2519 From Braille Music to the Big Screen (May 7, 2025)

Show Notes

Rod Clemmons, who has been blind since birth, shares his journey from being a classically trained pianist to an R&B performer, producer and composer. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Rod about his experiences as a visually impaired musician, his passion for rhythm and blues, and his work scoring the upcoming film ‘A Jeannie for Christmas’.

2518 Lighting the Way with the See Me Cane (Apr. 30, 2025)

Show Notes

Navigating in low light can be risky for blind pedestrians. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Kelvin Crosby about the See Me Cane, which increases visibility with built-in LED lighting. Kelvin also shares his path from vision loss to advocacy, vocational training, and launching an assistive tech program that hires blind professionals.

2517 The Able Artist Foundation (Apr. 23, 2025)

Show Notes

The Able Artist Foundation supports low-income disabled musicians around the world by providing discounted music software and hardware to its members. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with founder Stephen Letnes about what motivated him to start the organization, their company partners, and about the special programs they offer for their members.

2516 Dinner Delivered (Apr. 16, 2025)

Show Notes

“Dinner Delivered” is a guide for visually impaired individuals on using grocery and meal delivery services. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Kim Loftis Nova, who co-authored the book with Chris Grabowski Nova, about navigating platforms like Instacart, Shipt, and DoorDash. Kim shares her experiences using these services as well as practical tips for using them.

2515 The Dark Room Podcast for Movie Lovers (Apr. 9, 2025)

Show Notes

Dive into the world of movies from a visually impaired perspective. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Alex Howard and Lee Pugsley, co-hosts of The Dark Room podcast, about what motivated them to start the podcast, their experiences at movie theaters, challenges with some audio description services, and improving theater accessibility.

2514 Re-learning Life Skills After Vision loss (Apr. 2, 2025)

Show Notes

What does it take to relearn life skills after vision loss? Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Erich Manser about his experiences with blindness training programs, transitioning from magnification to screen readers, and finding value in non-visual techniques. Erich’s journey offers insights into overcoming challenges and learning new skills.

2513 Arizona Vacation with PiccyBot and Be My Eyes (Mar. 26, 2025)

Show Notes

Experience the vivid landscapes of Arizona as enhanced by detailed descriptions by AI. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey used various AI services like PiccyBot and Be My Eyes to describe their adventures in the Sonoran Desert, the Phoenix Botanical Garden, Sedona’s trails, and more. Explore how technology can enhance the visually impaired’s experience of nature.

2512 Benetech Celebrates 25 Years of Making Books Accessible for Everyone (Mar. 19, 2025)

Show Notes

Benetech’s work has transformed how people with disabilities access information. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with founder Jim Fruchterman and CEO Ayan Kishore about the evolution of Bookshare, the use of AI in accessibility, the Global Certified Accessible program, and how Benetech’s efforts have impacted digital publishing and education.

2511 Encore of 2201 The Dream Of A Lifetime (Mar. 12, 2025)

Show Notes

The MacArthur Fellowship is a $625,000, no-strings-attached award to extraordinarily talented and creative individuals as an investment in their potential. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with Josh Miele, blind since childhood and one of the 2021 fellows, about how his work in the field of accessibility led to him receiving this special award.

2510 Connecting Dots – A Blind Life (Mar. 5, 2025)

Show Notes

Joshua Miele is a MacArthur Award-winning accessibility expert who became blind at age 4. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey talk with him about his new memoir “Connecting Dots – A Blind Life”, his experiences at UC Berkeley and how he came to work in accessibility, his shift from using a guide dog to a cane and how he hopes his book will reshape views on blindness.