Accessible World

The Build Program gives Aira Explorers a way to help shape the future of accessible technology while receiving complimentary minutes. As we continue to innovate alongside Google DeepMind to improve and develop Aira AI powered by Project Astra, the Build program helps us learn from real-world Visual Interpreter calls. This program directly shapes the AI […]

Please join us as Joanie Leonard hosts Banquet of Books Sunday, April 12, 2026 at 5pm Eastern. This informal discussion of whatever book you’re reading or have recently finished is most enjoyable and a great way to get new reading ideas. You can contribute your opinions and everyone is welcome.  

BARD annotation   The perfect divorce DB129724 Author: Rose, Jeneva Reading Time: 9 hours, 31 minutes Read by: Brittany Pressley, Andi Arndt, J. S. Arquin, Adam Lazarre-White, Andrew Eiden, Mozhan Navabi Subjects: Bestsellers, Mystery and Detective Stories, Suspense Fiction, Legal Fiction, Psychological Fiction   “It’s been eleven years since high-powered attorney Sarah Morgan defended her […]

A groundbreaking leap in assistive technology, Glide combines cutting-edge navigational robotics and AI to provide you with an intuitive and comfortable guided experience. Using real-time data from an array of advanced sensors, Glide autonomously steers the way. It maps the best routes, identifies targets of interest, and avoids obstacles to get you safely to your […]

Judge Stone: a novel DB136049 Authors: Davis, Viola, Patterson, James Reading Time: 11 hours, 22 minutes Read by: Viola Davis Subjects: Suspense Fiction, Legal Fiction, Women   “In Judge Mary Stone’s courtroom, a person has to take a stand. In Union Springs, Alabama (population 3,314), Judge Mary Stone is a local celebrity. Born a farmer’s […]

This book made me think of you DB135174 Author: Page, Libby Reading Time: 10 hours, 28 minutes Read by: Zadeiah Campbell-Davies Subjects: Romance, Human Relations, Family “Twelve books. Twelve months. One chance to heal her heart … When Tilly Nightingale receives a call telling her there’s a birthday gift from her husband waiting for her […]

Please join us as Joanie Leonard hosts Banquet of Books Sunday, April 12, 2026 at 5pm Eastern. This informal discussion of whatever book you’re reading or have recently finished is most enjoyable and a great way to get new reading ideas. You can contribute your opinions and everyone is welcome.   We will meet on […]

My review The Proving Ground DB133660 by Michael Connelly brings back Mickey Haller in a fast moving, gripping, and suspenseful legal thriller that will not let you sit still as you experience this compelling drama. This time, Mickey has stepped away from criminal law and is now working in civil court. If you are already […]

John Hancock: first to sign, first to invest in America’s independence DB132603 Author: Randall, Willard Sterne Reading Time: 7 hours, 15 minutes Read by: Steve Hendrickson Subjects: Biography of Heads of State and Political Figures, U.S. History, Government and Politics   “A contemporary of Samuel Adams, John Adams, George Washington, and the Marquis de Lafayette, […]

Users can upload a video or submit a supported video link, such as YouTube, and Athina AD generates both a written and spoken description of what is happening visually in the video.   During the presentation, Shawn will explain what Athina AD is, why audio description matters, how it can help blind users access more […]

Science Fiction Club Meeting.

BARD annotation Theo of golden: a novel DB131887 Author: Levi, Allen Reading Time: 12 hours, 23 minutes Read by: Vaan Solis Subject: General Fiction   “Questions linger about Theo, a pleasant but mysterious stranger, after his arrival in the southern city of Golden. Who is he, and why is he here? He arrives early one […]

BARD annotation   The hiding place: a Mercy Carr mystery DB108064 Series: Mercy and Elvis mysteries; Munier, Paula Mercy and Elvis mysteries Order in Series: 03 Author: Munier, Paula Reading Time: 11 hours, 26 minutes Read by: Kathleen McInerney Subject: Mystery and Detective Stories   Mercy and her bomb-sniffing dog Elvis are called to the […]

BARD annotation The Ursulina DBC27483 Author: Freeman, Brian Reading Time: 10 hours, 52 minutes Production: Minnesota State Services for the Blind, Communication Center Read by: Karen Ray Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories, Suspense Fiction   Deputy Rebecca Colder’s dark journey to reveal the truth about the Ursulina ultimately leads to an excruciating choice that will […]

This book gets a 4.3 rating on Goodreads with more than 100,000 reviews.   The facilitator for this meeting will be LeDon: [email protected].   The Meeting link is at heading level 1.   My review Come and walk with me as we step back into yesteryear. Let us turn to the year 1963.  That was […]

GLOW stands for Guided Layout & Output Workflow — a guided, confidence-building accessibility experience built for real publishing workflows. The GLOW Accessibility Toolkit helps authors, publishers, and organizations produce documents that comply with the American Council of the Blind Large Print Guidelines and WCAG 2.2 Level AA. The toolkit audits, fixes, and templates Word, Excel, […]

Please join us as Joanie Leonard hosts Banquet of Books Sunday, May 10, 2026 at 5pm Eastern. This informal discussion of whatever book you’re reading or have recently finished is most enjoyable and a great way to get new reading ideas. You can contribute your opinions and everyone is welcome.  

Presenter contact info: Venkatesh Chari, President of Orbit Research Email: [email protected] Phone: 888-606-7248 Website: www.orbitresearch.com  

Science Fiction Club Meeting.

Presenter contact info: None  

Science Fiction Club Meeting.

BARD annotation Fifty fifty DB130811 Series: Eddie Flynn Order in Series: 05 Author: Cavanagh, Steve Reading Time: 11 hours, 47 minutes Read by: Adam Sims Subjects: Suspense Fiction, Mystery and Detective Stories   “Alexandra Avellino has just found her father’s mutilated body, and needs the police right away. She believes her sister killed him, and […]

The 41st Annual CSUN Assistive Technology Conference took place on  March 9 – 13, 2026 at the Anaheim Marriott in California. Panelists will include John and Larry Gassman and any who attended and have comments on the technology experienced are welcome to contribute. Presenter contact info: None  

BARD annotation The deep, deep snow DB103386 Author: Freeman, Brian Reading Time: 10 hours, 8 minutes Read by: Laura Hatch Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories, Suspense Fiction   When ten-year-old Jeremiah Sloan disappears, leaving behind his bicycle on a lonely road, Deputy Shelby Lake is assigned to the case. She discovers everyone around Jeremiah–including herself–is […]

BARD annotation   Take your breath away DB117930 Author: Barclay, Linwood Reading Time: 10 hours, 4 minutes Read by: Joe Knezevich, George Newbern, Karissa Vacker, (Michael Lockwood) Michael Crouch, Lauren Fortgang, Hillary Huber, Jim Meskimen, Pete Simonelli Subjects: Suspense Fiction, Mystery and Detective Stories, Psychological Fiction   “One weekend, while Andrew Mason was on a […]

Presenter Contact Info Email: [email protected] Website: https://pneumasolutions.com/    

There’s a lot of news from Blazie Technologies to tell you about on the next installment of Tek Talk. First, we want to let you know what’s happening with the BT Braille. BT Braille has a Braille keyboard, speech output along with either a 20 cell or 40 cell model with lots of apps and […]

Please join us as Joanie Leonard hosts Banquet of Books Sunday, March 8, 2026 at 5pm Eastern. This informal discussion of whatever book you’re reading or have recently finished is most enjoyable and a great way to get new reading ideas. You can contribute your opinions and everyone is welcome.   We will meet on […]

The facilitator for this meeting will be LeDon: [email protected].   My review Kristin Hannah is a master of emotional storytelling, creating vivid characters whose hope, grit, and resilience pull readers in and refuse to let go. Her novels center on strong women who endure loss, fight for meaning, and find the courage to prevail. With […]

Jana Littrell facilitates A Journey through History book group to discuss Denial: Holocaust history on trial DB119278   BARD annotation Denial: Holocaust history on trial DB119278 Author: Lipstadt, Deborah E. Reading Time: 13 hours, 18 minutes Read by: Kate Udall Subjects: World History and Affairs, Legal Issues   “In her acclaimed 1993 book Denying the […]

The presentation will cover recent developments across the Orbit product line, including braille displays, notetakers and the Orbit Player along with a look at what is coming next. Orbit Research focuses on making high-quality assistive technology accessible worldwide, with particular emphasis on education, literacy, and employment. Presenter contact info: Venkatesh Chari, President of Orbit Research […]

Open forum  

BARD annotation   Marti MacAlister DB84208 Series: Marti MacAlister mystery Order in Series: 01, 02, 03 Author: Bland, Eleanor Taylor Reading Time: 23 hours, 17 minutes Read by: Madelyn Buzzard Subject: Mystery and Detective Stories   The first three mysteries, written between 1992 and 1994, in the series featuring the only black female police detective […]

BARD annotation Hidden nature DB129760 Author: Roberts, Nora Reading Time: 14 hours, 57 minutes Read by: January LaVoy Subjects: Romantic Suspense, Mystery and Detective Stories   “Natural Resources police officer, Sloan Cooper, and her partner had just taken down three men preying on hikers in the Western Maryland mountains. Driving back, she pulled in at […]

BARD annotation   West with giraffes DB102687 Author: Rutledge, Lynda Reading Time: 10 hours, 0 minutes Read by: Jack Fox Subject: Historical Fiction   As the Great Depression lingers, Americans long for wonder. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. In a twelve-day road trip, Woodrow Wilson […]

Hello Folks,   A good meeting to start out the new year.   We decided to read the first book in a popular series, Hospital Station by James White, book 1 in the Sector General series.   There’s an Excellent version on Bookshare at:   https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/1053784   The Bookshare synopsis reads:   Sector general is […]

This presentation will cover the history of Agiga and the inspiration behind the creation of EchoVision glasses, followed by a live demonstration showcasing what the glasses can do and how they seamlessly integrate into our busy daily lives. It will also explore the future of EchoVision, including the features and enhancements planned to be included […]

Please join us as Joanie Leonard hosts Banquet of Books Sunday, February 8, 2026 at 5pm Eastern. This informal discussion of whatever book you’re reading or have recently finished is most enjoyable and a great way to get new reading ideas. You can contribute your opinions and everyone is welcome.

Jana Littrell facilitates A Journey through History book group to discuss Royal audience: 70 years, 13 presidents–one queen’s special relationship with America DB120048 by David Charter.   BARD annotation Royal audience: 70 years, 13 presidents–one queen’s special relationship with America DB120048 Author: Charter, David Reading Time: 8 hours, 40 minutes Production: National Library Service for […]

In this episode of TekTalk, we’re joined by InnoSearch AI, a platform built specifically for blind and low-vision users to navigate the digital world independently. We’ll explore how InnoSearch enables accessible online shopping, travel booking, and on-demand food and grocery delivery, all designed to work seamlessly with screen readers and voice-first interactions. We’ll also dive […]

Come hear the new BrailleNote Evolve from HumanWare speak for itself. During this presentation, Joel Zimba and Rachel Ramos, (Product Specialists at HumanWare), will demonstrate the BrailleNote Evolve- a full-fledged Windows 11 Computer in the form factor of a convenient travel-sized note-taker. You’ll hear about why the Evolve was designed, a physical description of the […]

The perfect marriage DB113854 Author: Rose, Jeneva Reading Time: 8 hours, 54 minutes Read by: Neil Hellegers, Teri Schnaubelt Subject: Suspense Fiction   “Sarah Morgan is a successful and powerful defense attorney in Washington D.C. At thirty-three years old, she is a named partner at her firm and life is going exactly how she planned. […]

BARD annotation The dry DB86906 Series: Aaron Falk Order in Series: 1 Author: Harper, Jane (Jane Elizabeth) Reading Time: 9 hours, 45 minutes Read by: Steve Shanahan Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories, Suspense Fiction Federal agent Aaron Falk returns to his Australian rural hometown for the funeral of an old friend who allegedly killed himself, […]

This book can be found on Bookshare at the following link:   https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/6904003?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPXdoZW4lMkJ0aGUlMkJzdGFycyUyQmdvJTJCZGFyaw   The annotation from BARD is below:   When the stars go dark DB102900 Author: McLain, Paula Reading Time: 11 hours, 31 minutes Read by: Marin Ireland Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories, Suspense Fiction   When tragedy strikes seasoned missing persons detective […]

Hello Folks,   Hope you all are having a good start to your new year.   It’s just about time for another meeting of the Science Fiction club, the first one of 2026.   It’s another Bring Your Own Book meeting. We decided to do that, rather than have a group read over the holidays. […]

Please join us as Joanie Leonard hosts Banquet of Books Sunday, January 11, 2026 at 5pm Eastern. This informal discussion of whatever book you’re reading or have recently finished is most enjoyable and a great way to get new reading ideas. You can contribute your opinions and everyone is welcome.  

BARD annotation Propaganda girls: the secret war of the women in the OSS DB129114 Author: Rogak, Lisa Reading Time: 6 hours, 4 minutes Read by: Naeymi, Samara Subjects: Women, World History and Affairs, War and the Military “Betty MacDonald was a 28-year-old reporter from Hawaii. Zuzka Lauwers grew up in a tiny Czechoslovakian village and […]

The Fiction Old and New Discussion Group meets the first Friday of each month. The facilitator for this meeting will be LeDon: [email protected].   My review:   The book, Culpability: a novel by Bruce W Holsinger DB131607 is written as though it was ripped from these headlines from tomorrow’s newspaper.   “Self-driving car has head […]

Artificial Intelligence is everywhere-and it’s transforming the way we live, work, and communicate. People around the world are using AI in countless ways, and the blindness community is no exception. More and more organizations are hosting webinars and seminars exploring what AI can do and how it can enhance accessibility.   But what does AI […]

The Christmas murder game DB124994 Author: Benedict, Alexandra Reading Time: 9 hours, 7 minutes Read by: Ana Clements Subjects: Mystery and Detective Stories, Holidays, Women   “The annual Christmas Game is afoot at Endgame House, the Armitages’ grand family home. This year’s prize is to die for–deeds to the house itself–but Lily Armitage has no […]