Blind Abilities - the Musical No. 5: When the Screen Spoke Back to Me - Curiosity, Confidence, and Accessible Tech

About this episode

The episode explores the impact of accessible technology on independence and confidence through personal stories and reflections.

We return with another Blind Abilities Musical about that first time you heard the screen speak back to you. How you dug in an learned about accessibility and use it in the workplace. And how the ever changing tech world keeps you on your toes. After the music ends, Pete Lane, Christina Covington, Lori Thompson and Jeff Thompson jump back into the studio for a lively, reflective, and thoughtful conversation about accessible technology and how it has changed their lives. They reflect on the first time they heard JAWS, VoiceOver, or ZoomText Extra speak, and how those early moments opened doors to independence, speed, confidence, and inclusion. The group talks about learning curves, keyboard shortcuts, workplace productivity, iPhone accessibility, adapting to software updates, and the importance of maintaining strong basic skills when technology changes. Along the way, they share memories of older tools, joke about screen readers, sound speed, and emojis, and compare how Macs, Windows PCs, and iPhones fit into daily life. A strong theme throughout the conversation is curiosity: the willingness to explore, problem-solve, and keep learning. The discussion feels warm, personal, and…

People in this episode

Host: Blind Abilities Team

Guests: Pete Lane, Christina Covington, Lori Thompson, Jeff Thompson

Topics covered

• accessible technology
• independence
• curiosity
• workplace productivity
• learning curves
• technology adaptation

Keywords

• accessible tech
• screen readers
• JAWS
• VoiceOver
• ZoomText Extra
• iPhone accessibility
• keyboard shortcuts
• technology changes

Mentioned in this episode

Products: JAWS, VoiceOver, ZoomText Extra

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