See Things Differently with HumanWare

In this episode of See Things Differently, hosts Rachel Ramos and David Woodbridge celebrate Orientation and Mobility Month by welcoming endurance athlete and digital accessibility analyst Dave Wilkinson.

Dave shares his powerful journey of recovery after a 2017 car accident, highlighting how the Brailliant Braille display was instrumental in helping him regain his reading skills without relying on speech. The conversation dives deep into Dave’s life as an "adrenaline junkie," from completing grueling Ironman triathlons to his ambitious 3000-mile solo tandem attempt in the Race Across America. Beyond the athletics, Dave and the hosts discuss the importance of mental resilience, the need for more physical activity within the blind community, and practical tips for building a flexible technical toolkit to navigate an often inaccessible world.

https://www.facebook.com/teamspeedyturtle/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1142388796456398

Find out more at https://see-things-differently-with-hu.pinecast.co
Read transcript

In this episode of See Things Differently, we celebrate Low Vision Awareness Month with a powerful conversation about gaming and accessibility. Rachel and David sit down with Joe Steinkamp, Manufacturer Representative at HumanWare, to explore his journey as a lifelong gamer navigating progressive vision loss. From early days on Atari to today’s accessible consoles, Joe shares how technology has transformed what’s possible for blind and low vision players.

The discussion dives into the evolution of built-in accessibility features on platforms like Xbox and Nintendo Switch 2, and what these advancements mean for independence, inclusion, and staying connected to the hobbies we love. It’s an honest and inspiring look at resilience, innovation, and the future of accessible gaming.

Find out more at https://see-things-differently-with-hu.pinecast.co
Read transcript

In this episode, we sit down with Anthony Ferraro for a personal conversation about family, independence, and growing up blind.

Anthony shares how his family shaped his confidence and expectations from an early age, encouraging independence rather than limitation. We explore what it means to grow up blind in a world full of assumptions, and how early support and mindset play a critical role in building resilience and self-belief.

This conversation goes beyond technology to focus on lived experience, personal growth, and why accessibility starts with how people are raised, supported, and empowered.

Topics include:

Growing up blind and being raised for independence

The role of family in shaping confidence and opportunity

Challenging assumptions about blindness

Why lived experience matters in accessibility

Also, for people interested in learning more about the upcoming BrailleNote evolve: https://www.humanware.com/en-international/braillenote-evolve/

Find out more at https://see-things-differently-with-hu.pinecast.co
Read transcript

In this episode, we explore blindness and mobility through a family lens — focusing on how parents, partners, and loved ones experience, support, and sometimes struggle with independence and safety.

Joined by Gemma Gatehouse and Jason Martin, the conversation looks at how family dynamics influence mobility decisions, from learning to use a white cane to adopting guide dogs or new assistive technologies. We discuss the natural tension between protection and independence, and how fear, trust, and communication shape the choices families make together.

Our guests share thoughtful insights on how emerging technologies can either empower blind individuals or unintentionally increase anxiety for family members if expectations are misaligned. The episode emphasizes the importance of education — not just for blind users, but for families — so mobility is built on confidence rather than fear.

Resources:

https://www.applevis.com/podcasts/bridging-access-braille-depth-look-braille-access-ios-26https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/access-on/whats-new-in-ios-26-rXTLNb9J1Gm/

Find out more at https://see-things-differently-with-hu.pinecast.co
Read transcript

In this episode, Rachel and Mathieu sit down with Dr. Conchita Hernández and her partner Sachin to talk about their remarkable climb up Mount Kilimanjaro. Conchita, who identifies as blind, shares how a spontaneous idea sparked during a UN meeting led to a year of training, adaptation, and teamwork. Together, they walk us through how they prepared, how they communicated on the mountain, and what it felt like to push through fatigue, altitude, and fear to reach the summit.

They also touch on the role accessibility tools — including Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses — played in their daily lives and in helping them approach challenges with confidence.

This episode also features:

Partner’s Corner with Jason: A discussion with Jason Martin from APH (www.aph.org) about the Wing-IT application available on iOS to use with the Monarch.

Tips & Tricks with Roger:Practical advice on using Prodigi for Windows new AI assistant mode to navigate documents, even those not in your native language!

As always, your feedback and stories are welcome at [email protected] !

Find out more at https://see-things-differently-with-hu.pinecast.co
Read transcript