Unbox and set up the new Google Home Smart Speaker with Scott Rutkowski, explore its accessibility features, and hear Kristi Ardell’s inspiring mission to bring white canes and Braille tools to blind children in Eswatini, Africa.

In this episode of Double Tap, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece welcome listener Scott Rutkowski from Australia as he performs a full unboxing and first-time setup of the brand-new Google Home Smart Speaker powered by Gemini AI. Scott walks through the packaging, physical design, and accessibility setup process, including the challenges of scanning QR codes and enabling voice features. He also tests out Google Home Premium, Gemini’s conversational mode, and shares tips for blind users on controlling audio and touch gestures.

Later, Kristi Ardell joins the conversation to discuss her upcoming journey to Eswatini to support St. Joseph’s School for the Blind. She shares her inspiring goal to donate white canes, Braille slates, and a refurbished Perkins Brailler to children who currently rely on tree branches and broken pipes as canes. Kristi also reveals details of her inclusive African safari adventure with Seeable Holidays and how the blind travel experience connects communities worldwide.

Support Christy’s mission to deliver white canes and Braille tools to children in Eswatini by contacting her at: going2eswatini@gmail.com.

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About Double Tap

Hosted by the insightful duo, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece, Double Tap is a treasure trove of information for anyone who's blind or partially sighted and has a passion for tech. Steven and Shaun not only demystify tech, but they also regularly feature interviews and welcome guests from the community, fostering an interactive and engaging environment. Tune in every day of the week, and you'll discover how technology can seamlessly integrate into your life, enhancing daily tasks and experiences, even if your sight is limited.

"Double Tap" is a registered trademark of Double Tap Productions Inc.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Discover how blind and visually impaired users can harness AI tools like Claude to build accessible solutions, enhance independence, and master screen reader fundamentals—guided by Tony Gebhard’s No Sight Required.

Tony Gebhard joins Steven Scott and Shaun Preece to discuss his new book, No Sight Required: A Blind User’s Guide to AI. Written from a first-hand perspective, the book tackles the lack of consolidated resources for blind users exploring artificial intelligence. Tony explains why screen reader fundamentals are essential before diving into AI projects and shares how tools like Claude and Codex can help create custom solutions, from NVDA training modules to accessible web tools.

The conversation covers:

• Why learning core navigation and assistive technology basics is crucial.
• How AI can act as a personal assistant, editor, and creative partner.
• Balancing accessibility, practicality, and patience when experimenting with LLMs.
• Creating solutions that empower blind users to solve problems independently.

Tony also opens up about the writing process, using AI for editing and production, managing community expectations, and the importance of feedback for future editions.

Relevant Links

NVDA: https://www.nvaccess.org
Email Tony for ePub: info@tonygebhard.me

Key Quotes
“Claude is smart—but you are the programme director. The AI is your worker; you give it the assignment.” — Tony Gebhard
“We finally have the tools to build our own solutions. Let’s go fill the gaps ourselves.” — Tony Gebhard

Hashtags
#AccessibleTech #ScreenReaders #AIForGood

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About Double Tap

Hosted by the insightful duo, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece, Double Tap is a treasure trove of information for anyone who's blind or partially sighted and has a passion for tech. Steven and Shaun not only demystify tech, but they also regularly feature interviews and welcome guests from the community, fostering an interactive and engaging environment. Tune in every day of the week, and you'll discover how technology can seamlessly integrate into your life, enhancing daily tasks and experiences, even if your sight is limited.

"Double Tap" is a registered trademark of Double Tap Productions Inc.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Discover Quill, a fully accessible, AI-powered text editor designed for blind and low vision users. Learn how Quill simplifies text editing, integrates AI tools, and empowers productivity with free, feature-rich functionality.

In this episode, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece speak with Jeff Bishop about Quill, his new free text editor built with accessibility at its core. Quill bridges the gap between simple editors like Notepad and complex environments such as Visual Studio Code, providing a highly customisable experience that “meets users where they are.”

Jeff shares how Quill supports HTML, Markdown, text expansion, dictation, voice commands, background file conversions, and deep AI integration with providers like OpenAI, Claude, and Gemini. Profiles allow users to hide advanced features for a clean, beginner-friendly interface or unlock powerful developer tools.

Quill is open-source, cross-platform, and community-driven, proving how accessible technology can be transformative when designed by and for blind users.

Relevant Links
Quill For All: https://quillforall.org
Bits: https://bits-acb.org

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Subscribe to the Podcast:

• Apple: https://www.doubletaponair.com/apple
• Spotify: https://www.doubletaponair.com/spotify
• RSS: https://www.doubletaponair.com/podcast
• iHeadRadio: https://www.doubletaponair.com/iheart

About Double Tap

Hosted by the insightful duo, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece, Double Tap is a treasure trove of information for anyone who's blind or partially sighted and has a passion for tech. Steven and Shaun not only demystify tech, but they also regularly feature interviews and welcome guests from the community, fostering an interactive and engaging environment. Tune in every day of the week, and you'll discover how technology can seamlessly integrate into your life, enhancing daily tasks and experiences, even if your sight is limited.

"Double Tap" is a registered trademark of Double Tap Productions Inc.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.