PresentAble is a new JAWS app that lets blind people create, check and fix PowerPoint presentations on their own. Lawyer and trainer Jonathan Simeone explains why he built it. Before that, Steven and Shaun cover a storm, an AppleVis health app debate and Alexa+.

A storm cut Shaun off from The Shed. Steven had to get home from the hospital across a busy road with no crossings, with the wind drowning out the traffic. Then an AppleVis thread about an app that uses the iPhone camera to check for blood in stool or urine starts a frank debate. Steven and Shaun weigh privacy and embarrassment, and ask whether health checks like this belong with AI or with trained people through a service like Aira.

Steven finally has Alexa+ after setting up Amazon's new tablet, and he reports on how it handles his heating and why its answers keep changing. Siri gets a rare win. They also look ahead to Wednesday's Apple event, the rumoured touchscreen MacBook and the iPhone Duo that Apple has loaned to Steven.

Jonathan Simeone is a blind lawyer who trains people for a living. He spent years struggling with PowerPoint and relying on sighted helpers who rarely told him what was wrong. He used vibe coding to build PresentAble with Hartgen Consultancy. It works with JAWS 2022 or later and can import Markdown, Word or existing PowerPoint files. It flags layout errors, and with an OpenAI API key it can review slides visually and create images.

The conversation goes further into employment, honest feedback and how much of the job blind people can do by themselves. PresentAble is available to pre-order now and launches on Thursday 29 October.

Chapters

0:00 – Storm knocks out The Shed
4:04 – AppleVis debate over a hygiene and health app
12:48 – Lights left off, lights left on and smart bulbs
15:11 – Alexa+ arrives with Amazon's new tablet
22:15 – Siri gets the clock change right
24:06 – Apple event, touchscreen MacBook and iPhone Duo
26:31 – Jonathan Simeone on building PresentAble
30:28 – Inaccessible tools and blind employment
39:05 – How PresentAble works with JAWS and PowerPoint
48:43 – Honest AI feedback, pricing and availability

Relevant Links

PresentAble from Hartgen Consultancy: https://www.hartgenconsultancy.com/presentable
Learning Blind Tech with Desiree Renae: https://desireerenae.com/
Aira: https://aira.io

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About Double Tap

Hosted by the insightful duo, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece, Double Tap is a treasure trove of information for anyone who's blind or partially sighted and has a passion for tech. Steven and Shaun not only demystify tech, but they also regularly feature interviews and welcome guests from the community, fostering an interactive and engaging environment. Tune in every day of the week, and you'll discover how technology can seamlessly integrate into your life, enhancing daily tasks and experiences, even if your sight is limited.

"Double Tap" is a registered trademark of Double Tap Productions Inc.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why is learning braille as an adult still so hard, and why does a braille display cost more than a laptop? Steven Scott and Shaun Preece dig into braille access and pricing. Then they meet Cazerny Bussey, the musician and founder of Even Though I'm Blind.

John in London wrote in about trying to learn braille as an adult. He found a box of course books he never opened, and braille displays he couldn't afford. Steven argues that mass adoption and patient learning have to go together. He points to Hadley, the Braillists and the Perkins Braille Bloom as signs of progress, and suggests a low-cost braille display built as a teaching device.

The talk then turns to pricing. Steven recalls Amos Miller of Glidance being told to charge several times more because governments would pay. He asks why there's still no real consumer price for blind people who are out of work or study.

Cazerny Bussey lost his sight at 15 and went on to graduate from the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts. His father was in Stetsasonic. His song Even Though I'm Blind grew into a nonprofit with a podcast, a 24/7 radio station playing around 45 blind artists, a yearly showcase and a directory of blind-led businesses.

Cazerny also talks about recording in Logic on the Mac, being open about using AI in music, a moment with Busta Rhymes, and plans for a documentary and charting records with BMG.

Chapters
0:00 – Welcome and human-made music
2:06 – Inbox: learning braille as an adult
10:29 – Why braille and assistive tech cost so much
18:15 – Meet Cazerny Bussey
23:34 – Music roots and finding the blind community
29:44 – The Even Though I'm Blind foundation and radio station
35:29 – Making music on a Mac with Logic
43:31 – AI-generated music and being open about it
48:31 – The directory, a documentary and big plans
53:49 – Wrap-up and weekend plans

Relevant Links
Even Though I'm Blind: https://eventhoughimblind.com/
The Braillists Foundation: https://www.braillists.org/
Hadley: https://hadleyhelps.org/
Glidance: https://glidance.io/
AMI-audio: https://www.ami.ca/ami-audio

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• YouTube: https://www.doubletaponair.com/youtube
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• Threads: https://www.doubletaponair.com/threads
• Facebook: https://www.doubletaponair.com/facebook
• LinkedIn: https://www.doubletaponair.com/linkedin

Subscribe to the Podcast:

• Apple: https://www.doubletaponair.com/apple
• Spotify: https://www.doubletaponair.com/spotify
• RSS: https://www.doubletaponair.com/podcast
• iHeadRadio: https://www.doubletaponair.com/iheart

About Double Tap

Hosted by the insightful duo, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece, Double Tap is a treasure trove of information for anyone who's blind or partially sighted and has a passion for tech. Steven and Shaun not only demystify tech, but they also regularly feature interviews and welcome guests from the community, fostering an interactive and engaging environment. Tune in every day of the week, and you'll discover how technology can seamlessly integrate into your life, enhancing daily tasks and experiences, even if your sight is limited.

"Double Tap" is a registered trademark of Double Tap Productions Inc.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.