At Banter Podcast

Rob, Ryan, and Steve rise early once again in order to welcome Peter Tucic, Director of Strategic Partnerships for HumanWare to the show to talk about their innovative new multipurpose, multiline, tactile electronic Braille device, The Monarch. They discuss what makes The Monarch unique, the new technology that drives the device, and its potential to revolutionize the education space for students who are Braille users. Show Transcript https://atbanter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/at-banter-podcast-episode-390-meet-the-monarch.pdf Show Notes HumanWare https://www.humanware.com/en-canada/home More Information on the Monarch https://www.humanware.com/en-canada/monarch 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 r

Rob, Ryan, Steve, and Lis gather together for a full house this week to welcome author LK Bowen to talk about her debut novel, “For Worse”. They discuss the novel’s origins, how the choice was made to make the protagonist share LK’s eye condition of retinitis pigmentosa, and the importance of representation and agency in literature and media.    Show Transcript https://atbanter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/at-banter-podcast-episode-389-lk-bowen-and-for-worse.pdf Show Notes LK Bowen Online https://www.authorlkbowen.com/ Buy “For Worse” on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Worse-L-K-Bowen/dp/B0CL5D2YG3 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 sup

Summer is in full swing so it seems only fitting that this week’s episode is all about heading to Camp! Join us as Rob, Ryan and Lis welcome Alex Jurgenson and Matthew Alvarnez from the Camp Bowen Division of the Canadian Organization of the Blind and DeafBlind. They discuss Camp Bowen’s history as a longtime venue for campers who are blind or partially sighted, its current line-up of Summer Camps and Programs, and what makes the Bowen Island location ideal for its attendees, staff, and volunteers. Show Transcript https://atbanter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/at-banter-podcast-episode-388-camp-bowen.pdf Show Notes Camp Bowen https://campbowen.ca/ Canadian Organization of the Blind and DeafBlind https://cobd.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 a

This week Rob and Ryan welcome Martijn van der Spek, app developer and founder of Sparkling Apps to the podcast to talk about his new revolutionary image and video description app, PiccyBot. They explore the latest developments in AI-powered speech recognition and description, highlighting their potential to revolutionize descriptions by offering personalized, conversational, and human-like interactions and how features such as customizable settings, natural-sounding descriptions, and improved accessibility for individuals with disabilities can be key benefits of the AI revolution. Show Transcript https://atbanter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/at-banter-podcast-episode-387-martijn-van-der-spek-piccybot.pdf Show Notes Sparkling Apps https://sparklingapps.com/ PiccyBot on iOS https://apps.apple.com/us/app/piccybot/id6476859317 PiccyBot on Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sparklingapps.piccybot AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training i

Ryan and Rob turn on the mics on a Friday night for one of the biggest and most chaotic episodes ever as they welcome Terrin, Josselyn, LaKisha, and Carina from the “Babies Down Bottles Up” Podcast! They talk about the origins of the podcast and the challenges and importance of balancing authenticity and advocacy, their own lived experiences of being Moms who are blind or partially sighted, and much more. It’s an episode full of laughs that you don’t want to miss! Show Transcript https://atbanter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/at-banter-podcast-episode-386-babies-down-bottles-up.pdf Show Notes Babies Down Bottles Up on Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/babies-down-bottles-up/id1531015317 Babies Down Bottles Up on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/4XQleCpiodkxziCTSnE344 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

Steve, Rob, Lis and Ryan dive into a bit of hockey talk this week before welcoming disability advocate and blogger Jody Yarborough to the show to discuss her blog, “Love Disabled Life”. They discuss a wide variety of topics including the importance of being vocal and taking action when it comes to self advocacy to the challenges of accessibility and inclusion.   Show Transcript https://atbanter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/at-banter-podcast-episode-385-jody-yarborough.pdf Show Notes Love Disabled Life https://www.lovedisabledlife.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

It’s a very special episode this week as Keisha Anderson, co-host from the Blind Beginnings Podcast joins Rob and Ryan to welcome Lina Coral and Juna Gjata, hosts of the Blind Girl Chat podcast to the show.  They discuss the show and its origins before diving into a discussion about everything from disability representation in media to misconceptions that many sighted people have about blindness. Show Transcript https://atbanter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/at-banter-podcast-episode-384-lina-coral-and-juna-gjata.pdf Show Notes Listen to Blind Girl Chat Apple Podcast : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blind-girl-chat/id1737027522 On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5vj03K1bty02RT2r59qRT2 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

This week Rob, Ryan, and Lis welcome MLA for North Vancouver – Seymour and Parliamentary Secretary for Accessibility Susie Chant to talk about the BC Accessibility Act and the recent call for draft recommendations from the public regarding the development of accessibility standards. They talk about BC’s accessibility legislation and its importance and highlight the work that is currently being done to improve the lives of BC residents with disabilities. Show Transcript https://atbanter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/at-banter-podcast-episode-383-susie-chant.pdf Show Notes Take the BC Accessibility Standards Questionnaire https://engage.gov.bc.ca/govtogetherbc/engagement/accessible-bc-standards/ 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 Wes

Close your eyes and imagine in you mind, a green apple, sitting against a white background. What do you see? If the answer is nothing, then this week’s episode might be for you! Rob, Ryan, Lis and Steve welcome Anthony Gutierrez to the show to discuss Aphantasia, a condition he shares with 3% of the global population that is characterized by the inability to build mental images. It’s a fascination discussion about this fairly new condition that you won’t want to miss! Show Transcript https://atbanter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/at-banter-podcast-episode-382-anthony-gutierrez-aphantasia.pdf Show Notes Aphantasia Network https://aphantasia.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 devi

It was with great sadness that we here at AT Banter learned that Brooke Ellison, an incredible advocate and champion of disability rights for many years, passed away at the age of 45 on February 4, 2024. We were blessed here at the show to have been able to chat with her back in June of last year, and even though our time with her was limited, she made an indelible impression on all of us. We have wanted to pay tribute to Brooke for awhile now, but the truth is we were unsure on how to best do that. Being a collection of 4 podcasting numbskulls with a silly little show in one corner of the podcast world, we felt like nothing we could do or say would do her legacy justice or communicate the huge impact she left on ourselves and the people who knew her. We decided that perhaps the best way that we could pay tribute to her and spread her message to those who may have missed it would be to re-broadcast our interview with her. We had so much fun with her that afternoon, laughing and joking about making her an hono

This week Rob, Ryan, and Lis sit down to talk with Elizabeth Lalonde, advocate and founder of the Pacific Training Centre for the Blind, located in Victoria, BC. They discuss the origins of the Centre and its unique service model which includes a “non-custodial” approach to training in which blind teachers train blind students, before diving into a lively conversation regarding the importance of more training options for visually impaired Canadians. Show Transcript https://atbanter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/at-banter-podcast-episode-381-elizabeth-lalonde-pacific-training-centre.pdf Show Notes Pacific Training Centre for the Blind https://pacifictrainingcentre.ca/ Pacific Training Centre for the Blind on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091941198664 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, Ryan and Steve welcome Rabiah Dhaliwal, youth mental health activist, humanitarian, advocate and founder of Voice for Hope Foundation to the show to discuss her work in reducing the stigma around mental health and increasing access to mental health services, disability rights and inclusion, and the new Touchscapes Art Exhibit which brings accessible art to the public to highlight the importance of universal design. Show Transcript https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2024/05/at-banter-podcast-episode-380-rabiah-dhaliwal-and-voices-for-hope-foundation.pdf Show Notes Voices For Hope Foundation https://www.voicesforhopefoundation.ca/ Touchscapes  Exhibition https://www.nafvan.com/touchscapes-exhibition 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

Rob, Ryan, Lis, and Steve get geeky about accessibility and nachos as they welcome back Tanner Gers to the show. In the years since Tanner last visited, he founded a company called AccessAbility Officer, which provides provides accessibility audits, technical accessibility certifications, and disability employment services. We discuss the growing demand for digital accessibility testing and certification and how it has the potential to provide a new career path for job seekers with disabilities.  Show Transcript https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2024/05/at-banter-podcast-episode-379-tanner-gers-and-accessability-officer.pdf Show Notes AccessAbility Officer https://accessabilityofficer.com/ Tanner Gers – AT Banter Episode 235 https://atbanter.com/2021/04/13/at-banter-episode-235-tanner-gers/ Tanner Gers LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/tannergers/ AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years

AT Banter heads to the movies this week as Rob, Steve, Ryan, and Lis welcome blogger, YouTuber and movie reviewer John Stark, also known as Mac The Movie Guy. They discuss John’s vision journey, what made him position himself as a visually impaired movie reviewer, and the importance of high quality audio description before diving into a spirited discussion of some favorite movies and what he's looking forward to during the summer movie season. Show Transcript https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2024/05/at-banter-podcast-episode-378-john-stark-aka-mac-the-movie-guy.pdf Show Notes Mac The Movie Guy Online https://macthemovieguy.com/ Mac The Movie Guy on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT8prgdVvLZW44eyY2roewQ 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 Showro

Excitement and the smell of coffee is in the air this week as the gang gathers together (at 8am on a Monday morning no less) to welcome Casey Greer and Cassandra Mendez from the Rare With Flair podcast. They discuss the origins of the podcast, the importance of sharing their lived experiences with others with rare diseases,  share their insights into their podcasting journey, and talk about the impact the show has had in their lives. Show Transcript https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/at-banter-podcast-episode-377-casey-greer-and-cassandra-mendez.pdf Show Notes Rare With Flair https://rarewithflair.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 offer

This week Ryan, Steve, and Rob welcome Tom Frank and Christine Chaikin from the Council of Citizens with Low Vision International. CCLVI provides support, resources, education, and advocacy for those who are impacted by low vision and visual impairment. Tom and Christine tell us about CCLVI's origins, how it provides support, resources, and education to its membership and what advocacy looks like for the organization. Show Transcript https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/at-banter-podcast-episode-376-council-of-citizens-with-low-vision-international.pdf Show Notes CCLVI Website http://www.cclvi.org Resource book and entertainment https://cclvi.info/ltlv/book-resources/ Resources in different categories https://cclvi.info/resources/ Join CCLVI http://www.cclvi.org/join https://cclvi.org/join/member-form/ https://cclvi.org/join/pay2022 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

The air is buzzing with assistive technology excitement and geekery as Steve makes his triumphant return to the show in time to walk us through his report of all the things he saw at CSUN, the annual assistive technology conference in California. His list includes a host of cool new products, from lasers to new braille technology, wearables, artificial intelligence, and a few surprises thrown in for good measure! Show Transcript https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/at-banter-podcast-episode-375-csun-2024-round-up.pdf Show Notes Low Vision International https://lviamerica.com/ Zoomax https://www.zoomaxusa.com/ EuroBraille https://www.eurobraille.com/ Trysight https://trysight.com/ QD Laser https://www.qdlaser.com/en/ Irie-AT https://irie-at.com/ Envision AI https://www.letsenvision.com/ Paige Braille https://paigebraille.com/ Audible Sight https://www.audiblesight.ai/ Paige Braille https://lviamerica.com/ Rebokeh https://rebokeh.com/ Orbit Research http://www.orbitresearch.com/ HIMS http

Love, exciting and new. Come aboard, we’re expecting you. No, we aren’t talking about love on a boat this week, we are talking love on a roll! Come join Rob, Ryan and Lis as they welcome podcaster and accessibility advocate Garrett Mayersohn to the show to talk about his podcast, Love On A Roll. We discuss dating with a disability, why he started the podcast, and how the push for inclusion and diversity has changed the dating environment (and how it hasn’t). It’s a fascinating discussion, filled with dating tips and surprises galore! You won’t want to miss this one! Show Transcript https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2024/04/at-banter-podcast-episode-373-garrett-mayersohn-and-love-on-a-roll.pdf Show Notes Love On A Roll – on Apple Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/love-on-a-roll/id1524091310 Love On A Roll – on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/01SvVeb90zYJgR9nYWoSRg?si=rT7IxSgqTR2ouzOnmgc1gQ&nd=1&dlsi=07d6455c8f724dcf AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology,

This week Colleen Connor returns for Part 2 of last week’s epic discussion of Audio Description including a scintillating discussion about describing “sensitive material” that made Ryan and Lis giggle and that you won’t want to miss! Show Transcript https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/at-banter-podcast-episode-373-colleen-connor-returns-part-2.pdf Show Notes Blind Inspiration Cast https://www.blindinspirationcast.com/ Audio Description Training Retreats https://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 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

This episode Rob and Ryan feel old as they realize that it’s been 5 years since they have had this week’s guest on the show. Making her triumphant return to the podcast is Colleen Connor, director and co-founder of Audio Description Training Retreats and fellow podcaster at Blind Inspiration Cast. We catch up with her to see what is new after 5 years before diving into an inside look at Audio Description so epic that we had to break it into two parts! Show Transcript https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/at-banter-podcast-episode-372-colleen-connor-returns-part-1.pdf Show Notes Blind InspirationCast https://www.blindinspirationcast.com/ Audio Description Training Retreats https://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 or visit their Assistive Technology Showr