Blind Abilities
1,071 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 days ago - ★★★★★ - 44 ratingsThe most comprehensive resource for Assistive Technology, success Stories, College and Career Pathways and all with a Blindness Perspective.
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Episodes
FocusOnFitness: The Plank – Build Stability and Working the Core Muscles. Episode 1 of 4 in this Introductory Series.
March 20, 2020 02:50 - 16 minutes - 22.8 MBFocusOnFitness is a new series of basic exercises you can do in your house, in the dorm or during a short break. Using the natural surrounding without having to find the right equipment, the best gym or the perfect time to do a little workout. Focus on Fitness is all about doing it when you can and hey, why not? Maria Johnson, aka Girl Gone Blind, joins Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities Studio to Focus on Fitness and how you can incorporate little nuggets of exercise without throwing yo...
FocusOnFitness: Squats – Build Stability and Working the Leg Muscles, Quadriceps, Hamstrings and Calves. 2 of 4 in this Introductory Series.
March 20, 2020 00:19 - 14 minutes - 20.5 MBIn this introductory episode #2 of 4, of the Focus on Fitness series, Maria and Jeff introduce us to Squats. This is where you lower your hips from a standing position and then stand back up. Maria and Jeff want you to be safe and suggest hanging onto a stable fixture when exploring the movement of a Squat. This is to give you an idea of the motion that a Squat consists of and to give you a sense of the group of muscles involved. And remember: Consult a physician before performing this...
FocusOnFitness: Walking – A Good cardio and Aerobic Exercise That Helps the Large Muscles, the Heart and Lungs. Episode #3 of 4 in this FocusOnFitness Introductory Series.
March 20, 2020 00:02 - 15 minutes - 21.2 MBIn this introductory episode #3 of 4, of the Focus on Fitness series, Maria and Jeff talk to us about Walking. Whether using a guide with a tether or on the treadmill, walking is one of the best exercises available. Making a walking routine part of your weekly schedule is one of the best choices one can make when it comes to your heart, your lungs and it can really be a good time to converse and even take in a good audio book. That is, if you are on a treadmill. Read more Send us an...
FocusOnFitness: Stretching – The Windmill is a Great Core Building Exercise and a Great Way to Give that Core a Good Stretching. Episode 4 of 4 in this FocusOnFitness Series.
March 19, 2020 23:40 - 11 minutes - 16.3 MBIn this introductory episode, #4 of 4, of the Focus on Fitness series, Maria and Jeff introduce us to the Windmill. This is a full core exercise and is something you can use to get a good stretch to the legs, hips, back from a standing position or from a sitting position. By holding your arms straight out from side to side and reaching across towards your opposite toes. Then back again and repeat on the other side. Slow and steady goes a long way with this Windmill stretch and can become an...
Blind Abilities Presents: Corona19 Virus from a Blindness Perspective
March 17, 2020 16:19 - 1 hour - 95.4 MBDuring these unprecedented times we want to talk about some of the challenges facing the blindness community brought on by the Corona Virus 19 Pandemic. We highly suggest that you keep up with the latest news and information on the Center for Disease Control web site. Serina Gilbert, Lori Thompson, Tiffany Manosh and Jeff Thompson talk about the challenges and how they are over-coming and facing the situation of transportation, groceries, children, closures, working from home and how they ...
Envision Glasses - The New AI-Powered SmartGlasses by Envision
March 09, 2020 23:33 - 22 minutes - 30.5 MBEmpowering the Blind and Visually Impaired to be more independent. That is what Envision is all about and Karthik is in the Blind Abilities Studio to tell us all about the launch of the Envision Glasses. You can Pre-Order your pair today at https://www.letsenvision.com/glasses and shipping will start early Summer! From the web: Turn Text into Speech Envision Glasses enable you to read all kinds of text from any surface in over 60 languages. The SmartGlasses have the fastest and the mo...
That Blind Tech Show: From Glasses to a Chip in the Brain, To Glasses from Aira Setting on the Horizon, and Google Products and Accessibility. What’s with all this White Noise Brian?
March 09, 2020 05:59 - 1 hour - 96.8 MBThat Blind Tech Show is in the Studio and do we got a show for you. From Google Docs on the PC, Aira rebooting under Blue Diago and the Sun is setting on the Horizon Glasses. Why is NBC All Access not all accessible? Do those call protections really serve you well? Is that Brian talking or is my White Noise machine turned down to low? And, tell me this, how does Brian get an entire keyboard in his pocket? How about the new update to the BARD App? Sweet! Read more Send us an email at...
iPhone101 - Managing Targeted Ad Tracking on the iPhone. Big Apple is Watching You!
February 28, 2020 16:17 - 3 minutes - 5.06 MBIn this iPhone101 episode Jeff will show you how to turn off ad tracking and reset your advertising identifier. This won’t stop all advertising, however, do we want Big Apple to tempt our habits? By tracking your movements on the iPhone, apps and basically anywhere you go, Apple can form a profile on you and target advertising towards you that may be hitting too close to home. Ever get that Wow moment when you receive an ad about a certain item and you were just mentioning that the other day...
Boy, Can He Play Guitar! :A Chat with Joey Stuckey, a Musician, A Producer and A Bit of a Bionic Man!
February 26, 2020 18:01 - 1 hour - 121 MBJeff Thompson talks with a fascinating guest in this, yet another feature interview on Blind Abilities. Joey Stuckey is many things, not the least of which is a talented musician, a sound engineer and owner of Shadow Sound Studio in Macon, Georgia. He is also an insightful, thoughtful and articulate guest who has so many interesting things to share. Joey talks about everything from his blindness, which stemmed from a brain tumor in early childhood; his entry into the world of music and so...
That Blind Tech Show Demo: Sound+Sleep High Fidelity Sleep Sound Machine with Real Non-Looping Nature Sounds by Adaptive Sound Technologies
February 24, 2020 02:14 - 14 minutes - 20.5 MBBrian Fischler, from That Blind Tech Show, gives us a demonstration of two sound masking machines from Adaptive Sounds Technologies. Brian demonstrates the functions and usability of each machine and has enjoyed his experience since purchasing the Sound+Sleep High Fidelity Sleep Sound Machine. From the web: Adaptive Sound Technologies, Inc. specializes in high quality, white noise, sound masking fans for bedrooms. The LectroFans feature white, pink and brown noise variants, as well as tw...
Analysis Paralysis: A Moment of Time Between a Member of the BVI Community and a Sighted Individual
February 21, 2020 16:59 - 39 minutes - 54.8 MBIf you follow social media, you may have noticed some initiatives to enlighten our fellow society members on how to interact with people who happen to be Blind/Visually Impaired. There was the “Just Ask, Don't Grab” campaign by Dr. Amy Kavanagh and other people from the Blind and Visually Impaired community addressing incidents where sighted members of our society feel obligated to save the day for the presumably helpless blind person. If you are out and about in the public sphere, chances...
First Time in Canadian History -- Accessible Prescription Labels Available In-Store Across Large Pharmacy Chain! En-VisionAmerica Partners with Empire Co. LTD
February 18, 2020 16:02 - 11 minutes - 16.4 MBJim Johnson, Vice President of Pharmacy Operations for In-Store Pharmacy with Sobeys and Jenna Reed, Director of Marketing, from En-Vision America, join Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities studio to bring you the breaking news: ScriptAbility Accessible Rx Labels First Time in Canadian History -- Accessible Prescription Labels Available In-Store Across Large Pharmacy Chain! En-Vision America has partnered up with Empire LTD of Canada... Read more Send us an email at info@BlindAbi...
That Blind Tech Show: Blind Ground Hog Gets debut and Peta isn’t Having It! Accessible Memes, Alt Text Your Facebook Photos Demo and Serina Leads the Way to AFB
February 10, 2020 20:53 - 1 hour - 82.5 MBWelcome back to another That Blind Tech Show Episode where we try to bring you the lighter side of Blind Tech news and information to help you navigate the world of blindness. In this show we barely get out of the gates when Brian funbles the football, and yes, right after the big game, The Super Ball! Yes, just ask Brian. Serina is off to become a leader and Jeff is on ice as he skates away on the thin ice of a brand new TBTS episode. With the big snowstorm hitting the mid-west and out Ea...
That Blind Tech Show: Privacy, Advertisers and Location Services – This Uber Driver Gots Ya Covered. PTSD at Facebook? Guide Dogs get State Honors, Kicked to the Curb and Separated all in One Week
February 01, 2020 20:28 - 51 minutes - 71.1 MBThat Blind Tech Show returns with just Brian and Jeff at the helm. Serina will be back on the next episode as she understandably has taken some time off for her Goat Training. Good luck with Billy Goat, Serina. With that said, we got a couple of demos showing us how to limit your advertising privacy and how to control how much Location Services can keep tabs on your device. We bring you all the joy found in the latest iOS 13 release, and don’t be afraid or overwhelmed by the complexity o...
Leveling the Playing Field with Darkness and Challenging yourself in Full Sight - Kelsi Hansen Stars in Theater Production of Wait Until Dark.
January 22, 2020 21:41 - 23 minutes - 32.5 MBKelsi Hansen is starring in the Waterloo Playhouse Theater production of “Wait Until Dark.” She will be playing the part of Susan, a Blind person threatened by a murderous villain. Audrey Hepburn played the part of Susan on the big screen years ago, but a huge difference Kelsey will point out is that: "“…Audrey was actually playing the part of me, because I am actually Blind”. As usual, Kelsi laughs and is glad to be doing what she is doing. She has tried out for other plays and finally la...
Daniel Bernstrom’s 3rd Book, Big Papa and the Time Machine, is Released. A Journey Through Being Scared, Bravery and Love
January 19, 2020 19:07 - 51 minutes - 70.6 MBDaniel Bernstrom has just released his 3rd book, Big Papa and the Time Machine. His 3rd book for children and one that has deep roots in Daniels’s life journey, dealing with being scared, bravery and love. Big Papa and the Time Machine recalls a past that Daniel could only imagine but the realities, facts and some fiction put it all together in this wonderful book. From his African American heritage, to remembering his Papa’s story telling, Daniel captures the moments in this fictional de...
That Blind Tech Show: Cat Black Kettle Pot, Riding Guide Dogs, Eating Apple Products, Facebook is Crashing more than Air Taxis, Jeff Gets Juicy, Brian’s iPhone Takes a Licking and Serina, We are Listening!
January 13, 2020 01:54 - 1 hour - 92.5 MBThat Blind Tech Show is back in the saddle and no, not riding a guide dog as Brian is quite confused about drive-throughs and kiosk. Screen Reader access may be coming to a restaurant near you according to the work being done by Visaro and the Jaws team. Is Brian using Seeing AI or is the CIA looking for Brian? And who did fall off that ladder? Is Facebook still crashing for VoiceOver users and how about jumping into an Uber with wings? No, angels are not using them, yet, but Hyunda wan...
Episode 600: Reliving The Ride: Autonomous Vehicles, Driverless Navigation and Stepping into the Experience with Liz Bottner and Michael Colbrunn
January 08, 2020 02:43 - 15 minutes - 20.9 MBYes, it has been a few months since the summer conventions but we got this one coming out right now, and it nearly drove itself right out of the Blind Abilities studio. By the way, this is episode #600, Wow! Michael Colbrunn and Liz Bottner reflected back at an experience that made Las Vegas a ride they will never forget. From the Aira party, Liz and Michael both won the opportunity to be driven back to the hotel across town in a Lift provided BMW 3 Series that was fully equipped with a...
Blind Sailing Charity Commodore Lucy Hodges Takes Us on a Journey of Helping Others, Winning Championships and Finding that Inspiration In You
January 04, 2020 15:24 - 35 minutes - 48.3 MBLucy Hodges, MBE is a 6 time World Champion Blind Sailor from the United Kingdom. Lucy is Commodore of the Blind Sailing Charity. Her work with Blind Sailing and her accomplishments were recognized by the !Queen of England as she has been awarded the MBE, Member of the British Empire. Lucy talks about receiving the award, her path to employment and her work with the Blind Sailing Charity. Lucy has a passion for bringing others along into the world of sailing and helping others connect and ...
From Us to You, From You to Us: Happy, Merry, Joy, and Festive - Celebrating Community, Friendships, Peace and Love. A Blind Abilities Holiday 2019
December 25, 2019 17:34 - 58 minutes - 80.4 MBA Big Shout-Out to our listeners and contributors and the voices from many around the world sharing a common feeling of Joy, Happiness and comfort as we head on through the holiday season and into the New Year. As Pete Lane puts it, “The Year of Vision – 2020.” Read more Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093 we would love to hear from you!
That Blind Tech Show: The Voice of Audio Description – Roy Samuelson Returns to the BA Studio, The Big Bird is No More and Chuckie is Suspect, Best Apps of 2019 and Wow, isn’t iOS 13 Doing it for You?
December 20, 2019 05:51 - 1 hour - 106 MBRoy Samuelson, Audio Description advocate, and the voice of a many Audio Described movies and TV shows, returns once again to talk about the Audio Description boom as of late and answers the questions from our listeners. Read more Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093 we would love to hear from you!
That Blind Tech Show: To Aira or Not to Aira? Is Soundscape and Bose Dancing or Not? What OCR is in Your Pocket? Drum Roll Please, KNFB and Tivo Get Updates!
December 12, 2019 04:18 - 1 hour - 91.2 MBThe boys got anxious while Serina was out saving the world, so Lori Thompson jumped into the studio and kept an eye on these boys and kept them to task. Brian and Jeff along with Lori skip on through the latest news, apps and updates along with sharing their experiences with Aira, OCR, Bose Frames, Soundscape, Airport Tipping and a lot of stuff in between. What gadgets did you get this last year? Read more
SciVIS: Space Camp for Interested Visually Impaired Students, “Just because I can't see the stars, doesn't mean I can't reach for them”
November 26, 2019 13:00 - 17 minutes - 23.3 MBDan Oates, Director of SCiVIS, Space Camp for Interested Visually Impaired Students, finished up this year’s camp and sat down to talk about the camp, the experience and his 30 years of working at and organizing SCIVIS. SCIVIS is a week-long camp held in Alabama at the Marshal Space Flight Center known as the Home of propulsion. Where after World War II all the rockets engines were put together and tested. With the week-long camp and youth from all around the world attending, the opportu...
Demo of the Dash Rapid Egg Cooker: Great for the Dorm! 6 Egg Capacity Electric Egg Cooker for Hard Boiled Eggs, Poached Eggs, Scrambled Eggs, or Omelets. A TBTS Special.
November 19, 2019 12:44 - 15 minutes - 20.6 MBBrian Fischler, from That Blind Tech Show, gives us an overview of the Dash Rapid Egg Cooker. It is safe and according to Brian, it works great! SATISFACTION GUARANTEED: Dash Rapid Egg Cooker is the ORIGINAL (and most trusted) egg cooker on the market, for perfect eggs, your way, EVERY TIME, we guarantee it! Read more Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093 we would love to hear from you!
That Blind Tech Show: Stream Wars Begin! AppleTVPlus and Disney Have Set Sail and Peacock and HBOMax are Coming. the Stream is Filling Up and Accessibility and Audio Description is Getting the Love!
November 19, 2019 04:48 - 54 minutes - 74.7 MBJoin the That Blind Tech Show Team as they wade through the stream of new Streaming Media companies floating their boat and offering up a pretty good line of shows with audio description and accessible means of accessing from AppleTV, iOS, Android, Computers, Fire Sticks and most anywhere you can imagine. What a change from just a couple years ago. With all the big names building their own smorgasbord For us to choose from, which one will you board? Maybe a few? Is the cable ready to be...
Beautiful Life Experiences that Enhance Lives: Meet Bryce Weiler - Disability Consultant for the Baltimore Orioles and Co-Founder of the Beautiful Lives Project
November 13, 2019 17:01 - 14 minutes - 19.2 MBBryce Weiler is the Disability Consultant for the Baltimore Orioles Major League Baseball team and is the co-founder of the Beautiful Lives Project. Bryce Weiler and Jeff Thompson sat down in the Blind Abilities studio to talk about the Beautiful Lives Project, his work with the Baltimore Orioles and a little bit of Bryce’s journey through high school to college and the inception of The Beautiful Lives Project. Read more Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and l...
That Blind Tech Show:Air Pod Pro Pal Club Still Taking Members After More than a Week! Apple Surrendering Privacy and Voice Guidance Taking Baby Steps. And What about iOS 13.2 and Catalina?
November 12, 2019 01:41 - 58 minutes - 80.8 MBWelcome back to another That Blind Tech Show, after numerous reasons from a disappointing Yankees playoff run, to health and my mom’s hospital scare, the show and production finally gets its’ wings and published. We want to wish all of you and your families a wonderful start to the holiday season approaching. May good health and lots of happiness come your way. The TBTS Team took to the microphones and shared, advised and listened as the New Apple Air Pod Pros were talked about as Brian a...
The Apple TV Plus New Series, See, is Breaking Down Barriers as the World Goes Blind and the Possibilities and Abilities are Something to See – Meet Associate Producer and Blindness Consultant, Joe Strechay
November 06, 2019 06:46 - 33 minutes - 46 MBJoe Strechay has followed his passions and goals over the years and has recently merged his work and passions into one job and is having the time of his life. From managing the Career Connect program at American Foundation for the Blind, AFB, to Director of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services. Joe also worked on transition and employment initiatives at the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and the Florida Department for the Blind. With all that going on, Joe never ...
Pitch Black: A Dusklight Story – Harry Cooper Goes Psycho-Acoustic Over the Entire Environment. Emerge Yourself into Pitch Black - Coming 2020.
November 05, 2019 19:13 - 17 minutes - 23.4 MBHarry Cooper talks about the process and experience behind developing an audio game being designed with the Blind in mind. Harry, Jacob and Conner make up Purple Jam Limited which is creating a game called Pitch Black. And here is a segment taken from their Kick Starter page, about Purple Jam and their Pitch Black project. Purple Jam consists of three audio specialists turned game developers, upon reassessing our omnidirectional lives, we decided to gather our intellectual resources and cr...
Meet Joe Quirk – The Man Behind the Circus Master's Revenge Audio Immersive Game, The Veteran, The Author, Survivor and Definitely Motivated
November 03, 2019 17:30 - 26 minutes - 36.3 MBJoe Quirk lost his eyesight in a traumatic incident which no one should ever have to endure. Joe picked himself and made himself a Vetter-Man. Joe is a U.S. Navy Veteran, former electrician , published author, game creator, a son, and a friend of many. His drive is not only used on the golf course, he has a passion and a purpose and keeps moving forward. And he does it for his Blind community. Joe started Mental Vision Games and produced his first audio immersive game, Circus Master's Rev...
Connect with other parents to share resources, experiences and strength - The Lighthouse Guild Parent Tele-Support Network - Support is a phone call away!
October 31, 2019 15:14 - 15 minutes - 21.5 MBDr. Linda Gerra, Director of the Parent Support Program at Lighthouse Guild, and Parents, Maria Ceferatti and Himanshu Neema share their experiences participating in the Parent Tele-Support Network. The Lighthouse Guild has Tele-Support Networks for Teens and Parents of Blind and Visually Impaired children. Support is a phone call away Wherever you live, there’s a community of caring parents who understand how you feel, because they’re going through the same thing. Read more
Chat with Other Teens Around the Country! Talk about School, Tech, Relationships, Careers and Whatever is on Your Mind - Join the Lighthouse Guild Teen Support Network
October 29, 2019 16:59 - 20 minutes - 28.5 MBDr. Linda Gerra, Director of the Family Support Program at Lighthouse Guild, Daria Zawadzki, Simon Bonenfant, Matthew Cooper and Sanya Neema talk about their experiences participating on the Nationwide Lighthouse Guild Teen Support Program. You may feel like your vision loss or blindness will make your adjustment to an independent life difficult. But teenagers all over the country have gone through that same adjustment successfully, and we can help you connect with them. You will have the ...
Job Insights: Meet Business Relations Specialist Pam Gowan – 45 Years of Enhancing Job Opportunities and Educating Businesses of the Possibilities and Abilities of the Blind and Visually Impaired
October 27, 2019 15:19 - 39 minutes - 53.9 MBBusiness Relations Specialist, Pam Gowan, has worked at State Services for over 45 years and with retirement just around the corner. Lisa larges, Outreach Coordinater at SSB, sat down with Pam to talk about Pam’s history at SSB and walk through the process a customer/client would experience or expect when a counselor enlist the services of an employment specialist such as Pam Gowan. With October being National Disability Employment Awareness month, we thought Pam would be the one who could...
Menus4ALL: Accessible Menus Supporting Screen Readers, Braille Refreshable Displays and Low Vision – Over 50,000 Accessible Menus in 12,000 Cities!
October 25, 2019 22:50 - 16 minutes - 23.3 MBStephanie Jones joined Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities Studio to let us all no about Menus4ALL. A web based database of over 50,000 menus from over 12,000 cities across the states. Accessibility is as accessible as your screen reader on your smart phone, tablet or computer. If you use a refreshable braille device, then you are all set. Menus4ALL is ready anytime and anywhere. Read more
Start Your Impossible! Dr. Amit Patel is Racing Forward with No Finish Line in Sight. And Like Toyota, This Experience is Not Just for the Driver... It’s for the Entire Community
October 23, 2019 13:19 - 57 minutes - 78.6 MBDr. Amit Patel is a proud father, a speaker, motivator and becoming an advocate for the Blind. After suddenly losing his eyesight six years ago, Amit was devastated and within 6 months he started to take charge of his situation and get on with the life he wanted. He learned how to use the cane, read Braille, use assistive technology to gain back his independence. He did not want to be a burden on others and wanted to face the World and the challenges ahead of him. Amit missed driving an...
Raise Your Cane! White Cane Safety Awareness Day at the Capital!
October 21, 2019 14:36 - 29 minutes - 40.8 MBThe day was filled with excitement as people gathered in the Rotunda of the State Capital in Saint Paul, Minnesota. We heard speeches about the history of White Cane Safety Awareness Day. Individual experiences about the White Cane and voices from across the entire Blindness field and community. Check out how we celebrate White Cane Safety Awareness Day and hear all the voices and passions being shared by one another. This is one of our favorite celebrations. We are bringing awareness in Min...
Transitioning from High School to College to The Workplace Meet Senior Public Relations Specialist Rachel Carver
October 14, 2019 17:21 - 22 minutes - 31.3 MBRachel Carver was born blind and has used alternative techniques and assistive technology from the get-go. Rachel graduated from High School and attended college before starting her career at Outlook Business Solutions. It was not always a smooth ride and Rachel is here to talk about how she succeeded and lets us know what she would have done differently knowing what she knows now. Read more
Rachel Carver - Outlook Business Solutions: The Capabilities Of the Visually Impaired in the Workforce.
October 14, 2019 15:07 - 17 minutes - 24.3 MBJoin Rachel as she talks about her Career and Outlook Business Solutions and how they are creating opportunities and solutions for the Visually Impaired and the workforce. Be sure to check out part 2 of the Rachel series, Rachel Carver – From High School to College and the Workplace. You can find out more about Outlook Business Solutions on the web at www.OutlookBusinessSolutions.com Read more
Way of the Servant Warrior: Meet Professional Adventurer Joshua “The Jedi” Loya – Grappling with, Surfing through, and Speaking about Life
October 10, 2019 02:58 - 1 hour - 88.3 MBJoshua “The Jedi” Loya is a professional adventurer, martial artist, U.S. Visually Impaired Surfing Champion 2017 and 2019 and public speaker. He lost his eyesight due to a prior health condition and an accident with nunchucks when he was a sophomore in high school. Since that day in January of 1996, Joshua has pursued personal growth and new experiences, never using his disability as an excuse for not giving it his all. Read more
Focus on Fitness: The Plank – Build Stability and Working the Core Muscles
October 09, 2019 05:42 - 16 minutes - 22.8 MBIn this introductory episode of Focus on Fitness, Maria introduces us to the Plank. This is a full core exercise and is something you can build upon over time. Take your time and feel the entire body come together to keep that plank position steady and strong. Start with 10 seconds, drop to the knees, it all counts. Stay tuned for some more Focus on Fitness episodes and if you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to let us know. Read more
iPhone101: Personalizing VoiceOver Touch Gestures – Quick Search Simplification Makes it All the More Commanding!
October 01, 2019 00:49 - 9 minutes - 12.7 MBiOS13 introduces the ability to change the VoiceOver gestures and assign an action to a particular gesture.. This is done in the Settings under Accessibility, VoiceOver and then down to Commands. We will then go into the Touch Gestures. Read more
iOS13.1 Reviewed: That Blind Tech Show Talks About the New Features, Gestures and By the Way, Does the Status Bar Get Downsized?
September 27, 2019 01:32 - 29 minutes - 40.2 MBBrian and Jeff are in the studio all alone and unlucky 13 gets a good going over. From Beta to the real deal, strike 2 for Apple is just hitting the corner of the plate. Lucky for the new strike zone, this pitch from Apple has the umpires across the World all chiming in. Bad iOS, Love it, Hate it, and you know what? It’s Ok. Join Brian and Jeff as they give their thoughts about the latest operating system for the iPhones. And honestly, remember that your experience with your device and how...
iPhone101: Slide To Type - QuickPath is Your iPhone's Version of Gesture Typing, and is On By Default. Let’s Give it a Try. Updated 9 26
September 25, 2019 17:20 - 8 minutes - 11.4 MBThe new feature QuickPath, better known as, Slide to Type, is a way of typing that uses probability to come up with the word you want to write by monitoring your keyboard interaction and giving you audible feedback of possible words. That is, if you have VoiceOver on. First we will make sure this feature is turned on in settings. Here are the settings for Slide to Type... Read more
Save The Date! White Cane Safety Awareness Day at the Capital! October 15, 2019. National Disability Employment Awareness Month – The Right Talent, Right Now.
September 23, 2019 22:31 - 9 minutes - 11.2 MBWhite Cane Safety Awareness Day is held at the Capital of Minnesota in Saint Paul. Teachers of the blind and visually impaired, students, counselors, parents, representatives, senators and Blind and Visually Impaired people from all across Minnesota gather in the Rotunda where their voices can be heard before they start out on the White Cane Safety Awareness Day walk. Read more
Latest from the Orchard And Busy Bees are Making Honey. You May Not Get Stung Picking Apples this Autumn – And, Brian, it’s Just a Knob, Just a Knob.
September 16, 2019 20:34 - 1 hour - 92.1 MBThat Blind Tech Show got together and with all of us busy, busy, busy we gathered in the Orchard to pick some apples. However, my dear listeners, was there really much for the picking? There were a couple of low hanging fruit and some elusive ones that never showed up. We decided to slice up the apples and add some filler and make some apple crisp. Yes, the crumbley kind at that. With iOS 13 ready to play with your accessibility, or maybe not, Apple already has thrown out a bone to us by l...
AudioWizards – an Accessible Audible Game from myTrueSound: An Audiotastic Journey Available on the App Store and on the Google Play Store!
September 12, 2019 02:21 - 23 minutes - 32.3 MBAudioWizards is the brand new Audio Game from myTrueSound. Awesome audio and 3D sounds and most of all, totally inclusive. Yes, even the sighted can play Audio Wizards and believe the developers, they may want to close their eyes! David Oliva, Jani Nevaranta and Aleksi Turunen joined Jeff in the Blind Abilities studio after the Audio Wizards dropped into the App Store and the Google Play Store. The myTrueSound team were excited about the initial response from the Blind Community and wanted...
Demo of the Xfinity X1 Set Top Box with Voice Guidance - Join Simon and Comcast’s Vice President of Accessibility, Tom Wlodkowski at the Comcast Accessibility Lab.
September 09, 2019 19:07 - 18 minutes - 26 MBBlind Abilities Teen correspondent Simon Bonenfant sat down with Comcast Vice President of Accessibility at the Comcast Accessibility Lab. Tom and Simon demonstrate some of the latest features added to the Xfinity X! Box and remote control. Tom walks us through Voice Guidance accessible commands and menus along with demoing the ability to access HBO, Netflix and YouTube all with voice commands and button navigation if you so desire. Read more
Straight from the Comcast Accessibility Lab - Meet Comcast’s Vice President of Accessibility, Tom Wlodkowski
September 06, 2019 23:46 - 17 minutes - 24.4 MBBlind Abilities Teen correspondent Simon Bonenfant sat down with Comcast Vice President of Accessibility at the Comcast Accessibility Lab. Tom walks us through his path to his present position at Comcast and shares with us the tools he utilizes every day and shares some good tips and advice we all can use on our own journeys. Read more
Fresh from the Summer Transition Program, Working as an AT Specialist and Volunteering for Apple, Microsoft and Google, Yahya Abdikadir Picks the U of M for his Programming and Computer Science Goals
September 04, 2019 14:57 - 21 minutes - 29.1 MBSchool is back in session and Yahya Abdikadir, a transition age student from Minnesota, took time out from his busy schedule to sit down with Jeff Thompson and talk about his choices and experience preparing for his studies and planning his career. Yahya attended the Summer Transition Program (STP) where he learned about Soft Skills and met other Blind and Visually Impaired students from around the state. Yahya was hired by a local middle school to work on accessibility and found out about t...
Active Shooter Preparedness - for Blind and Visually Impaired Individuals
August 30, 2019 12:13Active Shooter Preparedness - for Blind and Visually Impaired Individuals By Pete Lane August 2019 Purpose This document is intended to provide suggestions for what to do if we find ourselves in an active shooting event: how to recognize signs of potential violence around us, how we might react, and what to expect after an active shooting takes place. Note: This material has been adapted to include a few fundamental actions which blind and visually impaired individuals might find ...