At Banter Podcast

This week the gang sits down with guests Diane Dubrovner and Stacy Cervenka, co-authors of the new middle-grade novel Roxie in Color. The book follows Roxie, a shy 12-year-old starting at a new school who’s trying to keep one big secret under wraps: both of her parents are blind. The story explores real issues faced by the blind community, all told through the lens of Stacy’s real-life lived experience. Join us as we learn about the book’s origins, what the long distance co-authoring experience was like, and why representation, lived experience, and not lecturing kids are at the core of their storytelling.  Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/at-banter-podcast-episode-461-roxie-in-color.pdf Show Notes Roxie in Color on Amazon https://www.amazon.ca/Roxie-Color-Diane-Debrovner/dp/1536246603 Roxie in Color Audiobook on Audible https://www.audible.ca/pd/Roxie-in-Color-Audiobook/B0GNR5DSXF AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and tra

This week Rob, Ryan, and Lis kick things off with failed catchphrases, and Lis’ mysterious “voodoo diet” before welcoming guest Shanell Matos, community manager at Right Hear. Shanell explains why Right Hear is an orientation app rather than a navigation app, how Bluetooth beacons and powerful markers give blind and low-vision users rich information about their surroundings without bossy turn-by-turn directions, and how the system is being used in places like stadiums, hospitals, museums, universities, restaurants, and more.  Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/at-banter-podcast-episode-460-shanell-matos.pdf Show Notes Right Hear https://www.right-hear.com/ AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years of knowledge and experience. Visit them online at www.canasstech.com or call toll-free 1-844-795-8324 or visit their Assistive Technology Showroom at 106 – 828 West 8t

This week, the AT Banter crew is very much in the house – basement, man cave, and all – as we welcome Matthew Reeves, a legally blind psychotherapist, rehab counselor, and host of the Insight Out podcast. Diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease at 12, Matthew is a a therapist focused on helping people live well with vision loss, disability, chronic illness, and chronic pain. Now he’s using both his training and his lived experience to support a community that often feels isolated and underserved. If you or someone you love is navigating vision loss, this conversation is honest, validating, and quietly hopeful. It doesn’t sugarcoat the hard parts, but it also makes space for the possibility that, like Kintsugi, we can come back together different, but stronger and more valuable than before. Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/at-banter-podcast-episode-459-matthew-reeves.pdf Show Notes Insight Out Podcast https://www.insightoutpod.com/ AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian As

In this “Generations Part Two” episode of AT Banter, Rob and Ryan welcome back Clement Chou, Albert Ruel, Betty Nobel, and Russell Leung for a lively, thoughtful – and often very funny – conversation about the generation gap in the blindness community. Together they tackle big questions like what can older and younger blind people genuinely learn from each other, and how do we move from talking about intergenerational connection to actually getting people in the same room. From ideas like mixed‑generation potlucks and food‑centric meetups, to honest talk about advocacy burnout, mental health, resilience, and learning to step outside your comfort zone, this episode is both warm and hopeful. By the end, there’s a real sense that something new could emerge – regular in‑person gatherings, new community spaces, maybe even a Part Three in this series. Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/at-banter-podcast-episode-458-bridging-the-generation-gap-part-2.pdf   AT Banter is brought

In this episode of AT Banter, Rob, Ryan, and Steve shake off an early-morning, post–long weekend haze (fueled by espresso) to welcome Simon Kitchen, Chief Commercial Officer at Dolphin Computer Access. Dolphin is celebrating 40 years in assistive technology, and Simon joins the crew to dig into how the company has evolved from hardware speech synthesizers in the pre-Windows days to today’s powerful, AI-enhanced software suite. Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/podcast-episode-457-supernova.pdf Show Notes Find out more about Dolphin Computer Access https://yourdolphin.com/ AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years of knowledge and experience. Visit them online at www.canasstech.com or call toll-free 1-844-795-8324 or visit their Assistive Technology Showroom at 106 – 828 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver. Need repairs on your device? Chaos Technical Services offers ser

In this episode of AT Banter, the gang welcomes Lynn Jensen, Registered Nurse, longtime Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist, and author of ‘Best Kept Secrets for Travelers With Sight Loss’. If you’ve ever thought, “Travel is stressful and airports are chaos”—and that’s before adding sight loss into the mix—this episode is packed with concrete tips, great stories, lots of laughs, not to mention a little 80s TV singalong. Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/at-banter-podcast-episode-456-traveling-with-lynn-jensen.pdf Show Notes Lynn’s Book in Multiple Formats at: www.blindtraveltips.com AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years of knowledge and experience. Visit them online at www.canasstech.com or call toll-free 1-844-795-8324 or visit their Assistive Technology Showroom at 106 – 828 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver. Need repairs on your device? Chaos Technical S

This week Rob, Ryan, and Lis dive into the fast-evolving world of AI and accessibility as they are joined by Andrew Gillies, founder and CEO of Guide, an AI-powered assistant for Windows that helps blind and low-vision users navigate inaccessible apps and interfaces. Instead of replacing screen readers, Guide works alongside them, stepping in when buttons aren’t labeled, controls can’t be reached, or a UI just refuses to cooperate. Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/at-banter-podcast-episode-455-guide.pdf Show Notes Guide https://www.guideinteraction.com/ AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years of knowledge and experience. Visit them online at www.canasstech.com or call toll-free 1-844-795-8324 or visit their Assistive Technology Showroom at 106 – 828 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver. Need repairs on your device? Chaos Technical Services offers service and support o

In this episode of AT Banter, Rob, Lis, and Steve welcomes back best‑selling author and Meningitis advocate John B. Grimes, whose new memoir Destiny Is Debatable: A Memoir of Meningitis, Losing Sight, and the Love I Didn’t See Coming dives deep into survival, disability, and the messy, beautiful business of building a life afterward. John shares how bacterial meningitis took his sight and nearly his life in just days, the “war” of learning to live again through brutal rehab and invisible disabilities, and much more. Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/at-banter-podcast-episode-454-from-meningitis-to-beste28091seller-john-grimes-returns.pdf Show Notes Destiny is Debatable Website https://destinyisdebatable.com/ Buy It On Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Destiny-Debatable-Memoir-Meningitis-Losing/dp/B0GJWV134N Buy It On Google Books https://books.google.ca/books/about/Destiny_Is_Debatable.html?id=l4HG0QEACAAJ&redir_esc=y AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive T

This week Rob and Ryan dive into one of the lesser talked about challenges in the blindness and advocacy communities: the growing gap between generations. With guests Betty Nobel, Albert Ruel, Clement Chou, and Russell Leung, they explore how technology can both connect and isolate, why younger blind folks may resist joining organizations or volunteering, and how “back in my day” clashes with “you don’t understand my reality.” From the impact digital communities can have on real world social skills to nonviolent communication and just learning to listen, this honest and sometimes irreverent conversation asks what it will really take for older and younger generations of blind folks to start building community together. Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/at-banter-podcast-episode-453-bridging-the-generation-gap.pdf Show Notes AMI+ https://www.amiplus.ca/ Canadian Council of the Blind https://ccbnational.net/shaggy/ AEBC https://www.blindcanadians.ca/ AT Banter is brought

It's White Cane Week and Rob, Ryan, and Steve kick things off with some classic AT Banter chaos before welcoming Mellyssa Lyght, Senior Customer Service Rep and buyer at Ambutech, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of canes for blind and low vision users. Mellyssa takes us behind the scenes of a small but mighty Canadian company that ships canes to about 80 countries, offers millions of possible cane combinations, and still answers the phone with real humans instead of robots. Along the way, there’s talk of repairs, knockoff products, smart canes, and why people form deep emotional bonds with their canes. Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/at-banter-podcast-episode-452-ambutech.pdf Show Notes Ambutech https://ambutech.com/ AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years of knowledge and experience. Visit them online at www.canasstech.com or call toll-free 1-844-

We’re kicking off 2026 with a full house – Rob, Ryan, Steve, and Lis – diving into the weird, wonderful, and sometimes what-were-they-thinking world of CES 2026 and assistive tech trends for the year ahead. Along the way we rant about tech fatigue, too many apps, smart homes that are too smart, student‑driver self‑driving cars, and even airbag pants for seniors.   Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/at-banter-podcast-episode-451-ces.pdf Show Notes Nemonic Dot https://www.ces.tech/ces-innovation-awards/2026/nemonic-dot/ .lumen https://www.dotlumen.com/glasses Naqi https://www.naqilogix.com/ AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years of knowledge and experience. Visit them online at www.canasstech.com or call toll-free 1-844-795-8324 or visit their Assistive Technology Showroom at 106 – 828 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver. Need repairs on your device? Chaos Technical Ser

In this special crossover episode, Rob flies solo without Ryan but drafts in guest host Shawn Marsolais from Blind Beginnings and the Limitless Podcast to help explore the fast, loud, and gloriously chaotic world of blind soccer. They’re joined by Jillian Sloane, Ramya Amuthan, and coach Matt Greenwood from Canada’s Women’s National Blind Soccer Team, who share how a random Facebook post, zero organized-sport experience, and a handful of determined players led all the way to the World Championships in India. From yelling “voy” while getting hammered into the boards, to 40-degree heat, broken bones, a 17-penalty shootout, Canada’s first women’s blind-soccer goal, and a very Canadian Fair Play Award, this is a funny, honest, and inspiring look at what it takes to build a new sport and a National Team from the ground up. Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/at-banter-podcast-episode-450-voi.pdf Show Notes Soccability Canada https://www.soccability.ca/ AT Banter is brought to

Join Rob and Steve for a World Braille Day special where “bumpy paper” takes the spotlight. They’re joined by Braille champions Shawn Marsolais, Jen Jesso, and Riane LaPaire to celebrate why Braille is literacy and to ask why, in 2026, access to it is still uneven. The panel shares real‑world stories of how Braille powers education, work, and independence, and digs into both the wins and the roadblocks: creative use of Braille tech and tactile graphics, growing World Braille Day resources and library programs, but also shortages of TVIs and transcribers, funding gaps, misconceptions about how technology can replace braille, and the myth that “audio is enough.” Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/at-banter-podcast-episode-449-a-bumpy-ride.pdf Show Notes NNELS https://nnels.ca/ NNELS World Braille Day Page https://nnels.ca/wbd PRCVI https://www.prcvi.org/ Braille Literacy Canada https://www.brailleliteracycanada.ca/en AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive T

For the last AT Banter episode of the year, Rob, Ryan, Steve, and Lis reunite and compare holiday plans before being joined by Dhaval Patel of Lotus Labs, creator of the Lotus Ring—a point‑and‑click wearable that controls your home without apps, rewiring, or Wi‑Fi. Dhaval shares how a late‑night struggle to turn off a light sparked the idea, why renters, pregnant parents, people with disabilities, and Stevie Wonder himself have all influenced the design, and how “optimizing for disability first” leads to simpler, more universal tech for everyone. Happy Holidays to all our listeners and thanks for another amazing year! Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/at-banter-podcast-episode-448-one-ring-to-rule-the-smart-home.pdf Show Notes Lotus Ring https://getlotus.com/ AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years of knowledge and experience. Visit them online at www.canass

This week Rob and Ryan are excited to be joined by returning friends Kerry and Brian Kijewski from Outlook on Radio Western, along with their “BF” – Barry Toner – for a wide‑ranging, funny, and thoughtful conversation about intersectionality, the damage of pity‑based charity marketing, “hero vs. helpless” narratives, and why most people actually live somewhere in the messy middle. It’s a great hour of conversation that is part thought provoking, part empowering, and all real.   Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/at-banter-podcast-episode-447-real-talk-with-the-kijewskis-and-barry.pdf Show Notes Outlook on Radio Western https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/outlook-on-radio-western/id1527876739 Kay Consulting https://kayconsulting.ca/ AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years of knowledge and experience. Visit them online at www.canasstech.com or call toll-free

This week Rob and Ryan welcome Dr. Nordine Sebkhi and Arpan Bhavsar from Kinemo, a company shaking up the world of wearable assistive tech. Discover how their tiny, customizable sensors are giving independence a high-tech makeover, letting users control everything from power wheelchairs to computers using whatever body part moves best (eyebrows included!). Tune in for stories of epic innovation, eyebrow-raising prototypes (literally) and a peek into a future where assistive devices are as cool and inconspicuous as your favorite gadget. Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/at-banter-podcast-episode-446-kinemo.pdf Show Notes Kinemo https://kinemo.io/ AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years of knowledge and experience. Visit them online at www.canasstech.com or call toll-free 1-844-795-8324 or visit their Assistive Technology Showroom at 106 – 828 West 8th Avenue,

Curious how music, technology, and accessibility can blend together?  Lis joins Rob and Ryan this week as they welcome special guest Marshall Walters, the brains (and ears!) behind SonifEye, an innovative app that lets you actually hear the colors around you. It’s a conversation about the concept of sensory substitution and its accessibility implications along with enough jokes about wardrobe choices to fill a laundry basket. Whether you’re into tech, accessibility, or just love a fun conversation, this episode hits all the right notes! Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/at-banter-podcast-episode-445-sonifeye.pdf Show Notes SonifEye https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sonifeye/id6701998780 AppleVis Blog Post https://www.applevis.com/forum/ios-ipados/new-ios-app-sonifeye-app-hear-color-request-use-feedback AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years of knowledge and ex

Ready to get your hands on some art? In this episode of AT Banter, we’re joined by tactile graphics gurus Chancey Fleet and Marco Salsiccia, who are on a mission to prove that “drawing in the dark” is not only possible but  downright fun! Discover how blind and low vision creators are hacking the world of SVG coding, conquering “image poverty,” and using everything from 3D printers to… silicone placemats? (Spoiler: Yes, you can make tactile art with your leftover kitchen supplies.) Don’t miss this episode where we explore the joys, laughs, and occasional creative chaos of making graphics accessible to all. Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/at-banter-podcast-episode-444-getting-a-feel-for-art.pdf Show Notes BlindSVG https://blindsvg.com/ Talking Books NYPL https://www.nypl.org/locations/heiskell Dimensions: Community Tools for Making Tactile Graphics https://www.nypl.org/about/locations/heiskell/dimensions AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology,

This week Lis, Rob, and Ryan welcome Brett "The Blind Kid" Devloo to the show, a skateboarder who navigates life with raw authenticity and zero apologies. When vision loss hit at 16, Brett didn't just adapt - he redefined what's possible on a skateboard. Join us as we peel back the layers of Brett's experience, exploring how he transformed a challenging diagnosis into a dynamic personal brand and skateboarding career. From small-town Manitoba to the West Coast skate scene, Brett shares candid stories about community, adaptation, and staying true to himself. Hear about his upcoming documentary, "Blind Corners", which captures the real, unvarnished moments of his skateboarding journey - including a memorable femur-breaking incident that became part of his story. Expect genuine laughs, unexpected insights, and a conversation that “stays on the board”. Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/at-banter-podcast-episode-443-staying-on-the-board-with-brett.pdf Show Notes Brett The B

Buckle up for a wild ride with long time friend of the show Mike Calvo! He’s a tech entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and self-proclaimed 'blind visionary' who's lived a life that's part Miami Vice, part Silicon Valley! From hustling in the music scene to revolutionizing assistive technology, Mike drops truth bombs about disability, innovation, and breaking through societal barriers. Hear jaw-dropping stories of overcoming challenges, his unfiltered take on corporate inclusion, and why he believes blind people can change the world,  one breakthrough at a time. Warning: Contains strong language and powerful insights. Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/at-banter-podcast-episode-442.pdf Show Notes Mike Calvo https://www.mikecalvo.com/ Pneuma Solutions https://pneumasolutions.com/ AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years of knowledge and experience. Visit them