[Nfbofnc] NFBofNC Digest, Vol 140, Issue 1

Sun Oct 1 23:30:16 UTC 2017

Please change my email address to gl28davis at gmail.com

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Thank you,
Gary L Davis
President 
Buncombe County Chapter

Inbox
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-----Original Message-----
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Subject: NFBofNC Digest, Vol 140, Issue 1

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Today's Topics:

   1. Fwd: [Nfbnet-members-list] Aira Teleconference (Kenia Flores)
 2. Fwd: [Nfbnet-members-list] National Federation of the Blind
      Applauds Introduction of AV START Act (Kenia Flores)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2017 20:14:23 -0500
From: Kenia Flores <kenia.flores101 at gmail.com>
To: North Carolina Association of blind students <ncabs at nfbnet.org>
Cc: nfbofnc at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Nfbofnc] Fwd: [Nfbnet-members-list] Aira Teleconference
Message-ID:
	<CAFKMa7HfXMePp42w+hjUQBjyVx+PkpOh5=+2ZgN=xzgr=AQnNw at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

Good evening, all,

Please read below regarding an upcoming conference call with Aira. I
hope you will consider joining.

Best,

Kenia Flores
President, North Carolina Association of Blind Students

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Michael Hingson via NFBNet-Members-List <nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org>
Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2017 00:19:03 -0500
Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] Aira Teleconference
To: nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org

Hello,

I am writing to invite you to a teleconference
call on Wednesday, October 4, to introduce you to
Aira. Perhaps you have heard of Aira or perhaps
you have not yet heard of this incredible product.

We call Aira ???a visual interpreter for blind
and low vision persons?? . With Aira anyone can
accomplish tasks usually inaccessible to blind
people because they require significant eye sight
to perform them, more eye sight than we have ourselves.

So, what is Aira exactly? Aira is a product
consisting of smart glasses with a tiny
high-resolution video camera, an app on a
smartphone, and a specially trained agent who
describes the images seen by the glasses???
camera. To use Aira a blind person contacts Aira
through the Aira app. When a request is made an
agent is called by the smartphone while at the
same time a video internet connection is
established between the agent and the glasses.
When the agent answers the call from the user,
not only does the agent see what the camera
transmits, but they also receive gps and Google
map data showing where the user is and what is geographically around them.

Agents are specifically hired because they have
an aptitude for describing and providing
information as required. They go through special
training and a rigorous battery of tests before
they are permitted to accept calls and go to
work. Aira agents do not help, but rather they
provide information. If, for example, you use
Aira while walking and you approach a street
corner the Aira agent will not tell you when it
is safe to cross the street. The agent can
indicate it they see cars coming and they can
tell you when the traffic light turns green for
you. Aira does not replace canes, guide dogs or
your travel skills. Instead, Aira enhances your
toolbox of information gathering techniques.

People have used Aira to go shopping, travel
through airports and malls, better perform
household tasks such as identifying and preparing
meals, putting on makeup, visiting places such as
amusement parks and Arlington cemetery,
assembling items and even running in the Boston
Marathon. Aira is limited in what it can do only by your imagination.

If you want to learn more about Aira you are
invited to attend a special teleconference call
on Wednesday, October 4, 2017 at 2PM Hawaiian
time, 5PM Pacific time, 6PM Mountain time, 7PM
Central time, and 8PM Eastern time. To attend all
you need to do is to dial in with the phone
number (605) 468-8004, and enter the access code
329906# when the call is answered. During the
call, you will learn all you wish to know about
Aira. We shall be conducting a live demonstration
with an Aira agent assisting me, or at least
describing to you what I am doing as well as
helping me answer your questions. We may even
have some other Aira surprise guests.

Should you have questions you wish to ask me
before the call please feel free to contact me
directly at
<mailto:michael.hingson at aira.io>michael.hingson at aira.io
and I will do my best to provide a timely
response. I hope to see you next Wednesday and I
look forward to you joining the Aira family.
Below my signature are some links you can click
on to learn more about Aira. Thank you for your time.

Best regards

Michael Hingson
Director of Strategic Sales

<http://t.sidekickopen65.com/e1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7lC8dDMPbW2n0x6l2B9nMJN7t5XZsdDZfnVRrQh84X9HszW8qC6LR56dDBKf4d23G202?t=https%3A%2F%2Fmedium.com%2F%40kevinphelan%2Fmeet-aira-the-startup-thats-bringing-jack-bauer-s-secret-weapon-chloe-to-real-life-cd058afd540%23.wn2bfzxz6&si=5061981071605760&pi=b12cff5d-4312-443a-8be4-75b24a994ebd>Aira
Overview Blog
??? ???
- A primer on Aira.

<http://t.sidekickopen65.com/e1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7lC8dDMPbW2n0x6l2B9nMJN7t5XZsdDZfnVRrQh84X9HszW8qC6LR56dDBKf4d23G202?t=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnbc.com%2F2016%2F12%2F22%2Fthis-technology-helps-guide-the-blind-and-visually-impaired.html&si=5061981071605760&pi=b12cff5d-4312-443a-8be4-75b24a994ebd>Aira
on CNBC
-
Meet Candice Jordan ??? ???an amazing Aira user and advocate.

<http://t.sidekickopen65.com/e1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7lC8dDMPbW2n0x6l2B9nMJN7t5XZsdDZfnVRrQh84X9HszW8qC6LR56dDBKf4d23G202?t=http%3A%2F%2Fblindabilities.com%2Fbapresents%2Faira-series-part-2-meet-nicholas-giudice-michael-hingson-and-cheryl-spencer-aira-users%2F&si=5061981071605760&pi=b12cff5d-4312-443a-8be4-75b24a994ebd>Blind
Abilities Podcast - Independent review of Aira.

Aira, a Visual Interpreter for the Blind
HYPERLINK "mailto: +1-415-827-40842" \t "_blank"
+1-415-827-4084 | HYPERLINK
"mailto:michael.hingson at aira.io" \t "_blank" michael.hingson at aira.io
HYPERLINK "http://aira.io/" \t "_blank" Website |
HYPERLINK "https://twitter.com/airaio" \t
"_blank" Twitter | HYPERLINK
"https://www.facebook.com/aira.io" \t "_blank"
Facebook | HYPERLINK
"https://www.linkedin.com/company/aira-inc-" \t
"_blank" Linkedin | HYPERLINK "http://timeline.aira.io/" \t "_blank" Timeline

------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2017 20:18:12 -0500
From: Kenia Flores <kenia.flores101 at gmail.com>
To: nfbofnc <nfbofnc at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [Nfbofnc] Fwd: [Nfbnet-members-list] National Federation of
	the Blind Applauds Introduction of AV START Act
Message-ID:
	<CAFKMa7GHZf9EV5s5MtjaZWTPk03tXhfYhq=pb58DZQdfMBn2cA at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

Good evening, everyone,

Please read below regarding our latest bill in the Senate. I encourage
 you all to call our Senators and ask them to co-sponsor the bill.

 Best,
 Kenia Flores

Kenia Flores
North Carolina Legislative Director
President, North Carolina Association of Blind Students

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Danielsen, Chris via NFBNet-Members-List"
<nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org>
Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2017 17:42:03 -0500
Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] National Federation of the Blind
Applauds Introduction of AV START Act
To: nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

National Federation of the Blind Applauds Introduction of AV START Act

Legislation Will Promote Access to Automated Vehicles for the Blind

Baltimore, Maryland (September 29, 2017): Today the National
Federation of the Blind commends Senator John Thune, Chairman of the
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Senator
Gary Peters, Senator Roy Blunt, and Senator Debbie Stabenow for
introducing the American Vision for Safer Transportation through
Advancement of Revolutionary Technologies (AV START) Act (S. 1885).
This bill will promote equal access to automated vehicles for the
blind and others with disabilities through the prohibition of
discriminatory licensing practices and the promotion of accessible
user interfaces.

"The advent of automated vehicle technology presents tremendous
potential benefits for the blind and other Americans with
disabilities," said Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National
Federation of the Blind. "From more reliable transportation to
greater access to employment, automated vehicles will be a valuable
tool improving the opportunity of blind people to live the lives we
want. But none of these benefits will materialize if the principles
of equal access and opportunity are not front and center. The
National Federation of the Blind therefore calls for automated
vehicle technology to be accessible to everyone through nonvisual
user interface options and nondiscriminatory public policy, and
applauds Chairman Thune and Senator Peters for introducing a bill
that takes positive steps in that direction."

The AV START Act specifically prohibits states from issuing licenses
in a manner that discriminates on the basis of disability. The
legislation also creates a disability access working group, tasked
with promulgating best practices and recommendations on the
accessibility of user interfaces and vehicle design more broadly. The
bill specifically denotes "accessibility" as a component of reporting
requirements for vehicle manufacturers.

###

About the National Federation of the Blind
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise
the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create
obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life
you want; blindness is not what holds you back.

CONTACT:
Chris Danielsen
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
<mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org

------------------------------

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End of NFBofNC Digest, Vol 140, Issue 1
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