Blind Abilities

Jack Chen, Daniel Berlin, Tina Ament and Micheal Somsan are putting together the first All-Blind Stoker team for the epic endurance bike race in the world, the “Race Across America,” (RAAM). The RAAM is a non-stop race from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast on a Tandem bike and the logistics and preparations are well underway. Listen to Jack, Tina and Daniel talk about putting the Team together and all that goes into such an epic endurance event. Jack is a Google lawyer, Tina is a US Attorney in DC and Daniel is a co-founder of a major company producing Vanilla extract. Besides their business success they all train and seek out challenges that are out of this world. From Kilimanjaro, to Ironman races, ultra marathons and mountain climbing on a tandem, the RAAM was just waiting for them, I guess, just because it was there. Join Jeff Thompson from the Blind Abilities Podcast team as Jack, Dan and Tina invite you all to share their event and spread the word about Success in Plain Sight. You can read below and to learn more check out Team Sea To See on the web And follow the Team Sea To See on Facebook. (from the web) Team Sea to See is committed to proving that blind people can succeed in any field. We believe that demonstrating this capacity to succeed is critical to empowering others in the blind community and changing society’s perceptions of the blind. We are illustrating this capability by building a team of blind people to tackle RAAM and an accompanying media and outreach campaign. We believe that lack of exposure to and understanding of blindness plays a major role in keeping employment rates so low for the blind community. Employers aren’t intrinsically hostile to the blind; they just don’t understand how blind people can, through ingenuity and adaptive technology, enjoy the same success as their sighted colleagues. We’re taking on the high-profile challenge of the Race Across America to show what blind success looks like, on and off the bike.  We are a team of successful businesspeople and athletes who share blindness as a common characteristic. We’re entering the world’s most grueling endurance cycling race, the 2018 Race Across America (RAAM), to show the immense capabilities of blind people and to raise awareness of the abysmal employment rates of the blind. We will be highlighting our achievements through a major media campaign and a full-length documentary. And we need your help. Your tax-deductible gift can help us shed light on the unacceptable employment rates for blind people across the nation and bring the inspiring stories of our team members into plain view. By supporting Team Sea to See, you will interact with an international audience through conventional and social media, showing your support of diversity and inclusion and helping to change the way the world sees the blind. Check out the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) and see how they are expanding possibilities for people with vision loss. Find out more about USABA. USABA is a Colorado-based 501(c) (3) organization that provides life-enriching sports opportunities for every individual with a visual impairment. 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 Store.

That Blind Tech Show Episode 5 with Bryan Fischler and Randy Rusnak. This episode is filled with tech news from a texting law suit to memories changing on Facebook. Check out the list below and the provided links to see what these two boys are up to in this episode of That Blind Tech Show. Judge throws out lawsuit of Apple being responsible for driving and texting accidents Facebook again making changes to your News Feed with memories First experiences with Aira NFB Newsline wants your feedback iOS and iPhone 8 expectations Has Apple lost touch with a price point of $1000 What are you excited for in the upcoming iOS 11 C. Anything you are looking forward to with the iPhone 8? Amazon Echo What Skills are you using? ESight Glasses What’s Pissing Off Brian Now An over reaction to Yahoo fantasy What’s Pissing off Randy?. Watcha Watching Whatcha Reading? Anything you have been watching and liking with described video or anything you have been reading. You can find That Blind Tech Show on Twitter @BlindTechShow Email us at ThatBlindTechShow@gmail.com 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 Store.

Blind Abilities brings you their final installment from the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) 2017 national convention in Jacksonville, Florida. With this episode, Pete introduces two products which he has not previously encountered. first, BrainPort V-100 Vision Aid, a pair of sun glasses possessing a video camera that converts images into electronic impulses to a square disk that sits on the tongue. This device allows blind users to detect contrast in an image: the lighter the image, the more intense the sensation will be on the tongue. It is used in conjunction with a navigational tool, such as a cane or dog to provide an additional piece of sensory information for the user – any information is good information! Check out BrainPort at: www.Wicab.com Next, Pete learns about Low vision simulators, created by Marshall flax who converts ‘welders goggles” into devices that simulate various visual conditions, such as Macular Degeneration, RP, etc. These goggles can be purchased in a package of all 13 units, or individually to show sighted people what blind or visually impaired folks actually see. These devices can be shared with friends or family, or used by Rehab specialists, trainers or other professionals help family or friends better understand and cope with blindness. Check them out on the web. Blind Abilities would like to thank all the folks who chatted with us at #BVA2017, and special thanks to the Blinded Veterans Association for all they do for the heroes who served our country, and for holding a great convention 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 Store.

BlindAbilities brings you more great audio from the Blinded Veterans Association 2017 national convention as Pete Lane introduces an old friend of the podcast. Meet Larry Muffett and The Hadley Institute. Larry discusses some of the programs offered for veterans, as well as some general information about Hadley’s 2017 focus. You can find Hadley on the web Also featured in this episode is Orcam, a smart glass device that offers many features, including OCR, facial recognition, bar code reading, color identification and more. Stay tuned as Orcam version 8.0 of their software is announced in the next few weeks. Check out more about their two products at Orcam on the web 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 Store.

Aira is the focus of the fifth installment of the Blind Abilities coverage of the Blinded Veterans Association 2017 national convention. Pete chats with Amy Bernal, VP of Customer Experience, who brings us up to date on what Aira has to offer blind veterans. Aira has worked closely with the VA to provide funding for the Aira hardware (Glasses and WiFi Hotspot), allowing qualifying vets to enjoy the full Aira service for only $29 per month. Listen as Amy outlines how vets can take advantage of this funding arrangement,. And check out the details at the new Aira web page, specifically created for veterans. You can find out all about Aira on the web 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 Store.

Blind Abilities coverage of BVA 2017 continues as Pete Lane interviews Sean Tibbetts, CEO and Co-founder of Cyber Timez, makers of Cyber Eyez. These smart glasses offer numerous functions, ranging from OCR text recognition in more than 160 different languages, performs as a magnifier, color identifier, recognizes more than six billion objects, a bar code reader, offers internet radio, Skype, and much more without an internet connection. Join Pete as he witnesses a live demonstration of just a couple of these features at the Blinded Veterans Association 2017 national convention. Check out Cyber Eyez on the web Call them at: 202-827-6883, Email at: Sales@CyberTimez.com 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 Store.

Blind Abilities brings you audio from the BVA 2017 National convention, with Pete Lane chatting with David Bradburn of the Baum company. Baum manufactures reliable and sophisticated braille displays and CCT/Magnifiers as well as serving as distributer for some other high quality products. Check out the Baum merchandise on the web:  Check out the Blindedf Veterans Association on the web 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 Store.

Blind Abilities brings you audio from the 2017 Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) National Convention in Jacksonville, Florida. Pete Lane introduces us to the BVA and two of its key members: Paul Mimms, National BVA Secretary, and Chuck Miller, adventurer and Certified Sailor. Join Pete with this, our first episode in a series from the convention floor of the BVA 2017 National convention. Check out the Blinded Veterans Association on the web. 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 Store.

Pete and his son Patrick appeared on the Canadian nation radio show on the AMI network to talk about Aira – Visual Interpreter for the blind. Pete and Patrick talk about this amazing service for the BVI community and when it might arrive in Canada. You can find AMI on the web Follow their podcast here. 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 Store.

Join Pete Lane as he walks you through a wonderful experience with the Eclipse Soundscapes Project App. The Eclipse Soundscapes Project app is specially designed so that people who are blind and visually impaired can share in the awe and wonder of astronomical events in real time with their sighted peers. The app is a joint effort between The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO), NASA’s Heliophysics Education Consortium (HEC), the National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM), and the National Park Service (NPS). Features include an interactive “Rumble map”; audio descriptions of key features of the eclipse; a play-by-play description of the total solar eclipse as it is happening in the user’s area; and a countdown clock to the next upcoming eclipse. The “Rumble Map” gives the user the sensation of “feeling” the Sun during an eclipse. Our technology translates images of key eclipse features into a series of unique frequency modulated tones that map out variations in light and dark as the user explores the image with their fingertips. These tones are specially designed to make the user’s mobile device shake, or rumble, in response to the changes. After the eclipse, the Eclipse Soundscapes app will provide access to a database of soundscape recordings from U.S. National Parks and other urban and rural locations so that users can experience how eclipses change the behavior of different species, including humans. During the next five years, the app will expand to include other eclipses and astronomical objects of interest giving people who are blind and visually impaired – and everyone else – a new way to engage with the universe around them. You can find out more about the Eclipse Soundscapes Project on the web You can download the Eclipse Soundscapes Project App on the App Store 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 Store.

That Blind Tech Show Episode 3 Co-Host Bryan Fischler along with guest Co-Host John Panarese from MacForTheBlind, talk the latest news from a Blindness perspective. From Alexa Siri, to disappearing Ubers, Nanos and Shuffles, to Artificial Intelligence on Artificial Intelligence, That Blind Tech Show covers it all and more. Did you hear about the rising Anker? And what about DickBars? Hmmm, Bryan commits and goes Aira! Listen in as Bryan and John talk the talk and take down Buffalo, sort of. See all the links below from the Episode 3 Show! You can follow TBTS on Twitter @BlindTechShow and drop us a line via email Facebook shuts down AI in Japan Woman named Alexa Siri in NJ Aira Expectation Credit card scanners for business Are you using one? PayPal and Square Anker presents the Eufy Genie with Alexa for $35 Bye Bye Home Button. Thoughts? Triple Click for VO. With the death of the iPod Nano and Shuffle is it time to whack iTunes? New ad blocker Unobstruct Declares war on dick bars! Whatcha Watching Whatcha Reading? Must be audio described for watching for reading must be from Bard or Book Share. Ok, Audible works, too.

Blind Abilities offers another in their Aira presentation series from the National Federation of the Blind 2017 national convention in Orlando, Florida. Join Pete Lane and Jeff Thompson as they interview Tiffany Manosh who shares her passions: her passion for technology, for travel and her passion for Aira, the visual interpreter for the blind. Jeff caught up with Tiffany in the hotel during the convention, but Pete had to complete the interview afterwards via Skype. In both portions of the interview, Tiffany, an Instructional Assistant at American River College, in Sacramento, California, shows her enthusiasm for all things tech, her love for cruising with her Mom, visiting Walt Disney World and her belief in Aira, the smart glasses which offer so much for blind and visually impaired users. Sit back and enjoy this 31 minute Blind Abilities production, brought to you by Aira. Explore your world like never before From exploring new neighborhoods and restaurants in the city, to traveling the globe – Aira empowers the blind to experience their world and surroundings like never before. Accessible devices Aira’s platform works on wearable devices such as Google Glass and Vuzix that can be paired with your smartphones. Real-time request The tiny camera mounted on your wearable device provides instant feedback so Aira Agents can safely guide you with any activity. Certified agents Our network of trained Aira Agents, who could even be one of your family or friends, are able to assist you whenever and wherever. You can find out more about Aira on the web and follow Aira on Twitter @Airaio 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 Store.

With the huge response from the Blindness community the Seeing AI app available in the App Store has spread like wild fire and people are excited about the possibilities coming from the Microsoft Accessibility teams. Bryan Fischler, host of the That Blind Tech Show and Jeff Thompson from Blind Abilities have a conversation with Anirudh Koul and Saqib Shaikh, two developers from the Microsoft Accessibility team working on the Seeing AI app. You will hear about the Hackathon where the seed was planted and how the team uses the users feedback to determine the changes and improvements that have been coming fast and steady. The Seeing AI app is a project and uses artificial intelligence is some of the featured channels. Short Text channel is like taking a glance at your mail. The built in Optical Character Recognition (OCR) picks up the text through the camera and begins reading instantly. The Document Channel does more traditional OCR work and has audio indicators to help assist centering the page content. The Product Channel has an audible signal to assist in location the bar code and the signal speeds up when closing in on the bar code with the iPhone’s camera. The picture is taken automatically and the database is searched and the data is read to the user. Instructions as well as ingredients are also read if available. The Person Channel allows the user to take pictures of individuals and tag them as the facial recognition feature will know and say that person’s name when using the camera and glancing around the area. This is where AI comes in. The Seeing AI app will also describe the person and guess the age. The Scene Beta Channel is a feature that will describe the photo taken such as a bench in a park, or a person walking a dog. Photos can be taken, or imported from the camera roll to have the app describe the image. They say this app in in it’s infancy and there is a lot more to come. One feature coming to the Seeing AI app that was disclosed is a Money Identifier. Yes, this is a Swiss Army Knife of an App. You can follow the Microsoft Accessibility team on Twitter @MSFTEnable The Seeing AI app is only available from the App Store. Thank you for listening! Follow That Blind Tech Show on Twitter @BlindTechShow Send That Blind Tech Show an email 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 Store.

Rachel Hastings is a Certified Music Therapist and she tells us how State Services for the Blind along with her Special Education teachers and Teachers for the blind/Visually Impaired worked seamlessly in her transitions from high school to college and to her dream job, a Music Therapist. Rachel attended STP, a 2-week summer program, aka Student Transition program, and how her involvement with the program opened her mind to the possibilities for her future. From orientation and Mobility to career research to job applications and job interview strategies, Rachel explains how State Services became her vehicle for achieving a successful transition into the workplace. Rachel is an avid runner and explains how she runs and is now training for the St. Paul marathon. Running 30 miles a week, she thinks she’s about ready. Join Rachel Hastings as she walks us through her transition stages, chats about her hobbies and gives us great advice about attitude and self-determination. You can follow Rachel on Twitter @RachelH262 You can find Rachel on Facebook at RachelElizabethHastings and she is looking forward to hearing from you. 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 Store.

A brief interview that Aira Agent Analyst, Patrick Lane and Pete Lane did on a local Jacksonville radio show. They talked about Aira, of course, and a bit about The Blind Abilities podcast. Also on the show is an interview with Al Avina, Executive Director of the Blinded Veterans Association. The national BVA conference will be held in Jacksonville the week of August 14 – 18th. Aira will be there in full force and Pete Lane of the Blind Abilities Team will bring you and keep you up to date with the latest out of Jacksonville and the Blinded Veterans Association. We hope you enjoy. Explore your world like never before From exploring new neighborhoods and restaurants in the city, to traveling the globe – Aira empowers the blind to experience their world and surroundings like never before. Accessible devices Aira’s platform works on wearable devices such as Google Glass and Vuzix that can be paired with your smartphones. Real-time request The tiny camera mounted on your wearable device provides instant feedback so Aira Agents can safely guide you with any activity. Certified agents Our network of trained Aira Agents, who could even be one of your family or friends, are able to assist you whenever and wherever. You can find out more about Aira on the web and follow Aira on Twitter @Airaio 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 Store.