Modern Access

We are going for Autism Acceptance Month! Today, April 2, is Autism Acceptance Day. Here are some things you can do to celebrate:
Learn from creators, and share their posts.
Shop from creators.
NOT lighting it up blue or using puzzle pieces.
Wear red instead and use ♾ and 🌈 which are symbols of how autism is a spectrum.
Amplify nonspeaking autistics.
And once again, SHARE so that more people can learn and avoid the misinformation that has created stigma! Speak out against Autism $peaks.

Check out our Instagram stories for shared posts that are autistic-affirming!

ID: A drawing of a red neon light shaped like an infinity symbol on a dark red brick wall.

Tonight’s the night! USA vs. Canada in the gold medal game at the Paralympics! The game is going to be televised tonight and it’s a can’t miss event. This puck was given to me by Renee from the Icebreakers after the 2018 Paralympics. It’s cool to have a souvenir, like a little piece of history!

ID: A commemorative hockey puck, standing on its edge. It has the US Paralympic Team logo at the top, then says “Paralympic Gold” in big letters. In smaller print, it says “U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team, PyeongChang”.

You can now leave a rating for Modern Access on Spotify! If you’ve listened to and enjoyed the episodes, I would be so happy to see some 5 star ratings there!

ID: A screenshot of the Modern Access page on Spotify. It shows the cover art, the beginning of a description that says, “Welcome to Modern Access! This podcast is all about modern technology that makes…“ and then a link to see more. A button shows a star and says No Rating. Another button says the category, Technology.

Happy Halloween! 🎃 I’m celebrating with some nut- and gluten-free snacks from ! I hope everyone is having a safe and spooky time!

ID: A box of desserts, with a chocolate donut topped with vanilla frosting and chocolate chips, a pumpkin muffin with a crumbly topping, a cupcake topped with a spider made from a chocolate cookie, googly eyes, and frosting, with cookies and cream frosting, a brownie decorated like a monster with frosting and a googly eye, and a chocolate cookie sandwich with orange frosting filling.

Team USA in Tokyo stats!

We've got the numbers, folks.

A friend recommended this awesome book to me and I loved it! This book is entirely written in comics, but it's nonfiction and explores how documentary radio and now, podcasts, are produced by some of the first and best in the game - This American Life, 99% Invisible, Snap Judgement and more. It covered topics like storytelling, interviewing, and even the musical score. I would really recommend this for not just people who make podcasts, but anyone who enjoys listening to them and wants to see behind the scenes.

ID: A copy of the book Out on the Wire, by Jessica Abel. The subtitle reads "The Storytelling Secrets of the New Masters of Radio" and "Foreword by Ira Glass". The cover is neon orange and the art shows a ceiling mounted radio or podcasting microphone in the upper right corner, a drawing of Jessica Abel interviewing Ira Glass with a microphone in the bottom left corner, and a drawing of an audio waveform in the background.

Omotenashi Guide was the 🥈 winner in our Tokyo 2020 Paralympics episode - so what does its name mean? "Omotenashi" is the word for the Japanese style of hospitality. "Omote" means the image of yourself you show to outsiders and "nashi" means nothing, implying that you aren't hiding anything and this is your honest self. Omotenashi suggests high-quality and transparent hospitality.

You can hear about Omotenashi Guide and more in the latest episode of Modern Access, now available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Source: guide.michelin.com

ID: A search engine bar design that reads "What does omotenashi mean?" with the Modern Access logo below.

🥇 New episode alert! 🥇

In a world where even the Paralympics aren’t guaranteed to be accessible, we need problem solvers to shake up the game. Presenting the Modern Access bronze, silver, and gold medalists in Assistive Technology! On this episode, you’ll learn what some of the barriers are to attending an event like the Paralympics, and how smartphone apps can be part of the solution. Then, learn how one television network aims to increase visibility and accessibility of the Paralympic Games this year.

It's Day 1 of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and this brand new episode of Modern Access is here to get you ready! Check it out on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Youtube, or wherever you get your podcasts!

ID: The Paralympics Agitos symbol on a light blue background, with text above that says "On the show this week..." and below that says "Paralympic Innovators".

The three shapes that make up the Paralympics symbol are called Agitos, from the Latin for "I move." The colors of the Agitos, red, blue, and green, are the ones used in the most nations' flags. These elements embody the "Spirit in Motion" motto of the Paralympics and the athletes coming together from worldwide.

And in three days, the Paralympics special episode of Modern Access is coming just in time! You'll hear about some of the controversies facing the Paralympics and how people are using technology to create access.

Source: Paralympic.org

ID: A search engine bar design that reads "What does the Paralympics symbol represent?" with the Modern Access logo below.

Pop Quiz! What's happening on Tuesday, August 24?

It's the beginning of the Paralympics! And we also have a Paralympics-themed episode coming out that morning! Make sure you're subscribed to get the episode in your feed right away when it drops!

ID: An old-school computer pop-up message that says AUG 24, with a button that says Play, on a light blue Vaporwave style background with geometric prints and the words Happening Now repeated.

Happy Pride! This little community we’re trying to build here welcomes everyone. We see you and we love you!

🏳️‍🌈❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤎🖤🤍🏳️‍🌈

🌈

Check out this article about podcast guest Mary Friedl’s design work!

https://greatlakesbydesign.com/2021/05/19/empathy-in-industry/?fbclid=IwAR1EFyv5K_K_AK_M_Fdo2pA8Vl4LjsjjjySDBlrptCrT53x1yxeqASQFcdg

Empathy in industry A reusable epinephrine auto-injector; a minimalist household composter; an eco-friendly and contemporary ceramic and glass toaster: there’s no lack of innovation within University of Cincinnati alum Mary Friedl’s expanding portfolio. The industrial designer graduated from the university’s Coll...

Podcast guest and friend Mason Bailey started his own blog! Please like, share, and follow his page!

Hi Facebook here's my story.

Hi I'm Mason,

Years ago my mom got pregnant with identical twins. The pregnancy was anything but normal from the get-go. When it was too late, we got diagnosed with twin to twin transfusion syndrome- essentially my brother and I were fighting each other for blood, oxygen and nutrients. Because of this, he passed away around 28 weeks from congestive heart failure and pulmonary edema. After he passed, I was able to regain the blood, oxygen and nutrients I needed to survive... but it was already too late. It had caused brain damage or as we know it today….cerebral palsy. Today twin to twin transfusion syndrome is easily fixed with a laser surgery. Fast forward to 36 weeks when I was delivered in the OR by C-section. After a multitude of months and tests, the doctors told my parents that I would never be able to walk, talk, feed myself or even rollover based on a CT Scan that stated “periventricular leukomalacia”.

At 1 year of age, I got the “official” diagnosis Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy- which means the lower half of my body will have spastic muscles. From 3 months to 1 years old my muscles were so tight I would just lay in my crib and cry. I started physical and occupational therapy regularly at 18 months. I would get stuck in high chairs at restaurants from being so tight. It would take both of my parents to maneuver my legs and the chair to get me out. If you can envision a “fish out of water” that was me! If you laid me on the floor on my stomach, my arms went straight back and my legs were tight and straight and that's the only position I maintained. At the age of 3yo, my parents felt they had to do “something” and were willing to take that risk so I had what’s called a selective dorsal rhizotomy- what they did is they went into my spinal cord and test nerve roots and if they were spastic they would them cut some of the nerves so my muscles would be able to relax. Of course, they couldn’t cut all the spasticity out or I wouldn’t have function thus the reason it is called “selective”. After this surgery, the battle was on! I went to therapy after therapy. I did home exercises. My parents worked with me on a regular basis and we were going to get stronger and stronger. We were going to walk, talk, rollover and feed myself. It was hard, it was a long journey, challenging beyond what you can imagine. Not only all the therapies and work, but recovering from 15 various surgeries mostly orthopedic. But...I accomplished all of the above and more! Walking wise, I started in a walker and then progressed to 3-prong canes to single tip canes to sometimes even 1 cane. Let me tell you something right now… in case you didn’t read between the lines… I don’t take NO for an answer and I don’t like to be told that I CAN’T do something. It may not be perfect or the way it was “supposed to be done or look like” but it can be done if you want it bad enough through hard work, creativity, persistence, and open-mindness.

This is awesome!

Jullisa’s Story:

Jullisa Hibbert is a 20 year old disabled woman who was discharged from the hospital to a women shelter in New York City. She was born with spina bifida myelomeningocele and uses a wheelchair full time. This shelter is very inaccessible. For example there is stairs and inaccessible bathrooms etc. It is not accessible for any wheelchair user.

Jullisa moved to the US from Jamaica when she was four months old to get medical treatment for her spina bifida. She experienced abuse at home, and in 2019 her parents kicked her out and said she couldn’t live with them anymore. Since then she’s been homeless, bouncing between shelters and hospitals.Jullisa is a permanent resident with a green card. Her parents left her without any financial assistance, and she was never able to become a US citizen. Therefore, she doesn’t qualify for any government assistance for her disability. President Biden just allocated $12.7 billion to HCBS (home and community-based services), but unfortunately Jullisa does not qualify for any of it. Her parents refused to provide for her, and now she is trying to provide for herself.

Being homeless and disabled is scary and dangerous. She hopes to use the money to move into an apartment and to buy food, clothing, and other necessities. Her first goal is to get a job—she just need some help getting back on her feet. Jullisa also needs a new wheelchair because her current one hurts her back and is damaging to her body. She also hopes to get a service dog one day to further improve her quality of life!

Any support will be greatly appreciated!

(From the GoFundMe’s description)

https://gofund.me/5cb2e298

Help Jullisa Get Back On Her Feet Again, organized by Jullisa Hibbert Jullisa Hibbert is a 20 year old disabled woman who was discharged from the h… Jullisa Hibbert needs your support for Help Jullisa Get Back On Her Feet Again

starts with you! ALWAYS make sure to have two epinephrine auto-injectors with you at ALL times whether you're traveling cross-country or taking the dog for a walk around the block. Visit us at SnackSafely.com

You’re looking at a FULLY VACCINATED PERSON! (T-minus 5 days til the full efficacy kicks in) 💪🏽
Knowing that my family and friends are fully vaccinated has taken such a weight off my shoulders. It’s underrated how nice it is to do the simple things again without feeling nervous. Thank you UC Health for making it so easy to get my vaccines. You are making such a difference.

“Don’t take up space. Don’t call attention to yourself. Don’t ask for too much.” I’d repeat these in my head like mantras, fearing that if I violated them, I’d be an inconvenience—or worse, a burden. Disabled people are constantly made to feel this way for needing access to participate, to exist.

I can’t count how many times I’ve apologized for exercising my right to be somewhere or do something by requesting it be made accessible to me. “Sorry, so sorry, I’m sorry, I hate to be a bother or any trouble at all, but...” My cheeks would turn bright red, a dead giveaway of shame and embarrassment.

I only wish I’d learned to flip the script for myself sooner: I’m not a burden to the world; inaccessibility is a burden to me. I’m still learning this. It’s my new mantra.

I repeated it quietly to myself today as my mom and I were rolling down the sidewalk in our wheelchairs and we asked a man to please move his truck so we could get through. I repeated it again as he rolled his eyes and again as shook his head in disgust while getting back into the truck, even though the entire rest of the parking lot was empty and he could easily have avoided blocking the sidewalk in the first place. (An incredibly small issue, to be sure, but a metaphor for the countless instances of inaccessibility I’ve encountered.)

I will repeat my mantra to myself any time I feel the need to say I’m sorry for needing access. Because I’m not sorry for that. And no one should ever be made to feel like they need to be.

[Image description: An ombré background that fades from white into bright pink. Text reads: “Accessibility isn’t actually accessible if the person requesting it is made to feel they should be apologetic for doing so.” In the bottom right corner is a logo of a wheel encircled by text that reads “Words I Wheel By.”]

We have a brand new website! This will be the new home for episode transcripts. Check it out at ModernAccessPodcast.com (you can follow the link in our bio).

This means we are effectively shutting down our Patreon for now and will be focusing on posting content to the website instead.

Let us know if you have any feedback!

Modern Access updated their website address.

1 dose down 💪🏽 I didn’t expect to get this by March 29, much less to get in a parking garage at UC, but here we are! Really awesome.

Stop Asian Hate Charity Stream info below:

Ross Minor () is back for a bonus episode!! I had a bunch of questions for him about our shared field of study, computer science. Even if you don’t know the first thing about programming, you can get something out of this episode. Hearing Ross’s perspective on interacting with software as a totally blind person really expanded my bubble.

Ross and I are both saddened by the ongoing hate crimes against AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders). Ross will be hosting a charity stream TONIGHT at 4pm MT (6pm ET) on Twitch to raise money for . I’ll be tuning in, and you can check it out here: https://tiltify.com//stop-asian-hate-charity-stream

Support disabled entrepreneurs!

https://youtu.be/80bsX6HxaRU

I Shopped from Disability Owned Businesses! Shop the business I shared:Two Blind Brothers: https://twoblindbrothers.com Cup of Te: https://cupofte.ca Gracie’s Doggie Delights: https://graciesdoggiedeli...

In the Season 1 finale, I talked with Dr. Hananeh Esmailbeigi, a bioengineering professor from the University of Illinois Chicago, about an HCI (Human-Computer Interaction) wearable communication device she invented.

Make sure you subscribe to Modern Access on your favorite podcast platform to support the show! If you enjoyed the episode, a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts can help us get noticed! Let us know what you think!
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/64cHocr2kEwOn9Fo1d0e5z
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../new.../id1551398571...
Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8zZjA3Zjk2MC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0PwW5Em_4XL3LVjkyVQXzw
We are also on Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic.
Transcript: Free on Patreon



Thanks for the support and I hope you enjoy Episode 5!

This week's episode features Leah Anderson, a longtime friend of mine. I was excited to hear her thoughts on the Nima Sensor for gluten testing as a person with celiac disease! Have you checked out the new episode yet?

Make sure you subscribe to Modern Access on your favorite podcast platform to support the show! If you enjoyed the episode, a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts can help us get noticed! Let us know what you think!

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/64cHocr2kEwOn9Fo1d0e5z
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../new.../id1551398571...
Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8zZjA3Zjk2MC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0PwW5Em_4XL3LVjkyVQXzw
We are also on Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic.
Transcript: Free on Patreon

Thanks for the support and I hope you enjoy Episode 4!

We all use emoji, but who and what do they really represent? Why does the Paralympic sport of sled hockey deserve to have an emoji of its own? Who better to tell you than sled hockey players/emoji users themselves! That's why I spoke with Jamie, Rachel, and Mason about the and the case for why one should be introduced.

Make sure you subscribe to Modern Access on your favorite podcast platform to support the show! If you enjoyed the episode, a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts can help us get noticed! Let us know what you think!

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/64cHocr2kEwOn9Fo1d0e5z
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../new.../id1551398571...
Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8zZjA3Zjk2MC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0PwW5Em_4XL3LVjkyVQXzw
We are also on Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic.
Transcript: Free on Patreon



Thanks for the support and I hope you enjoy Episode 3!

A shout out from my alma mater - Thanks, CEAS!

Modern Access • A podcast on Anchor Welcome to Modern Access! This podcast is all about modern technology that makes inaccessibility in our world a little easier to manage. Exploring innovations that make an inaccessible world a little more manageable. On this podcast, we will cover products and services that provide modern solutions....

It's episode 2 of Modern Access! I talk with a longtime friend of mine, Mary Friedl, about the concept for an EpiPen alternative that she worked on during her time in University of Cincinnati DAAP (official). As a U of Cincinnati Engineering and Applied Science grad with food allergies myself, this chat was really fun!

Make sure you subscribe to Modern Access on your favorite podcast platform to support the show! If you enjoyed the episode, a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts can help us get noticed! Let us know what you think!

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/64cHocr2kEwOn9Fo1d0e5z
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../new.../id1551398571...
Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8zZjA3Zjk2MC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0PwW5Em_4XL3LVjkyVQXzw
We are also on Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic.
Transcript: Free on Patreon (Delayed for this episode only but coming soon!)

Thanks for the support and I hope you enjoy Episode 2!

The very first episode of Modern Access is out RIGHT NOW!!! Episode 1: New Horizons features YouTuber, advocate, and software engineering student Ross Minor speaking with me about his experiences as a blind gamer.

Make sure you subscribe to Modern Access on your favorite podcast platform to support the show! If you enjoyed the episode, a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts can help us get noticed! Let us know what you think!

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/64cHocr2kEwOn9Fo1d0e5z
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-horizons-with-ross-minor/id1551398571?i=1000507863987
Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8zZjA3Zjk2MC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0PwW5Em_4XL3LVjkyVQXzw
We are also on Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic.
Transcript: Free on Patreon

Thanks for the support and I hope you enjoy Episode 1!

Introducing Allison! Allison (she/her) is the graphic designer, editor, and handles episode transcripts for Modern Access.