The Best Podcasts for the Blind and Visually Impaired
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close up photo of headphones with blue text “the best podcasts for the blind & visually impaired by world services for the blind”
The Best Podcasts for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Today we are sharing some of our favorite podcasts for the blind and visually impaired community. At WSB, we’ve shared some content creators who are blind and visually impaired, but we’ve never focused on just podcasts. There are so many great podcasts geared towards the blind and visually impaired community. Podcasts are a great medium for the blind and visually impaired community because they are inherently auditory. No sight needed!
We have a wide variety of podcasts from podcasts specifically for the blind and visually impaired to accessibility to even dystopian fiction! You are sure to find something you enjoy on this list.
Be My Eyes Podcast
Be My Eyes (the popular app for the blind and visually impaired) created a great podcast about blindness, sight loss, and what it means to be a person who is blind or visually impaired today. The podcast takes an interview format, interviewing those in the blind and visually impaired community doing amazing things like being consultants in Hollywood to a chemist who is blind.
Airacast
Airacast is another great blindness-related podcast by one of our favorite apps out there, AIRA! The Airacast focuses on new updates on the app, tips, and tricks on how to make your use of AIRA the most effective, and even audio described museum tours!
13 Letters
Not only does Be My Eyes produce a podcast about blindness, they have an entire podcast about Accessibility - 13 letters. This podcast can get tech-heavy but it’s a great way to learn about web accessibility and how it works and has changed over the years.
Black Out
Black Out is a podcast you can binge in one week. It is a fictional story podcast, but it has great audio features that we had to feature here. Black Out is an apocalyptic thriller, told through a local radio host as the electrical grid goes down for the entire nation. It is also presented by Sonos, the speaker brand, so they use some very interesting auditory features through the podcast you won’t want to miss! You’ll be hooked by the first episode.
That Blind Tech Show
That Blind Tech Show is the perfect podcast for all of our assistive technology lovers out there! This podcast gives you the latest news in the assistive technology world. From interviews to tech reviews, they cover a wide range of topics with a good mix of humor!
Blind Abroad
Blind Abroad only has a few episodes (so far) but it’s a great podcast for those looking to get out of their comfort zones. James discusses traveling abroad as a blind filmmaker and accessibility. While only a few episodes are out, we can’t wait for more!
Ripple Effects: Travelers with Disabilities Abroad
Ripple Effects: Travelers with Disabilities Abroad is a podcast dedicated to those traveling abroad with a disability and the positive effects that can have on a single person or society.
A Step Forward - Allied Independence
A Step Forward podcast was made for and by Orientation and Mobility Specialists can be enjoyed by anyone interested in helping those who are blind and visually impaired, staying focused and productive, and new things happening in the O&M field.
Rare with Flair
Rare with Flair is a podcast started by two twenty-somethings, including Casey, who we mentioned on our blog post about content creators who are blind and visually impaired! This podcast shares stories from two twenty-somethings on their lives with a rare illness (including legal blindness!) and how they are thriving with their disabilities.
Twenty Thousand Hertz
Twenty Thousand Hertz isn’t specifically for the Blind and Visually Impaired but is another one that might be of specific interest to the community. 20,000 Hertz focuses on “the world’s most interesting and recognizable sounds”. He has guest speakers (like Bill Nye!) to discuss the science of sound, discuss different sounds and how they are produced, and even neurological conditions with sound.
99% invisible
99% Invisible is another podcast that could have great interest to the blind and visually impaired community. The podcast is all about design and architecture but has a focus on the parts of design the “every-day” person might not think about. The podcast certainly has a focus on the accessibility of design as well. The host brings in different people to talk about certain design features and is able to weave masterful storylines into each episode.
We’re Alive
We’re Alive is another fiction podcast but we wanted to feature it here because of the audio descriptions throughout, especially if you’re looking for something dystopian and drama-filled!
No barriers podcast
No Barriers provides a space for anyone to see that they can live a life free of barriers. No Barriers explores the struggles we all face and how to overcome them to achieve everything we want to in life. If you are looking for an inspiring and motivating podcast, this is the one for you.
AppleVIS
AppleVis is a great podcast about everything Apple and Accessibility! This podcast talks about the latest updates from Apple from an accessibility standpoint. From tips like saving an audio message on your iPhone to all the latest updates to apple, AppleVis covers it all!
Reid My Mind
Reid my Mind focuses on all kinds of stories of those with disabilities, but specifically the blind and visually impaired. Thomas Reid, the host, is able to provide his own commentary as a person who is blind.
Cooking in the Dark
Cooking in the Dark is for all our foodies out there. Cooking in the Dark is a cooking show for the blind and visually impaired. Join them as they make any kind of recipe, and show you helpful tips too.
Beyond Radio Network
While not technically a podcast, we wanted to include Beyond Radio Network in our list because you can listen on a podcast feed anytime you want or listen to a wide variety of shows live. Beyond Radio Network feature shows that you might not hear on traditional radio with a wide range of music genres.
What podcasts have you been listening to? Let us know in the comments!
If you are interested in guest blogging for WSB or have any topics you would like us to cover, please contact Lee Rogers at lrogers@wsblind.org
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