AT Banter Podcast

It’s a streamlined show this week as Steve and Rob welcome Tony Labillois and Mandi Crespo from the Canadian Accessibility Network to discuss the origins of the Network and its efforts to provide a centralized accessibility resource to organizations all over the country. Show Transcript: https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2022/06/at-banter-podcast-episode-288-canadian-accessibility-network.pdf S...

May 29th – June 4th is National Accessibility Week in Canada, and in honor of that, Ryan, Rob, Lis and Steve discuss this very important (and sometimes contentious) topic .. interspersed with a bit of Hockey talk and sedition. Happy National Accessibility Week everyone! Show Transcript: https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/at-banter-podcast-episode-287-talking-accessibility.pdf Show Notes...

This week we’re entering the wonderful world of online dating, so all you fellas take off your shirts and grab a fish! Rob, Ryan, Steve, and Lis welcome Christie Faye Collins to the show to talk about NOMI, the dating app she is currently working to develop that will cater to the neurodivergent and disability communities. Show Transcript: https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/at-banter-podc...

Rob, Ryan, Steve, and Lis put away the hockey jerseys and put on their best outfits as they welcome iconic Canadian Fashion designer and adaptive clothing pioneer Izzy Camilleri to the show. They discuss adaptive clothing and how it’s slowing growing into becoming more mainstream. It’s a fascinating look behind the curtain of this growing industry. Oh, and we also learn not to EVER buy Steve a pai...

Yes folks, it’s that time once again! Break out the shot glasses, AT Banter is another year older! Join Rob, Ryan, and Lis as they celebrate the show beginning its 7th year by discussing some of the challenges and joys of producing a weekly podcast and the impact it has on them personally. It’s an inside look into the show and a tribute to the audience and the guests that make the show possible. P...

It’s Lis’s birthday week and in honor of that, we’ve handed the reins of the episode over to her (it beats getting her a gift, and we’re cheap). Lucky for us she has lined up an incredible show as we welcome Trevor Thomas. The Blind Hiker to the show. Trevor was the first blind person to solo thru-hike the Appalachian Trail and has currently solo trekked more than 22,000 miles, thru-hiking the mos...

Rob, Ryan, Steve and Lis drink some tea and prepare to wax poetic this week as they welcome Dave Steele, otherwise known as The Blind Poet to the show. Dave shares his own journey through vision loss, from first being diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa to becoming a bestselling author and known as “The Blind Poet”.   Show Transcript: https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/at-banter-podcast-...

Insulin pumps can make a huge difference in the lives of those living with Diabetes, helping manage blood sugar levels more efficiently by delivering accurate insulin doses on a pre-programmed schedule. Despite the strong connection between blindness and diabetes, most of these life changing devices come without any sort of accessible features to ensure that anyone can operate them independently....

Rob dresses up and wears socks this week in anticipation of the show as the gang welcomes Ardra Shephard, host of AMI’s, ‘Fashion Dis’, a makeover show that features members of the disability community. They discuss Ardra’s own personal journey with fashion and disability, how the idea of the show came about, adaptive clothing, and the importance of the show’s impact and message. Show Transcript:...

Steve makes his triumphant return to the show after a trip down to the CSUN (California State University, Northridge) Assistive Technology Conference. He gives the gang the rundown of some of the assistive technology devices he saw and his impressions of where the industry is at and where the next few years may take things. Show Transcript: https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/at-banter-po...

Rob, Lis, and Ryan are excited to sit down with Darren Defrain, Director of the Writing Program at Wichita State University (go Shockers!) and co-developer of a new app called Vizling which aims to make digital comics accessible! They talk about the comic industry and why it’s important to make them accessible and even discuss their preferred costumes for Comic Con (spoilers: spandex bad). Trust u...

It’s an exciting and action-packed episode this week as Lis updates us on her cowbell status and her dog’s gassy habits. An if that’s not enough excitement for one episode, break out that heart medication and oxygen, because we are also thrilled and honored to talk with Kelly MacDonald and Ramya Amuthan from AMI’s widely popular arts, entertainment and lifestyle show, Kelly and Company! We discuss...

We are packing the Anti-Gloom Zoom Room full this week with our panel who return for the third part of our series on ableism. Shawn Marsolais, Executive Director of Blind Beginnings and host of the Limitless Podcast and Amy Amantea, host of the Accessing Art with Amy Podcast join the gang for a rousing roundtable discussion that focuses in on the concept of internalized ableism. Show Transcript: h...

What does zero gravity, BioEngineering, YouTube, and pulmonary surfactant all have in common? Well, if you guessed Prof. Mona Minkara, this week’s guest, you’d be absolutely right! It’s an episode full of energy as Rob, Ryan, Lis and Steve welcome Mona to the show to discuss her journey becoming a Bioengineer, her experience with Astro Access, an organization with the mandate to increase access an...

This week Rob, Steve, Lis, and Ryan welcome Sarina Cormier and Natalie Shearer from Two Canes Consulting to the show to talk about their fledgling two-woman accessibility consultation business. They discuss everything from their own chance meeting at a branch of the CNIB and the company’s origins to the state of accessibility in Ontario and the unique perspective that their own lived experiences b...

We’re going to need a bigger podcast! Rob, Ryan, Steve and Lis welcome Matt Ater, Vice President of Software and Corporate Business Development for Vispero to the show to talk about some of the latest news around the JAWS screen reading software, including the implementation of JAWS kiosks in McDonald’s restaurants. Show Transcript: https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/at-banter-podcast-ep...

The mice are having a party this week as Rob is down for the count and away from the show this week, leaving the keys to the podcast in the hands of Lis, Ryan, and Steve as they tackle a few news stories including some updates from Dr. David Grimes and his vision ministry in South America. Show Transcript: https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/at-banter-podcast-episode-272-the-cat-is-away.p...

January 27th was International Holocaust Remembrance Day and this year Lis and Steve lined up something special to recognize this occasion as they welcome New York Times Bestselling author Steven Hartov to the show. Steven walks us through the importance of the day and his own connections to it before discussing his long and storied writing career through a variety of different genres. Show Notes...

Rob, Lis, Steve, and Ryan welcome fellow podcasters and advocates Amy Amantea and Shawn Marsolais for the second part of an epic roundtable discussion on ableism, specifically the notion of “inspiration porn”. Inspiration porn is a term coined by Australian disability advocate Stella Young and refers to the age old notion of the exploitation of people with disabilities. We discuss the origins, tal...

This week the AT Banter gang talks with Jeff Wissel, Chief Accessibility Officer at Disability:IN. They discuss organization’s mandate, the importance of inclusive hiring practices and how many large corporations have started setting the standards for inclusion, accessibility, and diversity. Show Transcript: https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2022/01/at-banter-podcast-episode-269-jeff-wissel.pdf...

How did you spend World Braille Day 2022? Well if you were the cast of the AT Banter Podcast, you spent it welcoming braille teacher, enthusiast, and manager of the Provincial Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired Adam Wilton back to the show! It’s been over 5 years since he was on last and was our very first guest on the podcast talking about the importance of braille education and the state...

It's World Braille Day today (January 4th), and to help celebrate we thought it would be fitting to dig way back into the Banter vaults and re-release not only one of our very first episodes, but our very first episode with a guest! Head on back with us to the year 2016 where we welcome Adam Wilton, Program Manager at the Provincial Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired to chat all about Brail...

It’s the last episode of 2021 and Rob and Ryan welcome guest host Lis Malone for the last time as they share some BIG show news and discuss a few of their favorite episodes of the year before giving 2021 proper farewell! Show Transcript: https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2021/12/at-banter-podcast-episode-267-2021-parting-shot.pdf Show Notes Breaking Dishes Podcast https://breakingdishes.org/ AT...

The Holiday Season is once again upon us, and to help celebrate we thought that this year we would do something a little different and give our listeners a chance to experience our VERY FIRST Christmas episode, recorded way back in 2016! Recorded with holiday drinks and in our very first "recording studio" which also doubled as the office lunch room, the episode features Rob, Steve, and Ryan along...

Rob is stoked this week as the gang (Rob, Ryan, Steve, and guest host Lis) welcome Anthony Ferraro, motivational speaker, documentary star, content creator, skateboarder, musician and Paralympian in training – yes he does it all! Show Transcript: https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2021/12/at-banter-podcast-episode-266-anthony-ferraro.pdf Show Notes Anthony Ferraro Online https://asfvision.com/ A...