S1E129 - 20230822 - Tuesday Topics - explores a final rule and more.

August 23, 2023

We will spend time exploring some Federal actions. Most of our time will be spent exploring the

adoption of a final rule by the Architecture and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (ATBCB). This Board has been operational for more than half a century and is responsible for overseeing regulations that assure that people with disabilities are fully included in society through the adoption of rules and regulations that determine how buildings will be built and how access through roads and other elements of the built environment will be made usable. This particular final rule goes into effect on September 7th and is known as a final rule. This final rule governs how people who are walking or using wheel chairs get access to sidewalks and roads and roundabouts and street crossings and so on. The rule is commonly called "PROWAG" which stands for Public Right Of Way Accessibility Guidelines. I am certainly not an expert on this subject but we have invited two people who are much more knowledgeable than the Tuesday Topic team to join us. Becky Davidson and Chris Bell will join us to help us understand this new rule. We have also invited a representative of Polara, a company that manufactures accessible traffic signals to bring us up to date on their products. What does it include that specifically involves people who are blind? What problems does it seek to solve? Has it made things perfect for pedestrians? Is there more that we need to do? Who do the regulations cover? How are they enforced? What else do we need to make things better? We will also, if we have time, talk about some other Federal developments that could well be significant for people who are blind and we will spend a little time telling you how regulations work and how you can do your part to make them better!

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S1E128 - 20230815 - Tuesday Topics - Internet radio.

August 16, 2023

It is a common thing for Tuesday Topics to bite off more than it can chew. We did it again last night! We thought we were going to spend an hour talking

about our experiences with radio and then move on to other things. Not so much! We spent a truly fun two hours romping together through the past of radio and us! If you missed the show, catch the repeats or the podcast! It was great fun! However, oh dearly beloved as Kipling would say, we have unfinished business! There is an amazing resource out there called internet radio and there are an amazing number of ways to access it. We want to spend some time talking about this phenomenon that makes tens of thousands of radio stations from all over world available to us! Of course, among the many available options are the ten channels of ACB Media! There are apps that aggregate huge collections of radio stations. Some do it by country; others by genre; and still others collect everything to do with their topic! You can use a note taker, Alexa, Google Home, or apple's smart speaker! You can use your phone, your computer or actual internet radio receivers! What are your favorite internet radio stations? How do you listen? What apps do you use and why? The Victor Reader Stream is about to change how it handles internet radio. Is that a good thing? Will Humanware come onto our show and give us a sneak peak at what they plan? Probably not but, of course, they are welcome! Is there a particular kind of music you like? Do you miss old time radio? Is our media three not enough for you? Would you like to hear news from other countries without the static of short wave? The internet has created a space where people can and do run their own stations and where people who are blind have become proprietors of radio empires and disk jockeys on larger stations developed and run by blind and visually impaired folks. We hope to learn lots from you and may have a few things to teach you as well.

Find out more at https://acb-tuesday-topics.pinecast.co

S1E127 - 20230808 - Tuesday Topics - Radio Needs You.

August 9, 2023

This week we are going to discuss a topic that we hope will be of some interest to many blind and visually impaired people. From the time I was three years

old in 1948, radio had become a critical part of my life. I don't think I am alone. I lived outside the United States for many years and listened to short wave radio even more asiduously than I had listened ! AM radio in the US and Canada before. I spent time listening to distant AM stations at night and became a fan of presenters in cities I had never visited. How did radio impact your life? Were you a listener from the time you were a child? Do you remember the days when radio had dramas instead of music, news and politics? Do you view radio as an entertainment medium or just an information source? Did you listen to stations from other countries on short wave? Do you use internet radio now? What stations do you like and recommend to others? Has changing technology made you less likely to listen to radio? Help us explore what many might believe is the most relevant medium for people who are blind or have low vision!

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S1E126 - 20230801 - Tuesday Topics - heat and summer.

August 1, 2023

Tuesday Topics will explore seasonal issues on ACB Media One and live on zoom.

We are hearing a lot about the heat! How is that affecting people who are blind! Does climate change have special issues that apply ! people who are blind or have low vision? What are the issues and what should ACB be doing about them? Hotels are more expensive; plane fares appear to be higher; Covid has impacted the way hotels operate. How has that affected people who are blind or low vision who often need a little more help? We often used to see Summer as a time to be outside swimming or camping or going places. Is this still how people who are blind are spending their Summers? How has your Summer altered?

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S1E125 - 20230725 - Tuesday Topics - How Many Words Is A Picture Worth.

July 26, 2023

It is really crucial that many of you join us because we are going to explore an

issue that will become increasingly important over the next few years. During the ACB convention just completed the Braille Revival League sponsored a session that allowed those who were there to at least get to touch a new device that is being developed by the American Printing House for the Blind and Humanware. The device is called the Monarch and is the latest in a series of devices that will eventually make the inclusion of tactile graphics in education a commonplace. Starting this Fall devices will be made available to teachers who agree to train in their use. At our presentation and in other places, APH has said they would like to see these devices in the hands of all blind students in the United States. The devices will allow braille reading and, eventually, audio reading. They will allow tactile graphics to be created. APH already has a library of such graphics but it appears that there will need to be the production of lots more "pictures" that are not too intricate for people who are blind to understand the representation the Monarch can bring. Clearly a decision has been made that children who are blind, if properly introduced to the subject, can comprehend and benefit from tactile graphics. Is this true? Can people born without vision understand pictures? The issue is broader than just these machines! Museums, art galleries and art classes are trying to create tactile representations of great art. There are audio descriptions of great art that attempt to explain why a painting or a sculpture has appeal. How effective have these efforts been? Audio description, the electronic depiction of pictures in the class room and perhaps even a discussion of whether the absence of vision makes understanding the visual arts impossible are all parts of the question of people who are blind "seeing" pictures. Where do you stand? Do people with partial vision have the ability to bridge the gap? Can totally blind people who lose their sight later help us understand the many questions that surround making the visual comprehensible? We need your opinions and, after the program is over, we need your continued involvement in coming to terms with one of the newest and most innovative options to emerge for people who are blind.

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S1E124 - 20230718 - Tuesday Topics - Tech, Talks, and Travel.

July 18, 2023

Last week Tuesday Topics took a look at the convention as a whole. We think there is more to cover from ACB 2023 and propose considering three specific

concerns surrounding this event. First, what was the new tech that was shown at the exhibit hall. What should folks look for in the future from some of our more established companies? We will review some of the new stuff and look ahead to a couple of cool things that were hinted at during meetings or at the exhibit hall! What were the highlights of the program? What podcasts do we think you should try to get as soon as they are available? Third, there was what we think is a pretty serious problem that occurred this year that did not appear to be as much of a problem in the past. Particularly United Airlines seemed to be canceling trips all through our convention period. Clearly we cannot do much about the fact of cancellations but what happens afterwards? Should we ask ACB to make available the access numbers of all the airlines before convention next year? Are there other things we can do? Clearly, it was United's turn this year! Last year Southwest seemed to have the most problems. Two years in a row of issues suggests we must consider how we can help our members with this problem! Were you one of the many who had blights go away? What did you do? How successful were you? Could you fix it on your own? So here are three topics surrounding the convention that we hope will persuade many of you to make our next edition of Tuesday Topics a must on your calendar on May 18.

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S1E123 - 20230711 Tuesday Topics - The 2023 ACB Convention.

July 12, 2023

After a period away, Tuesday Topics is overjoyed to be back. You can probably guess what our topic will be. Every year we utilize our first presentation

after the convention to provide our sense of how the convention went. While our opinions are important, your views as our listeners are even more important. Brian, Maryann, Larry, Rick and Paul all attended the convention in person. We want particularly to invite folks who came to Schaumburg virtually. What were the strengths of our convention? What can we do better? how did the break out sessions on the general agenda work? What changes seem to be necessary? Is the convention too long or too short? How did the Zoom links work? Did people know where they needed to be and how to get there? What subjects should be included in the program next year that were not there this year? Obviously there are loads of other issues that %we are sure will come up! This will be your first chance to react to ACB twenty-three! Did "the winds of change" create balmy breezes or hurricanes?

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S1E122 - 20230606 - Tuesday Topics - The Podcast.

June 7, 2023

In around 2004 a new phenomenon arrived that was to alter the technology scene. As with so many developments, there was a question of whether the idea

would catch on. Now, twenty years after their first appearance, podcasts have become hugely popular, amazingly diverse and immensely entertaining. We think there are a lot of people who are blind who do not listen to podcasts. We want to tell you about some of our favorites. We want you to tell us about some of your favorites. We want to explore some of the huge variety of ways you can access podcasts and, most of all, we want to explore just how huge the selection of podcasts is. Will will also talk about at least one program and podcast about podcasts. It has sadly finished its run but there are lots of episodes that you can listen to in order to find new and exciting podcasts.

Find out more at https://acb-tuesday-topics.pinecast.co

S1E121 - 20230530 - Tuesday Topics - Covid Questions.

May 30, 2023

On this show we are going to explore some of the impacts both negative and positive of

the end of the COVID era. What happened to people who are blind during Covid? We isolated; we used technology to survive; we virtually stopped traveling; we used technology to create our new communities. What impact did all those elements have? Are we less comfortable going out now? How have stores and businesses treated us since Covid ended? They didn't see much of us during Covid. When we did ask for help, we were sometimes told that, because of Covid, the usual assistance couldn't happen! Is there a new normal where people with vision impairments are at a greater disadvantage because entities feel like Covid has created an ability to refuse assistance? If things have changed for the worse, what do we do about it? Is it time for organizations like ACB to be more assertive with businesses, hospitals, doctors' offices and restaurants? Do we need to remind all these groups of our rights now that Covid is allegedly gone? Have people had experiences in other countries? Is there the same reluctance to help there than in this country?

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S1E120 - 20230523 - Tuesday Topics - Janet Dickelman and all things convention.

May 23, 2023

Yes, Janet Dickelman, our irreplaceable convention coordinator, will be our guest tomorrow on Tuesday Topics.

Illinois is getting close! Registration is open! Many tours are filling up fast! It may even be a little tricky to get rooms if you are staying before or after the convention. Janet has the knowledge and experience to guide us through all the convention variables. There will be lots of time for questions and we will talk about tips and tricks that can make the convention experience more enjoyable. How will this hybrid thing work anyway? Which programs will be hybrid and which only in person and which only streamed? How do these decisions get made? What's happening during the virtual week before the convention starts? Will the convention end right after the banquet or are there other activities? Where will ACB have its convention next year? How is registration this year? Good or should we be concerned that there aren't enough of us going to convention? I always look forward to having Janet on our show because I always learn something I didn't know about ACB or what's happening at our next get together!

Find out more at https://acb-tuesday-topics.pinecast.co