Episodios

  • Designing Inclusion: How Unicorn Soda Brings Games to Life for Everyone

    Designing Inclusion: How Unicorn Soda Brings Games to Life for Everyone
    Nov 11 2025
    Episode Summary
    Chris Peterson and Liz Bottner welcome the Herb family — Sarah, Stevie, and their 11-year-old daughter Maeve — founders of Unicorn Soda Design Studios, a company creating 3D-printed accessible games and educational tools for the blind and low-vision community. The family shares how Maeve’s blindness inspired a shift in their family’s path, from Stevie’s career as a professional chef to becoming a designer focused on accessibility.
    Together, they discuss parenting approaches that promote autonomy, the creative process behind adaptive game design, and the importance of inclusive, sensory-rich learning materials. Maeve offers her perspective as both the inspiration and product tester behind Unicorn Soda’s designs, describing her favorite games like Lucky Ducks and the Braille Race Game. The family’s mission extends beyond fun — they aim to make Braille literacy and inclusive design more accessible for children and adults worldwide.
    Listeners will also hear about the Herb family’s collaborations with teachers, their work with the National Federation of the Blind’s BELL program, and their plans for Maeve to eventually lead the business. This heartfelt and inventive episode showcases the intersection of family, design, and advocacy in action.
    Contact Information
    Guest Organization:
    Unicorn Soda Design Studios
    Website: unicornsodadesignstudios.com
    Show Partner:
    Penny Forward — Accessible financial education for the blind community
    Website: www.pennyforward.com
    Aftersight — Podcast Network Partner
    Phone: (720) 712-8856
    Email: feedback@aftersight.org
    Producer: Jonathan Price — Podcast & Program Producer, Aftersight

    Show Credits
    Hosts: Chris Peterson and Liz Bottner
    Guests: Stevie, Sarah, and Maeve Herb
    Audio Editing & Post-Production: Jonathan Price
    Music: André Louis
    Distribution Partner: Aftersight
    Presented by: Penny Forward, a nonprofit providing accessible financial education
    Sponsored by: Wells Fargo, Thrivent, and the NASDAQ Foundation
    In partnership with: APH Connect Center, World Services for the Blind, and Computers for the Blind

    Chapter Markers
    00:00 — Intro: Meet the Herb Family
    02:20 — Parenting and Early Learning with Maeve
    09:00 — From Chef to Designer: The Birth of Unicorn Soda
    13:50 — Games and Accessibility: Design That Clicks
    18:30 — Education Tools and Braille Literacy
    23:00 — The Sound of Play: Designing Sensory Games
    27:20 — Lucky Ducks and Other Favorites
    29:40 — Advice for Families and Blind Kids
    32:10 — The Future of Unicorn Soda Design
    34:20 — Wrap-Up and Partner Acknowledgments
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    36 m
  • Access Granted: Tech, Tenacity, and Financial Independence with Mike Gorse

    Access Granted: Tech, Tenacity, and Financial Independence with Mike Gorse
    Oct 29 2025
    Software engineer Mike Gorse shares how early mentorship, Linux accessibility work, and steady investing shaped his career and financial freedom. Hosts Chris Peterson and Liz Bottner explore his journey from Duxbury Systems to SUSE, the lessons he’s learned about networking, relocation, and accessibility in tech, and how a simple, long-term investing approach brought stability and choice. His advice: connect with peers in your field, volunteer to gain traction, stay open to opportunities, and align your work and finances with what matters most.

    Contact Info
    Guest — Mike Gorse
    📧 mike@straddlethebox.org
    🐘 @MikeGorse@mindly.social
    Penny Forward — pennyforward.com
    Aftersight — aftersight.org | feedback@aftersight.org | (720) 712-8856
    Producer: Jonathan Price, Podcast & Program Producer, Aftersight

    Show Credits
    Hosts: Chris Peterson, Liz Bottner
    Guest: Mike Gorse
    Producer / Post: Jonathan Price
    Music: Andre Louis
    Presented by: Penny Forward in partnership with Aftersight
    Sponsors: Thrivent and The Nasdaq Foundation

    Chapter Markers
    00:00 — Intro: Building bright futures
    00:15 — Meet Mike Gorse
    02:10 — Early tech and Braille foundations
    04:23 — First job at Duxbury Systems
    06:41 — Linux and open-source accessibility
    11:05 — Joining Novell and SUSE
    13:23 — Handling discouragement and finding mentors
    15:28 — Advice for career counselors and seekers
    17:48 — Remote work and moving to Austin
    19:50 — Context matters in career paths
    22:11 — Housing co-ops and community
    24:58 — Pros and cons of shared living
    26:43 — Investing wisely and the Simple Path to Wealth
    28:40 — FIRE and financial independence
    30:54 — Networking and creating opportunities
    33:19 — How to reach Mike
    35:25 — Credits and Aftersight partnership
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    36 m
  • Accessible Finance Made Simple: Andrew Babin on HaloFi and Voice-Controlled Money Management

    Accessible Finance Made Simple: Andrew Babin on HaloFi and Voice-Controlled Money Management
    Oct 15 2025
    Chris Peterson and Liz Botner sit down with Andrew Babin, co-developer of HaloFi, a new voice-controlled money management app designed with accessibility in mind. Andrew shares his journey with Stargardt’s disease, his unexpected path from construction to finance, and how his experiences inspired the creation of HaloFi—a tool merging AI and voice technology to make financial management more inclusive. The conversation explores how AI-driven voice interfaces are transforming accessibility in finance, what it takes to break into the financial industry without prior experience, and how to persevere through personal and professional obstacles with determination and creativity. Contact Info Guest: Andrew Babin, Co-developer of HaloFi 📧 andrew@halofiapp.com 🌐 halofiapp.com Organization: Penny Forward 🌐 pennyforward.com Production Partner: Aftersight (formerly Audio Information Network of Colorado) 📞 (720) 712-8856 ✉️ feedback@aftersight.org 🌐 aftersight.org Producer: Jonathan Price Show Credits Hosted by Chris Peterson and Liz Botner Produced by Chris Peterson and Liz Botner Audio editing and post-production by Jonathan Price Music composed and performed by André Louis Distributed in partnership with Aftersight Penny Forward is a nonprofit providing accessible financial education programs by and for people who are blind. Chapter Markers 00:00 – Introduction and welcome back 01:10 – Andrew’s early life and Stargardt’s diagnosis 03:25 – From construction to finance: a career pivot 05:50 – Breaking into finance during the COVID era 07:30 – Navigating work and independence with vision loss 09:45 – Lessons in perseverance and enthusiasm 11:00 – The idea behind HaloFi 14:00 – Overcoming barriers in finance exams and accessibility 16:20 – Building inclusive technology from the ground up 18:40 – HaloFi demo and functionality walkthrough 23:50 – Future features and AI-driven financial actions 26:30 – Launch timeline and how to join the waitlist 28:15 – How to contact Andrew and follow the project 30:00 – Partnership announcement with Aftersight 30:36 – Closing remarks and credits
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    33 m
  • Podcast: New and Affordable Tech at CSUN with Unmute and Chicago Lighthouse

    Podcast: New and Affordable Tech at CSUN with Unmute and Chicago Lighthouse
    May 21 2025
    Liz Bottner leads this panel discussion on the most exciting, and affordable, technology the participants saw at the 2025 CSUN Assistive Technology Conference. New and Affordable Tech at CSUN with Unmute and Chicago LighthouseDownload Penny Forward Links Explore the Penny Forward My Tools for Living Shop pennyforward.compennyforward@pennyforward.com Clubhouse House Facebook Youtube Get our app, guest membership is free! IOS/AppleGooglePlay Post Production help provided by Brynn Lowden Transcription services provided by Anne Verduin
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    30 m
  • Wednesday Workshop: Managing and Building Your Credit

    Wednesday Workshop: Managing and Building Your Credit
    Apr 17 2025
    Good credit can open doors to lower interest rates, better housing options, and even job opportunities. In this workshop, we'll explore how credit works, effective ways to manage debt, and actionable strategies to build or rebuild your credit score. Whether you're starting fresh or working toward improvement, you'll leave with a clear roadmap to healthier credit.
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    30 m
  • Podcast: Get Certified and Get Hired with AccessibilityOfficer

    Podcast: Get Certified and Get Hired with AccessibilityOfficer
    Apr 8 2025
    We learn about the Certified Accessibility Tester program from Tanner Gers, founder and Managing Director of AccessAbility Officer, whose vision is the US disabled unemployment rate is the same as the US unemployment rate. More powerful than these words? Tanner walks the talk. Over 80% of his team has a severe disability, and a large majority of these individuals are blind professionals who use screen readers. Everything AccessAbility Officer does is driven by their big vision. They just happen to help companies make their websites accessible, and get more people with disabilities jobs. Tanner is also a National Beep Baseball Association 7-time NBBA All-Star and 3-time World Series MVP, US Paralympian in track and field, earning Gold at the Para Pan America Games in Guadalajara, a 2012 US Paralympic trials gold medalist, 2012 US Paralympic and 2013 World Championship team member, and the 2015 and 2016 National Champion in track cycling. Tanner has a Bachelors in Communications from the University of Arizona and MBA from Louisiana State University.
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    30 m
  • Podcast: Save Time and Money with Innosearch

    Podcast: Save Time and Money with Innosearch
    Mar 11 2025
    We're joined by Craig Co and Patrick Long, co-founders of Innosearch, e-commerce platform focused on making online shopping easy and enjoyable, especially for those with internet access challenges like blind or low-vision users. Innosearch offers millions of products and deals, and our site is fully accessible, working seamlessly with NVDA, Apple Voiceover, and other popular screen readers. We'll find out how anyone who finds current e-commerce platforms too complicated to navigate can use Innosearch to shop online effortlessly with just a few clicks.
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    28 m
  • Podcast: The Right Tool For Your Budget with Patrick Andrade and Brian Bussard

    Podcast: The Right Tool For Your Budget with Patrick Andrade and Brian Bussard
    Feb 18 2025
    In December, Penny Forward and the Chicago Lighthouse announced a partnership to open the "My Tools for Living" shop featuring nearly 300 assistive technology and independent living products for people with blindness and low vision. This week, Penny Forward founder and CEO, Chris Peterson, interviews Patrick Andrade and Brian Bussard from the Chicago Lighthouse to learn more about this collaboration and how it can help you find the right tools while supporting Penny Forward.
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    28 m