AT Banter Podcast

Summer is in full swing so it seems only fitting that this week’s episode is all about heading to Camp! Join us as Rob, Ryan and Lis welcome Alex Jurgenson and Matthew Alvarnez from the Camp Bowen Division of the Canadian Organization of the Blind and DeafBlind. They discuss Camp Bowen’s history as a longtime venue for campers who are blind or partially sighted, its current line-up of Summer Camps and Programs, and what makes the B...

This week Rob and Ryan welcome Martijn van der Spek, app developer and founder of Sparkling Apps to the podcast to talk about his new revolutionary image and video description app, PiccyBot. They explore the latest developments in AI-powered speech recognition and description, highlighting their potential to revolutionize descriptions by offering personalized, conversational, and human-like interactions and how features such as cus...

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 much more. It’s an episode full of la...

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.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/at-b...

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.

Show Transcript https://atban...

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 done to improve the lives of BC reside...

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 discussion about this fairly new c...

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 wanted to pay tribute to Brooke fo...

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 more training options for visually i...

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 the importance of universal design.

S...

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 and how it has the potential to prov...

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 looking forward to during the summer m...

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 impact the show has had in their live...

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 for the organization.

Show Tran...

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 for good measure!

Show Transcri...

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 diversity has changed the dating envir...

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

Blind Inspiration Cast https://www.blindinspirationcast.com/

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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 Description so epic that we had to brea...

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 https://atbanter.files.wordpress.co...