UnScripted: A Lost iPhone, Changing Tech, and Figuring It Out

Podcast Summary: In this UnScripted episode of Blind Abilities, Jeff Thompson and Sree Roy dive into real-life tech, travel, and accessibility—no script, just experience. From recovering a lost iPhone overseas using Find My, to navigating chaotic airports and noisy streets as a blind traveler, the conversation blends humor with practical takeaways. The episode also marks the end of the Blind Abilities app and reflects on how learning...

BITS Has the Solutions: Empowering Blind Tech Users Through Community, Training, and Opportunity

Podcast Summary: In this Blind Abilities episode, Jeff Thompson talks with Jeff Bishop, president of BITS—Blind Information Technology Specialists—an all-volunteer organization empowering blind and low-vision individuals through accessible technology, community, and hands-on learning. Bishop outlines BITS’ rapid growth, affordable memberships, and expanding reach across platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, email lists, and mentoring...

The Blind Drive: “From Federal Cuts to New Tech: Apple, Aira, and the Shifting Road Ahead for the Blind Drive”

Podcast Summary: The Blind Drive puts you in the passenger seat with Jeff Thompson and Tim Schwartz as they run down what’s shaping life for blind and low vision people right now. From federal cuts hitting the Rehabilitation Services Administration to new pressure in Iowa over blind Iowans’ right to keep their shades on (or off), the landscape is shifting fast. We dig into accessibility on the ground — including Target’s move on...

The Blind Drive: Beyond Compliance: Why Accessibility Must Be Usable to Be Real – Compliance Is for Lawyers—Usability Is for Humans

Podcast Summary: In this episode of The Blind Drive, Jeff Thompson and Tim Schwartz dig into the heart of something far bigger than a news headline—it’s about access, equity, and the right to fully participate in life. A recent class action lawsuit filed against DraftKings for failing to make its sports betting platform accessible to blind users sparks a deeper conversation. This isn’t a show about gambling—it’s a show about...

From Screen Readers to Self-Reliance: Cheryl’s Journey to Becoming a Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialist

Podcast Summary: In this Blind Abilities conversation, Cheryl McIntosh shares her journey toward becoming a Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialist, or CATIS, and how she empowers others to build independence through technology. Cheryl teaches screen reader users—primarily JAWS and VoiceOver—through personalized virtual training. She explains that success starts with fundamentals like keyboard familiarity, navigating...

Unscripted: Apple Store Tripping, CoPilot Be Gone, Straps and Tethers, and Microphones, Interfaces and the Studio Sound

Podcast Summary: In this episode of Unscripted, Jeff Thompson and Sree Roy dive into the everyday mix of tech talk and personal takes, all in the natural flow of conversation. Sree kicks things off with a trip to the Apple Store, exploring iPhone crossbody straps and even the Beats lanyard trend. The two reflect on the surprise availability of the iPhone 17—thin as air, in stock, and shipping in just two hours. They weigh the pros and cons of...

Tech Abilities: Apple Picks Meta Tricks and a Bug Fix… But, is that It?

The Tech Abilities crew is back with Serina, Seyoon, Sree, Cheryl, and Jeff stirring up plenty of laughs and tech talk. Did anyone score a sweet deal at the Apple Orchard sale Well the iPhone 17 might just be the pick of the crop. The team dishes on the first round of iOS and Mac updates, including that sneaky VoiceOver bug that Apple promises to squash soon. Then the spotlight shifts to wearables. Oakleys new wrap around Meta Glasses come with...

The Blind Drive: PiccyBot, Precision, and Being Present

Podcast Summary: The Blind Drive dives into PiccyBot—an AI that can describe not just photos but video. Tim Schwartz shares how it’s changing the way he explores the world, while Jeff Thompson zooms out to ask where this AI wave is taking us. Jeff also puts a new Wixey Bluetooth angle gauge to work in the woodshop, with VoiceOver calling out precise blade angles right from his iPhone. The bigger conversation? How to let helpful tech enhance...

unscripted: AirPods, AMC Hacks, and a Little Nail-Gun Wisdom

Podcast Summary: unscripted returns with Jeff and Sree in a fast, funny, and useful sprint through tech and daily life. Jeff opens with a hard-won shop lesson—don’t test a nail gun on your finger—then pivots to Apple’s event: Sree’s wow is AirPods for heart monitoring and live translation, while Jeff riffs on Apple’s new cross-body strap for safer phone carry. The duo’s biggest win is access: Sree explains AMC’s PCA program and...

The Blind Drive –  Apple Droppings: Aww So Many Droppings

Podcast Summary: Jeff and Tim treat Apple’s big show like a fun night at the movies, and the take is refreshingly simple. iPhone Air gets ultra thin with 256 gigs standard, while the Pro models flex 48 megapixels and clever software. But for confident blind users, the win isn’t megapixels, it’s brains. Center Stage keeps you framed, dual recording grabs you and the scene at once, and on-device smarts promise better OCR and object...