The Blind Side

Last week’s podcast in which Sue Martin recounted her American Airlines horror story has been the topic of much conversation.

This week, we’ve put together a selection of airline experiences and reaction that has poured in via email, audio message and Mushroom FM’s call-in show, A Cuppa at the Mosens.

Don’t forget, you can support The Blind Side podcast by checking out and subscribing to HMA VPN. http://mosen.org/hma

We talk disability discrimination and ignorance at the hands of airlines on this episode.

Jonathan recounts a less than optimal experience he and Bonnie recently had with a New Zealand airline, Jetstar.

He then speaks with Sue Martin, who was the victim of repeated violations of US federal law, humiliation and intimidation by American Airlines.

Penny Reeder, President of Guide Dog Users Incorporated, joins Jonathan to discuss Sue’s experience and the state of airline travel for blind people in general.

Know your rights. If you’re in the United States, or you ever travel there, read this summary from the US Department of Transportation of the Air Carrier Access Act.

https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/passengers-disabilities

Support the Blind Side by checking out HMA VPN. http://mosen.org/hma

Please support The Blind Side by checking out HMA VPN. http://www.mosen.org/hma

You’re sound asleep, when you’re awakened by the ground shaking violently. Objects are falling off shelves, and your dog is terrified, as are you. Are you ready for a natural disaster, and what are the things blind people need to be prepared for in such an eventuality?

Jonathan Mosen speaks with Dr Gretchen Good of Massey University, who is part of a team that has completed research on the impact of the Christchurch earthquakes on some of the blind people who live through them. We discuss specific things you should be doing to prepare for a natural disaster.

We often hear stories of academic institutions making it difficult for blind people to pursue their studies, so it’s great to share a good news story. Kayla Weathers has graduated from Dalton State College in Georgia with a BA in English Literature. The College went that extra mile, and created a beautiful Braille diploma [...]

Please support The Blind Side by checking out the services from the great team at HMA VPN, to secure your Internet and tear down the walls of geoblocking. http://www.mosen.org/HMA

On the podcast this week, many in the blind community were dismayed to learn of the imminent demise of the Roger Walkie-Talkie app for iOS and Android. With it’s superb audio quality, unlimited message length and simple group features, it’s brought blind people together and fostered new friendships.

Now that it’s going, its users are looking for alternatives, and this episode discusses a bunch. Jonathan Mosen is joined by Rachel Feinberg and Anthony Horvath, both assistive technology specialists. We’ll look at a range of voice messaging apps and how none of them quite does what Roger did. We’ll help you work out which option may be best for you.

Who couldn’t use a little extra cash? If you’re a BlindSquare user and have a story to tell about ho [...]

Born in Ukraine when it was still part of the Soviet Union, Victor Tsaran had no idea as a child that he would one day move to the United States, see his life transformed by computers, and work for some of the leading tech companies in Silicon Valley, making the world a more accessible place.

Nowadays, Victor is Technical Program Manager, Accessibility Initiatives at Google.

Victor tells Jonathan Mosen about his extraordinary life, and they have a candid conversation about the state of Android accessibility.

The podcast closes with a song by Victor, who is a talented musician.

In 2013,. Kim Charlson was elected unopposed as the first female President of the American Council of the Blind (ACB), making her the first woman to be elected as President of a blind consumer advocacy organisation in the United States.

In this extended interview, Jonathan Mosen talks with Kim about what makes her tick, what she perceives to be the accomplishments of her presidency so far, what she still hopes to achieve, and whether she thinks ACB and NFB will ever reunite.

You’ve saved up and waited patiently for tickets to the popular musical “Hamilton” on Broadway, only to find that there are no audio described performances available. You’re therefore concerned that you’ll not be able to enjoy it as fully as everyone else. What do you do?

If you’re Mark Lasser, you encourage those responsible to offer at least some audio described performances. When that fails, you file a lawsuit seeking a change. Mark joins us on The Blind Side to discuss his legal action.

With a smartphone in your pocket, you have an abundant bookshelf. With so many apps and services out there, it can be confusing to know which apps to use when, and which services provide the most accessible experience in any given situation. Judy Dixon has written a book called “The Abundant Bookshelf” published by national Braille Press, to make sense of it all.

And following our repost of Tara Briggs’s interview with Jon [...]

We begin The Blind Side for 2017 by turning the tables on the show host.

Jonathan Mosen provided some advice to Tara Briggs when she was establishing her podcast, Ability Stories. Recently, Tara reached out to Jonathan and asked if she could record an interview with him.

While the subject matter is wide-ranging, this interview is notable for covering a subject Jonathan hasn’t been interviewed about before, his atheism. Jonathan deconverted from Christianity almost 30 years ago, and describes himself as a proud atheist, confident and comfortable with the world view he follows.

Join Tara as she explores a subject important to Jonathan that no other podcast interview has covered.

It’s the final episode of The Blind Side Podcast for 2016. Thanks for being a listener.

We begin with a reminder to join in the fun and vote for your top 10 holiday songs, ahead of Mushroom FM’s holiday countdown and Christmas party on Sunday 18 December. The link to cast your vote is: http://www.MushroomFm.com/countdown2016

Have you ever considered starting your own business? Or perhaps you have one already and want to take it to the next level. Our featured guest is Colleen Wunderlich, Director of the Forsythe Center for Employment and Entrepreneurship at the Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually impaired. We learn about her own interesting career, what she’s doing at Hadley to help blind people start and grow businesses, and how you can gain some funding to grow or start a business with the 2017 New Venture Competition.

Learn more about this great opportunity, open to US residents, at http://www.hadley.edu/nvc

Bonnie and Jonatha [...]

Mosen Consulting has published a new book by Jackie Brown. “Braille on Display” is a handy buyer’s guide covering most of the Braille products available today. It’s packed with useful facts as well as the author’s views on the Braille technology she’s reviewed.

Jonathan Mosen speaks with Jackie to learn a bit about her and a lot about her great new book.

You can purchase it from: http://mosen.org/BrailleOnDisplay