Not So Bad Podcast

Never Have I Ever - Question Time

Join us for an exciting episode of the "Not So Bad Podcast" where travel stories, tech tips, and listener questions converge. Matt kicks things off with tales from his Fiji getaway and an introduction to the innovative Clicks iPhone keyboard case. Learn more about it here. Pat shares insights on his new instant pot, a revolutionary tool for blind cooking.
The heart of the episode is driven by your thought-provoking questions. We delve into a range of topics, including navigating public restrooms as a blind person, the sights you dream of seeing if you weren’t blind, and practical tools like the Way Around App for accessibility. Join us as we explore these questions and more, where your curiosity shapes the show.

A chat with Evan O’Hanlon

Strap in for this light-hearted episode of the Not So Bad Podcast where we hang out with Evan O’Hanlan, a legend of the Paralympics and a gold medal collector like no other. Evan shares tales from his epic 18-year athletic career, and we attempt to tally up just how many times he’s stood atop the podium—spoiler: it’s a lot!
Evan gives us the lowdown on what it’s like to race at the Paralympics, juggle family duties, and shift gears into his new role as a disability access consultant. As we’re wrapping up, Evan flips the script and puts our understanding of self-descriptions to the test. Are they useful or do they just make long zoom meetings even longer ;).

Perfect Pitch, Echo Location and Other Super Powers

Not SO Bad Podcast
Join us for a fun-filled episode of "Not SO Bad" as we put Matt's perfect pitch to the test with a guitar, a leaf blower, and a surprise twist! Then, we'll dive into the world of echo location and its invaluable role for the blind. Special shout out to Ziggy the Pug for sending in his question! Stick around for Pat's terrible joke and a secret track at the end. It's superpowers and laughs all in one episode!

Don't forget to follow and share our adventures on Instagram: @notsobad.podcast

State of the Union

Description: In this episode of the Not So Bad podcast, we strip away the sugarcoating and dive into the raw, unfiltered realities of living with site loss. Both of us are on vastly different paths when it comes to losing our sight, yet we find common ground in the day-to-day experiences that challenge and shape us. From the mundane to the downright bizarre, we share how site loss impacts our lives without the inspirational fluff.
We also take a candid look at Aira, an app that’s changing the game for the visually impaired, including a no-frills demo that shows what it’s really like to rely on technology for something as basic as seeing. And, because life is never without its curveballs, Pat shares a recent “adventure” involving a car crash. Don't worry, he's not the villain in this story, but maneuvering through the chaos that ensued? That’s a tale worth hearing.
For more information about Aira, visit www.aira.io.

Video games, Audio games, what’s the difference anyway?

In episode 11 we chat with Ben Ritter and Everett Elam about their incredible work in the video gaming world for blind people. Yeah that's right blind people play video games too ;).
We cover the current state of gaming accessibility,their amazing accessible scrabble app, what's coming up for these guys and loads more.
We absolutely love chatting with people as passionate and creative as these guys. This was a treat.
Links:
The webist ewhere you can check out their work and upcoming projects: https://themisgames.com/
We chatted abbout the game jams and how cool amazing the projects coming out of them are. Whilst the one for feb 2024 has concluded you can still check out all the projects here: https://itch.io/jam/games-for-blind-gamers-3
and here: https://itch.io/jam/blind-accessible-game-jam-2
We also chatted about the game tournaments where both blind and sited players are competing on an equal playing field: https://blackscreengaming.com/

A chat With Nas Campanella

In this inspiring episode, we sit down with Nas Campanella, the National Disability Affairs Reporter for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), and a familiar face on ABC News. Nas has been defying expectations since losing her sight at the age of six months, proving that vision is just one facet of the remarkable person she is.
Join us as we delve into Nas's journey, from her early days as a newsreader for triple J, where she delivered the news for six impactful years until 2017, to her current role as a prominent voice in disability affairs reporting. Nas brings a unique perspective to the world of journalism, breaking barriers and challenging perceptions about what it means to be a news professional living with blindness.
Beyond her illustrious career, Nas is also a devoted parent to a two-year-old boy. We explore the challenges and triumphs of parenting while navigating the world without sight. Nas shares her experiences, offering valuable insights into building a supportive and inclusive environment for her child.
We were thrilled to have Nas on the podcast, and her passion, resilience, and warmth shine through in this conversation. Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of Nas Campanella's incredible journey and how much she just generally kicks !
Also in this episode we chat about the app Speaker Assistant. A new app to help blind people with presenting.
https://apps.apple.com/au/app/speakers-assistant/id6476025339

And we’re back...

Getting up to date to kick off the new year. We chat about travelling to japan, fishing and an app for that.
Fish Angler: https://www.fishangler.com/

NVDA, OSARA, GitHub and a sniffly nose

In this episode we’re lucky enough to speak with Jamie Teh and Scott Chesworth, about the incredible work that they are involved in with regards to software accessibility. Jamie is one of the cofounders of the screen reader NVDA which literally opens up access to computers for free across the entire world. In addition to this he also coded the accessibility plug-in for the Reaper recording software that allows it to be used by blind musicians all over the world. This podcast is edited using that very software. Scott is a musician and music producer himself and is an vocal advocate for accessibility across all facets of the music industry. It was an absolute treat to talk to these guys.

Learning about bark canoes with Bindi maps

In this episode we try out some promising new tea from Bindy Maps and show how it helps us navigate around the Newcastle Museum and even find out about a bark canoe. Who would’ve thought it. 
We also cover education as a blind person, where a guide dog sits on a plan and how Pat loves having conversations with people that aren’t talking to him…
lInks in this episode:
Bindi Maps: https://bindimaps.com/
Jet Pets: Domestic & Overseas Pet Transport Services - Jetpets AUJetpets AUhttps://www.jetpets.com.au

Going blind in Barli

We chat with Shaun Pienta about how one day 15 years ago changed his life forever and how he has thrived since. Even with Pat leading him astray...
We also show off the Envision Glasses and the accompanying app and how tech like this is changing the game for people living with blindness.
Also check out some recent media we've been feature on.
NBN News with Patrick Jenson: https://www.nbnnews.com.au/2023/10/20/vision-impaired-athlete-puts-skiing-on-hold/
Hit106.9 Ask me anything with Matt McLaren: https://omny.fm/shows/hit-newcastle-breakfast/ask-me-anything-matt-mclaren-gives-insight-into-pa
Envision app and glasses: https://www.letsenvision.com/glasses
Our new website: http://www.notsobadpodcast.com