The CCVIP Podcast: Recent Episodes
The CCVIP Podcast
We talk about the latest in accessible technology and other issues concerning blind and visually impaired people.
New York City has the best theater in the world. But what if your vision is poor? Does that mean you can't enjoy Shakespeare, musical extravaganzas or even some hip new off-Broadway show? Not according to Andrea Day.
Day is an audio describer. She works in theaters in New York and on the West Coast, describing what happens on stage. She tells us what it's like to be just one step ahead of the action.
But first we speak to Lisa Carling, the director of Theatre Development Fund's accessibility programs. She decribes TDF's many programs for people who are hard of hearing or have vision impairments. TDF also has programming devoted to especially to families with autistic children. She also reveals how technology is transforming theater--making it more accessible to every kind of audience.
Growing Up Fisher is one of the few broadcast TV shows featuring a person with a visual impairment. Tonight we talk to the show's creator and executive producer, DJ Nash. The NBC comedy is based on Nash's own experience; his father was blind and his parents divorced when he was young.
The series stars J.K. Simmons (you may know him from the Farmer's Insurance commercials) and Jenna Elfman (Dharma and Greg).
We'll talk to Nash about the show, his childhood and what it's like producing a show about a blind guy. We'll also be taking your calls
Tonight we talk about vision loss and denial. Three outstanding vision loss professionals: Anna Dureas of the New York State Commission for the Blind; Kate Grathwol of Vision Loss Resources in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota and Dr. Bruce Rosenthal of Lighthouse Guild Low Vision Service will talk about both the emotional and physical challenges of losing vision--and what people can do to maximize what they have.
We will also be taking listener questions.
Ana Dureas has worked in the vocational rehabilitation field for more than 18 years. She is currently District Manager of the White Plains region of the New York State Commission for the Blind. She is certified as a Rehabilitation Counselor and has a license in Mental Health Counseling.
Kate Grathwol, PhD, is a nationally known educator of professionals in the vision loss field. She is also President and CEO of Vision Loss Resources, the leading providor of rehabilitation, support and referral services for visually impaired people in Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN.
Dr. Bruce Rosenthal is Chief of the Lighthouse Guild Low Vision Service, Adjunct Professor at Mt. Sinai Hospital as well as Adjunct Distinguished Professor at the State University of New York.
Dr. Elena Sabbi's inspiration for accessible astronomy books occured after she hired a visually impaired intern. Dr. Sabbi works at the Space Telescope Science Institute. Her new book Reach for the Stars is a free e-book is designed to be accessible for people with visual and reading impairments. She describes the book as well as her fascinating work researching star formation in the Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellenic Cloud.
After that, we talk with David Gaynes, the director and producer of the film, Saving Hubble. This remarkable film gives us insight into how the telescope has changed how we think about science and our place in the universe.
The Fifth Sense Project is reseach developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology dedicated to creating assistive technology for people with visually impairments. Seth Teller heads up the program. In this fascinating interview, he tells us about cutting edge tech that is still in the developmental phase--small, unobtrusive, wearable devices that hopefully will one day assist in navigation, reading text and graphics and recognizing people before they you see you.
Find out more about the Fifth Sense Project and watch their presentation.
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Author Rosemary Mahoney will join us to talk about her recent New York Times OpEd Why Do We Fear the Blind? She'll also talk about her upcoming book,For the Benefit of Those Who See: Dispatches from the World of the Blind and her work with Braille Without Borders.
CCVIP's director, Dr. Karen Gourgey and Gus Chalkias will be on hand to talk to Mahoney about her work. We'll also be taking your calls.
In this fascinating show we talk about dog guides and a new app under development. In the first half of the show, CCVIP's Dr. Karen Gourgey talks about what it's like to let go of a faithful friend--her beloved dog guide Isabel. She also talks about training Ginger--her new dog.
After a short break, we talk with Kamiar Kordari of TRX Systems. He's at the forefront of developing a new type of navigation system for visually impaired people.
If you are interested in finding out more about TRX's crowdsourcing program, contact: Kamiar@trxsystems.com or visit their website.
To find out more about CCVIP, visit our website, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube Channel. You can also subscribe to this podcast on iTunes. Or call us at 646-312-1420.
People are passionate about their devices. Whether you use iOS' VoiceOver features or Android's accesibility, this episode is for you. Four accessible tech experts debate the virtues and the failings of both phones. CCVIP's instructors Lynne Tatum and Gus Chalkias take up the pro-iOS side, while Chris Grabowski from Mystic Access and Dutch computer science student Florian Beijers champion Android devices.
The first half hour is a general debate between both sides. After a short break, we'll take your calls.
You can follow Florian on Twitter at @zersiax, and Lynne @techlynne46. Chris can be found at Mystic Access
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For more information about the exciting work work we're doing at CCVIP, visit our website at CCVIP or call us at 646-312-1420.
When it comes to taxi apps, New York City has had more than its share of stumbles. Just when we have a pilot program, an appeals court puts the kibosh on it. In this episode, we talk to Matt Carrington of Taxi Magic. They are supposed to be in NYC's electronic cab hailing pilot program. We talked about apps, accessibiiity and how the company responded when visually impaired users said their app wasn't accessible. To find out more about Taxi Magic, visit their website or check out their free app in the iTunes store. To find out more about CCVIP, visit our website, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube Channel. And tell us what you think by leaving comments on our show page.
The New York State Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped celebrates its 100 year anniversary on April 30th. Susan Loeb,CBVH's community building manager talks about their basic work and the upcoming celebrations in Albany and at various locations around the state. To find out more about CBVH's services, go the their website.
To find out more about CCVIP, visit us at our website: http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/ccvip/
We talk about a recent survey by the National Industries for the Blind revealing the extent of employer bias against visually impaired people. We also discuss the lawsuits brought by the National Federation for the Blind and National Association of the Deaf over accessible e-commerce sites. And, of course, we talk about our own conference here at CCVIP on Employment and Visual Impairment. We also continue our conversation with Ancil Torres of the W.R. Torres Foundation in Trinidad and Tobago (part one of the conversation is available here.) We get a chance to hear some of the wonderful music by Camp Can Do students and hear more about the foundation's work in both Trinidad and the U.S. Please feel free to contact us at CCVIP if you're interested in learning more about what we can do for you. Visit our website or call us at 646-312-1420.
Meet two extraordinary people in this podcast. Lynne Tatum is CCVIP's senior instructor. She talks about teaching assistive tech, social media and how her changing eyesight has impacted the way she watches movies. Next up is part one of a special two-part interview with Ancil Torres, CEO and president of the W.R. Torres Foundation, which is named for his father Wilford Robert Torres. He talks about the impact his father had on him and the groundbreaking work of the foundation in Trinidad and Tobago. The Computer Center for Visually Impaired People is located at 25th St. and Lexington Ave. in New York City. Please visit our website at: http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/ccvip/ or call us at (646) 312-1420.
In our first episode of the CCVIP Podcast, we'll talk about our latest video series--Accessible iPhone Apps, the need for audible pedestrian signals and a conversation with Dr. Stanley F. Wainapel of Montefiore Medical Center about training new doctors in disability awareness.