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innosearch AI logo (black on white text for 'inno' and white on red text for 'search.ai') with tag-line 'E-commerce for the blind' and a photo of a smiling woman stepping out of a smartphone while holding shopping bags

2445 Shopping Made Simple with Innosearch AI (Nov. 6, 2024)
Show Notes
Discover how Innosearch AI is revolutionizing online shopping for the visually impaired. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Patrick Long and Bryan Vuong, co-founders of Innosearch AI, about their AI-powered platform designed to make shopping easier and more accessible with a simplified interface and the ability to ask questions of the AI.


Montage of 3 images:  Erich Manser in his Team with a Vision singlet just before running the 2017 Boston Marathon, an Aira agent in an Aira tee shirt and telephone headset, and a photo of Aira glasses with a smartphone running Aira

2444 Encore of 1739 Running with a Remote Aira Guide (Oct. 30, 2024)
Show Notes
Aira is a service developed to give the blind instant access to information using a smart phone, a video camera, and a remote sighted agent. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Erich Manser, a blind distance runner and triathlete, and Jess Jakeway, a sighted distance runner who served as Erich’s remote guide using Aira at the 2017 Boston Marathon.


Aira logo and graphics of several applications

2443 Aira Anytime Anywhere (Oct. 23, 2024)
Show Notes
Learn how Aira is revolutionizing accessibility for the visually impaired with its blend of human interpreters and AI. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Everette Bacon, Chief of Blindness Initiatives, about Aira’s partnerships offering free services in many locations. Find out how Aira provides secure access to visual information anytime, anywhere.


AI generated graphic showing a spiral notebook saying 'Google Notebook lm' on the front and connected to a computer keyboard via cable

2442 NotebookLM from Google (Oct. 16, 2024)
Show Notes
NotebookLM is a powerful AI tool being developed by Google. Working with NotebookLM, users can summarize complex information, create study guides, and generate dynamic discussions based on their own documents. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey also demonstrate how NotebookLM can be used to generate engaging audio with two interacting personalities.


Unseen Wealth logo with words in black and a stylized eye with UW in green and black and black lashes

2441 Finding Your Path to Financial Freedom (Oct. 9, 2024)
Show Notes
Reaching your financial goals isn’t always easy and may be even more difficult if you have a disability. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Rachel Christian, the visually impaired founder of Unseen Wealth, about how she helps and coaches families with unique needs get control over their finances through personalized goal setting and education.


montage of logos and packaging for JAWS and SharkVember

2440 Revolutionizing JAWS with AI (Oct. 2, 2024)
Show Notes
Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Ryan Jones, Vice President of Software Product Management at Vispero, about the latest updates in the JAWS screen reader. Learn how JAWS is incorporating AI with new features like PictureSmart AI for image descriptions and the AI-powered FS Companion for help performing tasks using JAWS.


Two black lab guide dog puppies sitting on a sidewalk near their raisers' legs

2439 From Pups to Partners - Raising Guide Dogs (Sep. 25, 2024)
Show Notes
Learn what it is like to raise a guide dog. Hosts Nancy and Peter talk with Lauren Grimditch, Puppy Raising Field Manager for Guide Dogs for the Blind, and Jenny Truax, a dedicated volunteer. They discuss the journey of raising guide dogs, the responsibilities involved, and the rewarding experiences of volunteers who help shape these future heroes.


woman with a guide dog walking near a car; photo source Guide Dogs for the Blind

2438 Leashed and Left Behind - Ending Rideshare Discrimination (Sep. 18, 2024)
Show Notes
Rideshare drivers often deny service to passengers with guide dogs despite company policies and laws protecting them. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Amy Salger, Alumni Engagement Manager at Guide Dogs for the Blind, and board member Melba Velez Ortiz about a survey by GDB highlighting the alarming rise in discrimination and the fight for accessible transportation.


Top Left: Aaron Di Blasi, PMP, Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd., and Publisher for the Top Tech Tidbits and Access Information Newsletters, stands smiling in a suit and tie with arms crossed. Top Right: The Top Tech Tidbits newsletter banner. Bottom Left: The Mind Vault Solutions, Ltd. logo. Bottom Right: The Access Information Newsletter banner.

2437 For All Your Access Technology News (Sep. 11, 2024)
Show Notes
If you’re not familiar with Top Tech Tidbits or Access Information News, you might want to learn more about these informative newsletters and websites. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Aaron Di Blasi, Senior Project Management Professional for Mind Vault Solutions, about how they have come to be important resources for the access community.


photo of a Glide navigation device featuring a white and dark grey football size object at the bottom with 2 dark grey wheels and a long white handle

2436 Glide to Independence (Sep. 4, 2024)
Show Notes
Glide is an innovative self-driven, AI-powered mobility device for those who are visually impaired. Using advanced sensors and real-time data, Glide navigates the user around obstacles and guides them to their destination. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Amos Miller, founder and CEO of Glidance, about the device and how it can be used.


PiccyBot logo featuring a black and white futuristic robot holding a magnifying glass in front of one eye

2435 AI Video Descriptions with PiccyBot (Aug. 28, 2024)
Show Notes
There are several AI tools that vision impaired people can use for describing scenes and photos to assist in their daily lives. PiccyBot is unique, however, in that it also has the ability to describe video content. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Martijn van der Spek, developer of the app, about how it works and its many customizable features.


photos of Dave Wilkinson and his captain Jim Trout on and off their tandem bicycle with the logo for Team Speedy Turtle with a graphic of two green turtles riding a tandem bicycle

2434 Biking Beyond the Breaking Point (Aug. 21, 2024)
Show Notes
Hard as one might try, success in achieving one’s goal isn’t always guaranteed. When one misses the goal, however, the question is how one reacts to failure and what one learns from it. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Dave Wilkinson about these issues as they relate to his unsuccessful attempt to complete a 3,000-mile cross country bike race.


Bookshare logo with writing in blue and stylized pages of a book in blue and orange

2433 The Evolution of Benetech and Bookshare (Aug. 14, 2024)
Show Notes
Benetech has made it possible for people around the world who are blind, visually impaired, or print disabled to access printed books and educational materials. Hosts Nancy and Peter talk with CEO Ayan Kishore about the evolution of Benetech and Bookshare, and how they are using AI to enhance the accessibility of STEM content in their books.


white and red bowling pins being hit by black bowling ball - all reflected in shiny wood floor

2432 Strike Up Some Fun By Bowling (Aug. 7, 2024)
Show Notes
Participating in a sport can get you out meeting people, making friends, and staying healthy by being active. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Robert “Doc” Wright who has been a blind bowler for many years. He tells how the sport works for someone with vision loss and how you can find one of the many blind bowling leagues around the country.


man wearing headphones and speaking into a microphone with posters from several performed audio dramas

2431 All Ears on Deck with Storymore Audio Dramas (Jul. 31, 2024)
Show Notes
If you like listening to audio dramas then you’ll like Storymore. If you are a visually impaired creator you might even like being a contributor to help create a radio drama with others around the world. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with CEO Micah Thomas and SVP Tanja Milojevic about Storymore, its origins, how it works, and the content they produce.


3 OneCourt devices showing respectively white on black raised line depictions of playing fields for baseball, football, and basketball

2430 Getting the Feel of the Game (Jul. 24, 2024)
Show Notes
If you can’t see what is happening on the field, it is difficult to fully enjoy live sports even if it is being announced. But there might be another way. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Jerred Mace, CEO and co-founder of OneCourt, about how their unique technology enables blind users to enjoy watching live sports using a tactile display.


title ScriptAbility across the top over words and images depicting ScripTalk, ScriptView, and BrailleRx

2429 Your Meds Made Clear (Jul. 17, 2024)
Show Notes
Do you struggle to read prescription labels? If so, you should know that En-Vision America partners with many pharmacies to provide talking prescription labels as well as labels in braille or large print at no additional cost to you. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Jenna Reed, marketing director at En-Vision America, about the service and how it works.


Julia LaGrand holding her violin

2428 A Symphony of Success (Jul. 10, 2024)
Show Notes
Julia LaGrand is a blind violinist and disability advocate who is currently studying at the New England Conservatory. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Julia about her unique approach to learning music, her experiences as a blind musician, her journey towards a successful career in musical performance, and how she uses her platform for advocacy work.


Cover of the book 'Blind Not Broken - Your guide to turning loss and grief into happiness'

2427 Blind Not Broken - A Journey from Darkness to Determination (Jul. 3, 2024)
Show Notes
Lucy Edwards is an English influencer, disability activist, and journalist. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Lucy about her new book “Blind Not Broken” in which she shares her inspiring journey of adapting to vision loss during her teenage years, her struggles, triumphs, and how she emerged successful and content.


Amy Ogden set up to describe a performance at Miners Alley Performing Arts Center

2426 Behind the Scenes - The Art of Audio Description (Jun. 26, 2024)
Show Notes
Dive into the world of live performance through the eyes of an audio describer. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Amy Ogden, an audio describer for live theater and ballet. Amy shares insights from her training and highlights the importance of precise descriptions and supplementary background material in enhancing the live performance experience.


The front of the Miners Alley Performing Arts Center on a sunny day

2425 Bringing a New Dimension to Audio Description (Jun. 19, 2024)
Show Notes
The Miners Alley Performing Arts Center offers audio described performances with a twist: a tactile tour backstage before each described show! Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Executive Director Lisa DeCaro and Patron Services Manager Amy Arpan about their audio description service and get a tactile tour from Production Stage Manager Lexi Holtzer.


covers of 'Down the Aisle' and 'From the Heart' books and poster for 'Guiding Emily' movie

2424 Guiding Emily – A Story of Loss and Resilience to Rediscovery (Jun. 12, 2024)
Show Notes
The Guiding Emily series of books tells the story of how a woman who is suddenly blinded adjusts to life coping with divorce, pressures of a professional career, family relations, and more. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with author Barbara Hinske about the inspiration for the series and how the first book in the series was turned into a movie.


Listen Later logo featuring a minimalistic black line drawing of a face with the nose looking like a microphone and the words Listen Later below, all on a pale orange background

2423 Your Reading, Your Podcast, Your Way (Jun. 5, 2024)
Show Notes
Listen Later transforms articles, websites, and written content into podcasts that you can listen to in your favorite podcast app. Simply e-mail a link or attachment and hear it read out loud in a natural voice! Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with founder Yalim Gerger to explore how Listen Later can change the way you consume information.


CCLVI logo featuring black and white images of an eyeball and the earth embedded in an infinity sign, all over black writing saying C.C.L.V.I. Council of Citizens with Low Vision International, all on a light purple background

2422 Low Vision Connections with CCLVI (May 29, 2024)
Show Notes
The Council of Citizens with Low Vision International (CCLVI) is an affiliate program of the American Council of the Blind. Their mission is to connect low vision individuals to share information, experiences, and fun. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey speak with members Christine Chaikin and Tom Frank about the group and the resources they offer.


NV Access logo featuring an orange, purple, and turquoise sunburst on the left with orange 'NV' and purple 'Access' over smaller 'Empowering lives through non-visual access to technology' on the right, all on a white background

2421 Behind the Screen at NV Access (May 22, 2024)
Show Notes
Development of the free and open source NVDA screen reader from NV Access began in 2006 and has served as a vital tool for blind people around the world. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Mick Curran, creator and co-developer of NVDA, and Gerald Hartig, the newly announced CTO of NV Access, about how they plan to transition into the future.


pink shield shape with black letters spelling Fable, all on white background

2420 Helping Improve Accessibility with Fable (May 15, 2024)
Show Notes
Fable was formed to assist large enterprises in improving digital accessibility for people with various disabilities. They do this by hiring disabled community members to test and provide feedback on web sites, applications, and products. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Shane Kehoe and Lynette Frison from Fable about the company and how you can join in.


Four examples of thrown or rolled pottery made by Tim Clark

2419 When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Pottery (May 8, 2024)
Show Notes
With the right attitude, life’s unexpected adversities can sometimes open up new doors and opportunities. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Tim Clark who suddenly lost virtually all of his sight in one eye while at work one day. During his recovery, he discovered the joy of pottery and now creates tactile works of art that can be enjoyed by all.


Chicago Lighthouse Forsythe Entrepreneurial Center logo with blue writing on a white background and a stylized blue lighthouse superimposed on 3 concentric orange arcs that look like either a beacon or the letter C

2418 Get Started On Starting Your Own Business (May 1, 2024)
Show Notes
The Forsythe Entrepreneurial Center at The Chicago Lighthouse provides business startup educational workshops and certification programs for vision impaired people who want to start or run their own business. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Colleen Wunderlich, Vice President of Partnerships, about the Forsythe programs and how you can join.


giraffes, flamingos, sea lions on the beach at sunset, air and space museum

2417 Vacation Memories with Gemini and Bing (Apr. 24, 2024)
Show Notes
Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey return home from their trip to San Diego and use AI to review photos they took while there. See how they used both Google’s Gemini and Microsoft’s Bing image description tools to reminisce about their visits to the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, the San Diego Air and Space Museum, and evening walks along La Jolla beach.


Museum of Us, Cannibalism building, Model Railroad Museum

2416 On Vacation with Be My Eyes (Apr. 17, 2024)
Show Notes
Come on a fun filled vacation with hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey as they tour sites in San Diego using the Be My Eyes app as their AI tour guide. In this episode they visit the Cannibal Museum, the Museum of Us, and the model railroad museum. See how they use Be My Eyes to enhance the experience with detailed descriptions of the exhibits and answer questions.


Two people wearing Envision Glasses, one with dark lenses and one without lenses

2415 The Envision Glasses and Envision AI App (Apr. 10, 2024)
Show Notes
The Envision Glasses and app feature real-time text recognition, voice controls, and hands-free video calling for people who are blind or have low vision enabling them to access everyday visual information for themselves. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Karthik Kannan, founder and CTO of Envision, about the glasses and the free to use Envision AI app.


Photo of a group of people enjoying a planetarium presentation

2414 Encore of 1845 Seeing the Stars His Own Way (Apr. 3, 2024)
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.


Photo of a large chorus performing in concert

2413 Music Education for the Visually Impaired (Mar. 27, 2024)
Show Notes
The Filomen M. D’Agostino Greenberg Music School (FMDG Music School) is committed to helping visually impaired people pursue their study of music. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Dalia Sakas, Director of Music Studies at the FMDG Music School, about the instructional programs, performances, and remote learning opportunities offered by the school.


RightHear logo in black text on white background

2412 RightHear Expands to More Venues (Mar. 20, 2024)
Show Notes
RightHear works with your smart phone to provide talking signage, so everyone can interpret and understand their surroundings in real time. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Idan Meir, co-founder of RightHear, about how this simple to use and easily implemented blue tooth solution works to assist visually impaired people in different venues.


Small portion of the Appalachian Trail with AT logo and white blaze on a nearby tree

2411 Encore of 1244 Hiking the Appalachian Trail Solo (Mar. 13, 2024)
Show Notes
A long hike can be much more than a walk in the woods. We’ll talk with Karl Ritter, also known as Bats, about long distance hiking including his end-to-end hike on the 2200 mile long Appalachian Trail. Karl has very little vision and did the first 500 miles alone. Learn how he used other senses and tools to compensate as well as what was in his first aid kit.


Hable One keyboard in use and on a table

2410 The Hable One Keyboard (Mar. 6, 2024)
Show Notes
The Hable One is an external keyboard designed to make using a smartphone simpler and more convenient for those with visual impairments. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Freek van Welsenis, co-founder of Hable, about the intuitive design of this pocket-size device and how it can be used to control your smart phone and also enter Braille text.


tools used by physicians with vision loss include white cane, stethoscope, otoscope, blood pressure cuff, and brain MRI

2409 A Community of Medical Professionals (Feb. 28, 2024)
Show Notes
Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Andrea Lendaris, Bo (Kevin) Barley, and Silpa Tadavarthy about their experiences as visually impaired medical professionals and the impact that the Disability in Medical Mutual Mentorship Program (DM3P) has made in their training and careers. They discuss the community built by DM3P and the support it provides.


DM3P logo with graphic showing cooperation

2408 The Disability in Medicine Mutual Mentorship Program (Feb. 21, 2024)
Show Notes
The Disability in Medicine Mutual Mentorship Program (DM3P) is a grassroots organization that supports disabled healthcare professionals and trainees as they navigate the field of medicine. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with members Erin Jarrell and Suchita Rastogi about why and how the organization was formed and how its members benefit each other.


Biped logo (curved dark blue letters on white background) and photo of Biped harness as described in the audio

2407 Biped – The Smart Mobility Aid (Feb. 14, 2024)
Show Notes
Now the technology used in self-driving cars comes to a smart harness worn by the blind to warn of obstacles and assist navigating using a combination of GPS and audio feedback. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with co-founder and CEO Maël Fabien about the development of the Biped device, the technology behind it, and how it works.


Sheri Wells-Jensen playing a banjo and wearing a plaid shirt in front of a brick wall

2406 From Science to Linguistics to Both (Feb. 7, 2024)
Show Notes
Sheri Wells-Jensen wanted to be a scientist when she was young. Unfortunately, being blind as well as female she was discouraged from pursuing such a career by those around her. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Sheri, now an Associate Professor of Linguistics, about her journey and how she was able to merge science into her career.


Sheri Wells-Jensen wearing a space suit navigating a simulated Martian surface with her white cane

2405 Making Space Exploration Accessible (Jan. 31, 2024)
Show Notes
Sheri Wells-Jensen is a fully blind Associate Professor of Linguistics at Bowling Green State University who spent six days with four crew members in a hermetically sealed habitat at Biosphere 2, learning about what it would be like living on Mars or the Moon. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Sheri about the experience and what was learned.


Court reporter dictating into a stenomask.  The scene is a courtroom with the judge in the background

2404 Court Reporter (Jan. 24, 2024)
Show Notes
Eden Kizer is a blind court reporter. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Eden about how she was drawn to the profession and what makes it a suitable profession for someone who is blind. You’ll learn about how she was trained, the technology that makes this possible, how the job is done, and why Eden finds it so rewarding.


Graphic showing Echo heart rate monitor in use with logo superimposed on image

2403 Echo Heart Rate App for iOS (Jan. 17, 2024)
Show Notes
Using Voiceover to monitor one’s heart rate while running on a noisy treadmill wearing an Apple Watch and noise cancelling AirPods is difficult. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Alex Weiner, developer at PK Fitness, about how he added Siri commands to provide on demand speech feedback in their Echo Heart Rate app, as well as about their Fat Burn app.


close-up of Nancy Goodman Torpey with her long silver hair blowing in the breeze standing in front of a large pine tree on a snowy day

2402 Meet the Host – Nancy Goodman Torpey (Jan. 10, 2024)
Show Notes
The microphone is turned around on Nancy Torpey this week when she is interviewed by Glen Gordon, Software Fellow at Freedom Scientific and host of the FSCast podcast. In this episode you’ll learn how Nancy became interested in science, how she and Peter met, her education and career as a female scientist in a male dominated profession, and more.


close-up photo of Peter Torpey in front of a large pine tree on a snowy day

2401 Meet the Host - Peter Torpey (Jan. 3, 2024)
Show Notes
Late last year, Glen Gordon, Software Fellow at Freedom Scientific and host of the FSCast podcast, interviewed Peter Torpey about his life and career as a blind scientist. In these excerpts from the FSCast episode you’ll learn how Peter became interested in science, how he and Nancy met, about his work in image science at Xerox, and more.


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