ViewPoints with Nancy and Pete Torpey

ViewPoints 1222 Orca, Gnome and Accessibility in Linux

podcasts@wxxi.org (WXXI Reachout Radio) — Wed, 30 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

This week's show focuses on the Orca screen reader, the Gnome desktop and how accessibility works in Linux. Join hosts Nancy Goodman Torpey and Peter Torpey as they talk with Joanmarie Diggs and Alejandro Pineiro, two of the lead developers about what's under the hood, how it got there and how you can help improve it.

ViewPoints 1221 Canoeing through the Florida jungle

podcasts@wxxi.org (WXXI Reachout Radio) — Wed, 23 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Hosts Nancy Goodman Torpey and Peter Torpey spoke with Jose Tamayo shortly after he returned from a 65 mile canoe trip through the Florida jungle. The trip turned out to be even more exciting and eventful than anybody could have expected. As the only blind member of the party, Jose's unique skills were a valuable asset.

ViewPoints 1220 Touch Memo Digital Audio Labeler

podcasts@wxxi.org (WXXI Reachout Radio) — Wed, 16 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

The Touch Memo digital audio labeling system consists of a pen-sized recorder and 3 styles of reusable labels. Hosts Nancy and Pete Torpey interview user Tina Hansen about it and differences from the PenFriend, including demonstrations of its main functions. We'll also discuss using Skype or a cell phone camera to ask a friend what something is.

ViewPoints 1219 Teaching Science to Visually Impaired Youth

podcasts@wxxi.org (WXXI Reachout Radio) — Wed, 09 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Laboratory experiments are an important part of science education. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey speak with Marilyn Winograd and Lillian Rankel about techniques and tools they've developed to enable visually impaired students to participate fully. They also discuss efforts to spread this around the world, including a book of experiments to do at home.

ViewPoints 1218 Birding by Ear

podcasts@wxxi.org (WXXI Reachout Radio) — Wed, 02 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

It's more interesting to listen to birds if you know something about them and more exciting if you can identify them by their songs. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey speak with Dave Engebretson, a blind amateur ornithologist about the joys of birding and how a blind person can get started. We'll play and analyze some bird songs from on-line resources.

ViewPoints 1217 Sport Camps for Visually Impaired Children

podcasts@wxxi.org (WXXI Reachout Radio) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

ViewPoints #1217 Sport Camps for Visually Impaired Children.

ViewPoints 1216 Hot Spot Clicker Utility

podcasts@wxxi.org (WXXI Reachout Radio) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

HotSpotClicker is a free set of JAWS scripts you can use with any application for increased accessibility. You can define locations on the screen where mouse clicks need to be performed, or where there is information you want spoken, and associate that location with a hot key. Hosts Pete and Nancy Torpey speak with Jim Snowbarger who created HSC.

ViewPoints 1215 Audio Description at Live Theater

podcasts@wxxi.org (WXXI Reachout Radio) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

If you can't see the action on the stage, audio description fills in the gaps and helps you know what's going on. This week hosts Nancy Goodman Torpey and Peter Torpey visit their regional theater company and talk to the people who make it happen. Learn what's involved in creating an audio described performance and experience one with them.

ViewPoints 1212 Highlights from CSUN 2012 part 2

podcasts@wxxi.org (WXXI Reachout Radio) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 04:00:00 GMT

ViewPoints 1211 and 1212 feature highlights from the 27th Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference (often called CSUN) held 2/27 to 3/3/12 in San Diego. Hosts Peter and Nancy Torpey speak with several attendees about what's exciting in access technology including new or upcoming products and research for future ones.

ViewPoints 1211 Highlights from CSUN 2012 part 1

podcasts@wxxi.org (WXXI Reachout Radio) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 04:00:00 GMT

ViewPoints 1210 Mac Accessibility

podcasts@wxxi.org (WXXI Reachout Radio) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Apple computers have accessibility built in to the operating system. Zoom is a magnifier and VoiceOver is a screen reader. Each is as powerful as commercial products for Windows. Hosts Peter Torpey and Nancy Goodman Torpey speak with Mike Arrigo about features of both and demonstrate VoiceOver working with the desktop and the web.

ViewPoints 1209 Training and Raising Guide Dogs

podcasts@wxxi.org (WXXI Reachout Radio) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Hosts Peter Torpey and Nancy Goodman Torpey speak with Pam Boy, who is raising her 6th guide dog puppy. We'll discuss what's involved in making a guide dog, from breeding to final graduation with each dog's "forever person". Almost from birth, guide dogs need to learn very important skills and behaviors. We'll also meet Pam's current puppy, Casey.

ViewPoints 1208 Seroteks Products and Services

podcasts@wxxi.org (WXXI Reachout Radio) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Hosts Nancy Goodman Torpey and Peter Torpey talk with Lisa Salinger and Jamie Pauls of Serotek about some of their products and services. These include the System Access screen reader, System Access Mobile Network (SAMNET), iBlink Radio, Accessible Event, DocuScan Plus and others.

ViewPoints 1207 The Blind Post web-site and newsletter

podcasts@wxxi.org (WXXI Reachout Radio) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

The Blind Post is a great way to find or sell items specifically useful to the visually impaired. Both the web-site and newsletter contain classified ads, announcements, articles and tips from the Food Lady. Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey interview Lori Motis who maintains the Blind Post and get tips about accessible web hosting and bulk e-mail tools.

ViewPoints 1206 American Printing House for the Blind Product Development

podcasts@wxxi.org (WXXI Reachout Radio) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Hosts Nancy Goodman Torpey and Peter Torpey speak with Larry Skutchan, a software engineer in the research department at the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) about some current and upcoming products including the Braille Plus 18 and upgrades to the BookPort Plus. They also discuss one of Larry's favorite hobbies, bowling for the blind.

ViewPoints 1205 Navigating cities and beyond

podcasts@wxxi.org (WXXI Reachout Radio) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey speak with speak with Claudia Folska whose research involves how the visually impaired navigate in man-made environments. Applications of her research include ways to make it safer to do so. In addition, she founded EyeCycle, an organization that arranges for group tandem rides with blind stokers.

ViewPoints 1204 Enabling the Blind to Use Touch Screens

podcasts@wxxi.org (WXXI Reachout Radio) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

This week hosts Peter Torpey and Nancy Goodman Torpey talk about some ongoing research aimed at enabling the visually impaired to successfully use touch screens that haven't been adapted for the blind. They speak with Shaun Kane about several studies he's done, including one with which he participated in the international Imagine Cup.

ViewPoints 1203 Extreme Sports for the Blind - Skiing

podcasts@wxxi.org (WXXI Reachout Radio) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Staci Manella is a visually impaired skier whose goal is to participate in the 2014 Paralympics with her guide and coach Kim Seevers. Hosts Peter Torpey and Nancy Goodman Torpey talk with them about how they train, what aids they use and how they ski at speeds up to 55 MPH. They also discuss how to find an adaptive ski program for you.

ViewPoints 1202 Employment and Training at ABVI

podcasts@wxxi.org (WXXI Reachout Radio) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

This week's show complements show #1148 about services at Rochester, NY's Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI). Hosts Peter Torpey and Nancy Goodman Torpey tour employment and training venues including orientation and mobility, manufacturing, food services and call centers. They also attended the recent ABVI technology expo.

ViewPoints 1201 Optical Character Recognition with OpenBook

podcasts@wxxi.org (WXXI Reachout Radio) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) can be used to read documents and prepare them for editing. Hosts Peter Torpey & Nancy Goodman Torpey talk with Dusty Vorhees of Freedom Scientific about features of OpenBook. They'll show how it interfaces with the Pearl camera to process printed documents and how it works on its own with electronic files.