In this episode, join Tim Schwartz, along with his co-hosts Ryan Palm and Charles Hiser, as they dive into the captivating topic of the Spoon Theory and its application to the blind and visually impaired community. Charles sets the stage by providing background information on the Spoon Theory—a metaphor created by Christine Miserandino , who herself has lupus, as a way to explain the experience of living with chronic illness or disability to others who may not understand. The trio recognizes the...
Jun 15, 2023•52 min•Ep. 53
In this episode of the Life After Blindness podcast, I’m joined by my friend Aaron Linson from Lab Computers to talk about the all-new Victor Reader Stream 3rd Generation from HumanWare. Aaron’s spent some quality time testing out the device, and in this episode, we break down what’s new, what’s improved, and why a lot of people in the blind and visually impaired community still love using a dedicated device like this — even with smartphones offering so many options these days. WHAT WE TALK ABOU...
Feb 26, 2023•39 min•Ep. 52
In this episode of Life After Blindness, I share some news and updates about two popular apps for the blind and visually impaired: Aira and Microsoft Seeing AI . I also talk about a YouTube video by MrBeast , who paid for cataract surgeries for people in Africa, and I ask you a question: would you want your sight back if you had the chance? Joining me in this episode are two guest hosts who are also technology enthusiasts: Ryan Palm and Charles Hiser. They share their insights and opinions on th...
Feb 09, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 51
In this episode of the Life After Blindness Podcast, host Tim Schwartz is joined by returning contributors Ryan Palm and Charles Heiser for a wide-ranging discussion on some of the biggest challenges and changes currently facing the blind and visually impaired community. The trio unpacks two major headlines — the controversial price increase from visual interpreter service Aira, and the discontinuation of Microsoft’s Soundscape navigation app. They also dive into a powerful conversation about th...
Jan 31, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 50
The post Tim, Shaun and Robin Discuss Their Journeys with Vision Loss for Blindness Awareness Month appeared first on Life After Blindness ....
Oct 18, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 49
The post Audio Books and the RNIB Talking Book Skill with Robin Christopherson appeared first on Life After Blindness ....
Oct 09, 2022•19 min•Ep. 48
The post 2022 Amazon Event, Travel Frustrations and Dancing Tech appeared first on Life After Blindness ....
Oct 03, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 47
The post iOS 16 Accessibility. Voices, Settings and Fraggles? appeared first on Life After Blindness ....
Sep 17, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 46
This week on the Life After Blindness Spotlight, I interview musician, producer, Professor and Music Ambassador Joey Stuckey. The post Life After Blindness Spotlight Interview with Musician, Producer, Professor and Music Ambassador Joey Stuckey appeared first on Life After Blindness ....
Sep 10, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 45
Welcome to the weekend edition of v the Life After Blindness podcast. The post Smart Home Accessibility with Shawn Preece and Robyn Christopherson appeared first on Life After Blindness ....
Sep 03, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 44
This week I’m joined once again by freelance copy editor, student of accessibility and 2021 candidate for the Holman Prize, Charles Hiser . Charles helps me break down the weeks news. We also discuss his entry for the 2021 Holman Prize . In the news: HIMS announces the new Braille Sense 6 . AIRA announces partnership with Starbucks . Additionally, AIRA is now offering up to 30 free minutes to assist with COVID-19 vaccine related activities. Comic book app for the visually impaired being develope...
Mar 29, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 43
It’s March, 2021 and that means that assistive technology conference season is upon us once again. Moving from the crowded conference rooms and exhibit halls, this year each conference was completely virtual. So what was that experience like and what did we learn from each conference? I’m joined by Rose Morales and Charles Hiser to break it all down. Rose is a former trainer with Apple who now works as a lead tester for an online education platform and Charles is a free-lance editor and student ...
Mar 16, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 42
In 2009, Google implented Talkback into their Android smart phones. Talkback for Android is a screen reader designed for use by the blind or visually impaired. Similar to Voiceover on the iPhone, Talkback uses a variety of swipes and special gestures to aid in navigating the phone. If you would like to support Life After Blindness and receive exclusive perks, become a patron . Thanks! Talkback Updates: First up I’m joined by Ed Green from the Blind Android Users Podcast and BlindAndroidUsers.com...
Mar 10, 2021•58 min•Ep. 41
Audio games are interactive games played on a computer or smart phone that usually have very little or no graphics. Audio games can have the simplest of interfaces that utilize a screen reader. They can also be fully immersive and interactive with 3-D sound effects, actors and musical scores. If you would like to support Life After Blindness and receive exclusive perks, become a patron . Thanks! Before the Games On this weeks episode of the Life After Blindness Podcast, I begin by talking about ...
Mar 01, 2021•57 min•Ep. 40
Have you ever wondered about the experiences of someone who has been blind since birth? This week, Tim Schwartz and Maria Johnson will be exploring many things about being blind since birth with Holly Anderson and Darcy Bernard from the Maccessibility Roundtable Podcast. A Blind Point of View is a new roundtable podcast where people who are blind or visually impaired come together to have a deep dive conversation about all things related to blindness. In this roundtable, Holly and Darcy describe...
Mar 02, 2020•1 hr 14 min
It’s an audio description extravaganza on the Life After Blindness Podcast! First, I speak with audio description narrarator and voiceover artist, Roy Samuelson about the creation process and the current state of audio described content. Then, I show you how to turn on the audio described track within 5 of the top video streaming services. And finally, I share my thoughts on the availability of audio description, accessibility and the future of AD. If you would like to support Life After Blindne...
Feb 26, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 39
The Life After Blindness Spotlight is where I interview someone about their journey with a life after blindness. This week, I interview Maxwell Ivey from TheBlindBlogger.net . Max grew up working for his family carnival business, sold amusement equipment and now has his own blog and podcast. Max has appeared as a guest, an interview subject, and a motivator on many different sites and podcasts. Through his work, Max has helped others by encouraging them to take steps towards their ultimate goal,...
Feb 10, 2020•50 min
Envision AI is a smart phone app that allows people who are blind and visually impaired to scan text, bar codes, objects, faces and so much more. This week, I speak with one of the founders and developers from Envision, Karthik about bringing the app to google Glass. I also share a new ‘Because of My Blindness story from “The Blind Blogger”, Maxwell Ivey. If you would like to support Life After Blindness, please donate here . Thanks! The show opens this week with a brand new musical theme featur...
Feb 03, 2020•49 min•Ep. 38
Coping with vision loss. A Blind Point of View is a new roundtable podcast where people who are blind or visually impaired come together to have a deep dive conversation about all things related to blindness. In this first episode, Maria Johnson from GirlGoneBlind.com and Derek Daniel from LifeAfterSightLoss.com join Tim Schwartz to talk about coping with vision loss. The trio begins by discussing their hopes for this roundtable podcast going forward. Then, each takes a turn at describing their ...
Nov 12, 2019•51 min
Maria Johnson from Girl Gone Blind joins me on Life After Blindness for the entire show this week. We discuss Blindness Awareness Month, Accessibility news from Google as well as our experiences with a special bluetooth device called Sleep Phones. If you would like to support Life After Blindness, please donate here . Thanks! Commiserating on cruising In October, I went on a big family cruise to the Caribbean. As the show opens, Maria and I commiserate about vacationing on cruises. On this recen...
Oct 31, 2019•1 hr•Ep. 37
The post The Aira A-Team Plus the Amazon Echo Show, Legos and Uno add accessibility appeared first on Life After Blindness ....
Oct 11, 2019•44 min•Ep. 36
On Monday October 7, the United States Supreme Court decided which cases they would consider for their fall session. The Court chose to deny a petition from Domino’s Pizza to hear whether its smart phone app and website is required to be accessible to people who are blind or disabled. This leaves in place a lower court decision against the company. A blind man named Guillermo Robles had sued Domino’s after he was unable to utilize the companies app and website to successfully order food while us...
Oct 09, 2019•3 min
Maria Johnson from Girl Gone Blind joins Tim this week on Life After Blindness to discuss the recent news from the blind and visually impaired community. In the last episode, Tim spoke with Derek Daniel about the most recent announcements from Apple. Following up on that discussion, Tim and Maria break down IOS 13 and the newest accessibility features that have been made available for the blind and visually impaired. This includes customization options for voiceover gestures, keyboard commands, ...
Sep 24, 2019•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 35
On this special episode of the Life After Blindness podcast, Tim is joined by Derek Daniel to discuss the announcements Apple made at their 2019 fall event. You can find out more information about Derek by visiting his website, Life After Sight Loss . Join Tim and Derek as they discuss the upgrades and new cameras for the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max. They also discuss the other hardware announcements related to Apple Watch and iPad. Despite being visually impaired, Derek is a photo and vide...
Sep 13, 2019•1 hr 7 min
You had better hold on tight! This special episode of the Life After Blindness Podcast will send you on a roller coaster ride of emotions ranging from silly to serious, funny to slightly hostile. Join the conversation as Tim speaks to his good friends and co-hosts of Double Tap Canada, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece. Recently, it was announced on an episode of RNIB Tech Talk that Tim and Shaun would no longer co-host the show. Tim sits down with Steven and Shaun to discuss the decision behind thi...
Mar 08, 2019•18 min
Steven Scott and Shaun Preece join Tim this week on Life After Blindness to discuss the latest tech news. They begin by talking about the new features for blueprints available for Amazon Echo and Apple Music coming to Google Home. Speaking of the Amazon Echo, Steven tells Tim about a great new skill by Virgin Trains. They wrap up the news with Tim asking the guys about a new wireless device designed for the blind and visually impaired that allows you to send payments to others securely around th...
Mar 04, 2019•48 min•Ep. 34
Did you know that President Theodore Roosevelt was blind? Did you also know that cruising on a Carnival ship is accessible? This week on the Life After Blindness podcast, Tim will tell you about how President Roosevelt lost his vision. And later, he will interview John Heald who is the Brand Ambassador and Senior Cruise Director for Carnival Cruiseline. John describes to Tim all the ways that Carnival has made cruising accessible. From screen readers that are installed on their onboard computers...
Feb 20, 2019•30 min•Ep. 33
The post Be My Eyes Interview with Hans Wiberg, Because of My Blindness with Aaron Linson and How to Access Subscriptions in iOS appeared first on Life After Blindness ....
Feb 04, 2019•38 min•Ep. 32
The post Autonomous Vehicles Part 2 with Steven Scott, Accessible Health and Lots of News appeared first on Life After Blindness ....
Jan 21, 2019•42 min•Ep. 31
Welcome to Life After Blindness! A podcast that is dedicated to the exploration of an enabled life with blindness. In this weeks news, the Marrakesh VIP Treaty was passed by the United States House of Representatives. It was also ratified by the European Union. Next, a new study indicates that a Mediterranean diet could have an effect on age related Macular Degeneration. Also in the news, a visually impaired woman named Danelle Umstead was the first blind person to appear on Dancing with the Sta...
Oct 06, 2018•37 min•Ep. 30