S1E13 - Anthony Ferraro: Raised for Independence

Hosts Rachel Ramos and David Woodbridge head down under this month to welcome HumanWare’s newest team member, Damo McMorrow, regional account manager for Queensland, Australia. Damo shares how he came full circle in assistive technology. He started as a teenager running a computer repair business and selling the Eureka, then spent 20 years in IT in the university sector and about 12 years with Vision Australia, and he is now at HumanWare. He talks candidly about how struggling at school without the right tools, and later losing access to inaccessible systems at work, drove his passion for putting the right tools in people’s hands. The conversation covers the idea of a “technology toolbox” and the moments when simply showing someone what’s possible changes their perspective, including a newly blind farmer who went on to fix his own motor home. Damo also talks about life as a car enthusiast who camps in a caravan with his wife Marion, with a few creative accessibility modifications of their own, and about the growing Australian HumanWare team. In the Hot Topic segment, Rachel, David, and Damo discuss why some students and parents resist braille, magnification, or other assistive tools for fear of looking different. They look at the long-term cost to literacy, education, and employment, and at how the right tool can become a conversation starter and an icebreaker. Damo then shares a tip for StellarTrek and Victor Reader Trek users who travel by bus: use the “open area lock” feature (hold the right arrow key) so the device gives only distance and heading to your chosen landmark instead of trying to route you along the street map. That makes it easier to know when to ring the bell for your stop. The episode closes with the upcoming shows segment: Connecting the Dots in Quebec City (French) on October 15 and in Toronto (English) on October 29, the NFB New Jersey State Convention in Atlantic City, the NFB Minnesota State Convention in Minneapolis, REHACARE in Düsseldorf, and the NFB South Carolina Low Vision Fair in Columbia. We’d love to hear from you! EMail us comments, feedback, stories, or anything really, at [email protected] Find out more at https://see-things-differently-with-hu.pinecast.co

Hosts Rachel Ramos and David Woodbridge kick off the fall season by turning the spotlight in-house, welcoming HumanWare's own Low Vision Product Manager, Roger Steinberg, for his first-ever interview appearance. Roger traces his path from eight years as an inclusion classroom teacher, through assistive technology work for the state of Florida, to product roles at Kurzweil Educational Systems and BAUM USA before landing at HumanWare five years ago. He and the hosts dig into what makes low vision product design distinct — simplicity and ease of use as guiding principles behind devices like the Explore line and Reveal 16/16i — and explore where practical, everyday AI could go next, from identifying a specific item on a store shelf to helping someone navigate a PIN pad or find their platform at a train station. In the Hot Topic segment, Rachel and David debate the role of traditional note takers versus modern braille computers like the BrailleNote Evolve for college and university work, and invite listeners to share their own note-taking setups. This episode's Partner Corner heads to Sweden, where Patrick Johansson of PolarPrint discusses his long history with HumanWare, the country's early role in developing the DAISY format, and PolarPrint's work distributing Stratus players and running a talking-newspaper service with thousands of subscribers across Sweden. Roger returns for Tips and Tricks with a detailed walkthrough of what's new in Prodigi software version 1.7, including new annotation tools (pencil, highlighter, and eraser with color and width options) for marking up documents, magnifier, and distance captures; two new speech modes — "on direct touch screen" and "on alternative access" — for different touch and switch-access needs; guidance on choosing between Prodigi's built-in speech and third-party screen readers like JAWS and NVDA; a new built-in calculator; and a refreshed set of quick start guides, user guides, and six new YouTube tutorial videos. The episode closes with a full rundown of upcoming HumanWare appearances at conferences across the US, Wales, Germany, and South Africa through mid-October, including the NFB State Convention in Greensboro, NC, Sight Village North Wales, REHACARE in Düsseldorf, and the ICEVI Conference in Johannesburg. We'd love to hear from you! EMail us comments, feedback, stories, or anything really, at [email protected] Find out more at https://see-things-differently-with-hu.pinecast.coRead transcript

This month, hosts Rachel Ramos and David Woodbridge kick things off with a shout-out to loyal listener Svetlana, a longtime podcast fan (and two-time Braille reader of War and Peace!) before diving into a HumanWare bursary winner spotlight. Joining the show is Samuel White, a bursary recipient from Brisbane, Australia, currently studying for a Bachelor of Information Technology at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Samuel talks about his transition from screen magnification to speech and Braille, his hobby project Touch Term — a terminal application built from the ground up for Braille and audio users — and his thoughts on AI-assisted coding (or, as he puts it, "verification coding"). Later in the episode, David catches up from Australia with Quentin Christensen of NV Access for a chat about NVDA, the free and open-source screen reader celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Also in this episode: a Spotlight segment honoring advocacy organizations including the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the American Council of the Blind (ACB), Blind Citizens Australia, Vision Australia, and Guide Dogs Australia, plus details on HumanWare's special Monarch promotion for NFB members (available now through December 31, 2026) and a look ahead at upcoming events in Montana and North Carolina. As always, get in touch with the show any time — details below. Guests: Samuel White — HumanWare bursary recipient, QUT student, and creator of Touch Term Quentin Christensen — NV Access (makers of NVDA) Resources mentioned: Touch Term — Samuel White's Braille- and audio-first terminal application NV Access — home of the free, open-source NVDA screen reader HumanWare Monarch NFB member promotion — contact HumanWare or the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) for details on the $12,900 USD promotional pricing (U.S. NFB members only, through December 31, 2026) BrailleNote Evolve QWERTY waiting list — sign-up link to come; contact HumanWare for the latest availability National Federation of the Blind (NFB), American Council of the Blind (ACB), Blind Citizens Australia, Vision Australia, and Guide Dogs Australia — advocacy organizations spotlighted this episode Upcoming appearances: September 11–13: Montana Association for the Blind convention, Great Falls, MT September 17: Assistive Technology Project Expo, Raleigh, NC We'd love to hear from you! EMail us comments, feedback, stories, or anything really, at [email protected] Find out more at https://see-things-differently-with-hu.pinecast.co

Welcome to July! In this episode of See Things Differently, hosts Rachel Ramos and David Woodbridge dive deep into the world of travel, orientation, and independent mobility. They are joined by Dr. Erin Foley, an Orientation and Mobility (O\&M) specialist from San Francisco State University, to discuss travel strategies, tactile mapping, and the reality of using modern AI tools like Ray-Ban Meta glasses on the go. Later in the episode, Greg Stilson, Vice President of Digital Transformation at the American Printing House for the Blind (APH), joins the show to share his tech journey, history with HumanWare, and the incredible impact of the Monarch tactile graphics display. Have comments, questions, or ideas for future episodes? The team wants to hear from you! [email protected] Find out more at https://see-things-differently-with-hu.pinecast.co

For this 18th episode of See Things Differently, hosts Rachel Ramos and David Woodbridge celebrate the podcast "coming of age". They are joined by Ricky Anger, the Director of Practical Help at Hadley. Ricky shares her personal tech and career journey as a blind professional, shedding light on how Hadley has evolved from a century-old correspondence school into a modern hub for accessible, bite-sized learning. The crew also dives into a lively debate on the future of audio description, shares some hilarious tech repair "trials and triumphs," and drops a quick troubleshooting tip for using VoiceOver with QWERTY-style braille displays. https://hadleyhelps.org/ Hadley Toll-Free Number (US): (800) 323-4238 As always, comments and suggestions are welcome at [email protected] ! Find out more at https://see-things-differently-with-hu.pinecast.coRead transcript

In this episode of See Things Differently with HumanWare, hosts Rachel Ramos and David Woodbridge welcome back a very familiar face to the studio—former co-host Peter Tucic! Peter catches up with the team to discuss his new role at the Chicago Lighthouse and shares his personal and professional insights into workplace accessibility and adaptive workflows. Later, the crew dives into a candid "Hot Topic" debate challenging the assumption that blind or visually impaired individuals can only work within the accessibility field. Find out more at https://see-things-differently-with-hu.pinecast.coRead transcript

Read transcriptWelcome to a "Sweet 16" episode of "See Things Differently with HumanWare" ! This month, hosts Rachel Ramos and David Woodbridge are joined by HumanWare Product Specialist Joel Zimba to dive deep into the future of independent mobility and the expansion of the BrailleNote ecosystem. Segment 1: Glidance and the Evolution of Mobility Amos Miller, Founder and CEO of Glidance (https://glidance.io) joins the show to discuss Glide, a groundbreaking self-steering mobility aid. Inspiration: Amos shares how his work on Microsoft Soundscape led to the realization that many users need "micro-navigation" and physical guidance for the "last mile" to a door or around obstacles The Hardware: Glide is a wheeled device with a handle similar to a guide dog harness[cite: 101, 102]. [cite_start]It features a sophisticated downward-facing depth camera system to detect "lethal obstacles" like drop-offs and platform edges, bringing the user to a dead stop if necessary Tech Specs: The device includes a cellular modem with its own data plan, ensuring it can access advanced AI and mapping features while maintaining core guidance capabilities offline Segment 2: The Wearables Debate The team holds a "Hot Topic" discussion on the wearables they actually use—and the ones they don't. Ray-Ban Meta: Rachel discusses how the glasses assist her during travel, especially when integrated with services like Aira Apple Watch Critique: Joel provides a candid list of why the Apple Watch hasn't "won him over," citing its bulkiness and the fact that it still requires two hands for a blind user to operate AirPods & Mini Guide: David shares his love for AirPods as his primary wearable and highlights the Mini Guide, a handheld sonar device for environmental scanning Segment 3: Partner Corner – Vispero & JAWS Matt Ater, Senior VP at Vispero, joins Rachel to announce a major partnership: bringing JAWS to the BrailleNote Evolve. Fully Integrated: This is the same powerful JAWS used on Windows PCs, now licensed directly to the BrailleNote Evolve PC Power: Because the Evolve features dedicated Alt, Control, and Insert keys, navigating complex Windows applications and using JAWS scripts is more intuitive than on a traditional Braille display Complimentary Access: New Evolve customers will receive a six-month complimentary license to get started The Jim Halliday STEAM Innovation Bursary 2026 HumanWare is proud to announce that the Jim Halliday STEAM Innovation Bursary is now open for 2026! This global program recognizes students aged 13 to 25 who are developing STEAM-related projects that improve accessibility or benefit their communities. The Goal: We are looking for bold questions and projects that merge disciplines to make accessibility part of everyday innovation. Recipients will receive cutting-edge technology, including a Brilliant BI 40X , a Mantis Q40 , or a Prodigi for Windows Complete Kit . How to Apply: Students can apply directly or be nominated by a mentor. Visit the HumanWare News Page for full details Upcoming Shows & Events Catch the HumanWare team at these upcoming conferences : April 15-17: PA-DE AER Conference (Harrisburg, PA) April 16-18:** CTEBVI Conference (Los Angeles, CA) April 16-18: Sensor Tech at Zozo (Utrecht, Netherlands) NFB Utah State Convention (Ogden, UT) Have a story or feedback? Write to us at [email protected] Find out more at https://see-things-differently-with-hu.pinecast.co

In this episode of See Things Differently, hosts Rachel Ramos and David Woodbridge celebrate Orientation and Mobility Month by welcoming endurance athlete and digital accessibility analyst Dave Wilkinson. Dave shares his powerful journey of recovery after a 2017 car accident, highlighting how the Brailliant Braille display was instrumental in helping him regain his reading skills without relying on speech. The conversation dives deep into Dave’s life as an "adrenaline junkie," from completing grueling Ironman triathlons to his ambitious 3000-mile solo tandem attempt in the Race Across America. Beyond the athletics, Dave and the hosts discuss the importance of mental resilience, the need for more physical activity within the blind community, and practical tips for building a flexible technical toolkit to navigate an often inaccessible world. https://www.facebook.com/teamspeedyturtle/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/1142388796456398 Find out more at https://see-things-differently-with-hu.pinecast.coRead transcript

In this episode of See Things Differently, we celebrate Low Vision Awareness Month with a powerful conversation about gaming and accessibility. Rachel and David sit down with Joe Steinkamp, Manufacturer Representative at HumanWare, to explore his journey as a lifelong gamer navigating progressive vision loss. From early days on Atari to today’s accessible consoles, Joe shares how technology has transformed what’s possible for blind and low vision players. The discussion dives into the evolution of built-in accessibility features on platforms like Xbox and Nintendo Switch 2, and what these advancements mean for independence, inclusion, and staying connected to the hobbies we love. It’s an honest and inspiring look at resilience, innovation, and the future of accessible gaming. Find out more at https://see-things-differently-with-hu.pinecast.coRead transcript

In this episode, we sit down with Anthony Ferraro for a personal conversation about family, independence, and growing up blind. Anthony shares how his family shaped his confidence and expectations from an early age, encouraging independence rather than limitation. We explore what it means to grow up blind in a world full of assumptions, and how early support and mindset play a critical role in building resilience and self-belief. This conversation goes beyond technology to focus on lived experience, personal growth, and why accessibility starts with how people are raised, supported, and empowered. Topics include: Growing up blind and being raised for independence The role of family in shaping confidence and opportunity Challenging assumptions about blindness Why lived experience matters in accessibility Also, for people interested in learning more about the upcoming BrailleNote evolve: https://www.humanware.com/en-international/braillenote-evolve/ Find out more at https://see-things-differently-with-hu.pinecast.coRead transcript