[Ohio-talk] Free Accessible Audio Described Workout Programs

[Sandy krems]

Whether or not you were able to participate in Sunday’s Sharing Solutions for Vision Loss teleconference, the following information summarizes how to access the free audio described workout programs from Eyes Free Fitness that we discussed on the call.  The workout programs can be downloaded for free because Mel Scott’, the creator and founder of Blind Alive and Eyes Free Fitness, has decided to close the blog and the business.  She is keeping the downloads on a stripped down version of the original website so that blind individuals can benefit from the products.  There is a cost to Mel for maintaining the site, and voluntary donations can be made when downloading workout programs.  These donations help to defray the cost of keeping the website open.  

The address of Blind Alive is BlindAlive.com.  This page describes the program and procedure for downloading.  At the bottom of the page are links for each workout, followed by a link to make a donation.  There are more than 20 different workouts, each of which contains a separate audio description file that is a tutorial on how to perform the exercises in the workout audio.  Workout programs include a stretch series, balance series, cardio levels one and two, four levels of yoga, including chair yoga, multiple levels of Pilates, including chair Pilates, sculpting with weights levels one and two, boot camp, foam roller, Barre method, and a meditation series.  

Here are the download details, based on Mel’s presentation and my trial and error method, which was ultimately successful!
Go to BlindAlive.com
Scroll down to the workout links.
Select the link that you want, and click on it.  
The program will go to your Dropbox account.
Open your Dropbox account, and select the file you downloaded. 
On a pc you can click download, and the file will go to your downloads file.  
On an Apple device, select the more icon (which is 3 dots) next to the file you downloaded.
Click export, and you will be given a list of apps to export the file to.  I used Voice Dream.  
Alternately, With Voice Dream, you can skip opening Dropbox if you have enabled Voice Dream to import files from Dropbox.  Go into the Voice Dream app, click the “add” icon at the upper left, which is a plus sign.  Click Dropbox, and then select your workout program.  

Mel said that the files could go to Victor Reader and I Tunes.  I did not try these.  If anyone has successfully downloaded to other apps, let us know.