Accessibility & Technology

Get Accessible News at NFB-Newsline

Nov 30, 2021

Get Accessible News at NFB-Newsline

 

It would be completely reasonable to expect that reading the news on a mobile app should be more accessible than ever, for people with vision loss, but this is not actually the case. The navigation of your favorite newspaper still feels rather unrefined.  Whether reading with your eyes, or a speech feature, the pages may suddenly lurch back or forward, leaving you searching to find your place again.  Articles loaded with ads, and other links, chronically  disrupt your focus. Depending on the day, a mobile screen reader might just leap over an entire section of text or mispronounce a bunch of words. The images frequently are not labeled, instead providing long digital codes in place of descriptions. It all makes you wonder, why is award winning journalism so hard to read?

The solution that may resolve many of these issues is NFB- Newsline.  A fee free news service offering audio content to anyone who is blind, has low vision or is print disabled. Subscribers are granted access to over 500 publications including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today, Time, Consumer Reports and hundreds more.  Select options for local news publications, emergency alerts and even local TV listings by provider.  There are many ways to get NEWSLINE, on an app, with Alexa on an Echo device, online or by email,  or dial in to listen on any phone. 

 

Image shows young woman listening to the news on an iPhone.

Image shows young woman listening to the news on an iPhone.

 

iOS NEWSLINE MOBILE APP 

Get the Apple iOS app, on the App Store, for use with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, all fully accessible with VoiceOver or Braille display.  The app has a free version of KNFB Reader Basic with functions that scan any printed text and read it aloud, on the go. 

 

AMAZON ALEXA

Hands free access via Alexa on any Echo product. Personalize settings and navigate to sections and articles using voice commands. 

Visit Alexa instructions

visit Alexa training video

ONLINE & EMAIL

Go to http://www.nfbnewslineonline.org/ to access or email full publications, sections or articles.

 

DIAL IN BY PHONE

NFB-NEWSLINe audio content can also be accessed by phone with the touch of buttons that enable reading and voice controls. 

Visit NEWSLINE phone instructions

 

There’s a lot available here, and it may seem overwhelming, so step back and take a breath. First sign up. Then decide how you want to access your news? Now follow the links for more info, or even better yet, call the wonderfully helpful information line for help getting set up and acclimated.

Call NFB-NEWSLINE: 866-504-7300

 

To sign up for Newsline call NFB or complete the application online. All subscribers to NLS Talking Books program are pre-approved. 

Online Application

Email: [email protected]

 

For comments, questions or feedback, email us, or connect on Facebook or Twitter. We would love to hear from you!


About the Author: Dorrie Rush

Dorrie Rush is the Chief Content Officer and Visual Accessibility Expert at Ophthalmic Edge Patients (OE Patients), an online resource, presented by the Association for Macular Diseases, providing practical information and empowering advice for living a full and successful life with vision loss.

She is the former Director of the Grunwald Technology Center and Information Resource Service at Lighthouse International 2001 to 2016. Dorrie is known to have an eccentric view, which is particularly useful in compensating for her central vision loss from Stargardt Disease.

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