At Banter Podcast

When it comes to this week’s show, we’ve got some good news, and we have some bad news. First the good news … THERE IS NO BAD NEWS (unless your name is Pepe and you're a skunk)! That’s right, it’s been about a year since we had our last “Good News Show”, so we decided to do it again this year since we are still in desperate need of plenty of sunshine, lollipops, puppy dogs, and kittens in our lives! Maria Johnson from the Girl Gone Blind Blog joins Rob, Ryan and Steve for an hour of fun, laughter, and GOOD NEWS!  Show Notes Girl Gone Blind Blog https://girlgoneblind.com/ She Beat Cancer at 10. Now She’s Set to Be the Youngest American in Space https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/22/science/spacex-hayley-arceneaux.html ‘Life-saving’ nose spray that kills 99.9% of viruses begins production in Israel https://www.timesofisrael.com/life-saving-nose-spray-that-kills-99-9-of-viruses-begins-production-in-israel/ Woman Finds Husband's ‘Secret Instagram Account' Full of Recipes He Makes for Her https://www.nbcnewyork.c

April is World Autism Awareness Month and to help celebrate and spread awareness, Rob, Ryan and Steve welcome Dominique Chabot from Autism Canada to the show. We discuss the details of what Autism is and how it manifests, the challenges that many families face when it comes to being diagnosed, and what services and programs Autism Canada provides. Show Transcript: https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/at-banter-podcast-episode-233-dominique-chabot-and-autism-canada.pdf Show Notes Autism Canada https://autismcanada.org/ 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

Rob, Steve and Ryan welcome Alanna Hendren from the Developmental Disabilities Association to the show this week to talk about the organization, its long history and the work it does throughout the Lower Mainland. The Developmental Disabilities Association is a community living agency that provides over 50 community-based programs and services to children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families in Vancouver. Show Transcript: https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/at-banter-podcast-episode-232-alanna-hendren.pdf Show Notes Developmental Disabilities Association https://www.develop.bc.ca/ CELA https://celalibrary.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. Need repairs on your device? Chaos Technical Services offers service and support on almost any piece of Assistiv

When the federal government released their 2020 Fall Economic Statement in December of 2020, it revealed its plans to withdraw the $4 million in funding that it provides to CELA (Centre for Equitable Library Access) and NNELS (National Network for Equitable Library Service) in order to provide books in alternate formats. This week we welcome Karen Mckay from CELA and Daniella Levy-Pinto from NNELS to discuss these funding cuts and the implications for Canadians who rely on the alternative book formats their organizations produce. Find out how you can help as well by visiting the CELA and NNELS websites in the show notes! Show Transcript: https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/at-banter-podcast-episode-231-restorethefunding.pdf Show Notes Centre for Equitable Library Access https://celalibrary.ca https://celalibrary.ca/advocacy#whatyoucando National Network for Equitable Library Service https://nnels.ca/ https://nnels.ca/advocate-nnels-services AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Techno

Things get off to a rocky start this episode with a cowbell malfunction, and things don’t get much better as the boys rant about accessibility problems with the US vaccine websites. Luckily, long time listener, Accessibility Specialist, and Senior Strategist at Civic Actions Mike Gifford saves the day and infuses the show with some much needed positivity about the work he’s involved in around digital accessibility and what the future may hold. Show Transcript: https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/at-banter-podcast-episode-230-mike-gifford.pdf Show Notes Civic Actions https://civicactions.com/ Covid Vaccine Websites Violate Disability Laws https://khn.org/news/article/covid-vaccine-websites-violate-disability-laws-create-inequity-for-the-blind 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. Nee

Talk Description to Me is an exciting new podcast from Christine Malec and JJ Hunt where they discuss and audio describe current events and topical issues and this week they join Rob and Ryan for a spirited conversation about the show, the state of audio description and how we can innovate and expand its reach. Show Transcript: https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/at-banter-podcast-episode-229-talk-description-to-me.pdf Show Notes Talk Description to Me https://talkdescriptiontome.buzzsprout.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.

Great Scott! Drop your linen and start your grinning but whatever you do, don’t back Baby into a corner! This week we welcome Guest Host Shawn Marsolais from the Blind Beginnings Limitless Podcast to help us do something a little different in celebration of Retro Day next week (February 27th). Join Rob, Ryan, Steve, and Shawn as they don their headbands, leg warmers, and fluorescent colored shirts and they dive into a discussion about everything 80s related. Movies, world events, music, tv, and even a little about the Assistive Technology of the time – we are talking about it all! You don’t want to miss this totally tubular and gnarly episode! Show Transcript: https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/at-banter-podcast-episode-228-back-to-the-80s.pdf Show Notes Retro Day https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-retro-day-february-27 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 expe

The boys are all together again as Steve returns to the show after a bit of an absence, just in time to get geeky with a rousing discussion about the used Assistive Technology market before welcoming Matt Campbell and Pneuma Solutions CEO Mike Calvo to the Anti-Gloom Zoom Room to talk about some exciting new features of Scribe, their digital document remediation product. And if that isn’t enough for one show, we also announce an exciting new idea for a show later in the month! You don’t want to miss this show! Show Transcript: https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/at-banter-podcast-episode-227-calvo-returns.pdf Show Notes Pneuma Solutions https://pneumasolutions.com Scribe For Meetings https://scribeformeetings.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?

Rob and Ryan are thrilled this week to be joined by local author Jessica Wegrzynowski and her care aid and friend Misty into the Anti-Gloom Zoom Room to talk about her new book, My Spring Fling: Young Love and Living Life to the Fullest. Jessica discusses how the book came about, some of the challenges she faced writing it, and what she hopes readers will take away from it. Show Transcript: https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/at-banter-podcast-episode-226-jessica-wegrzynowski.pdf Show Notes My Spring Fling: Young Love and Living Life to the Fullest on Amazon https://www.amazon.ca/My-Spring-Fling-Living-Fullest/dp/B08PJ1LKW2/ref=sr_1_1 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 Assistiv

White Cane Week happens every year during the first week of February and this week we welcome Canadian Council of the Blind’s President, Louise Gillis, to discuss what White Cane Week is, fill us in on all the events happening, and the CCB’s year round mandate to help support and advocate for blind and partially sighted Canadians. Show Transcript: https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/at-banter-podcast-episode-225-ccb-white-cane-week.pdf Show Notes Canadian Council of the Blind https://ccbnational.net/ Sensible Innovations https://www.sensible-innovations.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 w

These days it might seem like no news is good news, but Rob and Ryan do their best to drum up some of the latest Assistive Technology news that 2021 has to offer so far, including discussing an article about the problem of the cost of AT devices and some news about accessibility that is being built into new TVs. Show Transcript: https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/at-banter-podcast-episode-224-no-news-is-good-news.pdf Show Notes ADA Lawsuit Rates Rising https://blog.usablenet.com/a-record-breaking-year-for-ada-digital-accessibility-lawsuits Disability advocates call for easier access to 'life-changing' technology https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/essential-worker-pandemic-disabilities-vision-impaired-assitive-technology-1.5852002 Samsung Makes Its 2021 TVs More Accessible https://www.cnet.com/news/samsung-makes-its-2021-tvs-more-accessible-for-people-with-vision-or-hearing-disabilities/ AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assis

It’s the first episode of 2021 and Rob and Ryan are not only well rested from the Holidays, but optimistic that 2021 is going to be a great year! After a mini- discussion about Braille in celebration of World Braille Day, the boys welcome Pramit Bhargava as the first guest of 2021 to talk about his new app, Louie, which add voice control functionality to Android based smartphones. Show Transcript: https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/podcast-episode-223_otter.ai_.pdf Show Notes Louie Voice Control https://louievoice.com/ Seeing a Slice of Southern Africa My Way: An Enlightening Journey https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08RWLRC2F/ 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 Technolo

It's that time of year again, and time for our annual episode where we discuss all things Christmas and the Holidays! It's a little bit different this year and a departure from our originally planned Christmas episode (thanks a lot 2020), but we pushed through technical difficulties to bring you a little Yuletide audio cheer. Thank you to all our listeners and guests for your support over the year and we will see you in 2021!

It’s a momentous occasion in the Guitar Dungeon this week as Ryan flies solo and spreads his wings as he interviews Marc Arneson, Director of Brand Development/ Community Learning at Hadley, one of the longest running and largest educators of Braille and related subjects for blind or partially sighted individuals in North America. Show Notes Hadley https://hadley.edu/ B.C.'s COVID-19 income and disability assistance top-up will soon be cut in half https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-s-covid-19-income-and-disability-assistance-top-up-will-soon-be-cut-in-half-1.5835293  Buy a Cowbell! https://canasstech.com/products/at-banter-podcast-cowbell Want to join us for our live show on Dec. 17, 2020 at 5:00pm PST? Email us at cowbell@atbanter.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 1-844-795-832

Nothing can stop us now! Rob, Ryan and Steve welcome the aptly named Unstoppable Tracy, aka Tracy Schmidt, to the Anti-Gloom Zoom Room where we learn about her background and how she gained such an enthusiastic and positive attitude and how her condition as a quadruple amputee informed it. We manage to talk about a few of her many accomplishments, but only scratch the surface of what this amazing woman has accomplished. Show Notes Unstoppable Tracy https://unstoppabletracy.com/ Listen to (Un)Stop the Story https://unstoppabletracy.com/podcast/ Want to join us for our live show on Dec. 17, 2020 at 5:00pm PST? Email us at cowbell@atbanter.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 Assistiv

Given the year that 2020 has been, it’s not surprising to think that Mental Wellness is a growing concern among many people, both at home as well as the workplace. This week Rob and Ryan welcome Megan Lawrence, Sr. Accessibility Technical Evangelist at Microsoft to discuss the topic of Mental Health and how COVID has changed the way we discuss it and how companies are participating in the conversation. Show Notes Show Transcript Want to join us for our live show on Dec. 17, 2020 at 5:00pm PST? Email us at cowbell@atbanter.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-

This week the Anti-Zoom Gloom room has a new silky smooth vocal presence as Rob, Ryan, and Steve welcome award-winning Voice-over Artist and Audio Describer Roy Samuelson to talk all about his work as an Audio Describer and advocate. Show Notes  Roy Samuelson on the Web https://roysamuelson.com/ Audio Description Discussion Group on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/AudioDescriptionDiscussion/ Audio Description Project https://www.acb.org/adp Audio Description Narrators of America https://theadna.org/ Kevin’s Way https://kevinsprocess.com/ UbiSoft Criticized for Ableist Language https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/ubisoft-says-it-will-patch-out-ableist-assassins-creed-valhalla-content-following-criticism/ 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? Chao

This week Rob and Ryan sit down with best-selling author, motivational speaker, and advocate Michael Hingson to discuss a wide range of topics around Blindness, from his experiences growing up to his early experiences in the Assistive Technology field to the importance of Braille Literacy. Show Notes ‘The Witches’ Faces Backlash From Disability Community https://deadline.com/2020/11/the-witches-backlash-disability-community-warner-bros-regrets-offence-1234608930/ Independence Science https://independencescience.com Michael Hingson https://michaelhingson.com Thunder Dog https://www.amazon.com/Thunder-Dog-Story-Triumph-Ground/dp/140020304X 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 Tec

(Rebroadcast) Three guys, a girl and a pumpkin walk into a basement .. Nope, this isn’t the start of a wildly inappropriate joke involving a gourd, it’s our Annual Halloween episode! Yes, the episode no one has been waiting for, Rob, Ryan, and Steve are joined by friend of the show Colleen Connor from BlindInspirationCast as they discuss some spooky Halloween topics as Steve attacks a defenseless pumpkin with power tools. SHOW NOTES BlindInspirationCast http://www.blindinspirationcast.com/ Audio Description 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.chaostechnicals

This week we’re sitting down with a discussion about the importance of inclusivity with President and CEO of the Vancouver International Airport, Tamara Vrooman. Tamara has been a long-time advocate for inclusive hiring practices for years and sits on the board of the Rick Hansen Foundation as well and is an active member of the President’s Group, a network of 25 BC business leaders working for more accessible and inclusive workplaces. Show Notes Microsoft’s 2020 Diversity and Inclusion Report https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2020/10/21/microsofts-2020-diversity-inclusion-report-a-commitment-to-accelerate-progress-amidst-global-change/ B.C. NDP recommits to disability legislation https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-election-ndp-disability-legislation-1.5771668 Guinness launches first alcohol-free beer https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/guinness-launches-alcohol-free-beer AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and