June 2, 2020<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We now have two new ways to listen:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, for those of you with Amazon Echo smart speakers, there is an Alexa Skill. You must enable it the first time by saying \u201cAlexa enable Radio Talking Book.\u201d Then to listen, say, \u201cAlexa Play Radio Talking book.\u201d You can\u2019t use RTB, it must be said in full. You will then be prompted to listen to the live stream, get the schedule, or find out what is on. Say what you want to do. The schedule, and what\u2019s playing are not accurate while we broadcast Audio-Reader. You will be asked if you are blind or print-disabled. Answer the question, and start listening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Secondly, there are Android and iOS apps for iPhones, Android phones, iPads and Android tablets. They are available from the Google Play Store<\/a> and the Apple iOS App Store<\/a>. Search for Radio Talking Book. For Apple you can also search for RTB. Make sure you have the Minnesota app as there are similarly named apps. You can listen to either the live stream or an archived program with both of these apps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you know, the RTB reads newspapers, books, and magazines 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Most of the reading is done by auditioned and trained volunteers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In mid-March, SSB\u2019s 2200 University Ave. W., headquarters building was locked, and we lost access to it. Consequently, we started rebroadcasting the Kansas Audio-Reader Network, another reading service that was set up to operate remotely. Their programming is similar to ours, and they read newspapers from Kansas City, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Starting on April 16, we got permission to have one broadcaster in the building for two hours in the morning, and one hour in the late afternoon, so we resumed reading the Minneapolis and St. Paul newspapers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During this time of civil unrest, we have lost access to our building once again \u2013 it was closed for safety reasons. It will open up again on Tuesday June 2. We will be able to resume local newspapers at that time. We are currently planning for our own remote operation \u2013 but this is a medium\/long-term project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you may know, the broadcast portion of the RTB will cease operation on October 1, 2020.The cost to lease the signal across Minnesota wasn\u2019t justified by the number of listeners. We are continuing operation with a variety of new and supplemented transmission modes. All of these are available now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can listen to the live stream of the programming, or an archived program up to one week old at the link http:\/\/www.mnssb.org\/rtb<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n A password is no longer required \u2013 and this service has been available for a number of years. You can also listen via the Sero smartphone app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We will have a complete \u201cFrequently Asked Questions\u201d document on our web site in the near future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Please pass this along to your students, and happy listening!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dave Andrews<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you reside in Minnesota, and you would like to know more about Transition Services from State Services contact Transition Coordinator Sheila Koenig by email<\/a> or contact her via phone at 651-539-2361. Thank you for listening! Check out the Blind Abilities Community<\/a>on Facebook, the Blind Abilities Page<\/a>, the Career Resources for the Blind and Visually Impair<\/a>ed, the Assistive Technology Community for the Blind and Visually Impaired<\/a>. and the Facebook group That Blind Tech Show<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" June 2, 2020 We now have two new ways to listen: First, for those of you with Amazon Echo smart speakers, there is an Alexa Skill. You must enable it the first time by saying \u201cAlexa enable Radio Talking Book.\u201d Then to listen, say, \u201cAlexa Play Radio Talking book.\u201d You can\u2019t use RTB, it must […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[239,467],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5927","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-technology"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6rcRg-1xB","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6125,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=6125","url_meta":{"origin":5927,"position":0},"title":"Radio Talking Book: Change is On the Way! New Alexa Skill and RTB iOS and Android Apps Pave the Way to the Future. Blog Post.","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"August 3, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Blog Posts Changes on the Way Radio Talking Book is changing with the times. Beginning October 1, RTB will no longer be available via closed-circuit radio. Instead, listeners will have several options: you can use the Internet, the new RTB apps for iOS and Android, or a digital assistant like\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=239"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3520,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=3520","url_meta":{"origin":5927,"position":1},"title":"The Blind Abilities Skill is Launched in the U.S.! Enable Blind Abilities On Your Amazon Device Today!","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"May 4, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The Blind Abilities Team is excited to share the news that the Blind Abilities Skill is launched in the U.S. and you can enable the Blind Abilities Skill on your Amazon devices. Just say, \u201cAlexa, enable Blind Abilities.\u201d Alexa will welcome you to the new Blind Abilities Podcast and ask\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "BlindAbilities Presents"","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4312,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=4312","url_meta":{"origin":5927,"position":2},"title":"Getting Started with Pod Catchers and Podcasts. Blog Post by Jeff Thompson","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"January 2, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Listening to Podcasts is the fastest growing media market and there are plenty of ways to access podcasts of all styles and topics. 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Blog Post by Jessica Hodges","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"October 16, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Blog Post from Jessica Hodges There is nothing stopping you from accessing blind abilities! \u00a0 You tell me you don\u2019t have time to listen? Or maybe you just don\u2019t know how to find the illustrious gathering of blogs and podcasts that is blind abilities in the moment, when you\u2019ve got\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=239"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2780,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=2780","url_meta":{"origin":5927,"position":4},"title":"That Blind Tech Show 04: Alexa Siri, That’s Not a Name I Can Respond To","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"August 15, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"That Blind Tech Show Episode 4 Co-Host Bryan Fischler along with guest Co-Host John Panarese from MacForTheBlind, talk the latest news from a Blindness perspective. 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And Groping the Ford Windshield… What the?","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"May 13, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"In episode 15 of That Blind Tech Show Allison Hartley, Bryan Fischler and Jeff Thompson announce the release of the Blind Abilities Alexa Skill, the Android version of the Blind Abilities App, GE\u2019s announcement of air conditioners controlled by your home assistant devices, Zoom Pizza\u2019s made by Robots, Amazon and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Technology"","block_context":{"text":"Technology","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=467"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/That-Blind-Tech-Show-Mic-2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/That-Blind-Tech-Show-Mic-2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/That-Blind-Tech-Show-Mic-2.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/That-Blind-Tech-Show-Mic-2.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/That-Blind-Tech-Show-Mic-2.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/That-Blind-Tech-Show-Mic-2.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5927"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5927\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5928,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5927\/revisions\/5928"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Contact Your State Services<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
To find your State Services in your State you can go to www.AFB.org<\/a> and search the directory for your agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\nContact:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities<\/a>
On the web at www.BlindAbilities.com<\/a>
Send us an email<\/a>
Get the Free Blind Abilities App on the App Store<\/a>and Google Play Store<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n