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....?

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 [email protected].

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?

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!

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!!!

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 [email protected] or tweet us @BlindGuysChat.

Enjoy the show.

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 [email protected] 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!

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 [email protected] 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!

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 [email protected]

Welcome back, lovely listeners, to 57 minutes of madness, that is episode 13 of the Blind Guys Chat podcast. The boys are in flying form and we're delighted you can join us for another show.

If you remember on the last episode, Clodagh introduced the Blind Guys to Clubhouse, an audio-only social network. Well, the blind guys tried it out for themselves. So how did it go? And, would you like to join a Blind Guys Chat room on Clubhouse? If so, get in touch with us and keep an eye on our Twitter feed for more info.

There have been some changes in UEB relating to the use of the percent sign and some currency symbols. Clare Whelan is along for this week's braille Bite to tell us all.

The 35th CSUN Assistive Technology conference, hosted by the California State University takes place this year, as a virtual event for the first time. Virtual events definitely have some advantages, especially for people who may be restricted by travel costs, and the guys have info on how you can get free access to the virtual exhibit area.

Holly Tuke is the person behind the hugely successful Life of a Blind Girl blog and she joins the guys for a chat. If you have always wanted to set up a blog, then listen in, because Holly has some top tips to get you started!

Clodagh is here with more of your emails and, amongst the correspondence this week - what's the best way to make an Irish coffee, which apparently is Stuart's best hangover cure; a top tip from Óran on the BorrowBox library service, and an email from Roisin Lenehan, who will be joining us on the next episode of the show.

Remember, we love to hear your feedback so get in touch by email to [email protected] or on twitter to @BlindGuysChat