{"id":4556,"date":"2019-02-20T19:01:09","date_gmt":"2019-02-21T01:01:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=4556"},"modified":"2019-02-25T10:01:54","modified_gmt":"2019-02-25T16:01:54","slug":"assistive-technology-choosing-the-right-tools-for-success-meet-jesse-anderson-assistive-technology-specialist-and-accessible-game-advocate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=4556","title":{"rendered":"Assistive Technology: Choosing the Right Tools for Success &#8211; Meet Jesse Anderson, Assistive Technology Specialist and Accessible Game Advocate"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--powerpress_player--><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_141\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-4556-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"http:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/AssistiveSpecialistJAFinal.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/AssistiveSpecialistJAFinal.mp3\">http:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/AssistiveSpecialistJAFinal.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Show Summary:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=4579\">Full Transcript<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Screen readers, Refreshable Braille, Magnification, Audio Books, Computers and Smart Devices are just a few of the Tools for Success that are available to the Blind\/Visually Impaired community. From education to the workplace, Assistive Technology enables people with a visual impairment to do just about anything they want to and apply for the jobs and the careers that they want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>State Services for the Blind has a technology Unit that makes assessments and help clients determine what assistive technology would best suit their needs as they set their educational and career goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jesse Anderson is an Assistive Technology Specialist at State Services for the Blind (SSB) in Saint Paul, Minnesota. In this podcast, Jesse will take you through the assessment process and how assistive technology choices are made and individualized for each person and their educational and career goals.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jesse admits he is a nerd and loves technology. Jesse loves Accessible Gaming and Advocates for accessibility in the gaming industry. You can find out more about Jesse and accessible gaming on his YouTube Channel,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC0ZrgEzJQeZgEo5A2ERu0NA\">Illegally Sighted<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to find out more about&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/mn.gov\/deed\/ssb\/\">State Services for the Blind<\/a>. You can call (651) 539-2300<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Find them on the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/mn.gov\/deed\/ssb\/\">web<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Outside of Minnesota, search for your state agency\/Vocational Rehabilitation Services in your state and find out what they can do for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Contact:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you for listening!<br>You can follow us on Twitter&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.twitter.com\/blindabilities\">@BlindAbilities<\/a><br>On the web at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/\">www.BlindAbilities.com<\/a><br>Send us an&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:info@blindabilities.com\">email<\/a><br>Get the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/appsto.re\/us\/demUab.i\">Free Blind Abilities App<\/a>&nbsp;on the App Store.<br><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<!--powerpress_player--><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_143\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-4556-3\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"http:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/AssistiveSpecialistJAFinal.mp3?_=3\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/AssistiveSpecialistJAFinal.mp3\">http:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/AssistiveSpecialistJAFinal.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div><p>http:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/AssistiveSpecialistJAFinal.mp3 Show Summary: Full Transcript Screen readers, Refreshable Braille, Magnification, Audio Books, Computers and Smart Devices are just a few of the Tools for Success that are available to the Blind\/Visually Impaired community. From education to the workplace, Assistive Technology enables people with a visual impairment to do just about anything they want to and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[373,263,514,512,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4556","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career","category-college","category-transcribed","category-tvitoolbox","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6rcRg-1bu","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8522,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=8522","url_meta":{"origin":4556,"position":0},"title":"The Future of Accessibility: Tools for Success in Education and Beyond: Insights from Jesse Anderson","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"December 16, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Full Transcript Podcast Summary: Jesse Anderson, Assistive Technology Specialist at State Services for the Blind of Minnesota, discusses the latest advancements in assistive technology for high school and college students. He highlights tools like Aira's AccessAI, BeMyAI, JAWS, and smart glasses, emphasizing the importance of learning both mobile and computer-based\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;BlindAbilities Presents&quot;","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6440,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=6440","url_meta":{"origin":4556,"position":1},"title":"Assistive Technology Specialist Jesse Anderson and State Services for the Blind Go Virtual in Providing Transition Services to Students","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"January 2, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Full Transcript Show Summary: Minnesota State Services for the Blind (SSB) like every other state rehab agency, is certainly not exempt from the impact of COVID-19. Like\u00a0much of the Nation\u2019s \u00a0business and governmental sector,\u00a0the staff began working from home back in mid-March. Jesse Anderson, Assistive Technology Specialist, Joins Jeff Thompson\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;BlindAbilities Presents&quot;","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9362,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=9362","url_meta":{"origin":4556,"position":2},"title":"From Gestures to Jobs: Learning Assistive Tech That Actually Matters","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"February 5, 2026","format":"audio","excerpt":"Learning assistive technology isn\u2019t just about memorizing shortcuts\u2014it\u2019s about building skills that open doors to school, work, and everyday life. In this episode, Cheryl McIntosh and Sree Roy share how mastering screen readers like JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver can turn frustration into confidence. They break down why fundamentals matter, how\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;BlindAbilities Presents&quot;","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_0035.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7251,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=7251","url_meta":{"origin":4556,"position":3},"title":"The New Technology Center at Lighthouse Guild is Open for Everybody!\u00a0","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"March 24, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: Lighthouse Guild President and CEO,\u00a0Dr. Calvin Roberts, and Chief Operating Officer,\u00a0Paul Misiti, joins Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities Studio to share the great news about the new\u00a0Technology Center\u00a0at\u00a0Lighthouse Guild. With the launch just behind them, Dr. Roberts and Paul explain why the\u00a0Technology Center\u00a0is so important to not\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;BlindAbilities Presents&quot;","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"Lighthouse Guild Logo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/LighthouseGuild.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9202,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=9202","url_meta":{"origin":4556,"position":4},"title":"From Screen Readers to Self-Reliance: Cheryl\u2019s Journey to Becoming a Certified Assistive Technology Instructional Specialist","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"October 11, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"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\u2014primarily JAWS and VoiceOver\u2014through personalized virtual training. She explains that success starts with fundamentals\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;BlindAbilities Presents&quot;","block_context":{"text":"BlindAbilities Presents","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=17"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5319,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=5319","url_meta":{"origin":4556,"position":5},"title":"Introducing Circus Masters Revenge &#8211; Mental Vision Games\u2019 First Immersive Action Game for the Visually Impaired &#8211; Meet Mental Visions\u2019 Joe Quirk along with Jesse Anderson from Illegally Sighted","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"August 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Full Transcript Show Summary: Mental Vision Games is proud to announce the release of the new Immersive Action 3D Audio game, Circus Masters Revenge available in the App Store for iOS. Joe and Jesse Anderson joined Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities studio to talk game development, creation and working\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Tech Abilities&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Tech Abilities","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=524"},"img":{"alt_text":"BlindAbilities Logo A black square with white initials, B A.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Blind-Abilities-Logo.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4556","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4556"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4556\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4582,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4556\/revisions\/4582"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4556"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4556"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4556"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}