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: [email protected] • Don't forget you can send us your Blindie Tips and other thoughts by email also on [email protected] • If you’d like to support the podcast, you can treat the Blind Guys to a coffee by clicking the link below.

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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: [email protected] •       Don't forget you can send us your Blindie Tips and other thoughts by email also on [email protected] •       If you’d like to support the podcast, you can treat the Blind Guys to a coffee by clicking the link below.

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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 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: [email protected] • Don't forget you can send us your Blindie Tips and other thoughts by email also on [email protected] • If you’d like to support the podcast, you can treat the Blind Guys to a coffee by clicking the link below.

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Yay - it’s time to hear from your favourite podcasters again!  This week the Blind Guys welcome back Kevin Sherwin who is going to share his views on this year’s Eurovision Song Contest which was held in Turin, Italy. Did he want Ukraine to win? Was he impressed with the set? Does he think Santa should be allowed take part in the event? Does he know how they get the figs into the Fig Rolls...?

The Blind Guys are all just back from holiday On Jupiter, it was gas... In TV corner, Stuart is looking forward to “Conversations with Friends” which starts on RTÉ tonight (May 18) while Óran is talking about the last series of “Ozark”. Clodagh has an email from Derry Lawlor who is asking about different cane manufacturers.  The guys use Svarovsky.cz but Clodagh has a list of others which are available from Amazon such as; Visionu, No Jab and Timishon. She says it’s a good option if you already know what length cane you need. Also, Dave Nason tells us he thinks there is something fishy about the music on the new Bord Bia commercial. So, strip down to your bathing togs, forget about cutting the grass for now and instead chill out and listen to the Turkish Delight of podcasts: Blind Guys Chat – the only podcast worth getting sunburnt for. (Ed – other chocolate bars are available.) 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: [email protected] • Don't forget you can send us your Blindie Tips and other thoughts by email also on [email protected] • 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.

We begin this week’s show with Jan telling us about his latest trip. How many holidays does this man need?! It was not all champagne and cerveza, as he and Sjef got stuck in the airport due to a strike. What is your view on 3D printing? Do you think it could be used for demonstration purposes at events. We discuss… Also, we talk about cruising. Not that kind of cruising. The giant ship kind. Have you ever been? Would you consider a cruise if you could bring your guide dog? Have you ever used ‘Travel Eyes’ – the travel agent designed to support people with vision impairments? In TV corner, we're talking about ‘Anatomy of a Scandal’. This great drama about Britain’s political elite, which is based on a book Sarah Vaughan wrote, is on Netflix - check it out. Óran is giving out (as usual) about the newly released and final series of ‘Better Call Saul’. This fantastic series does not come with audio description. Why not, Amazon Prime Video? We’ve got emails from Nerdling Nick and Tina Brown. Has Stuart broken his qardio weighing scale thingy? We have all the questions and some of the answers. Sure, what more would you want in a podcast? So, strap in and get ready for the most insightful, informative, and immensely entertaining podcast that has ever existed in the world, ever: Blind Guys Chat - the only reason great white sharks come out of the water 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: [email protected] • Don't forget you can send us your Blindie Tips and other thoughts by email also on [email protected] • If you’d like to support the podcast, you can treat the Blind Guys to a coffee by clicking the link below. 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: [email protected] •             Don't forget you can send us your Blindie Tips and other thoughts by email also on [email protected] •             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.

A belated happy easter to all our listeners. We hope you had a lovely easter break. We begin on the topic of travel: Jan is off to Madrid later this month for work purposes so we ask ourselves the question, should travel for work or leisure be a thing of the past? What is your view? Also, share your thoughts on the current state of easter egg chocolate - do you think the quality has diminished in the last few years? Jan is just back from his easter egg hunt, and Sjef (his guide dog) has been a bit of a naughty doggy - chasing rabbits instead of easter eggs.

This week Stuart is preparing to lose all that easter bunny chocolate weight by weighing himself with his brand spanking new ‘Qardio weighing scales’ …he broke the last one! We hear about the handy app you can use with this device. He also tells us about the smart blood pressure device he is going to purchase. Who knew Stuart was this health conscious? Certainly not Jan or Óran…

Do you intermittent fast? Óran and Clodagh have started down this road and would love to hear from anyone doing the same.

Clodagh is here with emails but first she tells the Blind Guys about her new Samsung smart washing machine called Wallace the Washing Machine. It’s fierce fancy: Samsung Series 5+ WW90T534DAN/S1 with Auto Dose & Ecobubble Washing Machine 9kg 1400rpm – it has braille and everything! Unfortunately, the app for this device doesn’t work on Óran’s phone, or at least that is what he told Clodagh… (chancer!)

We have an email from Saleem who writes in with info on the Trusted Platform Module. Here is a link he sent with more details: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/information-protection/tpm/trusted-platform-module-overview

Blind Gordon tells us about the accessible online census in Scotland, spoiler alert, Missus Blind Gordon has already filled it out, so we don’t know if it was accessible or not. And we wish Gary from South Africa all the best as he heads off to do his TV music competition.

So Blind Guys Chatters - strap in and get ready for the most insightful, informative, and immensely entertaining podcast that has ever existed in the world, ever: Blind Guys Chat: the reason why chocolate tastes so good.

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: [email protected] • You can send us your Blindie Tips and other thoughts by email also on [email protected] • 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.

Welcome to this week’s episode. We kick off this show with Jan just back from his travels . How many holidays does this man need! It is census time here in Ireland and Stuart has a bee in his bonnet about the lack of an accessible version of the census form. But surely, he just gets one of the staff to fill it out? No? (Why are there always so many bees and so many bonnets here at Blind Guys Chat?!) Clodagh has audio messages from Dave & Derry, and the guys can’t believe that they are both mentioning “Formula 1: Drive to Survive”. Is the audio description good or bad? You’ll just have to judge for yourself. So, strap in and get ready for the most insightful, informative, and immensely entertaining podcast that has ever existed in the world, ever: Blind Guys Chat: the reason rabbits come out of their burrows.

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: [email protected] • Don't forget you can send us your Blindie Tips and other thoughts by email also on [email protected] • 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.

On the show this week we are talking to Nasreen Bhutta ([email protected]) 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: [email protected] •             Don't forget you can send us your Blindie Tips and other thoughts by email also on [email protected]

•             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

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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: [email protected] •       Don't forget you can send us your Blindie Tips and other thoughts by email also on [email protected] •       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