ABOUT:

Top Tech Tidbits. The world's #1 online resource for current news and trends in adaptive technology.

Publication:

➜ Description: Founded in 2004, Top Tech Tidbits is the world's leading adaptive technology publication that reaches over 10,000 blind, low vision, deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, neurodivergent and/or disabled professionals, educators and enthusiasts, all over the world, each week. Subscribe here. Review the archive here.

➜ Definitions: Adaptive Technology refers to items that are specifically designed for people with disabilities. Adaptive Technology is a subset of Assistive Technology. Adaptive Technology often refers specifically to electronic and information technology access.

➜ Mission: Our Mission here at Top Tech Tidbits is to provide ongoing, high-quality, free and low-cost educational resources to persons seeking current information about living with a specific disability.

➜ Cost: There is no cost to receive the Top Tech Tidbits newsletter. The ongoing distribution of the Top Tech Tidbits weekly newsletter is made possible by our Sponsors, our Supporters and Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd.

➜ Funding: Our Supporters donate a small amount either one time or annually in support of the continued distribution of high quality, human-curated access technology news articles each week.

Our Sponsors pledge an ongoing amount of $100 per month. In return they receive the exclusive ability to sell or promote their products and services to over 10,000 readers each week. No one else can sell or promote within the newsletter except for Sponsors.

Any time the Top Tech Tidbits Publication carries less than its Sponsor limit, Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. donates the remaining dollars necessary to keep the publication running.

➜ Not-For-Profit: The Top Tech Tidbits Publication is operated as a not-for-profit project by Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd., a leading international provider of professionally outsourced digital marketing services. All of the funds generated by the Top Tech Tidbits publication, from both Sponsors and Supporters, are held in escrow and used only to fund the ongoing distribution of the publication.

➜ Publisher: Top Tech Tidbits is a Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. Publication.

➜ Trusted: Top Tech Tidbits is trusted by over 10,000 blind, low vision, deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, neurodivergent and/or disabled professionals, educators and enthusiasts, all over the world.

➜ Editorial Direction: Our Sponsor / Supporter structure allows our Editorial Team to focus on the needs of the reader. These needs are represented by the more than 10,000 blind, low vision, deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, neurodivergent and/or disabled subscribers that receive the Top Tech Tidbits newsletter each week. We engage with and listen to reader feedback daily and use it to shape future weekly editorial decisions. In this manner the publication's editorial direction is always dictated by readers.

➜ News Aggregation: Top Tech Tidbits is a news aggregation service. We aggregate high quality access technology news articles each week, package them up into an incredibly easy to read format, screen readers included, and send them to you every Thursday morning at 6:00 AM ET. Could you read all of the news articles found in the Top Tech Tidbits newsletter somewhere else? Yes you could. But that's not likely. Why? Because locating all of these articles and determining their quality each week would take far more time than most people have. If your time is precious, but so too is your need to stay current in access information, then a high quality, human-curated news aggregation service like Top Tech Tidbits can give you the best of both worlds.

➜ Human-Curated News Selection: Each news item submitted for publication to Top Tech Tidbits is voted on by three people. Myself, Aaron Di Blasi, Computer Engineer and Publisher with more than 20 years of experience in access technology media, John Hanlin, Editor and attorney-at-law with more than 25 years of experience in long-term disability claims for blind and visually impaired persons, and Jenna Lang, Editor and long time education and disability advocate that has fought many hard-won cases and continues to expand access to learning resources for children with special needs. Including her own. This range of combined experience and expertise in technology, accessibility and advocacy is what we use to deliver the high quality, human-curated news that Top Tech Tidbits readers count on each week.

➜ History:

March of 2004: The Beginning

The Top Tech Tidbits Publication is founded by Dean Martineau. Dean acts as both Publisher and Editor(s). Dean begins to grow a weekly list of email subscribers by providing them with a weekly aggregation of human-curated access technology tips, tricks and how-to's. Emails are sent to subscribers each week using Outlook.

March of 2007: 3 Years Later

Dean's weekly list grows too large to send out each week using Outlook, as Outlook places limits on the number of persons to which you can send or forward a single email. Dean asks Larry Lewis of then, Flying Blind, LLC (since dissolved), if he might be willing to fund the publication's transition to a bulk email provider. Dean agreed to, in turn, continue to act as Editor by providing his weekly aggregation of access technology tips, tricks and how-to's to the growing readership. Larry agrees and becomes Publisher of Top Tech Tidbits by funding the ongoing bulk distribution of the publication himself.

June of 2007: 2 Months Later

Larry Lewis engages Aaron Di Blasi of Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. to transition the Top Tech Tidbits weekly newsletter into a compliant bulk email format that can be sent to subscribers all over the world. Aaron completes the transition per Larry's request and stays on to handle the weekly coding required to keep the newsletter compliant and accessible.

June of 2020: 13 Years Later

Larry Lewis informs Aaron Di Blasi that he can no longer fund the publication privately and is looking for an exit strategy. Aaron recommends setting up a sponsorship structure that might fund the publication through advertising while offering to fund the publication in the meantime.

Larry ultimately agrees and donates both the Top Tech Tidbits mailing list and distribution rights to Aaron Di Blasi of Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. on May 11, 2020. Press release here.

Aaron Di Blasi becomes the Publisher of Top Tech Tidbits on June 4, 2020. Top Tech Tidbits begins its journey as a sponsor-supported publication for the very first time.

June of 2021: 1 Year Later

Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. now operates the Top Tech Tidbits Publication as a not-for-profit project with Aaron Di Blasi as acting Publisher. John Hanlin, Jenna Lang, Stephen Alex Marositz, Ben Moxey and David Woodbridge act as Editorial Contributors. Top Tech Tidbits now serves 12 industry-leading sponsors which fund the ongoing distribution of the publication. Readership grows from 6.5K readers per week to 8K readers per week.

June of 2022: 1 Year Later

Top Tech Tidbits now serves 18 industry-leading sponsors which fund the ongoing distribution of the publication. Readership grows from 8K readers per week to 9.5K readers per week.

November 7th 2022

The Top Tech Tidbits weekly newsletter reaches its character limit for international compliance. At this point we were receiving more news submissions than we could publish each week. So the decision was made to "spin off" the Top Tech Tidbits "Access Information News" section into its own newsletter, sent on a completely different date, in order to give readers time to consume all of the new access information now being provided each week. Press release here.

June of 2023: 1 Year Later

Top Tech Tidbits now serves 24 industry-leading sponsors which fund the ongoing distribution of the publication. Readership grows from 9.5K readers per week to 10.5K readers per week.

➜ Sponsorship Packages: Top Tech Tidbits offers a limited number of Sponsorship Packages that are used to support the ongoing distribution of the publication.

➜ Donate: If you would like to assist with the ongoing distribution of the Top Tech Tidbits publication, but are unable to become a Sponsor, we also accept donations. No amount is too small. Each donation provides you with a listing in the Top Tech Tidbits Our Supporters section of both the website and newsletter. Show the world that you support weekly access technology news today.

➜ Self-Description: The Top Tech Tidbits Publication regularly discusses concepts of disability and functional diversity, a collective term for people with a special need, disability, impairment or handicap. All of the people and companies featured in Top Tech Tidbits have chosen how they wish to be described.

The Top Tech Tidbits News Team:

Distribution: Sponsors, Supporters and Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd.

Distribution Since: 2004

As of June 4, 2020 the distribution of Top Tech Tidbits is made possible by our Sponsors, our Supporters and Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd., a leading international provider of professionally outsourced marketing administration and consultation services.

Any time the Top Tech Tidbits Publication carries less than its Sponsor limit, Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. donates the remaining dollars necessary to keep the publication running.

Please help us to support the ongoing distribution of this publication. Learn more today at: https://www.toptechtidbits.com/sponsorship-information.html.

Publisher: Aaron Di Blasi (Volunteer)

Volunteer Publisher Since: June 4, 2020

Location: Mayfield Heights, Ohio

Time Zone: Eastern Standard Time (EST/EDT) (GMT-5/GMT-4)

In addition to serving as Publisher for Top Tech Tidbits Aaron also serves as Publisher for the Access Information News Publication and is also the President and Senior Project Management Professional for Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd.

As Publisher Aaron oversees the weekly distribution of Top Tech Tidbits on behalf of Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd.

Aaron also serves as a Volunteer Editor to Top Tech Tidbits.

Aaron Di Blasi, PMP

Publisher (2020-Present)
Top Tech Tidbits
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology
https://toptechtidbits.com 🌐

Publisher (2022-Present)
Access Information News
The Week's News in Access Information
https://accessinformationnews.com 🌐

Sr. Project Management Professional (2006 - Present)
Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd.
Innovative ideas. Solutions that perform.
https://mvsltd.com 🌐

Editorial Contributor: John Hanlin (Volunteer)

Volunteer Editor Since: June 4, 2020

Location: Boulder, Colorado

Time Zone: Mountain Standard Time (MST/MDT) (GMT-7/GMT-6)

In addition to serving as an Editor to Top Tech Tidbits, John also serves as an Editor to the Access Information News Publication and is also an attorney-at-law specializing in long-term disability claims for blind and visually impaired persons.

John is also a long-time contractor and member of the Board of Trustees at Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd.

John Hanlin, Esq.

Editor (2020-Present)
Top Tech Tidbits
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology
https://toptechtidbits.com 🌐

Editor (2022-Present)
Access Information News
The Week's News in Access Information
https://accessinformationnews.com 🌐

Board of Trustees (2006 - Present)
Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd.
Innovative ideas. Solutions that perform.
https://mvsltd.com 🌐

Editorial Contributor: Jenna Lang (Volunteer)

Volunteer Editor Since: June 4, 2020

Location: Des Moines, Iowa

Time Zone: Central Standard Time (CST/CDT) (GMT-6/GMT-5)

In addition to serving as an Editor to Top Tech Tidbits, Jenna also serves as an Editor to the Access Information News Publication and runs her own Digital Marketing Firm.

Jenna also serves as a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) for Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd.

Jenna's son was born blind and she is always seeking new and innovative ways to empower him through technology.

Jenna Lang, PMP

Editor (2020-Present)
Top Tech Tidbits
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology
https://toptechtidbits.com 🌐

Editor (2022-Present)
Access Information News
The Week's News in Access Information
https://accessinformationnews.com 🌐

Project Management Professional (2022 - Present)
Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd.
Innovative ideas. Solutions that perform.
https://mvsltd.com 🌐

Editorial Contributor: Stephen (Alex) Marositz (Volunteer)

Editor Since: October 7, 2021

Location: Los Angeles, California

Time Zone: Pacific Standard Time (PST/PDT) (GMT-6/GMT-7)

In addition to serving as an Editor to Top Tech Tidbits, Alex is also an Accessible Technology Coordinator for California State University, Dominguez Hills. He has worked in accessibility in higher education since 2005, is certified by the International Association of Accessibility Professionals, and in his spare time plays for the San Gabriel Valley Panthers Beep Baseball Team. He can be reached on twitter at: @samarositz.

Stephen (Alex) Marositz

Editor (2021-Present)
Top Tech Tidbits
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology
https://toptechtidbits.com 🌐

Accessible Technology Coordinator
California State University, Dominguez Hills
https://csudh.edu 🌐

Editorial Contributor: Ben Moxey (Volunteer)

Editor Since: January 1, 2022

Location: Newcastle, Australia

Time Zone: Australia Eastern Standard Time (AEST/AEDT) (GMT+10)

In addition to serving as an Editor to Top Tech Tidbits, Ben is also an Access and Technology Advisor for Guide Dogs, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory (NSW/ACT).

Hi, Tidbits readers, my name's Ben Moxey and I'm based in Newcastle, Australia. I'm really happy to be part of the Tidbits Team and look forward to supporting this valuable publication.

A bit about me and how I came to work in the BVI area. I grew up with very low vision in one eye due to retinal issues and relied on magnification and speech throughout school. They also tried to teach me Braille, but let's just say that I wasn't the best student! I was determined to use my remaining vision, no matter how impractical it was becoming.

When I was 20, the other retina came off and I've now been totally blind for about 21 years. This is when my love for assistive technology, and technology in general, really kicked in. I'll be honest, I was a bit of a computer nerd anyway, but I could quickly see how technology was my key to enhanced independence and lifestyle. I embraced screen readers, early smart phones and mobility aids. I even finally realised the huge value of Braille and finished off the course, though I'm still pretty slow!

Long story short (not one of my strong points), I've worked in the BVI area for 12 years with much of that spent reviewing, recommending and teaching assistive technology that suits the individual. I'm currently a proud employee of Guide Dogs NSW/ACT where I was the Practice Lead for the assistive technology service, and I've now moved into an Access and Technology Advisor role. Basically, this involves a strong focus on accessibility and technology innovation.

Feel free to look me up on LinkedIn, but I'll warn you in advance that I haven't given my profile the recommended attention!

All the best and happy reading!

Ben Moxey

Editor (2022-Present)
Top Tech Tidbits
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology
https://toptechtidbits.com 🌐

Access and Technology Advisor
Guide Dogs, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory (NSW/ACT)
https://nsw.guidedogs.com.au 🌐

Editorial Contributor: David Woodbridge (Volunteer)

Volunteer Editorial Contributor Since: February 6, 2023

Location: Central Coast, New South Wales, Australia

Time Zone: Australia Eastern Standard Time (AEST/AEDT) (GMT+10)

In addition to serving as an Editor to Top Tech Tidbits, David also serves as an Editor to the Access Information News Publication and is also the National Commercial Assistive Technology Advisor for Vision Australia where he has worked since 1990. Over this time he has assisted people who are blind or vision impaired in their home, education, and work settings to take advantage of the benefits of using assistive and main stream technology.

In the last seventeen years, he has also been involved with evaluating technology for use by people who are blind or vision impaired covering both low and high tech equipment (including Microsoft, Samsung, Google, Amazon, and Apple). David is also one of the key spokespersons for Vision Australia relating to technology.

He has been an Apple Ambassador for Apple Australia since 2009 with a group of other Ambassadors / Apple Distinguished Educators (ADE)'s covering the range of Apple's Accessibility solutions throughout Australia.

David produces a range of podcasts (since 2011) covering Apple and other technologies which are distributed on his own podcast (http://davidwoodbr.podbean.com). In addition, he also has a regular Talking Tech program (since 2013) which can be heard every Tuesday at 4:30 Eastern Summer Time on Vision Australia Radio Melbourne (available online) or via https://omny.fm/shows/talking-tech-vision-australia-radio

David also runs a weekly Tech Monday where people can chat about assistive and main stream technology, share information, and any tips and tricks.

David lost his sight when he was 8 years old and had to learn Braille. Since then, he completed high school, went to Sydney University receiving a Social Work degree, spent 4 years drug and alcohol counselling, and then moved into his current job.

As a person who is blind, David believes that as a user of the technology that he recommends to others, that he is well situated to look at the strengths and shortcomings of the assistive technology that he comes across in both his professional and personal life, in particular, mainstream technology that is accessible.

X (Formerly Twitter): @dwoodbridge
Mastodon: woody@dragonscave.space
iSee Podcast: https://davidwoodbr.podbean.com
Vision Australia Radio Talking Tech: https://omny.fm/shows/talking-tech-vision-australia-radio

In addition to his weekly contributions to Top Tech Tidbits and Access Information News, David's regularly occurring activities are his weekly tech radio show, bi-monthly exploring tech webinars for Vision Australia, his iSee podcast when something of note grabs his attention, and the weekly Tech Monday chat sessions.

David Woodbridge

Editorial Contributor (2023-Present)
Top Tech Tidbits
The Week's News in Adaptive Technology
https://toptechtidbits.com 🌐

Editorial Contributor (2023-Present)
Access Information News
The Week's News in Access Information
https://accessinformationnews.com 🌐

National Commercial Assistive Technology Advisor (1990 - Present)
Vision Australia
Live the life you choose. We're here to support all Australians who are blind or have low vision.
https://www.visionaustralia.org/ 🌐

Schedule:

➜ Top Tech Tidbits is released every Thursday morning at 6:00 AM ET. Sign up to receive it here.

Compliance:

➜ The Top Tech Tidbits subscriber database is managed using the Constant Contact Media Services Platform, ensuring 100% legal compliance worldwide, and providing each of our subscribers with the ability to opt out at any time.

Subscriber List Metrics:

➜ Accuracy: Please note that the metrics provided below reflect only those metrics that we are permitted to record under the CAN-SPAM Act (U.S.), The CASL Laws (Canada) and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations of 2003 (UK). These numbers, therefore, will always be lower than their actual values.

➜ Last Updated: The metrics below are updated every 30 days on the 1st of each month.

11,000 | Current number of opt-in subscribers to the Top Tech Tidbits Newsletter.

44% | Average Open Rate per newsletter over the last 12 months. This compares to a 16.22% Average Open Rate for the Overall Industry over the last 12 months and a 9.65% Average Open Rate for the Technology Industry over the last 12 months.

48% | Average Click Through Rate per newsletter over the last 12 months. This compares to a 7.17% Average Click Through Rate for the Overall Industry over the last 12 months and a 7.68% Average Click Through Rate for the Technology Industry over the last 12 months.

2.7% | Average Bounce Rate per newsletter over the last 12 months. This compares to a 7.75% Average Bounce Rate for the Overall Industry over the last 12 months and a 6.65% Average Bounce Rate for the Technology Industry over the last 12 months.

List Breakdown by Email Address Extension:

41% | Subscribers with a .COM email address extension.
(Approximately 4,510 Subscribers)

18.5% | Subscribers with a .NET email address extension.
(Approximately 2,035 Subscribers)

12.8% | Subscribers with a .EDU email address extension.
(Approximately 1,408 Subscribers)

12% | Subscribers with a .GOV email address extension.
(Approximately 1,320 Subscribers)

10.6% | Subscribers with a .ORG email address extension.
(Approximately 1,166 Subscribers)

3.6% | Subscribers with a .US email address extension.
(Approximately 396 Subscribers)

1.5% | All remaining subscriber email address extensions.
(Approximately 165 Subscribers)

Subscriber Location Data:

Based on an aggregate of locational data taken from the Top Tech Tidbits Newsletter and Website over the last 3 months below are the locations from which Top Tech Tidbits readers read Top Tech Tidbits each week:

Country | Subscriber Percentage | Subscriber Number
United States of America | 48.8% | 5,368
United Kingdom | 12.6% | 1,386
Canada | 7.7% | 847
Russia | 5.2% | 572
India | 4.6% | 506
Finland | 3.4% | 374
Australia | 3.3% | 363
Brazil | 3.2% | 352
Other | 3.1% | 341
France | 2.6% | 286
Argentina | 2.2% | 242
Paraguay | 1.2% | 132
Phillipines | 1.1% | 121
New Zealand | 0.96% | 106

Subscribe to receive Top Tech Tidbits today and have current Adaptive Technology news and trends delivered right to your inbox every Thursday morning at 6:00 AM ET.

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