Blind Abilities Podcast

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

Harry Cooper talks about the process and experience behind developing an audio game being designed with the Blind in mind. Harry, Jacob and Conner make up Purple Jam Limited which is creating a game called Pitch Black. And here is a segment taken from their Kick Starter page, about Purple Jam and their Pitch Black project. Purple Jam consists of three audio specialists turned game developers, upon reassessing our omnidirectional lives, we decided to gather our intellectual resources and create the game of all games; Pitch Black: A Dusklight Story. We first graced each other in September of last year, powering through Master's degrees at The University of Derby. Harry Cooper, commonly known as ‘The Mastermind’ in a flash of inspiration, had the idea of creating a binaural based audio game. Naturally, Connor and Jordan were instantly on board. Using our past experience in sound design, composition, game development and narrative construction, we combined forces to create the company that we are today. With an u

Joe Quirk lost his eyesight in a traumatic incident which no one should ever have to endure. Joe picked himself and made himself a Vetter-Man. Joe is a U.S. Navy Veteran, former electrician , published author, game creator, a son, and a friend of many. His drive is not only used on the golf course, he has a passion and a purpose and keeps moving forward. And he does it for his Blind community. Joe started Mental Vision Games and produced his first audio immersive game, Circus Master's Revenge, which is Free from the App Store! Joe has published a book just 18 months after learning how to use VoiceOver on a Mac. Joe spent 5 months at the Heinz Veterans Administration in Chicago to gain the skills and confidence to live on his own. Cooking, laundry, woodworking and technology, Joe wanted it all. Join Joe Quirk and Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities Studio for this in-depth interview on the man behind the circus tent, Joe Quirk. You can find Joe on Twitter @FQuirkIII And stay up to date with all the latest  f

Dr. Linda Gerra, Director of the Parent Support Program at Lighthouse Guild, and Parents, Maria Ceferatti and Himanshu Neema share their experiences participating in the Parent Tele-Support Network. The Lighthouse Guild has Tele-Support Networks for Teens and Parents of Blind and Visually Impaired children.  Support is a phone call away Wherever you live, there’s a community of caring parents who understand how you feel, because they’re going through the same thing. Through our National Tele-Support Network for Parents of Children with Visual Impairment, you can connect with other parents to share resources, experiences, strength, and hope. These free tele-support groups meet weekly, and are professionally moderated. Whether you choose to actively participate or just listen, you are welcome and not alone. Contact Lighthouse Guild Lighthouse Guild Parent Support Program: Lighthouse Guild Teen Support Program: Find out more about the Lighthouse Guild on the web at www.LighthouseGuild.org.  Thanks for listening!

Dr. Linda Gerra, Director of the Family Support Program at Lighthouse Guild, Daria Zawadzki, Simon Bonenfant, Matthew Cooper and Sanya Neema talk about their experiences participating on the Nationwide Lighthouse Guild Teen Support Program. You may feel like your vision loss or blindness will make your adjustment to an independent life difficult. But teenagers all over the country have gone through that same adjustment successfully, and we can help you connect with them. You will have the opportunity to talk about common social, emotional, academic and practical concerns related to having vision loss. Contact Lighthouse Guild You can find out all about the Teen Support Program on the web at Lighthouse Guild Teen Support Program,and all that the Lighthouse Guild has to offer at www.LighthouseGuild.org. Thanks for listening! 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 o

Full Transcript Show Summary: Business Relations Specialist, Pam Gowan, has worked at State Services for over 45 years and with retirement just around the corner. Lisa larges, Outreach Coordinater at SSB, sat down with Pam to talk about Pam’s history at SSB and walk through the process a customer/client would experience or expect when a counselor enlist the services of an employment specialist such as Pam Gowan. With October being National Disability Employment Awareness month, we thought Pam would be the one who could best talk about preparing for the workforce and Pam does a great job. Not only working with individuals to help them with the job search and application process, Pam works with businesses and employers to educate them about the possibilities and abilities of the Blind and Visually Impaired. Pam has seen a lot of changes evolve over her 45 year career and shares with us some memorable moments. She also gives us some great tips and suggestions for job seeking and putting your best self forward. C

Stephanie Jones joined Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities Studio to let us all no about Menus4ALL. A web based database of over 50,000 menus from over 12,000 cities across the states. Accessibility is as accessible as your screen reader on your smart phone, tablet or computer. If you use a refreshable braille device, then you are all set. Menus4ALL is ready anytime and anywhere. From having heading navigation and categorical price ranges, one can actually just take a glance at the Menus4ALL menus or dig in deep and find out the full details of the Seafood Platter or what is in that Mystery Burger. Check out Menus4ALL on the web and see what’s on the menus in your area. Follow Menus4ALL on Facebook and stay up to date with the latest from the Menus4ALL team. Contact Menus4ALL by email at sales@menus4all.com Thanks for listening. 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 

Full Transcript Show Summary: Dr. Amit Patel is  a proud father, a speaker, motivator and becoming an advocate for the Blind. After suddenly losing his eyesight six years ago, Amit was devastated and within 6 months he started to take charge of his situation and get on with the life he wanted. He learned how to use the cane, read Braille, use assistive technology to gain back his independence. He did not want to be a burden on others and wanted to face the World and the challenges ahead of him. Amit missed driving and with a bit of chance and a desire to drive, he was soon sitting behind the wheel of a Toyota GT86 and navigating a racetrack. Yes, #StartYourImpossible. Dr. Amit Patel may be using his doctoring skills when his kids get an owie and maybe address his possibilities of returning as a doctor in a few years. Amit is a happy father, husband, son and welcomes every day as he has accepted his blindness realizing that he can do anything he puts his mind to. Join Dr. Amit Patel and Jeff Thompson in the Bl

The day was filled with excitement as people gathered in the Rotunda of the State Capital in Saint Paul, Minnesota. We heard speeches about the history of White Cane Safety Awareness Day. Individual experiences about the White Cane and voices from across the entire Blindness field and community. Check out how we celebrate White Cane Safety Awareness Day and hear all the voices and passions being shared by one another. This is one of our favorite celebrations. We are bringing awareness in Minnesota!  Here are some links to find out more about Blind, Inc. and Minnesota State Academy for the Blind. Contact Your State Services If you reside in Minnesota, and you would like to know more about Transition Services from State Services contact Transition Coordinator Sheila Koenig by email or contact her via phone at 651-539-2361. To find your State Services in your State you can go to www.AFB.org and search the directory for your agency. Contact: Thank you for listening! You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities On

Rachel Carver was born blind and has used alternative techniques and assistive technology from the get-go. Rachel graduated from High School and attended college before starting her career at Outlook Business Solutions. It was not always a smooth ride and Rachel is here to talk about how she succeeded and lets us know what she would have done differently knowing what she knows now. As the public relations specialist and spokesperson for Outlook Nebraska, the parent company of Outlook Business Solutions, Rachel leads Outlook Nebraska’s public policy efforts, meeting with state and federal officials at home and in Washington, DC. She handles newsletters, website communication and media relations for Outlook Nebraska, as well as managing tours and special events for the organization. Join Rachel Carver and Jeff Thompson as they journey back to Rachel transitioning from high school to college and the workplace. You can find out more about Rachel Carver on the OBS web site.  Thanks for listening! ***** Contact You

Rachel Carver is the Public Relations Senior Specialist at Outlook Business Solutions. Rachel joins Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities studio to talk about National Disability Employment Awareness Month and the capabilities of the visually impaired in the workforce. Outlook Business Solutions is a sister company to Outlook Nebraska, the state’s largest employer of the blind. Outlook Business Solutions offers full-time and freelance work opportunities to the visually impaired in knowledge-based jobs in the areas of marketing, customer care, writing and public relations. Rachel leads Outlook Nebraska’s public policy efforts, meeting with state and federal officials at home and in Washington, DC.  Rachel is the first Blind person in the United States to earn the accreditation in public relations certification.  Join Rachel as she talks about her Career and Outlook Business Solutions and how they are creating opportunities and solutions for the Visually Impaired and the workforce. Be sure to check out part 2 of

Joshua “The Jedi” Loya is a professional adventurer, martial artist, U.S. Visually Impaired Surfing Champion 2017 and 2019 and public speaker. He lost his eyesight due to a prior health condition and an accident with nunchucks when he was a sophomore in high school. Since that day in January of 1996, Joshua has pursued personal growth and new experiences, never using his disability as an excuse for not giving it his all. Joshua has gone surfing, rock climbing, sky diving, and jumped off of 850 foot buildings, all after losing his sight. When I was finalizing this podcast episode, I was chatting with Joshua and he was headed out to do Stand-Up comedy, so let’s add comedian to his lengthy resume. Joshua competed in this year’s U.S. Open Surfing competition and took home 2nd place in the Visually Impaired category. When Joshua is not catching waves, he is most likely teaching and/or studying martial arts at various locations. Seems like every day is an adventure for “The Jedi”. Join Joshua “The Jedi” Loya and Je

Focus on Fitness is a new series of basic exercises you can do in your house, in the dorm or during a short break. Using the natural surrounding without having to find the right equipment, the best gym or the perfect time to do a little workout. Focus on Fitness is all about doing it when you can and hey, why not? Maria Johnson, aka Girl Gone Blind, joins Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities Studio to Focus on Fitness and how you can incorporate little nuggets of exercise without throwing your schedule off and being able to work out within your own time and space. In this introductory episode of Focus on Fitness, Maria introduces us to the Plank. This is a full core exercise and is something you can build upon over time. Take your time and feel the entire body come together to keep that plank position steady and strong. Start with 10 seconds, drop to the knees, it all counts. Stay tuned for some more Focus on Fitness episodes and if you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to let us know. You can find

iPhone101, your guide to the iPhone Operating system. iOS13 introduces the ability to change the VoiceOver gestures and assign an action to a particular gesture.. This is done in the Settings under Accessibility, VoiceOver and then down to Commands. We will then go into the Touch Gestures. Settings Accessibility Voiceover Commands Touch gestures Choose a Gesture Choose a Command The commands are grouped by the type of gesture: and with the toggle setting set on headings, you can  swipe through the headings for the  gesture groups. 1 finger, 2 finger, 3 finger and so on. If there is an action for the gesture, that will be announced. If no announcement, then that gesture is free for assigning an action. In this demonstration we will add a command/action to the  2 finger quadruple tap That is, using 2 fingers and tapping 4 times on the screen. You will notice the vast amount of commands/actions available and there groupings You can really get overwhelmed with the numerous options available and so I suggest and

Brian and Jeff are in the studio all alone and unlucky 13 gets a good going over. From Beta to the real deal, strike 2 for Apple is just hitting the corner of the plate. Lucky for the new strike zone, this pitch from Apple has the umpires across the World all chiming in. Bad iOS, Love it, Hate it, and you know what? It’s Ok. Join Brian and Jeff as they give their thoughts about the latest operating system for the iPhones. And honestly, remember that your experience with your device and how you interact with the features may be totally different from ours or others. My advice, dive in to the new iOS13.1 and explore. Experience is the best teacher.  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.BlindAbilities.com Send us an email Get the Free Blind Abilities App on the App Store. Get the Free blind Abili

The new feature QuickPath, better known as, Slide to Type, is a way of typing that uses probability to come up with the word you want to write by monitoring your keyboard interaction and giving you audible feedback of possible words. That is, if you have VoiceOver on. First we will make sure this feature is turned on in settings. Here are the settings for Slide to Type: Go to the Settings icon and do a single-finger double tap to open the settings page. Swipe down with a single-finger from left to right on the screen and single-finger double tap when you arrive on General. Swipe down again until you arrive on Keyboard and single-finger double tap. Swipe down from left to right until you land on Swipe to Type. Upon hearing on or off, you can single-finger double tap to toggle between having this feature turned on or off. You can also change the way the cursor triggers Slide to Type while interacting with the keyboard. You can change the time in settings in the Accessibility section of settings: Go to Settin

White Cane Safety Awareness Day is held at the Capital of Minnesota in Saint Paul. Teachers of the blind and visually impaired, students, counselors, parents, representatives, senators and Blind and Visually Impaired people from all across Minnesota gather in the Rotunda where their voices can be heard before they start out on the White Cane Safety Awareness Day walk. The reading of the governor’s proclamation  declaring October 15, 2019 as White Cane Safety Awareness Day. Voices from  our leaders from the Blindness Community and politicians as well. The day starts in the State Capital and then heads out for a walk through the streets of Saint Paul bringing awareness to the public and friendships amongst the attendees. Join us at the Capital in Saint Paul, October 15, 2019, beginning at 10 AM and wrapping up around 1 PM.  If you have any questions you can contact Michell Gip by email or by phone at 612-872-0100 ext. 231. You can register on-line at www.BlindInc.org/White-Cane-Day-2019 . ***** Contact Your Sta

That Blind Tech Show got together and with all of us busy, busy, busy we gathered in the Orchard to pick some apples. However, my dear listeners, was there really much for the picking? There were a couple of low hanging fruit and some elusive ones that never showed up. We decided to slice up the apples and add some filler and make some apple crisp. Yes, the crumbley kind at that. With iOS 13 ready to play with your accessibility, or maybe not, Apple already has thrown out a bone to us by letting everyone know when iOS 13.1 will be out. Sept. 29 so they say. What’s up Apple? From Apple Card, Apple Pay, Carrier prices and Apple trade ins, we manage to squeeze in some fantasy right away, Fantasy Football that is.  But hey, Arcade is all about games right? Accessible Games? Hmmm. We don’t go all nutso over the Apple pickings but we give our experience and views on the latest blossoms from the big old Apple tree. With a bit of love and laugh, Serina, Brian and Jeff bob for apples and whatever else comes out of the

AudioWizards is the brand new Audio Game from myTrueSound. Awesome audio and 3D sounds and most of all, totally inclusive. Yes, even the sighted can play Audio Wizards and believe the developers, they may want to close their eyes! David Oliva, Jani Nevaranta and Aleksi Turunen joined Jeff in the Blind Abilities studio after the Audio Wizards dropped into the App Store and the Google Play Store. The myTrueSound team were excited about the initial response from the Blind Community and wanted to talk about all the effort and passion that the team and many others put into the development of AudioWizards. Learn how the audio game came about and all the people involved in the realization of this exciting new and unique audio experience.  Get AudioWizards on the App Store. Get AudioWizards on the Google Play Store. myTrueSound  on the web. Price:  5,49€ / 4,99$ ​ Contact by email: audiowizards@mytruesound.com Follow myTrueSound on Twitter And keep up to date with myTrueSound on  Facebook ***** Contact Your State Ser

Blind Abilities Teen correspondent Simon Bonenfant sat down with Comcast Vice President of Accessibility at the Comcast Accessibility Lab. Tom and Simon demonstrate some of the latest features added to the Xfinity X! Box and remote control. Tom walks us through  Voice Guidance accessible commands and menus along with demoing the ability to access HBO, Netflix and YouTube all with voice commands and button navigation if you so desire. Check out our previous podcast with Tom and Simonhaving a conversation about Tom’s accessibility journey and his pathway to his present position as Vice President of Accessibility at Comcast.  Here is how you can contact Comcast Xfinity: Comcast Accessibility Line 1-855-270-0379 Between 8 AM and Midnight 7 days a week. Email at Accessibility@Comcast.com And check out the Comcast Accessibility page on the web. ***** 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 Sh