Making Blind Life Much Easier with WayAround (by Moe Carpenter, AFC)

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Last year, I was honored to receive a technology grant from ACB Next Generation and the ACB NextGen Awards Committee. With this funding, I purchased 100 new WayAround button tags – a tool I’ve been a longtime fan of – and I want to share why I love them.

 

I actually discovered WayAround before I even found ACB. WayAround produces NFC tags that store information and, unlike the PenFriend, read it back to you in the voice you already use on your phone, either TalkBack or VoiceOver. Personally, I’m not a fan of my own voice, and finding a quiet moment to record things around my home can be tricky. While other products work well for some, WayAround was the perfect fit for me.

 

My favorite use is labeling yarn for crafting with the two-hole button tags. I can copy information straight from the company I bought the yarn from and paste it into the WayAround app without worrying about spelling or pronunciation. I can even add details like when I purchased the yarn, which project it’s for, or a pattern link to Ravelry (an online community of fiber artists). For those who don’t know me, I’m a fiber artist who spends a lot of time crafting for charity or making socks for family members, often using yarn from independent dyers. One of my favorite features is the ability to duplicate tags in the app, which is perfect when I have multiple hanks of the same yarn.

 

Here’s a quick walkthrough of how I use the tags:

 

  1. I primarily use the two-hole buttons, which I attach to yarn with a lightbulb stitch marker or attach to a bag storing fiber.

 

  1. After setting up your WayAround account and downloading the app, you can type your info directly into the app or copy it from an email or note.

 

  1. Create a new tag or edit an existing one, then press the “write” button in the app and hold the tag to your device’s NFC reader.

 

  1. If your device doesn’t have NFC, WayAround also sells a Bluetooth reader, which I use for round items like crochet hooks that are harder to read with a sticker tag.

 

  1. Once written, your tag is ready to attach – no more asking family to read yarn labels for you!

 

WayAround has truly simplified my crafting life and made managing my yarn collection easier, more accessible, and much more enjoyable.

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