vision loss, it wasn't straightforward to know what was in a photo that arrived in their News Feed. 

So in 2016, Facebook launched Automatic Alt Text (AAT) - a feature that uses object recognition technology to describe photos to people who are blind or who have low vision and use screen readers. And at the end of 2017, the social media platform also launched a Face Recognition tool that tells people using screen readers who appears in photos in their News Feed, even if they aren’t tagged (as long as that person has allowed this option in their settings).

Facebook’s efforts to make the social media platform more accessible to people who have sight loss and those who are blind has earned them a place in the finals of the Tech4Good Accessibility Award - with the winner announced at BT Centre on 17 July.

Now in their eighth year the awards are supported by BT and celebrate some of the amazing people who use tech to help make the world a better place.

Robin Christopherson, head of digital inclusion at AbilityNet commented: "In a popular social media platform like Facebook, it’s impossible to expect every user to add descriptions to their images. This smart use of AI gets around that problem and is a game changer for disabled users."

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Vote now in the Tech4Good People's Award

The People’s Award is one of Tech4Good's most sought Awards because it is chosen by the public, voting online via Instagram, Twitter or on the tech4Good website.

• Vote for Facebook in Tech4Good's People's Award.
• Read more about Facebook's Tech4Good entry.

Vicky, a mum of three in Edinburgh has been blind since birth. Her husband Robbie has very limited vision. They mostly manage as a family independently. But Vicky says that sometimes she just needs someone with vision to help her with tasks such as matching her children's socks or in situations such as checking the expiration date of food in her fridge.

This is where Be My Eyes comes in. The free app, created by Hans Wiberg, has more than one and a half million volunteers who are available day and night via live video link to help a blind person in such instances. It's currently being used in 150 different countries with help provided in 180 different languages and is a finalist in this year's AbilityNet Tech4Good Accessibility Award.

"We live in a world that is poorly designed for people with visual impairments, and I believe that technology can help change that," says Alexander Hauerslev Jensen, community director at Be My Eyes.

"I believe that Be My Eyes is a very powerful tool as it can help people lead more independent lives. The simplicity and flexibility of Be My Eyes make it works so well for both our blind users and for our sighted volunteers, and I really believe that Be My Eyes harnesses the power of generosity, technology, and human connection. We hope to win the Tech4Good award 2018 so we can get a step closer to making the world more accessible for people with disabilities,” he adds. 

Now in their eighth year, the AbilityNet Tech4Good awards are supported by BT and celebrate some of the amazing people who use tech to help make the world a better place.

Connecting users to corporate customer service teams

The Be My Eyes team has recently launched a new feature called Specialized Help that enables companies to support disabled customers via video link. Microsoft is one of its first customers. Users can connect to the company’s (Microsoft) Disability Answer Desk and can get help with such tasks as setting up Microsoft Office or checking an internet connection, for example. This means the company becomes more accessible to blind and partially-sighted people.

Robin Christopherson, head of digital inclusion at AbilityNet says of the app: “Be My Eyes combines the smarts of your phone, crowdsourced help from around the world and pure simplicity to address the everyday needs of blind people that, as yet, no AI can reach. This is one to watch.”

This Microsoft Be My Eyes short film shows the amazing story behind this app:

AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards

The awards celebrate the technology innovations that are improving lives across society. Categories include the BT Connected Society Award, BT Young Pioneer Award and the Digital Skills Award, as well as the Accessibility Award. Winners across all categories will be announced on 17 July in London at BT Centre.

• Members of the public are being encouraged to vote for their favourite finalist in the T4G People's Award, which closes on Monday 9 July.
• See the full list of awesome Tech4Good finalists here.

It is Macular Disease Awareness week this week.  We wanted to explore how technology might be able to help you if you have this condition.

Commonly asked questions about macular disease and macular degeneration

My Gran has macular disease and is struggling to order her shopping. What quick and easy changes could I make to help her out?

You might be surprised just how much you can do to change the settings on your computer just by making a few changes. A good start would be to go to our My Computer My Way website which provides step by step guides on how to customise Windows, Apple and Android computers, laptops and smartphones.

Hopefully that will help but if you are still having difficulties we have a network of volunteers who can help people in their own homes.

I can cope fairly well with using a computer but I struggle to cope with my correspondence.

There are definitely lots of options that can help. You can either scan letters in with a scanner and use Optical Character Recognition and text to speech to read it out to you, or you can use a device such as Readdesk to take a photo of the document and then have it read out to you. If you have a smartphone there are some really useful apps to consider using which will alow you to deal with correspondence and can also help with other aspects of your life.

My Dad is trying to finish a book of poetry off but can't really see the letters on a keyboard. What can help him?

There are lots of different types of keyboards available which could help people who are having dificulty seeing the keyboard. For example a larger keyboard with hi-vis stickers on it might be useful - these can be purchased from many different places including the RNIB shop.  You can even get large print wireless keyboard too, so this cuts down on the amount of wires everywhere.  Also don't forget that voice recognition is an easy alternative to using the keyboard, and you  can easily make the text easier to see on the screen.

Case Study: Harry and Helen go shopping again

Harry and his wife Helen are both very independent and enjoy going the local supermarket to get their groceries.  They need to find a useful way of being able to make shopping lists throughout the week so they can remember what to buy on a Friday morning which is their shopping morning.    They have just bought a Amazon Echo device as they like to listen to different music and radio stations.

One of our volunteers Lucy showed them both how to make lists on their Echo device and then getting Siri to read out the list to them when they are in the supermarket.

Recent figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that 4.8m of over 55s are still offline - they represent 94% of the remaining people in the UK who have yet to go digital, according to the charity Ageing Better. Without concerted efforts, this group will increasingly miss out on essential online services, says the charity. Let’s talk about ‘the conversational internet’ and how it could help some of those people.

Digital made simple

Getting online is a challenge. For the digitally uninitiated (and even for those who are pretty savvy) It requires a level of knowledge about how to interact with technology that isn’t acquired overnight. It takes months if not years to be confident about what to do when an unfamiliar pop-up asks you an often worryingly obscure question, and even more digital nouse to trouble-shoot something on a computer or tablet when things go wrong.

While it’s no longer necessary to read an instruction manual to use a tablet or smartphone, or worry whether your tablet’s antivirus is up-to-date (or indeed if it even has one), anyone who has had to support a relative or friend in the early/on-going stages of initiation into the world of mobile tapping, swiping and scrolling will know that things are still far from simple.

Pictured: Amazon Echo Show, Echo and Echo Spot

The conversational internet

What could be easier than natural, conversational speech as a way of interfacing with today’s diverse digital world? I’ve discussed voice assistants in several recent posts: how simply speaking to the air and getting useful information, being entertained and even performing sophisticated tasks is the next significant chapter in computing. Do check out these posts for the full picture on how natural language and 'ambient computing' (voice-first smart assistants which can live in a range of devices) will form a significant feature in all our digital futures:

• How do Alexa and Amazon Echo help disabled people?
• Alexa vs Google Home vs Cortana: The battle to reach every user intensifies
• Alexa, bots and how a future without websites could help disabled people
• Lightbulb moment? How smarter homes, Alexa and the age of automation will help disabled people
• All my health info accessible through Amazon's Alexa? I’d Echo that

The older, less digitally adept generation and those of all ages with disabilities may well benefit most from these advancements in more natural and conversational interactions with the digital world.

If some devices have screens then great – additional information or the face of a loved-one can be displayed, and people who are deaf will have spoken information presented visually. For those who can hear and speak, at the heart of these devices is the ability to communicate with them conversationally and with increasing flexibility. 

We’re certainly not anywhere near satisfying the toughest trial of AI – the Turing test – but we’re getting closer every week. In the meantime, government at all levels and companies of all sizes are focusing budgets and resources towards the future of the internet - a future where services delivered through the conversational internet may be even more significant than the standard digital delivery channels of today. Tapping has already exceeded clicking. Similarly, speaking will undoubtedly one day outstrip tapping as the main method in which most people conduct their digital lives.

Robin Christopherson is head of digital inclusion at AbilityNet. Find more of his blogs here. 

If you'd like help getting online or would like an AbilityNet volunteer to help you get online, call 0800 269 454 or email enquiries@abilitynet.org.uk.

As much as you may have concerns about robots and the way we could be interacting with them in the future, it’s important to consider how AI and robotics can and do benefit the education of current and future generations.

Already robots are being used to help assist and teach children with autism and they’re being used to allow students with health conditions or impairments to attend school remotely.

The sector is on the grow 

It’s estimated that by 2019 the spend on robotics and related services will hit 135.4 billion US dollars. The types of technology we are talking about specifically for education will make up a very small fraction of this, infact the two fastest growing industries for robotics are healthcare and unsurprisingly process manufacturing. We feel it’s still fair to say technology will continue to play a pivotal role in all sectors, including education.

As accessibility specialists we’re passionate about technology and how it can help people with different health conditions and impairments to achieve their goals. For that reason we’re interested to see how robotics can help students with health conditions or impairments such as dementia, autism or mobility differences.

‘If you think you don’t know someone with a disability, think again’

Recent stats from you.gov shows that 1 in 4 students will experience mental health concerns during their education, stats from the British Dyslexia Association state that 10% of the population have dyslexia and there are 2 million people in the UK with visual impairments. '72, 000 children are missing out on their childhood due to long-term illness. That means in every eight classroom there is an empty desk' (source noisolation, 2017) This shows large numbers of people that could potentially have invaluable support from Artificial Intelligence.

So what about the future?

You might think we’re about to predict robots standing at the front of a classroom teaching or taking over the classroom altogether. The relationship between robotics and education might be a bit more complicated than that… An article from the BBC shows how students teaching a robot actually helps them to learn. Training the robots has also proven to be largely effective at training the students, and their patience is improved as they are learning by doing so. So, perhaps it could be time to embrace the future potential of Robots in Education.

If you'd like more information on how technology can support education contact us: Free phone 0800 269 545 or email enquiries@abilitynet.org.uk 

Motor Neurone Disease is also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease (after an American baseball player). It affects the muscles in your body causing them to be weak.  There is no known cure for this condition, but symptoms can be managed to help people to achieve the best possible quality of life. 

This blog has been created to coincide with MND Awareness Month which runs throughout June.

What is MND? 

According to the MND Association there are 5000 people with the condition in the UK. The causes aren’t really understood but it may be something to do with chemicals and structures in the motor nerves.

The effects include difficulty speaking and movement; eating and swallowing are also affected and eventually the muscles that assist breathing fail. There are different types of the condition.   

Professor Stephen Hawking who sadly passed away this year was one of the most famous people to have the condition.  Other people that have the condition include ex Scottish international rugby player Doddie Weir.  People who have the condition in the UK are supported both by the MNDA and MND Scotland. as well as MNDA Northern Ireland.

FAQs about MND and computing

These commonly asked questions about having MND illustrate some of the many ways of using a computer can help someone who has the condition.

Q: I sometimes find it hard to use the standard mouse. What can I do?

There are lots of different mouse alternatives available, including rollerballs and joysticks. Take a look at our factsheet about mouse alternatives to work out which one may be best for you. 

If you have good head movement, you will be able to use a head mouse.  

If you have issues with “clicking” the mouse button you can download some free software which means you don’t have to do any clicking whatsoever. Eye gaze technology is advancing at a pace now and the cost is coming down all of the time. 

You can also check My Computer My Way to see if changing the way the mouse pointer moves might help!

Q: Can I talk to my computer?

If your voice is clear then we’d advise trying out voice recognition. It’s built into all new Windows and Apple computers as well as most tablets and smartphones.

For more details have a look at our easy to understand step by step instructions on My Computer My Way

We’ve also written a factsheet about voice recognition that offers advice about various options.

Some times you might find that your voice changes throughout the day. We’d recommend that you have a couple of different voice profiles. So for example you might have a “Morning voice” profile and an “Afternoon voice” profile.

Q: Sometimes I have difficulty reaching all the keys on the keyboard. What can I do?

A lot of people like to use keyboards that don’t have the number pad on the right hand side. This means the keyboards are a lot smaller than normal ones. They are called “compact” keyboards.

A keyguard might also be useful. This will stop you from hitting two keys at once!  As the condition progresses it might be worth exploring other input options like switches.

There are lots of different keyboards available – take a look at our factsheet on keyboard alternatives to learn more about your options. 
 

Q: I've heard a lot about "smart-tech" devices. Would these help me in my home?

We are really keen on smart home devices especially such as Amazon Echo and Google Home devices.  These are voice controlled devices that can help you with tasks around the house. For example you can link your Amazon device up to your TV and you can change the channels on your TV screen by voice.  Want to turn lights on? you can use smart tech to help you out again.  Want to see who is at your door?

Your Amazon Echo or Google Home device can also connect to a smart door lock so you can let people in as and when you need to, without having to struggle to get to the front door.

We also like the fact that you can use Amazon Echo to make calls to other people who own Echo devices as well and you can use the Google Home as easily as you can use a landline phone. to make incoming and outgoing calls. 

Case study: Using Skype to help families keep in touch?

Jon called us on behalf of his brother Nick. Nick used to enjoy travelling and has made many friends across the world, but now finds it difficult to get out of his house. We chatted about technology such as Skype which would mean that he could stay in touch with his friends.

We also chatted about alternatives to the headset microphone which might be easier for Nick to use and identified some retailers that have a “try before you buy” policy.

We also arranged for one of our IT Can Help volunteers to come to Nick's house to check the current set up and help with installation of any new equipment.

More help from AbilityNet

AbilityNet provides a range of free services to help disabled people and older people.

Call our free Helpline

Our friendly, knowledgeable staff will discuss any kind of computer problem and do their best to come up with a solution. We’re open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm on 0800 269 545.

Arrange a home visit

We have a network of AbilityNet ITCanHelp volunteers who can help if you have technical issues with your computer systems. They can come to your home, or help you over the phone.

We have a range of factsheets 

Our expert factsheets talk in detail about technology that might help you and can be downloaded for free. You may find our factsheets talking about voice recognition and keyboard alternatives useful.

My Computer My Way

Our free guide to all the accessibility features built into every computer, laptop, tablet and smartphone. We show you the adjustments that can make your time on the computer that bit easier.

Becky Tyler is 15 years old and has severe quadriplegic cerebral palsy. For most of her life, playing games such as Minecraft has been almost impossible because she can’t control the muscles in her body. But some recent tech developments by former AbilityNet Tech4Good (T4G) winner SpecialEffect have changed this.

SpecialEffect, the charity which won the T4G AbilityNet Accessibility Award and Winner of Winners Award in 2014, has developed new software called EyeMine for the hugely popular video game Minecraft. Combined with eye gaze/ eye tracker equipment, it enables people with limited mobility to play the game using just their eyes. Becky has been involved in developing and testing the software (the BBC recorded Becky playing Minecraft with her eyes - the video is here). 

The Windows-based EyeMine created as open source software by the charity is free to download for anyone with a Minecraft account. It works with any eye tracker that can control a mouse pointer, including low-cost units like Tobii 4C, says Mick Donegan, CEO and founder of SpecialEffect.

"My eyes become like my computer mouse,” says Becky. “If I stare long enough, that clicks the mouse. It’s changed my life and given me some independence. It has allowed me to develop my creative talents and it has meant I can be totally included in the fun. It has also meant I have more in common with my friends; I think it’s changed the way my friends see me. It makes me feel less disabled.

The software has a number of ability levels. If players are able to use eye gaze to select a square button about a quarter of the height of a monitor, they should be able to walk, fly and attack, says SpecialEffect. More accurate eye control enables players to build, select items from the inventory and chat.

How do eye trackers/ eye gaze work?

Eye-trackers have in-built infrared cameras which track where your eyes are looking, letting a user move the mouse pointer around on the screen. The user can 'click' by dwelling (staring at a screen button for a certain length of time) or by using a switch that’s plugged in to the computer. SpecialEffect’s EyeMine software harnesses this control specifically to play Minecraft. You can watch tutorials here. 

EyeMine is a fork of the opensource OptiKey project, which was a finalist in last year's Tech4Good Awards. It has been tested and developed with the help of a number of people with physical disabilities, such as Becky.

Donegan says: “So many young people play Minecraft. We wanted to use all the skills we’ve built up to make such software available open source so that everyone can be included in the fun as an equal player.”

Special Effect has also been working on similar projects, such as making the game Day of the Tentacle eye-gaze accessible.

What you need to play Minecraft with your eyes:

• A Windows PC with Windows 7 or above (see more on the minimum spec for Minecraft). EyeMine software isn't compatible with online or games console versions of Minecraft.
• An eye-tracker device. Any of these eye-trackers mentioned by special Effect will provide full functionality. Any eye tracker with its own software that allows a user to control the mouse will also work, but with more limited functionality.
• A Minecraft account. If you don’t have a Minecraft account, you can try EyeMine to make sure the target sizes are appropriate before purchasing one.  

Find the latest info on this year's fantastic Tech4Good competition, here. 

How new eye-gaze technology is changing lives for children with life-limiting conditions.

This week saw Apple’s annual World Wide Developers Conference keynote event where the company revealed everything we can expect to see in the new operating systems come Autumn; iOS 12, watch OS 5, tv OS 12 and mac OS Mojave. Siri has some new capabilities and one, in particular, should give those with a speech impairment a big boost. It's good news for accessibility.

A smart use of smart assistants

We all know that we can use Siri to get information, schedule appointments, send text messages and much, much more. Siri is far from perfect and arguably somewhat behind in the smart assistant stakes, but nevertheless, when it works, it adds significant convenience. If you have a disability and things may take a little longer than usual, that convenience can turn into a pronounced productivity gain. Factor in a learning difficulty or fatigue, then using your voice to achieve tasks could substantially widen your use of tech.

If you can’t see (like me) or have reading difficulties, then Siri can easily be set to speak out the results of an action. If you can’t speak clearly then you can also train Siri to better understand you by tapping on the history of spoken commands and correcting what it thought you said.

If, however, speech is very tiring or challenging, then the new Siri Shortcuts coming in iOS 12 may be just the thing for you.

New Siri ‘Shortcuts’

Coming in iOS 12 is a new way of assigning quick phrases to the things you most want to achieve with Siri. A previous update to iOS gave Siri new capabilities to interact with non-Apple apps, such as being able to ask her to start a Skype call. Now it seems that many more third-party apps will be able to integrate with Siri by using the new ‘Shortcuts’ capability. App developers can define trigger phrases (such as “Start sleeping” for a sleep tracking app or “Post to VORail” to open this excellent audio-only social network app and begin recording a new post) and Siri will obey. This radically expands its ability to interface with apps and, understandably, the developer audience at the event were suitably excited.

But there’s more. As well as developers being able to define new phrases for Siri, I mentioned that you would be able to assign your own custom trigger phrases too. You do this using the new Shortcuts app.

The new Shortcuts app

There’s a new app coming in iOS 12 called Shortcuts. Looking a lot like the Workflow or IFTTT apps, you can easily pick from a list of common Siri tasks, as well as a gallery of all the new trigger phrases provided by the third-party apps you’ve got installed on your device, bring them together into a list of actions that will all be performed with a single Siri command and then assign your own custom shortcut phrase to trigger the listed actions.

This brings Siri in-line with other smart assistants such as the Amazon Echo, which has had a similar feature called ‘Routines’ for some time now. Say “Good morning” to Alexa and she can give you your news update, the weather, the state of traffic on your daily commute and then play your favourite breakfast playlist - all with one easy command. Now with Shortcuts, Siri will have similar smarts.

Choosing trigger phrases to suit you

These new expanded capabilities are good news for everyone, but especially for those with a range of disabilities where efficiency and ease of use is everything.

If a speech impairment makes using Siri more of a challenge, however, then these new shortcuts will be a game-changer. Pick a phrase that is easiest to say clearly and you’ll increase the chances of Siri successfully understanding what you’ve said. If you also have an Apple Watch and find saying “Hey Siri” a chore, then coming in watch OS 5 is the option to have Siri listen automatically when you raise your wrist. This, combined with simpler commands, should make a big difference for users with speech difficulties.

Similarly, if you had a learning difficulty and would prefer simple phrases to perform certain actions, then simply set up a shortcut trigger phrase that is easy to remember for each daily task you would usually use Siri to assist with.

Robin Christopherson is head of digital inclusion for AbilityNet. Find more of his blogs here. 

Related articles:

Why Apple’s problems with its HomePod smartspeaker may benefit disabled iPhone users everywhere

Alexa vs Google Home vs Cortana: The battle to reach every user intensifies

Apple turns inclusivity up to 11: iPhone X, iOS 11 and accessibility