When it comes to this week’s show, we’ve got some good news, and we have some bad news. First the good news … THERE IS NO BAD NEWS (unless your name is Pepe and you’re a skunk)! That’s right, it’s been about a year since we had our last “Good News Show”, so we decided to do it again this year since we are still in desperate need of plenty of sunshine, lollipops, puppy dogs, and kittens in our lives! Maria Johnson from the Girl Gone Blind Blog joins Rob, Ryan and Steve for an hour of fun, laughter, and GOOD NEWS!

Show Notes

Girl Gone Blind Blog
https://girlgoneblind.com/

She Beat Cancer at 10. Now She’s Set to Be the Youngest American in Space
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/22/science/spacex-hayley-arceneaux.html

‘Life-saving’ nose spray that kills 99.9% of viruses begins production in Israel
https://www.timesofisrael.com/life-saving-nose-spray-that-kills-99-9-of-viruses-begins-production-in-israel/

Woman Finds Husband’s ‘Secret Instagram Account’ Full of Recipes He Makes for Her
https://www.nbcnewyork.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/woman-finds-husbands-secret-instagram-account-full-of-recipes-he-makes-for-her

The Golden Labrador Who Keeps on Giving
https://www.goodinfonet.com/goodnews/the-golden-labrador-who-keeps-on-giving-2

Orchestra Allows Deaf People to ‘Hear’ Beethoven
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/orchestra-allows-deaf-people-to-hear-beethoven-through-touch-much-like-he-did/

How Pepe Le Pew became the latest character in the culture war
https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2021/03/09/pepe-le-pew/

When the federal government released their 2020 Fall Economic Statement in December of 2020, it revealed its plans to withdraw the $4 million in funding that it provides to CELA (Centre for Equitable Library Access) and NNELS (National Network for Equitable Library Service) in order to provide books in alternate formats. This week we welcome Karen Mckay from CELA and Daniella Levy-Pinto from NNELS to discuss these funding cuts and the implications for Canadians who rely on the alternative book formats their organizations produce. Find out how you can help as well!

Show Transcript: https://atbanter.com/transcript-episode-231-restorethefunding/

Show Notes

Centre for Equitable Library Access
https://celalibrary.ca
https://celalibrary.ca/advocacy#whatyoucando

National Network for Equitable Library Service
https://nnels.ca/
https://nnels.ca/advocate-nnels-services

Things get off to a rocky start this episode with a cowbell malfunction, and things don’t get much better as the boys rant about accessibility problems with the US vaccine websites. Luckily, long time listener, Accessibility Specialist, and Senior Strategist at Civic Actions Mike Gifford saves the day and infuses the show with some much needed positivity about the work he’s involved in around digital accessibility and what the future may hold.

Show Transcript: https://atbanter.com/transcript-at-banter-podcast-episode-230-mike-gifford/

Show Notes

Civic Actions
https://civicactions.com/

Covid Vaccine Websites Violate Disability Laws
https://khn.org/news/article/covid-vaccine-websites-violate-disability-laws-create-inequity-for-the-blind

/

Great Scott! Drop your linen and start your grinning but whatever you do, don’t back Baby into a corner! This week we welcome Guest Host Shawn Marsolais from the Blind Beginnings Limitless Podcast to help us do something a little different in celebration of Retro Day next week (February 27^th). Join Rob, Ryan, Steve, and Shawn as they don their headbands, leg warmers, and fluorescent colored shirts and they dive into a discussion about everything 80s related. Movies, world events, music, tv, and even a little about the Assistive Technology of the time – we are talking about it all! You don’t want to miss this totally tubular and gnarly episode!

Show Transcript: https://atbanter.com/transcript-at-banter-podcast-episode-228-back-to-the-80s

Show Notes

Retro Day
https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-retro-day-february-27

The boys are all together again as Steve returns to the show after a bit of an absence, just in time to get geeky with a rousing discussion about the used Assistive Technology market before welcoming Matt Campbell and Pneuma Solutions CEO Mike Calvo to the Anti-Gloom Zoom Room to talk about some exciting new features of Scribe, their digital document remediation product. And if that isn’t enough for one show, we also announce an exciting new idea for a show later in the month! You don’t want to miss this show!

Show Transcript: https://atbanter.com/transcript-at-banter-episode-227-calvo-returns

Show Notes

Pneuma Solutions
https://pneumasolutions.com

Scribe For Meetings
https://scribeformeetings.com

Rob and Ryan are thrilled this week to be joined by local author Jessica Wegrzynowski and her care aid and friend Misty into the Anti-Gloom Zoom Room to talk about her new book, My Spring Fling: Young Love and Living Life to the Fullest. Jessica discusses how the book came about, some of the challenges she faced writing it, and what she hopes readers will take away from it.

Show Transcript: https://atbanter.com/transcript-at-banter-episode-226-jessica-wegrzynowski/

Show Notes

My Spring Fling: Young Love and Living Life to the Fullest on Amazon

White Cane Week happens every year during the first week of February and this week we welcome Canadian Council of the Blind’s President, Louise Gillis, to discuss what White Cane Week is, fill us in on all the events happening, and the CCB’s year round mandate to help support and advocate for blind and partially sighted Canadians.

Show Transcript: https://atbanter.com/transcript-at-banter-podcast-episode-225-ccb-white-cane-week/

Show Notes

Canadian Council of the Blind

Sensible Innovations