Category Archives: Info for the blind & visually impaired

bLINDNESS, Dolphin GuideConnect, Info for the blind & visually impaired, Living with sight loss, Training & Coaching, Tutorial, Uncategorized

How to restore GuideConnect from a backup, tutorial

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How to restore GuideConnect from a backup.

This tutorial shows you how to restore GuideConnect from a backup file that you have saved on a memory stick or external hard drive. To restore GuideConnect, do the following.

Step 1: Plug the memory stick or external hard drive that the backup file is saved on into one of the USB ports of your computer. Then, on the GuideConnect main menu, go to the Tools option and open it.

Step 2: Find the Backup & Restore option and open it. Three options will be displayed. These are, Backup GuideConnect, Restore GuideConnect and Reset GuideConnect to Factory Settings.

Step 3: Move onto the Restore GuideConnect option and open it. A list of available drives will be displayed. This will include C Drive which is your computer’s main drive, GuideConnect will give the description, “local drive” to let you know this is the case. Other drives such as D, E, F and G might also be displayed. These are other drives such as disc drive, external hard drive and memory sticks that you have connected to your computer. These other drives will generally, but not always, have a description such as USB drive or storage drive.

Step 4: Move onto the drive that contains the GuideConnect backup file you wish to restore from and press Enter on it. GuideConnect will announce that backup files have been found and display a list of them. Use the arrow keys to find the backup you wish to restore from and press Enter on it. Note that if there is only 1 backup file on the memory stick or external hard drive a list will not be displayed, instead, GuideConnect will tell you that a backup file has been found and will ask you to confirm if you wish to continue with the restore.

Step 5: GuideConnect will ask you if you are sure you wish to continue with the restore as it might take a long time if it is a large file. If you wish to continue, move onto the Yes option and press Enter on it and the restore will start. If you do not wish to continue, move onto the No option and press Enter on it and you will be returned to the Backup & Restore menu.

Step 6: Whilst the restore is in progress, GuideConnect will say, “loading, please wait” until it has finished. Once the restore has finished, GuideConnect will announce, “restore complete”. Important note, do not do anything with your computer whilst the backup is in progress.

Step 7: You can now hold down the Escape key to jump back to the GuideConnect main menu before going to the Exit option and shutting down your computer. Remove the memory stick or external hard drive from the USB port once the computer has turned off.

Assistive technology, bLINDNESS, Dolphin GuideConnect, Info for the blind & visually impaired, Living with sight loss, Training & Coaching, Tutorial, Uncategorized, Visual impairment

How to backup GuideConnect, tutorial

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This tutorial shows you how to create a backup file of GuideConnect and save it to a memory stick. To create a backup file of GuideConnect, do the following.

Step 1: Plug a memory stick or external hard drive into one of the USB ports of your computer. Then, on the GuideConnect main menu, go to the Tools option and open it.

Step 2: Find the Backup & Restore option and open it. Three options will be displayed. These are, Backup GuideConnect, Restore GuideConnect and Reset GuideConnect to Factory Settings.

Step 3: Move onto the Backup GuideConnect option and open it. A list of available drives will be displayed. This will include C Drive which is your computer’s main drive, GuideConnect will give the description, “local drive” to let you know this is the case. Other drives such as D, E, F and G might also be displayed. These are other drives such as disc drive, external hard drive and memory sticks that you have connected to your computer. These other drives will generally, but not always, have a description such as USB drive or storage drive.

Step 4: Move onto the drive that you wish to save your GuideConnect backup file to and press Enter on it. GuideConnect will ask you if you are sure you wish to continue with the backup as it might take a long time if you have a lot of files and data on your computer. If you wish to continue, move onto the Yes option and press Enter on it and the backup will start. If you do not wish to continue, move onto the No option and press Enter on it and you will be returned to the Backup & Restore menu.

Step 5: Whilst the backup is in progress, GuideConnect will first say, “backing up GuideConnect” and will then continue to say, “loading, please wait” until it has finished. Once the backup has finished, GuideConnect will announce, “backup complete”.

Step 6: You can now hold down the Escape key to jump back to the GuideConnect main menu before going to the Exit option and shutting down your computer. Remove the memory stick or external hard drive from the USB port once the computer has turned off.

Assistive technology, bLINDNESS, Info for the blind & visually impaired, Living with sight loss, Uncategorized, Visual impairment

Helpful tips from money expert Martin Lewis

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The following information was in an article by money expert Martin Lewis and I thought it might be useful for many of you.

Check if you qualify for the blind person’s tax allowance


The blind person’s allowance gives you an extra amount of tax-free allowance (on top of your personal allowance), which means you can earn more before you start paying income tax.
For the 2022/23 tax year, it’s £2,600 – regardless of your age or income. You’ll need to contact HM Revenue & Customs to claim the allowance (it doesn’t apply automatically).
You can transfer your blind person’s allowance to your spouse or civil partner if you don’t pay tax or earn enough to use all of your allowance.



• Who’s eligible for the blind person’s allowance?






Get free help from sighted volunteers with the Be My Eyes app



A free app called Be My Eyes (available for iPhone and Android) aims to connect blind and sight-impaired people with over 2.8 million sighted volunteers through a live video call.
Simply visit the app whenever you need assistance (at any time of the day), and select ‘call first available volunteer’. The service can be used for anything from checking the expiry date on your milk, distinguishing between different coloured shirts, reading instructions or navigating new surroundings.
It’s worth noting, while the app is completely free to use, make sure you’re connected to Wi-Fi if possible – otherwise it will use your mobile data.
There’s also a ‘specialised help’ function, which lets you call a limited number of companies via the app. There aren’t many on board yet, but when we checked, these included Clearblue,  Google’s disability support, Microsoft’s disability answer desk and the RNIB (plus Be My Eyes technical support).





Get 50% off your TV licence if you’re blind or severely sight-impaired


If you are blind or severely sight-impaired (or someone you live with is), you can get 50% off the cost of a TV licence, making it £79.50. Of course, it’s always worth checking whether you need a TV licence at all, as if you only watch Netflix or certain other catch-up services you may not.
To get the discount, you must provide TV Licensing with a photocopy of one of the following documents to confirm you’re certified as either blind or severely sight-impaired:
• The certificate or document issued by or on behalf of your local authority
• The certificate from your ophthalmologist
If you’re only partially sighted or sight-impaired, you won’t qualify for the concession. Details on how to apply for the discount are available on the TV Licensing website.





How to find programmes with audio description on Netflix, Prime Video and more


Audio description gives visually impaired viewers an extra description of what’s happening on screen. The streaming and catch-up services below offer this, but only on selected programmes. Here’s how to find them:

• All 4 has an Audio Described category. When we checked, we spotted The Great British Bake Off, Hollyoaks and The Handmaid’s Tale.

• Amazon Prime Video has a search function to help you find programmes with audio description, which are included with your Prime membership. Shows with this feature include Good Omens, The Grand Tour, Hanna and The Marvelous Mrs Maisel.

• BBC iPlayer has an Audio Described category. When we checked, we spotted Peaky Blinders, Dragons’ Den and EastEnders.

• Netflix lists shows with audio description. When we checked, these included The Good Place, Suits and The Theory of Everything.
Now TV says it doesn’t currently offer audio description on any of its films or TV shows.