Blind Abilities Podcast

Podcast Summary: Mark Miller has been teaching Blind and Visually Impaired students to play piano for nearly 20 years. Distance learning is nothing new to Mark Miller and his students as he began teaching through just audio phone calls using his ears. Now with Skype and Video calls, Mark has brought his teaching abilities around the world. Through chord patterns and  minimum movement Mark’s students learn songs and music theory.  You can find out more about Mark’s piano lessons and contact him through his web site at: https://blindpianolessons.com Give him a call or text 847) 401-1721. Start learning or enhance the skills you already have through Mark’s piano lessons today from the convenience of your own home and a time that works for you. Contact Mark today and bring music into your life.   Web Site

the crew gathered in the Blind Abilities studio and covered a lot of ground in the tech tidbits and news from around the accessibility community and more. Jeff does 3 demos on Twitter Blue, Twitter Alt Text and Twitter Shortcut keys. Callie changes her ID, or did she really? And working from home, or not? Join us for this episode of Tech Abilities and be sure to give us some feedback and suggestions by calling 612-367-6093 or drop us an email at info@BlindAbilities.com. We would love to hear from you. Read more

Blind Abilities presents another episode in their iPhone101 Series. Today, Pete Lane walks us through the process used to arrange our iOS Settings to allow for the “manual" updates of apps in the App Store. Why manual updates you might ask? Every once in a while, we encounter an update that present some kind of a problem, either with the way VoiceOver behaves, or something else proves to be unreliable  or unsteady. Updating your apps  manually gives you control over if and when apps are updated on your phone.   Here’s how Pete's settings look in two primary areas:   App Store settings for automatic downloads, and Background App refresh:   Go to:   Settings, AppStore: Apps is off for me. App updates is off for me   Cellular Data Heading Automatic Downloads is off for me. App Downloads, I have mine set to “Always Ask” because it is Cellular on this setting. Video Autoplay is off for me. In-App Ratings & Reviews is on for me. Offload Unused Apps is on for me.   Read more  

Eager to think about plans for summer? Are you between the ages of 14-21? There are so many opportunities for youth to connect, learn, and have fun!  Learn about summer student programs and the opportunities available for in-person and virtual experiences. Please share with high school students and their families. We look forward to hearing from you!  you can find out about all the programs by contacting yourSSB counselor or by contacting Sheila Koenig:   Sheila Koenig,  M.Ed. Pre-ETS Program and Transition Services Manager Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
State Services for the Blind Full Show Notes and Podcast Web page.   If you reside in Minnesota, and you would like to know more about Transition Services from State Services contact Pre-ETS Program and Transition Services Manager Sheila Koenig by phone at 651-539-2361.

April 6 , 2022 is Assistive Technology Awareness Day, and on this day we have Arielle Silverman, Research Specialist from the American Foundation for the Blind, in the Blind Abilities Studio to talk about AFB’s Workplace Technology Survey that completed in January of 2022. You can find out more about AFB and the Workplace Technology Survey on the web at AFB.org and AFB.org/WTS Full Transcript (From AFB.org/WTS) The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) in January 2022 announced the release of the Workplace Technology Study, a new report examining how technology in the workplace influences the experiences of workers who are blind, have low vision, or are deafblind. AFB Research staff have been engaged in focus groups, a survey, and interviews to gather data to identify the workplace technology barriers faced by blind and low vision individuals, the consequences of them, and solutions that will lead to positive employment outcomes. Using a multi-pronged research approach to gather both quantitative and qualit

Creator of the ReVision Fitness App, Tyler Merren, joins Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities Studio to celebrate the release of his multi-platform ReVision Fitness App. Available on the App Store, Google Play Store, and on the web at ReVisionFitness.com.   Tyler talks about what inspired the app and how he went about configuring the complexities surrounding an audio based application to provide beginner, intermediate and advance exercise training for the Blind and Visually Impaired as well as the sighted. There’s classrooms, fitness studios and Fitness plans for everybody, You can download the ReVision Fitness App and give the 2 week trial a good workout. Accessibility is top notch and you can send feedback directly to Tyler right from the app. The instruction level is 2nd to none. Tyler has been an elite athlete for years and is a 4 time Paralympian. His experience and passion is built into every section of the ReVision Fitness App. As Tyler says, Let’s change the way we look at it!   Contact Your State Ser

Matthew Horspool from the Braillists Foundation joins Callie Gray and Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities Studio to share Callie’s experience from the Beginners Course for Braille and Matthew gives us an overview about the opportunities available from the Braillists Foundation. From how Braille is taught, to the importance of learning Braille early on and how to get involved in the Braillists community. You can find out more about the Braillists Foundation on the web at Braillists.org and contact them through email at Help@Braillists.org.  And check out the BrailleCast podcast wherever you listen to podcast. And here is a great place to start if you are interested in starting Braille. Contact Your State Services If you reside in Minnesota, and you would like to know more about Transition Services from State Services contact Transition Coordinator Sheila Koenig by email or contact her via phone at 651-539-2361. Contact: You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities On the web at www.BlindAbilities.com Send us

Richard Rueda, Digital Content Manager at the American Printing House for the Blind’s (APH ConnectCenter), and LisaMaria Martinez, Assistant to CareerConnect, join Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities Studio to talk about the opportunities available at the APH ConnectCenter. From the vast resources to the Job Seekers Toolkit and the  Transition Hub, the CareerConnect experience has never been so ready for the future.   And as students transition from high school to college and the workplace, the ConnectCenter has something for everyone. From students to families, to teachers and counselors, the APH CareerConnect is just a click, tap away on the web at APHCareerConnect.org. Find out how you can connect, learn, engage and grow.   FULL TRANSCRIPT   Helpful Links: ConnectCenter CareerConnect APH TransitionHub Connect Calendar American printing House for the Blind Contact Your State Services If you reside in Minnesota, and you would like to know more about Transition Services from State Services contact Transition

Lachi is opening the door of opportunities for everyone to see the works of people with disabilities just as other works of art are being viewed. Join Lachi and Elijah Osborne, 2 artists, along with host Simon Bonenfant, as they talk about the intersection of art and disabilities. You can find out more about the Foundation at www.Foundation.app and keep up to date with Real advocacy and Real Music on Lachi’s web site LachiMusic.com. (From the www.Foundation.app web site( Foundation is a platform that aims to build a new creative economy—a world where creators can use the Ethereum blockchain to value their work in entirely new ways, and build stronger connections with their supporters. Foundation fosters a network of mutual support between creators and collectors. We’re forging a community-driven path and sharing our tools with the rapidly evolving group of developers who are excited to define this future with us. We want anyone and everyone who cares about the future of digital expression to be a part of it.

First of all, where is Serina? Hmm. Callie Gray and Jeff Thompson take over the Blind Abilities Studio to bring you another Tech Abilities show filled with news from around the World with that tech tidbit dose we all crave. Would you use a Memoji on Zoom? How’s your feed on Instagram? You can change that now. Yup. You can check out the topics and links below, follow the timeline and use the Chapters feature if your podcast listening device provides the Chapter feature. Here are some of the topics listed in link form for your convenience: Netflix could soon make you pay up if you share your password with friends and family. 1:46 iCloud outages resolved after nearly every Apple service went down globally. 3:49 Apple launches the first driver’s license and state ID in Wallet with Arizona. 6:04 Zoom takes on Apple’s Memoji with new virtual avatar feature for video calls. 8:26 OtterBox launches first collection of AirTags cases with three rugged styles. 10:42 Excessive battery drain after iPhone update? Apple

Camp Abilities founder, Dr. Lauren Lieberman, joins Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities Studio where Dr. Lieberman tells us about the opportunities happening around the world at Camp Abilities.  Dr. Lauren Lieberman founded the Brockport, New York Camp Abilities in 1996 and conducted the last 2 years of Camp virtually during the Pandemic.  With Lauren’s studies in Health and Physical Education Undergrad and Masters, she learned that she was good at teaching sports while working at the Perkins School for the Blind. She was awarded  a grant to begin a sports camp for the Blind and Camp Abilities was founded and has not skipped a beat. Models of the Brockport New York Camp Abilities have spread across the states and around the world. Students return year after year and you can listen to the passion and excitement on the videos available on the CampAbilities.org web site.  The Camp Abilities website has a wealth of resources for adaptive sports, and  instructional materials for teachers, parents, youth and link

Lighthouse Guild President and CEO, Dr. Calvin Roberts, and Chief Operating Officer, Paul Misiti, joins Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities Studio to share the great news about the new Technology Center at Lighthouse Guild. With the launch just behind them, Dr. Roberts and Paul explain why the Technology Center is so important to not only students and clients, but to developers as well. The Technology Center is for everybody, to learn, to assess, to help fit the right assistive technology to a need and to better understand how an assistive technology works for and may not work for the needs of the Blind, Visually Impaired and DeafBlind community. From the latest assistive technology for education, the home and to the tools that enhance one’s everyday life, Lighthouse Guild’s Technology Center is built for the future and for everybody. You can learn more about Lighthouse Guild and the Technology Center on the web at www.LighthouseGuild.org.   Contact Your State Services If you reside in Minnesota, and you wo

Olga Mahler joins Jeff Thompson from Warsaw, Poland where she and her husband are helping accommodate visually Blind and Visually Impaired refugees from Ukraine with shelter, assistance, a bed and working with a Swedish non-profit A Demand for Action.  Without knowing how she would be able to help, Olga and her family packed up some supplies and flew into Poland with determination and a will to help anyway she could. When A Demand for Action needed some translation, Olga stepped up and with her connections to the Blind Boarding school which she attended in Ukraine, everybody benefited. Olga’s social networking and presence led many Blind and Visually Impaired to the border crossings, out of the shelters, out from the bombing and into waiting Accommodations for warmth, food and for some, a ticket to Sweden or other long term shelter. Join Olga and Jeff as she shares her experience helping the Blind and Visually Impaired find safety and friendships while fleeing their homes, families and homeland. As mentioned,

Our guest on Blind Abilities today is Javier Pita, CEO of NaviLens Corp. Today we bring Javier in to the Blind Abilities Studio to give us an update on the NaviLens App, available on iOS and Android. Join Jeff and Pete as they delve deeply into the latest updates of the NaviLens App with Javier, and chat about many of the other useful features of this remarkable App which could have a profound impact on how we navigate both outdoors and indoors as well. This episode is an update on recent changes to the NaviLens app. You can find out the details about the basic features of NaviLens by listening to our previous interview with Javier, published on March 12, 2021. What’s New With NaviLens? NaviLens 360 Vision Technology. Indoor Way-finding Technology allows you to record personal routes in an unknown space and travel them again at any time using a special NaviLens Tag which you can download directly from the NaviLens web site. You can create as many new personal routes as you wish and use them as often as you l

Karthik Kannan joins Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities Studio in this informative episode about the Envision Glasses and the Envision AI App. Team Envision is proudly demonstrating the Envision Glasses at CSUN at booth 1011 and you can schedule an appointment and get your personal demonstration with hands-on with the Envision Glasses. Stay tuned for upcoming announcements that Team Envision are releasing at CSUN and throughout the Summer. It has been a long time coming since an in—person CSUN event and Envision will be there with 5 members of the Envision Team.  The Envision AI App , available for iOS and Android, has many improvements making the Envision AI app the Swiss Knife of Blindness apps. Be sure to download the app and give it the 14 day trial with no obligations and you can cancel at any time, Let Envision know about your experience and check out all the breaking news on the Envision web site at LetsEnvision.com. Here is the Envision Newsletter: In just two weeks, the Envision team will be presen

Serina Gilbert, Callie Gray and Jeff Thompson meet up in the Blind Abilities Studio to talk Tech Tidbits and news from around the Blindness community and some Pop Culture that enhances the daily grind. Is Apple’s Peek Performance just taking a peek at what performances are to come? Tricky little play on words there, Tim Cook.  Uber ratings that the drivers give you are now exposed. Check out the demo to see your ratings. Callie has a new iPad mini 6th Gen and has a use-case that works for her. Are you abusing your pinkie finger? How are you holding your smart phone? Is the CSUN in-person conference happening too soon? Amazon Prime is hiking up the annual rate, is it time to un-prime your Amazon? Accessible comic book app coming in June and lots more bits in this Peak Performance Tech Abilities episode. Be sure to check out the links and the chapter feature for your listening options. Jump from topic to topic or take in the entire show all at once, the choice is yours and the opportunity is now! Here are the l

Joining us on Blind Abilities is the owner of a voice that many of us will recognize from reading our favorite Talking Book selections from BARD or other NLS platforms: none other than Ray Foushee. Ray has been a Talking Book narrator at the American Printing House for the Blind (APH), for almost forty years and has read more than 1000 titles in virtually every genre, ranging from True Crime and Mystery to Romance, Science Fiction thrillers  and even nonfiction.  Yes, that deep and gruff sounding voice has read romance novels! In fact, Ray shares his story of the steamy romantic fiction novel he was assigned many years ago, and we share a brief clip from his narration which reveals the character’s voice he used to narrate the first-person perspective of the 16 year-old protagonist.  Ray delves deeply into his long history as a narrator with APH, beginning with how he got his start while working at a Louisville, KY TV station in the early 80’s and his progression through that almost forty-year career, reading

Blind Abilities presents Micheal Hudson, Director of the Museum for the American Printing House for the Blind (APH). The APH Museum, located in Louisville, Kentucky, comprises more than 3,000 Square feet of space and multiple exhibits which present the history of blindness, and the role that the APH played in that history. Jeff Thompson and Pete Lane sit down with Micheal Hudson, an articulate and well-versed expert in anything and everything related to the museum. He takes us on a journey through a variety of topics, such as the Helen Keller archives, recently acquired from the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB). Micheal also describes many of the old  machines currently housed in the museum, which opened in 1994. These include braille embossers and braille writers, hard vinyl disc presses, magnifiers, refreshable braille displays, typewriters, an impressive slate collection, cassette players, live Talking Book recording studios, an entire section dedicated to the history of Talking Books, Stevie Wonder

Brendan Lewis joins Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities Studio and gives an overview of the RealSAM Pocket.  The RealSAM Pocket is the easy to use Mobile Phone, especially designed for people with Sight Loss. RealSAM Pocket is able to Make Calls, Read Messages, listen to Books or Newspapers and get Assistance just by Using your Voice. No need to learn a complicated touch screen or struggle with reading small buttons; just Press one button and talk. Pocket can also connect directly to other Bluetooth devices, including hearing aids. Join Brendan Lewis and Jeff Thompson to learn about the RealSAM Pocket and how you can be notified upon the release and stay up to date on all the RealSAM Pocket news! Follow RealSAM Pocket: •          On the web at www.RealSAM.US •          In the U.K at www.RealSAM.CO/UK •          On Facebook at RealSAMPocket •          On Twitter @RealSAM_UK Contact Your State Services If you reside in Minnesota, and you would like to know more about Transition Services from State Services con

In this iPhone101/QuickByte from Blind Abilities, Jeff Thompson takes us through the Punctuation System Groups and Creating Custom Groups. You can determine if Voiceover reads aloud Some, none or All punctuation. Imagine your email reading back like this: Hi comma Everybody comma How are you all question mark I am fine period  This can be annoying unless you are proofreading a paper, legal document or maybe you like it that way? If you just want Some punctuation such as, an equal sign, the degree symbol from your weather report or the percentage sign when checking your battery, then the System Group - Some maybe best for you. None is the 3rd setting where no punctuation will be spoken basically. You can check out these system groups, All, Some and None by going to the Punctuation settings and choosing your preference. You can change a system group by creating your own system group based off of either the All, Some or None group. This will allow you a good starting point rather than starting from scratch. So i