Blind Abilities Podcast

`Blind Abilities adds to the iPhone101 Series with this in depth, comprehensive review of blocking callers and senders of unwanted text messages and emails. Pete Lane takes us through a detailed journey covering the various processes for eliminating and reducing these unwelcome contacts in multiple Apps across iOS. From blocking unknown phone numbers in our Messages and Phone Apps, to blocking and unsubscribing from sales, spam and scam emails, collectively referred to as Robocalls, Pete demonstrates step by step techniques for getting these nagging senders out of our virtual hair.  He also provides some valuable background information on this issue including details from www.FCC.gov, the web site of the Federal Communications Commission. This is the agency in the US charged with monitoring, managing and enforcing the laws and regulations governing all such communications across the country. For a step by step break down and time line, Read More we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at info@Blin

Our guess today on Blind Abilities is AJ Croce. AJ is a singer, songwriter, a killer piano player and guitarist, who has been in the entertainment business for more than 30 years. He has 10 studio albums under his belt, and more than 20 top hits in multiple music charts covering genres such as blues, jazz, country, Americana and more! he is also visually impaired. Many of you will recognize the name Croce, as his father Jim was a huge international Star in the 1970s. He had a series of enormous hits that captured the hearts and imaginations of millions of listeners around the globe. In this interview, AJ talks about his blindness and some of the circumstances which caused it in his early childhood. AJ goes on to detail his life in the music business, which began in his mid-teens. This is a fascinating journey which you must, repeat must listen to!    Full Transcript   You can find all of the information you need on AJ’s web site: www.AJCroceMusic.com and find him on social media: @AJCroce Read More we would l

In this 2nd episode of Wellness Wednesday, Beth Gustin, LPC and Robin Ennis, LCSW, CPC, talk about General  Anxiety Disorder (GAD), what it may be and some practical coping strategies one can try. Following our last episode on Social Anxiety, Beth and Robin define and explain the difference between Social and General Anxiety and offer some strategies for coping with General Anxiety Disorder.   Show Hosts:             Robin Ennis on the web at www.robinennislcsw.com             Beth Gustin, LPC, NCC, EMDRIA Approved Consultant, CAGCS, PLGS             Www.transitioningthroughchange.com   You can message Beth and Robin by calling 612-367-6093 or by email. Let them know if they can use your message on the show. They are looking forward to hearing from you. Web Site we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at info@BlindAbilities.com or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Jenine Stanley joins Pete and Jeff in the Blind Abilities Studio to break the news that the Aira Explorer App is now on the BlindShell Classic 2 accessible Cell Phone. Listen in as Jenine demonstrates the BlindShell navigation, the voice and of course Aira Explorer being right in the menu. With all tactile buttons, the BlindShell Classic 2 is becoming the tactile button accessible cell phone we thought we would always have and now Aira is available in the BlindShell Classic 2 app library. To learn more about the specials offered by Aira and BlindShell, checkout the Aira Announcement here. sign up for the Aira/BlindShell Webinar. Happening on August 30, 2022, at 02:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada.  and join the Aira WhatsApp Group to contribute and learn about the Aira Explorer experiences. You can also check out the BlindShell Classic 2 group on Groups.io. episode web site we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at info@BlindAbilities.com or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6

Thanks to Greg for sending me a message when he heard the App Store demo I did on the Tech Abilities showwhere I navigated the cumbersome App Store table. With this tip of using Command plus 1 through 8, one can jump from section to section. So thanks Greg! If you have any feedback or suggestions, give us a call at 612-554-2530, we would love to hear from you. You can email us at info@BlindAbilities.com and find us on Twitter @BlindAbilities. You can find all of our iPhone101/QuickByte Demos and much more on the web at BlindAbilities.com and be sure to subscribe to Blind Abilities, that's 2 words, Blind Abilities, wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks for listening!

In this Tech Abilities episode Serina, Callie and Jeff welcome Seyoon Choi to the show. He is working on his major and undergrad simultaneously While playing Blind Hockey and working at the local fruit store. From Kardashian Beats Fit Pros, to NVDA at Texas State, Demos on the Audio Graphs in the iPhone and the Mac App Store navigation. That's just for beginners! We also dive into Fully Autonomous Vehicles, an autonomous Vehicle Assistant Being developed, Spotify acquires Book Stream company and a big summer opportunity to get on-board. Did you know that NASA is sending up an iPad to test Alexa? Sorry Seri, I'm working on that. Plus much more news and tidbits from around the 3rd rock from the sun, and all from our Blindness perspectives. Links to some of the topics covered in this Tech Abilities episode: Beats Fit Pro gets a Kim Kardashian makeover — and sells out fast The 3 new colors are: Moon (light), Dune (medium) and Earth Latest Spotify deals offer three-month free trial, or three months for $9.99 Spo

The Sassy Bloggers, @BlindBroad and @BayAreaBlindMom, joined Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities Studio for an awesome half hour of laughs, divulgence, awareness and what they do living the life they want. Lisamaria Martinez is a Confidence Coach with a focus on women in the workplace, moms and even those with cats. She has worked in the non-profits surrounding the Blindness World and decided to set out on her coaching career. As a mother of three, Lisamaria finds time to share her experiences and join her long time friend Serena Olsen for a good time on The Blind Grind, a Facebook Live show every Wednesday. Serena Olsen shares her passions and culinary skills on her blog, It Starts with Quiche, with recipes and learn about her Sweep the Fridge Quiche and her murderous cats. Yes, the Quiche and Cats are separate stories, promise. You can find Serena Olsen on Twitter @Blind_Broad Her It Starts with Quiche on Facebook. Follow Serena on Instagram. Her Clubhouse profile and email sign-up..   You can find Lisama

In this episode of Wellness Wednesday, Beth Gustin, LPC and Robin Ennis, LCSW, CPC, talk about Social Anxiety, what it may be and some practical coping tips one can try.   Show Hosts:             Robin Ennis on the web at www.robinennislcsw.com             Beth Gustin, LPC, NCC, EMDRIA Approved Consultant, CAGCS, PLGS             Www.transitioningthroughchange.com   You can message Beth and Robin by calling 612-367-6093 or by email. Let them know if they can use your message on the show. They are looking forward to hearing from you.

In this brief episode from Blind Abilities, Jeff Thompson takes a look at the Sony WH- 1000XM4 Noise Canceling, Dual Pairing, Alexa ready Headphones he bought during the Amazon Prime Day sale.  Right now you can get them refurbished for massive discounts as well. Jeff gives an overview of the Blind Abilities Podcast and where they are and what you can find in the Blind Abilities 880 plus episodes. This includes the Tech Abilities and Job Insights shows, the iPhone101/QuickBytesSeries, Success Stories, STEM, College and Careers and much more available from the Blind Abilities library of episodes. You can search and check out the category listings on the web at BlindAbilities.com. Subscribe to the Blind Abilities podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. That's 2 words, Blind Abilities. we would love to hear from you! Send us an email or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093 Thanks for listening!

Blind Abilities expands its iPhone101 Series with a  follow up episode on a topic which they previously touched upon, but this time they do a "deeper dive”. In November of 2021, Pete Lane described the iOS Control Center, and in that review, touched on the iOS screen recording feature. This time, Pete has circled back to cover  this feature, but in far greater detail. In this episode: Pete takes a thorough approach toward discussing the entire process of iOS screen recording, beginning with an explanation of what screen recording is, and why we might want to use the iOS screen recording feature. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Aaron Spelker is a Mobile Game enthusiast  and writer. Aaron joins Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities Studio to share the resources he has created and the articles he has published as well as a novel. Aaron lost his sight suddenly and picked up the pieces by learning JAWS and has not looked back. His passion for gaming led him down a dead end street so he decided to build his own platform across multiple social networks and bring awareness to accessible gaming. His efforts have bridged developers and influencers to gamers to open the conversation about accessibility. Here are some helpful links provided by Aaron Spelker:  If you want to read long-form reviews of accessible mobile games or hear interviews with game developers and influencers about accessibility, then join the ‘Apple iPhone iOS Voiceover Compatible Games’ Facebook group.  If you have any games or content related to accessible gaming, feel free to Read more   we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at info@BlindAbilities.com or give u

In this Job Insights episode, Serina Gilbert and jeff Thompson welcome Sarlie Drakos to the Job Insights Team. We are excited to have Sarlie on our team and excited to bring back the Job Insights show after a 2 year hiatus during the pandemic. In this episode of Job Insights we will talk about how accepting ones Blindness, job readiness and confidence can play an important role in one’s job and career search. The interviewing process is designed for companies to select the best of the best applicants and being prepared will increase ones opportunities for gainful employment.  Sarlie Drakos is a Disability Employment Coach and you can reach her at SarlieDrakos.com and inquire how she can help you land that dream job. Be sure to contact your Vocational Rehabilitation Services in your state and see what they can do for you. Be sure to check out all of our Job Insights episodes and give us a call at 612-367-6093, we would love to hear from you. Send us an email at info@BlindAbilities.com. Thanks for listening!   

Thinkerbell Labs CPO, Shivam Agarwal, joins Simon Bonenfant in the Exhibit Hall to talk about Polly, the new Braille device that makes learning Braille fun! Polly is an electronic Wi-Fi enabled device that will assist users in learning and reinforcing braille concepts. With many components for both input and output, Polly can provide practice and gamify the braille learning process for students.  In addition to learning phonics, letters, and braille contractions, students can practice typing on the keyboard and writing with the electronic slate during games. Reading and writing games include Letter Race, Balloon Pop for spelling, games for practicing dot location with different input methods, and the many Explore categories provide free play with the device for our youngest learners. The speaker and headphone jack provide auditory instructions and allow the device to be used in any environment. You can get on the waiting list today. Find out more about Thinkerbell Labs     Read More   we would love to hear fr

our guests in this episode Come to us from BlindShell USA and are here to talk about the latest update to the BlindShell Accessible Cell Phone Classic 2. Bari Azman, President and CEO, and Diane Ducharme, Senior Program Director join Jeff and Pete to explore the latest iteration of this smart phone, the original of which intrigued many blind and visually impaired individuals due to its practical smart phone features, its tactile keypad and simple, accessible layout.  The BlindShell Classic 2 is available in two colors, Cardinal Red and Midnight Black, and there are numerous locations where the Classic 2 can be purchased, a list of which is available on the website, www.BlindShellUSA.com: Join Jeff and Pete as they discuss a variety of topics with Bari and Diane, including the recent partnership with Aira to provide the Aira application on the BlindShell Classic 2 accessible Cell Phone, including those existing users, and is offering three months of free Aira service to new purchasers..  The BlindShell Class

Christy Pruitt-Haynes joins Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities Studio to announce her new book, "I Have to Pay for This $H!T?" Pre-orders are open and the book is officially being released on August 2nd, 2022. This is Christy's first family focused book and after meeting her, I am looking forward to reading this book about the excitement and emotions of becoming an Empty Nester as her daughter leaves to fulfill her college goals. Christy's impressive background includes being a TEDx speaker and a Nashville Emerging Leader Award recipient. She has held executive positions at Infiniti Americas/Nissan, CMT, and the Memphis Grizzlies.    Founder of Christy Pruitt-Haynes Consulting, she and her team offer innovative speaking, training, and coaching to help organizations excel with diverse talent.  Christy is visually impaired and takes us through her experience with Blindness and how she lives the life she wanted and helps others live the life they want as well.   Christy gives some great advice to students and

Serina, Callie and Jeff cool down in the Blind Abilities Studio and dive into Clusiv, PC/Mac, Google Workspace, Fruit Freshness and expiration dates. Twitter's Alt Text reminder launched and a lot more Tech Tidbits and news from around the scorching planet Earth. Hopefully, you are staying cool and enjoying this latest episode of Tech Abilities. Here is a list of some of the topics and links mentioned in the show: Is Clusiv the answer to Vocational Rehab? A Twitter test will remind you to add alt text to images Braille Berries and freshness and Expiration in your home. Bringing on the PC for Microsoft and Google Suites. Sharing Zoom Links through the Calendar. Back Tap Double Tap Job Insights is Back! Bose SoundLink Revolve 2 Speaker Sony Bluetooth Headphones WH-1000XM4 TV mount or not?    Web Site we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at info@BlindAbilities.com or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

The Team from Magnifying America which makes the Patriot brand of AT products joined Simon Bonenfant outside the Exhibit Hall at the NFB2022 Convention.  John Palmer, President and Founder of Patriot Vision Industries, along with  his team give us an overview of the new OCR Scanner, the LyriQ Assistive Reader. This is a camera operated flat folding device that is portable, fast and accurate. Within seconds the LyriQ is reading without fuss about aiming the camera as the design of the LyriQ makes for ease of use and the simple operation is all by design. Listen to the demonstration and audio description of the LyriQ and decide for yourself. The Patriot Pro is overviewed and has the Patriot software baked into an iPadPro, combining great accessibility and the Patriot software for an incredible experience for low vision  users. The Patriot ViewPoint is another low vision device that allows one to watch TV,, read and write and much more. This wearable device allows for hands-free viewing near and far.   Read More

Lukas Simianer joins Simon Bonenfant in the Blind Abilities Studio to introduce us to Clusiv, an all-new platform for learning the skills needed for new employment. Learn about the extensive courses that were built to  enhance your opportunities for employment and help build your skill set for a lifetime of rewards.  We have not experienced Clusiv or it's program but listening to Lukas makes us wonder why this has not been developed earlier?  You can find out more about Clusiv and what they can offer you on the web at https://clusiv.io From the web: YOUR PATH TO THE MODERN WORKFORCE Many jobs that were once in-house have moved to remote work. IDEA Hiring (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access) is not a fad, but an essential way for companies to attract and retain talented workers. In the past, visual impairments may have separated you from meaningful and highly rewarding employment. We’ve built our program to be 100% accessible so you can learn the skills you need to pursue new employment opportunities. Wi

Announcing the 2022 in-person Atlantic Seminar! Reflect, Reequip, Reimagine: Raising the Bar for Blind Students! The National Association of Blind Students (NABS) and the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland invite you to the 2022 Atlantic regional seminar, a fun-filled weekend brimming with opportunities for professional growth, confidence building, and mentorship from Friday, August 12 (6:00 PM) – Sunday, August 14 (12:00 PM) at the Delta Hotels Baltimore Hunt Valley by Marriott. Nanahil Jafri and Logan Stenzel join Simon Bonenfant in the Blind Abilities Studio to talk about the details and events happening during this in-person student seminar. Be sure to register now as the closing date is July 28 and just around the corner so register now!  You can find out more about the Atlantic Student Seminar on the web at https://nabslink.org and register here.  You Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at info@BlindAbilities.com or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-60

Sarlie Drakos is a Disability Employment Coach helping people around the world reach their employment goals. Not just finding them any job, but teaching them how they can pursue their dream job.   Sarlie has experienced losing a job through sight loss, and the limited expectations people around her put onto her resulted in her becoming a passionate advocate for people with disabilities and fighting harder to better her situation. Since losing her vision, Sarlie has successfully landed a job as a rock climbing instructor, copywriter, and disability employment consultant. She then continued to enhance her skills to start her own company coaching others with disabilities.  Sarlie draws from her experience  to fulfill her passion to coach people how to strengthen their resumes, explore careers, conduct mock job interviews and increase their odds in landing the job they want. Through well planned modules and workshops the positive feedback and results are keeping Sarlie motivated and doing her dream job while help