AccessWorld

In this week’s episode of AccessWorld , Aaron and Tony create their own bracket for the top ten assistive tech tools that have had the greatest impact on expanding independence for people who are blind or have low vision. It’s a fitting tribute in the days leading up to our own nation’s 250th anniversary of independence this weekend, and we hope you will enjoy. Feel free to leave a comment on what...

Welcome back to AccessWorld, a podcast on digital inclusion and accessibility. We've been gone for a couple of weeks as we kick off summer in the heat with a hot new product from Perkins. This week, Tony and Aaron are welcome Kim Charlson and Meghan Gagne of Perkins. Kim is executive director of the renown Perkins Library and Meghan is the director of products for braille innovation. Together, the...

Welcome back to another episode of AccessWorld, a podcast on digital inclusion and accessibility. In this week's episode, AFB's Aaron and Tony wish everyone a happy Global Accessibility awareness Day (#GAAD), and take a look back at how accessibility has changed over the past 15 years. They then dive into a deeper conversation around the prevalence of isolation for people with disabilities, recogn...

Welcome back to another episode of the AccessWorld podcast, a podcast on digital inclusion and accessibility from the American Foundation for the blind (AFB). In this episode, Tony and Aaron unpack the power of AI after Tony’s frustrations with taxi and ride share denials on his way back from the Helen Keller Achievement Awards. They steer their way into the potential behind autonomous vehicles an...

Welcome back to AccessWorld, a podcast on digital inclusion and accessibility. In this week’s episode, Aaron flies solo, but isn’t alone as he welcomes back Lee Huffman from APH. Lee breaks down some of the exciting new low vision products and discusses ways blind and low vision consumers can get involved and have their voices heard. Check out the below links for more details. Interested in being...

In this episode of AccessWorld , Tony and Aaron catch up after CSUN, where Aaron presented on accessible video gaming and had a chance to hit the exhibit floor. From AI to smart glasses, they breakdown some of the exciting tech launching this year and look forward to what’s on the horizon. AccessWorld is a production of the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB). An extension of AccessWorld Magaz...

In this episode of Accessworld , a podcast on digital inclusion and accessibility, Aaron and Tony talk with the research team at AFB’s Public Policy and Research Institute on their latest round of research found in the new report released this week: “ The AI Quagmire: Benefits, Risks, and Aspirations of AI Through a Disability Lens. ” You can access the report at: www.afb.org/AIResearch2 . AccessW...

Welcome back to another episode of AccessWorld , a podcast on digital inclusion and accessibility. This week co-host and AccessWorld Magazine editor-in-chief Aaron Preece gives a preview of his presentation he’ll give this week at the annual CSUN conference in Anaheim, California. The presentation builds off a post Aaron published last October where he reviewed the Wicked Quest video game . The pr...

In this episode of AccessWorld , Aaron and Tony break down the latest issue of AccessWorld magazine, which dropped on Feb. 24th. It’s Low Vision Awareness Month, and this issue has a number of articles on Google’s low vision accessibility updates. Aaron also wrote an article on a new accessible RPG game and gives a sneak peek into his upcoming presentation slated for the annual CSUN conference in...

In this episode of AccessWorld , Tony and Aaron sit down for a conversation with Jamie Dean, senior corporate counsel on Microsoft’s accessibility team. For over a decade, Microsoft has lead the way toward innovating exciting advancements in assistive technology and digital accessibility. Joining Microsoft in 2021, Jamie shares what lead him to Microsoft after 12 years in private practice as an at...

Welcome back to another episode of AccessWorld, a podcast on digital inclusion and accessibility. In this episode, host Tony Stephens sits down with Matt Ater, senior vice-president for Vispero , a global leader in access technology and digital accessibility. This episode is also cross-posted on the AFB Possibilities podcast for this month, where listeners can also hear in-depth interviews from a...

This episode is a repost from episode #14 and is an interview with AW founder Deborah Kendrick. As we wrap up our 25th anniversary celebration of AccessWorld Magazine, we wanted to repost this special episode where Deborah shares the creation of AW. And if you're trying to spend those holiday gift cards, check out Deborah's annual gift guide in our most recent issue. Visitors can also walk down me...

In this episode of the AccessWorld podcast, hosts Tony and Aaron catch up with Ayan Kishore at the recent AFB Leadership Conference. Ayan is president and CEO of Benetech, a leader in accessible media for people with disabilities. Providers for the popular BookShare service, Ayan shares what's new for Benetech in 2026. Be sure to like and subscribe to Accessworld via your favorite podcast app and...

In this episode of the AW Podcast, Aaron and Tony give a preview of the upcoming AFB Leadership Conference in November. They also look at all the activity taking place this October as we celebrate Blindness Awareness Month, which includes International White Cane Day on October. 15th, and National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). The AccessWorld podcast is an extension of AccessWorld...

In this month’s episode of AccessWorld , a podcast on digital inclusion and accessibility, Aaron and Tony kick it old school by reflecting on the impact of one of the first real breakthroughs in mobility and independence, the guide dog.  September is Guide Dog Awareness Month, and while these friendly furry helpers are more organic than robotic, the same spirit and undercurrent around mobility and...

In this episode of AccessWorld, we look back at 35 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Aaron shares what it was like growing up only knowing about the ADA, while Tony reminisces on what life was like before the landmark legislation for people with disabilities became law. They talk about how the law made our physical world more accessible, and what’s had to happen since then to cha...

Welcome to another episode of AccessWorld , a podcast on digital inclusion and accessibility. In this month’s episode, Aaron offers an overview of the ViewPoint app for navigating inaccessible content. They also break down their frustrations with accessible solutions for hotel elevators, questioning how reasonable existing accommodations are for travelers who have their patience tested whenever co...

Welcome back to another episode of AccessWorld , a podcast on digital inclusion and accessibility. In this episode, Aaron and Tony get geared up for summer, grabbing their sunglasses and getting ready to hit the water. Needless to say, access in outdoor recreation is a theme for this month’s episode, from navigating independently on the water as Tony reflects on his years of accessible sailing, to...

Welcome back to another episode of AccessWorld, a podcast on digital inclusion and accessibility. As we prepare to celebrate Global Accessibility awareness day, we thought it would be great to look into the future of accessibility, welcoming our special guest to the podcast Gemini, Google’s AI platform , whcih gives us a glimpse into the power AI has toward making the world around us more accessib...

In this month’s episode of the AccessWorld podcast, Aaron and Tony talk with Dr. Joshua Miele, who shares his life’s journey and work making the world more accessible for people with disabilities. A MacArthur Fellow and design scholar, Dr. Miele has played a key role in designing some of the leading  breakthroughs in digital inclusion over the past three decades.  Last month, Dr. Miele published h...

Welcome back to another episode of AccessWorld , a podcast on digital inclusion and accessibility. In this episode, we welcome AFB's chief public policy and research officer Stephanie Enyart and director of research Dr. Arielle Silverman, who share the latest study from AFB's Public Policy and Research Institute on the pros and cons of AI for people with disabilities. The study drew consensus from...

Welcome back to another episode of AccessWorld , a podcast on digital inclusion and accessibility. On this episode, we have a chance to connect with Ayelit Winer and Brianna Burrows from T-Mobile’s accessibility team. Eyelet and Brianna share the strong growth of accessibility within the corporate culture of T-Mobile in recent years and their work launching Magenta A11y , an open source platform f...

Happy New Year AccessWorld Fans, and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to AccessWorld Magazine , which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. In this special episode, Aaron and Tony put down their eggnog, stoke the fireplace, and reminisce on all the milestones that drove digital inclusion and accessibility in 2024.      AccessWorld is a podcast on digital inclusion and accessibility. A production of the...

Thanks for checking out AccessWorld , a podcast on digital inclusion and accessibility. In this episode, we get ready for the season of giving with AccessWorld's annual gift giving guide. And we're excited that our guest sharing this year's guide is none other than AccessWorld founder Deborah Kendrick. Deborah gives us the gift of hearing first hand AccessWorld's origin story, and we get a sneak-p...

Welcome back to another episode of the AccessWorld podcast, a production of the American Foundation for the blind . We’ve been on break the past month taking care of some housekeeping. Some of that work was moving to a new podcast hosting platform. After hitting our one-year milestone for the podcast, we wanted to move to a new hosting platform that would allow us a bit more flexibility. AFB is no...