Dear AccessWorld readers,
Welcome to the Summer 2025 edition of AccessWorld! Before we dive into this month’s issue, did you know that AFB has another quarterly publication covering our broader work? It’s called Focus On AFB and includes articles on various projects and initiatives, including those from our Public Policy and Research Institute, the AFB Talent Lab, and other programs. If you're interested in the wider work of AFB, it's definitely worth checking out. You can find the latest Focus and subscribe here.
It seems like AI is everywhere these days. The technology continues to evolve rapidly, and I’m always finding new ways it can be used to support accessibility. Most recently, Gemini 2.5 Flash can be used to describe YouTube videos—if it's accurate, it could be an absolute game changer. I’ve used it a few times and, as far as I can tell, the results have been excellent.
Gemini also allows you to share your screen and talk to it as if you're speaking to someone looking over your shoulder. We demoed this feature in the latest episode of our AccessWorld Podcast—if you're interested, be sure to check it out!
To open this issue, I share my personal reflection on Connecting Dots: A Blind Life by Dr. Joshua Miele. You may remember that we interviewed Dr. Miele on the AccessWorld Podcast. Both Tony and I greatly enjoyed his new memoir. I follow up on those conversations by highlighting aspects of the book I found particularly powerful and reflecting on my experience reading it.
Next, Deborah Kendrick brings us a review of Innosearch AI, a website that uses the power of AI to make online shopping more convenient and accessible for people who are blind or have low vision. The site also allows users to book flights—something that can be a real pain point when navigating airline websites with a screen reader. Even the most accessible platforms can sometimes be frustrating.
Steve Kelley contributes a review of the Optaro, a new product from Eschenbach: a smartphone case that turns your device into a video magnifier. The Optaro includes a built-in camera and stand, and with the increasing quality of smartphone cameras, this may represent the future direction for video magnification technology.
Then, Janet Ingber brings us a review of ally, an app from Envision that provides AI-powered feedback on the world around you. Designed to be straightforward and intuitive, the app focuses on natural voice interaction, making it feel like you’re talking to a personal assistant.
Finally, as the second entry in our series on AI-generated music, I bring you a review of Riffusion, a tool similar to Suno, which we covered in the spring issue. Both services use similar technologies and workflows, and comparing their interface designs and accessibility features can be quite illuminating.
As always, many thanks to the authors who contribute to AccessWorld—we couldn’t do it without them. And thank you to you, our readers. We hope you enjoy this issue!
Aaron Preece
AccessWorld Editor in Chief
American Foundation for the Blind
