AT Banter Podcast

Will there be Braille in the Matrix? Jonathan Avila, Chief Accessibility Officer of Level Access joins the Banter Boys this week to discuss accessibility within Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality platforms. We discuss the efforts to encourage developers of these platforms to ensure these new spaces are accessible as well as some of the potential these platforms hold for people with disabilities...

We’re back after a week away!  Rob explains why, Ryan explains his new phone choice (brace yourself, this will shock you), and the boys catch up with a few pieces of news before welcoming Fernando Albertorio from Sunu to the show where he gives a full update on some of the Sunu Band mobility aid’s new firmware features. Show Notes Hockey Players with Assistive Devices Barred from Ont Tournaments h...

It's White Cane Week and to help kick off celebrations, we welcome Louise Gillis, President of The Canadian Council of the Blind to talk to us about the organization, its history, mandate, and the support that it provides to the visually impaired community. Show Notes Bus Riders With Disabilities Should Have Access to Reserved Spaces https://www.therecord.com/opinion-story/9138967-bus-riders-with-...

This week in the Guitar Dungeon, Rob, Ryan, and Steve cover a few pieces of news before they welcome Ted Drake, Accessibility Leader for Intuit Software where they discuss the accessibility efforts of the company and the state of assistive technology and how it’s evolved over the last 15 years. Show Notes 92 Year Old Beaten On Transit https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/92-year-old-beaten-usin...

This week in the Guitar Dungeon, Rob, Ryan, and Steve welcome Dr. Chad Andrews, Manager of Research and Education from the Foundation Fighting Blindness  to give them an update of some of the more recent advancements in the research surrounding the battle against visual impairments. But first they lose a few brain cells talking about a recent bird-brained online challenge and some of the more sign...

Steve makes his return to the Guitar Dungeon and joins Rob and Ryan in welcoming Tom Perski, Vice President at IrisVision, who discusses the challenges and advantages in developing a wearable Low Vision headset built on mainstream technology. Show Notes IrisVision https://irisvision.com/ AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technol...

It’s the first show of 2019 as Rob and Ryan return to the Guitar Dungeon for the first time since the break. The boys briefly catch up with some news about a Kickstarted Brailler label maker and printer called Vrailler before getting their banter on with Sabrina Kemeny, CEO and Co-Founder of Tap Systems, makers of the Tap wearable Bluetooth Keyboard. Show Notes Vrailler Kickstarter https://www.kic...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year … and time for us to take an hour and crack the seal on some Christmas cheer reflect on the year that has passed. Rob, Rick, Steve, and Ryan pass around the Pumpkin Spice Bailey’s as they discuss a few of the AT trends of the past year before exchanging some presents and sharing some Christmas cheer. Merry Christmas to all! Show Notes Amazon Echo Silver Edi...

This week Ryan and Rob respond to some email before welcoming Sean Tibbetts, CEO and Co-Founder of CyberTimez, maker of the Cyber Eyez wearable Assistive Technology device to the show. We discuss the state of the Wearables market and the development of wearables as pieces of AT before diving into some speculation of what the future may hold. Show Notes Cyber Timez https://www.cybertimez.com/ Cyber...

Grab your ukulele and warm up those vocal cords, it's another Music show! This week Rob and Ryan welcome Kristina Shelden, local singer/songwriter and Vancouver Adapted Music Society board member into the Guitar Dungeon where they discuss the work VAMS does, both in Kristina’s own life but also among Vancouver’s disabled community. Show Notes Microsoft Passes Apple as Most Valuable Company https:/...

Rick Chant from Chaos Technical Services joins Rob, Ryan and Steve in the Guitar Dungeon this week as they dedicate the entire episode to discuss the state of Apple and some of the controversies facing the tech giant and what it means for its customers. Show Notes B.C. government shifting accessible parking requirements to local governments https://globalnews.ca/news/4692689/b-c-accessible-parking...

This week we welcome Getting Together With Technology Coordinator and Aira Explorer Albert Ruel into the Guitar Dungeon. We grill him on what it’s like having the Aira service and the implications of it on his daily life, and what the pros and cons are for others in the visually impaired community. Show Notes Calgary Transit Demands Humiliating Claims Couple https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-ne...

So, remember two years ago when we said we were going to have Rick Hansen on the show? Well, better late than never! We finally got him! The Guitar Dungeon is awash with excitement as our dream has finally come to fruition and we welcome Canadian hero and accessibility advocate Rick Hansen to the show in our biggest episode yet!  Show Notes Rick Hansen Foundation https://www.rickhansen.com/ Rick H...

This week we’re blasting off into the final frontier and talking to Lynn Langille and Dan Oates from SCIVIS (Space Camp for Interested Visually Impaired Students). They tell us all about the program and its importance in the lives of children who attend each year as well as regale us of tales of our own Steve Barclay and his adventures at the Camp in previous years. Show Notes SCIVIS Website http:...

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 p...

Steve returns to the Guitar Dungeon this week just in time to join Rob and Ryan in talking to Sophie Aladas from Key2Access, a company that is revolutionizing pedestrian mobility through the use of wireless technology. Show Notes Key2Access https://www.key2access.com Key2Access App on Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.key2access.android Key2Access App on iTunes https://...

This week we’re combining two of our favorite things – accessibility and movies! Rob and Ryan talk to Alex Koren from Actiview, an accessible app that provides audio description, captioning, enhanced audio and sign language services for movies.   They discuss the app’s origins and features as well as the importance of having working accessibility solutions in theaters. Show Notes Actiview https://...

This week Rob and Ryan revisit one of our most popular guests, Tommy Edison, The Blind Film Critic. We chat with him about what he’s been up to over the past year and have a free form conversation about a little bit of everything before diving into the latest Google Event’s announcements. Show Notes Tommy Edison Experience https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCld5SlwHrXgAYRE83WJOPCw Blind Film Critic...

This week sees us following up on an episode from last summer, Episode 92 – The Inclusio Project . Rob, Ryan and Steve talk to Inclusio resident Ryan Kostiuk about what it’s like to live in Alberta’s first full accessible and automated housing residence and the impact it has had on his life. Show Notes Accessible Housing http://accessiblehousing.ca/ Digital Lifestyles https://digilife.ca/ Inclusio...

Ever sit around wondering what’s been going on the last few weeks in Accessibility? Find yourself craving the need of listening to three old guys talking about a bunch of accessibility news topics while trying (and usually failing) to stay on topic? Well buckle up, this week’s show is for you! Rob, Ryan, and Steve fill us in with some of the last few week’s of interesting news stories before welco...

Steve makes a triumphant return to the podcast and – ok, we may be overselling that, but he is back. We celebrate by talking a bit about the most recent Apple Event and delve into the capabilities of the newest version of the Apple Watch before welcoming Damien Pickering, Vice President of Sales for HIMS International to the show where he gives us a preview of their upcoming Braille device, the QB...

This week Rob and Ryan tackle a few extra news stories left over from last month including what Aira and CNIB are up to, Apple's upcoming Press Event, and the forthcoming release of the new Blitab Braille Tablet before talking with Chritine Chaikin about her company, InSightful Publications which creates state resource handbooks specifically designed for use by the blind and visually impaired. Sho...

This week we kick off September with an intimate sit-down with friend of the show, Rick Chant, owner and operator of Chaos Technical Services where he gives us a glimpse into his background and the challenges and rewards of operating an Assistive Technology service center. Show Notes Chaos Technical Services http://www.chaostechnicalservices.com AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Te...

The end is here! Well, the end of the month anyways, which means it’s time for our monthly news show! Joining us to discuss the latest in disability news is Colleen Connor, host of Blind Inspiration Cast, who brings the estrogen to the conversations which range from talking about a new tech that could help deaf-blind people enjoy live television broadcasts to yet more talk of robotic guide dogs. S...

This week we connect with Merry Old England and talk with Tony Giles, a visually impaired adventurer who has travelled to over 130 countries and written two books about his experiences. We talk with him about his experiences growing up and dive into his many globetrotting adventures and what has given him the confidence to travel independently. Show Notes Tony Giles – Blind Independent Traveller h...