On FSCast 230, we’ll get to know retired Army Major Scotty Smiley.  He was blinded by a suicide bomber when fighting in Iraq; but came back, taught at West Point, and became the military’s first totally blind active-duty officer.  Then, Dr. Michele McDonnall will be here to discuss the second year of the AT in the Workplace study conducted by Mississippi State University.

FSCast 230, Major Scotty Smiley discusses his life, and Dr. Michele McDonnall with results of the AT In The Workplace study

The official podcast of Freedom Scientific, leaders in assistive technology for blind people and those with low vision. Hosted by Glen Gordon, FSCast features news, interviews, and product demonstrations relating to Freedom Scientific products such as JAWS and ZoomText. FSCast is a great way to make the most of the products you have as well as learning about what's new and what's around the corner.

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 On FSCast 245, a demo of how PictureSmart just got smarter thanks to the new chat feature.  Then Alice O’Reilly, Chief of the Collections Division, and Tamara Rorie, head of Patron Engagement at NLS, talk about the array of free services and devices available to people living in the United States.  Plus, we’ll get to know Gordon Legge, Distinguished Professor and Director of the Minnesota Laboratory for Low-Vision Research.

FSCast 245, a demo of PictureSmart chat, all about NLS, and a visit with Gordon Legge

On FSCast 244, we’ll meet Ana Gonzalez Arean.  She’ll talk about growing up in Venezuela and becoming a language professor at two universities, but then needing to move to Spain to start a new life for herself.  Then, Cathy Miller and Nicky Gillies from the Louisiana DeafBlind project discuss some of the challenges of identifying deafblind kids young and helping them to achieve their potential.

FSCast 244, a visit with Ana González Arean, plus Nicky Gillies and Cathy Miller from the Louisiana DeafBlind project

On the archive of the March FSOpenLine, people share their favorite things to do with PictureSmart AI, including how to use it with FaceInView to describe what’s in the background. And of course questions on a variety of other topics including why JAWS place markers sometimes lose their place, why Thunderbird speaks incoming email notifications multiple times, and  how to quickly find out who has hands raised in Zoom.

FSCast 243, archive of the March 2024 FSOpenLine

On FSCast 242, we’ll put the newly released Picture Smart AI through its paces, and you’ll hear the detailed descriptions it can generate for everything from a bar chart to a frame from a YouTube video. Then, a visit with longtime blindness advocate Anil Lewis, Executive Director of Blindness Initiatives of the National Federation of the Blind. Transcript available at blog.FreedomScientific.com

FSCast 242, a demo of PictureSmart AI, and a visit with Anil Lewis

On FSCast 241, guest host Mohammed Laachir introduces us to the world of accessible gaming.  He'll visit with Jesse Anderson, who runs the IllegallySighted YouTube channel, to talk about some of the games that you can play if you're blind or low vision.  Then Mohammed talks with NightBlade, who runs an annual Game Jam to get sighted developers excited about accessibility.   Links and transcript available at blog.FreedomScientific.com/FSCast.

FSCast 230, Major Scotty Smiley discusses his life, and Dr. Michele McDonnall with results of the AT In The Workplace study

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