At Banter Podcast

Rick, Rob, Steve and Rick once again assemble virtually in the Anti-Gloom Zoom Room to welcome Tyson Rettie, recently diagnosed with Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, to the show. Tyson gives us an overview of what it’s been like since diagnosis and how his vision loss has impacted his passion, back country skiing.    Show Notes IBM’s new open-source tool helps developers make their apps more accessible https://thenextweb.com/high-contrast/2020/05/18/ibms-new-open-source-tool-helps-developers-make-their-apps-more-accessible/ 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-

Can you believe it’s been 4 years of this?? Rob, Ryan, Steve, and Rick all band together in the Anti-Gloom Zoom Room to celebrate the podcast’s 4th Anniversary and announce some show news as well as some actual news before .. well, we won’t spoil it.   Show Notes Disabled Ontarians are being denied access to assisted devices during the pandemic https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2020/05/12/disabled-ontarians-are-being-denied-access-to-assisted-devices-during-the-pandemic.html Current and ex-employees allege Google drastically rolled back diversity and inclusion programs https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/current-ex-employees-allege-google-drastically-rolled-back-diversity-inclusion-n1206181 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

Rob and Steve welcome their first official guest into the Anti-Gloom Zoom Room this week! Shawn Marsolais, Founder and Executive Director of Blind Beginnings, joins them to discuss how the organization has adjusted its programs in response to the COVID-19 crisis and the implications going forward. Show Notes Blind Beginnings http://www.blindbeginnings.ca “Changing Our World” Blind Beginnings Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3HLS_Jv2oQ 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.

Quarantine has may be taking its toll on the boys as they gather together in our Anti-Gloom Zoom Room to record a marathon session of bad jokes in order to fight back against all the bad news that many of us are bombarded with on a daily basis. Enjoy this special episode of silliness as we prepare for getting things back to normal for next week’s show! 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.

Well it’s another week and most of us here on the planet are still in some level of stay at home or lock down. COVID-19 is all most people are still talking about and that includes many advocate and members of the Disability Community. Rick, Rob, and Steve discuss several of the latest news stories about how COVID-19 is impacting the community and postulate on what might happen once things return to normal. But on the upside, we give away a hockey jersey. Show Notes We’re Proving Remote Work Is Possible. That’s Good News for People with Disabilities https://thetyee.ca/News/2020/04/09/Remote-Work-and-Disability/ The coronavirus crisis proves reasonable workplace accessibility has been possible all along https://qz.com/work/1830548/coronavirus-is-making-the-workplace-more-accessible/ COVID-19's isolated world is the norm for people with disabilities https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/covid-19-isolation-disabilities/ Concerns being raised about Ontarians with disabilities during COVID-19 https://www.kitc

Rob, Steve, and Rick may be the last people on the planet that anyone should take advice on maintaining their sanity, but they come together remotely to do their best all the same. The virus has us all shut in and isolating, which can be even more of a challenge for people with disabilities. This week the boys step through some ideas of what to do in order to maintain a positive attitude and sanity while at home and share some of their own strategies and stories. Show Notes Accessibyte Platform Free https://www.accessibyte.com/stay-safe JAWS Screen Reader Free https://www.freedomscientific.com/ Supernova Screen Reader Free https://yourdolphin.com/en-gb/news?id=480 Lynda Online Courses https://www.lynda.com/ Blind Alive https://www.blindalive.com/ Who’s Zooming Who https://canasstech.com/blogs/news/whos-zooming-who Zoom Online Meeting https://zoom.us/ AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 year

We may be in the middle of a global pandemic, and Ryan is taking a hiatus, but the show must go on! Rob, Steve and Rick discuss the announcement of some new forthcoming braille devices from Orbit research before launching into an extended conversation about what is on everyone’s mind these days – the impact of the Covid-19 virus and some of the ways it is impacting communities. Show Notes Orbit Research Announces a Trio of New Braille Products https://www.blindbargains.com/bargains.php?m=21591 CORVID-19 Virus - What do Older Adults and People with Disabilities Need to Know? https://acl.gov/COVID-19 CORVID-19 Restrictions Put Extra Burden on Blind Community https://abcnews.go.com/Health/coronavirus-restrictions-put-extra-burden-blind-community-experts 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. Ne

This week we get a lesson about the USA’s disability legislation, the Americans with Disabilities Act, from Jessica Sanders and Christine Sket from Braille Works. We discuss everything from the scope of the Act itself to the Domino’s Pizza court case that went before the Supreme Court last year, as well as what it means for Accessibility going forward.   Show Notes ADA Website https://www.ada.gov/ BrailleWorks https://brailleworks.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.

We are back from a brief hiatus this week and once again gather in the Guitar Dungeon to talk with Jeff Godfrey from Y4U Technologies along with beta tester Brian Bibeault about their new Indoor Navigation app, Accessibuild.   Show Notes Accessibuild Website https://accessibuild.ca/ Accessibuild App for iOS https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/accessibuild/id1487709203 Shameless Plug – Canute 360 https://canasstech.com/products/canute-360-pre-order 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.

It’s an exciting show this week as Rob and Ryan welcome Eric Damery, Vice President of Software Management at Vispero, makers of the ever popular JAWS Screen Reading Software.  We wax nostalgic about the computing landscape of the 90s and discuss what it was like developing a screen reader during that period and how it compares to the current development cycle before discussing what the future holds for JAWS. Show Notes JAWS Screen Reader https://www.freedomscientific.com/products/software/jaws/ JAWS Support and Training https://www.freedomscientific.com/training/ 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.c

Ryan gets bit by the travel bug and we learn that Geography is not Rob’s best subject as we welcome Karthik Kannan from Envision back into the Guitar Dungeon to talk about their new forthcoming product, Envision Glasses.   Show Notes Envision Glasses https://www.letsenvision.com/glasses Envision App https://www.letsenvision.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.

It’s the first News show of the new year! Today Rob, Ryan and Steve rant about a few new stories that are near and dear to their hearts including taxi cabs, Web Accessibility, and the future of haptic devices.   Show Notes Vancouver taxi companies stop subsidizing drivers of accessible vehicles, cite ride-hailing competition https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-taxi-association-drops-incentives-for-driving-taking-wheelchair-accessible-vehicles-1.5444541 One Year to Countdown to Web Accessibility Begins in Ontario https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/the-one-year-countdown-to-web-accessibility-begins-in-ontario-807926582.html Accessibee Aims to Get People With Disabilities Online by 2025 https://www.information-age.com/accessibe-internet-accessible-2025-123487156/ UPMC is First to Implant Wireless Retinal Device in the US https://coolblindtech.com/upmc-is-first-to-implant-wireless-retinal-device-in-the-u-s/ AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sale

Well, after 182 episodes, the unthinkable has finally happened: Rob has fallen ill enough to miss the show! Will our intrepid co-hosts, Ryan and Steve, be able to pick up the slack and stop giggling long enough to welcome clothing entrepreneurs Bradford and Bryan Manning to the show? Find out in this week’s exciting episode of AT Banter!   Show Notes Two Blind Brothers Website https://twoblindbrothers.com/ Two Blind Brothers Facebook https://www.facebook.com/twoblindbros/ 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.

This week we welcome back Quentin Christensen from NDVA into the Guitar Dungeon to talk about all the new features of the free screen reader and discuss the state of screen readers overall. Somewhere in there we also find the time to discuss a few new products from CES and obscure 80s movie references. Jam packed show! Show Notes Get NVDA https://www.nvaccess.org/ Relaxed Theatre Performances https://theconversation.com/how-a-radical-form-of-accessibility-is-pushing-the-boundaries-of-theatre-performance-125797 OrCam Hear Demonstration https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKlyrvB4mMs The Warriors Movie Clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRM2YcGpmxg 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 Assist

It’s the first show of a new decade and we begin 2020 with perhaps the greatest show we’ve ever produced. Just kidding, we once again fly by the seat of our pants and welcome the father-daughter team of Rick and Nicole Chant from Chaos Technical Services into the Guitar Dungeon. We discuss the Holidays, New Year’s Resolutions, what we think the AT trends in the coming year might be, and a variety of other silly topics. If you were going to miss one show this year, this might be the one to pick! Show Notes This Belt Helps People with Vision Loss Navigate Objects https://coolblindtech.com/this-belt-helps-people-with-vision-loss-navigate-objects/ 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

It's that time again! The stockings are all hung in the Guitar Dungeon, and the tequila is all poured with care! Rick from Chaos Technical Services joins us for our Annual Christmas episode where we reminisce about holiday shows past, talk some Christmas controversies, play some trivia, and exchange presents! Pour some eggnog and pull up a chair to the fire and join us for the last show of the year! Merry Christmas and a very Happy Holiday Season to all!  

It’s our last regular show of the year! This week we welcome Liam Smith from Bristol Braille, makers of the forthcoming Braille e-reader the Canute 360. We get the latest updates on the status of the first production run as well as finding out what the development process has been like and what makes this new Braille device special. Show Notes Bristol Braille http://www.bristolbraille.co.uk/ Pre-Order the Canute 360 https://canasstech.com/products/canute-360-pre-order 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.

It’s another guerilla podcast as Rob and Ryan deal with a last minute guest cancellation and discuss a few news stories instead. Then, to Ryan’s delight, Rob turns the mics on him for an in-depth personal interview about his Blindness and his path into the Assistive Technology industry. Show Notes Translink to Upgrade Transit System for the Visually Impaired https://globalnews.ca/news/6264724/translink-to-spend-7m-to-upgrade-transit-system-for-the-visually-impaired/ Target expands Aira service for blind and low-vision customers https://www.supermarketnews.com/issues-trends/target-expands-aira-service-blind-and-low-vision-customers 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, w

Ever wonder why the person in the next cubicle over never shakes anybody’s hand? We may have the answer for you as we dive into the very important topic of invisible disabilities and talk with Jess Stainbrook, Executive Director at the Invisible Disabilities Association. Show Notes Invisible Disabilities Association https://invisibledisabilities.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 778-847-6840.

This week on a very special AT Banter, the boys hold their own version of Listener Appreciation Day and welcome long time listener Beth aka Snow Bunny into the Guitar Dungeon for a bit of a stream-of-consciousness discussion which covers everything from the future of Assistive Technology to Smart Devices and privacy and everything in between. Oh, and Ryan gets fired. Show Notes New Smart Cane Aims to Integrate Blind People More into Daily Life https://interestingengineering.com/video/new-smart-cane-aims-to-integrate-blind-people-more-into-daily-life Bronwyn Berg put spikes on her wheelchair to deter people from grabbing it without consent https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-friday-edition-1.5333703/disability-advocate-says-justaskdontgrab-highlights-how-often-strangers-help-without-consent-1.5324427 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 onl