AT Banter Podcast

AT Banter Podcast Episode 105 - Presidents Group and CNIB

This week we serve up a double shot of accessibility! First we talk with Kirsten Sutton, Managing Director of SAP Labs Canada and member of Presidents Group, an organization that advocates for the employment of people with disabilities in the Lower Mainland. And if that isn’t enough for one show, we then talk with Len Baker, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Innovation, who fills us in on the details of CNIB’s new partnerships with Aira, BlindSquare, and Key2Access.
Show Notes
Presidents Group
http://www.accessibleemployers.ca/
CNIB Unleashes The Power of Technology to mark Global Accessibility
http://cnib.ca/en/news/Pages/CNIB-unleashes-the-power-of-technology-to-mark-Global-Accessibility-Awareness-Day.aspx
Aira
https://aira.io/
BlindSquare
http://www.blindsquare.com/
Key2Access
https://www.key2access.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.
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.

AT Banter Podcast Episode 104 - Evil Alexa

It’s the end of the month and time for our monthly free-form news show! This week we welcome Clement Chou to help talk about a host of news stories from the past few weeks in a free form discussion that, as usual, breaks out into several digressions, a few arguments, and even a celestial musical interlude.
Show Notes
Blog Article about ‘Disability Simulation’
https://blog.prototypr.io/why-i-wont-try-on-disability-to-build-empathy-in-the-design-process-and-you-should-think-twice-7086ed6202aa
Getty Images to Produce Disability Related Stock Images
https://www.oath.com/2018/05/17/oath-national-disability-leadership-alliance-and-getty-images-l/
GalaPro - The New Technology About to Revolutionize Broadway
http://www.playbill.com/article/the-new-technology-about-to-revolutionize-broadway
Apple Pushes to teach coding to students who are deaf and blind
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/talkingtech/2018/05/17/apple-pushes-teach-coding-students-who-deaf-and-blind/619269002/
New App for Android called Smart Braille
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.finki.tasevski.smartbraille
Astronomy for the Visually Impaired
https://thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu/2018/05/astrosom-making-outer-space-exciting-for-blind-people
Amazon Echo Records Couple's Conversation
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/05/25/614470096/amazon-echo-recorded-and-sent-couples-conversation-all-without-their-knowledge
Visually Impaired, in the Lower Mainland and Interested in Martial Arts Training? Contact Johnny Tai at johnnytiger@shaw.ca
Night Strike Self Defense on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/Night-Strike-Self-Defense-292623577738421/
 
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.
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.

AT Banter Podcast Episode 103 - Colleen Connor

This week we welcome fellow podcaster, motivational speaker, and YouTuber Colleen Connor into the Guitar Dungeon where she tells us about her visual impairment and experiences of being a content creator and advocate for audio description. We also find the time to discuss Microsoft’s new adaptive controller and an announcement from CNIB regarding some new partnerships.
Show Notes
Microsoft’s New Adaptive Controller
https://news.microsoft.com/stories/xbox-adaptive-controller/
CNIB Announces New Partnerships
https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/cnib-unleashes-the-power-of-technology-to-mark-global-accessibility-awareness-day-682897411.html
Blind Inspiration Cast
http://www.blindinspirationcast.com/
Blind Inspiration Cast You Tube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKHMrCSX3thkIsb3oDD_aJw/videos
Audio Description Training Retreats
http://www.adtrainingretreats.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.
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.

AT Banter Podcast Episode 102 - Google-palooza

It’s a totally Google-rific show this week as we welcome no less than 5 Google employees spanning over two interviews, talking about many different accessibility projects! On the heels of Google I/O we talk with members of the Google Accessibility Team Kyndra LaCoco, Patrick Clary, and Victor Tsaran about the conference and the announcements that were made. Then if that wasn’t enough, we chat with Rodrigo Alarcon and Nienke Vonsee about the newly announced Accessibility lessons added to the Google Primer app just in time for Global Accessibility Awareness Day. That’s a lot of Google for your money, folks!
Show Notes
Google Accessibility
google.com/accessibility
Email Google Accessibility
disability-support@google.com
BrailleBack Beta Signups
If you'd like to sign up for BrailleBack beta, you'll need to sign up to be a member of the eyes-free community and then sign up to become a beta tester
Google Accessibility Blog
google.com/accessibility/blog
Trusted Tester Program
google.com/accessibility/initiatives-research
Get Google Primer on the Web
https://www.yourprimer.com/
Get Google Primer in the App Store
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.primer
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.
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.

AT Banter Podcast Episode 101 - The Anniversary Show II

Can you believe it’s been two years and over 100 episodes? We take a break from our regular format and invite friend of the show and owner of Chaos Technical Services Rick Chant into the Guitar Dungeon where we reminisce and engage in some free form conversations. We talk about everything from the state of AI Assistants to the idea of disability as loss and everything in between, including Gibraltar monkeys. Yes, you read that right – you’ll just have to listen to see how that happens. So, break out the tequila shots and join us for this Birthday episode!
Show Notes
Sneaky Weasel Beer
https://www.balderdashbeer.com
Ford’s New Smart Window
https://interestingengineering.com/this-car-window-from-ford-allows-blind-passengers-to-feel-the-outside-view
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.
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.

AT Banter Podcast Episode 100 - Goodbye Double Digits

It’s that time of the month again! Yup, time to compile a bunch of AT-related news stories and babble somewhat coherently about them. Helping out us out this month is local Grind-Blinder and TedTalker Harjinder Saran who also gives us some background on what it was like doing a TedTalk and climbing Vancouver’s most treacherous hiking trail before lending her voice to the news.
Show Notes
Pinterest Accessibility Update
https://mashable.com/2018/04/25/pinterest-accessibility-update.amp?__twitter_impression=true
Windows 10 Update This Week
https://blogs-windows-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2018/04/27/make-the-most-of-your-time-with-the-new-windows-10-update/amp/
More Talk About Robot Dogs
https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/amp/ncna869266?__twitter_impression=true
Tech Firms Increasing Accessibility for Disabled Users
https://venturebeat.com/2018/03/16/how-tech-firms-are-increasing-accessibility-for-disabled-users/
Microsoft Experimenting with Caption Crawler
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/blog/hearing-believing-researchers-innovation-provides-richer-web-browsing-experience-people-blind/
Blind Beginnings
https://www.blindbeginnings.ca
Harjinder Saran TedTalk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-YajTp_7O4
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.
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.

AT Banter Podcast Episode 99 - Microsoft Soundscape

This week we’re thrilled to be talking with Jarnail Chudge and Amos Miller, two team members from Microsoft’s new Soundscape App for the visually impaired. They join us in the Guitar Dungeon to discuss the app’s origins, how it works, and the impact it has had on mobility experiences so far.
Show Notes
Soundscapehttps://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/product/soundscape/
Soundscape on the App Storehttps://itunes.apple.com/us/app/microsoft-soundscape/id1240320677?ls=1&mt=8
ELIA Fonthttp://www.theeliaidea.com/eliahome
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.
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.

AT Banter Podcast Episode 98 - Mark Bentz and Canadian Blind Hockey

Sharpen your skates and get your gear on -- it's time to hit the ice! This week we're talking to Mark Bentz from Canadian Blind Hockey about the organization and their efforts to grow the sport on both sides of the border into an official Paralympic Event. Sports!
Show Notes
Canadian Blind Hockeyhttp://blindicehockey.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.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.

AT Banter Podcast Episode 97 - Daniel Kish

The Guitar Dungeon is awash with excitement this week as we welcome in Daniel Kish, President of World Access for the Blind and well-known teacher of echo location. We talk to Daniel about what echo location is and what it means for the people who use it as well as its potential impact on the visually impaired community. You don’t want to miss this one (not that you’d want to miss ANY episodes, of course…)
Show NotesWorld Access for the Blindhttp://waftb.net/Visioneers.orghttp://visioneers.org/Daniel Kish Keynote Speech at ZeroCon18https://business.facebook.com/zeroproject.org/videos/1823082754398043/Excerpt from the textbook, ‘Echolocation and Flash Sonar’https://visioneers.org/media/flashsonar-textbook/
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.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.

AT Banter Podcast Episode 96 - Aimee Cayer and Autism on the Seas

We are all over the map, literally, this week as welcome Aimee Cayer from the non-profit organization ‘Autism on the Seas’ into the Guitar Dungeon. She gives an overview of the invaluable services the organization provide vacationing families with Special Needs family members and its origins before leaving the boys to talk about a host of off-topic bits, including hockey, Las Vegas, and a crazy story involving seagulls.
Show Notes
Study Reveals Blind People Imagine the Future Differently Than Sighted Peoplehttps://coolblindtech.com/study-reveals-blind-people-imagine-the-future-differently-than-sighted-people/Autism on the Seashttps://autismontheseas.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.
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.