Hello faithful listeners, and of course those who are joining us for the first time. It’s a bumpy ride, so fasten your seatbelts!

This week, Óran regales us with the antics of his guide dog, Larry, who wanted to do his own bit of trick or treating for Halloween, and why not!

Stuart has a free and very powerful tool to keep all your passwords safe and secure for those who use any apple devices.

Clare Whelan is back to talk sequencing in UEB. If you don't what that is, don't worry, we didn't either!

We meet Otis Stroup from Baltimore, who talks amongst other things about accessible voting in the US, how music has been central in his life and how it’s not just guide dogs that are impacted by Halloween-related noises!

Stuart binge watched Netflix's Bly Manor and has completely reversed his opinion of that show since our last episode.

Clodagh is back to read more email, and the guys talk accessible emoji, stickers in messages, we give a big thumbs up to the Queen's Gambit on Netflix and, who wants some Blind Guys Chat Merchandise?

Please don't forget to share this podcast with your friends, and we would love it if you'd submit a review on our podcast via your favourite podcasting platform. Thank you!

Contact the Blind Guys at BlindGuysChat@gmail.com, or find them on Twitter - @BlindGuysChat. You can also subscribe to their mailing list to find out about new and upcoming shows: tinyurl.com/BlindGuysChat.

Hello our dear subjects! Before we start the show proper, we have a little treat. The wonderful Veronika Hyks is recording a series of descriptions leading up to the royal coronation of King Charles III called ‘Countdown to the Coronation’, and she has very kindly given us permission to share the first one with you. So please sit back and enjoy. And do let us know what you think!   Stuart and Óran are delighted that, at long last, the warm weather has come to Ireland, and they can now take off their thermals. Not so for poor Jan, who with his family are still suffering cold damp conditions in the land of windmills.   We left discussion of the Annual CSUN Assistive Technology Conference until Stuart came back, mostly because Óran and Jan were too lazy to do any research, but as it turns out there wasn’t much going on at the event, even though it was well attended.   Stuart has come up with an interesting way of using ChatGPT: Do you ever get long meandering emails? Well, why not put the text into ChatGPT and ask it to summarise the mail! Great tip, eh?!   Have you heard of “Seeing AI” from Microsoft? It appears they have a new channel called “World” which allows users to map a route and then play it back to navigate to that location. But Óran wants to know how it all works, and why oh why are these apps not pairing with camera-glasses so you don’t have to hold your phone out in the middle of a street and risk having it stolen?   Stuart has a callout for those of you who use WinAmp. They have launched a new version of this geeky application, but Stuart can’t find a download option on the WinAmp website. Can you help?   In TV corner, we are talking about Unstable (not Unbalanced, Óran!). Also, Colin from Accounts, The Night Agent, Beef, Transatlantic, Succession, Ted Lasso, and The Last Thing He Told Me. Phew – that’s a lot of couch time!   Clodagh has emails and a tweet. Someone was not happy about us talking about electric cars, someone else thinks Jan is a stud, and Jenny thinks we are doing a great job with the show and the show titles and notes.   So, clean off the garden furniture, charge up your phone, pour yourself a nice glass of Pimms, and listen to the number 1 podcast as voted by happy summer honeybees: Blind Guys Chat. (8 out of 10 U.S. Presidents prefer it to being president.)          

Notes go here

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello dear listeners. Well, with the fall of the Dutch government being a direct result of Jan and Sjef's influence, we begin the show looking for an account of the events that have led the people of the Netherlands into another election. We bring you the full facts and the reasons that brought about this historic event.(Spoiler alert. We don't really!!)   Stuart has news about Sight Village which is happening in Birmingham shortly and he an Jan did a webinar recently for Sight and Sound on the evolution of the screen reader JAWS but they didn’t get this approved by their line manager/producer/Óran. …not that he is bitter or anything about being left out of this fantastic event. Anyway, let’s move on. Harrumph.   In other news: Stuart and Jan have both found an issue with what seems to be the latest version of Zoom. It looks like the “Share computer sound option” when sharing your screen has gone missing. Have you found the same issue? In other news, Óran seems to have lost all his saved emails in Outlook; do Jan and Stuart have any solutions?   Professor John Sweeney makes a welcome return to the podcast. As you will be aware the Very Reverend Professor John knows absolutely everything about climate and climate change and his chat with the guys was so good that we decided to make it a two-parter, so this week you will hear part #1. Tune in on the 27th July for the second part.   In TV Corner, we are recommending ‘Hijack’ on Apple TV and Clodagh’s favourite show, not really, Suits on Netflix. Jan is also wondering if there is AD available on the movie End of Days. He is heading off to Normandy and wants to watch the movie before he “fights them on the beaches”. We also have great news about ‘The Crown’ Season 5.   In a new departure, the guys are going back to basics. We are talking about keyboards and if they use any bumpons to quickly navigate a qwerty keyboard?   Derry Lawler is on the email machine and has done some research for the Blind Guys regarding the smell of lightening. He also has some advice for those of us who have a Netflix subscription.  

Phew, it’s an action-packed show this week folks, so get your voting cards ready and remember to vote early and often for the number 1 podcast as recently voted by Dogs who love dogs magazine: Blind Guys Chat!

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Welcome to the Christmas 2020 bumper edition of the BlindGuysChat podcast. We’re back, and all feeling merry and happy, as we take you with us for what is a longer than normal show, so be warned!

You’ll be familiar, if you listen regularly, with the warm female voiceover at the start of each of our shows, welcoming you in and introducing the Blind Guys. Well, that’s the voice of the lovely Jan Ní Fhlanagáin, and she’s come along this week to hang out with the Blind Guys, along with Clodagh, who has joined us for the entire show!

Now, just to add to the confusion that is the BlindGuysChat, our own Jan (pronounced Yan) and our guest Jan, spell their names the same, but of course they are pronounced differently; So what happens when Jan meets Yan?

As well as finding out a little about Jan and her wonderful ‘You OK?’ podcast, we play Jan and Jan’s true or false game, with Clodagh keeping an eye on the scores. Óran and Stuart battle it out and these guys, it turns out, are rather competitive!

We had a few listeners asking about Christmas traditions in the Netherlands and who better to ask to tell us more than Jan himself!

Christmas is always a time for flaking out in front of the TV, and Óran and Clodagh are recommending the West Wing, a show that while it does not have audio description, should be very easy to follow. Stuart’s going to check it out and will report back. Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ has a number of audio described movies showing over the festive season and Óran highlights a few for us.

We’d been hearing for a while about the Spinrockers, a group from the Texas School for the Blind. Well, it turns out they are ultra-cool and they’ve been doing some really innovative things to help people learn keyboard shortcuts, by making up very catchy songs! They’re here to hang out with us and have a chat.

The whole team have been on tenterhooks since the start of the show, waiting for a phone call from the North Pole. When it comes, well, just keep listening to find out what happens when we’re joined on the show by Santa himself.

This episode is also peppered with some lovely Christmas greetings from some of our previous guests, and we thank them very much for their very kind words.

Finally, a BlindGuysChat episode would not be complete without Clodagh’s emails, complete with a new jingle!

BlindGuysChat returns on January 13th and in the meantime, we wish you a happy, peaceful and safe Christmas, and a much brighter and happier new year. Thanks for listening!

Read transcript

Hello our little spring butterflies and welcome to episode 94 of BGC. Our guest host on this show is our good friend Nora Nagle, who joins us all the way from Boston, Massachusetts. Nora's retired guide dog, Larry, is also making an appearance every now and again with woofs and pleas for treats.

Nora has just returned from a world tour of Miami beach where her husband was able to give her a very detailed review of the local wildlife and their different coloured thongs. Jan and Óran may need a minute or two here for a short break.

We move swiftly onto this year’s CSUN conference which was in Anaheim, California. Óran is intrigued by 'JAWS Kiosk' which is already rolling out in the USA. This development allows blind and low vision customers to interact with the ordering stations in, for example a MacDonald's outlet, simply by plugging in their headset where a screen reader will provide feedback just like using an Apple or Android smartphone. Brilliant!

Jan is very interested in a prototype product called Glide, a self-guided mobility aid: the device uses "real-time data from an array of advanced sensors, and autonomously steers the way. It maps the best routes, identifies targets of interest, and avoids obstacles to get you safely to your destination." Apparently, it looks a little like a vacuum cleaner so you can vacuum up the pavements while you are walking to your location. Óran is also interested in the Orbit Q20 and Q40 Braille displays which offer 20 or 40 braille cells with a QWERTY keypad. Come on Vispero... get with the program!

Ever heard of "Birding by ear"? Ever wanted to know what birds are keeping you awake in the morning? Well then try this app Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University. Nora and Larry highly recommend it.

Our guest this week is Marcel Janssen from The Netherlands. Marcel is the Director of Education at Royal Visio, the Dutch centre of expertise for blind and low vision people. Marcel has been working in education for 40 years and is responsible for the education of 2500 visually impaired students and 5 schools in the Netherlands. Unfortunately for Marcel, he was responsible for looking after Jan during their 2 trips to Nigeria in the early and mid 2000's. Marcel is also involved with the organising of the tactile reading and graphics conference which is being held in Amsterdam in June 2025. The conference brings together people within the tactile reading field, academics, and practitioners, to share knowledge and ideas, and provides a forum for international collaboration. And if that wasn't enough, Marcel is also responsible for creating Braille chocolate letters in the Netherlands.

Nora has a tip for Mohamed regarding dates and Clodagh has emails from Olivia who is not very happy with Óran, and another email from " RuPatrick".

So strip down to your flooded thongs, throw your towel on a deckchair, and get ready to soak up the wonderful nontoxic rays of the coolest podcast this side of a jewel-encrusted Miami drug dealer’s wife: Blind Guys Chat

5 out of 10 turkeys prefer it to slamming into buildings. Gobble, gobble!

Links for items in this show: CSUM: https://www.csun.edu/cod/conference/sessions/ Glide: https://glidance.io/ Orbit Q20 & Q40: https://www.orbitresearch.com/product/orbit-reader-q40/#content Birding by ear: https://tinyurl.com/MerlinBirdID Tactile reading conference: https://tactilereading.yellenge.nl/ American Braille challenge: https://brailleinstitute.org/braille-challenge/ Braille chocolate: https://www.purdys.com/assorted-chocolate-braille-gift-box-18-pc

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello our favourite tech geniuses! We start with some good news. Yes, Mali, the Bernese Mountain dog who was missing for 2 weeks, has been rescued from a 61-metre-high cliff edge on an island off the coast of Donegal. She ran off during a storm but now she has been reunited with her humans and went home for a big dinner and a snooze - yaaaay!!   Óran has had enough of the terrible Irish summer and has decided to move to The Netherlands where it always seems to be warm. Clodagh has her patient face on. Meanwhile, we've got news on Seeing AI's object detector. (Maybe it'll help Óran find the sun?) And Jan is looking forward to IOS 18. Will Siri be any better...? We sure hope so, cos she’s pretty useless right now!   Our guest this week is a talented young woman named Maura Moore-McCune from County Meath in Ireland. Maura is here to tell us about a mobile app she is developing called Vision Impaired Person's Moving Object Detector (VIPMOD) which can detect nearby moving vehicles. This will be especially handy if you want to check it's safe to cross at a junction, or if you are not sure if you can hear an approaching electric vehicle. Maura was invited to present her work on VIPMOD at the ‘MIT AI & Education Summit’ in Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston, where she won the top prize for Community Impact – congratulations Maura! If you would like to be a beta tester for this app, email: vipmod.info@gmail.com with your details. Maura would be delighted to have you involved when beta testing starts.   Clodagh has news on some calendar dates worth noting, like Colour Blindness Awareness Day on September 6th, and a 24-hour inclusive design event on September 12th.   So, enjoy hanging out in Belfast while your cruise ship gets serviced, don't tell that Russian spy whale where you hide the chocolate, and instead make your way safely to the sunny side of the street while listening to Blind Guys Chat. 17 out of 20 electric scooters prefer it to being in stealth mode.   Links in this show: Email to become a beta tester for the VIPMOD app: vipmod.info@gmail.com MIT App Inventor coding system: https://appinventor.mit.edu/ SciFest: https://scifest.ie/ CYTI at DCU: https://www.dcu.ie/ctyi Colour Blindness: http://www.colourblindnessawareness.org/

Inclusive Design event: https://inclusivedesign24.org/2024/

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Read transcript

Hello our little butterflies and thank you for tuning into this week’s show. At long last we are a family again as Stuart managed to bribe his sherpas to come back up the mountain and rescue him from the flagpole. They then drop kicked him all the way over to the BGC studio just in time to record this episode with us.   As usual the guys are talking about the weather and in particular storm ‘Betty’ which roared through Ireland over the weekend. Have you any weather stories? Let us know by emailing blindguyschat@gmail.com.   Stuart has purchased a new iPhone 12 SE and is loving the return of a home button. But is it an upgrade or downgrade and is Jan tempted to make a purchase also?   Are passwords about to become a thing of the past? Apparently, Microsoft, Apple and Google are all working together on an alternative to pesky passwords. What do you think? Will it ever happen? Óran really hopes so, cos he hates Microsoft Authenticator for its lack of proper accessibility.   Does your guide doggy get distracted? Well Jade McCormack, Jan and Óran have a chat about this topic and would be very interested to hear from anyone who is having similar problems. It would be great to hear any good ideas around how to deal with distracted doggies, and the people/things who distract them. Share your stories here: blindguyschat@gmail.com.   In TV corner, Stuart and Óran are talking about ‘Hijack’ on Apple TV and ‘The 6th Commandment’ on BBC.   Clodagh has news on Braille gift cards available from Marks and Spencers: https://corporate.marksandspencer.com/media/press-releases/ms-rolls-out-braille-range-including-industry-first-gift-card.   The guys are in trouble with a new listener, as we forgot to post the link to Nora Casey’s Van de Graaff yokey in the last episode’s show notes, so here it is: https://www.mos.org/live-presentations/lightning. Sorry listeners, but better late than never, right?!   Kevin Farrell is wondering if the Blind Guys are being head hunted by RTÉ? In case you didn’t hear there was a bit of trouble recently involving a presenter and it seems the Blind Guys could be taking over a radio slot, and maybe even a major chat show -  woohoo!   Finally, do you want a laugh? Have a listen to this very funny air traffic controller’s after dinner speech that Óran mentioned during the show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqm73DLtwD0&ab_channel=twan1945   So, strip off your radioactive suit; stop pumping plutonium into the Yellow Sea; and get ready for the most listened to podcast on the moon: Blind Guys Chat!   17 out of 20 Russian space probes prefer it to crashing and burning on the moon’s surface.  

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello dear Blind Guys Chatters - it’s time for your favourite podcast. We begin the show with some very sad news. Our friend Danlami Bashru from Nigeria has sadly passed away. Danlami was our first guest on the podcast back in September 2020, and we would like to dedicate this week’s show to him. Danlami was an erudite, highly educated man, and a great advocate for blind and vision impaired people throughout his beloved Nigeria. The Blind Guys were honoured that he agreed to come onto the show and chat with us. After a little reminiscing about our friend Danlami, we move on with the show to discuss our favourite topic - the weather. Poor Jan has been melting away in 30 degree heat - that's Celsius of course. There are no flies on Sjef though; he’s in the bathroom lounging in a bath of ice. Stuart has actually spent some money - he handed over his chauffeur’s yearly salary for a months subscription to Chat GPT. Was it worth it? Spoiler alert - no, not really, but he does give the new Chat GPT IOS app the thumbs up. Our guest this week is Oleg Shevkun. Oleg grew up in Leningrad and Moscow before taking a pitstop in Dallas before finally settling in Germany. He works as a tester at Vispero and is here to tell us all about his life and how he ended up working there. Clodagh has an email from our friend Gary in South Africa. Gary has taken the time to do a great demo of the Seeing AI app. In his demo we get to see what is in his fridge, and before you guess, Stuart, it's not beer! Finally, we end where we began, and have put together a little montage of our interview with Danlami Bashru from episode 2 of Blind Guys Chat. If you would like to listen to the full episode again, you'll find it here: : https://pnc.st/s/blind-guys-chat/3ffab55fc9c24603/002-dogs-drains-and-the-dreaded-double-d- We would like to offer our sincere sympathies to Danlami's family. May he rest in peace.  

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello our little hibernating hedgehogs. We hope you are well and remembered to put the clocks back last Sunday.   We start this week's show off with some exercise, as after the recording our own Jonas Vingegaard A.K.A., Jan was setting off cycling in preparation for his participation in the first ever Tour de Underwater Volcanos. Let's hope he can find Nemo, eh?!   Stuart has news about the new Windows 11 update. Apparently one of the cool new things will be the ability to set audio levels per application and there is also a new feature called Windows co-pilot. It seems this pilot can fly you anywhere it wants to go. Sadly, that might not be the location where you actually want to go, but hey, it's the thought that counts.   Also, there’s a new update to Chat GPT which means that it should be capable of integration into Siri, which could mean you can pretty much replace Siri on iPhone if you desire. You can read more about it by clicking on this link: https://bgr.com/tech/you-can-replace-siri-with-chatgpt-on-your-iphone-heres-how/   Will you be upgrading to JAWS 2024? Jan has news on the latest version which includes a new cool feature called "Face in View" which means people will no longer see your bald patch or the dirty laundry behind you during an online meeting. To activate Face in View (only for Jaws 2024 users), press the layered keystroke, INSERT+SPACEBAR, followed by F, and then O.   We continue our series on guide dogs this week and are joined by Cliodhna Ni Laoghaire from Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. Cliodhna (pronounced Cliona) has been a guide dog instructor and trainer in IGD for 17 years so there is very little she doesn't know about training guide dogs. Cliodhna talks us through the process of training these little superheroes from puppies through to adulthood. Sjef & Larry, listen up: Cliodhna might have some tips for you. No TIPS not TREATS silly billies!   ..and don't forget you can make a donation here: https://www.guidedogs.ie/ways-to-help/donate and find out more about guide dogs at : https://www.guidedogs.ie/   In TV corner we are recommending ‘Lessons in Chemistry’ on Apple TV, and Clodagh has become rather fond of 'Bodies' on Netflix. And in a change to our scheduled programming, Mr Jan Bloem is recommending 'Beckham'. Can you believe that! Jan actually watched a TV programme! We also have news on the upcoming last series of ‘The Crown’, part 1 of season 6 will air on Netflix on November 16 with part 2 publishing on December 14.   Finally, if you are heading to Sight Village South East on November 7, keep a lookout, or should that be an ear out!?! for Blind Guys Chat – the whole cast will be there, and Óran or Clodagh might point a microphone in your general direction for a quick word.   So, finish up your bath and shake yourself off like a wet dog of a Thursday evening. Head down to the fire and get nice and toastie - ready for the number one podcast on Wimbledon Common: Blind Guys Chat. 38 out of 40 chopper bikes prefer it to wheelies.

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello dear listeners. The Blind Guys are flying out of the Blind Guys Chat nest again this week and we are all off to the UK. Jan and Stuart will be selling their wares at Sight village in Birmingham, while Clodagh and Óran are off to the home of The Beatles. What better place to learn about the history of the Fab Four but also go to a gig in the form of ‘The Eagles’. Yay!

Speaking of gigs, did you tune in to Glastonbury? Stuart and Óran are chatting about Paul McCartney and Billie Eilish who were playing on the Pyramid stage. Jan has spent the weekend going from one party to another and there was even a special birthday party for his guide dog Sjef who turned 5 years old. Did he blow out his candles or just eat them?

Don’t come between Stuart and a sandwich, as he tells us about his recent trip coming back from the UK. He dismissed the lovely lady who wanted to bring him to the gate because he wasn’t finished his sambo. He was lucky he wasn’t thrown into the Thames for such insolence.

In TV Corner we start with some great news, the wonderful Veronika Hyks has been asked to audio describe series 5 of ‘The Crown’. The show should be hitting Netflix around November. So maybe it’s a good idea to revisit the series dear listeners and soak in that wonderfully described series featuring Veronika’s dulcet tones. Stuart is recommending a show on Netflix called ‘You Don’t Know Me’ which is audio described but hold on until we get his soapbox as the show tune lover has an axe to grind with Netflix 🙄. Óran is giving a shout out to ‘Suspect’ which is on Channel 4 and also ‘For All Mankind’; ahem, not one of Clodagh’s favourites.

Speaking of Clodagh she has 2 emails this week, one of which is a very special poem written for The Blind Guys by our good friend Otis Stroup.

All this and more from the number 1 podcast this side of the Mersey River.

So, pack up your tent, make your way home from Glastonbury, take a nice hot shower and settle down to have a listen to Blind Guys Chat. It’s better than an English scone.

Don’t forget: •       Please rate and review us on your chosen podcasting platform. •       We'd love to know what you'd like us to talk about in upcoming shows; send us your suggestions by email: blindguyschat@gmail.com •       Don't forget you can send us your Blindie Tips and other thoughts by email also on blindguyschat@gmail.com •       If you’d like to support the podcast, you can treat the Blind Guys to a coffee by clicking the link below.

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello our favourite A.I. bots! We hope you are well, and are looking forward to another fantastic episode of Blind Guys Chat. We begin this week’s show with a health warning, or should that be a sandwich warning!?! Yes, it seems that Sjef was a bit of a bold doggy during the week, as he managed to get his mouth around a sandwich belonging to one of Jan's colleagues. However, it looks like Sjef won’t be imprisoned any time soon as there was no evidence of a crime having been committed. Yes, Sjef is keeping his mouth shut on this mystery. Clever boy! Not even Sherlock Holmes could solve this one!

Our guest this week is Jesse Wienholts. Jesse works for Royal Dutch Visio in the Netherlands. He brings the Guys up to speed on upcoming innovations for blind and vision impaired people. He has tested out many new products, including 'Glidance' a prototype guide dog; this one doesn't eat sandwiches apparently! He also talks about the multiline braille display 'Monarch', as well as the upcoming Envision Assistant and a new GPS app called 'Voice Vision'. He has also been playing a game called 'Top Speed' and we ask, are video games for blind players really just about pressing buttons with no real sense of immersion?

It's a welcome return to our former co-host Mr Stuart Lawler who is back on the show fresh from his bed because he has been burning the candle at both ends due to the International Conference on English Braille being held in New Zealand. Thanks for staying up late Stuart, now give us the skinny on this year’s ICEB.

And for those of you looking for an assistive tech bargain - Humanware and Sight and Sound currently have a sale on.

So, forget about the fact the longest day of the year is behind us. Forget that fact that you still don't have a holiday booked, and instead remember all you really need is to sit down with a cuppa joe and listen to the most informative podcast this side of a polar bear sliding down a glacier: Blind Guys Chat. 6 out of 10 robot guide dogs prefer it to eating electrodes!

Links for this show: · Royal Dutch Visio: https://enviter.eu/members/royal-dutch-visio/ · Glidance: https://glidance.io/ · Monarch: https://www.humanware.com/en-usa/monarch · Envision Assistant: https://envision-assistant.com/ · Voice Vision in Apple Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/voicevista/id6450388413 · Top Speed: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tbegames.and.top_speed_racing&hl=en_IE&pli=1

· Humanware sale: https://store.humanware.com/heu/promotion

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Read transcript

Hey folks, wanna know how the Eurovision song contest 2023 from Liverpool is going? Well here is the first report from our good friend Kevin Sherwin. Kevin has all the info on the preview show prior to the semi final tonight. It's a great report so go on and give it a listen before you settle down with a nice cuppa and watch the semi final.

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello our little autumn leaves and welcome to the show. Have you been watching or listening to the Rugby World Cup matches? Óran is delighted that Ireland managed to win victory over South Africa, aka The Springboks (sorry Gary Hough like cough). Óran is also hoping that the Scots cry like little girls once Ireland trash them this coming Saturday (sorry Blind Gordon).

…Anyway on with the show:

U2 are back on the scene folks! And instead of losing their money on the slots in Las Vegas like normal people they apparently found a huge football, called it The Sphere, set up the band gear and started playing some of their ancient songs. But! Here is Óran’s question: did they even think about accessibility? Or read his guidelines for sign language and audio description at rock events? Well let’s find out.

Our guest this week is Jakoline from the Netherlands. Jakoline is a guide dog puppy raiser and was the first person to introduce Jan to a guide dog. She talks to us about the puppy raising process in The Netherlands and why she does it. Perhaps after listening to Deirdre from episode 79 and Jakoline on this show, some of you might consider puppy raising a guide dog, even if just for a short while.

Clodagh’s email inbox is full to the brim and this week she has pulled out some gems for us. We have a query from Patty Murphy about accessing the podcast now that Google podcasts are shutting up shop; Pete Torkington has some lovely comments about the show (thanks Pete!) and he even gets a special blessing from Fr Stuart; Dave Nason has some comments and corrections about the new iPhone 15 and Sky Stream; and we find out if Derry Lawlor has written to Santa asking for a new iPhone.

Finally, Stuart has a little treat he would like to share with the whole world and he can find no better way, literally no better way 😢 to communicate this with the world other than through the medium of song, so stay tuned until the end.

So, put away the suntan lotion because summer is definitely gone. Take your thermals out of the airing cupboard, find a snuggle buddy to cling onto as the nights draw in, and hit play on the most ultimatish, supremeness, bigliest podcast this side of a bird dropping: Blind Guys Chat. 12 out of 16 gas stoves prefer it to electricity.

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello blind guys chatters! We start the show with a request for sighted partners who would like to take part in an interview this coming Thursday September 9. Clodagh is going to have a light-hearted chat about the trials and tribulations and funny experiences sighted partners have when living with someone with sight loss. Do you know someone who would like to take part? Email blindguyschat@gmail.com!

The guys are talking about the weather again. This time it’s about the names for the upcoming storm season. Will there be a Jan, Stuart or Óran or even a Hector from HR storm? Jan is worried about needing a snorkel soon to live in the Netherlands. He lives 5 meters below sea level and is wondering how much above sea level Dublin is. He might need that zipline to make his escape after all!

We are talking to musician and singer Nicky Kealy about his time working on a cruise ship, how he has been dealing with COVID-19 and about his guide dog Phoebe.

Óran is getting on his high horse (again – cue eye roll!) in our TV corner section. He feels the Blind Guys should talk about content that is badly audio described as well as content that is well described. Have you any thoughts on this? Let us know! Talking about well-described content, Óran also tells us about a new crime drama starting on RTÉ ONE this coming Sunday, Sep 12 at 21:30.

We’ve got emails from our Dublin correspondent, Derry, who tells us about his new podcast ‘The Book Lovers Show’ - give it a listen, it’s great. Stuart has a book recommendation of his own, 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard. Fred in Margate is sympathizing with what Clodagh must put up with when we are very cranky. Blind Gordon lets us know his views on Soundscape. Gary in South Africa has a very special gift for the guys and Óran has great news about his Apple Watch. Clare McLaughlin tells us about SÚIL, Lines of Longitude on Rathlin Island.

So lie back, switch on the autonomous self-drive mode on your couch, take the curlers out of your hair and slip into a vat of double whipped cream while you listen to the greatest show on earth: Blind Guys Chat.

Hello, our little sand dunes, and welcome to episode 118. Jan is just back from building his own pyramid in Egypt for his new summer house, and will be giving tours for all who would like one. So please form a disorderly line behind Larry!   Clodagh is very excited to hear that in Jan’s winter residence, there is an artificial ski slope called Snow World very nearby, and Óran is equally pleased that he can sit in a nice warm café, while Clodagh plays in the white stuff if they decide to visit.   Do you own a Tesla? Have you purchased your Bumper Sticker which says “I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy” yet? Seriously! It is a real thing! See it here: https://www.amazon.com/Tesla-Bumper-Sticker-Bought-Accessories/dp/B0C4KHKN4S   We have no emails this week, but we do want to give a BGC shout out to Grant, in Scotland, and students in Towson University, Maryland, USA. Do email us if you can. Clodagh is very lonely.   So, brush the sand out of your shoes, stop building sand castles, and settle in for a relaxing chat with a nice cuppa Jo, and Blind Guys Chat!   3 out of 5 Pyramids prefer it to standing in the sand.   Email us at: blindguyschat@gmail.com

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Read transcript

Welcome to another instalment of Blind Guys Chat. The Blind Guys are in top form once again, and Jan loves the Autumnal weather!

On this episode we’re meeting Robbie Forde from Dublin, who amongst other things, has been doing stand-up comedy and motivational speaking, proving that while he may be blind, he most certainly has vision.

Stuart had an incident recently where his fridge freezer stopped working, and he tells the other Blind Guys all about it.

Clare Whelan is back to talk lower J and the old BLE sign in our Braille Bite, and we preview the 7th General Assembly of the International Council on English Braille (ICEB), which takes place later in the month.

Finally, it wouldn’t be a Blind Guys Chat episode without Clodagh, who is back to read more emails this week, complete with her own brand new jingle!

Please don't forget to share this podcast with your friends, and we would love it if you'd submit a review on our podcast via your favourite podcasting platform. Thank you!

Contact the Blind Guys at BlindGuysChat@gmail.com, or find them on Twitter - @BlindGuysChat. You can also subscribe to their mailing list to find out about new and upcoming shows: tinyurl.com/BlindGuysChat.

Hello our favourite funny people, and welcome to episode 102 of BGC.

Since Jan is off on another holiday (we’re not at all jealous!) we devote the entire episode to our wonderful guest, Sydney May. Sydney lives in Brighton and works for the Thomas Pocklington Trust. But that's not all! Sydney is also a comedian and plays bass in her band - Torrid (A love affair). Check them out on Spotify (link here). Sydney is also an accessibility tester, and an inspirational speaker, and will be giving presentations around the UK during all the Sight Village events this year. And if all that is not enough, she’s also a football fan and a big supporter of Arsenal. It's a fun interview and Óran and Clodagh thoroughly enjoyed their chat with Sydney.   So, forget about stripping down to your diving trunks for now, and instead have a listen to the only Olympic gold medal event worth shouting for: Blind Guys Chat.   8 and a half out of 10 Olympic judo doers prefer it to two judo dojos.     Links mentioned in this show: The Thomas Pocklington Trust: https://www.pocklington.org.uk/ SeeingAI: https://www.seeingai.com/ Be my AI: https://www.bemyeyes.com/blog/introducing-be-my-ai InVideo AI: https://invideo.io/ Torrid (A love affair) on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/TorridAloveAffair Torrid (A love affair)’s album 'Poems from Mars': https://tinyurl.com/PoemsFromMars Sydney's social handle is @sydmaycoach on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/sydmaycoach/; on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/sydmaycoach; and on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW7n-Il5BR4PbDGIZ8u3BEA

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Read transcript

It’s our last Blind Guys Chat episode for the year and what better way to finish 2021 than having some of our listeners and guests all on the show. We’ve got representation from the US of A, Scotland, South Africa and even County Mayo this week. The Blind Guys have cooked up what they consider to be The Best Christmas Quiz in the Galaxy, which includes questions on London buses, and ham & cheese toasties. And our very special guest tells us which Blind Guys Chat jingle he prefers, spoiler alert, it’s not Stuart’s!   Yes, Santa says hello to all the boys and girls (especially Stuart’s son Adam and Jan’s kids Rosalie and Tycho). Santa tells us about what he has been up to all year, and asks Tycho to help him get the reindeer up to speed for the big night.   So, step out of the kitchen for a while, let that turkey prepare its own stuffing, pull up an Elf reclining chair and prepare to get snuggly & warm with the most awesome, Chris-tastic Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious podcast in this parallel universe.   Blind Guys Chat.   PS: Happy hoo-ha!

Hello lovely Blind Guys Chatters! We begin this show with some very sad news. It appears that our subjects don’t love us as much as we thought, and as a result, did not see fit to adorn us with lavish jewels and votes for listener’s choice podcast of the year. Sjef and Larry are beside themselves with disappointment. We will just have to regroup and do better next time.   Jan, yet again has been on more travels, this time to Warsaw for work. Of course, Stuart has been to Warsaw to drink the place dry and eat the town out of crisps (potato chips).   Our guest on this show is Aaron Spelker from Boston. Aaron only recently lost his sight and as someone who likes to play electronic games, he wonders why there was very little information out there about accessible games for blind and vision impaired people. So, he decided to set up a Facebook group which shares information on accessible games for IOS. It's called “Mobile accessible games (for the Blind)” and here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/492714638815312. Aaron is here to tell us about the Facebook group, and a little about his life.   Have you upgraded to IOS 16 yet? Well, Jan and Stuart have, and Óran thinks he might wait a little longer because neither of the guys are very impressed with this latest update. It appears that Eloquence on IOS is not that great and Jan is not fond of the new Siri sound. What do you think? Give us your views by emailing blindguyschat@gmail.com.   Talking about emails, Clodagh has a lovely long one from Mr Dave Nason. It is very welcome as Dave sheds some light on Sky Go on Apple TV and also Sky Glass.   Clodagh wants to get in touch with King Charles the third; apparently, he has a problem with his fountain pen and Clodagh has a solution for him.   So, strip off your military clothing, put the gun carriage in the spare bedroom, tell your horse to go to bed, and settle in for the show that puts the greatest showman in his place - the number one podcast in the eastern hemisphere - Blind Guys Chat. 16 out of 51 corgis prefer it to chopped liver.   Don’t forget: •       Please rate and review us on your chosen podcasting platform. •       We'd love to know what you'd like us to talk about in upcoming shows; send us your suggestions by email: blindguyschat@gmail.com •       Don't forget you can send us your Blindie Tips and other thoughts by email also on blindguyschat@gmail.com •       If you’d like to support the podcast, you can treat the Blind Guys to a coffee by clicking the link below.

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello, our autumn leaves, and welcome to episode 107 of BGC. We begin this show with some interesting news from Be My Eyes and Meta. It appears that the Be My Eyes application will soon become available via Meta Ray Ban SmartGlasses. This means when calling a volunteer using the app, the volunteer will now see the image from your Meta specs. Is this a cool and clever collaboration? Will this be a game changer due to the reduced cost? We discuss!

Have you downloaded and installed IOS 18? Are you as disappointed with this upgrade as Jan is? Let us know: blindguyschat@gmail.com. Also, Jan has a question for experienced iPhone users and has no shame throwing our beloved listeners and part-time collaborators, Derry, Brian and Mohamed, under the bus in order to get the answer.

Our guest this time is Rocio Casati. Rocio works as a language localisation specialist for Vispero’s products in Spain. She is also a classical pianist and loves all things Braille, and also guide dogs of course. The guys feel like they are in heaven with this conversation.

We have news on the arrival of the new Glide mobility aid in the UK; a webinar on MS Teams is coming up in November; there’s Sharkvember with Vispero, and an assistive technology day being held by Sight and Sound in Technological University Dublin’s Grangegorman campus.

So, forget about the floods and power-cuts for a little while, crack open that only-slightly-expired tin of hot chocolate, and chisel out a tablespoon for yourself. Kick the cat off the armchair and settle in for a listen to the number 1 podcast voted by the Strictly Come Dancing professional dancers: Blind Guys Chat!

8.2 out of 10 orchestras prefer it to playing music!

Links mentioned in this podcast: Next big thing: https://www.freedomscientific.com/nextbigthing/ RayBan/Meta collaboration: https://mashable.com/article/meta-rayban-smart-glasses-be-my-eyes-accessibility Ray Ban Smart Glasses: https://www.ray-ban.com/ireland/ray-ban-meta-smart-glasses Glide: https://glidance.io/ Sight and Sound assistive technology event on November 9th: https://www.sightandsound.co.uk/event/assistive-technology-exhibition-ireland/

And don’t forget to send us your comments, questions, ideas, hopes and dreams: blindguyschat@gmail.com

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Read transcript

It’s another fun-filled show this week: We begin with an update from Óran on the Apple Air Pod switching between iPhone and Apple Watch, spoiler alert: there is no real update!   The Blind Guys are concerned about the conflict in Ukraine. We don’t normally get serious, but we have a quick chat about this awful situation.   Jan is full of good cheer because he has just returned from his holiday in the Dutch Caribbean, ahem, or maybe not?   Stuart has an update on his install of Windows 11. Is it good or bad? He tells us what he thinks. Do you agree? Give us your views.   Our guest this week is Marco Zehe. Marco is an accessibility tester and developer and is well known for his work developing JAWS BrailleIn, and also his work on Mozilla. He is here to tell us about his life growing up in Hamburg, in 2 different schools, one school for the Blind and one for fully sighted students, and all about his podcast https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/barrierefreiheit/episode-6-braille-in-den-B3JhTi9mK6t/   We have some thoughts on Western Digital My Cloud Home drives and why to think twice about purchasing.   In TV corner, we have some recommendations to share: ‘Man up Stuart’ ahem… I mean “Man Up” on Amazon Prime, “The Good Place” (an oldie but a goodie), and “Pieces of Her”, both on Netflix.   We’ve got emails from Pete and Blind Gordon, an audio message from Derry, and a new make-up lady.   So, forget about the dramatic rise in living costs, stop stressing about your backups, and give Blind Guys Chat some lovin’ --- because we’re worth it!     Don’t forget: •       Please rate and review us on your chosen podcasting platform. •       We'd love to know what you'd like us to talk about in upcoming shows; send us your suggestions by email: blindguyschat@gmail.com •       Don't forget you can send us your Blindie Tips and other thoughts by email also on blindguyschat@gmail.com •       If you want to support the podcast, you can treat the Blind Guys to a coffee by clicking the link below!   Thank you! 

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Welcome lovely listener, to episode 10 of the Blind Guys Chat podcast!

We're in double digits, so you'd expect the podcast, and more particularly the podcast hosts to be growing up, but fear not, the guys are just the same as ever!

We've had some interesting feedback to our vaccine question from episode 9, and many people agree that Blind Guys should be bumped up the queue. The Guys have also been preparing their own self-vaccination routines, and Jan in particular has been practicing with an orange! Stuart is offering vaccinations at €7.50 per shot, and you even get a free lunch while you wait!

If you've watched the news in the last few days you'll know that the Netherlands have introduced a nightly curfew to try to curve the spread of Covid-19. Jan tells us a bit about what's going on, and, we ask if Jan driving his tractor qualifies as an essential worker?

We've talked previously about the BuyMie app on the show, and the significant accessibility and usability problems that the app presents. Stuart has been in touch with the app designers and there may be some hope for future updates. If you have challenges using the BuyMie app, please get in touch with us and we'll pass on the feedback.

One of the big changes in Unified English Braille (UEB) has been the introduction of additional formatting marks to represent bold and underline, as well as italics, which already existed in SEB. In the first of a three-part slot, Stuart talks to Clare Whelan about new rules to govern the use of italics.

Our guest this week is the wonderful Jenny Axler, living and working in the city of Daejeon in South Korea. Jenny moved from the US seven years ago. We ask her what's life like living in Korea when you're blind? And, who can win Jenny's true or false quiz?

As always, with not much else to do in the evenings, the Blind Guys have taken to watching TV. Stuart is watching season 2 of Servant on the Apple TV platform. Speaking of Apple TV, if you're enjoying one of their free subscriptions at present, that subscription is likely to be extended at no additional cost. Óran has been enjoying a show called Goliath on Amazon Prime.

Clodagh is back to read more emails and we're talking electric vehicles, online and curb-side shopping services in the US, and, the availability of long canes from Svárovskký, in the Czech Republic. If you'd like to find out more about these canes, which all three Blind Guys love, you can email info@Svarovskky.cz

Don't forget to keep in touch with us, either on twitter by tagging @BlindGuysChat or by email to BlindGuysChat@gmail.com

Hello our wobbly hospital trolleys, and welcome to Episode 110 of BGC. It's a welcome back to Óran, fresh from his travels to the nearby hospital, all of 5 minutes away. Yes, it seems Óran is maintaining his hobby of having near death experiences every few years, much to Clodagh’s distress. But anyway, all is good now and he is back steering the HMS BGC directly into a cliff!

Poor Jan is in bed and on the tablets again as he can't believe the US presidential election result, but then again neither can Clodagh, Óran, or most of the world for that matter.

Our guest this week is Fanny Bui. Fanny is here to chat about a fantastic blind and visually impaired event happening in Chemnitz, Germany next year. Chemnitz is the European Capital of Culture 2025. The organising team are blind people who live in Chemnitz who want to introduce you to their city. You can stay in a blind host family, who will guide from arrival to departure. You really don’t need to bring a sighted person if you don't want to – you know how pesky they can be! The program includes a sound and touch city tour, a visit to the museum of archaeology, a visit to the blind school and training centre. There is also an option of a small hike in the nearby forest, climbing, or tandem biking. You can also try ‘Showdown’ (we don’t know – it’s some kind of game), and the highlight of the weekend will be a concert organised by the ‘Low Vision Charts’. For more details visit: tinyurl.com/BGCchemnitz or email info@connectingblind.org.

In TV Corner we are talking about two shows on Netflix: ‘The Lincoln Lawyer season 3’ and season 2 of ‘The Diplomat’. Check them out.

Clodagh has an email from Laurent, who writes from Belgium asking about the pros and cons of travelling through Europe as a blind individual. If any of you lovely listeners would like to share your positive and negative European travel experiences, you know who to email – Ghostbu… no, blindguyschat@gmail.com. It will help us plan our holidays for next year – keep the stories coming!

So, pull off that oxygen mask, don't worry about your collapsed lung, and throw caution to the wind as you walk up the hospital corridor listening to BGC, forgetting that your rear end is fully exposed for all to admire!!

Blind Guys Chat: 16 out of 20 saline drips prefer it to being in someone’s arm.

Links for this episode: • Chemnitz, European Capital of Culture 2025: https://tinyurl.com/BGCchemnitz, or email info@connectingblind.org.

• Email us about your European travel experiences, good, bad and ugly, to blindguyschat@gmail.com.

• The Access Card – for cheaper access to various venues when travelling in the UK and parts of the rest of the world: https://www.thenationalcareline.org/Lifestyle/AccessCard.

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Read transcript

The Blind Guys are feeling energetic this week as they are talking to Clare and Alex Whelan about blind tennis. What's it all about? How do you play the game? And, is Óran really that competitive?

Yes, of course he is!

Stuart chats to the guys about the World Wide Developers Conference but Óran can find nothing to get excited about. However, he is delighted that everyone on the team has now been vaccinated.

We've got emails from the U.S., the only blind Gordon from Scotland, and India, and we even talk about Bloom's Day.

Stuart has a gripe this week about Netflix and the BBC, oh yeah, and of course Che Martin has to get a mention. That was soooo 2 weeks ago Stuart... get over it!

Finally, Jan & Stuart tell us about a Clubhouse event they are running this coming Friday, June 18th.

So, why not put the laundry to one side, stop cleaning the gutters and mowing the grass, and instead get a glass of Pimm’s, some strawberries, & cream, and chillout with Blind Guys Chat for a little while?

It seems to be all about tech this week. We kick off the show wondering what that Chinese balloon was doing flying over the USA. Was it looking for a birthday party and if yes, can the Blind Guys come along? Jan is refusing to sell anymore microchips to the Chinese until the balloon is shot down by Donald Trump.   Stuart has news about Microsoft. Apparently, they have announced the official end of supporting Windows 10 as of January 31 2023. Can we go back to Windows 95 please? Also, Google are integrating 'Google Meet' into Gmail. Have you used Google Meet? What was your experience of this communication application? Sticking with Google, seemingly they are also running scared of Chat GPT - the Blind Guys have been experimenting with this AI application and they share their thoughts.   Microsoft have also announced that the popular mobility app Soundscape is no longer available for download and existing downloads will only run until June 2023. Will someone try to keep it alive via open source or is that the end of the road for Soundscape?   It's a welcome return to friend-of-the-show, Kevin Sherwin. Kevin is here to give us his take on last Friday’s ‘Song for Europe’, which is a contest to decide who will fly the flag for Ireland at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool? Will it be Father Ted and Father Dougal with their catchy melody 'My Lovely Horse'? Tune in to find out...   Derry Lawlor has sent in an email with his details of his favourite holidays. Is it the Guinness brewery? And Blind Gordon is on the email machine to tell us that the Spring twitter app is no longer working. Major bummer!!   So, forget about the Grammys, throw those Richard Clayderman audio cassettes into the fire. Stub out that vape, and get ready for the most techie-licious and awe-inspiring podcast this side of a big pile of party balloons: Blind Guys Chat! 16 out of 22 newborn lambs prefer it to chicken nuggets. 😂

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello lovely listener, and welcome to 67 minutes of fun, as the Blind Guys, Clodagh and their lovely guests are back to entertain you!

On the last show, you'll remember that we had a great chat with Dave Nason from Sky. At the time, Jan and Stuart set Óran a little bit of homework, so has he done it? We get straight down to business and find out!

The Blind Guys like to check in and talk about the weather - sure why not, doesn't everyone! Anyway, we're feeling Spring in the air and Jan has only gone and had solar panels installed on his roof. The question now is could he share some of his newly acquired solar power with the other guys so they could all benefit from cheaper energy bills?

Stuart came across a great story on Twitter recently about a model railway museum in Hamburg Germany. While the museum was closed during the Covid-19 restrictions, they were busy creating something truly unique. Have a look at the video that accompanies the news piece and hear for yourselves.

If you're a regular listener to the show you'll know that accessibility on the BuyMie shopping service has been something of a talking point, especially for Stuart, who uses it every week. Well, the ongoing conversations with BuyMie are bearing fruit and Stuart has a quick demo to show us how accessibility has improved with the most recent app update. Well done to all at BuyMie for their very hard work.

We mentioned Óran's homework earlier on, and his promise to review Sky's new accessibility solution. Well he didn't just review it, but did a really super Job and it appears that Jan and Stuart are a bit jealous! Sky have brought accessibility to a whole new level and are to be highly commended for the work they have done to date. Jan's kids would love a feature where they could watch a programme with their dad, and while Jan is enjoying the show with audio description, his kids can watch the regular version. Good news from Óran is that this could be in the works in the future.

Robin Christopherson and Shaun Preece are two aficionados of the podcasting world. They can be found on podcasts including RNIB Tech Talk and Doubletap Canada, but they also have their own Echo Show podcast, and, Robin has been running the hugely successful Dot to Dot for the last few years. We were delighted to hang out with the guys and find out about their shows and all the cool things they've been doing with their echo devices, as well as some other chat too.

After all that talking, and there's a lot of it, Clodagh is along to read our emails, or should we say read an email. We've only time for one this week but it is an hilarious blind travel story.

We'd love to hear yours, and indeed anything else that you want to tell us about by emailing BlindGuysChat@gmail.com or on Twitter to @BlindGuysChat. Don't forget that we'd love you to record an audio message and send it to us. We might even play it on the next show!

Hey folks! Don't worry, we'll be back on January 16th, when we will be talking about everything AI. In the meantime, stay warm!

The Blind Guys

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Read transcript

It’s almost our last episode of 2021 and what a year it has been. 2 of the Blind Guys once again have drama in their lives as both Stuart and Jan have the builders in, renovating their very plush and velvety residences. Jan’s ground floor is now so level you could play snooker on it but unfortunately Stuart’s place still needs painting and tiling before he can take a shower.

We are talking with Ken Brandt author of ‘Positive Vision: Enjoying the Adventures and Advantages of Poor Eyesight’ (https://www.amazon.com/Positive-Vision-Enjoying-Adventures-Advantages/dp/0648762505). Hold onto your seats, folks, this guy likes to dive bomb when flying an aircraft.

The Blind Guys are wondering if they should go to Africa and help distribute vaccinations, and will Stuart bring the Ham & Cheese sambos?

Gary from South Africa has sent a message on why he is worried about getting the vaccination, and another listener wants to know if Stuart is a priest? Huh!! Spoiler alert: he’s not!

Now, to the hottest ticket in town: We’d love to invite you to come along to our Christmas party on December 18 at 8pm GMT. It’s a virtual get-together and we’re planning to have the usual mad banter and laughs. It’s a BYOG gig - bring your own gargle. Can you email blindguyschat@gmail.com to confirm you’re attending, and use this link to join: tinyurl.com/BlindGuysParty. You never know who might show up… Ho Ho Ho.

So, hike your trousers up good and tight, ladies and gentlemen, we don’t want any builders arse crack exposed. Pour yourself a glass of egg nog and settle down by the fire to listen to this week’s episode of Blind Guys Chat.

Hello, our favourite little squirrels, and welcome to Episode 82 of Blind Guys Chat. We begin this week with tales from Nairobi. Our own travelling wilbury, Jan, has just returned from South Africa where he was introduced to every person living on the continent - because he's so famous don't ya know! Yes, Jan has been in the region for the last week selling his wares and wearables, and is very impressed with how much knowledge blind and low vision people in Nairobi have about assistive technology, especially compared to 15 years ago. But it wasn't all work and no play for Jan. No, no, folks. He managed a little play time with some of the local pets in the surrounding areas of this modern city.

Do you take taxis? It appears that Óran has had some trouble recently with taxis refusing to collect himself and Larry (the very best guide dog in the world ever). And before you say it’s because Óran is so grumpy, it isn’t that, we promise. We want to hear from you: have you had any bad experiences recently and more importantly, did you report the incident to your local taxi regulator? Let us know: blindguyschat@gmail.com. Tell us all your taxi-related stories!

Before Clodagh gets readin' those emails, she wants to tell you about RNIB's campaign. It's called ‘See the person not the sightloss’, and apparently it is very good. You can check it out here: https://www.rnib.org.uk/our-campaigns/see-differently-see-the-person/.

In emails this week, it appears that Dave Nason and Sky are potty for Stuart’s latest parody song, much to Jan and Óran's astonishment. Dave also wants to know if you can help him with his upcoming trip to London. The Blind Guys are recommending he avails himself of an Access Card which, among other things, offers discounts on some of the main attractions in London. You can check it out here: www.accesscard.online. You can even skip some queues if you have one of these – yay!

We have an audio message from Tim Dixon. Tim has recorded a wonderful report on navigating Sight Village where he recently met Stuart and lived to tell the tale.

So, stop lighting fireworks and bangers. Strip down to your "I hate halloween sox, Throw on your "I got married in Vegas" dressing gown and settle in for the best entertainment this side of a bread roll: Blind Guys Chat. 12 out of 16 Unicorns prefer it to being imaginary!

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello our favourite little musical notes, and welcome to this episode of BGC. This week we are straight into it! Yes, back by popular demand and also because he's a cheap guest, we are chatting again with Kevin Sherwin; or as we like to call him "Mr Eurovision"! So, settle in and listen to us rant, rave, applaud and appraise, and generally share our thoughts on this year’s Eurovision song contest, which was held in Sweden last weekend.   It'll be a rip roaring, barn burning, parrot singing, dog crying, rabbit sunbathing show you won't want to miss.   Blind guys chat: 8 out of 10 non qualifying acts prefer it to watching the actual show.   Email us at: blindguyschat@gmail.com – oh and speaking of email – Clodagh has a new jingle at long last! Let us know what you think, ok?!

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

This week's show is kind of a Eurovision special, but don't worry we still have the fun, especially with Stuart and his love for a certain Eurovision dance song.   We are talking with Audrey Tormey who was Óran's Braille teacher. The lads question how many contractions Óran can remember. Stuart gives us a montage of previous Eurovision songs while Óran has an issue with trying to submit a new podcast to Apple Podcasts. Stuart is also talking to us about Virgin Media 360 TV, and Dave Nason writes in to correct a mistake Óran made on the last show about Sky Voice Guidance.

Jan is reminiscing about DJ Adam Curry, the founder of podcasting.   And if all that wasn't enough, we've got audio messages from Derry Lawlor and Che Martin, and Clodagh asks our low vision listeners about the readability of five new Microsoft fonts.   Oh yes - the guys also have a special ending to the show. Plus, this show has chapter marks – check them out!   Phew!!!

Hello, grips and best boys (and girls!), and welcome to episode 116. We are chatting to Mercedes Stalenhoef, the director of a new movie called ‘I Shall See’, the premier of which will be happening in Rotterdam on February 2nd 2025. Mercedes, traditionally a documentary maker, has written and directed this movie which tells the story of a young woman who has become blind after an accident. The film reveals how she copes with this massive change in her life. Our own Mr Jan Bloem also stars in this movie along with Sjeff, and from what we hear, Sjeff was a dream to work with, while Mr Bloem...? ...Well we will let Mercedes tell that story!   Clodagh has emails from Nora Nagle regarding her Meta glasses and Blind Gordon has a list of the new names for the gritters and snow ploughs in Scotland. Óran wonders if there will be one called 'SnowPatrol'.   So, make your way to the food truck, push your best boy into a nearby hedge, and settle in for the best drama, action, romantic comedy, period podcast this studio has ever produced: Blind Guys Chat!   8 out of 10 movie cameras prefer it to being on location.  

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Read transcript

Hello our lovely loyal listeners, and welcome to ep 106. We kick off this show with the latest hot topic in The Netherlands: FatBikes! Yes, it seems that Jan has imported 16,000 electric bikes to sell them and make his fortune. But they appear to be a little dodgy as they have big wide tyres and are as low slung as Sjef's harness. Jan's mother-in-law also has something to say about these bikes so hold on to your hats.   Most of our show is devoted to our interview with Amos Miller, the founder and CEO of Glidance. Amos is here to tell us all about the 'Glide', an innovative self-guided mobility device for blind and low vision people. Amos is a blind developer with a background in computer science and engineering, and among other things was part of the developing team at Microsoft who created Soundscape. Now he’s working on bringing this new mobility device to market and by all accounts, this could be a game-changer when it comes to moving around unassisted. Mohamed is also with us to share his experience of using the Glide at the recent NFB event. But will it do away with guide dogs? Let's find out...   Now that we are officially in Autumn, or Fall, as our US listeners would say, we have some suggestions for TV shows to while away these longer evenings. Óran is recommending the new season of ‘Only Murders in the Building’ on Disney+, along with ‘The Perfect Couple’, a new show on Netflix, and his returning favourite, ‘Slow Horses’ season 4 on Apple TV. Let us know what you’ve been watching – we’re dying to know! Email us on BlindGuysChat@gmail.com.   So, throw your electric bike on the charger. Mind the leaves as you enter your home and tune into the best podcast this side of a Mexican taco: Blind Guys Chat. 20 out of 20 Haitians living in Springfield Ohio prefer it to Trumpy MacGrumpy Trump!

Links in this show: Glidance: https://glidance.io/about-us/ Only Murders in the Building: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11691774/ The Perfect Couple: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11514868/ Slow Horses: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5875444/   And of course, our email address: BlindGuysChat@gmail.com

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Read transcript

Welcome back. The Blind Guys made it for their second show! This week, we're delighted to meet Danlami Bashru, from Nigeria. From falling into open drains, and jumping onto moving busses, Danlami shows us that life in Nigeria can be challenging when you're blind. Clare Whelan is back to introduce us to another couple of UEB contractions, and Óran, Stuart and Jan talk about fear of dogs, GPS and a few interesting observations about iOS 14. We got some nice emails, and Clodagh is here to read them out. Finally, what are you watching on TV these days? The Blind Guys have a few recommendations.

Please don't forget to share this podcast with your friends, and we would love it if you'd submit a review on our podcast via your favourite podcasting platform. Thank you!

Contact the Blind Guys at BlindGuysChat@gmail.com, or find them on Twitter - @BlindGuysChat. You can also subscribe to their mailing list to find out about new and upcoming shows: tinyurl.com/BlindGuysChat.

Hello our little frozen hibernating hedgehogs and welcome to episode 88 of the podcast. What is the weather like in your part of the world? Well, it's feckin' freezin' here in Europe and the Blind Guys cannot wait for spring.   Have you heard of 11 Labs? It's a text to speech and AI voice generator and Stuart has been playing around with it to try to clone his voice. Does it work? Hmmmm... yes and no, we'll hear more from Stuart on it. (Link: elevenlabs.io/)   Óran is asking the guys if it is time to think about a qwerty refreshable Braille display. He reckons his typing on a qwerty keyboard is faster than typing on a Perkins-style keyboard but Stuart is not too sure, what do you think? perhaps you have a Humanware Mantis Q40 or a Helptek Activator display. Let us know what you think at blindguyschat@gmail.com.   Our guest is the lovely Nora Nagle from Boston; south Boston to be precise. Nora talks to us about what it’s like having a guide dog in the US and she shares lots of stories including one about an unpleasant experience when a security guard tried to remove her and her guide dog out of a building. It's a great interview so do have a listen.   We have information on events you might like to sign up for: ·       The first is happening this evening, January 11th at 5pm (Irish) 6pm (CET) or 12pm (EST) and is called ‘Celebrate Braille Literacy with Focus’. This webinar hosted by Freedom Scientific will demonstrate how to set up "split braille'" on Focus Braille displays, how to connect more than 1 device to your display, and how to improve braille literacy with a refreshable braille display. Register here for this event: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XoFHxDqWTQ6jkWuiWy-LVg#/registration ·       If you are interested in joining a Braille book club, then look no further than the Braillists Foundation. The book club happens every Thursday and caters for all levels of braille reading including speed and which braille code you prefer to read in. More information about the Braillists Foundation book club is available here: www.braillists.org/uncategorised/join-us-in-the-book-club/ or you can register for it directly here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0ucuqqrDsjHtMzH4ytq2NPV0rUpYAGRXEm   Clodagh has an email from Anna Cody who is as succinct as ever! And we finish up with an announcement from Stuart.   So, strip down to your thermals, and bathe yourself in the revitalising warm, silky-smooth, dulcet tones of a Blind Guys Chat podcast.   4 out of 6 newborn puppies prefer it to play-fighting!

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello our little party poppers, and welcome to episode 100 of BGC! Yes, can you believe it's been 100 years since we first started? ...Ahem, that doesn't seem correct... Anyway, let's carry on. To help us celebrate this historic show we are joined by our own Scottish kilt: Blind Gordon, the Bambi Thug of the podcasting world: Kevin Sherwin, and our own personal Accessibility Discovery Centre: Brian Dalton, not to mention the wonderful Clodagh O'Donovan, about whom we can’t think of anything to say that won’t get us in trouble! It's a show of reminiscing, with a little sprinkling of Euro football and Dutch politics on top.

Clodagh kicks it all off with her favourite topic; Christmas! And believe it or not, she actually got to meet Santa recently and they had a robust conversation regarding the non-delivery of long-promised snow over the past few Christmases. Poor Santa 😢

We also remember our interviews with the wonderful Lady Veronika Hyks; that time Stuart climbed Mount Kilimanjaro; our wonderful conversations with Prof John Sweeney, Prof Luke O'Neill, Irish government Minister Roderic O'Gorman, Jenny Axler, the Pope, Albert Einstein, The Minions, and so very many more.

Some of our favourites are listed below with links for your re-listening pleasure. Let us know about your favourite show - email us at blindguyschat@gmail.com.

The Christmas ones:

008: Santa, Spinrockers and "doing the business"! (link)

034: A Christmas Special (link)

059: Christmas special (link)

087: The BGC Christmas Quiz 2023 Extravaganza Special! (link)

The Veronika Hyks ones:

023: A Royal Surprise! (link)

056 Queens, Prime Ministers, & Dames (link)

067: A Royal invitation (link)

068: Surprise Surprise! (link)

086: The Dame returns (link)

And in #087 above, Veronika was a contestant in the Christmas Quiz!

The Adam Curry one: The Adam Curry one: #025: Fancy a Curry? (link)

The Kilimanjaro ones:

076: Kilimanjaro is for wusses (while Stuart was away, climbing Kilimanjaro, allegedly) (link)

077: The Longest Climb (We thought this was the one, but actually the climber was still on holidays for this one!) (link)

078: Please don’t distract me, I’m a working dog! (This is the one in which Stuart talks about climbing Kili, in spite of the non-mountain-ish title) (link)

079: Snuggle buddies (The one where Sherpa Radi talks about looking after Stuart on Kili during his climb) (link)

One of the Professor Luke O’Neill ones:

031: Metabolics, Mayhem & Melting Ice Caps (link)

One of the Hector in HR ones:

024: Hassle in the castle (link)

Other favourites:

048: Jan is so kissable (link)

080: Time for a bath (link)

093: A pain in me hoop! (link)

027: Woman's Hour (link)

Bonus one not mentioned in the show:

018: Irlande Douze Points - Óran (yes – all those voices!) sings the BGC Eurovision entry for 2021! – and a bonus promo at the very end by BGC for Che Martin’s podcast “The Dark Squares” (link)

So why not pull a sicky and spend some time revisiting our extensive back catalogue of Blind Guys Chat - Before we sell it to Sony for €2.50!

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Welcome back and thank you for tuning into episode 7 of Blind Guys Chat.

Christmas is very definitely in the air on this week's show and the guys are thinking of gift ideas. Not sure if they're buying for each other, or just throwing out suggestions, but regardless, we hope you may find something of interest from their selection.

Jan recently invested in Sonos speakers and is very impressed. Stuart is exploring the world of Android accessibility and Oran loves his Apple TV.

Staying on an Apple-related topic, the recent launch of the iPhone 12 mini, 12 PRO and 12 PRO Max has stirred up a lot of interest as you might expect. We asked friends of the show, Brian Dalton and Derry Lawlor, who are the lucky owners of these devices, to join us and give us the lowdown.

The Blind Guys are loving 'The Crown' on Netflix, and everyone agrees that the audio description is particularly good.

Eric Damery is Vice President of Software Product Management at Vispero and something of a legend in his own lunchtime in the Assistive Technology industry. With a career spanning well over 25 years in the sector, Eric joins us to talk about some of the high points, and, Eric challenges the Blind Guys to a bit of fun in our "True or False" game!

Clodagh has returned with your emails and this time we've received more feedback on the Buymie service, Christmas gift ideas for Larry and Sjef and, what's this about Stuart having made contact with the North Pole?

Hello our little snow ploughs! Welcome to this episode of BGC. This week, we are joined by our guest host, Brian Dalton. Brian has had a very interesting life, as you will find out right from the start.

Jan and Óran finally discover the answer to a burning question: if blind from birth, do you see in your dreams? Brian and one other have the answer. Have you ever experienced Non-24? Well, Brian has, and he's got some very strange tales to tell when he eventually falls asleep. Not on the show of course!!

Jan has a new addition to the household, or shall we say, he managed to open his wallet using a crowbar and spend the cash inside on a new vacuum cleaner called a Roomba. He can use his Google Home to set it off to do chores, and it can even go under his bed. Watch out little dust mites!

Our guest this week is Christopher Patnoe, Head of Accessibility and Disability Inclusion, EMEA @ Google. He tells us how he got started in accessibility and all about the Accessibility Discovery Center (ADC) in London. It's a cool place and open to the public; all you have to do is send an email to adclondon@gmail.com to make a booking.

Brian briefly shoves Óran off his soapbox as he wants to talk about the lack of audio description in cinemas. Are you experiencing this? Let us know at blindguyschat@gmail.com.

Clodagh's got an email from Darragh who is looking for some advice on kitchen accessories. Brian suggests a Cobalt air fryer, and Jan has a cool light meter that helps him when making coffee.

Finally, if you want to hear more from Brian, tune in to Team FM for his 'Welcome to the Weekend' radio show.

So, put your rabbit on the Hoover and watch it spin round and round with excitement. Tell Google Home to make you a coffee and settle down to be mystified by Blind Guys Chat.

19 out of 20 robots on the moon prefer it to lying on their sides after landing.

Links in this show: Google ADC: adclondon@google.com Roomba: https://www.amazon.co.uk/iRobot%C2%AE-j7-connected-Automatic-Disposal/dp/B09CCNQDJS/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1ZYLWGKRNIHNY&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.dZFfpBUuN1qX49gI85jcLNgkvAbdiY1-fFLaORdXyvEgwyRZ5KcqPZ_WZZo-pqK5ESTSjEj4wxomDI3LEqhdxfm2AkJm-uHuGKnQ4s_Isy6uWv1YeY96iSlWpM3NpJALP-cVYJlIeOoVdcHgZ26e2lJPt9Q3x9Y50PirUiX3b66XDA6LT7zNl1QFAbhu4Zu5kI-J6yWsQz3goLvwnYd30qEKRWLKUgk4KSfCl29lBkw.VFNFqtWmd9L3KWDZ1Ck8NuysIQc9qRxFQ8ONRWbCu3g&dib_tag=se&keywords=roomba&qid=1709802700&sprefix=roomba%2Caps%2C124&sr=8-2-spons&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.d7e5a2de-8759-4da3-993c-d11b6e3d217f&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1 Non 24: https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/non-24hour-sleep-wake-disorder Cobalt: https://cobolt.co.uk/products/talking-air-fryer Team FM: https://www.team-fm.com/briandalton

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Read transcript

Greetings Blind Guys Chatters! ..that's what we call you, our loyal and ever-growing band of listeners!

The Blind Guys are thrilled to release episode 6 of our little show and we've just under an hour's entertainment waiting for you.

Online shopping, or challenges around accessing it, is often a conversation that exercises many blind and low vision people. This week, Stuart is talking about a relatively new service on the scene called Buymie. It’s not all sweets and roses however, as the service, via its mobile app, has some serious accessibility issues. So if it’s that challenging, are the Blind Guys using it?

Clare Whelan returns for another Braille Bite, and if you've been confused about the use of brackets in UEB, then fear not, because Clare will put your world to right.

Stuart is immersing himself in season 4 of The Crown and is loving it thus far, and Óran is recommending a show called 'Little Fires Everywhere' on Amazon Prime, but is the audio description up to the job?

We meet Lenore Good, who is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime - she is preparing to climb Kilimanjaro, all to support the wonderful work of Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, Shine Centre for Autism and Sonas Junior Special Primary School. Please support Lenore by visiting her fundraising page.

Finally, Clodagh is back with more emails, and a particularly interesting query about whether paper or Refreshable Braille is easier to read as a Braille beginner.

Please don't forget to share this podcast with your friends, and we would love it if you'd submit a review on our podcast via your favourite podcasting platform. Thank you!

Contact the Blind Guys at BlindGuysChat@gmail.com, or find them on Twitter - @BlindGuysChat. You can also subscribe to their mailing list to find out about new and upcoming shows: tinyurl.com/BlindGuysChat.

Hello dear listeners and welcome to the most funlyest podcast in the world ever (and yes, we know that’s not a real word. We make up our own words around here. Don't you?). In a change to our regular programme schedule and because the 2 messers (Jan & Stuart) are on holiday, we have had to invoke the “wheel of stand-ins” to help us fairly select a listener who has offered to guest-host, so let’s give it a whirl and see who comes out a winner!  

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello our Bermuda hurricanes and welcome to a blowy episode. We begin this episode reminiscing of cars long gone. Do you remember the Renault 4 or the Citroen BX or even the older Citroen DS? Yes, they might have been rust buckets and as unreliable as summer in Ireland but, at least they were quirky and fun to drive.

Speaking of quirky and unreliable things, have you watched ‘Clarkson's Farm’ on Amazon Prime? Give it a go. It has brought farmers to tears, not to mention the sheep!!

Óran has a question for Jan and our listeners who have guide dogs. Have you ever found your doggy a little reluctant to put on their harness? Well Larry is becoming a little uncooperative when Óran wants him to work. Is Larry faking because there are no couches on his walk? Or is he showing signs of wanting to retire with his feet up, smoking a pipe and watching old reruns of Oprah on the TV? We discuss.

We've got an email from Sarah in Brantford Ontario, Canada who is inviting BGC to come visit. Nora Nagle has been on to tell us that Donald Trumpy now has a 'Superstore' and if anyone knows what that is, please get in touch (blindguyschat@gmail.com). And speaking of that muppet, apparently, he now has his own winery! The guys would rather push a Fiat 500 up a 35-degree mountain than buy any of that stuff.

So, forget about Henry the hurricane for a while. Strip off your wind breaker, turn the volume up to 11, and get ready for the greatest podcast this side of an electric car parked at a petrol pump: Blind Guys Chat.

19 out of 20 grapes prefer it to being in a Trump wine bottle.

Links:

Clarkson's Farm promo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k9NMbQe0C4

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Read transcript

Hello our tired little elves, and welcome to the BGC Christmas Quiz 2023 Extravaganza Special! We hope you are managing to get through the festive season unscathed, and are enjoying lots of time to relax, play, walk, run, jog, swim, or just lay about the house and chill.   This show is devoted to our Christmas Quiz which we recorded with some of our most loyal listeners just before Santa started delivering goodies around the world. We have teams from as far west as Saint Louis and as far east as Italy. Who will win the coveted prize of a pre-loved 1982 BMW 3 Series complete with fluffy dice hanging from the rear-view mirror? Listen to find out!

So, why not strip down to your sleigh bells in front of the roaring fire, cuddle into your purring pussy, polish off your second box of chocolates, and settle in for the only quiz worth listening to this crimbo: The Blind Guys Chat Christmas Quiz 2023 Extravaganza Special!   9 out of 10 New Year’s resolutions prefer it to turning over a new leaf.

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

From Warsaw to Cairo, Birmingham to Porto, this week’s show has you covered if you are thinking about taking a flight. Yes, the Blind Guys have all been abroad since our last podcast. And we are here to tell you about our experiences, good and bad.

Óran says he is dripping in his own sweat since the last podcast. It seems Clodagh has been increasing his workload at home. Booo!!

Jan & Óran talk to Louis Martens from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Cairo, Egypt. Louis is the first Secretary of Economic Affairs and is one of very few blind diplomats in the world. Louis talks to us about his work as a diplomat in Cairo and how he manages to get around Cairo and various diplomatic receptions with his “habibi”. And of course, Jan & Óran want to know what the weather is like, spoiler alert, it’s 28̊°C most days.

We are going to ‘Midnight Mass’ in TV Corner and Óran is moaning again about terrible audio description on ‘Jack Whitehall, travels with my Father’.

The Blind Guys are looking for you to share your daily living tips. This will be a new section for which Óran is going to compose his own jingle. God help us all!

We’ve got voice messages from Saleem from Dublin and Blind Gordon from Scotland, and Stuart has a question for Otis McStroupy-Stroup.

So, move your seats to an upright position, put your tray tables away securely, take note of your nearest emergency exit and let us take you on your flight with the best airline in the world, Air BGC.

Disclaimer: Blind Guys Chat is not an airline and is therefore possibly not the best airline in the world, but if we were, we would be.

…probably.

The Blind Guys are not firing on all cylinders this week as poor Jan and his family have been unwell. He tells us about his experience with COVID-19, a flooded kitchen and a poor little doggy who can’t eat his treats because he hurt his neck.

Óran is aiming his grumpiness towards Microsoft and how they have botched up accessibility of MS Teams with the latest update. Stuart is wondering why there are so many blind-related observance days in the same week?

We’ve got a fantastic interview with Clara Murray & Kevin Sherwin, 2 of RTÉ’s audio describers. (Don't forget to check out Kevin's podcast(Things gay people like). Clodagh is here with emails and we unveil our new ‘Blindy Tips’ jingle - yaaaay! Now all we need are your tips - blindguyschat@gmail.com.

So slip off your high heels and tights, don’t answer the door to anyone, snuggle on the couch with your pet dog, frog or alligator, and listen to episode 29 of the bestiest podcast in the world - Blind Guys Chat!

Episode 68 is all about surprises. The first surprise is that Óran, Jan and Clodagh are all unavailable, (no, we’re not joking) and they’ve left Stuart holding the baby, or the podcast on his own! Will he come out of it the other end? It just so happens that he might, but its not because of Stuart’s podcasting skills, its thanks to our lovely friend Veronica Hyks, who has produced a series of short audio described commentaries called Countdown to the coronation. We couldn’t have inflicted Stuart’s rambling on our listeners for a full hour because we’d really like to keep some of you tuning in to future episodes, so, instead, we pulled together all Veronica’s great work and have popped them in this episode for your listening pleasure. And, fear not, the guys minus Stuart, who’s on yet another holiday, will return in a fortnight.

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

From one night in Bangkok to blind tennis, this week’s podcast has it all. We speak to Che Martin whose podcast The Dark Squares is all about chess. Che also talks to us about his accessible card gaming site - Blind Adrenaline. After the BuyMie saga, Jan and Óran thought Stuart’s frustrations were done & dusted. But no - Stuart now has a gripe with Netflix! …will the sagas ever end?

Jan gives us an update on his new energy producing solar panels, and Óran & Stuart wonder if the BlindGuys could go into the energy supply business. also we ask the question do our guide dogs like a trip to the vet. There's a lot more on this week’s show including an audio message from our number one listener, Derry Lawlor.

Don’t forget you can contact the blind guys by emailing blindguyschat@gmail.com or tweet us @BlindGuysChat.

Enjoy the show.

It’s time for another fun-filled 60 minutes with the blind guys, and this week we welcome back part-time co-host and part-time sunbather - Stuart Lawler. Yes Stuart is gracing us with his presence so he can tell Óran and Jan all about his latest holiday - smiling pile of poo emoji.

This week in a change to our normal programming i.e Óran moaning about something, we instead have Jan standing on his soapbox giving out about trying to pay a restaurant bill using a touch screen credit card machine. Have you ever been forced to give your pin number to a stranger? Well we think enough is enough, and action is required.

Stuart has recorded a demo using his very best friend, Chat GPT.

Clodagh’s got emails from Gary Hough like cough, and an audio message from Dave Nason, who has news about Sky support being available via the Be My Eyes app.

So, chill out on your deck chair. Have the pool boy dredge the pool for toenail clippings, and get settled in for episode 72 of the number one podcast in the omniverse: Blind Guys Chat! 8 out of 11 field mice prefer it to a big chunk of emmental.

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello our little hibernating bunny rabbits! We hope this week’s show finds you warm and cosy. Well, this week Stuart (wearing his man-pants) is back with us after his travels to northern Germany, and yes he has indeed been suffering from a hangover due to his consumption of shots. He claims some mornings he cannot lift his head, however, we think he is just lazy.     Once we get Stuart in an upright position it’s time to kick off with the show. Jan and Óran are, to put it mildly, disappointed with the FIFA chairman and his recent comments during the current World Cup. Basically, he’s a spanner!!     Have you been watching the new series of The Crown? What do you think? Stuart and Óran are less impressed with this series and especially with the lack of aristocratic-ness of the characters. Óran feels they are not posh enough while Stuart is largely unimpressed with the storylines. However, they have no such comments when it comes to their favourite audio describer Veronika Hyks. As usual she is doing a wonderful job in this series and Stuart is still very much in love.     Have you started Tootin’? The Blind Guys are wondering if it is time to kick Twitter to touch in light of Mr Elon Musk’s shenanigans - escape the dark side and defect to Mastodon. Do you have a Mastodon account? Do you know much about how it works? In other words, the Blind Guys haven’t a clue and are looking for advice and user experiences of the social media client. We have actually set up a Mastodon account – it’s @blindguyschat@mastodon.ie. Friend/follow/Toot us!     Clodagh has received an email from Ms Panty Bliss who has with a very strange question for Stuart. It has something to do with boobage, so stay tuned for that one.     So, take a break from decorating the Christmas tree, strip down to your “I heart Mrs Claus” briefs, and listen to the number one podcast, hosted by those most likely to fart in a space suit: Blind Guys Chat!

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Have you cast your vote for Blind Guys Chat as the listeners choice for “best podcast of the year”? No?

Well, here’s how to vote for us (They don’t make it easy): ·   Go to www.theirishpodcastawards.ie/vote ·   Search for Blind Guys Chat, and select it ·   Enter your name and email address ·   Tick the “I’m not a robot” thing, and the “I understand that Podcast Awards Ltd stores my information” thing too ·   Then hit submit. No, you’re not finished yet! ·   You’ll need to click the link in the email verification they send to your email – otherwise your vote won’t count - sheesh!   You’ve got till Sunday 11th September 2022 at 23.59. There’s only one vote per email address, so use all your addresses and please send this on to all your lovers – that’s the only way we’ll have a hope in hell of winning this thing! Each time you vote, 3 treats go to both Larry and Sjef, so you’re not just voting for BGC but you are also keeping our 2 guide dogs alive. Thank you!

We have reached episode 50 of Blind Guys Chat and we thought it would be nice to reminisce and play some clips from our archive. However, as they are all brilliant, it looks like we will need to do a part 2 and maybe even a part 3.

So, what to look forward to in this episode? Hmmm…

Do you remember a certain someone promising they would do the ‘Body Coach’ but then he chickened out and felt super-guilty about it? Or how about Jenny Axler telling us she thought about becoming a nun? And how about Prof Luke O’Neill endorsing the Blind Guys as the best practitioners to administer the COVID-19 vaccine, even if it did fall off the back of a truck!

Then there was the time Stuart met Hector in HR for the first time, (put it this way, they are not best friends!); and our fantastic chat with Sabriye Tenberken from Braille without Borders. We couldn’t forget Clodagh’s chat with Jan and Blind Gordon’s partners - Óran hasn’t put down an iron since that one.

And we have so much more on this show. It’s more fun than a 5 year old’s birthday party.

So, fill up the paddling pool with rice krispie treats, stock up on ice cream and chocolate and get ready for the hottest day of the year - Blind Guys Chat publishing day! It’s fruitier than an Italian vineyard.

Don’t forget: •       Please rate and review us on your chosen podcasting platform. •       We'd love to know what you'd like us to talk about in upcoming shows; send us your suggestions by email: blindguyschat@gmail.com •       Don't forget you can send us your Blindie Tips and other thoughts by email also on blindguyschat@gmail.com •       If you’d like to support the podcast, you can treat the Blind Guys to a coffee by clicking the link below.

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello dear listeners; and here we go with another fantastic podcast from Blind Guys Chat.

Well, one member of our team is missing this week. It looks like Jan has absconded to the pub so he can watch the Monaco Grand Prix highlights because he can’t believe the result. So, what to do…? Luckily Clodagh doesn’t need to go to makeup, but the same can’t be said about Stuart! So Clodagh kindly agreed to learn the Dutch way of life so she could fill in for Jan for the entire show. Let’s hope she doesn’t need as many holidays as the Dutch man.

We kick off the show by asking Clodagh one of the most important questions that Blind Guys Chat ever ask, what was the weather like today?

Stuart has news on the up coming international conference on English Braille, starting on Sunday 5 June. If you would like to attend, visit www.iceb.org to find out more.

Our guest this week is Siobhán Long from Enable Ireland. Siobhán does a phenomenal amount of work for people with disabilities including the development of an assistive technology passport and also the assistive technology loan bank. She also talks to us about Enable Ireland’s relationship with Microsoft and her upcoming presentation at ICCHP-AAATE in July.

In TV corner we are talking about ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ and Stuart poses the question, why doesn’t content on Netflix have audio description given the same content has AD on other channels?

In our emails section, Derry Lawlor has ordered his Svárovský cane and Amy wants to know what music the Blind Guys like.

So, saddle up your horse, pull up your britches, fill your canteen with Irish coffee and let’s form a posse in search for Jan Bloem.

Blind Guys Chat - 5 out of 17 Navajo Indians prefer it to whiskey.

Don’t forget: • Please rate and review us on your chosen podcasting platform. • We'd love to know what you'd like us to talk about in upcoming shows; send us your suggestions by email: blindguyschat@gmail.com • Don't forget you can send us your Blindie Tips and other thoughts by email also on blindguyschat@gmail.com • If you’d like to support the podcast, you can treat the Blind Guys to a coffee by clicking the link below.

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-6f08ef for 40% off for 4 months, and support Blind Guys Chat.

Hello dear listeners, are you ready for another Eurovision preview? Well Kevin Sherwin is back to share his views on last Tuesday night's semi final and also to chat about the acts on tonight. Don't forget to watch it tonight at 8pm (Irish time).

Enjoy!!

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello you gorgeous Blind Guys Chat fans! welcome to another eye watering edition of the show. We start this week with a gripe from Óran. Well - who else?! Just before recording he was out spending money on a new yacht, and when presented with the card machine found he could not enter the pin number because it had a touchscreen. Have you ever experienced this issue? How are these device designers allowed to get away with not making a payment system accessible? We discuss.

We keep the whinge-fest going with another issue - poor Stuart has been feeling unwell and needed to do an antigen test. But he has let all his staff in the penthouse go on holidays at the same time and ended up having to ask some innocent bystander on the road to read his test for him, let’s hope he inserted the stick up the right hole. But this leaves us with the question, why aren’t these tests accessible or why isn’t there assistance for people who are blind when they need to use tests like this?

Jan is concerned that his hair is going to go all frizzy as the weather in the Netherlands is heading for 40 degrees Celsius. Óran is jealous!

Our guest this week is Joshua Howell from Texas A & M. Josh is here to tell us about a research project he is doing related to making mathematics more accessible to people with low vision. He is looking for victims, ahem, I mean volunteers to help him with his project. So, if you live in Texas why not get in contact with Josh? The Blind Guys are exempt because they can’t count past… well, they just can’t count.

Óran is back with yet another gripe. This time it’s about Twitter for iPhone. For some strange reason the notifications are not displaying correctly, and we have conducted thorough research to prove this is not just Óran’s issue (he asked Stuart to try it out before publishing this podcast – see? he’s a researcher too!)

In TV Corner, Stuart is talking about ‘The Undeclared War’ on Channel 4 and All 4, and ‘Bodies’ which is on Netflix. Speaking of Netflix, Óran gives a “spot the difference” challenge for Stuart. Did he get the answer correct? Listen to find out.

Clodagh is here with your emails and our dear friend from Cape Town, Gary Hough-like-cough is having trouble with his roof, and quite possibly his pool-house.

So, dump all those other podcasts that are cluttering up your phone; throw caution to the wind and cycle backwards past the Arc de Triomph while listening to the number 1 podcast this side of the dark side of the moon: Blind Guys Chat.

Even the James Webb Telescope can’t see this one coming!

Don’t forget: • Please rate and review us on your chosen podcasting platform. • We'd love to know what you'd like us to talk about in upcoming shows; send us your suggestions by email: blindguyschat@gmail.com • Don't forget you can send us your Blindie Tips and other thoughts by email also on blindguyschat@gmail.com • If you’d like to support the podcast, you can treat the Blind Guys to a coffee by clicking the link below.

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

It’s time for your favourite podcast again folks. We have a small change to the starting panel as Stuart has gone to Germany searching for gas to heat his massive penthouse in the sleepy suburbs of Kathmandu. So, wearing one of Stuart’s off the shoulder numbers is the wonderful Clodagh. Ooh la la…   We kick off this week with Jan and his new video doorbell. Yes, it appears Jan’s wife is getting a bit sick and tired of Larry bursting through the front door for playtime with Sjef. So the Bloem household now features a First Security video doorbell which Jan thinks is the business. The great news is that it is not a subscription service but rather has an SD card for recording locally instead of on the cloud, like Ring doorbells. Check it out here: www.firstsecurityserviceinc.com/video-doorbell.html   Now that the security is sorted, it’s time to move onto a great discussion on mental health. Clodagh is joined by Peter O’Toole, Head of Counselling, Wellbeing & Emotional Support with NCBI; Kathryn Sinnott, Senior Fundraising Executive and Insight Counselling Service Insight Groups Coordinator in Fighting Blindness; and Ken Walsh, who is visually impaired and is a guide dog owner. The panel talk about how to recognise when you might benefit from some support with your mental health, what support groups are available, and the difference between counselling and support groups, and much more besides.   We have compiled a list of supports available from Fighting Blindness and NCBI which you can access here: tinyurl.com/BGCsupports. We will add to this list as time goes on. If you would like to add information about these kinds of services from your country, please send the info to blindguyschat@gmail.com.   So, throw caution to the wind, throw frisbees to the dog, and settle in for the number 1 podcast as voted by COP27 delegates: Blind Guys Chat. 27 out of 27 attendees prefer it to overpriced sandwiches and desalinated water.

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello and welcome back to another episode of your favourite podcast, with three blind guys chatting about crochet... Oh, sorry, that's the other show we produce!

Welcome to Blind Guys Chat. We're ready to bring you episode 15 of our fortnightly show, but it appears that all is not well with the Blind Guys. Stuart seems stressed and anxious and, as we'll hear, he hasn't been eating or sleeping. He ended up going to confession to talk about what's on his mind.

We received an email on our last show to ask if the guys could share some of their funny travel stories. Well, ask and you shall receive, and the trio have a few funny and indeed in the case of Óran, a rather cute experience to recount. Oh, and how do the guys feel about being offered a wheelchair at airports? Do they have any tips for managing what can sometimes be a tricky and exasperating situation?

Last time Clare Whelan introduced a two-part series looking at units of measurement and what has changed in the UEB code. This time she's back to conclude that with Óran O'Neill, her second-favourite Blind Guy. There's a new kid on the block in the form of the BrailleSense 6, the latest notetaker from Selvas Healthcare in Korea, which was launched at the recent CSUN assistive technology virtual conference. Stuart gives some details and tells us how we can find out more.

Dave Nason is Accessibility Lead at Sky Ireland, and he's also one of the nicest guys you could meet. He's joining the guys to talk about a really exciting development where Sky are introducing some significant accessibility into the Sky Q box. Voice Guidance is an internal Screen Reader which can be activated from the Sky Q menu or working in tandem with Sky Q's Voice Control and existing accessibility features, Voice Guidance will make Sky Q even more accessible. Dave is here to talk about how it works and what you can do currently. If you want to know more, than sit tight, because so do Jan and Stuart. Luckily for us, Óran is a Sky Q customer, and has promised to demo this new and very exciting solution on the next show. When Dave Nason isn't working hard for Sky, he's working hard for Applevis, where he's part of their editorial team. And, he's interviewed one or two interesting people along the way.

On the last show Jan introduced us to 'Who's the Mole?', a Dutch TV show. Well, good news is that we've an update from Jan who confirms that audio description for the show is now available! Stuart has been watching 'Deadwater Fell' on All 4 and gives it a good rating, and Óran is still working through season two of 'For All Mankind'.

Clodagh is back, sounding as great as ever, and ready to read more emails. This week, Robin Christopherson, host of the very popular 'Dot to Dot' podcast, and 'The Echo Show' has been in touch. Watch this space, because Robin will be coming on the show soon. Jan gets the most fan mail of the three guys, and this week he's got another one! And, we have a nice recommendation for a coffee with chocolate and baileys. We think Stuart might test that one out soon.

Remember to keep in touch by email to BlindGuysChat@gmail.com or send us a tweet @BlindGuysChat. And Clodagh is asking our listeners to record messages and send them to us so that we can play them on the show!

Hello our little winter snowflakes and welcome to a very special show. The Blind Guys have just returned from London where 2 major events happened... well, 3 if you count the King opening parliament! Yes, all 3 Blind Guys were in the same room for the first time since the dinosaurs walked the earth. Ironically, Jan, Stuart and Óran lined up their wormholes to coincide with the opening day (only day really) of Sight Village South East. It was a momentous occasion with streamers, fireworks, a 29-gun salute, and cake, although it seems only Jan knew about the cake 😮.

Anyway, on with the show. We wanted to provide our listeners with as much information on Sight Village as we could, and because we can't count; have decided to spend the next 335 shows on the event in London. So, settle in folks.

You are going to hear from: Glenn Tookey (Sight and Sound Technologies) https://www.sightandsoundtechnology.ie/.

Ellis Ellis from Vision Aid https://www.visionaid.co.uk/ who will be speaking about magnifiers and Braille displays, including products from Help Tech and Sightcare.

Jean Marc from WeWalk https://wewalk.io/en/ talks to us about the WeWalk cane.

Adi Kushnir from AccessMind https://accessmind.io/optima.php who shows us the new Optima - the all-in-one Braille laptop computer.

Clodagh speaks to Molemisi Kono of Visual Eyes Africa International https://www.facebook.com/people/Visual-EYES-Afrika-international/100079083263922/, and Brad Pilkington from the official Turn a Blind Eye TikTok channel: @theofficialturnablindeye

Then the Guys will give their views on Sight Village South East Part 1.

So strip off your cloaking device, check the warp core is online, set shields to maximum, enhance the deflector array and engage to the fantastic world of Blind Guys Chat

19 out of 25 town halls prefer it to town hall meetings.

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

It’s another fun filled episode of Blind Guys Chat and this week the Guys are once again talking to their favourite member of the band ‘The Metabolics’. Yes, it’s Professor Luke O’Neill. The Prof tells us about the current state of COVID19 in Ireland and the research going on around the world. He also speaks to us about watching telly after his vaccination, and his good time band, The Metabolics.   The Guys give us their views on the COP26 summit and their enjoyment of the mild weather in November. Stuart is trying to convince Jan & Óran that Facetime isn’t all that bad for music and video streaming, but they’re only willing to try it if Stuart plays Pink Floyd instead of all those showtunes he loves.   We have a query from someone who would like to learn the piano, and Jan has a surprise for Óran & Stuart, spoiler alert, Jan is learning the black & white notes also.   In our email section, Adele has a message for The Blind Guys, Otis Mac Stroupy-Pants has had to put on the heating in Baltimore, and we have a “blindie tip” from Blind Gordon who has finally found a reason to use Windows Narrator.   So, throw away those used antigen tests, switch off the water pump, tell those shouty kids outside to go to bed, and have a listen to the most gratifying, scrumdiddlyumptious, thigh-slappin’ podcast in this galaxy…   …Blind Guys Chat.

Welcome to episode 14 of the Blind Guys Chat podcast. Sit back and enjoy just under 54 minutes of fun, as the Blind Guys, along with Clodagh, Clare and this week's guest Roisín Lenehan keep you entertained.

On our last show we talked about the California State University (CSUN) Assistive Technology Conference, which, for the first time in its history, went virtual this year. The Blind guys, and Jan in particular, through his daily Clubhouse room, did a bit of virtual attendance. So how did it go? Did the guys find it worked well? And, if you attended, let us know how you found it as well. Oh, and speaking of CSUN and virtual conferences in general, Óran has a few thoughts on their future and in particular, how people from different time zones might be accommodated.

If the guys aren't attending virtual conferences, or watching TV, they really need to be getting out and about and taking regular exercise. In fact, over the last year many people with low or no vision have struggled to remain fit during lockdown. Well, Roisín Lenehan, a listener to the show from Mayo has been innovative enough to find a solution and has established a group who meet daily on Zoom and work out with the Body Coach Alexa skill, from Joe Wicks. Stuart caught up with Roisín to learn all about it, and, indeed he's so impressed that he's agreed to try it out and report back on his fitness or lack thereof on the next show. If you'd like to get involved and join Roisín's group, give us a shout by email and we'll happily put you in touch.

It wouldn't be a regular episode of Blind Guys Chat without our TV Corner slot, and this week, Jan has been watching a Dutch programme called 'Who's the Mole'. The concept is fascinating and we think you'll agree. Stuart has been watching 'The One', which recently landed on Netflix, but he's been somewhat upset with the choice of audio describer. Óran has a similar view, and this leads to an interesting discussion on choosing an appropriate voice to match the type of programme that's being described. What do you think?

The way in which units of measurement are represented in UEB, for example, metres, millimetres, kilometres, etc, has changed from the Standard English Braille equivalents. Clare Whelan joins Óran for the first in a two-part series of what's changed and how the new syntax is used.

After all that Braille learning it’s time for us to catch up on what you are lovely listeners have been saying. Clodagh is back to read the mail, but before that, Stuart has a quick Buymie update and Clodagh broke up with the service last week!

This week's email contributions include a recipe for Irish coffee, use of Braille and audio books, and a request for the Blind Guys to share some of their travel experiences and embarrassing stories. Watch this space for more of that on the next show.

Remember to keep in touch on Twitter @BlindGuysChat or by email to BlindGuysChat@gmail.com

Hello our little sweltering lemmings and welcome to this episode of the podcast. We begin this week’s show with very special birthday wishes to Rosalie Bloem; Jan’s wonderful princess daughter, which is swiftly followed by a hook up with Sherpa Radi, one of the 2 very patient Sherpas who helped Stuart to summit Mount Kilimanjaro recently. Radi gives us a blow-by-blow account of his journey and explains the extreme difficulties in not only carrying Mr “big-bottomed” Lawler, but also his beer. Jan and Óran were not afraid to ask the hard questions, which included:

1. How do you open a bottle of beer when the temperature is 5 gazillion degrees below freezing?
2. Did Stuart eat the yellow snow?
3. Did Stuart make the yellow snow?
4. Were Stuart and Radi snuggle buddies?

After hearing these answers, Jan and Óran visited their psychiatrist and hypnotist to erase those images from their brains, we continued with the show. It seems here in Ireland we are experiencing a heatwave but not so much in The Netherlands, but fear not dear Jan, we are sure very soon the cold weather will bite our butts.

Have you subscribed to the JAWS beta program? Jan is telling us about a nice new feature called “Face in View” which should help all of us ensure your laptop camera is not pointing at the ceiling when you are in an online meeting. This new feature tells you about key visual details like: Is my face centred in the view? Am I looking directly at the camera? Is the lighting adequate? Are there additional people or items in the picture? Unfortunately, it won’t tell you if you’ve spinach in your teeth.

We’ve decided we’re going to devote some shows over the next few months to learning more about guide dogs. We’ll talk to a variety of guests about the whole process which might help you understand more about being a guide dog user, and maybe help you decide if you would like a guide dog. Our first guest for this series is the wonderful Deirdre Fahy. Deirdre has puppy raised more than 10 dogs for Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, and is also a brood holder. We’re big fans of Deirdre around here. Listen to find out why. We reckon you’ll love her too after listening to our chat.

Clodagh has emails from Roisin Lenehan who has a question for Jan about trains in the Netherlands, and Blind Gordon has raised a complaint for which the Blind Guys need to apologise, but not Clodagh for some reason…

So, strip down to your odd socks, slather on your out-of-date suntan lotion and let yourself melt into that wobbly plastic garden chair while listening to the only podcast still audible after a nuclear attack: Blind Guys Chat. 6.8 out of 10 guide dog puppies prefer it to going to the vets.

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello our little ducklings and welcome. First things first: Some of you did not believe that Stuart did in fact climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Well... we have proof! For those of you who have not seen this picture of Stuart standing at the top click on this link and you will have your proof. (Before you scold us – there is alt text, don’t worry!)   Now, on with the show. Yes, it is number 80 which in numerology terms is a symbol of abundance and prosperity. “If you have been working hard towards your goals, the universe is letting you know that your efforts will be rewarded.” So that means the Blind Guys are stuffed, because as you know, we’re a bunch of slackers.   Jan and Óran have recently experienced some issues with taxis - we want to know if there is government legislation in your country which prevents a taxi driver from refusing you and your guide dog? Let us know: blindguyschat@gmail.com   Do you look forward to autumn? Well, someone on the team thinks Óran is too cynical, and especially about autumn. Yes he hates autumn and winter almost as much as he hates the fact that iPhones have the best screen reader available for smartphones. Talking about poxy iPhones, will you be purchasing a new iPhone 15 or are you like the Blind Guys and are completely fed up with the lack of innovation from Apple lately?   Stuart has ordered a Sky Stream box, but will it live up to all the hype? And how does Stuart feel about not being able to record content? Mr Cynical is querying if Stuart will be able to watch the content he wants with audio description via the 'on demand' section. Stuart has also hinted that he might record a demo of setting up the box etc but Jan and Óran reckon he will make some excuse for not doing this for the next show, probably something like having to sack his pool boy for not cleaning the pool correctly...   BTW, don't forget that you can now use the Be My Eyes app to get in direct contact with a Sky rep to get real time video assistance if you ever need help.   Our guests this week are Peter O'Toole and Eleanor Martha Burke who are here to talk about “forest bathing”. Peter is Head of Counselling at NCBI and has recently started this “Role of Nature in Health and Wellbeing Series” so that people with vision impairments can get the benefits of being outdoors and bonding with nature. Eleanor gives us her views on a recent event that Peter hosted in Co. Wicklow. Mr Cynical-pants was not overly enthusiastic, but Clodagh highly recommends it. If you are interested in attending the next event in October you can find out more, and register your place here: www.ncbi.ie/event/the-role-of-nature-in-health-and-wellbeing-series-final-in-person-event-for-2023/   We have emails from Ana Cody who thinks our guest from ep 73 has a yummy voice and also has strong opinions on beer slushies at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. We have Axel in Sweden (cool name, Axel!) who liked our chat with Tim Dixon, and would like to know about any upcoming assistive technology events. Well Axel, you can check out www.qac.ac.uk - you can find all the info within the “exhibitions” and “news/events” sections; and you never know, you might see the Blind Guys at some of these events. Also, Ms Cavendish sends in a request/threat to spank Óran. Ooh la la!   So, strip down to your birthday suit and lie on the forest bath floor, ignore the swarm of midges going to town on your nether regions, and bask in the petrichor that is: Blind Guys Chat.   4 out of 5 trees prefer it to bark.  

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

We have some nostalgia on the show this week as we are interviewing the legendary Adam Curry. Yes, the PodFather – co-inventor of podcasting.

Jan and Sjeff are beside themselves with excitement because Adam is their favourite DJ/MTV VJ. Adam talks to us about his life growing up in the Netherlands, his new life in Texas and all about Podcasting 2.0 and his No Agenda podcast.

We asked Jade McCormack to give us a demo of Microsoft Soundscape. Perhaps she can help Stuart find his way home so he can get to that piano for the email jingle. (Boo to the new jingle - Óran)

We have news on a new podcast from HIMS called Sensecast and we’ve got an email question asking the Blind Guys about their favourite music. Does Jan really dislike Run DMC?! And as for Stuart, The Lighthouse Family, really Stuart?!!

We've also got info on the Greenwich Docklands International Festival

So come on - kick off your shoes, whip off your bra, put on a pot of coffee, and give Blind Guys Chat a whirl!

Guess who’s sick again!?! No, not Larry, although he has been a little sick. No, it’s Stuart. Poor fella has spent more time in bed than the bed bugs. So since we couldn’t get the pope on the phone, we asked Clodagh to step into Stuart’s wonder woman outfit and play his part for this week’s show.

Jan, or Mr Megastar tells us what it is like to be on a film set as he is playing a pivotal role in a movie being shot in The Netherlands. How long is he in makeup? Does he get free food? All these questions and more will be answered. Clodagh and Jan also talk about their recent move to electric motoring. Do they miss engine noise? Do they get range anxiety?

We have emails from Aaron in Kentucky, and a Blindie Tip from Blind Gordon.

So, hold off on buying those bunny rabbit easter eggs, they’ll be cheaper in the sales. Settle into your favourite chair, turn off your phone and get ready for the most entertaining podcast this side of a new born lamb: Blind Guys Chat

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

On the show this week we are talking to Nasreen Bhutta (nasreen@sourcingfoundation.org) the executive director of the Sourcing foundation (www.sourcingfoundation.org). The foundation was set up to help marginalised communities become human resource specialists. Nasreen takes us through the learning process and Jan and Óran need to decide if Stuart should go on the course.   Stuart just upgraded his iPhone to 15.4 and we hear about 2 new cool features related to COVID. You can now add your COVID cert to the Wallet app and Face ID can recognise your face even when wearing a mask. If you want to read about all the new features, MacRumors.com has a good article. LINK: https://www.macrumors.com/guide/everything-new-in-ios-15-4/   Stuart also seems to have had a change of heart when it comes to his Western digital drive, especially when he is travelling on a train. Clodagh has emails from Gary Hough (like cough) - does Gary really have dolphins in his swimming pool? And newbie Debbie asks about the guys blinging up their Svarovski canes (www.Svarovski.cz)??   Do you know about What 3 words? Have a look here: www.What3words.com - it might just save your life if you get lost in the attic.   Clodagh told us of a documentary she worked on many years ago about the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. It’s called Black Wind, White Land. If you would like to have a look it’s available to watch at these two links (there’s no audio description, sadly, but she’d be interested to know what you think): • Part 1: https://vimeo.com/29158846 • Part 2: https://vimeo.com/29161233   So, strap yourself in and get ready for the most Insightful, Informative, and immensely entertaining podcast that has ever existed in the world, ever. Blind Guys Chat: 8 out of 10 polar bears prefer it to the cold.   Don’t forget: •             Please rate and review us on your chosen podcasting platform. •             We'd love to know what you'd like us to talk about in upcoming shows; send us your suggestions by email: blindguyschat@gmail.com •             Don't forget you can send us your Blindie Tips and other thoughts by email also on blindguyschat@gmail.com

•             If you’d like to support the podcast, you can treat the Blind Guys to a coffee by clicking the link below.

Notes go here

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-6f08ef for 40% off for 4 months, and support Blind Guys Chat.

Don’t worry, the BBC haven’t taken over this podcast and this is not the official Woman’s Hour show, but we do have a Woman’s Hour of our own on this episode, or at least half an hour or so. Anyway, welcome to another show where the guys are in something of a reflective mood, because, believe it or not, it is our first anniversary. Of course the question is, who bought the flowers?

If BBC’s Woman’s Hour are looking for a stand-in presenter, they really need look no further than our very own Clodagh O’Donovan, who has dragged herself away from the email box for a while, to bring together a panel of partners of two of the blind guys and our very own Blind Gordon!

Joining Clodagh are Chantal de Vette and Alaine Anthony. There’s some gems in this piece and we hope you and your sighted partners and family will enjoy it. For example, did you know that Óran O’Neill likes to smack pedestrians with his cane if they don’t move out of his way quickly enough? That Jan Bloem got malaria and had to spend two weeks with his then very new girlfriend? Or, that the wonderful Blind Gordon doesn’t have what it takes to cut it on the dance floor?

Here are links to things that were mentioned during the chat:

• The Ramble tag is available here: rambletag.co.uk
• The iron guard mentioned by Alaine doesn't seem to be available on RNIB.co.uk anymore. We found it on Amazon at this link. It's currently unavailable but hopefully will be back in stock soon.
• We also found a handy page of tips on how to do your ironing safely from Guide Dogs UK which includes a video - check it out here.

After all that, the guys are ready for a few emails and we’ve a request for a follow-on piece to our Soundscape review, which is currently being actioned.

As it is our anniversary show, the guys and Clodagh share some of their highlights over the last year and there’s a quick shout-out for JAWS version 2022, which is now in public beta.

Otis emailed from Maryland (we love hearing from Otis) and talked about how Clodagh could be inspired by Ireland's legendary female pirate queen, Granuaile (Gron-ya-wail).

Don't think we're finished after the emails though, because our wonderful producer Óran O’Neill has been in the archive room and has put together a little montage of some of our best bits over the last year to play us out. Tell us which bit is your favourite!

Remember to keep in touch with us on Twitter and Facebook and email BlindGuysChat@gmail.com with any feedback or complaints. Seriously, we love to hear from you, complaints and all!

Hello our little flu germs and welcome to the show. This week Jan and Óran have been left doing the show unsupervised with no responsible adult to keep them in check so prepare for any kind of conversations.

We get the chat going with football/soccer. It appears that Jan's local team have not been doing so well in the last few games, losing 2-1 and 7-1 in their last 2 games. To celebrate this, some of the fans decided to offer the players their scarves and hats in an attempt to keep them warm out on the pitch. No, literally warm! They set fire to hats and scarves. After this fantastic display of sportsmanship, Jan decided to take our good friend Mohamed down to Frankfurt for Sight City 2024. But they did manage to break the train before they arrived. Naughty boys!

While in Frankfurt the 2 fellas were wined and dined on a menu of German cheese which apparently tasted worse than a wet sheep. Yuck!!

Are you interested in becoming the next Prime Minister of the Netherlands? Well, throw your hat in the ring because it appears that after 6 months of debate, no politician wants to become PM.

Óran, Clodagh and Larry recently travelled on a “vomit commit” - a plane so small that Larry had to be given his own seat because he couldn’t fit between the rows of seats. Larry rose to the challenge and is now a black belt in the call button, the air-con twisty nozzle thing, window watching on both sides of the plane, and getting attention from everyone, including the captain and co-pilot.

Óran tells us what it is like to walk under and into Concord, and what a Bristol 450 racing car feels like.

So, fasten your seatbelts. lift up that pointy nose, taxi out to the runway and enjoy the caviar of podcasts: Blind Guys Chat.

7 out of 10 prop-engine planes prefer it to supersonic flight.

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Have you cast your vote for Blind Guys Chat as the listeners choice for “best podcast of the year”? No? Well, here’s how to vote for us (they don’t make it easy):

·       Go to www.theirishpodcastawards.ie/vote ·       Search for Blind Guys Chat, and select it ·       Enter your name and email address ·       Tick the “I’m not a robot” thing, and the “I understand that Podcast Awards Ltd stores my information” thing too ·       Then hit submit. No, you’re not finished yet! ·       You’ll need to click the link in the email verification they send to your email – otherwise your vote won’t count - sheesh!   You’ve got till Sunday 11th September 2022 at 23:59. There’s only one vote per email address, so use all your addresses and please send this on to all your lovers – that’s the only way we’ll have a hope in hell of winning this thing! Each time you vote, 3 treats go to both Larry and Sjef, so you’re not just voting for BGC, but you are also keeping our 2 guide dogs alive. Thank you!   We begin the show this week listening to Jan pontificating about the wonders of his latest holiday. Yes, he schlepped up to one of his islands in the Netherlands to meet the peasants who work his land and give them a well-deserved bonus. Let’s hope a kiwi can be shared 11 ways!   Stuart has borrowed / stolen his neighbours SkyGo account so he can watch Sky on his Apple TV. But is he happy with the result?   We speak to the lovely Rachel Hurrell in Plymouth, who is doing her PhD in music and she needs your help. Rachel is researching how best to help blind and partially sighted musicians perform within a group like an orchestra, and also how to stop Stuart composing show tunes. Rachel’s survey can be found here: tinyurl.com/blindmusic. Go on, get involved, it’ll be gas craic! (Americans, please see this link to understand that we’re not talking about drugs!)   Clodagh is here with emails and this week we have an audio demo from Blind Gordon on how to use the Spring twitter client. He is brilliant and a special thanks to Missus Blind Gordon for letting her hubby come out to play.   So, soak up the last few rays of sunshine, tell the kids outside to stop shouting, stick on a pot of coffee and settle down to listen to the only podcast Amazon Music can’t afford to buy: Blind Guys Chat   Don’t forget: •       Please rate and review us on your chosen podcasting platform. •       We'd love to know what you'd like us to talk about in upcoming shows; send us your suggestions by email: blindguyschat@gmail.com •       Don't forget you can send us your Blindie Tips and other thoughts by email also on blindguyschat@gmail.com •       If you’d like to support the podcast, you can treat the Blind Guys to a coffee by clicking the link below.

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello our little Galway girls and welcome to 'De Chat' as some of our listeners are calling it. We hope you are well, dry, and safe. This week it's a welcome back to Gordon Anthony aka Blind Gordon, who guest hosts again. Gordon has been a busy boy while not on the air - it seems he managed to break his arm from signing autographs on the way to see Dundee United lose another football match. But luckily, he had set up 'fall detection' on his Apple watch and the device proceeded to call the cops, ambulance service, his daughter, the pope, the prime minister of Japan and Dominos pizza. There was some good news from his accident however as Dundee United managed to win the game that day; in fact, they haven't lost a game since!! Sadly, Jan can't say the same for his local team "Ado Den Haag".   While Gordon was recuperating, he managed to find a new A.I. tool called “Pi” which apparently is very good and well worth a go.   Jan has been doing some research of his own and recently attended the Dutch version of ‘Sight Village’ - does that make it “Ziezo Villagen”? 😁 Anyway, he touched the “Crystal Skull” (Raiders of the Lost Ark reference, don’t ya know!), and he touched the new Emotion Braille display from HIMS, plus the Activator Braille display from Help Tech and even the Mantus Q40 from HumanWare. Phew, that’s a lot of touching, Jan!! He also spoke to the developers of a new AI app from Belgium company called  EMVI, whose tag is “EMpowering the Visually Impaired”. The EMVI developers say their technology “doesn’t just assist; it empowers”. Their “scene understanding” feature opens up “new dimensions of independence for the visually impaired. Navigate with confidence, explore with ease, and embrace a more connected and informed way of experiencing the world.” – sounds amazing – we might just try it out for the next episode!   In TV Corner, Gordon is recommending ‘Meet the Romans’ which you can find on the BBC iPlayer, and also a movie on Apple TV called ‘Adjile’. Óran is suggesting ‘Sugar’ on Apple TV and ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’ on Paramount+.   Clodagh’s got a voice message from Mohamed Laachir as he responds to Nora Nagle’s query on the last podcast regarding guide dogs in Muslim communities. And speaking of Nora, she writes in with some additional information on turkeys and one in particular called Terrible Tom.   So, catch that blind turkey and stick it in the oven while you chillax with a nice cup of Joe and listen to the most informative podcast this side of a hen party: Blind Guys Chat   7 out of 10 fall detection watches prefer it to falling.   Links in this show:   ·        Pi, a new AI: https://pi.ai ·        HIMS Emotion: https://hims-inc.com/product/braille-emotion/ ·        Activator Braille display from Help Tech: Activator Braille display from Help Tech ·        Mantus Q40 from HumanWare: https://store.humanware.com/heu/mantis-q40.html ·        EMVI, a new AI app: https://www.emvi.ai/

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello, our lovely election canvassers and welcome to Episode 111. Did you manage to survive Storm Bert last weekend? And did you know the storm was named by our weather colleagues in The Netherlands? Lucky it wasn't called Storm 'Sjef' - Woof!! Mohammed Laachir is back with us again and it appears he has been on a kind of holiday since he was last on the show. Yes, he is just back from pilgrimage to Medina and Mecca, and managed to survive in 34 degree Celsius heat (92 point something Fahrenheit) by availing of a very clever piece of clothing.

It's election time here in Ireland. Are you ready to vote on Friday November 29 (the day after we publish this episode)? Vote early and often as Óran exclaims!! And if you need information on accessible voting, visit here: https://www.electoralcommission.ie/accessible-voting/

Clodagh has a great email from Patty Murphy. It has 2 images, and Patty wants to know how an AI engine will describe them. So Óran decides to put Jan and Mo to a test and see if they can work out which one is using “Picture Smart AI for JAWS”, and which one is using the “Describe with Be My Eyes” function. A little tip: Don't forget if you want Picture Smart AI for JAWS to give you more detail of an image you can use the keystroke 'Shift + applications key' and then select "Picture Smart with JAWS. And you can even ask questions about the image after the description is complete.

The results of our AI descriptions were interesting. Also, the pictures are interesting - one of them features a 1957 BMW Isetta which is a really cool car. (Clodagh was wrong – there were 3-wheel versions built. Also 2 people could fit in the front. The back was for stowage.) You can read more about the BMW Isetta: here: https://journal.classiccars.com/2024/03/30/pick-of-the-day-1957-bmw-isetta/

So, chuck away your voting cards, take off your shoes and kneel to pay homage to the only podcast worth listening to this side of a force 12 gale: Blind Guys Chat. 8 out of 10 hibernating squirrels prefer it to sleeping.

• Accessible voting: https://www.electoralcommission.ie/accessible-voting/ • 1957 BMW Isetta: https://journal.classiccars.com/2024/03/30/pick-of-the-day-1957-bmw-isetta/

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Read transcript

On this week's show the Blind Guys get political as we are delighted to be joined by Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration & Youth: Roderic O'Gorman. We talk about how life has changed for him since the Irish general election at the beginning of 2020. We chat about improving the lives of people living with disabilities, and after our chat we learn about a very important vote that took place in the Dáil (our Irish Parliament) during our chat with Minister O'Gorman.

Jan is worried about his house being flooded due to global warming, but Stuart and Óran remind him that he can find sanctuary here in Ireland, all he needs to do is grab hold of that Zipline we installed earlier this year between Jan's house and Stuart's apartment.

The guys are still arguing about Clodagh's new email jingle, but Stuart much like Maggie Thatcher, he's not for turning. We have email messages from Jade (of Ulysses fame), Gary in Cape Town, and from Saleem in Dublin. We talk briefly about Windows 11 and of course, the show would not be complete if we didn't talk about Stuart's counter top dishwasher.

So sit back, cool the jets, and chill out for an hour - let Blind Guys Chat help you relax as if you were in a bath full of puppies.

Huh....?

Hello dear listeners and welcome to episode 56 of BGC. This week we get straight into chatting with our special guest who has won the hearts and minds of all the Blind Guys, even Sjef & Larry. Yes it’s a huge welcome back to Veronika Hyks, audio describer extraordinaire!! We get the low-down on some of the storylines from the new series of The Crown which will be available from November 9. We also talk to Veronika about the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, the state of politics in the UK, and the work she has been doing updating the way in which audio description should be written and more importantly, the Who, What, Where & Why of AD. It’s a fantastic interview and we are so grateful that Veronika took the time to speak with us.   We also have emails from Clodagh, where we hear about Blind Gordon’s Excel sheet of shortcut key commands, hmmmm… could the Blind Guys pass this off as their own?!! and an email from Fiona commenting on the discrepancy between the cost of a digital stamp compared to a real stamp.   So, loosen your suspenders, stick on a pot of coffee, light up those remaining fireworks, and get ready for the number 1 audio described podcast this side of an articulated truck … Blind Guys Chat!   16 out of 21 koala bears prefer it to returning boomerangs.

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Welcome to episode 12! Last time we mentioned that the Blind Guys were recording in their thermal underwear, but this time they’re in shorts and t-shirts and Jan is reporting a 25°C increase in temperature in the Netherlands. Oh, and if you wondered about the strange voice opening the show, Óran is auditioning for a new identity. We think we like it better than his own one!

We’re getting used to what is becoming the BuyMie saga and Stuart has yet a further update on the long road to accessibility for this home shopping app.

In the last two episodes of the show, Clare Whelan was explaining how Italics and Bold Braille signs have been implemented in UEB, and this week she’s back to conclude this miniseries, by talking about the Underline symbol.

We’ve expanded the popular TV corner segment to also cover books. Stuart has binge-watched the entire series of ‘Behind her Eyes’ on Netflix and Óran is thoroughly enjoying season 2 of ‘For All Mankind’ on Apple TV. Óran is also trying to find four of the remaining books in the Jack Reacher series. We discuss a couple of resources including your local public library and the Calibre Audio Library service in the UK, which is free to join. Jan and Stuart have interesting observations on reading Braille books as opposed to audio, and when one might be used over the other. What do you think? Let us know - BlindGuysChat@gmail.com.

This week’s guest needs virtually no introduction within Ireland anyhow. Luke O’Neill is professor of biochemistry at the School of Biochemistry and Immunology in Trinity College Dublin, and has become a household name over the last year with his regular media commentary on the Covid-19 virus and the hope that vaccines are bringing to us all. Luke joins the guys for a chat and Clodagh is here to read some emails we received for Luke. Oh, and just in case you are wondering, Luke likes the Blind Guys vaccination programme! We're extremely grateful to Luke for his time and reassurance, and we hear that perhaps Jan might be in Dublin buying Luke a pint next year!

When Stuart was a young pup in school, the clubhouse was the name of the little shop where everyone bought their chocolate and all those things that we really shouldn’t be eating before our dinner, but Clubhouse means something very different now, and Clodagh is here to introduce this brand new audio-only social network. What do the Blind Guys think, and, would you join a Blind Guys Chat room on Clubhouse?

We have time for two quick emails, and we’re delighted to share a link about audio description on YouTube which might help Cian - one of our listeners.

Remember, the Blind Guys always love your feedback, so get in touch by email to BlindGuysChat@Gmail.com or by tweeting @BlindGuysChat. Looking forward to chatting again in two weeks time.

Happy new year from the Blind Guys and welcome to episode 9 of our podcast!

Clare Whelan and her Braille Bite have been the most talked about item of the show so far, garnering quite a bit of fan mail along the way. Clare couldn't be with us for our Christmas special so she's joined the guys for the start of the show, and we hear some of Clare's plans for the next couple of Braille Bite segments.

We've all been looking with much hope and excitement to the year ahead, especially when we hear about the successful roll-out of a number of Covid-19 vaccines around the world, but should people who are blind and vision impaired be moved up the queue so that they might get vaccinated a little more quickly? Stuart throws out the question and it looks like the Blind Guys wouldn't mind doing some self-vaccination live on the show, what do you think?

Jan introduces us to his friend, David Renstrom, who is living and working in northern Sweden. David typically endures temperatures well below zero degrees celsius during the winter and has become expert at navigating with his long cane in heavy snow.

Clodagh is back to read your email and we're talking about learning Braille with deteriorating vision and some thoughts from the guys on starting mobility training with long canes.

Óran recently switched his TV provider to Sky. The experience has been hugely positive and he tells us more. If that wasn't enough, Stuart was so inspired by his move that he wrote a parody song all about it, and this plays us out.

Until next time, stay safe and please get in touch by email to BlindGuysChat@gmail.com or tweet us @BlindGuysChat with your comments.

We have a proper star on this week’s show: Bonnie, a wonderful young Irish actress and singer, along with producers Colm and Aidan, are here to tell us all about their fantastic podcast ‘Maddie and Triggs’. The show’s main character, Maddie, is visually impaired, and together with her dog Triggs, they get up to all sorts of adventures. This brilliant children’s podcast may be making its debut on TV soon. We certainly hope so, being toddlers at heart!   Jan is on cloud nine because his local football team haven’t lost a match so far this year. But hang on – it’s only February and they’ve only played a few games so far - isn’t it a bit too early for loud cheers and celebrations!?!   Have you heard of the Access Card? Óran was delighted when he was approved for a shiny new Access Card recently. The Access Card (sometimes referred to as a CredAbility Card or a Nimbus Card) is like no other. It indicates your disability/impairment with subtle symbols that help service providers understand the barriers you face and the additional needs you might have. Some providers may also give you access to discounts, concessionary ticket prices, or free sighted guide/helper monkey tickets. And you might get to skip the odd queue (“line” for our American friends!). Think of it as a “disability passport”. You can use it in the UK, and parts of the USA, New Zealand, and other countries that support it. Go to accesscard.online to read more about the card and how to apply.   Clodagh’s got an email from Aaron Linson who among other things is offering his presenting services if Stuart becomes sick again.  

So put the ball on the penalty spot, look at the goalkeeper with an air of defiance, and plant that ball in the top right hand corner of the onion box. Then celebrate by listening to ep 63 of Blind Guys Chat. Clodagh says it’s better than football.

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Welcome to our BGC bites. In this podcast we are talking to some more service providers who had stands at Sight Village Southeast in London during November.   Óran talks with Michelle Young from The Braillists Foundation about all its services. Then Clodagh chats with Kate Arkell from Retina UK which, to quote Kate, is "a charity supporting people affected by inherited sight loss and investing in medical research to help make their challenges a thing of the past."   So, take a quick break from building that bridge across the Indian Ocean and chill out with Blind Guys Chat for a few minutes.   Links to organisations in this podcast:   The Braillists Foundation: https://www.braillists.org/ Retina UK: https://retinauk.org.uk/

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello our little blown away leaves and welcome to episode 86 of the show. Are you sorted for Christmas? Well, in case you’re not, we've got the perfect festive gift for you. Why not join us for the Blind Guys Chat Christmas Quiz which we are broadcasting live on December 21st at 8pm Irish time? That's 3pm in the EST, 10pm in South Africa and 11am in the North Pole!

If you want to be part of a quiz team and answer some easy but fun questions, then let us know by no later than end of day on Monday December 18th. (Clodagh says that deadline is too tight, so you can tell us by end of day on Tuesday December 19th!) Click on this link which will take you to a simple Microsoft form to fill out: http://tinyurl.com/BGC-Quiz-2022-entry-form. Even if you just want to listen to the show live, but not compete, please complete the form, otherwise you won’t get a special link for the show.

Go on - give it a go!! You never know, you might win a prize and be crowned Quiziest Blind Guys Chatter 2023!

Our guest this week is the wonderful Veronika Hyks. Veronika is here to talk to us about her 7 years of audio describing Netflix's The Crown. It has been a mammoth task and an admirable body of work that Veronika has created, so why not sit back and listen to her story. She might even divulge some secrets.

Has Jan gone over to the Dark Side? Has he just purchased an Android device!! Let's fine out, eh?

It seems Sky Stream is not going to well for Stuart and for blindies in general. It looks like a software update has broken audio description playout. Is this an action for Dave Nason?

Óran is not wild about the AI service Microsoft are now providing within Be My Eyes app. Have you used it? What do you think? Also, what do you think of Chat GPT Voice? Let us know: send an email to blindguyschat@gmail.com.

Have you been watching All The Light We Cannot See on Netflix? Well Veronika Hyks and the Blind Guys would like to hear from you if you have. What is your view on the audio description for the show, and what do you think of Aria Mia Loberti’s introduction to the show? Have a listen here: https://web-anycast.prod.ftl.netflix.com/tudum/articles/all-the-light-we-cannot-see-aria-mia-lorbeti-audio-introduction We also want to know what you think of the AD level on the show Obliterated, which is also on Netflix. And it seems Óran has gone potty for the 2 cockney brothers on Amazon Prime's 007 Road to a Million, not to mention Gary Oldman in the new series of Slow Horses on Apple TV.

So, put down that bottle of Baileys. Throw your Android phones in the fire, start brushing up on your general knowledge and don't forget to sign up to the Christmas quiz for the best podcast this side of cold turkey: Blind Guys Chat.

7 out of 10 Squid game viewers prefer it to Jeopardy

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello our little hatchlings and welcome to a shiny new episode of Blind Guys Chat. We begin our show this week with some almost-but-not-really upsetting news: It appears that Stuart’s adventure to Mount Kilimanjaro has hit a little bump in the road; apparently his sherpas have had enough of lugging his beer supply up the mountain, so instead of raising the Blind Guys Chat flag at the summit, they decided to mount Stuart on the flagpole, possibly by his very attractive thermal underjocks. But don’t despair - Jan, Óran, and Clodagh are considering the possibility of creating a crowd-funding site where you can donate to get Stu down again. Unfortunately, our next management meeting is not until December 4th, so Stuart will have to wait for that decision to be made. However, Jan and Óran have realised there is a bright side to this. Since they retrofitted lightbulbs into Stuart’s prosthetic eyes, he has now effectively become a beacon for aircraft flying in the area, warning them to steer away from the high mountains and thus Jan and Óran are actually saving lives, So, as you can see, it’s not all bad news.

But , Clodagh brought up the fact that they won’t work when Stuart has his eyes closed. We may need to rethink this...

Jan is back from his sixth holiday of the year. He has been fighting the French in Normandy. We say French but really we mean fighting his deck chair because he has been spending his time visiting World War 2 historic sites with his family while camping in a forest and living the life of a well-mannered Frenchman, (is that an oxymoron?). Yes, the Bloem family jumped into the Tesla and took a spin to France. Apparently, their campsite even has a treehouse you can stay in. And the Bloem family were not alone - oh no! There were loads of Irish campers there too: sorry about that Jan. Jan also shares some other recent dramas – be sure to listen out for that scary story.

Talking about the Irish, Óran has a story from a work colleague who has just come back from Greece, a place where you could fry an egg on a stone at the moment.

Clodagh has an email from Nora Casey who in the interests of science has taken one for the team and entered a big science yoki-thingymajig in order to experience lightning. Did it smell like barbecue chicken? Nora explains all…

Aaron Linson also emailed in to tell us about his new job. We wish you the very best Aaron.

So, strip down to your furry outer coat, dump the wet gear in a stinky pile inside the door, and get ready to be a hero on the beaches of Normandy, cos it’s time for the French to get used to the sound of Blind Guys Chat - 8 out of 10 Frenchmen prefer it to having a bad attitude.

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Yes folks, it’s time for another brilliant episode of Blind Guys Chat. This week the Blind Guys are out of the gate faster than a greyhound on smack because they have a bee in their bonnet about the latest COVID-19 variant and the protests happening in the Netherlands. Have you got a good argument for not taking the vaccine? Well, we want to hear from those of you who think it’s all a load of codswallop.   Stuart is going to give us a demo of his Alexa routine which he has set up to keep him warm and snug. Spoiler alert: he is too lazy to switch the heating on himself.   Jan and Óran attempt to do a demo with Stuart on FaceTime sharing, but guess what? It’s a load of hooey and they can’t be bothered to subscribe to Apple music just to listen to Stuart’s spangley showtunes.   Clodagh is here with emails. Will there be a Blindie tip? Will we get to hear the Blindie tip jingle again? The suspense is killing us.   And finally, are you interested in joining the Blind Guys for an online Christmas show? Email us and we’ll put you on the guest list.   So, quit trying to unravel those Christmas lights, turn off that Perry Como ‘best of’ CD you found in a bargain bin all those years ago, and snuggle up on the couch with man’s best friend…   Blind Guys Chat.

Hello our fast and furious Olympians, and welcome to ep 103 of BGC. We have a full house this week as Jan is back from his 11th holiday of the year, and Mohammed Laachir is back with us again fresh from NFB in Florida, having enjoyed their all you can eat buffet.   Yes, Jan handed the car keys over to Tycho while he, Chantal and Princess Rosalie sat in the back seat of their lovely electric vehicle. After a 63-hour trip taking in the Norwegian fjords, St Paul's Cathedral and the Brandenburg Gate, they eventually arrived in Camp Nou, Barcelona’s famous stadium, where fistfuls of money changed hands in order to purchase a Barca t-shirt and a can of coke. Oh, and Princess Rosalie bought some rather expensive makeup in a big international cosmetics and skincare store, or at least that's what Jan said.   Mohammed has just returned from NFB 2024 where he was demonstrating the new Picture Smart AI with JAWS. This is a cool new feature built right into JAWS allowing a user to scan a picture and hear what its contents are. Fair play to Mo for helping with the development of this feature.   While he was at NFB, Mohammed took the opportunity to take his hoover for a walk. Ahem... sorry, we mean the new Glide guide dog thingy from Glidance. Will Mohammed be purchasing? Tune in to find out!   So, jump off your pommel horse with a perfect 10; stay away from the Olympic cauldron – it’s not a BBQ! Put down that shotput before your do yourself some damage, and get ready to listen to the best podcast in the world: Blind Guys Chat - 10 out of 15 boxing gloves prefer it to boxing.   Links for this show:   ·       National Federation of the Blind (NFB): https://nfb.org/ ·       NFB National Convention: https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention ·       Picture Smart AI with Jaws: https://www.freedomscientific.com/training/jaws/new-and-improved-features/

·       Glide from Glidance: https://tinyurl.com/Glidance

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Read transcript

Hello our lovely movie stars, and welcome to another episode of “Jan, the movie star”. Yes we kinda sorta pick up where we left Jan last time, standing at the end of his massive driveway, waiting on his limo to take him to the premier of the film, ‘I will see”.

...well, he made it, and brought all the family, including Sjeff who was dressed up to the nines. Now the only question is, will there be a sequel, and will Jan be brought back for a reprieve of his role? (That’s two questions!)

Our guest this week is Karthik Mahadevan from Envision. Karthik is here to tell us all about Envision smart glasses. He describes all the functions and features such as reading short text or longer documents. These glasses can even summarise menus and they can tell you what bank note you are holding in your hand. They can even describe colours. Karthik also talks about the upcoming release of the 'Ally' app which Envision are calling a conversational assistant. It even has attitude! You can find out more about Envision at letsenvision.com and if you want to know more about Ally, or sign up for the beta program go to ally.me.

So, forget about that idiot in America for a while, stick some popcorn in the microwave, and settle down to the most listened to podcast this side of the Superbowl: Blind Guys Chat!

11 out of 15 American football fans prefer it to silly shoulder pads and ridiculously long breaks between play.

Links for this episode: Film: ‘I Will See’: https://iffr.com/nl/iffr/2025/films/ik-zal-zien Envision glasses and the Ally app: https://www.letsenvision.com/ The Ally app beta programme: https://www.ally.me/

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Read transcript

Hello dear Blind Guys Chatters - it’s time for your favourite podcast – hurray! This week we are devoting most  of the show to the final Eurovision Song Contest report from Kevin Sherwin. Yes, even though Kevin is jet-lagged from all the dancin’ and singin’ in Liverpool, he finds time to chat to us about the Song Contest last Saturday night. Did you vote for Sweden or Finland to win? What were the other options? Do you even care? Tell us on blindguyschat@gmail.com. We want to know!   Guess what? Stuart is missing in action again but does manage to take time out of his busy sunbathing  schedule to tell us about an assistive technology event taking place next week in ChildVision, Dublin.   Jan is just back from SightCity in Frankfurt, and he tells us how he got on in the new location for this event.   Clodagh has an email from Blind Gordon, who gives us his review of the Seeing AI app. Kevin Farrell is writing to ask if we can keep Donald Trump in Ireland, spoiler alert: No way Jose!   So, step off the waffle iron, pour yourself a glass of champers in the green room, and settle into another scintillating episode of Blind Guys Chat.   16 out of 20 Germans prefer it to their own Eurovision entry.

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

As we begin to head out of winter the Blind Guys Chat office is on fire. This episode could almost be called a ‘Rant Special’. After eventually receiving his Apple Airpods, Stuart was raging because not only were the earbuds too big for his little tiny ears, but the left one was not charging correctly. What was Stuart to do? Spoiler alert, he returned them. But that’s not the end of the story.   Meanwhile, Óran has received his new iPhone 11. What does he think of ‘Face ID’? Can he survive without a home button? And what is Rose Gold?   Kieran Lynch is here to talk about an audio description research project he is working on. Do you want to help? Well click here to fill out the survey questions. It will only take about 10 minutes. https://forms.office.com/r/fkJ5U6tKWi   Óran is continuing his rant about bad audio description and he has some examples for the guys to listen to. Will you agree with his observations?   Clodagh’s here with emails. What is your feeling on asking for help? Let us know blindguyschat@gmail.com.   So, strip off those thermal vests, shake your fist at winter, and say hello to spring with the number 1 podcast on Venus…   … Blind Guys Chat!   Don’t forget: •             Please rate and review us on your chosen podcasting platform. •             We'd love to know what you'd like us to talk about in upcoming shows; send us your suggestions by email: blindguyschat@gmail.com. •             Don't forget you can send us your Blindie Tips and other thoughts by email also: blindguyschat@gmail.com. •             If you want, you can treat the Blind Guys to a coffee by clicking the link below!

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Whether it's too sunny in Miami or you are riding your bicycle topless on a stage in Rotterdam, this week's show has everything. So, sit back, relax and let Blind Guys Chat entertain you.   Yes! Stuart has seen the error of his ways and is asking the gang if he can come back to the show. But wait! Is there someone new sitting at his desk?   Jan kicks off this week's show by telling us about live audio description on The Eurovision Song Contest and how some moments were a little too hot to handle. Stuart eventually stops sulking and joins in, giving us a little insight into his school days and in particular his Italian teacher. Apparently, she was a wagon. We have a fantastic interview with Dara Ó Cinnéide & Lara Lenehan which you won't want to miss. Stuart is also giving us a demo of the Virgin 360 TV app.   We've got news about Clubhouse, emails from Miami, Dublin, Scotland and South Africa and we tell you about the WebAim survey for screen readers. Also we tell you where you can get a Braille Chess set.   What a show!

It's time for another mighty episode of Blind Guys Chat and thanks to the posse, we eventually found Jan hiding behind the couch. Phew!

However, we have a small issue in that our guest this week, Saleem Ur Rahman, seems to have taken over Jan's desk, so Jan will just have to remain standing for the moment. Saleem is here to tell us all about this years WWDC conference and in particular what is coming up in IOS 16 for iPhone. But wanting to provide an unbiased and balanced discussion about new updates, we spend about 20 seconds talking about Android 13 which has a new Braille upgrade. (Clodagh rolls her eyes hard!)

Stuart gives Óran and Jan a report on the International Council on English Braille event that has just finished and also some news on Sight Village. And of course we talk about the weather.

Clodagh is here with emails and we are asked the question, what is audio described theater and what difference does it make?

So, tell your boss you are calling it a day, head over to your favourite gelato shop, order yourself a couple of scoops of pistachio, and plug in to listen to the number one podcast in the world, Blind Guys Chat! 5 out of 22 jellyfish prefer it to stinging people on the foot.

Hello our newborn Robins. We hope you are well and ready for another exciting and delightful episode of your favourite podcast. On this show our guest host is Mohammed Laachir. Mohammed lives in the Netherlands, and is one of the people in Vispero who brought us the fantastic split sound feature in JAWS, and also worked on the split Braille function for Braille displays.

Have you ever tried skiing? Well Jan has, but apparently, he has problems hearing his instructors and has ended up in the trees a few times. No such issues for Mohammed as he snowboards on the baby slopes, ahem… indoors!!

Have you ever lost your balls? No; not those balls! The roller ball from your cane? Well, Mohammed has, and apparently not even a Jesus-loving preacher could find it for him. Oh, and Mo has a cool cane called the All-Terrain Cane (ATC) from AwareWolfGear.com. Do you have one? Let us know what you think: email us on blindguyschat@gmail.com.

Mohammed is also doing great things for our demographic as he is down with the kids. Yes, he has played video games and also uses dating apps like Bumble. But the poor fella has had some bad experiences. Can you believe this - sometimes his date leaves because they realise he is blind. How rude! However, Jan and Óran come to the rescue; they suggest he gets a guide dog because that'll get him into a relationship quicker than a formula 1 car on 3 wheels trying to get into the pit lane.

Have you heard of the Google Accessible Discovery Centre? Well Jan has been to London recently to visit the Centre. It's a space where engineers, researchers, product teams and partners can build new kinds of accessible technologies to help remove barriers that people with disabilities face every day. We are going to be chatting to Christopher Patnoe from Google in a couple of weeks, so keep your ears peeled for that, but in the meantime let's find out from Jan what it's all about.

Clodagh's got an email from Etta who is informing the guys that it's snowdrops that are white and beginning to blossom and that daffodils are yellow. Get it right lads! And we have an audio message from some bloke called Stuart. Then Clodagh has a bone to pick with her husband. Oh nohhhhh, duck for cover!

So why not take a city break this weekend in Alaska, and as you sit snuggled in your igloo, let the warm and sultry voices of Blind Guys Chat distract you from the wolves trying to eat your face off. Blind Guys Chat: 7 and a half out of 10 skiers prefer it to slamming into trees.

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello our little petit filous. We hope you are well and are looking forward to this week’s show. It’s a bit of a strange one again because for the second time in as many shows Jan decides to walk away from recording without a whisper to anyone and Stuart and Óran are left home alone to host the show for a while. However, things do get back on track when Jan returns and we get down to important topics such as: the weather, Santa’s latest invoice, IOS 16 (again!), and our increasing energy bills. Óran is wondering if it is possible to submit his electricity bill to BGC accounts as an expense. Hmmm…   Our guest this week is that well renowned Scottish royal family fan, Gordon Anthony, more commonly known on the show as Blind Gordon. The Blind Guys were not previously aware that Gordon has written more than 20 novels and has won the Booker Prize 16 times, and the Nobel Peace Prize twice. We may have fabricated some of those details, but that shouldn’t stop you heading over to Amazon and purchasing one of his fantastic books.   Clodagh is looking for listeners to participate in a recording for Blind Guys Chat on the evening of October 17 or 18. She is doing a piece on mental health and would love if one or two listeners could come on and discuss this important topic. This will be a group discussion with a mental health professional and other people who provide support services. If you are comfortable sharing your thoughts and experiences of mental health on the show, please send Clodagh an email to blindguyschat@gmail.com, and include your phone number and your preferred date to record.   So, strip down to your flampers, chuck your wet guide dog into the tumble dryer, air out your pipe tobacco, and get ready for the most giggle-inducing podcast in the world - Blind Guys Chat.   12 and a half children prefer it to jigsaws!

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Welcome to episode 11 of the Blind Guys Chat podcast!

The weather outside is frightful, and, while snow falls in Ireland and the Netherlands, the blind guys put on their thermal underwear to bring you this packed edition of our regular fortnightly show. Speaking of snow, Jan has plenty of it in the Netherlands and even gives us a quick weather report!

Stuart is continuing his advocacy work with the BuyMie online shopping service, and we have a positive update on changes coming soon to their mobile app.

Ever wondered about showing bolded text in UEB? Well, wonder no more, because Clare Whelan is back with another Braille bite to tackle this very issue.

Apple recently released the latest update to their mobile operating system. iOS 14.4 however, has introduced a couple of problems for users of the latest Humanware Braille devices. We know that Humanware and Apple are working as hard as they can to fix these issues, but nevertheless, there's been quite a bit of discontent amongst the blind community. So what do the blind guys think of all this wrangling?

We're beyond thrilled to welcome this episode's special guest. Sabriye Tenberken is a co-founder of Braille Without Borders, and now co-directs the Kanthari International Institute for Social Change. The Institute in Kerala, South India, fosters participants from all over the world, who have a passion to make the world a better place and have the strength to be forces of good rather than victims of circumstance.

We always love to hear from our listeners, and your email is the high point of the show. But email needs a reader and there's none better than our Clodagh. This week, we're talking about challenges with home shopping delivery drivers, audio description and how it impacts sighted viewers, and a recommendation from a listener for a show called 'Death to 2020' on Netflix. Speaking of recommendations, Stuart has been watching 'it’s a Sin' on All Four. It’s an incredibly thought-provoking drama series, and, while its not an easy watch, it is worth every minute you'll spend viewing it.

Finally, the blind guys have a very special guest on the next show. If you want to know who that is, you'll have to stay listening to the very end!

Please make sure to get in touch by email to BlindGuysChat@gmail.com or on Twitter @BlindGuysChat

It’s our 30th podcast and the Blind Guys are scared of the halloweenies, but Stuart is ok cos his maid is answering the door. We’re talking IOS 15 - Stuart thinks it has some cool new features, but Jan & Óran, well… Óran really is somewhat cynical about some of the features.   Jan gives us a COVID-19 update and he is still whinging about living below sea level. Get over it man!!   Jade McCormack is back to help Stuart find his way to the train station in North County Dublin using Soundscape and Google Maps.   Clodagh is here with “a clatter-load of emails”, one of which is rather scolding. Yes Stuart, it's addressed to you! 🤣 Óran is delighted that he gets to sing the Blindy Tips jingle again as it’s the best jingle in the world EVER! Or so he says. And we’ve got audio messages from Saleem and Gary from South Africa.   So, put away that ghostly white sheet, stuff your face with all those treats you got at Halloween and get ready for the most auspicious, bodacious, and fun lovin’ podcast in the world … Blind Guys Chat.  

Welcome to the first Blind Guys Chat podcast! This week, the Blind Guys introduce themselves and the show. We talk Covid-19 and home working - how are the Blind Guys managing? Clare Whelan is here to talk about UEB (Unified English Braille) in the first of a regular series called Clare's Braille Bite. We meet Clodagh who will be reading our emails and making sure that the Blind Guys behave, and Óran and Stuart are rather frustrated with some features of the iPhone, can you help the boys to be more productive?

Please don't forget to share this podcast with your friends, and we would love it if you'd submit a review on our podcast via your favourite podcasting platform. Thank you!

Contact the Blind Guys at BlindGuysChat@gmail.com, or find them on Twitter - @BlindGuysChat. You can also subscribe to their mailing list to find out about new and upcoming shows: tinyurl.com/BlindGuysChat.

Ever considered wood turning? Well if you have, stay tuned, cos we are talking to Mr John Furniss, 'The Blind Woodsman' who lives all the way over in Washington State, USA. That's in America you know! John is here to tell us all about this craft that he loves. It's a fantastic chat and it might even inspire you to pick up a lump of wood and a chisel.

Big News. Jan and Sjef are going to be in a movie!! Yes, he is starring in the new marvel sequel 'SuperDog, Below Sea Level'. No seriously, Jan and Sjef are going to be in a movie, for real, totally!

Stuart has news about his favourite app, Chat GPT. Apparently some guys in China have programmed it to work with Siri on IOS.

Talking about IOS, are you having any problems with dictation when writing a text or email on your iPhone? Well Óran is, and he is looking for answers, because Jan and Stuart don't have a clue.

Clodagh has emails from Aaron, Saleem and Anna. Are Saleem and Anna offering themselves up as replacements for Stuart? Stay tuned until the end and you will find out.

So, brush the sawdust off the couch, strip yourself down to the fine grain, throw nextdoor's treehouse onto the fire to keep warm, and listen to the number 1 podcast this side of a mahogany dining table: Blind Guys Chat.

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

On our last podcast, Óran and Stuart were having a moan about how inaccessible LinkedIN is, well… their opinion might be about to change as we have Aaron Linson who joins us from Kentucky with plenty of tips and tricks you can use with LinkedIN. Aaron is a recruiter, and hosts his own podcast ‘AbilityCast’ which you can find here: https://anchor.fm/abilitycast. Not only that, but he is also a fantastic musician.   Óran has news on how to spend 2 hours of your life. He recently logged an AirPod issue with Apple. During the 2 hour conversation, he managed to get the accessibility desk assistant a promotion. What…?   Of course the Blind Guys are talking about the weather as usual, and Jan is telling us how bad the recent storms damaged in his part of the world. Spoiler alert, does anyone need some roof tiles? In TV Corner, Stuart tells us about The Tinder Swindler - isn’t that Stuart’s favourite app?   Clodagh has emails from Derry, Dave & Saleem. The latter two have some views on LinkedIN, Revolut and also why your COVID cert's QR code can’t be scanned in Apple Wallet. Also Erica has a question about the Bradley Watch https://www.eone-time.com/ Guess who has one? Óran, of course.   So, brush those fallen branches off the couch. Let your dog chew away on those new pair of Manolo Blahniks, sit back and listen to the most root'n toot'n, handy dandy podcast in the world: Blind Guys Chat.   Don’t forget: •             Please rate and review us on your chosen podcasting platform. •             We'd love to know what you'd like us to talk about in upcoming shows; send us your suggestions by email: blindguyschat@gmail.com •             Don't forget you can send us your Blindie Tips and other thoughts by email also on blindguyschat@gmail.com (bonus points for voice messages!) •             If you want to support the podcast, you can treat the Blind Guys to a coffee by clicking the link below!

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello, our little delivery drones, and welcome to episode 108. This week Jan and Óran welcome back Mohamed Laachair and invite him to sit into the comfortable and fluffy guest-host seat. We think he really likes it.

We kick off with news of the new AI companion from JAWS which is currently available on the web: https://fscompanion.freedomscientific.com. This new feature will also become available directly from within JAWS 2025 (JAWS Key+spacebar+F1 to access it) and is a gold mine of information. You can drop your question about JAWS and some other Vispero products into the edit box and it will have a little think and then come back with an answer. Try it!

Have you tried ElevenReader App? The ElevenLabs’ ElevenReader App lets you listen to any text content, with ElevenLabs voices. This expands your library of audio content to any article, PDF, ePub, newsletter, or any other text on your phone. Get more info here: https://elevenlabs.io/text-reader

Do you remember Maura Moore-McCune? She’s the young woman we interviewed back in episode 105 (link here: https://tinyurl.com/BGC105) who is developing VIPMOD - Vision Impaired Person’s Moving Object. Well, she has just won a gold medal at the annual prestigious Eskom Expo for Young Scientists in South Africa. Students from 35 Expo Regions in South Africa compete against each other, and then compete against the best young scientists from around the world. Maura won gold in the biomedical and medical sciences category and was joint overall senior winner too. Congratulations Maura – we’re thrilled for you!

Back to JAWS - Freedom Scientific now have an automatic language detection facility using AI. Mohamed tells us more about this fantastic feature which is available in JAWS 2025.

Derry Lawlor lets us know about the cameras on the Meta Ray Ban Smart Glasses, and we have news of a possible contender to Meta Smart Glasses which are the Meta Orion Smart Glasses? Huh?! Read more about them here: https://about.fb.com/news/2024/09/introducing-orion-our-first-true-augmented-reality-glasses/

So, stop getting confused about the October weather, cool the jets on the Halloween costume shopping, and get ready to listen to the most informative podcast this side of a town hall meeting: Blind Guys Chat.

8 out of 10 AI companions prefer it to being artificial.

Links in this podcast: • The new AI companion from JAWS - FS companion: https://fscompanion.freedomscientific.com

• ElevenReader App: https://elevenlabs.io/blog/introducing-elevenlabs-reader-app and https://elevenlabs.io/text-reader

• BGC ep 105 with Maura Moore-McCune: https://tinyurl.com/BGC105

• Project Orion: https://about.fb.com/news/2024/09/introducing-orion-our-first-true-augmented-reality-glasses/

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Read transcript

Welcome to episode 21 of the Blind Guys Chat podcast. That's right, our show has turned 21 and had a huge party last week, breaching all sorts of COVID guidelines.

Whoever said that the Blind Guys don't know their James Joyce? Well, actually maybe we don't know that much, which is why friend of the show Jade McCormack joins us to talk a little about one of Joyce's most famous works 'Ulysses', which she has read in full not once, but twice. Jade is also an avid and fluent Irish speaker and we asked her to bring Jan up to speed on a few Gaeilge basics.

One guest isn't enough for our 21st episode, so we were privileged and very honoured to be joined by Glen Gordon, Software Fellow at Vispero. There's not much about JAWS or its history that Glen hasn't been involved in, and he's also the voice of the hugely successful FS Cast podcast and FS Open Line.

Speaking of technology, Stuart has news about the first face-to-face Sight Village exhibition, which is taking place this year on August 17th and 18th. Please make sure you pre-register if you plan to attend, as places are very limited.

Clodagh is back to read emails and this time we are unveiling her brand new email jingle, which she loves, but it looks as though not everyone is happy with it. News of a recently appointed Director of HR in the Blind Guys Chat office means that some industrial relations issues may well be brewing...

Finally, make sure you stick around to the very end of our show, because Jade popped back into read a short excerpt from 'Ulysses', Stuart and Jan give us the details of their next Clubhouse event, and we've a very special report live from Washington D.C. about U.S. Independence Day, which is being renamed this year, apparently.

As always, we love to hear from you, so please get in touch on Twitter @BlindGuysChat or by email to BlindGuysChat@gmail.com.

Top o’ the mornin' to ye, our little leprechauns! Yes, it's Irish week all over the world and even the International Space Station is painted green this week!

This week’s guest is Sarah Boland from CHAT, Freedom Tech, and Saint John of God. Sarah will tell us about FreedomTech, which is dedicated to ensuring that everyone with any disability, at any age or stage of life, can access affordable, up-to-date, and appropriately helpful technology. CHAT (Community Hub for Accessible Technology) is a community of individuals and organisations passionate about the transformative effect of assistive technology, (AT). It facilitates peer learning and collaboration, using shared expertise. The next CHAT event will be on May 7th where the European Accessibility Act will be discussed.

You can learn more about CHAT and Freedom Tech here: https://freedomtech.ie/ https://freedomtech.ie/chat-community-hub-for-accessible-technology/ And you can mail Sarah Boland at sarah@freedomtech.ie

So, sit yourself down in a soft, cosy bed of shamrock, stop drinking that green pint of the black stuff, and settle in for the best podcast this side of a pot of gold: Blind Guys Chat!

7 out of 10 leprechauns prefer it to being typecast as little people of Ireland.

Links for this episode: · Freedom Tech: https://freedomtech.ie/ · CHAT: https://freedomtech.ie/chat-community-hub-for-accessible-technology/ · AT passport: https://freedomtech.ie/assistivetechnologypaper/#_Toc467830788 · TEKenable: https://tekenable.com/ · sarah@freedomtech.ie

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Read transcript

Hello our favourite sight capitalists, and welcome to episode 112 of BGC. We are honoured to be joined by Mr David Renstrom who has kindly agreed to leave the comfort of his North Swedish igloo to chat about the newest craze everyone is talking about: Meta Smart Glasses! David takes us through the design and functions of the glasses, and even gives us a tour of his fridge. Are these the Christmas present you've been waiting for? Do you need to amend your letter to Santa? Stay tuned and find out.

We do have to issue a health warning and say that the A.I. part of 'Meta Glasses' may not work in your location straight out of the box. This is mainly an issue in Europe and is due to very strict EU data protection laws. However, there is a workaround: You can subscribe to a VPN service which means you can tell the 'Meta View App' your location is in the USA or Canada and then the A.I. will work fine. See links below to VPN services, some of which have very good subscription offers for the next few weeks.

It turns out that in between shows, Jan has also purchased these Meta glasses and is getting some "Looking cute and cool dad" comments from his daughter Rosalie. But is she trying to butter him up for a special request that only daughters can ask their dad!?! Sucker!!!

We've got an email from Blind Gordon which Mohamed will be pleased about as he was very worried about the weather in Scotland. We are delighted to say Gordon is all good, but we'd suggest staying away from Inverness; as it's feckin' FREEZIN' there!!

And now, for the most important bit: Would you like to be a contestant in the Annual BGC Christmas Quiz? It's on December 23rd and will be lots of fun – full of madness and mayhem! We may even have some special guests. Send us an email expressing your interest to blindguyschat@gmail.com. Even if you just want to attend, and not take part in the quiz – let us know, and we’ll send you on the joining details.

So, stick your shades on; strip down to your Christmas reindeer socks; pour yourself a glass of eggnog (yuck!) and settle in to listen to the number 1 podcast as rated by Christmas films: Blind Guys Chat - 7 out of 8 Reindeers prefer it to falling off the roof!

Links for this show: Meta: https://www.meta.com/ie/smart-glasses/ VPNs: · SurfShark: https://surfshark.com/download/windows · ZoogVPN: https://zoogvpn.com/ · ExpressVPN: https://www.expressvpn.com/vpn-download/vpn-windows And don’t forget to email blindguyschat@gmail.com if you want to join us for the BGC Christmas quiz!

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Read transcript

Welcome back to another hour of madness that is the Blind Guys Chat!

Just when you thought Stuart's fridge/freezer problems were finally sorted there's another twist in the tale. We meet Ulla Quayle, a guide dog user from Dublin, who shares how on-going disturbances caused by bangers and fireworks have had a detrimental impact on her dog. Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind want to hear your experiences of pre-Halloween bangers and the impact it has on your dog. Please complete their survey and have your voice heard.

The guys have a few recommendations for things to check out on Netflix and Apple TV, including 'The Haunting of Bly Manor' and 'Little Voice'.

Clare Whelan is back for another Braille Bite, and this week, we're talking about the removal of the dot 6 N and Y contractions, as well as discussing the recent ICEB 7th General assembly.

The Blind Guys want to visit the moon and we wonder if there's WiFi readily available; and do the guys think that it could be time to switch to Android?

Clodagh is back to read more emails, and we have feedback from contributors in Dublin and the United States of America!

Please don't forget to share this podcast with your friends, and we would love it if you'd submit a review on our podcast via your favourite podcasting platform. Thank you!

Contact the Blind Guys at BlindGuysChat@gmail.com, or find them on Twitter - @BlindGuysChat. You can also subscribe to their mailing list to find out about new and upcoming shows: tinyurl.com/BlindGuysChat.

Hello our little teardrops and welcome to episode 96. It's Eurovision Song Contest time again so do watch out for the odd Eurovision song title in the show notes and also during the show. Óran is asking listeners to email in with the total number of Eurovision song titles that are mentioned during the show and in the show notes and podcast chapters. You’d never know – there might be a prize – so get emailing! And yes, we have "All Kinds of Everything" on this show - so let your "Love Shine a Light" on our 3 presenters for this week, Clodagh, Jan and Óran.   Jan has been celebrating the King's birthday as it was King's Day in The Netherlands during the week, and His Majesty took his whole family on a day trip to visit the common people of Holland. He even brought his security detail with him and apparently, they have bullet proof suitcases, just in case any ne’er-do-well tries to shoot the King's underpants - "Ding a Dong!!!" Also, apparently the king's daughters are "lookers" as we would say here in Ireland, and this has not gone unnoticed in the Bloem household. Will Jan need to buy a hat for a special day out!?!   It's a welcome back to our own "Rock and Roll Kid", Kevin Sherwin, back on the show to tell us all about this year’s Eurovision Song Contest entries. Will Ireland make it past the semi-finals? Will Norway get any points? Will the eastern bloc countries all vote for Australia? Will there be "Euphoria" when it's over? Listen in to hear what our wonderful Eurovision correspondent thinks.   Óran's got another pain in his hoop. This time it's about the poor quality audio description on the Netflix series "Ripley" starring Andrew Scott. Have you watched the show? What do you think of the audio description. Let us know at blindguyschat@gmail.com.   Clodagh has an email from a confused person regarding Braille. Maybe they need to "Make their mind up"?!   So don't be a "Diva", leave the "Arcade" for a while and listen to the number 1 podcast as voted by the Tahitian Foreign Minister for Dolphins: Blind Guys Chat!

17 and a half out of 20 European countries prefer it to the Eurovision Song Contest.

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello, our little Halloween horrors, or maybe that’s just the hosts?! We’re back again for a show with a slight twist, and we’re not talking spooky goings-on - or maybe we are, because, Óran, our producer in residence, is missing in action for the first time in the history of this podcast! Is he OK? You’ll have to listen to find out.

Hector, our beloved HR Director, has been busy arranging a new temporary contract for Stuart. Yes, he’s returning, at least for this show, to help out Jan and one of our regular guest hosts, Mohammed Laachir, as they delve into topics including Jan’s upcoming trip to Dublin; Braille 200 celebrations; the Glide device at Sight Village London; ChatGPT’s new advanced voice mode; Stuart’s issues with the iOS 18 calendar; and of course, the weather!

If that’s not enough to keep you from your trick or treating, we end the episode live from a central Dublin boozer, where Jan is on the hard stuff!

So, ease up on the tricks and treat yourself to the Blind Guys Chat podcast, because you never know, you just might learn something! 8 out of 10 pumpkins prefer it to having their eyes gauged out.

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Read transcript

Welcome to another fun-lovin' episode of BGC. We begin the show with some disruption as the builders are in to construct our new Director of HR's office complete with jacuzzi. Guess who is not happy about this...?

We have an interview with Mohammed Laachir who tells us about his life and how he got started working at Vispero. We have a big surprise for Stuart, as we bring on a guest he has a little bit of a crush on. Needless to say, he’s a bit shell shocked. Who could it be…? It's only the lovely Veronika Hyks, audio describer on The Crown and many other shows!

Clodagh is here with emails from Gary in Capetown, Derry from Dublin, Otis Mac Stroupy-Stroup and the guys are even asked for advice on how to follow the ball when watching soccer.

Jan gives us a weather update, Stuart is still complaining about his desk, and Óran is whinging about the lack of sing-ability of the new email jingle. Clodagh has a lot to put up with!

So, sit back, relax, and have a chuckle with the Blind Guys for a little while.

Welcome to another of our BGC bites. In this podcast we are talking to some more service providers who had stands at Sight Village Southeast recently.

You will hear from Greg Hargraves from Paige Braille who will talk about Paige Connect, a Bluetooth circuit board that connects to old-school Perkins Braillers allowing the text to be displayed on a PC, which is a pretty cool trick.

Clodagh is busy on this podcast as she is talking with Andy Farrell from Guide Dogs UK, Richard Black from the Talking News Federation, and Rose Woodall from Queen Alexander College

So, forget about the long dark nights for a moment and tune in for some relaxed chat from Sight Village 2023.   Links to organisations in this podcast:   Paige Braille: https://paigebraille.com/buy Guide Dogs UK: https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/about-us/ Talking News Federation: tnf.org.uk Queen Alexander College: https://www.queenalex.co.uk/

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Hello our bouncy little spring lambs and welcome to episode 93 of BGC. Unfortunately, Óran is not feeling too well this week as he has a pain in his hoop! Yes, he has had an altercation with a grocery collection and in particular with the bags the goods are packed in. Do you sympathise with him? Listen to his story and email us: blindguyschat@gmail.com.   Clodagh has ordered a cup of coffee and a cake from the local café and is awaiting its arrival via a drone. Jan and Óran are somewhat sceptical and decided traditional transport i.e. getting Sjef and Larry to collect it and bring it back home is a more sensible method. But if you want to give drone delivery a go, check to see if Manna drone delivery is available in your area. (www.manna.aero)   Our guests this week are Berni Warren and Melanie Prichard from The Braillists Foundation (www.braillists.org). Berni is responsible for setting up the Braillists Book Club (www.braillists.org/uncategorised/join-us-in-the-book-club) which Óran is potty about. Melanie runs the Braille for beginners course which also is an initiative of The Braillists Foundation. Jan and Óran have a great time talking to the ladies about Braille, sight loss, and everything in between. If you would like more information on the book club or Braille for beginners, then go to www.braillists.org and check out the site.   In TV Corner the guys are promoting, ‘Loudermilk’ and ‘The Gentlemen’ on Netflix. And before we go, Jan gives us a rendition of the Dutch entry for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. Can he do it justice? Good question!   Clodagh has an email from Gary Hough who is not looking forward to the winter months heading his way. Also Mohammed Laachir has an audio message for the Blind Guys. Apparently, he is under a bus...   So, open up your Braille books to page 1 and settle in for the most thrilling of podcasts: Blind Guys Chat   33 out of 40 hardcopy Braille books prefer it to reading print.   Links for this episode: www.manna.aero www.braillists.org www.braillists.org/uncategorised/join-us-in-the-book-clubEpisode Notes

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Read transcript

Happy new year to all our listeners. We hope Santa brought you lots of gifts and you are ready to embrace 2023 with vigour and hot chocolate, which is what one of our crew is doing this week. Yes, Stuart is skiing in the Maldives, or that’s what he told us. Is there snow in the Maldives? Jan and Óran are not so sure. So stepping in again, at great expense we might add, is Clodagh.   We start off this week with an ask: The Blind Guys would love to know what holidays you have been on that you really enjoyed, whether it be because the accessibility was great or the public transport was fantastic, or the people were very helpful, etc. Maybe you have been on a cruise with your guide dog? Drop us a line and tell us how you got on. We’d love to hear about your travel tips also, like don’t forget your long cane, as Jan did! The email is blindguyschat@gmail.com. We’re looking forward to hearing from you.   Our guest this week is Mark Pollock. Mark is a blind paraplegic adventurer, and he was a lot of fun to interview. We hope you enjoy hearing about his exploits.   In email corner, Clodagh turned the tables and wrote to one of our regulars. She heard a rumour that Scottish people can’t say a particular phrase and she wanted to find out if it’s true. Our Scottish correspondent tells us all, which triggers a rather confusing side chat about Smurfs. And then Clare McLoughlin of “Seen Unseen” got in touch to tell us about their new 2023 schedule, which is available at https://tinyurl.com/SeenUnseenschedule. All “Seen Unseen” events are free! You can get more info and book your place by emailing Clare at claremclaughlinemail@gmail.com   So put on your wind breaker, take the curlers out of your hair and have a listen to the best podcast this side of a drunken crab on steroids.   Blind Guys Chat.

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat