Double Tap Extra – Details, episodes & analysis

Get a front-row pass to the UK's top assistive tech expo with Double Tap at Sight Village! From Meta Ray-Bans to vibrating shoes, discover the latest in accessible technology and the challenges facing blind users today. In this on-location episode, Steven, Shaun, Tim Dixon, and guest Martin Ralfe explore the atmosphere, innovations, and issues at Sight Village Birmingham. The crew recounts their chaotic journey getting to the venue, reflect on travel anxiety as blind travelers, and share honest first impressions of the event’s accessibility improvements. The conversation dives deep into tech highlights, including the buzz around Meta Ray-Bans (even though they weren’t officially on display), vibrating haptic shoes, and the Luna night-vision glasses. Martin offers valuable insight into AI’s role in assistive tech, its limitations, and why prompt engineering matters. The hosts also call out missed sales opportunities and accessibility oversights from vendors, pushing for a better customer experience at future events. Blind Ambition UK: https://www.blindambition.co.uk Be My Eyes: https://www.bemyeyes.com Meta Ray-Bans: https://www.ray-ban.com/meta Seatfrog App: https://www.seatfrog.com Episode Summary:Relevant Links Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it really feel like to apply for a guide dog for the first time—or even the second time? In this candid episode of Double Tap, Steven Scott, Shaun, and Garth Humphreys dive into the emotional journey of vision loss, guide dog decisions, and the often-overlooked mental health toll of blindness. From funny mishaps with canes to life-altering moments on bicycles, this heartfelt conversation explores grief, pride, stigma, identity, and the ongoing process of self-acceptance in the blind community. Whether you’re thinking about getting a guide dog or just want to understand what it’s like to live between sighted and blind worlds, this episode doesn’t hold back. [Chapters] 00:00 – Cream or manure? Why we’re still saying “Dollop” 02:15 – Steven applies for a guide dog: the emotional impact 03:45 – Garth on why the dog feels like an “invisibility cloak” 06:46 – Bike crashes, pride, and realizing “I’m actually blind” 11:10 – When your brain fills in the blanks: hallucinations and memory 13:38 – Denial and delays in accepting vision loss 17:00 – Feeling “not blind enough” and the weird middle space 20:44 – The freedom of sunglasses and letting go of eye contact 23:26 – Parental guilt and the “B-word” 26:21 – Naked honesty: letting go of the mask 27:07 – Cane vs. dog: what really changes? 29:50 – Why some see a guide dog as “blindness, level 2” 32:20 – A man gives directions to a dog 35:01 – Blindness grief: it hits you when you least expect it 42:47 – Uber and guide dog refusals: what’s changing? 46:59 – Is it worth the fight—or should we just have a nice night? 50:14 – The waiting list reality & Steven’s next steps 👉 Like, comment, and subscribe if this conversation resonated with you—or share it with someone on their own journey with vision loss. guide dog application, blindness grief, cane vs guide dog, emotional impact of vision loss, partially sighted identity, guide dog UK, guide dog waiting list, vision loss mental health, blind mobility stories, Uber guide dog refusal, blindness stigma, Audio Pizza, Double Tap podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sky says it supports accessibility—but is it really doing enough? In this episode, Steven, Shaun, and Elliot expose major issues with Sky’s handling of audio description, especially for blind users relying on Sky Glass and Sky Stream. Steven Scott, Shaun Preece, and guest Elliot dive deep into Sky’s accessibility failures, particularly the lack of audio description (AD) on on-demand content. While Sky’s live TV still includes AD, the hosts argue that Sky Glass and Stream have regressed in accessibility by removing recording capabilities and failing to carry over AD to on-demand titles. They criticize Sky’s token efforts and misleading claims about inclusivity, especially when other platforms like BBC iPlayer and ITVX are doing far more. The team share personal experiences, including frustrating conversations with Sky’s accessibility team, and discuss how outdated workflows and technical excuses can't justify the exclusion of blind users. They also explore how the blind community might take collective action and why it's vital that AD is prioritized as much as subtitles and signed content. Keyword Sky accessibility, audio description on demand, Sky Glass accessibility issues, Sky Stream voice guidance, TV accessibility UK, blind TV viewers, AD on Sky, inclusive media, Sky TV AD problems, ITVX audio description, BBC iPlayer accessibility Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join the Double Tap team for a freewheeling, biscuit-fueled conversation covering everything from AirPods that detect sleep to Apple Intelligence and accessibility updates in iOS 18 and macOS 15. In this laid-back bonus episode of Double Tap, Steven, Shaun, Callum, and guest Michael Babcock dive into all things WWDC 2025—from the serious to the seriously silly. They start with talk of Kit Kats and squeezy jam, but quickly shift into thoughtful reflections on Apple’s updates to Siri, VoiceOver, and AirPods. The group critiques Apple’s slow rollout of Siri improvements and explores new features like clipboard history limits, local audio capture, and AirPods triggering video. They also debate the pros and cons of headphones from Apple and Sony, ponder touchscreen Macs, and discuss the deeper implications of transparency mode for people with autism. Expect laughs, accessibility insights, and the occasional questionable episode title. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steven, Shaun, and Marc Aflalo share the chaotic and comical process of covering Inclusive Africa remotely—from last-minute calls with Mastercard Foundation to organizing a cameraman in Nairobi. The team dives into the importance of being one of the few assistive tech shows to feature the event and reflects on key moments, including their surprise interview with Meta’s Maxine Williams. They also discuss audience feedback, the growing interest in Android accessibility, the reliability of Apple’s inclusive design, and what’s expected (or not) at WWDC 2025. Lighthearted debates about podcast naming, media presence, and AI rumors round out a candid, laughter-filled episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this exclusive pre-WWDC chat, Steven, Shaun, and guests Michael Babcock and Callum Stoneman break down their hopes, frustrations, and predictions ahead of Apple’s 2025 developer conference — with a strong focus on accessibility, AI, and the future of VoiceOver. Recorded for subscribers of the Double Tap private feed, this roundtable dives deep into expectations for WWDC 2025. The conversation covers anticipated updates to VoiceOver on Mac, Apple Intelligence, AI in accessibility tools, and the Vision Pro’s growing role in assistive tech. The panel also critiques Siri’s long-standing performance issues, weighs the impact of new accessibility features like Braille Access and Magnifier on Mac, and discusses the broader implications for blind users and specialist tech manufacturers. Discussions turn candid and humorous as the group explores frustrations with dynamic UI changes in iOS 19, broken promises in screen recognition, and ongoing challenges in balancing privacy with performance. The team also reflects on the growing need for mainstream tech companies to support blind-first platforms like Be My Eyes and InnoSearch, and the very real consequences of inaccessibility in major releases like Sonos. Relevant Links Apple WWDC: https://developer.apple.com/wwdc Be My Eyes: https://www.bemyeyes.com InnoSearch: https://www.innosearch.shop Unmute Presents (Michael Babcock): https://unmute.show/ Tech Talk RNIB (Callum Stoneman): https://www.rnib.org.uk/connect-radio/rnib-connect-radio-shows/tech-talk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Want to access your home computer and files from anywhere without the hassle of port forwarding or risky VPN setups? This episode of Double Tap Extra dives deep into Tailscale, a powerful tool that makes remote networking simple, secure, and accessible—even for the non-techies. In this lively and tech-nerdy “dollop” of Double Tap Extra, Steven Scott, Shaun Preece, Tim Dixon, and Callum Stoneman explore Tailscale—a mesh VPN that simplifies remote network access. Shaun explains how he uses it to access a hard drive in his shed from anywhere in the UK, while Tim breaks down how Tailscale works, including features like exit nodes and Magic DNS. Callum shares his experience connecting via Tailscale to use NVDA Remote securely, avoiding the complexities of port forwarding. They also discuss home networking headaches, static IPs, Raspberry Pi ad-blocking via Pi-hole, smart light automation, and travel routers like the Beryl AX. Humour and relatable tech mishaps weave through the conversation, from scammer stories to Shaun’s adventures with broken keyboards. For blind users and accessibility advocates, the gang highlight the ease-of-use and accessibility of Tailscale's interface—plus ethical questions around ad blocking and network security. 0:00 – Welcome to another Double Tap “Dollop” 4:30 – Sean introduces Tailscale use case 8:55 – Tim explains Tailscale VPN and mesh setup 13:30 – NVDA Remote + Tailscale walkthrough 18:45 – Port forwarding woes and why Tailscale wins 25:20 – Exit nodes and filtering kids’ traffic 29:00 – Accessibility, Magic DNS, and static IP myths 35:55 – Chrome Remote Desktop and RIM vs. Tailscale 42:20 – Scams, scam shows, and CD swindles 50:00 – Solving the ad blocking dilemma with Pi-hole 1:00:45 – Raspberry Pi accessibility tips 1:06:00 – Travel routers and smart Wi-Fi on the move 1:15:20 – Smart lights, motion sensors, and mesh Wi-Fi 1:24:50 – Callum’s big house move (and cupboard beans) 1:33:00 – Red lights in the bathroom and light guilt 1:37:55 – Outro: Broken keyboards, smart homes, and future plans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Braille truly essential for literacy—or are there other valid paths to becoming literate as a blind person? Ken Scott joins the show with a contrarian view that challenges long-held beliefs around Braille, literacy, and employment. In this episode of Double Tap Extra, Steven Scott welcomes Ken Scott—no relation—for a deep and thought-provoking conversation about Braille literacy and its place in the modern world. Rather than accepting the popular phrase “Braille is literacy,” Ken challenges the assumption by asking: Is Braille the only form of literacy for blind people? Drawing from perspectives in adult literacy studies and his own lived experience, Ken argues that screen reader proficiency—when paired with thoughtful instruction—can provide a path to literacy just as valid as Braille. Together, they explore the differences in literacy needs between blind children and adults, whether Braille offers a career advantage, and the cognitive similarities between reading and listening. The episode doesn’t shy away from controversy. From the lack of current Braille usage data to the cost barriers of Braille displays in employment settings, Ken makes the case that Braille, while valuable, may not be the universal solution some believe it to be. They also touch on the debate between reading versus listening, the role of screen readers in developing writing skills, and how modern assistive tech is shifting the accessibility landscape. It’s a bold, nuanced discussion aimed at opening minds—not closing conversations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meet Chantal, a blind entrepreneur helping others learn screen readers and Braille through her new business, See It Through My Fingers. In this Double Tap Extra episode, Steven welcomes Chantal, the founder of See It Through My Fingers.  Blind since birth and living with cerebral palsy, Chantal shares her inspiring story of how she overcame educational barriers to build a business teaching screen readers like JAWS and NVDA, remote Braille learning, and visual impairment awareness.  She also provides transcription and tactile diagram services and supports trainee teachers through the University of Birmingham. See It Through My Fingers: https://seeitthroughmyfingers.co.uk Phone Chantal: 07547 526 799 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode of Double Tap Extra dives deep into listener experiences with guide dogs, mobility tools, and the mental health challenges linked to blindness. From thoughtful advice on matching the right guide dog to navigating life with retinitis pigmentosa, rural cane tips, and coping with social isolation, Steven and Shaun bring real voices and insights together in a powerful discussion. In this Extra edition, Steven and Shaun dedicate time to longer listener emails that don’t always make it onto the main show. Nikki from Texas shares heartfelt advice about guide dog selection, reminding Steven to ensure his hand tremor is considered in the matching process. Gregory reflects on his personal journey with retinitis pigmentosa, his decision not to pursue a guide dog due to safety concerns, and his thoughts on new mobility tech like Glidance and Echo Vision. Craig from Scotland opens up about losing his sight rapidly, the impact on his mental health, and how his guide dog helped him adjust before retirement. He highlights the importance of mind management strategies and supportive friends. Trevor from Ontario offers an incredibly detailed comparison of cane tips for different terrains—including the Rover Freewheel, ceramic tips, Pathfinder 360, and snow disc—providing real-world advice for rural and urban travelers alike. The discussion weaves through themes of guilt, independence, resilience, and identity, with Steven and Shaun reflecting on how blind people adapt to changing needs, the underestimated role of mental health, and the importance of finding practical tools that fit each person’s lifestyle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices