Pennsylvania Council of the Blind 2021 Virtual Conference and Convention

Friday, September 17, 2021

• Finding Your Stride: How to Advocate for Yourself. Melissa Carney, PCB Director of Outreach and Engagement, underwritten by Democracy Live, Community Advocate. The first steps to becoming a strong self-advocate are determining when it is necessary, remaining in motion, and most importantly, obtaining confidence in your own abilities and persistence. Please join us for an interactive discussion on how to make your voice heard by speaking up for what you do or do not need as a blind individual. Each of us possess different identities, skillsets, life stories, access priorities, and so forth, but, as a community, we all experience challenges that can be negated through our words, actions, and efforts to maximize our autonomy.

• Building Communities through Technology, Jule Ann Lieberman, MS CLVT/CATIS ATP, TechOWL. The TechOWL program provides all Pennsylvanians opportunities to explore a variety of technology devices which can assist persons who are blind or visually impaired in everyday life. This session will describe updates to the equipment lending library, options for obtaining special telephones, and devices to meet the distance communication needs of persons with both hearing loss and blindness. Learn how TechOWL has met the challenge during the pandemic with projects such as Connect with Tech. Learn how senior centers and adult communities are connecting with their clients through device loans to address social isolation.

• Increasing Accessibility with the Louie Voice App, Pramit Bhargava, App Developer. Created originally for Android phones but in development for iPhones, the Louie Voice is a voice-controlled app that performs tasks within other apps through voice commands. Louie’s developer will show us what we can do in apps such as YouTube, WhatsApp, and Uber. So, if you are ready to simplify your smartphone functionality and ease your inaccessibility frustrations, be sure to attend this session.

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