AT Banter Podcast

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 Websitehttps://destinyisdebatable.com/
Buy It On Amazonhttps://www.amazon.com/Destiny-Debatable-Memoir-Meningitis-Losing/dp/B0GJWV134N
Buy It On Google Bookshttps://books.google.ca/books/about/Destiny_Is_Debatable.html?id=l4HG0QEACAAJ&redir_esc=y
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 on almost any piece of Assistive Technology, while also providing parts and batteries. Visit them online at www.chaostechnicalservices.com or call 778-847-6840.

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 Blindhttps://ccbnational.net/shaggy/
AEBChttps://www.blindcanadians.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 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 on almost any piece of Assistive Technology, while also providing parts and batteries. Visit them online at www.chaostechnicalservices.com or call 778-847-6840.

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
Ambutechhttps://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 1-844-795-8324 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 on almost any piece of Assistive Technology, while also providing parts and batteries. Visit them online at www.chaostechnicalservices.com or call 778-847-6840.

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 Dothttps://www.ces.tech/ces-innovation-awards/2026/nemonic-dot/
.lumenhttps://www.dotlumen.com/glasses
Naqihttps://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 Services offers service and support on almost any piece of Assistive Technology, while also providing parts and batteries. Visit them online at www.chaostechnicalservices.com or call 778-847-6840.

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 Canadahttps://www.soccability.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 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 on almost any piece of Assistive Technology, while also providing parts and batteries. Visit them online at www.chaostechnicalservices.com or call 778-847-6840.

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 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 on almost any piece of Assistive Technology, while also providing parts and batteries. Visit them online at www.chaostechnicalservices.com or call 778-847-6840.

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.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 on almost any piece of Assistive Technology, while also providing parts and batteries. Visit them online at www.chaostechnicalservices.com or call 778-847-6840.

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 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 on almost any piece of Assistive Technology, while also providing parts and batteries. Visit them online at www.chaostechnicalservices.com or call 778-847-6840.

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, Vancouver.
Need repairs on your device? Chaos Technical Services offers service and support on almost any piece of Assistive Technology, while also providing parts and batteries. Visit them online at www.chaostechnicalservices.com or call 778-847-6840.

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 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 on almost any piece of Assistive Technology, while also providing parts and batteries. Visit them online at www.chaostechnicalservices.com or call 778-847-6840.