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Blind Abilities

Blind Abilities

501 episodes — Page 9 of 11

S1 Ep 742iBUG – the iBlind Users Group for Beginners and Proficient Assistive Tech Users. Join iBUGToday – it's Abuzz!

In this episode of Blind Abilities we feature the iBlind Users Group, aka iBUGToday, a nonprofit organization located in Houston, Texas, but which operates a variety of virtual training and social activities for individuals around the country using the Zoom platform. The mission of iBUG, is to promote the individual independence, social integration and educational development of the blind and visually impaired community through accessible technology training. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Apr 8, 202120 min

S1 Ep 741Unified English Braille (UEB) Practice Sentences - Comprehensive, Ready to Use and Fun. A New Book from Roberta Becker

introducing a new braille book for Teachers of the Blind/Visually Impaired, TBVI), parents and others who wish to instruct Blind students in learning Unified English Braille, (UEB). The book was written by one of our guests, Roberta Becker. She joins Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities studio along with her colleague, Lori Scharff. Roberta and Lori chat about a variety of topics, ranging from the implementation and description of "the new Unified English Braille (UEB), to many of the specific changes that it brought about for Braille readers, and how those changes are covered in Roberta's book. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Apr 5, 202129 min

S1 Ep 740Easterseal Disability Film Challenge Creatives Talk about the Experience, Challenge and Disability in Films

Bree Klauser, Spencer Frankeberger, Juan Alcazar and Jeff Thompson got together in the Blind Abilities Studio to talk about the Easterseal Disability Film Challenge that they participated in and want you to check out their films and "like" them as the Awareness campaign is ending soon. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Apr 2, 202131 min

S1 Ep 739Intel AI-Powered Backpack Helps Visually Impaired Navigate World: Meet Jagadish Mahendran, AI Developer, and Hema Chamraj, Director, Technology Advocacy at Intel

In the Blind Abilities Studio, we welcome Jagadish K. Mahendran, Artificial Intelligence Developer and Engineer,and Hema Chamraj, director, Technology Advocacy and AI4Good at Intel Raqi joins Jeff in the studio to learn and find out more about this great initiative that may one day enhance the navigating experience while Blind. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Mar 31, 202124 min

S1 Ep 738Tech Abilities #1 Million and 6, Clubhouse Dreams, HBO Max and Audio Description? Specialized Help? Raqi? And Where Did Flicktype Get Them Apples!

The crew is feisty on Fridays but hey it's Monday, Raqi. From the release of Audio Description on HBO Max to Flicktype bolstering some Apples, we seem to get into a lot about what we want in the Clubhouse arena. What is it with Ringtones anyways? The real thing here is this, have you heard the Home Pod Minis in Stereo? Wowie Wow Wow is all I got on that. 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!

Mar 30, 202156 min

S1 Ep 737Programs and Opportunities are Growing for Students: A Chat with Transition Coordinator Sheila Koenig - Make that a Chill and Chat!

our guest on Blind Abilities today is Sheila Koenig, Transition Services Coordinator for State Services for the Blind of Minnesota (SSB). Sheila talks about a variety of opportunities available to Transition Age students. Learn about the programs such as the Summer Transition Program (STP), Chill and Chat, Peer Educators, Blind and Socially Savvy and the Learning Ally College Success Program. There is something for everyone! Sheila also discusses the Spectacle Newsletter, where you can...Read more

Mar 26, 202116 min

S1 Ep 736Transitioning from High School to College: A Panel of College Students Take on the Questions from High School Students from a Blindness and Low Vision Perspective

Transitioning from High School to College is a major step towards self-determination and independence. Career choices are made and Colleges and Universities are explored to best fit one's needs. A group of high school students ask a panel of college students questions to help them understand the challenges and gain from the experience the college students share. When leaving the high school and the security of the Individual Education Plan (IEP) and move into the Independent Plan for Employment IPE, the sharing of these college students can go a long way in preparing for their transition to college. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Mar 22, 20211h 10m

S1 Ep 735Going Hard Core on Tenacity, Advocacy, Perseverance and Empathy - Meet Alaska Center for the Blind Transition Coordinator for Youth, Multi-Talented Musician, Tony Gebhard

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Blind Abilities welcomes Tony Gebhard back into the studio. he first appeared on Blind Abilities in the summer of 2019, when Geoff and Pete chatted with him at the NFB National Convention in Orlando, Florida. You can find that interview here, A Morning with Tony Gebhard… The focus then was on his musical journey, This time back in the studio, the focus of this interview, is Toni's life, his recent completion of assistive technology training and TVI classes at World Services for the blind. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Mar 19, 202140 min

S1 Ep 734Racial Disparities in School Discipline of Students with Disabilities.

Japricia shares her experience from Elementary school with discipline, race, and her Individual Education Plan (IEP) that inspired the goals she has for college. In this interview, Beau RaRa a staff attorney for the Youth Law Project and Minnesota Disability Law Center, sits down with Japricia, a recent high school graduate, to talk about the experiences of racial disparities in school discipline of students Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Mar 12, 202115 min

S1 Ep 733NaviLens - The new smart digital signage for everyone! Or, as we say, QR Codes on Steroids! Free App on iOS and Android

Jeff and Pete are in the studio again, this time to chat with Javier Pita, founder and CEO of NaviLens Corp., and their remarkable product, NaviLens. NaviLens is a new and enhanced kind of QR code, but unlike existing QR codes that can only be read from a short distance, the NaviLens tag can be detected by your smart phone camera up to 60 feet away with a 160 degree wide-angle range. This means that you will now be able to detect NaviLens tags that are almost at your 9 o'clock or 3 o'clock direction, thus being simple to find if you are blind or visually impaired... Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Mar 12, 20211h 0m

S1 Ep 732How a Journey Through Vision Loss Prepared Laura Allen to Become Head of Strategy for Accessibility and Disability Inclusion at Google

Laura Allen joins Raqi and Jeff in the Blind Abilities Studio to talk about new developments in Google's accessibility and disability inclusion. Laura Allen is Head of strategy for Accessibility and Disability Inclusion, bringing together the Google network of teams to bring awareness to accessibility and disability inclusion within the entire google corporation. Laura uses a mix of accessibility tools to be independent which gives her a clear perspective on the need for accessibility and how inclusion in the workplace is an everyday experience for everyone. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Mar 2, 202132 min

S1 Ep 731Transitioning Through Change and Mental Health with Beth Gustin, a Licensed Professional Counselor, and Nationally Certified Mental Health Counselor

Blind Abilities welcomes back to the podcast, Beth Gustin, licensed professional counselor, a nationally certified mental health counselor, to speak about the impact that the prolonged pandemic is having on our mental health. Beth was a guest on the Job Insights podcast show back in October 2018 where she spoke about mental health and job searching with Jeff and Serina. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Mar 1, 202118 min

S1 Ep 730Author Feather Chell Has So Many Interesting Chapters in Her Life, I just wanted to keep turning the Pages. And Her New Book, Stranded, is a Page Turner as Well!

Feather Chelle has just published her first book, Stranded, in December and soon her second book, a picture book, will be available as well. Feather Chelle, aka Heather, is a young mother of five and home schools her kids and leads a Girl Scout Troop as well. Heather lost her sight by age 3 due to cancer and adopted her late friends daughter while having 4 kids of her own. She is from a large family and kids have been a part of her life since she was a child herself. Heather started writing her book 4 years ago and on December 31, 2020, her book, Stranded", became available on Kindle and on Amazon. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Feb 26, 202131 min

S1 Ep 729Our Space Our Place: A Creative Program Helping Students Connect Socially Through Arts, Sports and Community Service and Mentoring

Blind Abilities Teen Correspondent, Simon Bonenfant, chats with Cheryl Cummings and Ruth Kahn, representing an after school and career exploration program in Boston for middle and high school students who are blind or low vision. the Our Space Our Place program takes advantage of a variety of activities to promote social interaction and networking among the students, including the arts, theatre, dance, poetry and many more. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Feb 24, 202125 min

S1 Ep 728Inclusion in Academia for Blind and visually Impaired Students, Inclusion in STEM and the Importance of Braille at Any Age, Meet Dr. Natalina Martiniello

Dr. Natalina Martiniello completed her Doctorate in the study of Aging on Braille Literacy from the University of Montreal in December of 2021 and has a vast and robust knowledge of all things diversity, accessibility and related issues facing the Blind and Visually Impaired. Inclusion in the classrooms, inclusion in the curriculum building in Universities and the importance of learning Braille at any age are some of the focuses Natalina brings to the conversation. Dr. Martiniello is the President of Braille Literacy Canada and is a strong believer in braille literacy and shares her views on braille devices, how to approach educating seniors on braille, and the importance of having a physical connection to literacy int order to know spelling, grammar, punctuation and modern terminology to effectively communicate in today's professional and virtual world. Read more Full Transcript we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Feb 19, 202135 min

S1 Ep 727Get Out of Your Brain and Do It! 4th Fittest Standing Adaptive Athlete in the World Kym DeKeyrel on CrossFit Training and How Her Life Changing Diet Made Her Who She is Today

Full Transcript Kym DeKeyrel has faced life threatening challenges and has made the necessary changes in her life to take on more and more as she is now all-in on the CrossFit training. Kym is the 4th Fittest Standing Adaptive Athlete in the World. Working out twice a day and balancing her family life and work as a Massage Therapist, Kym strives on being the best she can be. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Feb 14, 202136 min

S1 Ep 726What's the Big Idea, Dr. Cal? A Conversation with Dr. Calvin Roberts, President and CEO of Lighthouse Guild

Full Transcript Our guest on this episode of the Blind Abilities podcast is Dr. Calvin W. Roberts, MD, President and CEO of Lighthouse Guild, a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing and preventing vision loss. Dr. Roberts has a unique blend of academic, clinical, business and hands-on product development experience. He is a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Weill Cornell Medical College, and formerly Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Eye Care, at Bausch Health Companies where he coordinated global development and research efforts across their vision care, pharmaceutical and surgical business units. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Feb 11, 202141 min

S1 Ep 725Tech Abilities: Face ID Gets a Buddy in the Apple Watch. Will Your Air Pods Pair with Your Mac? Is Proximity Always a Good Thing? New Disney Bundle and Spam Call Blues

Jeff and Serina are joined in the Blind Abilities Studio with State Services for the Blind of Minnesota Assistive Technology Specialist Jesse Anderson. Jesse is the creator and host of the Illegally Sighted channel on YouTube. If you are interested in Video Gaming from a Low Vision perspective, be sure to check out his YouTube channel! In this episode: 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!

Feb 8, 20211h 15m

S1 Ep 724Telling Stories Visually: Meet Legally Blind Filmmaker and YouTube Creator Juan Alcazar

Juan Alcazar is a Film Maker and YouTube Creator and you can find his work on YouTube at JC5Productions. Juan joined Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities Studio to talk about his journey with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) and his passion for making films and videos. Storytelling is something Juan took to at a young age and he continues his passion as he embraces his sight loss and the blindness community he found once he stopped denying his loss of vision. I really enjoyed meeting Juan as I have followed his work over the years and known him through the social media networks and this was our first time really meeting up. Juan has a genuine kind personality of which you will hear as he talks about his, community and passions for storytelling. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Feb 4, 202149 min

S1 Ep 723Rebranding Your Services to Fit the Changing Times: Meet Apple Certified Coach Donna Jodhan

Today's guest on Blind Abilities is Donna Jodhan. Donna is a multi-talented individual, an author, entrepreneur and an advocate for the blind and visually impaired. Now Donna is rebranding herself as a sight loss coach, aiming at helping people who are experiencing sight loss to "...become more comfortable in their new type of world…", to become independent and fully functional. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Feb 1, 202126 min

S1 Ep 722Tech Abilities: Dude, Where's My Clubhouse? Homan Prize is Live, PC vs Mac Round 1, Mac Mini, Mantis, iPad Air4 are Keepers but Did the Air Pod Pros Go Back? Then she's like, Dude!

The crew is intact and with a latte in-hand and most of the microphones locked down and ready, Serina, Raqi, Angie and Jeff take on a lot of topics starting with a very sad, sad story. Serina tossed her nose up at the Air Pod Max headphones and landed a new iPad Air 4. Meanwhile, Raqi scores a Mac Mini just to spoil her Mantis. Meanwhile, Angie's travel experience is shared and she is now Home Sweet Home at Las, Las Vegas that is. Jeff rows in counting his strokes and loving the Concept2 Rower. He also got his Air Pod Pro replaced by Apple free of charge! 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!

Jan 26, 20211h 30m

S1 Ep 721Braille Doodle: Creating touchable drawings. and the Perfect Solution for Teaching and Learning Braille While Remote Learning

Full Transcript BlindAbilities presents the team from touch pad pro assistive technology, who is in the process of developing three new and totally innovative products for the blind and visually impaired. Jeff Thompson chats with Kristin Smedley, Chief Communications Officer, Brian Edwards, chief operating Officer, and founder and Chief Executive Officer, Daniel Lubiner With long term plans to develop the highly technical touch pad pro, the team is first focusing on the loess technical, but equally as important Braille Doodle. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Jan 22, 202127 min

S1 Ep 720Strap - Change the way you explore the world! A New Device Being Developed by Strap Technologies, and Claiming Strap Could Possibly Replace the White Cane.

Roel and Ben Eynon from Strap Technologies sat down with Simon in the Blind Abilities Studio to talk about a device that could possibly replace the white cane. This is a huge claim being that for nearly 100 years the cane has remained for the most part, the same low tech device used for navigation by the Blind and Visually Impaired. Diego and Ben talk about how they came about working together for this initiative and what inspired them to commit their efforts in developing Strap for the Blindness community. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Jan 21, 202125 min

S1 Ep 719Sing for Serenity Choir is an International On-Line Choir for the Blind. Come Listen and Join Us virtually!

In the era of Covid-19 we have seen a sharp rise in the production of virtual music, ranging from individual performers, to bands, to choral groups. Prior to the pandemic, however, this form of music was not only unusual, but rare. Our guests today on blind abilities represent one of those rare music groups that originated before the Corona virus burst onto the world scene. the Serenity Virtual choir is that group, and Kaleigh Brendle is the group's founder. Read more Full Transcript we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Jan 16, 202119 min

S1 Ep 718Tech Abilities: The Show Must Go On, Headset Mania, Activity Goals on the Apple Watch and Everything You Wanted to Know About Aira but Were Afraid to Ask! Welcome Jenine Stanley

Serina, Angie and Jeff were joined by Jesse Anderson to host this episode of Tech Abilities. Jesse is an Assistive Technology Specialist and will be coming on to Tech Abilities more and more in the near future. Jesse is also the creator of the Legally Sighted YouTube Channel were he demonstrates gaming for the VI Community. From Headsets, to Guide Dogs during the Pandemic, to Apple Watch and Fitness Plus and a quick little Apple Watch demo from Kristy Viers on Changing your Activity goals on the Apple Watch. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Jan 13, 20211h 27m

S1 Ep 717Meet 14 Year Old Ryan Lukowicz – - Future Meteorologist and Creator of the Behind the Weather Forecast Podcast

Full Transcript Jeff's guest today is Ryan Lukowicz. Ryan has a fascinating interest in a unique topic: Meteorology. as a matter of fact, he has studied Meteorology for over four years now and has developed an expertise in the topic that is respected across the industry. so, you may ask: where did he attend college? how did he attain such an advanced knowledge of this subject that is rooted in complex math and science? well, the answers to these questions may surprise you, because this individual did not attend college, at least not yet. after all, he is only 14 years old, and a high school student living in Rhode Island. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Jan 9, 202128 min

S1 Ep 716Build Confidence, Explore Career Possibilities, and Expand Horizons of Opportunity – Meet Pre-Employment Transition Services Counselor Travis Mashuga

Full Transcript Travis Mashuga is a Pre-Employment Transition Services Counselor at State Services for the Blind (SSB) in Minnesota. Travis switched gears in college and decided to work in the Rehabilitation field and is now part of the Transition team at SSB. Travis explains what Transition Services offers and tells us how to get connected with the Transition Services. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Jan 5, 202121 min

S1 Ep 715Assistive Technology Specialist Jesse Anderson and State Services for the Blind Go Virtual in Providing Transition Services to Students

Full Transcript Minnesota State Services for the Blind (SSB) like every other state rehab agency, is certainly not exempt from the impact of COVID-19. Like much of the Nation's business and governmental sector, the staff began working from home back in mid-March. Jesse Anderson, Assistive Technology Specialist, Joins Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities Studio to talk about how his department has adjusted to the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 and how they are keeping the virtual doors open for services. read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Jan 2, 202115 min

S1 Ep 714Tech Abilities: SeeingAI Swiss Army Knife Adds LiDAR, Facebook About Faces Apple, Apple Car Waiting Continues, Multiple Users on Your iPhone? Is Fitness Plus Actually Fitness Less?

Saddled in between Christmas and the New Year, the crew arrives with a healthy dose of information regarding Microsoft, Apple, Facebook and maybe a bit about Google. We hope all of you are safe and warm. And while Angie is basking in the Florida sunshine, the rest of the crew are weathering the blistery wrath of Winter. But the show must go on! Why are headsets, headphones and ear buds becoming so important? What about that Bluetooth relationship with Windows? And how do you feel about Facebook taking out full-page ads to call out Apple when possibly, Facebook should be looking in the mirror. The debate rages on. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Dec 29, 202051 min

S1 Ep 713See3D: 3D Printing for the Blind and Visually Impaired. An Insightful Perception Through Touch. Let's Get Involved!

Full Transcript Are you familiar with 3D printing: how it works, what tools and materials are used to create 3D models, and what is done with them when they are completed? If not, or if you just want to learn a bit more about the subject and how it might affect you directly as a blind person, then sit right down and listen. We have the answers to all of those questions. We will also fill you in on how 3D models might find their way onto your doorstep, or even your own 3D printer, if you have one! Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Dec 26, 202030 min

S1 Ep 712Explore with LiDAR on the New World Channel in the latest SeeingAI Update – Demo Included

Seeing AI just dropped a fantastic update which includes a new World Channel that utilizes LiDAR and Spatial Sound for navigation and object detection. If you have an iPhone 12 Pro or Pro Max, update to the latest SeeingAI and start exploring. 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 an email Get the Free Blind Abilities App on the App Storeand Google Play Store. Check out the Blind Abilities Communityon Facebook, the Blind Abilities Page, and the Career Resources for the Blind and Visually Impaired group

Dec 23, 20206 min

S1 Ep 711Author Cheryl McNeil Fisher talks Publishing and Authoring Books, Getting a Guide Dog and Experiencing Google's Project Guideline, a Partnership Project with Guiding Eyes for the Blind

Full Transcript Cheryl McNeil Fisher writes books, has used a guide dog from Guiding Eyes for the Blind for over 3 decades, experienced Google's Project Guideline wearing boots with heels, yes, with heels, and has found community events and programs on-line during the Pandemic. Cheryl shares advice about writing books and the publishing process. Talks about how she made the decision to get a guide dog and her experiences over the years. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Dec 22, 202049 min

S1 Ep 710Coming Soon! Super Lidar – The First Lidar App for iPhone 12 Pro Series. LiDAR – Light Distance and Ranging from the Makers of Supersense AI for the Blind

Shane Lowe returns to the Blind Abilities Studio to bring us some more breaking news as he announces a new iOS app called Super Lidar. This app will use the latest features found in the iPhone 12 Pro series utilizing the Lidar sensor and technology. Super Lidar is ready and is about to drop the first Lidar app before Santa arrives. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Dec 19, 202011 min

S1 Ep 709Supersence – AI for Blind: A Smart Scanner App that Automatically Detects Text, Currency, Barcodes and Much More! Meet Shane Lowe – Community Manager at Supersence

Shane Lowe, Community Manager at Supersense, joins Jeff Thompson and Angie Fisher in the Blind Abilities Studio. Shane gives a good description and describes the many features pact inside the Supersense App. From Automatic Smart Scanning, Object Detection, Bar Code Reading and the availability to extract and share text, use links and so much more. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Dec 19, 202015 min

S1 Ep 708Halos Tactile Icons - Meet Anne DeWitt: Tactile Icon Stickers for Your Microwave, Washer, Dryer, Oven, Dishwasher and More!

Jeff Thompson is joined in the BlindAbilities Studio by Anne DeWitt Who shares her unique and helpful products that fall under the brand name Halos. Halos stands for Home Appliance Labeling and Overlay System. . Halos is a series of tactile icons which can be affixed to a variety of home appliances, including your microwave, your oven, and your washing machine. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Dec 18, 202020 min

S1 Ep 707The American Council of the Blind (ACB): A Look at this Important Organization at the National Level, Audio Description, ACB Radio and the Upcoming Minnesota ACB Convention

Jeff Thompson is joined in the BlindAbilities studio by Janet Dickelman, Representing the Minnesota chapter of the American Council of the Blind (ACB).. as many of our listeners already know, the American Council of the blind is a widespread and very important organization representing blind people. Janet shares it's mission, a description and explanation of its affiliates and special programs, as well as providing an update on the Minnesota chapters plans for their state convention in January. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Dec 15, 202022 min

S1 Ep 706Tech Abilities: Girls Talk Tech and There's Just 1 JT. Fitness Plus About to Drop, Air Pod Max Go Ching-Ching, Blind, a Noun, Adjective or just a 5-Letter Word? What about Flying Dogs?

Serina, Raqi, Jeff and Angie gather around to talk tech and have a conversation about Blindness, Service flying service animals and giving Guide Dogs Angel wings. Yup, you heard it here first. From the latest gems from Apple to the Mantis from APH, the crew digs in about news, releases and experience not just tech experience, life experience as well. How do you use the word Blind? Do you use Person-First? The topic heats up and guard went down as the team brings it on with the use of the word Blind... Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Dec 13, 20201h 4m

S1 Ep 705Envision AI – Winter Sale 35% OFF, 14-Day Free Trial and a Chance to Win Envision Glasses! Karthik Kannan from Envision Talks OCR, Column Detection, Translating and the Now Available Envision Glasses

Karthik Kannan returned to the Blind Abilities Studio to talk about the Winter Sale on the Envision AI App available in the App Store and the Google Play Store. Now, with a new 14 day trial from Envision, anyone can give the Envision AI app a good go-around. Try out the Instant Text, Document and PDF reading features. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Dec 7, 202027 min

S1 Ep 704Apple Accessibility - Built‑in Features that Work the Way You Do. Make Them Yours, and Make Something Wonderful.. A Conversation with Sarah Herrlinger, Apple's Director of Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives

Full Transcript Sarah Herrlinger joins Raqi Gomez and Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities Studio to talk about accessibility and the major refresh of the Apple.com/accessibility web site. With the roll out of all the new Apple products, the Accessibility Team has been working hard to ensure that all the hardware is accessible and even enhancing the access along the way. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Dec 3, 202027 min

S1 Ep 703Meet Pardy Gill: A Journey of Denial and Acceptance of Blindness and His Battle with COVID-19

Full Transcript Pardy Gill joins Simon Bonenfant in the Blind Abilities Studio to share with us Pardy's journey from denying and not accepting his blindness until a few incidences made him quite aware that he needed to address his low vision and face the fact that he was going to have to change his perspective on being Blind. A lot of us who are losing vision over time try to hang on as long as we can and Pardy was no different. Until some near-death experiences, Pardy was content on living a life without addressing the growing loss of vision. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Dec 2, 202030 min

S1 Ep 702Tech Abilities: Talk Less, Smile More - Find My What? Keys to the Kingdom? 5G or Not to 5G? Mac Now or mac Later?

Raqi, Angie and Jeff gather before the start of the Holiday Season to talk tech and Jeff gets schooled a bit on how to listen to women, or at least these 2 techies from out West. From the Find My demo, to Apple's 15% break for the little developers, to 5G settings on the iPhone 12 series, we go, go, go in this Tech Abilities show. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Nov 26, 202046 min

S1 Ep 701Tech Abilities: Girl, Girl, Girl, Oh Boy, Big Sir Control Center, Magnifier People Detection, PC vs Mac Fight, Stitch Fixed, Accessible Shopping and Google Photos App Storage is Gonna Cost Yah!

Serina, Raqi, Angie and Jeff stay socially distanced and still sound great in the Blind Abilities Studio! Who invited Marlon again? Anyways, Serina and Raqi go at it in the Mac Fight of the season. Actually, they state their cases and Angie and Jeff keeps the show running with some tidbits and demos showing the People Detection feature on the iPhone 12 Pros series of iPhones. Big Sir has a new member in the Menu Extras Bar called, Control Center… Nice! We are all pert near dressed in Stitch Fix attire and maybe in an upcoming show, Angie will be sporting some Stich Fix merch herself! Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Nov 17, 20201h 5m

S1 Ep 700Blind Cricket: Through Enthusiasm and a Shared Passion, Brittany and Riley are Raising Awareness and You Can Help Them Bring the Game to the U.S.

Brittany Montgomery and Riley Robinson join Jeff in the Blind Abilities studio to share their mission to bring blind cricket to the U.S. They describe the passion for this hugely popular sport that has energized people in other countries and believe that if they can generate an awareness and familiarity in the states, then that passion would grow here as well. Listen as they show their sheer enthusiasm, not only for the enjoyment that the sport would bring to blind athletes stateside, but for the broader international possibilities such an arrangement might offer in the future. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Nov 15, 202029 min

S1 Ep 699College Continues from a Distance, Know Your Tech!: Around The World with COVID-19 from a Blindness Perspective - Episode 22 – Sammie Shipman, from California

In this 22nd episode in our series, we hear from Sammie Shipman in California, who fills in those details for us. Sammie Shipman is a college student living in the San Francisco bay area in northern California, in the US. Sammie shares her routine as a student living and active lifestyle that ranges from her daily 3-hour commute to school, to her walks around the local marina with her guide dog, fighting the smoke-filled air resulting from the wildfires which are very prevalent in the area. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Nov 13, 202019 min

S1 Ep 698Tech Abilities One More Thing Before That One More Thing. Accessible Rowing, Apple One, Could it Kill off Dropbox? Have You Found My Air Tag? If I had a Million…

Raqi, Angie and Jeff are in the studio while Serina gets some well deserved time off. She told me to write that, yes she did. Marlon pops in with a few One More Things and We are talking Apples, Plans, Accessible Rowing Machine, Audio USB Mixer, New Mic from Shure and notta thing about that election! Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Nov 10, 202051 min

S1 Ep 697Tech Has the Power to Change Lives, Especially People with Disabilities – Meet Kiran Kaja: Google's Accessibility Lead for Search, Assistant and News

Kiran Kaja is the Accessibility Lead for Search, Assistant and News at Google. Kiran joins Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities Studio for a conversation about Kiran's journey from a bleak outlook for education to his jobs that led him around the world and to Google. It is not by chance that Kiran made it to where he is today, he followed his passion and is excited each day that he gets to make possibilities come true through the work he does at Google. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Nov 4, 202035 min

S1 Ep 696Tech Abilities: Put on Your Halos, Pacific Blue is True as the iPhone 12 Pro. One Newbie, One Gremlin and Some T-Vision to Boot. HBO What?

Tech Abilities is back in the saddle or should I say Stagecoach? We got a full studio with Serina, Raqi, Jeff and guest, Angie Fisher. Yes, a full house and a full episode of Breaking News, Insights on the iPhone 12 Pro, HBO and Audio Description, Google Nest Speakers, Halos Tactile Icons, the MagSafe connection from Apple and just a delightful dish being served up in this episode of Tech Abilities. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Nov 1, 20201h 0m

S1 Ep 695Bridging the Distance: NVDACon 2020 December 5 and 6. Learn about the Free NVDA Screenreader and the Upcoming NVDA Conference.

Simon Bonenfant sat down with Laura Cornwell and Robert Hänggi from the NVDACon Planning Committee to talk about the upcoming December 5 and 6 on-line NVDA Conference. They explained how you can contribute your ideas and suggestions up until the November 14 deadline. Laura and Robert fills us in on what to expect at this year's NVDACon. Laura explains what the NVDA Screen Reader is and how you can get started using NVDA on your Windows computer. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Oct 30, 202022 min

S1 Ep 694Around The World with COVID-19 from a Blindness Perspective (Episode 21): Gerardo Corripio - Describing the Dichotomy of the Corona Experience in Mexico

our guest on Episode 21 is Gerardo Corripio who comes to us from Mexico. Gerardo, Gera, immediately points out how important it is to first understand an overview of the political and geographic make up of his country. Mexico is comprised of 32 states, 10 of which are controlled by one of Mexico's political parties, PAN and the others which are controlled by the Morena party, of which Mexico's President Obrador is the party leader. Gera lives in the city of Tampico, located, in the state of Tamaulipas, which falls under the PAN party. In general, the PAN takes a more serious approach to dealing with the Corona virus than the Morena party. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Oct 27, 202011 min

S1 Ep 693A Different Way of Seeing (Second Edition): Author Lois Strachan is Living an ordinary Life in an Extraordinary Way. Pre-Order on Amazon Today!

Lois Strachan is a multi-talented artist and has just published her new book, "A Different Way of Seeing (Second Edition): A Blind Woman's Journey of Living an Ordinary Life in an Extraordinary Way." Lois returns to the Blind Abilities Studio to talk about her decision to author a 2nd edition and what led her to take a 2nd look at "A Different Way of Seeing". Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093

Oct 22, 202037 min