Kia ora Mosen at largers. I’m writing from just outside beautiful Queenstown in New Zealand, where Bonnie and I have been having a great break. Still, As always I can’t wait to spend some time talking with you about all manner of things on the next show. Perhaps because I’ve been taking a break, I’ve been thinking about a lot of things this week. Here are a few things I’d be interested in hearing from you about.
Let’s be real, one of the biggest pains in the butt about being blind is not being able to jump into your own car and go where you wanna go. I’ve always said that the moment a self-driving car becomes available for individuals to purchase in New Zealand, I’m going to be the first blind person here to own one. Not every blind person seems to agree. First, the idea of sitting in a car that’s driving itself just freaks the soup out of some people. Do you feel that way? Would you willingly be driven around by a computer? But second, some people think blind people like me who want one of these high-tech Jalopies are way over-optimistic about their feasibility. It’s too complicated, they reckon, for a computer to be smart enough to anticipate all eventualities that a human driver might face. What do you think? Do you want one, and are they even feasible? If you’ve already been driven by a self-driving vehicle, what was it like, I know many would enjoy hearing your first-hand experience.
Also on the show this week, the United States Congress has issued a report which could have huge consequences for the way we use technology. They claim that Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google are like the oil tycoons and railroad barons of old and need to be broken up. Do you agree? And would this be a good or bad thing from an accessibility point of view?
As you know, over the last couple of weeks we’ve heard at length from listeners around the world with a variety of views and experiences on being educated as blind people. Some were mainstreamed, some attended a school for the blind, some spent time both in a mainstream and blindness-specific school. All had views on whether they feel their education set them up for success, both academically and socially. It was a fascinating discussion, proving that there is no “one size fits all” solution on a topic like this. I am pleased to say we have received many more contributions on this topic for the coming show. If you’ve not had your say yet, there is still room for yours. With so much misunderstanding about the capabilities of blind people, a quality education is absolutely critical, so there are few topics more important. Please feel free to share your opinions and experiences.
And if all that isn’t enough, this weekend I will get to the most requested Mosen At Large feature, a review and demonstration of the 1Password Password manager. If you’re using the same password in multiple websites, then you are asking for identity theft to knock on your door. You need a password manager, and 1Password is a fantastic option with apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, watchOs, Android and more.
There are plenty of other interesting contributions coming in, so if you’d like to raise something completely different, feel free.
You are very welcome, and in fact encouraged, to get contributions in ahead of time. Please don’t be shy, I’d love to hear from you. To contribute, send an email with an audio attachment or just written down to Jonathan at MushroomFM.com, or call the listener line, +18646066736, that’s 1-864-60Mosen.
The best way to hear Mosen At Large is when it airs live and in full on Mushroom FM at 2 PM Eastern, 7 PM UK on Saturday. It will then be available in abridged form on the Mosen At Large podcast, available anywhere you get podcasts.
Thank you so much for listening and contributing to the show, and see you soon for Mosen At Large.