Blind Guys Chat would like to formally announce and warmly welcome Mohammed Laachir as our new permanent co-host. Mohammed brings a wealth of experience and gravity to this role - he is a former Martian Astronaut and a previous winner of the 2022 IDF swimsuit competition. Sjef and Larry (the BGC guide dogs) are pleased that there is now a responsible adult in the house.

In other news, we are talking to Kevin Kelly and Chantelle Smith from the Wayfinding Centre in Dublin. This is a fantastic facility for public transport training, orientation, and learning to fly Airbus 319 aircraft, although Óran has now been banned from the centre as he managed to clip the wings off the plane during landing... oops!

Also in the Wayfinding Centre on Saturday June 7 was our first look and demo of the vacuum cleaner known as Glide. This prototype mobility device is taking the blindy world by storm, and Óran got to take it for a test drive. Did he like it? Tune in to find out!!

Clodagh has an email from Patty Murphy, who tells us about a recent episode of Doctor Who with an interstellar song contest. Have you seen it? The guys are throwing Kevin Sherwin under the bus for this one.

So, strip down to your beard, fill up the paddling pool, and bask in the dappled sunlight that is: Blind Guys Chat - 11 out of 15 guide dogs prefer it to the Glide from Glidance.

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Read transcript [https://pnc.st/s/blind-guys-chat/146e0951/126-a-changing-of-the-guard/transcript]

#126: A changing of the guard 

This week we’re delighted to have Stuart Lawler and Mohammed Laachir back with us. Mohamed has recently written an article for his LinkedIn page entitled "When the lights go out, an account of vision loss". It's a wonderfully insightful read and we highly recommend all our listeners check it out, whether they have a vision impairment or not. Check it out here: www.linkedin.com/pulse/when-lights-go-out-account-vision-loss-mohammed-laachir-uqzue [http://www.linkedin.com/pulse/when-lights-go-out-account-vision-loss-mohammed-laachir-uqzue]   Stuart was at an accessibility for the arts event which was recently held in the Project Arts Centre here in Dublin, and he tells us all about the event. the conversation also brings up the topic of touch tours in the arts. Are you a fan? Let us know at: blindguyschat@gmail.com   Clodagh has emails from Blind Gordon, Clare Page and Claire McLoughlin.   Don't forget, there is a Glide demo day at the Wayfinding Centre this coming Saturday, June 7. See details here: https://glidance.io/glidance-demo-day-dublin/.   So, forget about the rain, buy yourself an ice cream, and perch your butt on a park bench to listen to the number one podcast this side of a replacement guide dog: Blind Guys Chat - 7 out of 10 republicans prefer it to Trump!   Links for this programme: ·       Mohammed Laachir - "When the lights go out, an account of vision loss”: www.linkedin.com/pulse/when-lights-go-out-account-vision-loss-mohammed-laachir-uqzue [http://www.linkedin.com/pulse/when-lights-go-out-account-vision-loss-mohammed-laachir-uqzue] ·       Glidance demo day: https://glidance.io/glidance-demo-day-dublin/. ·       And email us at blindguyschat@gmail.com, Clodagh’s dying to hear from you all!

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Read transcript [https://pnc.st/s/blind-guys-chat/909a4186/125-when-the-lights-go-out-/transcript]

#125: When the lights go out.  

Read transcript [https://pnc.st/s/blind-guys-chat/43765dac/124-nymphs-wafting-around-a-stage/transcript]

Jan is on hiatus this week, so it’s a welcome return to Mr Stuart Lawler, a man who puts the “Hot” into Tango. It’s 30 years since Stuart was on the Irish Eurovision Song Contest jury and boy are we happy they never asked him back. Secret Garden were the winners for Norway that year with a song that can only be described as: mostly violin! But what happened this year in Basel, Switzerland? Did Celine Dion turn up singing a medley of her hit? Did the Swedish businessmen get hot and sweaty in the sauna? Is Lithuania’s guitar player just a U2 wanna-be? And did the UK get any votes at all? Let’s find out as we join Kevin Sherwin live from his jacuzzi (he really just farts in the bath)! To find out how the Eurovision final went last Saturday, May 17th.

Óran and Stuart are standing on their respective soapboxes as Sky TV don’t seem to be doing a whole lot when it comes to providing AD services on Sky Stream or on their ‘On Demand’ service. Is it time to throw Dave Nason under the bus (again) on this one!? (We love you Dave – a voice note would be very welcome - Clo)

In TV corner, have you seen ‘Mad Men’ with AD on Netflix? or Cassandra? or how about the new season of Black Mirror? Give us your views on the quality of the AD on these programmes, or on whatever you’re watching, by emailing blindguyschat@gmail.com.

At long last the Meta AI ‘look and describe’ feature has come to Ireland! Woohoo!! Óran can’t stop asking the glasses to describe his guide dog Larry. Apparently, he defecates on the grass. Larry that is, not Óran! Have you tried the look and tell feature? Let us know what you think: blindguyschat@gmail.com

Stuart is heading off to Sight City in Frankfurt; are you going? Stuart talks to us about booking a sighted guide at the event, and the new remote assistance option for those attending.

Finally, we have news on the Glide from Glidence. There will be a demo day at the Wayfinding Centre in Dublin on June 7, early booking is recommended, before Larry and his friends break it!

So, strip off your sweat-drenched sauna suit; stop straddling that microphone - you could do yourself an injury; pour yourself a macchiato and settle in for a podcast full of enjoyment, with no jokes, sarcasm or any kind of wit at all!

Yeah right!!! 🤣🤣🤣

Blind Guys Chat, 15 out of 20 Eurovision song contestants prefer it to endless rehearsals!

Links for this episode of BGC:

· In 1995, Secret Garden win for Norway with this banger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-gA0aU-d88

· Sweaty Swedish sauna businessmen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSh7U3m9KgA&amp;ab_channel=EurovisionSongContest [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSh7U3m9KgA&ab_channel=EurovisionSongContest]

· Lithuania’s wanna-be-U2-ish entry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F6bwWGhm_s&amp;t=18s&amp;ab_channel=EurovisionSongContest [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F6bwWGhm_s&t=18s&ab_channel=EurovisionSongContest]

· What the hell just happened, UK? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur5qRh0BaHk&amp;ab_channel=EurovisionSongContest [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur5qRh0BaHk&ab_channel=EurovisionSongContest]

· Sight City, Frankfurt: https://sightcity.net/en/home/

· Sight City “Rent-a-guide service”: https://sightcity.net/en/trade-fair-guides/

· Sight City remot

#124: Nymphs wafting around a stage

It's a warm welcome back to our good friend Mohammed Laachir, who has literally just arrived home from Lyon - that's in France, don't ya know! And yes, he is just returning with his latest mail order bride. Did he use his Envision glasses to find her? Let's find out.

Have you used the Chat GPT visual description feature? Share your thoughts with us about it: blindguyschat@gmail.com

It seems Óran has found an ingenious way to solve his cooking issues. But Clodagh can no longer get into the kitchen...

Clodagh has an update on the upcoming Seen - Unseen event in the Hugh Lane Gallery, Dublin: it’s happening on Friday June 6th at 14.30 GMT and Clare Mc Laughlin will be sending out free tactile packs next week. They will be exploring selected artworks from Ailbhe Ní Bhrian's exhibition "The Dream Pool Intervals". Register by WhatsApp, text or voice note to Clare Mc Laughlin on +353 (0)86 3091653.

And the ever charming and delightful Blind Gordon has good news on Dundee United.

So, forget about the tariffs for a moment, and settle down for a listen to the number 1 podcast as voted by the conclave: Blind Guys Chat - 7 out of 10 cardinals prefer it to blessing a congregation.

Links for this show: · The Envision Companion app (previously called Envision Ally): https://www.letsenvision.com/companion · Chat GPT visual descriptions: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-LM6th5zM6-visual-description-pro-5-0 · Seeing AI: https://www.seeingai.com/ · Meta Ray-Ban glasses: https://www.ray-ban.com/ireland/ray-ban-meta-ai-glasses · Echovision glasses: https://echovision.agiga.ai/

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Read transcript [https://pnc.st/s/blind-guys-chat/b30ec2f4/123-habemus-papam-/transcript]

#123: Habemus Papam!

Hello, our stainless-steel saucepans and welcome to ep 122 of BGC. We hope you had a lovely Easter break, if that is something you do. A big shout-out to Jan's father, as he is in hospital having broken his hip trying to realign the TV satellite dish on the International Space Station. Our advice - just go with cable!

Our guest this week is the wonderful Debra Erickson, all the way from Portland, Oregon. Debra might be better known to you from her InstaSpace handle 'The Blind Kitchen'. A fantastic cook, Debra is here to teach Óran a thing or two about making toast, boiling water, skinning a cat, and the proper way to cook lamb's balls. Ahem! Sorry meatballs. (Not a moment too soon, says Clodagh!)

So, strip down to your cardinal vestments, stop waiting in line to take a selfie with Pope Francis, and get ready to listen to the number 1 podcast as listened to by Swiss Guards - Blind Guys Chat!

10 out of 15 potential future Popes prefer it to being a potential future Pope!

Links for this show: · https://theblindkitchen.com/ · https://www.facebook.com/theblindkitchen/ · https://www.instagram.com/theblindkitchen1/

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Read transcript [https://pnc.st/s/blind-guys-chat/6a960fa9/122-attitude-adjuster/transcript]

#122: Attitude adjuster

Read transcript [https://pnc.st/s/blind-guys-chat/40a25f4f/121-we-re-having-a-sauna-/transcript]

Hello our spring flowers and welcome to BGC ep 121. We have a great show for you: Óran and Jan are talking about the new smart kid on the block when it comes to smart glasses: Echo Vision. Have you heard of these? Do you have a pair? Well, if you do let us know if you like them and are finding them of benefit in your daily life - email us at blindguyschat@gmail.com.   Our guest this week is Kevin Sherwin. Yes, it's a welcome back to the Eurovision song contest guru who is just back from a world wind tour of New York New York. Kevin has the latest news on all the latest musicals and plays on Broadway at the moment. He also gives us a rundown of the who's hot and who's not when it comes to Eurovision 2025! Will Ireland be sending Johnny Logan? Will Sweden bring snow? Will The Netherlands bring their bikes? And who is having a sauna on top of a microphone stand? Kevin will explain all, while Jan and Óran have a lie down. (Together? 🫣 -Clo)   Clodagh has emails from Nora Nagle, who has some hilarious Be My Eyes stories to tell. And Artist Clare Mc Laughlin has news about two art events coming up this summer: ‘Seen – Unseen’ returns this June with a visit to The Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin on June 6th at 14.30.   This is followed by a ‘Seen – Unseen’ visit to ‘Uileann’, the West Cork Arts Centre in Skibbereen, on Friday July 18th at 15,00. Participation is free of charge for the visually impaired community and tactile packs are posted to participants joining online. Early registration is recommended, and you can register by WhatsApp, Text or voice note to 086 3091653, or by emailing Artist Clare McLaughlin claremclaughlinemail@gmail.com   So, put on your dancing shoes and point your ears to the speakers while you listen to the number one podcast recently voted by Broadway experts: Blind Guys Chat! 35 out of 37 Eurovision performers prefer it to endless rehearsals!   Links for this episode: ·       Echo Vision: https://echovision.agiga.ai/. Smash: Hello our spring flowers and welcome to BGC ep 121. We have a great show for you: Óran and Jan are talking about the new smart kid on the block when it comes to smart glasses: Echo Vision. Have you heard of these? Do you have a pair? Well, if you do let us know if you like them and are finding them of benefit in your daily life - email us at blindguyschat@gmail.com.   Our guest this week is Kevin Sherwin. Yes, it's a welcome back to the Eurovision song contest guru who is just back from a world wind tour of New York New York. Kevin has the latest news on all the latest musicals and plays on Broadway at the moment. He also gives us a rundown of the who's hot and who's not when it comes to Eurovision 2025! Will Ireland be sending Johnny Logan? Will Sweden bring snow? Will The Netherlands bring their bikes? And who is having a sauna on top of a microphone stand? Kevin will explain all, while Jan and Óran have a lie down. (Together? 🫣 -Clo)   Clodagh has emails from Nora Nagle, who has some hilarious Be My Eyes stories to tell. And Artist Clare Mc Laughlin has news about two art events coming up this summer: ‘Seen – Unseen’ returns this June with a visit to The Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin on June 6th at 14.30.   This is followed by a ‘Seen – Unseen’ visit to ‘Uileann’, the West Cork Arts Centre in Skibbereen, on Friday July 18th at 15,00. Participation is free of charge for the visually impaired community and tactile packs are posted to participants joining online. Early registration is recommended, and you can register by WhatsApp, Text or voice note to 086 3091653, or by emailing Artist Clare McLaughlin

#121: We're having a sauna!  

Hello, our favourite animated friends, and welcome to the show. This week, Óran and Clodagh are just back from Dingle, County Kerry, where they and Larry attended the Animation Dingle Festival. Óran was thrilled because he got to touch the actual models used for the latest Wallace and Gromit movie 'Vengeance Most Fowl'. The film was made in stop-motion animation, which means amongst other things that it took a super-long time to produce.

It's a welcome return for Stuart Lawler to the podcast. Stuart flew his private jet over to Anaheim in California to attend CSUN Assistive Tech Conference. What new toys are out there for the VI community? What is accessibility like at the event? Did Stuart fight any fires? How much does a beer cost? And where the hell is Anaheim? All these questions and not a lot more will be answered by the tech guru.

Meta have announced AI is coming to Europe, but does that include the 'Look and describe' feature on the Meta Ray Ban glasses?

So, stop drawing cartoons; put down your colouring pencils; and settle in for the number one best animated podcast in the land: Blind Guys Chat!

7 out of 10 pencils prefer it to being sharpened!

Links for this show:

Good Maps: https://goodmaps.com/

Glide: https://glidance.io/#:~:text=Glide%20is%20a%20pioneering%20AI-powered%20mobility%20aid%20designed,path%2C%20and%20helps%20you%20get%20to%20your%20destination

New haptics: https://www.newhaptics.com/post/building-a-multiline-braille-display

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Read transcript [https://pnc.st/s/blind-guys-chat/de090674/120-crash-test-dummies/transcript]

#120 Crash test Dummies

Top o’ the mornin' to ye, our little leprechauns! Yes, it's Irish week all over the world and even the International Space Station is painted green this week!

This week’s guest is Sarah Boland from CHAT, Freedom Tech, and Saint John of God. Sarah will tell us about FreedomTech, which is dedicated to ensuring that everyone with any disability, at any age or stage of life, can access affordable, up-to-date, and appropriately helpful technology. CHAT (Community Hub for Accessible Technology) is a community of individuals and organisations passionate about the transformative effect of assistive technology, (AT). It facilitates peer learning and collaboration, using shared expertise. The next CHAT event will be on May 7th where the European Accessibility Act will be discussed.

You can learn more about CHAT and Freedom Tech here: https://freedomtech.ie/ https://freedomtech.ie/chat-community-hub-for-accessible-technology/ And you can mail Sarah Boland at sarah@freedomtech.ie

So, sit yourself down in a soft, cosy bed of shamrock, stop drinking that green pint of the black stuff, and settle in for the best podcast this side of a pot of gold: Blind Guys Chat!

7 out of 10 leprechauns prefer it to being typecast as little people of Ireland.

Links for this episode: · Freedom Tech: https://freedomtech.ie/ · CHAT: https://freedomtech.ie/chat-community-hub-for-accessible-technology/ · AT passport: https://freedomtech.ie/assistivetechnologypaper/#_Toc467830788 · TEKenable: https://tekenable.com/ · sarah@freedomtech.ie

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Read transcript [https://pnc.st/s/blind-guys-chat/cc4d681e/119-i-like-i-wish-what-if-/transcript]

#119: I Like, I Wish, What if?  

Hello, our little sand dunes, and welcome to episode 118. Jan is just back from building his own pyramid in Egypt for his new summer house, and will be giving tours for all who would like one. So please form a disorderly line behind Larry!   Clodagh is very excited to hear that in Jan’s winter residence, there is an artificial ski slope called Snow World very nearby, and Óran is equally pleased that he can sit in a nice warm café, while Clodagh plays in the white stuff if they decide to visit.   Do you own a Tesla? Have you purchased your Bumper Sticker which says “I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy” yet? Seriously! It is a real thing! See it here: https://www.amazon.com/Tesla-Bumper-Sticker-Bought-Accessories/dp/B0C4KHKN4S   We have no emails this week, but we do want to give a BGC shout out to Grant, in Scotland, and students in Towson University, Maryland, USA. Do email us if you can. Clodagh is very lonely.   So, brush the sand out of your shoes, stop building sand castles, and settle in for a relaxing chat with a nice cuppa Jo, and Blind Guys Chat!   3 out of 5 Pyramids prefer it to standing in the sand.   Email us at: blindguyschat@gmail.com

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Read transcript [https://pnc.st/s/blind-guys-chat/1a761a5f/118-the-escape-room-of-the-pyramids/transcript]

#118: The escape room of the Pyramids 

Hello our lovely movie stars, and welcome to another episode of “Jan, the movie star”. Yes we kinda sorta pick up where we left Jan last time, standing at the end of his massive driveway, waiting on his limo to take him to the premier of the film, ‘I will see [https://iffr.com/nl/iffr/2025/films/ik-zal-zien]”.

...well, he made it, and brought all the family, including Sjeff who was dressed up to the nines. Now the only question is, will there be a sequel, and will Jan be brought back for a reprieve of his role? (That’s two questions!)

Our guest this week is Karthik Mahadevan from Envision. Karthik is here to tell us all about Envision smart glasses. He describes all the functions and features such as reading short text or longer documents. These glasses can even summarise menus and they can tell you what bank note you are holding in your hand. They can even describe colours. Karthik also talks about the upcoming release of the 'Ally' app which Envision are calling a conversational assistant. It even has attitude! You can find out more about Envision at letsenvision.com [https://www.letsenvision.com/] and if you want to know more about Ally, or sign up for the beta program go to ally.me [https://www.ally.me/].

So, forget about that idiot in America for a while, stick some popcorn in the microwave, and settle down to the most listened to podcast this side of the Superbowl: Blind Guys Chat!

11 out of 15 American football fans prefer it to silly shoulder pads and ridiculously long breaks between play.

Links for this episode: Film: ‘I Will See’: https://iffr.com/nl/iffr/2025/films/ik-zal-zien Envision glasses and the Ally app: https://www.letsenvision.com/ The Ally app beta programme: https://www.ally.me/

Support Blind Guys Chat by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/blind-guys-chat

Read transcript [https://pnc.st/s/blind-guys-chat/b337194c/117-movie-stars-and-a-i-assistants/transcript]

#117: Movie stars and A.I. assistants

Blind Guys chat is a biweekly podcast, produced by three blind guys in Ireland and 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.

Stuart Lawler

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