{"id":9241,"date":"2025-11-19T13:11:20","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T19:11:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=9241"},"modified":"2025-11-19T15:05:58","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T21:05:58","slug":"bits-solutions-empowering-blind-tech-users-through-community-training-and-opportunity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=9241","title":{"rendered":"BITS Has the Solutions: Empowering Blind Tech Users Through Community, Training, and Opportunity"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--powerpress_player--><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_2138\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-9241-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/BitsJeffBishop.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/BitsJeffBishop.mp3\">https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/BitsJeffBishop.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Podcast Summary:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In this Blind Abilities episode, Jeff Thompson talks with Jeff Bishop, president of <a href=\"https:\/\/bits-acb.org\/\">BITS<\/a>\u2014Blind Information Technology Specialists\u2014an all-volunteer organization empowering blind and low-vision individuals through accessible technology, community, and hands-on learning. Bishop outlines <a href=\"https:\/\/bits-acb.org\/\">BITS<\/a>\u2019 rapid growth, affordable memberships, and expanding reach across platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, email lists, and mentoring channels. <a href=\"https:\/\/bits-acb.org\/\">BITS<\/a> offers high-impact training, including Python programming, Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, NVDA, and AI immersion courses\u2014all with fully accessible materials and strong completion rates. Their partnerships with APH, Bookshare, NLS, Microsoft, and others ensure free resources and meaningful industry feedback opportunities, including paid participation in Microsoft\u2019s Project Empower. With free Remote Incident Manager (RIM) support, active mentoring, and a welcoming culture, <a href=\"https:\/\/bits-acb.org\/\">BITS<\/a> serves beginners and experts alike. As the group considers rebranding the \u201cS\u201d in BITS to Solutions, the mission remains clear: meeting people where they are and helping them thrive in their digital lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?page_id=9238\">Full Transcript<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks for Listening!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<!--powerpress_player--><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_2140\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-9241-3\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/BitsJeffBishop.mp3?_=3\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/BitsJeffBishop.mp3\">https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/BitsJeffBishop.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div><p>https:\/\/traffic.libsyn.com\/blindabilities\/BitsJeffBishop.mp3 Podcast Summary: In this Blind Abilities episode, Jeff Thompson talks with Jeff Bishop, president of BITS\u2014Blind Information Technology Specialists\u2014an all-volunteer organization empowering blind and low-vision individuals through accessible technology, community, and hands-on learning. Bishop outlines BITS\u2019 rapid growth, affordable memberships, and expanding reach across platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, email lists, and mentoring channels. BITS [&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":[17,467],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9241","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bapresents","category-technology"],"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-2p3","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9362,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=9362","url_meta":{"origin":9241,"position":0},"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":6665,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=6665","url_meta":{"origin":9241,"position":1},"title":"Vispero \u2013 Empowering Independence: Vispero Vice President Matt Ater Talks User Experience and How the Vispero Team is Listening to You","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"April 23, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Show Summary: Matt Ater, Vice President at Vispero, joined Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities studio to talk about Vispero and what he and his team is doing to enhance the user experience and opportunities to learn about the products we have all come to know, such as the ever\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":5097,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=5097","url_meta":{"origin":9241,"position":2},"title":"After the Dust Settles, That Blind Tech Show Takes a Walk Through the Apple Orchard and They be Talking Dub-Dub  2019","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"June 10, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Show Summary Well, we let the dust settle a bit on the Apple Orchard Fest and we picked a bushel of Apple bits together and got to the core of our Catalina dream as well as our hopeful lucky iOS 13 gems and darlings. Serina, Brian and Jeff climb up\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Technology&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Technology","link":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?cat=467"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/That-Blind-Tech-Show-Mic-2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/That-Blind-Tech-Show-Mic-2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/That-Blind-Tech-Show-Mic-2.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/That-Blind-Tech-Show-Mic-2.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/That-Blind-Tech-Show-Mic-2.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blindabilities.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/That-Blind-Tech-Show-Mic-2.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3306,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=3306","url_meta":{"origin":9241,"position":3},"title":"Michael Feir\u2019s Empowering Guide &#8211; Personal Power for the iPhone and A Hero\u2019s Call is Out of Sight","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"January 30, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Michael Feir is an author, a radio personality on the Accessible Media, Inc network in Canada and has quite a passion for accessible games. Michael joins Nick and Jeff of the Blind Abilities Team and talks about a new book that he is releasing by year\u2019s end. Personal Power for\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":8328,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=8328","url_meta":{"origin":9241,"position":4},"title":"Unleash your Freedom with New AI Features from Freedom Scientific and the Jaws Screen Reader &#8211; Meet Jeff Bazer, Regional Director of Sales at Vispero Inc","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"July 25, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: Join Blind Abilities podcast host Simon Bonenfant, live from the 2024 NFB National Convention in Orlando Florida, as he chats with Jeff Bazer, Regional Director of Sales at Vispero, about their current product offerings, as well as many exciting AI enhancements to the Jaws screen reader.\u00a0 One of\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":7732,"url":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/?p=7732","url_meta":{"origin":9241,"position":5},"title":"Tech Bootcamps for Microsoft Suite and Google Workspace by\u00a0\u00a0Career Launch @ Perkins &#8211;\u00a0Job training and career services for blind adults","author":"Blind Abilities Team","date":"December 5, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Podcast Summary: Program Director, Alicia Smith and Training and Program Specialist, Brian Switzer, join Jeff Thompson in the Blind Abilities studio to talk about the latest offerings at Perkins Career Launch at Perkins is currently offering week-long Tech Bootcamp sessions to help adults use access technology to work effectively and\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":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9241","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=9241"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9241\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9244,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9241\/revisions\/9244"}],"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=9241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blindabilities.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}