From nadia.brancati at icar.cnr.it  Tue Nov 11 07:02:44 2025
From: nadia.brancati at icar.cnr.it (Nadia Brancati)
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2025 08:02:44 +0100
Subject: [NFBCS] SAND Challenge - Classification/Prediction Challenge within
 IEEE
 ICASSP 2026 Deadline is approaching!
Message-ID: 
 <CANxf_fVW=XChJYp7xdgdzsT-bb56mGqKaj0Vg=0dAjxX80cfzg@mail.gmail.com>

Dear Colleagues,
I deeply apologize if you received multiple copies of this call.

We cordially remind you that only a few days remain until the deadline!

Do not miss the opportunity to participate in the SAND Challenge!

Join this competition, where your expertise in speech analysis, signal
processing, and artificial intelligence can make a real difference in the
fight against neurodegenerative diseases, such as Amyotrophic Lateral
Sclerosis (ALS).
We're inviting you to tackle two critical tasks:
- Classifying subjects;
- Predicting disease progression over time.

The top-scoring teams will have the opportunity to present their work at
the prestigious 2026 edition of the IEEE International Conference on
Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing (ICASSP) in Barcelona and publish
their contributions in the official conference proceedings, which are
indexed in major academic databases.

For more information and to participate, please, visit the official
website: www.sand.icar.cnr.it

The SAND challenge is organized by ICAR-CNR - University of Naples Federico
II - University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli"

A particular thanks to the Fondazione D³4Health for its technical support.


-- 
Nadia Brancati
Researcher @ AI-ISA Lab
<https://www.icar.cnr.it/en/gruppi-di-ricerca/artificial-intelligence-in-image-and-signal-analysis/>
Institute for High Performance Computing and Networking - National Research
Council of Italy (CNR - ICAR)
Via P. Castellino, 111 - 80131 Napoli
Tel. 081.6139228
nadia.brancati at icar.cnr.it
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From batescampbell at gmail.com  Tue Nov 11 16:30:16 2025
From: batescampbell at gmail.com (Elizabeth Campbell)
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2025 10:30:16 -0600
Subject: [NFBCS] question about JAWS 2026
Message-ID: 
 <CAOz8cXkJ4VhD74j_EbT07VOFCyNwu+3GoPUo4FUrs3wJUj=5QA@mail.gmail.com>

Good morning all,
I was wondering if there is a way to stop JAWS from saying "program
manager" when I am accessing my desktop? I didn't notice this behavior in
previous versions.
Thanks for any suggestions.
I haven't been using the new version for very long, but I like the
Page Explorer feature.

-- 
Elizabeth Campbell
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From chong.curtis at gmail.com  Tue Nov 11 16:45:27 2025
From: chong.curtis at gmail.com (Curtis Chong)
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2025 09:45:27 -0700
Subject: [NFBCS] question about JAWS 2026
In-Reply-To: 
 <CAOz8cXkJ4VhD74j_EbT07VOFCyNwu+3GoPUo4FUrs3wJUj=5QA@mail.gmail.com>
References: 
 <CAOz8cXkJ4VhD74j_EbT07VOFCyNwu+3GoPUo4FUrs3wJUj=5QA@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <00bf01dc532a$96145900$c23d0b00$@gmail.com>

Hi Elizabeth:

 

My JAWS 2026 does not say Program Manager on the Desktop. I think something else is happening on your system. I’d be glad to take a look when you have some free time later today.

 

Kindly,

 

Curtis Chong

 

 

From: NFBCS <nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Elizabeth Campbell via NFBCS
Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2025 9:30 AM
To: NFB in Computer Science Mailing List <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Elizabeth Campbell <batescampbell at gmail.com>
Subject: [NFBCS] question about JAWS 2026

 

Good morning all,

I was wondering if there is a way to stop JAWS from saying "program manager" when I am accessing my desktop? I didn't notice this behavior in previous versions.

Thanks for any suggestions.

I haven't been using the new version for very long, but I like the Page Explorer feature.

 

-- 

Elizabeth Campbell

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From ljmaher03 at outlook.com  Tue Nov 11 18:12:24 2025
From: ljmaher03 at outlook.com (Louis Maher)
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2025 18:12:24 +0000
Subject: [NFBCS] question about JAWS 2026
In-Reply-To: 
 <CAOz8cXkJ4VhD74j_EbT07VOFCyNwu+3GoPUo4FUrs3wJUj=5QA@mail.gmail.com>
References: 
 <CAOz8cXkJ4VhD74j_EbT07VOFCyNwu+3GoPUo4FUrs3wJUj=5QA@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: 
 <SJ0PR14MB523006F2B17B6AA9B06F8568AACFA@SJ0PR14MB5230.namprd14.prod.outlook.com>

Hi Elizabeth,

You can submit help requests to Freedom Scientific at "https://www.freedomscientific.com/Forms/TechSupport"

You can also call 800-444-4443.

You cannot email them at the support address anymore.



Regards
Louis Maher
Phone: 713-444-7838
Email: ljmaher03 at outlook.com

From: NFBCS <nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Elizabeth Campbell via NFBCS
Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2025 10:30 AM
To: NFB in Computer Science Mailing List <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Elizabeth Campbell <batescampbell at gmail.com>
Subject: [NFBCS] question about JAWS 2026

Good morning all,
I was wondering if there is a way to stop JAWS from saying "program manager" when I am accessing my desktop? I didn't notice this behavior in previous versions.
Thanks for any suggestions.
I haven't been using the new version for very long, but I like the Page Explorer feature.

--
Elizabeth Campbell
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From deniserob at gmail.com  Tue Nov 11 18:46:58 2025
From: deniserob at gmail.com (Dr Denise M Robinson)
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2025 13:46:58 -0500
Subject: [NFBCS] question about JAWS 2026 and potential fix
In-Reply-To: 
 <CAOz8cXkJ4VhD74j_EbT07VOFCyNwu+3GoPUo4FUrs3wJUj=5QA@mail.gmail.com>
References: 
 <CAOz8cXkJ4VhD74j_EbT07VOFCyNwu+3GoPUo4FUrs3wJUj=5QA@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: 
 <CAAxsd_6BGCP04VC9CQX=H_+faggzhoMFLsmcf3zQM9xiYig53A@mail.gmail.com>

Hi Elizabeth,

Believe it or not another word for desktop is Program manager (so it is odd
that it decided to say that vs desktop)--ok, not helpful so this is how to
hopefully fix itImport your prior settings from your last Jaws

   1.

   Press *Insert+J* or use whatever command to open JAWS window.
   2.

   Press *Alt+U for utilities* then *I* for *Import/Export Settings*.
   3.

   Choose *Import from previous version*.
   4.

   Complete the wizard and restart JAWS. and restart computer.
   Old verbosity behavior should return. But let me know




*Denise M Robinson*

Denise M Robinson, Ph.D., CTVI, AT, IT, CVI Endorsement, Director/CEO
425-220-6935

YouTube Channel: @DrDeniseMRobinsontech
<https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7YW7Ves0phCwCOtaZ3wWFw>
YOURTECHVISION.COM
Dr Denise M Robinson – Educational Services for Instruction in Access
Technology/Braille/Nemeth and other Access skills
<https://yourtechvision.com/>
Technology that gives YOU Vision....



On Tue, Nov 11, 2025 at 11:32 AM Elizabeth Campbell via NFBCS <
nfbcs at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> Good morning all,
> I was wondering if there is a way to stop JAWS from saying "program
> manager" when I am accessing my desktop? I didn't notice this behavior in
> previous versions.
> Thanks for any suggestions.
> I haven't been using the new version for very long, but I like the
> Page Explorer feature.
>
> --
> Elizabeth Campbell
> _______________________________________________
> NFBCS mailing list
> NFBCS at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbcs_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> NFBCS:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbcs_nfbnet.org/deniserob%40gmail.com
>
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From deniserob at gmail.com  Tue Nov 11 18:50:16 2025
From: deniserob at gmail.com (Dr Denise M Robinson)
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2025 13:50:16 -0500
Subject: [NFBCS] question about JAWS 2026
In-Reply-To: <00bf01dc532a$96145900$c23d0b00$@gmail.com>
References: 
 <CAOz8cXkJ4VhD74j_EbT07VOFCyNwu+3GoPUo4FUrs3wJUj=5QA@mail.gmail.com>
 <00bf01dc532a$96145900$c23d0b00$@gmail.com>
Message-ID: 
 <CAAxsd_4f-MkyMuJfnMUYKuHsGdhPM_fhzEteicr6Ro7oUALAXg@mail.gmail.com>

Hi Elizabeth, I already set a fix on going to a previous version but since
this is odd behavior, check to make sure all your hardware is up to date,
Dell is notorious for being behind so if you have a dell, make sure you do
your BIOS and other updates in the Dell assistant, if you have another,
same thing.. get the hardware updated and of course all the windows updates
also.
Clear your temp folder after with windows r and type in %temp% and enter
then ctrl A to select all and shift delete to get rid of everything--but
you cannot as you can't get rid of what you are using so a dialog will open
and say what do you want to do and just alt a to say do this for all next
items and alt s to skip--typically you have to do that at least twice, then
restart computer


*Denise M Robinson*

Denise M Robinson, Ph.D., CTVI, AT, IT, CVI Endorsement, Director/CEO
425-220-6935

YouTube Channel: @DrDeniseMRobinsontech
<https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7YW7Ves0phCwCOtaZ3wWFw>
YOURTECHVISION.COM
Dr Denise M Robinson – Educational Services for Instruction in Access
Technology/Braille/Nemeth and other Access skills
<https://yourtechvision.com/>
Technology that gives YOU Vision....



On Tue, Nov 11, 2025 at 11:46 AM Curtis Chong via NFBCS <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
wrote:

> Hi Elizabeth:
>
>
>
> My JAWS 2026 does not say Program Manager on the Desktop. I think
> something else is happening on your system. I’d be glad to take a look when
> you have some free time later today.
>
>
>
> Kindly,
>
>
>
> Curtis Chong
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* NFBCS <nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org> *On Behalf Of *Elizabeth
> Campbell via NFBCS
> *Sent:* Tuesday, November 11, 2025 9:30 AM
> *To:* NFB in Computer Science Mailing List <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
> *Cc:* Elizabeth Campbell <batescampbell at gmail.com>
> *Subject:* [NFBCS] question about JAWS 2026
>
>
>
> Good morning all,
>
> I was wondering if there is a way to stop JAWS from saying "program
> manager" when I am accessing my desktop? I didn't notice this behavior in
> previous versions.
>
> Thanks for any suggestions.
>
> I haven't been using the new version for very long, but I like the
> Page Explorer feature.
>
>
>
> --
>
> Elizabeth Campbell
> _______________________________________________
> NFBCS mailing list
> NFBCS at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbcs_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> NFBCS:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbcs_nfbnet.org/deniserob%40gmail.com
>
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From shellbr at runbox.com  Tue Nov 11 19:10:49 2025
From: shellbr at runbox.com (Brian Shell)
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2025 14:10:49 -0500
Subject: [NFBCS] question about JAWS 2026
In-Reply-To: 
 <CAOz8cXkJ4VhD74j_EbT07VOFCyNwu+3GoPUo4FUrs3wJUj=5QA@mail.gmail.com>
References: 
 <CAOz8cXkJ4VhD74j_EbT07VOFCyNwu+3GoPUo4FUrs3wJUj=5QA@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <035674eb-47bc-4926-a91f-ff432bd09b18@runbox.com>

This happens for me too, mostly on my work laptop.  The first time I 
heard it, my mind flashed back to Windows 3.1!  In my case, it is not a 
reproducible as it happens only occasionally as I'm switching between 
open windows and the Desktop.  My guess is Microsoft left some remnant 
of Program Manager in the OS and it is getting focus briefly (even 
invisibly) during some tasks.  I see a similar problem with Malwarebytes 
tray application, and that one is far more annoying to me.

Brian

From ljmaher03 at outlook.com  Mon Nov 17 19:59:25 2025
From: ljmaher03 at outlook.com (Louis Maher)
Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2025 19:59:25 +0000
Subject: [NFBCS] IRC Scribing
In-Reply-To: 
 <SJ0PR14MB5230BC65CE35CAA0DC236CE5AACBA@SJ0PR14MB5230.namprd14.prod.outlook.com>
References: 
 <SJ0PR14MB5230BC65CE35CAA0DC236CE5AACBA@SJ0PR14MB5230.namprd14.prod.outlook.com>
Message-ID: 
 <SJ0PR14MB52308F054A171CBA41D61280AAC9A@SJ0PR14MB5230.namprd14.prod.outlook.com>

Hello,

Can a blind individual do scribing for W3C meetings using the Internet Relay Chat (IRC) system?

I have been scribing for the MathML working group using the CryptPad editor (https://cryptpad.fr/index.html<https://cryptpad.fr/index.htmlI>).  Several people can simultaneously edit a file using Markdown in CryptPad. I am quite happy with it; however, there is some interest in returning to an IRC environment like Zakim.  I experimented with IRC in 2021, but I could not keep up with our meetings. Also there is no spelling or grammar checker in IRC.

Does anyone scribe with the IRC system? If so, what systems do you use?

I must have a collaborative system so that several people can edit a file simultaneously, and I really prefer a WYSIWYG editor.

Thank you for your help.

Regards
Louis Maher
Phone: 713-444-7838
Email: ljmaher03 at outlook.com<mailto:ljmaher03 at outlook.com>

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From icts4ehealth at gmail.com  Thu Nov 20 10:00:38 2025
From: icts4ehealth at gmail.com (IEEE HEAD Workshop)
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2025 02:00:38 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [NFBCS] [CFP] HEAD Workshop in conjunction with IEEE CCGrid 2026 |
 Sydney, Australia - 18-21 May, 2026
Message-ID: <691ee6c6.170a0220.e69e3.42f8@mx.google.com>

============================================================
[We apologize if you receive multiple copies of this CFP]
============================================================

Dear colleagues,

We are delighted to invite you to the 2nd Edition of the IEEE HEAD Workshop: Healthcare Evolution through AI and Digital Twins. We hope this Call for Papers finds you well and sparks your interest.

The submission deadline is: FEBRUARY 01!

Authors of selected papers will be invited to submit extended versions of their work to special issues in international journals indexed by Scopus and Web of Science.

Yours sincerely,
Workshop Chairs


=======================================================
2nd Edition of IEEE HEAD Workshop - Healthcare Evolution through AI and Digital twins

Sidney, Australia, May 18-21, 2026 

https://www.head.icar.cnr.it/

in conjunction with the 26th IEEE International Symposium on Cluster, Cloud and Internet Computing (CCGrid 2026) in-cooperation with ACM SIGHPC

Submit your paper by using the link: https://easychair.org/conferences/submission_new?a=35582707

=======================================================

MISSION: 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Global investments in ICT for healthcare (eHealth) are rapidly increasing, with the market projected to reach $123.78 billion by 2030. Digital health is gaining worldwide attention as it improves service quality and access to health information, while reducing time, workload, and costs for providers.

Technologies such as AI, Digital Twins, Cloud, Edge/Fog computing, and IoT are driving this transformation, relying on heterogeneous infrastructures that combine IoT medical devices with High-Performance Computing (HPC) backends to support advanced models and patient-specific Digital Twins.

The HEAD workshop will address open challenges in applying these technologies, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue on how HPC, distributed systems, and performance optimization can enable scalable and reliable Digital Twins in healthcare. It will highlight computing infrastructures as key enablers of future digital medicine, linking algorithmic progress with architectural and systems-level innovations.

TOPICS:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Topics of Interest (including but not limited to): 
- AI Algorithms and Learning Frameworks for Healthcare
- Modeling and Simulation Methodologies for Healthcare
- Programming Techniques and Architectures for Healthcare
- Data Management, Analytics, and Knowledge Extraction
- ICT Infrastructure and Tools for Healthcare Digital Twins
- Cloud Computing, Edge and Fog Computing for Healthcare
- Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, and Wearable Devices for Healthcare
- Ethical, Legal, and Societal Implications of ICT for Healthcare
- Accelerator-based architectures (GPUs, NPUs, FPGAs and DPUs) for Healthcare
- Parallel and Distributed Training and Multi-GPU/Multi-Node Execution for Healthcare Applications
- Energy-Efficient, Sustainable, and Optimization-Oriented Computing for AI in Healthcare

IMPORTANT DATES: 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Submission deadline: February 01, 2026
- Notification of paper acceptance: February 28, 2026
- Submission of camera-ready papers: March 15, 2026 (firm)

PAPER SUBMISSION:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Manuscripts should describe original work and should be formatted according to the IEEE conference proceedings format. Papers will be submitted through the CCGrid 2026 submission system.
Submit your paper here: https://easychair.org/conferences/submission_new?a=35582707
All submissions will undergo a rigorous peer-review process. Each paper will be reviewed by at least three members of the Technical Program Committee. Reviews will be double-blind.
Accepted papers will be published in the CCGrid 2026 workshop proceedings and will be submitted for inclusion in IEEE Xplore.

BEST PAPER AWARD:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Best Paper Award certificate will be conferred on the author(s) of a paper presented at the workshop, selected by the Chairs based on scientific significance, originality, and technical quality, as evaluated by the Program Committee.

**JOURNAL SPECIAL ISSUES**
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Authors of selected papers will be invited to submit extended versions of their work to special issues in international journals indexed by Scopus and Web of Science.

Last year, the workshop received technical sponsorship from the World Federation on Soft Computing, which offered a fast-track publication opportunity in the Applied Soft Computing journal by Elsevier (Q1 - IF: 6.6). We hope that the sponsorship will also be replicated for this edition.

From tyler at tysdomain.com  Mon Nov 24 17:56:51 2025
From: tyler at tysdomain.com (Ty Littlefield)
Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2025 10:56:51 -0700
Subject: [NFBCS] JAWS DOM changes in web apps?
Message-ID: <a445f2ea-3845-4d6e-afe6-835b7fec9a17@tysdomain.com>

Hi all,

I've been working on some frontend code at work lately, and one of the 
issues I'm running into is that when content is changed on a page (for 
example in a react app where a component refreshes), JAWS does not 
always see these changes. This is a particular problem in a component 
with a live region, because JAWS will sometimes re-read the prior 
content in the live region rather than the most recent.

In general, what notifies JAWS of a DOM change? More specifically, are 
there any tips or tricks for handling this properly from within 
react/other applications like this that are component based? Generally 
this doesn't seem to be an issue, but we seem to have a pattern in play 
that is causing problems with JAWS (NVDA is perfectly fine).

Thanks,

-- 

*Ty Littlefield (he/him/his)*

  * From Bytes to Bites <https://tysdomain.com>|
  * Linkedin <https://www.linkedin.com/in/ty-lerlittlefield/>|
  * Github <https://github.com/sorressean>
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From icts4ehealth at gmail.com  Wed Nov 26 09:24:11 2025
From: icts4ehealth at gmail.com (IEEE HEAD Workshop)
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2025 01:24:11 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [NFBCS] [CFP] HEAD Workshop in conjunction with IEEE CCGrid 2026 |
 Sydney, Australia - 18-21 May, 2026
Message-ID: <6926c73b.050a0220.d2fef.8344@mx.google.com>

============================================================
[We apologize if you receive multiple copies of this CFP]
============================================================

Dear colleagues,

We are delighted to invite you to the 2nd Edition of the IEEE HEAD Workshop: Healthcare Evolution through AI and Digital Twins. We hope this Call for Papers finds you well and sparks your interest.

The submission deadline is: FEBRUARY 01!

Authors of selected papers will be invited to submit extended versions of their work to special issues in international journals indexed by Scopus and Web of Science.

Yours sincerely,
Workshop Chairs


=======================================================
2nd Edition of IEEE HEAD Workshop - Healthcare Evolution through AI and Digital twins

Sidney, Australia, May 18-21, 2026 

https://www.head.icar.cnr.it/

in conjunction with the 26th IEEE International Symposium on Cluster, Cloud and Internet Computing (CCGrid 2026) in-cooperation with ACM SIGHPC

Submit your paper by using the link: https://easychair.org/conferences/submission_new?a=35582707

=======================================================

MISSION: 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Global investments in ICT for healthcare (eHealth) are rapidly increasing, with the market projected to reach $123.78 billion by 2030. Digital health is gaining worldwide attention as it improves service quality and access to health information, while reducing time, workload, and costs for providers.

Technologies such as AI, Digital Twins, Cloud, Edge/Fog computing, and IoT are driving this transformation, relying on heterogeneous infrastructures that combine IoT medical devices with High-Performance Computing (HPC) backends to support advanced models and patient-specific Digital Twins.

The HEAD workshop will address open challenges in applying these technologies, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue on how HPC, distributed systems, and performance optimization can enable scalable and reliable Digital Twins in healthcare. It will highlight computing infrastructures as key enablers of future digital medicine, linking algorithmic progress with architectural and systems-level innovations.

TOPICS:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Topics of Interest (including but not limited to): 
- AI Algorithms and Learning Frameworks for Healthcare
- Modeling and Simulation Methodologies for Healthcare
- Programming Techniques and Architectures for Healthcare
- Data Management, Analytics, and Knowledge Extraction
- ICT Infrastructure and Tools for Healthcare Digital Twins
- Cloud Computing, Edge and Fog Computing for Healthcare
- Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, and Wearable Devices for Healthcare
- Ethical, Legal, and Societal Implications of ICT for Healthcare
- Accelerator-based architectures (GPUs, NPUs, FPGAs and DPUs) for Healthcare
- Parallel and Distributed Training and Multi-GPU/Multi-Node Execution for Healthcare Applications
- Energy-Efficient, Sustainable, and Optimization-Oriented Computing for AI in Healthcare

IMPORTANT DATES: 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Submission deadline: February 01, 2026
- Notification of paper acceptance: February 28, 2026
- Submission of camera-ready papers: March 15, 2026 (firm)

PAPER SUBMISSION:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Manuscripts should describe original work and should be formatted according to the IEEE conference proceedings format. Papers will be submitted through the CCGrid 2026 submission system.
Submit your paper here: https://easychair.org/conferences/submission_new?a=35582707
All submissions will undergo a rigorous peer-review process. Each paper will be reviewed by at least three members of the Technical Program Committee. Reviews will be double-blind.
Accepted papers will be published in the CCGrid 2026 workshop proceedings and will be submitted for inclusion in IEEE Xplore.

BEST PAPER AWARD:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Best Paper Award certificate will be conferred on the author(s) of a paper presented at the workshop, selected by the Chairs based on scientific significance, originality, and technical quality, as evaluated by the Program Committee.

**JOURNAL SPECIAL ISSUES**
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Authors of selected papers will be invited to submit extended versions of their work to special issues in international journals indexed by Scopus and Web of Science.

Last year, the workshop received technical sponsorship from the World Federation on Soft Computing, which offered a fast-track publication opportunity in the Applied Soft Computing journal by Elsevier (Q1 - IF: 6.6). We hope that the sponsorship will also be replicated for this edition.

From chong.curtis at gmail.com  Wed Nov 26 17:31:21 2025
From: chong.curtis at gmail.com (Curtis Chong)
Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2025 10:31:21 -0700
Subject: [NFBCS] Vispero Accounts: An Explanation, an Apology,
 and a Path Forward
Message-ID: <001001dc5efa$7b673ab0$7235b010$@gmail.com>

Greetings:

 

Some of you may be interested in this blog post from Vispero, put out just
two days ago. Here it is.

 

Link to Original Source
https://blog.freedomscientific.com/vispero-accounts-an-explanation-an-apolog
y-and-a-path-forward/

 


Vispero Accounts: An Explanation, an Apology, and a Path Forward


 <https://blog.freedomscientific.com/author/rbassett-spiers/> Rhonda
Bassett-Spiers November 24, 2025

We want to begin by acknowledging something important: we should have
communicated these changes earlier, more clearly, and with greater
transparency.

Several of you have shared that the rollout of user registration felt
abrupt, confusing, or too personal. We understand this feedback, and we
sincerely apologize for the delay in responding. We are committed to
improving how-and how often-we communicate going forward.

Creating an account should never feel like an obstacle between you and the
products you rely on. Our intention was to introduce functionality that
benefits users, but we recognize that without proper explanation, it created
uncertainty instead. Thank you for your patience and for continuing to share
your concerns. We are listening, and we will get better.

Below is a clearer, more transparent explanation of why we ask for certain
information, how it is used, and what will change based on your feedback. I
have also included
<https://blog.freedomscientific.com/vispero-accounts-an-explanation-an-apolo
gy-and-a-path-forward/#faq> Frequently Asked Questions for your reference.


Why Accounts Exist


Accounts unlock features that were not previously possible-starting with the
ability to sync your settings across devices so your experience stays
consistent wherever you use JAWS, ZoomText, or Fusion. Over time, accounts
will enable more personalization, better reliability, and improved access to
new features-including AI-assisted capabilities.

But we should have explained this earlier. That is our oversight, and we
apologize.


What We Ask For-and Why


Age Verification


Birth Month, Birth Year (changing soon-update follows). We are legally
required to verify age because privacy laws differ for adults, teens, and
children, especially when using services connected to AI features. Some
third-party AI integrations cannot legally be used by minors. Age
verification ensures we comply with regional laws and provide the correct
experience for all users.


Login Method and Contact Information


Email Address, First/Last Name, Password. If you sign up with Google, only
basic contact information is shared, never your password.

This information helps us:

*	Confirm account ownership
*	Contact users in the event of outages or product issues
*	Support account recovery and prevent unauthorized access

We should have explained more clearly that your information is not used for
marketing unless you explicitly opt in.


User Details for Adults (18+)


These questions help us understand where and how our software is used-at
work, at home, in school, or across multiple settings. This allows us to:

*	Prioritize improvements that benefit the greatest number of users
*	Understand real-world workflows for people who are blind or
low-vision
*	Allocate engineering effort responsibly

However, we recognize we asked for too much upfront. Many of these fields
will soon become optional (details below).


Country


This ensures your account is created under the appropriate legal and
regional framework (privacy laws differ by country). It also helps ensure
product options are correct for your location.


Phone Number


This field was added as a secondary contact method during outages. Based on
your feedback, we know this can feel unnecessary, and we will revisit this
as part of simplifying registration.


Product Use Information (Work, Personal, School)


These questions help us understand usage patterns so we can improve the
product. They are also useful for evaluating adoption across enterprise
agreements with employers or school systems.

However, these fields should not have been required at initial sign-up-and
that will change.


User Details for Teens (13-17)


Privacy rules for minors are strict. For teens, we only request:

*	Country
*	School name (to support educational licensing and adoption tracking)
*	Required consent statement

We intentionally collect less information from young users to protect their
privacy.


Our Data Security Practices


We apologize for not communicating more clearly about how your information
is protected. All account data is:

*	Stored in AWS data centers with industry-standard protections
*	Encrypted in transit and at rest
*	Protected by AWS network security, WAF, and IDS
*	Accessed only under tightly controlled, audited processes

We take data protection very seriously and will publish a more detailed
security overview soon.


Changes Coming to the Registration Flow


We have heard your feedback clearly, and we are making improvements.

Over the next few weeks:

*	Most fields currently required will become optional
*	Only age confirmation and basic contact information will remain
mandatory
*	Age verification will change to a simple "Over 18?" confirmation
*	Users under 18 will still be able to use the products but will have
certain AI features disabled
*	Workplace, school, or personal use information will be optional, not
required

These changes maintain legal compliance while removing friction for users.


Our Commitment to You Moving Forward


The purpose of accounts is to make the products better-not to make your
experience more difficult.

We recognize we did not communicate this well enough, and we apologize for
any frustration or confusion this caused.

Going forward, we are committed to:

*	Communicating earlier and more transparently
*	Providing timely responses when concerns are raised
*	Sharing updates proactively rather than reactively
*	Making user registration as simple and respectful as possible
*	Working hand-in-hand with the community as we improve the software

We will continue to listen and adapt based on your feedback.

Thank you again for your patience, honesty, and partnership.

Rhonda


Vispero Account - FAQ


Q: Why do I need a Vispero account?

A: A Vispero account allows us to provide new features-starting with syncing
your settings across devices. Over time, accounts will unlock more
personalization, reliability, and cloud-connected enhancements.

Q: Why didn't you explain this earlier?

A: We should have communicated these changes sooner and more clearly. We
apologize for the confusion and are committed to improving communication
going forward.

Q: Why do you need my age?

A: Some AI features legally require users to be over a certain age. A simple
confirmation ("Are you over 18?") will replace collecting birth dates.

Q: What information is actually required to create an account?

A: Starting soon, only two things will be required:

1.	Basic contact information (name and email)
2.	A simple age confirmation

All other fields will become optional.

Q: Why do you ask for things like job, school, or how I use the product?

A: This information helps us understand which workflows matter most so we
can improve JAWS, ZoomText, and Fusion. We understand if you are not willing
to provide this information, and these fields will soon become optional.

Q: Will my data be protected?

A: Yes. All data is:

Stored securely in AWS data centers

*	Encrypted in transit and at rest
*	Protected by strict access controls
*	 We do not sell your information

Q: Why do you ask for my phone number?

A: It's optional. It helps us contact users quickly in case of outages or
critical issues-but it is not required.

Q: What changes are coming to registration?

A: Based on your feedback:

*	Most fields will become optional
*	Age confirmation will be simplified
*	Registration will be shorter and faster
*	Additional workflow questions will only be asked if you choose to
provide them

Q: Will I still be able to use the software if I'm under 18?

A: Yes. However, some AI features may be disabled due to legal requirements.

Q: What if I don't want to provide optional information?

A: That's completely fine. You can skip optional fields and continue using
the software without limitations.

Q: Will you communicate changes earlier going forward?

A: Yes. We recognize that we need to do better, and we are implementing new
processes to communicate updates clearly and proactively.

Q: Who can I contact with questions?

A: You can reach our support team at 727-803-8600, weekdays between 8:30 AM
and 7:00 PM ET.

We welcome your feedback and will continue improving based on what we hear
from you.

 

 

Very truly yours,

 

Curtis Chong

 

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