This week on BLT, host Evan Starnes is joined by guest co-host Marty Sobo to break down WWDC 2025 and the sweeping changes coming with iOS 26 and Apple’s broader ecosystem updates.

Together, they dive into the new naming conventions—Apple is unifying all operating systems under the “OS 26” banner—and unpack what that means for device users. They also talk about some of the new accessibility features, including the new note taking feature, and how the new Liquid Glass design could affect blind or low-vision users.

In this forward-thinking episode of Blind Level Tech, host Evan Starnes chats with John Romano, executive director of Disaster Central and creator of the Be Ready app. John shares his unique journey from professional pilot to nonprofit leader, revealing how the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy inspired him to create tools that simplify disaster response. Evan and John also explore the broader vision behind Dare to Prepare, a training program designed to accompany app use and reinforce the preparedness mindset.

Learn more at www.disastercentral.org

In this episode, host Evan Starnes welcomes back David Redmond, tech enthusiast and accessibility advocate from Vision Ireland, for a rich and insightful part two. This time, they shift from Apple's iOS 19 to David’s personal journey with vision loss and his professional story in broadcasting and assistive tech, as well as his work at Vision Ireland.

In this episode of Blind Level Tech, host Evan Starnes discusses the latest accessibility improvements in iOS 19 with guest David Redmond from Vision Ireland. They explore new features such as the Accessibility Reader, enhancements for Mac users, new Braille access features, and the introduction of accessibility labels in the App Store. bb

This week on BLT, we're back with Neva Fairchild to talk about the different uses for WayAround in public spaces.

Weather it's making a selection on a vending machine or trying to figure out where the doctor’s office is, there are a lot of possibilities with WayAround in public.

If you'd like to learn more about WayAround, visit them at www.wayaround.com

In this episode of Blind Level Tech, host Evan Starnes welcomes Neva Fairchild from WayAround to discuss innovative solutions for accessibility. Neva shares her personal journey with vission loss and her extensive background in rehabilitation counseling. The conversation delves into the features of WayAround's home use version, including various tagging solutions that enhance everyday tasks. Neva highlights real-life applications of the technology, compatibility with different devices, and a pretty unique usecase for WayAround tags.

If you'd like to get your hands on some tags, go to https://www.wayaround.com

Stay tuned for part two, where we discuss how WayAround is beeing used to help users navigate in dore spaces.

Summary

In this episode of Blind Level Tech, host Evan Starnes introduces a mini-series focused on the National Library Service and its importance to the blind and low vision community. He discusses the evolution of Talking Book players, highlighting the new DA2 model, which features significant upgrades such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and text-to-speech capabilities.

If you want to learn more about the new talking book player, go to https://www.loc.gov/nls/services-and-resources/equipment-for-nls-materials/#nls-digital-advanced-da2-player

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the National Library Service

07:05 Introducing the New DA2 Talking Book Player

12:05 Features and Upgrades of the DA2 Player

18:08 Personal Anecdotes and Wrap-Up

In this episode of Blind Level Tech, host Evan Starnes discusses the intricacies of taking a podcast on the road. He shares insights on planning, conducting interviews, choosing the right recording space, and essential audio gear. Evan emphasizes the importance of having a clear plan, knowing how to engage potential interviewees, and the logistics of recording and editing audio while on the go.

On this weeks episode, we take a look at the three big players in the game console world, and the accessibility features of each one.

We talk about visuall aids like the ability to zoom the entire screen, and how to enable screen reading functionality on each console.

To learn more, visitthe accessibility pages for each console.

Microsoft XBox: https://www.xbox.com/en-US/community/for-everyone/accessibility

Sony Playstation: https://www.playstation.com/en-us/accessibility/

Nentendo: https://www.nintendo.com/us/gaming-systems/switch-2/accessibility/

This week on BLT, we treat you to a clasic episode with Jonathan and Evan, and we discuss the various options for getting mental health support.