1739 Running with a Remote Aira Guide (Sep. 20, 2017)

Show Notes
Aira is a service developed to give the blind instant access to information using a smart phone, a video camera, and a remote sighted agent. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Erich Manser, a blind distance runner and triathlete, and Jess Jakeway, a sighted distance runner who served as Erich’s remote guide using Aira at the 2017 Boston Marathon.

1738 Accessible Trails and Blind Birding (Sep. 13, 2017)

Show Notes
Many outdoor trails have been made so that they can now be enjoyed by people of varying abilities. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Jerry Berrier, a blind nature enthusiast, and Lucy Gertz of the Mass Audubon Society about what constitutes an accessible trail, how they are developed, and how they can be enjoyed by the blind.

1737 Starting a New Podcast (Sep. 6, 2017)

Show Notes
When Terri and Greg Thrower decided to launch a podcast exploring the challenges of navigating the world as a blind person, they contacted EOS hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey to ask for advice. Their questions went way beyond the mechanics and into many interesting topics. This week’s episode contains our answers.

1736 Tips for Technology and Daily Living (Aug. 30, 2017)

Show Notes
Back by popular demand, this episode is another in the series of useful tips and tricks that you might or might not have known about. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey share ideas and demos from listeners (as well as from themselves) on topics from using smart phones and computers to dealing with everyday life. There’s sure to be a gem in here for everyone.

1735 Digitizing AFB’s Audio Files (Aug. 23, 2017)

Show Notes
Jane Kronheim and Roger Cicchese are audio engineers who specialize in restoring old audio recordings. Recently, they digitized recordings of Helen Keller for the archives of the American Foundation for the Blind. Listen to this and other recordings as hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with them about their work and share some fun stories.

1734 Retinitis Pigmentosa Research (Aug. 16, 2017)

Show Notes
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of rare, genetic disorders that involve a breakdown and loss of cells in the retina—which is the light sensitive tissue that lines the back of the eye. Hosts Nancy and Peter torpey talk with Ruanne Vent-Schmidt, a graduate student with RP whose research is focused on understanding the condition and developing treatments.

1733 ElBraille (Aug. 9, 2017)

Show Notes
ElBraille is a portable mobile computer running Windows 10 together with JAWS. It also contains a docking station, integrated with Freedom Scientific’s Focus 14 Braille display. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Svetlana Vasilyeva and Adi Kushnir of the Elita Group about this device designed for blind and deaf-blind users.

1732 College Bound (Aug. 2, 2017)

Show Notes
Getting ready for and attending college can be a daunting process, even if one is fully sighted. But what if one has a visual impairment? Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Ellen Trief, a Professor at Hunter College, about her book “College Bound – A Guide for Students with Visual Impairments” which offers practical advice for prospective and current students.

1731 Moving Experiences (Jul. 26, 2017)

Show Notes
Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey finally completed their move cross country from Rochester, New York to Golden, Colorado. They describe the experience highlighting aspects from the perspective of one who is visually impaired. Join them as they talk about selecting a house, packing and unpacking, making the trip, and even taking time to have a little fun!

E

1730 Wounded in Action – Active in Life (Jul. 19, 2017)

Show Notes
As a U.S. Army infantryman in World War II, Don Wedewer lost his vision and both legs at the age of 19. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Don’s son, Harry, about how his father overcame institutional and social barriers and went on to have a family and rewarding career in which he worked to improve the lives of other people with vision loss.

1729 Encore of 1242 Downloading and Reading Books on a Smart Phone (Jul. 12, 2017)

Show Notes
As smart phones become more powerful and numerous, people have developed great apps for them. This week hosts Peter and Nancy Torpey will discuss and demonstrate how you can directly download books onto a smart phone and read them with it. Apps include Read2Go from Bookshare, Overdrive from public libraries, and an app from Learning Ally.

E

1728 Encore of 1644 Currency Identification (Jul. 5, 2017)

Show Notes
Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey speak with Leonard Olijar, director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing about current features to make US currency easier for visually impaired people to identify it, as well as their plans to make it easier still. We’ll also discuss their smart phone app and free hardware device that can identify US currency for you.

1727 Braille Labeling and Learning Products (Jun. 28, 2017)

Show Notes
“Wouldn’t it be great if?” was the question that sparked a father to develop a novel way for his autistic son to communicate with others. Eventually LoganTech was formed and went on to develop assistive devices for the blind. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Glen Dobbs, founder of LoganTech, about his journey and products he developed.

1726 Research in Low-Vision Technology (Jun. 21, 2017)

Show Notes
Advances in computer technologies have opened up opportunities for assisting the visually impaired in new and innovative ways. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Shiri Azenkot, Assistant Professor at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech, about some of her current projects and research in accessibility and human computer interactions.

1725 Low Vision Optometry (Jun. 14, 2017)

Show Notes
There is no question that people with vision problems should be seen by an ophthalmologist to evaluate their condition. Low vision specialists, on the other hand, aim to provide solutions to help in daily living. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Dr. George Kornfeld, a low vision optometrist, about aids and services that you might find beneficial.

1724 Encore of 1517 Jim Fruchterman – Social Entrepreneur (Jun. 7, 2017)

Show Notes
Jim Fruchterman is the founder and CEO of Benetech, which operates Bookshare, an accessible online library of e-books in audio, Braille, large font and other formats for people with print disabilities. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with him about how he became interested in OCR, the founding of Arkenstone, and the inspiration behind Bookshare.

1723 Encore of 1233 An Interview with Ted Henter (May 31, 2017)

Show Notes
If you use the JAWS screen reader, chances are you’ve heard of Ted Henter who founded Henter-Joyce and later sold the company to Freedom Scientific. This week, Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Ted about his contributions to assistive technologies and other projects. If you think you know where the “Joyce” came from in Henter-Joyce, be prepared for a surprise!

1722 Encore of 1225 A Talk with Deane Blazie (May 24, 2017)

Show Notes
In the course of his career, Deane Blazie developed and produced the Braille ‘n Speak, the Braille Lite, the Braille Blazer and other innovations in accessibility technology. Join hosts Peter and Nancy Torpey as they speak with him about those, other of his products and some more recent projects he’s worked on.

1721 Cisco Academy for the Vision Impaired (May 17, 2017)

Show Notes
The Cisco Academy for the Vision Impaired, or CAVI, is a technology school for the blind and visually impaired that offers remote classes covering many topics from music production to computer systems administration. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Brian Shaw, one of CAVI’s teachers, about their programs and how they work.

1720 NVDA Conference 2017 (May 10, 2017)

Show Notes
NVDA is a free screen reader for Windows. For the past several years, the annual NVDACon has provided a forum for developers, users, and others to share what’s new, suggestions for future improvements, and much more. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Derek Riemer and Bhavya Shah, co-chairs of this year’s annual international web-based conference.

1719 Accessible Linux (May 3, 2017)

Show Notes
Linux is a free alternative operating system for your computer. However, of the many versions of Linux that exist, only Vinux and Sonar GNU have been accessible to the visually impaired out of the box. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with several contributors to these projects about plans to merge both versions and what to expect in the future.

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.

1714 Blind Software Engineer (Mar. 29, 2017)

Show Notes
Computers are very accessible to the visually impaired these days. There are also many attractive employment opportunities for those with computer-related skills, particularly if they know how to program. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Tom Shults, a blind engineer, about his career and how he uses these skills in developing new hardware devices.

1713 Ultra Sports Challenges (Mar. 22, 2017)

Show Notes
Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind person to summit Mount Everest, has released a new book called “No Barriers: A Blind Man’s Journey to Kayak the Grand Canyon”. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with him about his adventures and about “No Barriers”, an organization he co-founded whose mission is to help people with challenges face barriers head on.

1712 Data Visualization Updates from SAS (Mar. 15, 2017)

Show Notes
The SAS Graphics Accelerator makes graphical data accessible to the visually impaired by dynamically producing alternative presentations in the form of verbal description, sonification, and tabular data. Ed Summers, a blind engineer and head of the accessibility team at SAS, demos the tools and discusses their use with hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey.

1711 Teaching Blind Children (Mar. 8, 2017)

Show Notes
Carol Puchalski has worked for over 30 years as a developmental psychology consultant at the Anchor Center for Blind Children in Colorado. She recently returned from a trip to Uganda where she volunteered to assist a school for the blind. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Carol about her experiences helping blind children both in the U.S. and abroad.

1710 Graphiti Refreshable Tactile Graphics Display (Mar. 1, 2017)

Show Notes
Graphiti is a dynamic multi-level tactile touch display designed to give the blind access to graphical and pictorial information at an affordable price. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Venkatesh Chari, President and CTO at Orbit Research, and Ken Perry, project manager at APH, about this revolutionary, page-size display and how it can be used.

1709 Low Vision Products from VFO (Feb. 22, 2017)

Show Notes
A wide variety of low vision aids are available to assist people with limited vision. They range in size, magnification capability, and function. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Ivar Illing, Vice President of Product Management at VFO / Optelec, about the various products offered by VFO and how to select the one that’s right for you.

1708 DictationBridge (Feb. 15, 2016)

Show Notes
Microsoft Windows now comes with built in speech recognition. Unfortunately, on its own, it is difficult to use with a screen reader. DictationBridge is a free program that solves this problem using most popular screen readers. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey speak with Lucy Greco, a member of the team that created the technology, about how it works.

1707 Acting Blind (Feb. 8, 2017)

Show Notes
Pursuing a career in the performing arts as a professional actor comes with a number of challenges whether one is blind or not. Even for the blind, however, these barriers are not insurmountable. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with George Ashiotis about his career and experiences as a blind actor and how he manages to live his dream.

1706 Theater Breaking Through Barriers (Feb. 1, 2017)

Show Notes
Theater Breaking Through Barriers is an Off-Broadway theater and one of several professional theaters in the country dedicated to advancing actors and writers with disabilities and changing the image of people with disabilities from dependence to independence. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Nicholas Viselli, artistic director of TBTB, about their work.

1705 Guide to Accessibility of iOS Devices (Jan 25, 2017)

Show Notes
Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Shelly Brisbin, author of the book “iOS Access for All: The Comprehensive Guide to Accessibility for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch”. The book is an excellent reference guide to accessibility features in iOS devices and also gives step by step instructions for using these features with many popular apps.

1704 Employment Opportunities at NASA (Jan. 18, 2017)

Show Notes
The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration is a leader in technology and dedicated to disability hiring and inclusion. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Kenneth Silberman and Dr. Evelina Felicite-Mauric from the education department of NASA about internships, fellowships and other employment opportunities for students and professionals.

1703 Blind Driver Challenge (Jan. 11, 2017)

Show Notes
Attitudes about what the blind can and cannot do have been challenged by the work of the National Federation of the Blind’s Jernigan Institute and their efforts to create a car that the blind can drive independently. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Mark Riccobono, President of the NFB, about this project and what it is like to drive a car without seeing.

1702 Guide Dogs – The Training (Jan. 4, 2017)

Show Notes
Did you ever wonder what is involved in training a guide dog or what the experience is like for the recipient of a dog? Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey walk through the process when they talk with Maria Nuzzi, a Guide Dog Mobility Instructor at Guide Dog Foundation and America’s Vet Dogs and Andrew Rubenstein, director of Marketing for the Foundation.

1701 Guide Dogs – An Overview (Dec. 28, 2016)

Show Notes
What is involved in getting and working with a guide dog? Is a guide dog right for you? Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey address these and other questions with Carolyn Giambalvo, a Consumer Services Associate at Guide Dog Foundation and America’s Vet Dogs, her guide dog Alice, and Andrew Rubenstein, the Director of Marketing.

1652 Favorite iPhone Apps (Dec. 21, 2016)

Show Notes
There are hundreds of accessible apps for iPhones. Many of these apps even perform similar functions. But, which apps should one choose and which might be the most useful? This week hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk about some tips for using the iPhone with VoiceOver as well as some of Pete’s favorite apps and the ones he uses most often.

1651 Helping Yourself While Helping Others (Dec. 14, 2016)

Show Notes
Joining a low vision support group can be beneficial for sharing thoughts and ideas about living with low vision and meeting new friends. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Jim Fleming of Visionaries, a small support group in upstate New York, and Alice Crespo of Helping Hands for the Disabled, a large support group in New York City, about what they do.

1650 Building Electronics Projects (Dec. 7, 2016)

Show Notes
Though Ken Perry and Josh Miehle are both blind, their lack of vision doesn’t prevent them from designing and building their own electronic hardware. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with them about the Blind Arduino Project as well as other tools that enable blind people of all ages to participate in the vibrant global culture of hardware prototyping.

1649 Orbit Reader 20 from APH (Nov. 30, 2016)

Show Notes
The Orbit Reader 20 is a refreshable Braille display with note-taking capability from the American Printing House with a price point dramatically lower than similar devices on the market today. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Ken Perry, a blind engineer and project lead, about the device, its functions, and how they achieved this low-cost design.

1648 Blind Writing Instructor and Author (Nov. 23, 2016)

Show Notes
Emily K. Michael is a blind poet, musician, and writing instructor. Her work has appeared in many publications and focuses on creative non-fiction topics such as disability, music, education, and ecology. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with her about her work and how she has overcome challenges in employment, getting published, and working in the classroom.

1647 Updates to Android Accessibility (Nov. 16, 2016)

Show Notes
Android smart phones have become more accessible to the visually impaired. But are they as accessible as an iPhone? Is it time to reconsider? We address these questions when hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey speak with Ana Garza, also known as Access Ana, author of a new book called “Getting Started With Android” about using Android devices with TalkBack.

1646 Studying Law in India (Nov. 9, 2016)

Show Notes
Blind since birth, Rahul Bajaj is a law student who grew up in a rural village of India. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with him about some of the cultural and technical barriers faced by the blind in India. The skills and approach he developed to overcome these challenges offer an important message for others in determining their own paths to success.

1645 PEEK – the Portable Eye Examination Kit (Nov. 2, 2016)

Show Notes
PEEK, a Portable Eye Examination Kit, converts a standard smart phone into both an ophthalmoscope for examining the inside of the human eye and a visual acuity tester. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey speak with founder and director Dr. Andrew Bastawrous and lead software developer Richard Evans about how the PEEK system works and is being deployed.

1644 Currency Identification (Oct. 26, 2016)

Show Notes
Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey speak with Leonard Olijar, director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing about current features to make US currency easier for visually impaired people to identify it, as well as their plans to make it easier still. We’ll also discuss their smart phone app and free hardware device that can identify US currency for you.

1643 Traveling Solo (Oct. 19, 2016)

Show Notes
Imagine traveling the world alone for months at a time if you were totally blind and partially deaf. This week, hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Tony Giles who has done exactly that. We’ll learn how he prepares for and manages his trips and also talk to him about some of the adventures recounted in his new book, “Seeing the Americas My Way”.

1642 BrailleNote Touch Tablet (Oct. 12, 2016)

Show Notes
The BrailleNote Touch combines an Android-based tablet with a Braille display and detachable Braille keyboard to form a powerful note taker. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey speak with Greg Stilson, Blindness Products Manager from HumanWare about this new device and how it has been enhanced with the KeySoft experience. We’ll also hear a demo of the device in action.

1641 Delivering Independence with White Canes (Oct. 5, 2016)

Show Notes
A simple white cane can be a remarkable gift in some parts of the world. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey speak with Beverly Crook about her travels around the world delivering canes to blind people in underserved rural areas, often giving them their first taste of independence. Learn about how the Global Cane Outreach program has grown and some of its successes.

1640 Tips and Tricks for Your Computer or Mobile Device (Sep. 28, 2016)

Show Notes
The “Technical Tips and Tricks” show which aired earlier this year received a lot of positive feedback. So, back by popular demand is another episode dedicated to a variety of tips aimed at making it easier to interact with your smart phone and mobile device. Hosts Peter and Nancy Torpey demo creative ways of interacting with SIRI, controlling Pandora, and more.

1639 Behind the Scenes at TopTechTidbits (Sep. 21, 2016)

Show Notes
Keep up with the latest in technology and other items of interest to the blind and visually impaired by subscribing to “TopTechTidbits”, a free weekly e-mail newsletter. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey speak with Dean Martineau, originator and editor of this reliable and helpful resource, about its history and what goes into creating it each week.

1638 Comcast Innovations in Accessible TV (Sep. 14, 2016)

Show Notes
Many visually impaired people have experienced the frustrations of operating cable TV or searching for a movie. If you’re a Comcast customer, however, your problems are solved! Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Tom Wlodkowski, Vice President of Accessibility at Comcast, about their solutions that provide the blind with almost complete access to all functions.

1637 Waitressing in the Dark (Sep. 7, 2016)

Show Notes
“Dining in the dark” restaurants have opened in many countries. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey speak with Christine Malec, author and massage therapist, about the 2 years she spent as a blind waitress in a totally dark restaurant. She describes the dining and serving experience when the tables are turned and what she learned both about herself and about her customers.

1636 Commitment to Accessibility in Apple products (Aug. 31, 2016)

Show Notes
Apple has been a leader in accessibility with all of its products. This week hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey take a look inside Apple and talk with Sarah Herrlinger, Senior Manager for Global Accessibility Policy, about Apple’s commitment to accessibility and about a number of new and exciting features coming soon that are geared to the visually impaired.

1635 Mushroom FM Radio (Aug. 24, 2016)

Show Notes
Mushroom FM Radio is a globally available internet station completely run by blind individuals. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey speak with Jonathan Mosen, founder, director and weekly DJ, about Mushroom FM (“the home of the fun guys”), how this streaming service got started, and how to listen anywhere any time. Also learn how you too can participate.

1634 Microsoft Disability Answer Desk (Aug. 17, 2016)

Show Notes
Microsoft offers a special service by which disabled individuals can obtain free personalized technical help with Microsoft products. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Neil Barnett, leader of the Disability Answer Desk, about that program and other resources and services they offer to the visually impaired using screen readers or other adaptive technologies.

1633 Learning to be an Entrepreneur (Aug. 10, 2016)

Show Notes
There is more to know about running or starting your own business than at first may be apparent. There may also be pitfalls of which you are not aware. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Colleen Wunderlich, Director, Hadley Forsythe Center for Employment and Entrepreneurship about Hadley’s training resources geared to help you become a successful entrepreneur.

1632 Employment Considerations for the Blind (Aug. 3, 2016)

Show Notes
Interested in a job? Then read Bonnie Mosen’s new book, “It’s Off To Work We Go – Tools and Techniques for the Successful Job Hunt”, a guidebook for blind and visually impaired job seekers and job holders. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Bonnie about many aspects of the employment process with a focus on what is special for blind individuals.

1631 Project BLAID Navigation Device (Jul. 27, 2016)

Show Notes
Toyota’s mission is to provide people with mobility solutions that are not limited to cars and trucks. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey speak with Doug Moore, the head developer on the BLAID project within Toyota’s Partner Robot group, about a device under development that uses computer vision to help the visually impaired navigate large indoor spaces.

1630 Cardiologist Turned Into Low Vision Specialist (Jul. 20, 2016)

Show Notes
Dr. Joe Fontenot was a practicing cardiologist when his vision began to fail. Now he is the Medical Director of Community Services for Vision Rehabilitation in Mobile, Alabama which he founded. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with him about his remarkable journey and how he not only overcame personal challenges but also went on to help many others.

1629 Accessibility Initiatives at IBM (Jul. 13, 2016)

Show Notes
IBM shares its accessibility expertise with the wider community in order to improve accessibility for all. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Erich Manser and Drew LaHart of IBM’s accessibility team about their Quick Guide for developers, their plan for making many of their tools and resources open source, and their commitment to accessibility.

1628 Listening to and Recording Audio (Jul. 9, 2016)

Show Notes
Audio plays an important role in how visually impaired people perceive and interpret the surrounding world. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey speak with Neal Ewers, founder and head of Ravenswood Productions, about what makes a quality audio recording. Hear recommendations of tools and techniques for recording, producing, and appreciating audio material.

1627 Apple Watch for Blind Users (Jun. 29, 2016)

Show Notes
This week hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Matthew Carello, a trainer with Fedora Outlier LLC, about the Apple Watch and how it can be used by people who are blind. We’ll learn about the basic functions of the watch, hear it in action, and see how it might become part of your daily routine. We’ll also learn about the services offered by Fedora Outlier LLC.

1626 Services from the AFB (Jun. 22, 2016)

Show Notes
The American Foundation for the Blind offers a broad range of services and resources aimed at helping people with vision loss in the areas of education, employment, daily living, and much more. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with George Abbott, director of the AFB’s Press and Professional Development Department, about some of these useful programs.

1625 KNFB Reader App Update (Jun. 15, 2016)

Show Notes
The KNFB Reader app running on your smart phone can be easily used to snap pictures of printed material such as books, letters, menus, etc. and have them instantly read back to you. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Joel Zimba, Reading Innovation Project Manager at the National Federation of the Blind, about the app and some of its functionality.

1624 Computer Camp for Blind Youth (Jun. 8, 2016)

Show Notes
Computers are very accessible to the visually impaired. Moreover, those with a knowledge of computers and computer programming are highly desired in today’s work force. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Cheryl Cumings and Rich Caloggero about a computer camp for blind youth they are organizing to motivate students and introduce them to these skills.

1623 Reflections on the College Experience (Jun. 1, 2016)

Show Notes
Rebecca is a visually impaired student who has shared her educational journey with our listeners in several previous episodes. She first talked with us as a junior in high school. Now hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with her about how she views her college experience in retrospect and considerations for attending graduate school and obtaining a PhD.

1622 Improved Accessibility of Amazon Products (May 25, 2016)

Show Notes
New features being introduced into Amazon’s Kindle readers and Fire tablets will now make these devices readily accessible to the visually impaired. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Peter Korn, accessibility architect at Amazon, about the work that went into developing an enhanced user interface and how it has improved accessibility of these products.

1621 Evolution of Screen Readers (May 18, 2016)

Show Notes
This week, hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Peter Korn who traces the evolution of screen reader technology from the early text-based systems to today’s modern graphical interfaces. Korn, who has been a major contributor to the development of screen readers for many years, describes how a screen reader works and what challenges had to be overcome.

1620 The Vision-quest Experience (May 11, 2016)

Show Notes
Maribel Steel is an Australian writer and motivational speaker who is also blind. She designed the Vision-quest program which pairs blind and sighted people in a day of shared exploration to experience sites in their community. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with her about Vision-quest and her role as an international peer advisor for AFB’s VisionAware.

1619 AudioScreen for NVDA (May 4, 2016)

Show Notes
The AudioScreen add-on for NVDA is based on concepts from the vOICe technology discussed in last week’s show. This week hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Mick Curran, co-lead developer of the NVDA screen reader, about how this add-on that he developed can be used to help the blind “see” maps, colors, and more. Mick also demos AudioScreen in action.

1618 the vOICe – Seeing With Sound (Apr. 27, 2016)

Show Notes
The vOICe technology is a general approach for “seeing with sound”. It uses visual input from a web cam or PC display that is converted to audio output. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey speak with Pranav Lal about the technology and how it can be used to visualize data and provide the blind with a representation of the world around them.

1617 Blind Marathoner and Celebrity Guide (Apr. 20, 2016)

Show Notes
Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey speak with Erich Manser, a blind accessibility engineer at IBM, and Peter Sagal, host of NPR’s “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me” about their experiences running the Boston Marathon together. They talk about how they got together, the special trust required to run as partners, and what happens when things don’t go quite as planned.

1616 Tandem Bicycle Racing (Apr. 13, 2016)

Show Notes
This week hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Matt King about the thrill and excitement of competitive racing on a tandem bicycle. Matt set a world speed record, participated in three Paralympics, and underwent an intense training regimen. He describes these experiences and what it feels like to be going over 45 MPH around turns banked at more than 45 degrees!

1615 Accessibility of Facebook Products (Apr. 6, 2016)

Show Notes
Do you struggle using Facebook with a screen reader? Matt King, a member of the Accessibility Engineering Team at Facebook, describes many tips and hotkeys for using Facebook more efficiently. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey also talk with him about an exciting new feature launching this week to help make photos more accessible to people with vision loss.

1614 Research on Sonification (Mar. 30, 2016)

Show Notes
Sonification can be used to provide auditory feedback to help the visually impaired explore data, meters, diagrams and more. This week hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Tony Stockman, Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary College of the University of London and President of the International Community for Auditory Display about his research in sonification techniques.

1612 Blind Active Duty Police Officer – part 1 (Mar. 16, 2016)

Show Notes
Marlon Parieaho was working as a policeman when he lost his vision. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with him about how he successfully navigated the transition, learned to accommodate to his new situation, and how it impacted his relationship with his colleagues. Next week we’ll hear his thoughts about blindness and what being blind means to him.

1611 Cataract Surgery in Developing Countries (Mar. 9, 2016)

Show Notes
Untreated cataracts are by far the leading cause of blindness throughout the world. Yet this is a treatable condition. This week, hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Jacob Mohan Thazhathu, President and CEO of Help Me See, about how this problem can be solved with a low-cost and high-quality solution aimed at restoring sight to millions of people.

1610 NFB-Newsline Mobile App for iOS Devices (Mar. 2, 2016)

Have ready access to local and national newspapers, magazines, weather alerts, retail ads, TV listings and more with the NFB-Newsline Mobile app. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Scott White, director of sponsored technology programs for the National Federation of the Blind, about what is new in this recently updated app and how it can be used.

1609 Services for Preparing Your Taxes (Feb. 24, 2016)

Show Notes
Did you know that there are organizations that will help you prepare your tax return at no cost and that the IRS has accessible forms and publications if you want to prepare your own return? This week hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Darryl Eaton of the IRS about these and other services that can assist the visually impaired, and demonstrate the IRS2Go app.

1608 The Blind Cook (Feb. 17, 2016)

Show Notes
Christine Ha, who calls herself “The Blind Cook”, developed her cooking skills after her vision failed. She is a winner of MasterChef, author of a NY Times bestselling cookbook and host of 4-Senses on AMI. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey speak with her about cooking blind and her pointers for success and safety for blind home cooks.

1607 Matching Blind Runners and Sighted Guides (Feb. 10, 2016)

Show Notes
If you enjoy running outdoors but your vision loss makes it unsafe to do so alone, now there’s an easy way you can find somebody to guide you. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey speak with Kyle Robidoux from United In Stride which maintains an on-line database of blind or visually impaired runners and volunteer sighted guides all over North America.

1606 Audio Exercise Programs (Feb. 3, 2016)

Show Notes
Keeping fit is important for both mental and physical health. This week hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Mel Scott and Lisa Salinger from BlindAlive about their audio exercise programs geared specifically to those who are visually impaired. With described exercise programs ranging from beginner to advance, BlindAlive offers something for everyone.

1605 Technical Tips and Tricks (Jan. 27, 2016)

Show Notes
This week hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey share some helpful hints they use to perform common tasks. You’ll hear some surprising things SIRI can do. You’ll also learn how to more easily control the playback of audio on YouTube with some handy keyboard shortcuts, automatically download audio from YouTube for later playback, how to make on-line shopping easier and more!