Introducing Ted Galanos: So Many Achievements, and So Many Challenges!

Full Transcript Show Summary: Pete Lane is back with an inspirational guest, Ted Galanos. so often on blind Abilities we present great stories which we hope will motivate and even inspire our listeners. And it is so often the case that we measure our guests accomplishments against those particular challenges they had to overcome to achieve them. In this case, the significance of those challenges are certainly noteworthy, and our guest’s story...

Discrimination and Disability Rights: Knowing Your Rights and Receiving the Advocacy That Just May Right the Way For Your Success – Meet Heather Gilbert (transcript provided)

Full Transcript Show Summary: Heather Gilbert, an Attorney from Gilbert Law, is a Disability Rights Advocate for United Blind of Minnesota. Heather, having a background in disabilities, realized that Minnesota was under represented in the Disability Rights Lawyer field. She decided to take on a second career and got her license and went to work, forming her own firm, Gilbert Law. The United Blind of Minnesota was in search of a...

Job Insights: College Is Over, Now What? Leaving the Disability Services Office Behind. (transcript provided)

Show Summary: Full Transcript Welcome to Job Insights with Serina Gilbert and Jeff Thompson. We focus on Employment, Careers, enhancing opportunities and bringing you  the latest innovations from across the Vocational  Rehabilitation field to ensure your choices lead you down the career pathway that you want and succeed in gainful employment. From getting started with services, to assessments, Individual Plan for Employment...

Bird Box From a Blind Perspective – Good or Bad? By Kelsi Hansen

There has been a lot of hype lately involving Bird Box, and the Bird Box Challenge in the blind community. I’ve heard: Bird Box gives an unrealistic view of blindness, and the Bird Box Challenge is dangerous. And this is true. It is definitely not advisable to blind fold yourself and go running through the woods, or drive a car without sight. And being under a blind fold for the first time in a terrifying, life threatening situation is most...

The New MacAir: Demo, Description, Overview, Hey Siri, Track Pad Gestures, iCloud, Desktop and Documents Sharing. No Unboxing, Promise!

Show Summary: Brian Fischler, from That Blind Tech Show, gives a great description and overview of the new 2018 MacAir from Apple. From ports to keyboard and Track Pad gestures, Brian runs through the paces as well as his way of setting up the MacAir with iCloud and sharing across his other Apple devices. Here are some common commands that Brian used throughout the demo: First, the VO reference is the Command and Option keys pressed down. This...

Traveling in Small Communities – Blog Post by Kelsi Hansen

Traveling as a blind individual can be challenging. If we have attended an orientation center for blindness training, we are taught that we can do anything, and that it shouldn’t be challenging. And a lot of that is true. But what we are not taught is how challenging it can be. We are taught to use our resources whether that be city buses, subways, trains, taxi’s, Uber or Lift. We become self sufficient and comfortable using these during...

My Thoughts on Braille: – and The Braille Support Group on Facebook by Jo Fishwick

Show Summary: I wanted to bring up this audio from a couple years back that Jo Fishwick submitted to a conversation the Blind Abilities Channel on Audio Boom was having. Now, we have moved on to BlindAbilities.com yet, I went back to the channel in hopes to find Jo’s conversation on the topic of Braille. Jo talks about how she got started with Braille at age 12, and how she encourages others to learn Braille. Use it and make it part of their...

iPhone101: Text Replacement – The Keyboard Shortcut That Lets Two Letters Launch a Thousand Words

Show Summary: iPhone 101 demonstrations and reviews brings you another demo and this one is all about the Keyboard shortcut, Text Replacement. With just a couple of letters for a shortcut, you can populate the dialog box or page with commonly used phrases, names, hashtags, email addresses and anything you desire. Head on into the shortcut keyboard settings and check out Text Replacement. In this demo Jeff Thompson will “add” a phrase and a...

Getting Started with Pod Catchers and Podcasts. Blog Post by Jeff Thompson

Listening to Podcasts is the fastest growing media market and there are plenty of ways to access podcasts of all styles and topics. As a Blind/Visually Impaired person there are some ways better than others and with accessible technology and a few tips and tricks, you can be binging on what could soon be your favorite podcast shows. Let’s start with a podcast. A podcast is like a radio show that you can digest when and where you want. You can...

Meet Mike Kelly: Persistent in His Drive to Fight Any and All Challenges, and Ultimately Persevere

Full Transcript Show Summary: Blind Abilities presents this special chat with Mike Kelly. Mike is a consonant musician, having learned to play the bass at an early age, Join Pete Lane as he tracks Mike’s musical evolution through the music industry from the 1970s, and into the present. Listen as Mike details the myriad pitfalls he encountered during his lifetime, from his ups and downs in the music business, the loss of his wife and by far...