Nation’s Blind Podcast

May 6, 2021 – Spectrum Access: Audio Description to Go

In this episode, Anil and Melissa talk with Petr Kucheryavyy, senior manager at Charter Spectrum’s Product Accessibility Center of Excellence, about Spectrum Access, a free and innovative smartphone app for both iOS and Android that uses audio synchronization to allow you to hear audio description for a variety of content without regard to source or streaming platform, even if you are not a Spectrum customer. Petr explains how the app works, talks about its expanding library of over 500 movies and shows and counting, and briefly touches on other efforts that Charter Spectrum is making to incorporate accessibility across its services. For more information, you can contact: Spectrum Access inbox: SpectrumAccess@charter.com Spectrum’s Disability Support Desk: 1-844-762-1301 Spectrum’s Product Accessibility Center of Excellence: Accessibility@charter.com

April 23, 2021 - And The Audio Description Goes to…

In this episode, Anil and Melissa talk with Rick Boggs, CEO and general manager of AudioEyes. He has breaking news about a forthcoming event with live audio description (AD) provided through a partnership among his company, Vitac, and a major television network, with sponsorship from Google. You’ll want to listen right away so you won’t miss the big event! You may even want to issue the Audio Description Challenge to a friend and watch it together. Rick also talks about AudioEyes, the only company providing audio description that is run and staffed by blind people, and the differences between live and pre-recorded audio description, as well as providing some interesting information about the history and craft of AD.

Diversity and Inclusion in the National Federation of the Blind

In this episode, Anil and Melissa talk with Colin Wong, who co-chairs the diversity and Inclusion Committee of the National Federation of the Blind. Colin talks candidly about his own lived experiences as a blind Asian American, including the conflict between the “model minority” myth and low expectations for the blind in both the Asian community and among the general public. He also talks about why intentional diversity and inclusion efforts are important in the National Federation of the Blind and what members can do to get involved in and enhance the committee’s work.

March 18, 2021 – A Conversation with the National Federation of the Blind Survivor Task Force

Content warning: This episode of the Nation’s blind podcast discusses abuse and sexual assault. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, you are not alone. The National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential support, 24/7, at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or online.rainn.org. In this episode, Anil and Melissa talk with Marci Carpenter and Daphne Mitchell of the NFB Survivor Task Force. They discuss the role of the task force in helping to advance a safer culture in our organization. They also explore related topics including: Who is a survivor? Why might blind people in particular struggle with the concepts of boundaries and consent, and what other specific challenges do blind survivors face? What is grooming, and what role do power dynamics play in making people vulnerable to it? For the latest information about survivor-led change within the National Federation of the Blind and additional resources, visit nfb.org/survivors.

Meet Blindness Tech Pioneer Dean Blazie

On this episode, Anil and Chris talk with Dean Blazie, who has been working with blind people to develop technology we can use since the 1960s. They discuss how dean got involved in working with blind people through his relationship with Tim Cranmer; how initial ideas they worked on developed into products for blind people; and the origins of the Braille’n’Speak, the pioneering Braille notetaker that took the blind community by storm in the late 1980s and paved the way for similar devices in use today.

November 10, 2020 – The Continued Fight for Fair Wages

On this episode, Anil and Melissa talk with Stephanie Flynt, government program specialist for the National Federation of the Blind. They discuss the continued momentum to eliminate the practice of paying workers with disabilities subminimum wages, including recent reports from the United States Commission on Civil Rights and the National Council on Disability. They also talk about why there is continued resistance to phasing out this practice and what can be done to better educate lawmakers, families of people with disabilities, and the general public.

September 29, 2020 – Use Your Power at the Polls

In this episode, Anil and Melissa talk with Lou Ann Blake, the NFB’s Help America Vote Act project coordinator, about the November 3 election and how blind people can cast our votes. They discuss what the law says about the rights of blind voters, different ways we can vote accessibly, and what the NFB is doing to ensure that more blind voters can cast our ballots privately and independently. They urge everyone to vote and to take our forthcoming voting survey so we can learn how jurisdictions are doing in protecting the rights of blind voters. Watch our video "The Blind Voter Experience" to learn about your rights under federal law and how to exercise them. Also, take a look at our voting resources page.

July 23, 2020 – Learning Together in the Time of Coronavirus (Part 2 of 2)

This episode of the Nation’s Blind Podcast is the second of two episodes featuring a conversation about the joys and challenges of having children learning at home during the coronavirus pandemic. Eric Guillory, director of youth services at the Louisiana Center for the Blind and father of two, and Angela Wolf, teacher at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and mother of two, discuss the mental and emotional challenges of children being constantly at home during the pandemic and strategies for coping with them, as well as how to successfully work with school officials and others to make sure children’s educational and social needs are being met.

July 2, 2020 – Learning Together in the Time of Coronavirus (Part 1 of 2)

This episode of the Nation’s Blind Podcast is the first of two episodes featuring a conversation about the joys and challenges of having children learning at home during the coronavirus pandemic. Eric Guillory, director of youth services at the Louisiana Center for the Blind and father of two, and Angela Wolf, teacher at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and mother of two, discuss scheduling and enforcing instructional time and creating “teachable moments” unique to learning at home.

May 13, 2020 – Behind the Scenes of Presidential Release Live

In this episode, Anil and Melissa have a conversation with President Riccobono, who takes us behind the scenes of the presidential release live. They discuss the history and purpose of the presidential release, why President Riccobono decided to take it in a new direction during the coronavirus pandemic, the success of the new format in bringing our community together, and how the presidential release and other Federation activities might continue to evolve because of what we are learning in this interesting time.