E80 Microsoft Research brings Virtual reality to the blind with Canetroller, and are we blind people, or people who are blind?

Microsoft has delivered some innovative new products to blind people in recent times. We've talked about Seeing AI and Soundscape on the podcast before. Now, Microsoft researchers are considering how virtual reality, a technology many of us think of as inherently visual, might be put to use in a blindness context. The Canetroller just might be a technology that in future could allow you to rehearse travelling in unfamiliar environments from the comfort of your own home or with an orientation and mobility instructor. To tell us about Cantroller, Jonathan Mosen speaks with Merrie Morris, Ed Cutrell and Mike Sinclair from Microsoft Research.

There are listener comments on Aira, CSUN and Apple, disability emoji and more. Jonathan makes mention of his review of Aira. You can read the Aira review here.

In news this week, Jonathan discusses an opinion piece in the Kokomo Tribune by Lise Pace, advocating for the use of "person-first" language. He states his view that "person-first" language does much more harm than good. Read Lise Pace's article, and Jonathan's blog post, to get two perspectives on the issue. Then, be sure to get in touch to let us know where you stand.

We learn of a settlement in a long-running dispute over underpayment of the blind pension in Missouri.

Sighted people often report vivid hallucinations during LSD trips. But what do blind people experience? A new article published in Consciousness and Cognition examines this fascinating question.

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