AT Banter Podcast

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 mu...

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.co...

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....

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 don...

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...

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...

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 m...

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 th...

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 accessibility audits, technical accessibility certifications, and disability employment services. We discuss the growing demand for digital accessibility testing and certification a...

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 loo...

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 im...

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...

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 f...

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 div...

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:/...

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 Desc...

This week the gang reassembles to get a bit geeky about assistive technology as they welcome Courtney Cameron, Eastern Region Coordinator for Neil Squire Society’s innovative program Makers Making Change - an online platform providing a low-cost alternative to commercially available assistive technologies that involves pairing volunteer makers with people with specific AT needs. Show Transcript ht...

This week we are diving back into the wonderful world of audio description as Ryan, Lis, and Rob welcome Tabitha Kenlon, Project Coordinator for The Audio Description Project. The ADP, founded by the American Council of the Blind, serves as a comprehensive resource for both consumers and providers of audio description services as well as a central hub for information and resources related to audio...

There is much rejoicing on the show this week as the Banter gang heads to their favorite place to talk about their favorite subject .. and if you guessed “the kitchen” to talk about “food”, you are clearly a regular listener! The rest of you, get your minds out of the gutter and listen as Lis, Ryan, and Rob welcome Mary Mammoliti, host of AMI’s Dish With Mary to talk about, food, accessible cookin...

This week Rob, Lis, and Ryan welcome Kevin Shaw, entrepreneur, broadcast media professional, digital accessibility specialist, musician and host of the AMI show “Mind Your Own Business” to the show! They discuss Kevin’s background, life as an entrepreneur, some of the common pitfalls faced by many starting out a new business, how technology has impacted today’s entrepreneurs, and much much more! S...

What do you get when you combine the magic of professional audio description with the detailed and wonderous illustrations in children’s books? Join Rob, Ryan and Steve this week as they talk with The Audiobook Wizard himself, Richard Rieman and find out! From professional news radio talent to audio describer and author, Richard tells us all about his current passion to create accessible versions...

This week the gang is very excited to welcome Virginia Vuleta, Director of Digital Content at Accessible Media Inc to the show to talk all about AMI’s brand new streaming digital streaming service AMI Plus. They discuss the benefits of this new streaming service, the challenges of implementing it, and future plans to roll it out to multiple devices. Show Transcript https://atbanter.files.wordpress...

Get ready to get a little geeky as Rob, Ryan, and Lis break down and discuss a few of the new assistive technology devices that were featured at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that happened in early January. They break down and discuss their impressions of Guidi, a haptic smart belt, Oorion, an app that features objection recognition, and EyeCane, smart glasses to assist people...

This week Rob, Ryan, and Lis welcome Amos Miller, founder and CEO of Glidance, to the show to talk about their new self-guided mobility aid called Glide. They discuss its creation, how it fits in as an aid between a mobility cane and a guide dog, how it uses robotics and AI for objection detection and avoidance, and many of the use case scenarios for the device. Show Transcript https://atbanter.fi...

It’s been 57 years since we have had them on the show, so we figured it was high time to have the boys from Double Tap back on the show! This week the gang welcome Steven Scott and Shaun Preece, hosts of AMI’s Double Tap podcast Double Tap TV to talk about Assistive Technology, looking back at some of the highlights of 2023 as well as looking forward to what we’re excited about in 2024. Show Trans...