Blind Guys Chat

Oran O'Neill

Blind Guys chat is a biweekly podcast, produced by two blind guys, one in Ireland and one in the Netherlands. The show takes an easy and breezy approach to life, disability, technology, and just about anything else that the blind guys think of! We'd love to hear from you so get in touch by email to BlindGuysChat@gmail.com and follow BlindGuysChat on Twitter.

  1. 5 HR AGO

    #143: Tiera, where am I?

    Our guest this week is Liam Geschwindt from Touchpulse. Liam is here to talk to us about Tiera, which is a new AI-powered navigation app designed specifically for blind and low-vision users. Teira offers real-time, highly precise audio guidance to help us move independently through complex environments. Built with input from the visually impaired community, it adapts to each user’s needs and uses features like voice assistance and smart routing to make everyday travel safer and more accessible. And the Blind Guys were delighted to hear that the app can also find a bargain, cos we're too cheap to pay full price for a coffee! Clodagh is back with emails and starts with an apology to our good friend Nora Nagle. It appears we didn't read out Nora's email when we got it in January. Sorry Nora, but it's not our fault; speak to the email boss aka our token sightie - we just do the yappin'! So, stop eating those easter eggs - it's not easter yet! Cuddle up on your couch instead, and listen to the number 1 podcast as recently voted by Brazilian sumo wrestlers: Blind Guys Chat - 7 out of 10 sumo wrestlers prefer it to wedgies! Links for this show: ·       Touchpulse: https://www.touchpulse.nl/ ·       Tiera App: https://www.touchpulse.nl/tiera ·       ADA VI User Group event registration page: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/2d-BX76kT0WFGChBjky0zQ Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat Read transcript

    54 min
  2. 12 MAR

    #142: The ADESI Project

    Doctor Lucía Pintado Gutiérrez, is our guest this week. Dr Gutiérrez is the author of a new report on audio description (AD) in Ireland – ‘The ADESI Project’. Her research is not just confined to broadcast but rather covers audio description in all aspects of life including sports, film, theatre, museums, and education. Dr Gutiérrez, shares with us the reasons why she decided to do this research, what the media accessible landscape looks like in Ireland, and shares the results of her research with us. Jan has info on an app from UEFA where you can access AD commentaries for soccer matches and Óran has information on an Audio Description Association event coming up at the end of March. So, throw away your winter blues and woolly scarf; convince yourself that spring has sprung, and warmer weather is here at last even if it’s lashing rain; and listen to the number 1 podcast as recently voted by climatologists; Blind Guys Chat. 9 out of 10 audio describers prefer it to subtitles! Links for this episode: ·        The ADESI Project: ·        European Qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup: All you need to know ·        Live Audio Description for Football: Making the UEFA U21 Championships Accessible to All Fans: ·        The Audio Description Association (ADA) bulletin (downloadable Word doc): ·        ADA VI User Group event registration page: Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat Read transcript

    38 min
  3. 26 FEB

    #141: Meet the brother

    On this show we are speaking to Mohammed's brother Ihab Laachir, who is here to spill the beans about his older brother, apparently known as 'The Hacker' in his family. Who knew?! Ihab is currently studying political science at Amsterdam University and has some great insights into living with a disability while attending university. Is Ihab a future prime minister of The Netherlands? Well, he has our vote for sure. We have emails from Chloe in the UK about funniest blind bloopers - Mohammed has a funny one about meeting himself in his apartment. Huh? Mei Ling from Singapore is asking about AD. Jacob in Norway wants a raise for the 'token sightie' (AKA Clodagh) for having to put up with the 3 boys. Clodagh thinks she should get danger money! So, stick the toast on, fling open the windows, and listen to the dawn chorus while tuning in to the best podcast this side of a mushroom omelette: Blind Guys Chat - 18 out of 20 university students prefer it to lectures! Links for this show: Audio Description Association: https://www.audiodescription.co.uk/ Ihab’s links: o https://www.instagram.com/laatje12?igsh=NTgzanpubGdsNzV5 https://www.instagram.com/laatje12?igsh=NTgzanpubGdsNzV5o   https://www.linkedin.com/in/ihab-laachir-9129b522a https://www.linkedin.com/in/ihab-laachir-9129b522ao   https://www.patreon.com/14232348/join?utm_id=38cd0de4-8833-494b-9bf1-eb34dfc4e947\&utm https://www.patreon.com/14232348/join?utm_id=38cd0de4-8833-494b-9bf1-eb34dfc4e947\&utmo   https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVMOvIMjOa3/?igsh=dnliMG9oMml6ano1 Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat Read transcript

    45 min
  4. 12 FEB

    #140: Larry's favourite guest

    #:140: Larry's favourite guest of all time Fresh from setting fire to the Italian Pavilion at COP 30, due to a lack of salty caramel gelato, this week we are devoting the whole show to Professor John Sweeney, leading climatologist at Maynooth University. Prof. John, who is Larry's favourite person, at least when there are sausages about, is here to put a bit of smacht (an Hiberno-English term – see more here) on the whole weather situation going on at the moment. Over the last few weeks in Ireland, Spain, Portugal and even Morocco residents and business owners have been drenched with the unusual amount of rain. Is this a trend? Let's find out from Professor Sweeney. So, peel off your waterproofs that aren't actually waterproof, make some hot chocolate with just a drop of Baileys, and dry yourself in the cosy warmth of the best podcast this side of a damp piano: Blind Guys Chat - 7 out of 10 climatologists prefer it to the weather. Links for this episode: ·       “Smacht” and nine other lovely Hiberno-English words and phrases: https://stancarey.wordpress.com/2014/05/26/10-words-only-used-in-irish-english/#:~:text=1.,treasure%20in%20the%20vocative%20case. ·       NASA explain spring and neap tides very well at this link: https://science.nasa.gov/moon/tides/ ·       "Room for the river programme" in The Netherlands: https://www.dutchwatersector.com/news/room-for-the-river-programme ·       Ireland’s water level data: https://waterlevel.ie ·       The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI): https://ccpi.org (The UK, Morocco, and the Netherlands are in the top 10 – congratulations! Ireland is languishing in 33rd place. We’re mortified!) Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat Read transcript

    48 min
  5. 11/12/2025

    #137: I wouldn't do it like that!

    This week, Jan is floating on cloud 9 as his local football team (that's soccer for those of you in the USA) seems to be doing very well. So well, in fact, that they are top of the 'kitchen' league ...better not to ask what that means!  Our good friend Stuart Lawler gives us his own thoughts on the NewHaptics 'Codex' Braille display, which uses compressed air to raise its braille cells. It does this by hooking itself up to an aquarium-like pump. However, we are not sure if fish need to be present while the display is in operation. Once we find Nemo, we will ask him/her!  Mohammed has at last received his Ally Solos smart glasses. What does he think? Well, tune in to find out whether you should spend your hard-earned cash or not. In addition to being a world-renowned lawyer and mathematician, Mohammed is now passing himself off as an orientation & mobility trainer, and has some views on how one should use a long cane. Do you agree? Let us know at blindguyschat@gmail.com.  Clodagh has an email about screen readers from a listener in Poland. What's your preference, JAWS, NVDA or Narrator? Let us know.  So, forget about cleaning out the poo from the aquarium. Slap on a pot of coffee and tune into the most radical podcast this side of a moaning Liverpool football player: Blind Guys Chat. 11 out of 13 guppies prefer it to pushing braille cells.  Links for this show: ·       https://www.newhaptics.com/codex ·       https://www.ally.me/glasses Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat Read transcript

    44 min
  6. 27/11/2025

    #136: Rocky 21: The EAA vs Mohammed

    This week we are talking to Adela Buliman from Vially here in Ireland. Adela is the Chief Accessibility Officer and what she doesn't know about the European Accessibility Act, isn't worth knowing about! So, roll up your sleeves, Mohammed, and get ready to rumble! Disclaimer: this chat is more of a girlie pillow fight than a "pistols at dawn" kinda thing, but we enjoyed it! Jan was home alone at Sight Village, London recently, and he has all the juicy tech news to share, including a new Braille note-taker from HumanWare.  The biggest news this episode is that the guys have been working hard on a new email jingle for Clodagh – what do you think? Is it down with the kids? Send us your reviews to BlindGuysChat@gmail.com. Clodagh has an email from Nina in Canada, who wants to know about independent travel. Mohammed can answer this one as he is an expert solo traveller.  So, pull out that list of all your inaccessible gadgets and settle in for the number 1 podcast this side of a 365-day-old Christmas tree: Blind Guys Chat. 16 out of 20 European Commission lawyers prefer it to laying down the law!  Links mentioned in this show: HumanWare, Braille note Evolve: humanware.com/en-ireland/braillenote-evolve/ WeWalk cane: wewalk.io Vially: vially.io/ Competition and Consumer Protection Commission: ccpc.ie ICT regulation document EN 301 549: https://tinyurl.com/ITregDoc National Transport Authority: nationaltransport.ie Irish Aviation Authority: www.iaa.ie Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat Read transcript

    53 min

About

Blind Guys chat is a biweekly podcast, produced by two blind guys, one in Ireland and one in the Netherlands. The show takes an easy and breezy approach to life, disability, technology, and just about anything else that the blind guys think of! We'd love to hear from you so get in touch by email to BlindGuysChat@gmail.com and follow BlindGuysChat on Twitter.

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