The Wood Working for the Blind #WW4B Series is about Blind wood workers honing their craft or just getting interested in the art of wood working. We are also bringing awareness to the #RebuildEHC to gain support for rebuilding Enchanted Hills Camp and Retreat. The largest fire in California history did not spare EHC and the spirit has not been broken. Rebuilding EHC for future generations is the goal this year and next year and that is what is going to make this time so memorable. You can support the #RebuildEHC by going to

www.Lighthouse-SF.org/enchanted-hills/rebuilding/

In this WW4B podcast we talk to Brett Holly, former Apple employee, woodworker, and family guy. Brett left Apple after 21 years and was already building his 40 x 40 work shop when he lost his sight. Brett found the Lighthouse of San Fransisco’s wood working work shops and has been coming back ever since.

I met Brent when I was assisting master craftsman George Wurtzel at the Annual Wood Working for the Blind event at Enchanted Hills Camp and Retreat. Brett and I worked on setting up jigs on various machines as he wanted to learn about making consistent cuts. After a few days of work we took a break outside the Tactile Arts Barn, of which survived the fire, and conducted this interview. Join us as Brett tells his story and gives us a glimpse of how he sees the future and how he takes on the challenges of blindness.

You can find out more about WW4B on the web at www.WW4B.org

See complete Transcription below.

Thank you for listening!

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Transcription:

Brett Holly: A Million Dollars of iPads in His Driveway, WW4B, Aira and #RebuildEHC (Transcription Provided)

Brett:

I didn’t know there was a group for blind woodworkers so it was so much cool stuff to learn and find other people who trying to do the same thing.

Jeff:

Introducing Brett Holly.

Brett:

So they delivered about a million dollars worth of iPads to my house, my sons and I set up a kind of production line and engraved all these iPads that were given out to the team at Apple.

Jeff:

Worked with Steve Jobs for over 20 years.

Brett:

You know when you try and tackle it all by yourself it feels daunting, but when you you know can find others who’ve been through it and you can you know learn from the things that they’ve done, it’s amazing how much you know I’ve gotten out of every time I’ve come to, you know an event with other blind people, that it’s, there’s just so much to learn.

Jeff:

From augmented reality.

Brett:

I personally believe that’s going to be a game-changer for those in the blind community because to do augmented reality the phone has to be aware of its environment and the fact that it can do that and track things means that it’s also an enormous platform for being able to do you know, assistive technology solutions, so I, I think there’s great things available now but we ain’t seen nothing yet.

Jeff:

To the latest technology of today.

Brett:

There is lots of technology that can take pictures for example, and, and tell you what it is, but you can’t typically ask questions on it right, and I think the thing that’s interesting with Aira is that you’ve got person there who you know can do more than just te...