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.
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.
2344 Encore of 2020 Band-in-a-Box and the Updated JAWS Scripts (Nov. 1, 2023)
Show Notes
Band-in-a-Box from PG Music continues to evolve and introduce new features that are appealing to both professional and amateur musicians alike. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Tobin Frank, chief development officer at PG Music, about the program and how the scripts Peter developed make this program accessible with the JAWS screen reader.
2320 Firefox Accessibility Enhancements (May 17, 2023)
Show Notes
Accessibility has always been an important factor in the development of the Mozilla Firefox web browser. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Jamie Teh, technical lead for accessibility at the Mozilla Foundation, about recent improvements to both the accessibility and responsiveness of Firefox for those using screen readers as well as how that work is done.
2319 NVDA – A Community Driven Project (May 10, 2023)
Show Notes
The NVDA screen reader was first released in 2006 and continues to be used by people around the world. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with founder Michael Curran about the ongoing development efforts of NVDA, including the active community involvement and feedback-driven approach that continue to shape the future of this free and open-source software.
2316 Musical Scores with the Accessible MuseScore 4 (Apr. 19, 2023)
Show Notes
MuseScore is a sophisticated and feature rich program for creating and listening to musical scores. The release of version 4 brings many improvements to accessibility for people using screen readers. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Marc Sabatella, an educator and one of the developers of MuseScore, about this free, open source application.
2303 The View from Inside at Vispero (Jan. 18, 2023)
Show Notes
Ryan Jones has recently stepped up to take on the role of Vice President of Software Products at Vispero following the retirement of Eric Damery who held that position for many years. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Ryan about how his long career with Vispero has prepared him for this role and his outlook for the future of accessibility.
2302 JAWS Evolves to Meet Changing Needs (Jan. 11, 2023)
Show Notes
In this second of a two-part series, we talk about how the JAWS screen reader has had to adapt to advances in computer technology as well as to the evolving requirements of users. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with long time colleagues and friends Ted Henter, Eric Damery, and Glen Gordon as they reminisce about their contributions to accessibility.
2301 Early Days of JAWS (Jan. 4, 2023)
Show Notes
In this first of a two-part series, we trace the history of the JAWS screen reader and how it has evolved to adapt to advances in technology over the years. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Ted Henter, founder of Henter Joyce, Eric Damery, retired vice president of blindness products, and Glen Gordon, lead software developer now at Freedom Scientific.
2227 Using MathML with JAWS (Jul. 6, 2022)
Show Notes
Mathematics has been called the language of science. But how can a visually impaired person read and write complex mathematical expressions that are often written in a 2-D format? Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Ron Miller, Blindness Technology Products Specialist at Vispero, about how the JAWS screen reader makes this possible with MathML.
2220 Encore of 2102 Access Technology Reminiscences (May 18, 2022)
Show Notes
David Bradburn, Vice-President Global Sales at Humanware, has been involved in the access technology field for over 35 years. A lot has changed over that time. Listen in on a conversation between David as a salesman and host Peter Torpey as a user as they reminisce about the evolution of access technology equipment since the early days.
2139 Using Reaper with OSARA (Sep. 22, 2021)
Show Notes
Reaper is a powerful multi-track audio production program used by many people with visual impairments. The program is made accessible using a screen reader on both PC’s and Mac’s by the open source OSARA extension for Reaper. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Scott Chesworth who manages the Reaper forums and Jamie Teh, the author of OSARA.
2138 Maxima Computer Algebra System (Sep. 15, 2021)
Show Notes
Maxima is a computer algebra system (CAS) that enables the user to work with complex mathematical expressions. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Robert Dodier, one of the developers of Maxima, about the capabilities of this free, open source program and also demonstrate how it can be used with a screen reader by those who are blind.
2131 MuseScore Music Scoring Software (Jul. 28, 2021)
Show Notes
MuseScore is a program for creating and sharing musical scores. Despite being open source and free, MuseScore includes many of the features found in commercial programs. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Marc Sabatella, one of the developers, about his work to make MuseScore accessible with a variety of screen readers.
2105 Eric Damery and the Changing Field of Assistive Technology (Jan. 27, 2021)
Show Notes
Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey continue their conversation from last week with Eric Damery, VP of Software Product Management at Freedom Scientific, a Vispero company. This week they discuss how the marketing and distribution of assistive technologies for people with vision loss have evolved over his long career in the field.
2104 Eric Damery and His Career (Jan. 20, 2021)
Show Notes
Eric Damery has had a long career in the field of assistive technology and is currently VP of Software Product Management at Freedom Scientific, a Vispero company. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Eric about how he got started in the field and how he worked to bring these technologies to people with vision loss around the world.
2102 Access Technology Reminiscences (Jan. 6, 2021)
Show Notes
David Bradburn, Vice-President Global Sales at Humanware, has been involved in the access technology field for over 35 years. A lot has changed over that time. Listen in on a conversation between David as a salesman and host Peter Torpey as a user as they reminisce about the evolution of access technology equipment since the early days.
2047 Using Various Web Browsers with a Screen Reader (Nov. 18, 2020)
Show Notes
Sometimes one web browser just isn’t enough. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with David Kingsbury from the Carroll Center for the Blind about his new book that describes why this is true and why you might find need for more than one browser. He talks about the book and how the various web browsers can be used with popular screen readers.
2043 Using Zoom with a Screen Reader (Oct. 21, 2020)
Show Notes
Zoom is a popular video conferencing service that enables people to work from home, connect with friends and family, attend performances, and much more. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Heather Thomas about her new book, “Getting Started With Zoom Meetings: A Guide for JAWS, NVDA, and iPhone Voiceover Users”, that describes how Zoom can be used with a screen reader.
2022 Offerings from Freedom Scientific (May 27, 2020)
Show Notes
Eric Damery is VP of Software Product Management of Freedom Scientific, a Vispero company, a worldwide leader in providing assistive technology for visually impaired people. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Eric about the company, features of JAWS, ZoomText and Fusion, and special offerings for students as well as during the Covid-19 pandemic.
2020 Band-in-a-Box 2020 and the Updated JAWS Scripts (May 13, 2020)
Show Notes
Band-in-a-Box from PG Music continues to evolve and introduce new features that are appealing to both professional and amateur musicians alike. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Tobin Frank, chief development officer at PG Music, about the program and how the scripts Peter developed make this program accessible with the JAWS screen reader.
2013 Narrator, Now Better Than Ever (Mar. 25, 2020)
Show Notes
Over the past few years, Microsoft has added a number of major enhancements to the Narrator screen reader that is built into Windows. Hosts Nancy and Peter talk with Jeff Bishop, a program manager in the accessibility team at Microsoft, about some of Narrator’s new features, and why, if you haven’t used Narrator in a while, it might be worth a second look.
2001 A Tribute to Jim Thatcher (Jan. 1, 2020)
Show Notes
Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey honor the life and work of Jim Thatcher who passed away last month by reprising episode 1420 in which we interviewed Jim about his pioneering work in the development of the first screen readers and years later of the first standards for web accessibility. Thanks to Jim for his continued contributions to the field of accessibility.
1924 Format Your Word Documents with JAWS and NVDA (June 12, 2019)
Show Notes
The visual appearance of documents that you create can have a big impact on how they are received by others. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with David Kingsbury, Assistive Technology Instructor at the Carroll Center for the Blind, about his new book that describes how Word can be used with a screen reader to format documents most effectively.
1920 Stepping It Up With Windows Hotkeys (May 15, 2019)
Show Notes
People using screen readers rely on keyboard hotkeys in order to interact with their computers. But there is always more to learn! Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Dean Martineau about his new book that describes how you can use keyboard hotkeys in Windows more effectively, customize your work flow, and take these shortcuts to the next level.
1919 Preparing for Life and Work (May 8, 2019)
Show Notes
Derek Riemer works at Google as a software engineer. He also has contributed to the development of the free NVDA screen reader and is coordinating this year’s NVDACon conference. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Derek about his experiences growing up and being educated as a blind youth as well as the hurdles he had to overcome in school, work and play.
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.
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.
1742 Evolution of Assistive Technologies (Oct. 11, 2017)
Show Notes
This week hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey take a historical walk down memory lane and talk about the evolution of assistive technologies for the visually impaired. In particular, they’ll discuss some of the aids and technologies that Peter used as a young boy, as a student, and as a research scientist and what accommodations he made as his vision declined.
1741 Together Again - Leaders Who Made a Difference (part 2 of 2) (Oct. 4, 2017)
Show Notes
Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey continue the conversation with three leaders in the field of assistive technology: Deane Blazie, Jim Fruchterman, and Ted Henter. They made pioneering contributions to the development of refreshable Braille displays, OCR, and screen readers, respectively. Learn about their visions for the future in this informative round table discussion.
1740 Together Again - Leaders Who Made a Difference (part 1 of 2) (Sep. 27, 2017)
Show Notes
This week hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey bring together three leaders in the field of assistive technology: Deane Blazie, Jim Fruchterman, and Ted Henter. They made pioneering contributions to the development of refreshable Braille displays, OCR, and screen readers, respectively. Learn what each of them is up to today in this informative round table discussion.
1723 Encore of 1233 An Interview with Ted Henter (May 31, 2017)
Show Notes
If you use the JAWS screen reader, chances are you've heard of Ted Henter who founded Henter-Joyce and later sold the company to Freedom Scientific. This week, Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Ted about his contributions to assistive technologies and other projects. If you think you know where the "Joyce" came from in Henter-Joyce, be prepared for a surprise!
1720 NVDA Conference 2017 (May 10, 2017)
Show Notes
NVDA is a free screen reader for Windows. For the past several years, the annual NVDACon has provided a forum for developers, users, and others to share what’s new, suggestions for future improvements, and much more. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Derek Riemer and Bhavya Shah, co-chairs of this year’s annual international web-based conference.
1708 DictationBridge (Feb. 15, 2017)
Show Notes
Microsoft Windows now comes with built in speech recognition. Unfortunately, on its own, it is difficult to use with a screen reader. DictationBridge is a free program that solves this problem using most popular screen readers. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey speak with Lucy Greco, a member of the team that created the technology, about how it works.
1647 Updates to Android Accessibility (Nov. 16, 2016)
Show Notes
Android smart phones have become more accessible to the visually impaired. But are they as accessible as an iPhone? Is it time to reconsider? We address these questions when hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey speak with Ana Garza, also known as Access Ana, author of a new book called “Getting Started With Android” about using Android devices with TalkBack.
1634 Microsoft Disability Answer Desk (Aug. 17, 2016)
Show Notes
Microsoft offers a special service by which disabled individuals can obtain free personalized technical help with Microsoft products. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Neil Barnett, leader of the Disability Answer Desk, about that program and other resources and services they offer to the visually impaired using screen readers or other adaptive technologies.
1622 Improved Accessibility of Amazon Products (May 25, 2016)
Show Notes
New features being introduced into Amazon’s Kindle readers and Fire tablets will now make these devices readily accessible to the visually impaired. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Peter Korn, accessibility architect at Amazon, about the work that went into developing an enhanced user interface and how it has improved accessibility of these products.
1621 Evolution of Screen Readers (May 18, 2016)
Show Notes
This week, hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Peter Korn who traces the evolution of screen reader technology from the early text-based systems to today’s modern graphical interfaces. Korn, who has been a major contributor to the development of screen readers for many years, describes how a screen reader works and what challenges had to be overcome.
1619 AudioScreen for NVDA (May 4, 2016)
Show Notes
The AudioScreen add-on for NVDA is based on concepts from the vOICe technology discussed in last week’s show. This week hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Mick Curran, co-lead developer of the NVDA screen reader, about how this add-on that he developed can be used to help the blind “see” maps, colors, and more. Mick also demos AudioScreen in action.
1615 Accessibility of Facebook Products (Apr. 6, 2016)
Show Notes
Do you struggle using Facebook with a screen reader? Matt King, a member of the Accessibility Engineering Team at Facebook, describes many tips and hotkeys for using Facebook more efficiently. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey also talk with him about an exciting new feature launching this week to help make photos more accessible to people with vision loss.
1605 Technical Tips and Tricks (Jan. 27, 2016)
Show Notes
This week hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey share some helpful hints they use to perform common tasks. You’ll hear some surprising things SIRI can do. You’ll also learn how to more easily control the playback of audio on YouTube with some handy keyboard shortcuts, automatically download audio from YouTube for later playback, how to make on-line shopping easier and more!
1547 Creating a Web Site (Nov. 18, 2015)
Show Notes
Many listeners have expressed interest in learning how to create their own web site, but don’t know where to start. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey speak with Mobeen Iqbal about how to do this and which tools are most accessible with a screen reader, covering everything from finding a web hosting service to creating the actual content.
1535 NVDA Open Source Screen Reader (Aug. 26, 2015)
Show Notes
NVDA is a free and open source screen reader for Windows. Over the years it has matured to be a viable alternative to commercial screen readers for personal, educational and professional use. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Jamie Teh, one of the founders and co-lead developers of NVDA about some of the new features of NVDA and what to expect in the future.
1529 Accessible On-Line Games (Jul. 15, 2015)
Show Notes
A number of on-line board games and card games are hosted by RS Games. They are all accessible using a screen reader and can be enjoyable as well as being a great way to connect with friends or meet new ones. Host Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Michael Forzano, a founder and developer of RS Games about how it works and how you can participate.
1511 Reading MathML with JAWS (Mar. 11, 2015)
Show Notes
The ability to read mathematical expressions in documents and on the web is crucial for those learning math and for professionals in the sciences. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Rob Gallo, a software developer at Freedom Scientific responsible for implementing support for MathML in the JAWS screen reader. Also hear a demo of JAWS reading MathML.
1509 Working With Computer Hardware (Feb. 25, 2015)
Show Notes
Modern screen readers make computer programs and software readily accessible to the blind. But what about working with hardware? Mobeen Iqbal has years of experience repairing both desktop and laptop computers and has even built several computers. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with him about how he achieves each required task in spite of being totally blind
1420 Early History of Screen Readers and Web Accessibility (May 14, 2014)
Show Notes
A number of screen readers are available to access computers. But it wasn’t always this way. Jim Thatcher was a pioneer in the development of the first screen readers and years later of the first standards for web accessibility. Hosts Peter and Nancy Torpey speak with him about the early history of both and about his current work as an accessibility consultant.
1413 GW SocialEyes for FaceBook Users (Mar. 26, 2014)
Show Notes
Although social media is becoming ubiquitous, some of the web-sites are cumbersome to use for people with visual impairments. This week hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Stephen Clower from GW Micro about their recently launched SocialEyes which facilitates using FaceBook with any of the common screen readers, including demonstrations of some features.
1340 Web and Computer Accessibility (Oct. 2, 2013)
Show Notes
As technology advances, screen readers strive to keep up with new ways of accessing information and working with applications. Hosts Peter and Nancy Torpey talk with Leonie Watson about the British Computer Association of the Blind, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), AccessTalk Podcast, Leonie’s blog and other sources of information about computer accessibility.
1324 Using Sonar with NVDA (June 12, 2013)
Show Notes
Sonar is a powerful audio and production program that is used by many blind musicians and audio engineers. This week hosts Peter and Nancy Torpey talk with Jamie Teh, co-developer of the free NVDA screen reader, about the tools he has developed to make Sonar more accessible with NVDA. Find out how you can acquire these tools and even help in future development.
1302 J-Say Demonstration of hands-free eyes-free computing (Jan. 9, 2013)
Show Notes
J-Say is middle-ware for Dragon Dictate and JAWS to allow speech activated navigation and control with a screen reader and enable hands-free eyes-free computing. Join hosts Peter and Nancy Torpey with Ed Rosenthal, head of Next Generation Technologies, who demonstrates many of its features. Last week’s show was an overview of J-Say and MagniTalk.
1301 Using J-Say or MagniTalk for hands-free eyes-free computing (Jan. 2, 2013)
Show Notes
J-Say and MagniTalk are middle-ware for using Dragon Dictate with JAWS or ZoomText to allow speech activated navigation and control with a screen reader or magnifier. This enables hands-free eyes-free computing. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey speak with Ed Rosenthal, head of Next Generation Technologies, about both products. He’ll demonstrate many features next week.
1250 12-12-12 NVDA, A Free Open-Source Screen Reader
Show Notes
Hosts Peter Torpey and Nancy Goodman Torpey interview Mick Curran, one of the co-lead developers of NVDA, a free open-source screen reader for Windows. Learn how the project grew from a do-it-yourself effort to a powerful tool used daily by thousands of visually impaired people around the world and how you can contribute to its success.
1243 10-24-12 Windows 8 and Window-Eyes
Show Notes
Windows 8 is launching in October 2012 and has a very different interface and paradigm from previous versions of Windows. Fortunately, some screen readers will be able to work with Windows 8 from day 1. Hosts Nancy Goodman Torpey and Peter Torpey talk with Jeremy Curry of GW Micro about Windows 8 and using it with Window-Eyes.
1237 9-15-12 Becoming an Audio Engineer
Show Notes
Blind since infancy and self-taught, Chris Belle worked hard to acquire the skills needed to run a successful audio production business. Host Peter and Nancy Torpey follow Chris’s journey in a fun interview that illustrates the power of a “can do” attitude. Also hear about powerful music editing programs that can be used with a screen reader.
1233 8-15-12 An Interview with Ted Henter
Show Notes
If you use the JAWS screen reader, chances are you've heard of Ted Henter who founded Henter-Joyce and later sold the company to Freedom Scientific. This week, Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Ted about his contributions to assistive technologies and what he is up to now. If you think you know where the "Joyce" came from in Henter-Joyce, be prepared for a surprise!
1224 6-13-12 Studio Recorder and Audacity
Show Notes
Hosts Peter and Nancy Torpey compare and demonstrate two powerful tools for audio editing. Studio Recorder was developed at the American Printing House for the Blind for their own use and is very accessible. Audacity is a free open-source program that contains additional capabilities but is not quite as user-friendly with a screen reader.
1222 5-30-12 Orca, Gnome and Accessibility in Linux
Show Notes
This week’s show focuses on the Orca screen reader, the Gnome desktop and how accessibility works in Linux. Join hosts Nancy Goodman Torpey and Peter Torpey as they talk with Joanmarie Diggs and Alejandro Pineiro, two of the lead developers about what’s under the hood, how it got there and how you can help improve it.
1210 3-7-12 Mac Accessibility
Show Notes
Apple computers have accessibility built in to the operating system. Zoom is a magnifier and VoiceOver is a screen reader. Each is as powerful as commercial products for Windows. Hosts Peter Torpey and Nancy Goodman Torpey speak with Mike Arrigo about features of both and demonstrate VoiceOver working with the desktop and the web.
1208 2-22-12 Serotek’s Products and Services
Show Notes
Hosts Nancy Goodman Torpey and Peter Torpey talk with Lisa Salinger and Jamie Pauls of Serotek about some of their products and services. These include the System Access screen reader, System Access Mobile Network (SAMNet), iBlink Radio, SeroTalk podcasts, Accessible Event, DocuScan Plus and others.
1147 11-23-11 New Features in JAWS 13
Show Notes
This week hosts Nancy Goodman Torpey and Peter Torpey take a look at some of the exciting features in the newly released JAWS 13. Learn how the “Convenient OCR” feature now built into JAWS enables users to do more things than before. Find out what other training resources are available for learning to use JAWS and some of its specialized functions.
1134 8-24-11 Tips and Tricks for Screen Readers
Show Notes
This week’s show focuses on JAWS (Job Access With Speech), a screen reader providing
accessibility to a computer for visually impaired users through speech and Braille.
Hosts Peter Torpey and Nancy Goodman Torpey describe advanced features in JAWS and how you can
customize its behavior by writing your own scripts, as well as where you can get help.
1132 8-10-11 Novel Software for Web and Camera Accessibility
Show Notes
This week’s show is about novel software being developed to enhance accessibility to both
cameras and the web. Hosts Peter Torpey and Nancy Goodman Torpey describe Web
Anywhere (a free web-based screen reader), Qwiki (a multimedia information source akin to
wikipedia) and Easy Snap (a cell phone app that helps the blind take better photos).
1131 8-3-11 Working
Show Notes
Hosts Peter Torpey and Nancy Goodman Torpey discuss various aspects of working from
selecting a job, to applying for one, to life on the job. They also talk about ADA requirements for
employers of the visually impaired and describe headsets that work with both telephones and
computers so you can hear your screen reader while talking on the phone.
1129 7-20-11 Telephones and Alternatives
Show Notes
This week’s theme is telephones and alternative methods of communicating. Hosts Nancy
Goodman Torpey and Peter Torpey discuss using Google Voice, Google Talk and Skype with a
screen reader. They also give tips on what features to look for when purchasing a telephone
and talk about available software packages that make even smart phones accessible.
1114 4-06-11 Free screen readers, OCR and training
Show Notes
Hosts Peter Torpey and Nancy Goodman Torpey discuss free screen readers (e.g.: NVDA and
System Access To Go) and Optical Character Recognition (OCR). They also talk about local
and on-line training opportunities for using hardware and software accessibility tools.
1109 3-02-11 Using a screen reader, types of earphones, etc
Show Notes
This week hosts Peter Torpey and Nancy Goodman Torpey discuss using a screen reader
and/or a refreshable Braille display for accessing a computer, identifying money (folding paper
money, feeling coins, using scanners, …) and various types of earphones (on ear & in ear,
noise cancelling, built-in radio, wireless, Bluetooth).