Straight Talk About Vision Loss
Straight Talk About Vision Loss was an online video series hosted by Dr. Betsy Zaborowski and Mark Riccobono that focused on issues surrounding blindness and vision loss. Here is a complete list of all 39 episodes.
February 16, 2012: Mark Riccobono speaks with George Kerscher, "father of the e-book" about e-book technology. Episode 39 Audio only.
December 15, 2011: In this special edition, Mark Riccobono talks about the outrageous practice of paying disabled workers less than the federal minimum wage and the legislation posed to end the practice: the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act (H.R. 3086). Episode 38 Audio only.
May 4, 2011: Mark Riccobono chats with Laura Weber, President of the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children. Episode 37 Audio only.
February 22, 2011: Mark Riccobono welcomes returning guest Jim Gashel, vice president of marketing for K-NFB Reading Technologies, who reports on new reading technology for the blind. Episode 36 Audio only.
November 29, 2010: Mark Riccobono talks with Scott White about the newest innovations to NFB-NEWSLINE, a free service that provides independent access by print-disabled people to hundreds of local and national publications and TV listings. Episode 35 Audio only.
October 29, 2010: Ann Taylor and Lou Ann Blake discuss nonvisual voting technology and the NFB's Help America Vote Act (HAVA) grant with Mark Riccobono. Episode 34 Audio only.
October 1, 2010: Mark Riccobono interviews Gary Wunder, the new editor of The Braille Monitor. Gary and Mark discuss the monthly publication and the archiving of early issues currently being done in the Jacobus tenBroek Library. Episode 33 audio only.
July 8, 2010: Stephanie Cupp, director of user experience at Blackboard, discusses the accessibility features that have been added to the latest edition of the product. Episode 32 audio only.
June 30, 2010: Mark Riccobono discusses the National Federation of the Blind's Teach Blind Students Initiative with Rosie Carranza and Emily Gibbs. Episode 31 audio only.
April 20, 2010: Ed Morman, Director of the Jacobus tenBroek Library, talks to Mark Riccobono about the library at the Jernigan Institute. Episode 30 audio only.
March 18, 2010: Imagination Fund chairman Parnell Diggs discusses the Race for Independence with Mark Riccobono. Episode 29 audio only.
November 10, 2009: Mark Riccobono discusses the new Intel Reader with Ben Foss, Head Researcher for Independent Living in the Intel Digital Health Group. Episode 28 audio only.
September 24, 2009: Mary Jo Hartle, the NFB Jernigan Institute's Director of Education, and Natalie Shaheen, Education Program Specialist, talk to Mark Riccobono about the Institute's Braille initiatives, including the Braille Enrichment through Literacy and Learning (BELL) program. Episode 27 audio only.
May 20, 2009: Mark Riccobono, live on location at Virginia Tech University, talks with Associate Professor Dr. Dennis Hong and the Blind Driver Challenge Team, about the technology and design of a vehicle that a blind person can drive. Episode 26 audio only.
April 23, 2009: Mark Riccobono talks with Michael Hingson, director of sales for the knfbREADER Mobile, about the groundbreaking product and its new capabilities. Episode 25 audio only.
March 10, 2009: Mark Riccobono reports live from the 2009 Washington Seminar and speaks with Anil Lewis, chairman of the NFB Scholarship Commmittee, about the NFB's scholarship program. Episode 24 audio only.
January 26, 2009: In this episode, Mark Riccobono is on location at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and speaks with Mike May, president of the Sendero Group, about mainstream electronics that blind people can use. Episode 23 audio only.
January 27, 2009: Mark Riccobono discusses the importance of Braille music and the NFB's new video Measure for Measure: Achieving Equality Through Braille Music Literacy with vocal artist Jessica Bachicha. Episode 22 audio only.
December 18, 2008: In this holiday episode, Mark Riccobono talks about resources for blind diabetics with Tom and Eileen Ley. Eileen Ley is the director of diabetes initiatives for the NFB and is in charge of the influential publication, Voice of the Diabetic. Episode 21 audio only.
October 3, 2008: Chris Danielsen is the guest on this special episode of Straight Talk, during which he and Mark Riccobono discuss the book and movie Blindness. Episode 20 audio only.
September 3, 2008: Mark Riccobono talks with Dr. Fred Schroeder, vice president of the NFB, about the NFB's historic Braille literacy campaign. Episode 19 audio only.
July 26, 2008: Mark Riccobono discusses the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC) and the Jernigan Institute's parent outreach efforts with newly elected NOPBC president Carrie Gilmer. Episode 18 audio only.
May 6, 2008: In the latest episode, Mark Riccobono talks with Melissa Riccobono, president of the Human Services Division, wife, and mother, about parenting as a blind individual. Episode 17 audio only.
April 28, 2008: Mark Riccobono discusses the importance of mentoring with Anil Lewis, president of the NFB of Georgia. They also discuss the NFB's formal mentoring program, the National Center for Mentoring Excellence, which has grown to six states, including Georgia. Episode 16 audio only.
April , 4, 2008: Mark Riccobono explores access technology for the blind with guests Anne Taylor and Preety Kumar, CEO of Deque Systems, Inc.
Episode 15 audio only.March 18, 2008: In anticipation of the Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium, Mark Riccobono talks with blind attorney Scott LaBarre. Episode 14 audio only.
February 19, 2008: Mark Riccobono interviews Jim Gashel and learns about the new knfbREADER Mobile, the smallest text-to-speech reading device in history. Episode 13 audio only.
February 11, 2008: Mark Riccobono discusses the new tactile Braille-print book, Touch the Invisible Sky, with co-author Noreen Grice.
Episode 12 audio only.January 11, 2008: Mark Riccobono discusses high-quality rehabilitation training with the directors of the leading training centers for the blind: Shawn Mayo, BLIND, Inc.; Pam Allen, Louisiana Center for the Blind; and Julie Deden, Colorado Center for the Blind. Episode 11 audio only.
November 19, 2007: Mark Riccobono speaks with special guest Santa Claus about Braille literacy and the holiday program Braille Letters from Santa. Episode 10 audio only.
November 1, 2007: Mark Riccobono speaks with guest Kevan Worley about the National Association of Blind Merchants, the Randolph-Sheppard program, and the NFB Imagination Fund. Episode 9 audio only.
May 11, 2007: Dr. Betsy Zaborowski and her guest, Barbara Cheadle, discuss the 2007 National Convention and the activities available for parents and children. Episode 8 audio only.
March 13, 2007: Abraham Nemeth, inventor of the Nemeth Code, talks to Dr. Zaborowski about his life and the development of his code for math and science. Episode 7 audio only.
March 8, 2007: Dr. Zaborowski discusses the upcoming NFB Youth Slam with Mark Riccobono, Director of Education at the Jernigan Institute. The NFB Youth Slam is a four-day academy for blind high school students focusing on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Episode 6 audio only.
January 31, 2007: Dr. Zaborowski speaks with Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, regarding the NFB's position on the recent federal court ruling on paper currency. Episode 5 audio only.
January 12, 2007: Dr. Zaborowski and her guest, Ron Gardner, Esq., discuss the March for Independence, which will be July 3 in Atlanta, Georgia. Episode 4 audio only.
January 4, 2007: Dr. Zaborowski discusses the National Braille Certification Training Program with her guest, Jennifer Dunnam. Episode 3 audio only.
December 14, 2006: Dr. Zaborowski discusses some of the latest programs and news regarding the Institute, including the opening of the new Independence Market. Her guest is Ellen Ringlein, Director of the Independence Market. Episode 2 audio only.
November 25, 2006: Dr. Zaborowski and her guest, James Gashel, NFB's Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives, discuss the Kurzweil - National Federation of the Blind Reader. This new handheld reading machine revolutionizes access to printed materials for the blind. Episode 1 audio only.