Today on the show, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece dive into the inbox to hear what you’ve been saying over the past month or so. There’s much discussion around the access to Meta’s AI functionality around the world, with many listeners in the UK complaining about the lack of the ‘Look and Tell’ feature which allows a blind person to know what the item they are looking at is. Also discussed is the benefits of Meta’s Ray Bans over specialist options such as Seleste glasses, with the guys raising co...
Jan 15, 2025•56 min
Today’s episode focuses in on the challenges and progress of accessibility in Ontario, particularly focusing on the Accessibility for Ontarians Act and its implications for blind Canadians. Steven and Shaun also discuss the importance of accessible technology, the role of legislation, and the need for companies to prioritize accessibility in their products. Listener Negative Julian also picks up on the potential impact of political changes in the USA on the pricing of assistive technology. Howev...
Jan 14, 2025•56 min
In this episode, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece discuss the transition into 2025, reflecting on the role of AI in technology, particularly in relation to accessibility. They delve into the recent FTC ruling against AccessiBe, the new NLS audiobook player, and Ontario's accessibility goals which sadly have not been met. The main conversation today covers highlights from CES 2025, exploring innovations and ethical concerns surrounding AI and accessibility. Steven and Shaun are joined by podcaster M...
Jan 13, 2025•56 min
In our final episode of our special week of shows celebrating Braille at 200, Steven Scott welcomes Shaun Preece back to the show to get his and your feedback on the conversations we’ve been having this week. Listener emails are the focus of the show today and they highlight the significance of Braille in today's world and explore its relevance, accessibility, and the diverse range of perspectives and opinions surrounding whether Braille is or isn’t literacy. Contributors also talk about Braille...
Jan 10, 2025•58 min
Today on the show, we continue celebrating the 200th anniversary of Braille, discussing its evolution, relevance, and the innovations in Braille technology. Joining Steven today is Stuart Lawlor, an expert in assistive technology who works at the UK’s Sight and Sound Technology, and Gregory Hargraves from Paige Braille, who has created an innovative way to turn at Perkins braille machine into a keyboard that can be connected to a computer. The guests both emphasize the importance of Braille lite...
Jan 09, 2025•57 min
In our third episode celebrating Braille at 200, Steven Scott explores the state of Braille education globally, focusing on the challenges and opportunities in teaching Braille to children with visual impairments with special guest Elizabeth McCann, a QTVI (Qualified Teacher of Visually Impaired Children) who works at the University of Edinburgh and has previously worked in Toronto. The discussion highlights the importance of early education, the resurgence of interest in Braille, and the need f...
Jan 08, 2025•57 min
In our second episode celebrating Braille at 200, Steven Scott discusses the significance of Braille education in the United States with blind QTVI (Qualified Teacher of Visually Impaired Children) Kate Crohan who works at Perkins School for the Blind. The discussion highlights the challenges and opportunities in teaching Braille to visually impaired and low vision students, the importance of acceptance in learning Braille, and the balance between traditional Braille and modern technology. Kate ...
Jan 07, 2025•57 min
In our first of five special episodes this week, Double Tap celebrates the 200th anniversary of Braille, exploring its historical significance, the evolution of technology that supports Braille literacy, and the ongoing challenges and opportunities for adult learners. The discussion highlights the life of Louis Braille, his legacy, and the importance of Braille in promoting literacy and employment for the visually impaired. Steven and Shaun also address the modern approaches to learning Braille,...
Jan 06, 2025•57 min
In this festive episode of Double Tap, hosts Steven and Shaun are joined by the stars of AMI, including Jacob Shymanski, Ramya Amuthan, and Kelly MacDonald, who come together to celebrate Christmas Day. They share light-hearted banter about their holiday attire, discuss the changes at AMI-audio over the year, and delve into the evolution of shows like Kelly&Co and AMI Today. The episode is filled with humor, camaraderie, and insightful discussions about media and literature. Amongst other to...
Dec 25, 2024•56 min
In this festive episode, the hosts reflect on the year 2024, discussing major tech stories, including the revival of AppleVis, the anticipation surrounding the Glide device, and innovations showcased at CSUN. They also delve into the evolving landscape of hearing technology and its implications for accessibility. They also discuss audio description, the rapid evolution of AI technology, and the future of assistive tech. Steven also welcomes Brian Comiskey, the Futurist at the Consumer Technology...
Dec 24, 2024•56 min
In this festive episode of Double Tap, Shaun and Steven engage in a lively discussion filled with holiday cheer, listener emails, and reflections on technology accessibility. They explore various topics, including smart thermostats, voice assistants, and the evolving landscape of audio description, all while sharing personal anecdotes and insights from their audience. In this episode, the hosts discuss various themes surrounding accessibility, personal experiences with cochlear implants, and the...
Dec 23, 2024•57 min
Today on the show Steven Scott and Shaun Preece discuss their holiday preparations, weekend plans, and the joys of a quiet Christmas. They share humorous anecdotes about cleaning their studios, ear cleaning mishaps, and the importance of slowing down expectations in daily life. The conversation eventually shifts to technology, including the Be My Eyes app and the challenges of using camera glasses for reading. They also explore the recent news about a driverless bus service in Scotland and the f...
Dec 20, 2024•56 min
Today on the show, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece delve into the social model of disability, discussing its implications and the responsibilities of society in creating accessible environments. They explore the relationship between blind individuals and tech companies, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and understanding in advocating for better accessibility. Listener interactions also touch on usability versus accessibility, the role of technology in the lives of blind users, and the e...
Dec 19, 2024•57 min
Today on the show, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece discuss the latest developments in AI technology, particularly focusing on Meta AI and its availability in the UK and the use cases for Google Geminii 2.0. Following a request from Meta, the company sends us an official statement regarding AI features, their availability in the UK, and the importance of accessibility in AI technology. Privacy concerns surrounding AI usage are also addressed following a listener email, along with a demonstration of...
Dec 18, 2024•56 min
Today on the show, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece discuss the latest advancements in AI technology, focusing on Google Gemini and Meta's new Live AI features just announced. They share their experiences with these tools, particularly in terms of accessibility for the blind community. The conversation highlights the potential benefits and limitations of AI, emphasizing the importance of user prompts and the need for caution in trusting AI for safety. Our main conversation today however focuses on ...
Dec 17, 2024•56 min
https://youtu.be/Y5Dp7tDcemA Today on the show Steven and Shaun discuss new enhancements in AI vision, while Steven declares he will never eat chocolate again! But the big story of the day is the developments in AI Vision, with both Google and Open AI launching the ability to use your camera to get real time information about your surroundings, with mixed results. Shaun demonstrates the Gemini 2.0 vision feature during an early morning walk with his dog, while Steven talks about his experience t...
Dec 16, 2024•57 min
In this episode, Steven Scott and Shaun discuss various topics related to assistive technology, including the Glide Mobility Aid, user experiences, and the importance of confidence in new mobility solutions. Listener emails also bring up the topic of living with hearing loss as well as blindness, and the challenges of using hearing aids alongside assistive technology, plus how cochlear implants can be useful to so many people. There’s also much discussion on the latest kitchen gadgets made acces...
Dec 13, 2024•56 min
In this chaotic edition of Double Tap, hosts Steven Scott and Shaun try to compose themselves and discuss various interesting topics. They start with a light-hearted banter about a listener's request for a cat sound effect, leading into a discussion about the pros and cons of using Windows versus Mac for audio editing. The conversation shifts to the NVDA screen reader and its features, followed by a debate on the new Outlook interface. Following a listener email from Brian, the guys get a bit mo...
Dec 12, 2024•57 min
In this episode of Double Tap, hosts Steven Scott and Shaun Preece celebrate breaking news regarding the Mantis Q40's new text-to-speech feature. Steven demonstrates the new feature for listeners and viewers exploring how the new feature works, and how it integrates into the workflow of the device itself The show also includes listener feedback on various topics, including Christmas decorations, the Blindshell Classic 3, and a review of the much discussed Mini Guide. The guys also discuss the ch...
Dec 11, 2024•56 min
In this episode, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece celebrate Steven's birthday while discussing various topics including updates to Android’s Talkback screen reader and the quest for Meta AI in the UK. Listener contributions also include a top tip on connecting your Amazon Echo to your mobile phone so you can use it when staying at a hotel or at another house, a new way to quickly access apps on Windows, and a cool gadget to avoid slipping and falling during icy days. Plus, we learn why Steven is a ...
Dec 10, 2024•56 min
In this episode of Double Tap, hosts Steven Scott and Shaun Preece engage in lively banter about the weather, their podcasting energy, and the importance of mood in creating engaging content. In other words, they both need more coffee! They delve into the world of screen readers, comparing NVDA, JAWS, and Narrator, and discuss the potential of a new operating system called Cosmos from Humane AI. The conversation shifts to the GoBox, a device designed to make subtitles accessible, and the Envisio...
Dec 09, 2024•56 min
In this special episode of Double Tap, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece are joined by tech guru Michael Babcock to tackle listener questions. As always, the conversation is packed with tips, tricks, and a bit of chaos. Steven kicks things off by talking about his switch from VMware Fusion to Parallels for running virtual machines on macOS. He shares how it’s made his life easier, especially with keyboard shortcuts and overall functionality. Meanwhile, Michael offers his own insights into navigating...
Dec 06, 2024•57 min
In this episode, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece engage in a lively discussion covering various topics related to technology, accessibility, and community perspectives. They talk about the upcoming review of the Blind Shell Classic 3, the ongoing debate about Braille, and the importance of diverse voices in the blind community. The conversation also touches on the challenges of language and communication, the role of technology in gaming, and user experiences with Echo devices. Listener contributi...
Dec 05, 2024•56 min
Today on Double Tap, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece engage in a lively discussion about the relevance and importance of Braille in today's society. They explore the challenges facing Braille literacy, the impact of the cost of braille technology, and the need for more education and community support to ensure that Braille remains a viable option for blind and visually impaired people. As always, our conversation is fueled by your feedback, highlighting diverse perspectives on the topic which are ...
Dec 04, 2024•56 min
In this episode of Double Tap, hosts Steven Scott and Shaun Preece reflect on the significance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Our main interview today however focuses on a major milestone for Apple, as in 2025 they celebrate 40 years of providing accessibility to disabled people. Global Head of Accessibility at the company, Sarah Herrlinger, joins Steven Scott to discuss the changes that have come in over the years and where accessibility is today in 2024. Get in touch wi...
Dec 03, 2024•56 min
Today on the show, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece meet Mike Shebanek, a pivotal figure in the development of Apple VoiceOver. They explore the history of accessibility at Apple, the myths surrounding the creation of VoiceOver, and the importance of community feedback in its development. Mike shares his journey from product management to leading accessibility initiatives, emphasizing the need for inclusive technology that benefits everyone. The discussion also touches on his transition to Meta and...
Dec 02, 2024•57 min
On today’s show, Steven and Shaun get into a lively discussion about the ongoing debate between Mac and Windows users. They explore their personal experiences with both operating system and dive into the complexities of using both systems simultaneously. The guys are joined by regular guest and podcast host Michael Babcock, and they discuss the intricacies of using Windows and Mac systems, focusing on compatibility, user experience, and the best tools for productivity. They also explore the adva...
Nov 29, 2024•56 min
Today on the show, Steven and Shaun discuss the new Lotus Smart Switches and hear listener insights on sight loss and the challenges of learning Braille. The guys begin with a short demonstration of the new Lotus Smart Switches from listener Kevin Chao, who shared a video unboxing of the switches and the easy set up process that goes with them. There’s lots of interesting topics in the inbox as usual, including the desire for more braille learning opportunities for later learners, the meaning of...
Nov 28, 2024•56 min
Today on Double Tap, hosts Steven Scott and Shaun Preece chat about the challenges of smart home devices, and the issues Steven has had trying to connect smart devices on the move. Today’s show is really all about you, as we dive into the inbox to hear listener emails discussing AI functionality in Meta Ray Bands, thoughts on the new Blindshell Classic 3, and the importance of community support in learning about new technology. Steven sets out his thoughts on the need for better education and re...
Nov 27, 2024•56 min
Today on the show Steven and Shaun discuss a range of tech topics including the rise in popularity of a pedestrian navigation app, a new AI assistant that’s just launched, and a major update to a popular QWERTY braille display. First up, the guys talk about the Oko app, which is an app to help blind people cross the road safely. They’ve just been announced as finalists in Apple’s app of the year awards. Up next they chat about the new Envision Ally assistant and how it compares to other AI assis...
Nov 26, 2024•56 min
