1718 The Helen Keller Archives (Apr. 26, 2017)

Show Notes
Helen Selsdon is the archivist for the American Foundation for the Blind. She joined the AFB in 2002 to organize and preserve their Helen Keller Archives. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with her about her work and about this rich source of information on Helen Keller and her advocacy for the disabled, women’s rights, and other causes.

1717 Encore of 1308 Progress in Speech Synthesis (Apr. 19, 2017)

Show Notes
Much adaptive technology relies on speech synthesis, which has evolved from humble beginnings to nearly human sounding speech. Hosts Nancy Goodman Torpey and Peter Torpey talk with Andrew Breen, director of innovation for text to speech at Nuance Communications, about the history, current technology and future goals of speech synthesis.

1716 When You Have a Story to Tell (Apr. 12, 2017)

Show Notes
Even as a child, Jo Elizabeth Pinto enjoyed writing. Now, what started as a few chapters in high school, has grown into her debut novel, “The Bright Side of Darkness.” Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with her about the experiences that led her to write this book about a brave young blind girl and her unlikely friend, and also about getting it published.

1715 Audio Book Narrator (Apr. 5, 2017)

Show Notes
You’ve probably heard her voice on a Talking Book from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Martha Harmon Pardee has narrated over 3,000 books for the NLS. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with her about the process of recording audio books, notable moments in her career, and what else she does as a professional voice artist.