AT Banter Podcast

This week Rob, Steve, and Lis welcome Joe Jorgensen of Accessibyte after a slight 'technical' issue that results in the first take not being recorded (at least take two gave us “humidititties”). Joe shares how his work teaching assistive technology inspired building a company that develops tools designed around real users’ needs, from Typio and Braillio to the Teacher Dashboard and Accessibyte Studio. The conversation explores building confidence one small win at a time, creating a smoother path from learning technology to using it for everyday tasks, and how AI might shape the future of accessible tools. Along the way we have plenty of laughs, a little hockey talk, and a reminder that the best tech starts by listening to the people who use it. Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/podcast-episode-464-accessibyte.pdf Show Notes Accessibyte https://www.accessibyte.com/ AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years of knowledge and experience. Visit them online at www.canasstech.com or call toll-free 1-844-795-8324 or visit their Assistive Technology Showroom at 106 – 828 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver. Need repairs on your device? Chaos Technical Services offers service and support on almost any piece of Assistive Technology, while also providing parts and batteries. Visit them online at www.chaostechnicalservices.com or call 778-847-6840.

After a summer break, AT Banter is back—and Rob Mineault and Steve Barclay kick things off with cruise talk, comeback-show jitters, and a lively conversation with Libby Thaw, creator of the Checkered Eye symbol. Libby shares her journey with Stargardt’s disease and explains why she created a simple way for people with low vision to let others know they may need a little understanding. They explore what the symbol means, how it can complement (but not replace) a white cane for traffic safety, and why public awareness of vision as a spectrum matters. They also chat about the project’s long road to recognition, the challenges of getting media attention, and how listeners can help spread the word. Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/podcast-episode-463.pdf Show Notes The Checkered Eye Project https://checkeredeye.com/ AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years of knowledge and experience. Visit them online at www.canasstech.com or call toll-free 1-844-795-8324 or visit their Assistive Technology Showroom at 106 – 828 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver. Need repairs on your device? Chaos Technical Services offers service and support on almost any piece of Assistive Technology, while also providing parts and batteries. Visit them online at www.chaostechnicalservices.com or call 778-847-6840.

This week, Rob, Steve, and Lis sit down with Tom Perski, a pioneer in low vision rehabilitation and assistive technology whose lived experience has shaped services for thousands of people with vision loss. Diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease at 19, He shares candidly about dropping out of college, grief, denial, and the long journey back through rehab, assistive technology, and ultimately a career helping others navigate the same path. We also dive into Tom’s new memoir, “There’s No Vision Like Low Vision,” which chronicles his journey and offers a hopeful, honest roadmap for anyone facing vision loss or any major life change. If you or someone you know is newly diagnosed with vision loss, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/podcast-episode-462-tom-perski.pdf Show Notes There’s No Vision Like Low Vision on Amazon https://www.amazon.ca/Theres-Vision-Like-Low-Degeneration/dp/1998315487 AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years of knowledge and experience. Visit them online at www.canasstech.com or call toll-free 1-844-795-8324 or visit their Assistive Technology Showroom at 106 – 828 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver. Need repairs on your device? Chaos Technical Services offers service and support on almost any piece of Assistive Technology, while also providing parts and batteries. Visit them online at www.chaostechnicalservices.com or call 778-847-6840.

This week the gang sits down with guests Diane Dubrovner and Stacy Cervenka, co-authors of the new middle-grade novel Roxie in Color. The book follows Roxie, a shy 12-year-old starting at a new school who’s trying to keep one big secret under wraps: both of her parents are blind. The story explores real issues faced by the blind community, all told through the lens of Stacy’s real-life lived experience. Join us as we learn about the book’s origins, what the long distance co-authoring experience was like, and why representation, lived experience, and not lecturing kids are at the core of their storytelling.  Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/at-banter-podcast-episode-461-roxie-in-color.pdf Show Notes Roxie in Color on Amazon https://www.amazon.ca/Roxie-Color-Diane-Debrovner/dp/1536246603 Roxie in Color Audiobook on Audible https://www.audible.ca/pd/Roxie-in-Color-Audiobook/B0GNR5DSXF AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years of knowledge and experience. Visit them online at www.canasstech.com or call toll-free 1-844-795-8324 or visit their Assistive Technology Showroom at 106 – 828 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver. Need repairs on your device? Chaos Technical Services offers service and support on almost any piece of Assistive Technology, while also providing parts and batteries. Visit them online at www.chaostechnicalservices.com or call 778-847-6840.

This week Rob, Ryan, and Lis kick things off with failed catchphrases, and Lis’ mysterious “voodoo diet” before welcoming guest Shanell Matos, community manager at Right Hear. Shanell explains why Right Hear is an orientation app rather than a navigation app, how Bluetooth beacons and powerful markers give blind and low-vision users rich information about their surroundings without bossy turn-by-turn directions, and how the system is being used in places like stadiums, hospitals, museums, universities, restaurants, and more.  Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/at-banter-podcast-episode-460-shanell-matos.pdf Show Notes Right Hear https://www.right-hear.com/ AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years of knowledge and experience. Visit them online at www.canasstech.com or call toll-free 1-844-795-8324 or visit their Assistive Technology Showroom at 106 – 828 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver. Need repairs on your device? Chaos Technical Services offers service and support on almost any piece of Assistive Technology, while also providing parts and batteries. Visit them online at www.chaostechnicalservices.com or call 778-847-6840.

This week, the AT Banter crew is very much in the house – basement, man cave, and all – as we welcome Matthew Reeves, a legally blind psychotherapist, rehab counselor, and host of the Insight Out podcast. Diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease at 12, Matthew is a a therapist focused on helping people live well with vision loss, disability, chronic illness, and chronic pain. Now he’s using both his training and his lived experience to support a community that often feels isolated and underserved. If you or someone you love is navigating vision loss, this conversation is honest, validating, and quietly hopeful. It doesn’t sugarcoat the hard parts, but it also makes space for the possibility that, like Kintsugi, we can come back together different, but stronger and more valuable than before. Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/at-banter-podcast-episode-459-matthew-reeves.pdf Show Notes Insight Out Podcast https://www.insightoutpod.com/ AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years of knowledge and experience. Visit them online at www.canasstech.com or call toll-free 1-844-795-8324 or visit their Assistive Technology Showroom at 106 – 828 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver. Need repairs on your device? Chaos Technical Services offers service and support on almost any piece of Assistive Technology, while also providing parts and batteries. Visit them online at www.chaostechnicalservices.com or call 778-847-6840.

In this “Generations Part Two” episode of AT Banter, Rob and Ryan welcome back Clement Chou, Albert Ruel, Betty Nobel, and Russell Leung for a lively, thoughtful – and often very funny – conversation about the generation gap in the blindness community. Together they tackle big questions like what can older and younger blind people genuinely learn from each other, and how do we move from talking about intergenerational connection to actually getting people in the same room. From ideas like mixed‑generation potlucks and food‑centric meetups, to honest talk about advocacy burnout, mental health, resilience, and learning to step outside your comfort zone, this episode is both warm and hopeful. By the end, there’s a real sense that something new could emerge – regular in‑person gatherings, new community spaces, maybe even a Part Three in this series. Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/at-banter-podcast-episode-458-bridging-the-generation-gap-part-2.pdf   AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years of knowledge and experience. Visit them online at www.canasstech.com or call toll-free 1-844-795-8324 or visit their Assistive Technology Showroom at 106 – 828 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver. Need repairs on your device? Chaos Technical Services offers service and support on almost any piece of Assistive Technology, while also providing parts and batteries. Visit them online at www.chaostechnicalservices.com or call 778-847-6840.

In this episode of AT Banter, Rob, Ryan, and Steve shake off an early-morning, post–long weekend haze (fueled by espresso) to welcome Simon Kitchen, Chief Commercial Officer at Dolphin Computer Access. Dolphin is celebrating 40 years in assistive technology, and Simon joins the crew to dig into how the company has evolved from hardware speech synthesizers in the pre-Windows days to today’s powerful, AI-enhanced software suite. Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/podcast-episode-457-supernova.pdf Show Notes Find out more about Dolphin Computer Access https://yourdolphin.com/ AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years of knowledge and experience. Visit them online at www.canasstech.com or call toll-free 1-844-795-8324 or visit their Assistive Technology Showroom at 106 – 828 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver. Need repairs on your device? Chaos Technical Services offers service and support on almost any piece of Assistive Technology, while also providing parts and batteries. Visit them online at www.chaostechnicalservices.com or call 778-847-6840.

In this episode of AT Banter, the gang welcomes Lynn Jensen, Registered Nurse, longtime Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist, and author of ‘Best Kept Secrets for Travelers With Sight Loss’. If you’ve ever thought, “Travel is stressful and airports are chaos”—and that’s before adding sight loss into the mix—this episode is packed with concrete tips, great stories, lots of laughs, not to mention a little 80s TV singalong. Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/at-banter-podcast-episode-456-traveling-with-lynn-jensen.pdf Show Notes Lynn’s Book in Multiple Formats at: www.blindtraveltips.com AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years of knowledge and experience. Visit them online at www.canasstech.com or call toll-free 1-844-795-8324 or visit their Assistive Technology Showroom at 106 – 828 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver. Need repairs on your device? Chaos Technical Services offers service and support on almost any piece of Assistive Technology, while also providing parts and batteries. Visit them online at www.chaostechnicalservices.com or call 778-847-6840.

This week Rob, Ryan, and Lis dive into the fast-evolving world of AI and accessibility as they are joined by Andrew Gillies, founder and CEO of Guide, an AI-powered assistant for Windows that helps blind and low-vision users navigate inaccessible apps and interfaces. Instead of replacing screen readers, Guide works alongside them, stepping in when buttons aren’t labeled, controls can’t be reached, or a UI just refuses to cooperate. Show Transcript https://atbanter.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/at-banter-podcast-episode-455-guide.pdf Show Notes Guide https://www.guideinteraction.com/ AT Banter is brought to you by Canadian Assistive Technology, providing sales and training in Assistive Technology and Accessibility with over 30 years of knowledge and experience. Visit them online at www.canasstech.com or call toll-free 1-844-795-8324 or visit their Assistive Technology Showroom at 106 – 828 West 8th Avenue, Vancouver. Need repairs on your device? Chaos Technical Services offers service and support on almost any piece of Assistive Technology, while also providing parts and batteries. Visit them online at www.chaostechnicalservices.com or call 778-847-6840.