Blind Guys Chat

We've got accessibility royalty this week as Glen Gordon joins us to chat all things retirement, AI, and Vispero. Glen's considerable legacy as a developer working for Vispero is not only in the software of JAWS itself, but also in the principles of accessibility, and the continuous improvement of assistive technology. He is continuing to push himself to new levels of development as he digs deep into AI and how it can improve accessibility. In other news, Clodagh has an email from Blind Gordon Anthony who gives us his views on the Oorion and PiccyBot apps. From AI: “Both OOrion (often referred to as Orion) and PiccyBot are specialised AI-powered applications designed to assist individuals who are blind or have low vision by providing detailed descriptions of their surroundings, images, and videos.” So, now that the world snooker championship is over, why not take some time to enjoy the finer things in life - Blind Guys Chat: for the most discerning of listeners. 10 out of 10 Vogue editors prefer it to mannequins with a limb difference! Links for this episode: · OOrion app: https://www.oorion.fr/en · PiccyBot app: https://www.piccybot.com/ Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chatRead transcript

It's time to bring BGC favourite Kevin Sherwin back onto the show to discuss this year’s Eurovision Song Contest entries. Kevin is not pulling any punches this year and is betting His Holy Communion money on Latvia to win! And this year could be their year, as Saturn, Venus and Mount Fuji have decided not to take part in the competition. But what about all the other entries, don't they deserve a chance? What about Ireland, Spain, The Netherlands and 95-time contest winner and friend of the podcast Slovakia? And don't the Spice Girls get a say in any of this? Huh?! (Don’t forget to email Kevin’s mammy with your problems and questions! – ThingsGayPeopleLike@gmail.com.) Clodagh has emails from Clare McLoughlin, who has information on the April Seen/Unseen event, and Jose is asking a tech question about those pesky graphics on webpages. So, forget about the Artemis II mission wake up music for a moment, don't worry about that zero-gravity spoon smashing into the spaceship controls. And instead strap yourself in for the only podcast worth listening to while attempting re-entry: Blind Guys Chat. 3 out of 4 astronauts prefer it to fixing space toilets! Links for this episode: · ‘Things Gay People Like’ podcast: [https://open.spotify.com/show/02N4vAlIPR6NWTrIM6iTAt](https://open.spotify.com/show/02N4vAlIPR6NWTrIM6iTAt "https://open.spotify.com/show/02N4vAlIPR6NWTrIM6iTAt") · Email Kevin’s mammy with your agony aunt questions at thingsgaypeoplelike@gmail.com · Doug Lee scripts for JAWS recommended by Mo: [https://www.dlee.org/](https://www.dlee.org/ "https://www.dlee.org/") · Clare McLoughlin Seen/Unseen April event details: https://artistclaremclaughlin.org/this-april-25th-seen-unseen-will-be-at-imma/ · Artimis II playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0WO94bzZeuUun777vv6UJu Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chatRead transcript

Doctor Lucía Pintado Gutiérrez, is our guest this week. Dr Gutiérrez is the author of a new report on audio description (AD) in Ireland – ‘The ADESI Project’. Her research is not just confined to broadcast but rather covers audio description in all aspects of life including sports, film, theatre, museums, and education. Dr Gutiérrez, shares with us the reasons why she decided to do this research, what the media accessible landscape looks like in Ireland, and shares the results of her research with us. Jan has info on an app from UEFA where you can access AD commentaries for soccer matches and Óran has information on an Audio Description Association event coming up at the end of March. So, throw away your winter blues and woolly scarf; convince yourself that spring has sprung, and warmer weather is here at last even if it’s lashing rain; and listen to the number 1 podcast as recently voted by climatologists; Blind Guys Chat. 9 out of 10 audio describers prefer it to subtitles! Links for this episode: · The ADESI Project: · European Qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup: All you need to know · Live Audio Description for Football: Making the UEFA U21 Championships Accessible to All Fans: · The Audio Description Association (ADA) bulletin (downloadable Word doc): · ADA VI User Group event registration page: Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chatRead transcript

#:140: Larry's favourite guest of all time Fresh from setting fire to the Italian Pavilion at COP 30, due to a lack of salty caramel gelato, this week we are devoting the whole show to Professor John Sweeney, leading climatologist at Maynooth University. Prof. John, who is Larry's favourite person, at least when there are sausages about, is here to put a bit of smacht (an Hiberno-English term – see more here) on the whole weather situation going on at the moment. Over the last few weeks in Ireland, Spain, Portugal and even Morocco residents and business owners have been drenched with the unusual amount of rain. Is this a trend? Let's find out from Professor Sweeney. So, peel off your waterproofs that aren't actually waterproof, make some hot chocolate with just a drop of Baileys, and dry yourself in the cosy warmth of the best podcast this side of a damp piano: Blind Guys Chat - 7 out of 10 climatologists prefer it to the weather. Links for this episode: · “Smacht” and nine other lovely Hiberno-English words and phrases: https://stancarey.wordpress.com/2014/05/26/10-words-only-used-in-irish-english/#:~:text=1.,treasure%20in%20the%20vocative%20case. · NASA explain spring and neap tides very well at this link: https://science.nasa.gov/moon/tides/ · "Room for the river programme" in The Netherlands: https://www.dutchwatersector.com/news/room-for-the-river-programme · Ireland’s water level data: https://waterlevel.ie · The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI): https://ccpi.org (The UK, Morocco, and the Netherlands are in the top 10 – congratulations! Ireland is languishing in 33rd place. We’re mortified!) Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chatRead transcript

Happy New Year to you all! This week we are devoting the whole show to Mr David Woodbridge, Product Specialist for Humanware Australia. David will take us through all things Humanware, including the new Evolve Windows Braille notetaker. We also chat about guide dogs, and of course our favourite topic: Braille. So, sit back, slap on the factor 2000, and settle in for a listen to the hottest podcast this side of a chess-playing koala bear; Blind Guys Chat. 8 out of 10 sandy beaches prefer it to salt water. Links for this show: · Humanware: https://www.humanware.com/en-international/ · Isee podcast: https://podcast.app/isee-using-various-technologies-from-a-blind-persons-perspective-p5394 Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chatRead transcript

This week we are talking to Adela Buliman from Vially here in Ireland. Adela is the Chief Accessibility Officer and what she doesn't know about the European Accessibility Act, isn't worth knowing about! So, roll up your sleeves, Mohammed, and get ready to rumble! Disclaimer: this chat is more of a girlie pillow fight than a "pistols at dawn" kinda thing, but we enjoyed it! Jan was home alone at Sight Village, London recently, and he has all the juicy tech news to share, including a new Braille note-taker from HumanWare. The biggest news this episode is that the guys have been working hard on a new email jingle for Clodagh – what do you think? Is it down with the kids? Send us your reviews to BlindGuysChat@gmail.com. Clodagh has an email from Nina in Canada, who wants to know about independent travel. Mohammed can answer this one as he is an expert solo traveller. So, pull out that list of all your inaccessible gadgets and settle in for the number 1 podcast this side of a 365-day-old Christmas tree: Blind Guys Chat. 16 out of 20 European Commission lawyers prefer it to laying down the law! Links mentioned in this show: HumanWare, Braille note Evolve: humanware.com/en-ireland/braillenote-evolve/ WeWalk cane: wewalk.io Vially: vially.io/ Competition and Consumer Protection Commission: ccpc.ie ICT regulation document EN 301 549: https://tinyurl.com/ITregDoc National Transport Authority: nationaltransport.ie Irish Aviation Authority: www.iaa.ie Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chatRead transcript

This week we are chatting with Freek van Welsenis, the Director and CEO of Hable One. Freek is here to talk about the Hable One, a sleek Braille device that can be used to navigate your smart devices. He also tells us about the Hable Easy, a smartphone controller, and the Speechlabel, a handy device for labelling and subsequently identifying items around the house and in work. Mohammed and Jan's date to Jan's local football club didn't go so well. It appears that Mohammed was left to fend for himself at the ticket gate! Well, Chantal was also with him, so he wasn’t completely abandoned, and Mo is famous for being independent, so we don’t think he was in any danger, but we’re not sure Jan will get a second date! We have an email from Sarah from ‘down under’; she is wondering if smart speakers are useful, or are they really just small juke-boxes? What do you think? Do you still use your smart speaker for anything else but setting timers? email us: blindguyschat@gmail.com So, strip down to your #25 Juho Kilo jersey and start your warmup for the best podcast this side of a stroopwafel: Blind Guys Chat. 9 out of 11 football supporters prefer it to watching grown men cry! Links: · Hable One: https://www.iamhable.com/en-om/products/hable-one-keyboard · Hable Easy: https://www.iamhable.com/en-om/products/hable-easy · Hable Speechlabel: https://www.iamhable.com/en-om/pages/speechlabel · Juho Kilo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juho_Kilo Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chatRead transcript

This week we’re talking to Professor Pieter Roelfsema from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience in Amsterdam. He is chatting with the lads about a research project looking at direct electrical stimulation of the brain via cortical visual neuroprostheses, which is a promising approach to restore basic sight for the visually impaired by inducing a percept of localised light called ‘phosphenes’. We are offering Jan as a guinea pig for this one! Meta are opening up an SDK (Software Development Kit, for those of us who are less technical) so external software developers can develop and add their applications’ functionality to the Meta glasses. Is this a good thing? What do you think? Let us know at blindguyschat@gmail.com. We've got an email from friend of the podcast, Rene Ludwig, who is a 'TravelEyes' user and thinks it's a great service. So, connect those electrodes directly into your ears and prepare to listen to Óran rambling on and on! Disclaimer: Ramble tags would like to disassociate themselves from any rambling producers. Links for this show: · Professor Roelfsema’s paper on his sight restoration research: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40578385/#:~:text=Direct%20electrical%20stimulation%20of%20the,localized%20light%20called%20'phosphenes · TravelEyes: https://www.traveleyes-international.com/ · Ramble Tags: https://rambletag.co.uk/ Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chatRead transcript

We're back after our summer break, and as we woke up to the sound of Autumn arriving, (it’s lashing rain here!) we were discouraged to hear that the new Glide is not coming to Europe! What!?! As the characters on South Park might say "You Ba***rds! You killed Kenny!" But are we really surprised to hear this news? The Blind Guys discuss. Guess who's just pre-ordered a new pair of Envision Ally Solos Glasses even though he already has a pair of the original ones? Yes, it's the Stephen Scott of Blind Guys Chat; Mohammed. So why has he decided to throw his €3,500 Envision smart glasses out with the rubbish and pay out for a new pair? And will it help him get lucky with the women? Speaking of meeting up with women, Mohammed also tells us of his trials and tribulations when he recently travelled to Berlin on his very own, with nobody to mind him. BGC understands that the German police are advising people to be on the lookout for a blind man accosting tourists and locals, and demanding they bring him around museums. They are also looking for a blind man seen running around parks seeking a running partner, waving his cane wildly. Wonder who that could be? So, pick up those fallen leaves from the front doorstep, make yourself a nice cup of hot chocolate, and settle in for the number one podcast this side of a ham sandwich: Blind Guys Chat! 8 out of 10 museums prefer it to storing old stuff! Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chatRead transcript

Don't worry folks, Unlike the Icelandic volcano 'Eyjafjallajökull', we have not erupted, but we are quite hot and sweaty in the BGC office. Jan is just back from Washington DC where Abraham Lincon and his mates were sweltering in 35-degree heat (95 degrees in old money). Jan was a bit peeved, as his ‘Look and Tell’ feature on his Meta Ray Ban glasses is still not working. Oh dear! However, perhaps he might purchase a pair of the new Oakley smart glasses, or as Jan calls them, the new UGLY glasses! (Oakley will not be pleased at being called that – as they’re a very proud fashion brand!) Do you plan on spending your hard-earned cash on the limited edition gold Oakleys? Let us know: BlindGuysChat@gmail.com. Mohammed has been slaving over a hot soldering iron and has just released the latest update for JAWS and Fusion. Apparently, you can now have JAWS run off to the cloud when you encounter an unlabelled button in an app, pdf or webpage – it will find the correct label for you. All you do is press the keystroke JAWS key (insert or caps lock), with the letter G, and JAWS will label that button for you. How cool is that?! You can even save these labelled buttons on webpages that you frequently use. Woohoo!! And there's more. When using Vispero's FS Companion you can now get Google help. You can search for shortcuts for Google Docs, Google Sheets etc. But can it find Mo's underpants? (Óran! Don’t be bold! -Clodagh) We chat about the emotional rollercoaster that is deciding whether to apply for a new guide dog or not. Please let us know your stories around this. It will help us, and more importantly, other listeners through their decision-making processes. And if you would like to hear Óran talking about writing for the TV series ‘Maddie + Triggs’, you can listen to him (link below) on the 'In Touch' podcast produced by the BBC, where he and producer Colm Tobin and lyricist/writer Deena Diamond talk about the show with Peter White. So, strip down to your ugly nethers, take a cold one out of the fridge, and lie back for a listen to the sultry, ice creamly voices of: Blind Guys Chat! 55 out of 65 thunderstorms prefer it to making scary crackly/banging noises! Links for this week’s show: BBC In Touch: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002fjp9 (starts after 8 minutes) Email us at BlindGuysChat@gmail.com Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chatRead transcript

Blind Guys Chat would like to formally announce and warmly welcome Mohammed Laachir as our new permanent co-host. Mohammed brings a wealth of experience and gravity to this role - he is a former Martian Astronaut and a previous winner of the 2022 IDF swimsuit competition. Sjef and Larry (the BGC guide dogs) are pleased that there is now a responsible adult in the house. In other news, we are talking to Kevin Kelly and Chantelle Smith from the Wayfinding Centre in Dublin. This is a fantastic facility for public transport training, orientation, and learning to fly Airbus 319 aircraft, although Óran has now been banned from the centre as he managed to clip the wings off the plane during landing... oops! Also in the Wayfinding Centre on Saturday June 7 was our first look and demo of the vacuum cleaner known as Glide. This prototype mobility device is taking the blindy world by storm, and Óran got to take it for a test drive. Did he like it? Tune in to find out!! Clodagh has an email from Patty Murphy, who tells us about a recent episode of Doctor Who with an interstellar song contest. Have you seen it? The guys are throwing Kevin Sherwin under the bus for this one. So, strip down to your beard, fill up the paddling pool, and bask in the dappled sunlight that is: Blind Guys Chat - 11 out of 15 guide dogs prefer it to the Glide from Glidance. Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chatRead transcript

Read transcriptJan is on hiatus this week, so it’s a welcome return to Mr Stuart Lawler, a man who puts the “Hot” into Tango. It’s 30 years since Stuart was on the Irish Eurovision Song Contest jury and boy are we happy they never asked him back. Secret Garden were the winners for Norway that year with a song that can only be described as: mostly violin! But what happened this year in Basel, Switzerland? Did Celine Dion turn up singing a medley of her hit? Did the Swedish businessmen get hot and sweaty in the sauna? Is Lithuania’s guitar player just a U2 wanna-be? And did the UK get any votes at all? Let’s find out as we join Kevin Sherwin live from his jacuzzi (he really just farts in the bath)! To find out how the Eurovision final went last Saturday, May 17th. Óran and Stuart are standing on their respective soapboxes as Sky TV don’t seem to be doing a whole lot when it comes to providing AD services on Sky Stream or on their ‘On Demand’ service. Is it time to throw Dave Nason under the bus (again) on this one!? (We love you Dave – a voice note would be very welcome - Clo) In TV corner, have you seen ‘Mad Men’ with AD on Netflix? or Cassandra? or how about the new season of Black Mirror? Give us your views on the quality of the AD on these programmes, or on whatever you’re watching, by emailing blindguyschat@gmail.com. At long last the Meta AI ‘look and describe’ feature has come to Ireland! Woohoo!! Óran can’t stop asking the glasses to describe his guide dog Larry. Apparently, he defecates on the grass. Larry that is, not Óran! Have you tried the look and tell feature? Let us know what you think: blindguyschat@gmail.com Stuart is heading off to Sight City in Frankfurt; are you going? Stuart talks to us about booking a sighted guide at the event, and the new remote assistance option for those attending. Finally, we have news on the Glide from Glidence. There will be a demo day at the Wayfinding Centre in Dublin on June 7, early booking is recommended, before Larry and his friends break it! So, strip off your sweat-drenched sauna suit; stop straddling that microphone - you could do yourself an injury; pour yourself a macchiato and settle in for a podcast full of enjoyment, with no jokes, sarcasm or any kind of wit at all! Yeah right!!! 🤣🤣🤣 Blind Guys Chat, 15 out of 20 Eurovision song contestants prefer it to endless rehearsals! Links for this episode of BGC: · In 1995, Secret Garden win for Norway with this banger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-gA0aU-d88 · Sweaty Swedish sauna businessmen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSh7U3m9KgA&ab_channel=EurovisionSongContest · Lithuania’s wanna-be-U2-ish entry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F6bwWGhm_s&t=18s&ab_channel=EurovisionSongContest · What the hell just happened, UK? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur5qRh0BaHk&ab_channel=EurovisionSongContest · Sight City, Frankfurt: https://sightcity.net/en/home/ · Sight City “Rent-a-guide service”: https://sightcity.net/en/trade-fair-guides/ · Sight City remote assistance: https://sightcity.net/en/remote-assistance/ · Book your visit to the Glide demo day in Dublin: https://glidance.io/glidance-demo-day-dublin/ · The Wayfinding Centre: https://thewayfindingcentre.ie/ · And don’t forget to email us with your tips, tricks, and tales at blindguyschat@gmail.com! Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello, our stainless-steel saucepans and welcome to ep 122 of BGC. We hope you had a lovely Easter break, if that is something you do. A big shout-out to Jan's father, as he is in hospital having broken his hip trying to realign the TV satellite dish on the International Space Station. Our advice - just go with cable! Our guest this week is the wonderful Debra Erickson, all the way from Portland, Oregon. Debra might be better known to you from her InstaSpace handle 'The Blind Kitchen'. A fantastic cook, Debra is here to teach Óran a thing or two about making toast, boiling water, skinning a cat, and the proper way to cook lamb's balls. Ahem! Sorry meatballs. (Not a moment too soon, says Clodagh!) So, strip down to your cardinal vestments, stop waiting in line to take a selfie with Pope Francis, and get ready to listen to the number 1 podcast as listened to by Swiss Guards - Blind Guys Chat! 10 out of 15 potential future Popes prefer it to being a potential future Pope! Links for this show: · https://theblindkitchen.com/ · https://www.facebook.com/theblindkitchen/ · https://www.instagram.com/theblindkitchen1/ Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chatRead transcript