This week we’re entering the wonderful world of online dating, so all you fellas take off your shirts and grab a fish! Rob, Ryan, Steve, and Lis welcome Christie Faye Collins to the show to talk about NOMI, the dating app she is currently working to develop that will cater to the neurodivergent and disability communities.
Rob, Ryan, Steve, and Lis put away the hockey jerseys and put on their best outfits as they welcome iconic Canadian Fashion designer and adaptive clothing pioneer Izzy Camilleri to the show. They discuss adaptive clothing and how it’s slowing growing into becoming more mainstream. It’s a fascinating look behind the curtain of this growing industry. Oh, and we also learn not to EVER buy Steve a pair of breakaway pants.
Yes folks, it’s that time once again! Break out the shot glasses, AT Banter is another year older! Join Rob, Ryan, and Lis as they celebrate the show beginning its 7th year by discussing some of the challenges and joys of producing a weekly podcast and the impact it has on them personally. It’s an inside look into the show and a tribute to the audience and the guests that make the show possible. Plus there’s alcohol and silliness.
It’s Lis’s birthday week and in honor of that, we’ve handed the reins of the episode over to her (it beats getting her a gift, and we’re cheap). Lucky for us she has lined up an incredible show as we welcome Trevor Thomas. The Blind Hiker to the show. Trevor was the first blind person to solo thru-hike the Appalachian Trail and has currently solo trekked more than 22,000 miles, thru-hiking the most rugged long-trails in the United States. You don’t want to miss this episode and Trevor’s amazing story.
Rob, Ryan, Steve and Lis drink some tea and prepare to wax poetic this week as they welcome Dave Steele, otherwise known as The Blind Poet to the show. Dave shares his own journey through vision loss, from first being diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa to becoming a bestselling author and known as “The Blind Poet”.
Insulin pumps can make a huge difference in the lives of those living with Diabetes, helping manage blood sugar levels more efficiently by delivering accurate insulin doses on a pre-programmed schedule. Despite the strong connection between blindness and diabetes, most of these life changing devices come without any sort of accessible features to ensure that anyone can operate them independently. This week Rob, Steve, Ryan, and Lis welcome Ryan Hooey and Kat Hamilton from CNIB to discuss the campaign to pressure manufacturers and Health Canada for accessibility options for insulin pumps.
Rob dresses up and wears socks this week in anticipation of the show as the gang welcomes Ardra Shephard, host of AMI’s, ‘Fashion Dis’, a makeover show that features members of the disability community. They discuss Ardra’s own personal journey with fashion and disability, how the idea of the show came about, adaptive clothing, and the importance of the show’s impact and message.
Steve makes his triumphant return to the show after a trip down to the CSUN (California State University, Northridge) Assistive Technology Conference. He gives the gang the rundown of some of the assistive technology devices he saw and his impressions of where the industry is at and where the next few years may take things.
Rob, Lis, and Ryan are excited to sit down with Darren Defrain, Director of the Writing Program at Wichita State University (go Shockers!) and co-developer of a new app called Vizling which aims to make digital comics accessible! They talk about the comic industry and why it’s important to make them accessible and even discuss their preferred costumes for Comic Con (spoilers: spandex bad). Trust us, you don’t want to miss this one!
It’s an exciting and action-packed episode this week as Lis updates us on her cowbell status and her dog’s gassy habits. An if that’s not enough excitement for one episode, break out that heart medication and oxygen, because we are also thrilled and honored to talk with Kelly MacDonald and Ramya Amuthan from AMI’s widely popular arts, entertainment and lifestyle show, Kelly and Company! We discuss the show and its origins, the importance of accessibility and representation in media, and much much more! You don’t want to miss this one!