AM200 – Special episode #200!

Play

Accessibility Minute Logo

 

LAURA MEDCALF: Hey there! Welcome to Accessibility Minute, your weekly look at Assistive Technology, those clever tools and devices designed to help people who have difficulties with vision, mobility, hearing or other special needs!

Welcome to episode number 200 — Woohoo!

WADE WINGLER: What? Episode what?

LAURA MEDCALF: Episode 200.

WADE WINGLER: 200?

LAURA MEDCALF: I figured what better way to celebrate the big 200 than to bring back the man who started it all. Hey there, Mr. Wade Wingler.

WADE WINGLER: Hey there, Miss Medcalf. How are you, host of Accessibility Minute?

LAURA MEDCALF: I’m well. How are you?

WADE WINGLER: I’m okay.

LAURA MEDCALF: So I’ve hosted the show for over a year now, and I’m just wondering how the show got started.

WADE WINGLER: That’s a good question, and there is a little bit of a funny story related to that. I started Assistive Technology Update, the weekly news program that I’ve hosted for, gosh, over five years now, about the same time I started Accessibility Minute which is a show you have inherited and improved greatly. I started that one because somebody thought the other one was too long. A friend of mine and colleague who I know and trust said that’s a great show, but not everybody has a half hour to listen to the news of assistive technology, so maybe something shorter. Which I didn’t know how to take initially. I’m like, oh, less of me talking. Maybe that does sort of makes sense. Anyway, we kicked off the show with just short versions of — they started off as one of the stories covered stories covered on Assistive Technology Update in a one minute snippet format. It tended to go pretty well. Then it went on sabbatical for a little while, lay dormant, and then you picked it up and have run with it ever since. My question for you, Miss Medcalf, is what does the show mean to you?

LAURA MEDCALF: Accessibility minute is a fast way for me to get quick facts out about different assistive technologies for different special needs. I think that that’s really important to put the information out there quickly. It’s like everybody weekly dose.

WADE WINGLER: Plus you are a writer by trade and by training. I think it stretches you a little bit because it gets us in the studio with some awkward giggles and interactions and stuff like that. But it’s amazing because when you get behind the mic, I think what you do is great.

LAURA MEDCALF: Thanks.

WADE WINGLER: Some of the stories we’ve covered lately, just give me a couple of examples of things we talked about lately on the show.

LAURA MEDCALF: Recently there’s been a companion robot called Buddy. Also the Rest Horse Therapy which is a device –

WADE WINGLER: It sort of simulates riding a horse without the horse, right?

LAURA MEDCALF: Right. It’s ideal for individuals with ADHD, autism, PTSD. It helps relax them and calm them down anytime of day or night, which is helpful.

WADE WINGLER: So if people are new to this show, on episode 200, I would encourage you all to go back and look at those previous episode where Laura covers these cool topics. I would also encourage you to check out her writing because you write almost every day on our blog, right? Easter Seals tech.com. New topics every day. This podcast once a week. You are swimming in the waters of assistive technology 24/7 and constantly cranking out amazing content.

LAURA MEDCALF: It’s a lot of fun and is all for you guys, so thank you.

WADE WINGLER: Know, thank you.

ANITA O’BRIAN: For more information, to read our blog, or to drop us a line, visit EasterSealsTech.com. That was your Accessibility Minute for this week! I¹m Laura Medcalf with the INDATA Project at Easter Seals Crossroads, in Indiana.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *