1852 But Wait, There Is More (Dec. 26, 2018)
Show Notes
This week hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey bring listeners up to date on several topics that were featured in previous episodes of Eyes On Success. Hear what’s new with NASA summer internships, at Benetech, the FlickType keyboard for iOS, the braille Dot Watch, the Cosmo eBrailler and even an update on Erich Manser’s triathlons & marathons.
1851 Blindfold Games and ObjectiveEd (Dec. 19, 2018)
Show Notes
Blindfold Games now offers over 80 fully accessible games made to run on iOS devices for the visually impaired. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Marty Schultz, founder of Blindfold Games and developer of the apps, about his company as well as about his new project, ObjectiveEd, aimed at making learning more fun for students through high school.
1850 Exploring the World With Aira (Dec. 12, 2018)
Show Notes
Aira is a service that connects a visually impaired user with a sighted professional agent who delivers visual assistance anytime and anywhere. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Jonathan Mosen, Vice President, Australasia, and Explorer Communications, about some of the new options being offered, and their expanding availability into public venues.
1849 Blindness For Beginners (Dec. 5, 2018)
Show Notes
In her book “Blindness for Beginners”, Maribel Steel takes us along her journey of discovery where sight loss can become a renewed vision of the possible. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with her about her transition from early diagnosis and rejection of being labelled as “disabled” to her eventual acceptance of and success at making changes in her life.
1848 Expanding Services at APH (Nov. 28, 2018)
Show Notes
The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) recently began managing several services that were part of the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB). APH is also growing their efforts in direct consumer sales. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk about these changes and what’s new at APH with Dave Wilkinson, Director of Sales and Customer Service.
1847 Hamming It Up (Nov. 21, 2018)
Show Notes
Being a ham or amateur radio operator can be a fun hobby and a great way to connect with others around the world. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Mike Duke, a blind ham operator (call sign K5XU) and director of Radio Reading Service of Mississippi, about how he got involved in the hobby, how it has changed over the years, and how accessible it is now.
1846 Blinded Veterans Association (Nov 14, 2018)
Show Notes
Joe Bogart, Executive Director of the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA), is the first legally blind soldier to return to combat duty since the Civil War. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Joe about the various services offered to veterans by the BVA as well as the relationship between the BVA and the Veterans Administration.
1845 Seeing the Stars His Own Way (Nov. 7, 2018)
Show Notes
Astronomy is often thought of as based on visual observation. As it turns out most raw astronomical observations are not visible and must be transformed to be perceived by humans. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Morgan Rehnberg, a blind astronomer, about these issues in relation to those who are vision impaired and how he’s able to do his job.
1844 Sounds of the Stars (Oct. 31, 2018)
Show Notes
Last week we talked about creating tactile representations of the universe. This week hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Greg Salvesen, a post-doctoral fellow at UCSB, and Matt Russo, a professor of astronomy at Seneca College about using sonification to transform astronomical data into audio for use by both sighted and vision impaired people.
1843 Touching the Stars (Oct. 24, 2018)
Show Notes
Signals captured by astronomical observatories are often outside of the range of human perception and must be transformed so that scientists can work with them. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Kim Arcand who has created tactile representations of the universe based on data from many sources including the Chandra X-ray Observatory where she works.
1842 Preparing for Your First Guide Dog (Oct. 17, 2018)
Show Notes
In past episodes of Eyes On Success we talked about how guide dogs are raised and trained to work with their owners. But how do you know if a guide dog is right for you and, if you decide that you want a guide dog, how do you prepare? This week hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Marc Gillard of Guide Dogs for the Blind who addresses these questions.
1841 Encore of 1335 Meeting and Dating Across Borders (Oct. 10, 2018)
Show Notes
Victor Tsaran grew up in Ukraine and is totally blind. Karo Caran grew up in Poland and is partially sighted. Last week Nancy and Peter Torpey talked to them about their careers working on accessibility at Google. This week we’ll learn how they met in the U.S., became married, and managed to make a life together despite geographical obstacles.
1840 Working On Accessibility At Google (Oct. 3, 2018)
Show Notes
This week hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with a married couple, Victor Tsaran and Karo Caran, both of whom are visually impaired and both of whom work at Google in the area of accessibility. Learn what it is like to work at Google and how Google integrates accessibility into the design of their wide range of products and applications.
1839 Accessibility of US National Parks (Sep. 26, 2018)
Show Notes
The U.S. National Park Service (NPS) has over 400 sites that are visited by over 300 million people each year. They strive to make these sites as accessible as possible for everyone. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Ray Bloomer, Accessibility Specialist for Accessibility Support Programs, about the NPS and how their sites can be enjoyed by all.
1838 Ironman Triathlete (Sep. 19, 2018)
Show Notes
Last week hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talked with Michael Somsan, a military veteran who was blinded by a gunshot to the head at the age of 23. Now a successful lawyer, judge, and professor, Michael talks about his participation in ironman triathlons as well as some of the special challenges faced by blind athletes in these extreme sporting events.
1837 Path to Success for a Military Veteran (Sep. 12, 2018)
Show Notes
Michael Somsan was a young man in the military and in the best of shape when his life was suddenly changed. As a result of a gunshot to the head he was left blinded at the age of 23 wondering what the rest of his life would bring. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk to him about how he worked through many challenges to become a lawyer, judge, and professor.
1836 Experiences as Physicists (Sep. 5, 2018)
Show Notes
This week hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey share a bit of their own story. They talk about their education as well as their careers as research physicists at Xerox Corporation. Learn how Peter’s vision changed over the years and what accommodations he had to make. Also learn how Nancy dealt with similar issues in her career in a predominantly male environment.
1835 Encore of 1215 Described Audio in Live Theater (Aug. 29, 2018)
Show Notes
If you can’t see the action on the stage, audio description fills in the gaps and helps you know what’s going on. This week hosts Nancy Goodman Torpey and Peter Torpey visit their regional theater company and talk to the people who make it happen. Learn what’s involved in creating an audio described performance and experience one with them.
1834 Audio Description for Varied Venues (Aug. 22, 2018)
Show Notes
Audio Description uses spoken language to convey the visual world. It can direct a visitor through a museum, orient a listener to a work of art, or allow access to the visual aspects of a performance. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Rachel Melton of MindsEye Radio about the ins and outs of audio description and what makes good description.
1833 Samplitude Music Production Software from Magix (Aug. 15, 2018)
Show Notes
Samplitude is a sophisticated music production program from Magix that is now accessible using JAWS with specially developed scripts. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Steve Spamer about how he and a community of blind individuals connected with Tom Wolf from the Magix development team and worked together to make this possible.
1832 How Blind People Use Ride Sharing Services (Aug. 8, 2018)
Show Notes
For various reasons, people who are visually impaired may feel reluctant to use ride sharing services such as Uber and Lyft. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Chris Simek and Michelle Plunkett of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute about their research into ride sharing services for the visually impaired and how the experience can be improved.
1831 Rocky Mountain Highs and Lows (Aug. 1, 2018)
Show Notes
Join hosts Peter and Nancy Torpey as they explore their new home state of Colorado in celebration of their 35th anniversary. Follow them as they prepare for their journey, walk trails along raging rivers, hike along narrow ledges hanging on steep canyon walls, and more. You might even learn the true story of Mike the headless chicken!
1830 Encore of 1718 The Helen Keller Archive (Jul. 25, 2018)
Show Notes
Encore of 1718 The Helen Keller Archive (Jul. 25, 2018)
The American Foundation for the Blind just announced the launch of the Helen Keller Archive. In honor of that, hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey reprise an interview with Helen Selsdon, the AFB archivist, about her work and about this rich source of information on the history of visual impairment, women's history, literary history, and American culture.
1829 WayAround Tag-and-Scan System (Jul. 18, 2018)
Show Notes
WayAround is a smart phone app that provides on-demand details about everyday things. This tag-and-scan system enables the user to easily identify objects and also provides extra details, like how something works or when it expires. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Darwin Belt and Jessica Hipp about the WayAround system and how it works.
1828 Every Day Tips and Tricks (Jul. 11, 2018)
Show Notes
Our listeners like our “tips and tricks” episodes so join hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey in another. Hear a variety of tips and suggestions that we’ve been collecting from using your smart home device to working with Windows and iOS more efficiently to finding interesting reading material and more. You’ll be sure to find something that’s right for you!
1827 Working at Disney and Marriott (Jul. 4, 2018)
Show Notes
Blind since birth, twin brothers John and Larry Gassman became proficient with computers and now both have similar jobs that entail making sure the software used by each of their employers is accessible to other blind employees using screen readers. Join hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey as they talk with the Gassman brothers about their work and other experiences.
1826 WeWALK Smart Cane (Jun. 27, 2018)
Show Notes
WeWALK transforms the white cane into an innovative smart cane for visually impaired travelers. In addition to detecting obstacles above chest level, WeWALK seamlessly integrates with smart phones and third-party apps. Hosts Peter and Nancy Torpey speak with Kursat Ceylan, a visually impaired social entrepreneur, about WeWALK and its development.
1825 Enabling Disabled to do STEM Careers (Jun. 20, 2018)
Show Notes
There are common challenges and obstacles that people encounter whether they have a visual impairment or some other disability. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Gabriela Serrato Marks, a geology graduate student at MIT about her experiences and thoughts about receiving an education and having a career in a STEM field as a person with a disability.
1824 Your Amazing Eyes (Jun. 13, 2018)
Show Notes
Dan Roberts maintains the MD Support group, a resource for people with Macular Degeneration and similar retinal diseases. This week we hear a presentation Dan gave about the astounding design and abilities of our eyes. Lots of interesting and fun facts about the eyes are presented, including an explanation of how baseball players are able to hit fastballs.
1823 Color-blind Visual Effects Artist (Jun. 6, 2018)
Show Notes
Color-blindness affects about 1 in 12 men but only 1 in 250 women. For most people this isn’t a problem. But what if your profession requires a good color sense? Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Toby Derrig, a color-blind visual effects artist, about how he compensates for this deficiency in his daily life and to perform his job.
1822 Making Money (May 30, 2018)
Show Notes
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing produces U.S. currency notes. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Leonard Olijar, Director, and Lydia Washington, Lead Public Affairs Specialist about what goes into the printing process, various ways in which bills are made accessible, new ways being considered, and how you can obtain a free money reader.
1821 College Student and Paralympic Athlete (May 23, 2018)
Show Notes
We talked previously with Staci Mannella about competitive skiing and what it was like to participate in the Paralympics in both Sochi and PyeongChang. Now hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Staci about what it takes to succeed as a visually impaired college student while travelling the world to compete in alpine skiing and how she juggled the two.
1820 Encore of 1725 Low Vision Optometry (May 16, 2018)
Show Notes
There is no question that people with vision problems should be seen by an ophthalmologist to evaluate their condition. Low vision specialists, on the other hand, aim to provide solutions to help in daily living. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Dr. George Kornfeld, a low vision optometrist, about aids and services that you might find beneficial.
1819 FlickType Accessible Smart Keyboard for iOS Devices (May 9, 2018)
Show Notes
FlickType is a smart keyboard designed especially for blind users of iOS devices. No need to tap the exact location of keys. Fast and accurate, just sit back and enjoy typing and hear the results. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Ashley and Kosta Eleftheriou about how the keyboard works and why it is so efficient to use, even if you can’t see.
1818 Radio Reading Services – Behind the Scenes Tour (May 2, 2018)
Show Notes
Yes, you can now use the Google Assistant or Alexa to listen to the streams from many radio reading services. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey take a tour of the Audio Information Network of Colorado and see how some of these new distribution methods work, meet some of the staff, and learn what it takes to make these services available to the print impaired.
1817 Radio Reading Services – An Overview (Apr. 25, 2018)
Show Notes
Advances in technology and distribution methods have dramatically impacted how traditional radio reading services deliver content to people who are print impaired and what content is available. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with David Dawson, Executive Director of the Audio Information Network of Colorado, about what services are available.
1816 Alpine Skiing in the PyeongChang Paralympics (Apr. 18, 2018)
Show Notes
When you strive to be the best in the world it takes a lot of hard work and dedication. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Staci Mannella who recently competed in four Alpine Skiing events at the PyeongChang Paralympic Games. Staci talks about how she compensates for her visual limitations, prepared for the competition, and experienced the event.
1815 Oregon Adaptive Sports (Apr. 11, 2018)
Show Notes
There are many opportunities for the disabled to participate in a variety of sports and recreational activities these days. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Nancy Stevens of Oregon Adaptive Sports about how the program got started and what they do. Whether you are interested in skiing, cycling, kayaking, etc., there is something for you!
1814 Apple Watch and Home Kit (Apr. 4, 2018)
Show Notes
Many people wonder whether or not they should purchase an Apple Watch and how useful they might find it. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Alex Hall, one of the editors for AppleVis, about his experience with the Apple Watch and how he has taken control of his house using Apple’s Home Kit. Also learn why you might want to join the AppleVis community.
1813 Outtakes from Eyes On Success (Mar. 28, 2018)
Show Notes
They say that nothing is ever perfect. Fortunately, though, with a little extra work, most mistakes can be fixed. That even applies to the productions of Eyes On Success. Sit back and enjoy some laughs with hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey as they celebrate April Fool’s Day by sharing some humorous moments that never made it into the show.
1812 Running with WayBand (Mar. 21, 2018)
Show Notes
Developing new access technologies sometimes requires intrepid individuals willing to test and work out the kinks in new systems despite occasional failures. Hosts Peter and Nancy Torpey speak with Simon Wheatcroft, a blind motivational speaker and distance runner, about his experiences testing the WayBand device by running the New York City marathon.
1811 Experiencing Art Non-Visually (Mar. 14, 2018)
Show Notes
There are many ways to experience art. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with tactile artist Ann Cunningham about her work and how it can be enjoyed even with your eyes closed. They also talk with Erin Cousins and Danielle Schulz of the Denver Art Museum about programs at the museum that provide a customized experience for people with differing needs.
1810 Accessible Products from Amazon (Mar. 7, 2018)
Show Notes
Amazon has been pursuing a long-range plan to incorporate improved accessibility into all of their products with features like VoiceView, Braille support, and speech recognition. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Peter Korn, Director of Accessibility at Amazon, about the accessibility of Amazon’s devices and on-line content for the vision impaired.
1809 Access to Science with Grapheel (Feb. 28, 2018)
Show Notes
As a blind science student, Daniel Hajas was having difficulty working with graphical data, figures, and charts found in scientific literature. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with him about the Grapheel initiative which he started whose aim is to bring easy access of visual STEM data to blind and visually impaired students by using “expert” volunteers.
1808 Tennis for the Visually Impaired (Feb. 21, 2018)
Show Notes
Tennis anyone? Having limited vision is no longer an excuse for not getting out on the court and enjoying this sport with others. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey speak with Brooke Severance who runs a program through Court 16 which teaches people with visual impairments to play tennis with some minor modifications to the rules and equipment.
1807 Mainstream Products Become Accessible (Feb. 14, 2018)
Show Notes
No, they’re not crazy. Attendees at the world’s largest consumer technology convention (CES) this year were talking to appliances and vehicles. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Erich Manser, who helped represent IBM’s “Accessible Olli” exhibit, about his experiences at CES and how mainstream commercial products are becoming ever more accessible.
1806 Overcoming Obstacles in STEM (Feb. 7, 2018)
Show Notes
Despite having to overcome many challenges as well as negative stereotypes about the blind, Ken Silberman persisted to become both an engineer and patent attorney. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Ken, who now works in the education department of NASA, about his journey as well as opportunities for the disabled to work as an intern at NASA.
1805 Camp Abilities – Camp for Blind Youth (Jan. 31, 2018)
Show Notes
Now in its 23rd year, Camp Abilities has spread to locations not only throughout the U.S. but also around the world. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with founder and director, Lauren Lieberman, about the benefits of this week long, sports oriented camp for visually impaired youth and how it can be a life changing experience for those who attend.
1804 eSight Eyewear (Jan. 24, 2018)
Show Notes
Developed for people who are legally blind, the electronic glasses made by eSight can help individuals with a variety of visual impairments see better and can be used for virtually all activities of daily living. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Jeff Fenton, Director of Outreach and Communications for eSight, about the device and how it can be used.
1803 Encore of 1650 Building Electronics Projects (Jan. 17, 2018)
Show Notes
Though Ken Perry and Josh Miele are both blind, their lack of vision doesn’t prevent them from designing and building their own electronic hardware. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with them about the Blind Arduino Project as well as other tools that enable blind people of all ages to participate in the vibrant global culture of hardware prototyping.
1802 Concepts for Accessible Living (Jan. 10, 2018)
Show Notes
Josh Miele is a blind scientist at Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute. He and his team create and test new ideas aimed at improving how visually impaired people perform the daily tasks of life. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Josh about his research and some of the concepts he has worked on including tactile maps, touch pens and YouDescribe.
1801 Moving from NVDA to Mozilla (Jan. 3, 2018)
Show Notes
Jamie Teh was one of the co-founders and a co-developer of the free NVDA screen reader for Windows. After 10 years as a key contributor to this project, he has now accepted a position working at Mozilla. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Jamie about what prompted this transition, what he will be doing at Mozilla, and the future of NVDA.
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