[Charlotte-Mecklenburg-Chapter] Chapter news

Sat Feb 14 12:41:47 UTC 2026

Please Do not reply to this email, this is an announce only list.

Marlon Stover, President
stovermd7 at gmail.com<mailto:stovermd7 at gmail.com>
980-253-1896

Shemika Robinson, vice-President
shemikarobinson33 at gmail.com
704-606-3020

From the desk of Marlon Stover, President:

How to Use what3words (w3w) with Aira

Visual Interpreters have many tools available to support an Explorer in navigating to a destination. The what3words (w3w) system is especially helpful when a location does not have a precise or reliable street address, such as a specific park bench, a particular entrance to a large building, a rideshare pickup spot, or a bus terminal entrance. When used appropriately, w3w can make the final portion of navigation, often the last 100 feet, more efficient and less ambiguous for many Explorers working with Aira Visual Interpreters.

1. Prepare Your What3Words Address—or Ask Your Visual Interpreter to Find It

Before or during your call, you can open the what3words app on your device to locate the three-word address for your current location or intended destination. A what3words address appears in this format: ///word.word.word

If you prefer, you may also ask your Visual Interpreter to find the what3words address using their Dashboard once you have arrived at your desired location. Saving this address can make it quicker and easier to return to the exact same spot on future calls.

2. Tell the Interpreter You Are Using w3w

When you connect with an Interpreter, clearly state that you would like to use a what3words address. For example:

•         "I have a what3words address for the specific door I need to find."

•         "Can you get the what3words for this entrance to my building and save it to my profile?"

3. Provide the Address and Context

Provide the three words to the VI. Because w3w identifies a 10-foot square but does not indicate altitude, be sure to provide the following context:

•         Floor/Level: Tell the VI if you are on the ground floor, a basement, or a specific level of a building.

•         The Goal: Explain what you are looking for (e.g., "This is the address for the guide dog relief area").

4. How the Interpreter Will Assist You

The VI has a dedicated what3words tool built into their Dashboard. Once you provide the words, they can:

•         Pinpoint your location: They will enter the words into their "Explore" tab to see your exact spot on their map.

•         Navigate you to a specific square: They can use the w3w grid to guide you precisely to a 3m x 3m area.

•         Save addresses: You can ask the VI to save important three-word addresses (like a specific drop-off point) in your Explorer Profile notesso they are available for future calls.

5. Best Practices

•         Event Specifics: During large conventions (like NFB or ACB), use w3w to help the VI find specific booths or dog relief areas that may not have standard signage.

                                Jenine Stanley
Customer Communications Team
Producer and Host
Airacast podcast
https://airacast.pinecast.co<https://airacast.pinecast.co/>
Schedule an appointment<https://calendar.app.google/KEdMcao2Rn44Z5Zc8>
Aira Tech Corp.
jenine.stanley at aira.io<mailto:jenine.stanley at aira.io>
Direct Dial: 1-614-600-7408

Access  is a human right.
Customer Care
1-800-835-1934
support at aira.io<mailto:support at aira.io>
Learn more about visual interpreting at https://aira.io<https://aira.io/>.
Learn about our new ASL app at:
Https://aira.io/asl<https://aira.io/asl>

Amazon has kicked off an exclusive Echo discount<https://www.amazon.com/b?node=215778644011&tag=aftvndeal-20#discount> for people who were part of the Alexa+ Early Access program and/or have older Echo devices registered to their Amazon account. The promotion takes 50% off the regular price of five Echo and Echo Show devices, which makes them all cheaper than they have ever been in the past. Those who qualify can get the Echo Dot Max for $49.99<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D6SX8VLQ/?tag=aftvndeal-20>, which is $30 less than it has ever been in the past, or the Echo Studio for $109.99<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DMQ1QMVV/?tag=aftvndeal-20>, which is $80 less than it has ever been. If you prefer a display, you can get the Echo Show 11 for $109.99<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DC91H3JK/?tag=aftvndeal-20>, which is $70 less than its previous lowest price. For those wanting a built-in Fire TV on their smart display, the Echo Show 15 is $149.99<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5DPSW5Y/?tag=aftvndeal-20>, which is $90 less than it has ever been before, and the Echo Show 21 is $199.99<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CDWWS127/?tag=aftvndeal-20>, which is a whopping $150 less than it has ever been. Only one of these devices can be purchased for 50% off, so choose wisely. This is a very rare discount for those that qualify, and it ends February 18. If you qualify and you’ve considered buying any of these devices, don’t let this sale pass you by because you’re not going to see prices this low during usual sales events like Prime Day.

Research Title: Diabetes Health Outcomes for People who have Vision Loss and Use Voice Assistant Technology

Being conducted by: Ohio University

Purpose of the Study

The goal of the study is to understand more about diabetes health
outcomes and technology usage for people with vision loss.

Role of the Participants and Anticipated Length of the Study

Participants will respond to survey questions on
a mobile device and it is expected to take 20 to 30 minutes.

Proposed Participant Compensation

Yes, $25 gift card

Link or Instructions for Participants to Enter the Study

https://ohio.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_71ErfjX08eSqAS2

Contact the following individual with any questions

Allyson Hughes

7407080871

ashughes at ohio.edu<mailto:ashughes at ohio.edu>
A new tool to work smarter, stay independent, and access everything on your desktop quickly and easily

We’re excited to share a new product now available for businesses and organizations: Be My Eyes Workplace is here! Built on the same platform you already know and love, it’s designed to make everyday work tasks faster, smoother, and more accessible, assisting blind and low vision employees do their best work with more independence and impact.

What is Be My Eyes Workplace?

If you’re already familiar with Be My Eyes for Windows, the idea will feel very natural. Be My Eyes Workplace is built on the same foundation, with additional features designed specifically for the workplace. It’s meant to support everyday work tasks, help remove accessibility barriers, and give blind and low-vision professionals more equal access to information and collaboration tools at work.

Think of it as your all-in-one accessibility toolkit for the workplace. It combines AI, live support, and smart integrations to give you the same access to information as your sighted colleagues. Whether it’s reading a tricky PDF, understanding charts, or navigating software, Be My Eyes Workplace makes it all accessible, quickly and easily.

It’s built with input from the blind community, so the features you get are exactly what users like you have been asking for. And this is just the beginning: the platform is designed to grow, with more tools and integrations coming in the future.

How Be My Eyes Workplace assists you every day at the workplace

Here’s a quick look at some of the ways Be My Eyes Workplace can make your workday easier:

  *   Workplace AI: An AI-powered assistant that can describe anything on your screen: documents, graphs, charts, emails, slides, or even emojis. Simply press a shortcut and get a detailed description instantly.

  *   Workplace Reader: Ever struggled with PDFs, images, or other inaccessible documents? The Workplace Reader translates files into fully accessible content, including image descriptions and graphs.

  *   Workplace Connect: Need a quick hand from a colleague or trained support agent? Workplace Connect lets you connect with trusted colleagues directly from your desktop, with optional screen sharing and remote control. You can even create groups of colleagues for specific projects or expertise.

What You Can Do Next

To celebrate the launch of Be My Eyes Workplace, we’re offering something special to the Be My Eyes community: If you recommend Be My Eyes Workplace to your employer, your company can receive three months of full access at no cost, for the entire organization!

If you believe Be My Eyes Workplace could make a difference in your day-to-day work, consider sharing it with your manager, HR department, or accessibility team.

Sometimes, real change begins with a single conversation.

Dear Community Partners,

The City of Charlotte is excited to announce that income-qualified Mecklenburg County residents, renters and property owners are now able to take advantage of the Energy Saver NC rebate program. Energy Saver NC is a state-run rebate program that offers financial incentives to eligible renters and property owners to cover the cost of energy efficiency and electrification upgrades. This program is a great opportunity to:

·        Save on necessary home renovations, including thermal envelope, HVAC, plumbing or electrical projects

·        Increase your return on investment on new, energy efficient building materials, equipment and appliances

·        Lower building utility costs and homeowner/tenant utility bills with energy efficient improvements

·        Increase comfort and efficiency with modern appliances and systems

·        Improve indoor air quality for residents and onsite staff

Any income-qualified resident in Mecklenburg County can now move forward with upgrades and receive rebates. The program is scheduled to expand to include multifamily tenants in mid-late summer 2026 but is currently accepting applications from eligible multifamily owners and renters.

New construction projects are eligible to receive some HVAC and appliance rebates. The rebates are processed through the contractor who fronts the project expense and receives the rebate once the project and supporting documents are approved and work is complete. The customer is only responsible for any remaining balance if project costs exceed the rebate amount.

There are two rebates within the Energy Saver NC program – Homeowners Managing Efficiency Savings (HOMES) and Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR). HOMES rebates are for improvements that increase the overall energy efficiency of a home, such as insulation, air sealing, and upgrading heating and cooling systems. HEAR rebates support the purchase of energy efficient appliances and the electrification of home systems, like cooking, laundry, hot water, and heating and cooling.

The benefits of the Energy Saver NC program align with the city’s adopted Strategic Energy Action Plan+, specifically the city’s aim to help reduce energy burden, increase energy efficiency, and improve health and wellness in disadvantaged communities. Buildings are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions in Charlotte, with a contribution breakdown of homes at 22.7%, commercial buildings at 20.5%, industry buildings at 6.8%, and government buildings at 1.7%. Deep energy retrofits and beneficial electrification have sizable impacts on greenhouse gas emissions, and Energy Saver NC is an opportunity to take advantage of financial rebates and integrate energy-efficiency improvements.

Learn more<https://email.publicinput.com/el/eyJzIjo1NTQzNjc5NCwiaSI6IjFiMWVlZGFlLTM2NDItNGE0MS1iOWQ2LTg0ZDE5YzJmNTI3OSIsImUiOjk4MjM5LCJjIjoxMDgzLCJ1Ijo0NDMxMjQzMywiYSI6ZmFsc2V9> about the program and apply<https://email.publicinput.com/el/eyJzIjo1NTQzNjc5NCwiaSI6IjFiMWVlZGFlLTM2NDItNGE0MS1iOWQ2LTg0ZDE5YzJmNTI3OSIsImUiOjk4MjM5LCJjIjoxMDgzLCJ1Ijo1NTg1NDgxMywiYSI6ZmFsc2V9> online.

In addition, we encourage you to join us on February 25th at 12:00PM to explore whether Energy Saver NC could be a fit for your current or upcoming developments. Meeting details can be found below.

If you have any specific questions in advance, please contact: michael.englehart at charlottenc.gov<mailto:michael.englehart at charlottenc.gov> and pat.robertson at charlottenc.gov<mailto:pat.robertson at charlottenc.gov>.

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/2625611621825?p=W29baOUt1ZuteOwgTK<https://email.publicinput.com/el/eyJzIjo1NTQzNjc5NCwiaSI6IjFiMWVlZGFlLTM2NDItNGE0MS1iOWQ2LTg0ZDE5YzJmNTI3OSIsImUiOjk4MjM5LCJjIjoxMDgzLCJ1Ijo1NTg1NDgxNCwiYSI6ZmFsc2V9>

Meeting ID: 262 561 162 182 5

Passcode: AN3pR2KX

________________________________

Need help?<https://email.publicinput.com/el/eyJzIjo1NTQzNjc5NCwiaSI6IjFiMWVlZGFlLTM2NDItNGE0MS1iOWQ2LTg0ZDE5YzJmNTI3OSIsImUiOjk4MjM5LCJjIjoxMDgzLCJ1IjoyMzE2MjA1OSwiYSI6ZmFsc2V9> | System reference<https://email.publicinput.com/el/eyJzIjo1NTQzNjc5NCwiaSI6IjFiMWVlZGFlLTM2NDItNGE0MS1iOWQ2LTg0ZDE5YzJmNTI3OSIsImUiOjk4MjM5LCJjIjoxMDgzLCJ1Ijo1NTg1NDgxNSwiYSI6ZmFsc2V9>

Dial in by phone

+1 872-256-4172,,146705646#<tel:+18722564172,,146705646> United States, Chicago

Find a local number<https://email.publicinput.com/el/eyJzIjo1NTQzNjc5NCwiaSI6IjFiMWVlZGFlLTM2NDItNGE0MS1iOWQ2LTg0ZDE5YzJmNTI3OSIsImUiOjk4MjM5LCJjIjoxMDgzLCJ1Ijo1NTg1NDgxNiwiYSI6ZmFsc2V9>

Phone conference ID: 146 705 646#

Join on a video conferencing device

Tenant key: cityofcharlotte at m.webex.com<mailto:cityofcharlotte at m.webex.com>

Video ID: 119 984 093 1

More info<https://email.publicinput.com/el/eyJzIjo1NTQzNjc5NCwiaSI6IjFiMWVlZGFlLTM2NDItNGE0MS1iOWQ2LTg0ZDE5YzJmNTI3OSIsImUiOjk4MjM5LCJjIjoxMDgzLCJ1Ijo1NTg1NDgxNywiYSI6ZmFsc2V9>
 City of Charlotte Housing & Neighborhood Services
 600 East Trade Street, Charlotte, NC 28202
Hello everyone.

We have been working on and just finished a new tutorial that a lot of you are going to want to get. This tutorial will show you how to create alert and ring tones on your iPhone or Apple device in less than 30 seconds. Apple is making it so hard to do this these days, but in this tutorial with the proper tools, you can create tons of tones in just a little time. Check it all out below.

Create custom alerts and ring tones on your iPhone in under 30 second with this new tutorial. All tools needed and sample alerts and ring tones included
https://harboltcompany.com/products/create-custom-alerts-and-ring-tones-on-your-iphone-in-under-30-second-with-this-new-tutorial-all-tools-needed-and-sample-alerts-and-ring-tones-included

Apple is making it so hard to easily create ring tones for your iPhone. We have an easy way to now do it right on your phone or tablet, and in this tutorial, will show you how. We will have you creating custom ring tones and alert tones in under 30 seconds. All the tools needed will be included and our tutorial will show you how to make it happen. We will also include a file full of sample alerts and ring tones that you can use on your phone. We are having so much fun with this and we want to share our knowledge. In this tutorial, we will show you the following: How to take almost any song and turn it into a ring or alert tone in less than 30 seconds. 2. How to create an alert tone for text tones, calendar tones, reminder tones, etc. 3. How to splice 2 or more tones together to make 1 single tone. 4. How to create a ring or alert tone from a recording 5. How to create an alert or ring tone from a video. 6. How to create a text to speech alert or ring tone. 7. How to trim a part from a song to make an alert or ring tone. 8. How to share alert or ring tones with your friends or family. and much more! This has been so much fun for us and we know you will get a ton of use and fun out of this tutorial. Now you can have different custom tones for all your family and friends. all info will be emailed to you to download after your purchase. Please allow up to 24 hours to receive the info from us. It normally doesn't take that long but just in case.

Audio about the tutorial
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/x9pw7669s3x1j6rv0mev3/tone-maker-tutorial.mp3?rlkey=7arwxnqyb2pfqpvjsrixjdp0d&dl=0

price $15.00

Brent Harbolt
The Harbolt Company
“A Little Something for Everyone”

405-471-1200
sales at harboltcompany.com<mailto:sales at harboltcompany.com>
www.harboltcompany.com<http://www.harboltcompany.com/>

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