Blind Abilities Podcast

Welcome 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 East, this show was delayed and I want to thank everybody who supports and contributes to the work and content for the TBTS shows. Marlon, Nick, Edith, Lori, Pete and all the listeners sending in their feedback and comments.  You too, can send us feedback and your comments to us by email and let us know what you think, feel and/or want us to do differently. We want to hear from you. We demo how to add alt text to a photo on Facebook, talk about the AFB Leadership program coming up in March. Brian is headed out to CSUN and Jeff

That 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 of the greatness packed into the Gigabytes of delight brought to you by Apple. We got it condensed down into a digestible piece of audio information and brought to you in stereo so you can hear both sides of the story. We bring you news from around the world and give you our best opinions but remember, do not quote TBTS, we do not claim to be the end-all on such deep conversations and we feel your opinion is best for you. Hmmm. So if you want to share your opinion, email us, tweet us, send us a carrier pigeon and let us know. W

Kelsi 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 landed a role and will be opening this Friday. I sat down with Kelsey to talk about what it is like to work on a production as a visually impaired/blind actor and how the crew and team has adjusted to her blindness. Join Kelsi and me as we talk about overcoming some unexpected barriers, educating the cast and crew about some of the myths about blindness,  and facing the challenges of taking on such a role in the production of “Wait Until Dark.” Contact: Thank you for listening! You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities On t

Daniel 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 depiction through the eyes of a 5 year old grandchild and his Big Papa.  Daniel relates how the Picture books convey some of the similarities of his vision loss and the depiction of the story illustrated by the artists drawing the pictures. How vision loss can blur the images and how memory can be a bit fuzzy in the mind. So too can what Daniel sees and doesn’t see. Join Daniel Bernstrom and Jeff Thompson as they open the story wide open and how Big Papa and the Time Machine came about. You can find all of Daniel’s books on Am

That 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 wants to get you airborne and using the Uber Air-Taxi service by 2023. Ambitious? Hmm, we will have to see. Um, no pun intended. What is in your daily meal? Jeff is Juicing and Brian is doing the NutraSystem plan, while Serina is just fasting away now and then staying perfect as she believes she is. Yes, Serina is… Oh wait, Serina Williams just won her first title in 3 years and I guess the big question is, “Hey Gilbert, what have you done lately?” Don’t eat your Air Pods! Please don’t do that. Silly kiddo, pods are not to be ins

Yes, 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 autonomous components and the technology to get them through traffic, city roads and without a glitch. The company Aptiv has over 70 BMW 3 Series Liftvehicles on the roads of Las Vegas at any given moment. Gathering data, experience and impressing riders with the state of the art technology and ultimately, influencing public opinion to thousands of tourist from around the world. Thank you Aira, Aptiv and Lift for creating this experience and thank you Liz and Michael for bringing your experiences back to life on this podcast. J

Lucy 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 reach their fullest potential. With the new year upon us, her new adventure, Inspiration In You, is launching and her sailing plans are getting underway as well.  Join Lucy Hodges and Jeff Thompson in this Blind Abilities Presents interview and learn about how Lucy navigates the seas, what accessible tools she uses on a daily basis, how one can join the Blind Sailing Charity team and begin their journey into Blind Sailing. You can find out more about Blind Sailing on the web. Follow Lucy on her Facebook page.  Contact: Thank

A 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.” Yes, Pete Lane returns and is back in the saddle talking about the BooGininng , when Blind Abilities was a channel on the AudioBoo platform. We talk about previous guest interviews and what this podcasting adventure means to us, and so many others. Pete leaves us with a heartfelt message filled with love and hugs. Brian Fischler drops into the Blind Abilities Studio for some Nog and a few laughs as he heads off to being home for Christmas and the Holiday season. Safe travels to Brian and to all of you that will be traveling this time of year. I want to thank all of you listeners, contributors and supporters that encourage and help us do what we do. We got a great vision for 2020 and thanks to all of you, we are looking forward to bringing you more ente

Roy 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. You can find Roy Samuelson on the web at RoySamuelson.com On twitter @RoySamuelson and check out the Facebook Group Audio Description Discussion. Roy is always interested in hearing from listeners and connecting with the community. The TBTS crew go over some of their most used apps of 2019 and wrap it up with some observance of the iOS 13.3 short comings.    Surely we jest about the Big Bird on the show and we assure you that no animals were harmed or mis-used during the creation of this podcast. We highly suggest you check with Chuckie about those mysterious Yellow feathers tucked in his cap.  Contact Thank you for listening. Send us Feedback via email Follow us on Twitter @BlindTechShow That Blind Tech Show is produced in part with Blind Abilities Network You can follow us on Twitter @Blind

The 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? Well, Brian brings his top Gadgets front and center and Jeff and Lori just ask him to clean up before he leaves. No, it’s not like that at all, but Brian has the Gidgets and Gadgets from floor to ceiling and even in the closet. Join us in this intellectual, stimulating and thought provoking conversation… Oh wat, that’s another studio, oops. Join us as we enjoy ourselves at your listening pleasure or whatever we are all doing here. Hopefully, we got some insight and information that you can put in your pocket and use, share and gain from. Honestly, that is why Brian and I listen to Lori. (insert the LOL Emoji here) Th

Dan 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 opportunities are endless. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is just part of the community experience. With over 30 years of attendance, the program has grown and includes an adult program and an ever-growing SCIVIS alumni. With inclusiveness and accessibility first and foremost , SCIVIS welcomes everyone. Be sure to check out www.SCIVIS.org and find out more about how to be part of the next week-long Space Camp.  SCIVIS Creed "We are all here to learn with our peers. Let us celebrate our similarities and our di

Brian 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! QUICK + EASY: Short on time? Simply choose your preferred eggs and set the timer. The auto-shut off function prevents overcooking, and the buzzer will alert you when your eggs are ready. It's so simple, even your kids can use it VERSATILE: This is the PERFECT appliance for picky eaters, large families, or those who have busy schedules. Hard boiled eggs, soft boiled eggs, poached eggs, scrambled eggs, individual omelets, and all within minutes of the push start button - it couldn’t be easier! COMPACT + LIGHTWEIGHT: Weighing 1lb, the Dash Rapid Egg Cooker is your MUST-HAVE for that first apartment, smaller kitchen, college dorm life, or camper/RV traveling. Plus, its sleek design and trendy color options w

Join 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 cut or will Comcast and Spectrum up their game another notch to join in this new frontier of Stream Wars? Here are some links we mentioned in the podcast: Friends Reunion Talks going on with HBO Max ADP List Audio Description Project by the ACB Discovery/BBC 2020  Thanks for listening! Contact Thank you for listening. Send us Feedback via email Follow us on Twitter @BlindTechShow That Blind Tech Show is produced in part with Blind Abilities Network You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities On the web at www.BlindAbilit

Bryce 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. Here is a paragraph taken from the Beautiful Lives Project web site, www.BeautifulLives.org The Beautiful Lives Project gives people with disabilities the opportunity to actively participate in activities and events that may not have been available to them previously due to physical or facility limitations. We work with communities, organizations, groups, and individuals to create, build, and expand programs, ensuring an immersive and enriching experience for all participants. These programs include athletics, performing arts, visual arts, nature and wellness. We also work with communities to remove ob

Welcome 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 and Jeff got theirs in a trick or treat surprise delivery. Serina was upset with the boys, and you know what? She already has her new Air Pod Pro s as of this release, and loves them. Really comfortable and sounds great! Is Russia shutting down the internet as they know it? Is having a guide dog cruel to dogs? iOS 13.2 gets the big Okay! Apple letting you erase all that they have been keeping and you can actually opt out of the Siri and Dictation recordings. Reset your privacy settings with a demo and another demo with the Si

Joe 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 lost touch for his love of movies. From working with actors, writers, and keeping on being involved, people started to call on Joe for his Blindness consulting. This led up to him leaving his day job and join the team creating, “See”, the latest Apple TV Plus series just released November 1st. Joe talks about the commitment Apple has made to hiring people with disabilities and Joe says that they want good actors and not to just hire Blind or Visually Impaired actors just because, and the BVI actors they did hire beat out the