The Blind Side

E107 The final episode in this series. Jonathan Mosen's smart home

Tue, 09 Oct 2018 01:22:46 -0000

As Jonathan prepares to take up his new role with Aira next week, this is the last episode of The Blind Side Podcast that will be produced on a weekly basis. As circumstances allow and subjects arise of interest, you will still see the occasional episode being produced.

After listener comments, we conclude our smart home series with Jonathan describing some of the technology he and Bonnie are using.

Thank you so much for listening to these regular episodes over the last two-and-a-bit years.

E106 Jonathan Mosen's presentation on iOS 12 to Accessible World

Tue, 02 Oct 2018 03:01:42 -0000

Jonathan Mosen talks about iOS 12 in this, a recording of his presentation to Tek Talk on Accessible World. The material is based on his book, "iOS 12 Without the Eye".

E105 Jonathan's move to a new role at Aira, Judy Dixon demonstrates Braille Screen Input on iPhone

Fri, 28 Sep 2018 16:27:22 -0000

Jonathan Mosen begins the podcast by describing his new role at Aira. He talks about what he'll be doing, what it means for Mosen Consulting and this podcast, and why he was so excited about accepting the role.

You can read Aira's announcement,view Jonathan's blog post, and read Freedom Scientific's take.

Judy Dixon describes and demonstrates Braille Screen Input on the iPhone. It's a way to turn your iPhone into a virtual Braille keyboard, giving you rapid input anywhere you go, without needing to carry anything external.

We welcome your feedback. Send email to TheBlindSide at Mosen dot org or call the feedback line in the United States on (719) 270-5114.

E104 Unboxing a silver iPhone XS Max 512GB

Fri, 21 Sep 2018 03:19:51 -0000

Jonathan Mosen and Heidi Taylor unbox a silver iPhone XS Max 512GB.

Jonathan demonstrates the gestures for phones without a Home button in case you’re upgrading this year. He discusses backup strategies, demonstrates setting up Face ID and more.

E103 Recap of Apple's September 2018 event

Wed, 12 Sep 2018 20:12:47 -0000

David Woodbridge and Heidi Taylor join Jonathan Mosen to talk Apple Watch series 4, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR.

E102 Previewing our Apple event coverage, iOS 12 without the eye, and the smart home from a blindness perspective part 2

Wed, 05 Sep 2018 00:26:55 -0000

On 12 September, Apple will be holding its "gather round" event in which it will be announcing new hardware. Jonathan Mosen talks about our coverage here on The Blind Side, and what he's hoping to see at the event.

Subscribers to our Daily Fibre Premium podcast get exclusive access to a live stream of our post-Apple event. Subscribing gives you the latest technology news every week day for just $5 USD per month. Check out The Daily Fibre Premium podcast.

A listener this week mentions our audio tutorial on the increasingly popular Zoom platform. Check out our Zoom tutorial here.

We here plenty of listener input on the subject of the smart home, and Jonathan answers some questions on the subject.

E101 the smart home from a blindness perspective, part 1

Tue, 28 Aug 2018 18:37:09 -0000

The smart home offers the potential for greater independence and control of our home environment. But it’s a bit of a jungle out there, full of disparate systems and many choices. Then, of course, some solutions are more accessible with screen reading technology than others. We begin our series on the smart home from a blindness perspective with some of our listeners offering thoughts and demonstrations.

Jonathan makes mention of Richard Mosen’s new podcast that is sure to be of interest to classic rock fans, called Cover Act. Look for Cover Act in any good podcast app. You can also follow @CoverAct on Twitter, or subscribe to Cover Act in Apple Podcasts.

Mosen Consulting’s popular “iOS Without the Eye” series is read by thousands of blind people each year to get them up-to-speed with the latest version of iOS. “iOS 12 Without the Eye” will be ready for release just before iOS 12 itself is released. Read about “iOS 12 Without the Eye”.

E100 reflections on 100 episodes, Jonathan Mosen's presentation to the All of Government Service Innovation lab in New Zealand

Wed, 22 Aug 2018 03:47:07 -0000

Thanks for being with us on this wonderful journey to episode 100.

After some reflections on 100 episodes of The Blind Side Podcast, we hear Jonathan Mosen's presentation to the All of Government Service Innovation Lab about blindness accessibility, in the aftermath of the New Zealand census debacle.

E99 Guide dog ownership

Tue, 14 Aug 2018 14:51:59 -0000

Some guide dog schools let you purchase your guide dog, making it clear that the dog belongs to you and you're completely responsible for it. it is yours to keep. Other guide dog schools retain ownership and can withdraw the dog at any time. Some guide dog schools claim to offer ownership, while still reserving the ability to withdraw the dog. It's a subject many people feel passionately about. This week, we hear some listener comments on guide dog ownership, and Jonathan Mosen speaks with Jenine Stanley and Bonnie Mosen, both experienced guide dog handlers with industry knowledge.

E98 Ged Maheux, co-founder of Twitterrific developer The Icon Factory, talks about Twitter's forthcoming API changes and their impact on third-party Twitter apps

Tue, 07 Aug 2018 23:39:27 -0000

We begin with an explanation of Aira's Do More Foundation, and how it is currently raising funds to help more university students in the US become Aira explorers while they study. If you'd like to support Jonathan's goal of raising $1,000 for the Do More Foundation, and can spare even a little, here's the page where you can learn more and donate with any major credit card.

Jonathan Mosen then speaks with Ged Maheux, co-founder of The Icon Factory, developers of the popular Twitterrific app for iOS and Mac. Next week, Twitter is scheduled to withdraw some functions third-party Twitter apps rely on. Ged tells us about the impact of these changes, and what the future might hold for Twitter clients not developed by Twitter itself. We also explore The Icon Factory's history, and their exemplary commitment to accessibility.

We welcome your feedback. Send email to TheBlindSide at Mosen dot org or call the feedback line in the United States on (719) 270-5114.

E97 Aira is 24/7, should all guide dog schools allow blind people to own their dogs, and Darian Slayton Fleming talks about the documentary she's making about her late husband John

Wed, 01 Aug 2018 01:54:23 -0000

Jonathan is seeking feedback on any experience listeners have had with home automation, in advance of a special episode on the topic. If you've dabbled in home automation, let us know what you have and how it's working for you. We'd love to make this an episode with a range of perspectives and solutions.

We celebrate Aira going 24/7, and ask for your views on whether all guide dog schools should allow handlers to purchase their dogs.

Our feature story is an interview with Darian Slayton Fleming, who is hoping to make a documentary about her late husband John, believed to be the first blind person to sky dive without a tandem partner.

Find out more about the movie at its website, or visit its Facebook page.

We welcome your feedback. Send email to TheBlindSide at Mosen dot org or call the feedback line in the United States on (719) 270-5114.

E96 Dan Frye talks about new Aira initiatives and Aira's place in the voc rehab system, we look at the NFB convention

Wed, 25 Jul 2018 03:23:54 -0000

Listener comments this week feature blind driving experiences.

Jonathan Mosen is then joined once again by Dan Frye. This week, Dan discusses new Aira initiatives and Aira's inclusion in the US vocational rehab system.

Dan then reviews the 2018 national convention of the National Federation of the Blind.

E95 Dan Frye talks about his interesting and varied career, and for the first time comments publicly on his departure from the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Wed, 18 Jul 2018 01:23:55 -0000

This week, Jonathan Mosen speaks with Dan Frye about his varied and interesting career, attitudes about blindness, and for the first time, Dan makes public comment about his departure from the role of Executive Director of the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

Listener comments include feedback on the conventions, how accessible is the Cisco 8800 phone, we talk self-driving cars and invite you to submit your stories of when you, as a blind person, have driven a vehicle.

We welcome your feedback. Send email to TheBlindSide at Mosen dot org or call the feedback line in the United States on (719) 270-5114.

E94 the implications for blind people if Apple introduces noise cancelling AirPods, comments on a blind man's altercation with a police officer, and Katie Frederick talks about the ACB National Convention

Wed, 11 Jul 2018 01:54:04 -0000

This week, listener comments include the implications of Apple adding noise cancellation to AirPods, responses to the news story read last week about the blind person who had an altercation with a police officer, and more comment on mainstream and specialised book reading devices.

In the first of two specials on the US consumer conventions, Jonathan Mosen speaks with Katie Frederick about the American Council of the Blind's 2018 convention.

We welcome your feedback. Send email to TheBlindSide at Mosen dot org or call the feedback line in the United States on (719) 270-5114.

E93 Marrakesh Treaty close to adoption in the US, Aira Messaging, listener comments, and Byron Harden from I See Music

Tue, 03 Jul 2018 18:21:49 -0000

The Marrakesh Treaty has passed the United States Senate by unanimous consent, and now awaits legislation in the House. Jonathan talks about the beginnings of the Treaty, and the interesting story behind how the unanimous consent was obtained last week in the Senate.

Aira has introduced a new Messages feature. Jonathan describes scenarios where it will be useful. He has also updated the Mosen Consulting blog post on Aira.

Jonathan shares a news story about a blind man in Arizona who got into a fight with a police officer in a public toilet. Yeah, you can't make this stuff up!

There's a range of listener comments covering topics including backing up your Windows settings, NLS/BARD, whether taxi drivers with allergies should be allowed to remain in the profession, and the use of sleep shades in rehab training.

Interested in becoming an audio engineer? Want some truly intensive instruction on how to get a home studio up and running with various software options? Jonathan speaks with Byron Harden of I See Music. For some years, they've been offering extensive training in their studio, and they're now rolling out a range of online courses.

We welcome your feedback. Send email to TheBlindSide at Mosen dot org or call the feedback line in the United States on (719) 270-5114.

E92 Judy dixon's new book on writing with iOS, meet The Blind Perspective newsletter, specialist blindness players vs smartphones, and should religion ever override civil rights?

Wed, 27 Jun 2018 19:28:33 -0000

There's been plenty of social media discussion and other feedback following comments in the podcast last week about audio in Windows 10. Jonathan Mosen has written down his thoughts, with additional work-arounds, in a blog post called Sounds Frustrating.

The prolific Judy Dixon has a new book. This one's called "Writing Your Way: Composing and Editing on an iPhone and iPad". It's available here from National Braille Press. Jonathan speaks with Judy about what the book covers, and some of her favourite apps and methods for writing things in iOS.

Jonathan then speaks with Nat Armeni from The Blind Perspective. This monthly publication, produced by blind volunteers, brings news and articles from a blindness perspective.

Listener comments this week include the question of potentially conflicting accommodations, whether someone's religion should be allowed to override legally-enacted civil rights, and the continuing discussion of the pros and cons of specialist blindness player devices versus smartphones.

We welcome your feedback. Send email to TheBlindSide at Mosen dot org or call the feedback line in the United States on (719) 270-5114.

E91 Beginning a smart home project, why Jonathan tried and returned a Surfacebook 2, many screen reader users negatively impacted by latest Realtek drivers, listener comments

Wed, 20 Jun 2018 02:36:43 -0000

It's a rather geeky Blind Side this week. Jonathan Mosen discusses his latest home improvement project, creating a smart home compatible with Apple's HomeKit and Amazon's Alexa. It turns out there are some challenges doing this in New Zealand.

Jonathan explains what led him to give a Microsoft Surfacebook 2 a try, some things you might find helpful if you do the same, and why it got returned. If your screen reader seems to take a while to respond to a key press after you've left it alone for a while, you're not alone. A characteristic of some Realtek sound drivers impacting screen reader performance is present in the Surface line, as well as some Dell, HP, Lenovo and possibly other computers. Jonathan describes the symptoms and states why he believes it's so serious.

Listener comments include discussion about whether it's right to blindfold partially sighted people during rehab, iOS and WWDC thoughts, and should special libraries for the blind have a long-term future?

We welcome your feedback. Send email to TheBlindSide at Mosen dot org or call the feedback line in the United States on (719) 270-5114.

E90 Mosen Consulting's latest audiobook, Mushroom Escape returns, and an extended interview with Neal Ewers about audio, technology and more

Tue, 12 Jun 2018 22:47:17 -0000

There's a new audiobook from Mosen Consulting, "The Secret Sauce of Savvy Search" that will have you using Google Search like a boss. Jonathan Mosen describes the audiobook, how to get it, and why it might be the most essential book we've ever produced.

Some years ago, Mushroom FM used to have a sister station, Mushroom Escape, playing old time drama and comedy. Now, Mushroom Escape is back. Visit Mushroom Escape on the web, or, since it's on TuneIn, look for it in all TuneIn apps and devices that support the TuneIn service.

Our featured guest this week is Neal Ewers. Neal's golden voice is familiar to many podcast listeners. He's a talented audio engineer, sound expert, musician, technology advocate and much more. In this extended interview, Jonathan talks with Neal about his life and the evolution of technology. The discussion also covers the digital divide, literacy among blind people, and death and dying.

Learn more about Neal's work by visiting Ravenswood Productions.

We welcome your feedback. Send email to TheBlindSide at Mosen dot org or call the feedback line in the United States on (719) 270-5114.

You can also join our online community to discuss the podcast with other listeners. Send a blank email to TheBlindSide+subscribe@groups.io

E89 Post WWDC Keynote Analysis

Mon, 04 Jun 2018 21:06:49 -0000

Tim Cook and his team have delivered the keynote at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference for another year, and now it's time for some analysis. Jonathan Mosen is joined by Heidi Taylor, Janet Ingber and Debee Armstrong as we summarise some of the key takeaways and look at what it all means from a blindness perspective.

We look at what's coming in iOS 12, watchOS 5, tvOS 12 and MacOS Mojave.

If you have some views you'd like to share, be sure to let us have them in time for the next episode.

We welcome your feedback. Send email to TheBlindSide at Mosen dot org or call the feedback line in the United States on (719) 270-5114.

You can also join our online community to discuss the podcast with other listeners. Send a blank email to TheBlindSide+subscribe@groups.io

E88 Wishin' and hopin'. Looking ahead to Apple's WWDC keynote with thoughts on what should be in iOS 12 and other Apple operating systems

Tue, 29 May 2018 01:22:20 -0000

Apple's Worldwide Developers conference is next Monday. Jonathan Mosen introduces our expert panel who'll be part of The Blind Side Podcast 89 in which we'll provide post-WWDC analysis. And don't forget, if you're a Daily Fibre Premium subscriber, you can tune into a live stream of the recording of that episode. Become a Daily Fibre Premium subscriber today.

Jonathan outlines his top 10 wish list for iOS 12. Read a text version of his thoughts here.

We had a stunning number of responses to our question asking what you'd like to see in Apple's next operating system. We play a selection of 20 of the contributions we received. Thanks for all of them, it was amazing to get such an overwhelming response.

We welcome your feedback. Send email to TheBlindSide at Mosen dot org or call the feedback line in the United States on (719) 270-5114.

You can also join our online community to discuss the podcast with other listeners. Send a blank email to TheBlindSide+subscribe@groups.io

E87 Rich De Steno, lawyer, game developer and now musician, and what do you want to see in iOS 12 and other next generation Apple software?

Tue, 22 May 2018 19:09:32 -0000

Rich De Steno is one of those people who has put into practice the adage that you can do anything if you put your mind to it. As a lawyer by profession, he found there wasn't an accessible version of a game he wanted to play, so he taught himself how to code in the evenings and wrote the game himself. He then produced a range of fun, accessible games. Now retired, he always had a dream of making music and doing an album, so he taught himself how to do that as well. Rich is Jonathan Mosen's guest on this week's episode.

In listener feedback, we learn how you can easily get The Daily Fibre Premium podcast set up on HumanWare's Victor Reader Stream. Jonathan talks about how Daily Fibre Premium subscribers will be able to get access to a live stream of the recording of the Blind Side Special covering Apple's June keynote.

There's more discussion about public transport, and a hint on how to learn UEB.

A listener asks how Aira explorers are keeping their glasses protected from breakage.

Seeking your feedback, Jonathan asks what you'd like to see in the next major versions of Apple software, and for your opinions on whether it's appropriate to blindfold partially sighted people while they receive blindness-related rehabilitation services.

We welcome your feedback. Send email to TheBlindSide at Mosen dot org or call the feedback line in the United States on (719) 270-5114.

You can also join our online community to discuss the podcast with other listeners. Send a blank email to TheBlindSide+subscribe@groups.io

E86 In loving memory of Marlaina Lieberg

Tue, 15 May 2018 19:37:19 -0000

Marlaina Lieberg has made so many contributions to the blind community that it's hard to know how to describe her. Internet broadcasting icon, advocate, technologist, and the list goes on. One way to summarise her immense contribution is to say that whatever she did, she made a difference.

Sadly, marlaina Lieberg died last week. In a blog post published shortly after her death, Jonathan Mosen announced that this episode of The Blind Side would be dedicated to Marlaina's memory. A number of people in The Blind Side community responded with tributes for inclusion on the podcast. Marlaina, we love you, and this one's for you.

We welcome your feedback. Send email to TheBlindSide at Mosen dot org or call the feedback line in the United States on (719) 270-5114.

You can also join our online community to discuss the podcast with other listeners. Send a blank email to TheBlindSide+subscribe@groups.io

E85 The Daily Fibre Premium podcast. What it is, why we're doing it, how to get it and a free demo episode

Tue, 08 May 2018 15:14:12 -0000

Following many requests, The Daily Fibre, the technology news show Jonathan Mosen produces for Mushroom FM, is available as a podcast. Producing it is time-consuming, and that's why it's been made a premium podcast, costing just a quarter per episode, $5 USD per month. Jonathan discusses how this podcast came about, what it contains, and why it's taken this form. We then include a full episode from the Premium feed, so you know what to expect if you subscribe, and offer some guidance for signing up with Patreon, the host of the podcast, with a PC or iPhone.

Want to get the very latest technology news summarised and where appropriate explained from a blindness perspective? Visit The Daily Fibre Premium page and sign up today with any major credit card or PayPal.

There are listener comments this week covering topics including accessible gym equipment, public transport, blind people being shoved into wheelchairs at airports, and whether Apple is doing enough to explain new features to blind people.

Jonathan made reference to the profile written about him for the April AFB Access World. Read the Access World profile on Jonathan here.

We welcome your feedback. Send email to TheBlindSide at Mosen dot org or call the feedback line in the United States on (719) 270-5114.

You can also join our online community to discuss the podcast with other listeners. Send a blank email to TheBlindSide+subscribe@groups.io

E84 the Windows 10 April 2018 Update. how to get it now, summary and demonstrations of some new features

Tue, 01 May 2018 15:43:19 -0000

Microsoft's Windows 10 April 2018 Update will be coming to a PC near you very soon. It's available now if you'd like to be an early adopter. Visit the Windows download page to get started.

Jonathan Mosen discusses new features in the Windows 10 April 2018 update, demonstrating Timeline, Focus Assist, and some cool new means of directing apps to specific audio devices.

There's comprehensive discussion of many more Windows features.

In listener comments, we get a few tips on Braille reading speed, continue our discussion of public transport issues and more.

We welcome your feedback. Send email to TheBlindSide at Mosen dot org or call the feedback line in the United States on (719) 270-5114.

You can also join our online community to discuss the podcast with other listeners. Send a blank email to TheBlindSide+subscribe@groups.io

E83 Federal hands are off Canadian harnesses, write Alexa skills without knowing a line of code using Amazon Blueprints

Tue, 24 Apr 2018 21:02:29 -0000

In the previous episode, we led with the breaking news that the Canadian General Standards Board has abandoned plans to adopt a federal standard for service dog animals, following a widespread backlash. Jonathan Mosen speaks with Yvonne Peters and Tom Dekker, who played critical roles in this successful advocacy campaign. Even if you're not directly interested in the issue, the story Tom and Yvonne tell is an example of how effective use of social media for advocacy can make a difference. To review the website set up for coordinating the advocacy around this campaign, visit Hands Off our Harnesses.

This episode also includes a segment from Mushroom FM's popular technology magazine show, The Daily Fibre, which can be heard every week day at 3 AM and again at 3 PM US Eastern time. Many people now use the accessible Windows app called TapinRadio to record The Daily Fibre if they can't hear it live. But there's been a lot of demand for us to include this segment on The Blind Side Podcast. Jonathan demonstrates Alexa Blueprints. Currently available to those with US-based Amazon accounts, it allows anyone to make their own Alexa skills for personal use without knowing how to write a line of code. We demonstrate how easy it is to do.

Our listener feedback section includes comments on whether, or when, a sighted person should give up their seat for a blind person on public transport. We also hear more opinions on people-first language, a listener promotes a discussion about improving Braille reading speed, questions about hearing aids and in particular, using them with Aira.

Speaking of Aira, Jonathan has updated his extensive blog post on the Aira service. You can also watch the TV coverage of Bonnie and Jonathan's Aira experience.

The Aira trial is ramping up for New Zealand, Australia and the UK. Learn more about the Aira expansion trial.

We welcome your feedback. Send email to TheBlindSide at Mosen dot org, or call the feedback line in the United States on (719) 270-5114.

You can also join our online community to discuss the podcast with other listeners. Send a blank email to TheBlindSide+subscribe@groups.io

E82 Victory for Canadian guide dog handlers, Braille readers give their testimonies, should the sighted give up their seats for us, and Pam MacNeill from Disability Responsiveness New Zealand

Wed, 18 Apr 2018 02:27:03 -0000

We lead with the breaking news that the Canadian General Standards Board has abandoned its proposed service dogs standards, covered extensively in episode 43 of this podcast.

Many listeners emailed or called with feedback about the difference Braille has made to their lives. We include a selection of the comments.

We learn about new legislation promoting the use of Braille in the District of Columbia.

A listener is seeking more information on accessible cryptocurrency solutions.

The debate continues about the use of people-first language.

A listener finds an article about a past guest on the podcast, prompting the question, should sighted people have to give up their seat to a blind person on public transport?

Way back when, in The Blind Side Podcast 13, Jonathan spoke with Pam MacNeill from Disability Responsiveness New Zealand. She was just establishing her business then. Now, Pam's back to talk about some great resources she's produced, including a guide to making meetings inclusive, and an empowerment tool for everyone involved in the disability sector. She talks about why she always uses businesses run by other disabled people when she can, and how Mosen Consulting has helped her business grow.

We welcome your feedback. Send email to TheBlindSide at Mosen dot org, or call the feedback line in the United States on (719) 270-5114.

You can also join our online community to discuss the podcast with other listeners. Send a blank email to TheBlindSide+subscribe@groups.io

E81 En-Vision America, deleting Facebook, and long live Braille

Wed, 11 Apr 2018 00:29:58 -0000

Jonathan has a couple of new gadgets. A new Samsung wireless charger that allows the iPhone X to be upright which helps with Face ID, and a Bluetooth transmitter dongle that he hopes will help him and Bonnie to use Aira at the same time. He describes both cool new toys.

To subscribe to the Accessible Phones Discussion list mentioned in this episode, send an email to blindphones+subscribe@groups.io.

We're thrilled to be Libsyn's Rockin' Libsyn Podcast this week. Read Libsyn's piece about The Blind Side Podcast.

Mosen Consulting and this podcast are no longer on Facebook for ethical reasons. You can read Jonathan Mosen's blog post on why he has deleted Facebook.

If you would also like to join the exodus, choose this link for an accessible way to delete your Facebook account.

En-Vision America has been at the forefront of barcode scanning technology for the blind for a couple of decades, and the technology keeps improving. Even in this day of smartphone apps, their dedicated i.d. mate Galaxy provides quick, effortless access to barcodes, including to the many blind people who don't own a smartphone.

They're also in a product category that could literally be a matter of life and death. Their ScriptTalk solution provides accessible medication labels, with an app about to be released for iOS.

David Raistrick of En-Vision America joins Jonathan to discuss and demonstrate the company's barcode and ScriptTalk solutions.

Listener comments include feedback about person-first language, a user who took the plunge and swapped his iPhone for a Samsung Galaxy, and a blind adult seeks encouragement as she learns Braille. Jonathan talks about what Braille has meant to him and the huge part it plays in his work and personal life.

We welcome your feedback. Send email to TheBlindSide at Mosen dot org, or call the feedback line in the United States on (719) 270-5114.

You can also join our online community to discuss the podcast with other listeners. Send a blank email to TheBlindSide+subscribe@groups.io

E80 Microsoft Research brings Virtual reality to the blind with Canetroller, and are we blind people, or people who are blind?

Wed, 04 Apr 2018 00:33:09 -0000

Microsoft has delivered some innovative new products to blind people in recent times. We've talked about Seeing AI and Soundscape on the podcast before. Now, Microsoft researchers are considering how virtual reality, a technology many of us think of as inherently visual, might be put to use in a blindness context. The Canetroller just might be a technology that in future could allow you to rehearse travelling in unfamiliar environments from the comfort of your own home or with an orientation and mobility instructor. To tell us about Cantroller, Jonathan Mosen speaks with Merrie Morris, Ed Cutrell and Mike Sinclair from Microsoft Research.

There are listener comments on Aira, CSUN and Apple, disability emoji and more. Jonathan makes mention of his review of Aira. You can read the Aira review here.

In news this week, Jonathan discusses an opinion piece in the Kokomo Tribune by Lise Pace, advocating for the use of "person-first" language. He states his view that "person-first" language does much more harm than good. Read Lise Pace's article, and Jonathan's blog post, to get two perspectives on the issue. Then, be sure to get in touch to let us know where you stand.

We learn of a settlement in a long-running dispute over underpayment of the blind pension in Missouri.

Sighted people often report vivid hallucinations during LSD trips. But what do blind people experience? A new article published in Consciousness and Cognition examines this fascinating question.

We welcome your feedback. Send email to TheBlindSide at Mosen dot org, or call the feedback line in the United States on (719) 270-5114.

You can also join our online community to discuss the podcast with other listeners. Send a blank email to TheBlindSide+subscribe@groups.io

E79 comprehensive summary of Apple's Let's Take a field trip event, CSUN observations, Aira revolutionising our lives

Tue, 27 Mar 2018 17:31:59 -0000

We're pleased to unveil our new listener line for The Blind Side Podcast. Want to have your say? Call us any time and leave a message, on (719) 270-5114

We begin with information, hot off the press at time of publication, about all that Apple has announced today at its education-focused event in Chicago.

Jonathan Mosen recaps some highlights of his time at the CSUN Assistive Technology Conference, including a look at how to keep those hard-won Apple Watch goals going when you're losing a day crossing the international dateline.

Many mainstream tech companies were at CSUN, presenting to and consulting with the community. Jonathan asks why Apple would pass up such a golden opportunity to explain its products and get user help to make them better.

Jonathan and Bonnie talk extensively about their first-hand experience of Aira, the visual interpreter service for the blind, which they consider life-changing.

Aira has a recommendation program, where the person doing the recommending, and the person who signs up, gets a free month. If you decide to give Aira a try, please sign up using Jonathan's link.

In news this week, we learn about Apple's proposals for disability-related emoji. We learn of a blind New Hampshire woman whose vote didn't count because her signature was inconsistent. Finally, it warms the heart to hear when a guide dog discrimination complaint ends in a prosecution.

E78 Rica report on inaccessible gym equipment, Andrew Kranichfeld hopes to set up a dating service for disabled people

Mon, 19 Mar 2018 18:36:25 -0000

Based in the UK, Rica is an organisation conducting research with a focus on the needs of disabled people and seniors. They've produced a report thanks to the sponsorship of the Thomas Pocklington Trust on the inaccessibility of gym equipment to blind people. If you've splashed out on that membership and turned up ready to sweat, only to be thwarted by gym equipment with touch screen interfaces that offer no accessible output, you'll know that this is a big problem. Jonathan Mosen speaks with Chris Lofthouse from Rica, and former Paralympian Mike Brace, who is a trustee of the Thomas Pocklington Trust, about the report and its findings.

Read about the report and download it for free.

Andrew Kranichfeld became blind as an adult and hasn't had a lot of luck with mainstream dating sites. He'd like to set up a website and app geared for disabled people who want to date, as well as the non-disabled who are comfortable dating disabled people. Andrew talks to Jonathan about his project, Love is Blind.

Don't forget, you're welcome to join our email-based community to discuss any of the stories we cover. Send a blank email to TheBlindSide+subscribe@groups.io

E77 Podcast chapters make navigating the podcast a breeze, why Amit Patel puts a camera on his guide dog's harness, New Zealand Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick's Election Access Fund Bill

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 19:13:46 -0000

Podcast chapters are a cool and convenient way to skip between sections of a podcast, making it easier to hear the portions of a podcast that interest you. We've now implemented podcast chapter support for The Blind Side Podcast. Jonathan Mosen demonstrates how they work using his favourite podcast app, Overcast for iOS.

There are listener comments on travel anxiety, gun control, Microsoft Soundscape and Apollo 8.

We update you with attempts to overturn the Nepalese Government's blanket ban on disabled people climbing Everest.

Frustrated by constant jostling and rudeness, Amit Patel, based in London England, has attached a video camera to his guide dog's harness. He uploads the interesting bits to social media. Amit explains how he got the idea and talks about his experiences.

New Zealand's House of Representatives can hardly be called representative from a disability perspective, with no members of Parliament bringing a personal perspective on disability. Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick has taken up an initiative begun by Mojo Mathers, a Deaf MP who lost her seat at the last election. The Election Access Fund Bill seeks to provide resources to make it easier for disabled people to participate in the democratic process.

Read the Election Access Fund Bill on Parliament's website.

E76 New Mexico students talk with the space station, New Zealand census problems and reflections on the power of self-advocacy in the digital age

Tue, 06 Mar 2018 22:31:02 -0000

In news briefs, we hear about a beeping Easter egg hunt being organised by the Corpus Christi Police Department's bomb squad. Nice one!

A blind woman has filed a class action lawsuit against McDonalds, alleging that their drive-throughs discriminate against blind people at times when no other option is available.

Microsoft has released yet another free blindness-related app. Soundscape for iOS is available in the US and UK App Stores.

Jonathan makes mention of the Mosen Consulting audiobook, "Imagine there's no countries". You can read about and purchase it here.

Our feature interview is with Mike Shinabery of the New Mexico Museum of Space History, and Jeff Killebrew of the New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Recently, thanks to a partnership between these two entities, students at the school were part of a link-up with astronauts aboard the space station. Jonathan Mosen talks with Jeff and Mike about how the opportunity came about, the reaction of the students, and whether we might ever see a blind astronaut.

Jonathan then discusses his self-advocacy on the New Zealand census, and shares some of his thoughts on the wider question of modern advocacy methods. You can read his official complaint to Statistics New Zealand which summarises the issue. Sign Jonathan's Parliamentary petition calling for a public Parliamentary inquiry into the census. Read Pam MacNeill's concerns about the health-focused disability questions in this year's census.

Remember, to join our listener community and discuss the podcast with other listeners, send a blank email to TheBlindSide+subscribe@groups.io

E75 Our very own Alexa skill, adjusting Spotify podcast pllayback, Samsung Galaxy S9, Delta sees sense, ADA gutting passes the house, Anna Dresner's new book, "You and your Apple Watch"

Tue, 27 Feb 2018 00:06:09 -0000

Episode 75 begins with more exciting news about how increasingly easy it is to hear The Blind Side Podcast wherever you need it. We're now on iHeart Radio, and we now have our very own cool Alexa skill for the Amazon Echo, which Jonathan Mosen demonstrates.

Jonathan then demonstrates a hidden but cool Spotify trick, how to speed up playback of the podcast when listening through Spotify.

Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy S9, complete with some interesting news features, plus others that Apple has abandoned, and some customers miss, such as a fingerprint sensor, and the all-important headphone jack. Bixby has also been enhanced. Jonathan brings you the key points of the launch, and some analysis.

Remember, to discuss all accessible phones, you're welcome to join the Blind Phones email group. Send a blank email to BlindPhones+subscribe@groups.io

There's good news, as we follow up on a story we've covered previously relating to Delta's new policy on service animals. Advocacy has paid off, and guide dog handlers won't need to provide documentation 48 hours before they fly.

We report further on the ADA Education and Reform Act, which has passed the US House of Representatives and is on a fast track in the Senate. We urge our listeners in the US to be in touch with advocacy organisations to find out what you can do.

Our featured guest is Anna Dresner, who has written a new book, "You and your Apple Watch", published by National Braille Press. What does an Apple Watch do, why would you want one, how accessible is it, and how does it compare with cheaper alternatives?

A reminder, to discuss the podcast with other listeners, you're welcome to join our discussion group by sending an email to TheBlindSide+subscribe@groups.io

E74 Film maker Nicole Ellis's "Blind Date" Documentary, and "America, put down your guns"

Tue, 20 Feb 2018 22:11:17 -0000

We're pleased to welcome Spotify as another outlet now carrying The Blind Side Podcast. Feel free to search for and follow us there if you're a Spotify user.

Still recovering from your Valentine's Day or lack thereof? Jonathan Mosen speaks with Nicole Ellis, a journalist and film maker who produced a documentary called Blind Date. It traces three blind New Yorkers' quest for love and lust in the digital age. Nicole tells Jonathan about herself, and what led her to make this fascinating documentary. Learn more about the Blind Date documentary at BlindDateDocumentary.com.

To show solidarity for the brave survivors of the latest school shooting in the United States, and in the belief that any change is possible when we advocate firmly enough for it, Jonathan comments on the need for America to put down its guns and face up to its serious gun violence problem.

Remember, to discuss this episode or the podcast in general with other listeners, join our discussion group. Send a blank email to TheBlindSide+subscribe@groups.io

E73 New Blind Side Discussion group, Apple comes to terms with its iOS bugs, David Woodbridge talks HomePod

Mon, 12 Feb 2018 23:06:57 -0000

Jonathan's featured guest in this episode is David Woodbridge, who talks about his first impressions of Apple's HomePod smart speaker. David has already produced a couple of demonstration podcasts, which you can hear on his iSee podcast. Search for David Woodbridge in any good podcatcher, or visit this page to listen online or subscribe.

This interview first aired on Mushroom FM's technology magazine show, The Daily Fibre. To find out when it's on where you are, check out The Mushroom FM Schedule page which displays show times in your local time zone.

The podcast also makes mention of TapinRadio, a Windows app which many listeners use for recording The Daily Fibre. Check out TapinRadio here.

The Blind Side Podcast now has a discussion group for listeners and Jonathan to communicate with each other. If you'd like to join, send an email to TheBlindSide+subscribe@groups.io

Jonathan makes mention of his address to the 20th Retina International world congress, called Breaking the Barriers of Blindness. Read his address here.

Jonathan discusses Apple's decision to curtail new features in iOS 12 in favour of fixing bugs and rounding out existing features. He applauds the move and hopes for a little more.

E72 Chris Danielsen from NFB talks airline service dog policies, the ADA Education and Reform Act, and more

Thu, 08 Feb 2018 21:56:10 -0000

Following Delta Airlines' decision to require all service animal handlers to submit documentation at least 48 hours before they fly, it was inevitable that other airlines would follow. United has chosen to clamp down on emotional support animals, while acknowledging the high standards to which most guide dogs are trained.

Chris Danielsen, spokesman for the National Federation of the Blind, talks to Jonathan Mosen about the challenges of protecting the rights of blind people in the United States to travel when they need to.

Chris also talks about the ADA Education Reform Bill which, if enacted, may have a detrimental impact on disabled people in the United States being able to seek redress.

The interview ends with a discussion on playing the long game when it comes to advocacy, a discussion relevant given the news that Apple is curtailing new features in iOS 12 to instead focus on fixing bugs. They discuss the NFB's 2016 resolution relating to serious VoiceOver bugs in this context.

E71 Robin Christopherson from The Dot to Dot Podcast talks Amazon Alexa and the smart speaker market

Wed, 31 Jan 2018 23:52:12 -0000

On the day we publish this episode, some of the Amazon Echo products, with their Alexa voice assistant, went on sale in New Zealand and Australia. While Australia has had Google Home for some time. Amazon Echo is the first smart speaker to be available in the New Zealand market officially. The popular Echo range has around 80% of the US smart speaker market. It’s useful, and just plain fun to use. Jonathan Mosen speaks with Robin Christopherson, host of The Dot to Dot podcast, a podcast devoted to all things Alexa. He describes the Echo range, what you can do with the products, and what the future might hold for this growing market.

E70 Delta's new animal policy will limit guide dog handlers' freedom of movement

Thu, 25 Jan 2018 23:06:09 -0000

In the first episode for 2018, Jonathan discusses The Daily Fibre, a new technology magazine show with news and analysis, heard every week day on Mushroom FM.

There’s a summary of some stories about blindness issues making news around the world, including the banning of the word “blind” from legislation in Pakistan, and protection of the exclusive right for blind people to be massage therapists in South Korea.

Our main feature this week relates to Delta Airlines in the United States requiring all people travelling with animals in the cabin, including guide dog handlers, to submit documentation at least 48 hours before they fly. This will make it impossible for guide dog handlers to use Delta to travel for urgent matters such as a family bereavement or an urgent business trip. Penny Reader is President of Guide Dog Users Incorporated, an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind. She joins us to discuss the problems caused by [...]

E69 Mel Scott from BlindAlive

Tue, 19 Dec 2017 21:33:03 -0000

In our last episode of The Blind Side Podcast for 2017, what better time to think about being healthier and happier in the new year. Jonathan Mosen speaks with Mel Scott, founder of BlindAlive, which offers a range of work-outs and strategies to be healthier, all put together with a blind audience in mind. If you’re tired of feeling fatigued and out of shape, if you’re concerned about your quality of life, and if you get frustrated by inaccessible workout videos, this is a podcast you won’t want to miss.

Visit BlindAlive’s website.

If you’re on your iPhone, choose this link to go to the BlindAlive app in the App Store.

A reminder that Mosen Consulting is closed from 22 December until 22 January. We wish you a restful, safe, and happy festive season.

E68 Emma Bennison's atrocious treatment from Virgin Australia, seasonal offerings from Jonathan

Tue, 12 Dec 2017 02:47:08 -0000

It’s 2017, and in some respects, we’ve come a long way. But there are still too many occasions when blind people seek to go about our business like anyone else, only to find that airlines leave us feeling humiliated and undervalued. Emma Bennison, CEO of Blind Citizens Australia, tells Jonathan Mosen about the day her status as a frequent flier made not a blind bit of difference as she was treated shabbily.

As the weather warms up and summer is well and truly here, it’s beginning to look and feel a lot like Christmas in New Zealand. Jonathan brings you a couple of Christmas offerings, one you might like to consider for Mushroom FM’s holiday countdown, vote right away if you’ve not yet done so, and the other is a children’s story Jonathan wrote in 2014, Louis, the Blind Christmas Elf.

E67 David Woodbridge, technology old and new

Thu, 07 Dec 2017 02:25:05 -0000

We begin with a reminder that ’tis the season for voting. Vote for your top 10 Christmas songs of all time in Mushroom FM’s holiday countdown. Click here to vote.

Jonathan and Bonnie Mosen speak with David Woodbridge from Australia. David is a tech enthusiast, instructor, and prolific podcaster. We take a fun walk down memory lane and discuss some early assistive technology many have never heard of.

We also look at the state of technology today. Known for his many podcasts on Apple products, David talks about why he’s finding it hard to support some of Apple’s recent decisions, and how there is other technology exciting him much more at the moment.

E66 Jesper Holten describes life as a blind person in Denmark

Tue, 28 Nov 2017 23:03:57 -0000

Jonathan Mosen catches up with Jesper Holten, a long-time user of technology who now works for the Danish Association of the Blind. We learn about some of the challenges blind people in Denmark face. Some will be very familiar, while others may be different from those experienced in other countries.

E65 Don’t panic! It’s the blind person’s guide to the Galaxy, part 4

Tue, 21 Nov 2017 20:11:57 -0000

This week’s episode of The Blind Side Podcast begins with details of our Black Friday sale at the Mosen Consulting Store. When checking out, just enter the coupon code thankful to receive 25% off everything in your cart. The more you buy, the more you save.

Jonathan Mosen then concludes his series on the Samsung Galaxy S8. This week, we look at Google voice Dictation, Bluetooth keyboard commands, the mediocre Braille support, and discuss a range of apps and how they work in the S8.

E64 Don’t panic! It’s the blind person’s guide to the Galaxy, part 3

Thu, 16 Nov 2017 03:23:25 -0000

In part 3 of his series on the Samsung Galaxy S8 as used by a blind person in conjunction with the Voice Assistant screen reader, Jonathan Mosen introduces you to Bixby.

Samsung’s so proud of Bixby, it has its own dedicated button on the side of the phone. Jonathan believes that the combination of ready access to Bixby and Google Assistant on the one device makes the Galaxy S8 the leader in smartphones with voice assistance. But Bixby is not without its problems, especially where the accessibility of the set-up process is concerned.

To discuss this podcast, subscribe to the BlindPhones discussion list. Send a blank email to:

blindphones+subscribe@groups.io

E63 Is an overzealous Apple killing off Blindfold Games?

Fri, 10 Nov 2017 17:00:00 -0000

A seemingly strict, and many would argue unreasonable interpretation of a new Apple policy means that we may have seen the end of the much-loved Blindfold Games, unless Apple changes its position.

Marty Schultz has been developing his iOS-based Blindfold Games for four years, and in that time, he’s published 80 titles. Even if you’re usually not much of a gamer, there’s likely something in the Blindfold Games catalogue that you’ll like. Board games, trivia games, action games, even horse racing and bowling, Marty’s done them all. And they’re designed for play specifically by blind users, taking advantage of accessibility technologies like direct touch.

Apple is trying to make sure that the App Store isn’t full of multiple apps by the same author that do the same thing. Most of us would applaud Apple for that. But somehow, the Blindfold Games have been caught up in the crossfire, with Apple already having refused to approve two [...]

E62 Don’t panic! It’s the blind person’s guide to the Galaxy, part 2

Thu, 09 Nov 2017 00:07:48 -0000

Jonathan Mosen continues his comprehensive series on the Samsung Galaxy S8. This week, learn about the thankfully angle-free gesture set in Samsung’s screen reader, Voice Assistant. Jonathan discusses migrating your data from iPhone, giving voice commands to Google, setting up facial recognition, using the phone as a drive in Windows, purchasing apps and getting them refunded automatically, and much more.

As mentioned in the podcast, you can discuss this and other phone-related episodes by subscribing to The Blind Phones email list. Send a blank email to blindphones+subscribe@groups.io

E61 A thorough look at iPhone X from a blindness perspective

Fri, 03 Nov 2017 03:09:09 -0000

Apple’s iPhone X is the most radical re-design of iPhone since it introduced the product 10 years ago. With no home button, and touch ID having been replaced with face ID, just what is it like for a blind person to use iPhone X in conjunction with VoiceOver, the screen reader that makes iOS useable by a blind person? Jonathan and Heidi Mosen unbox a new iPhone X, set it up, and put it through its paces. They demonstrate setting up Face ID and using it in a variety of contexts. They look at the new gesture set and button assignments made necessary because of the absence of the home button. They look at the animoji feature to determine how useable it is with VoiceOver, test the speakers, and even make a recording. By the end of this podcast, you’ll have a thorough appreciation of just what it’s like for a blind person to operate iPhone X, and will be in a better position to determine whether it’s for you.

E60 Don’t Panic! It’s the Blind Person’s Guide to the Galaxy, part 1

Mon, 23 Oct 2017 22:29:56 -0000

After some news about New Zealand’s new government and a difficult but important topic on Mushroom Fm’s talk show this week, Jonathan Mosen begins his demonstration of the Samsung Galaxy S8.

He begins by discussing his choice to go with Samsung specifically due to the multitouch gesture set offered by the Samsung screen reader called Voice Assistant.

Heidi and Richard Mosen join Jonathan as they unbox the phone, power it up for the first time, get it talking, work through the very friendly on-board screen reader tutorial, and set it up to work on Wi-Fi and with the appropriate accounts.

E59 Fred Schroeder, President, World Blind Union

Tue, 17 Oct 2017 16:00:00 -0000

Fred Schroeder is a natural leader and superb orator. He has been First Vice President of the National Federation of the blind, Rehabilitation Services Administration Commissioner during the Clinton administration, a state agency director, a lecturer, O&M instructor, champion of Braille and much more. He currently serves as the President of the World Blind Union.

Jonathan Mosen sat down with Fred Schroeder when they both attended the national convention of Blind Citizens Australia. We learn about Fred’s early life, the influence the National Federation of the Blind has had on him, his work with WBU, the state of Braille, and much more.

E58 Mushroom FM and the fun guys who make it happen

Mon, 09 Oct 2017 13:18:34 -0000

Mushroom FM is one of those Internet radio phenomena you’ve almost certainly heard about. Perhaps you’ve been meaning to check it out and never have, or maybe you haven’t checked in for a while.

Staffed by a team of blind volunteers, and with a strong commitment to high-quality, personality-based Internet radio, Mushroom FM now plays music from the 1950s through to the 1980s, with a few specialty shows thrown in for good measure. With its classy JAM jingles and engaging people, it’s a great listen.

Jonathan Mosen founded Mushroom FM in 2010. With Mushroom FM launching a new schedule this week, he thought that now would be a perfect time to introduce you to the story of Mushroom FM, and the great people you can hear.

Find Mushroom FM on the web at MushroomFM.com. You can also find it in all the good radio apps on smartphones and computers, as well as on personal assis [...]

E57 Apple’s VoiceOver design inconsistencies, and Jim Fetgather, the former phone phreaker

Tue, 03 Oct 2017 01:06:02 -0000

Jonathan Mosen begins by announcing the return of the accessible phones for the blind email group, where comparisons of phone types and operating systems are welcome. Subscribe to the Blind Phones list here.

In a call to action, Jonathan expands on his blog post, Cupertino, we have a design problem. If you’ve found since upgrading to iOS 11 that you’re deleting emails by accident, it’s not a bug, it’s a new idea from Apple. Jonathan describes why we should care, and encourages you to contact accessibility@apple.com with a respectful request that this change be reversed.

Before having computers to occupy ourselves with, many blind people were fascinated by the telephone, and the phone network. The process of delving into the secrets of the phone network was known as p [...]

E56 Deja Powell, blind cane travel instructor

Tue, 26 Sep 2017 16:00:00 -0000

For some people who’ve never been given travel instruction by a blind person, the idea seems proposterous and downright dangerous. How can a blind orientation and mobility specialist keep their students safe and monitor their technique? And yet, there are many capable, successful, and totally safe blind people teaching other blind people how to get around.

Deja Powell is a blind cane travel instructor based in Utah. She talks with Jonathan Mosen about her journey to acceptance of her blindness and provides detailed answers to Jonathan’s frank questions about how she does what she does.

Deja also discusses her PHD thesis, and last but by no means least, her love of fashion.

Jonathan concludes the podcast with a follow-up on our New Zealand general election series. The election took place on 23 September. What happened to the people he spoke with, and can we officially call The Blind Side Podcast a political jinx?

E55 Unboxing of, and a first look at, iPhone 8 Plus and Apple Watch Series 3

Fri, 22 Sep 2017 05:32:22 -0000

Thanks to the wonders of time zones, New Zealanders get new Apple tech before the rest of the world. Today, a new iPhone 8 Plus and Apple Watch Series 3 landed at Mosen Towers. Jonathan and Bonnie Mosen demonstrate setting up the iPhone 8 plus with the help of the new phone migration feature built into iOS 11. They take a listen to the improved speakers, describe the feel of the new phone, and look at how responsive it is thanks to the new A11 Bionic chip.

Jonathan then sets up his new Apple Watch series 3. It took more than one attempt to do so, and when it was over, he found the speed impressive, but the Siri support disappointing in the context of VoiceOver, the screen reader built into all Apple products for the blind.

E54 Jonathan Mosen’s iOS 11 Tek Talk Presentation

Tue, 19 Sep 2017 01:00:00 -0000

Just ahead of the official release of iOS 11, the new software to power iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, Jonathan Mosen was invited to deliver a Tek Talk presentation to Accessible World.

For many years, Tek Talk presentations have been held every Monday at 8 PM US Eastern time. Guest speakers have showcased a wide range of technology for the blind and visually impaired.

Jonathan speaks about iOS 11 in the context of VoiceOver, the screen reader built into iOS. He discusses Siri’s new voice and capabilities, new VoiceOver options giving greater control over verbosity, the accessibility to blind people of closed captions, how the new screen recording feature can help app developers fix accessibility issues with their apps, significantly revamped Braille support and more.

Jonathan’s book, “iOS 11 Without the Eye”, contains over [...]

E53 Recap of Apple’s September 2017 event

Tue, 12 Sep 2017 20:27:48 -0000

At its first ever event at the Steve Jobs Theatre, Apple unveiled an Apple Watch with LTE connectivity, a 4K Apple TV, and three new iPhones. One of those iPhones is a radical departure in some key respects from anything we’ve seen before.

Jonathan and Heidi Mosen, David Woodbridge and Allison Hartley got together the moment the curtain came down in Cupertino to offer their instant reactions to the event, and provide analysis from a blindness perspective.

We can also report that “iOS 11 Without the Eye” will be released by Mosen Consulting this weekend, just ahead of iOS 11’s debut on 19 September.

E52 Nicky Wagner, Minister for Disability Issues, National Party

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 06:51:29 -0000

We conclude our series on New Zealand’s general election by hearing from the current Minister for Disability Issues, National’s Nicky Wagner.

Minister Wagner discusses what she considers to be National’s most significant achievements for disabled people over the last nine years, and argues that re-electing National to lead the government will represent continued progress for disabled people.

We discuss education, employment, access to technology, whether there is a need for accessibility legislation and more.

E51 Upcoming Apple coverage, Marama Fox, Co-leader, Maori Party

Tue, 05 Sep 2017 15:17:56 -0000

We’re preparing to go into top gear on The Blind Side, with comprehensive coverage of Apple’s new hardware. Mosen Consulting is also ready to go with “iOS 11 Without the Eye”, our most comprehensive iOS book to date. Learn more in the podcast.

Blind people using telephone dictation voting can cast their ballot any time from now. Our comprehensive coverage on New Zealand’s disability issues continues ahead of the election. This time, Jonathan Mosen speaks with Marama Fox, co-leader of The maori Party. Marama talks about the affinity that exists between Maori and disabled people, as well as cultural issues affecting Maori with disabilities specifically.

E50 More on our podcasting course, how blind New Zealanders vote

Tue, 29 Aug 2017 08:11:00 -0000

On this, our 50th episode, we say thanks for your listenership. It’s been amazing.

Our podcasting course begins just days from now, and we’re excited by how many people have already joined our community of intrepid podcast explorers. There’s still room for you though. We tell you about a very special guest joining us for part of our first webinar.

Our series on the New Zealand general election continues. This week, we’re looking at how blind people in New Zealand vote. Jonathan Mosen explains New Zealand’s proportional electoral system which gives every New Zealander two votes.

Then, we look at the voting process for blind people specifically. New Zealand’s electoral Commission has made voting as simple as a couple of phone calls, and secrecy is built-into the system. We’re joined by the Electoral Commission’s Acting Manager Voting Services, Melissa Thorpe, to explain the phone-based system introduced three years a [...]

E49 Our podcasting course, iOS 11 book, Ria Bond from New Zealand First

Tue, 22 Aug 2017 07:59:00 -0000

Responding to many requests, Mosen Consulting is offering a thorough podcasting course, comprising four webinars, a discussion forum, a resource guide and more. Jonathan discusses what the course covers, and how you can register. Note, since the course starts in September, registrations close soon.

We then give you an update on the latest in the popular “iOS Without the Eye” series. It’s our largest eBook yet. We explain how you can get it before iOS 11 comes to your iDevice.

And we continue our series on the New Zealand general election, as we speak with Ria Bond from New Zealand First about disability policy and related issues.

E48 Poto Williams, NZ Labour Party

Tue, 15 Aug 2017 11:19:00 -0000

Our series on New Zealand’s general election continues.

Poto Williams is Labour’s spokesperson for Disability Issues. She joins Jonathan Mosen for a wide-ranging discussion on public policy from a disability perspective, including answering questions sent in by listeners.

E47 Mojo Mathers, NZ Greens

Tue, 08 Aug 2017 08:16:00 -0000

This week, we begin a series of interviews with representatives of New Zealand political parties, ahead of the 23 September general election.

Jonathan Mosen speaks with Green MP and Disability Issues spokesperson Mojo mathers. Mojo, who is Deaf, is New Zealand’s only member of Parliament with a significant disability.

She discusses what it’s like to be the only disabled MP, some issues of significance facing disabled people in New Zealand, and how the Green Party would tackle them.

E46 Steven Lockley on blind people and sleep

Tue, 01 Aug 2017 04:26:00 -0000

It’s a problem many blind people are all too familiar with. We’re wide awake in the middle of the night, and have an uncontrollable urge to sleep in the middle of the day. It can make life utterly miserable, in terms of maintaining a schedule in sync with our friends and family, and performing at our best on the job. We now call this phenomenon non-24, and there are things you can do about it.

Even if you’re lucky enough not to be affected by non-24, most of us could do with more, and better quality, sleep in this fast-paced connected world of ours.

To talk about sleep in general, and the challenges many blind people face with sleep in particular, Jonathan Mosen talks with Professor Steven Lockley, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. He’s a neuro-scientist with an interest in sleep and circadian disorders. He’s spent considerable time examining the issue of blind people and sleep, and how non-24 might be treated. [...]

E45 Seeing AI, Aira

Tue, 25 Jul 2017 04:57:00 -0000

This week’s podcast focusses on technology that gives blind people easier access to visual information.

The hot topic in the blind community on social media since its release a couple of week’s ago is an iOS app from Microsoft called Seeing AI. It’s a Swiss army knife of visual tools, offering some functions available in some other apps, but also breaking new ground in the use of artificial intelligence to give blind people descriptions of people and scenes. An app like this has been the dream of Saqib Shaikh, a blind developer who has worked for Microsoft for over a decade. Thanks to Microsoft’s technology and resources, he’s seeing that dream becoming reality, and is able to share that dream with us in the form of a free app. Jonathan Mosen speaks with Saqib about Seeing AI, then demonstrates the app and how he is already using it daily, including to transform his use of social media.

There is a second service that has gone live recently [...]

E44 Kelly Ford

Tue, 18 Jul 2017 09:50:00 -0000

In the early days of accessibility-related email lists, Kelly Ford was a vocal, articulate advocate who wasn’t hesitant to hold companies to account for accessibility issues. Then he became an insider, still making the world a better place in a quieter, more effective capacity. Having just completed a 16.5 year stint at Microsoft, where he held various roles, Kelly joins Jonathan Mosen to talk advocacy and accessibility, and share a few memories.

E43 Controversial Proposed Standards for Canadian Service Dog Teams

Mon, 10 Jul 2017 08:30:00 -0000

On Friday, submissions close on a standard that has been drafted by the Canadian General Standards Board CGSB. It stipulates with exceptional detail what constitutes a service dog team, including the behaviour and abilities of both members of the team, the human and the dog.

Critics of the proposed standard accuse the CGSB of a paternalistic, big brother-style encroachment into the lives of disabled people, and many guide dog handlers are concerned that the proposal seems to take no account of effective industry regulation that has served guide dog handlers and the public well.

Some US guide dog schools are suggesting they may need to decline to provide service to Canadians if this standard is adopted.

It’s unclear what the consequences will be for people travelling to Canada with guide dogs that are accepted everywhere else but which will not meet this standard if it is adopted.

And if you’re outside Canada and wondering why you should conc [...]

E42 Greyhound Lawsuit, “Go Where You Wanna Go” by Judy Dixon

Tue, 04 Jul 2017 11:16:00 -0000

A group of blind people in the United States are frustrated by their inability to book travel independently using the Greyhound website and apps. When they’ve sought help from the call center, they were charged a convenience fee. They’ve filed a lawsuit which is supported by the National Federation of the Blind. Jonathan Mosen speaks with Chris Danielsen from NFB about this specific suit, and looks at case law on web and app accessibility.

“Go Where You Wanna Go” is Judy Dixon’s latest book published by National Braille Press. It looks at GPS apps for iOS. Judy joins Jonathan to talk about the book, and the many choices we now have to help us get around.

E41 Hypnotherapist Andrew Johnson

Tue, 27 Jun 2017 09:26:00 -0000

From time to time on The Blind Side, we like to look at self-care issues from a blindness perspective. This time, we look at perhaps one of the most misunderstood methods for achieving positive change in your life, hypnosis. Many people think of hypnotists as slightly creepy people who dangle a watch in front of your face and make you do weird things. Is that true, and is it even possible for a blind person to be hypnotised?

Jonathan Mosen speaks with hypnotherapist Andrew Johnson. Andrew offers an extensive collection of apps for iOS and Android. Just what can hypnosis do for you, and how does it work?

At the end of the podcast, Andrew will conduct a hypnotherapy session. For this part of the podcast, which begins at around 55 minutes in, we highly recommend that you listen to it when you are somewhere you’re not going to be disturbed, and you’re not performing any other task.

E40 Job hunting when blind, free job club, Meet Me In The Cloud

Mon, 19 Jun 2017 18:57:00 -0000

Bonnie Mosen has a popular book in the Mosen Consulting Store, “It’s Off to Work We Go”, offering tips and tricks for blind job seekers. People who purchase that book have had access to a job club. Bonnie talks about the challenges of being a blind job seeker, and we announce that the next meeting of the job club is open to all.

There’s a new audiobook in The Mosen Consulting Store on Zoom Cloud Meetings, called “Meet Me In the Cloud”. We give you a free sample of the book that demonstrates how easy it is to attend meetings using this highly accessible product.

E39 Yet More Airline Discrimination, Paul Mugambi

Tue, 13 Jun 2017 03:49:00 -0000

Jonathan Mosen speaks with Kliphton Miller about Frontier Airlines, who turned what should have been a pleasant flight with his 18-month-old granddaughter into a day of discrimination and frustration.

Paul Mugambi is a Kenyan advocate and musician. Currently studying on a scholarship in Australia, Paul talks with Jonathan about some of the advocacy triumphs and challenges blind people in Kenya are facing. We conclude the podcast with a great song from Paul.

E38 Apple’s WWDC Recap

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 08:59:00 -0000

Right after Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference keynote, Jonathan Mosen is joined by Jeff Bishop, Heidi Mosen and David Woodbridge to bring you analysis and further information from the slides that wasn’t discussed by the presenters.

E37 Project Tactile aims for instant transcription from print to Braille

Tue, 30 May 2017 02:14:00 -0000

Imagine a device which instantly converts print to Braille, just by lying the device on top of a printed page. That’s what a team of talented MIT students have been working on, with Project Tactile. Jonathan Mosen speaks with two of the students, Charlene Xia and Tania Yu. He also speaks with Paul Parravano, Co-director of Government and Community Relations at MIT. Paul is blind, and has been providing advice to the Project Tactile team. Paul also talks about some of the work he is doing at MIT.

E36 Accessible Virgin Australia in-flight entertainment, UK election

Tue, 23 May 2017 06:33:00 -0000

One person can make a big difference, with the law on their side and a bit of tenacity. Phillip Chalker tells Jonathan Mosen about his successful campaign to have Virgin Australia install accessible in-flight entertainment systems on their aircraft.

Unexpectedly, UK voters are going back to the polls again, for a snap general election. Dave Williams joins Jonathan Mosen to talk about the possible ramifications of brexit on the blind community. We look at some of the issues dominating the campaign, and learn about the hoops disabled people are being required to go through just to keep the benefits they have already.

Note that this interview with Dave was recorded before the barbaric and horrific events in Manchester. We send our deepest sympathies to everyone affected.

E35 Anna Dresner’s latest book, and the unhelpful Canadian Passport Office

Tue, 16 May 2017 05:44:00 -0000

We all know how important it is to exercise regularly to stay healthy and alert. Audio workouts and accessible gadgets are making it easier than ever for blind people to stay active. But where to start? Respected technology author Anna Dresner has written a new book for National Braille Press to get you started, entitled “Ten Thousand Steps, Cane Not Included”. Jonathan Mosen speaks to Anna about her writing in general, and this book in particular.

You can purchase a copy of the book by visiting http://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/10KSTEPS.html

Whether you’re blind or sighted, applying for a passport is a laborious process, requiring you to provide photos and numerous details. In Canada, if you want the Passport Office to assist you because you don’t have, or choose not to rely on, sighted friends or family, you’re out of luck. Canadian Press journalist Michelle McQuigge tells Jonathan about the controversy, and talks about it in the wider context o [...]

E34 Brad Turner talks Bookshare.org

Tue, 09 May 2017 04:31:00 -0000

Gaining access to reading material is about more than having good books to enjoy, which is of course a worthy end in itself. It’s even about more than having access to material that can advance your education and training. Being able to read a book at the same time as your sighted colleagues are talking about it around the water cooler facilitates full inclusion.

Many of us can still remember that due to resource and technological limitations, it could often take many months for a best seller to be made accessible. Now, there are many accessible ways for us to read a book, often in a timely manner, and one of those is Bookshare, which is specifically for print disabled people.

More than 425,000 people in 70 countries have access to Bookshare’s collection of 546,950 titles. More than 820 U.S. and international publishers contribute to its social mission by donating their digital files, making it possible for Bookshare to serve users around the world and ensurin [...]

E33 A comprehensive demonstration of the accessible Sony Bravia X8000D TV

Tue, 02 May 2017 07:26:00 -0000

Many Sony Bravia televisions are now powered by Android TV. They sport two screen readers, offer access to apps from the Google Play Store, and can even work as a Chromecast device.

Jonathan Mosen brings you a comprehensive demonstration of one of the offerings in the Sony Bravia range, the 49-inch version of the Sony X8000D.

He looks at a range of apps, browses the accessible TV guide, talks about recording TV onto a USB hard drive and more. The accessibility of this TV, while not perfect, is impressive.

He also offers some advice to owners of Sonos soundbar products for choosing a TV that will get the best audio possible from them.

E32 Low Carb Expert Jimmy Moore

Tue, 25 Apr 2017 01:51:00 -0000

This week’s episode of The Blind Side could be the most important thing you’ve heard all year, as Jonathan Mosen speaks with author, blogger and podcaster, Jimmy Moore.

Weighing over 400 pounds and having failed at a low fat diet, Jimmy turned his life around when he adopted a high fat, low carb lifestyle. It’s the same lifestyle that’s caused Jonathan to need a completely new wardrobe.

Increasing, compelling evidence suggests that going low carb will reduce significantly your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other diseases that have become commonplace since the low fat craze took hold some decades ago.

To learn why eating fat doesn’t make you fat, and how science got the all-important topic of what we should be putting into our body so wrong, join Jonathan and Jimmy as they share their personal experiences, and the increasing body of evidence in favour of a low carb lifestyle.

To find out more about Jimmy Moore’s w [...]

E31 Lord David Blunkett, UK former Home Secretary

Tue, 18 Apr 2017 07:01:00 -0000

Determined to make his country a better place, David Blunkett became a local politician at the age of just 22, the youngest city councillor at the time. He ultimately became Council leader.

Elected as a Labour member of Parliament in 1987, he served in Tony Blair’s cabinet in a number of capacities, including the senior position of Home Secretary, becoming the first blind person to be a part of the UK Cabinet.

He was, at one point, considered a potential Prime Minister.

Now Lord Blunkett, he joins Jonathan Mosen, a political junky who has followed his career closely, to talk about life in the bear pit of politics when you’re blind.

E30 A comprehensive look at Windows 10 Creators Update

Sun, 09 Apr 2017 12:09:00 -0000

Jonathan Mosen and Jeff Bishop talk about some of the new features in the Windows 10 Creators Update, which Microsoft will begin pushing via Windows Update on 11 April.

There are many new features and enhancements of general interest, and also considerable improvements to built-in accessibility.

Learn about the new features, and how best to ensure you have a smooth upgrade to this latest version of Windows.

E29 Parenting when you’re blind

Tue, 04 Apr 2017 03:17:00 -0000

How much of a difference does blindness make to being a parent? What techniques are necessary to supervise a child if you can’t see? And for those who become blind when they’re already a parent, how does blindness change things?

We’ll discuss these and many other related issues with our panel of blind parents, each of whom brings a different set of experiences on the discussion. Jonathan Mosen, a father of four himself, is joined by Maggie Rush, James Manders, and Ericka Mosley.

Ericka is a co-founder of Blind Parent Alliance, a support group of over a thousand blind parents worldwide who keep in touch via Facebook. Perform a Facebook search for Blind Parent Alliance if you’d like to connect.

We also learn about an email list which has been run for many years which serves as another supportive place for blind parents.

E28 Gaylen Kapperman talks accessible sex education for blind youth

Tue, 28 Mar 2017 05:21:00 -0000

Unlike their sighted counterparts, blind youth aren’t bombarded by sexual imagery, and they can’t see the pictures in sex education textbooks. Two-dimensional drawings simply don’t work, and the process of experimentation can be disastrous. So how do we inform and educate blind youth about sex in a safe, meaningful way?

Professor Gaylen Kapperman is world renowned for his work on ensuring that blind people aren’t left out of the STEM subjects. But for decades, he’s also been an advocate for ensuring that blind youth can learn about sex education in an accessible way. Now, he’s promoting the use of newer technologies, such as 3D printed models of sex organs.

Professor Kapperman speaks with Jonathan Mosen about this critical and often overlooked accessibility issue.

E27 Blind people flying the unfriendly skies

Tue, 21 Mar 2017 04:48:00 -0000

Last week’s podcast in which Sue Martin recounted her American Airlines horror story has been the topic of much conversation.

This week, we’ve put together a selection of airline experiences and reaction that has poured in via email, audio message and Mushroom FM’s call-in show, A Cuppa at the Mosens.

Don’t forget, you can support The Blind Side podcast by checking out and subscribing to HMA VPN. http://mosen.org/hma

E26 American Airlines’ multiple federal law violations, fake rules and humiliation

Tue, 14 Mar 2017 10:43:00 -0000

We talk disability discrimination and ignorance at the hands of airlines on this episode.

Jonathan recounts a less than optimal experience he and Bonnie recently had with a New Zealand airline, Jetstar.

He then speaks with Sue Martin, who was the victim of repeated violations of US federal law, humiliation and intimidation by American Airlines.

Penny Reeder, President of Guide Dog Users Incorporated, joins Jonathan to discuss Sue’s experience and the state of airline travel for blind people in general.

Know your rights. If you’re in the United States, or you ever travel there, read this summary from the US Department of Transportation of the Air Carrier Access Act.

https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/passengers-disabilities

Support the Blind Side by checking out HMA VPN. http://mosen.org/hma

E25 Gretchen Good on disaster preparedness, Kayla Weathers on the blind in literature

Tue, 28 Feb 2017 04:28:00 -0000

Please support The Blind Side by checking out HMA VPN. http://www.mosen.org/hma

You’re sound asleep, when you’re awakened by the ground shaking violently. Objects are falling off shelves, and your dog is terrified, as are you. Are you ready for a natural disaster, and what are the things blind people need to be prepared for in such an eventuality?

Jonathan Mosen speaks with Dr Gretchen Good of Massey University, who is part of a team that has completed research on the impact of the Christchurch earthquakes on some of the blind people who live through them. We discuss specific things you should be doing to prepare for a natural disaster.

We often hear stories of academic institutions making it difficult for blind people to pursue their studies, so it’s great to share a good news story. Kayla Weathers has graduated from Dalton State College in Georgia with a BA in English Literature. The College went that extra mile, and created a beautiful Braille diploma [...]

E24 The Demise of the Roger app, BlindSquare Competition

Tue, 21 Feb 2017 04:18:00 -0000

Please support The Blind Side by checking out the services from the great team at HMA VPN, to secure your Internet and tear down the walls of geoblocking. http://www.mosen.org/HMA

On the podcast this week, many in the blind community were dismayed to learn of the imminent demise of the Roger Walkie-Talkie app for iOS and Android. With it’s superb audio quality, unlimited message length and simple group features, it’s brought blind people together and fostered new friendships.

Now that it’s going, its users are looking for alternatives, and this episode discusses a bunch. Jonathan Mosen is joined by Rachel Feinberg and Anthony Horvath, both assistive technology specialists. We’ll look at a range of voice messaging apps and how none of them quite does what Roger did. We’ll help you work out which option may be best for you.

Who couldn’t use a little extra cash? If you’re a BlindSquare user and have a story to tell about ho [...]

E23 Victor Tsaran, Google’s Technical Program Manager, Accessibility Initiatives

Tue, 14 Feb 2017 05:07:00 -0000

Born in Ukraine when it was still part of the Soviet Union, Victor Tsaran had no idea as a child that he would one day move to the United States, see his life transformed by computers, and work for some of the leading tech companies in Silicon Valley, making the world a more accessible place.

Nowadays, Victor is Technical Program Manager, Accessibility Initiatives at Google.

Victor tells Jonathan Mosen about his extraordinary life, and they have a candid conversation about the state of Android accessibility.

The podcast closes with a song by Victor, who is a talented musician.

E22 Kim Charlson, President, American Council of the Blind

Mon, 06 Feb 2017 16:27:00 -0000

In 2013,. Kim Charlson was elected unopposed as the first female President of the American Council of the Blind (ACB), making her the first woman to be elected as President of a blind consumer advocacy organisation in the United States.

In this extended interview, Jonathan Mosen talks with Kim about what makes her tick, what she perceives to be the accomplishments of her presidency so far, what she still hopes to achieve, and whether she thinks ACB and NFB will ever reunite.

E21 Broadway audio description lawsuit, “The Abundant Bookshelf” with Judy Dixon

Tue, 31 Jan 2017 05:03:00 -0000

You’ve saved up and waited patiently for tickets to the popular musical “Hamilton” on Broadway, only to find that there are no audio described performances available. You’re therefore concerned that you’ll not be able to enjoy it as fully as everyone else. What do you do?

If you’re Mark Lasser, you encourage those responsible to offer at least some audio described performances. When that fails, you file a lawsuit seeking a change. Mark joins us on The Blind Side to discuss his legal action.

With a smartphone in your pocket, you have an abundant bookshelf. With so many apps and services out there, it can be confusing to know which apps to use when, and which services provide the most accessible experience in any given situation. Judy Dixon has written a book called “The Abundant Bookshelf” published by national Braille Press, to make sense of it all.

And following our repost of Tara Briggs’s interview with Jon [...]

E20 Tara Briggs of Ability Stories interviews Jonathan Mosen

Tue, 24 Jan 2017 09:00:00 -0000

We begin The Blind Side for 2017 by turning the tables on the show host.

Jonathan Mosen provided some advice to Tara Briggs when she was establishing her podcast, Ability Stories. Recently, Tara reached out to Jonathan and asked if she could record an interview with him.

While the subject matter is wide-ranging, this interview is notable for covering a subject Jonathan hasn’t been interviewed about before, his atheism. Jonathan deconverted from Christianity almost 30 years ago, and describes himself as a proud atheist, confident and comfortable with the world view he follows.

Join Tara as she explores a subject important to Jonathan that no other podcast interview has covered.

E19 Colleen Wunderlich, Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Thu, 15 Dec 2016 07:19:00 -0000

It’s the final episode of The Blind Side Podcast for 2016. Thanks for being a listener.

We begin with a reminder to join in the fun and vote for your top 10 holiday songs, ahead of Mushroom FM’s holiday countdown and Christmas party on Sunday 18 December. The link to cast your vote is: http://www.MushroomFm.com/countdown2016

Have you ever considered starting your own business? Or perhaps you have one already and want to take it to the next level. Our featured guest is Colleen Wunderlich, Director of the Forsythe Center for Employment and Entrepreneurship at the Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually impaired. We learn about her own interesting career, what she’s doing at Hadley to help blind people start and grow businesses, and how you can gain some funding to grow or start a business with the 2017 New Venture Competition.

Learn more about this great opportunity, open to US residents, at http://www.hadley.edu/nvc

Bonnie and Jonatha [...]

E18 “Braille On Display” author, Jackie Brown

Fri, 09 Dec 2016 08:42:00 -0000

Mosen Consulting has published a new book by Jackie Brown. “Braille on Display” is a handy buyer’s guide covering most of the Braille products available today. It’s packed with useful facts as well as the author’s views on the Braille technology she’s reviewed.

Jonathan Mosen speaks with Jackie to learn a bit about her and a lot about her great new book.

You can purchase it from: http://mosen.org/BrailleOnDisplay

E17 Guide dog discrimination, Audio Game Hub

Thu, 01 Dec 2016 23:09:00 -0000

In Britain, legislation has been introduced to Parliament that would require all taxi drivers to have completed disability awareness training. The move comes after what would appear to be rampant discrimination against guide dog handlers there. Bonnie Mosen joins us as we discuss the issue, and we seek your experiences with taxis and ride sharing services. If you’re a guide dog handler, how common an occurrence is it where you are to experience discrimination.

Then on a lighter note, Jonathan speaks with Jarek Beksa from Audio Game Hub, a talented team of people from the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand. They’ve designed a series of top-quality audio games for blind people to play on multiple platforms, and a successful Kickstarter campaign will see more games available soon. But it’s not yet too late to make a contribution.

Learn more about Audio Game Hub at http://www.AudioGameHub.com.

E16 Marty Schultz from Blindfold Games

Fri, 25 Nov 2016 06:03:00 -0000

The Blind Side Podcast Episode 16, Marty Schultz from Blindfold Games by Jonathan Mosen

E15 New Zealand’s massive Quake from a blindness perspective

Fri, 18 Nov 2016 15:34:00 -0000

Just after midnight on Monday 14 November, a massive 7.8 earthquake shook much of New Zealand. No matter how well-adjusted we are as blind people, an unexpected natural disaster like this can be humbling and frightening.

This week, we speak with Teri Mcelroy, who has lived through some serious quakes in Christchurch over the last six years, and Mushroom FM fun guy Anthony Horvath, who is based in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, where the quake closed businesses for a couple of days and will cause the demolition of at least two buildings.

They’ll talk about what it’s like to be in such a large quake, and offer some advice about some of the things we as blind people need to consider when preparing for a natural disaster that could come when we least expect it.

E14 Tour of The Seeing Eye, The US presidential election

Fri, 11 Nov 2016 13:52:00 -0000

On last week’s Mosen Explosion, heard on Sundays at 2 PM Eastern time and then repeated on Tuesdays at 5 AM Eastern time on Mushroom FM, we broadcast a tour Bonnie and Jonathan took of the Seeing Eye. The response was so positive to this, with many people asking for it to be available for download, that we’re including it in this week’s podcast.

First, Bonnie Mosen gives us some background to The Seeing Eye and how it was founded. Then, Jim Kutsch, President of The Seeing Eye, takes us around some of the great facilities.

Learn more about The Seeing Eye at its website, http://www.TheSeeingEye.org

We conclude with an extended editorial from Jonathan Mosen on the US Presidential election. What might the result mean for the blind community, and is there a pressing need for electoral reform in the US?

E13 Pam MacNeill from Disability Responsiveness New Zealand

Fri, 04 Nov 2016 03:06:00 -0000

The phrase “Nothing About us Without Us” is a catch cry of the disability movement. Yet there’s still a lot of disability training and policy that lacks meaningful direction and input from disabled people themselves.

Pam MacNeill has had a long and successful career, recently in fields pertaining to disability policy. She’s just set up her own company, Disability Responsiveness New Zealand.

In this candid conversation with Jonathan Mosen, Pam discusses her personal story, and looks at the challenges disabled people face today in a range of areas, including what New Zealanders call the tall poppy syndrome.

Visit Disability Responsiveness New Zealand at http://www.drnz.co.nz

E12 Judy Dixon

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 13:14:00 -0000

The Blind Side Podcast Episode 12, Judy Dixon by Jonathan Mosen

E11 Emma Bennison

Fri, 21 Oct 2016 09:42:00 -0000

Blind Citizens Australia is the advocacy organization for blind Australians, and Emma Bennison has been its President for a year. During a visit to New Zealand, Emma

E10 Clive Lansink from Blind Citizens New Zealand

Fri, 14 Oct 2016 11:45:00 -0000

Blind Citizens New Zealand isn’t only the oldest advocacy organisation driven by disabled people themselves in New Zealand, it’s also one of the oldest blindness consumer advocacy organisations worldwide.

Following their conference last week, Jonathan Mosen speaks with Clive Lansink, National President of Blind Citizens New Zealand. We learn about the history of Blind Citizens New Zealand, and some of the challenges facing the organisation and blind New Zealanders today.

E9 Discrimination in the lawyer’s office, The Rush Miller Foundation, Autour

Fri, 07 Oct 2016 08:42:00 -0000

Jonathan begins this week with a recent experience he had in a lawyer’s office that got him thinking about the legal profession and outdated attitudes about blindness.

We meet Eric Miller from the Rush Miller Foundation, an organization dedicated to providing tandem bicycles for blind people and a sighted bike mate to use. Learn more about the Foundation at http://www.rushmillerfoundation.org.

We then hear from Jeremy Cooperstock from McGill University in Canada about Autour, a navigation app that is trying an innovative approach to providing blind people with information about what’s around them.

E8 How Eye See It

Fri, 30 Sep 2016 11:53:00 -0000

Social media has been abuzz with talk of a fund raising campaign for the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Called “How Eye See It”, the campaign invites sighted people to blindfold themselves and perform a range of tasks, then make a donation to the Foundation. But the National Federation of the Blind says rather than show people what it’s really like to be blind, the campaign perpetuates inaccurate and harmful myths about blindness. Jonathan Mosen speaks with Chris Danielsen from NFB. We have extended an invitation to the Foundation Fighting Blindness to appear on the podcast. We did not receive a reply to our invitation by the time of publication, however the invitation remains open.

E7 Blindsquare Positioning System comes to Wellington

Fri, 23 Sep 2016 14:33:00 -0000

Using the GPS (Global Positioning System), blind people can now obtain detailed information about their environment with the aid of smartphones, note takers and stand-alone devices. But the system is unsuitable for providing detailed navigation information in-doors.

The developers of the popular BlindSquare iOS app are seeking to solve that problem with a system they call BPS, the BlindSquare Positioning System.

In his book “iOS 7 Without the Eye”, Jonathan Mosen predicted that iBeacons had the potential to dramatically improve the information blind people receive about the built environment, if a developer took the technology and used it for that purpose. BlindSquare have made that possibility an impressive reality.

Jonathan Mosen speaks with Thomas Bryan of the Blind Foundation in New Zealand about the Foundation’s work with the Wellington Regional Council to facilitate a comprehensive roll-out of BPS in Wellington’s central business di [...]

E6 Unboxing and familiarisation with the iPhone 7 Plus

Thu, 15 Sep 2016 14:32:00 -0000

16 September came to New Zealand first, so Jonathan Mosen was one of the first in the world to have an iPhone 7s Plus delivered. In this podcast, Jonathan unboxes and sets up the device, explores the new home button, uses Apple’s new Lightning to 3.5mm adapter, experiments to see if Bluetooth latency with VoiceOver has improved, compares the built-in audio of the two devices, uses the new camera, and more.

E5 Apple’s September 2016 Event

Wed, 07 Sep 2016 09:50:00 -0000

Apple giveth, and Apple taketh away. What do September 7’s Apple hardware announcements mean for you? Jonathan Mosen is joined by technology experts David Woodbridge and Jeff Bishop, as well as Apple tech enthusiast Heidi Mosen. We’ll provide commentary on the event, and Heidi will give us some visual explanations of some of the new hardware based on what she saw during the keynote and subsequently.

E4 Blind BBC journalist Gary O’donoghue

Fri, 02 Sep 2016 10:13:00 -0000

We begin by previewing next week’s podcast, a special looking at Apple’s big reveal on 7 September. For the first time, most of the discussion is occurring not over a feature Apple is adding, but one it is taking away.

Can you function effectively in a busy job without Braille? One of our listeners takes issue with a comment made on a previous episode of the podcast.

Our featured guest Gary O’donoghue’s voice and face is well-known in Britain. A political journalist who happens to be blind, Gary talks to us about his life and career, what it’s like to be a blind guy who does TV, the extraordinary political season in the US where he’s now based, and some differences he’s noticed living as a blind person in the US versus the UK.

E3 The World Blind Union General Assembly

Thu, 25 Aug 2016 15:15:00 -0000

The World Blind Union has just concluded its quadrennial General Assembly, this time held in Orlando, Florida, USA. Dan Frye was there. We speak with Dan about some of the issues occupying the WBU’s attention, as well as the challenges of meeting the needs of such a diverse group of blind people.

Fred Schroeder was elected WBU President for the next four years. We hear an address given by Dr Schroeder at the General Assembly in which he talks about his background, and some of the philosophy underpinning his approach to blindness.

E2 Nicky Wagner, Cory Doctorow

Thu, 18 Aug 2016 12:01:00 -0000

New Zealanders are concluding a conversation about a Disability Strategy. When the strategising is over, what will the Government do to turn the strategy into real, positive change? Jonathan Mosen speaks with Hon Nicky Wagner, New Zealand’s Minister for Disability Issues.

There’s controversy within the World Wide Web Consortium about a proposed new standard for video on the web that incorporates digital rights management technology. Some are concerned that it could stifle innovative solutions that might make video more accessible. We discuss this issue, as well as the wider question of the balance between protecting intellectual property versus the rights of content consumers, with Cory Doctorow. Cory is a digital consumer rights activist, best-selling author, blogger, and a key figure in the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

E1 Jackie Brown, Mary Schnackenberg

Fri, 12 Aug 2016 00:57:00 -0000

Jackie Brown joins us to talk about the British Computer Association of the Blind, and in particular, their forthcoming Tech a Break weekend. Even if you’re not in the UK, you may like to learn about this organisation’s history and how blind people support one another to stay on top of computing.

Follow @WeAreBCAB on Twitter, or visit their website at http://www.bcab.org.uk.

Mary Schnackenberg, life-long Braille advocate and former President of the International Council on English Braille, joins us to discuss Braille. We look at Braille’s relevance today, and talk frankly about the frustration some people express about what they perceive to be the constant tampering with the code.

We also learn about a big revamp at Mushroom FM, an Internet radio station staffed entirely by blind volunteers, as they move to a 1950s through 1980s format from 15 August.