AT Banter Podcast

With National AccessAbility Week quickly approaching, we are talking all things accessibility as we welcome accessibility advocate, consultant, author, and blogger Sheri Byrne-Haber to discuss the current state of accessibility including accessibility lawsuits, overlays, the problem with the “business case” for accessibility, and so much more!

Show Transcript https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2023/05/at-banter-podcast-episode-...

This week we dive into a discussion all about artificial intelligence as Rob, Ryan and Steve welcome Kenny Vo to the show to discuss his Twitch and YouTube channels where he builds home-made robots powered by his own artificial intelligence named EVEEE. We discuss the channels and Kenny’s mandate to create systems that help people along with some of the possible ways AI systems could benefit assistive technology in the future .. if...

Can you smell what the AT Banter Gang is cooking? This week Rob and Ryan welcome Blind Griller Extraordinaire Chris Peltz to the podcast to tell us all about his unique YouTube Channel and Podcast that details his experiences grilling and gives out some pointers for blind and sighted individuals alike! If you have ever wondered if you can make Banana Bread on the barbq, this episode is for you…

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This week gang welcomes Dr. Rheanna Robinson, member of the Manitoba Métis Federation, Assistant Professor in the Department of First Nations Studies at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), and advocate to the show to discuss her research of Indigenous perspectives on disability, intersectionality, advocacy, and her own lived experience living with Multiple Sclerosis .

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Sam Seavey, creator of the ever popular YouTube series The Blind Life stops by this week to visit the gang, shares some laughs, and talks about the channel, his take on some of the new trends in Assistive Technology, and even some of the misfires that manufacturers have made over the years.  And if that’s not enough, you won’t want to miss special guest star Chat-GPT, who may or may not be replacing Rob as host...

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This week the Banter gang welcome Lance Johnson, creator and host of the See-Through Podcast. They discuss how his eye condition of Retinitis Pigmentosa prompted the creation of the podcast, how the show impacts him on a personal level, and why choosing to talk about controversial topics is important for the greater conversation about disability. You won’t want to miss this fascinating conversation, and be sure to check out his pod...

The AT Banter Gang gathers once again this week to talk all about accessible video games as they welcome Tara Voelker, Senior Xbox Game Studios Accessibility Lead. They discuss the current state of accessibility in video games across a variety of platforms, including the work that Microsoft Game Studios is doing specifically in that space, as well as how far it’s come over the past decade. Grab your energy drink, gaming headset, an...

The popular Blindness App Be My Eyes recently announced their partnership with OpenAI, makers of Chat-GPT along a forthcoming feature dubbed “Virtual Volunteer” which will incorporate artificial intelligence into the app. Rob and Ryan welcome Be My Eyes CEO Mike Buckley to the show to talk about this partnership, why Be My Eyes has embraced AI, and the implications and positive impact this evolving technology is having on Assistive...

It's an episode filled with laughs and music as the gang welcome NY based singer, songwriter, and founder of The We Can Project Jesse Ruben to the show to discuss his initiative for young students designed to help them discover their passions and encourage advocacy. They discuss the project’s origins and mandate along with Jesse’s music career and the importance of visiting schools in rural areas of Canada and the US.

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This week Ryan, Rob and Lis welcome Ann-Marie Pham, CEO of the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion to discuss the organization and its mandate and as well as the importance and societal benefits of both diversity and inclusion. And if that isn’t enough reason to drop what you’re doing and listen to this episode, we also feature the world premiere of Ryan’s new song, “Glitter and Spangles”. You definitely don’t want to miss ...

This week Ryan and Rob sit down with fellow podcaster John Grimes of the Ambiguously Blind podcast to talk about his vision loss journey after a life threatening bout of Meningitis, how it impacted his life, how the podcast came about in an effort to help spread awareness.

Show Transcript https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2023/03/at-banter-podcast-episode-327-john-grimes.pdf

Ambiguously Blind Podcast https://www.am...

This week Ryan, Rob, Steve, and Lis welcome Dhaval Patel and Natalie Shearer from Lotus Labs, a company that is actively working to revolutionize the idea of Smart Homes by developing a wearable ring that can control all smart devices in the home and making the process of setting up a smart home much less expensive and frustrating.

Show Transcript https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2023/03/at-banter-podcast-episode-326-lotus-la...

This week Ryan, Rob and Steve welcome Adam Grant Warren, writer, performer and member of the All Bodies Dance Program to talk about this innovative “mixed ability” dance company that not only embraces the idea of inclusion but of integration. They discuss the origins of the program and it’s mandate, how the notion of “all bodies” is incorporated into the creative process, and much more. If you are a fan of the arts, and of dance in...

This week Ryan, Rob, Steve, and Lis sit down and talk with Itto and Mekiya Outini, the husband and wife team behind The DateKeepers, a new media platform designed to share untold stories of people with disabilities. They share Itto’s own story of her journey of vision loss, how they met, and how frustrations with how media covers disability prompted them to start The DateKeepers.

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This week Ryan, Rob, and Steve welcome Dean Steacy to the show to discuss his efforts to get ScripTalk, an accessible prescription reading system, into his local drug story and ended up getting national attention in a CBC new article. Oh, and Steve does an unboxing of a mysterious box from sent from Lis…

Show Transcript https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2023/02/at-banter-podcast-episode-323-talking-prescriptions.pdf

Show Notes

This week Ryan, Rob, Steve and Lis welcome John Melville, Vice-President of Content Development and Operations at Accessible Media Inc. We discuss everything from his early years and how he landed at AMI from a career in radio to how AMI’s content is developed and put through the lens of disability and the importance of the disability community’s input in the process. Oh, and we giggle at Newfoundland town names.

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This week Ryan, Rob, and Steve welcome advocate and fledgling app developer Megan Heximer to the show to discuss Accessibility Business Guide, her new app that provides the Disability Community with detailed accessibility information for local businesses. They discuss how the app works, the importance of community driven data as well as the need for information about accessible venues in mainstream Mapping programs.

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This week Ryan, Rob, and Lis welcome Disability advocate and Managing Director of Untapped Accessibility Trish Kelly to the show to discuss the company and how it assists organizations to become more accessible and inclusive. They discuss the current trends in accessibility and break down some of the forthcoming legislative changes in the form of the BC Accessibility Act.

Show Transcript https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2023/...

This week Ryan, Rob, Lis, and Steve welcome Braille & Accessibility Testing Coordinator and Habs Superfan Riane LaPaire to the podcast to discuss the work she does at NNELS (National Network for Equitable Library Services) as well as highlighting the many Braille related events being held throughout the month of January as part of World Braille Days.

Show Transcript https://atbanter.files.wordpress.com/2023/01/at-banter-podcast-e...