Access Matters

Episode Notes Season 3 Episode 2  Accessing the Summit  We're excited to be supporting The Unseen Trailblazers team, one of the extraordinary teams embarking on the Accessibility Accelerator AccessibleTogether Expedition 2025 up Mount Kilimanjaro! Fresh from this adventure, Sachin Pavithran and Conchita Hernandez talk with Access Matters about the climb. Sachin, a senior executive overseeing the U...

Episode Notes Our third season begins by delving into the impact of the “Intuit Small Business Owner” offer. Over 300 individuals, including Debra Erickson, Executive Chef and owner of The Blind Kitchen, currently benefit from this aspect of our service. Many people facing vision loss consider giving up cooking or grilling. Debra, a blind cook herself, meticulously researches and sells mainstream...

Episode Notes In this final episode of Season 2 we introduce our newest Access Network partner, Eden Park, New Zealand’s national stadium. Next we look back at our season opener as Marci Carpenter and Ron Brown talk about how blind people access sporting events. This interview first aired in March of 2024. Learn more about Eden Park at https://edenpark.co.nz Learn more about Aira at https://aira.i...

Episode Notes Earlier this year, Aira received an award from the renowned Zero Project, a globally recognized conference on accessibility. In this interview, we delve into the conference with Frances West, IBM’s inaugural Chief Accessibility Officer and the current CEO of Frances West & Co., and Florian Gutman from our Engineering Team. Additionally, CEO Troy Otillio shares his experiences wit...

Episode Notes Access Matters  Season 2 Episode 8  Team With A Vision  The Boston Marathon, one of the world’s most iconic races, is back this year, and we’ve managed to catch up with Laura Alpert about the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired’s Team with a Vision  . Running the marathon is a personal journey for many, and Ellen Goldberg, a 15-time Team with a Vision member...

Episode Notes Access Matters  Season 2 Episode 7  Access as Synergy with Matt Ater Synergy is defined when elements combine with a result that is better than the some of their parts. In this episode meet Matt Ater, Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing for Vispero, makers of the JAWS, ZoomText and Fusion screen access programs. You may not have realized that Vispero and Aira have a v...

Episode Notes In this episode of "Access Matters," host Jeanine Stanley talks with Ron Brooks, founder of Accessible Avenue and Senior director of Policy and Stakeholder engagement with Uzurv. Ron shares his personal journey, highlighting the impact of technology like smartphones and apps on mobility for people with disabilities. He discusses the challenges and advancements in public tra...

Vision A Memoir of Justice and Blindness” is an insightful new book from retired federal court of appeals judge David Tatel. Judge Tatel talks with us about his 30-year career with the court, District of Columbia Circuit as well as his long history in the civil rights and civil justice field. How did his impending blindness shape his journey? How do the current decisions and actions of the Supreme...

Episode Notes So your organization is holding an event. Inclusivity is crucial these days but where do you start? Stephen Cutchins, Senior Manager for Accessibility at CVent, joins Jenine to talk about accessibility in event planning. CVent offers its Big Book of Event Accessibility as a place to guide the industry toward more inclusive spaces. There’s money to be made when doing so and we’ll tell...

Episode Notes Race Across America is a 3000 mile trek. Dave Wilkinson is working to become the first solo blind tandem cyclist to complete it. We’ll meet Dave and hear about how he incorporates accessibility into his life and passion for staying active and healthy as  The Speedy turtle. You can follow Dave and the Speedy Turtle team at https://speedyturtle.net . Aira is proud to sponsor Dave’s rid...

Episode Notes On April 8, 2024 the country stopped to observe a unique celestial event. Aira was excited to take part in one of the community celebrations, “Total Eclipse of the Park” in Rochester, New York. Event organizer Kiki Smith talks about offering choices about how to take in this eclipse, accessibly and inclusively.  Listen to full coverage of the event at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=...

Access Matters Season 2 Episode 1 What matters when accessing sports? Welcome to Season 2! In our first episode, Jenine talks with Marci Carpenter and Ron Brown, two sports fans who share their game day experiences. How does “access” play a role in their enjoyment of the game? Plus, learn about Aira’s newest partnership in the world of sports.  Read more about Aira and the Portland Sea Dogs: https...

Episode Notes In our previous episode we heard about county-wide access. Imagine if an entire state had a dedicated department devoted to access for people with disabilities. Theresa Montano, Senior Solutions Architect of Accessibility, and Karen Pellegrin, Senior Manager, Technology Accessibility Program, join Jenine to talk about how the state of Colorado provides services, programs and activiti...

Episode Notes Access Matters  Episode 9: Access at the County Level with Heidi Johnson  The global pandemic proved that access to local government information is crucial. In this episode Jenine takes a look at access at the county level with Heidi Johnson, ADA Coordinator for Miami-Dade County, Florida. Did you know there are 3207 counties or county equivilants in the United States, including the...

Episode Notes Access Matters Episode 8 Access at work for all Featuring Dan Frye and Joy Mistovich  In our second podcast spotlighting National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we talk with Dan Frye, Director of Employment and Professional Development with the National Federation of the Blind. Dan has held various roles in state agencies and private industry. We’ll hear his crucial points th...

Episode Notes Access Matters  Episode 7: Access in a room full of elephants with Jonathan Mosen  October marks National Disability Employment Awareness Month in the United States. That means Jenine and her guests will be talking about access in the workplace. The subject isn’t limited to the US though.   A familiar name within the blind and low vision community, Jonathan Mosen MNZM currently serve...

Episode Notes Access Matters  Episode 6: Practical Access with Anthony Corona  What causes someone to strive for greater access to the community? For Florida Council of the Blind’s Governmental Affairs Chair, Anthony Corona it comes down to listening from the human heart. This native New Yorker and former AP East Coast Entertainment Editor shares his story and how he works toward more extensive ac...

Episode Notes Access Matters  Episode 5 Access on Target with Steve Decker  “Accessibility shouldn’t just be a box you check. It should be cool.” … Steve Decker  Shopping,  whether it’s on-line or in a store, involves many factors when it comes to access. Target was one of Aira’s initial national retail partners with nearly 2000 locations and  400,000 team members throughout the US, plus their web...

Episode 4: From Acting to Accessibility Everette Bacon joins Aira as our Vice President of Blindness Initiatives. In this episode Jenine talks with him about his journey and what access means to him. We’ll also contemplate what it means to both be an actor regarding one’s disability and designing systems that don’t force people to “act”.  Everette Bacon can be reached at everette@aira.io.  Learn m...

Episode Notes Access Matters  Episode 3: Business Travel and More! Are You in? In this episode we continue to talk about travel, this time in the context of employment with Jeff Wissel, Chief Accessibility Officer with DisabilityIn. From the Disability Equality Index to the Procure Access initiative, over 450 corporations are involved with a vast range of DEI&A resources. Jenine and Jeff discu...

Episode Notes Episode 2 Accessing the Magic of Flight  In this episode Jenine talks with Michael Hingson, technology evangelist and blind traveler about his airport experiences. Then, what happens when over 3000 blind and low vision people and their families come to a city? Facilities like the Houston Airport System are ready! Jenine talks with Tambre` Moten, who leads ADA initiatives and innovati...

Episode Notes IN this first episode of Access Matters we talk with Clark Rachfal, Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs with the American Council of the Blind and Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind about just “Why does access matter.”  Resources:  American Council of the Blind, http://acb.org ACB Media, http://acbmedia.org   advocacy@acb.org  National Federat...