AT Banter Podcast

This week, Rob Mineault, Ryan Fleury, and Steve Barclay dive into an exciting celebration—the 30th anniversary of JAWS, the groundbreaking screen reader from Vispero! Joined by special guests Rachel Buchanan and Elizabeth Whitaker from Vispero, the crew discusses JAWS’s incredible journey and impact on users around the globe. Rachel and Elizabeth share personal insights and highlight anniversary celebrations, including a fascinatin...

Join Rob, Ryan, Steve, and Lis as they kick things off with some hockey pool banter—and discover how "Artie," their ChatGPT-powered pick, has scored a perfect run! Rob’s feeling pretty good, too, thanks to his strategic choice of the Edmonton Oilers. But it’s not all hockey talk! The gang switches gears to discuss National AccessAbility Week, a movement started back in 1988 to promote inclusion and accessibility. They're joined by ...

This week Rob, Lis, Steve and Rob delves into the topic of Artificial Intelligence (AI), noting how it has recently sunk into the mainstream with more people using and embracing it, a shift from previous fear and skepticism. They discuss their personal experiences using AI for diverse tasks including asking questions, creating accessible programs like a screen reader-friendly audio recorder and a keyboard-controlled soundboard, and...

This week, we’re thrilled to welcome Angela Bonfanti, President and CEO of CNIB, to the podcast! Angela shares her personal journey and how her father’s experience with vision loss inspired her path, along with how she transitioned from the world of politics to leading one of Canada's most impactful disability organizations. We discuss CNIB's evolution, including the innovative Community Hubs and Mobile Hubs, and highlight the urge...

Rob, Ryan and Steve welcome Karen McKay and Ioana Gandrabur from the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA) to the show this week to discuss some of the services CELA provides that includes a huge collection of accessible books—from embossed braille to audiobooks—to people with print disabilities across Canada. They also discuss how CELA is evolving their services and navigating a shift from traditional CDs to digital platforms...

Buckle up as Rob, Ryan, and Lis dive into the thrilling world of blind car racing with guests Tony Labillois and Jean Labbé! Ahead of the 36th annual high-speed showdown on July 4th in Granby, Quebec, Tony and Jean share their excitement about competing in a unique event where 35 to 40 drivers—blind or blindfolded—battle it out for 10 adrenaline-packed laps, guided only by the instructions of their fearless co-pilots.

But it's more...

We are "beyond" excited this week to welcome the host and producer of the Blind and Beyond Radio Show, Michael and Lynn Golder. Michael, who went blind later in life, and his co-host and wife Lynn Golder discuss their show's history, which has been on air for 10 years and reaches 14 million listeners worldwide. We discuss a variety of topics, including the importance of the show’s goals of bridging the sighted and visually impaired...

Rob, Ryan, and Lis are joined this week by the delightful and outspoken Lucy Greco—YouTuber, Accessibility Evangelist, and champion of all things inclusive! Lucy shares the inside scoop on her advocacy work at the University of California, Berkeley, and her popular YouTube channel, where she reviews appliances and chats candidly with fellow blind creators.

Together they dive into hot accessibility topics, from discussing why PDFs a...

This week we’re going back to school as we welcome Kyle Brymer, a research associate at New Brunswick Community College to discuss the challenges faced by neurodiverse individuals in post-secondary education, particularly those with autism spectrum disorder. Kyle tells us about the project he is involved in that aims at improving campus accessibility using digital twins and real-time sensory data. The project, funded by the College...

This week, Rob, Ryan, Lis, and Steve welcome Jerred Mace, founder of OneCourt, a startup that’s revolutionizing how blind and low vision fans experience live sports. Forget nosebleed seats — OneCourt brings the action right to your fingertips with a device that looks like a laptop but feels like a courtside seat.  Using spatial haptics, fans can track ball and player movements in real time on a tactile surface  Jerred shares how it...

This week Rob, Steve, Ryan and Lis welcome guest Justine On Green, a blind music producer and songwriter from Vancouver. Justine shares her journey in the music industry, her work with top 40 artists, and her recent project with Jagpreet Bajwa. They discuss the state of accessible advancements in music production, the impact of AI on music, and the evolving landscape of the music industry. And because we love a good throwback, we g...

This week the gang gathers together to break from our regular format and once again partake in a bit of Good News (because boy, do we need it right now)! From the first person with a physical disability to be approved for a Space Station mission to mussels are being used to monitor water quality, we’ve got more good news that you can load onto a four foot pizza!

Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/20...

This week, Rob. Ryan and Steve welcome Tyler Fentie, the Accessible Gaming Lead at Neil Squire's Makers Making Change to discuss the growing importance of accessible gaming. Tyler explains the evolution of accessible gaming, the social benefits of gaming for people with disabilities, and the role of major game studios like Ubisoft and Eidos in integrating accessibility features and details the GAME (Gaming Accessibility Made for Ev...

This week Rob, Ryan, Steve, and Lis welcome Dr. Linda Mamer, to the show to share her extensive experience in teaching Deafblind and visually impaired students. They talk about the importance of Intervenors for the Deafblind, as well as how crucial it is for early intervention, family involvement, and technology in enhancing communication for children who are Deafblind. She also discusses the evolution of assistive technology and i...

In this episode, we sit down with Bruce Sharpe, CEO of Singular Hearing, to explore their groundbreaking app, HeardThat. Designed to transform a smartphone into a speech enhancement tool, HeardThat uses AI to separate speech from background noise, making conversations clearer in loud and chaotic environments. Bruce shares insights into the app's development, its practical applications in settings like noisy restaurants, and the int...

This week, Ryan, Rob, and Steve sit down with Patrick Long, Co-founder and CEO of Innosearch, an innovative AI-powered platform revolutionizing accessibility for the visually impaired. Innosearch leverages cutting-edge AI and web scraping technology to streamline online shopping by eliminating unnecessary clutter and presenting only the most relevant information. It also features a built-in chatbot assistant to answer product-relat...

This week Rob and Ryan welcome Kimberly Parsley, a blind podcaster from Kentucky, to the show to discusses her podcast "Demand and Disrupt," which focuses on disability issues beyond blindness. She shares her personal journey including her rare genetic disorder, Von Hippel-Lindau, which led to her blindness and loss of hand function and we talk about the need for continuous advocacy, the balance between calling out and calling in o...

Welcome to 2025! It’s the first episode of the new year and we are thrilled to once again celebrate World Braille Day (January 4th) with guests Jen Jesso from PRCVI (Provincial Resource Centre for the Visually Impaired) and Riane LaPaire from NNELS (National Network for Equitable Library Services). We discuss the importance of Braille literacy and the challenges in promoting it, including the high cost of Braille technology and the...

Get ready to jingle all the way with our festive holiday special! Join Rob, Steve, Lis, and Ryan as they unwrap a world of Christmas traditions, sip on their favorite holiday spirits,  reminisce about past yuletide episodes filled with laughter and cheer and even break out a new holiday song! Travel with us from the enchanting tale of Ukraine's Christmas spider to Iceland's mischievous Yule Cat and Sweden's iconic Yule Goat. We'll ...