Bill Boules, via Twitter
Bill Boules was recently featured in an article in PC Magazine regarding voice recognition technology in devices like the Amazon Echo. Bill holds master's degrees from WMU in vision rehabilitation therapy and orientation and mobility.
Being blind, Bill discusses the ways technology, specifically voice recognition devices, impact his daily life. He also incorporates the technology in his work at the Vision Center of Excellence, part of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he helps veterans and military members who have lost their eyesight.
The following is an excerpt from the piece that features Bill in PC Magazine.
Why Amazon's Alexa Is 'Life Changing' for the Blind
Bill Boules, blind since birth, has three Amazon Echos at his home in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. and says they've been "life changing."
Boules, 42, bought the smart speaker as soon as it came out and found that right away it helped him more easily access audio content on the web. Previously, he had to use a screen reader, which is software that orally announces the contents of a web page.
"The Echo is definitely a game changer," Boules tells PCMag. "You can get the information much faster, at least 10 times faster."
Now, Boules begins his day by asking his Echo Dot to play the news from NPR and sports highlights from ESPN before heading to work as associate director of rehabilitation and re-integration at the Vision Center of Excellence, an office within the US Navy that assists members of the military and their families who have lost their eyesight. As part of his job, Boules helps clients install and use the Echo. His audio podcast on assistive technology, The AT Junkie, devoted three episodes to reviewing different models of the Echo.
Like other blind people, Boules says he "watches TV" even though he's only listening to it. Before he got an Echo, Boules depended on sighted family members to help him find something to watch on his cable TV's on-screen guide. "I'm blind, I can't see the on-screen guide," says Boules. "But I can [access it] independently now. I no longer have to depend on someone else to help me find something to watch."
Read more on PC Magazine's website.