Podcasts about blind aph

From the 2023 NFB Convention in Houston Texas, Blind Abilities podcast host Simon Bonenfant spoke with Greg Stilson, Head of Global Innovation at American Printing House for the Blind (APH). Greg first takes listeners through the new Monarch Tactile Display. This braille display is a partnership between APH, Humanware, and the NFB. Greg also gives an overview of APH's other offerings such as the Mantis and Chameleon braille displays, and the low-vision magnification devices such as the Juno and Jupiter  as well as the Matt Connect Android Tablet.   Additionally, Greg discusses the recently released Code Jumper, and Road to Code a set of tools designed to help blind people learn how to code. Greg closes the interview by talking about his personal journey through blindness and technology and how his experience is an asset to his current work at APH.   Read More

20230312 2023 DC Leadership Conference Luncheon Speakers National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) o Jason Broughton, Director, NLS o Jason Yasner, Deputy Director, NLS American Printing House For the Blind (APH) o Paul Schroeder, Vice President, Government and Community Affairs Find out more at https://acb-events.pinecast.co

  In January 2023, Anil and Melissa spoke with Dr. Craig Meador, President of the American Printing House for the Blind (APH). They discussed the monarch, the new dynamic tactile display that has emerged from a partnership among APH, Humanware, and the National Federation of the Blind. With ten lines that can display both braille and tactile graphics, this device is a potential game-changer, especially for blind students. Hear about its potential and the ways in which a partnership with the organized blind movement made it possible.

This podcast is about big ideas on how technology is making life better for people with vision loss. People who are blind or visually impaired know all too well the challenges of living in a sighted world. But today, the capabilities of computer vision and other tech are converging with the needs of people who are blind and low-vision and may help level the playing field for young people with all different sensory abilities. These tools can pave the way for children's active participation and collaboration in school, in social situations, and eventually, in the workplace, facilitating the important contributions they will make to our world in their adult lives. Access to educational materials is a consistent challenge for students and adults who are blind, but Greg Stilson, the head of Global Innovation at American Printing House for the Blind (APH), is trying to change that. Together with partner organizations Dot Inc. and Humanware, APH is on the verge of being able to deliver the “Holy Braille” of braille readers, a dynamic tactile device that delivers both Braille and tactile graphics in an instant, poised to fill a much-needed gap in the Braille textbook market. Extensive user testing means the device is as useful for people who are blind as possible. Greg sees a future in which more inclusively designed and accessible video games, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) will help children who are blind learn with greater ease, and better engage with their sighted peers. Enter Dr. Cecily Morrison, principal researcher at Microsoft Research in Cambridge, UK. Based on extensive research and co-designing with people who are blind, she and her team developed PeopleLens, smart glasses worn on the forehead that can identify the person whom the user is facing, giving the user a spatial map in their mind of where classmates (as one example) are in space. PeopleLens helps children who are blind overcome social inhibitions and engage with classmates and peers, a skill that will be crucial to their development, and in their lives, as they move into the cooperative workspaces of the future.   The Big Takeaways: Robin Akselrud, an occupational therapist and assistant professor at Long Island University in Brooklyn, author of MY OT Journey Planner and The My OT Journey Podcast, explains how a baby who is born blind becomes inhibited from their first developmental milestones. She explains the stressors that these children might face upon attending school and describes the kinds of interventions that occupational therapy offers. Bryce Weiler, disability consultant, sports enthusiast, and co-founder of the Beautiful Lives Project, emphasizes how important it is for children who are blind or low-vision to have rich sensory experiences — and life experiences — which give them a chance to flourish and socialize with peers. Beautiful Lives Project offers opportunities to do that. Greg Stilson, Director of Global Innovation at American Printing House for the Blind, and his team are developing a dynamic tactile device (DTD) that can switch seamlessly between Braille and tactile graphics — the “Holy Braille” of braille devices. The DTD is made possible by developments in pin technology by Dot Inc, and APH. Humanware developed the software for the device. No longer using the piezoelectric effect to move pins has reduced the cost of the device significantly, and APH can funnel federal funds to reduce the price further, making the DTD a potential, viable option for institutions. Cecily Morrison, principal researcher at Microsoft Research in Cambridge UK, and her team developed PeopleLens, a head-worn pair of smart glasses that lets the wearer know who is in their immediate vicinity. Dr. Morrison and her team tested it in classrooms for school-age children who are blind or visually impaired and found that PeopleLens reduces students' cognitive load and helps young people overcome social anxiety and inhibitions that Robin Akselrud described at the top of the show. Wearers of PeopleLens learn to develop mental models of where people are in a room, and gain the confidence to engage others, or not, as they choose. Once social skills are built, students no longer have to wear the device but are set up for more successful social interactions at school and in their lives to come.   Tweetables: If they have a visual impairment, it really impacts them from early on, from that first development milestone. — Robin Akselrud, occupational therapist and assistant professor at Long Island University in Brooklyn, author of MY OT Journey Planner and The My OT Journey Podcast For children, just giving them that foundation of making friendships as they're growing up, and the opportunity to be a part of something, sport can allow them to do that, and it also gives them the chance to do things that their peers are taking part in. —Bryce Weiler, disability consultant, sports enthusiast, and co-founder of the Beautiful Lives Project This was what the field regards as the “Holy Braille” right? Having both [Braille and tactile graphics] on the same surface. —Greg Stilson, Director of Global Innovation at American Printing House for the Blind With the advancements of virtual reality and augmented reality, … along with the idea of making experiences and video games and things like that more inclusive, it's going to create a more inclusive way for blind kids to engage with their sighted peers. — Greg Stilson, Director of Global Innovation at American Printing House for the Blind We found that “people” was the thing that was most interesting to people. And that doesn't surprise us. We are people, and we like other people. — Dr. Cecily Morrison, principal researcher at Microsoft Research in Cambridge UK They can go out and find someone that they want to play with. They can choose not to talk to somebody by turning their head away from them, and the moment that they understand the agency they have in those situations is when we see a significant change in their ability to place people and to engage with them. — Dr. Cecily Morrison, principal researcher at Microsoft Research in Cambridge UK When we look at the workplaces of today, they're often very collaborative places. So you can be the best mathematician in the world, but if you struggle to collaborate, you're not building the AI technologies of tomorrow. By helping kids ensure that they have a strong foundation in these attentional skills, we're giving them a significant lift. — Dr. Cecily Morrison, principal researcher at Microsoft Research in Cambridge UK   Contact Us: Contact us at podcasts@lighthouseguild.org with your innovative new technology ideas for people with vision loss.   Pertinent Links: Lighthouse Guild Robin Akselrud Bryce Weiler Greg Stilson Dr. Cecily Morrison

Joining us on Blind Abilities is the owner of a voice that many of us will recognize from reading our favorite Talking Book selections from BARD or other NLS platforms: none other than Ray Foushee. Ray has been a Talking Book narrator at the American Printing House for the Blind (APH), for almost forty years and has read more than 1000 titles in virtually every genre, ranging from True Crime and Mystery to Romance, Science Fiction thrillers  and even nonfiction.  Yes, that deep and gruff sounding voice has read romance novels! In fact, Ray shares his story of the steamy romantic fiction novel he was assigned many years ago, and we share a brief clip from his narration which reveals the character's voice he used to narrate the first-person perspective of the 16 year-old protagonist.  Ray delves deeply into his long history as a narrator with APH, beginning with how he got his start while working at a Louisville, KY TV station in the early 80's and his progression through that almost forty-year career, reading virtually every genre under the sun. He shares his likes and dislikes for particular titles, authors and genres, his techniques for how he creates his voices for each character in the book as well as other details regarding his studio and recording processes. Jeff and Pete pose such questions as: How did you get into audio book narration? What is your favorite genre and book? Do you pre-read the book before recording? How do you create your character voices? Is there a particular word or phrase that is hard to say while recording? Do you put yourself into a celebrity's mindset when arriving at a specific character's voice or inflection to use?  Of course there is much much more in this fascinating chat with one of the most popular and enduring Narrators of Talking Books who has carved his way into the fabric of so many of our lives.  You can find out more about APH and what they can do for you, on the web at https://www.aph.org. Full Transcript Contact Your State Services If you reside in Minnesota, and you would like to know more about Transition Services from State Services contact Transition Coordinator Sheila Koenig by email or contact her via phone at 651-539-2361. Contact: You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities On the web at www.BlindAbilities.com Send us an email Get the Free Blind Abilities App on the App Storeand Google Play Store. Give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093 we would love to hear from you! Check out the Blind Abilities Communityon Facebook, the Blind Abilities Page, and the Career Resources for the Blind and Visually Impaired group

Blind Abilities presents Micheal Hudson, Director of the Museum for the American Printing House for the Blind (APH). The APH Museum, located in Louisville, Kentucky, comprises more than 3,000 Square feet of space and multiple exhibits which present the history of blindness, and the role that the APH played in that history. Jeff Thompson and Pete Lane sit down with Micheal Hudson, an articulate and well-versed expert in anything and everything related to the museum. He takes us on a journey through a variety of topics, such as the Helen Keller archives, recently acquired from the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB). Micheal also describes many of the old  machines currently housed in the museum, which opened in 1994. These include braille embossers and braille writers, hard vinyl disc presses, magnifiers, refreshable braille displays, typewriters, an impressive slate collection, cassette players, live Talking Book recording studios, an entire section dedicated to the history of Talking Books, Stevie Wonder's piano acquired from the Michigan School for the Blind and much much more. Join Jeff and Pete with their fascinating guest, Micheal Hudson as they delve into dozens of the machines, displays and other items. Micheal has a myriad of stories and is not hesitant to share many of them with the Blind Abilities team, so pull up a chair and settle-in for this outstanding podcast!  APH employs more than 300 employees. Check out job vacancies through the Job Portal on their web site:  at:  www.APH.Org where you can also nominate a candidate for admission into the APH Hall of Fame, Legends and Leaders in the Field of Blindness.  Check out the museum web site at: www.APHMuseum.Org They are also on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube Contact Your State Services If you reside in Minnesota, and you would like to know more about Transition Services from State Services contact Transition Coordinator Sheila Koenig by email or contact her via phone at 651-539-2361. Contact: You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities On the web at www.BlindAbilities.com Send us an email Get the Free Blind Abilities App on the App Storeand Google Play Store. Give us a call and leave us some feedback at 612-367-6093 we would love to hear from you! Check out the Blind Abilities Communityon Facebook, the Blind Abilities Page, and the Career Resources for the Blind and Visually Impaired group

Welcome back to another episode of the Sight and Sound Technology podcast. Today we're catching up with an old friend, as Stuart sits down with Neil Barnfather, Vice President, Europe for Goodmaps.GoodMaps was born out of the American Printing House for the Blind (APH). Founded in 2019 and based out of Louisville, GoodMaps (previously named Access Explorer) was created by APH with a simple mission: to further the cause of accessible navigation. Realizing that the mission of universal accessible navigation was limited by the lack of indoor digital mapping, the GoodMaps platform and company were born.

We sit down with Tai Tomasi, Director, Accessibility, Diversity and Inclusion at the America Printing House for the Blind (APH) to talk about her upcoming keynote at the VSA Executive Leadership Conference. Join us at the VSAELC 2021. Register now at www.vsaelc.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/visionserve-alliance/message

Change Makers previews the upcoming 2021 National Coding Symposium that will take place Tuesday, May 11, through Friday, May 14. The event, hosted by the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) and California School for the Blind (CSB) is co-sponsored by CareerConnect, part of the APH ConnectCenter and made possible in part by support from Fox Family Foundation.The National Coding Symposium's goal is to demonstrate the world of coding, programming and related careers, are available and accessible to students with visual impairments. The free, virtual event will feature two daily keynote speakers, several presentations and multiple breakout panel sessions. Keynote speakers, presenters, and panelists come from a diverse coding career background of programmers, business leaders, entrepreneurs, inventors, hiring managers, career center directors and counselors, university and high school instructors and more.  Podcast Participants (In Order of Appearance)Sara Brown: APH Public Relations ManagerOlaya Landa-Vialard: APH ConnectCenter DirectorAdrian Amandi: Director of the California Education Resources Center for the California School for the BlindVanessa Herndon: Low Vision Clinic and Classroom CoordinatorPaul Ferrara: Partners with Paul Host, APH Communications Accessibility EditorDiego J. Mendoza: Sunu, Inc. Additional Links2021 National Coding SymposiumSunu BandTechnology Awards at National Coding SymposiumDuring the virtual National Coding Symposium (May 11-14), five separate award opportunities for student attendees will be announced. Each selected student award winner will receive a credit of up to $3,000 towards the purchase of technology, including braille displays, video magnifiers, or other unique technology, AND a $200 Amazon gift card.Click here to learn more about these awards and the student submission requirements, and to complete the Award Submission Form. Click here to learn more about the 2021 National Coding Symposium.

Join us for a special event with ACB President Dan Spoone, as he sits down for a fireside chat with leaders from across the blindness field, including Mark Richert, Interim Executive Director for the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER), Kirk Adams, President & CEO of American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), Craig Meador, President of the American Printing House for the Blind (APH), Don Overton, Executive Director of Blinded Veterans Association (BVA), Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), and Lee Nasehi, President & CEO of VisionServe Alliance.

2037 The New Mantis and More from APH (Sep. 9, 2020) Show Notes The Mantis Q40 is a refreshable 40-cell braille display that distinguishes itself from similar devices with its built in QWERTY keyboard. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Larry Skutchan from the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) about the device … Continue reading 2037 The New Mantis and More from APH (Sep. 9, 2020) →

Mantis Q40 This is a Braille display with a QWERTY keyboard. It is available from American Printinghouse for the Blind (APH).

Code Jumper Now Launched in Australia   In this weeks Talking Tech, Stephen caught up with Anne Durham from the American Pritning House for the Blind (APH) at the Launch of Code Jumper at the VA Kooyong office 27 Feb, and spoke to her about APH itself and what Code Jumper offers to the educational market in teaching blind or low vision students coding.   The evening before, APH along with Humanware and Vision Australia, also did a webinar on Code Jumper in Australia.    https://vacast.podbean.com/e/audio-recording-of-the-code-jumper-launch-webinar-in-australia-feb-26-2020-presented-by-va-aph-and-humanware/   Code Jumper on the Vision Australia Online Shop   https://shop.visionaustralia.org/shop/product/microsoft-code-jumper   Website for Code Jumper - documentation, and curriculum:   Https://www.codejumper.com

Show Summary: Joel Zimba, Blindness Products Specialist for Humanware, joined Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities Studio to talk about the new Braille Trail Reader LE. This new Braille Display was developed in partnership with the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) for and fits right into the APH  line of Quota  Fund available products. The Braille Trail is built off the Brailliant BI 14 Braille Display which is available from Humanwareand while the two devices are very much similar, the Braille Trail has a few specific student/teacher software features added to this bite size braille display. Joel and Jeff also talk about the podcast possibilities built into the Victor Stream devices and how easy it is to follow your favorite podcasts. For more information about the Braille Trail Reader LE, check out the www.APH.org web site and to find out more about the Brailliant BI 14 Braille Display, go to Humanware.com. You can also reach Humanware by phone at 800-722-3393.  You can contact Joel Zimba by email. Be sure to stop by the Humanware exhibit at the NFB and ACB conferences coming up in July! Contact: Thank you for listening! You can follow us on Twitter @BlindAbilities On the web at www.BlindAbilities.com Send us an email Get the Free Blind Abilities App on the App Storeand Google Play Store. Check out the Blind Abilities Communityon Facebook, the Blind Abilities Page, the Job Insights Support Groupand the Assistive Technology Community for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

1910 Learn to Code With Code Jumper (Mar. 6, 2019) Show Notes Have you ever wanted to become a computer programmer but didn’t know where to start? Well Code Jumper from the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) may be just what you are looking for! Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Dave … Continue reading 1910 Learn to Code With Code Jumper (Mar. 6, 2019) →

1848 Expanding Services at APH (Nov. 28, 2018) Show Notes The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) recently began managing several services that were part of the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB). APH is also growing their efforts in direct consumer sales. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk about these changes and what’s … Continue reading 1848 Expanding Services at APH (Nov. 28, 2018) →